T3 Connect "not linked" fix text tells Desktop users to run t3 service restart, which they don't need and can't use #27649

What happened

Settings → Connections in T3 Code Desktop showed "T3 Connect is on, but other devices cannot reach this environment. The server has not set up a T3 Connect tunnel. Fix: Run t3 connect, then restart the server (t3 service restart) so it applies the link." Connect was working at the time, and other devices could reach the machine.

Diagnosis

• The not_linked result comes from classifyReachability in apps/server/src/cloud/ConnectReachability.ts. It uses one fixed fix string, "Run t3 connect, then restart the server (t3 service restart) so it applies the link.", whatever the install looks like.
• That string is wrong for Desktop users in two ways:
  1. The Desktop app runs its own server with no background service, so there is nothing for t3 service restart to restart. On Intel Macs a service can't be installed at all, because no darwin-x64 t3 archive is published ([Bug]: no build available for darwin-x64 platform for tags latest and nightly #12218).
  2. No restart is needed. In this case the running Desktop server picked up the new link live. CloudManagedEndpointRuntime.applyConfig ran and started cloudflared about 20 seconds after the not_linked check, with no restart.
• The error that was shown was out of date. The five-minute recheck returned not_linked at 11:43:38. The link was applied at 11:43:56, and later checks ran at 11:44:03 and 11:44:30. t3 connect status then reported "✓ Other devices can reach this machine · Tunnel connected · 4 connections · QUIC". The settings page was opened at about 11:44:24 and still showed the not_linked message.

Steps to reproduce

1. Run T3 Code Desktop (nightly) with T3 Connect enabled and no environment link stored.
2. Open Settings → Connections. The not_linked error appears, telling you to run t3 service restart.
3. Run t3 connect in a terminal while Desktop keeps running.
4. Within a few seconds the server applies the link and starts cloudflared, and t3 connect status shows the machine as reachable. The suggested t3 service restart was never needed, and on a Desktop-only install there is no service for it to restart.

Version

0.1.6-nightly.20261030.3917 (T3 Code Desktop nightly, local server)

Environment

macOS 15.6 (Darwin 24.6.0), Intel x86_64 (i5-8257U), Node v24.22.1, managed cloudflared 2026.10.4 darwin-x64

Evidence

# server.trace.ndjson span timeline (local time, -03:00)
11:38:35  Desktop server process starts
11:43:38  ConnectReachability.check            # periodic recheck -> not_linked
11:43:52  cloudflared.resolve / probeVersion
11:43:56  CloudManagedEndpointRuntime.applyConfig / reconcileConfig   # link applied live, no restart
11:43:56  cloudflared tunnel ... run  (child of the Desktop server process)
11:44:03  ConnectReachability.check
11:44:30  ConnectReachability.check
11:45:45  POST /api/connect/reachability -> ConnectReachability.check

$ t3 connect status
  Exposure: enabled
  Environment link: provisioned
  Relay client: available via managed install (2026.10.4, darwin-x64)
✓ Other devices can reach this machine · Tunnel connected · 4 connections · QUIC

Related issues

#12218 (no darwin-x64 t3 archive, closed wontfix) explains why t3 service can't be used on Intel Macs. It covers the missing archive, not this message. No existing issue covers the not_linked fix text.

Fix applied or workaround

None needed. Connect was already working. Reopening Settings → Connections, or waiting for the next recheck, shows the current state. Suggested change: make the fix text depend on the install (for example, for Desktop: "Run t3 connect. T3 Code applies the link automatically, or restart the T3 Code app if it doesn't"), and drop the claim that a restart is required.

Filed by

Claude Code (claude-opus-5-5) via t3 triage