fix(group-chat): add SSH remote execution support for moderator and participant spawns

Group Chat was spawning agents locally even when sessions were configured
for SSH remote execution. This fix:

- Creates reusable SSH spawn wrapper utility (ssh-spawn-wrapper.ts)
- Updates SessionInfo, SessionOverrides, and ModeratorConfig interfaces
  to include sshRemoteConfig
- Applies SSH wrapping to addParticipant(), moderator spawn, and
  participant spawn in routeModeratorResponse()
- Wires up SSH store in index.ts for group chat router
- Documents SSH/provider awareness pattern in CLAUDE.md

This ensures Group Chat respects SSH remote configuration just like
regular session spawns.

Closes issue #172

CLAUDE.md

@@ -167,6 +167,40 @@ src/
 | Add colorblind palette | `src/renderer/constants/colorblindPalettes.ts` |
 | Add performance metrics | `src/shared/performance-metrics.ts` |
 | Add power management | `src/main/power-manager.ts`, `src/main/ipc/handlers/system.ts` |
+| Spawn agent with SSH support | `src/main/utils/ssh-spawn-wrapper.ts` (required for SSH remote execution) |
+
+---
+
+## Critical Implementation Guidelines
+
+### SSH Remote Execution Awareness
+
+**IMPORTANT:** When implementing any feature that spawns agent processes (e.g., context grooming, group chat, batch operations), you MUST support SSH remote execution.
+
+Sessions can be configured to run on remote hosts via SSH. Without proper SSH wrapping, agents will always execute locally, breaking the user's expected behavior.
+
+**Required pattern:**
+1. Check if the session has `sshRemoteConfig` with `enabled: true`
+2. Use `wrapSpawnWithSsh()` from `src/main/utils/ssh-spawn-wrapper.ts` to wrap the spawn config
+3. Pass the SSH store (available via `createSshRemoteStoreAdapter(settingsStore)`)
+
+```typescript
+import { wrapSpawnWithSsh } from '../utils/ssh-spawn-wrapper';
+import { createSshRemoteStoreAdapter } from '../utils/ssh-remote-resolver';
+
+// Before spawning, wrap the config with SSH if needed
+if (sshStore && session.sshRemoteConfig?.enabled) {
+  const sshWrapped = await wrapSpawnWithSsh(spawnConfig, session.sshRemoteConfig, sshStore);
+  // Use sshWrapped.command, sshWrapped.args, sshWrapped.cwd, etc.
+}
+```
+
+**Also ensure:**
+- The correct agent type is used (don't hardcode `claude-code`)
+- Custom agent configuration (customPath, customArgs, customEnvVars) is passed through
+- Agent's `binaryName` is used for remote execution (not local paths)
+
+See [[CLAUDE-PATTERNS.md]] for detailed SSH patterns.
 
 ---
 

src/main/group-chat/group-chat-agent.ts

@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ import {
 	getContextWindowValue,
 } from '../utils/agent-args';
 import { groupChatParticipantPrompt } from '../../prompts';
+import { wrapSpawnWithSsh } from '../utils/ssh-spawn-wrapper';
+import type { SshRemoteSettingsStore } from '../utils/ssh-remote-resolver';
 
 /**
  * In-memory store for active participant sessions.
@@ -63,6 +65,12 @@ export interface SessionOverrides {
 	customEnvVars?: Record<string, string>;
 	/** SSH remote name for display in participant card */
 	sshRemoteName?: string;
+	/** Full SSH remote config for remote execution */
+	sshRemoteConfig?: {
+		enabled: boolean;
+		remoteId: string | null;
+		workingDirOverride?: string;
+	};
 }
 
