Make remote daemon update failures actionable (#2120)

* fix(settings): show daemon update failures

React Native web ignores Alert.alert, so failed remote updates reset to an enabled button without any user-visible explanation. Keep updater progress and failure as explicit rendered state, including the daemon's error, and cover the real browser-to-daemon failure path.

* test(settings): harden daemon update regression

* fix(settings): disable Desktop-managed daemon updates

Desktop-bundled daemons advertised npm self-update even though the install-origin checks always rejected it. Report Desktop ownership to clients, render actionable guidance, and refuse stale requests before touching npm.

packages/server/src/server/bootstrap.ts

@@ -335,6 +335,8 @@ export type DaemonLifecycleIntent =
 export interface PaseoDaemonConfig {
   listen: string;
   paseoHome: string;
+  daemonVersion?: string;
+  desktopManaged?: boolean;
   worktreesRoot?: string;
   corsAllowedOrigins: string[];
   allowedHosts?: HostnamesConfig;
@@ -483,7 +485,7 @@ export async function createPaseoDaemon(
   const logger = rootLogger.child({ module: "bootstrap" });
   const bootstrapStart = performance.now();
   const elapsed = () => `${(performance.now() - bootstrapStart).toFixed(0)}ms`;
-  const daemonVersion = resolveDaemonVersion(import.meta.url);
+  const daemonVersion = config.daemonVersion ?? resolveDaemonVersion(import.meta.url);
   const daemonConfigStore = new DaemonConfigStore(
     config.paseoHome,
     createInitialMutableDaemonConfig(config),
@@ -1371,6 +1373,7 @@ export async function createPaseoDaemon(
                 listen: formatListenTarget(boundListenTarget ?? listenTarget),
                 worktreesRoot: config.worktreesRoot,
                 appBaseUrl: config.appBaseUrl,
+                desktopManaged: config.desktopManaged === true,
                 relay: {
                   enabled: relayEnabled,
                   endpoint: relayEndpoint,

packages/server/src/server/config.test.ts

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import path from "node:path";
 import { pathToFileURL } from "node:url";
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, test } from "vitest";
 
-import { resolveBundledWebUiDistDir } from "./config.js";
+import { loadConfig, resolveBundledWebUiDistDir } from "./config.js";
 
 const roots: string[] = [];
 
@@ -13,6 +13,19 @@ describe("server config", () => {
     await Promise.all(roots.splice(0).map((root) => rm(root, { recursive: true, force: true })));
   });
 
+  test("records when the daemon is managed by Paseo Desktop", async () => {
+    const paseoHome = await mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "paseo-config-desktop-managed-"));
+    roots.push(paseoHome);
+
+    const desktopConfig = loadConfig(paseoHome, {
+      env: { PASEO_DESKTOP_MANAGED: "1" },
+    });
+    const standaloneConfig = loadConfig(paseoHome, { env: {} });
+
+    expect(desktopConfig.desktopManaged).toBe(true);
+    expect(standaloneConfig.desktopManaged).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   test("resolves bundled web UI path from source-tree modules", () => {
     const root = path.parse(process.cwd()).root;
     expect(

packages/server/src/server/config.ts

@@ -488,6 +488,7 @@ export function loadConfig(
   return {
     listen,
     paseoHome,
+    desktopManaged: env.PASEO_DESKTOP_MANAGED === "1",
     worktreesRoot: resolveWorktreesRoot(paseoHome, persisted),
     corsAllowedOrigins: resolveCorsAllowedOrigins(env, persisted),
     hostnames,

packages/server/src/server/daemon-client.e2e.test.ts

@@ -1006,10 +1006,32 @@ test("receives server_info on websocket connect", async () => {
   expect(serverInfo).not.toBeNull();
   expect(serverInfo?.serverId.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
   expect(serverInfo?.features?.["terminal-restore-modes"]).toBe(true);
+  expect(serverInfo?.desktopManaged).toBe(false);
+  expect(serverInfo?.features?.daemonSelfUpdate).toBe(true);
 
   await client.close();
 }, 15000);
 
