Patch session metadata atomically by stable ID

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -25,6 +25,35 @@
   emit the previous mode's stale screen or queued output. Reconnects establish
   the same fresh `GEOMETRY` → `SCREEN` → `DATA`/`EXIT` baseline.
 
+### Atomic exact-id metadata patching
+
+- `pty metadata patch --id <stable-id>` reads one merge-style JSON object from
+  stdin and atomically updates `displayName` and tags under one metadata lock.
+  It never falls back to display-name lookup, preserves unrelated tags, returns
+  `{ changed, metadata }`, and suppresses no-op writes and events.
+- `patchMetadataById(id, patch)` exposes the same exact-id operation from
+  `@compoundingtech/pty/client`. Existing rename/tag APIs share the merge engine
+  while retaining their documented specialized events for compatibility.
+- Metadata publication acquires the event lock before the metadata lock, so a
+  busy event log fails before either file changes. Event appends and retention
+  rewrites are serialized without a per-record byte-size assumption.
+- `pty exec` now carries an opaque generation owner token in session children
+  and refuses stale same-id replacements. Sessions started by an older build
+  must be restarted once before they can use `pty exec`.
+- The current display-name contract supersedes the permissive limits described
+  in earlier release notes: values must be nonempty, already trimmed,
+  single-line, free of Unicode control characters, and at most 160 Unicode
+  scalar values. Slash and backslash remain valid metadata characters.
+
+### Storage format
+
+Effective atomic patches append one `metadata_change` event whose `previous`
+and `value` objects contain only changed `displayName` and tag keys. No-op
+patches append no event. Lock contention cannot publish only one side of an
+effective patch. Metadata remains the authoritative state: a process crash or
+underlying I/O failure between its write and event append can omit the
+notification because pty does not journal a cross-file transaction.
+
 ### Non-unique display names with unambiguous session resolution
 
 - Display names are presentation metadata and no longer need to be unique.

README.md

@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ pty rename my-label                       # inside a session: add/change its dis
 pty rename <ref> my-label                 # outside: set displayName on <ref>
 pty rename --show <ref>                   # show current displayName
 pty rename --clear [ref]                  # remove displayName
+pty metadata patch --id myserver < patch.json # atomically patch displayName/tags by exact id
 
 pty list                                  # show active sessions (tags shown by default)
 pty list --tags                           # include internal bookkeeping tags (ptyfile*, strategy, etc.)
@@ -127,6 +128,20 @@ exact stable id first, then a display name only when that label has one match.
 Ambiguous display names fail without acting and print the candidate stable ids.
 Use stable ids in scripts and automation.
 
+For automation that must update presentation metadata without alias fallback,
+`pty metadata patch --id <stable-id>` reads one merge-style JSON object from
+stdin and returns `{ changed, metadata }` as JSON:
+
+```sh
+printf '%s' '{"displayName":"Worker","tags":{"role":"worker","old":null}}' \
+  | pty metadata patch --id a1b2c3d4
+```
+
+`displayName` and individual tag values use strings to set and `null` to clear;
+omitted fields and tag keys remain unchanged. The operation holds the session's
+metadata lock across one read/merge/atomic-write cycle. It fails if the exact id
+is absent, even when a display name has the same text.
+
 ### Remote over fabric
 
