feat(settings): resolver-native dep lists, mason as optional backend

Move lsp/formatter/linter/dap dep lists to resolver-native names with a
tool_install_timeout knob, and guard the removed external_lsp_deps key with a
migration warning. mason.lua drops the bootstrap ensure-install loop (the
resolvers own installs) and attaches registry events for mid-session install
hand-off; mason-nvim-dap becomes a standalone lazy spec so a provisioned session
never pays Mason on the :Dap tick. vim.yml teaches selene package.searchpath.

Author: charliie-dev

lua/core/settings.lua

@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ settings["disabled_plugins"] = {}
 -- These settings will override the defaults during initialization.
 -- Parameters will auto-complete as you type.
 -- Example: { sky = "#04A5E5" }
----@type palette[]
+---@type palette
+---@diagnostic disable-next-line: missing-fields
 settings["palette_overwrite"] = {}
 
 -- Set the colorscheme here.
@@ -84,23 +85,19 @@ settings["external_browser"] = "chrome-cli open"
 ---@type boolean
 settings["lsp_inlayhints"] = false
 
--- LSPs installed outside Mason (e.g. via system package manager).
--- These will be configured but not installed by Mason.
--- Key: lspconfig server name, Value: executable name to check availability.
----@type table<string, string>
-settings["external_lsp_deps"] = {
-	nixd = "nixd",
-	nil_ls = "nil",
-	shuck = "shuck", -- shell linter/formatter/LSP (Rust); installed via mise, not Mason
-	-- dartls = "dart",
-}
-
--- LSPs to install during bootstrap.
+-- Language servers to enable, resolved discovery-first at runtime: binary on $PATH is
+-- used as-is; else Mason installs it when it ships a package; else an aggregated warning
+-- asks you to provision it. Names whose filetypes lspconfig knows resolve on that
+-- filetype's FIRST buffer (a late sweep classifies the rest once per session); names
+-- with user overrides, repo modules that override filetypes, or no filetype data
+-- resolve on the first file open. See `modules.utils.tools` and
+-- `completion/mason-lspconfig.lua`.
 -- Full list: https://github.com/neovim/nvim-lspconfig/tree/master/lsp
 ---@type string[]
 settings["lsp_deps"] = {
 	"bashls",
 	"clangd",
+	-- "dartls", -- Dart LSP (ships with the Dart SDK)
 	"dockerls",
 	"gh_actions_ls",
 	-- "gitlab_ci_ls",
@@ -111,7 +108,10 @@ settings["lsp_deps"] = {
 	"lua_ls",
 	"marksman",
 	"neocmake",
+	"nil_ls", -- Nix LSP; the Nix-provisioned $PATH binary is preferred
+	"nixd", -- Nix LSP (Rust); provisioned from Nix ($PATH)
 	"ruff",
+	"shuck", -- shell linter/formatter/LSP (Rust); installed via mise by choice ($PATH wins)
 	"systemd_lsp",
 	"terraformls",
 	"tflint",
@@ -120,39 +120,56 @@ settings["lsp_deps"] = {
 	"zuban",
 }
 
--- Formatters to install during bootstrap (Mason package names).
--- These are managed by Mason and used by conform.nvim.
+-- Formatters to resolve when conform.nvim lazy-loads (first BufWritePre /
+-- :Format). conform formatter names, resolved discovery-first like lsp_deps.
 ---@type string[]
 settings["formatter_deps"] = {
 	"beautysh",
 	"clang-format",
-	"cmakelang",
+	"cmake_format",
 	"fixjson",
 	"gofumpt",
 	"goimports",
 	"mdsf",
+	"nixfmt", -- Nix formatter; prefer the $PATH binary (Nix)
 	"prettier",
 	"superhtml",
 	"shellharden",
+	"statix", -- Nix linter, its `fix` mode doubles as a conform formatter; from Nix ($PATH)
 	"stylua",
 }
 