+test("a Desktop-managed daemon does not advertise npm self-update", async () => {
+  const daemon = await createTestPaseoDaemon({ desktopManaged: true });
+  const client = new DaemonClient({
+    url: `ws://127.0.0.1:${daemon.port}/ws`,
+    clientId: `cid-desktop-managed-${randomUUID()}`,
+    clientType: "cli",
+  });
+
+  try {
+    await client.connect();
+    const serverInfo = client.getLastServerInfoMessage();
+
+    expect(serverInfo?.desktopManaged).toBe(true);
+    expect(serverInfo?.features?.daemonSelfUpdate).toBe(false);
+  } finally {
+    await client.close();
+    await daemon.close();
+  }
+}, 15000);
+
 test("emits disabled voice capability reasons on fresh daemon startup", async () => {
   const isolatedCtx = await createDaemonTestContext({
     speech: {

packages/server/src/server/session/daemon/daemon-self-update-session-controller.test.ts

@@ -23,12 +23,14 @@ interface ControllerHarness {
 function createController(input: {
   updater: TestUpdater;
   daemonVersion?: string | null;
+  desktopManaged?: boolean;
 }): ControllerHarness {
   const emitted: SessionOutboundMessage[] = [];
   const restartIntents: RestartIntent[] = [];
   const controller = new DaemonSelfUpdateSessionController({
     clientId: "client-1",
     daemonVersion: input.daemonVersion ?? "0.1.15",
+    desktopManaged: input.desktopManaged,
     emit: (msg) => {
       emitted.push(msg);
     },
@@ -82,6 +84,7 @@ describe("DaemonSelfUpdateSessionController", () => {
     await controller.dispatch(updateRequest);
 
     expect(updateInput?.daemonVersion).toBe("0.1.15");
+    expect(updateInput?.desktopManaged).toBe(false);
     expect(emitted).toEqual([
       {
         type: "daemon.update.progress",
@@ -119,15 +122,21 @@ describe("DaemonSelfUpdateSessionController", () => {
   });
 
   test("emits a failed response without restart lifecycle intent", async () => {
+    let updateInput: DaemonSelfUpdateInput | null = null;
     const updater: TestUpdater = {
-      async update() {
+      async update(input) {
+        updateInput = input;
         return { success: false, error: "not an npm global install", newVersion: null };
       },
     };
-    const { controller, emitted, restartIntents } = createController({ updater });
+    const { controller, emitted, restartIntents } = createController({
+      updater,
+      desktopManaged: true,
+    });
 
     await controller.dispatch(updateRequest);
 
+    expect(updateInput?.desktopManaged).toBe(true);
     expect(emitted).toEqual([
       {
         type: "daemon.update.response",

packages/server/src/server/session/daemon/daemon-self-update-session-controller.ts

@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ interface DaemonSelfUpdateRestartIntent {
 export interface DaemonSelfUpdateSessionControllerOptions {
   clientId: string;
   daemonVersion: string | null;
+  desktopManaged?: boolean;
   emit: (msg: SessionOutboundMessage) => void;
   emitLifecycleIntent: (intent: DaemonSelfUpdateRestartIntent) => void;
   sessionLogger: pino.Logger;
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ function isDaemonSelfUpdateMessage(msg: SessionInboundMessage): msg is DaemonUpd
 export class DaemonSelfUpdateSessionController {
   private readonly clientId: string;
   private readonly daemonVersion: string | null;
+  private readonly desktopManaged: boolean;
   private readonly emit: (msg: SessionOutboundMessage) => void;
   private readonly emitLifecycleIntent: (intent: DaemonSelfUpdateRestartIntent) => void;
   private readonly sessionLogger: pino.Logger;
@@ -45,6 +47,7 @@ export class DaemonSelfUpdateSessionController {
   constructor(options: DaemonSelfUpdateSessionControllerOptions) {
     this.clientId = options.clientId;
     this.daemonVersion = options.daemonVersion;
+    this.desktopManaged = options.desktopManaged === true;
     this.emit = options.emit;
     this.emitLifecycleIntent = options.emitLifecycleIntent;
     this.sessionLogger = options.sessionLogger;
@@ -64,6 +67,7 @@ export class DaemonSelfUpdateSessionController {
     try {
       const result = await this.updater.update({
         daemonVersion: previousVersion,
+        desktopManaged: this.desktopManaged,
         onProgress: (phase) => this.emitProgress(msg.requestId, phase),
         logger: this.sessionLogger,
       });

packages/server/src/server/session/daemon/daemon-self-updater.test.ts

@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ function createRuntime(input: {
 async function runUpdate(input: {
   runtime: DaemonSelfUpdateRuntime;
   daemonVersion?: string | null;
+  desktopManaged?: boolean;
   phases?: DaemonSelfUpdatePhase[];
 }) {
   const logger = createLogger();
@@ -91,6 +92,7 @@ async function runUpdate(input: {
   const phases = input.phases ?? [];
   const result = await updater.update({
     daemonVersion: input.daemonVersion ?? "0.1.15",
+    desktopManaged: input.desktopManaged ?? false,
     onProgress: (phase) => phases.push(phase),
     logger,
   });
@@ -98,6 +100,21 @@ async function runUpdate(input: {
 }
 