 `pty list --remote <peer>` lists another machine's sessions over [fabric](https://github.com/compoundingtech/fabric), which hands consumers a plain local Unix socket — pty never touches iroh. The remote machine serves a small control protocol that fabric exposes under the `pty-remote` ALPN. The recommended form is **on-demand**: fabric spawns the handler per dial, pipes the connection to its stdin/stdout, and owns persistence + roaming (no persistent pty daemon):
@@ -271,7 +286,7 @@ display_name = "My Web Server"   # override the default `<prefix>-<sessionKey>`
 cwd = "packages/web"             # working directory (default: the manifest's dir)
 ```
 
-`id` is validated like a `pty run --id` value (charset, sock-path length, uniqueness); omitted → pty generates a short random id at spawn time. `display_name` is permissive (≤ 500 chars, any printable text); omitted → defaults to `<prefix>-<sessionKey>` (or just `<sessionKey>` if no prefix). The two fields decouple the human label from the kernel-constrained filename — long prefixes that would have blown past `sockaddr_un.sun_path` (~104 bytes) now work because the actual sock filename is just the short id.
+`id` is validated like a `pty run --id` value (charset, sock-path length, uniqueness); omitted → pty generates a short random id at spawn time. `display_name` must be nonempty, already trimmed, single-line, free of Unicode control characters, and at most 160 Unicode scalar values; `/` and `\` are allowed because the value is metadata, not a path. Omitted → defaults to `<prefix>-<sessionKey>` (or just `<sessionKey>` if no prefix). The two fields decouple the human label from the kernel-constrained filename — long prefixes that would have blown past `sockaddr_un.sun_path` (~104 bytes) now work because the actual sock filename is just the short id.
 
 `cwd` sets the session's working directory. An absolute path is used as-is; a relative path resolves against the manifest's directory. Omitted → the session runs in the manifest's directory (the default). This decouples where a session runs from where its `pty.toml` lives — so a manifest kept in a subdirectory (e.g. `.convoy/pty.toml`, to keep a repo root pristine) can still run its sessions in the repo root with `cwd = ".."`. The declared `cwd` is honored on the initial `pty up` and preserved across manual and `strategy=permanent` respawns.
 

completions/pty.bash

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ _pty() {
   COMPREPLY=()
   cur="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD]}"
   prev="${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD-1]}"
-  commands="run attach a exec peek send events list ls stats restart kill rm remove gc tag tag-multi emit rename up down test remote-serve"
+  commands="run attach a exec peek send events list ls stats restart kill rm remove gc tag tag-multi emit rename metadata up down test remote-serve"
 
   if [[ ${COMP_CWORD} -eq 1 ]]; then
     if [[ "${cur}" == -* ]]; then
@@ -122,6 +122,9 @@ _pty() {
         COMPREPLY=($(compgen -W "${names}" -- "${cur}"))
       fi
       ;;
+    metadata)
+      COMPREPLY=($(compgen -W "--id" -- "${cur}"))
+      ;;
     up)
       COMPREPLY=($(compgen -o dirnames -- "${cur}"))
       ;;

completions/pty.fish

@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ complete -c pty -n __pty_needs_command -a tag -d 'Read / write tags on one sessi
 complete -c pty -n __pty_needs_command -a tag-multi -d 'Bulk tag ops across sessions'
 complete -c pty -n __pty_needs_command -a emit -d 'Publish a user.* event'
 complete -c pty -n __pty_needs_command -a rename -d 'Set / show / clear displayName'
+complete -c pty -n __pty_needs_command -a metadata -d 'Atomically patch presentation metadata by stable id'
 complete -c pty -n __pty_needs_command -a up -d 'Start sessions from pty.toml'
 complete -c pty -n __pty_needs_command -a down -d 'Stop sessions from pty.toml'
 complete -c pty -n __pty_needs_command -a test -d 'Run the pty test suite (vitest)'
