fix(tui): approval flow + input ergonomics + selection perf

- tui_gateway: route approvals through gateway callback (HERMES_GATEWAY_SESSION/
  HERMES_EXEC_ASK) so dangerous commands emit approval.request instead of
  silently falling through the CLI input() path and auto-denying
- approval UX: dedicated PromptZone between transcript and composer, safer
  defaults (sel=0, numeric quick-picks, no Esc=deny), activity trail line,
  outcome footer under the cost row
- text input: Ctrl+A select-all, real forward Delete, Ctrl+W always consumed
  (fixes Ctrl+Backspace at cursor 0 inserting literal w)
- hermes-ink selection: swap synchronous onRender() for throttled
  scheduleRender() on drag, and only notify React subscribers on presence
  change — no more per-cell paint/subscribe spam
- useConfigSync: silence config.get polling failures instead of surfacing
  'error: timeout: config.get' in the transcript

ui-tui/src/app/createGatewayEventHandler.ts

@@ -301,12 +301,15 @@ export function createGatewayEventHandler(ctx: GatewayEventHandlerContext): (ev:
         setStatus('waiting for input…')
 
         return
+      case 'approval.request': {
+        const description = String(ev.payload.description ?? 'dangerous command')
 
-      case 'approval.request':
-        patchOverlayState({ approval: { command: ev.payload.command, description: ev.payload.description } })
+        patchOverlayState({ approval: { command: String(ev.payload.command ?? ''), description } })
+        turnController.pushActivity(`approval needed · ${description}`, 'warn')
         setStatus('approval needed')
 
         return
+      }
 
       case 'sudo.request':
         patchOverlayState({ sudo: { requestId: ev.payload.request_id } })

ui-tui/src/app/interfaces.ts

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ export interface StateSetter<T> {
 }
 
 export interface SelectionApi {
+  clearSelection: () => void
   copySelection: () => string
 }
 
@@ -275,6 +276,7 @@ export interface AppLayoutComposerProps {
 
 export interface AppLayoutProgressProps {
   activity: ActivityItem[]
+  outcome: string
   reasoning: string
   reasoningActive: boolean
   reasoningStreaming: boolean

ui-tui/src/app/turnController.ts

@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ class TurnController {
     this.idle()
     this.clearReasoning()
     this.turnTools = []
-    patchTurnState({ activity: [] })
+    patchTurnState({ activity: [], outcome: '' })
     patchUiState({ status: 'interrupted' })
     this.clearStatusTimer()
 
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ class TurnController {
     this.turnTools = []
     this.persistedToolLabels.clear()
     this.bufRef = ''
-    patchTurnState({ activity: [] })
+    patchTurnState({ activity: [], outcome: '' })
 
     return { finalText, savedReasoning, savedReasoningTokens, savedTools, savedToolTokens, wasInterrupted }
   }
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ class TurnController {
     this.turnTools = []
     this.toolTokenAcc = 0
     this.persistedToolLabels.clear()
-    patchTurnState({ activity: [] })
+    patchTurnState({ activity: [], outcome: '' })
   }
 
   fullReset() {
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ class TurnController {
     this.toolTokenAcc = 0
     this.persistedToolLabels.clear()
     patchUiState({ busy: true })
-    patchTurnState({ activity: [], subagents: [], toolTokens: 0, tools: [], turnTrail: [] })
+    patchTurnState({ activity: [], outcome: '', subagents: [], toolTokens: 0, tools: [], turnTrail: [] })
   }
 
   upsertSubagent(p: SubagentEventPayload, patch: (current: SubagentProgress) => Partial<SubagentProgress>) {

ui-tui/src/app/turnStore.ts

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import type { ActiveTool, ActivityItem, SubagentProgress } from '../types.js'
 
 const buildTurnState = (): TurnState => ({
   activity: [],
+  outcome: '',
   reasoning: '',
   reasoningActive: false,
   reasoningStreaming: false,
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ export const resetTurnState = () => $turnState.set(buildTurnState())
 
 export interface TurnState {
   activity: ActivityItem[]
+  outcome: string
   reasoning: string
   reasoningActive: boolean
   reasoningStreaming: boolean

ui-tui/src/app/useConfigSync.ts

@@ -1,19 +1,32 @@
 import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react'
 
 import { resolveDetailsMode } from '../domain/details.js'
+import type { GatewayClient } from '../gatewayClient.js'
 import type {
   ConfigFullResponse,
   ConfigMtimeResponse,
   ReloadMcpResponse,
   VoiceToggleResponse
 } from '../gatewayTypes.js'
+import { asRpcResult } from '../lib/rpc.js'
 
