feat: move workspaces into a first-party plugin

plugins/workspaces/backend/index.mjs

@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+/**
+ * Workspaces - first-party, in-process plugin.
+ *
+ * Unlike the other first-party plugins (see src/backend/plugins/first-party.ts),
+ * this one does not own a transport or touch the shared SSH pool -- its routes
+ * are plain per-user JSON CRUD against a single repository. It runs in-process
+ * anyway to keep its existing /workspaces URL and its existing dedicated table
+ * (user_workspaces, keyed by userId) rather than moving onto
+ * /plugin-api/workspaces/* and the generic key-value ctx.storage the worker
+ * tier would require, matching how network-topology was migrated in place
+ * rather than reworked around the worker ctx boundary.
+ *
+ * Like network-topology, this plugin does not get its own port -- it
+ * registers its Express router with the always-mounted /workspaces
+ * dispatcher in src/backend/database/routes/workspace-dispatch.ts.
+ *
+ * routes.ts is what used to be src/backend/database/routes/workspaces.ts,
+ * moved here and rewritten from `export default router` into
+ * startWorkspacesService()/stopWorkspacesService(), called from
+ * activate()/deactivate() below. The user_workspaces table and its
+ * repository stay in core (src/backend/database/db/schema.ts,
+ * src/backend/database/repositories/workspace-repository.ts) -- this
+ * plugin system has no owned-table migration mechanism of its own, and the
+ * table carries an FK into core's users table.
+ */
+
+import path from "node:path";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
+
+/**
+ * Loads a module by its path relative to this file's own directory.
+ *
+ * The plugin ships beside dist/backend, so in a built server the compiled
+ * .js for routes.js sits right next to this .mjs. Under vitest/dev nothing
+ * imports this plugin directly (the loader loads in-process plugins with a
+ * plain dynamic import, no tsx loader involved), so the only layout that
+ * needs to resolve here is the built one.
+ */
+async function loadRelative(relativePath) {
+  const here = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
+  const target = path.join(here, `${relativePath}.js`);
+  return import(new URL(`file://${target.replace(/\\/g, "/")}`).href);
+}
+
+let routesModule = null;
+
+export async function activate(ctx) {
+  routesModule = await loadRelative("routes");
+  routesModule.startWorkspacesService();
+  ctx.log.info("Workspaces router registered at /workspaces");
+}
+
+export async function deactivate() {
+  if (routesModule) {
+    routesModule.stopWorkspacesService();
+    routesModule = null;
+  }
+}

plugins/workspaces/backend/routes.ts

@@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
-import type { AuthenticatedRequest } from "../../../types/index.js";
+import type { AuthenticatedRequest } from "../../../src/types/index.js";
 import express, { type Request, type Response } from "express";
-import { databaseLogger } from "../../utils/logger.js";
+import { databaseLogger } from "../../../src/backend/utils/logger.js";
-import { AuthManager } from "../../utils/auth-manager.js";
+import { AuthManager } from "../../../src/backend/utils/auth-manager.js";
-import { createCurrentWorkspaceRepository } from "../repositories/factory.js";
+import { createCurrentWorkspaceRepository } from "../../../src/backend/database/repositories/factory.js";
-import type { WorkspaceRecord } from "../repositories/workspace-repository.js";
+import type { WorkspaceRecord } from "../../../src/backend/database/repositories/workspace-repository.js";
+import {
+  registerWorkspacesRouter,
+  unregisterWorkspacesRouter,
+} from "../../../src/backend/database/routes/workspace-dispatch.js";
 
-const router = express.Router();
+export const router = express.Router();
 
 const authManager = AuthManager.getInstance();
 const authenticateJWT = authManager.createAuthMiddleware();
@@ -635,4 +639,10 @@ router.delete(
   },
 );
 
