Bound duplicated text-heavy tool output

docs/configuration.md

@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ npx @waishnav/devspace config set publicBaseUrl https://devspace.example.com
 | `DEVSPACE_OAUTH_OWNER_TOKEN` | Owner password for OAuth approval. Must be at least 16 characters. |
 | `DEVSPACE_WORKTREE_ROOT` | Directory for managed Git worktrees. Defaults to `~/.devspace/worktrees`. |
 | `DEVSPACE_STATE_DIR` | Directory for SQLite state. Defaults to `~/.local/share/devspace`. |
+| `DEVSPACE_INLINE_OUTPUT_CHARACTERS` | Maximum characters returned inline for text-heavy tool output. Defaults to `12000`; larger results use a bounded head/tail preview. |
 
 ## OAuth
 
@@ -77,6 +78,31 @@ Codex-mode commands run without a PTY by default. Set `tty: true` on
 `node-pty` dependency; `write_stdin` can send input, poll output, and resize PTY
 sessions.
 
+## Inline Output Limits
+
+Text-heavy tools such as `read`, `grep`, `glob`, `ls`, `bash`, `exec_command`, and
+`write_stdin` return one bounded model-readable preview instead of copying the complete
+output into every MCP response channel.
+
+Configure the ceiling through the environment:
+
+```bash
+DEVSPACE_INLINE_OUTPUT_CHARACTERS=12000 npx @waishnav/devspace serve
+```
+
+or persist it in `~/.devspace/config.json`:
+
+```json
+{
+  "inlineOutputCharacters": 12000
+}
+```
+
+The result metadata reports the original character and line counts, the inline preview
+size, and whether characters were omitted. Narrow the command or request a smaller file
+range when more detail is needed. When widgets are set to `changes` or `off`, text-heavy
+tools also omit their card payload instead of sending an unused second preview to the UI.
+
 ## Widgets
 
 `DEVSPACE_WIDGETS` controls ChatGPT Apps iframe usage.

package.json

@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
     "dev": "node scripts/dev-server.mjs",
     "postinstall": "node scripts/fix-node-pty-permissions.mjs",
     "start": "node dist/cli.js serve",
-    "test": "tsx src/config.test.ts && tsx src/ui/card-types.test.ts && tsx src/ui/patch-display.test.ts && tsx src/ui/tool-display.test.ts && tsx src/apply-patch.test.ts && tsx src/process-platform.test.ts && tsx src/process-sessions.test.ts && tsx src/mcp-sessions.test.ts && tsx src/server-shutdown.test.ts && tsx src/local-agent-runtime.test.ts && tsx src/local-agent-adapters.test.ts && tsx src/local-agent-availability.test.ts && tsx src/local-agent-profiles.test.ts && tsx src/local-agent-targets.test.ts && tsx src/local-agent-store.test.ts && tsx src/roots.test.ts && tsx src/skills.test.ts && tsx src/workspaces.test.ts && tsx src/review-checkpoints.test.ts && tsx src/oauth-store.test.ts && tsx src/cli.test.ts",
+    "test": "tsx src/config.test.ts && tsx src/tool-output.test.ts && tsx src/ui/card-types.test.ts && tsx src/ui/patch-display.test.ts && tsx src/ui/tool-display.test.ts && tsx src/apply-patch.test.ts && tsx src/process-platform.test.ts && tsx src/process-sessions.test.ts && tsx src/mcp-sessions.test.ts && tsx src/server-shutdown.test.ts && tsx src/local-agent-runtime.test.ts && tsx src/local-agent-adapters.test.ts && tsx src/local-agent-availability.test.ts && tsx src/local-agent-profiles.test.ts && tsx src/local-agent-targets.test.ts && tsx src/local-agent-store.test.ts && tsx src/roots.test.ts && tsx src/skills.test.ts && tsx src/workspaces.test.ts && tsx src/review-checkpoints.test.ts && tsx src/oauth-store.test.ts && tsx src/cli.test.ts",
     "typecheck": "tsc -p tsconfig.json --noEmit"
   },
   "keywords": [],

src/cli.ts

@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ async function runInit({ force }: { force: boolean }): Promise<void> {
       port,
       allowedRoots,
       publicBaseUrl,
+      inlineOutputCharacters: files.config.inlineOutputCharacters,
       subagents: resolveSubagentsFlag(files.config),
     };
     const auth = {
@@ -219,6 +220,7 @@ async function serve(): Promise<void> {
     console.log(`public base url: ${config.publicBaseUrl}`);
     console.log(`allowed roots: ${config.allowedRoots.join(", ")}`);
     console.log(`allowed hosts: ${config.allowedHosts.join(", ")}`);
+    console.log(`inline output characters: ${config.inlineOutputCharacters}`);
     if (config.allowedHosts.includes("*")) {
       console.warn("warning: Host header allowlist is disabled because DEVSPACE_ALLOWED_HOSTS=*");
     }
@@ -264,6 +266,7 @@ async function runDoctor(): Promise<void> {
     console.log(`Public MCP URL: ${new URL("/mcp", config.publicBaseUrl).toString()}`);
     console.log(`Allowed roots: ${config.allowedRoots.join(", ")}`);
     console.log(`Allowed hosts: ${config.allowedHosts.join(", ")}`);
+    console.log(`Inline output characters: ${config.inlineOutputCharacters}`);
   } catch (error) {
     console.log(`Config status: ${error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)}`);
   }

