What problem(s) was I solving?

When users enabled bypass permissions with a timeout (e.g., "bypass for 15 minutes") in the draft launcher UI, the selected timeout value was being discarded. This resulted in:

1. Security concern: Bypass permissions would remain enabled indefinitely instead of automatically expiring after the selected duration
2. User expectation mismatch: Users selected a timeout but it had no effect
3. Broken feature: The timeout selection dialog appeared and functioned correctly, but the selected value never reached the backend

The root cause: The frontend was storing the "bypass permissions enabled" flag in localStorage, but was not storing or sending the associated timeout duration to the backend when launching the draft session.

What user-facing changes did I ship?

User Experience Improvement:

• Bypass permissions timeout now works as designed in draft launcher
• When users enable bypass permissions with a timeout (default 15 minutes), the timeout now actually takes effect
• Sessions launch with bypass permissions enabled and a countdown timer
• Bypass permissions automatically disable when the timer expires
• Users can toggle bypass off to reset the timeout to default (15 minutes) on next enable

Verification for end users:

1. Create a draft session
2. Press opt+y to enable bypass permissions
3. In the confirmation dialog, set timeout to 5 minutes
4. Verify "WILL BYPASS PERMISSIONS ON LAUNCH" indicator appears
5. Launch the draft with a prompt (e.g., "list files")
6. Session shows bypass permissions enabled with a timer counting down from 5:00
7. Tool calls are auto-approved while timer is active
8. After 5 minutes, bypass permissions automatically disables and tool calls require approval again

How I implemented it

Changes in DraftLauncherForm.tsx:

1. Added state management for timeout (line 58):

   • const [savedBypassTimeout, setSavedBypassTimeout] = useState<number | null>(15)
   • Tracks the user's selected timeout in minutes (default 15)
   • Uses null to represent "no timeout" (indefinite bypass)

2. Updated confirmation handler (lines 566-573):

   • Changed signature to accept timeoutMinutes parameter from dialog
   • Now saves the timeout value: setSavedBypassTimeout(timeoutMinutes)
   • Closes dialog after confirming both bypass enabled state and timeout

3. Clear timeout when disabling (line 560):

   • When user toggles bypass permissions off: setSavedBypassTimeout(null)
   • Ensures fresh default timeout (15 min) is prompted on next enable

4. Include timeout in launch payload (lines 469-471):

   • Added dangerouslySkipPermissionsTimeoutMs to session update
   • Converts minutes to milliseconds: savedBypassTimeout * 60 * 1000
   • Sends undefined if no timeout (indefinite bypass)

5. Updated dependencies (line 517):

   • Added savedBypassTimeout to handleLaunchDraft dependencies
   • Ensures hook runs when timeout changes

How the backend uses this:

• Backend already had correct logic to recalculate expiration time from the stored timeout duration
• This fix ensures the timeout value actually reaches the backend
• Backend stores the duration (not absolute time), allowing re-calculation from launch moment
• Timer automatically expires bypass permissions after the duration passes

Pattern consistency:

• Follows same pattern as savedAutoAccept for similar timeout handling
• State-only approach (no localStorage) for timeout - fresh value prompted each time

How to verify it

Automated Testing

• Format check passed: make -C humanlayer-wui check
• Lint check passed: make -C humanlayer-wui check
• Type checking passed: make -C humanlayer-wui check
• Build succeeded: make -C humanlayer-wui build
• Rust checks passed

Manual Testing

Test Case 1: Bypass with Timeout (5 minutes)

1. Start draft launcher with no active session
2. Press opt+y hotkey
3. See confirmation dialog with timeout selector
4. Set timeout to 5 minutes (or less for faster testing)
5. Confirm
6. Verify "WILL BYPASS PERMISSIONS ON LAUNCH" indicator appears
7. Enter a prompt: "list the files in the current directory"
8. Launch draft
9. Expected: Session launches with bypass permissions enabled
10. Expected: Timer shows ~5:00 (or selected time) and counts down
11. Expected: File listing is auto-approved without user interaction
12. Wait for timer to reach 0:00
13. Expected: Bypass permissions automatically disables
14. Expected: Subsequent tool calls require approval

Test Case 2: Bypass without Timeout (Indefinite)

1. Press opt+y to enable bypass permissions
2. Uncheck "Auto-disable after" checkbox (sets timeout to null)
3. Confirm
4. Launch draft
5. Expected: Bypass permissions enabled with no timer
6. Expected: No automatic expiration

Test Case 3: Toggle Off and On

1. Enable bypass with 10 minute timeout
2. Press opt+y again to disable
3. Verify indicator disappears
4. Press opt+y to re-enable
5. Expected: Dialog shows default 15 minutes (not previous 10 minutes)
6. Expected: Timeout was reset when toggled off

Test Case 4: Multiple Draft Sessions

1. Enable bypass with 15 minute timeout in draft 1
2. Launch draft 1
3. Create new draft
4. Enable bypass with 5 minute timeout in draft 2
5. Launch draft 2
6. Expected: Draft 1 session has independent 15:00 timer
7. Expected: Draft 2 session has independent 5:00 timer
8. Expected: Timers count down independently

Description for the changelog

Draft Launcher - Bypass Permissions Timeout Fix

Fixed a security issue where the bypass permissions timeout value selected in the draft launcher UI was being discarded during draft launch. Bypass permissions would remain enabled indefinitely instead of automatically expiring after the selected duration.

The timeout value is now properly stored and sent to the backend during launch, enabling the automatic expiration feature to work as designed. Sessions now correctly show a countdown timer and automatically disable bypass permissions when the timer expires.

Fixes ENG-2299