Make username/password connect prompts hard to miss (issue #22)

The inline prompt bar previously had no explicit styling and rendered
in the same color as the rest of the tab; a tab showing the prompt in
the background had no indication anything needed attention. The bar
now uses a solid QPalette::Highlight fill with HighlightedText for the
label and a hand-drawn contrasting badge, and a background tab gets a
"(Needs input)" title suffix plus a distinct tab-bar color.

A first pass at the tab color (#6a1b9a) was reported unreadable in
dark mode; replaced with #ab47bc, tuned to match the visibility of the
existing connection-state colors.

Bump version to v2026.9.16.6.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

CMakeLists.txt

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.21)
 
-project(OrbitHub VERSION 2026.9.16.3 LANGUAGES CXX)
+project(OrbitHub VERSION 2026.9.16.6 LANGUAGES CXX)
 
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)

docs/PROGRESS.md

@@ -184,6 +184,48 @@ Delivered:
   through the dialog), so importing any SSH/RDP entry without a
   username still failed outright until this second check was found and
   removed too
+- A third, independent username check was still live even after the two
+  above were removed: `SessionTab::validateProfileForConnect()` (run at
+  the very top of `connectSession()`/`reconnectSession()`, before
+  `requestConnectOptions()` ever gets a chance to run its async prompt)
+  had its own hard-fail "SSH/RDP username is required" `QMessageBox`,
+  so a blank-username profile still couldn't connect at all -- it just
+  told the user to go edit the profile instead of ever prompting inline.
+  Removed; connect-time prompting is now the only username gate for
+  SSH/RDP
+- Even with the three checks above gone, a username entered at the
+  connect-time prompt still never actually reached SSH or RDP
+  authentication: `SshSessionBackend`/`RdpSessionBackend` are constructed
+  with their own `Profile` copy up front (moved to a worker thread) and
+  read `profile().username` directly, which never sees `SessionTab`'s
+  later edit to its own in-memory profile once the user answers the
+  prompt. `SessionConnectOptions` (which already carries `password` the
+  same way) gained a `username` field, populated by `SessionTab` from
+  its profile copy on every connect attempt; both backends now prefer
+  `options.username` over `profile().username` when building the actual
+  connect target/auth call. Covered by a new SSH regression test
+  (`tests/fixtures/fake_ssh.sh`'s `requireuser` host only accepts an
+  exact `prompted-user@requireuser` target, so the test fails unless the
+  option, not the stale profile copy, is actually used) -- RDP has no
+  equivalent fake-server test harness, so that side relies on mirroring
+  the already-tested `m_activeOptions.password` pattern exactly
+- Issue #22: the inline username/password prompt bar used to just be a
+  plain `QWidget` with `setAutoFillBackground(true)` and no explicit
+  color, which meant it rendered in the same color as everything else
+  around it and was easy to miss -- especially on a tab that wasn't the
+  active one, where there was previously no indication anything needed
+  attention at all. Now uses a solid `QPalette::Highlight` fill with
+  `QPalette::HighlightedText` for the label (the OS theme's own
+  guaranteed-contrasting pair, so it stays correct under both light and
+  dark themes without a hardcoded color) plus a hand-drawn "?" badge
+  (not a themed `QStyle` icon, whose own colors are outside our control
+  and could land close in hue to the bar's background); a background
+  tab showing the prompt gets its title suffixed "(Needs input)" and its
+  tab-bar text colored distinctly from the four connection-state colors.
+  A first pass at the tab color (`#6a1b9a`) was reported unreadable in
+  dark mode -- its perceived luminance was well below the four existing
+  state colors -- and was replaced with `#ab47bc`, tuned to roughly
+  match their visibility
 - Robustness fix: an unrecognized `FramebufferUpdate` rectangle encoding
   used to abort the connection generically; `kAnnouncedEncodings` is now
   the single source of truth for what `SetEncodings` announces and what

src/rdp_session_backend.cpp

@@ -1640,7 +1640,13 @@ void RdpSessionBackend::workerMain()
     const Profile& p = profile();
 