--- Linters to install during bootstrap (Mason package names).
--- These are managed by Mason and used by nvim-lint.
+-- Linters to resolve discovery-first (nvim-lint linter names). A name mapped
+-- to a filetype resolves on that filetype's FIRST matching event after
+-- nvim-lint lazy-loads (the resolve-only FileType autocmd or a lint event) —
+-- nothing is installed or warned about before such a buffer opens; unmapped
+-- names (typos, manual-only linters) get an immediate deferred pass instead.
 ---@type string[]
 settings["linter_deps"] = {
 	"actionlint",
+	"deadnix", -- Nix dead-code linter; prefer the $PATH binary (Nix)
 	"hadolint",
 	"markdownlint-cli2",
 	"oxlint",
 	-- "rumdl", -- markdownlint Rust rewrite; waiting for rule coverage to mature
-	"golangci-lint",
+	"golangcilint",
 	"selene",
 	"shellcheck",
+	"shuck", -- shell linter for yaml.github `run:` blocks; installed via mise by choice
+	"statix", -- Nix linter; prefer the $PATH binary (Nix)
 	"systemdlint",
+	"zsh", -- `zsh -n` syntax check via the system shell itself
 }
 
--- Debug Adapter Protocol (DAP) clients to install and configure during bootstrap.
+-- Deadline (ms) for background Mason work before the aggregated missing-tool warning
+-- flushes anyway. Gates each tracked install (its own window) AND the registry refresh
+-- wait; late completions still recover. Missing or non-positive values fall back to
+-- the resolver's DEFAULT_TOOL_INSTALL_TIMEOUT_MS in `modules/utils/tools.lua`.
+---@type number
+settings["tool_install_timeout"] = 300000
+
+-- DAP adapters to enable (mason-nvim-dap adapter names), resolved
+-- discovery-first when nvim-dap lazy-loads (first :Dap* command or debug keymap).
 -- Supported DAPs: https://github.com/jay-babu/mason-nvim-dap.nvim/blob/main/lua/mason-nvim-dap/mappings/source.lua
 ---@type string[]
 settings["dap_deps"] = {
@@ -242,4 +259,58 @@ settings["dashboard_image"] = {
 	[[⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⠛⠿⠿⢿⠿⠷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀]],
 }
 
-return require("modules.utils").extend_config(settings, "user.settings")
+local merged = require("modules.utils").extend_config(settings, "user.settings")
+
+-- Migration guard: the discovery-first refactor removed this key; a stale
+-- user/settings.lua would merge it in and feed nothing — its servers would
+-- vanish without a word.
+if merged.external_lsp_deps ~= nil then
+	-- The removed setting was a MAP of server name -> executable name, but a
+	-- stale override can survive in any shape: classify before advising so the
+	-- guidance never presents numeric indices as keys, never drops entries a
+	-- half-migrated LIST residue still carries, and always names the final
+	-- step (deleting the dead key). Neither group suppresses the other.
+	local string_keys, list_items = {}, {}
+	if type(merged.external_lsp_deps) == "table" then
+		for k, v in pairs(merged.external_lsp_deps) do
+			if type(k) == "string" then
+				string_keys[#string_keys + 1] = k
+			elseif type(k) == "number" and type(v) == "string" then
+				list_items[#list_items + 1] = v
+			end
+		end
+		table.sort(string_keys)
+		table.sort(list_items)
+	end
+	local guidance
+	if #string_keys > 0 and #list_items > 0 then
+		guidance = "Move its KEYS ("
+			.. table.concat(string_keys, ", ")
+			.. ") AND its list entries ("
+			.. table.concat(list_items, ", ")
+			.. ")\n— all of them server names — into `lsp_deps`, then delete `external_lsp_deps`."
+	elseif #string_keys > 0 then
+		guidance = "Move its KEYS ("
+			.. table.concat(string_keys, ", ")
+			.. ") — the server names, not the\n"
+			.. "executable values — into `lsp_deps`, then delete `external_lsp_deps`."
+	elseif #list_items > 0 then
+		guidance = "It now holds a LIST ("
+			.. table.concat(list_items, ", ")
+			.. ") — those are already the\n"
+			.. "server names; move them into `lsp_deps` and delete `external_lsp_deps`."
+	else
+		guidance = "It is empty or not a map — delete `external_lsp_deps` from user/settings.lua."
+	end
+	-- (Scheduled: the notifier plugin isn't loaded this early; the default
+	-- notify still lands in :messages.)
+	vim.schedule(function()
+		vim.notify(
+			"`external_lsp_deps` was removed: non-Mason servers are now discovered\nfrom $PATH. " .. guidance,
+			vim.log.levels.WARN,
+			{ title = "core.settings" }
+		)
+	end)
+end
+
+return merged

lua/modules/configs/completion/mason.lua

@@ -27,34 +27,14 @@ M.setup = function()
 		},
 	})
 
-	-- Ensure formatters and linters are installed (only if mason loaded)
-	local ok, registry = pcall(require, "mason-registry")
-	if not ok then
-		return
-	end
+	-- Formatter/linter resolution lives in conform.lua and nvim-lint.lua (against their
+	-- own registrations); Mason here is UI-only / lazy install fallback.
 
-	local settings = require("core.settings")
-	local ensure_installed = vim.list_extend(vim.deepcopy(settings.formatter_deps), settings.linter_deps)
-
-	for _, pkg_name in ipairs(ensure_installed) do
-		local pkg_ok, pkg = pcall(registry.get_package, pkg_name)
-		if not pkg_ok then
-			vim.notify(
-				string.format("[Mason] Package '%s' not found in registry", pkg_name),
-				vim.log.levels.WARN,
-				{ title = "Mason" }
-			)
-		elseif not pkg:is_installed() then
-			pkg:install():once("closed", function()
-				if not pkg:is_installed() then
-					vim.notify(
-						string.format("[Mason] Failed to install '%s'", pkg_name),
-						vim.log.levels.WARN,
-						{ title = "Mason" }
-					)
-				end
-			end)
-		end
+	-- A user-driven install (:MasonInstall / the :Mason UI) must finish any
+	-- pending resolver hand-off even when no resolver ever loaded the registry.
+	local ok, registry = pcall(require, "mason-registry")
+	if ok then
+		require("modules.utils.tools").attach_registry_events(registry)
 	end
 end
 

lua/modules/plugins/tool.lua

@@ -76,18 +76,6 @@ tool["aaronhallaert/advanced-git-search.nvim"] = {
 	},
 }
 
--- tool["amitds1997/remote-nvim.nvim"] = {
--- 	lazy = true,
--- 	version = "*",
--- 	cmd = { "RemoteStart", "RemoteStop", "RemoteInfo", "RemoteCleanup", "RemoteConfigDel", "RemoteLog" },
--- 	dependencies = {
--- 		"nvim-lua/plenary.nvim",
--- 		"MunifTanjim/nui.nvim",
--- 		"nvim-telescope/telescope.nvim",
--- 	},
--- 	config = true,
--- }
-
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 --                           DAP Plugins                            --
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -106,7 +94,6 @@ tool["mfussenegger/nvim-dap"] = {
 	},
 	config = require("tool.dap"),
 	dependencies = {
-		{ "jay-babu/mason-nvim-dap.nvim" },
 		{
 			"rcarriga/nvim-dap-ui",
 			dependencies = "nvim-neotest/nvim-nio",
@@ -115,6 +102,15 @@ tool["mfussenegger/nvim-dap"] = {
 	},
 }
 
+-- mason-nvim-dap only supplies the adapter -> package mappings; the DAP resolver
+-- degrades to $PATH discovery when it (or mason.nvim) is absent. Deliberately
+-- NOT a dependency of nvim-dap: lazy.nvim loads dependencies together with the
+-- parent, and a fully provisioned session must not pay Mason on the :Dap*
+-- tick — the DAP config requires it on demand (module loader) instead.
+tool["jay-babu/mason-nvim-dap.nvim"] = {
+	lazy = true,
+}
+
 tool["trixnz/sops.nvim"] = {
 	lazy = false,
 }

vim.yml

@@ -6,3 +6,13 @@ globals:
     any: true
   _debugging:
     any: true
+  # LuaJIT ships the Lua 5.2 extension package.searchpath; the lua51 base
+  # selene std lib doesn't know it.
+  package.searchpath:
+    args:
+      - type: string
+      - type: string
+      - type: string
+        required: false
+      - type: string
+        required: false