feat(ui): spinners for ConPTY session start and task refine

Both actions previously gave no feedback: opening a ConPTY session only created
the tile after the launch-spec roundtrip (which may build a worktree), and the
refine button just disappeared while the run was in flight.

Add a shared Ellipse.spinner style, and let ConPtyPaneViewModel resolve its own
launch spec so the tile shows up immediately with a starting overlay. A failed
launch now keeps the tile with its inline error banner instead of never
appearing — Start() is separated from the ctor so the host can subscribe to
ErrorReported before the launch begins.

src/ClaudeDo.Localization/locales/de.json

@@ -160,7 +160,8 @@
     "feedbackLabel": "FEEDBACK FÜR DEN AGENTEN",
     "feedbackPlaceholder": "Was soll der Agent korrigieren?",
     "rerun": "Erneut ausführen",
-    "refineTip": "Aufgabe mit Claude verfeinern"
+    "refineTip": "Aufgabe mit Claude verfeinern",
+    "refiningTip": "Claude verfeinert diese Aufgabe…"
   },
   "lists": {
     "heading": "Listen",
@@ -267,6 +268,7 @@
     "overviewMode": "Übersicht",
     "closeSession": "Sitzung schließen",
     "conptyLaunchFailed": "ConPTY-Sitzung konnte nicht geöffnet werden: {0}",
+    "conptyStarting": "Sitzung wird gestartet…",
     "mergeHelperTitle": "Merge-Helfer",
     "submitForReviewFailed": "Einreichen zum Review fehlgeschlagen: {0}",
     "submitForReview": "Zum Review einreichen",

src/ClaudeDo.Localization/locales/en.json

@@ -160,7 +160,8 @@
     "feedbackLabel": "FEEDBACK FOR THE AGENT",
     "feedbackPlaceholder": "What should the agent fix?",
     "rerun": "Re-run",
-    "refineTip": "Refine this task with Claude"
+    "refineTip": "Refine this task with Claude",
+    "refiningTip": "Claude is refining this task…"
   },
   "lists": {
     "heading": "Lists",
@@ -267,6 +268,7 @@
     "overviewMode": "Overview",
     "closeSession": "Close session",
     "conptyLaunchFailed": "Couldn't open ConPTY session: {0}",
+    "conptyStarting": "Starting session…",
     "mergeHelperTitle": "Merge Helper",
     "submitForReviewFailed": "Couldn't submit for review: {0}",
     "submitForReview": "Submit for review",

src/ClaudeDo.Ui/Design/IslandStyles.axaml

@@ -454,6 +454,25 @@
     </Style.Animations>
   </Style>
 
+  <!-- Indeterminate ring spinner (dashed ring, rotated forever) -->
+  <Style Selector="Ellipse.spinner">
+    <Setter Property="Width"           Value="14" />
+    <Setter Property="Height"          Value="14" />
+    <Setter Property="Stroke"          Value="{StaticResource AccentBrush}" />
+    <Setter Property="StrokeThickness" Value="2" />
+    <Setter Property="StrokeDashArray" Value="3,2" />
+    <Setter Property="RenderTransform" Value="rotate(0deg)" />
+    <Style.Animations>
+      <Animation Duration="0:0:0.9" IterationCount="INFINITE" Easing="LinearEasing">
+        <KeyFrame Cue="0%">  <Setter Property="RotateTransform.Angle" Value="0" />  </KeyFrame>
+        <KeyFrame Cue="100%"><Setter Property="RotateTransform.Angle" Value="360" /></KeyFrame>
+      </Animation>
+    </Style.Animations>
+  </Style>
+  <Style Selector="Ellipse.spinner.dim">
+    <Setter Property="Stroke" Value="{StaticResource TextDimBrush}" />
+  </Style>
+
   <!-- ============================================================ -->
   <!-- AGENT STRIP                                                  -->
   <!-- ============================================================ -->

src/ClaudeDo.Ui/ViewModels/InteractiveTerminalViewModel.cs

@@ -22,6 +22,15 @@ public sealed partial class InteractiveTerminalViewModel : ViewModelBase, IDispo
     [ObservableProperty] private int? _exitCode;
     [ObservableProperty] private string? _startError;
 
