Handle burn backend failures in the TUI

bin/burn

@@ -345,6 +345,7 @@ total_cost=0.000000
 BAR_WIDTH=30
 cli_pid=""
 last_output=""
+last_error=""
 
 # Build CLI command for the chosen backend.
 case "$backend" in
@@ -464,10 +465,11 @@ trap on_interrupt INT
 # Run one CLI call in the background while animating flames. On success
 # leaves the parsed stdout in $last_output. Returns the CLI exit status.
 run_cli() {
-  local output_file
+  local output_file error_file
   output_file=$(mktemp)
+  error_file=$(mktemp)
   # </dev/null prevents codex from waiting on stdin when run in background.
-  "${cli_cmd[@]}" "$prompt" >"$output_file" 2>/dev/null </dev/null &
+  "${cli_cmd[@]}" "$prompt" >"$output_file" 2>"$error_file" </dev/null &
   cli_pid=$!
 
   local frame=0
@@ -481,16 +483,49 @@ run_cli() {
 
   if wait "$cli_pid" 2>/dev/null; then
     last_output=$(<"$output_file")
-    rm -f "$output_file"
+    last_error=""
+    rm -f "$output_file" "$error_file"
     cli_pid=""
     return 0
   else
-    rm -f "$output_file"
+    last_error=$(<"$error_file")
+    rm -f "$output_file" "$error_file"
     cli_pid=""
     return 1
   fi
 }
 
+last_error_summary() {
+  awk '
+    NF {
+      line = $0
+    }
+    END {
+      gsub(/\t/, "  ", line)
+      gsub(/\r/, "", line)
+      print line
+    }
+  ' <<<"$last_error"
+}
+
+report_backend_failure() {
+  local err message
+  err=$(last_error_summary)
+  message="two consecutive ${backend} calls failed; aborting."
+  if [[ -n "$err" ]]; then
+    message="${message} Last error: ${err}"
+  fi
+
+  if ((TUI_CHILD)); then
+    printf 'BURN_ERROR\t%s\n' "$message"
+  fi
+
+  printf "\nerror: two consecutive %s calls failed; aborting.\n" "$backend" >&2
+  if [[ -n "$err" ]]; then
+    printf "last %s error: %s\n" "$backend" "$err" >&2
+  fi
+}
+
 # Parse one CLI call's output into "<tokens> <cost>" (tab-separated).
 parse_usage() {
   case "$backend" in
@@ -540,7 +575,7 @@ while ((burned < tokens)); do
   if ! run_cli; then
     draw_bar " (retrying)"
     if ! run_cli; then
-      printf "\nerror: two consecutive %s calls failed; aborting.\n" "$backend" >&2
+      report_backend_failure
       exit 1
     fi
   fi

bin/tui.js

@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ let iterationCalls = 0;
 let burnSpeed = 0;
 let telemetryLogs = [];
 let burnCompletedSuccessfully = true;
+let burnFailureSticky = false;
+let burnFailureMessage = '';
 
 // Timing metrics for speed calculations
 let lastTime = 0;
@@ -382,6 +384,15 @@ function parseProgressLine(rawLine) {
   const cleanLine = stripAnsi(rawLine).trim();
   if (!cleanLine) return false;
 
+  if (cleanLine.startsWith('BURN_ERROR\t')) {
+    const message = cleanLine.split('\t').slice(1).join('\t').trim();
+    burnCompletedSuccessfully = false;
+    burnFailureSticky = true;
+    burnFailureMessage = message || 'Burn process failed.';
+    appendTelemetry(`❌ ${burnFailureMessage}`);
+    return true;
+  }
+
   if (cleanLine.startsWith('BURN_PROGRESS\t')) {
     const parts = cleanLine.split('\t');
     const parsed = updateProgress(
@@ -831,6 +842,14 @@ function handleBurnKey(str, key) {
   const isSpace = (key && key.name === 'space') || str === ' ';
   const isEscape = (key && key.name === 'escape') || str === '\u001b';
 
+  if (burnFailureSticky) {
+    burnFailureSticky = false;
+    setScreen('config');
+    focusedItem = 'backend';
+    isWarningNihilist = false;
+    return;
+  }
+  
   if (isSpace || isEscape) {
     appendTelemetry(`${RED}⚠️ Interrupted by user. Extinguishing core...${RESET}`);
     abortBurn();
@@ -896,6 +915,8 @@ function startCombustion() {
   setScreen('burn');
   
   burnWasAborted = false;
+  burnFailureSticky = false;
+  burnFailureMessage = '';
   targetTokens = selectedPresetIdx === 4 ? customTokens : PRESETS[selectedPresetIdx];
   burnedTokens = 0;
   burnPercentage = 0;
@@ -913,11 +934,10 @@ function startCombustion() {
 
   const scriptPath = path.join(__dirname, 'burn');
   if (!fs.existsSync(scriptPath)) {
-    appendTelemetry(`❌ [system] Burn script not found: ${scriptPath}`);
+    burnFailureMessage = `Burn script not found: ${scriptPath}`;
+    appendTelemetry(`❌ [system] ${burnFailureMessage}`);
     burnCompletedSuccessfully = false;
-    returnToConfigTimer = setTimeout(() => {
+    burnFailureSticky = true;
-      if (activeScreen === 'burn') setScreen('config');
-    }, 2500);
     return;
   }
   
