fix piped CLI output truncation

.changeset/early-falcons-smile.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@design-intelligence/ghost": patch
+---
+
+Flush stdout and stderr before exit so piped command output is never truncated.

packages/ghost/src/commands/checks-command.ts

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import type { CAC } from "cac";
 import { resolveGhostPackage } from "../package.js";
 import { addChecksDir } from "../scan/check-scaffold.js";
-import { failFromError } from "./errors.js";
+import { exitCli, failFromError } from "./errors.js";
 
 /**
  * `ghost checks <action>` — manage the flat `.ghost/checks/` directory of
@@ -21,12 +21,12 @@ export function registerChecksCommand(cli: CAC): void {
       try {
         if (opts.format !== "cli" && opts.format !== "json") {
           console.error("Error: --format must be 'cli' or 'json'");
-          process.exit(2);
+          await exitCli(2);
           return;
         }
         if (action !== "init") {
           console.error("Error: ghost checks supports `init`");
-          process.exit(2);
+          await exitCli(2);
           return;
         }
 
@@ -53,9 +53,9 @@ export function registerChecksCommand(cli: CAC): void {
             process.stdout.write(`  skipped ${file}\n`);
           }
         }
-        process.exit(0);
+        await exitCli(0);
       } catch (err) {
-        failFromError(err);
+        await failFromError(err);
       }
     });
 }

packages/ghost/src/commands/errors.ts

@@ -1,14 +1,26 @@
 import { EXIT } from "#ghost-core";
 
+function flushStream(stream: NodeJS.WriteStream): Promise<void> {
+  return new Promise((resolve) => {
+    stream.write("", () => resolve());
+  });
+}
+
+export async function exitCli(code: number): Promise<never> {
+  await flushStream(process.stdout);
+  await flushStream(process.stderr);
+  process.exit(code);
+}
+
 /**
  * Report a thrown error and exit. A `UsageError` (or anything carrying a numeric
  * `exitCode`) exits with that code; everything else is an unexpected crash and
  * exits `1`. Pass `stream` to match a command's existing output channel.
  */
-export function failFromError(
+export async function failFromError(
   err: unknown,
   stream: "stderr" | "stdout" = "stderr",
-): never {
+): Promise<never> {
   const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
   const line = `Error: ${message}\n`;
   if (stream === "stdout") process.stdout.write(line);
@@ -18,5 +30,5 @@ export function failFromError(
     typeof (err as { exitCode?: unknown })?.exitCode === "number"
       ? (err as { exitCode: number }).exitCode
       : EXIT.failure;
-  process.exit(exitCode);
+  return exitCli(exitCode);
 }

packages/ghost/src/commands/export-command.ts

@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import {
 } from "../scan/fingerprint-package.js";
 import { resolveGitRoot } from "../scan/package-paths.js";
 import { defaultArchiveName, writeDirectoryTarball } from "../scan/tarball.js";
-import { failFromError } from "./errors.js";
+import { exitCli, failFromError } from "./errors.js";
 
 interface ExportAuditTravelingLocator {
   nodeId: string;
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ export function registerExportCommand(cli: CAC): void {
       try {
         if (opts.format !== "markdown" && opts.format !== "json") {
           console.error("Error: --format must be 'markdown' or 'json'");
-          process.exit(2);
+          await exitCli(2);
           return;
         }
 
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ export function registerExportCommand(cli: CAC): void {
           console.error(
             "Error: ghost package has validation errors. Run `ghost validate` and fix them before exporting.",
           );
-          process.exit(2);
+          await exitCli(2);
           return;
         }
         const loaded = await loadGhostPackage(paths);
@@ -137,9 +137,9 @@ export function registerExportCommand(cli: CAC): void {
           );
         }
 
-        process.exit(opts.strict && audit.stranded.length > 0 ? 2 : 0);
+        await exitCli(opts.strict && audit.stranded.length > 0 ? 2 : 0);
       } catch (err) {
-        failFromError(err);
+        await failFromError(err);
       }
     });
 }

packages/ghost/src/commands/fingerprint-commands.ts

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import {
   resolveGhostPackage,
 } from "../package.js";
 import { detectFileKind, lintDetectedFileKind } from "../scan/file-kind.js";
-import { failFromError } from "./errors.js";
+import { exitCli, failFromError } from "./errors.js";
 import { registerInitCommand } from "./init-command.js";
 
