fix(app): walk a collaborator through cloning a project onto their machine

.lane/memory/apps/app/src/app.tsx/01M4YT6XB7NQ89E6F4P375REE7-all-projects-and-project-vie.md

@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ anchor: function App
 created: 2026-10-15T03:38:04Z
 norm: '1'
 sig: 063d0f00fea02511
-body_hash: 3ae5f8490cc90da0
-raw_hash: 7e04439bd64b4ba8
-vouched: 2026-10-19T20:51:12Z
+body_hash: 7ffeaa95733dc612
+raw_hash: a73f79d41002c2a0
+vouched: 2026-10-19T20:54:33Z
 lines: 235-824
 ---
 

.lane/memory/apps/app/src/setup-project.tsx/01M5AYXJQNG05XSJ4MD06CY2TF-a-picked-folder-is-the-clone.md

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+---
+id: 01M5AYXJQNG05XSJ4MD06CY2TF
+anchor: function SetupProject
+created: 2026-10-19T20:51:15Z
+norm: '1'
+sig: 5fe4de63348584e9
+body_hash: 7f0b00583c29c9fd
+raw_hash: 0faa3040f0175372
+lines: 24-163
+---
+
+a picked folder is the clone's parent; the clone's own folder still follows the repository name

apps/app/src/app.tsx

@@ -514,9 +514,14 @@ export function App() {
 	/** Channels only start on this host; setup may clone here first, never on the other host. */
 	async function finishSetup(repo: string, path: string) {
 		if (!setup) return;
-		const value = await host.request<Project>({ op: "project-clone", repo, path });
+		const value = await host.request<Project & { found?: true }>({
+			op: "project-clone",
+			repo,
+			path,
+		});
 		const id = projectId(hello.host, value.path, value.repo);
 		setSetup(undefined);
+		if (value.found) toast.success(`Opened the checkout already at ${value.path}`);
 		if (!setup.start) return chooseProject(id);
 		const target: AppProject = {
 			...value,
@@ -901,10 +906,9 @@ export function App() {
 									)}
 									{!allProjects && !local && (
 										<p className="max-w-[34rem] text-sm text-muted-foreground">
-											{current.label} is checked out on {[...current.hosts].join(", ")}.{" "}
-											{current.repo
-												? `Set it up on ${here} to start channels here.`
-												: "Open a checkout on this host to start channels here."}
+											{current.label} isn't on {here} yet. {current.repo
+												? "Set it up to start channels here."
+												: `Open a checkout of it on ${here} to start channels here.`}
 										</p>
 									)}
 									{!allProjects && needsGit && (
@@ -918,18 +922,23 @@ export function App() {
 									)}
 									{!allProjects && creatable && (
 										<div className="flex gap-2">
-											{!local && (
-												<Button
-													variant="outline"
-													disabled={!connected}
-													onClick={() => startSetup(current)}
-												>
-													Set up on {here}
-												</Button>
-											)}
-											<Button disabled={!connected} onClick={() => void create()}>
-												<IconPlus aria-hidden />New channel
-											</Button>
+											{local
+												? (
+													<Button
+														disabled={!connected}
+														onClick={() => void create()}
+													>
+														<IconPlus aria-hidden />New channel
+													</Button>
+												)
+												: (
+													<Button
+														disabled={!connected}
+														onClick={() => startSetup(current)}
+													>
+														Set up on {here}
+													</Button>
+												)}
 										</div>
 									)}
 								</div>

apps/app/src/setup-project.tsx

@@ -12,12 +12,12 @@ import {
 } from "@ace/ui";
 import { githubRepo } from "@ace/host/protocol";
 
-import { here } from "./desktop";
+import { desktop, here } from "./desktop";
 import { useFolder } from "./folder";
 import type { AppProject } from "./projects";
 
 /**
- * Clones a project known from other hosts, or a GitHub repository by URL when there is no
+ * Clones a project that isn't on this machine yet, or a GitHub repository by URL when there is no
  * project, or opens the matching checkout already at the chosen folder. Nothing is cloned until
  * the person confirms the destination.
  */
@@ -30,14 +30,16 @@ export function SetupProject({ project, starting, onSetup, onClose }: {
 	const id = useId();
 	const { folder } = useFolder();
 	const [url, setUrl] = useState("");
+	// A picked folder holds the clone; the clone's own folder still follows the repository's name.
+	const [parent, setParent] = useState<string>();
 	// The folder follows the repository's name until the person edits it.
 	const [edited, setEdited] = useState<string>();
 	const [busy, setBusy] = useState(false);
 	const [error, setError] = useState("");
 	const repo = project?.repo || url.trim();
 	const name = githubRepo(repo)?.split("/")[1];
 	// The host expands `~`, so the app never assumes where this machine's home folder is.
-	const base = folder?.replace(/\/$/, "");
+	const base = (parent ?? folder)?.replace(/\/$/, "");
 	const path = edited ?? (base && name ? `${base}/${name}` : "");
 	const ready = !!repo && !!path.trim();
 
