fix(permissions): user settings tier follows $CLAWCODEX_CONFIG_DIR; say what the approval menu changes

src/permissions/settings_paths.py

@@ -22,7 +22,17 @@
 
 
 def user_settings_path() -> str:
-    return os.path.expanduser(USER_SETTINGS_FILENAME)
+    """The user tier: ``$CLAWCODEX_CONFIG_DIR/settings.json``, else ``~/.clawcodex``.
+
+    Resolved through :func:`get_user_config_dir` so a relocated config dir
+    keeps its permissions, hooks and trust settings with the rest of its state
+    — sessions and transcripts have honored the override since the config-dir
+    work, and reading this tier from ``~/.clawcodex`` regardless meant a
+    profile pointed elsewhere silently answered from the default home.
+    """
+    from src.utils.clawcodex_dirs import get_user_config_dir
+
+    return str(get_user_config_dir() / "settings.json")
 
 
 def project_settings_path(cwd: str | None = None) -> str:

tests/test_permission_settings_paths.py

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+"""The user permission-settings tier follows $CLAWCODEX_CONFIG_DIR.
+
+Sessions, transcripts and config already relocate with the override; this
+tier used to be hardcoded to ``~/.clawcodex/settings.json``, so a profile
+pointed elsewhere silently answered permission, hook and trust questions from
+the default home instead of its own.
+
+Bound at import time on purpose: ``tests/conftest.py`` has an autouse fixture
+that replaces ``settings_paths.user_settings_path`` with a temp path, and this
+module-level name keeps hold of the real implementation.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+
+from src.permissions.settings_paths import (
+    project_settings_path,
+    user_settings_path as real_user_settings_path,
+)
+
+
+def test_user_tier_follows_the_config_dir_override(monkeypatch, tmp_path) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setenv("CLAWCODEX_CONFIG_DIR", str(tmp_path / "profile-b"))
+
+    assert real_user_settings_path() == str(tmp_path / "profile-b" / "settings.json")
+
+
+def test_user_tier_expands_a_tilde_in_the_override(monkeypatch) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setenv("CLAWCODEX_CONFIG_DIR", os.path.join("~", ".cc-alt"))
+    resolved = real_user_settings_path()
+
+    assert "~" not in resolved
+    assert resolved.endswith(os.path.join(".cc-alt", "settings.json"))
+
+
+def test_user_tier_defaults_to_the_home_dir(monkeypatch, tmp_path) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.delenv("CLAWCODEX_CONFIG_DIR", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("pathlib.Path.home", classmethod(lambda cls: tmp_path))
+
+    assert real_user_settings_path() == str(tmp_path / ".clawcodex" / "settings.json")
+
+
+def test_project_tier_is_unaffected_by_the_override(monkeypatch, tmp_path) -> None:
+    """The repo tier is scoped to the workspace, not the config home — moving
+    the config dir must not start reading a project's rules from elsewhere."""
+    monkeypatch.setenv("CLAWCODEX_CONFIG_DIR", str(tmp_path / "profile-b"))
+
+    assert project_settings_path(str(tmp_path / "repo")) == str(
+        tmp_path / "repo" / ".clawcodex" / "settings.json"
+    )

ui-desktop/src/app/shell/approval-mode-menu.test.tsx

@@ -73,6 +73,17 @@ describe('approval mode statusbar item', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  it('says the choice reaches past this window', async () => {
+    // Selecting a level writes permissions.defaultMode to the user settings
+    // file, which the CLI and TUI read too. A toolbar dropdown reads like a
+    // local toggle, so the menu has to admit its real scope.
+    render(<Harness requestGateway={vi.fn(async () => ({ value: 'smart' }))} />)
+
+    fireEvent.pointerDown(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /smart/i }), { button: 0 })
+
+    expect(await screen.findByText(/default for new sessions, including the CLI/i)).toBeTruthy()
+  })
+
   it('renders the shared trigger and menu in the active locale', async () => {
     const response = new Promise<never>(() => undefined)
     render(

ui-desktop/src/app/shell/approval-mode-menu.tsx

@@ -68,6 +68,13 @@ export function useApprovalModeStatusbarItem(profile: string, requestGateway: Ap
             </DropdownMenuRadioItem>
           ))}
         </DropdownMenuRadioGroup>
+        <DropdownMenuSeparator />
+        {/* Picking a level here writes `permissions.defaultMode` to the user
+            settings file — the same tier `/permissions` writes and the CLI
+            and TUI read. Persisting is deliberate (a deliberate step DOWN
+            must survive a relaunch), but a toolbar dropdown gives no hint
+            that it reaches past this window, so say so. */}
+        <p className="px-2 py-1.5 text-[0.6875rem] leading-snug text-(--ui-text-tertiary)">{copy.scopeNote}</p>
       </>
     ),
     title: copy.ariaLabel(labels[mode]),

ui-desktop/src/i18n/en.ts

@@ -2455,7 +2455,8 @@ export const en: Translations = {
       smart: 'Smart',
       smartDescription: 'Automatically assess actions and ask when needed',
       off: 'Off',
-      offDescription: 'Run without approval prompts'
+      offDescription: 'Run without approval prompts',
+      scopeNote: 'Becomes your default for new sessions, including the CLI'
     },
     statusbar: {
       unknown: 'unknown',

ui-desktop/src/i18n/ja.ts

@@ -2292,7 +2292,8 @@ export const ja = defineLocale({
       smart: 'スマート',
       smartDescription: '必要な場合にのみ確認します',
       off: 'オフ',
-      offDescription: '承認プロンプトなしで実行します'
+      offDescription: '承認プロンプトなしで実行します',
+      scopeNote: 'CLI を含む新しいセッションの既定値になります'
     },
     statusbar: {
       unknown: '不明',

ui-desktop/src/i18n/types.ts

@@ -2055,6 +2055,7 @@ export interface Translations {
       smartDescription: string
       off: string
       offDescription: string
+      scopeNote: string
     }
     statusbar: {
       unknown: string

ui-desktop/src/i18n/zh-hant.ts

@@ -2215,7 +2215,8 @@ export const zhHant = defineLocale({
       smart: '智慧',
       smartDescription: '自動評估操作，並在需要時詢問',
       off: '關閉',
-      offDescription: '不顯示核准提示，直接執行'
+      offDescription: '不顯示核准提示，直接執行',
+      scopeNote: '將成為新工作階段的預設值，包括命令列'
     },
     statusbar: {
       unknown: '未知',

ui-desktop/src/i18n/zh.ts

@@ -2636,7 +2636,8 @@ export const zh: Translations = {
       smart: '智能',
       smartDescription: '自动评估操作，并在需要时询问',
       off: '关闭',
-      offDescription: '不显示审批提示，直接运行'
+      offDescription: '不显示审批提示，直接运行',
+      scopeNote: '将成为新会话的默认设置，包括命令行'
     },
     statusbar: {
       unknown: '未知',