 /**
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export function registerFingerprintCommands(cli: CAC): void {
         if (path === undefined || (await isDirectory(target))) {
           report = await lintGhostPackage(packagePath, process.cwd());
           writeLintReport(report, opts.format);
-          process.exit(report.errors > 0 ? 1 : 0);
+          await exitCli(report.errors > 0 ? 1 : 0);
           return;
         }
 
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@ export function registerFingerprintCommands(cli: CAC): void {
 
         writeLintReport(report, opts.format);
 
-        process.exit(report.errors > 0 ? 1 : 0);
+        await exitCli(report.errors > 0 ? 1 : 0);
       } catch (err) {
-        failFromError(err);
+        await failFromError(err);
       }
     });
 

packages/ghost/src/commands/gather-command.ts

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import type { GhostGatherResult } from "../embed/index.js";
 import { gatherGhostPackage, loadGhostSnapshot } from "../embed/index.js";
 import { appendGhostEvent, resolveRunId } from "../observability-events.js";
 import { resolveGhostPackage } from "../package.js";
-import { failFromError } from "./errors.js";
+import { exitCli, failFromError } from "./errors.js";
 
 export function registerGatherCommand(cli: CAC): void {
   cli
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ export function registerGatherCommand(cli: CAC): void {
       try {
         if (opts.format !== "markdown" && opts.format !== "json") {
           console.error("Error: --format must be 'markdown' or 'json'");
-          process.exit(2);
+          await exitCli(2);
           return;
         }
 
@@ -53,9 +53,9 @@ export function registerGatherCommand(cli: CAC): void {
         } else {
           process.stdout.write(formatMenuMarkdown(menu));
         }
-        process.exit(0);
+        await exitCli(0);
       } catch (err) {
-        failFromError(err);
+        await failFromError(err);
       }
     });
 }

packages/ghost/src/commands/init-command.ts

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { UsageError } from "#ghost-core";
 import { initGhostPackage } from "../package.js";
 import { addChecksDir } from "../scan/check-scaffold.js";
 import { getInitBody } from "../scan/templates.js";
-import { failFromError } from "./errors.js";
+import { exitCli, failFromError } from "./errors.js";
 
 export function registerInitCommand(cli: CAC): void {
   cli
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ export function registerInitCommand(cli: CAC): void {
           console.error(
             "Error: ghost init no longer accepts a positional directory. Use --package <dir> for an exact package directory.",
           );
-          process.exit(2);
+          await exitCli(2);
           return;
         }
         const exactPackage =
@@ -97,9 +97,9 @@ export function registerInitCommand(cli: CAC): void {
             }
           }
         }
-        process.exit(0);
+        await exitCli(0);
       } catch (err) {
-        failFromError(err);
+        await failFromError(err);
       }
     });
 }

packages/ghost/src/commands/manifest-command.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import type { CAC } from "cac";
 import { buildCliManifest } from "./command-discovery.js";
-import { failFromError } from "./errors.js";
+import { exitCli, failFromError } from "./errors.js";
 
 /**
  * Emit a self-describing manifest of the CLI: every command, its curated
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@ export function registerManifestCommand(cli: CAC): void {
       "Emit a self-describing JSON manifest of every command and flag.",
     )
     .option("--format <fmt>", "Output format: json", { default: "json" })
-    .action((opts) => {
+    .action(async (opts) => {
       try {
         if (opts.format !== "json") {
           console.error("Error: ghost manifest supports only --format json");
-          process.exit(2);
+          await exitCli(2);
           return;
         }
         const manifest = {
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ export function registerManifestCommand(cli: CAC): void {
           data: buildCliManifest(cli, cli.name),
         };
         process.stdout.write(`${JSON.stringify(manifest, null, 2)}\n`);
-        process.exit(0);
+        await exitCli(0);
       } catch (err) {
-        failFromError(err);
+        await failFromError(err);
       }
     });
 }

packages/ghost/src/commands/pull-command.ts

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { appendGhostEvent, resolveRunId } from "../observability-events.js";
 import { resolveGhostPackage } from "../package.js";
 import { GHOST_EVENTS_FILENAME } from "../scan/constants.js";
 import { resolveGitRoot } from "../scan/package-paths.js";
-import { failFromError } from "./errors.js";
+import { exitCli, failFromError } from "./errors.js";
 
 export function registerPullCommand(cli: CAC): void {
   cli
@@ -37,12 +37,12 @@ export function registerPullCommand(cli: CAC): void {
       try {
         if (opts.format !== "markdown" && opts.format !== "json") {
           console.error("Error: --format must be 'markdown' or 'json'");
-          process.exit(2);
+          await exitCli(2);
           return;
         }
         if (opts.order !== "steering" && opts.order !== "given") {
           console.error("Error: --order must be 'steering' or 'given'");
-          process.exit(2);
+          await exitCli(2);
           return;
         }
 
