refactor(tools): remove dead workspace-confinement plumbing (#3590)

Commit e6b1009 removed the workspace feature's entry point (deleted
routes/workspace_routes.py + static/js/workspace.js and dropped the
workspace-param parsing in chat_routes), but left the downstream backend
plumbing dangling: chat_routes passed a hardcoded workspace=None into
stream_agent_loop, which forwarded it to execute_tool_block, so the
workspace value was permanently None and every workspace-gated branch
was unreachable.

Remove the now-dead code (no behavior change, since workspace was always
None):
- src/tool_execution.py: drop _resolve_tool_path_in_workspace and the
  workspace params/branches on execute_tool_block, _direct_fallback,
  _call_mcp_tool, _do_edit_file, and _resolve_search_root; restore the
  bash/python/bg cwd to _AGENT_WORKDIR.
- src/agent_loop.py: drop the workspace param on stream_agent_loop, the
  dead 'ACTIVE WORKSPACE' system-prompt block, and the workspace forward.
- routes/chat_routes.py: drop the hardcoded workspace=None arg and var.
- tests: delete test_workspace_confine.py (tested the removed feature) and
  the workspace assertion in test_tool_policy.py.

Full suite: 2903 passed, 1 skipped.

routes/chat_routes.py

@@ -456,7 +456,6 @@ def setup_chat_routes(
         # manual form posts that still send plan_mode=true.
         plan_mode = False
         chat_mode = str(form_data.get("mode", "")).lower()  # 'chat' or 'agent'
-        workspace = ""
         # Plan mode is a modifier on agent mode — it only makes sense with tools.
         if plan_mode:
             chat_mode = "agent"
@@ -1135,7 +1134,6 @@ def setup_chat_routes(
                         tool_policy=tool_policy,
                         owner=_user,
                         fallbacks=_fallback_candidates,
-                        workspace=None,
                         plan_mode=plan_mode,
                         approved_plan=approved_plan or None,
                     ):

src/agent_loop.py

@@ -1707,7 +1707,6 @@ async def stream_agent_loop(
     owner: Optional[str] = None,
     relevant_tools: Optional[Set[str]] = None,
     fallbacks: Optional[List[tuple]] = None,
-    workspace: Optional[str] = None,
     plan_mode: bool = False,
     approved_plan: Optional[str] = None,
     tool_policy: Optional[ToolPolicy] = None,
@@ -1935,27 +1934,6 @@ async def stream_agent_loop(
         owner=owner,
         suppress_local_context=guide_only,
     )
-    if workspace and not guide_only:
-        # PREPEND (not append) so it dominates the large base prompt — appended
-        # at the end, small models ignored it and asked the user for code. The
-        # folder IS the project; the agent must explore it, not ask.
-        _ws_note = (
-            f"## ACTIVE WORKSPACE — READ FIRST\n"
-            f"The user is working in this folder: {workspace}\n"
-            f"It IS the project. bash/python run with cwd set here and "
-            f"read_file/write_file are confined to it (paths outside are rejected).\n"
-            f"When the user says \"the code\" / \"this project\" / \"the workspace\" "
-            f"or asks to review/find/edit something WITHOUT a path, they mean THIS "
-            f"folder. Do NOT ask the user for code or a path, and do NOT read a file "
-            f"literally named \"workspace\". ALWAYS start by exploring it yourself: "
-            f"run `bash` → `git ls-files` (or `ls -R`) to see the files, then "
-            f"read_file the relevant ones by path RELATIVE to the workspace."
-        )
-        if messages and messages[0].get("role") == "system":
-            messages[0]["content"] = _ws_note + "\n\n" + (messages[0].get("content") or "")
-        else:
-            messages.insert(0, {"role": "system", "content": _ws_note})
-        logger.info("[workspace] active for this turn: %s", workspace)
     if plan_mode and not guide_only:
         # Steer the model to investigate-then-propose. Hard tool gating handles
         # every write path except shell; this directive is what keeps the
@@ -2649,7 +2627,6 @@ async def stream_agent_loop(
                             tool_policy=tool_policy,
                             owner=owner,
                             progress_cb=_push_progress,
-                            workspace=workspace,
                         )
                     finally:
                         # Sentinel so the drainer knows to stop.

src/tool_execution.py

@@ -67,13 +67,12 @@ def _unified_diff(old: str, new: str, path: str) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
     }
 
 
-async def _do_edit_file(content: str, workspace: Optional[str] = None) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+async def _do_edit_file(content: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     """Exact string-replacement edit of an on-disk file.
 
