end-session: 2026-10-26 log, context, README

Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01JXneLTuvb5Gxim3DTN2tQa

CONTEXT.md

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Current work focus and active tasks. Used by `context-load` to orient agents at
 
 ## Recent
 
-- `claude-sessions` (2026-10-26): menu "new" now offers a folder browser (zenity or terminal, with new-folder), a topic prompt (defaults to folder name, must be unique among live sessions), and a Location column in the list. Uncommitted; not yet tried live from the menu.
+- `claude-sessions` (2026-10-26): menu "new" offers a folder browser (zenity or terminal, with new-folder), a topic prompt (defaults to folder name, must be unique among live sessions), and a Location column. New `spawn --headless [--create]` (exit 2 = topic in use); `/spawn-session` skill uses it. Pushed (c32ea46, d237789; skill a5b82a2). Headless path tested live ("Migration" session). Next: try the menu `n` -> `b` flow by hand and check the Location column.
 - `claude-sessions` (2026-10-13): new session defaults to cwd's CLAUDE.md project; new and resumed sessions attach (recover attaches only when one session is selected). Pushed (11ee50e). Not yet tried live end-to-end from the menu.
 - Sonnet driver in `small-scripts/scripts/claude-profile` now `claude-sonnet-5-5`; other drivers (haiku, opus, fable) still on older IDs.
 - Untracked, left alone: `insights-claude-md-profile-PLAN.md`, `scripts/__pycache__/` (consider gitignoring).

README.md

@@ -154,6 +154,6 @@ rm <file>.pre-lint
 | `scripts/set-topic.sh` | Set the session topic: `set-topic.sh <cwd> "topic text"` |
 | `scripts/extract-transcripts.py` | Transcript backup tracking — register backups, list unprocessed, extract conversation text, mark processed |
 | `scripts/list-transcripts-here.sh` | Wrapper calling `extract-transcripts.py --list $(pwd)` — used in `/log` skill pre-gathered context |
-| `scripts/claude-sessions` | Session lifecycle manager — registry, interactive menu (new session defaults to cwd project; new/resume land you in tmux), recover after restart, gc. Symlinked to `~/sbin/` |
+| `scripts/claude-sessions` | Session lifecycle manager — registry, interactive menu (new session: folder browser, unique topic, Location column; new/resume land you in tmux), `spawn --headless` for scripts and `/spawn-session`, recover after restart, gc. Symlinked to `~/sbin/` |
 | `scripts/claude-sessions-shutdown` | Graceful shutdown — sends `/exit-session` to all Claude tmux sessions, waits, force-kills. Called by systemd |
 | `scripts/install-systemd.sh` | Install `config/systemd/user/claude-sessions-save.service` to `~/.config/systemd/user/`, enable and start |

memory/log/2026-10-26.003911.md

@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# Session Log -- 2026-10-26
+
+## Summary
+Added a folder browser, unique-topic prompt and Location column to the `claude-sessions` menu, then added a `--headless` spawn mode and moved the `/spawn-session` skill onto it. Tested live by spawning a "Migration" session.
+
+## Decisions
+- Decision: Folder picker uses `zenity` when a display exists, otherwise a built-in terminal browser -- Rationale: sessions are often driven over SSH/tmux where no GUI is available; both support creating a folder.
+- Decision: Topic = tmux session name = Remote Control name, defaulting to the Title-Cased folder name; "in use" means a live tmux session only -- Rationale: resumable registry entries do not occupy a tmux name.
+- Decision: Headless mode fails (exit 2) on a taken topic instead of adding `#N` -- Rationale: callers (the skill) must ask the user for a real topic so all sessions have meaningful names.
+- Decision: `--create` only accepts absolute paths -- Rationale: avoids creating folders in an unexpected cwd.
+
+## Gotchas Discovered
+- **[editing]** Symptom: a Python patch script replaced the wrong region of `claude-sessions` and deleted ~450 lines -- Fix: `git checkout` the file and re-apply with the Edit tool. Cause: `s.index('elif raw == "n":')` matched the first occurrence, which was inside newly inserted helper code, not `cmd_menu`. Anchor slice searches after a unique function marker (`s.index(..., s.index("def cmd_menu"))`).
+- **[tmux]** Symptom: `tmux capture-pane -t "=Name"` returns "can't find pane" -- Fix: use the bare session name for pane targets; `=` exact-match works only for session targets (`has-session`, `attach`, `switch-client`).
+- **[tmux]** tmux rewrites `.` and `:` in session names to `_`, so topic checks compare the rewritten form and reject those characters.
+
+## Open Questions
+- Menu path not yet exercised by hand end to end (`n` -> `b` -> topic -> attach). Only helper functions and the menu listing were tested.
+- Does the Location column look right for the new "Migration" session in the live menu?
+
+## Key Context
+- Script: `projects/claude-foundations/scripts/claude-sessions`; commits `c32ea46` (menu) and `d237789` (headless). Skill: `custom-claude-skills/skills/spawn-session`, commit `a5b82a2`.
+- Headless: `claude-sessions spawn <folder> --headless [--name topic] [--create]`; exit 1 = folder missing, exit 2 = topic in use.
+- Live test: skill spawned "Migration" in `~/dev/claude/projects/migration`; Remote Control active.
+
+## Process Notes
+- Script docs rule followed: new `memory/script-claude-sessions.md` plus MEMORY.md index line; `skill-spawn-session.md` updated.