 /**
@@ -76,7 +84,8 @@ export interface SessionOverrides {
  * @param agentDetector - Optional agent detector for resolving agent paths
  * @param agentConfigValues - Optional agent config values (from config store)
  * @param customEnvVars - Optional custom environment variables for the agent (deprecated, use sessionOverrides)
- * @param sessionOverrides - Optional session-specific overrides (customModel, customArgs, customEnvVars)
+ * @param sessionOverrides - Optional session-specific overrides (customModel, customArgs, customEnvVars, sshRemoteConfig)
+ * @param sshStore - Optional SSH settings store for remote execution support
  * @returns The created participant
  */
 export async function addParticipant(
@@ -88,7 +97,8 @@ export async function addParticipant(
 	agentDetector?: AgentDetector,
 	agentConfigValues?: Record<string, any>,
 	customEnvVars?: Record<string, string>,
-	sessionOverrides?: SessionOverrides
+	sessionOverrides?: SessionOverrides,
+	sshStore?: SshRemoteSettingsStore
 ): Promise<GroupChatParticipant> {
 	console.log(`[GroupChat:Debug] ========== ADD PARTICIPANT ==========`);
 	console.log(`[GroupChat:Debug] Group Chat ID: ${groupChatId}`);
@@ -163,18 +173,52 @@ export async function addParticipant(
 	const sessionId = `group-chat-${groupChatId}-participant-${name}-${uuidv4()}`;
 	console.log(`[GroupChat:Debug] Generated session ID: ${sessionId}`);
 
+	// Wrap spawn config with SSH if configured
+	let spawnCommand = command;
+	let spawnArgs = configResolution.args;
+	let spawnCwd = cwd;
+	let spawnPrompt: string | undefined = prompt;
+	let spawnEnvVars = configResolution.effectiveCustomEnvVars ?? effectiveEnvVars;
+
+	// Apply SSH wrapping if SSH is configured and store is available
+	if (sshStore && sessionOverrides?.sshRemoteConfig) {
+		console.log(`[GroupChat:Debug] Applying SSH wrapping for participant...`);
+		const sshWrapped = await wrapSpawnWithSsh(
+			{
+				command,
+				args: configResolution.args,
+				cwd,
+				prompt,
+				customEnvVars: configResolution.effectiveCustomEnvVars ?? effectiveEnvVars,
+				promptArgs: agentConfig?.promptArgs,
+				noPromptSeparator: agentConfig?.noPromptSeparator,
+				agentBinaryName: agentConfig?.binaryName,
+			},
+			sessionOverrides.sshRemoteConfig,
+			sshStore
+		);
+		spawnCommand = sshWrapped.command;
+		spawnArgs = sshWrapped.args;
+		spawnCwd = sshWrapped.cwd;
+		spawnPrompt = sshWrapped.prompt;
+		spawnEnvVars = sshWrapped.customEnvVars;
+		if (sshWrapped.sshRemoteUsed) {
+			console.log(`[GroupChat:Debug] SSH remote used: ${sshWrapped.sshRemoteUsed.name}`);
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Spawn the participant agent
 	console.log(`[GroupChat:Debug] Spawning participant agent...`);
 	const result = processManager.spawn({
 		sessionId,
 		toolType: agentId,
-		cwd,
+		cwd: spawnCwd,
-		command,
+		command: spawnCommand,
-		args: configResolution.args,
+		args: spawnArgs,
 		readOnlyMode: false, // Participants can make changes
-		prompt,
+		prompt: spawnPrompt,
 		contextWindow: getContextWindowValue(agentConfig, agentConfigValues || {}),
-		customEnvVars: configResolution.effectiveCustomEnvVars ?? effectiveEnvVars,
+		customEnvVars: spawnEnvVars,
 		promptArgs: agentConfig?.promptArgs,
 		noPromptSeparator: agentConfig?.noPromptSeparator,
 	});

src/main/group-chat/group-chat-router.ts

@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ import {
 	getContextWindowValue,
 } from '../utils/agent-args';
 import { groupChatParticipantRequestPrompt } from '../../prompts';
+import { wrapSpawnWithSsh } from '../utils/ssh-spawn-wrapper';
+import type { SshRemoteSettingsStore } from '../utils/ssh-remote-resolver';
 
 // Import emitters from IPC handlers (will be populated after handlers are registered)
 import { groupChatEmitters } from '../ipc/handlers/groupChat';
@@ -51,6 +53,12 @@ export interface SessionInfo {
 	customModel?: string;
 	/** SSH remote name for display in participant card */
 	sshRemoteName?: string;
+	/** Full SSH remote config for remote execution */
+	sshRemoteConfig?: {
+		enabled: boolean;
+		remoteId: string | null;
+		workingDirOverride?: string;
+	};
 }
 
