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First-run guided setup, explorer open buttons, and notes streaming fix - #19

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DevMando merged 4 commits into
mainfrom
feature/first-run-setup-and-streaming-fixes
Jul 27, 2026
Merged

First-run guided setup, explorer open buttons, and notes streaming fix#19
DevMando merged 4 commits into
mainfrom
feature/first-run-setup-and-streaming-fixes

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Summary

Release-prep work: a guided first-run experience for brand-new users, a smoother file explorer, and a fix for the app freezing during notes-assistant replies.

What's new (plain language)

1. First launch now sets itself up. Someone who downloads the release zip and runs it for the first time gets a step-by-step walkthrough right in the chat: the app checks for Ollama, offers to install it (one click, via winget) if it's missing, starts it, and helps pick a first AI model from a short list with plain-language size guidance ("~1 GB, fast on any laptop" up to "best local quality, 8 GB+ VRAM"), or the recommended cloud option. Before this, a new user landed on a settings page with an empty URL box and no guidance. The wizard remains available afterward via /setup or a new "Run guided setup" button in Settings.

2. File explorer rows have an open button. Folders open in Windows File Explorer, files in their default app. (Double-clicking a folder couldn't do this reliably — it conflicts with expanding/collapsing the folder.)

3. Fixed: the app froze while the notes assistant was replying. Fast models could produce text quicker than the screen repainted, locking the whole app until the reply finished. Replies now paint on a fixed 10-per-second schedule regardless of model speed, and closing a note properly stops its in-flight request.

4. Docs refreshed for release. README now opens with an end-user install section (download zip, run, no .NET required); CHANGELOG covers all of the above.

Why it matters

This is the last UX gap before v1: the release zip is fully self-contained, so first-run setup was the only place a newcomer could get stuck. With the wizard, the path from download to first AI reply requires zero prior knowledge of Ollama, models, or endpoints.

Scope / risk

  • First-run wizard reuses the existing, tested /setup flow and the engine's OllamaSetupHelper — the new code is mostly wiring and menu options.
  • Notes fix is confined to the notes reply pump; the main chat streams unchanged.
  • No engine (submodule) changes, no config format changes.

Verification

  • Built clean (0 warnings/0 errors) with dotnet build on every commit.
  • Notes streaming verified live against qwen3.5:0.8b (worst case: fast thinking model) and minicpm-v4.6.
  • Suggested pre-merge check: delete/rename %USERPROFILE%.mandocode and launch to see the first-run wizard; ideally run the release zip once in Windows Sandbox for the true fresh-machine test.

DevMando added 4 commits July 26, 2026 16:30
Deltas now accumulate off-thread and a dispatcher timer repaints at most
ten times a second, so a fast model can no longer starve the UI thread.
Streaming also stays off the UI dispatcher entirely (ConfigureAwait), and
closing or switching notes cancels the in-flight request instead of
leaving it generating into a hidden reply strip.
Folders open in Windows File Explorer, files in their default app.
Double-click still opens files but no longer tries to open folders,
where it fought the expand/collapse toggle.
A fresh install now gets the full walkthrough in the chat: reach the
daemon, install Ollama via winget if it's missing, start it, and pick a
starter model from a curated list with hardware hints (cloud or local)
— instead of landing on the raw Settings page. Settings gains a Run
guided setup button so the wizard stays discoverable after first run.
README gains an end-user Install section up top: download the
self-contained zip (no .NET needed), run it, and let the first-run
wizard handle Ollama and a starter model. CHANGELOG documents the
first-run setup, explorer open buttons, and the notes streaming fix.
@DevMando
DevMando merged commit 3d960a2 into main Jul 27, 2026
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@DevMando
DevMando deleted the feature/first-run-setup-and-streaming-fixes branch July 27, 2026 01:10
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