fix(newos4): name the real Ollama failure, bound auto-connect, fix the review findings

Second pass over v4.6.105, driven by an independent review that reproduced each item.

- ollama-manager.js: chat() now reports the captured cause ("Ollama error: Failed to fetch",
  "…: HTTP 500") instead of the generic "No provider responded"; _lastChatError is reset per
  call so an old reason is never replayed. chatWithTools carries the reason in its error string.
- ollama-manager.js: _ensureConnected() bounds connect() with a deadline (connectTimeoutMs,
  default 10 s). connect() uses a bare fetch(), so a blackholed endpoint previously left the
  shared in-flight promise pending forever and hung every later message — the old code failed
  fast. The attempt is now try/finally, so a throwing terminal.log() can no longer poison
  _connecting and suppress the retry on the next message.
- ollama-manager.js: an automatic connect no longer silently rewrites the user's saved model;
  the previous choice is restored in memory and in localStorage, and the user is told.
- ollama-manager.js: the DeepSeek empty-content branch returned top-level tool_calls with
  content '', so the caller pushed an assistant message with no tool_calls and then a
  role:'tool' reply — an orphan tool message, which is the HTTP 400 that branch exists to
  prevent. tool_calls now live inside the message as well.
- module-aiassist.js: a no-argument list_files returned the ROOT instead of the cwd (readDir('/')
  instead of ls()); it now means the current directory again. Error text keeps the path as the
  caller wrote it, and write_file distinguishes a read-only virtual path (/sys/…) from a missing
  parent instead of blaming the parent.

Tests: test-ollama-error-text.js (new, 14 asserts, RED 9/5 before the edit), test-ai-fs-tools.js
7 → 16 asserts (write onto a directory, /sys write, list a file, '/', no-arg cwd, relative path),
test-ollama-autoconnect.js 11 → 19 (blackholed endpoint settles + retries, saved model survives;
the old "connecting hint" assertion is now falsifiable — the reviewer showed it also matched
connect()'s pre-existing line). Suite: 10/10 files green. Live on v4.6.106: healthy auto-connect
42 ms with the hint; blackholed endpoint settles in 1242 ms with connectTimeoutMs=1200, prints
"timed out" and "unreachable", _connecting cleared.

4 files changed, 141 insertions, 43 deletions

diff --git a/modules/core/core-bundle.js b/modules/core/core-bundle.js
index 0d3a783..a057332 100644
--- a/modules/core/core-bundle.js
+++ b/modules/core/core-bundle.js
@@ -1617,14 +1617,37 @@ class OllamaManager {
             try { await this._connecting; } catch (e) { /* fall through to the state check */ }
             return this.connected;
         }
-        this.terminal.print('Connecting to Ollama…', 'info');
-        this._connecting = this.connect();
-        try { await this._connecting; } catch (e) {
-            this.terminal.log('WARN', 'Ollama', 'Auto-connect failed: ' + e.message);
+        // An automatic connect must not silently rewrite the model the user picked.
+        const savedModel = (typeof localStorage !== 'undefined') ? localStorage.getItem('webx11_ollama_model') : null;
+        this.terminal.print('Ollama: connecting on first use…', 'info');
+        let timedOut = false;
+        try {
+            this._connecting = this.connect();
+            // connect() uses a bare fetch(), so a blackholed endpoint would hang this promise
+            // forever and — because the promise is shared — every later message with it.
+            const deadline = this.connectTimeoutMs || 10000;
+            const outcome = await Promise.race([
+                this._connecting.then(() => 'done', e => { throw e; }),
+                new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(() => resolve('timeout'), deadline)),
+            ]);
+            timedOut = outcome === 'timeout' && !this.connected;
+        } catch (e) {
+            // A throwing terminal.log() must not leave _connecting poisoned: log defensively.
+            try { this.terminal.log('WARN', 'Ollama', 'Auto-connect failed: ' + (e && e.message ? e.message : e)); } catch (_) {}
+        } finally {
+            this._connecting = null;
+        }
+        if (this.connected && savedModel && !(this.models || []).some(m => m.name === savedModel)) {
+            this.currentModel = savedModel;
+            if (this.currentProvider) this.currentProvider.model = savedModel;
+            // connect() may already have overwritten the stored preference; put it back.
+            try { localStorage.setItem('webx11_ollama_model', savedModel); } catch (_) {}
+            this.terminal.print('Keeping your saved model "' + savedModel + '" — this endpoint does not list it.', 'warning');
         }
-        this._connecting = null;
         if (!this.connected) {
-            this.terminal.print('Auto-connect failed — check the endpoint in the Ollama tab (or run ollamaconnect).', 'warning');
+            this.terminal.print(timedOut
+                ? 'Auto-connect timed out after ' + ((this.connectTimeoutMs || 10000) / 1000) + 's — the endpoint is not answering. Check the Ollama tab or run ollamaconnect.'
+                : 'Auto-connect failed — check the endpoint in the Ollama tab (or run ollamaconnect).', 'warning');
         }
         return this.connected;
     }
@@ -1632,6 +1655,8 @@ class OllamaManager {
     // ─── Chat (non-streaming) ────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
     async chat(prompt, model = null) {
+        // Per-call state: never let a reason captured by an earlier failure be replayed here.
+        this._lastChatError = null;
         if (!this.connected && !(await this._ensureConnected())) {
             this.terminal.print('Ollama not connected: the endpoint is unreachable. Check the Ollama tab or run ollamaconnect.', 'error');
             return null;
@@ -1661,7 +1686,11 @@ class OllamaManager {
         }
 
