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desktop: workspace and local chat colors lack an explanation #58787
Description
Description
OpenCode Desktop styles the same user message differently depending on whether the session is in a workspace/worktree or the project's local root. With the default dark theme, a workspace message appears bright blue with white text, while a local-root message appears dark navy with pale-blue text. The chat does not explain what this distinction means. A user comparing two chats can reasonably read the color as a model, status, warning, or billing difference.
This is separate from the contrast and visual-regression report in #52028: even if the colors remain, their meaning should be discoverable without reading source code or GitHub issues.
Steps to reproduce
- In OpenCode Desktop, open a session in a workspace/worktree and another at a project's local root.
- Send the same message in each session using the same agent, model, and theme.
- Compare the user-message bubbles. The colors differ, but the message view does not label or explain the difference.
Actual behavior
The workspace bubble is bright blue and the local-root bubble is dark navy in the default dark theme. There is no nearby legend, label, or tooltip explaining the color distinction or the checkout directory it represents.
Expected behavior
Show the session type and working directory in text near the session header or message area, or provide an accessible tooltip/label for the visual distinction. The information should not depend on color alone. If the color is merely decorative, make that clear by avoiding a seemingly status-bearing contrast between otherwise identical messages.
Context
Observed on macOS in OpenCode Desktop on 2026-10-24. The exact Desktop build number was not verified. The same agent/model was shown in both chats. No screenshots are attached because they contain the user's task text.
Related: #52028 documents the underlying data-workspace-session / data-local-session styling and focuses on color contrast. This report concerns the missing explanation and discoverability of the distinction.
Activity
opencode-agent commentedon Oct 24, 2026
Thanks for the clear write-up, @deffenda. You're asking for the workspace/worktree vs local-root distinction in Desktop to be explained in text, not just by bubble colour: for example, the session type and working directory near the header or messages, or an accessible label or tooltip.
The colours are intentional: the app styles user messages differently depending on whether the session is in a workspace/worktree or at the project's local root. The meaning isn't shown anywhere in the UI, though, so I'm treating this as a feature request. Maintainers will consider it.
Related issues:
data-workspace-session/data-local-sessionstyling