fix(pty): paste freeze with large amounts of text (#1383)

add pty writer thread to avoid screen thread blocking on unistd::write

zellij-server/src/lib.rs

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ pub mod tab;
 
 mod logging_pipe;
 mod pty;
+mod pty_writer;
 mod route;
 mod screen;
 mod thread_bus;
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ mod ui;
 mod wasm_vm;
 
 use log::info;
+use pty_writer::{pty_writer_main, PtyWriteInstruction};
 use std::collections::{HashMap, HashSet};
 use std::{
     path::PathBuf,
@@ -106,6 +108,7 @@ pub(crate) struct SessionMetaData {
     screen_thread: Option<thread::JoinHandle<()>>,
     pty_thread: Option<thread::JoinHandle<()>>,
     wasm_thread: Option<thread::JoinHandle<()>>,
+    pty_writer_thread: Option<thread::JoinHandle<()>>,
 }
 
 impl Drop for SessionMetaData {
@@ -116,6 +119,7 @@ impl Drop for SessionMetaData {
         let _ = self.screen_thread.take().unwrap().join();
         let _ = self.pty_thread.take().unwrap().join();
         let _ = self.wasm_thread.take().unwrap().join();
+        let _ = self.pty_writer_thread.take().unwrap().join();
     }
 }
 
@@ -583,6 +587,10 @@ fn init_session(
     let (to_pty, pty_receiver): ChannelWithContext<PtyInstruction> = channels::unbounded();
     let to_pty = SenderWithContext::new(to_pty);
 
+    let (to_pty_writer, pty_writer_receiver): ChannelWithContext<PtyWriteInstruction> =
+        channels::unbounded();
+    let to_pty_writer = SenderWithContext::new(to_pty_writer);
+
     // Determine and initialize the data directory
     let data_dir = opts.data_dir.unwrap_or_else(get_default_data_dir);
 
@@ -607,6 +615,7 @@ fn init_session(
                     None,
                     Some(&to_plugin),
                     Some(&to_server),
+                    Some(&to_pty_writer),
                     Some(os_input.clone()),
                 ),
                 opts.debug,
@@ -625,6 +634,7 @@ fn init_session(
                 Some(&to_pty),
                 Some(&to_plugin),
                 Some(&to_server),
+                Some(&to_pty_writer),
                 Some(os_input.clone()),
             );
             let max_panes = opts.max_panes;
@@ -644,6 +654,7 @@ fn init_session(
                 Some(&to_pty),
                 Some(&to_plugin),
                 None,
+                Some(&to_pty_writer),
                 None,
             );
             let store = Store::default();
@@ -651,11 +662,29 @@ fn init_session(
             move || wasm_thread_main(plugin_bus, store, data_dir, plugins.unwrap_or_default())
         })
         .unwrap();
+
+    let pty_writer_thread = thread::Builder::new()
+        .name("pty_writer".to_string())
+        .spawn({
+            let pty_writer_bus = Bus::new(
+                vec![pty_writer_receiver],
+                Some(&to_screen),
+                Some(&to_pty),
+                Some(&to_plugin),
+                Some(&to_server),
+                None,
+                Some(os_input.clone()),
+            );
+            || pty_writer_main(pty_writer_bus)
+        })
+        .unwrap();
+
     SessionMetaData {
         senders: ThreadSenders {
             to_screen: Some(to_screen),
             to_pty: Some(to_pty),
             to_plugin: Some(to_plugin),
+            to_pty_writer: Some(to_pty_writer),
             to_server: None,
             should_silently_fail: false,
         },
@@ -665,5 +694,6 @@ fn init_session(
         screen_thread: Some(screen_thread),
         pty_thread: Some(pty_thread),
         wasm_thread: Some(wasm_thread),
+        pty_writer_thread: Some(pty_writer_thread),
     }
 }

zellij-server/src/pty_writer.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+use zellij_utils::errors::{ContextType, PtyWriteContext};
+
+use crate::thread_bus::Bus;
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub(crate) enum PtyWriteInstruction {
+    Write(Vec<u8>, i32),
+}
+
+impl From<&PtyWriteInstruction> for PtyWriteContext {
+    fn from(tty_write_instruction: &PtyWriteInstruction) -> Self {
+        match *tty_write_instruction {
+            PtyWriteInstruction::Write(..) => PtyWriteContext::Write,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn pty_writer_main(bus: Bus<PtyWriteInstruction>) {
+    loop {
+        let (event, mut err_ctx) = bus.recv().expect("failed to receive event on channel");
+        err_ctx.add_call(ContextType::PtyWrite((&event).into()));
+        let os_input = bus.os_input.clone().unwrap();
+        match event {
+            PtyWriteInstruction::Write(bytes, terminal_id) => {
+                if let Err(e) = os_input.write_to_tty_stdin(terminal_id, &bytes) {
+                    log::error!("failed to write to terminal: {}", e);
+                }
+                if let Err(e) = os_input.tcdrain(terminal_id) {
+                    log::error!("failed to drain terminal: {}", e);
+                };
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}

zellij-server/src/tab/mod.rs

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ use zellij_tile::prelude::Style;
 use zellij_utils::position::{Column, Line};
 use zellij_utils::{position::Position, serde, zellij_tile};
 
