perf(display): dirty tracking in update_display + plugin FPS declaration

update_display now skips SetImage+SwapOnVSync when the frame is
byte-identical to the last pushed one (adler32 digest) AND brightness
is unchanged — brightness is part of the digest, and set_brightness
additionally resets it, so a dim-schedule change can never be skipped.
clear() resets the digest (it writes to the matrix directly). Skipping
a swap is hardware-safe: the panel refreshes the current frame from the
driver's own thread; swaps only change content.

Kill switch: display.dirty_tracking: false restores always-push.

display_controller's high-FPS decision gains a precedence step: a
plugin exposing needs_high_fps is honored first (so static-image can
declare False for still PNGs and stop burning a 125fps loop on them);
static-image without the attribute keeps its historical forced
high-FPS (GIF back-compat); scrolling logic is otherwise unchanged.

Verified with 7 tests against the real DisplayManager on
RGBMatrixEmulator (identical-frame skip, pixel-change push, clear and
brightness invalidation, snapshot-through-skip, kill switch) plus the
202-test display/controller/vegas suites, and a clean devpi deploy.
Audit: every SetImage/SwapOnVSync/Clear/brightness call site is inside
display_manager — no external writer can bypass the digest.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01FqzC1nzTWL4kaqgMaQZFam

.github/workflows/claude-code-review.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+name: Claude Code Review
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    types: [opened, synchronize, ready_for_review, reopened]
+    # Optional: Only run on specific file changes
+    # paths:
+    #   - "src/**/*.ts"
+    #   - "src/**/*.tsx"
+    #   - "src/**/*.js"
+    #   - "src/**/*.jsx"
+
+jobs:
+  claude-review:
+    # Optional: Filter by PR author
+    # if: |
+    #   github.event.pull_request.user.login == 'external-contributor' ||
+    #   github.event.pull_request.user.login == 'new-developer' ||
+    #   github.event.pull_request.author_association == 'FIRST_TIME_CONTRIBUTOR'
+
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      pull-requests: read
+      issues: read
+      id-token: write
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 1
+
+      - name: Run Claude Code Review
+        id: claude-review
+        uses: anthropics/claude-code-action@v1
+        with:
+          claude_code_oauth_token: ${{ secrets.CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN }}
+          plugin_marketplaces: 'https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code.git'
+          plugins: 'code-review@claude-code-plugins'
+          prompt: '/code-review:code-review ${{ github.repository }}/pull/${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}'
+          # See https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code-action/blob/main/docs/usage.md
+          # or https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference for available options
+

.github/workflows/claude.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+name: Claude Code
+
+on:
+  issue_comment:
+    types: [created]
+  pull_request_review_comment:
+    types: [created]
+  issues:
+    types: [opened, assigned]
+  pull_request_review:
+    types: [submitted]
+
+jobs:
+  claude:
+    if: |
+      (github.event_name == 'issue_comment' && contains(github.event.comment.body, '@claude')) ||
+      (github.event_name == 'pull_request_review_comment' && contains(github.event.comment.body, '@claude')) ||
+      (github.event_name == 'pull_request_review' && contains(github.event.review.body, '@claude')) ||
+      (github.event_name == 'issues' && (contains(github.event.issue.body, '@claude') || contains(github.event.issue.title, '@claude')))
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      pull-requests: read
+      issues: read
+      id-token: write
+      actions: read # Required for Claude to read CI results on PRs
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 1
+
+      - name: Run Claude Code
+        id: claude
+        uses: anthropics/claude-code-action@v1
+        with:
+          claude_code_oauth_token: ${{ secrets.CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN }}
+
+          # This is an optional setting that allows Claude to read CI results on PRs
+          additional_permissions: |
+            actions: read
+
+          # Optional: Give a custom prompt to Claude. If this is not specified, Claude will perform the instructions specified in the comment that tagged it.
+          # prompt: 'Update the pull request description to include a summary of changes.'
+
+          # Optional: Add claude_args to customize behavior and configuration
+          # See https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code-action/blob/main/docs/usage.md
+          # or https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference for available options
+          # claude_args: '--allowed-tools Bash(gh pr *)'
+

