refactor(settings): seed system prompt body to show in settings panel

.gitignore

@@ -47,3 +47,6 @@ docs/superpowers/
 .superpowers/
 *.profraw
 
+# SearXNG container dumps upstream defaults here on each start
+sandbox/search-box/searxng/settings.yml.new
+

CLAUDE.md

@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ The loader is forgiving and never crashes the app on user config:
 
 - Missing file → defaults seeded and written. (Only fatal failure path is the seed write itself.)
 - Missing fields/sections → `#[serde(default)]` fills from compiled defaults.
-- Empty/whitespace strings → replaced with compiled defaults.
+- Empty/whitespace strings → replaced with compiled defaults. Exception: `prompt.system` is a deliberate user override; an empty value is preserved and means "send no persona" (only the slash-command appendix is composed into `resolved_system`).
 - Out-of-bounds numerics → reset to default with a stderr warning.
 - Unparseable TOML → file renamed `config.toml.corrupt-<unix_ts>` and a fresh defaults file written.
 

docs/configurations.md

@@ -42,10 +42,11 @@ keep_warm_inactivity_minutes = 0
 num_ctx = 16384
 
 [prompt]
-# Leave empty to use the built-in secretary persona.
-# Thuki always appends the generated slash-command appendix at runtime,
-# whether or not this field is set, so slash commands keep working.
-system = ""
+# The full secretary persona prompt. Seeded on first run so this file is the
+# single source of truth: edit it to tune behavior. Clearing it sends only
+# the slash-command appendix, which Thuki always appends at runtime so slash
+# commands keep working.
+system = "..."
 
 [window]
 overlay_width = 600
@@ -131,8 +132,8 @@ Controls the personality and instructions Thuki gives to the AI at the start of
 
 | Constant                        | Default                                | Tunable? | Why not tunable                                                                                                                                       | Bounds     | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
 | :------------------------------ | :------------------------------------- | :------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :--------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
-| `system`                        | `""`                                   | Yes      | —                                                                                                                                                     | any string | Your custom personality or instructions for the AI (for example, "You are a terse Rust expert"). Leave this empty to use Thuki's built-in secretary personality. The list of slash commands is always added on top, so `/search` etc. work either way. |
-| `DEFAULT_SYSTEM_PROMPT_BASE`    | `prompts/system_prompt.txt`            | No       | This is the fallback used when `system` is empty. To customize, set `system` instead, edit it in your `config.toml` rather than this file.            | —          | The built-in secretary personality Thuki uses when you have not set a custom `system` prompt.                                                                                                                                                          |
+| `system`                        | full built-in body (~17 KB)            | Yes      | —                                                                                                                                                     | any string | The full secretary personality prompt. Seeded into your `config.toml` on first run so the file is the single source of truth: edit, tweak, or replace it. Clearing the field sends no persona at all. The slash-command appendix is always added on top, so `/search` etc. work either way. |
+| `DEFAULT_SYSTEM_PROMPT_BASE`    | `prompts/system_prompt.txt`            | No       | The shipped seed for `system` on first run. Once your `config.toml` exists, only the file matters; this constant is no longer consulted at runtime. | —          | Source-of-truth file used to seed `system` on first run.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
 | `SLASH_COMMAND_PROMPT_APPENDIX` | `prompts/generated/slash_commands.txt` | No       | Auto-generated from the slash-command registry at build time. Editing by hand would desync the AI's understanding of the commands from the real ones. | —          | The list of slash commands (`/search`, `/screen`, etc.) Thuki tells the AI about so it knows what each one does. Always added on top of your `system` prompt.                                                                                          |
 