 /**
@@ -71,6 +79,9 @@ let getSessionsCallback: GetSessionsCallback | null = null;
 let getCustomEnvVarsCallback: GetCustomEnvVarsCallback | null = null;
 let getAgentConfigCallback: GetAgentConfigCallback | null = null;
 
+// Module-level SSH store for remote execution support
+let sshStore: SshRemoteSettingsStore | null = null;
+
 /**
  * Tracks pending participant responses for each group chat.
  * When all pending participants have responded, we spawn a moderator synthesis round.
@@ -150,6 +161,14 @@ export function setGetAgentConfigCallback(callback: GetAgentConfigCallback): voi
 	getAgentConfigCallback = callback;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Sets the SSH store for remote execution support.
+ * Called from index.ts during initialization.
+ */
+export function setSshStore(store: SshRemoteSettingsStore): void {
+	sshStore = store;
+}
+
 /**
  * Extracts @mentions from text that match known participants.
  * Supports hyphenated names matching participants with spaces.
@@ -447,18 +466,54 @@ ${message}`;
 				// Add power block reason to prevent sleep during group chat activity
 				powerManager.addBlockReason(`groupchat:${groupChatId}`);
 
+				// Prepare spawn config with potential SSH wrapping
+				let spawnCommand = command;
+				let spawnArgs = finalArgs;
+				let spawnCwd = process.env.HOME || '/tmp';
+				let spawnPrompt: string | undefined = fullPrompt;
+				let spawnEnvVars =
+					configResolution.effectiveCustomEnvVars ??
+					getCustomEnvVarsCallback?.(chat.moderatorAgentId);
+
+				// Apply SSH wrapping if configured
+				if (sshStore && chat.moderatorConfig?.sshRemoteConfig) {
+					console.log(`[GroupChat:Debug] Applying SSH wrapping for moderator...`);
+					const sshWrapped = await wrapSpawnWithSsh(
+						{
+							command,
+							args: finalArgs,
+							cwd: process.env.HOME || '/tmp',
+							prompt: fullPrompt,
+							customEnvVars:
+								configResolution.effectiveCustomEnvVars ??
+								getCustomEnvVarsCallback?.(chat.moderatorAgentId),
+							promptArgs: agent.promptArgs,
+							noPromptSeparator: agent.noPromptSeparator,
+							agentBinaryName: agent.binaryName,
+						},
+						chat.moderatorConfig.sshRemoteConfig,
+						sshStore
+					);
+					spawnCommand = sshWrapped.command;
+					spawnArgs = sshWrapped.args;
+					spawnCwd = sshWrapped.cwd;
+					spawnPrompt = sshWrapped.prompt;
+					spawnEnvVars = sshWrapped.customEnvVars;
+					if (sshWrapped.sshRemoteUsed) {
+						console.log(`[GroupChat:Debug] SSH remote used: ${sshWrapped.sshRemoteUsed.name}`);
+					}
+				}
+
 				const spawnResult = processManager.spawn({
 					sessionId,
 					toolType: chat.moderatorAgentId,
-					cwd: process.env.HOME || '/tmp',
+					cwd: spawnCwd,
-					command,
+					command: spawnCommand,
-					args: finalArgs,
+					args: spawnArgs,
 					readOnlyMode: true,
-					prompt: fullPrompt,
+					prompt: spawnPrompt,
 					contextWindow: getContextWindowValue(agent, agentConfigValues),
-					customEnvVars:
+					customEnvVars: spawnEnvVars,
-						configResolution.effectiveCustomEnvVars ??
-						getCustomEnvVarsCallback?.(chat.moderatorAgentId),
 					promptArgs: agent.promptArgs,
 					noPromptSeparator: agent.noPromptSeparator,
 				});
@@ -610,13 +665,16 @@ export async function routeModeratorResponse(
 						agentDetector,
 						agentConfigValues,
 						customEnvVars,
-						// Pass session-specific overrides (customModel, customArgs, customEnvVars, sshRemoteName from session)
+						// Pass session-specific overrides (customModel, customArgs, customEnvVars, sshRemoteConfig from session)
 						{
 							customModel: matchingSession.customModel,
 							customArgs: matchingSession.customArgs,
 							customEnvVars: matchingSession.customEnvVars,
 							sshRemoteName: matchingSession.sshRemoteName,
-						}
+							sshRemoteConfig: matchingSession.sshRemoteConfig,
+						},
+						// Pass SSH store for remote execution support
+						sshStore ?? undefined
 					);
 					existingParticipantNames.add(participantName);
 
