fix: coalesce remote Chat catalog reads for sharing

docs/providers.md

@@ -27,6 +27,12 @@ The model list is the public models.dev catalog, `https://models.dev/api.json`
 Routes: `GET /api/catalog/providers`, `GET /api/catalog/providers/:id/models`,
 `GET /api/catalog/search`.
 
+Signed-in Chat and its feature screens use the main-owned remote Chat catalog through
+`remoteChatModels()` in `screens/chat/remote-owner.ts`. Concurrent reads share one
+`api.remoteSessions.models()` request. The Code catalog endpoint does not populate the
+Chat core catalog; it must not be substituted under the same shared key. Completed reads
+are not reused indefinitely: the next call reloads against the current owner.
+
 ## Supported providers
 
 A provider is usable when its catalog `npm` maps to a bundled AI SDK factory

packages/app/src/screens/chat/AGENTS.md

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# Desktop Chat catalog ownership
+
+Remote Chat and signed-in feature screens call `remoteChatModels()` from
+`remote-owner.ts`. It coalesces in-flight `api.remoteSessions.models()` reads
+under `chat-feature-models`. Capability discovery must use this same loader.
+Do not put `api.code.models()` under that key: it does not populate the Chat
+core catalog, so a later Chat create can refuse `catalog_unavailable`.
+
+Only concurrent requests are shared; settled reads are refreshed on the next
+call. Existing route and epoch fences still decide whether a response may render.
+No backend cancellation or native integration is implied by this renderer fix.

packages/app/src/screens/chat/live-features.tsx

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { api } from "../../api";
 import { useT } from "../../i18n";
 import { Icon } from "../../kit/ui";
 import { useQuery } from "../../state/live";
+import { remoteChatModels } from "./remote-owner";
 import { ImagesTool, ResearchTool, SearchTool, TempTool } from "./tools-live";
 
 type Conversation = { id: string; title: string; last_message_at: string; message_count: number };
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ function useFeature<T>(epoch: string, op: ChatFeatureCall["op"] | "", params: Re
 
 export function LiveChatFeature({ feature, local }: { feature: string; local: React.ReactNode }) {
   const connection = useQuery(() => api.connection.get(), []);
-  const catalog = useQuery(() => api.code.models(), []);
+  const catalog = useQuery(() => remoteChatModels(), []);
   if (connection.state !== "ready") return null;
   if (connection.data.mode === "local" || !connection.data.signedIn) return <div data-testid={`screen-${feature}`} data-state="local">{local}</div>;
   return <Frame feature={feature} epoch={catalog.state === "ready" ? catalog.data.epoch : ""} failed={catalog.state === "error"} />;
@@ -100,7 +101,6 @@ function CanvasLive({ epoch }: { epoch: string }) {
 
 
 
-
 function VoiceLive({ epoch }: { epoch: string }) {
   const t = useT();
   const caps = useFeature<{ stt: boolean; tts: boolean; live: boolean }>(epoch, "audio.capabilities");

packages/app/src/screens/chat/remote-chat.tsx

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import { navigation, readHash, useNav } from "../../shell/nav";
 import { Att, BotRow, Paras } from "./shared";
 import type { ComposerLeaveGuard } from "./model-composer";
 import { RemoteModelMenu, type Effort } from "./remote-model-menu";
-import { ownsRemoteSession as matches } from "./remote-owner";
+import { ownsRemoteSession as matches, remoteChatModels } from "./remote-owner";
 
 type Draft = { text: string; files: File[]; oneOff: string };
 type Submitted = { draft: Draft; attachmentIDs: string[]; id: string; epoch: string };
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ function RemoteChat({ id, epoch }: { id?: string; epoch?: string }) {
     });
     void (async () => {
       try {
-        const catalog = await api.remoteSessions.models();
+        const catalog = await remoteChatModels();
         if (!valid()) return;
         if (binding.current && binding.current !== catalog.epoch) fail();
         binding.current = catalog.epoch;

