feat(tui): default unread on, gate via session.unread_indicator setting

Switch the unread feature from the `AOE_UNREAD` env testing-gate to a real
config toggle, on by default:

- Add `session.unread_indicator: bool` (default true) via the single-source
  settings schema, so it surfaces in the TUI and web settings automatically.
- Replace the env-var `unread_enabled()` OnceLock with a config-backed
  AtomicBool (default true) refreshed by the TUI on startup and whenever
  config is re-applied, so a settings change takes effect without a restart.
  Keeps the cheap accessor the hot Attention-sort path relies on.
- Update doc comments and context-menu tests for the now-default-on feature.

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

Author: Eric162

src/session/config.rs

@@ -1018,6 +1018,20 @@ pub struct SessionConfig {
     #[setting(label = "Confirm Before Quit", widget = "toggle", global_only)]
     pub confirm_before_quit: bool,
 
+    /// Show an unread indicator on sessions. When on (default), a session
+    /// whose turn just finished is painted in the theme's unread color until
+    /// you view it (Tab into live-send or Enter to attach), and you can flag
+    /// a session unread for later with `v`; unread rows also sort just below
+    /// Waiting in the Attention sort. Turn this off to disable the indicator,
+    /// the auto-marking, and the `v` toggle entirely.
+    #[serde(default = "default_true")]
+    #[setting(
+        label = "Unread Session Indicator",
+        widget = "toggle",
+        category = "Interaction"
+    )]
+    pub unread_indicator: bool,
+
     /// Keep an aoe-managed worktree session's directory leaf in sync with its
     /// title. When enabled (default), renaming the session also moves its
     /// worktree directory, and new sessions derive the directory leaf from the
@@ -1141,6 +1155,7 @@ impl Default for SessionConfig {
             default_attach_mode: NewSessionAttachMode::default(),
             click_action: ClickAction::default(),
             confirm_before_quit: true,
+            unread_indicator: true,
             tie_workdir_to_name: true,
         }
     }

src/session/instance.rs

@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ pub enum Status {
 /// - `Manual`: a deliberate "flag for later." Cleared ONLY by the manual
 ///   toggle; it survives Tab/Enter.
 ///
-/// Gated behind `crate::session::unread_enabled()` (env `AOE_UNREAD`) at every
-/// surface for the testing phase.
+/// Gated behind `crate::session::unread_enabled()` (the `session.unread_indicator`
+/// config toggle, on by default) at every surface.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "lowercase")]
 pub enum UnreadKind {
@@ -440,9 +440,9 @@ pub struct Instance {
     /// `Manual` is a deliberate flag cleared only by the manual toggle (it
     /// survives Tab/Enter). Surfaced as a non-intrusive `theme.unread` row
     /// color and an Attention-sort promoter ranked just below Waiting. The
-    /// whole feature is gated behind `unread_enabled()` (env `AOE_UNREAD`);
-    /// when off, the field is never written and changes nothing. See
-    /// [`UnreadKind`].
+    /// whole feature is gated behind `unread_enabled()` (the
+    /// `session.unread_indicator` config toggle, on by default); when off, the
+    /// field is never written and changes nothing. See [`UnreadKind`].
     #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     pub unread: Option<UnreadKind>,
 

src/session/mod.rs

@@ -52,20 +52,26 @@ pub use instance::{
     TMUX_SESSION_GONE_ERROR,
 };
 
-/// Whether the unread-session feature is enabled. Gated behind the
-/// `AOE_UNREAD` env var for the testing phase (truthy `1` / `on` / `true`),
-/// read once at startup. When off, every unread code path is a no-op and
-/// behavior is identical to before the feature landed.
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
+
+/// Process-wide cache of the `session.unread_indicator` toggle (default on).
+/// The TUI refreshes it via [`set_unread_enabled`] on startup and whenever
+/// config is re-applied, so a runtime settings change takes effect without a
+/// restart. Defaults to `true` so the feature is on out of the box before the
+/// first config apply. Read on the hot Attention-sort path, hence a plain
+/// atomic load rather than threading the flag through every sort helper.
+static UNREAD_ENABLED: AtomicBool = AtomicBool::new(true);
+
+/// Whether the unread-session indicator feature is enabled.
 pub fn unread_enabled() -> bool {
-    use std::sync::OnceLock;
-    static ON: OnceLock<bool> = OnceLock::new();
-    *ON.get_or_init(|| {
-        matches!(
-            std::env::var("AOE_UNREAD").as_deref(),
-            Ok("1") | Ok("on") | Ok("true")
-        )
-    })
+    UNREAD_ENABLED.load(Ordering::Relaxed)
 }
+
+/// Update the cached unread-indicator flag from resolved config.
+pub fn set_unread_enabled(on: bool) {
+    UNREAD_ENABLED.store(on, Ordering::Relaxed);
+}
+
 pub use profile_config::{
     load_profile_config, merge_configs, resolve_config, resolve_config_or_warn,
     save_profile_config, validate_check_interval, validate_env_format, validate_memory_limit,

