fix(cli): allow sub-agent confirmation requests in UI while preventing background flicker (google-gemini#20722)

Author: abhipatel12

packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useToolScheduler.test.ts

@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import {
   type AnyToolInvocation,
   ROOT_SCHEDULER_ID,
   CoreToolCallStatus,
+  type WaitingToolCall,
 } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
 import { createMockMessageBus } from '@google/gemini-cli-core/src/test-utils/mock-message-bus.js';
 
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ vi.mock('@google/gemini-cli-core', async (importOriginal) => {
     Scheduler: vi.fn().mockImplementation(() => ({
       schedule: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue([]),
       cancelAll: vi.fn(),
+      dispose: vi.fn(),
     })),
   };
 });
@@ -341,7 +343,9 @@ describe('useToolScheduler', () => {
     const callSub = {
       ...callRoot,
       request: { ...callRoot.request, callId: 'call-sub' },
+      status: CoreToolCallStatus.AwaitingApproval as const, // Must be awaiting approval to be tracked
       schedulerId: 'subagent-1',
+      confirmationDetails: { type: 'info', title: 'Confirm', prompt: 'Yes?' },
     };
 
     // 1. Populate state with multiple schedulers
@@ -360,9 +364,13 @@ describe('useToolScheduler', () => {
     });
 
     const [toolCalls] = result.current;
-    expect(toolCalls).toHaveLength(1);
-    expect(toolCalls[0].request.callId).toBe('call-root');
-    expect(toolCalls[0].schedulerId).toBe(ROOT_SCHEDULER_ID);
+    expect(toolCalls).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(
+      toolCalls.find((t) => t.request.callId === 'call-root'),
+    ).toBeDefined();
+    expect(
+      toolCalls.find((t) => t.request.callId === 'call-sub'),
+    ).toBeDefined();
 
     // 2. Call setToolCallsForDisplay (e.g., simulate a manual update or clear)
     act(() => {
@@ -374,12 +382,11 @@ describe('useToolScheduler', () => {
 
     // 3. Verify that tools are still present and maintain their scheduler IDs
     const [toolCalls2] = result.current;
-    expect(toolCalls2).toHaveLength(1);
-    expect(toolCalls2[0].responseSubmittedToGemini).toBe(true);
-    expect(toolCalls2[0].schedulerId).toBe(ROOT_SCHEDULER_ID);
+    expect(toolCalls2).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(toolCalls2.every((t) => t.responseSubmittedToGemini)).toBe(true);
   });
 
-  it('ignores TOOL_CALLS_UPDATE from non-root schedulers', () => {
+  it('ignores TOOL_CALLS_UPDATE from non-root schedulers when no tools await approval', () => {
     const { result } = renderHook(() =>
       useToolScheduler(
         vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
@@ -410,8 +417,125 @@ describe('useToolScheduler', () => {
       } as ToolCallsUpdateMessage);
     });
 