     content is JSON: {"path", "old_string", "new_string", "replace_all"?}.
     Fails if old_string is missing or non-unique (unless replace_all) so the
     model can't silently edit the wrong place. Returns a unified diff for the UI.
-    Confined to the workspace when one is set (same policy as write_file).
     """
     try:
         args = json.loads(content) if content.strip().startswith("{") else {}
@@ -85,11 +84,9 @@ async def _do_edit_file(content: str, workspace: Optional[str] = None) -> Dict[s
     replace_all = bool(args.get("replace_all", False))
     if not raw_path:
         return {"error": "edit_file: path required", "exit_code": 1}
-    # Confine to the workspace when set, else the same allowlist + sensitive-file
-    # policy as read/write_file.
+    # Allowlist + sensitive-file policy as read/write_file.
     try:
-        path = (_resolve_tool_path_in_workspace(workspace, raw_path)
-                if workspace else _resolve_tool_path(raw_path))
+        path = _resolve_tool_path(raw_path)
     except ValueError as e:
         return {"error": f"edit_file: {e}", "exit_code": 1}
     if old == "":
@@ -272,39 +269,6 @@ def _resolve_tool_path(raw_path: str) -> str:
     )
 
 
-def _resolve_tool_path_in_workspace(workspace: str, raw_path: str) -> str:
-    """Confine a model-supplied path to the active workspace.
-
-    Layered on top of upstream's path policy: the workspace is the allowed
-    root (relative paths resolve under it; paths that escape it are rejected),
-    and the sensitive-file deny list (.ssh, .gnupg, id_rsa, …) still applies
-    inside it. When no workspace is set, callers use _resolve_tool_path (the
-    default data/tmp allowlist) instead.
-    """
-    if raw_path is None or not str(raw_path).strip():
-        raise ValueError("path is required")
-    base = os.path.realpath(workspace)
-    expanded = os.path.expanduser(str(raw_path).strip())
-    candidate = expanded if os.path.isabs(expanded) else os.path.join(base, expanded)
-    resolved = os.path.realpath(candidate)
-    if _is_sensitive_path(resolved):
-        raise ValueError(
-            f"path '{raw_path}' is inside a sensitive directory "
-            f"(e.g. .ssh, .gnupg) or matches a sensitive filename"
-        )
-    if resolved != base:
-        # normcase so containment holds on case-insensitive filesystems
-        # (Windows, default macOS): it lowercases on Windows and is a no-op on
-        # POSIX. commonpath raises ValueError across Windows drives (C: vs D:)
-        # or mixed abs/rel — both mean "outside", so the except rejects them.
-        nbase = os.path.normcase(base)
-        try:
-            if os.path.commonpath([os.path.normcase(resolved), nbase]) != nbase:
-                raise ValueError
-        except ValueError:
-            raise ValueError(f"path '{raw_path}' is outside the workspace ({workspace})")
-    return resolved
-
 # Bash + python tools used to share a single 60s timeout. That's
 # enough for one-shot commands but starves real workloads (pip
 # install, ffmpeg conversions, etc.) — and worse, the agent saw the
@@ -341,19 +305,13 @@ _CODENAV_MAX_HITS = 200
 _CODENAV_MAX_LINE = 400
 
 
-def _resolve_search_root(raw_path: str, workspace: Optional[str] = None) -> str:
+def _resolve_search_root(raw_path: str) -> str:
     """Resolve + confine a code-nav path (grep/glob/ls).
 
-    With a workspace set, the workspace folder is the root and supplied paths are
-    confined inside it (same policy as read_file). Without one, an empty path
-    defaults to the agent's primary root (project data dir) and a supplied path
-    is confined by the global allowlist + sensitive-file policy.
+    An empty path defaults to the agent's primary root (project data dir) and a
+    supplied path is confined by the global allowlist + sensitive-file policy.
     """
     raw = (raw_path or "").strip()
-    if workspace:
-        if not raw:
-            return os.path.realpath(workspace)
-        return _resolve_tool_path_in_workspace(workspace, raw)
     if not raw:
         roots = _tool_path_roots()
         return roots[0] if roots else os.path.realpath(".")
@@ -564,12 +522,11 @@ async def _call_mcp_tool(
     tool: str,
     content: str,
     progress_cb: Optional[Callable[[Dict], Awaitable[None]]] = None,
-    workspace: Optional[str] = None,
 ) -> Dict:
     """Route a legacy tool call through the MCP manager, with direct fallbacks."""
     mcp = get_mcp_manager()
     if not mcp:
-        return await _direct_fallback(tool, content, progress_cb=progress_cb, workspace=workspace) or {"error": f"MCP manager not available for tool '{tool}'", "exit_code": 1}
+        return await _direct_fallback(tool, content, progress_cb=progress_cb) or {"error": f"MCP manager not available for tool '{tool}'", "exit_code": 1}
 
     server_id, tool_name = _MCP_TOOL_MAP[tool]
     qualified = f"mcp__{server_id}__{tool_name}"
@@ -578,7 +535,7 @@ async def _call_mcp_tool(
 