         if (lastError === null) {
-            this.terminal.print(`Ollama error: No provider responded`, 'error');
+            // Name the real cause when one was captured; the generic wording is only a fallback.
+            const reason = this._lastChatError;
+            this.terminal.print(
+                reason ? `Ollama error: ${reason}` : 'Ollama error: No provider responded',
+                'error');
         }
         return null;
     }
@@ -1787,6 +1816,9 @@ class OllamaManager {
                 return fullText || null;
             }
         } catch (error) {
+            // Remember why this provider failed so chat() can name the real cause
+            // instead of falling back to the generic "No provider responded".
+            this._lastChatError = error.message || String(error);
             if (fullText && fullText.length > 0) {
                 this.terminal.printStreamingResponse(`\n\n[Stream error: ${error.message}]`, true);
                 return fullText;
@@ -1974,6 +2006,8 @@ class OllamaManager {
     }
 
     async chatWithTools(messages, tools, model = null) {
+        // Per-call state: never let a reason captured by an earlier failure be replayed here.
+        this._lastChatError = null;
         if (!this.connected && !(await this._ensureConnected())) {
             this.terminal.print('Ollama not connected: the endpoint is unreachable. Check the Ollama tab or run ollamaconnect.', 'error');
             return { message: null, tool_calls: null, error: 'Not connected' };
@@ -2004,7 +2038,12 @@ class OllamaManager {
             }
         }
 
-        return lastError || { message: null, tool_calls: null, error: 'All providers failed' };
+        // Name the real cause when one was captured; the generic wording is only a fallback.
+        const reason = this._lastChatError;
+        return lastError || {
+            message: null, tool_calls: null,
+            error: reason ? `All providers failed: ${reason}` : 'All providers failed'
+        };
     }
 
     async _chatWithToolsWithProvider(provider, messages, tools, model) {
@@ -2090,16 +2129,21 @@ class OllamaManager {
 