+    /// <summary>True from construction until the child process is actually launched (or the launch
+    /// failed) — covers both the caller's launch-spec roundtrip and the ConPTY spawn, so the host
+    /// can show a spinner instead of an empty black pane.</summary>
+    public bool IsStarting => !IsRunning && !HasExited && StartError is null;
+
+    partial void OnIsRunningChanged(bool value)   => OnPropertyChanged(nameof(IsStarting));
+    partial void OnHasExitedChanged(bool value)   => OnPropertyChanged(nameof(IsStarting));
+    partial void OnStartErrorChanged(string? value) => OnPropertyChanged(nameof(IsStarting));
+
     public InteractiveTerminalViewModel()
     {
         _session.ProcessExited += OnSessionProcessExited;
@@ -74,6 +83,15 @@ public sealed partial class InteractiveTerminalViewModel : ViewModelBase, IDispo
         ExitCode = exitCode;
     }
 
+    /// <summary>Reports a failure that happened before <see cref="Start"/> could be called (e.g. the
+    /// launch-spec roundtrip threw), so it surfaces through the same banner as a spawn failure.</summary>
+    public void ReportStartFailure(string message)
+    {
+        IsRunning = false;
+        HasExited = true;
+        StartError = message;
+    }
+
     public void Kill() => _session.Kill();
 
     public void Dispose()

src/ClaudeDo.Ui/ViewModels/MissionControl/ConPtyPaneViewModel.cs

@@ -35,18 +35,44 @@ public sealed partial class ConPtyPaneViewModel : ViewModelBase, IMissionControl
     public event Action<string>? SubmitForReviewRequested;
 
     /// <summary>Task-based pane — dedup'd by <see cref="TaskId"/>. Pass null for an ad-hoc pane
-    /// (no task, never deduped); prefer <see cref="CreateAdHoc"/> at ad-hoc call sites.</summary>
+    /// (no task, never deduped); prefer <see cref="CreateAdHoc"/> at ad-hoc call sites.
-    public ConPtyPaneViewModel(string? taskId, string displayTitle, TerminalLaunchDescriptor descriptor)
+    /// <paramref name="descriptorFactory"/> is resolved by the pane itself (in <see cref="Start"/>)
+    /// so the tile — and its starting spinner — is visible while the launch spec is still being
+    /// fetched. The host must wire its handlers and then call <see cref="Start"/>.</summary>
+    public ConPtyPaneViewModel(
+        string? taskId,
+        string displayTitle,
+        Func<System.Threading.Tasks.Task<TerminalLaunchDescriptor>> descriptorFactory)
     {
         TaskId = taskId;
         _displayTitle = displayTitle;
+        _descriptorFactory = descriptorFactory;
         Terminal.PropertyChanged += OnTerminalPropertyChanged;
-        Terminal.Start(descriptor);
+    }
+
+    private readonly Func<System.Threading.Tasks.Task<TerminalLaunchDescriptor>> _descriptorFactory;
+
+    /// <summary>Resolves the launch spec and spawns the session. Call after wiring
+    /// <see cref="ErrorReported"/> so a failed launch is not swallowed.</summary>
+    public void Start() => _ = StartAsync();
+
+    private async System.Threading.Tasks.Task StartAsync()
+    {
+        try
+        {
+            Terminal.Start(await _descriptorFactory());
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            Terminal.ReportStartFailure(ex.Message);
+        }
     }
 
     /// <summary>Ad-hoc pane — no task, no dedup.</summary>
-    public static ConPtyPaneViewModel CreateAdHoc(string displayTitle, TerminalLaunchDescriptor descriptor)
+    public static ConPtyPaneViewModel CreateAdHoc(
-        => new(null, displayTitle, descriptor);
+        string displayTitle,
+        Func<System.Threading.Tasks.Task<TerminalLaunchDescriptor>> descriptorFactory)
+        => new(null, displayTitle, descriptorFactory);
 
     private void OnTerminalPropertyChanged(object? sender, PropertyChangedEventArgs e)
     {

src/ClaudeDo.Ui/ViewModels/MissionControlViewModel.cs

@@ -241,20 +241,8 @@ public sealed partial class MissionControlViewModel : ViewModelBase, IDisposable
         }
         catch { /* best-effort title lookup */ }
 