-export default router;
+export function startWorkspacesService(): void {
+  registerWorkspacesRouter(router);
+}
+
+export function stopWorkspacesService(): void {
+  unregisterWorkspacesRouter();
+}

plugins/workspaces/frontend/WorkspacesPanel.tsx

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { getErrorMessage } from "../lib/error-message.js";
+import { getErrorMessage } from "@/lib/error-message.js";
 import { useState, useEffect, useCallback, useRef } from "react";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 import { toast } from "sonner";
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ import {
   duplicateWorkspace,
   setDefaultWorkspace,
   unsetDefaultWorkspace,
-} from "@/api/workspaces-api";
+} from "./workspaces-api";
 import type { Workspace, WorkspacePayload } from "@/types/ui-types";
 
 function timeAgo(isoStr: string): string {

plugins/workspaces/frontend/index.mjs

@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+/**
+ * Frontend half of the workspaces plugin.
+ *
+ * WorkspacesPanel is a left-sidebar railView panel (opened from the rail,
+ * not a Tab), the same shape as FleetsPanel/HostsPanel/CredentialsPanel.
+ * None of those go through registerRailItem/registerTabComponent either --
+ * per src/ui/shell/pluginLoader.ts's own comment, a rail-view panel like
+ * this is rendered directly by AppShell.tsx rather than registered at
+ * runtime. WorkspacesPanel is reached today through a direct relative
+ * import in AppShell.tsx (../../plugins/workspaces/frontend/WorkspacesPanel),
+ * not through register() below.
+ *
+ * register()/unregister() still follow the same shape every other plugin's
+ * frontend entry does, so this is ready the moment a real frontend plugin
+ * loader exists -- see plugins/ssh-terminal/frontend/index.mjs and
+ * src/ui/tests/sidebar/plugin-extension-seam.test.tsx, which says outright
+ * "there is no plugin loader yet".
+ */
+
+export const id = "workspaces";
+export const railViewId = "workspaces";
+
+export async function register({ registerRailItem, icons }) {
+  registerRailItem?.({
+    id: railViewId,
+    icon: icons.LayoutTemplate,
+    labelKey: "nav.workspaces",
+    separatorAfter: true,
+  });
+}
+
+export async function unregister({ unregisterRailItem }) {
+  unregisterRailItem?.(railViewId);
+}

plugins/workspaces/manifest.json

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{
+  "id": "workspaces",
+  "name": "Workspaces",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "description": "Save and restore named tab/split layouts per user.",
+  "author": { "name": "Termix" },
+  "license": "MIT",
+  "repository": "https://github.com/Termix-SSH/Termix",
+  "category": "Productivity",
+  "icon": "LayoutTemplate",
+  "engine": { "termix": ">=2.9.0", "api": "1" },
+  "capabilities": {
+    "backend": true,
+    "frontend": true,
+    "electron": true,
+    "platforms": ["linux", "win32", "darwin"]
+  },
+  "permissions": ["process:transport-owner"],
+  "sidecars": []
+}

src/backend/database/database.ts

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import alertRoutes from "./routes/alerts.js";
 import credentialsRoutes from "./routes/credentials.js";
 import snippetsRoutes from "./routes/snippets.js";
 import fleetsDispatch from "./routes/fleet-dispatch.js";
-import workspaceRoutes from "./routes/workspaces.js";
+import workspaceDispatch from "./routes/workspace-dispatch.js";
 import c2sTunnelPresetRoutes from "./routes/c2s-tunnel-presets.js";
 import terminalRoutes from "./routes/terminal.js";
 import sessionLogRoutes from "./routes/session-log-routes.js";
@@ -1754,7 +1754,7 @@ app.use("/alerts", alertRoutes);
 app.use("/credentials", credentialsRoutes);
 app.use("/snippets", snippetsRoutes);
 app.use("/fleets", fleetsDispatch);
-app.use("/workspaces", workspaceRoutes);
+app.use("/workspaces", workspaceDispatch);
 app.use("/c2s-tunnel-presets", c2sTunnelPresetRoutes);
 app.use("/terminal", terminalRoutes);
 app.use("/session_logs", sessionLogRoutes);