     const QString host = p.host.trimmed();
-    QString username = p.username.trimmed();
+    // m_activeOptions.username carries a value prompted for at connect time
+    // (see SessionTab::requestConnectOptions()) when the saved profile's
+    // own username was blank; profile().username never sees that edit
+    // since this backend's Profile copy was captured at construction time.
+    QString username = m_activeOptions.username.trimmed().isEmpty()
+        ? p.username.trimmed()
+        : m_activeOptions.username.trimmed();
     QString domain = p.domain.trimmed();
     if (domain.isEmpty()) {
         const int domainSeparator = username.indexOf(QLatin1Char('\\'));

src/session_backend.h

@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@
 class SessionConnectOptions
 {
 public:
+    // Only set when the profile's own username was blank and SessionTab
+    // prompted for one inline at connect time (see issue #21); empty means
+    // "use the backend's own profile().username" as before. SSH/RDP need
+    // this up front, unlike VNC's Apple auth which discovers the need for
+    // one mid-connection via usernameRequested()/provideUsername() instead.
+    QString username;
     QString password;
     QString privateKeyPath;
     QString knownHostsPolicy;

src/session_tab.cpp

@@ -17,10 +17,14 @@
 #include <QLabel>
 #include <QLineEdit>
 #include <QMessageBox>
+#include <QPainter>
+#include <QPalette>
+#include <QPixmap>
 #include <QPlainTextEdit>
 #include <QApplication>
 #include <QClipboard>
 #include <QMimeData>
+#include <QColor>
 #include <QComboBox>
 #include <QProcessEnvironment>
 #include <QPushButton>
@@ -59,6 +63,34 @@ TerminalTheme themeForName(const QString& themeName)
     return TerminalTheme::loadKonsoleTheme(
         QStringLiteral(":/KodoTermThemes/konsole/Breeze.colorscheme"));
 }
+
+// A filled circle with a bold "?", used on the username/password prompt
+// bar (issue #22). Drawn by hand rather than pulled from a QStyle standard
+// icon because a themed icon's own internal colors are outside our
+// control and could end up close in hue to the bar's own background,
+// undermining the contrast the bar is trying to achieve; painting it
+// ourselves guarantees fillColor/textColor are exactly the same
+// guaranteed-contrasting pair used for the rest of the bar.
+QPixmap questionMarkBadgePixmap(const QColor& fillColor, const QColor& textColor, int diameter)
+{
+    QPixmap pixmap(diameter, diameter);
+    pixmap.fill(Qt::transparent);
+
+    QPainter painter(&pixmap);
+    painter.setRenderHint(QPainter::Antialiasing, true);
+    painter.setPen(Qt::NoPen);
+    painter.setBrush(fillColor);
+    painter.drawEllipse(0, 0, diameter, diameter);
+
+    QFont font = painter.font();
+    font.setBold(true);
+    font.setPixelSize(static_cast<int>(diameter * 0.65));
+    painter.setFont(font);
+    painter.setPen(textColor);
+    painter.drawText(QRect(0, 0, diameter, diameter), Qt::AlignCenter, QStringLiteral("?"));
+
+    return pixmap;
+}
 }
 
 SessionTab::SessionTab(const Profile& profile,
@@ -93,10 +125,12 @@ SessionTab::SessionTab(const Profile& profile,
       m_exportEventsButton(nullptr),
       m_eventsPanel(nullptr),
       m_passwordPromptBar(nullptr),
+      m_passwordPromptIcon(nullptr),
       m_passwordPromptLabel(nullptr),
       m_passwordPromptInput(nullptr),
       m_passwordPromptConnectButton(nullptr),
       m_passwordPromptCancelButton(nullptr),
+      m_awaitingUserInput(false),
       m_eventSeverityFilter(EventSeverity::Info),
       m_eventsPanelExpanded(preferences.eventsPanelExpanded)
 {
@@ -341,9 +375,17 @@ SessionTab::~SessionTab()
 
