Improve node alias auto-detection during hub installation

- Match local machine against hub's hosts list by username or hostname before prompting
- Preserve existing hub entry details while marking the node as 'local'
- Add PATH export to shell aliases for consistent tool availability

Author: thehighnotes

docs/hub/getting-started.md

@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ The node wizard will:
 1. Ask for the hub's IP address and username
 2. Establish SSH connectivity (generate keys, `ssh-copy-id`)
 3. Sync `config.json` and `projects.json` from the hub
-4. Create SSH stub scripts that forward hub commands to the hub machine
+4. Auto-detect this machine from the hub's hosts list (matches by username, then hostname) — only prompts for alias/name if no match is found
+5. Create SSH stub scripts that forward hub commands to the hub machine
 
 **Usage:**
 

tools/hub/install.py

@@ -295,6 +295,7 @@ def setup_shell_aliases():
 
     aliases = f"""
 {marker}
+export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
 alias repo='~/git'
 alias hub='~/hub'
 alias status='~/hub --status'
@@ -661,11 +662,9 @@ def setup_node():
         if not ask_yn("Continue without hub connection?", default=False):
             sys.exit(1)
 
-    # Step 3: Fetch config from hub
+    # Step 3: Fetch config from hub and identify this node
     print()
     print_step(3, total_steps, "Sync from hub")
-    local_key = ask("This node's alias", hostname)
-    local_name = ask("Display name", hostname.capitalize())
 
     hub_config = None
     hub_projects = None
@@ -699,12 +698,44 @@ def setup_node():
         print_warn("Could not fetch hub config — using defaults")
         hub_config = {}
 
-    # Build node config
+    # Try to auto-detect this node from the hub's hosts list
     hosts = hub_config.get('hosts', {})
-    hosts[local_key] = {
-        'name': local_name, 'ip': '127.0.0.1',
-        'user': user, 'roles': ['local'],
-    }
+    local_key = None
+    local_name = None
+
+    if hosts:
+        # Skip the hub's own local_host entry — we're looking for *this* machine
+        hub_local = hub_config.get('hub', {}).get('local_host', '')
+        candidates = {k: v for k, v in hosts.items() if k != hub_local}
+
+        # Match by username first (most reliable), then hostname
+        for key, info in candidates.items():
+            if info.get('user') == user:
+                local_key = key
+                local_name = info.get('name', key)
+                break
+        if not local_key:
+            for key, info in candidates.items():
+                if key == hostname or info.get('name', '').lower() == hostname.lower():
+                    local_key = key
+                    local_name = info.get('name', key)
+                    break
+
+    if local_key:
+        print_ok(f"Matched hub host: {local_key} — {local_name} ({hosts[local_key].get('ip', '?')}, {user})")
+        # Preserve the hub's entry but mark as local
+        hub_entry = hosts[local_key]
+        hub_entry['roles'] = list(set(hub_entry.get('roles', [])) | {'local'})
+        hub_entry['ip'] = '127.0.0.1'
+        hub_entry['user'] = user
+    else:
+        print_warn("Could not auto-detect this machine in hub's hosts")
+        local_key = ask("This node's alias", hostname)
+        local_name = ask("Display name", hostname.capitalize())
+        hosts[local_key] = {
+            'name': local_name, 'ip': '127.0.0.1',
+            'user': user, 'roles': ['local'],
+        }
 
     config = {
         'hub': {