src/backend/database/routes/workspace-dispatch.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+// Mounted at /workspaces. Workspaces ships as a first-party in-process
+// plugin (plugins/workspaces) rather than a route file imported directly
+// here, so this module exists to keep /workspaces/* working at its original
+// path without handing the plugin a reference to the shared app instance.
+// The plugin runtime registers its router via registerWorkspacesRouter when
+// it activates, and clears it on deactivate, so a disabled plugin falls back
+// to the 404 below.
+//
+// Unlike /plugin-api, this dispatcher applies no auth of its own: it forwards
+// to exactly one first-party router (the Workspaces plugin's own), and every
+// route in that router already applies authenticateJWT itself, the same as
+// every other router mounted alongside it here (/users, /host, /snippets,
+// ...). /plugin-api gates at the mount point because it forwards to arbitrary
+// third-party plugin code that cannot be assumed to gate itself; that
+// reasoning does not apply to a single first-party router that already does.
+
+import type { Request, Response, NextFunction, Router } from "express";
+import { databaseLogger } from "../../utils/logger.js";
+
+let activeRouter: Router | null = null;
+
+export function registerWorkspacesRouter(router: Router): void {
+  activeRouter = router;
+  databaseLogger.info("Registered Workspaces plugin router", {
+    operation: "workspaces_dispatch_register",
+  });
+}
+
+export function unregisterWorkspacesRouter(): void {
+  if (!activeRouter) return;
+  activeRouter = null;
+  databaseLogger.info("Unregistered Workspaces plugin router", {
+    operation: "workspaces_dispatch_register",
+  });
+}
+
+export default function workspaceDispatch(
+  req: Request,
+  res: Response,
+  next: NextFunction,
+): void {
+  if (!activeRouter) {
+    res.status(404).json({ error: "Workspaces is not available" });
+    return;
+  }
+  activeRouter(req, res, next);
+}

src/backend/plugins/first-party.ts

@@ -98,6 +98,14 @@
  * The worker ctx has no fetch primitive at all (ctx.fetch is notImplemented
  * in SDK v1, see worker-bootstrap.ts), so there is currently no way for a
  * worker-tier plugin to make an outbound HTTP request.
+ *
+ * workspaces is here for the same reason network-topology is: its routes are
+ * plain per-user JSON CRUD against a single repository, and would fit the
+ * worker ctx fine on their own. It stays in-process to keep its existing
+ * /workspaces URL and its existing dedicated table (user_workspaces, keyed
+ * by userId) rather than moving onto /plugin-api/workspaces/* and the
+ * generic key-value ctx.storage the worker tier would require -- a URL and
+ * storage-model change, not a capability gap.
  */
 export const FIRST_PARTY_PLUGIN_IDS: ReadonlySet<string> = new Set([
   "ssh-terminal",
@@ -110,6 +118,7 @@ export const FIRST_PARTY_PLUGIN_IDS: ReadonlySet<string> = new Set([
   "automations",
   "network-topology",
   "tailscale",
+  "workspaces",
 ]);
 
 export const TRANSPORT_OWNER_CAPABILITY = "process:transport-owner";

src/backend/starter.ts

@@ -295,16 +295,16 @@ async function provisionLocalDesktopUserIfNeeded(): Promise<void> {
     // ssh-terminal, docker and host-metrics plugins start their own servers,
     // so disabling any of them stops its WS/HTTP server. See
     // plugins/ssh-terminal, plugins/docker and plugins/host-metrics.
-    // AI, Proxmox, Remote Desktop, Fleets, Automations and Network Topology
+    // AI, Proxmox, Remote Desktop, Fleets, Automations, Network Topology and
-    // are also absent for the same reason: each plugin registers its router
+    // Workspaces are also absent for the same reason: each plugin registers
-    // with its own dispatcher in database.ts on activate (/ai, /proxmox,
+    // its router with its own dispatcher in database.ts on activate (/ai,
-    // /guacamole, /fleets, /automations, /network-topology), so disabling
+    // /proxmox, /guacamole, /fleets, /automations, /network-topology,
-    // any of them makes its routes 404 instead of leaving a dead import
+    // /workspaces), so disabling any of them makes its routes 404 instead of
-    // here. Automations' scheduler (due schedules, dwell rechecks,
+    // leaving a dead import here. Automations' scheduler (due schedules,
-    // docker-event polling, history pruning) also starts from its own
+    // dwell rechecks, docker-event polling, history pruning) also starts
-    // activate() rather than here. See plugins/ai, plugins/proxmox,
+    // from its own activate() rather than here. See plugins/ai,
-    // plugins/remote-desktop, plugins/fleets, plugins/automations and
+    // plugins/proxmox, plugins/remote-desktop, plugins/fleets,
-    // plugins/network-topology.
+    // plugins/automations, plugins/network-topology and plugins/workspaces.
     await import("./hosts/tunnel/index.js");
     await import("./hosts/file-manager/index.js");
     await import("./hosts/tmux/index.js");