.github/workflows/test.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+name: Tests
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+
+jobs:
+  plugin-safety:
+    name: Plugin safety harness + unit tests
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@11bd71901bbe5b1630ceea73d27597364c9af683 # v4.2.2
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@0b93645e9fea7318ecaed2b359559ac225c90a2b # v5.3.0
+        with:
+          python-version: "3.12"
+          cache: pip
+
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: |
+          python -m pip install --upgrade pip
+          pip install -r requirements.txt -r requirements-test.txt
+          pip install RGBMatrixEmulator
+
+      - name: Run harness + visual rendering tests
+        run: |
+          pytest --no-cov \
+            test/plugins/test_harness.py \
+            test/plugins/test_visual_rendering.py \
+            test/plugins/test_plugin_matrix.py

.gitignore

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ config/config_secrets.json
 config/config.json
 config/config.json.backup
 config/wifi_config.json
+config/uninstalled_plugins.json
 credentials.json
 token.pickle
 

config/config.template.json

@@ -115,6 +115,11 @@
             "gpio_slowdown": 3,
             "rp1_rio": 0
         },
+        "double_sided": {
+            "enabled": false,
+            "copies": 2,
+            "axis": "horizontal"
+        },
         "display_durations": {},
         "use_short_date_format": true,
         "vegas_scroll": {

docs/plugin-safety-harness.md

@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+# Plugin Safety Harness
+
+Renders a plugin across **every declared screen (mode)** and **a spread of
+matrix sizes**, and fails if any combination crashes, draws past the panel edge,
+or — for plugins that ship golden images — drifts visually. The goal: change a
+plugin without breaking a size or screen you didn't think to test.
+
+## Sizes: a sample, not a fixed list
+
+There is **no fixed set of supported panel sizes** — an RGB matrix build can be
+any width/height and configuration (square, rectangle, 2×2, 4×4, 8×2, long
+strips, tall stacks). Plugins are expected to read dimensions dynamically
+(`self.display_manager.matrix.width/height`) and lay themselves out
+accordingly, so a hardcoded coordinate or unscaled font shows up as a failure
+here.
+
+The harness therefore renders against a **representative sample** that spans the
+axes of variation (`DEFAULT_TEST_SIZES` in `src/plugin_system/testing/sizes.py`),
+not an authoritative list:
+
+Each module is 64×32; entries are real panel-grid arrangements (cols × rows):
+
+| Size    | Grid | Why it's in the sample                     |
+|---------|------|--------------------------------------------|
+| 64×32   | 1×1  | single panel — tightest common rectangle   |
+| 128×32  | 2×1  | the baseline most plugins are tuned for    |
+| 64×64   | 1×2  | stacked — tall-narrow centering            |
+| 128×64  | 2×2  | block — icon scaling / vertical centering  |
+| 256×32  | 4×1  | long strip — wide horizontal layout        |
+| 128×96  | 2×3  | tall — vertical overflow                   |
+| 256×128 | 4×4  | large block — both dimensions big at once  |
+
+**Override the sizes entirely** to test your actual hardware (or any shape):
+
+```bash
+# CLI — one-off:
+python scripts/check_plugin.py --plugin clock-simple --sizes 8x16,64x64,256x32
+
+# pytest — force every plugin onto your panel(s):
+LEDMATRIX_TEST_SIZES="8x16,128x128" pytest test/plugins/test_plugin_matrix.py
+
+# Per-plugin — declare the shapes a plugin targets in its test/harness.json:
+#   { "sizes": [[8, 16], [64, 64]] }
+```
+
+Precedence: `LEDMATRIX_TEST_SIZES` env (global) → per-plugin `harness.json`
+`sizes` → the default sample. Bounds checking adapts to whatever sizes a run
+uses — the backing canvas is padded out to the **largest** panel in the run, so
+a coordinate meant for a big build is still caught when rendering a small one.
+
+## Quick start
+
+```bash
+# Functional + bounds check across all sizes/screens:
+python scripts/check_plugin.py --plugin clock-simple
+
+# Every discovered plugin:
+python scripts/check_plugin.py --all
+
+# Dump PNGs to eyeball each size/screen:
+python scripts/check_plugin.py --plugin ledmatrix-weather --out-dir /tmp/preview
+```
+
+Exit code is non-zero if any `(plugin, size, screen)` fails. Plugins are
+discovered in `plugin-repos/` and `plugins/` (override with `--plugin-dir`).
+
+## What it checks (Phase 1 — always on)
+
+1. **Loads** and builds its mode list.
+2. **Renders every screen** at every size without raising. `update()` may fail
+   (no network in CI) and is tolerated; a crash in `display()` is a failure —
+   `display()` must handle the no-data state.
+3. **Bounds**: nothing is drawn past the right/bottom edge. Implemented by
+   `BoundsCheckingDisplayManager`, which backs the declared panel with an
+   oversized canvas and flags any pixels that land in the margin. (Left/top
+   overflow at negative coordinates and BDF text are not flagged — golden images
+   cover those.)
+
+## Golden images (Phase 2 — opt-in per plugin)
+
+A plugin opts in by committing reference PNGs and (usually) a small harness spec:
+
+```
+plugins/<id>/test/harness.json          # how to render deterministically
+plugins/<id>/test/fixtures/mock.json     # optional cached data
+plugins/<id>/test/golden/<WxH>/<mode>.png
+```
+
+`test/harness.json` keys (all optional):
+
+```json
+{
+  "config":      { "timezone": "UTC" },
+  "mock_data":   "fixtures/mock.json",
+  "freeze_time": "2025-08-01 15:25:00",
+  "skip_update": false,
+  "sizes":       [[128, 32], [128, 64]]
+}
+```
+
+Generate / refresh goldens after an intentional visual change, then review the
+diff before committing:
+
+```bash
+python scripts/check_plugin.py --plugin clock-simple --update-golden \
+  --config '{"timezone":"UTC"}' --freeze-time "2025-08-01 15:25:00"
+```
+
+Comparison is exact by default (`compare_images` in `harness.py` accepts a
+tolerance for known anti-aliasing noise). Determinism requires a pinned Pillow
+and the bundled fonts — keep both stable when regenerating goldens.
+
+## Tests & CI
+
+- `test/plugins/test_harness.py` — unit tests for bounds detection, image
+  comparison, and mode enumeration (run anywhere).
+- `test/plugins/test_plugin_matrix.py` — parametrized over discovered plugins ×
+  sizes × screens; honors each plugin's `test/harness.json` and goldens. Skips
+  when no plugins are present (e.g. a fresh core checkout); set
+  `LEDMATRIX_REQUIRE_PLUGINS=1` in a pipeline where plugins must be present to
+  turn an empty discovery into a hard failure instead. Point it at the monorepo
+  with `LEDMATRIX_PLUGINS_DIR=/path/to/ledmatrix-plugins/plugins`.
+- `.github/workflows/test.yml` — runs the harness + visual tests on every PR.
+
+The plugin monorepo has its own `Plugin Safety` workflow that runs this harness
+against changed plugins on every PR.
+
+## Developer workflow
+
+1. Change the plugin on a branch.
+2. `python scripts/check_plugin.py --plugin <id> --out-dir /tmp/preview` and
+   eyeball the PNGs.
+3. Intentional visual change? `--update-golden`, review diffs, commit goldens.
+4. (Monorepo) bump `manifest.json` version and let the pre-commit hook sync
+   `plugins.json`.
+5. Push — CI re-runs the harness across all sizes and gates the PR.

first_time_install.sh

@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ on_error() {
     echo "✗ An error occurred during: $CURRENT_STEP (line $line_no, exit $exit_code)" >&2
     if [ -n "${LOG_FILE:-}" ]; then
         echo "See the log for details: $LOG_FILE" >&2
-        echo "-- Last 50 lines from log --" >&2
+        echo "-- Last 100 lines from log --" >&2
-        tail -n 50 "$LOG_FILE" >&2 || true
+        tail -n 100 "$LOG_FILE" >&2 || true
     fi
     echo "\nCommon fixes:" >&2
     echo "- Ensure the Pi is online (try: ping -c1 8.8.8.8)." >&2
@@ -202,8 +202,33 @@ retry() {
     done
 }
 
