Record plugin uninstall and keep Alt+A on empty lists

The how-to header advertises Alt+A even when no plugin row is focused.
Disable settings writes share one helper, and path-drop no longer
duplicates between owned and unowned path removes.

Author: TheGreatAxios

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -11,6 +11,15 @@ matching `## [X.Y.Z]` section (plus install instructions). Do not maintain
 parallel copies under `docs/` or `scripts/notes/`. At cut time: rename
 `## [Unreleased]` to `## [X.Y.Z] - YYYY-MM-DD`, then run the release script.
 
+## [Unreleased]
+
+### TUI
+
+- `/plugins` uninstalls user, project, and path-installed plugins with Alt+X.
+  Bundled plugins disable only and stay listed. Claude marketplace plugins
+  disable in settings without deleting `~/.claude`. The screen opens with a
+  how-to header.
+
 ## [0.3.14] - 2026-09-03
 
 ### Changed

src/plugins/loader.test.ts

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { describe, test, expect } from "bun:test";
 import { dedupePluginModules, type PluginModule } from "./loader.js";
 import { isPluginModuleEnabled } from "./register.js";
-import { disableBundledPluginSettings } from "./uninstall.js";
+import { disablePluginSettings } from "./uninstall.js";
 
 function repoDefaultEnabled(id: string): PluginModule {
   return {
@@ -82,12 +82,12 @@ describe("isPluginModuleEnabled with dedupe shadowing", () => {
     expect(isPluginModuleEnabled(survivor!, { scout: { enabled: false } })).toBe(false);
   });
 
-  test("disableBundledPluginSettings then isPluginModuleEnabled is false for shadowedRepoDefaultEnabled", () => {
+  test("disablePluginSettings then isPluginModuleEnabled is false for shadowedRepoDefaultEnabled", () => {
     const repo = repoDefaultEnabled("scout");
     const user = userInstall("scout");
     const [survivor] = dedupePluginModules([repo, user]);
     expect(survivor!.shadowedRepoDefaultEnabled).toBe(true);
-    const plugins = disableBundledPluginSettings({}, "scout");
+    const plugins = disablePluginSettings({}, "scout");
     expect(plugins.scout?.enabled).toBe(false);
     expect(isPluginModuleEnabled(survivor!, plugins)).toBe(false);
   });

src/plugins/uninstall.test.ts

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import type { PluginConfig } from "../config/settings.js";
 import {
   classifyPluginRemove,
   deleteOwnedPluginDir,
-  disableBundledPluginSettings,
+  disablePluginSettings,
   isOwnedDiskInstall,
   nextPluginPathsAfterRemove,
   ownedDiskOriginRoot,
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ describe("plugin remove settings policy", () => {
       exa: { enabled: true, credentials: { apiKey: "k" } },
       other: { enabled: true },
     };
-    const next = disableBundledPluginSettings(plugins, "exa");
+    const next = disablePluginSettings(plugins, "exa");
     expect(next.exa?.enabled).toBe(false);
     expect(next.exa?.credentials).toEqual({ apiKey: "k" });
     expect(next.other).toEqual({ enabled: true });
@@ -206,24 +206,14 @@ describe("plugin remove settings policy", () => {
     const plugins: Record<string, PluginConfig> = {
       "corbits-skills": { enabled: true },
     };
-    expect(disableBundledPluginSettings(plugins, "corbits-skills")).toEqual({
+    expect(disablePluginSettings(plugins, "corbits-skills")).toEqual({
       "corbits-skills": { enabled: false },
     });
-    expect(disableBundledPluginSettings({}, "corbits-skills")).toEqual({
+    expect(disablePluginSettings({}, "corbits-skills")).toEqual({
       "corbits-skills": { enabled: false },
     });
   });
 
-  test("disableBundledPluginSettings keeps plugins[id].enabled === false", () => {
-    const plugins: Record<string, PluginConfig> = {
-      exa: { enabled: true, credentials: { apiKey: "k" } },
-    };
-    const next = disableBundledPluginSettings(plugins, "exa");
-    expect(next.exa?.enabled).toBe(false);
-    expect(next.exa?.credentials).toEqual({ apiKey: "k" });
-    expect("exa" in next).toBe(true);
-  });
-
   test("path drops unique pluginPaths and keeps a shared marketplace root", async () => {
     const unique = await nextPluginPathsAfterRemove({
       pluginPaths: ["/tmp/my-plugin"],

src/plugins/uninstall.ts

@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ export async function deleteOwnedPluginDir(
   return { ok: true };
 }
 
