Orchestrator "New Session" dialog — session-type selection wireframes

Status: design / product framing. Companion to K8S_WORKSPACE_UX_DESIGN.md (the Workspace-=-Session model) and the Orchestrator plugin (crates/fresh-editor/plugins/orchestrator.ts).

Why

Today "Orchestrator: New Session" only creates a local session (a git worktree or a folder, running an agent in a terminal). We now have two more backends behind the Authority seam:

SSH — edit on a remote host (Authority::ssh, fresh user@host:path).
Kubernetes — edit inside a pod via kubectl exec (Authority::kube, any cluster: EKS/GKE/AKS/k3d/minikube/kind).

The New Session dialog should let the user choose the session type and collect the right fields for it, while leaving the local flow exactly as it is for people who never touch remote/cloud.

The existing dialog (observed, debug build, tmux)

┌───────────────────────── ORCHESTRATOR :: New Session ──────────────────────────┐
│                                                                                 │
│ ╭─ Project Path ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮│
│ │ ~/code/acme-api                                                              ││
│ ╰───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────-─╯│
│ [v] Create a new git worktree for this session                                  │
│ ╭─ Session Name ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮│
│ │ session-3                                                                    ││
│ ╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯│
│ ╭─ Agent Command ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮│
│ │ terminal                                                                     ││
│ ╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯│
│ ╭─ Branch ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮│
│ │ origin/main                                                                  ││
│ ╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯│
│                                                       [ Cancel ]  [ Create Session ]│
│   Tab next/accept  S-Tab prev  ↑↓ suggest/history  Space toggle  Enter act  Esc  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Chrome to reuse: centered ORCHESTRATOR :: New Session title, labeledSection bordered inputs, the worktree toggle, inline completion popups (Project Path, Branch), the bottom-right Cancel / Create Session buttons, the footer hint bar. All four backends share Session Name + Agent Command.

Field needs per type:

Type	Type-specific fields
Local	Project Path · [worktree toggle] · Branch (when worktree on)
SSH	Host `user@host[:port]` · Remote Path · Identity file (optional)
Kubernetes	Target (`.fresh/k8s.json`) or Context · Namespace · Pod · Workspace

Alternative A — Segmented type tabs at the top (recommended)

A horizontal segmented control is the first thing in the form; ←/→ (or click) switches it, and the field body below swaps to match. Common fields stay put.

┌───────────────────────── ORCHESTRATOR :: New Session ──────────────────────────┐
│                                                                                 │
│   Run in:   « Local »   SSH   Kubernetes                  (←/→ to switch)        │
│             ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔                                                            │
│ ╭─ Project Path ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮│
│ │ ~/code/acme-api                                                              ││
│ ╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯│
│ [v] Create a new git worktree for this session                                  │
│ ╭─ Session Name ─╮  ╭─ Agent Command ─╮  ╭─ Branch ─╮                            │
│                                                       [ Cancel ]  [ Create Session ]│
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

SSH selected:

│   Run in:    Local   « SSH »   Kubernetes                                        │
│                      ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔                                                     │
│ ╭─ Host  (user@host[:port]) ──────────────╮ ╭─ Remote Path ────────────────────╮│
│ │ deploy@build-01                          │ │ /srv/acme-api                    ││
│ ╰──────────────────────────────────────────╯ ╰──────────────────────────────────╯│
│ ╭─ Identity file (optional) ──────────────────────────────────────────────────╮ │
│ ╭─ Session Name ─╮  ╭─ Agent Command ─╮                                          │

Kubernetes selected:

│   Run in:    Local   SSH   « Kubernetes »                                        │
│                            ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔                                          │
│ ╭─ Target  (from .fresh/k8s.json — or define inline ↓) ───────────────────────╮ │
│ │ acme-api                                                  ▾ (2 targets)      │ │
│ ╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯ │
│ ╭─ Context ─╮ ╭─ Namespace ─╮ ╭─ Pod ───────────╮ ╭─ Workspace ─╮                │
│ │ k3d-dev   │ │ default     │ │ acme-pod  ▾(run)│ │ /workspace  │                │
│ ╰───────────╯ ╰─────────────╯ ╰─────────────────╯ ╰─────────────╯                │
│ ╭─ Session Name ─╮  ╭─ Agent Command ─╮                                          │
│   ⓘ  preflight: kubectl ✓ · context reachable ✓ · create pods/exec ✓            │

+ Most discoverable; the type is always visible; matches the user's "nice way to choose the type." Self-documenting (you see all three).
+ Each type shows only its own fields → no clutter.
− Needs a new segmented-control widget (or fake one with a focusable raw row + ←/→ handling); a little more build than reusing existing widgets.

Alternative B — Single "Run in:" cycle field

One labeled field whose value cycles Local ▸ SSH ▸ Kubernetes with Space/←→ (like a <select>); the body below adapts exactly as in A.

│ ╭─ Run in ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮│
│ │ ‹ Kubernetes ›                                            (Space / ←→ cycles) ││
│ ╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯│
│  …type-specific fields…                                                          │

+ Smallest build — reuses the text/labeled-section pattern, fits the Tab cycle naturally.
− The other choices are hidden until you cycle; less discoverable than tabs. Reads as "advanced".

Alternative C — Two-step launcher (pick type, then a tailored form)

Orchestrator: New Session first opens a tiny picker; choosing an entry opens the dedicated form for that type (the local form is exactly today's).

┌ New Session — choose a type ───────────────────────────────┐
│ ▸ Local        worktree or folder, runs on this machine    │
│   SSH          remote host  (user@host:/path)              │
│   Kubernetes   pod via kubectl exec  (EKS/GKE/AKS/k3d)     │
│   Devcontainer .devcontainer in a container                │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

+ Cleanest per-type forms; trivially extensible (Devcontainer, …); the picker doubles as documentation.
+ Zero change to the local form (lowest regression risk on the hot path).
− One extra keystroke/step for every new session, including plain local. Could keep Alt+N → local directly and a separate "New Session (choose type)" for the picker.

Alternative D — Unified smart "Target" field (URL-style)

Keep today's form almost verbatim; the top field becomes Target and parses what you type, mirroring the existing fresh user@host:path / ssh:// CLI. A detected-type chip appears to the right.

│ ╭─ Target ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────[ Kubernetes ]╮│
│ │ k8s://k3d-dev/default/acme-pod/workspace                                     ││
│ ╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯│
│   ⓘ  ./path  ·  user@host:/path  ·  ssh://host/path  ·  k8s://ctx/ns/pod[/ws]   │
│ [v] Create a new git worktree   (local & ssh-git only)                          │
│ ╭─ Session Name ─╮  ╭─ Agent Command ─╮                                          │

+ Smallest visual change; one mental model; great for power users; reuses the existing parser shapes.
− Discoverability rests on the hint line; typos in the URL are the main failure mode; per-type validation/preflight is harder to surface inline.

Recommendation

A (segmented tabs) as the primary UX, borrowing D's parsing as an accelerator. Tabs make the choice obvious and keep each type's fields clean (the user asked for "a nice way to choose the type"). Within the SSH/Kubernetes bodies, the first field accepts a pasted user@host:/path or k8s://ctx/ns/pod and auto-fills the rest — so power users get D's speed without losing A's clarity. Local stays byte-for-byte today's flow (it's just the default tab), so the no-remote experience is unchanged.

If build cost must be minimal for v1, B is the cheapest path to the same field-swapping behavior and can be upgraded to A's tabs later without changing the submit logic.