@@ -963,10 +983,9 @@ function startCombustion() {
     activeChild = null;
     stopAudioFeed();
     burnCompletedSuccessfully = false;
-    appendTelemetry(`❌ [system] Could not start burn process: ${error.message}`);
+    burnFailureSticky = true;
-    returnToConfigTimer = setTimeout(() => {
+    burnFailureMessage = `Could not start burn process: ${error.message}`;
-      if (activeScreen === 'burn') setScreen('config');
+    appendTelemetry(`❌ [system] ${burnFailureMessage}`);
-    }, 3000);
   });
 
   activeChild.on('close', (code) => {
@@ -978,18 +997,22 @@ function startCombustion() {
     }
     if (code === 0 && !burnWasAborted) {
       burnCompletedSuccessfully = true;
+      burnFailureSticky = false;
       setScreen('victory');
-    } else {
+    } else if (burnWasAborted) {
       burnCompletedSuccessfully = false;
-      appendTelemetry(
+      appendTelemetry('🛑 [system] Combustion aborted.');
-        burnWasAborted
-          ? '🛑 [system] Combustion aborted.'
-          : `❌ [system] Process terminated with exit code: ${code}`
-      );
       returnToConfigTimer = setTimeout(() => {
         returnToConfigTimer = null;
         if (activeScreen === 'burn') setScreen('config');
-      }, burnWasAborted ? 900 : 3000);
+      }, 900);
+    } else {
+      burnCompletedSuccessfully = false;
+      burnFailureSticky = true;
+      if (!burnFailureMessage) {
+        burnFailureMessage = `Process terminated with exit code: ${code}`;
+      }
+      appendTelemetry(`❌ [system] ${burnFailureMessage}`);
     }
   });
 }
@@ -1166,16 +1189,18 @@ function compileConfigScreen() {
 // 2. Compile Screen: Active Burn
 function compileBurnScreen() {
   let s = '';
+  const failed = burnFailureSticky && !activeChild;
 
-  s += `${RED}🔥 ${BOLD}${YELLOW}ACTIVE COMBUSTION ARENA${RESET} ${RED}•${RESET} ${CYAN}${backend.toUpperCase()} (${BACKEND_MODELS[backend][activeModelIdx].id})${RESET}\n`;
+  const title = failed ? `${BOLD}${RED}COMBUSTION FAILED${RESET}` : `${BOLD}${YELLOW}ACTIVE COMBUSTION ARENA${RESET}`;
+  s += `${RED}🔥 ${title} ${RED}•${RESET} ${CYAN}${backend.toUpperCase()} (${BACKEND_MODELS[backend][activeModelIdx].id})${RESET}\n`;
 
   // Two Column Layout
-  const dancerLines = DANCER_POSES[dancerFrame];
+  const dancerLines = failed ? DANCER_POSES[0] : DANCER_POSES[dancerFrame];
   
   // Left Column (Disco Dancer + Fire)
   const leftCol = [];
   dancerLines.forEach(l => leftCol.push(l));
-  leftCol.push(getFlickeringFlames(17, pulseTimerCount)); // ground fire
+  leftCol.push(failed ? `${DIM}░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░${RESET}` : getFlickeringFlames(17, pulseTimerCount)); // ground fire
 
   // Right Column (Metrics & Odometer)
   const pct = Math.min(100, burnPercentage);
@@ -1201,7 +1226,12 @@ function compileBurnScreen() {
   rightCol.push(`${BOLD}${YELLOW}OKRs:${RESET}   Ladder:  ${okrDraw(pct, 1.4)}`);
   rightCol.push(`       Manager: ${okrDraw(pct, 2.5)}`);
   rightCol.push(`       VC Depth:${okrDraw(pct, 4.0)}`);
-  rightCol.push(`${DIM}Press [Space] to Extinguish Flames (Abort)${RESET}`);
+  if (failed) {
+    rightCol.push(`${BOLD}${RED}Reason:${RESET} ${truncateVisible(burnFailureMessage || 'Burn process failed.', 48)}`);
+    rightCol.push(`${RED}${BOLD}Burn failed.${RESET} ${DIM}Press any key to return to Control Deck${RESET}`);
+  } else {
+    rightCol.push(`${DIM}Press [Space] to Extinguish Flames (Abort)${RESET}`);
+  }
 
   // Merge columns
   const maxLines = Math.max(leftCol.length, rightCol.length);