src/tui/home/bindings.rs

@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ pub enum ActionId {
     ToggleFavorite,
     ToggleSnooze,
     /// Toggle the selected session's unread marker (read -> manual-unread;
-    /// unread -> read). Gated behind the `AOE_UNREAD` feature flag; a no-op
-    /// when disabled.
+    /// unread -> read). Gated behind the `session.unread_indicator` config
+    /// toggle (on by default); a no-op when disabled.
     ToggleUnread,
     ToggleContainer,
     TogglePreviewInfo,

src/tui/home/mod.rs

@@ -1233,6 +1233,7 @@ impl HomeView {
         let confirm_before_quit = resolved.session.confirm_before_quit;
         let idle_decay_window =
             crate::tui::styles::idle_decay_window(resolved.theme.idle_decay_minutes);
+        crate::session::set_unread_enabled(resolved.session.unread_indicator);
         let user_config = load_config().ok().flatten();
         let sort_order = user_config
             .as_ref()
@@ -5453,6 +5454,7 @@ impl HomeView {
         self.profile_default_attach_mode = config.session.default_attach_mode;
         self.idle_decay_window =
             crate::tui::styles::idle_decay_window(config.theme.idle_decay_minutes);
+        crate::session::set_unread_enabled(config.session.unread_indicator);
         self.tool_configs = config.tools;
         self.tool_hotkey_cache = input::build_tool_hotkey_cache(&self.tool_configs);
         let hotkey_warnings = input::validate_tool_hotkeys(&self.tool_configs);

src/tui/home/tests.rs

@@ -11603,15 +11603,17 @@ mod right_click_context_menu {
     fn down_then_enter_in_menu_opens_delete_dialog() {
         let mut env = create_test_env_with_sessions(2);
         setup_inner(&mut env);
-        // Attention sort surfaces the full session menu (New Session / Rename /
-        // Archive / Snooze / Delete), so Delete is four Downs away.
+        // Attention sort surfaces the full session menu (New Session / Rename
+        // / Archive / Snooze / Mark unread / Delete), so Delete is five Downs
+        // away. (Unread defaults on, so the "Mark unread" row is present.)
         env.view.sort_order = SortOrder::Attention;
         env.view.flat_items = env.view.build_flat_items();
         env.view.handle_right_click(5, 1);
         env.view.handle_key(key(KeyCode::Down), None);
         env.view.handle_key(key(KeyCode::Down), None);
         env.view.handle_key(key(KeyCode::Down), None);
         env.view.handle_key(key(KeyCode::Down), None);
+        env.view.handle_key(key(KeyCode::Down), None);
         env.view.handle_key(key(KeyCode::Enter), None);
         assert!(env.view.context_menu.is_none());
         assert!(
@@ -11691,9 +11693,13 @@ mod right_click_context_menu {
             .iter()
             .map(|(_, l)| *l)
             .collect();
-        // Default sort here is Newest, where Snooze is gated out, so the
-        // archived-row menu is just New Session / Rename / Unarchive / Delete.
-        assert_eq!(labels, vec!["New Session", "Rename", "Unarchive", "Delete"]);
+        // Default sort here is Newest, where Snooze is gated out. The unread
+        // toggle is always-on (any sort) and defaults on, so the archived-row
+        // menu is New Session / Rename / Unarchive / Mark unread / Delete.
+        assert_eq!(
+            labels,
+            vec!["New Session", "Rename", "Unarchive", "Mark unread", "Delete"]
+        );
 
         env.view.handle_key(key(KeyCode::Down), None); // New Session -> Rename
         env.view.handle_key(key(KeyCode::Down), None); // Rename -> Unarchive

src/tui/styles/themes.rs

@@ -90,8 +90,8 @@ pub struct Theme {
     /// user hasn't viewed, or a manual "flag for later"). Applied to resting
     /// rows (Idle/Unknown) in place of the decaying idle color so unread work
     /// stands out without being as loud as Waiting/Error. Gated behind the
-    /// `AOE_UNREAD` feature flag. Defaults to the theme's accent if a custom
-    /// TOML omits it.
+    /// `session.unread_indicator` config toggle (on by default). Defaults to
+    /// the theme's accent if a custom TOML omits it.
     #[serde(with = "hex_color")]
     pub unread: Color,
     #[serde(with = "hex_color")]