src/config.test.ts

@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ assert.equal(loadConfig(baseEnv).widgets, "full");
 assert.equal(loadConfig({ ...baseEnv, DEVSPACE_WIDGETS: "changes" }).widgets, "changes");
 assert.equal(loadConfig({ ...baseEnv, DEVSPACE_WIDGETS: "full" }).widgets, "full");
 assert.equal(loadConfig({ ...baseEnv, DEVSPACE_WIDGETS: "off" }).widgets, "off");
+assert.equal(loadConfig(baseEnv).inlineOutputCharacters, 12_000);
+assert.equal(
+  loadConfig({ ...baseEnv, DEVSPACE_INLINE_OUTPUT_CHARACTERS: "4096" }).inlineOutputCharacters,
+  4096,
+);
 assert.equal(loadConfig(baseEnv).toolMode, "minimal");
 assert.equal(loadConfig({ ...baseEnv, DEVSPACE_TOOL_MODE: "minimal" }).toolMode, "minimal");
 assert.equal(loadConfig({ ...baseEnv, DEVSPACE_TOOL_MODE: "full" }).toolMode, "full");
@@ -60,6 +65,10 @@ assert.throws(
   () => loadConfig({ ...baseEnv, DEVSPACE_TOOL_MODE: "invalid" }),
   /Invalid DEVSPACE_TOOL_MODE: invalid/,
 );
+assert.throws(
+  () => loadConfig({ ...baseEnv, DEVSPACE_INLINE_OUTPUT_CHARACTERS: "0" }),
+  /Invalid DEVSPACE_INLINE_OUTPUT_CHARACTERS: 0/,
+);
 
 assert.deepEqual(loadConfig(baseEnv).logging, {
   level: "info",
@@ -162,6 +171,7 @@ writeFileSync(
     port: 8787,
     allowedRoots: [process.cwd()],
     publicBaseUrl: "https://devspace.example.com",
+    inlineOutputCharacters: 8192,
     subagents: true,
   }),
 );
@@ -176,6 +186,7 @@ const fileConfig = loadConfig({ DEVSPACE_CONFIG_DIR: configDir });
 assert.equal(fileConfig.port, 8787);
 assert.equal(fileConfig.oauth.ownerToken, "persisted-owner-token-long-enough");
 assert.equal(fileConfig.publicBaseUrl, "https://devspace.example.com");
+assert.equal(fileConfig.inlineOutputCharacters, 8192);
 assert.equal(fileConfig.subagents, true);
 assert.deepEqual(fileConfig.allowedHosts, [
   "localhost",

src/config.ts

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { join, resolve } from "node:path";
 import { expandHomePath } from "./roots.js";
 import type { LoggingConfig, LogFormat, LogLevel } from "./logger.js";
 import type { OAuthConfig } from "./oauth-provider.js";
+import { DEFAULT_INLINE_OUTPUT_CHARACTERS } from "./tool-output.js";
 import { devspaceAgentsDir, devspaceSkillsDir, loadDevspaceFiles } from "./user-config.js";
 
 export type ToolMode = "minimal" | "full" | "codex";
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ export interface ServerConfig {
   publicBaseUrl: string;
   toolMode: ToolMode;
   widgets: WidgetMode;
+  inlineOutputCharacters: number;
   stateDir: string;
   worktreeRoot: string;
   skillsEnabled: boolean;
@@ -124,8 +126,8 @@ function parseStringList(value: string | undefined, fallback: string[]): string[
   return entries && entries.length > 0 ? entries : fallback;
 }
 
-function parsePositiveInteger(value: string | undefined, fallback: number, name: string): number {
-  if (!value) return fallback;
+function parsePositiveInteger(value: string | number | undefined, fallback: number, name: string): number {
+  if (value === undefined || value === "") return fallback;
 
   const parsed = Number(value);
   if (!Number.isInteger(parsed) || parsed < 1) {
@@ -224,6 +226,11 @@ export function loadConfig(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env): ServerConfig {
     publicBaseUrl,
     toolMode: parseToolMode(env),
     widgets: parseWidgetMode(env.DEVSPACE_WIDGETS),
+    inlineOutputCharacters: parsePositiveInteger(
+      env.DEVSPACE_INLINE_OUTPUT_CHARACTERS ?? files.config.inlineOutputCharacters,
+      DEFAULT_INLINE_OUTPUT_CHARACTERS,
+      "DEVSPACE_INLINE_OUTPUT_CHARACTERS",
+    ),
     stateDir: resolve(expandHomePath(env.DEVSPACE_STATE_DIR ?? files.config.stateDir ?? defaultStateDir())),
     worktreeRoot: resolve(expandHomePath(env.DEVSPACE_WORKTREE_ROOT ?? files.config.worktreeRoot ?? defaultWorktreeRoot())),
     skillsEnabled: env.DEVSPACE_SKILLS === undefined ? true : parseBoolean(env.DEVSPACE_SKILLS),