-export function disableBundledPluginSettings(
+export function disablePluginSettings(
   plugins: Record<string, PluginConfig>,
   id: string,
 ): Record<string, PluginConfig> {

src/tui/command-surfaces.test.ts

@@ -684,6 +684,45 @@ describe("plugins surface admin actions", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  test("empty plugin list Alt+A still opens add-path", async () => {
+    await withShell(async (shell) => {
+      const { deps, calls } = pluginActionDeps();
+      const plugins = deps.plugins!;
+      const empty: CommandSurfaceDeps = {
+        ...deps,
+        plugins: { ...plugins, list: () => [] },
+      };
+      openCommandSurface(shell, "plugins", empty);
+      expect(runOverlayAction(shell, altKey("a"))).toBe(true);
+      for (const ch of "/tmp/my-plugin") runOverlayAction(shell, charKey(ch));
+      acceptOverlaySelection(shell);
+      await Promise.resolve();
+      expect(calls.addPath).toEqual(["/tmp/my-plugin"]);
+    });
+  });
+
+  test("Alt+A on warnings/Close still opens add-path", async () => {
+    await withShell(async (shell) => {
+      const { deps, calls } = pluginActionDeps();
+      const plugins = deps.plugins!;
+      const withWarnings: CommandSurfaceDeps = {
+        ...deps,
+        plugins: {
+          ...plugins,
+          loadWarnings: () => [
+            'agent a: skill "style" referenced but not found in skill search path',
+          ],
+        },
+      };
+      openCommandSurface(shell, "plugins", withWarnings);
+      expect(runOverlayAction(shell, altKey("a"))).toBe(true);
+      for (const ch of "/tmp/from-warnings") runOverlayAction(shell, charKey(ch));
+      acceptOverlaySelection(shell);
+      await Promise.resolve();
+      expect(calls.addPath).toEqual(["/tmp/from-warnings"]);
+    });
+  });
+
   test("Alt+X on warnings/Close is a no-op", async () => {
     await withShell(async (shell) => {
       const { deps, calls } = pluginActionDeps();

src/tui/command-surfaces.ts

@@ -946,10 +946,20 @@ export function openPluginsSurface(shell: AppShell, deps: CommandSurfaceDeps): v
       // branch returns before that handler is reached (see shell.ts's
       // top-level onKey), so exactly one of the two can ever fire.
       if (key.ctrl || !(key.meta || key.option)) return false;
+      const name = typeof key.name === "string" ? key.name.toLowerCase() : "";
+      // Surface-level chords — advertised in the how-to even when focus is on
+      // Close, the empty-list row, or load warnings.
+      if (name === "a") {
+        openAddPathPane(shell, deps, plugins);
+        return true;
+      }
+      if (name === "w") {
+        openWebProviderChooser(shell, deps, plugins);
+        return true;
+      }
       if (id === PLUGIN_LOAD_WARNINGS_ID) return false;
       const target = byId.get(id);
       if (target === undefined) return false;
-      const name = typeof key.name === "string" ? key.name.toLowerCase() : "";
       switch (name) {
         case "c":
           if (target.credentials.length === 0) return false;
@@ -976,19 +986,13 @@ export function openPluginsSurface(shell: AppShell, deps: CommandSurfaceDeps): v
             (err: unknown) => deps.notify(`Trust failed: ${errorText(err)}`),
           );
           return true;
-        case "a":
-          openAddPathPane(shell, deps, plugins);
-          return true;
         case "x":
           if (pluginNeedsDiskConfirm(target, plugins)) {
             openRemoveConfirmPane(shell, deps, plugins, target);
           } else {
             applyPluginRemove(shell, deps, plugins, target);
           }
           return true;
-        case "w":
-          openWebProviderChooser(shell, deps, plugins);
-          return true;
         default:
           return false;
       }

