Restore the browser directory in the background; drop the startup probe

The relaunch restore checked the saved browser directory with
os.ReadDir on the UI thread before the first frame (bounded to 2 s in
the previous commit). The check was unnecessary: Run dispatches a
background index load of Browser.CurrentPath immediately, and that load
IS the readability probe. So:

- main.go no longer does any pre-first-frame directory read;
  BeginBrowserRestore is called unconditionally for browser sessions.
- BrowserManager gains a one-shot initial-load fallback
  (SetLoadFallback): when the startup load fails (dir deleted by a sync,
  or unreadable by the app — /storage/emulated is 0750 media_rw), the
  manager reverts to the armed fallback (the startup directory) and
  loads it, instead of resetting to a blank browser. Any successful
  index disarms it, so later failures keep the History-recovery path.
- Logic stores its start path and arms the fallback from
  BeginBrowserRestore.

Verified on device with seeded sessions pointing at a deleted dir and
at unreadable /storage/emulated: both fall back to the startup dir in
~20 ms, first frame renders, list populated. New manager test
TestHandleResult_InitialLoadFailureFallsBack.

cmd/pad/main.go

@@ -123,19 +123,13 @@ func run(w *app.Window) error {
 	if ok {
 		if sess.InBrowser {
 			log.Printf("restoring session: browser path=%q", sess.BrowserPath)
-			// The saved directory may have vanished (deleted, synced away) or
+			// No readability check here: the background index load Run
-			// be unreadable by this app (stat succeeds but the permission bits
+			// dispatches is the probe, and its failure path (the manager's
-			// deny the read — e.g. /storage/emulated itself, which is
+			// initial-load fallback) reverts to the startup directory if the
-			// media_rw:media_rw 0750; only /storage/emulated/0 is app-exposed).
+			// saved one is gone or unreadable. Keeping every filesystem
-			// Probe with a real directory read — the same operation the
+			// operation off the pre-first-frame path is a hard requirement —
-			// browser's index does — rather than os.Stat, which passes for
+			// a FUSE stall there is a splash-screen hang.
-			// unreadable dirs. The probe runs BOUNDED: it happens on the UI
-			// thread before the first frame, and a FUSE stall on external
-			// storage must not turn into a splash-screen hang — if the read
-			// is not done in time, start in the startup directory instead.
-			if dirReadable(sess.BrowserPath) {
 			logic.BeginBrowserRestore(sess.BrowserPath)
-			}
 		} else {
 			log.Printf("restoring session: file=%s cursor=%d scroll=%v find=%q", sess.File, sess.Cursor, sess.Scroll, sess.FindQuery)
 			logic.BeginRestore(sess)
@@ -482,29 +476,6 @@ func run(w *app.Window) error {
 	}
 }
 
-// dirReadable reports whether path can be listed by this app, with a 2 s
-// deadline (see the startup probe in run): it runs os.ReadDir in a helper
-// goroutine so a FUSE stall on external storage cannot hold the UI thread
-// before the first frame (a splash-screen hang). The helper goroutine leaks
-// on timeout — a deliberate, one-per-launch, only-on-stall trade.
-func dirReadable(path string) bool {
-	ch := make(chan error, 1)
-	go func() {
-		_, err := os.ReadDir(path)
-		ch <- err
-	}()
-	select {
-	case err := <-ch:
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Printf("startup: browser dir %q not readable: %v (starting in the startup directory)", path, err)
-		}
-		return err == nil
-	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
-		log.Printf("startup: browser dir probe for %q timed out (starting in the startup directory)", path)
-		return false
-	}
-}
-
 // exclEqual reports whether two exclusion-rect sets are identical.
 // newSessionSaver builds the relaunch-session file writer registered with
 // the logic goroutine (spec §7). The file is a tiny JSON snapshot; a torn