+use crate::pty_writer::PtyWriteInstruction;
 use crate::screen::CopyOptions;
 use crate::ui::pane_boundaries_frame::FrameParams;
 
@@ -869,15 +870,13 @@ impl Tab {
                     .get(&pane_id)
                     .unwrap_or_else(|| self.tiled_panes.get_pane(pane_id).unwrap());
                 let adjusted_input = active_terminal.adjust_input_to_terminal(input_bytes);
-                if let Err(e) = self
-                    .os_api
-                    .write_to_tty_stdin(active_terminal_id, &adjusted_input)
-                {
-                    log::error!("failed to write to terminal: {}", e);
-                }
-                if let Err(e) = self.os_api.tcdrain(active_terminal_id) {
-                    log::error!("failed to drain terminal: {}", e);
-                }
+
+                self.senders
+                    .send_to_pty_writer(PtyWriteInstruction::Write(
+                        adjusted_input,
+                        active_terminal_id,
+                    ))
+                    .unwrap();
             }
             PaneId::Plugin(pid) => {
                 for key in parse_keys(&input_bytes) {

zellij-server/src/thread_bus.rs

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 //! Definitions and helpers for sending and receiving messages between threads.
 
 use crate::{
-    os_input_output::ServerOsApi, pty::PtyInstruction, screen::ScreenInstruction,
-    wasm_vm::PluginInstruction, ServerInstruction,
+    os_input_output::ServerOsApi, pty::PtyInstruction, pty_writer::PtyWriteInstruction,
+    screen::ScreenInstruction, wasm_vm::PluginInstruction, ServerInstruction,
 };
 use zellij_utils::{channels, channels::SenderWithContext, errors::ErrorContext};
 
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ pub(crate) struct ThreadSenders {
     pub to_pty: Option<SenderWithContext<PtyInstruction>>,
     pub to_plugin: Option<SenderWithContext<PluginInstruction>>,
     pub to_server: Option<SenderWithContext<ServerInstruction>>,
+    pub to_pty_writer: Option<SenderWithContext<PtyWriteInstruction>>,
     // this is a convenience for the unit tests
     // it's not advisable to set it to true in production code
     pub should_silently_fail: bool,
@@ -82,6 +83,22 @@ impl ThreadSenders {
             self.to_server.as_ref().unwrap().send(instruction)
         }
     }
+    pub fn send_to_pty_writer(
+        &self,
+        instruction: PtyWriteInstruction,
+    ) -> Result<(), channels::SendError<(PtyWriteInstruction, ErrorContext)>> {
+        if self.should_silently_fail {
+            let _ = self
+                .to_pty_writer
+                .as_ref()
+                .map(|sender| sender.send(instruction))
+                .unwrap_or_else(|| Ok(()));
+            Ok(())
+        } else {
+            self.to_pty_writer.as_ref().unwrap().send(instruction)
+        }
+    }
+
     #[allow(unused)]
     pub fn silently_fail_on_send(mut self) -> Self {
         // this is mostly used for the tests, see struct
@@ -105,6 +122,7 @@ impl<T> Bus<T> {
         to_pty: Option<&SenderWithContext<PtyInstruction>>,
         to_plugin: Option<&SenderWithContext<PluginInstruction>>,
         to_server: Option<&SenderWithContext<ServerInstruction>>,
+        to_pty_writer: Option<&SenderWithContext<PtyWriteInstruction>>,
         os_input: Option<Box<dyn ServerOsApi>>,
     ) -> Self {
         Bus {
@@ -114,6 +132,7 @@ impl<T> Bus<T> {
                 to_pty: to_pty.cloned(),
                 to_plugin: to_plugin.cloned(),
                 to_server: to_server.cloned(),
+                to_pty_writer: to_pty_writer.cloned(),
                 should_silently_fail: false,
             },
             os_input: os_input.clone(),
@@ -129,6 +148,7 @@ impl<T> Bus<T> {
                 to_pty: None,
                 to_plugin: None,
                 to_server: None,
+                to_pty_writer: None,
                 should_silently_fail: true,
             },
             os_input: None,

zellij-utils/src/errors.rs

@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ pub enum ContextType {
     IPCServer(ServerContext),
     StdinHandler,
     AsyncTask,
+    PtyWrite(PtyWriteContext),
     /// An empty, placeholder call. This should be thought of as representing no call at all.
     /// A call stack representation filled with these is the representation of an empty call stack.
     Empty,
@@ -197,6 +198,7 @@ impl Display for ContextType {
             ContextType::IPCServer(c) => Some(("ipc_server:", format!("{:?}", c))),
             ContextType::StdinHandler => Some(("stdin_handler_thread:", "AcceptInput".to_string())),
             ContextType::AsyncTask => Some(("stream_terminal_bytes:", "AsyncTask".to_string())),
+            ContextType::PtyWrite(c) => Some(("pty_writer_thread:", format!("{:?}", c))),
             ContextType::Empty => None,
         } {
             write!(f, "{} {}", left.purple(), right.green())
@@ -337,3 +339,8 @@ pub enum ServerContext {
     AttachClient,
     ConnStatus,
 }
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub enum PtyWriteContext {
+    Write,
+}