 ### `[window]`

src-tauri/src/config/loader.rs

@@ -33,9 +33,8 @@ use super::defaults::{
     DEFAULT_QUOTE_MAX_DISPLAY_CHARS, DEFAULT_QUOTE_MAX_DISPLAY_LINES,
     DEFAULT_READER_BATCH_TIMEOUT_S, DEFAULT_READER_PER_URL_TIMEOUT_S, DEFAULT_READER_URL,
     DEFAULT_ROUTER_TIMEOUT_S, DEFAULT_SEARCH_TIMEOUT_S, DEFAULT_SEARXNG_MAX_RESULTS,
-    DEFAULT_SEARXNG_URL, DEFAULT_SYSTEM_PROMPT_BASE, DEFAULT_TOP_K_URLS,
-    DEFAULT_UPDATER_CHECK_INTERVAL_HOURS, DEFAULT_UPDATER_MANIFEST_URL,
-    SLASH_COMMAND_PROMPT_APPENDIX,
+    DEFAULT_SEARXNG_URL, DEFAULT_TOP_K_URLS, DEFAULT_UPDATER_CHECK_INTERVAL_HOURS,
+    DEFAULT_UPDATER_MANIFEST_URL, SLASH_COMMAND_PROMPT_APPENDIX,
 };
 use super::error::ConfigError;
 use super::schema::AppConfig;
@@ -153,13 +152,12 @@ pub(crate) fn resolve(config: &mut AppConfig) {
         "inference.num_ctx",
     );
 
-    // Prompt section: empty base -> built-in. Compose resolved_system.
-    let base = if config.prompt.system.trim().is_empty() {
-        DEFAULT_SYSTEM_PROMPT_BASE
-    } else {
-        &config.prompt.system
-    };
-    config.prompt.resolved_system = compose_system_prompt(base, SLASH_COMMAND_PROMPT_APPENDIX);
+    // Prompt section: compose the user's persona with the slash-command
+    // appendix into the runtime-only `resolved_system`. The on-disk `system`
+    // string is the single source of truth; if the user has cleared it, no
+    // persona is sent (only the appendix).
+    config.prompt.resolved_system =
+        compose_system_prompt(&config.prompt.system, SLASH_COMMAND_PROMPT_APPENDIX);
 
     // Window section.
     clamp_f64(
@@ -300,6 +298,8 @@ pub fn compose_system_prompt(base: &str, appendix: &str) -> String {
     let appendix = appendix.trim();
     if appendix.is_empty() {
         base.to_string()
+    } else if base.is_empty() {
+        appendix.to_string()
     } else {
         format!("{base}\n\n{appendix}")
     }

src-tauri/src/config/schema.rs

@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@ use super::defaults::{
     DEFAULT_QUOTE_MAX_CONTEXT_LENGTH, DEFAULT_QUOTE_MAX_DISPLAY_CHARS,
     DEFAULT_QUOTE_MAX_DISPLAY_LINES, DEFAULT_READER_BATCH_TIMEOUT_S,
     DEFAULT_READER_PER_URL_TIMEOUT_S, DEFAULT_READER_URL, DEFAULT_ROUTER_TIMEOUT_S,
-    DEFAULT_SEARCH_TIMEOUT_S, DEFAULT_SEARXNG_MAX_RESULTS, DEFAULT_SEARXNG_URL, DEFAULT_TOP_K_URLS,
-    DEFAULT_UPDATER_AUTO_CHECK, DEFAULT_UPDATER_CHECK_INTERVAL_HOURS, DEFAULT_UPDATER_MANIFEST_URL,
+    DEFAULT_SEARCH_TIMEOUT_S, DEFAULT_SEARXNG_MAX_RESULTS, DEFAULT_SEARXNG_URL,
+    DEFAULT_SYSTEM_PROMPT_BASE, DEFAULT_TOP_K_URLS, DEFAULT_UPDATER_AUTO_CHECK,
+    DEFAULT_UPDATER_CHECK_INTERVAL_HOURS, DEFAULT_UPDATER_MANIFEST_URL,
 };
 
 /// Static, user-tunable inference daemon configuration.
@@ -61,25 +62,32 @@ impl Default for InferenceSection {
     }
 }
 
