Refactor test temporary directory management

- Introduced a new utility module `test_temp.ts` to handle temporary directory creation and cleanup for tests.
- Replaced direct calls to `Deno.makeTempDir` and `Deno.remove` with utility functions `makeTestTempDir`, `removePathIfPresent`, and `withTestTempDir` across multiple test files.
- Ensured that temporary directories are created under a shared `.test-tmp` directory to avoid cluttering the project root.
- Improved cleanup logic to remove the test temp root if it becomes empty after test execution.

Author: djradon

.gitignore

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # Deno cache and coverage artifacts
 .deno/
 coverage/
+.test-tmp/
 
 # Editor and OS artifacts
 .DS_Store

.kato/test-tmp/in-chat-record-commands/new.md

@@ -1370,9 +1370,10 @@ async function applyControlCommandsForEvent(
         );
         const activeOnResolvedDestination = active &&
           active.outputPath === resolvedDestination;
-        const existingRecordingId = sessionEventState.destinationRecordingIds.get(
-          resolvedDestination,
-        );
+        const existingRecordingId = sessionEventState.destinationRecordingIds
+          .get(
+            resolvedDestination,
+          );
         const recordingIdToUse = existingRecordingId ??
           (activeOnResolvedDestination ? active.recordingId : undefined) ??
           crypto.randomUUID();

apps/daemon/src/orchestrator/daemon_runtime.ts

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
     "fmt:check": "deno fmt --check deno.json main.ts main_test.ts apps shared tests",
     "lint": "deno lint main.ts main_test.ts apps shared tests",
     "check": "deno check main.ts main_test.ts apps/**/*.ts shared/**/*.ts tests/**/*.ts",
-    "test": "deno test --allow-read --allow-write=.kato --allow-env=KATO_LOGGING_OPERATIONAL_LEVEL,KATO_LOGGING_AUDIT_LEVEL,HOME,USERPROFILE main_test.ts tests/**/*.ts",
+    "test": "deno test --allow-read --allow-write=.test-tmp --allow-env=KATO_LOGGING_OPERATIONAL_LEVEL,KATO_LOGGING_AUDIT_LEVEL,HOME,USERPROFILE main_test.ts tests/**/*.ts",
     "ci": "deno task fmt:check && deno task lint && deno task check --frozen && deno task test --frozen"
   },
   "imports": {

deno.json

@@ -62,4 +62,41 @@ I also removed the now-obsolete open question about CLI export directory behavio
 No tests were run since this was a doc-only edit.
 
 1. If you want, I can make one more pass on the note to lock the non-existent-directory rule (for example: existing dir only vs trailing slash also counts as dir).
-2. If you want to start implementation, the next sensible step is updating the config contract and runtime config loader.
+2. If you want to start implementation, the next sensible step is updating the config contract and runtime config loader.
+
+# User_2026-02-27_2203_46
+
+#1 yes.
+
+I will start a new conversation for implementation.
+
+**Locking directory-path rule in docs**
+
+# gpt-5.3-codex_2026-02-27_2203_57
+
+I’m locking the directory-path rule in the task note so implementation has a deterministic contract: existing directory always counts, and a non-existent path counts as a directory only when the user explicitly signals it with a trailing separator.
+
+# gpt-5.3-codex_2026-02-27_2203_59
+
+I’m patching the note now in the path rules, tests, and risk section so the implementation conversation can treat that behavior as settled.
+
+**Verifying nested bullet formatting**
+
+# gpt-5.3-codex_2026-02-27_2204_14
+
+I’m checking the edited section once so the rule reads cleanly and doesn’t conflict with the rest of the task note.
+
+**Summarizing update readiness**
+
+# gpt-5.3-codex_2026-02-27_2204_19
+
+I updated [task.2026.2026-02-27-per-workspace-daemons.md](/home/djradon/hub/spectacular-voyage/kato/dev-docs/notes/task.2026.2026-02-27-per-workspace-daemons.md) to lock the directory-detection rule.
+
+The note now treats directory arguments as:
+- existing directory: always a directory
+- non-existent path ending with a path separator: directory
+- otherwise: file path
+
+I also reflected that in the tests, acceptance criteria, and risk/mitigation text so the implementation thread can treat it as settled.
+
+No tests were run since this was a doc-only edit.