packages/app/src/screens/chat/remote-owner.test.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
-import { expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { RemoteSessionView } from "@cortex/schema";
-import { ownsRemoteSession } from "./remote-owner";
+vi.mock("../../api", () => ({ api: { remoteSessions: { models: vi.fn() } } }));
+import { api } from "../../api";
+import { forget } from "../../state/shared";
+import { ownsRemoteSession, remoteChatModels } from "./remote-owner";
 
 const view = (scope: "process" | "account") => RemoteSessionView.parse({
   id: "ses_1", source: "remote", epoch: "epoch-1", scope, title: "", modelSlug: "cortex-1-mini", effort: "medium", state: "ready", time: { created: 1, updated: 1 },
@@ -12,3 +15,18 @@ it("owns process and account scoped sessions of the current binding only", () =>
   expect(ownsRemoteSession(view("account"), "ses_2", "epoch-1")).toBe(false);
   expect(ownsRemoteSession(view("account"), "ses_1", "epoch-2")).toBe(false);
 });
+
+it("coalesces concurrent Chat catalogues but rereads after settlement", async () => {
+  forget("chat-feature-models");
+  const catalog = { epoch: "epoch-1", models: [] };
+  let release!: (value: typeof catalog) => void;
+  const pending = new Promise<typeof catalog>(resolve => { release = resolve; });
+  vi.mocked(api.remoteSessions.models).mockReturnValueOnce(pending).mockResolvedValueOnce(catalog);
+  const chat = remoteChatModels(), share = remoteChatModels();
+  expect(share).toBe(chat);
+  expect(api.remoteSessions.models).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  release(catalog);
+  expect(await Promise.all([chat, share])).toEqual([catalog, catalog]);
+  expect(await remoteChatModels()).toEqual(catalog);
+  expect(api.remoteSessions.models).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+});

packages/app/src/screens/chat/remote-owner.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 import type { RemoteSessionView } from "@cortex/schema";
+import { api } from "../../api";
+import { shared } from "../../state/shared";
+
+// All Chat catalogue readers must load the same endpoint: concurrent core reads retire one another.
+export const remoteChatModels = () => shared("chat-feature-models", () => api.remoteSessions.models());
 
 // Either scope belongs to the current binding: "account" when main verified `/v1/me.id`, "process" otherwise.
 export const ownsRemoteSession = (value: RemoteSessionView, id: string, epoch: string) =>