src/backend/tests/plugins/bundled-plugin.test.ts

@@ -374,3 +374,44 @@ describe("bundled network-topology plugin", () => {
     expect(source).toMatch(/export async function deactivate/);
   });
 });
+
+describe("bundled workspaces plugin", () => {
+  it("ships a directory with a manifest and both entry points", () => {
+    const dir = path.join(getBundledPluginsDir(), "workspaces");
+
+    expect(fs.existsSync(path.join(dir, "manifest.json"))).toBe(true);
+    expect(fs.existsSync(path.join(dir, "backend", "index.mjs"))).toBe(true);
+    expect(fs.existsSync(path.join(dir, "frontend", "index.mjs"))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("has a manifest that passes the real validator", () => {
+    const { manifest, errors } = parseManifest(
+      readBundledManifest("workspaces"),
+    );
+
+    expect(errors).toEqual([]);
+    expect(manifest?.id).toBe("workspaces");
+    expect(manifest?.category).toBe("Productivity");
+  });
+
+  it("declares the transport-owner capability and qualifies for the tier", () => {
+    const { manifest } = parseManifest(readBundledManifest("workspaces"));
+
+    expect(manifest?.permissions).toContain(TRANSPORT_OWNER_CAPABILITY);
+    expect(isFirstParty("workspaces")).toBe(true);
+    expect(runsInProcess("workspaces", manifest!.permissions)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("exports activate and deactivate from its backend entry", () => {
+    const entry = path.join(
+      getBundledPluginsDir(),
+      "workspaces",
+      "backend",
+      "index.mjs",
+    );
+    const source = fs.readFileSync(entry, "utf8");
+
+    expect(source).toMatch(/export async function activate/);
+    expect(source).toMatch(/export async function deactivate/);
+  });
+});

src/backend/tests/plugins/first-party.test.ts

@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ function manifest(overrides: Record<string, unknown> = {}) {
 }
 
 describe("first-party allowlist", () => {
-  it("contains only ssh-terminal, docker, host-metrics, ai, proxmox, remote-desktop, fleets, automations, network-topology and tailscale", () => {
+  it("contains only ssh-terminal, docker, host-metrics, ai, proxmox, remote-desktop, fleets, automations, network-topology, tailscale and workspaces", () => {
     expect([...FIRST_PARTY_PLUGIN_IDS].sort()).toEqual([
       "ai",
       "automations",
@@ -51,10 +51,11 @@ describe("first-party allowlist", () => {
       "remote-desktop",
       "ssh-terminal",
       "tailscale",
+      "workspaces",
     ]);
   });
 
-  it("recognises ssh-terminal, docker, host-metrics, ai, proxmox, remote-desktop, fleets, automations, network-topology and tailscale and nothing else", () => {
+  it("recognises ssh-terminal, docker, host-metrics, ai, proxmox, remote-desktop, fleets, automations, network-topology, tailscale and workspaces and nothing else", () => {
     expect(isFirstParty("ssh-terminal")).toBe(true);
     expect(isFirstParty("docker")).toBe(true);
     expect(isFirstParty("host-metrics")).toBe(true);
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ describe("first-party allowlist", () => {
     expect(isFirstParty("automations")).toBe(true);
     expect(isFirstParty("network-topology")).toBe(true);
     expect(isFirstParty("tailscale")).toBe(true);
+    expect(isFirstParty("workspaces")).toBe(true);
     expect(isFirstParty("ssh-terminal-pro")).toBe(false);
     expect(isFirstParty("community-plugin")).toBe(false);
     expect(isFirstParty("")).toBe(false);
@@ -93,6 +95,9 @@ describe("runsInProcess", () => {
       runsInProcess("network-topology", [TRANSPORT_OWNER_CAPABILITY]),
     ).toBe(true);
     expect(runsInProcess("tailscale", [TRANSPORT_OWNER_CAPABILITY])).toBe(true);
+    expect(runsInProcess("workspaces", [TRANSPORT_OWNER_CAPABILITY])).toBe(
+      true,
+    );
 
     // On the list but not asking for it: stays in a worker, so the manifest
     // remains an honest description of what the plugin does.
@@ -106,6 +111,7 @@ describe("runsInProcess", () => {
     expect(runsInProcess("automations", ["hosts.read"])).toBe(false);
     expect(runsInProcess("network-topology", ["hosts.read"])).toBe(false);
     expect(runsInProcess("tailscale", ["hosts.read"])).toBe(false);
+    expect(runsInProcess("workspaces", ["hosts.read"])).toBe(false);
 