 QString SessionTab::tabTitle() const
 {
+    if (m_awaitingUserInput) {
+        return QStringLiteral("%1 (Needs input)").arg(m_profile.name);
+    }
     return QStringLiteral("%1 (%2)").arg(m_profile.name, stateSuffix());
 }
 
+bool SessionTab::awaitingUserInput() const
+{
+    return m_awaitingUserInput;
+}
+
 void SessionTab::connectSession()
 {
     if (m_state == SessionState::Connecting || m_state == SessionState::Connected) {
@@ -806,21 +848,42 @@ void SessionTab::setupUi()
 
     applyTerminalTheme(m_terminalThemeName);
 
+    // Styled distinctly (issue #22: this bar used to blend straight into
+    // the plain window background and was easy to miss, especially on a
+    // tab you weren't actively looking at). A solid QPalette::Highlight
+    // fill with QPalette::HighlightedText for the label is used rather
+    // than a subtle tint -- a faint tint proved to still be easy to miss,
+    // and Highlight/HighlightedText are the OS theme's own guaranteed-
+    // contrasting pair, so this stays readable under both light and dark
+    // themes without hardcoding a color.
     auto* passwordPromptLayout = new QHBoxLayout();
+    m_passwordPromptIcon = new QLabel(this);
+    const QColor highlight = palette().color(QPalette::Highlight);
+    const QColor highlightedText = palette().color(QPalette::HighlightedText);
+    m_passwordPromptIcon->setPixmap(questionMarkBadgePixmap(highlightedText, highlight, 22));
     m_passwordPromptLabel = new QLabel(this);
+    m_passwordPromptLabel->setObjectName(QStringLiteral("passwordPromptLabel"));
     m_passwordPromptInput = new QLineEdit(this);
     m_passwordPromptInput->setEchoMode(QLineEdit::Password);
     m_passwordPromptConnectButton = new QPushButton(QStringLiteral("Connect"), this);
     m_passwordPromptCancelButton = new QPushButton(QStringLiteral("Cancel"), this);
+    passwordPromptLayout->addWidget(m_passwordPromptIcon);
     passwordPromptLayout->addWidget(m_passwordPromptLabel);
     passwordPromptLayout->addWidget(m_passwordPromptInput, 1);
     passwordPromptLayout->addWidget(m_passwordPromptConnectButton);
     passwordPromptLayout->addWidget(m_passwordPromptCancelButton);
+    passwordPromptLayout->setContentsMargins(10, 8, 10, 8);
 
     m_passwordPromptBar = new QWidget(this);
+    m_passwordPromptBar->setObjectName(QStringLiteral("passwordPromptBar"));
     m_passwordPromptBar->setLayout(passwordPromptLayout);
     m_passwordPromptBar->setAutoFillBackground(true);
     m_passwordPromptBar->setVisible(false);
+    m_passwordPromptBar->setStyleSheet(
+        QStringLiteral("QWidget#passwordPromptBar { background-color: %1; }"
+                       "QWidget#passwordPromptBar QLabel#passwordPromptLabel "
+                       "{ color: %2; font-weight: bold; font-size: 11pt; }")
+            .arg(highlight.name(), highlightedText.name()));
     rootLayout->addWidget(m_passwordPromptBar);
 
     connect(m_passwordPromptConnectButton, &QPushButton::clicked, this, [this]() {
@@ -998,6 +1061,10 @@ void SessionTab::requestConnectOptions(
 {
     SessionConnectOptions baseOptions;
     baseOptions.knownHostsPolicy = m_profile.knownHostsPolicy;
+    // The backend's own Profile copy was captured when it was constructed
+    // and never sees later edits to m_profile (e.g. the username prompt
+    // below) -- it has to travel through here instead.
+    baseOptions.username = m_profile.username.trimmed();
 