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ export function registerPullCommand(cli: CAC): void {
         }
 
         if (result.ids.length === 0) {
-          process.exit(2);
+          await exitCli(2);
           return;
         }
 
@@ -91,9 +91,9 @@ export function registerPullCommand(cli: CAC): void {
         } else {
           process.stdout.write(formatPullMarkdown(result));
         }
-        process.exit(0);
+        await exitCli(0);
       } catch (err) {
-        failFromError(err);
+        await failFromError(err);
       }
     });
 }

packages/ghost/src/commands/pulse-command.ts

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import {
 } from "../observability-events.js";
 import { resolveGhostPackage } from "../package.js";
 import { loadGhostPackage } from "../scan/fingerprint-package.js";
-import { failFromError } from "./errors.js";
+import { exitCli, failFromError } from "./errors.js";
 
 export function registerPulseCommand(cli: CAC): void {
   cli
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ export function registerPulseCommand(cli: CAC): void {
       try {
         if (opts.format !== "markdown" && opts.format !== "json") {
           console.error("Error: --format must be 'markdown' or 'json'");
-          process.exit(2);
+          await exitCli(2);
           return;
         }
 
@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@ export function registerPulseCommand(cli: CAC): void {
         } else {
           process.stdout.write(formatPulseMarkdown(report));
         }
-        process.exit(0);
+        await exitCli(0);
       } catch (err) {
-        failFromError(err);
+        await failFromError(err);
       }
     });
 }

packages/ghost/src/commands/review-command.ts

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import {
   formatReviewPacket,
 } from "../review/review-packet.js";
 import { loadGhostPackage } from "../scan/fingerprint-package.js";
-import { failFromError } from "./errors.js";
+import { exitCli, failFromError } from "./errors.js";
 
 const execFileAsync = promisify(execFile);
 
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ export function registerReviewCommand(cli: CAC): void {
         const format = opts.json ? "json" : opts.format;
         if (format !== "markdown" && format !== "json") {
           console.error("Error: --format must be 'markdown' or 'json'");
-          process.exit(2);
+          await exitCli(2);
           return;
         }
 
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ export function registerReviewCommand(cli: CAC): void {
           console.error(
             "No checks directory. Run `ghost checks init` to add review assertions.",
           );
-          process.exit(2);
+          await exitCli(2);
           return;
         }
         const diffText = await resolveDiff({
@@ -62,9 +62,9 @@ export function registerReviewCommand(cli: CAC): void {
             ? `${JSON.stringify(packet, null, 2)}\n`
             : formatReviewPacket(packet),
         );
-        process.exit(0);
+        await exitCli(0);
       } catch (err) {
-        failFromError(err);
+        await failFromError(err);
       }
     });
 }

packages/ghost/src/commands/skill-command.ts

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { dirname, resolve } from "node:path";
 import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
 import type { CAC } from "cac";
 import { loadSkillBundle, UsageError } from "#ghost-core";
-import { failFromError } from "./errors.js";
+import { exitCli, failFromError } from "./errors.js";
 
 // The bundle assets are copied to `dist/skill-bundle` (sibling of `commands/`).
 const SKILL_BUNDLE_ROOT = fileURLToPath(
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ export function registerSkillCommand(cli: CAC): void {
       try {
         if (action !== "install") {
           console.error("Error: ghost skill currently supports only `install`");
-          process.exit(2);
+          await exitCli(2);
           return;
         }
 
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ export function registerSkillCommand(cli: CAC): void {
           console.error(
             `Error: ${outDir} already contains SKILL.md. Pass --force to reinstall.`,
           );
-          process.exit(3);
+          await exitCli(3);
           return;
         }
 
@@ -70,9 +70,9 @@ export function registerSkillCommand(cli: CAC): void {
           `Wrote ${written.length} file${written.length === 1 ? "" : "s"} to ${outDir}:\n`,
         );
         for (const file of written) process.stdout.write(`  ${file}\n`);
-        process.exit(0);
+        await exitCli(0);
       } catch (err) {
-        failFromError(err);
+        await failFromError(err);
       }
     });
 }