@@ -53,6 +55,18 @@ export function SetupProject({ project, starting, onSetup, onClose }: {
 		}
 	}
 
+	async function choose() {
+		if (!desktop) return;
+		try {
+			const chosen = await desktop.project();
+			if (!chosen) return;
+			setParent(chosen);
+			setEdited(undefined);
+		} catch (error) {
+			setError((error as Error).message);
+		}
+	}
+
 	return (
 		<Dialog
 			open
@@ -68,13 +82,10 @@ export function SetupProject({ project, starting, onSetup, onClose }: {
 					</DialogTitle>
 					<DialogDescription>
 						{project
-							? `${project.label} is checked out on ${
-								[...project.hosts].join(", ")
-							}. Clone ${project.repo} into a folder on ${here}${
-								starting ? " to start the channel here." : "."
-							} `
-							: `Clone a GitHub repository into a folder on ${here} and add it as a project. `}
-						A checkout of it already in that folder is opened instead.
+							? `${project.label} isn't on ${here} yet. Clone ${project.repo} from GitHub to get a copy here${
+								starting ? ", then start the channel." : "."
+							}`
+							: `Clone a GitHub repository to ${here} and add it as a project.`}
 					</DialogDescription>
 				</DialogHeader>
 				<form
@@ -105,15 +116,26 @@ export function SetupProject({ project, starting, onSetup, onClose }: {
 						<label htmlFor={`${id}-path`} className="mb-1.5 block text-xs font-medium">
 							Folder
 						</label>
-						<Input
-							id={`${id}-path`}
-							autoFocus={!!project}
-							value={path}
-							disabled={busy}
-							spellCheck={false}
-							placeholder={base && `${base}/name`}
-							onChange={(event) => setEdited(event.target.value)}
-						/>
+						<div className="flex gap-2">
+							<Input
+								id={`${id}-path`}
+								value={path}
+								disabled={busy}
+								spellCheck={false}
+								placeholder={base && `${base}/name`}
+								onChange={(event) => setEdited(event.target.value)}
+							/>
+							{desktop && (
+								<Button
+									type="button"
+									variant="outline"
+									disabled={busy}
+									onClick={() => void choose()}
+								>
+									Choose another folder…
+								</Button>
+							)}
+						</div>
 					</div>
 					{error && (
 						<p role="alert" className="whitespace-pre-wrap text-xs text-destructive">
@@ -123,8 +145,16 @@ export function SetupProject({ project, starting, onSetup, onClose }: {
 				</form>
 				<DialogFooter>
 					<Button variant="outline" disabled={busy} onClick={onClose}>Cancel</Button>
-					<Button type="submit" form={id} disabled={busy || !ready}>
-						{busy ? "Setting up…" : starting ? "Clone and start channel" : "Clone and open"}
+					<Button
+						type="submit"
+						form={id}
+						autoFocus={!!project}
+						disabled={busy || !ready}
+						className="min-w-0 shrink"
+					>
+						<span className="truncate">
+							{busy ? "Setting up…" : ready ? `Clone to ${path.trim()}` : "Clone"}
+						</span>
 					</Button>
 				</DialogFooter>
 			</DialogContent>

apps/host/src/projects.ts

@@ -220,9 +220,12 @@ const cloning = new Set<string>();
 
 /**
  * Sets up a GitHub repository on this host: clones it into `value`, or opens the checkout of it
- * already there. Anything else at `value` is left untouched.
+ * already there, marked `found`. Anything else at `value` is left untouched.
  */
-export async function setup(source: string, value: string): Promise<Project> {
+export async function setup(
+	source: string,
+	value: string,
+): Promise<Project & { found?: true }> {
 	const repo = parse(source);
 	const expanded = expand(value.trim());
 	if (!isAbsolute(expanded)) throw new Error("Enter a full folder path, such as ~/code/project");
@@ -238,7 +241,7 @@ export async function setup(source: string, value: string): Promise<Project> {
 			if (found?.toLowerCase() === repo.toLowerCase()) {
 				// An interrupted clone already names its remote but has no commit to work from.
 				const head = await git(real, ["rev-parse", "--verify", "-q", "HEAD"]);
-				if (head.status === 0) return await open(real);
+				if (head.status === 0) return { ...(await open(real)), found: true };
 				throw new Error(
 					`${path} has an incomplete clone of ${repo}. Remove it or choose another folder.`,
 				);