@@ -771,18 +829,54 @@ export async function routeModeratorResponse(
 					`[GroupChat:Debug] CustomEnvVars: ${JSON.stringify(configResolution.effectiveCustomEnvVars || {})}`
 				);
 
+				// Prepare spawn config with potential SSH wrapping
+				let finalSpawnCommand = spawnCommand;
+				let finalSpawnArgs = spawnArgs;
+				let finalSpawnCwd = cwd;
+				let finalSpawnPrompt: string | undefined = participantPrompt;
+				let finalSpawnEnvVars =
+					configResolution.effectiveCustomEnvVars ??
+					getCustomEnvVarsCallback?.(participant.agentId);
+
+				// Apply SSH wrapping if configured for this session
+				if (sshStore && matchingSession?.sshRemoteConfig) {
+					console.log(`[GroupChat:Debug] Applying SSH wrapping for participant ${participantName}...`);
+					const sshWrapped = await wrapSpawnWithSsh(
+						{
+							command: spawnCommand,
+							args: spawnArgs,
+							cwd,
+							prompt: participantPrompt,
+							customEnvVars:
+								configResolution.effectiveCustomEnvVars ??
+								getCustomEnvVarsCallback?.(participant.agentId),
+							promptArgs: agent.promptArgs,
+							noPromptSeparator: agent.noPromptSeparator,
+							agentBinaryName: agent.binaryName,
+						},
+						matchingSession.sshRemoteConfig,
+						sshStore
+					);
+					finalSpawnCommand = sshWrapped.command;
+					finalSpawnArgs = sshWrapped.args;
+					finalSpawnCwd = sshWrapped.cwd;
+					finalSpawnPrompt = sshWrapped.prompt;
+					finalSpawnEnvVars = sshWrapped.customEnvVars;
+					if (sshWrapped.sshRemoteUsed) {
+						console.log(`[GroupChat:Debug] SSH remote used: ${sshWrapped.sshRemoteUsed.name}`);
+					}
+				}
+
 				const spawnResult = processManager.spawn({
 					sessionId,
 					toolType: participant.agentId,
-					cwd,
+					cwd: finalSpawnCwd,
-					command: spawnCommand,
+					command: finalSpawnCommand,
-					args: spawnArgs,
+					args: finalSpawnArgs,
 					readOnlyMode: readOnly ?? false, // Propagate read-only mode from caller
-					prompt: participantPrompt,
+					prompt: finalSpawnPrompt,
 					contextWindow: getContextWindowValue(agent, agentConfigValues),
-					customEnvVars:
+					customEnvVars: finalSpawnEnvVars,
-						configResolution.effectiveCustomEnvVars ??
-						getCustomEnvVarsCallback?.(participant.agentId),
 					promptArgs: agent.promptArgs,
 					noPromptSeparator: agent.noPromptSeparator,
 				});

src/main/index.ts

@@ -60,11 +60,13 @@ import {
 	setGetSessionsCallback,
 	setGetCustomEnvVarsCallback,
 	setGetAgentConfigCallback,
+	setSshStore,
 	markParticipantResponded,
 	spawnModeratorSynthesis,
 	getGroupChatReadOnlyState,
 	respawnParticipantWithRecovery,
 } from './group-chat/group-chat-router';
+import { createSshRemoteStoreAdapter } from './utils/ssh-remote-resolver';
 import { updateParticipant, loadGroupChat, updateGroupChat } from './group-chat/group-chat-storage';
 import { needsSessionRecovery, initiateSessionRecovery } from './group-chat/session-recovery';
 import { initializeSessionStorages } from './storage';
@@ -553,6 +555,8 @@ function setupIpcHandlers() {
 				customEnvVars: s.customEnvVars,
 				customModel: s.customModel,
 				sshRemoteName,
+				// Pass full SSH config for remote execution support
+				sshRemoteConfig: s.sessionSshRemoteConfig,
 			};
 		});
 	});
@@ -561,6 +565,9 @@ function setupIpcHandlers() {
 	setGetCustomEnvVarsCallback(getCustomEnvVarsForAgent);
 	setGetAgentConfigCallback(getAgentConfigForAgent);
 
