fix(agenda): repair the refresh tick, tighten the gutter, allow point motion

Every 5-minute refresh failed. The F command's general settings carried (org-agenda-sticky t), and those settings are baked into the buffer's series-redo-cmd and re-applied on each redo. With the buffer already existing, org-agenda-use-sticky-p turned true mid-redo and org-agenda-prepare threw 'exit ("use r to refresh") to a catch that doesn't exist inside org-agenda-redo. I removed sticky from the command settings (the spawn wrapper still binds it, which is where the buffer gets its name) and kept the redo path free of sticky, since org-agenda-redo handles the in-place rebuild itself. Verified with a real tick against a live frame: rebuild succeeds, the failure banner clears, the latch resets.

The wide gutter between the source column and the item was the global agenda prefix format's 25-char category pad. The F view now sets its own format with a 10-char pad.

C-a hit the deny catch-all. I allowlisted read-only point motion (C-a, C-e, C-f, C-b) and isearch (C-s, C-r).

2 files changed, 74 insertions, 6 deletions

diff --git a/modules/org-agenda-frame.el b/modules/org-agenda-frame.el
index efd74115..fd911a97 100644
--- a/modules/org-agenda-frame.el
+++ b/modules/org-agenda-frame.el
@@ -108,9 +108,18 @@ a non-nil global default can't open a second window at build time."
              ((org-agenda-span 7)
               (org-agenda-start-day "0d")
               (org-agenda-start-on-weekday nil)
-              (org-agenda-start-with-follow-mode nil))))
-    ((org-agenda-sticky t)
-     (org-agenda-window-setup 'current-window))))
+              (org-agenda-start-with-follow-mode nil)
+              ;; Narrow category column: the global agenda format pads the
+              ;; category to 25 chars, leaving a wide blank gutter between
+              ;; the source name (todo:, dcal:) and the item.
+              (org-agenda-prefix-format "  %i %-10:c%?-12t% s"))))
+    ;; No `org-agenda-sticky' here, deliberately: these settings are baked
+    ;; into the buffer's series-redo-cmd and re-applied by every redo, and a
+    ;; sticky t mid-redo makes `org-agenda-use-sticky-p' true while the
+    ;; buffer exists -- `org-agenda-prepare' then throws \\='exit ("use `r'
+    ;; to refresh") with no catch, failing every refresh tick.  Stickiness
+    ;; is bound in the spawn wrapper instead, where it names the buffer.
+    ((org-agenda-window-setup 'current-window))))
 
 (defun cj/--agenda-frame-register-command ()
   "Register the agenda-frame view in `org-agenda-custom-commands'.
@@ -220,6 +229,13 @@ The default binding for every key not on the allowlist."
     (define-key map (kbd "M-v") #'scroll-down-command)
     (define-key map (kbd "M-<") #'beginning-of-buffer)
     (define-key map (kbd "M->") #'end-of-buffer)
+    ;; Read-only point motion and search within the agenda.
+    (define-key map (kbd "C-a") #'move-beginning-of-line)
+    (define-key map (kbd "C-e") #'move-end-of-line)
+    (define-key map (kbd "C-f") #'forward-char)
+    (define-key map (kbd "C-b") #'backward-char)
+    (define-key map (kbd "C-s") #'isearch-forward)
+    (define-key map (kbd "C-r") #'isearch-backward)
     (define-key map (kbd "C-g") #'keyboard-quit)
     ;; (b) Engage / open — routed to the working frame, never the agenda frame.
     ;; Bind the GUI function-key events ([return]/[tab]) as well as the ASCII
@@ -609,7 +625,14 @@ Either way the frame is never blank, unrestricted, or non-retryable."
           (snapshot (cj/--agenda-frame-snapshot buffer window)))
       (unwind-protect
           (condition-case nil
-              (let ((inhibit-message t))
+              ;; Never bind sticky here: `org-agenda-redo' handles the
+              ;; in-place rebuild itself (binds sticky nil, redirects the
+              ;; buffer name).  A sticky t reaching `org-agenda-prepare'
+              ;; mid-redo makes it throw \\='exit with no catch, failing
+              ;; every tick.  current-window is bound as a belt so a rule
+              ;; can't split the frame during the rebuild.
+              (let ((inhibit-message t)
+                    (org-agenda-window-setup 'current-window))
                 (org-agenda-redo)
                 (cj/--agenda-frame-remove-overlay buffer)
                 (cj/--agenda-frame-restore-point old-marker old-line)
diff --git a/tests/test-org-agenda-frame.el b/tests/test-org-agenda-frame.el
index c29d057b..29b6a36f 100644
--- a/tests/test-org-agenda-frame.el
+++ b/tests/test-org-agenda-frame.el
@@ -129,6 +129,35 @@
     (should (assq 'org-agenda-start-on-weekday s))
     (should (null (cadr (assq 'org-agenda-start-on-weekday s))))))
 