dev-docs/notes/conv.2026.2026-02-27-per-workspace-daemons

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 id: 3hcvyoruw53sn36me1xjvfz
 title: 2026 02 27 per Workspace Daemons
 desc: ''
-updated: 1772257805807
+updated: 1772259284723
 created: 1772252011318
 ---
 
@@ -50,21 +50,21 @@ Add the minimum config surface needed to make workspace-local setups practical:
 
 Add two optional runtime-config fields:
 
-- `defaultOutputPath?: string`
+- `defaultOutputDir?: string`
 - `filenameTemplate?: string`
 
 Recommended semantics:
 
-- `defaultOutputPath` is the base directory used when Kato needs to generate a
+- `defaultOutputDir` is the base directory used when Kato needs to generate a
   destination for a pathless command.
 - `filenameTemplate` is the filename pattern used under that directory.
 - If either field is omitted, Kato falls back to the current behavior so older
   configs remain valid.
 
-Recommended default values (to preserve current behavior):
+Recommended default values:
 
-- `defaultOutputPath: ~/.kato/recordings`
-- `filenameTemplate: "{provider}-{shortSessionId}-{YYYY}{MM}{DD}-{HH}{mm}{ss}.md"`
+- `defaultOutputDir: .kato/recordings`
+- `filenameTemplate: "conv.{YYYY}-{MM}-{DD}_{HH}{mm}-{snippetSlug}-{provider}.md"`
 
 ## Config Template For New Workspaces
 
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ Important path rule:
 
 - Relative paths in the template should be copied into the new workspace config
   as relative values, not resolved against `~/.kato/` at scaffold time.
-- That way a template value like `defaultOutputPath: dev-docs/notes` remains
+- That way a template value like `defaultOutputDir: dev-docs/notes` remains
   portable and resolves relative to each workspace config after initialization.
 
 ## Filename Template Contract
@@ -128,8 +128,8 @@ Rules:
 
 - Generated paths should resolve as:
   `join(resolvedDefaultOutputDir, renderedFilename)`.
-- If `defaultOutputPath` is absolute, use it directly.
-- If `defaultOutputPath` is relative, resolve it against the config root
+- If `defaultOutputDir` is absolute, use it directly.
+- If `defaultOutputDir` is relative, resolve it against the config root
   (`katoDir` / the directory containing the runtime config), not against the
   daemon process cwd.
 - Explicit relative command arguments should also resolve against that same
@@ -141,13 +141,18 @@ Rules:
   `::export` when a path argument is present but names a directory.
 - The same directory-argument behavior should apply to CLI
   `kato export <session> --output <dir>`.
+- Directory detection rule:
+  - [ ] an existing directory always counts as a directory
+  - [ ] a non-existent path counts as a directory only if the raw argument ends
+    with a path separator
+  - [ ] otherwise, treat it as a file path
 - The final generated path still goes through the existing write-path policy
   gate.
 - `allowedWriteRoots` remains the hard security boundary.
 
 ## Scope
 
-- [ ] Add `defaultOutputPath` and `filenameTemplate` to the runtime config
+- [ ] Add `defaultOutputDir` and `filenameTemplate` to the runtime config
   contract.
 - [ ] Add a global config-template file that `kato init` can use to seed new
   workspace configs.
@@ -171,7 +176,7 @@ Rules:
 - [ ] Update
   [/home/djradon/hub/spectacular-voyage/kato/shared/src/contracts/config.ts](/home/djradon/hub/spectacular-voyage/kato/shared/src/contracts/config.ts)
   to add:
-  - [ ] `defaultOutputPath?: string`
+  - [ ] `defaultOutputDir?: string`
   - [ ] `filenameTemplate?: string`
 