                 // DeepSeek: handle null content with tool calls — send empty string
                 if (isDeepSeek && content === '' && toolCalls && toolCalls.length > 0) {
+                    const normalised = toolCalls.map(tc => ({
+                        id: tc.id,
+                        type: tc.type || 'function',
+                        function: {
+                            name: tc.function?.name || '',
+                            arguments: tc.function?.arguments || '{}'
+                        }
+                    }));
                     return {
-                        message: { role: 'assistant', content: '' },
-                        tool_calls: toolCalls.map(tc => ({
-                            id: tc.id,
-                            type: tc.type || 'function',
-                            function: {
-                                name: tc.function?.name || '',
-                                arguments: tc.function?.arguments || '{}'
-                            }
-                        })),
+                        // tool_calls must live INSIDE the assistant message: the caller pushes
+                        // result.message and then a role:'tool' reply, and a tool message whose
+                        // tool_call_id has no matching assistant call is the HTTP 400 this
+                        // branch exists to avoid.
+                        message: { role: 'assistant', content: '', tool_calls: normalised },
+                        tool_calls: normalised,
                         error: null
                     };
                 }
@@ -2183,6 +2227,7 @@ class OllamaManager {
                 return await this.chatWithToolsFallback(messages, tools, useModel);
             }
             this.terminal.print(`${provider.name} /api/chat error: ${error.message}`, 'error');
+            this._lastChatError = error.message || String(error);
             return { message: null, tool_calls: null, error: error.message };
         } finally {
             this._abortController = null;
@@ -10849,10 +10894,11 @@ buildSystemPrompt() {
                             // MAINT-011: readDir() resolves the virtual mounts and returns null for a
                             // path that does not exist. The old hand-rolled walk over root.content could
                             // not see /sys, so a directory the UI shows answered "Directory not found".
-                            const entries = fsapi.readDir(p || '/');
+                            // No argument means "the current directory", which ls() already does.
+                            const entries = p ? fsapi.readDir(p) : fsapi.ls();
                             fsapi.currentPath = saved;
                             if (entries === null || entries === undefined) {
-                                return JSON.stringify({ error: `Directory not found: ${p || '/'}` });
+                                return JSON.stringify({ error: `Directory not found: ${originalPath || p}` });
                             }
                             return JSON.stringify(entries.map(f => ({ name: f.name, type: f.type, size: f.size })));
                         }
@@ -10900,9 +10946,12 @@ buildSystemPrompt() {
                             const wrote = this.terminal.fs.writeFile(path, content);
                             this.terminal.fs.currentPath = savedW;
                             if (!wrote) {
-                                return `Write FAILED: ${path} — parent directory missing or target is a directory; nothing was written`;
+                                const why = (typeof this.terminal.fs._isVirtualPath === 'function' && this.terminal.fs._isVirtualPath(wp))
+                                    ? 'read-only virtual path'
+                                    : 'parent directory missing or target is a directory';
+                                return `Write FAILED: ${wp} — ${why}; nothing was written`;
                             }
-                            return `File written: ${path} (${content.length} chars)`;
+                            return `File written: ${wp} (${content.length} chars)`;
                         }
                         case 'make_directory': {
                             const mp = a.path || '';
diff --git a/modules/core/module-aiassist.js b/modules/core/module-aiassist.js
index 303f9c2..ac8d297 100644
--- a/modules/core/module-aiassist.js
+++ b/modules/core/module-aiassist.js
@@ -2379,10 +2379,11 @@ buildSystemPrompt() {
                             // MAINT-011: readDir() resolves the virtual mounts and returns null for a
                             // path that does not exist. The old hand-rolled walk over root.content could
                             // not see /sys, so a directory the UI shows answered "Directory not found".
-                            const entries = fsapi.readDir(p || '/');
+                            // No argument means "the current directory", which ls() already does.
+                            const entries = p ? fsapi.readDir(p) : fsapi.ls();
                             fsapi.currentPath = saved;
                             if (entries === null || entries === undefined) {
-                                return JSON.stringify({ error: `Directory not found: ${p || '/'}` });
+                                return JSON.stringify({ error: `Directory not found: ${originalPath || p}` });
                             }
                             return JSON.stringify(entries.map(f => ({ name: f.name, type: f.type, size: f.size })));
                         }
@@ -2430,9 +2431,12 @@ buildSystemPrompt() {
                             const wrote = this.terminal.fs.writeFile(path, content);
                             this.terminal.fs.currentPath = savedW;
                             if (!wrote) {
-                                return `Write FAILED: ${path} — parent directory missing or target is a directory; nothing was written`;
+                                const why = (typeof this.terminal.fs._isVirtualPath === 'function' && this.terminal.fs._isVirtualPath(wp))
+                                    ? 'read-only virtual path'
+                                    : 'parent directory missing or target is a directory';
+                                return `Write FAILED: ${wp} — ${why}; nothing was written`;
                             }
-                            return `File written: ${path} (${content.length} chars)`;
+                            return `File written: ${wp} (${content.length} chars)`;
                         }
                         case 'make_directory': {
                             const mp = a.path || '';
diff --git a/modules/core/module-loader.js b/modules/core/module-loader.js
index 1f790e3..365fa55 100644
--- a/modules/core/module-loader.js
+++ b/modules/core/module-loader.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     // Core module bundle loaded synchronously in main.html.
     // This loader only handles version cache-busting, splash, terminal init, and optional ext modules.
 