+	// Set up SSH store for group chat SSH remote execution support
+	setSshStore(createSshRemoteStoreAdapter(store));
+
 	// Setup logger event forwarding to renderer
 	setupLoggerEventForwarding(() => mainWindow);
 

src/main/utils/ssh-spawn-wrapper.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,194 @@
+/**
+ * SSH Spawn Wrapper Utility
+ *
+ * Provides a reusable function to wrap spawn configurations with SSH remote execution.
+ * This extracts the SSH wrapping logic from the process:spawn IPC handler so it can be
+ * used by other components like Group Chat that spawn processes directly.
+ *
+ * IMPORTANT: Any feature that spawns agent processes must use this utility to properly
+ * support SSH remote execution. Without it, agents will always run locally even when
+ * the session is configured for SSH remote execution.
+ */
+
+import * as os from 'os';
+import type { SshRemoteConfig, AgentSshRemoteConfig } from '../../shared/types';
+import { getSshRemoteConfig, SshRemoteSettingsStore } from './ssh-remote-resolver';
+import { buildSshCommand } from './ssh-command-builder';
+import { logger } from './logger';
+
+const LOG_CONTEXT = '[SshSpawnWrapper]';
+
+/**
+ * Configuration for wrapping a spawn with SSH.
+ */
+export interface SshSpawnWrapConfig {
+	/** The command to execute */
+	command: string;
+	/** Arguments for the command */
+	args: string[];
+	/** Working directory */
+	cwd: string;
+	/** The prompt to send (if any) */
+	prompt?: string;
+	/** Custom environment variables */
+	customEnvVars?: Record<string, string>;
+	/** Agent's promptArgs function (for building prompt flags) */
+	promptArgs?: (prompt: string) => string[];
+	/** Whether agent uses -- separator before prompt */
+	noPromptSeparator?: boolean;
+	/** Agent's binary name (used for SSH remote command) */
+	agentBinaryName?: string;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Result of wrapping a spawn config with SSH.
+ */
+export interface SshSpawnWrapResult {
+	/** The command to spawn (may be 'ssh' if SSH is enabled) */
+	command: string;
+	/** Arguments for the command */
+	args: string[];
+	/** Working directory (local home for SSH, original for local) */
+	cwd: string;
+	/** Custom environment variables (undefined for SSH since they're in the command) */
+	customEnvVars?: Record<string, string>;
+	/** The prompt to pass to ProcessManager (undefined for small SSH prompts, original for large) */
+	prompt?: string;
+	/** Whether SSH remote was used */
+	sshRemoteUsed: SshRemoteConfig | null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Wrap a spawn configuration with SSH remote execution if configured.
+ *
+ * This function handles:
+ * 1. Resolving the SSH remote configuration from session config
+ * 2. Building the SSH command wrapper for remote execution
+ * 3. Handling prompt embedding (small prompts in command line, large via stdin)
+ * 4. Adjusting cwd and env vars for SSH execution
+ *
+ * @param config The original spawn configuration
+ * @param sshConfig Session-level SSH configuration (if any)
+ * @param sshStore Store adapter for resolving SSH remote settings
+ * @returns Wrapped spawn configuration ready for ProcessManager
+ *
+ * @example
+ * const wrapped = await wrapSpawnWithSsh(
+ *   { command: 'claude', args: ['--print'], cwd: '/project', prompt: 'Hello' },
+ *   { enabled: true, remoteId: 'my-server' },
+ *   createSshRemoteStoreAdapter(settingsStore)
+ * );
+ * processManager.spawn(wrapped);
+ */
+export async function wrapSpawnWithSsh(
+	config: SshSpawnWrapConfig,
+	sshConfig: AgentSshRemoteConfig | undefined,
+	sshStore: SshRemoteSettingsStore
+): Promise<SshSpawnWrapResult> {
+	// Check if SSH is enabled for this session
+	if (!sshConfig?.enabled) {
+		// Local execution - return config unchanged
+		return {
+			command: config.command,
