fix(tui): preserve quoted post-create command arguments (#4137)

Signed-off-by: Thota shashank <thotashashank302@gmail.com>

Author: thotashashank302

.agents/skills/tui-development/SKILL.md

@@ -330,6 +330,8 @@ TUI actions should parallel `openshell` CLI commands so users have familiar ment
 
 When adding new TUI features, check what the CLI offers and maintain consistency.
 
+The create form parses the optional Command field as shell words before starting creation. Preserve the parsed argument vector through post-create execution and shell-escape each argument at the SSH boundary. Quoting groups arguments; expansions and operators remain literal unless the user explicitly invokes a shell such as `sh -c`. Invalid quoting must leave the form open with an error and must not queue sandbox creation.
+
 ### Scrollable views follow k9s conventions
 
 Any scrollable content (logs, future long lists) should follow the k9s autoscroll pattern:

Cargo.lock

@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ tokio-stream = "0.1"
 protoc-bin-vendored = "3.2.0"
 url = "2"
 indexmap = "2"
+shell-words = "1.1.1"
 
 # Database
 sqlx = { version = "0.9", default-features = false, features = ["runtime-tokio", "tls-rustls-aws-lc-rs", "postgres", "sqlite", "migrate", "macros"] }

Cargo.toml

@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ owo-colors = { workspace = true }
 serde = { workspace = true }
 url = { workspace = true }
 indexmap = { workspace = true }
+shell-words = { workspace = true }
 
 [lints]
 workspace = true

crates/openshell-tui/Cargo.toml

@@ -241,9 +241,8 @@ impl GatewayEntry {
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 /// Data extracted from the create sandbox form:
-/// `(name, image, command, selected_provider_names, forward_specs)`.
+/// `(name, image, selected_provider_names, forward_specs)`.
 pub type CreateFormData = (
-    String,
     String,
     String,
     Vec<String>,
@@ -723,8 +722,8 @@ pub struct App {
     pub pending_create_sandbox: bool,
     /// Forward specs to apply after sandbox creation completes.
     pub pending_forward_ports: Vec<openshell_core::forward::ForwardSpec>,
-    /// Command to exec via SSH after sandbox creation completes.
-    pub pending_exec_command: String,
+    /// Parsed arguments to exec via SSH after sandbox creation completes.
+    pub pending_exec_command: Vec<String>,
     /// Animation ticker handle — aborted when animation stops.
     pub anim_handle: Option<tokio::task::JoinHandle<()>>,
 
@@ -1078,7 +1077,7 @@ impl App {
             create_form: None,
             pending_create_sandbox: false,
             pending_forward_ports: Vec::new(),
-            pending_exec_command: String::new(),
+            pending_exec_command: Vec::new(),
             anim_handle: None,
             sandbox_log_lines: Vec::new(),
             sandbox_log_scroll: 0,
@@ -2396,6 +2395,13 @@ impl App {
                     }
                     CreateFormField::Submit => {
                         if key.code == KeyCode::Enter {
+                            match shell_words::split(&form.command) {
+                                Ok(command) => self.pending_exec_command = command,
+                                Err(error) => {
+                                    form.status = Some(format!("Invalid command: {error}"));
+                                    return;
+                                }
+                            }
                             form.anim_start = Some(Instant::now());
                             form.status = None;
                             form.phase = CreatePhase::Creating;
@@ -2408,7 +2414,7 @@ impl App {
     }
 
     /// Build the form data needed for the gRPC `CreateSandbox` request.
-    /// Returns `(name, image, command, selected_provider_names, forward_ports)`.
+    /// Returns `(name, image, selected_provider_names, forward_ports)`.
     pub fn create_form_data(&self) -> Option<CreateFormData> {
         let form = self.create_form.as_ref()?;
         let providers: Vec<String> = form
@@ -2428,13 +2434,7 @@ impl App {
                 openshell_core::forward::ForwardSpec::parse(s).ok()
             })
             .collect();
-        Some((
-            form.name.clone(),
-            form.image.clone(),
-            form.command.clone(),
-            providers,
-            ports,
-        ))
+        Some((form.name.clone(), form.image.clone(), providers, ports))
     }
 