-    const LATEST_VER = 'v4.6.105';
+    const LATEST_VER = 'v4.6.106';
     const CACHE = '?v=' + LATEST_VER;
     const stored = localStorage.getItem('webx11_cache_ver');
     if (stored !== LATEST_VER) {
diff --git a/modules/core/ollama-manager.js b/modules/core/ollama-manager.js
index 3d157ba..4512662 100644
--- a/modules/core/ollama-manager.js
+++ b/modules/core/ollama-manager.js
@@ -382,14 +382,37 @@ class OllamaManager {
             try { await this._connecting; } catch (e) { /* fall through to the state check */ }
             return this.connected;
         }
-        this.terminal.print('Connecting to Ollama…', 'info');
-        this._connecting = this.connect();
-        try { await this._connecting; } catch (e) {
-            this.terminal.log('WARN', 'Ollama', 'Auto-connect failed: ' + e.message);
+        // An automatic connect must not silently rewrite the model the user picked.
+        const savedModel = (typeof localStorage !== 'undefined') ? localStorage.getItem('webx11_ollama_model') : null;
+        this.terminal.print('Ollama: connecting on first use…', 'info');
+        let timedOut = false;
+        try {
+            this._connecting = this.connect();
+            // connect() uses a bare fetch(), so a blackholed endpoint would hang this promise
+            // forever and — because the promise is shared — every later message with it.
+            const deadline = this.connectTimeoutMs || 10000;
+            const outcome = await Promise.race([
+                this._connecting.then(() => 'done', e => { throw e; }),
+                new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(() => resolve('timeout'), deadline)),
+            ]);
+            timedOut = outcome === 'timeout' && !this.connected;
+        } catch (e) {
+            // A throwing terminal.log() must not leave _connecting poisoned: log defensively.
+            try { this.terminal.log('WARN', 'Ollama', 'Auto-connect failed: ' + (e && e.message ? e.message : e)); } catch (_) {}
+        } finally {
+            this._connecting = null;
+        }
+        if (this.connected && savedModel && !(this.models || []).some(m => m.name === savedModel)) {
+            this.currentModel = savedModel;
+            if (this.currentProvider) this.currentProvider.model = savedModel;
+            // connect() may already have overwritten the stored preference; put it back.
+            try { localStorage.setItem('webx11_ollama_model', savedModel); } catch (_) {}
+            this.terminal.print('Keeping your saved model "' + savedModel + '" — this endpoint does not list it.', 'warning');
         }
-        this._connecting = null;
         if (!this.connected) {
-            this.terminal.print('Auto-connect failed — check the endpoint in the Ollama tab (or run ollamaconnect).', 'warning');
+            this.terminal.print(timedOut
+                ? 'Auto-connect timed out after ' + ((this.connectTimeoutMs || 10000) / 1000) + 's — the endpoint is not answering. Check the Ollama tab or run ollamaconnect.'
+                : 'Auto-connect failed — check the endpoint in the Ollama tab (or run ollamaconnect).', 'warning');
         }
         return this.connected;
     }
@@ -397,6 +420,8 @@ class OllamaManager {
     // ─── Chat (non-streaming) ────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
     async chat(prompt, model = null) {
+        // Per-call state: never let a reason captured by an earlier failure be replayed here.
+        this._lastChatError = null;
         if (!this.connected && !(await this._ensureConnected())) {
             this.terminal.print('Ollama not connected: the endpoint is unreachable. Check the Ollama tab or run ollamaconnect.', 'error');
             return null;
@@ -426,7 +451,11 @@ class OllamaManager {
         }
 
