clawdbot/docs/mac/child-process.md

Clawdis relay as a child process of the macOS app

Date: 2025-12-06 · Status: draft · Owner: steipete

Goal

Run the Node-based Clawdis/warelay relay as a direct child of the LSUIElement app (instead of a launchd agent) while keeping all TCC-sensitive work inside the Swift app/XPC and wiring the existing “Clawdis Active” toggle to start/stop the child.

When to prefer the child-process mode

• You want relay lifetime strictly coupled to the menu-bar app (dies when the app quits) and controlled by the “Clawdis Active” toggle without touching launchd.
• You’re okay giving up login persistence/auto-restart that launchd provides, or you’ll add your own backoff loop.
• You want simpler log capture and supervision inside the app (no external plist or user-visible LaunchAgent).

Tradeoffs vs. launchd

• Pros: tighter coupling to UI state; simpler surface (no plist install/bootout); easier to stream stdout/stderr; fewer moving parts for beta users.
• Cons: no built-in KeepAlive/login auto-start; app crash kills relay; you must build your own restart/backoff; Activity Monitor will show both processes under the app; still need correct TCC handling (see below).
• TCC: behaviorally, child processes often inherit the parent app’s “responsible process” for TCC, but this is not a contract. Continue to route all protected actions through the Swift app/XPC so prompts stay tied to the signed app bundle.

TCC guardrails (must keep)

• Screen Recording, Accessibility, mic, and speech prompts must originate from the Swift app/XPC. The Node child should never call these APIs directly; use the existing XPC/CLI broker (clawdis-mac) for:
  • ensure-permissions
  • screenshot / ScreenCaptureKit work
  • mic/speech permission checks
  • notifications
  • shell runs that need needs-screen-recording
• Usage strings (NSMicrophoneUsageDescription, NSSpeechRecognitionUsageDescription, etc.) stay in the app target’s Info.plist; a bare Node binary has none and would fail.
• If you ever embed Node that must touch TCC, wrap that call in a tiny signed helper target inside the app bundle and have Node exec that helper instead of calling the API directly.

Process manager design (Swift Subprocess)

• Add a small RelayProcessManager (Swift) that owns:
  • execution: Execution? from Swift Subprocess to track the child.
  • start(config) called when “Clawdis Active” flips ON:
    • binary: bundled Node or packaged relay CLI under Clawdis.app/Contents/Resources/Relay/
    • args: current warelay/clawdis entrypoint and flags
    • cwd/env: point to ~/.clawdis as today; inject PATH if the embedded Node isn’t on PATH
    • output: stream stdout/stderr to /tmp/clawdis-relay.log (cap buffer via Subprocess OutputLimits)
    • restart: optional linear/backoff restart if exit was non-zero and Active is still true
  • stop() called when Active flips OFF or app terminates: cancel the execution and waitUntilExit.
• Wire SwiftUI toggle:
  • ON: RelayProcessManager.start(...)
  • OFF: RelayProcessManager.stop() (no launchctl calls in this mode)
• Keep the existing LaunchdManager around so we can switch back if needed; the toggle can choose between launchd or child mode with a flag if we want both.

Packaging and signing

• Bundle the relay runtime inside the app:
  • Option A: embed a Node binary + JS entrypoint under Contents/Resources/Relay/.
  • Option B: build a single binary via pkg/nexe and embed that.
• Codesign the embedded runtime as nested code with the same team ID; notarization fails if nested code is unsigned.
• If we keep using Homebrew Node, do not let it touch TCC; only the app/XPC should.

Logging and observability

• Stream child stdout/stderr to /tmp/clawdis-relay.log; surface the last N lines in the Debug tab.
• Emit a user notification (via existing NotificationManager) on crash/exit while Active is true.
• Add a lightweight heartbeat from Node → app (e.g., ping over stdout) so the app can show status in the menu.

Failure/edge cases

• App crash/quit kills the relay. Decide if that is acceptable for the deployment tier; otherwise, stick with launchd for production and keep child-process for dev/experiments.
• If the relay exits repeatedly, back off (e.g., 1s/2s/5s/10s) and give up after N attempts with a menu warning.
• Respect the existing pause semantics: when paused, the XPC should return ok=false, "clawdis paused"; the relay should avoid calling privileged routes while paused.

Open questions / follow-ups

• Do we need dual-mode (launchd for prod, child for dev)? If yes, gate via a setting or build flag.
• Should we embed Node or keep using the system/Homebrew Node? Embedding improves reproducibility and signing hygiene; Homebrew keeps bundle smaller but risks path/sandbox drift.
• Do we want a tiny signed helper for rare TCC actions that cannot be brokered via XPC?

Decision snapshot (current recommendation)

• Keep all TCC surfaces in the Swift app/XPC.
• Implement RelayProcessManager with Swift Subprocess to start/stop the relay on the “Clawdis Active” toggle.
• Maintain the launchd path as a fallback for uptime/login persistence until child-mode proves stable.