     const bool isSsh = m_profile.protocol.compare(QStringLiteral("SSH"), Qt::CaseInsensitive) == 0;
     const bool isRdp = m_profile.protocol.compare(QStringLiteral("RDP"), Qt::CaseInsensitive) == 0;
@@ -1157,12 +1224,24 @@ void SessionTab::showPasswordPrompt(const QString& labelText,
     m_passwordPromptInput->setEchoMode(maskInput ? QLineEdit::Password : QLineEdit::Normal);
     m_passwordPromptBar->setVisible(true);
     m_passwordPromptInput->setFocus();
+
+    if (!m_awaitingUserInput) {
+        m_awaitingUserInput = true;
+        emit awaitingUserInputChanged(true);
+        emit tabTitleChanged(tabTitle());
+    }
 }
 
 void SessionTab::hidePasswordPrompt()
 {
     m_passwordPromptBar->setVisible(false);
     m_passwordPromptCallback = nullptr;
+
+    if (m_awaitingUserInput) {
+        m_awaitingUserInput = false;
+        emit awaitingUserInputChanged(false);
+        emit tabTitleChanged(tabTitle());
+    }
 }
 
 bool SessionTab::validateProfileForConnect()
@@ -1181,14 +1260,10 @@ bool SessionTab::validateProfileForConnect()
         return false;
     }
 
-    if ((m_profile.protocol.compare(QStringLiteral("SSH"), Qt::CaseInsensitive) == 0
+    // SSH/RDP no longer hard-require a username here -- a blank one is
-         || m_profile.protocol.compare(QStringLiteral("RDP"), Qt::CaseInsensitive) == 0)
+    // handled by requestConnectOptions() prompting for it inline at connect
-        && m_profile.username.trimmed().isEmpty()) {
+    // time (see issue #21). Do not re-add a check here without also
-        QMessageBox::warning(this,
+    // updating that flow.
-                             QStringLiteral("Connect"),
-                             QStringLiteral("%1 username is required.").arg(m_profile.protocol));
-        return false;
-    }
 
     return true;
 }

src/session_tab.h

@@ -67,10 +67,16 @@ public:
     bool supportsVncScaleToggle() const;
     void setVncScaleToFit(bool scaleToFit);
     bool vncScaleToFit() const;
+    bool awaitingUserInput() const;
 
 signals:
     void tabTitleChanged(const QString& title);
     void tabStateChanged(SessionState state);
+    // Fires whenever the inline username/password prompt bar is shown or
+    // hidden -- independent of tabStateChanged(), since the backend is
+    // still just "Connecting" while it's up. Lets SessionWindow mark a
+    // background tab that needs the user's attention (issue #22).
+    void awaitingUserInputChanged(bool waiting);
     void terminalThemeChanged(const QString& themeName);
     void terminalFontSizeChanged(int pointSize);
     void eventsPanelVisibilityChanged(bool expanded);
@@ -129,11 +135,13 @@ private:
     QToolButton* m_exportEventsButton;
     QWidget* m_eventsPanel;
     QWidget* m_passwordPromptBar;
+    QLabel* m_passwordPromptIcon;
     QLabel* m_passwordPromptLabel;
     QLineEdit* m_passwordPromptInput;
     QPushButton* m_passwordPromptConnectButton;
     QPushButton* m_passwordPromptCancelButton;
     std::function<void(std::optional<QString>)> m_passwordPromptCallback;
+    bool m_awaitingUserInput;
     enum class EventSeverity {
         Info,
         Warning,

src/session_window.cpp

@@ -34,6 +34,19 @@ QColor tabColorForState(SessionState state, const QPalette& palette)
     return palette.color(QPalette::WindowText);
 }
 