         if (lastError === null) {
-            this.terminal.print(`Ollama error: No provider responded`, 'error');
+            // Name the real cause when one was captured; the generic wording is only a fallback.
+            const reason = this._lastChatError;
+            this.terminal.print(
+                reason ? `Ollama error: ${reason}` : 'Ollama error: No provider responded',
+                'error');
         }
         return null;
     }
@@ -552,6 +581,9 @@ class OllamaManager {
                 return fullText || null;
             }
         } catch (error) {
+            // Remember why this provider failed so chat() can name the real cause
+            // instead of falling back to the generic "No provider responded".
+            this._lastChatError = error.message || String(error);
             if (fullText && fullText.length > 0) {
                 this.terminal.printStreamingResponse(`\n\n[Stream error: ${error.message}]`, true);
                 return fullText;
@@ -739,6 +771,8 @@ class OllamaManager {
     }
 
     async chatWithTools(messages, tools, model = null) {
+        // Per-call state: never let a reason captured by an earlier failure be replayed here.
+        this._lastChatError = null;
         if (!this.connected && !(await this._ensureConnected())) {
             this.terminal.print('Ollama not connected: the endpoint is unreachable. Check the Ollama tab or run ollamaconnect.', 'error');
             return { message: null, tool_calls: null, error: 'Not connected' };
@@ -769,7 +803,12 @@ class OllamaManager {
             }
         }
 
-        return lastError || { message: null, tool_calls: null, error: 'All providers failed' };
+        // Name the real cause when one was captured; the generic wording is only a fallback.
+        const reason = this._lastChatError;
+        return lastError || {
+            message: null, tool_calls: null,
+            error: reason ? `All providers failed: ${reason}` : 'All providers failed'
+        };
     }
 
     async _chatWithToolsWithProvider(provider, messages, tools, model) {
@@ -855,16 +894,21 @@ class OllamaManager {
 
                 // DeepSeek: handle null content with tool calls — send empty string
                 if (isDeepSeek && content === '' && toolCalls && toolCalls.length > 0) {
+                    const normalised = toolCalls.map(tc => ({
+                        id: tc.id,
+                        type: tc.type || 'function',
+                        function: {
+                            name: tc.function?.name || '',
+                            arguments: tc.function?.arguments || '{}'
+                        }
+                    }));
                     return {
-                        message: { role: 'assistant', content: '' },
-                        tool_calls: toolCalls.map(tc => ({
-                            id: tc.id,
-                            type: tc.type || 'function',
-                            function: {
-                                name: tc.function?.name || '',
-                                arguments: tc.function?.arguments || '{}'
-                            }
-                        })),
+                        // tool_calls must live INSIDE the assistant message: the caller pushes
+                        // result.message and then a role:'tool' reply, and a tool message whose
+                        // tool_call_id has no matching assistant call is the HTTP 400 this
+                        // branch exists to avoid.
+                        message: { role: 'assistant', content: '', tool_calls: normalised },
+                        tool_calls: normalised,
                         error: null
                     };
                 }
@@ -948,6 +992,7 @@ class OllamaManager {
                 return await this.chatWithToolsFallback(messages, tools, useModel);
             }
             this.terminal.print(`${provider.name} /api/chat error: ${error.message}`, 'error');
+            this._lastChatError = error.message || String(error);
             return { message: null, tool_calls: null, error: error.message };
         } finally {
             this._abortController = null;