config: add hideSessionBar, drop the legacy config fallback

README.md

@@ -161,8 +161,11 @@ at that host's dashboard.
 Hosts and tokens live in `~/.ellipsis/config.json` (mode 0600); set
 `ELLIPSIS_CONFIG_DIR` to relocate it. A config file from before hosts existed
 is migrated on first use — your existing login becomes a host named for its API
-base — and a config left at the old `~/.config/ellipsis` location is still read
-until the next write lands it in `~/.ellipsis`, so nothing needs re-doing.
+base.
+
+The config file also carries UI preferences. Set `"hideSessionBar": true` at
+the top level to drop the session list from the bottom of the interactive UI
+and give its rows to the chat window.
 
 ## Develop
 

src/lib/config.ts

@@ -18,13 +18,6 @@ function configFile(): string {
   return join(configDir(), 'config.json')
 }
 
-// Where pre-0.17 installs kept the config. Read-only fallback so the move to
-// ~/.ellipsis doesn't log anyone out; the first saveConfig writes the new
-// location and it wins from then on.
-function legacyConfigFile(): string {
-  return join(homedir(), '.config', 'ellipsis', 'config.json')
-}
-
 // One Ellipsis instance the CLI can target (prod, beta, or a self-hosted
 // deployment). `apiBase` is the API host; `appBase` is the dashboard host used
 // to build clickable links and the login verification URL — derived from
@@ -41,10 +34,15 @@ export interface Host {
 
 // The config file (v2): a named set of hosts plus which one is active. Commands
 // resolve against the active host unless an env var / explicit arg overrides.
+// UI preferences live at the top level, not per host: they describe the
+// terminal in front of the user, which is the same whichever host is active.
 export interface CliConfig {
   version: 2
   activeHost?: string
   hosts: Record<string, Host>
+  // Hide the session bar (the nav under the text input) in the multi-session
+  // UI, giving its rows to the chat window.
+  hideSessionBar?: boolean
 }
 
 // The pre-hosts (v1) file shape — a single flat instance. Kept only so
@@ -100,20 +98,6 @@ function migrate(raw: unknown): CliConfig {
 export function loadConfig(): CliConfig {
   const file = configFile()
   if (existsSync(file)) return migrate(JSON.parse(readFileSync(file, 'utf8')))
-  // No config at the current path: fall back to the legacy XDG location, but
-  // only for the default dir — an explicit ELLIPSIS_CONFIG_DIR must resolve
-  // exactly (tests and sandboxes rely on that isolation).
-  if (!process.env.ELLIPSIS_CONFIG_DIR) {
-    const legacy = legacyConfigFile()
-    if (existsSync(legacy)) {
-      try {
-        return migrate(JSON.parse(readFileSync(legacy, 'utf8')))
-      } catch {
-        // Unreadable legacy file (often a root-owned ~/.config from an old
-        // sudo run — the problem ~/.ellipsis exists to avoid). Start fresh.
-      }
-    }
-  }
   return { version: 2, hosts: {} }
 }
 
@@ -232,6 +216,12 @@ export function clearAllTokens(): void {
   saveConfig(cfg)
 }
 
+// Whether the multi-session UI should hide the session bar. Read from the
+// config file only — set `"hideSessionBar": true` in ~/.ellipsis/config.json.
+export function hideSessionBar(): boolean {
+  return loadConfig().hideSessionBar === true
+}
+
 export function getEnrolledRepos(): string[] {
   return (activeHost()?.enrolledRepos ?? []).map((r) => r.toLowerCase())
 }

src/ui/SessionsApp.tsx

@@ -113,6 +113,10 @@ export interface SessionsAppProps {
   // caveat to show in its chat (watch-only reasons ride connectability).
   initialConfigName?: string
   initialNotice?: string
+  // Drop the session nav (band 4) entirely, giving its rows to the chat.
+  // Focus never leaves the chat: esc and ↓ at the bottom edge do nothing.
+  // Set via "hideSessionBar": true in the config file.
+  hideSessionBar?: boolean
   // Builds the start request for a composer-spawned session (the entry point
   // owns repository detection and defaults).
   buildStartRequest: (prompt: string) => StartAgentSessionRequest
@@ -132,6 +136,7 @@ type MainPane = { type: 'new' } | { type: 'chat'; sessionId: string }
 
 export function SessionsApp(props: SessionsAppProps): React.ReactElement {
   const { api, openSocket, appBase, customerLogin, authorId } = props
+  const hideNav = props.hideSessionBar === true
   const { exit } = useApp()
   const { isRawModeSupported } = useStdin()
   const { stdout } = useStdout()
@@ -191,11 +196,14 @@ export function SessionsApp(props: SessionsAppProps): React.ReactElement {
     }
   }, [api, authorId])
 
+  // The poll only feeds the nav's rows and attention dots; with the bar
+  // hidden there is nothing on screen it could update.
   useEffect(() => {
+    if (hideNav) return
     void poll()
     const t = setInterval(() => void poll(), SIDEBAR_POLL_MS)
     return () => clearInterval(t)
-  }, [poll])
+  }, [poll, hideNav])
 
   // The age lines tick on their own clock (nothing else re-renders idle rows).
   const [, setAgeTick] = useState(0)
@@ -418,20 +426,24 @@ export function SessionsApp(props: SessionsAppProps): React.ReactElement {
     { isActive: focus === 'nav' && isRawModeSupported },
   )
 
-  const focusNav = useCallback((): void => setFocus('nav'), [])
+  // With the session bar hidden there is nothing to hand focus to: esc and ↓
+  // at the chat's bottom edge land where they started.
+  const focusNav = useCallback((): void => {
+    if (!hideNav) setFocus('nav')
+  }, [hideNav])
   const refreshOnDone = useCallback((): void => {
     void poll()
   }, [poll])
 
   // ------------------------------- rendering --------------------------------
 
   // Band heights: header = blank + title line + rule (3); nav = rule + the
-  // new-session row + five session rows + hint (8). The chat band gets the
-  // rest, and a terminal too short for both drops session rows rather than
-  // growing the frame past the screen.
+  // new-session row + five session rows + hint (8), or nothing when hidden.
+  // The chat band gets the rest, and a terminal too short for both drops
+  // session rows rather than growing the frame past the screen.
   const headerRows = 3
   const navSessionRows = Math.max(1, Math.min(NAV_SESSION_ROWS, contentRows - 10))
-  const navRows = 3 + navSessionRows
+  const navRows = hideNav ? 0 : 3 + navSessionRows
   const chatRows = Math.max(4, contentRows - headerRows - navRows)
 
   // ---- band 1: the header ----
@@ -670,7 +682,7 @@ export function SessionsApp(props: SessionsAppProps): React.ReactElement {
     >
       {header}
       {main}
-      {nav}
+      {!hideNav && nav}
     </Box>
   )
 }

src/ui/launch.tsx

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import React from 'react'
 import { render } from 'ink'
 import { ApiClient } from '../lib/api'
-import { requireToken, resolveApiBase, resolveAppBase } from '../lib/config'
+import { hideSessionBar, requireToken, resolveApiBase, resolveAppBase } from '../lib/config'
 import { repoFromCwd } from '../lib/laptop'
 import { makeOpenSocket, resolveWsBase } from '../lib/stream'
 import type { StartAgentSessionRequest } from '../lib/types'
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ export async function runSessionsUi(options: SessionsUiOptions): Promise<void> {
       initialSessionId: options.initialSessionId,
       initialConfigName: options.initialConfigName,
       initialNotice: options.initialNotice,
+      hideSessionBar: hideSessionBar(),
       buildStartRequest: options.buildStartRequest,
     }),
   )

test/config.test.ts

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   clearActiveHostToken,
   deleteHost,
   getEnrolledRepos,
+  hideSessionBar,
   listHosts,
   loadConfig,
   requireToken,
@@ -219,6 +220,28 @@ describe('host management', () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe('hideSessionBar', () => {
+  it('defaults to false with no config file', () => {
+    expect(hideSessionBar()).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('reads true from the config file', () => {
+    writeConfig({ version: 2, hosts: {}, hideSessionBar: true })
+    expect(hideSessionBar()).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('treats a non-boolean value as false', () => {
+    writeConfig({ version: 2, hosts: {}, hideSessionBar: 'yes' })
+    expect(hideSessionBar()).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('survives a host write', () => {
+    writeConfig({ version: 2, hosts: {}, hideSessionBar: true })
+    addHost('beta', 'https://beta-api.ellipsis.dev')
+    expect(hideSessionBar()).toBe(true)
+  })
+})
+
 describe('v1 -> v2 config migration', () => {
   it('folds a flat {token, apiBase} into one active host', () => {
     writeConfig({ token: 'file_tok', apiBase: 'https://beta-api.ellipsis.dev' })