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ complete -c pty -n '__pty_using_command run' -l detach -s d -d 'Create in the ba
 complete -c pty -n '__pty_using_command run' -l attach -s a -d 'Create OR attach if id already exists'
 complete -c pty -n '__pty_using_command run' -l ephemeral -s e -d 'Ephemeral: auto-remove metadata on clean exit'
 complete -c pty -n '__pty_using_command run' -l id -d 'Pin on-disk id (charset-validated)'
-complete -c pty -n '__pty_using_command run' -l name -d 'Display label (any printable, ≤ 500 chars)'
+complete -c pty -n '__pty_using_command run' -l name -d 'Display label (trimmed, single-line, ≤ 160 Unicode scalars)'
 complete -c pty -n '__pty_using_command run' -l no-display-name -d 'Skip the auto-generated label'
 complete -c pty -n '__pty_using_command run' -l tag -d 'Tag session (k=v, repeatable)'
 complete -c pty -n '__pty_using_command run' -l env -d 'Overlay child environment (KEY=VALUE, repeatable)'
@@ -137,6 +138,8 @@ complete -c pty -n '__pty_using_command emit' -a '(__pty_sessions)' -d 'Session'
 complete -c pty -n '__pty_using_command rename' -l show -d 'Print current displayName'
 complete -c pty -n '__pty_using_command rename' -l clear -d 'Remove displayName'
 complete -c pty -n '__pty_using_command rename' -a '(__pty_sessions)' -d 'Session'
+complete -c pty -n '__pty_using_command metadata' -l id -d 'Exact stable session id'
+complete -c pty -n '__pty_using_command metadata' -x -a 'patch' -d 'Value'
 complete -c pty -n '__pty_using_command up' -F
 complete -c pty -n '__pty_using_command down' -F
 complete -c pty -n '__pty_using_command test' -l t -d 'Run matching tests'

completions/pty.zsh

@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ _pty() {
     'tag-multi:Bulk tag ops across sessions'
     'emit:Publish a user.* event'
     'rename:Set / show / clear displayName'
+    'metadata:Atomically patch presentation metadata by stable id'
     'up:Start sessions from pty.toml'
     'down:Stop sessions from pty.toml'
     'test:Run the pty test suite (vitest)'
@@ -58,7 +59,7 @@ _pty() {
             '(a --attach){a,--attach}[Create OR attach if id already exists]' \
             '(e --ephemeral){e,--ephemeral}[Ephemeral: auto-remove metadata on clean exit]' \
             '--id[Pin on-disk id (charset-validated)]' \
-            '--name[Display label (any printable, ≤ 500 chars)]' \
+            '--name[Display label (trimmed, single-line, ≤ 160 Unicode scalars)]' \
             '--no-display-name[Skip the auto-generated label]' \
             '--tag[Tag session (k=v, repeatable)]' \
             '--env[Overlay child environment (KEY=VALUE, repeatable)]' \
@@ -173,6 +174,11 @@ _pty() {
             '--clear[Remove displayName]' \
             '1:session:_pty_sessions'
           ;;
+        metadata)
+          _arguments \
+            '--id[Exact stable session id]' \
+            '1:mode:(patch)'
+          ;;
         up)
           _arguments \
             '1:directory:_directories'

docs/client.md

@@ -27,6 +27,36 @@ matches. Resolve once, then pass `session.name` to socket-oriented APIs.
 
 Throws if the name is invalid. Names must match `[a-zA-Z0-9._-]` and be at most 255 characters.
 
+### `patchMetadataById(id: string, patch: MetadataPatch): Promise<MetadataPatchResult>`
+
+Atomically merge presentation metadata for one exact stable id. This API never
+falls back to a matching display name. It holds the session metadata lock across
+one read, merge, validation, and atomic write; unrelated tags are preserved and
+a no-op returns `changed: false` without writing or emitting an event.
+
+```typescript
+const result = await patchMetadataById("a1b2c3d4", {
+  displayName: "Worker",
+  tags: { role: "worker", temporary: null },
+});
+
+interface MetadataPatch {
+  displayName?: string | null;
+  tags?: Record<string, string | null>;
+}
+
+interface MetadataPatchResult {
+  changed: boolean;
+  metadata: SessionMetadata;
+}