 describe("DaemonSelfUpdater", () => {
+  test("refuses a Desktop-managed daemon without touching npm", async () => {
+    const calls: RuntimeCall[] = [];
+    const runtime = createRuntime({ calls, inspections: [] });
+
+    const { result, phases } = await runUpdate({ runtime, desktopManaged: true });
+
+    expect(result).toEqual({
+      success: false,
+      error: "This daemon is managed by Paseo Desktop. Update Paseo Desktop on the host.",
+      newVersion: null,
+    });
+    expect(phases).toEqual([]);
+    expect(calls).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
   test("updates a daemon that is running from the npm global cli install", async () => {
     const calls: RuntimeCall[] = [];
     const runtime = createRuntime({
@@ -214,6 +231,7 @@ describe("DaemonSelfUpdater", () => {
 
     const firstUpdate = updater.update({
       daemonVersion: "0.1.15",
+      desktopManaged: false,
       onProgress: () => {},
       logger,
     });
@@ -222,6 +240,7 @@ describe("DaemonSelfUpdater", () => {
     await expect(
       updater.update({
         daemonVersion: "0.1.15",
+        desktopManaged: false,
         onProgress: () => {},
         logger,
       }),

packages/server/src/server/session/daemon/daemon-self-updater.ts

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ export interface DaemonSelfUpdateResult {
 
 export interface DaemonSelfUpdateInput {
   daemonVersion: string | null;
+  desktopManaged: boolean;
   onProgress: (phase: DaemonSelfUpdatePhase) => void;
   logger: DaemonSelfUpdateLogger;
 }
@@ -42,12 +43,19 @@ const defaultRuntime: DaemonSelfUpdateRuntime = {
   installOrigin: daemonInstallOriginRuntime,
 };
 
+const DESKTOP_MANAGED_UPDATE_ERROR =
+  "This daemon is managed by Paseo Desktop. Update Paseo Desktop on the host.";
+
 export class DaemonSelfUpdater {
   private inProgress = false;
 
   constructor(private readonly runtime: DaemonSelfUpdateRuntime = defaultRuntime) {}
 
   async update(input: DaemonSelfUpdateInput): Promise<DaemonSelfUpdateResult> {
+    if (input.desktopManaged) {
+      return { success: false, error: DESKTOP_MANAGED_UPDATE_ERROR, newVersion: null };
+    }
+
     if (this.inProgress) {
       throw new DaemonSelfUpdateInProgressError();
     }

packages/server/src/server/session/daemon/daemon-session.ts

@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ import type { PersistedProjectRecord, PersistedWorkspaceRecord } from "../../wor
 
 export interface DaemonRuntimeConfig {
   listen: string | null;
+  worktreesRoot?: string;
   appBaseUrl?: string;
+  desktopManaged?: boolean;
   relay: {
     enabled: boolean;
     endpoint: string;
@@ -86,6 +88,7 @@ export class DaemonSession {
     this.selfUpdate = new DaemonSelfUpdateSessionController({
       clientId: this.clientId,
       daemonVersion: this.daemonVersion ?? null,
+      desktopManaged: this.daemonRuntimeConfig?.desktopManaged === true,
       emit: (msg) => this.host.emit(msg),
       emitLifecycleIntent: (intent) => this.host.emitLifecycleIntent(intent),
       sessionLogger: this.logger,

packages/server/src/server/test-utils/outdated-daemon-process.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import { readFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { createTestPaseoDaemon } from "./paseo-daemon.js";
+
+async function main(): Promise<void> {
+  const metroPort = process.env.E2E_METRO_PORT;
+  if (!metroPort) {
+    throw new Error("E2E_METRO_PORT is not set");
+  }
+
+  const daemon = await createTestPaseoDaemon({
+    corsAllowedOrigins: [`http://localhost:${metroPort}`],
+    daemonVersion: "0.0.0",
+    desktopManaged: process.env.E2E_DESKTOP_MANAGED === "1",
+  });
+  const serverId = (await readFile(path.join(daemon.paseoHome, "server-id"), "utf8")).trim();
+
+  process.send?.({
+    type: "ready",
+    endpoint: `127.0.0.1:${daemon.port}`,
+    serverId,
+  });
+
+  const shutdown = async () => {
+    await daemon.close();
+    process.exit(0);
+  };
+  process.once("SIGINT", () => void shutdown());
+  process.once("SIGTERM", () => void shutdown());
+}
+
+void main().catch((error) => {
+  process.send?.({
+    type: "error",
+    error: error instanceof Error ? (error.stack ?? error.message) : String(error),
+  });
+  process.exit(1);
+});