+			args: config.args,
+			cwd: config.cwd,
+			customEnvVars: config.customEnvVars,
+			prompt: config.prompt,
+			sshRemoteUsed: null,
+		};
+	}
+
+	// Resolve the SSH remote configuration
+	const sshResult = getSshRemoteConfig(sshStore, {
+		sessionSshConfig: sshConfig,
+	});
+
+	if (!sshResult.config) {
+		// SSH config not found or disabled - fall back to local execution
+		logger.warn('SSH remote config not found, falling back to local execution', LOG_CONTEXT, {
+			remoteId: sshConfig.remoteId,
+			source: sshResult.source,
+		});
+		return {
+			command: config.command,
+			args: config.args,
+			cwd: config.cwd,
+			customEnvVars: config.customEnvVars,
+			prompt: config.prompt,
+			sshRemoteUsed: null,
+		};
+	}
+
+	logger.info('Wrapping spawn with SSH remote execution', LOG_CONTEXT, {
+		remoteId: sshResult.config.id,
+		remoteName: sshResult.config.name,
+		host: sshResult.config.host,
+	});
+
+	// For SSH execution, we need to include the prompt in the args
+	// because ProcessManager.spawn() won't add it (we pass prompt: undefined for SSH)
+	// Use promptArgs if available (e.g., OpenCode -p), otherwise use positional arg
+	//
+	// For large prompts (>4000 chars), don't embed in command line to avoid
+	// command line length limits. Instead, use --input-format stream-json and
+	// let ProcessManager send via stdin.
+	const isLargePrompt = config.prompt && config.prompt.length > 4000;
+	let sshArgs = [...config.args];
+	let passPromptToSpawn: string | undefined;
+
+	if (config.prompt && !isLargePrompt) {
+		// Small prompt - embed in command line
+		if (config.promptArgs) {
+			sshArgs = [...config.args, ...config.promptArgs(config.prompt)];
+		} else if (config.noPromptSeparator) {
+			sshArgs = [...config.args, config.prompt];
+		} else {
+			sshArgs = [...config.args, '--', config.prompt];
+		}
+	} else if (config.prompt && isLargePrompt) {
+		// Large prompt - use stdin mode
+		sshArgs = [...config.args, '--input-format', 'stream-json'];
+		passPromptToSpawn = config.prompt; // Pass to ProcessManager for stdin delivery
+		logger.info('Using stdin for large prompt in SSH remote execution', LOG_CONTEXT, {
+			promptLength: config.prompt.length,
+			reason: 'avoid-command-line-length-limit',
+		});
+	}
+
+	// Determine the command to run on the remote host:
+	// Use agentBinaryName if provided (e.g., 'codex', 'claude'), otherwise use the command
+	// This avoids using local paths like '/opt/homebrew/bin/codex' on the remote
+	const remoteCommand = config.agentBinaryName || config.command;
+
+	// Check if we'll send input via stdin
+	const useStdin = sshArgs.includes('--input-format') && sshArgs.includes('stream-json');
+
+	// Build the SSH command
+	const sshCommand = await buildSshCommand(sshResult.config, {
+		command: remoteCommand,
+		args: sshArgs,
+		cwd: config.cwd,
+		env: config.customEnvVars,
+		useStdin,
+	});
+
+	logger.debug('SSH command built', LOG_CONTEXT, {
+		sshBinary: sshCommand.command,
+		sshArgsCount: sshCommand.args.length,
+		remoteCommand,
+		remoteArgs: sshArgs,
+		remoteCwd: config.cwd,
+	});
+
+	return {
+		command: sshCommand.command,
+		args: sshCommand.args,
+		// Use local home directory as cwd - remote cwd is in the SSH command
+		cwd: os.homedir(),
+		// Env vars are passed via the SSH command, not locally
+		customEnvVars: undefined,
+		// For large prompts, pass to ProcessManager for stdin delivery
+		prompt: passPromptToSpawn,
+		sshRemoteUsed: sshResult.config,
+	};
+}

src/shared/group-chat-types.ts

@@ -73,6 +73,12 @@ export interface ModeratorConfig {
 	customArgs?: string;
 	/** Custom environment variables */
 	customEnvVars?: Record<string, string>;
+	/** SSH remote config for remote execution */
+	sshRemoteConfig?: {
+		enabled: boolean;
+		remoteId: string | null;
+		workingDirOverride?: string;
+	};
 }
 
 /**