claude-code: tips is a preference, set in one call like any module's

Turning Claude Code's tips off meant a change to the trusted managed_settings layer, proposed for the operator's approval. Tips decide how a session looks, not what it may do, so the module declares `tips` as a preference in an untrusted file of its own and renders it as spinnerTipsEnabled; the controller's settings verb sets it for the mesh or a node, with its history.

modules/claude-code/cmd/claude-code/claude_code_test.go

@@ -495,3 +495,22 @@ func TestALowerGenerationAfterTheManagerWasRebuiltIsStillApplied(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("asked %v, credentials %v: a lower generation was ignored", asked, creds(t, p))
 	}
 }
+
+// The tips preference reaches the managed settings as spinnerTipsEnabled, either way, and is left out when the
+// mesh filled none: set in one call through the controller, never at the terminal.
+func TestTheTipsPreferenceIsRenderedAsSpinnerTipsEnabled(t *testing.T) {
+	off, on := false, true
+	for _, c := range []struct {
+		tips *bool
+		want any
+	}{{&off, false}, {&on, true}, {nil, nil}} {
+		out := Render(Facts{Console: "x"}, Settings{Preferences: Preferences{Tips: c.tips}}, nil, "/h", nil, Config{})
+		var managed map[string]any
+		if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(out["managed-settings.json"]), &managed); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		if got, has := managed["spinnerTipsEnabled"]; got != c.want || has != (c.want != nil) {
+			t.Errorf("tips %v rendered spinnerTipsEnabled %v (present %v)", c.tips, got, has)
+		}
+	}
+}

modules/claude-code/cmd/claude-code/node.go

@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ func HomeScopeRefused(p Paths, target string) string {
 func (p Paths) credentials() string { return filepath.Join(p.Home, ".claude", ".credentials.json") }
 func (p Paths) account() string     { return filepath.Join(p.Home, ".claude.json") }
 func (p Paths) binding() string     { return filepath.Join(p.State, "licence.json") }
+func (p Paths) preferences() string { return filepath.Join(p.State, "preferences.json") }
 func (p Paths) apiKey() string      { return filepath.Join(p.keyDir(), "api-key") }
 func (p Paths) helper() string      { return filepath.Join(p.keyDir(), "api-key-helper") }
 
@@ -218,6 +219,7 @@ func RenderNow(p Paths, write WriteManaged) ([]string, error) {
 	}
 	var settings Settings
 	readJSON(p.Settings, &settings)
+	readJSON(p.preferences(), &settings.Preferences)
 	var binding *Binding
 	var b Binding
 	if readJSON(p.binding(), &b) {

modules/claude-code/cmd/claude-code/render.go

@@ -42,6 +42,15 @@ type Settings struct {
 	MCPServers map[string]map[string]any `json:"mcp_servers"`
 	// ManagedSettings are keys of the agent's managed settings the operator sets, for the mesh or a node.
 	ManagedSettings map[string]any `json:"managed_settings"`
+	// Preferences are this module's own preferences, from its untrusted preferences file: set in one call
+	// with the controller's `settings` verb, for the mesh or a node, like any module's preference (ADR 0262).
+	Preferences Preferences `json:"-"`
+}
+
+// Preferences are the module's preferences as the mesh filled them; nil is a value the file did not carry.
+type Preferences struct {
+	// Tips is whether Claude Code shows a tip while it works (`spinnerTipsEnabled`).
+	Tips *bool `json:"tips"`
 }
 
 // Binding is the licence this node holds, as it was last applied.
@@ -121,6 +130,11 @@ func RenderWithMesh(facts Facts, settings Settings, binding *Binding, helperPath
 	// The operator's `managed_settings` (ADR 0213), set at the controller's terminal alone: nothing registered
 	// through this module's tools is laid over it (novox/hq issue 340).
 	managed := mergeSettings(map[string]any{}, settings.ManagedSettings)
+	// The module's preferences: keys of how a session looks, never of what it may do, so they are set in one
+	// call through the controller rather than at the terminal, and laid over the operator's keys of the same name.
+	if settings.Preferences.Tips != nil {
+		managed["spinnerTipsEnabled"] = *settings.Preferences.Tips
+	}
 	// The mesh's own keys are laid last: a setting never replaces them.
 	managed["attribution"] = map[string]any{"commit": "", "pr": ""}
 	managed["allowAllClaudeAiMcps"] = true

modules/claude-code/module.json

@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 {
   "module": "claude-code",
   "version": "1",
+  "settings": {
+    "tips": {
+      "kind": "preference",
+      "default": true,
+      "why": "Claude Code shows a tip while it works; false turns tips off in every session on the machine, written as spinnerTipsEnabled in its managed settings"
+    }
+  },
   "slug": "agent",
   "capabilities": [
     "package-manager"
@@ -146,6 +153,15 @@
       "owner": "${machine:account}",
       "merge": "json",
       "content": "{\n  \"role\": \"\",\n  \"mcp_servers\": {},\n  \"managed_settings\": {},\n  \"instructions\": {},\n  \"output_styles\": {},\n  \"skills\": {},\n  \"commands\": {},\n  \"agents\": {}\n}\n"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "preferences",
+      "trusted": false,
+      "type": "file",
+      "path": "${dir:state}/preferences.json",
+      "mode": "0600",
+      "owner": "${machine:account}",
+      "content": "{\n  \"tips\": ${setting:tips}\n}\n"
     }
   ],
   "shell": [