-        try
+        AddConPtyPane(new ConPtyPaneViewModel(taskId, title,
-        {
+            () => DescribeAsync(() => _worker.GetInteractiveLaunchSpecAsync(taskId))));
-            var spec = await _worker.GetInteractiveLaunchSpecAsync(taskId);
-            var descriptor = new TerminalLaunchDescriptor(spec.Cwd, spec.Exe, spec.Args, spec.Env);
-            var pane = new ConPtyPaneViewModel(taskId, title, descriptor);
-            pane.ErrorReported += OnConPtyPaneError;
-            pane.CloseRequested += CloseConPtySession;
-            pane.SubmitForReviewRequested += OnPaneSubmitForReview;
-            ConPtySessions.Add(pane);
-        }
-        catch (Exception ex)
-        {
-            ErrorReported?.Invoke(Loc.T("missionControl.conptyLaunchFailed", ex.Message));
-        }
     }
 
     // Starts (or resumes) a planning session and hosts it as an embedded ConPTY Command Center
@@ -279,47 +267,23 @@ public sealed partial class MissionControlViewModel : ViewModelBase, IDisposable
         catch { /* best-effort title lookup */ }
         title += Loc.T("missionControl.planningTitleSuffix");
 
-        try
+        AddConPtyPane(new ConPtyPaneViewModel(taskId, title, () => DescribeAsync(() => resume
-        {
+            ? _worker.GetPlanningResumeLaunchSpecAsync(taskId)
-            var spec = resume
+            : _worker.GetPlanningStartLaunchSpecAsync(taskId))));
-                ? await _worker.GetPlanningResumeLaunchSpecAsync(taskId)
-                : await _worker.GetPlanningStartLaunchSpecAsync(taskId);
-            var descriptor = new TerminalLaunchDescriptor(spec.Cwd, spec.Exe, spec.Args, spec.Env);
-            var pane = new ConPtyPaneViewModel(taskId, title, descriptor);
-            pane.ErrorReported += OnConPtyPaneError;
-            pane.CloseRequested += CloseConPtySession;
-            pane.SubmitForReviewRequested += OnPaneSubmitForReview;
-            ConPtySessions.Add(pane);
-        }
-        catch (Exception ex)
-        {
-            ErrorReported?.Invoke(Loc.T("missionControl.conptyLaunchFailed", ex.Message));
-        }
     }
 
     // Ad-hoc (task-less) ConPTY session in a user-chosen directory. Never deduped — every call
     // opens a fresh pane, unlike the task-based OpenConPtySessionAsync above.
-    public async System.Threading.Tasks.Task OpenAdHocConPtySessionAsync(string directory)
+    public System.Threading.Tasks.Task OpenAdHocConPtySessionAsync(string directory)
     {
-        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(directory)) return;
+        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(directory)) return System.Threading.Tasks.Task.CompletedTask;
 
         var title = Path.GetFileName(directory.TrimEnd('\\', '/'));
         if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(title)) title = directory;
 
-        try
+        AddConPtyPane(ConPtyPaneViewModel.CreateAdHoc(title,
-        {
+            () => DescribeAsync(() => _worker.GetAdHocLaunchSpecAsync(directory))));
-            var spec = await _worker.GetAdHocLaunchSpecAsync(directory);
+        return System.Threading.Tasks.Task.CompletedTask;
-            var descriptor = new TerminalLaunchDescriptor(spec.Cwd, spec.Exe, spec.Args, spec.Env);
-            var pane = ConPtyPaneViewModel.CreateAdHoc(title, descriptor);
-            pane.ErrorReported += OnConPtyPaneError;
-            pane.CloseRequested += CloseConPtySession;
-            pane.SubmitForReviewRequested += OnPaneSubmitForReview;
-            ConPtySessions.Add(pane);
-        }
-        catch (Exception ex)
-        {
-            ErrorReported?.Invoke(Loc.T("missionControl.conptyLaunchFailed", ex.Message));
-        }
     }
 
     // List-handler session over a hand-picked set of tasks ("Let Claude handle it").
@@ -337,23 +301,30 @@ public sealed partial class MissionControlViewModel : ViewModelBase, IDisposable
         }
         catch { /* best-effort title lookup */ }
 