src/tui/runner.ts

@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ import {
   claudeHomeRoot,
   classifyPluginRemove,
   deleteOwnedPluginDir,
-  disableBundledPluginSettings,
+  disablePluginSettings,
   isOwnedDiskInstall,
   nextPluginPathsAfterRemove,
   ownedDiskOriginRoot,
@@ -1303,10 +1303,28 @@ export async function runTUI(initialConfig: Config): Promise<number> {
         };
 
         const disableConfig = (): void => {
-          livePluginConfig = disableBundledPluginSettings(livePluginConfig, id);
+          livePluginConfig = disablePluginSettings(livePluginConfig, id);
           if (liveWebOverride === id) liveWebOverride = undefined;
         };
 
+        const dropPathRegistration = async (path: string): Promise<string> => {
+          pathTrust = await revokePathPlugin(path);
+          const planned = await nextPluginPathsAfterRemove({
+            pluginPaths: livePluginPaths,
+            pluginPath: path,
+            cwd: config.cwd,
+            otherLivePluginPaths: livePluginModules.flatMap((m) =>
+              m.manifest?.id !== id && m.pluginPath !== undefined ? [m.pluginPath] : [],
+            ),
+            expandMembers: (abs) => expandPluginPath(abs, { onSkip: () => {} }),
+          });
+          livePluginPaths.length = 0;
+          livePluginPaths.push(...planned.pluginPaths);
+          return planned.keptSharedRoot
+            ? " Other plugins remain at that marketplace path; this one may return untrusted on restart."
+            : "";
+        };
+
         const home = homedir();
         const owned = isOwnedDiskInstall({
           origin,
@@ -1358,21 +1376,7 @@ export async function runTUI(initialConfig: Config): Promise<number> {
           if (!disk.ok) return disk;
           let extra = "";
           if (origin === "path") {
-            pathTrust = await revokePathPlugin(pluginPath);
-            const planned = await nextPluginPathsAfterRemove({
-              pluginPaths: livePluginPaths,
-              pluginPath,
-              cwd: config.cwd,
-              otherLivePluginPaths: livePluginModules.flatMap((m) =>
-                m.manifest?.id !== id && m.pluginPath !== undefined ? [m.pluginPath] : [],
-              ),
-              expandMembers: (abs) => expandPluginPath(abs, { onSkip: () => {} }),
-            });
-            livePluginPaths.length = 0;
-            livePluginPaths.push(...planned.pluginPaths);
-            extra = planned.keptSharedRoot
-              ? " Other plugins remain at that marketplace path; this one may return untrusted on restart."
-              : "";
+            extra = await dropPathRegistration(pluginPath);
           }
           spliceLive();
           disableConfig();
@@ -1381,31 +1385,11 @@ export async function runTUI(initialConfig: Config): Promise<number> {
         }
 
         if (action === "remove-path") {
-          if (pluginPath !== undefined) {
-            pathTrust = await revokePathPlugin(pluginPath);
-            const planned = await nextPluginPathsAfterRemove({
-              pluginPaths: livePluginPaths,
-              pluginPath,
-              cwd: config.cwd,
-              otherLivePluginPaths: livePluginModules.flatMap((m) =>
-                m.manifest?.id !== id && m.pluginPath !== undefined ? [m.pluginPath] : [],
-              ),
-              expandMembers: (abs) => expandPluginPath(abs, { onSkip: () => {} }),
-            });
-            livePluginPaths.length = 0;
-            livePluginPaths.push(...planned.pluginPaths);
-            spliceLive();
-            disableConfig();
-            await persistPluginSettings();
-            const extra = planned.keptSharedRoot
-              ? " Other plugins remain at that marketplace path; this one may return untrusted on restart."
-              : "";
-            return { ok: true, message: withToolsNote(`Removed ${desc.name}.${extra}`) };
-          }
+          const extra = pluginPath !== undefined ? await dropPathRegistration(pluginPath) : "";
           spliceLive();
           disableConfig();
           await persistPluginSettings();
-          return { ok: true, message: withToolsNote(`Removed ${desc.name}.`) };
+          return { ok: true, message: withToolsNote(`Removed ${desc.name}.${extra}`) };
         }
 
         return { ok: false, message: `Cannot remove ${desc.name}` };