tests/e2e/chat-share-catalog.spec.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+import { test, expect } from "@playwright/test";
+import { createServer } from "node:http";
+import type { AddressInfo } from "node:net";
+import { launch } from "./fixtures";
+
+const conversation = "cnv_01ARZ3NDEKTSV4RRFFQ69G5FAV";
+const shareID = "11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111";
+
+for (const theme of ["light", "dark"]) test(`authenticated text-model Share survives catalog loading — ${theme}`, async () => {
+  const requests: string[] = [];
+  let shares: unknown[] = [];
+  const row = { id: shareID, slug: "test", url_path: "/s/test", conversation_id: conversation, created_at: "2026-10-09T00:00:00Z" };
+  const server = createServer((req, res) => void (async () => {
+    for await (const chunk of req) void chunk;
+    const route = new URL(req.url!, "http://localhost").pathname;
+    requests.push(`${req.method} ${route}`);
+    const json = (body: unknown, status = 200) => { res.writeHead(status, { "content-type": "application/json" }); res.end(JSON.stringify(body)); };
+    if (route === "/readyz") { res.end("ok"); return; }
+    if (route === "/v1/instance") return json({ mode: "self_host", version: "test", auth: { mode: "cortex", required: true, providers: ["cortex"] }, registry: { enabled: true } });
+    if (route === "/v1/auth/magic-auth") return json({}, 204);
+    if (route === "/v1/auth/magic-auth/verify") return json({ status: "session", access_token: "test-only-share" });
+    if (route === "/v1/registry/models") return json({ items: [{ id: "fixture", name: "Cortex Fixture", configured: true, capabilities: { reasoning: false, image: false, tools: false, context_tokens: 8192, output_tokens: 1024 } }], source: "cache", has_more: false });
+    if (route === "/v1/conversations") return json({ items: [{ id: conversation, title: "Saved conversation", model_slug: "fixture", last_message_at: "2026-10-09T00:00:00Z", message_count: 2 }], has_more: false });
+    if (route === "/v1/conversation-shares" && req.method === "GET") return json({ items: shares });
+    if (route === `/v1/conversations/${conversation}/shares`) { shares = [row]; return json(row); }
+    if (route === `/v1/conversation-shares/${shareID}` && req.method === "DELETE") { shares = []; return json({}, 204); }
+    if (route === "/v1/mascots" || route === "/v1/notifications") return json({ items: [], has_more: false });
+    if (route === "/v1/bot/inbox") return json({ items: [], working_mascot_ids: [] });
+    return json({}, 404);
+  })().catch(() => { res.statusCode = 500; res.end(); }));
+  await new Promise<void>(resolve => server.listen(0, "127.0.0.1", resolve));
+  const { app, page } = await launch({ hash: `#/home?theme=${theme}`, locale: "en", env: { CORTEX_CATALOG_URL: "data:application/json,{}" } });
+  try {
+    await page.emulateMedia({ reducedMotion: "reduce" });
+    await page.getByTestId("composer-input").waitFor();
+    await page.evaluate(async url => {
+      const call = async (route: string, method = "GET", body?: unknown) => {
+        const response = await (window as unknown as { __bridgeFetch: typeof fetch }).__bridgeFetch(`cortex://local${route}`, { method, headers: { "content-type": "application/json" }, body: body === undefined ? undefined : JSON.stringify(body) });
+        if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`${route}: ${response.status}`);
+        return response.json();
+      };
+      await call("/api/connection", "PUT", { mode: "selfhost", url, signedIn: false });
+      const { owner } = await call("/api/connection/auth");
+      const pending = await call("/api/connection/auth", "POST", { action: "email", owner, email: "share@example.test" });
+      await call("/api/connection/auth", "POST", { action: "code", owner: pending.owner, code: "123456" });
+    }, `http://127.0.0.1:${(server.address() as AddressInfo).port}`);
+    await page.reload();
+    await expect(page.getByTestId("remote-model-trigger")).toBeEnabled();
+    await page.getByTestId("composer-input").fill("Retained draft");
+    await expect(page.getByTestId("composer-send")).toBeEnabled();
+    await expect(page.locator(".chat-err")).toHaveCount(0);
+    await page.evaluate(() => history.pushState(null, "", `#/share?theme=${document.documentElement.dataset.theme}`));
+    await expect(page.getByTestId("screen-share")).toHaveAttribute("data-state", "ready");
+    await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-share-create")).toBeEnabled();
+    await page.getByTestId("chat-share-create").click();
+    await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-share-row")).toContainText("/s/test");
+    for (const width of [1440, 960]) {
+      await app.evaluate(({ BrowserWindow }, width) => BrowserWindow.getAllWindows()[0]!.setSize(width, width === 960 ? 640 : 900), width);
+      const screenshot = test.info().outputPath(`share-${theme}-${width}.png`);
+      await page.screenshot({ path: screenshot });
+      await test.info().attach(`share-${width}`, { path: screenshot, contentType: "image/png" });
+    }
+    await page.getByTestId("chat-share-row").getByRole("button").click();
+    await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-share-row")).toHaveCount(0);
+    expect(requests).toContain(`POST /v1/conversations/${conversation}/shares`);
+    expect(requests).toContain(`DELETE /v1/conversation-shares/${shareID}`);
+    await test.info().attach("requests", { body: JSON.stringify(requests, null, 2), contentType: "application/json" });
+  } finally {
+    await app.close(); server.closeAllConnections();
+    await new Promise<void>(resolve => server.close(() => resolve()));
+  }
+});