packages/server/src/server/test-utils/paseo-daemon.ts

@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ import { createTestAgentClients } from "./fake-agent-client.js";
 import type { PushNotificationSender } from "../push/notifications.js";
 
 interface TestPaseoDaemonOptions {
+  daemonVersion?: string;
+  desktopManaged?: boolean;
   downloadTokenTtlMs?: number;
   corsAllowedOrigins?: string[];
   listen?: string;
@@ -157,6 +159,8 @@ async function prepareTestDaemonConfig(
   const config: PaseoDaemonConfig = {
     listen: `${listenHost}:0`,
     paseoHome,
+    daemonVersion: options.daemonVersion,
+    desktopManaged: options.desktopManaged,
     corsAllowedOrigins: options.corsAllowedOrigins ?? [],
     hostnames: true,
     mcpEnabled: options.mcpEnabled ?? true,

packages/server/src/server/websocket-server.ts

@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ import {
   type BrowserAutomationHostCapability,
 } from "@getpaseo/protocol/browser-automation/capabilities";
 import type { BrowserToolsBroker } from "./browser-tools/broker.js";
+import type { DaemonRuntimeConfig } from "./session/daemon/daemon-session.js";
 
 const WS_CLOSE_DAEMON_AUTH_FAILED = 4401;
 
@@ -404,19 +405,7 @@ export class VoiceAssistantWebSocketServer {
   private readonly externalSessionsByKey: Map<string, SessionConnection> = new Map();
   private readonly serverId: string;
   private readonly daemonVersion: string;
-  private readonly daemonRuntimeConfig:
-    | {
-        listen: string | null;
-        appBaseUrl?: string;
-        relay: {
-          enabled: boolean;
-          endpoint: string;
-          publicEndpoint: string;
-          useTls: boolean;
-          publicUseTls: boolean;
-        };
-      }
-    | undefined;
+  private readonly daemonRuntimeConfig: DaemonRuntimeConfig | undefined;
   private readonly agentManager: AgentManager;
   private readonly agentStorage: AgentStorage;
   private readonly projectRegistry: ProjectRegistry;
@@ -507,18 +496,7 @@ export class VoiceAssistantWebSocketServer {
     github?: GitHubService,
     pushNotificationSender?: PushNotificationSender,
     providerSnapshotManager?: ProviderSnapshotManager,
-    daemonRuntimeConfig?: {
-      listen: string | null;
-      worktreesRoot?: string;
-      appBaseUrl?: string;
-      relay: {
-        enabled: boolean;
-        endpoint: string;
-        publicEndpoint: string;
-        useTls: boolean;
-        publicUseTls: boolean;
-      };
-    },
+    daemonRuntimeConfig?: DaemonRuntimeConfig,
     serviceProxyPublicBaseUrl?: string | null,
     browserToolsBroker?: BrowserToolsBroker | null,
   ) {
@@ -1227,6 +1205,8 @@ export class VoiceAssistantWebSocketServer {
       serverId: this.serverId,
       hostname: getHostname(),
       version: this.daemonVersion,
+      // COMPAT(desktopManaged): added in v0.1.X, remove optional parsing after 2027-01-16.
+      desktopManaged: this.daemonRuntimeConfig?.desktopManaged === true,
       ...(this.serverCapabilities ? { capabilities: this.serverCapabilities } : {}),
       features: {
         // COMPAT(providersSnapshot): keep optional until all clients rely on snapshot flow.
@@ -1257,7 +1237,7 @@ export class VoiceAssistantWebSocketServer {
         // COMPAT(daemonDiagnostics): added in v0.1.100, remove gate after 2026-12-25 once daemon floor >= v0.1.100.
         daemonDiagnostics: true,
         // COMPAT(daemonSelfUpdate): added in v0.1.93, remove gate after 2026-12-13.
-        daemonSelfUpdate: true,
+        daemonSelfUpdate: this.daemonRuntimeConfig?.desktopManaged !== true,
         // COMPAT(agentForkContext): added in v0.1.102, remove gate after 2026-12-28.
         agentForkContext: true,
         // COMPAT(agentForkContextCursor): added in v0.1.108, remove gate after 2027-01-14.