internal/browser/manager.go

@@ -29,6 +29,25 @@ type BrowserManager struct {
 	// idles. Owner-goroutine-only.
 	lastIndexPath      string
 	lastIndexSignature uint64
+	// loadFallbackPath is the directory a FAILED INITIAL Load reverts to
+	// (a relaunch-restore candidate that turned out to be gone or unreadable
+	// — deleted by a sync, or /storage/emulated, which apps cannot read):
+	// the browser loads it in the background instead of resetting to a blank
+	// view. One-shot per startup, disarmed by any successful index (the
+	// restore question is settled once a directory has loaded). Empty = no
+	// fallback. Owner-goroutine-only.
+	loadFallbackPath string
+}
+
+// SetLoadFallback arranges for a failed initial Load to revert to dirPath
+// and load it, instead of resetting the browser to a blank view. The cmd
+// layer arms it when a relaunch session restores a browser directory that
+// has not been checked yet: the background load itself is the readability
+// probe (no blocking FS op on the startup path). Must be called before Run.
+func (bm *BrowserManager) SetLoadFallback(dirPath string) {
+	if dirPath != "" {
+		bm.loadFallbackPath = dirPath
+	}
 }
 
 func NewBrowserManager(state *BrowserState, wp *pool.WorkerPool, fs pool.FileSystem) (*BrowserManager, error) {
@@ -153,6 +172,11 @@ func (bm *BrowserManager) handleBuildIndexSuccess(result pool.Result) bool {
 		return false
 	}
 
+	// Any successful index settles the initial-load question: the restore
+	// fallback is no longer needed (a later failure has History to revert
+	// to instead).
+	bm.loadFallbackPath = ""
+
 	bm.state.Loading = false
 
 	// In the mock implementation, BuildIndexTask returns []types.DirEntry.
@@ -270,6 +294,22 @@ func (bm *BrowserManager) handleError(result pool.Result) bool {
 		return false
 	}
 
+	// A failed INITIAL LOAD with a fallback armed (the relaunch-restore
+	// candidate is gone or unreadable): revert to the fallback directory in
+	// the background, one-shot. This is the async counterpart of the old
+	// synchronous pre-startup directory probe — nothing on the startup path
+	// blocks on a read of the restore candidate.
+	if result.TaskType == pool.TypeBuildIndex && bm.loadFallbackPath != "" {
+		fallback := bm.loadFallbackPath
+		bm.loadFallbackPath = ""
+		fmt.Printf("handleError: cannot load %q; falling back to %q\n", result.DirPath, fallback)
+		bm.state.History = bm.state.History[:0]
+		bm.state.CurrentPath = fallback
+		navigateToDirectory(bm.state, fallback)
+		bm.dispatchIndex(fallback, true)
+		return true
+	}
+
 	// A failed NAVIGATION: restore the previous path so the user is sent back
 	// to where they were.
 	if result.TaskType == pool.TypeBuildIndex && len(bm.state.History) > 0 {