     # If MCP server not connected, try direct fallback
     if isinstance(result, dict) and result.get("exit_code") == 1 and "not connected" in result.get("error", ""):
-        fallback = await _direct_fallback(tool, content, progress_cb=progress_cb, workspace=workspace)
+        fallback = await _direct_fallback(tool, content, progress_cb=progress_cb)
         if fallback:
             return fallback
 
@@ -636,7 +593,6 @@ async def _direct_fallback(
     tool: str,
     content: str,
     progress_cb: Optional[Callable[[Dict], Awaitable[None]]] = None,
-    workspace: Optional[str] = None,
 ) -> Optional[Dict]:
     """In-process execution path for the eight tools that used to live as
     stdio MCP servers under mcp_servers/. Those servers were deleted in
@@ -670,7 +626,7 @@ async def _direct_fallback(
                 stdout=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
                 stderr=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
                 env=_subproc_env,
-                cwd=workspace or _AGENT_WORKDIR,
+                cwd=_AGENT_WORKDIR,
             )
             stdout, stderr, rc, timed_out = await _run_subprocess_streaming(
                 proc,
@@ -697,7 +653,7 @@ async def _direct_fallback(
                 stdout=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
                 stderr=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
                 env=_subproc_env,
-                cwd=workspace or _AGENT_WORKDIR,
+                cwd=_AGENT_WORKDIR,
             )
             stdout, stderr, rc, timed_out = await _run_subprocess_streaming(
                 proc,
@@ -727,8 +683,7 @@ async def _direct_fallback(
                 except (json.JSONDecodeError, TypeError, ValueError):
                     pass
             try:
-                path = (_resolve_tool_path_in_workspace(workspace, raw_path)
-                        if workspace else _resolve_tool_path(raw_path))
+                path = _resolve_tool_path(raw_path)
             except ValueError as e:
                 return {"error": f"read_file: {e}", "exit_code": 1}
             try:
@@ -771,8 +726,7 @@ async def _direct_fallback(
             raw_path = lines[0].strip()
             body = lines[1] if len(lines) > 1 else ""
             try:
-                path = (_resolve_tool_path_in_workspace(workspace, raw_path)
-                        if workspace else _resolve_tool_path(raw_path))
+                path = _resolve_tool_path(raw_path)
             except ValueError as e:
                 return {"error": f"write_file: {e}", "exit_code": 1}
             try:
@@ -825,7 +779,7 @@ async def _direct_fallback(
                 max_hits = _CODENAV_MAX_HITS
             max_hits = max(1, min(max_hits, _CODENAV_MAX_HITS))
             try:
-                root = _resolve_search_root(str(args.get("path", "")), workspace)
+                root = _resolve_search_root(str(args.get("path", "")))
             except ValueError as e:
                 return {"error": f"grep: {e}", "exit_code": 1}
 
@@ -909,7 +863,7 @@ async def _direct_fallback(
             if not pattern:
                 return {"error": "glob: pattern is required", "exit_code": 1}
             try:
-                root = _resolve_search_root(str(args.get("path", "")), workspace)
+                root = _resolve_search_root(str(args.get("path", "")))
             except ValueError as e:
                 return {"error": f"glob: {e}", "exit_code": 1}
 
@@ -956,7 +910,7 @@ async def _direct_fallback(
             else:
                 raw_path = _s.split("\n", 1)[0].strip()
             try:
-                root = _resolve_search_root(raw_path, workspace)
+                root = _resolve_search_root(raw_path)
             except ValueError as e:
                 return {"error": f"ls: {e}", "exit_code": 1}
 
@@ -1121,7 +1075,6 @@ async def execute_tool_block(
     tool_policy: Optional[ToolPolicy] = None,
     owner: Optional[str] = None,
     progress_cb: Optional[Callable[[Dict], Awaitable[None]]] = None,
-    workspace: Optional[str] = None,
 ) -> Tuple[str, Dict]:
     """Execute a single tool block. Returns (description, result_dict).
 
