feat: add serverOnlyFileWatching user setting

ai-memory/feature-server-only-file-watching-55c4316/init.md

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# Feature: Server-Only File Watching Setting
+
+## User Request
+Add a new user setting `serverOnlyFileWatching` (boolean, default: false) that controls whether nodemon watches only server files, so client-only changes via git pull don't restart the server.
+
+## Requirements
+1. New user setting in `user-settings.json` and defaults
+2. Launcher script `scripts/dev-server.js` that reads the setting and spawns nodemon accordingly
+3. Settings UI toggle in the client settings panel
+4. Follows existing patterns for server-persisted settings

ai-memory/feature-server-only-file-watching-55c4316/plan.md

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# Implementation Plan
+
+## Files to modify
+1. `server/userSettingsService.js` - Add `serverOnlyFileWatching` to `getDefaultSettings()` under `global`
+2. `user-settings.default.json` - Add the default setting
+3. `scripts/dev-server.js` - New launcher script (reads setting, spawns nodemon)
+4. `package.json` - Point `dev:server` at the launcher
+5. `client/index.html` - Add toggle to settings panel
+6. `client/app.js` - Add event listener + sync for the toggle
+
+## Implementation order
+1. Add setting to defaults (server + default JSON)
+2. Create launcher script
+3. Update package.json
+4. Add UI toggle
+5. Syntax check + test
+6. Commit, push, PR

ai-memory/feature-server-only-file-watching-55c4316/progress.md

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# Progress
+
+- [x] Add setting to server defaults
+- [x] Add setting to user-settings.default.json
+- [x] Create scripts/dev-server.js launcher
+- [x] Update package.json dev:server script
+- [x] Add UI toggle in settings panel
+- [x] Add event listener + sync in app.js
+- [x] Syntax check
+- [ ] Commit, push, PR

client/app.js

@@ -2444,6 +2444,14 @@ class ClaudeOrchestrator {
       });
     }
 
+    // Server-only file watching (server-persisted, requires dev:server restart)
+    const serverOnlyFileWatching = document.getElementById('server-only-file-watching');
+    if (serverOnlyFileWatching) {
+      serverOnlyFileWatching.addEventListener('change', async (e) => {
+        await this.updateGlobalUserSetting('serverOnlyFileWatching', !!e.target.checked);
+      });
+    }
+
     // Discord services auto-start (server-persisted)
     const discordAutoEnsure = document.getElementById('discord-auto-ensure-services');
 	    if (discordAutoEnsure) {
@@ -14995,6 +15003,11 @@ class ClaudeOrchestrator {
     }
     this.applySimpleModeConfig();
 
+    const serverOnlyFileWatching = document.getElementById('server-only-file-watching');
+    if (serverOnlyFileWatching) {
+      serverOnlyFileWatching.checked = this.userSettings.global?.serverOnlyFileWatching === true;
+    }
+
     const discordAutoEnsure = document.getElementById('discord-auto-ensure-services');
     if (discordAutoEnsure) {
       const cfg = this.userSettings.global?.ui?.discord || {};

client/index.html

@@ -536,6 +536,17 @@ <h4>Projects + Chats</h4>
                 </div>
             </div>
 
+            <div class="setting-section">
+                <h4>Developer</h4>
+                <div class="setting-group">
+                    <label>
+                        <input type="checkbox" id="server-only-file-watching" />
+                        Server-only file watching
+                    </label>
+                    <p class="setting-description">Only restart server when server files change. Client changes take effect on browser refresh.</p>
+                </div>
+            </div>
+
             <div class="setting-section settings-glossary">
                 <h4>Glossary</h4>
                 <p class="setting-description">A quick mental model for how the Orchestrator is structured.</p>

package.json

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   "main": "server/index.js",
   "scripts": {
     "start": "npm run dev",
-    "dev:server": "node scripts/ensure-pty.js && nodemon server/index.js",
+    "dev:server": "node scripts/ensure-pty.js && node scripts/dev-server.js",
     "dev:client": "node client/dev-server.js",
     "dev:diff": "cd diff-viewer && npm run dev",
     "tauri": "tauri",

scripts/dev-server.js

@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+
+const { spawn } = require('child_process');
+const fs = require('fs');
+const path = require('path');
+
+const projectRoot = path.resolve(__dirname, '..');
+
+function loadServerOnlyFileWatching() {
+  const settingsPath = process.env.ORCHESTRATOR_USER_SETTINGS_PATH
+    || path.join(projectRoot, 'user-settings.json');
+
+  try {
+    if (fs.existsSync(settingsPath)) {
+      const data = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(settingsPath, 'utf8'));
+      return data?.global?.serverOnlyFileWatching === true;
+    }
+  } catch {
+    // Fall through to default
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
+const serverOnly = loadServerOnlyFileWatching();
+
+const nodemonBin = path.join(projectRoot, 'node_modules', '.bin', 'nodemon');
+const args = [];
+
+if (serverOnly) {
+  // Explicit watch list overrides nodemon.json watch config
+  args.push('--watch', 'server/', '--watch', '.env');
+}
+
+args.push('server/index.js');
+
+if (process.argv.includes('--dry-run')) {
+  console.log('serverOnlyFileWatching:', serverOnly);
+  console.log('command:', nodemonBin, args.join(' '));
+  process.exit(0);
+}
+
+const child = spawn(nodemonBin, args, {
+  cwd: projectRoot,
+  stdio: 'inherit',
+  env: process.env
+});
+
+child.on('exit', (code) => process.exit(code ?? 1));

server/userSettingsService.js

@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ class UserSettingsService {
         terminal: {
           // Add other global terminal settings here in the future
         },
+        serverOnlyFileWatching: false,
         process: {
           status: {
             lookbackHours: 24,
@@ -595,6 +596,9 @@ class UserSettingsService {
       if (userSettings.global.terminal) {
         Object.assign(merged.global.terminal, userSettings.global.terminal);
       }
+      if (typeof userSettings.global.serverOnlyFileWatching === 'boolean') {
+        merged.global.serverOnlyFileWatching = userSettings.global.serverOnlyFileWatching;
+      }
       if (userSettings.global.process) {
         const procDefaults = (merged.global.process || {});
         const proc = userSettings.global.process || {};

user-settings.default.json

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
       "delay": 500
     },
     "terminal": {},
+    "serverOnlyFileWatching": false,
     "scheduler": {
       "enabled": false,
       "tickSeconds": 30,