+// Distinct from all four tabColorForState() colors -- a tab awaiting a
+// username/password prompt response needs to stand out even from a
+// tab that's merely "Connecting" (issue #22), including when it isn't
+// the one currently in view. #6a1b9a (a much darker violet) was tried
+// first and reported unreadable against a dark-theme tab bar -- its
+// perceived luminance is well below the other three colors above, which
+// this one is tuned to roughly match so it reads about as well as they
+// do in both light and dark themes.
+QColor awaitingInputTabColor()
+{
+    return QColor(QStringLiteral("#ab47bc"));
+}
+
 QStringList terminalThemeNames()
 {
     return {QStringLiteral("Dark"), QStringLiteral("Light"), QStringLiteral("Solarized Dark")};
@@ -57,6 +70,7 @@ SessionWindow::SessionWindow(QWidget* parent)
                 QWidget* tab = m_tabs->widget(index);
                 if (auto* sessionTab = qobject_cast<SessionTab*>(tab)) {
                     sessionTab->disconnectSession();
+                    m_tabStates.remove(sessionTab);
                 }
                 m_tabs->removeTab(index);
                 delete tab;
@@ -261,6 +275,7 @@ void SessionWindow::addSessionTab(const Profile& profile)
     } else {
         setWindowTitle(QStringLiteral("OrbitHub Session - %1").arg(profile.name));
     }
+    m_tabStates.insert(tab, SessionState::Disconnected);
     m_tabs->tabBar()->setTabTextColor(
         index, tabColorForState(SessionState::Disconnected, m_tabs->palette()));
 
@@ -272,6 +287,13 @@ void SessionWindow::addSessionTab(const Profile& profile)
             &SessionTab::tabStateChanged,
             this,
             [this, tab](SessionState state) {
+                m_tabStates.insert(tab, state);
+                if (tab->awaitingUserInput()) {
+                    // Keep the "needs input" color on top -- it'll be
+                    // restored to reflect this state once the prompt
+                    // resolves (see awaitingUserInputChanged below).
+                    return;
+                }
                 for (int i = 0; i < m_tabs->count(); ++i) {
                     if (m_tabs->widget(i) == tab) {
                         m_tabs->tabBar()->setTabTextColor(
@@ -280,6 +302,22 @@ void SessionWindow::addSessionTab(const Profile& profile)
                     }
                 }
             });
+    connect(tab,
+            &SessionTab::awaitingUserInputChanged,
+            this,
+            [this, tab](bool waiting) {
+                for (int i = 0; i < m_tabs->count(); ++i) {
+                    if (m_tabs->widget(i) != tab) {
+                        continue;
+                    }
+                    const QColor color = waiting
+                        ? awaitingInputTabColor()
+                        : tabColorForState(m_tabStates.value(tab, SessionState::Disconnected),
+                                           m_tabs->palette());
+                    m_tabs->tabBar()->setTabTextColor(i, color);
+                    return;
+                }
+            });
     connect(tab,
             &SessionTab::terminalThemeChanged,
             this,

src/session_window.h

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "profile_repository.h"
 #include "session_tab.h"
 
+#include <QHash>
 #include <QMainWindow>
 
 class QTabWidget;
@@ -21,6 +22,10 @@ private:
     QTabWidget* m_tabs;
     ProfilesWindow* m_profilesWidget;
     SessionUiPreferences m_preferences;
+    // Last known connection state per tab, so the tab color can be
+    // restored correctly once an awaitingUserInputChanged(false) fires
+    // (that signal is orthogonal to SessionState -- see session_tab.h).
+    QHash<SessionTab*, SessionState> m_tabStates;
 
     void addSessionTab(const Profile& profile);
     void updateTabTitle(SessionTab* tab, const QString& title);

src/ssh_session_backend.cpp

@@ -388,9 +388,16 @@ bool SshSessionBackend::startSshProcess(const SessionConnectOptions& options)
              << QStringLiteral("PasswordAuthentication=no");
     }
 