-        try
+        AddConPtyPane(ConPtyPaneViewModel.CreateAdHoc(title,
-        {
+            () => DescribeAsync(() => _worker.GetMergeHelperLaunchSpecAsync(taskIds, listId))));
-            var spec = await _worker.GetMergeHelperLaunchSpecAsync(taskIds, listId);
-            var descriptor = new TerminalLaunchDescriptor(spec.Cwd, spec.Exe, spec.Args, spec.Env);
-            var pane = ConPtyPaneViewModel.CreateAdHoc(title, descriptor);
-            pane.ErrorReported += OnConPtyPaneError;
-            pane.CloseRequested += CloseConPtySession;
-            pane.SubmitForReviewRequested += OnPaneSubmitForReview;
-            ConPtySessions.Add(pane);
-        }
-        catch (Exception ex)
-        {
-            ErrorReported?.Invoke(Loc.T("missionControl.conptyLaunchFailed", ex.Message));
-        }
     }
 
-    private void OnConPtyPaneError(string message) => ErrorReported?.Invoke(message);
+    // Wires a freshly built pane and shows it immediately — the pane resolves its own launch spec,
+    // so the tile is on screen (spinner running) while the worker is still preparing the worktree.
+    private void AddConPtyPane(ConPtyPaneViewModel pane)
+    {
+        pane.ErrorReported += OnConPtyPaneError;
+        pane.CloseRequested += CloseConPtySession;
+        pane.SubmitForReviewRequested += OnPaneSubmitForReview;
+        ConPtySessions.Add(pane);
+        pane.Start();
+    }
+
+    private static async System.Threading.Tasks.Task<TerminalLaunchDescriptor> DescribeAsync(
+        Func<System.Threading.Tasks.Task<LaunchSpec>> fetch)
+    {
+        var spec = await fetch();
+        return new TerminalLaunchDescriptor(spec.Cwd, spec.Exe, spec.Args, spec.Env);
+    }
+
+    private void OnConPtyPaneError(string message)
+        => ErrorReported?.Invoke(Loc.T("missionControl.conptyLaunchFailed", message));
 
     // Submit a task's hand-driven ConPTY work for review, then close the pane (the interactive
     // session is finished). The worker commits the worktree and moves the task to WaitingForReview.

src/ClaudeDo.Ui/Views/Islands/TaskRowView.axaml

@@ -207,17 +207,23 @@
           </StackPanel>
         </StackPanel>
 
-        <!-- Refine button -->
+        <!-- Refine button, replaced by a spinner while the refine run is in flight -->
-        <Button Grid.Column="5" Classes="icon-btn refine-btn"
+        <Panel Grid.Column="5">
-                IsVisible="{Binding CanRefine}"
+          <Button Classes="icon-btn refine-btn"
-                VerticalAlignment="Top" Margin="0,2,0,0"
+                  IsVisible="{Binding CanRefine}"
-                Command="{Binding $parent[ItemsControl].((vm:TasksIslandViewModel)DataContext).RefineTaskCommand}"
+                  VerticalAlignment="Top" Margin="0,2,0,0"
-                CommandParameter="{Binding}"
+                  Command="{Binding $parent[ItemsControl].((vm:TasksIslandViewModel)DataContext).RefineTaskCommand}"
-                ToolTip.Tip="{loc:Tr tasks.refineTip}">
+                  CommandParameter="{Binding}"
-          <Viewbox Width="16" Height="16">
+                  ToolTip.Tip="{loc:Tr tasks.refineTip}">
-            <Path Classes="plan-icon" Data="{StaticResource Icon.Refine}"/>
+            <Viewbox Width="16" Height="16">
-          </Viewbox>
+              <Path Classes="plan-icon" Data="{StaticResource Icon.Refine}"/>
-        </Button>
+            </Viewbox>
+          </Button>
+          <Ellipse Classes="spinner"
+                   IsVisible="{Binding IsRefining}"
+                   VerticalAlignment="Top" Margin="0,4,2,0"
+                   ToolTip.Tip="{loc:Tr tasks.refiningTip}"/>
+        </Panel>
 