     // ------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -3653,6 +3653,71 @@ mod tests {
         )
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn create_command_preserves_quoted_and_escaped_arguments() {
+        let cases: &[(&str, &[&str])] = &[
+            (
+                r#"/bin/sh -c "echo GOOD; read x""#,
+                &["/bin/sh", "-c", "echo GOOD; read x"],
+            ),
+            (
+                r#"echo 'hello world' "" a\ b "it's""#,
+                &["echo", "hello world", "", "a b", "it's"],
+            ),
+            (r#"echo pre"fix value"post"#, &["echo", "prefix valuepost"]),
+            (
+                "echo $HOME $(id) ; | > *.txt",
+                &["echo", "$HOME", "$(id)", ";", "|", ">", "*.txt"],
+            ),
+            ("echo hello", &["echo", "hello"]),
+            ("", &[]),
+            ("   \t", &[]),
+        ];
+        for (command, expected) in cases {
+            let mut app = test_app();
+            app.create_form = Some(CreateSandboxForm {
+                command: (*command).into(),
+                focused_field: CreateFormField::Submit,
+                ..Default::default()
+            });
+            app.handle_create_form_key(KeyEvent::new(KeyCode::Enter, KeyModifiers::NONE));
+            assert!(app.pending_create_sandbox, "{command}");
+            assert_eq!(app.pending_exec_command, *expected, "{command}");
+            let form = app.create_form.as_ref().unwrap();
+            assert_eq!(form.phase, CreatePhase::Creating);
+            assert!(form.status.is_none());
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn malformed_create_command_stays_in_form_until_corrected() {
+        for command in ["echo \"unfinished", "echo 'unfinished", "echo \"trailing\\"] {
+            let mut app = test_app();
+            app.create_form = Some(CreateSandboxForm {
+                command: command.into(),
+                focused_field: CreateFormField::Submit,
+                ..Default::default()
+            });
+            app.handle_create_form_key(KeyEvent::new(KeyCode::Enter, KeyModifiers::NONE));
+            assert!(!app.pending_create_sandbox, "{command}");
+            assert!(app.pending_exec_command.is_empty());
+            let form = app.create_form.as_mut().unwrap();
+            assert_eq!(form.phase, CreatePhase::Form);
+            assert!(form.anim_start.is_none());
+            assert!(
+                form.status
+                    .as_ref()
+                    .unwrap()
+                    .starts_with("Invalid command:")
+            );
+            form.command = "echo corrected".into();
+            app.handle_create_form_key(KeyEvent::new(KeyCode::Enter, KeyModifiers::NONE));
+            assert!(app.pending_create_sandbox);
+            assert_eq!(app.pending_exec_command, ["echo", "corrected"]);
+            assert!(app.create_form.as_ref().unwrap().status.is_none());
+        }
+    }
+
     fn provider_profile(
         id: &str,
         credentials: Vec<openshell_core::proto::ProviderProfileCredential>,

crates/openshell-tui/src/app.rs

@@ -1083,7 +1083,7 @@ async fn handle_exec_command(
     terminal: &mut Terminal<CrosstermBackend<io::Stdout>>,
     events: &mut EventHandler,
     sandbox_name: &str,
-    command: &str,
+    command: &[String],
     workspace: &str,
 ) -> Result<()> {
     let session = {
@@ -1135,13 +1135,9 @@ async fn handle_exec_command(
     );
 
     // Step 3: Build SSH command — same flags as handle_shell_connect but with
-    // the user's command appended.  Each word is escaped individually so the
+    // the parsed command appended. Each argument is escaped individually so the
     // remote shell parses it correctly.
-    let command_str = command
-        .split_whitespace()
-        .map(shell_escape)
-        .collect::<Vec<_>>()
-        .join(" ");
+    let command_str = build_exec_command(command);
     let mut ssh = std::process::Command::new("ssh");
     ssh.arg("-o")
         .arg(format!("ProxyCommand={proxy_command}"))
@@ -1217,6 +1213,14 @@ use openshell_core::forward::{
     validate_ssh_session_response,
 };
 