-import type { GatewayRpc } from './interfaces.js'
 import { turnController } from './turnController.js'
 import { patchUiState } from './uiStore.js'
 
 const MTIME_POLL_MS = 5000
 
+const quietRpc = async <T extends Record<string, any> = Record<string, any>>(
+  gw: GatewayClient,
+  method: string,
+  params: Record<string, unknown> = {}
+): Promise<null | T> => {
+  try {
+    return asRpcResult<T>(await gw.request<T>(method, params))
+  } catch {
+    return null
+  }
+}
+
 const applyDisplay = (cfg: ConfigFullResponse | null, setBell: (v: boolean) => void) => {
   const d = cfg?.config?.display ?? {}
 
@@ -25,7 +38,7 @@ const applyDisplay = (cfg: ConfigFullResponse | null, setBell: (v: boolean) => v
   })
 }
 
-export function useConfigSync({ rpc, setBellOnComplete, setVoiceEnabled, sid }: UseConfigSyncOptions) {
+export function useConfigSync({ gw, setBellOnComplete, setVoiceEnabled, sid }: UseConfigSyncOptions) {
   const mtimeRef = useRef(0)
 
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -33,12 +46,12 @@ export function useConfigSync({ rpc, setBellOnComplete, setVoiceEnabled, sid }:
       return
     }
 
-    rpc<VoiceToggleResponse>('voice.toggle', { action: 'status' }).then(r => setVoiceEnabled(!!r?.enabled))
-    rpc<ConfigMtimeResponse>('config.get', { key: 'mtime' }).then(r => {
+    quietRpc<VoiceToggleResponse>(gw, 'voice.toggle', { action: 'status' }).then(r => setVoiceEnabled(!!r?.enabled))
+    quietRpc<ConfigMtimeResponse>(gw, 'config.get', { key: 'mtime' }).then(r => {
       mtimeRef.current = Number(r?.mtime ?? 0)
     })
-    rpc<ConfigFullResponse>('config.get', { key: 'full' }).then(r => applyDisplay(r, setBellOnComplete))
-  }, [rpc, setBellOnComplete, setVoiceEnabled, sid])
+    quietRpc<ConfigFullResponse>(gw, 'config.get', { key: 'full' }).then(r => applyDisplay(r, setBellOnComplete))
+  }, [gw, setBellOnComplete, setVoiceEnabled, sid])
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!sid) {
@@ -46,7 +59,7 @@ export function useConfigSync({ rpc, setBellOnComplete, setVoiceEnabled, sid }:
     }
 
     const id = setInterval(() => {
-      rpc<ConfigMtimeResponse>('config.get', { key: 'mtime' }).then(r => {
+      quietRpc<ConfigMtimeResponse>(gw, 'config.get', { key: 'mtime' }).then(r => {
         const next = Number(r?.mtime ?? 0)
 
         if (!mtimeRef.current) {
@@ -63,19 +76,19 @@ export function useConfigSync({ rpc, setBellOnComplete, setVoiceEnabled, sid }:
 
         mtimeRef.current = next
 
-        rpc<ReloadMcpResponse>('reload.mcp', { session_id: sid }).then(
+        quietRpc<ReloadMcpResponse>(gw, 'reload.mcp', { session_id: sid }).then(
           r => r && turnController.pushActivity('MCP reloaded after config change')
         )
-        rpc<ConfigFullResponse>('config.get', { key: 'full' }).then(r => applyDisplay(r, setBellOnComplete))
+        quietRpc<ConfigFullResponse>(gw, 'config.get', { key: 'full' }).then(r => applyDisplay(r, setBellOnComplete))
       })
     }, MTIME_POLL_MS)
 
     return () => clearInterval(id)
-  }, [rpc, setBellOnComplete, sid])
+  }, [gw, setBellOnComplete, sid])
 }
 
 export interface UseConfigSyncOptions {
-  rpc: GatewayRpc
+  gw: GatewayClient
   setBellOnComplete: (v: boolean) => void
   setVoiceEnabled: (v: boolean) => void
   sid: null | string

ui-tui/src/app/useInputHandlers.ts

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import type {
 import type { InputHandlerContext, InputHandlerResult } from './interfaces.js'
 import { $isBlocked, $overlayState, patchOverlayState } from './overlayStore.js'
 import { turnController } from './turnController.js'
+import { patchTurnState } from './turnStore.js'
 import { getUiState, patchUiState } from './uiStore.js'
 
 const isCtrl = (key: { ctrl: boolean }, ch: string, target: string) => key.ctrl && ch.toLowerCase() === target
@@ -24,11 +25,17 @@ export function useInputHandlers(ctx: InputHandlerContext): InputHandlerResult {
   const pagerPageSize = Math.max(5, (terminal.stdout?.rows ?? 24) - 6)
 
   const copySelection = () => {
-    if (terminal.selection.copySelection()) {
-      actions.sys('copied selection')
+    const text = terminal.selection.copySelection()
+
+    if (text) {
+      actions.sys(`copied ${text.length} chars`)
     }
   }
 
+  const clearSelection = () => {
+    terminal.selection.clearSelection()
+  }
+
   const cancelOverlayFromCtrlC = () => {
     if (overlay.clarify) {
       return actions.answerClarify('')
@@ -37,7 +44,7 @@ export function useInputHandlers(ctx: InputHandlerContext): InputHandlerResult {
     if (overlay.approval) {
       return gateway
         .rpc<ApprovalRespondResponse>('approval.respond', { choice: 'deny', session_id: getUiState().sid })
-        .then(r => r && (patchOverlayState({ approval: null }), actions.sys('denied')))
+        .then(r => r && (patchOverlayState({ approval: null }), patchTurnState({ outcome: 'denied' })))
     }
 
     if (overlay.sudo) {
@@ -215,6 +222,10 @@ export function useInputHandlers(ctx: InputHandlerContext): InputHandlerResult {
       return copySelection()
     }
 
+    if (key.escape && terminal.hasSelection) {
+      return clearSelection()
+    }
+
     if (key.upArrow && !cState.inputBuf.length) {
       cycleQueue(1) || cycleHistory(-1)
 

ui-tui/src/app/useMainApp.ts

@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ export function useMainApp(gw: GatewayClient) {
     sys
   })
 
-  useConfigSync({ rpc, setBellOnComplete, setVoiceEnabled, sid: ui.sid })
+  useConfigSync({ gw, setBellOnComplete, setVoiceEnabled, sid: ui.sid })
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!ui.sid || !stdout) {
@@ -516,10 +516,10 @@ export function useMainApp(gw: GatewayClient) {
     (choice: string) =>
       respondWith('approval.respond', { choice, session_id: ui.sid }, () => {
         patchOverlayState({ approval: null })
-        sys(choice === 'deny' ? 'denied' : `approved (${choice})`)
+        patchTurnState({ outcome: choice === 'deny' ? 'denied' : `approved (${choice})` })
         patchUiState({ status: 'running…' })
       }),
-    [respondWith, sys, ui.sid]
+    [respondWith, ui.sid]
   )
 
   const answerSudo = useCallback(
@@ -562,6 +562,7 @@ export function useMainApp(gw: GatewayClient) {
       ? turn.activity.some(item => item.tone !== 'info')
       : Boolean(
           ui.busy ||
+          turn.outcome ||
           turn.subagents.length ||
           turn.tools.length ||
           turn.turnTrail.length ||