+    expect(result.current[0]).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it('allows TOOL_CALLS_UPDATE from non-root schedulers when tools are awaiting approval', () => {
+    const { result } = renderHook(() =>
+      useToolScheduler(
+        vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+        mockConfig,
+        () => undefined,
+      ),
+    );
+
+    const subagentCall = {
+      status: CoreToolCallStatus.AwaitingApproval as const,
+      request: {
+        callId: 'call-sub',
+        name: 'test',
+        args: {},
+        isClientInitiated: false,
+        prompt_id: 'p1',
+      },
+      tool: createMockTool(),
+      invocation: createMockInvocation(),
+      schedulerId: 'subagent-1',
+      confirmationDetails: { type: 'info', title: 'Confirm', prompt: 'Yes?' },
+    } as WaitingToolCall;
+
+    act(() => {
+      void mockMessageBus.publish({
+        type: MessageBusType.TOOL_CALLS_UPDATE,
+        toolCalls: [subagentCall],
+        schedulerId: 'subagent-1',
+      } as ToolCallsUpdateMessage);
+    });
+
     const [toolCalls] = result.current;
-    expect(toolCalls).toHaveLength(0);
+    expect(toolCalls).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(toolCalls[0].request.callId).toBe('call-sub');
+    expect(toolCalls[0].status).toBe(CoreToolCallStatus.AwaitingApproval);
+  });
+
+  it('preserves subagent tools in the UI after they have been approved', () => {
+    const { result } = renderHook(() =>
+      useToolScheduler(
+        vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+        mockConfig,
+        () => undefined,
+      ),
+    );
+
+    const subagentCall = {
+      status: CoreToolCallStatus.AwaitingApproval as const,
+      request: {
+        callId: 'call-sub',
+        name: 'test',
+        args: {},
+        isClientInitiated: false,
+        prompt_id: 'p1',
+      },
+      tool: createMockTool(),
+      invocation: createMockInvocation(),
+      schedulerId: 'subagent-1',
+      confirmationDetails: { type: 'info', title: 'Confirm', prompt: 'Yes?' },
+    } as WaitingToolCall;
+
+    // 1. Initial approval request
+    act(() => {
+      void mockMessageBus.publish({
+        type: MessageBusType.TOOL_CALLS_UPDATE,
+        toolCalls: [subagentCall],
+        schedulerId: 'subagent-1',
+      } as ToolCallsUpdateMessage);
+    });
+
+    expect(result.current[0]).toHaveLength(1);
+
+    // 2. Approved and executing
+    const approvedCall = {
+      ...subagentCall,
+      status: CoreToolCallStatus.Executing as const,
+    } as unknown as ExecutingToolCall;
+
+    act(() => {
+      void mockMessageBus.publish({
+        type: MessageBusType.TOOL_CALLS_UPDATE,
+        toolCalls: [approvedCall],
+        schedulerId: 'subagent-1',
+      } as ToolCallsUpdateMessage);
+    });
+
+    expect(result.current[0]).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(result.current[0][0].status).toBe(CoreToolCallStatus.Executing);
+
+    // 3. New turn with a background tool (should NOT be shown)
+    const backgroundTool = {
+      status: CoreToolCallStatus.Executing as const,
+      request: {
+        callId: 'call-background',
+        name: 'read_file',
+        args: {},
+        isClientInitiated: false,
+        prompt_id: 'p1',
+      },
+      tool: createMockTool(),
+      invocation: createMockInvocation(),
+      schedulerId: 'subagent-1',
+    } as ExecutingToolCall;
+
+    act(() => {
+      void mockMessageBus.publish({
+        type: MessageBusType.TOOL_CALLS_UPDATE,
+        toolCalls: [backgroundTool],
+        schedulerId: 'subagent-1',
+      } as ToolCallsUpdateMessage);
+    });
+
+    // The subagent list should now be empty because the previously approved tool
+    // is gone from the current list, and the new tool doesn't need approval.
+    expect(result.current[0]).toHaveLength(0);
   });
 
   it('adapts success/error status to executing when a tail call is present', () => {

packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useToolScheduler.ts

@@ -115,11 +115,42 @@ export function useToolScheduler(
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const handler = (event: ToolCallsUpdateMessage) => {
-      // Only process updates for the root scheduler.
-      // Subagent internal tools should not be displayed in the main tool list.
-      if (event.schedulerId !== ROOT_SCHEDULER_ID) {
-        return;
-      }
+      const isRoot = event.schedulerId === ROOT_SCHEDULER_ID;
+
+      setToolCallsMap((prev) => {
+        const prevCalls = prev[event.schedulerId] ?? [];
+        const prevCallIds = new Set(prevCalls.map((tc) => tc.request.callId));
+
+        // For non-root schedulers, we only show tool calls that:
+        // 1. Are currently awaiting approval.
+        // 2. Were previously shown (e.g., they are now executing or completed).
+        // This prevents "thinking" tools (reads/searches) from flickering in the UI
+        // unless they specifically required user interaction.
+        const filteredToolCalls = isRoot
+          ? event.toolCalls
+          : event.toolCalls.filter(
+              (tc) =>
+                tc.status === CoreToolCallStatus.AwaitingApproval ||
+                prevCallIds.has(tc.request.callId),
+            );
+
+        // If this is a subagent and we have no tools to show and weren't showing any,
+        // we can skip the update entirely to avoid unnecessary re-renders.
+        if (
+          !isRoot &&
+          filteredToolCalls.length === 0 &&
+          prevCalls.length === 0
+        ) {
+          return prev;
+        }
+
+        const adapted = internalAdaptToolCalls(filteredToolCalls, prevCalls);
+
+        return {
+          ...prev,
+          [event.schedulerId]: adapted,
+        };
+      });
 
       // Update output timer for UI spinners (Side Effect)
       const hasExecuting = event.toolCalls.some(
@@ -134,18 +165,6 @@ export function useToolScheduler(
       if (hasExecuting) {
         setLastToolOutputTime(Date.now());
       }
-
-      setToolCallsMap((prev) => {
-        const adapted = internalAdaptToolCalls(
-          event.toolCalls,
-          prev[event.schedulerId] ?? [],
-        );
-
-        return {
-          ...prev,
-          [event.schedulerId]: adapted,
-        };
-      });
     };
 
     messageBus.subscribe(MessageBusType.TOOL_CALLS_UPDATE, handler);