 ### 2. Extend runtime config parsing/defaults
@@ -180,8 +185,8 @@ Rules:
   [/home/djradon/hub/spectacular-voyage/kato/apps/daemon/src/config/runtime_config.ts](/home/djradon/hub/spectacular-voyage/kato/apps/daemon/src/config/runtime_config.ts)
   to:
   - [ ] validate both fields as strings when present
-  - [ ] expand `~` for `defaultOutputPath` during load
-  - [ ] resolve/normalize relative `defaultOutputPath` against `katoDir`
+  - [ ] expand `~` for `defaultOutputDir` during load
+  - [ ] resolve/normalize relative `defaultOutputDir` against `katoDir`
   - [ ] preserve home shorthand when generating default config (same style as
     existing path fields)
   - [ ] clone both fields correctly
@@ -208,7 +213,7 @@ Rules:
   - [ ] replace `resolveDefaultRecordingRootDir()`
   - [ ] replace `makeDefaultRecordingDestinationPath(...)`
   - [ ] introduce a config-aware helper that builds the generated destination
-    from `defaultOutputPath` + `filenameTemplate`
+    from `defaultOutputDir` + `filenameTemplate`
   - [ ] use that helper anywhere pathless `::init`, `::record`, `::capture`,
     or `::export` currently falls back to a generated path
   - [ ] generate timestamp pieces from local time, not `toISOString()`
@@ -231,7 +236,7 @@ Rules:
 ### 6. Surface new defaults in `kato init`
 
 - [ ] Ensure the generated config written by `kato init` includes
-  `defaultOutputPath` and `filenameTemplate`.
+  `defaultOutputDir` and `filenameTemplate`.
 - [ ] If the global config template exists, use it to seed the new workspace
   config before writing the file.
 
@@ -242,7 +247,7 @@ Rules:
   - [ ] accept valid values
   - [ ] reject invalid types
   - [ ] preserve backward compatibility when fields are missing
-  - [ ] verify relative `defaultOutputPath` resolves against config location
+  - [ ] verify relative `defaultOutputDir` resolves against config location
   - [ ] verify `filenameTemplate` loads and clones correctly
 - [ ] Update
   [/home/djradon/hub/spectacular-voyage/kato/tests/daemon-cli_test.ts](/home/djradon/hub/spectacular-voyage/kato/tests/daemon-cli_test.ts)
@@ -267,6 +272,8 @@ Rules:
     filename
   - [ ] explicit directory-path `::export` uses that directory plus generated
     filename
+  - [ ] non-existent path with trailing separator is treated as a directory
+  - [ ] non-existent path without trailing separator is treated as a file path
   - [ ] filename template rendering uses expected tokens, including
     `snippetSlug`
   - [ ] local-time date-part tokens render correctly
@@ -283,18 +290,21 @@ Rules:
 
 ## Acceptance Criteria
 
-- [ ] A runtime config can define `defaultOutputPath` and
+- [ ] A runtime config can define `defaultOutputDir` and
   `filenameTemplate`.
 - [ ] Pathless `::init`, `::record`, and `::capture` use those defaults instead
   of the current hard-coded `~/.kato/recordings/...` path.
-- [ ] Pathless `::export` uses the same generator and `defaultOutputPath`.
+- [ ] Pathless `::export` uses the same generator and `defaultOutputDir`.
 - [ ] Explicit relative command paths are accepted and resolve against the
   workspace config root.
 - [ ] If an explicit output argument resolves to a directory, that directory is
   used as the output root and the filename is still generated.
 - [ ] CLI `kato export <id> --output <dir>` uses that directory as the output
   root and still generates the filename.
-- [ ] Relative `defaultOutputPath` is resolved against config location, not
+- [ ] Existing directories are treated as directory arguments, and non-existent
+  paths are treated as directory arguments only when the raw input ends with a
+  path separator.
+- [ ] Relative `defaultOutputDir` is resolved against config location, not
   daemon cwd.
 - [ ] `kato init` can seed a new workspace config from a reusable template in
   `~/.kato/kato-config.template.yaml`, when present.
@@ -306,7 +316,7 @@ Rules:
 
 ## Risks and Mitigations
 
-- Risk: `defaultOutputPath` is ambiguous (file path vs directory path).
+- Risk: `defaultOutputDir` is ambiguous (file path vs directory path).
   Mitigation: define it explicitly as a base directory for generated
   destinations.
 - Risk: template surface grows into a mini DSL.
@@ -318,8 +328,8 @@ Rules:
   write-path policy gate on the final path.
 - Risk: directory-path detection may be ambiguous for non-existent targets.
   Mitigation: define the contract explicitly (existing directory always counts
-  as directory; trailing-separator handling may also opt into directory mode if
-  desired).
+  as directory; non-existent path requires a trailing separator to opt into
+  directory mode).
 - Risk: a broken global config template could silently create bad workspace
   configs.
   Mitigation: validate the template before use and fail init clearly on errors.

