feat(tui): identify Fenris and explain polkit authentication

README.md

@@ -189,6 +189,12 @@ No interval key exists in `/etc/fenris/fenris.conf`. Cadence is a systemd concer
 | `fenris start` / `stop` / `run` | Rejected with a one-line migration pointer — never aliased. |
 | `fenris --device` | Rejected with a pointer to the configuration file. |
 
+## Reading the dashboard
+
+`fenris` opens the TUI dashboard.
+
+- **Auth banner** — at launch, `privileged actions will prompt for authentication (polkit)` shows once and clears on the first refresh. Privileged actions elevate via polkit; Fenris never asks for sudo.
+
 ## Retired menu options
 
 The legacy `fenris.sh` menu script and the `fenris.py` monolith have been removed. Here's where the old options went:

src/fenris/tui.py

@@ -286,8 +286,8 @@ class DisclosuresScreen(ModalScreen[None]):
 class FenrisTuiApp(App):
     """Fenris Panes TUI — keyboard-first, one dense screen (spec §7)."""
 
-    TITLE = "Fenris"
+    TITLE = "Fenris — NVMe endurance monitor"
-    SUB_TITLE = "NVMe endurance monitor"
+    SUB_TITLE = ""
 
     CSS = """
     #main-grid {
@@ -317,12 +317,15 @@ class FenrisTuiApp(App):
         store_path: Optional[Path] = None,
         config_path: Optional[Path] = None,
         helper_path: Optional[str] = None,
+        refresh_interval_s: float = CADENCE_DEFAULT_S,
         **kwargs,
     ) -> None:
         super().__init__(**kwargs)
         self.store_path = store_path or Path("/var/lib/fenris/observations.db")
         self.config_path = config_path
         self.helper_path = helper_path or "/usr/libexec/fenris/fenris-monitor"
+        self.refresh_interval_s = refresh_interval_s
+        self._show_auth_notice = True
         self._conn: Optional[sqlite3.Connection] = None
         self._clock_now = datetime.now(timezone.utc)
 
@@ -339,8 +342,30 @@ class FenrisTuiApp(App):
         self.query_one("#usage-history").border_title = "usage history"
         self.query_one("#drive-health").border_title = "drive"
         self.query_one("#service-strip").border_title = "service + actions"
+        self._refresh_timer = self.set_interval(
+            self.refresh_interval_s, self.on_refresh_tick
+        )
         self._refresh()
 
+    def on_refresh_tick(self) -> None:
+        """Refresh dashboard and dismiss launch-only authentication guidance."""
+        self._show_auth_notice = False
+        self._refresh()
+
+    def _headline_prefix(self) -> str:
+        """Render identity and any launch-only guidance above drive state."""
+        lines = ["[bold]Fenris — NVMe endurance monitor[/bold]"]
+        if self._show_auth_notice:
+            lines.append("[dim]privileged actions will prompt for authentication (polkit)[/dim]")
+        return "\n".join(lines)
+
+    def _render_headline(self, body: str = "") -> None:
+        """Render full-width identity, guidance, and current drive state."""
+        text = self._headline_prefix()
+        if body:
+            text += "\n\n" + body
+        self.query_one("#headline-band").update(text)
+
     def _open_store(self) -> Optional[sqlite3.Connection]:
         """Open store read-only, handling faults."""
         try:
@@ -368,25 +393,27 @@ class FenrisTuiApp(App):
         """Render empty store greeting or store fault."""
         if not self.store_path.exists():
             # Empty store — greeting with enable hint (IN-3)
-            self.query_one("#headline-band").update(
+            self._render_headline(
                 "[bold]No observations yet[/bold]\n\n"
                 "Enable monitoring: fenris monitor resume"
             )
             self.query_one("#usage-history").update("")
             self.query_one("#drive-health").update("")
             self.query_one("#service-strip").update(
-                "boot: disabled · timer: inactive · last collect: unknown · freshness: empty\n"
+                "boot: disabled · timer: inactive · last collect: unknown · freshness: empty · "
+                "[dim]by Bongbetic[/dim]\n"
                 "p pause · r resume · c collect · d disclosures · q quit"
             )
         else:
             # Store fault (FL-4)
-            self.query_one("#headline-band").update(
+            self._render_headline(
                 "[bold red]Observation store unreadable[/bold red]\n"
                 "Check journalctl -u fenris-collect.service"
             )
             self.query_one("#usage-history").update("")
             self.query_one("#drive-health").update("")
             self.query_one("#service-strip").update(
+                "[dim]by Bongbetic[/dim]\n"
                 "p pause · r resume · c collect · d disclosures · q quit"
             )
 