internal/browser/manager_test.go

@@ -551,3 +551,68 @@ func TestHandleResult_NavigationFailureRecoveryReloads(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("page 0 not restored after recovery re-read")
 	}
 }
+
+// TestHandleResult_InitialLoadFailureFallsBack covers the relaunch-restore
+// path: a session points at a browser directory that is gone or unreadable.
+// The startup does NOT check it synchronously (a blocking read there is a
+// splash-screen hang risk); the background initial Load fails instead, and
+// the manager must revert to the armed fallback directory — not reset to a
+// blank browser.
+func TestHandleResult_InitialLoadFailureFallsBack(t *testing.T) {
+	state := NewBrowserState()
+	fs := mock.NewFileSystem()
+	wp := pool.NewWorkerPool(1)
+	wp.Start()
+	defer wp.Stop()
+
+	bm, err := NewBrowserManager(state, wp, fs)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("NewBrowserManager failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Startup with a session-restored candidate and the startup dir armed
+	// as the fallback (as Logic.BeginBrowserRestore does).
+	state.CurrentPath = "/gone"
+	bm.SetLoadFallback("/startup")
+	bm.indexInFlightPath = "/gone"
+	bm.indexInFlightIsNav = true
+
+	// The initial load fails: fall back to /startup, one-shot.
+	bm.HandleResult(pool.Result{TaskType: pool.TypeBuildIndex, Success: false, Error: ErrDirNotFound, DirPath: "/gone"})
+	if state.CurrentPath != "/startup" {
+		t.Fatalf("CurrentPath = %q, want /startup (fallback)", state.CurrentPath)
+	}
+	if bm.loadFallbackPath != "" {
+		t.Error("fallback not consumed after the first failure")
+	}
+
+	// The fallback load succeeds: a normal view (1 entry + synthetic "..").
+	entries := []types.DirEntry{testDirEntry{name: "a.txt", size: 1, mod: time.Date(2026, 5, 15, 10, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)}}
+	bm.indexInFlightPath = "/startup"
+	bm.indexInFlightIsNav = true
+	bm.HandleResult(pool.Result{TaskType: pool.TypeBuildIndex, Success: true, DirPath: "/startup", Data: entries})
+	if state.CurrentPath != "/startup" || state.TotalEntries != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("after fallback load: path=%q TotalEntries=%d, want /startup with 2", state.CurrentPath, state.TotalEntries)
+	}
+	if bm.loadFallbackPath != "" {
+		t.Error("fallback still armed after a successful index")
+	}
+
+	// The disarm matters: a LATER (navigation) failure must use History
+	// recovery, not the startup fallback.
+	state.History = append(state.History, "/startup")
+	state.CurrentPath = "/other"
+	bm.indexInFlightPath = "/other"
+	bm.indexInFlightIsNav = true
+	bm.SetLoadFallback("/startup") // re-arm to prove the next success clears it
+	bm.handleBuildIndexSuccess(pool.Result{TaskType: pool.TypeBuildIndex, Success: true, DirPath: "/other", Data: entries})
+	if bm.loadFallbackPath != "" {
+		t.Fatal("fallback still armed after a successful index")
+	}
+	bm.indexInFlightPath = "/other"
+	bm.indexInFlightIsNav = true
+	bm.HandleResult(pool.Result{TaskType: pool.TypeBuildIndex, Success: false, Error: ErrDirNotFound, DirPath: "/other"})
+	if state.CurrentPath != "/startup" {
+		t.Fatalf("after nav failure CurrentPath = %q, want history-recovered /startup", state.CurrentPath)
+	}
+}

internal/editor/logic.go

@@ -154,6 +154,11 @@ type Logic struct {
 	fontPinDeadline      time.Time
 	scaleSeen            bool
 	restoreContentLanded bool
+	// startPath is the browser directory the app starts in when no restore
+	// applies (NewLogic's path); it is the load fallback for a browser
+	// restore candidate that turns out to be gone/unreadable (see
+	// BrowserManager.SetLoadFallback).
+	startPath string
 	sessionSaver         func(SessionState)
 	lastSession          SessionState
 	lastSessionSave      time.Time
@@ -188,6 +193,7 @@ func NewLogic(mfs pool.FileSystem, path string, openfunc func(string)) *Logic {
 	TheLogic = &Logic{
 		state:              state,
 		browserManager:     bm,
+		startPath:          path,
 		configChan:         make(chan ConfigUpdate),
 		frameChan:          make(chan Frame, 1),
 		inputChan:          make(chan []ui.InputEvent),

internal/editor/session.go

@@ -284,9 +284,15 @@ func (l *Logic) BeginRestore(s SessionState) {
 // CurrentPath, so it must be called after NewLogic and before Run (the cmd
 // layer does both before starting the logic goroutine). An empty dirPath
 // keeps the startup directory.
+//
+// dirPath is NOT checked here: the background index load Run dispatches is
+// the readability probe. If it fails (dir deleted by a sync, unreadable by
+// the app), the manager's initial-load fallback reverts to the startup
+// directory asynchronously — nothing on the startup path blocks on a read.
 func (l *Logic) BeginBrowserRestore(dirPath string) {
 	if dirPath != "" {
 		l.state.Browser.CurrentPath = dirPath
+		l.browserManager.SetLoadFallback(l.startPath)
 	}
 }