Git Worktree Isolation: Boost Terminal Productivity

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Hey guys, let's dive into git worktree management! We're going to explore how to isolate terminal environments using git worktrees, specifically tailored for projects that involve multiple AI agents working in parallel. This is crucial to prevent conflicts and confusion when different agents modify files simultaneously. This whole approach forms the foundation for autonomous multi-agent development. Pretty cool, huh?

The Problem: Shared Workspaces Lead to Chaos

Currently, all terminals share the same main workspace directory. Imagine having multiple AI agents, each tasked with different jobs, all editing the same files at the same time. Yikes! This scenario leads to merge conflicts, overwritten changes, and a general state of chaos. Without proper isolation, parallel agent work becomes impossible, hindering the progress of autonomous multi-agent development.

The Solution: Daemon-Managed Worktrees

We're recommending the Daemon-Managed Worktrees approach. The daemon, our central process manager, will create and manage individual worktrees for each terminal. These worktrees reside in a dedicated directory (.loom/worktrees/<terminal-id>/). When a terminal is created, the daemon will:

  1. Create a worktree directory.
  2. Use the git worktree add command to create the git worktree, linked to the current branch (HEAD).
  3. Set the terminal's working directory to the worktree path.

This approach offers centralized management, ensuring that worktrees persist across frontend restarts. It also provides a clean separation of concerns and makes it easier to add cleanup and recovery logic.

Diving Deeper into Daemon Management

This approach aligns perfectly with the daemon's role as a process and resource manager. By taking control of worktree creation, the daemon ensures that worktrees are properly handled, even if the frontend (the user interface) crashes or restarts. The daemon can also implement robust cleanup and recovery mechanisms, ensuring that orphaned worktrees are removed and that the system remains in a consistent state. Furthermore, it allows for better health monitoring and management of these worktrees.

The Implementation Plan: Breaking it Down

Let's break down the implementation into phases:

Phase 1: Worktree Creation

We'll start by adding a create_terminal_with_worktree() method to the backend code (loom-daemon/src/terminal.rs). This method will handle the following steps:

  • Create the worktree directory.
  • Execute the git worktree add command.
  • Store the worktree path in the terminal's metadata.
  • Implement robust error handling for potential git failures.

We will also modify the IPC (Inter-Process Communication) to pass the workspace path from the frontend (Tauri) to the daemon. This is essential for the daemon to know where to create the worktrees.

Phase 2: Worktree Cleanup

Next, we'll modify the destroy_terminal() function to remove the worktree when a terminal is destroyed. Before removing the worktree, we'll use the git worktree remove command. Safety considerations will be paramount here, with checks for uncommitted changes and a --force flag for emergency cleanup.

Phase 3: Worktree Recovery

Finally, we'll add a restore_from_worktrees() method to handle orphaned worktrees that might exist due to crashes or other issues. This method will scan the .loom/worktrees/ directory on daemon startup, match worktrees to existing terminal sessions, and clean up any orphaned worktrees.

Technical Deep Dive: Git Commands and Structures

Git Worktree Structure

loom/
├── .git/
├── .loom/
│   ├── config.json
│   ├── worktrees/
│   │   ├── a1b2c3d4/          # Worktree for terminal a1b2c3d4
│   │   │   ├── .git           # Git metadata (pointer)
│   │   │   └── [workspace files]
│   │   ├── e5f6g7h8/          # Worktree for terminal e5f6g7h8
│   │   └── ...
│   └── roles/
└── [main worktree files]

This structure illustrates how the main .git directory holds the core git data, while the .loom/worktrees/ directory contains the individual worktrees. Each worktree has its own .git directory, which points back to the main repository. The files in each worktree are isolated, allowing for independent modifications.

Key Git Commands

  • git worktree add <path> HEAD: Creates a new worktree at the current commit.
  • git worktree add -b <branch_name> <path>: Creates a new worktree on a new branch.
  • git worktree remove <path>: Removes a worktree.
  • git worktree remove --force <path>: Forces the removal of a worktree, even if there are uncommitted changes.
  • git worktree list: Lists all worktrees and their status.
  • git worktree prune: Removes references to deleted worktrees.

Error Handling and Performance

Handling Common Errors

We'll need to handle various error scenarios, such as:

  • The workspace not being a git repository.
  • Insufficient disk space.
  • Worktree already existing.
  • Git worktree limits being exceeded.
  • Permission issues.

We'll implement robust logging and recovery strategies to address these issues, ensuring that the system remains reliable.

Performance Considerations

  • Worktree creation time: Expect around 100-500ms per worktree, depending on repository size.
  • Disk space: Each worktree shares git objects, leading to minimal overhead (around 1-5MB per worktree).
  • Memory: The memory impact is insignificant.
  • Cleanup time: Expect approximately 50-200ms per worktree for cleanup.

Impact and Testing: Ensuring Everything Works

Impact Analysis

This change primarily affects these files:

  • loom-daemon/src/terminal.rs (major changes).
  • loom-daemon/src/types.rs (new fields).
  • src-tauri/src/main.rs (passing the workspace path).
  • src/main.ts (passing workspace path to create_terminal).

It's a non-breaking change and will improve the experience for users.

Thorough Testing is Key

We'll implement a comprehensive testing plan, including:

  • Unit tests: Testing worktree creation, removal, recovery, and error handling.
  • Manual testing: Creating, verifying, and destroying terminals with and without uncommitted changes. We'll restart the daemon to check for orphaned worktrees. We'll also perform a factory reset to ensure everything is correctly initialized.
  • Integration testing: Testing with large repositories, numerous simultaneous worktrees, and disk space handling.

Conclusion: The Path to Seamless Terminal Isolation

Implementing git worktree management is a critical step towards enabling parallel AI agent development. By isolating terminal environments, we eliminate conflicts and provide a robust foundation for future development. This work will improve the productivity and stability of our projects. Thanks for staying tuned!