@@ -398,13 +425,9 @@ class FenrisTuiApp(App):
             headline = self._format_headline(proj)
             confidence = self._format_confidence(proj)
             scenario = self._format_scenario(proj)
-            self.query_one("#headline-band").update(
+            self._render_headline(headline + "\n" + confidence + "\n" + scenario)
-                headline + "\n" + confidence + "\n" + scenario
-            )
         except Exception:
-            self.query_one("#headline-band").update(
+            self._render_headline("[bold]No projection available[/bold]")
-                "[bold]No projection available[/bold]"
-            )
 
         # --- Usage-history pane (§7.2 left) ---
         history = _query_usage_history(conn)
@@ -448,14 +471,16 @@ class FenrisTuiApp(App):
             collect = "ok" if svc.get("last_collect_ok") else "FAILED"
             freshness = svc.get("freshness", "unknown")
             self.query_one("#service-strip").update(
-                "boot: %s · timer: %s · last collect: %s · freshness: %s\n"
+                "boot: %s · timer: %s · last collect: %s · freshness: %s · "
+                "[dim]by Bongbetic[/dim]\n"
                 "%s\n"
                 "p pause · r resume · c collect · d disclosures · q quit"
                 % (boot, activity, collect, freshness, svc.get("period", ""))
             )
         except Exception:
             self.query_one("#service-strip").update(
-                "boot: unknown · timer: unknown · last collect: unknown · freshness: unknown\n"
+                "boot: unknown · timer: unknown · last collect: unknown · freshness: unknown · "
+                "[dim]by Bongbetic[/dim]\n"
                 "p pause · r resume · c collect · d disclosures · q quit"
             )
 

tests/test_status.py

@@ -441,6 +441,29 @@ class TestStatusOutput:
         assert isinstance(result, str)
         assert len(result) > 0
 
+    def test_status_excludes_tui_identity_and_auth_notice(self, tmp_path):
+        """CLI status never renders TUI-only identity or launch guidance."""
+        from fenris.status import get_status
+
+        db = tmp_path / "observations.db"
+        init_store(db)
+        now = datetime(2026, 9, 1, 12, 0, 0, tzinfo=timezone.utc)
+
+        with patch("fenris.status.query_service_state", return_value={
+            "boot_enabled": False, "timer_active": False,
+            "last_collect_ok": None, "last_collect_age_s": None,
+            "last_collect_reason": None,
+        }):
+            result = get_status(store_path=db, clock_now=now,
+                                query_services=True, query_journal=False)
+
+        for tui_only in (
+            "Fenris — NVMe endurance monitor",
+            "by Bongbetic",
+            "privileged actions will prompt for authentication (polkit)",
+        ):
+            assert tui_only not in result
+
     def test_status_never_writes(self, tmp_path):
         """Status never writes to the store."""
         from fenris.status import get_status

tests/test_tui.py

@@ -384,6 +384,35 @@ class TestDenseScreen:
             assert "timer:" in strip
             assert "last collect:" in strip
             assert "freshness:" in strip
+            assert "by Bongbetic" in strip
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_branding_and_one_time_auth_banner(self, tmp_path):
+        """Identity is visible at launch; auth notice clears once per session."""
+        app = FenrisTuiApp(
+            store_path=tmp_path / "nonexistent.db",
+            refresh_interval_s=0.2,
+        )
+        auth_notice = "privileged actions will prompt for authentication (polkit)"
+
+        async with app.run_test() as pilot:
+            headline = str(app.query_one("#headline-band").render())
+            assert "Fenris — NVMe endurance monitor" in headline
+            assert auth_notice in headline
+            assert "by Bongbetic" in str(app.query_one("#service-strip").render())
+
+            await pilot.pause(0.25)
+            assert auth_notice not in str(app.query_one("#headline-band").render())
+
+            await pilot.pause(0.25)
+            assert auth_notice not in str(app.query_one("#headline-band").render())
+
+        fresh_app = FenrisTuiApp(
+            store_path=tmp_path / "nonexistent.db",
+            refresh_interval_s=0.2,
+        )
+        async with fresh_app.run_test():
+            assert auth_notice in str(fresh_app.query_one("#headline-band").render())
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------