Logging changes. Use --debug-file for a replaced log. Use --append to append to the log file if it exists. Also fixed a bug where cthulhu could try to restart without replacing the old running version.

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -96,11 +96,19 @@ in the same desktop session:
 "$HOME/.local/bin/cthulhu" --replace
 ```
 
-The replacement command finds the running reader through its session D-Bus
-service. A terminal using a different session bus can start another reader
+The replacement command uses the same session-bus discovery as the reader's
+D-Bus service, including when `DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS` is unset. It waits
+for the identified reader process to exit before starting the replacement.
+A terminal using a different session bus can start another reader
 instead of replacing the intended one. Preserve the original reader's desktop
 session environment when restarting it from automation.
 
+Check replacement and session-bus discovery without touching the desktop reader:
+
+```sh
+python3 tests/native_test_session.py env CTHULHU_NATIVE_REPLACE=1 CTHULHU_NATIVE_DBUS_TEST=1 go test ./cmd/cthulhu ./internal/sessionbus -run 'TestReplace|TestNativeDesktopSessionBusDiscovery' -count=1 -v
+```
+
 Wine accessibility also needs the separate standalone `wine-access`
 installation described in the [README](README.md#wine-access). Building the Go
 reader does not build or refresh that helper. After restoring an overwritten

README.md

@@ -187,6 +187,11 @@ update immediately. Moving focus, navigating, changing tabs or windows, and
 locking the session discard pending announcements. Live regions retain their
 existing announcement behavior.
 
+Debug logging with `--debug-file PATH` replaces any existing log at that path.
+Add `--append` to preserve earlier sessions, for example
+`cthulhu --debug-file /tmp/cthulhu.log --append`.
+`--append` requires `--debug-file`. A log can still grow during a long session.
+
 For browser bug reports, start Cthulhu with `--debug-file /tmp/cthulhu-browser.log`
 and reproduce the affected navigation. The startup record includes the release
 version, embedded Git revision and modified-build status, Go and AT-SPI versions,

cmd/cthulhu/main.go

@@ -78,7 +78,8 @@ func run(ctx context.Context, arguments []string, stdout, stderr io.Writer) (res
 	clipboardWatch := options.Bool("clipboard-watch", false, "run the internal clipboard change helper (private pipe protocol)")
 	ocrCapture := options.Bool("ocr-capture", false, "run the internal OCR capture helper (private pipe protocol)")
 	ocrConfirm := options.Bool("ocr-confirm", false, "run the internal OCR click confirmation helper")
-	debugFile := options.String("debug-file", "", "enable debug logging and append logs only to this file")
+	appendLog := options.Bool("append", false, "preserve existing debug log contents (requires --debug-file)")
+	debugFile := options.String("debug-file", "", "enable debug logging only to this file, replacing existing contents")
 	speechSocket := options.String(
 		"speech-socket",
 		"",
@@ -123,6 +124,9 @@ func run(ctx context.Context, arguments []string, stdout, stderr io.Writer) (res
 	if options.NArg() != 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("unexpected argument %q", options.Arg(0))
 	}
+	if *appendLog && *debugFile == "" {
+		return errors.New("--append requires --debug-file")
+	}
 	if *showVersion || *shortVersion {
 		fmt.Fprintln(stdout, version.Details(
 			atspi.Version(),
@@ -174,7 +178,7 @@ func run(ctx context.Context, arguments []string, stdout, stderr io.Writer) (res
 	}
 	logger := slog.New(slog.DiscardHandler)
 	if *debugFile != "" {
-		fileWriter, err := logging.OpenFile(*debugFile, nil)
+		fileWriter, err := logging.OpenFile(*debugFile, nil, *appendLog)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("open debug log: %w", err)
 		}

cmd/cthulhu/main_test.go

@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ func TestDebugFileCapturesStartupFailureAndAppends(t *testing.T) {
 	for range 2 {
 		var stdout, stderr bytes.Buffer
 		err := run(context.Background(), []string{
-			"--debug-file", logPath,
+			"--debug-file", logPath, "--append",
 			"--config", configPath,
 			"--speech-socket", filepath.Join(directory, "absent.sock"),
 		}, &stdout, &stderr)
@@ -244,3 +244,31 @@ func TestStandaloneDebugFlagRejected(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("standalone --debug error = %v", err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestAppendRequiresDebugFile(t *testing.T) {
+	var output bytes.Buffer
+	err := run(context.Background(), []string{"--append"}, &output, &output)
+	if err == nil || err.Error() != "--append requires --debug-file" {
+		t.Fatalf("error = %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDebugFileStartsFresh(t *testing.T) {
+	logPath := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "debug.log")
+	configPath := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "absent.toml")
+	for range 2 {
+		var output bytes.Buffer
+		if err := run(context.Background(), []string{
+			"--check-config", "--config", configPath, "--debug-file", logPath,
+		}, &output, &output); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		data, err := os.ReadFile(logPath)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		if strings.Count(string(data), `"message":"starting Cthulhu"`) != 1 {
+			t.Fatalf("expected only the current session: %s", data)
+		}
+	}
+}

cmd/cthulhu/replace.go

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"git.stormux.org/storm/cthulhu/internal/remote"
+	"git.stormux.org/storm/cthulhu/internal/sessionbus"
 	"github.com/godbus/dbus/v5"
 )
 
@@ -23,7 +24,9 @@ const replaceWait = 8 * time.Second
 // replaceRunning identifies the active Go reader through its private session
 // bus name. It never signals a process merely because its name matches.
 func replaceRunning(ctx context.Context) error {
-	connection, err := dbus.ConnectSessionBus()
+	// Match the reader's service discovery without rewriting the environment.