@@ -1296,7 +1249,7 @@ async def execute_tool_block(
         _is_bg, _bg_cmd = _split_bg_marker(content)
         if _is_bg and _bg_cmd:
             from src import bg_jobs
-            rec = bg_jobs.launch(_bg_cmd, session_id=session_id, cwd=workspace or _AGENT_WORKDIR)
+            rec = bg_jobs.launch(_bg_cmd, session_id=session_id, cwd=_AGENT_WORKDIR)
             short = _bg_cmd.strip().split(chr(10))[0][:80]
             desc = f"bash (background): {short}"
             result = {
@@ -1318,13 +1271,12 @@ async def execute_tool_block(
     if tool in _MCP_TOOL_MAP:
         first_line = content.split(chr(10))[0][:80]
         desc = f"{tool}: {first_line}"
-        result = await _call_mcp_tool(tool, content, progress_cb=progress_cb, workspace=workspace)
+        result = await _call_mcp_tool(tool, content, progress_cb=progress_cb)
     elif tool in ("grep", "glob", "ls"):
         # Code-navigation tools — no MCP server; run the direct implementation.
-        # Confined to the workspace when one is set (same policy as read_file).
         first_line = content.split(chr(10))[0][:80]
         desc = f"{tool}: {first_line}"
-        result = await _direct_fallback(tool, content, progress_cb=progress_cb, workspace=workspace) \
+        result = await _direct_fallback(tool, content, progress_cb=progress_cb) \
             or {"error": f"{tool}: execution failed", "exit_code": 1}
     elif tool == "create_document":
         title = content.split("\n")[0].strip()[:60]
@@ -1429,7 +1381,7 @@ async def execute_tool_block(
         desc = "edit_image"
         result = await do_edit_image(content, owner=owner)
     elif tool == "edit_file":
-        result = await _do_edit_file(content, workspace=workspace)
+        result = await _do_edit_file(content)
         desc = result.get("output") or result.get("error") or "edit_file"
     elif tool == "trigger_research":
         desc = "trigger_research"

tests/test_tool_policy.py

@@ -238,36 +238,6 @@ def test_guide_only_blocks_later_round_document_streaming(monkeypatch):
     assert not any(event.get("type") == "doc_stream_delta" for event in events)
 
 
-def test_guide_only_directive_dominates_workspace_prompt(monkeypatch):
-    _patch_loop_basics(monkeypatch)
-    system_prompts = []
-
-    async def _fake_stream(_candidates, messages, **kwargs):
-        system_prompts.append(messages[0]["content"])
-        yield _delta_chunk("ok")
-        yield "data: [DONE]\n\n"
-
-    monkeypatch.setattr(al, "stream_llm_with_fallback", _fake_stream, raising=False)
-    policy = build_effective_tool_policy(last_user_message="Do not use tools.")
-
-    _collect(
-        al.stream_agent_loop(
-            "http://local.test/v1",
-            "local-model",
-            [{"role": "user", "content": "Do not use tools."}],
-            max_rounds=1,
-            relevant_tools={"bash"},
-            tool_policy=policy,
-            workspace="/tmp/project",
-        )
-    )
-
-    assert system_prompts
-    assert system_prompts[0].startswith("## GUIDE-ONLY MODE")
-    assert "ACTIVE WORKSPACE" not in system_prompts[0]
-    assert "ALWAYS start by exploring" not in system_prompts[0]
-
-
 def test_guide_only_skips_intent_without_action_nudge(monkeypatch):
     _patch_loop_basics(monkeypatch)
 