dev-docs/notes/task.2026.2026-02-27-per-workspace-daemons.md

@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import {
   type RuntimeConfigStoreLike,
   type WritePathPolicyGateLike,
 } from "../apps/daemon/src/mod.ts";
+import { makeTestTempDir, removePathIfPresent } from "./test_temp.ts";
 
 function makeRuntimeHarness(runtimeDir: string) {
   const stdout: string[] = [];
@@ -681,11 +682,7 @@ Deno.test("runDaemonCli uses control queue and status snapshot stores", async ()
 });
 
 Deno.test("runDaemonCli queues export and handles clean in CLI", async () => {
-  await Deno.mkdir(".kato/test-tmp", { recursive: true });
-  const rootDir = await Deno.makeTempDir({
-    dir: ".kato/test-tmp",
-    prefix: "daemon-cli-clean-",
-  });
+  const rootDir = await makeTestTempDir("daemon-cli-clean-");
   const runtimeDir = `${rootDir}/runtime`;
 
   try {
@@ -755,16 +752,12 @@ Deno.test("runDaemonCli queues export and handles clean in CLI", async () => {
     assertEquals(await Deno.readTextFile(auditLogPath), "");
     assertEquals(await Deno.readTextFile(exportsLogPath), "");
   } finally {
-    await Deno.remove(rootDir, { recursive: true });
+    await removePathIfPresent(rootDir);
   }
 });
 
 Deno.test("runDaemonCli clean --sessions removes old persisted session artifacts", async () => {
-  await Deno.mkdir(".kato/test-tmp", { recursive: true });
-  const rootDir = await Deno.makeTempDir({
-    dir: ".kato/test-tmp",
-    prefix: "daemon-cli-clean-sessions-",
-  });
+  const rootDir = await makeTestTempDir("daemon-cli-clean-sessions-");
   const runtimeDir = `${rootDir}/runtime`;
 
   try {
@@ -821,16 +814,12 @@ Deno.test("runDaemonCli clean --sessions removes old persisted session artifacts
     await Deno.stat(recentMetaPath);
     await Deno.stat(recentTwinPath);
   } finally {
-    await Deno.remove(rootDir, { recursive: true });
+    await removePathIfPresent(rootDir);
   }
 });
 
 Deno.test("runDaemonCli clean --sessions dry-run reports candidate counts", async () => {
-  await Deno.mkdir(".kato/test-tmp", { recursive: true });
-  const rootDir = await Deno.makeTempDir({
-    dir: ".kato/test-tmp",
-    prefix: "daemon-cli-clean-sessions-dry-",
-  });
+  const rootDir = await makeTestTempDir("daemon-cli-clean-sessions-dry-");
   const runtimeDir = `${rootDir}/runtime`;
 
   try {
@@ -870,7 +859,7 @@ Deno.test("runDaemonCli clean --sessions dry-run reports candidate counts", asyn
     await Deno.stat(oldMetaPath);
     await Deno.stat(oldTwinPath);
   } finally {
-    await Deno.remove(rootDir, { recursive: true });
+    await removePathIfPresent(rootDir);
   }
 });
 

tests/daemon-cli_test.ts

@@ -4,21 +4,12 @@ import {
   DaemonControlRequestFileStore,
   DaemonStatusSnapshotFileStore,
 } from "../apps/daemon/src/mod.ts";
+import { withTestTempDir } from "./test_temp.ts";
 
 async function withTempRuntimeDir(
   run: (runtimeDir: string) => Promise<void>,
 ): Promise<void> {
-  await Deno.mkdir(".kato/test-tmp", { recursive: true });
-  const runtimeDir = await Deno.makeTempDir({
-    dir: ".kato/test-tmp",
-    prefix: "daemon-control-plane-",
-  });
-
-  try {
-    await run(runtimeDir);
-  } finally {
-    await Deno.remove(runtimeDir, { recursive: true });
-  }
+  await withTestTempDir("daemon-control-plane-", run);
 }
 
 Deno.test("DaemonStatusSnapshotFileStore persists and loads snapshots", async () => {