-/// Prompt configuration. `system` holds only the user-editable base text.
-/// The slash-command appendix is composed at load time into `resolved_system`
-/// and is never written back to the file. `resolved_system` is computed, not
-/// serialized.
-///
-/// Note: `#[derive(Default)]` is correct here because both fields genuinely
-/// start empty: `system` empty means "use the built-in persona", and
-/// `resolved_system` is populated by the loader before any consumer reads it.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, PartialEq, Eq, Default)]
+/// Prompt configuration. `system` holds the user-editable persona prompt; on
+/// first run it is seeded with the full built-in body so the file is the
+/// single source of truth. The slash-command appendix is composed at load
+/// time into `resolved_system` and is never written back to the file.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, PartialEq, Eq)]
 #[serde(default)]
 pub struct PromptSection {
-    /// User-editable persona prompt. Empty means "use the built-in default".
+    /// User-editable persona prompt. Seeded with the built-in body and
+    /// freely editable thereafter. If the user clears it, no persona is
+    /// sent (only the slash-command appendix).
     pub system: String,
     /// Composed runtime value (base prompt plus slash-command appendix).
     /// Not serialized; computed by the loader.
     #[serde(skip)]
     pub resolved_system: String,
 }
 
+impl Default for PromptSection {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            system: DEFAULT_SYSTEM_PROMPT_BASE.to_string(),
+            resolved_system: String::new(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// Overlay UI configuration. Holds window geometry and input attachment
 /// limits. The collapsed-bar height and the close-animation deadline are
 /// baked into the frontend (see `App.tsx`) because their effective range is

src-tauri/src/config/tests.rs

@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ fn defaults_const_values_match_schema_defaults() {
         DEFAULT_KEEP_WARM_INACTIVITY_MINUTES
     );
     assert_eq!(c.inference.num_ctx, DEFAULT_NUM_CTX);
-    assert_eq!(c.prompt.system, "");
+    assert_eq!(c.prompt.system, DEFAULT_SYSTEM_PROMPT_BASE);
     assert_eq!(c.prompt.resolved_system, "");
     assert_eq!(c.window.overlay_width, DEFAULT_OVERLAY_WIDTH);
     assert_eq!(c.window.max_chat_height, DEFAULT_MAX_CHAT_HEIGHT);
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ fn section_defaults_are_sensible() {
     assert_eq!(m.ollama_url, DEFAULT_OLLAMA_URL);
 
     let p = PromptSection::default();
-    assert!(p.system.is_empty());
+    assert_eq!(p.system, DEFAULT_SYSTEM_PROMPT_BASE);
 
     let w = WindowSection::default();
     assert_eq!(w.overlay_width, DEFAULT_OVERLAY_WIDTH);
@@ -161,6 +161,18 @@ fn compose_system_prompt_skips_appendix_when_totally_empty() {
     assert_eq!(got, "hello");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn compose_system_prompt_returns_appendix_only_when_base_empty() {
+    let got = compose_system_prompt("", "world");
+    assert_eq!(got, "world");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn compose_system_prompt_returns_appendix_only_when_base_whitespace() {
+    let got = compose_system_prompt("   \n\t", "world");
+    assert_eq!(got, "world");
+}
+
 // ── loader: first run (file missing) ────────────────────────────────────────
 
 #[test]
@@ -497,26 +509,29 @@ fn resolve_empty_ollama_url_falls_back() {
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn resolve_empty_system_prompt_uses_built_in_base_plus_appendix() {
+fn resolve_empty_system_prompt_keeps_only_appendix() {
+    // The user has explicitly cleared their persona; resolved_system contains
+    // the slash-command appendix only. Built-in persona is no longer auto
+    // re-injected, so the on-disk file remains the single source of truth.
     let dir = fresh_temp_dir();
     let path = config_path_in(&dir);
     std::fs::write(
         &path,
         r#"
             [prompt]
-            system = "   "
+            system = ""
         "#,
     )
     .unwrap();
     let config = load_from_path(&path).unwrap();
-    assert!(config
+    assert_eq!(
+        config.prompt.resolved_system,
+        SLASH_COMMAND_PROMPT_APPENDIX.trim()
+    );
+    assert!(!config
         .prompt
         .resolved_system
         .contains(DEFAULT_SYSTEM_PROMPT_BASE.trim()));
-    assert!(config
-        .prompt
-        .resolved_system
-        .contains(SLASH_COMMAND_PROMPT_APPENDIX.trim()));
 }
 