     // Asking for it but not on the list.
     expect(
@@ -233,6 +239,18 @@ describe("manifest gate on the reserved capability", () => {
     expect(parsed?.id).toBe("tailscale");
   });
 
+  it("allows it for workspaces", () => {
+    const { manifest: parsed, errors } = parseManifest(
+      manifest({
+        id: "workspaces",
+        permissions: [TRANSPORT_OWNER_CAPABILITY],
+      }),
+    );
+
+    expect(errors).toEqual([]);
+    expect(parsed?.id).toBe("workspaces");
+  });
+
   it("still accepts an ordinary manifest that never mentions it", () => {
     const { manifest: parsed, errors } = parseManifest(
       manifest({ permissions: ["hosts.read"] }),

src/backend/tests/plugins/workspaces/routes.test.ts

@@ -161,8 +161,13 @@ vi.mock("../../../database/repositories/factory.js", () => ({
   }),
 }));
 
-const { default: router } =
+vi.mock("../../../database/routes/workspace-dispatch.js", () => ({
-  await import("../../../database/routes/workspaces.js");
+  registerWorkspacesRouter: vi.fn(),
+  unregisterWorkspacesRouter: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+const { router } =
+  await import("../../../../../plugins/workspaces/backend/routes.js");
 
 function findLayer(method: string, path: string) {
   const stack = (router as unknown as Router).stack as Array<{

src/ui/AppShell.tsx

@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ const TailscaleDevicesPanel = lazy(() =>
   ),
 );
 const WorkspacesPanel = lazy(() =>
-  import("@/sidebar/WorkspacesPanel").then((m) => ({
+  import("../../plugins/workspaces/frontend/WorkspacesPanel").then((m) => ({
     default: m.WorkspacesPanel,
   })),
 );
@@ -197,12 +197,12 @@ import {
   listWorkspaces,
   applyWorkspaceServer,
   saveLastSessionWorkspace,
-} from "@/api/workspaces-api";
+} from "../../plugins/workspaces/frontend/workspaces-api";
 import {
   buildWorkspacePayload as buildWorkspacePayloadUtil,
   remapSlotIds,
   resolveWorkspaceTabTarget,
-} from "@/shell/workspaceUtils";
+} from "../../plugins/workspaces/frontend/workspaceUtils";
 import { DonationReminderModal } from "@/user/DonationReminderModal.tsx";
 import { RemoteSyncBanner } from "@/components/RemoteSyncBanner.tsx";
 import { MigrationNoticeDialog } from "@/components/MigrationNoticeDialog.tsx";

src/ui/tests/plugins/workspaces/workspaceUtils.test.ts

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import {
   buildWorkspaceTabSnapshots,
   remapSlotIds,
   resolveWorkspaceTabTarget,
-} from "../../shell/workspaceUtils";
+} from "../../../../../plugins/workspaces/frontend/workspaceUtils";
 import type { Host, Tab, WorkspaceTabSnapshot } from "@/types/ui-types";
 
 afterEach(() => vi.unstubAllGlobals());

src/ui/tests/plugins/workspaces/workspaces-api.test.ts

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import {
   applyWorkspaceServer,
   getLastSessionWorkspace,
   saveLastSessionWorkspace,
-} from "../../api/workspaces-api";
+} from "../../../../../plugins/workspaces/frontend/workspaces-api";
 import type { WorkspacePayload } from "@/types/ui-types";
 
 beforeEach(() => {

src/ui/tests/sidebar/rail-items.test.ts

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import {
   railItemLabel,
   visibleRailItems,
 } from "@/sidebar/rail-items";
-import { WORKSPACE_CAPTURABLE_TYPES } from "@/shell/workspaceUtils";
+import { WORKSPACE_CAPTURABLE_TYPES } from "../../../../plugins/workspaces/frontend/workspaceUtils";
 import type { TabType } from "@/types/ui-types";
 import en from "@/locales/en.json";
 

tsconfig.plugins.json

@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@
     "plugins/remote-desktop/backend/**/*.ts",
     "plugins/fleets/backend/**/*.ts",
     "plugins/automations/backend/**/*.ts",
-    "plugins/network-topology/backend/**/*.ts"
+    "plugins/network-topology/backend/**/*.ts",
+    "plugins/workspaces/backend/**/*.ts"
   ],
   "exclude": ["src/**/*.test.ts"]
 }