From 766d2569707149be6bdf03d7736b3e89d1541163 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Miguel Palhas <mpalhas@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 2026 19:57:58 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] fix(maestro): suppress epoch durations on TUI cards

---
 crates/maestro-tui/src/sidebar.rs | 70 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---
 1 file changed, 64 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/crates/maestro-tui/src/sidebar.rs b/crates/maestro-tui/src/sidebar.rs
index 9e2bda0..4a02ca2 100644
--- a/crates/maestro-tui/src/sidebar.rs
+++ b/crates/maestro-tui/src/sidebar.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,12 @@ use uuid::Uuid;
 /// Time-in-state alone earns a meta line only once the session has sat in
 /// its current activity state this long (docs/SIDEBAR.md).
 const META_LINE_AFTER_SECS: i64 = 30;
+/// A payload predating #102 defaults `activity_since` to the Unix epoch. Per
+/// docs/SIDEBAR.md such a session contributes no duration — the dot still
+/// renders — so anything implausibly old counts as "never observed" rather
+/// than a card announcing that the session has been idle for half a century.
+/// Mirrors `PLAUSIBLE_EPOCH_MS` in `web/src/activity.ts`.
+const PLAUSIBLE_SINCE_YEAR: i32 = 2010;
 const INDENT: &str = "  ";
 const META_INDENT: &str = "    ";
 /// Spawn-similar and kill, shown on the highlighted card's top-right corner.
@@ -129,25 +135,31 @@ impl Sidebar {
     /// The adaptive second line: `<dot> <duration> [<blocked work> | exited]`.
     fn meta_row(&self, s: &Session, width: usize) -> Option<Vec<Span<'static>>> {
         let now = Utc::now();
-        let held_secs = (now - s.activity_since).num_seconds();
+        let held = held_for(s, now);
+        let held_secs = held.map(|d| d.num_seconds()).unwrap_or(0);
         // #83: a worktree that blocks a kill is summarised here rather than
         // on line 1; the kill confirm names the specifics.
         let blocked = s.blocked_work.filter(|b| !b.is_clear());
         let dead = s.status == SessionStatus::Dead;
         let errored = s.activity == ActivityState::Error;
-        if held_secs < META_LINE_AFTER_SECS && blocked.is_none() && !dead && !errored {
+        if (held.is_none() || held_secs < META_LINE_AFTER_SECS)
+            && blocked.is_none()
+            && !dead
+            && !errored
+        {
             return None;
         }
         let base = card_base(self.highlight == Some(s.id));
         let dot_style = base.patch(Style::default().fg(activity_color(s.activity)));
         let muted = Style::default().bg(base.bg.unwrap_or(Color::Reset));
-        let duration = format_state_duration(now - s.activity_since);
         let mut spans = vec![
             Span::styled(META_INDENT, base),
             Span::styled("●", dot_style),
-            Span::styled(" ", base),
-            Span::styled(duration, dot_style),
         ];
+        if let Some(d) = held {
+            spans.push(Span::styled(" ", base));
+            spans.push(Span::styled(format_state_duration(d), dot_style));
+        }
         if let Some(b) = blocked {
             spans.push(Span::styled(format!(" ⚠ {b}"), muted));
         }
@@ -171,6 +183,16 @@ fn activity_color(state: ActivityState) -> Color {
 
 /// docs/SIDEBAR.md duration format — floored whole seconds / minutes / hours,
 /// measured in the current activity state. No days, no rounding up.
+/// How long the session has held its current activity state, or `None` when
+/// the daemon never reported one (see [`PLAUSIBLE_SINCE_YEAR`]).
+fn held_for(s: &Session, now: chrono::DateTime<Utc>) -> Option<chrono::Duration> {
+    use chrono::Datelike;
+    if s.activity_since.year() < PLAUSIBLE_SINCE_YEAR {
+        return None;
+    }
+    Some(now - s.activity_since)
+}
+
 fn format_state_duration(elapsed: chrono::Duration) -> String {
     let secs = elapsed.num_seconds().max(0);
     match secs {
@@ -228,7 +250,7 @@ fn name_for(s: &Session) -> String {
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
-    use chrono::Duration;
+    use chrono::{DateTime, Duration};
     use maestro_protocol::InTheWay;
     use ratatui::backend::TestBackend;
     use ratatui::buffer::Buffer;
@@ -508,6 +530,42 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    /// docs/SIDEBAR.md: a payload predating #102 carries an epoch
+    /// `activity_since` and so contributes no duration — a card must not claim
+    /// the session has been idle since 1970. The dot still renders when some
+    /// other trigger puts line 2 on screen.
+    #[test]
+    fn epoch_activity_since_renders_no_duration() {
+        let mut legacy = session_named(1, "claude");
+        legacy.activity_since = DateTime::from_timestamp(0, 0).unwrap();
+        legacy.status = SessionStatus::Dead;
+        let sb = Sidebar {
+            sessions: vec![legacy],
+            highlight: None,
+            attached: Default::default(),
+        };
+        let rendered = render_to_string(&draw(&sb, 40, 8));
+        assert!(
+            rendered.contains("exited"),
+            "dead session must still show line 2:\n{rendered}"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            !rendered.contains('h') || !rendered.contains("● "),
+            "no duration may follow the dot for an epoch stamp:\n{rendered}"
+        );
+        for line in rendered.lines().filter(|l| l.contains('●')) {
+            assert!(
+                !line
+                    .split('●')
+                    .nth(1)
+                    .unwrap_or("")
+                    .trim_start()
+                    .starts_with(char::is_numeric),
+                "duration rendered from an epoch stamp: {line:?}"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn falls_back_to_command_when_name_metadata_is_absent() {
         let s = Session {