Description
In a Grok Build chat on Android, /always-approve does nothing visible and does not stop bash permission cards. Reads go through. Every shell command still waits for a tap.
Grok's own docs treat /always-approve as a session toggle: on → skip ordinary tool prompts; run it again → back to ask. On the desktop TUI that is a status badge. In Shellular there is no toast, no badge, and bash still prompts.
I am not asking to turn always-approve on for every Grok session. Permission cards are useful as the default. I want the command that is already in the slash menu to actually flip this session.
Steps to reproduce
- Pair the Android app with the host CLI.
- Open Grok Build on a trusted repo.
- Ask it to run a non-readonly shell command (anything other than
ls / git status / similar).
- Approve the permission card.
- Run
/always-approve from the composer.
- Ask for another shell command.
Expected
A confirmation that always-approve is on for this session. Later bash calls run without a card. Running /always-approve again returns to asking.
Actual
Step 5 is silent. Step 6 shows another bash card.
This session's Grok event log still had yolo_mode: true on every turn, including after the slash command, and there was no mode-change event. Bash still blocked on the client:
| Tool |
wait_ms |
grep / list_dir / read_file |
0 |
run_terminal_command (before /always-approve) |
3292 |
run_terminal_command (after /always-approve) |
7800 |
Unique write (mkdir + printf to /tmp) to reproduce |
11436 |
So the phone is still the approver. Grok thinks yolo is already on; the slash command neither confirms that nor changes Shellular's handling of session/request_permission.
Environment
- App: Shellular 0.0.43 (43) on a Pixel 10 Pro (Android)
- Host: macOS,
npx shellular / host agent
- Grok Build: 1.0.13 (
grok agent stdio)
~/.grok/config.toml has permission_mode = "always-approve" (and, after we noticed a split with the legacy key, yolo = true)- Project is trusted
Where it looks like it breaks
Host spawn does not pass Grok's always-approve flag:
https://github.com/shellular-org/packages/blob/main/cli/src/agents/agents.ts
"grok-build": {
spawn: {
command: "grok",
args: ["agent", "stdio"],
},
},session/new does not set _meta.yoloMode. Grok documents that as the ACP way to put a session in always-approve:
The host then forwards session/request_permission to the app, which is correct for ask mode. /always-approve never changes that path, and the app does not show that the toggle ran. Grok documents it as a silent toggle that turns off if you run it while already on — so a no-op on the phone is easy to misread.
This is the same ACP-client gap as Paseo #2053 (no Always-approve control for Grok). It is not xAI plugin-marketplace #209 (Allow does nothing and the tool is cancelled). Here Allow works; you just have to tap every time.
Proposed fix (session toggle, not a new default)
Keep tap-to-approve as the default. When the user runs /always-approve in a Grok session:
- Treat it as a per-session toggle (on / off), same as Grok's TUI.
- Show a toast or badge so it is not silent.
- While on, either:
- tell Grok (
session/setMode if advertised, or _meta.yoloMode on session/new / equivalent), so it stops sending bash session/request_permission, or
- auto-answer those RPCs on the host/app side for this session only.
A follow-up in shellular-org/app may be needed for the toast/badge. I would not spawn grok agent --always-approve stdio for every Grok session.
Happy to send a PR against packages (and app dev if you want the UI) once you say which of those two "while on" options you prefer.
Workaround
Approve each bash card, or run a custom agent that launches grok agent --always-approve stdio. The custom agent is a frozen argv and drifts from the builtin grok-build adapter, so I would rather have the slash command work.
Description
In a Grok Build chat on Android,
/always-approvedoes nothing visible and does not stop bash permission cards. Reads go through. Every shell command still waits for a tap.Grok's own docs treat
/always-approveas a session toggle: on → skip ordinary tool prompts; run it again → back to ask. On the desktop TUI that is a status badge. In Shellular there is no toast, no badge, and bash still prompts.I am not asking to turn always-approve on for every Grok session. Permission cards are useful as the default. I want the command that is already in the slash menu to actually flip this session.
Steps to reproduce
ls/git status/ similar)./always-approvefrom the composer.Expected
A confirmation that always-approve is on for this session. Later bash calls run without a card. Running
/always-approveagain returns to asking.Actual
Step 5 is silent. Step 6 shows another bash card.
This session's Grok event log still had
yolo_mode: trueon every turn, including after the slash command, and there was no mode-change event. Bash still blocked on the client:wait_msgrep/list_dir/read_filerun_terminal_command(before/always-approve)run_terminal_command(after/always-approve)mkdir+printfto/tmp) to reproduceSo the phone is still the approver. Grok thinks yolo is already on; the slash command neither confirms that nor changes Shellular's handling of
session/request_permission.Environment
npx shellular/ host agentgrok agent stdio)~/.grok/config.tomlhaspermission_mode = "always-approve"(and, after we noticed a split with the legacy key,yolo = true)Where it looks like it breaks
Host spawn does not pass Grok's always-approve flag:
https://github.com/shellular-org/packages/blob/main/cli/src/agents/agents.ts
session/newdoes not set_meta.yoloMode. Grok documents that as the ACP way to put a session in always-approve:The host then forwards
session/request_permissionto the app, which is correct for ask mode./always-approvenever changes that path, and the app does not show that the toggle ran. Grok documents it as a silent toggle that turns off if you run it while already on — so a no-op on the phone is easy to misread.This is the same ACP-client gap as Paseo #2053 (no Always-approve control for Grok). It is not xAI plugin-marketplace #209 (Allow does nothing and the tool is cancelled). Here Allow works; you just have to tap every time.
Proposed fix (session toggle, not a new default)
Keep tap-to-approve as the default. When the user runs
/always-approvein a Grok session:session/setModeif advertised, or_meta.yoloModeonsession/new/ equivalent), so it stops sending bashsession/request_permission, orA follow-up in shellular-org/app may be needed for the toast/badge. I would not spawn
grok agent --always-approve stdiofor every Grok session.Happy to send a PR against
packages(andappdevif you want the UI) once you say which of those two "while on" options you prefer.Workaround
Approve each bash card, or run a custom agent that launches
grok agent --always-approve stdio. The custom agent is a frozen argv and drifts from the builtingrok-buildadapter, so I would rather have the slash command work.