From ae49b2137658464241dcac88ef35d06b0f77f142 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Dax Raad <d@ironbay.co>
Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2026 11:27:24 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] fix(core): save external permissions at project root

---
 packages/core/src/location-mutation.ts |  9 ++++++-
 packages/core/src/project.ts           | 11 +++++++++
 packages/core/test/tool-write.test.ts  | 34 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 3 files changed, 53 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/packages/core/src/location-mutation.ts b/packages/core/src/location-mutation.ts
index c832477fbfb..37e7c85b6f6 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/location-mutation.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/location-mutation.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import path from "path"
 import { Context, Effect, Layer, Schema } from "effect"
 import { FSUtil } from "./fs-util"
 import { Location } from "./location"
+import { Project } from "./project"
+import { AbsolutePath } from "./schema"
 
 export const Kind = Schema.Literals(["file", "directory"])
 export type Kind = typeof Kind.Type
@@ -143,7 +145,12 @@ export const layer = Layer.effect(
               action: "external_directory",
               directory: externalDirectory,
               resource: externalResource,
-              save: externalResource,
+              save: slash(
+                path.join(
+                  (yield* Project.root(fs, AbsolutePath.make(externalDirectory))) ?? externalDirectory,
+                  "*",
+                ),
+              ),
             }
           : undefined,
       } satisfies Target
diff --git a/packages/core/src/project.ts b/packages/core/src/project.ts
index 0ed2efa8668..f0705a9d36f 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/project.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/project.ts
@@ -40,6 +40,17 @@ export interface Resolved {
   readonly vcs?: Vcs
 }
 
+// Keep this filesystem-only; permission checks use it and should not execute VCS commands.
+export const root = Effect.fn("Project.root")(function* (
+  fs: FSUtil.Interface,
+  input: AbsolutePath,
+) {
+  return yield* fs.up({ targets: [".git"], start: input }).pipe(
+    Effect.map((matches) => matches[0] ? AbsolutePath.make(path.dirname(matches[0])) : undefined),
+    Effect.catch(() => Effect.succeed(undefined)),
+  )
+})
+
 export interface Interface {
   readonly directories: (input: DirectoriesInput) => Effect.Effect<Directories>
   readonly resolve: (input: AbsolutePath) => Effect.Effect<Resolved>
diff --git a/packages/core/test/tool-write.test.ts b/packages/core/test/tool-write.test.ts
index a81b32d37d3..6a2b9d3f0f9 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/tool-write.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/tool-write.test.ts
@@ -230,6 +230,40 @@ describe("WriteTool", () => {
     ),
   )
 
+  it.live("saves external directory approval at the nearest project directory", () =>
+    Effect.acquireUseRelease(
+      Effect.promise(() => Promise.all([tmpdir(), tmpdir()])),
+      ([active, outside]) => {
+        reset()
+        const repo = path.join(outside.path, "repo")
+        const nested = path.join(repo, "packages", "app")
+        const target = path.join(nested, "external.txt")
+        return Effect.promise(() =>
+          Promise.all([fs.mkdir(path.join(repo, ".git"), { recursive: true }), fs.mkdir(nested, { recursive: true })]),
+        ).pipe(
+          Effect.andThen(
+            withTool(active.path, (registry) => executeTool(registry, call({ path: target, content: "external" }))),
+          ),
+          Effect.andThen(
+            Effect.gen(function* () {
+              const canonicalRepo = yield* Effect.promise(() => fs.realpath(repo))
+              const canonicalNested = yield* Effect.promise(() => fs.realpath(nested))
+              expect(assertions[0]).toMatchObject({
+                action: "external_directory",
+                resources: [path.join(canonicalNested, "*").replaceAll("\\", "/")],
+                save: [path.join(canonicalRepo, "*").replaceAll("\\", "/")],
+              })
+            }),
+          ),
+        )
+      },
+      ([active, outside]) =>
+        Effect.promise(() =>
+          Promise.all([active[Symbol.asyncDispose](), outside[Symbol.asyncDispose]()]).then(() => undefined),
+        ),
+    ),
+  )
+
   it.live("does not write when external_directory or edit approval is denied", () =>
     Effect.acquireUseRelease(
       Effect.promise(() => Promise.all([tmpdir(), tmpdir()])),