fix: synced plugin updates failing on desktop and server-only plugins shown as stopped

src/ui/api/plugins-api.ts

@@ -221,6 +221,8 @@ export interface PluginSummary {
   enabled: boolean;
   /** enabled | disabled | blocked | failed, or the loader's live state. */
   state: string;
+  /** A linked desktop leaves this plugin to its server. */
+  runsOnServer?: boolean;
   contributes: PluginContributions | null;
   /** Lucide icon name from the manifest. */
   icon?: string;

src/ui/locales/en.json

@@ -1875,12 +1875,15 @@
         "running": "Running",
         "disabled": "Disabled",
         "failed": "Stopped unexpectedly",
-        "blocked": "Waiting on another plugin"
+        "blocked": "Waiting on another plugin",
+        "server": "Runs on your server"
       },
       "groups": {
         "running": "Running",
-        "notRunning": "Not running"
+        "notRunning": "Not running",
+        "onServer": "On your server"
       },
+      "runsOnServerHint": "This plugin only runs on your server, so it stays off in the desktop app. It still works there.",
       "sort": {
         "popular": "Most popular",
         "name": "Name",

src/ui/plugins/PluginDetail.tsx

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
   Lightbulb,
   Pin,
   RotateCcw,
+  Server,
   Settings,
   Trash2,
   TriangleAlert,
@@ -225,6 +226,15 @@ export function PluginDetail({
         </div>
       )}
 
+      {plugin.status === "server" && (
+        <div className="flex items-start gap-2 border border-border bg-muted/30 px-3 py-2.5">
+          <Server className="mt-px size-3.5 shrink-0 text-muted-foreground" />
+          <span className="text-[11px] leading-snug text-muted-foreground">
+            {t("plugins.manager.runsOnServerHint")}
+          </span>
+        </div>
+      )}
+
       <div className="grid grid-cols-1 gap-2 lg:grid-cols-3">
         <div className="flex flex-col gap-2 lg:col-span-2">
           <PluginVideo videoId={plugin.videoId} name={plugin.name} />

src/ui/plugins/PluginsTab.tsx

@@ -483,7 +483,10 @@ function InstalledSection({
     sort,
   );
   const running = rows.filter((p) => p.status === "running");
-  const stopped = rows.filter((p) => p.status !== "running");
+  const onServer = rows.filter((p) => p.status === "server");
+  const stopped = rows.filter(
+    (p) => p.status !== "running" && p.status !== "server",
+  );
   const pending = plugins.filter((p) => p.updateAvailable && !p.pinnedVersion);
 
   const listColumns: DataColumn<PluginEntry>[] = [
@@ -587,6 +590,14 @@ function InstalledSection({
               {collection(running)}
             </Group>
           )}
+          {onServer.length > 0 && (
+            <Group
+              title={t("plugins.manager.groups.onServer")}
+              count={onServer.length}
+            >
+              {collection(onServer)}
+            </Group>
+          )}
           {stopped.length > 0 && (
             <Group
               title={t("plugins.manager.groups.notRunning")}
@@ -717,7 +728,9 @@ function InstalledCard({
         <div className="flex items-center gap-2 border-t border-border px-3 py-2">
           <span className="size-1.5 shrink-0 bg-muted-foreground/40" />
           <span className="text-[11px] text-muted-foreground">
-            {t("plugins.manager.status.disabled")}
+            {plugin.status === "server"
+              ? t("plugins.manager.status.server")
+              : t("plugins.manager.status.disabled")}
           </span>
         </div>
       ) : (
@@ -806,11 +819,13 @@ function StatusCell({ plugin }: { plugin: PluginEntry }) {
       ? t("plugins.manager.status.blocked")
       : failed
         ? t("plugins.manager.status.failed")
-        : !running
-          ? t("plugins.manager.status.disabled")
-          : plugin.pinnedVersion
-            ? t("plugins.manager.pinnedTo", { version: plugin.pinnedVersion })
-            : t("plugins.manager.status.running");
+        : plugin.status === "server"
+          ? t("plugins.manager.status.server")
+          : !running
+            ? t("plugins.manager.status.disabled")
+            : plugin.pinnedVersion
+              ? t("plugins.manager.pinnedTo", { version: plugin.pinnedVersion })
+              : t("plugins.manager.status.running");
   return (
     <span
       className="flex min-w-0 items-center gap-1.5 text-muted-foreground"

src/ui/plugins/plugin-model.ts

@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ import {
   normalizeGitHubRepo,
 } from "@/lib/issue-url";
 
-export type PluginStatus = "running" | "disabled" | "failed" | "blocked";
+export type PluginStatus =
+  "running" | "disabled" | "failed" | "blocked" | "server";
 
 /** One row of the Plugins tab: what is installed merged with the registry. */
 export interface PluginEntry {
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ export function pluginSource(summary: PluginSummary): PluginSource {
 }
 
 export function pluginStatus(summary: PluginSummary): PluginStatus {
+  if (summary.runsOnServer) return "server";
   if (summary.state === "failed") return "failed";
   if (summary.state === "blocked") return "blocked";
   if (!summary.enabled) return "disabled";
@@ -136,7 +138,10 @@ export function mergePlugins(
       latestBeta: entry?.latestBeta ?? null,
       channel: summary.channel ?? entry?.channel ?? "stable",
       isBeta: isPrerelease(summary.version),
-      updateAvailable: entry?.updateAvailable ?? false,
+      // The server keeps its own copy up to date.
+      updateAvailable: summary.runsOnServer
+        ? false
+        : (entry?.updateAvailable ?? false),
       addedCapabilities: entry?.addedCapabilities ?? [],
       versions: entry?.versions ?? [],
       capabilities: summary.capabilities ?? [],

src/ui/tests/plugins/plugin-model.test.ts

@@ -125,6 +125,14 @@ describe("mergePlugins", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("offers no update for a plugin a linked desktop leaves to its server", () => {
+    const [row] = mergePlugins(
+      [summary({ enabled: false, state: "disabled", runsOnServer: true })],
+      [entry()],
+    );
+    expect(row).toMatchObject({ status: "server", updateAvailable: false });
+  });
+
   it("keeps installed plugins when the registry is unreachable", () => {
     const rows = mergePlugins([summary()], null);
     expect(rows).toHaveLength(1);
@@ -140,6 +148,9 @@ describe("pluginStatus", () => {
       "disabled",
     );
     expect(pluginStatus(summary())).toBe("running");
+    expect(pluginStatus(summary({ state: "failed", runsOnServer: true }))).toBe(
+      "server",
+    );
   });
 });