+fn build_exec_command(command: &[String]) -> String {
+    command
+        .iter()
+        .map(|arg| shell_escape(arg))
+        .collect::<Vec<_>>()
+        .join(" ")
+}
+
 /// Convert a `SandboxPolicy` proto into styled ratatui lines for the policy viewer.
 fn render_policy_lines(
     policy: &openshell_core::proto::SandboxPolicy,
@@ -1400,12 +1404,10 @@ fn start_anim_ticker(app: &mut App, tx: mpsc::UnboundedSender<Event>) {
 
 fn spawn_create_sandbox(app: &mut App, tx: mpsc::UnboundedSender<Event>) {
     let mut client = app.client.clone();
-    let Some((name, image, command, selected_providers, ports)) = app.create_form_data() else {
+    let Some((name, image, selected_providers, ports)) = app.create_form_data() else {
         return;
     };
 
-    // Stash command so we can exec after sandbox creation + Ready.
-    app.pending_exec_command = command;
     // Stash ports so we can include them in the status text.
     app.pending_forward_ports.clone_from(&ports);
 
@@ -3130,6 +3132,46 @@ fn format_age(epoch_ms: i64) -> String {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(all(test, unix))]
+mod exec_command_tests {
+    use super::build_exec_command;
+    use std::io::Write;
+    use std::process::{Command, Stdio};
+
+    fn run_command(command: &str, stdin: &[u8]) -> std::process::Output {
+        let args = shell_words::split(command).unwrap();
+        let mut child = Command::new("/bin/sh")
+            .args(["-c", &build_exec_command(&args)])
+            .stdin(Stdio::piped())
+            .stdout(Stdio::piped())
+            .stderr(Stdio::piped())
+            .spawn()
+            .unwrap();
+        child.stdin.take().unwrap().write_all(stdin).unwrap();
+        child.wait_with_output().unwrap()
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn quoted_script_runs_and_reads_stdin() {
+        let output = run_command(r#"/bin/sh -c "echo GOOD; read x; echo $x""#, b"entered\n");
+        assert!(output.status.success(), "{:?}", output.stderr);
+        assert_eq!(output.stdout, b"GOOD\nentered\n");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn arguments_remain_literal_at_remote_shell_boundary() {
+        let output = run_command(
+            r#"printf '%s\n' 'hello world' "" "it's" a\ b $HOME '$(echo BAD)' ';' '|' '>' '*.txt'"#,
+            b"",
+        );
+        assert!(output.status.success(), "{:?}", output.stderr);
+        assert_eq!(
+            output.stdout,
+            b"hello world\n\nit's\na b\n$HOME\n$(echo BAD)\n;\n|\n>\n*.txt\n"
+        );
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod draft_approve_all_message_tests {
     use super::*;

crates/openshell-tui/src/lib.rs

@@ -763,6 +763,8 @@ The dashboard has three panels stacked vertically: Gateways, Providers (or Globa
 
 The sandbox table’s NOTES column shows `Invalid config` when policy or provider configuration blocks provisioning. Open the sandbox detail view for the full rejection reason, or run `openshell sandbox get <name> -o json`. The note clears after the configuration is repaired; active port forwards remain listed.
 
+Press `c` in the Sandboxes panel to create a sandbox. In the optional Command field, use quotes or backslashes to group arguments containing spaces. For example, `/bin/sh -c "echo GOOD; read x"` prints `GOOD` and waits for Enter. Invalid quoting keeps the form open without creating a sandbox. The field does not expand variables or evaluate shell operators; invoke a shell explicitly with `sh -c` when you need that behavior.
+
 ## Port Forwarding
 
 Forward a local port to a running sandbox to access services inside it, such as a web server or database: