fix: seed retained empty file provider domains

Author: misrasaurabh1

apps/desktop/src-tauri/src/main.rs

@@ -8801,14 +8801,26 @@ fn activate_virtual_projection_mount(
         wait_for_virtual_projection_mount_point_children(state_root, mount)?;
     }
     let macos_domain_registration = register_virtual_projection(state_root, mount)?;
+    let seed_macos_working_set =
+        virtual_projection_mount_activation_seeds_working_set(mount, macos_domain_registration);
+    if seed_macos_working_set {
+        desktop_log(
+            "info",
+            "file_provider.working_set_seed",
+            format!(
+                "seeding macOS File Provider working set for mount `{}` because the shared domain is newly registered or has no visible source folders",
+                mount.mount_id.0
+            ),
+        );
+    }
     prefetch_virtual_projection_root(state_root, mount)?;
     if wait_for_entities
         && !virtual_projection_waits_for_mount_point_children_before_registration(&mount.projection)
     {
         wait_for_mount_entities(state_root, &mount.mount_id)?;
     }
     ensure_virtual_projection_runtime(state_root, mount)?;
-    refresh_virtual_projection_mount_activation(mount, macos_domain_registration);
+    refresh_virtual_projection_mount_activation(mount, seed_macos_working_set);
     recover_virtual_projection_mount_root_if_needed(state_root, mount)?;
     desktop_log(
         "info",
@@ -8885,7 +8897,11 @@ fn recover_macos_file_provider_mount_root_if_needed(
     );
     prefetch_virtual_projection_root(state_root, mount)?;
     ensure_virtual_projection_runtime(state_root, mount)?;
-    refresh_virtual_projection_mount_activation(mount, MacosFileProviderDomainRegistration::Reused);
+    let seed_macos_working_set = virtual_projection_mount_activation_seeds_working_set(
+        mount,
+        MacosFileProviderDomainRegistration::Reused,
+    );
+    refresh_virtual_projection_mount_activation(mount, seed_macos_working_set);
 
     wait_for_macos_file_provider_mount_root_recovery(
         &root,
@@ -9806,11 +9822,9 @@ fn signal_virtual_projection_refresh(mount: &MountConfig) {
     }
 }
 
-fn refresh_virtual_projection_mount_activation(
-    mount: &MountConfig,
-    domain_registration: MacosFileProviderDomainRegistration,
-) {
-    for action in virtual_projection_mount_activation_refresh_actions(mount, domain_registration) {
+fn refresh_virtual_projection_mount_activation(mount: &MountConfig, seed_macos_working_set: bool) {
+    for action in virtual_projection_mount_activation_refresh_actions(mount, seed_macos_working_set)
+    {
         run_virtual_projection_refresh_action(mount, &action);
     }
 }
@@ -9848,14 +9862,14 @@ fn virtual_projection_refresh_actions(mount: &MountConfig) -> Vec<VirtualProject
 
 fn virtual_projection_mount_activation_refresh_actions(
     mount: &MountConfig,
-    domain_registration: MacosFileProviderDomainRegistration,
+    seed_macos_working_set: bool,
 ) -> Vec<VirtualProjectionRefreshAction> {
     if mount.projection == ProjectionMode::MacosFileProvider {
         let mut actions = vec![
             VirtualProjectionRefreshAction::Signal(ROOT_CONTAINER_IDENTIFIER.to_string()),
             VirtualProjectionRefreshAction::ReimportThenSignal(mount_point_identifier(mount)),
         ];
-        if domain_registration == MacosFileProviderDomainRegistration::Created {
+        if seed_macos_working_set {
             actions.push(VirtualProjectionRefreshAction::Signal(
                 "working-set".to_string(),
             ));
@@ -9865,6 +9879,38 @@ fn virtual_projection_mount_activation_refresh_actions(
     virtual_projection_refresh_actions(mount)
 }
 
+fn virtual_projection_mount_activation_seeds_working_set(
+    mount: &MountConfig,
+    domain_registration: MacosFileProviderDomainRegistration,
+) -> bool {
+    if mount.projection != ProjectionMode::MacosFileProvider {
+        return false;
+    }
+    if domain_registration == MacosFileProviderDomainRegistration::Created {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    mount_access_root(mount)
+        .parent()
+        .is_some_and(macos_file_provider_domain_root_is_visibly_empty)
+}
+
+fn macos_file_provider_domain_root_is_visibly_empty(root: &Path) -> bool {
+    let entries = match fs::read_dir(root) {
+        Ok(entries) => entries,
+        Err(error) => return error.kind() == io::ErrorKind::NotFound,
+    };
+    for entry in entries {
+        let Ok(entry) = entry else {
+            return false;
+        };
+        if !entry.file_name().to_string_lossy().starts_with('.') {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+    true
+}
+
 fn refresh_virtual_projection_container(
     mount: &MountConfig,
     action: &VirtualProjectionRefreshAction,
@@ -12087,7 +12133,8 @@ mod tests {
         live_mode_should_reconcile_local_target_for_key, live_mode_target,
         live_mode_tick_from_snapshot, live_mode_wake_generation, load_desktop_activity,
         macos_app_bundle_for_exe, macos_file_provider_child_item_count,
-        macos_file_provider_domain_registration, macos_file_provider_mount_root_health_error,
+        macos_file_provider_domain_registration, macos_file_provider_domain_root_is_visibly_empty,
+        macos_file_provider_mount_root_health_error,
         macos_file_provider_mount_root_inspection_recovery_reason,
         macos_file_provider_mount_root_is_missing, macos_file_provider_mount_root_recovery_reason,
         mark_mount_live_mode_syncing, mount_has_pending_local_changes,
@@ -15050,10 +15097,7 @@ mod tests {
         .projection(ProjectionMode::MacosFileProvider);
 
         assert_eq!(
-            virtual_projection_mount_activation_refresh_actions(
-                &mount,
-                MacosFileProviderDomainRegistration::Reused,
-            ),
+            virtual_projection_mount_activation_refresh_actions(&mount, false),
             vec![
                 VirtualProjectionRefreshAction::Signal("root".to_string()),
                 VirtualProjectionRefreshAction::ReimportThenSignal(
@@ -15064,7 +15108,7 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn macos_file_provider_new_domain_seeds_the_working_set_once() {
+    fn macos_file_provider_new_domain_seeds_the_working_set() {
         let mount = MountConfig::new(
             MountId::new("notion-main"),
             "notion",
@@ -15073,10 +15117,7 @@ mod tests {
         .projection(ProjectionMode::MacosFileProvider);
 
         assert_eq!(
-            virtual_projection_mount_activation_refresh_actions(
-                &mount,
-                MacosFileProviderDomainRegistration::Created,
-            ),
+            virtual_projection_mount_activation_refresh_actions(&mount, true),
             vec![
                 VirtualProjectionRefreshAction::Signal("root".to_string()),
                 VirtualProjectionRefreshAction::ReimportThenSignal("mount:notion-main".to_string(),),
@@ -15085,6 +15126,32 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn macos_file_provider_retained_empty_domain_requires_working_set_seed() {
+        let temp = TestTempDir::new("desktop-file-provider-retained-empty-domain");
+        let domain_root = temp.path().join("Locality");
+        fs::create_dir_all(domain_root.join(".Trash")).expect("create File Provider trash");
+        fs::write(domain_root.join(".DS_Store"), "metadata").expect("create hidden metadata");
+
+        assert!(macos_file_provider_domain_root_is_visibly_empty(
+            &domain_root
+        ));
+
+        fs::create_dir(domain_root.join("notion")).expect("create visible Notion mount");
+        assert!(!macos_file_provider_domain_root_is_visibly_empty(
+            &domain_root
+        ));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn macos_file_provider_missing_domain_root_requires_working_set_seed() {
+        let temp = TestTempDir::new("desktop-file-provider-missing-domain-root");
+
+        assert!(macos_file_provider_domain_root_is_visibly_empty(
+            &temp.path().join("Locality")
+        ));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn macos_file_provider_registration_report_defaults_to_reused() {
         assert_eq!(

docs/desktop-app.md

@@ -213,12 +213,17 @@ Later source mounts reuse the existing shared File Provider domain. Adding a
 top-level source folder such as `google-calendar-main` signals the domain root
 enumerator so macOS can discover that one child, but must not reimport the
 shared root, replace its registration, or disturb sibling mounts such as
-`notion`. A newly created domain also receives one non-destructive working-set
+`notion`. A newly created domain also receives a non-destructive working-set
 signal after its first source is ready; macOS requires that initial enumeration
-to seed the otherwise-empty File Provider database. Later source activation
-does not repeat the working-set signal. Registration is idempotent when the
-shared domain already exists; automatic setup treats that registration as
-authoritative rather than removing and recreating it to repair metadata.
+to seed the otherwise-empty File Provider database. macOS can retain a domain
+registration while discarding all of its visible source folders, so activation
+also seeds a reused domain when its root contains no visible entries other than
+system-owned hidden items such as `.Trash`. The scoped retry repeats that seed
+only while the root remains empty. Later source activation does not signal the
+working set when any sibling source folder is visible. Registration is
+idempotent when the shared domain already exists; automatic setup treats that
+registration as authoritative rather than removing and recreating it to repair
+metadata.
 Reimport and readiness repair stay scoped to the new mount-point identifier.
 Mount-point appearance gets an initial 30-second wait and one 30-second scoped
 refresh window; if it is still unavailable, Locality reports a recoverable

platform/macos/LocalityFileProvider/README.md

@@ -70,14 +70,17 @@ Finder must enter the File Provider domain so directory listings call
 `file_provider_children` on `localityd`.
 
 Mount activation signals the shared domain root after adding a source. A newly
-registered domain also receives one working-set signal to seed macOS's initially
-empty File Provider database. Later source mounts do not repeat that global
-signal: their reimport and readiness repair stay scoped to the new mount-point
-identifier. Because macOS creates a source folder asynchronously, Locality waits
-for it before inspecting it and retries the scoped refresh once. Automatic
-activation never resets or re-registers the shared domain. Reconnecting an
-existing source retries this activation path instead of only reloading daemon
-mounts.
+registered domain also receives a working-set signal to seed macOS's initially
+empty File Provider database. Because macOS may retain the registration while
+discarding its visible source folders, Locality applies the same seed to a reused
+domain whose root has only hidden system items such as `.Trash`. The scoped
+retry repeats the seed only while that root remains empty. When a sibling source
+folder is visible, later source mounts do not send the global signal: their
+reimport and readiness repair stay scoped to the new mount-point identifier.
+Because macOS creates a source folder asynchronously, Locality waits for it
+before inspecting it and retries the scoped refresh once. Automatic activation
+never resets or re-registers the shared domain. Reconnecting an existing source
+retries this activation path instead of only reloading daemon mounts.
 
 Delete support still returns unsupported. Creates and renames are represented as
 daemon virtual mutations and stay pending until the normal review and push flow