+```
+
+Strings set values, `null` clears them, and omitted fields or tag keys remain
+unchanged. A successful change emits one `metadata_change` event containing
+only effective changes as `previous` and `value` snapshots. The existing
+`setDisplayName` and `updateTags` APIs retain their specialized event types for
+compatibility.
+
 ### `getSessionDir(): string`
 
 Returns the session directory path — `$PTY_ROOT` if set (the legacy `$PTY_SESSION_DIR` name is still honored), otherwise `~/.local/state/pty`.
@@ -97,7 +127,11 @@ Remove a session's `.sock` and `.pid` files.
 
 ### `cleanupAll(name: string): void`
 
-Remove all files for a session (socket, pid, metadata, events, lock).
+Remove all files for a session (socket, pid, metadata, and events). Cleanup is
+serialized by acquiring the event lock before the metadata/creation lock. It
+throws when either lock has a live holder, changes no session files in that
+case, and removes only locks acquired by the cleanup call. Dead holders' stale
+locks are reclaimed.
 
 ### Types
 
@@ -407,6 +441,10 @@ Each extends `EventBase { session: string; type: EventType; ts: string }`.
 `NotificationEvent` adds `title?`, `body?`, `source?: "osc9" | "osc99" | "osc777"`.
 `TitleChangeEvent` adds `value: string`.
 
+`MetadataChangeEvent` has type `"metadata_change"` and carries `previous` and
+`value` objects. Only the changed `displayName` field and changed tag keys are
+present; `null` represents an absent or cleared value.
+
 ## Keys (also available via `@compoundingtech/pty/keys`)
 
 These functions are also available as a standalone browser-safe import via `@compoundingtech/pty/keys` (zero dependencies).

docs/disk-layout.md

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ For non-Node tools that want to read pty's state without paying Node startup. Th
 | `<name>.sock` | daemon IPC socket (Unix) | 2 |
 | `<name>.pid` | daemon pid (decimal) | 2 |
 | `<name>.lock` | creation-race lock | 2 |
+| `<name>.events.lock` | event append/retention lock | 2 |
 | `theme` | last-selected TUI theme | 2 |
 | `gc.log` | stdout/stderr of `pty gc` when run by launchd/cron (only present after auto-running gc is installed) | 2 |
 | `<name>.json.tmp.<pid>.<rand>` | atomic-write tmp — readers MUST ignore | n/a |
@@ -100,14 +101,20 @@ Envelope: `{ session: string; type: string; ts: string; ...payload }`. Event typ
 | `session_flapping` | `counter, limit, window` — (`pty gc` flipped a permanent session to `strategy.status=flapping` after N consecutive fast-fail respawns; subsequent ticks skip it) |
 | `display_name_change` | `previous: string\|null, value: string\|null` |
 | `tags_change` | `previous, value` (full snapshots) |
+| `metadata_change` | `previous, value` containing only changed `displayName` and tag keys; absent tag values are `null` |
 | `user.<name>` | `data?, text?` — free-form, via `pty emit` |
 
-A single line ≤ `PIPE_BUF` (~4 KB) is atomic per POSIX `O_APPEND`. Built-ins are well under. Keep large `user.*` payloads out of the event stream.
+All event writers and retention rewrites are serialized by the per-session
+event lock. A complete JSONL record is therefore published without relying on
+an operating-system write-size limit, and retention cannot discard an append
+that races its atomic rewrite. Async writers wait up to five seconds for a live
+holder; synchronous writers fail immediately. Lock files are removed on release,
+and a dead holder's stale lock is reclaimed by the next writer or cleanup.
 
 ## Reading from outside pty
 
 ```sh
 jq -r '.tags["role"] // empty' "$PTY_ROOT/myserver.json"
 ```
 
-For live updates, tail `<name>.events.jsonl` via `inotify` / `kqueue`. Subscribe instead of polling — `tags_change` / `display_name_change` / `session_*` fire on every mutation.
+For live updates, tail `<name>.events.jsonl` via `inotify` / `kqueue`. Subscribe instead of polling — `metadata_change` / `tags_change` / `display_name_change` / `session_*` fire on every mutation.