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[Bug]: Repo-root-relative file paths in agent output break when the project is a subfolder of the git repo #14492
Description
Activity
Note
Grok responding on behalf of Julius.
Triage
Confirmed on
main(bd89c13020). This is a real bug, and it isn't a duplicate of #8251 or #10553 (both open issues).Chat file chips join every relative path onto the thread cwd.
resolveMarkdownFileLinkTargetdoes that throughresolvePathLinkTarget. The click-time lookup (needsWorkspaceBasenameLookup) only runs for names without a slash, sophysics/notes/outline.mdis never searched. The tooltip and the files panel both use the joined path, which is why the breadcrumb readsphysics > physics > notes > outline.mdand the read fails withProjectReadFileError. "Copy relative path" and "Copy full path" use the same joined path too. Opening the file from the Files tab works because it skips the join. On mobile,resolveFileChipTargetdoes the same join and has no basename fallback at all.The diff panel already handles this kind of path.
resolveDiffPathForWorkspacestrips the project's repo-relative prefix usingrepositoryIdentity.rootPath(fromgit rev-parse --show-toplevel).DiffPaneland the changed-files card only pass that root when the thread isn't on a worktree.Two things shouldn't be copied from that helper as-is:
- It returns null when the path doesn't start with the prefix. That's right for diffs, where paths are always repo-relative, but chat chips can be either kind.
notes/outline.mdfrom the project cwd must still open. Only strip a leading prefix when the project root is a strict subdirectory of the repo root and the thread has no worktree. - A real child folder with the same name (
<project>/physics/...) would collide with the stripped path. Checking which candidate actually exists avoids opening the wrong file. Also,repositoryIdentityis null when the repo has no remote, sorootPathcan be missing even thoughgit rev-parse --show-toplevelwould still find the parent.
#8251 and open PR #8254 cover the opposite mismatch: the project is the parent folder, and the path is relative to a folder inside it. Matching the path's end against the workspace index can find that file, but it can't turn
physics/notes/outline.mdintonotes/outline.md. #10553 is about the agent runningcdinto a different checkout, where the repo root doesn't help identify the file.- It returns null when the path doesn't start with the prefix. That's right for diffs, where paths are always repo-relative, but chat chips can be either kind.
Before submitting
Area
apps/web
Steps to reproduce
~/schoolwith the T3 project registered at~/school/physics(git rev-parse --show-toplevelfrom the project prints~/school).notes/outline.mdand commit it.`physics/notes/outline.md`.Expected behavior
The chip opens
~/school/physics/notes/outline.md.Actual behavior
The path is joined onto the project root, so the chip resolves to
~/school/physics/physics/notes/outline.md(the tooltip shows this). The files panel opens a tab with breadcrumbphysics > physics > notes > outline.mdand shows:Opening the same file from the Files tab works. The agent's cwd was the project root, so the path was correct from git's point of view, not a hallucination.
Impact
Minor bug or occasional failure
Version or commit
main @ bd89c13
Environment
macOS, desktop/web client, Claude provider (any agent that echoes git paths is affected).
Notes
resolveMarkdownFileLinkTarget/resolveInlineCodeFileLinkMeta(apps/web/src/markdown-links.ts) join every relative path onto the thread cwd viaresolvePathLinkTarget. The click-time basename rescue only covers slash-free names.The diff panel already solves this exact mismatch:
resolveDiffPathForWorkspaceinapps/web/src/diffFileActions.tsusesproject.repositoryIdentity.rootPathto strip the project's repo-relative prefix. Chat file links could do the same: when the project root is a strict subdirectory of the repo root (and the thread is not on a worktree), a relative path that starts with the project's repo-relative prefix (physics/) gets that prefix stripped. The only misfire would be a project with a real child folder named like its own repo-relative path, which seems acceptable, or it could be resolved with a click-time existence check.Mobile's
resolveFileChipTarget(apps/mobile/src/features/threads/fileChipMenu.ts) has the same join and should get the same treatment.Related, not a duplicate: #10553 (agent
cds into a different project's checkout; no repo information can resolve that one).Workaround
Open the file from the Files tab, or ask the agent for absolute paths.