fix(desktop): keep onboarding's temporary layout out of mode memory

apps/desktop/src/components/onboarding-chat/assembly.ts

@@ -13,8 +13,11 @@ import { applyLayoutPreset } from '@/components/pane-shell/tree/presets'
 import {
   $activePresetId,
   $layoutTree,
+  $userPlacedPanes,
   adoptContributedPanes,
   dismissTreePane,
+  markActivePreset,
+  persistTree,
   resetEnforcedDocks,
   undismissTreePanes
 } from '@/components/pane-shell/tree/store'
@@ -23,10 +26,12 @@ import { DOCKED_SIDEBAR_MIN_PX } from '@/hooks/use-mobile'
 import { TRANSLATIONS } from '@/i18n/catalog'
 import { getRuntimeI18nLocale } from '@/i18n/runtime'
 import { isOnboardingEnabled } from '@/lib/onboarding-enabled'
+import { $interfaceMode, type InterfaceMode, setInterfaceMode } from '@/store/interface-mode'
 import { setSidebarOpen } from '@/store/layout'
 import { loadMachineProfile, machineUserName } from '@/store/machine'
 import { skipGuide } from '@/store/onboarding-gate'
 import { setOnboardingSurfaceActive } from '@/store/onboarding-presence'
+import { $paneStates, type PaneStateSnapshot } from '@/store/panes'
 import { $activeSessionId, $selectedStoredSessionId } from '@/store/session'
 
 /** True from guide kickoff until assembly places the picked layout. Skip and a failed kickoff also clear it. */
@@ -62,7 +67,12 @@ export function pickOnboardingGreeting(): string {
 /** Applying a layout remounts the card, so its selection must outlive the component. */
 export const $chatLayoutPicked = atom(false)
 
-let previousLayout: { id: string; tree: LayoutNode | null } | null = null
+let previousLayout: {
+  id: string
+  tree: LayoutNode | null
+  panes: Record<string, PaneStateSnapshot>
+  placed: ReadonlySet<string>
+} | null = null
 
 /** The guide's shape, all at once: the solo layout and the small centred
  *  window. Called on the tick the guide is owed (film ended, or a boot that
@@ -85,7 +95,12 @@ export function startChatOnboardingSolo(): void {
     return
   }
 
-  previousLayout = { id: $activePresetId.get(), tree: $layoutTree.get() }
+  previousLayout = {
+    id: $activePresetId.get(),
+    tree: $layoutTree.get(),
+    panes: $paneStates.get(),
+    placed: $userPlacedPanes.get()
+  }
   $chatOnboardingSolo.set(true)
   $chatLayoutPicked.set(false)
   // The local machine probe finishes before the backend boots, letting the
@@ -104,7 +119,10 @@ export function startChatOnboardingSolo(): void {
 export function endChatOnboardingSolo(): void {
   $chatOnboardingSolo.set(false)
   $onboardingGreeting.set('')
+  restorePreviousLayout()
+}
 
+function restorePreviousLayout() {
   const previous = previousLayout
   previousLayout = null
 
@@ -112,8 +130,11 @@ export function endChatOnboardingSolo(): void {
     const tree = previous.tree ?? registry.getArea('layouts').find(preset => preset.id === 'default')?.data
 
     if (tree) {
-      // SAFETY: layout contributions declare LayoutNode data, like the saved tree.
-      applyLayoutPreset(previous.tree ? previous.id : 'default', tree as LayoutNode)
+      $layoutTree.set(tree as LayoutNode)
+      $paneStates.set(previous.panes)
+      $userPlacedPanes.set(previous.placed)
+      markActivePreset(previous.tree ? previous.id : 'default')
+      persistTree()
     }
   }
 }
@@ -171,9 +192,17 @@ function reconcileLayout(id: string, tree: LayoutNode): void {
 
 /** Grow only when leaving solo mode: repeating the delta would make the window larger on every re-pick.
  *  Reconcile panes on every pick. */
-export function assembleChatOnboarding(id: string, tree: LayoutNode): void {
+export function assembleChatOnboarding(id: string, tree: LayoutNode, mode?: InterfaceMode): void {
   const firstPick = $chatOnboardingSolo.get()
 
+  if (mode && mode !== $interfaceMode.get()) {
+    // The guide's temporary solo tree is not an Advanced workspace to remember.
+    restorePreviousLayout()
+    setInterfaceMode(mode)
+  }
+
+  previousLayout = null
+
   if (firstPick) {
     const growth = LAYOUT_GROWTH.get(id) ?? { left: 220 }
 

apps/desktop/src/components/onboarding-chat/cards/setup.tsx

@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ import { SearchField } from '@/components/ui/search-field'
 import { registry } from '@/contrib/registry'
 import { connectorIconUrl, connectorTitle } from '@/lib/connector-tools'
 import { useConnectorCatalog } from '@/store/connector-catalog'
-import { setInterfaceMode } from '@/store/interface-mode'
 import { $onboardingAnswers, setOnboardingAnswers } from '@/store/onboarding-answers'
 import { useTheme } from '@/themes'
 import { setAccentOverride } from '@/themes/accent-override'
@@ -209,10 +208,6 @@ export function LayoutCard({ locked }: CardProps) {
     // Skip leaves the mode alone, so only an actual choice sets it.
     const layout = LAYOUTS.find(candidate => candidate.id === id)
 
-    if (layout) {
-      setInterfaceMode(layout.mode)
-    }
-
     const preset = registry.getArea('layouts').find(contribution => contribution.id === id)
 
     if (!preset?.data) {
@@ -224,7 +219,7 @@ export function LayoutCard({ locked }: CardProps) {
     // Swapping only the preset tree on a re-pick kept the previous layout's dismissals and dock records, and the two
     // layouts came up mixed together.
     // SAFETY: Layout presets declare data: LayoutNode (pane-shell/tree/presets.ts).
-    assembleChatOnboarding(preset.id, preset.data as LayoutNode)
+    assembleChatOnboarding(preset.id, preset.data as LayoutNode, layout?.mode)
   }
 
   return (

apps/desktop/src/components/onboarding-chat/mode-layout.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import { afterEach, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+afterEach(() => vi.unstubAllGlobals())
+
+it('does not save the temporary onboarding layout as the Advanced workspace', async () => {
+  window.localStorage.clear()
+  vi.resetModules()
+  const grow = vi.fn()
+  vi.stubGlobal('hermesDesktop', { guestOnboardingEnabled: true, chatOnboarding: { grow } })
+  const { DEFAULT_TREE, BASIC_TREE, registerLayoutPresets } = await import('@/app/contrib/layout-presets')
+  const tree = await import('@/components/pane-shell/tree/store')
+  const mode = await import('@/store/interface-mode')
+  const panes = await import('@/store/panes')
+  const guide = await import('./assembly')
+  registerLayoutPresets()
+  tree.declareDefaultTree(DEFAULT_TREE, BASIC_TREE)
+  panes.setPaneWidthOverride('chat-sidebar', 310)
+  const sizes = structuredClone(panes.$paneStates.get())
+  const before = structuredClone(tree.$layoutTree.get())
+  guide.startChatOnboardingSolo()
+  expect(tree.$activePresetId.get()).toBe('chat-solo')
+  guide.assembleChatOnboarding('sidebar-left', BASIC_TREE, 'simple')
+  expect(mode.$interfaceMode.get()).toBe('simple')
+  expect(grow).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+  mode.setInterfaceMode('advanced')
+  expect(tree.$layoutTree.get()).toEqual(before)
+  expect(panes.$paneStates.get()).toEqual(sizes)
+  expect(tree.$activePresetId.get()).toBe('default')
+})