+(ert-deftest test-org-agenda-frame-command-tight-prefix-format ()
+  "Normal: the view sets its own prefix format with a narrow category column.
+Without it the global agenda format applies, whose 25-char category pad
+leaves a wide blank gutter between the source name and the item."
+  (let ((s (test-org-agenda-frame--block-settings)))
+    (should (assq 'org-agenda-prefix-format s))
+    (should (string-match-p "%-10:c"
+                            (cadr (assq 'org-agenda-prefix-format s))))))
+
+(ert-deftest test-org-agenda-frame-do-redo-leaves-sticky-alone ()
+  "Normal: the redo binds current-window but never touches sticky.
+org-agenda-redo handles the in-place rebuild itself (it binds sticky nil
+and redirects the buffer name); a sticky t reaching org-agenda-prepare
+mid-redo makes it throw \\='exit with no catch and the tick fails."
+  (let ((org-agenda-sticky nil)
+        seen-sticky seen-setup (params '()))
+    (with-temp-buffer
+      (insert "agenda line\n")
+      (cl-letf (((symbol-function 'org-agenda-redo)
+                 (lambda (&rest _)
+                   (setq seen-sticky org-agenda-sticky
+                         seen-setup org-agenda-window-setup)))
+                ((symbol-function 'frame-parameter) (lambda (_f p) (alist-get p params)))
+                ((symbol-function 'set-frame-parameter)
+                 (lambda (_f p v) (setf (alist-get p params) v))))
+        (cj/--agenda-frame-do-redo 'af (current-buffer) nil)
+        (should (null seen-sticky))
+        (should (eq seen-setup 'current-window))))))
+
 (ert-deftest test-org-agenda-frame-command-follow-mode-off ()
   "Boundary: follow-mode is forced off locally so a global default can't split."
   (let ((s (test-org-agenda-frame--block-settings)))
@@ -136,9 +165,14 @@
     (should (null (cadr (assq 'org-agenda-start-with-follow-mode s))))))
 
 (ert-deftest test-org-agenda-frame-command-sticky-and-current-window ()
-  "Normal: sticky (distinct buffer) and current-window (no frame split)."
+  "Normal: current-window in the settings; sticky deliberately NOT there.
+The general settings are baked into the buffer's series-redo-cmd and
+re-applied on every redo; a sticky t there makes org-agenda-use-sticky-p
+true mid-redo (the buffer exists), and org-agenda-prepare throws \\='exit
+with no catch -- every refresh tick fails.  Stickiness belongs only in
+the spawn wrapper, where it names the buffer."
   (let ((g (test-org-agenda-frame--general-settings)))
-    (should (eq (cadr (assq 'org-agenda-sticky g)) t))
+    (should-not (assq 'org-agenda-sticky g))
     ;; org evaluates custom-command setting values via org-let, so the stored
     ;; form is (quote current-window); eval it the way org would.
     (should (eq (eval (cadr (assq 'org-agenda-window-setup g)) t)
@@ -193,6 +227,17 @@
   (should (eq (lookup-key cj/agenda-frame-mode-map (kbd "p")) 'org-agenda-previous-line))
   (should (eq (lookup-key cj/agenda-frame-mode-map (kbd "C-g")) 'keyboard-quit)))
 
+(ert-deftest test-org-agenda-frame-map-point-motion-and-isearch-allowed ()
+  "Normal: read-only point motion and isearch work in the frame.
+C-a/C-e/C-f/C-b move point and C-s/C-r search; all are read-only and
+must not hit the deny catch-all."
+  (should (eq (lookup-key cj/agenda-frame-mode-map (kbd "C-a")) 'move-beginning-of-line))
+  (should (eq (lookup-key cj/agenda-frame-mode-map (kbd "C-e")) 'move-end-of-line))
+  (should (eq (lookup-key cj/agenda-frame-mode-map (kbd "C-f")) 'forward-char))
+  (should (eq (lookup-key cj/agenda-frame-mode-map (kbd "C-b")) 'backward-char))
+  (should (eq (lookup-key cj/agenda-frame-mode-map (kbd "C-s")) 'isearch-forward))
+  (should (eq (lookup-key cj/agenda-frame-mode-map (kbd "C-r")) 'isearch-backward)))
+
 (ert-deftest test-org-agenda-frame-map-engage-routed ()
   "Normal: RET and TAB route to the working-frame engage command."
   (should (eq (lookup-key cj/agenda-frame-mode-map (kbd "RET"))