 #[test]

src/settings/components/index.tsx

@@ -135,12 +135,14 @@ export function Textarea({
   placeholder,
   maxLength,
   ariaLabel,
+  rows = 4,
 }: {
   value: string;
   onChange: (next: string) => void;
   placeholder?: string;
   maxLength?: number;
   ariaLabel?: string;
+  rows?: number;
 }) {
   return (
     <textarea
@@ -152,7 +154,7 @@ export function Textarea({
       placeholder={placeholder}
       maxLength={maxLength}
       aria-label={ariaLabel}
-      rows={4}
+      rows={rows}
       spellCheck={false}
     />
   );

src/settings/tabs/ModelTab.tsx

@@ -26,7 +26,12 @@ interface ModelTabProps {
   onSaved: (next: RawAppConfig) => void;
 }
 
-const PROMPT_MAX_CHARS = 8000;
+/// Built-in prompt body is ~17 KB; cap roomy so users can edit without truncation.
+const PROMPT_MAX_CHARS = 32000;
+/// Default textarea height for the system prompt: large enough to show a
+/// meaningful slice of the seeded built-in body without forcing the user to
+/// drag the resize grip on first open.
+const PROMPT_TEXTAREA_ROWS = 16;
 const EJECT_RESET_MS = 2500;
 /// Approximate tokens per chat turn used for the "~N turns of context" hint.
 /// 400 tokens ≈ a typical user question + assistant reply pair on this app.
@@ -441,9 +446,10 @@ export function ModelTab({ config, resyncToken, onSaved }: ModelTabProps) {
               <Textarea
                 value={value}
                 onChange={setValue}
-                placeholder="Use built-in secretary persona…"
+                placeholder="Persona prompt…"
                 maxLength={PROMPT_MAX_CHARS}
                 ariaLabel="System prompt"
+                rows={PROMPT_TEXTAREA_ROWS}
               />
               <div className={styles.charCounter}>
                 {value.length} / {PROMPT_MAX_CHARS}

src/settings/tabs/tabs.test.tsx

@@ -108,7 +108,44 @@ describe('ModelTab', () => {
 
   it('renders the live char counter for the prompt textarea', async () => {
     await renderModelTab();
-    expect(screen.getByText(/5 \/ 8000/)).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText(/5 \/ 32000/)).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('renders the prompt textarea with the configured persona text and a tall default size', async () => {
+    await renderModelTab();
+    const ta = screen.getByRole('textbox', {
+      name: 'System prompt',
+    }) as HTMLTextAreaElement;
+    expect(ta.value).toBe('hello');
+    // Default rows must be larger than the generic 4-row Textarea so the
+    // seeded built-in prompt body is visible without manual resizing.
+    expect(ta.rows).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(8);
+  });
+
+  it('typing into the prompt textarea schedules a save with the typed text', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    let savedValue: unknown = undefined;
+    invokeMock.mockImplementation((cmd: string, args?: unknown) => {
+      if (cmd === 'get_loaded_model') return Promise.resolve(null);
+      if (cmd === 'set_config_field') {
+        savedValue = (args as { value: unknown }).value;
+        return Promise.resolve(CONFIG);
+      }
+      return Promise.resolve(CONFIG);
+    });
+    render(<ModelTab config={CONFIG} resyncToken={0} onSaved={() => {}} />);
+    await act(async () => {
+      await Promise.resolve();
+    });
+    const ta = screen.getByRole('textbox', {
+      name: 'System prompt',
+    }) as HTMLTextAreaElement;
+    fireEvent.change(ta, { target: { value: 'new prompt body' } });
+    await act(async () => {
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(300);
+      await Promise.resolve();
+    });
+    expect(savedValue).toBe('new prompt body');
   });
 
   it('renders the Keep Warm section with Release after input and Unload now button', async () => {