commit e6d2dbf825fd8cc59b2e9b71f66137b744aa1fba
from: Brett Fisher <code@brettfisher.xyz>
date: Sun Jul  5 06:57:46 2026 UTC

aestel/display.lua, aestel/input.lua, aestel/menu.lua,
bin/launchprogram.lua: Move user interface to stderr.

  - Route text user interface  output (headers, menus, status
    lines, escapes) through io.stderr:write and io.stderr:flush.
  - Reserve stdout for the current working directory on exit
    feature in navigate.browse, browsefiles.lua, setbackground.lua.

commit - ef5bb0fc465e5b76c85d63db323e216ed52ea224
commit + e6d2dbf825fd8cc59b2e9b71f66137b744aa1fba
blob - 1299751ba0bb185628edcb3c9f6ed5ba77854e49
blob + 8537fb186cea61cb2915a7c5760d3ce78803467c
--- aestel/display.lua
+++ aestel/display.lua
@@ -12,22 +12,22 @@ function M.status_line(message, style)
 	local height = input.get_terminal_height()
 	local width = input.get_terminal_width()
 	local padding = string.rep(" ", math.max(0, width - #message))
-	io.write(string.format("\27[%d;1H\27[K", height))
-	io.write((style or "") .. message .. padding .. colors.RESET)
-	io.flush()
+	io.stderr:write(string.format("\27[%d;1H\27[K", height))
+	io.stderr:write((style or "") .. message .. padding .. colors.RESET)
+	io.stderr:flush()
 end
 
 -- Clear entire screen and position cursor at (1, 1)
 function M.clear_screen()
-	io.write("\27[2J\27[1;1H")
-	io.flush()
+	io.stderr:write("\27[2J\27[1;1H")
+	io.stderr:flush()
 end
 
 -- Position cursor at (row, col) and clear from there
 function M.clear_and_position(row, col)
-	io.write("\27[2J")
-	io.write(string.format("\27[%d;%dH", row or 1, col or 1))
-	io.flush()
+	io.stderr:write("\27[2J")
+	io.stderr:write(string.format("\27[%d;%dH", row or 1, col or 1))
+	io.stderr:flush()
 end
 
 local TYPE_COLORS = {
@@ -50,16 +50,16 @@ function M.write_header(title, cwd)
 	M.clear_and_position(1, 1)
 	local lines = 0
 	if title and title ~= "" then
-		io.write(colors.BOLD .. title .. colors.RESET .. "\n")
+		io.stderr:write(colors.BOLD .. title .. colors.RESET .. "\n")
 		lines = lines + 1
 	end
-	io.write("Current Path: " .. (cwd or "") .. "\n")
+	io.stderr:write("Current Path: " .. (cwd or "") .. "\n")
 	lines = lines + 1
 	if title and title ~= "" then
-		io.write("\n")
+		io.stderr:write("\n")
 		lines = lines + 1
 	end
-	io.flush()
+	io.stderr:flush()
 	return lines
 end
 
blob - 1615ad247222d520eef88653ed1ecb2a9bf459e8
blob + 3b65eea30764ceb2574f930dad4a1ca7a8bad37f
--- aestel/input.lua
+++ aestel/input.lua
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ local original_stty = nil
 function M.enable_raw()
 	original_stty = io.popen("stty -g"):read("*a")
 	os.execute("stty raw -echo")
-	io.write("\027[?25l")  -- Hide cursor
-	io.flush()
+	io.stderr:write("\027[?25l")  -- Hide cursor
+	io.stderr:flush()
 end
 
 function M.disable_raw()
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ function M.disable_raw()
 		os.execute("stty " .. original_stty)
 		original_stty = nil
 	end
-	io.write("\027[?25h")  -- Show cursor
-	io.flush()
+	io.stderr:write("\027[?25h")  -- Show cursor
+	io.stderr:flush()
 end
 
 function M.read_key()
blob - f89d7b550fa44a21b0c5b51b9402826b6ab5a280
blob + 1cf47622f08a3b13024c65583164ce73ff48bf2c
--- aestel/menu.lua
+++ aestel/menu.lua
@@ -36,9 +36,9 @@ function M.menu(title, options, start_row, header_line
 			-- Write the empty message on the last terminal line
 			local terminal_width = input.get_terminal_width()
 			local padding = string.rep(" ", math.max(0, terminal_width - #empty_message))
-			io.write(string.format("\27[%d;1H\27[K", terminal_height))
-			io.write(colors.REVERSE .. empty_message .. padding .. colors.RESET)
-			io.flush()
+			io.stderr:write(string.format("\27[%d;1H\27[K", terminal_height))
+			io.stderr:write(colors.REVERSE .. empty_message .. padding .. colors.RESET)
+			io.stderr:flush()
 
 			local key = read_key_full()
 			input.disable_raw()
@@ -65,9 +65,9 @@ function M.menu(title, options, start_row, header_line
 
 	while running do
 		-- Clear menu area ONLY from start_row down (preserve headers)
-		io.write(string.format("\27[%d;1H", start_row))
-		io.write("\27[J")  -- Erase down from start_row
-		io.flush()
+		io.stderr:write(string.format("\27[%d;1H", start_row))
+		io.stderr:write("\27[J")  -- Erase down from start_row
+		io.stderr:flush()
 
 		-- Calculate visible range (ensure selected is always visible)
 		local end_index = math.min(scroll_offset + max_visible_items - 1, #options)
@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@ function M.menu(title, options, start_row, header_line
 
 			-- Position and write to specific row
 			local row = start_row + visible_count
-			io.write(string.format("\27[%d;1H\27[K", row))  -- Position and clear line
-			io.write(prefix .. color .. display_name .. colors.RESET .. "\r\n")
+			io.stderr:write(string.format("\27[%d;1H\27[K", row))  -- Position and clear line
+			io.stderr:write(prefix .. color .. display_name .. colors.RESET .. "\r\n")
 			visible_count = visible_count + 1
 		end
 
@@ -103,12 +103,12 @@ function M.menu(title, options, start_row, header_line
 		if end_index < #options then
 			local overflow_row = start_row + visible_count
 			if overflow_row <= terminal_height then
-				io.write(string.format("\27[%d;1H\27[K", overflow_row))
-				io.write("... more items ..." .. "\r\n")
+				io.stderr:write(string.format("\27[%d;1H\27[K", overflow_row))
+				io.stderr:write("... more items ..." .. "\r\n")
 			end
 		end
 
-		io.flush()
+		io.stderr:flush()
 
 		-- Read and handle input
 		local key = read_key_full()
blob - 3bab7435e8d7447387c2b82ce00f0661efb55fe9
blob + b6ab1f9d971e91c779d442b5611dec5c522936c7
--- bin/launchprogram.lua
+++ bin/launchprogram.lua
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ local function launch_program()
 	local items = build_list()
     
 	display.clear_and_position(1, 1)
-	io.write(colors.BOLD .. TITLE .. colors.RESET .. "\n\n")
-	io.flush()
+	io.stderr:write(colors.BOLD .. TITLE .. colors.RESET .. "\n\n")
+	io.stderr:flush()
     
 	local selected_index = menu.menu(nil, items, 3)