agentHost: drive tool execution from the session input queue

src/vs/platform/agentHost/common/state/protocol/channels-session/reducer.ts

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 // DO NOT EDIT -- auto-generated by scripts/sync-agent-host-protocol.ts
 
 import { ActionType } from '../common/actions.js';
-import { SessionLifecycle, SessionStatus, CustomizationType, McpServerStatus, type SessionState, type SessionInputRequest, type McpServerCustomization } from './state.js';
+import { SessionLifecycle, SessionStatus, SessionInputRequestKind, CustomizationType, McpServerStatus, type SessionState, type SessionInputRequest, type McpServerCustomization } from './state.js';
 import type { SessionAction } from '../action-origin.generated.js';
 import { softAssertNever } from '../common/reducer-helpers.js';
 
@@ -21,17 +21,29 @@ function withStatusFlag(status: SessionStatus, flag: SessionStatus, set: boolean
 	return set ? status | flag : status & ~flag;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Whether an entry blocks on the *user*.
+ *
+ * {@link SessionInputRequestKind.ToolClientExecution} is work delegated to a
+ * client, not a prompt: the call has already cleared its confirmation gate and
+ * is simply running somewhere else. Counting it would report a session as
+ * awaiting the user for the entire duration of every client tool call.
+ */
+function awaitsUser(request: SessionInputRequest): boolean {
+	return request.kind !== SessionInputRequestKind.ToolClientExecution;
+}
+
 /**
  * Reflects the session-level {@link SessionState.inputNeeded | input queue}
- * into the activity bits of `status`. A non-empty queue promotes the activity
- * to {@link SessionStatus.InputNeeded}; emptying it clears the
- * input-needed-specific bit. Since `InputNeeded` implies
+ * into the activity bits of `status`. A queue holding any user-blocking entry
+ * promotes the activity to {@link SessionStatus.InputNeeded}; draining those
+ * entries clears the input-needed-specific bit. Since `InputNeeded` implies
  * {@link SessionStatus.InProgress}, an unblocked turn falls back to
  * `InProgress` while an already-idle session stays idle. Orthogonal flags
  * (`IsRead` / `IsArchived`) are preserved.
  */
 function withInputNeededStatus(status: SessionStatus, inputNeeded: readonly SessionInputRequest[]): SessionStatus {
-	if (inputNeeded.length > 0) {
+	if (inputNeeded.some(awaitsUser)) {
 		return (status & ~STATUS_ACTIVITY_MASK) | SessionStatus.InputNeeded;
 	}
 	return status & ~(SessionStatus.InputNeeded & ~SessionStatus.InProgress);

src/vs/platform/agentHost/common/state/protocol/channels-session/state.ts

@@ -172,9 +172,12 @@ export interface SessionState extends SessionMetadata {
 	 * Each entry is self-sufficient: it carries the owning chat's URI plus every
 	 * identifier the client needs to respond. A client answers by dispatching the
 	 * ordinary `chat/*` action to that chat's channel — see
-	 * {@link SessionInputRequest} for the per-variant response path. A present,
-	 * non-empty list implies {@link SessionStatus.InputNeeded} on
-	 * {@link SessionSummary.status}.
+	 * {@link SessionInputRequest} for the per-variant response path. A list
+	 * holding any entry other than
+	 * {@link SessionInputRequestKind.ToolClientExecution} implies
+	 * {@link SessionStatus.InputNeeded} on {@link SessionSummary.status};
+	 * client-execution entries are work delegated to a client rather than a
+	 * prompt, so they leave the session's activity unchanged.
 	 *
 	 * Host-managed: the host upserts entries with `session/inputNeededSet` as
 	 * chats raise requests and removes them with `session/inputNeededRemoved`

src/vs/platform/agentHost/node/agentSideEffects.ts

@@ -485,12 +485,11 @@ export class AgentSideEffects extends Disposable {
 		const authenticationId = this._toolAuthenticationNeededId(chatUri, turnId, toolCallId);
 		const toolCall = this._findToolCall(chatUri, turnId, toolCallId);
 
-		// A call auto-approved by the session's bypass setting is run
-		// automatically by the owning client and never blocks on the user, so
-		// keep it out of the session `inputNeeded` queue (which would flash
-		// "input needed" in the sessions list). `autoApproveBySetting` covers
-		// only the parameter gate; a `PendingResultConfirmation` is a genuine
-		// prompt and is still surfaced.
+		// A parameter gate auto-approved by the session's bypass setting never
+		// blocks on the user, so keep it out of the session `inputNeeded` queue
+		// (which would flash "input needed" in the sessions list).
+		// `autoApproveBySetting` covers only the parameter gate; a
+		// `PendingResultConfirmation` is a genuine prompt and is still surfaced.
 		const autoApproved = !!toolCall && readToolCallMeta(toolCall).autoApproveBySetting === true;
 
 		const suppressAutoApprovedConfirmation = autoApproved && toolCall?.status === ToolCallStatus.PendingConfirmation;
@@ -508,7 +507,7 @@ export class AgentSideEffects extends Disposable {
 		}
 
 		const contributor = toolCall?.contributor;
-		if (!autoApproved && toolCall?.status === ToolCallStatus.Running && contributor?.kind === ToolCallContributorKind.Client) {
+		if (toolCall?.status === ToolCallStatus.Running && contributor?.kind === ToolCallContributorKind.Client) {
 			this._setSessionInputNeeded(chatUri, {
 				id: clientExecutionId,
 				kind: SessionInputRequestKind.ToolClientExecution,

src/vs/platform/agentHost/test/node/agentSideEffects.test.ts

@@ -4975,6 +4975,10 @@ suite('AgentSideEffects', () => {
 			return stateManager.getSessionState(sessionUri.toString())?.inputNeeded ?? [];
 		}
 
+		function sessionStatus() {
+			return stateManager.getSessionState(sessionUri.toString())?.status;
+		}
+
 		test('chat input request mirrors its unresolved response part and is removed on completion', () => {
 			setupSession();
 			startTurn('turn-1');
@@ -5178,7 +5182,7 @@ suite('AgentSideEffects', () => {
 			assert.deepStrictEqual(sessionInputNeeded(), []);
 		});
 
-		test('auto-approved tool call is kept out of the session inputNeeded queue', () => {
+		test('auto-approved tool call still surfaces its client execution without flagging input needed', () => {
 			setupSession();
 			startTurn('turn-1');
 
@@ -5200,7 +5204,15 @@ suite('AgentSideEffects', () => {
 				type: ActionType.ChatToolCallConfirmed, turnId: 'turn-1',
 				toolCallId: 'tc-auto', approved: true, confirmed: ToolCallConfirmationReason.Setting,
 			});
-			assert.deepStrictEqual(sessionInputNeeded(), [], 'no client-execution entry while Running');
+
+			// The client still has to run the call, so it must be discoverable
+			// from the session channel — but it is not a user prompt, so the
+			// session must not present as "input needed".
+			assert.deepStrictEqual(
+				sessionInputNeeded().map(r => ({ kind: r.kind, clientId: r.kind === SessionInputRequestKind.ToolClientExecution ? r.clientId : undefined })),
+				[{ kind: SessionInputRequestKind.ToolClientExecution, clientId: 'client-1' }],
+			);
+			assert.strictEqual(sessionStatus(), SessionStatus.InProgress, 'auto-approved client execution must not present as input needed');
 		});
 
 		test('auto-approved tool still surfaces a genuine result confirmation', () => {