         <!-- Star toggle -->
         <Button Grid.Column="6" Classes="icon-btn star-btn"

src/ClaudeDo.Ui/Views/MissionControl/ConPtyPaneView.axaml

@@ -44,8 +44,20 @@
                    TextWrapping="Wrap" />
       </Border>
 
-      <!-- Embedded ConPTY terminal -->
+      <!-- Embedded ConPTY terminal, with a starting overlay until the session is spawned -->
-      <views:InteractiveTerminalView DataContext="{Binding Terminal}" />
+      <Panel>
+        <views:InteractiveTerminalView DataContext="{Binding Terminal}" />
+        <Border IsVisible="{Binding Terminal.IsStarting}"
+                Background="{DynamicResource VoidBrush}">
+          <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" Spacing="10"
+                      HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center">
+            <Ellipse Classes="spinner"/>
+            <TextBlock Classes="meta" Text="{loc:Tr missionControl.conptyStarting}"
+                       Foreground="{DynamicResource TextDimBrush}"
+                       VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
+          </StackPanel>
+        </Border>
+      </Panel>
 
     </DockPanel>
   </Border>

tests/ClaudeDo.Ui.Tests/ViewModels/MissionControlViewModelTests.cs

@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ public class MissionControlViewModelTests : IDisposable
     }
 
     [Fact]
-    public async Task OpenConPtySessionAsync_WorkerThrows_RaisesErrorReported_NoPaneAdded()
+    public async Task OpenConPtySessionAsync_WorkerThrows_RaisesErrorReported_PaneShowsFailure()
     {
         var worker = new ThrowingLaunchSpecWorker();
         using var vm = BuildVm(worker);
@@ -307,8 +307,10 @@ public class MissionControlViewModelTests : IDisposable
 
         await vm.OpenConPtySessionAsync("t1");
 
-        Assert.Empty(vm.ConPtySessions);
+        // The tile is shown up-front (spinner) and keeps the failure inline rather than vanishing.
-        Assert.Empty(vm.Panes);
+        var pane = Assert.Single(vm.ConPtySessions);
+        Assert.NotNull(pane.Terminal.StartError);
+        Assert.False(pane.Terminal.IsStarting);
         Assert.NotNull(error);
     }
 
@@ -378,7 +380,7 @@ public class MissionControlViewModelTests : IDisposable
     }
 
     [Fact]
-    public async Task OpenAdHocConPtySessionAsync_WorkerThrows_RaisesErrorReported_NoPaneAdded()
+    public async Task OpenAdHocConPtySessionAsync_WorkerThrows_RaisesErrorReported_PaneShowsFailure()
     {
         var worker = new ThrowingAdHocLaunchSpecWorker();
         using var vm = BuildVm(worker);
@@ -387,8 +389,9 @@ public class MissionControlViewModelTests : IDisposable
 
         await vm.OpenAdHocConPtySessionAsync(Path.Combine("C:", "Some", "Path"));
 
-        Assert.Empty(vm.ConPtySessions);
+        var pane = Assert.Single(vm.ConPtySessions);
-        Assert.Empty(vm.Panes);
+        Assert.NotNull(pane.Terminal.StartError);
+        Assert.False(pane.Terminal.IsStarting);
         Assert.NotNull(error);
     }
 
@@ -451,7 +454,7 @@ public class MissionControlViewModelTests : IDisposable
     }
 
     [Fact]
-    public async Task OpenMergeHelperConPtySessionAsync_WorkerThrows_RaisesErrorReported_NoPaneAdded()
+    public async Task OpenMergeHelperConPtySessionAsync_WorkerThrows_RaisesErrorReported_PaneShowsFailure()
     {
         var worker = new ThrowingMergeHelperLaunchSpecWorker();
         using var vm = BuildVm(worker);
@@ -460,8 +463,9 @@ public class MissionControlViewModelTests : IDisposable
 
         await vm.OpenMergeHelperConPtySessionAsync("L1", new[] { "t1" });
 
-        Assert.Empty(vm.ConPtySessions);
+        var pane = Assert.Single(vm.ConPtySessions);
-        Assert.Empty(vm.Panes);
+        Assert.NotNull(pane.Terminal.StartError);
+        Assert.False(pane.Terminal.IsStarting);
         Assert.NotNull(error);
     }