tests/test_workspace_confine.py

@@ -1,107 +0,0 @@
-"""Workspace confinement: file tools are hard-bounded to the workspace folder
-(layered on upstream's sensitive-path policy); bash runs with cwd there."""
-import os
-import tempfile
-
-import pytest
-
-from src.tool_execution import _resolve_tool_path_in_workspace, _direct_fallback
-
-
-def test_workspace_resolver_confines():
-    ws = tempfile.mkdtemp()
-    open(os.path.join(ws, "a.txt"), "w").write("x")
-    real = os.path.realpath(os.path.join(ws, "a.txt"))
-    # relative path resolves under the workspace
-    assert _resolve_tool_path_in_workspace(ws, "a.txt") == real
-    # absolute path inside the workspace is allowed
-    assert _resolve_tool_path_in_workspace(ws, os.path.join(ws, "a.txt")) == real
-    # absolute path outside is rejected (sibling temp dir, portable across OSes)
-    outside = tempfile.mkdtemp()
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
-        _resolve_tool_path_in_workspace(ws, os.path.join(outside, "x.txt"))
-    # parent-escape is rejected
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
-        _resolve_tool_path_in_workspace(ws, os.path.join("..", "..", "escape.txt"))
-
-
-def test_workspace_resolver_blocks_sensitive():
-    """Upstream's sensitive-file deny list still applies inside the workspace."""
-    ws = tempfile.mkdtemp()
-    os.makedirs(os.path.join(ws, ".ssh"), exist_ok=True)
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
-        _resolve_tool_path_in_workspace(ws, ".ssh/authorized_keys")
-
-
-@pytest.mark.asyncio
-async def test_read_write_confined_in_workspace():
-    ws = tempfile.mkdtemp()
-    # Write inside the workspace (relative path) succeeds.
-    res = await _direct_fallback("write_file", "note.txt\nhello", workspace=ws)
-    assert res["exit_code"] == 0
-    assert os.path.isfile(os.path.join(ws, "note.txt"))
-    # Read it back.
-    res = await _direct_fallback("read_file", "note.txt", workspace=ws)
-    assert res["exit_code"] == 0 and res["output"] == "hello"
-    # Reading outside the workspace is rejected (sibling temp dir, portable).
-    outside = tempfile.mkdtemp()
-    outside_file = os.path.join(outside, "secret.txt")
-    open(outside_file, "w").write("nope")
-    res = await _direct_fallback("read_file", outside_file, workspace=ws)
-    assert res["exit_code"] == 1 and "outside the workspace" in res["error"]
-    # Writing outside is rejected (file must not be created).
-    escape = os.path.join(outside, "_ws_escape.txt")
-    res = await _direct_fallback("write_file", f"{escape}\nx", workspace=ws)
-    assert res["exit_code"] == 1 and "outside the workspace" in res["error"]
-    assert not os.path.exists(escape)
-
-
-@pytest.mark.asyncio
-async def test_subprocess_runs_with_workspace_cwd():
-    """bash/python subprocesses run with cwd set to the workspace. Use the
-    python tool for an OS-agnostic cwd probe (Windows cmd has no `pwd`)."""
-    ws = tempfile.mkdtemp()
-    res = await _direct_fallback("python", "import os; print(os.getcwd())", workspace=ws)
-    assert res["exit_code"] == 0
-    assert os.path.realpath(res["output"].strip()) == os.path.realpath(ws)
-
-
-# --- Tools that landed after this PR, now wired into the workspace -----------
-
-@pytest.mark.asyncio
-async def test_edit_file_confined_in_workspace():
-    import json
-    from src.tool_execution import _do_edit_file
-    ws = tempfile.mkdtemp()
-    open(os.path.join(ws, "f.txt"), "w").write("foo bar")
-    # Edit inside the workspace succeeds.
-    res = await _do_edit_file(json.dumps(
-        {"path": "f.txt", "old_string": "foo", "new_string": "baz"}), workspace=ws)
-    assert res["exit_code"] == 0
-    assert open(os.path.join(ws, "f.txt")).read() == "baz bar"
-    # Editing outside the workspace is rejected (sibling temp dir, portable).
-    outside = tempfile.mkdtemp()
-    outside_file = os.path.join(outside, "f.txt")
-    open(outside_file, "w").write("a")
-    res = await _do_edit_file(json.dumps(
-        {"path": outside_file, "old_string": "a", "new_string": "b"}), workspace=ws)
-    assert res["exit_code"] == 1 and "outside the workspace" in res["error"]
-
-
-@pytest.mark.asyncio
-async def test_grep_and_ls_confined_in_workspace():
-    import json
-    ws = tempfile.mkdtemp()
-    open(os.path.join(ws, "doc.txt"), "w").write("hello workspace\n")
-    # grep with no path searches the workspace root and finds the match.
-    res = await _direct_fallback("grep", json.dumps({"pattern": "hello"}), workspace=ws)
-    assert res["exit_code"] == 0 and "doc.txt" in res["output"]
-    # grep pointed outside the workspace is rejected (sibling temp dir, portable).
-    outside = tempfile.mkdtemp()
-    res = await _direct_fallback("grep", json.dumps({"pattern": "x", "path": outside}), workspace=ws)
-    assert res["exit_code"] == 1 and "outside the workspace" in res["error"]
-    # ls of the workspace lists its files; ls outside is rejected.
-    res = await _direct_fallback("ls", "", workspace=ws)
-    assert res["exit_code"] == 0 and "doc.txt" in res["output"]
-    res = await _direct_fallback("ls", outside, workspace=ws)
-    assert res["exit_code"] == 1 and "outside the workspace" in res["error"]