+	// Other discovery paths can select another bus when the address is unset.
+	connection, err := sessionbus.Connect(nil, "replacement")
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("connect to session bus: %w", err)
 	}

cmd/cthulhu/replace_test.go

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"git.stormux.org/storm/cthulhu/internal/remote"
+	"git.stormux.org/storm/cthulhu/internal/sessionbus"
 	"github.com/godbus/dbus/v5"
 )
 
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ func TestReplaceHelper(t *testing.T) {
 	if os.Getenv("CTHULHU_REPLACE_HELPER") != "1" {
 		return
 	}
-	connection, err := dbus.ConnectSessionBus()
+	connection, err := sessionbus.Connect(nil, "replacement-test-reader")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -32,10 +33,10 @@ func TestReplaceHelper(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil || reply != dbus.RequestNameReplyPrimaryOwner {
 		t.Fatalf("own reader bus name: %v, %v", reply, err)
 	}
-	fmt.Println("READY")
 	signals := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
 	signal.Notify(signals, syscall.SIGTERM)
 	defer signal.Stop(signals)
+	fmt.Println("READY")
 	<-signals
 }
 
@@ -86,6 +87,9 @@ func TestReplaceRunningNative(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := replaceRunning(ctx); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
+	if state, _, err := processIdentity(command.Process.Pid); !os.IsNotExist(err) && (err != nil || state != "Z") {
+		t.Fatalf("replacement returned before reader exit: state=%q, error=%v", state, err)
+	}
 	if err := command.Wait(); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("running reader did not exit cleanly: %v", err)
 	}

distro-packages/Arch-Linux/cthulhu-git/PKGBUILD

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 pkgbase=cthulhu-git
 pkgname=cthulhu-git
 _pkgname=cthulhu
-pkgver=2026.10.15.r26.g4be35fc
+pkgver=2026.10.20.r61.g4643f8e
 pkgrel=1
 pkgdesc="Desktop-agnostic screen reader with speech, Braille, and Tentacle support"
 url="https://git.stormux.org/storm/cthulhu"

internal/logging/async.go

@@ -359,11 +359,17 @@ type fileWriter struct {
 	closeOnce sync.Once
 }
 
-func OpenFile(path string, fallback io.Writer) (DiagnosticsWriter, error) {
+func OpenFile(path string, fallback io.Writer, appendLog bool) (DiagnosticsWriter, error) {
 	if path == "" || path == "." || path == ".." {
 		return nil, errors.New("invalid diagnostics file path")
 	}
-	file, err := os.OpenFile(path, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE|os.O_APPEND, 0o600)
+	// Keep writes at the end even after truncation: an outgoing reader may
+	// still append its shutdown records while --replace is in progress.
+	flags := os.O_WRONLY | os.O_CREATE | os.O_APPEND
+	if !appendLog {
+		flags |= os.O_TRUNC
+	}
+	file, err := os.OpenFile(path, flags, 0o600)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("open diagnostics file: %w", err)
 	}

internal/logging/async_test.go

@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ func TestAsyncRepeatedStopAfterSuccess(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestOpenFileIsAppendOnlyOwnerRestrictedAndCancellable(t *testing.T) {
 	path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "diagnostics.log")
-	writer, err := OpenFile(path, nil)
+	writer, err := OpenFile(path, nil, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("OpenFile: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ func TestOpenFileIsAppendOnlyOwnerRestrictedAndCancellable(t *testing.T) {
 	if info.Mode().Perm() != 0o600 {
 		t.Fatalf("file mode = %o, want 0600", info.Mode().Perm())
 	}
-	writer, err = OpenFile(path, nil)
+	writer, err = OpenFile(path, nil, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("reopen: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -332,3 +332,57 @@ func TestOpenFileIsAppendOnlyOwnerRestrictedAndCancellable(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 var _ io.Writer = (*controlledWriter)(nil)
+
+func TestOpenFileReplacesPreviousContents(t *testing.T) {
+	path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "diagnostics.log")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte("previous session with longer contents\n"), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	writer, err := OpenFile(path, nil, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if _, err := writer.Write([]byte("new session\n")); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := writer.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if string(data) != "new session\n" {
+		t.Fatalf("file contents = %q", data)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFreshLogPreservesWritesFromOutgoingReader(t *testing.T) {
+	path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "diagnostics.log")
+	old, err := OpenFile(path, nil, true)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer old.Close()
+	if _, err := old.Write([]byte("old session\n")); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	next, err := OpenFile(path, nil, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer next.Close()
+	if _, err := old.Write([]byte("outgoing shutdown\n")); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if _, err := next.Write([]byte("new session\n")); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if string(data) != "outgoing shutdown\nnew session\n" {
+		t.Fatalf("overlapping reader writes = %q", data)
+	}
+}