-    const QString target = p.username.trimmed().isEmpty()
+    // options.username carries a value prompted for at connect time (see
+    // SessionTab::requestConnectOptions()) when the saved profile's own
+    // username was blank; profile().username never sees that edit since
+    // the backend's Profile copy was captured at construction time.
+    const QString username = options.username.trimmed().isEmpty()
+        ? p.username.trimmed()
+        : options.username.trimmed();
+    const QString target = username.isEmpty()
         ? p.host.trimmed()
-        : QStringLiteral("%1@%2").arg(p.username.trimmed(), p.host.trimmed());
+        : QStringLiteral("%1@%2").arg(username, p.host.trimmed());
     args << target;
 
     m_process->setProcessEnvironment(environment);

tests/fixtures/fake_ssh.sh

@@ -6,6 +6,22 @@
 # host, optionally as user@host, as the final argument).
 for arg in "$@"; do
     case "$arg" in
+        prompted-user@requireuser)
+            # Only the exact user@host below is accepted -- used to prove a
+            # username supplied via SessionConnectOptions (prompted for at
+            # connect time because the saved profile's own username was
+            # blank) actually reaches the ssh command line, not just that
+            # *some* connection to this host succeeds.
+            echo "Welcome to the fake host."
+            while IFS= read -r line; do
+                echo "$line"
+            done
+            exit 0
+            ;;
+        *@requireuser|requireuser)
+            echo "Permission denied (publickey,password)." >&2
+            exit 255
+            ;;
         *@succeed|succeed)
             echo "Welcome to the fake host."
             # Stay alive echoing stdin back (simulates an interactive

tests/test_ssh_session_backend.cpp

@@ -21,6 +21,13 @@ Profile makeProfile(const QString& fixtureHost)
     return profile;
 }
 
+Profile makeBlankUsernameProfile(const QString& fixtureHost)
+{
+    Profile profile = makeProfile(fixtureHost);
+    profile.username.clear();
+    return profile;
+}
+
 SessionConnectOptions makeOptions()
 {
     SessionConnectOptions options;
@@ -50,10 +57,12 @@ private slots:
     void connectionRefusedReachesFailedState();
     void sendInputEchoesThroughOutputReceived();
     void reconnectRestartsAndReachesConnectedAgain();
+    void connectOptionsUsernameReachesProcessWhenProfileUsernameIsBlank();
 
 private:
     QString fixturePath() const;
     void createBackend(const QString& fixtureHost);
+    void createBackend(const Profile& profile);
 
     std::unique_ptr<SshSessionBackend> m_backend;
     SessionState m_lastState = SessionState::Disconnected;
@@ -69,8 +78,12 @@ QString TestSshSessionBackend::fixturePath() const
 
 void TestSshSessionBackend::createBackend(const QString& fixtureHost)
 {
-    m_backend =
+    createBackend(makeProfile(fixtureHost));
-        std::make_unique<SshSessionBackend>(makeProfile(fixtureHost), fixturePath(), nullptr);
+}
+
+void TestSshSessionBackend::createBackend(const Profile& profile)
+{
+    m_backend = std::make_unique<SshSessionBackend>(profile, fixturePath(), nullptr);
     connect(m_backend.get(),
             &SessionBackend::stateChanged,
             this,
@@ -232,5 +245,24 @@ void TestSshSessionBackend::reconnectRestartsAndReachesConnectedAgain()
     QTRY_COMPARE(m_lastState, SessionState::Connected);
 }
 
+void TestSshSessionBackend::connectOptionsUsernameReachesProcessWhenProfileUsernameIsBlank()
+{
+    // Regression test for a bug where a username entered at the
+    // connect-time prompt (SessionTab::requestConnectOptions(), for a
+    // profile with no saved username -- issue #21) never actually reached
+    // the ssh process: SshSessionBackend built its target purely from
+    // profile().username, which is a separate copy captured when the
+    // backend was constructed and never sees SessionTab's later edit.
+    // fixtures/fake_ssh.sh's "requireuser" host only accepts the exact
+    // target "prompted-user@requireuser", so this fails unless
+    // SessionConnectOptions::username is actually used.
+    createBackend(makeBlankUsernameProfile(QStringLiteral("requireuser")));
+
+    SessionConnectOptions options = makeOptions();
+    options.username = QStringLiteral("prompted-user");
+    m_backend->connectSession(options);
+    QTRY_COMPARE(m_lastState, SessionState::Connected);
+}
+
 QTEST_GUILESS_MAIN(TestSshSessionBackend)
 #include "test_ssh_session_backend.moc"