-apt_update() { retry apt update; }
+# Wait for another apt/dpkg process (commonly unattended-upgrades running
-apt_install() { retry apt install -y "$@"; }
+# shortly after first boot) to release its lock before we try apt ourselves.
+# Without this, apt_update/apt_install can fail outright in the first couple
+# minutes after a fresh Pi OS boot with a generic "Command failed after 3
+# attempts" error.
+wait_for_apt_lock() {
+    command -v flock >/dev/null 2>&1 || return 0
+    local lock_file="/var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontend"
+    local max_wait=180
+    local waited=0
+    local printed=0
+    while ! flock -n "$lock_file" -c true 2>/dev/null; do
+        if [ "$printed" -eq 0 ]; then
+            echo "⚠ Waiting for another apt/dpkg process to finish (e.g. unattended-upgrades on first boot)..."
+            printed=1
+        fi
+        if [ "$waited" -ge "$max_wait" ]; then
+            echo "⚠ Still waiting after ${max_wait}s; proceeding anyway."
+            break
+        fi
+        sleep 5
+        waited=$((waited+5))
+    done
+}
+
+apt_update() { wait_for_apt_lock; retry apt-get -o DPkg::Lock::Timeout=180 update; }
+apt_install() { wait_for_apt_lock; retry apt-get -o DPkg::Lock::Timeout=180 install -y "$@"; }
 apt_remove() { apt-get remove -y "$@" || true; }
 
 check_network() {
@@ -222,6 +247,22 @@ check_network() {
     exit 1
 }
 
+check_disk_space() {
+    command -v df >/dev/null 2>&1 || return 0
+    local available_mb
+    available_mb=$(df -m "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR" | awk 'NR==2{print $4}')
+    available_mb=${available_mb:-0}
+    if [ "$available_mb" -lt 500 ]; then
+        echo "✗ ERROR: Insufficient disk space: ${available_mb}MB available (need at least 500MB)"
+        echo "  Free up space first, e.g.: sudo apt clean && sudo apt autoremove"
+        exit 1
+    elif [ "$available_mb" -lt 1024 ]; then
+        echo "⚠ Limited disk space: ${available_mb}MB available (recommend at least 1GB for the rpi-rgb-led-matrix build in Step 6)"
+    else
+        echo "✓ Disk space sufficient: ${available_mb}MB available"
+    fi
+}
+
 echo ""
 echo "This script will perform the following steps:"
 echo "1. Install system dependencies"
@@ -271,8 +312,9 @@ CURRENT_STEP="Install system dependencies"
 echo "Step 1: Installing system dependencies..."
 echo "----------------------------------------"
 
-# Ensure network is available before APT operations
+# Pre-flight checks before APT operations
 check_network
+check_disk_space
 
 # Update package list
 apt_update
@@ -684,7 +726,11 @@ if [ -f "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/requirements.txt" ]; then
         
         if command -v timeout >/dev/null 2>&1; then
             # Use timeout if available (10 minutes = 600 seconds)
-            if timeout 600 python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages --no-cache-dir --prefer-binary --verbose "$line" > "$INSTALL_OUTPUT" 2>&1; then
+            # --ignore-installed: apt-managed packages (e.g. python3-requests)
+            # ship no pip RECORD file, so upgrading them would otherwise abort
+            # with "uninstall-no-record-file"; this lays the new version down
+            # alongside instead of trying to uninstall the apt copy first.
+            if timeout 600 python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages --no-cache-dir --prefer-binary --ignore-installed --verbose "$line" > "$INSTALL_OUTPUT" 2>&1; then
                 INSTALL_SUCCESS=true
             else
                 EXIT_CODE=$?
@@ -692,7 +738,7 @@ if [ -f "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/requirements.txt" ]; then
                     echo "✗ Timeout (10 minutes) installing: $line"
                     echo "  This package may require building from source, which can be slow on Raspberry Pi."
                     echo "  You can try installing it manually later with:"
-                    echo "    python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages --no-cache-dir --prefer-binary --verbose '$line'"
+                    echo "    python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages --no-cache-dir --prefer-binary --ignore-installed --verbose '$line'"
                 else
                     echo "✗ Failed to install: $line (exit code: $EXIT_CODE)"
                 fi
@@ -700,7 +746,7 @@ if [ -f "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/requirements.txt" ]; then
         else
             # No timeout command available, install without timeout
             echo "  Note: timeout command not available, installation may take a while..."
-            if python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages --no-cache-dir --prefer-binary --verbose "$line" > "$INSTALL_OUTPUT" 2>&1; then
+            if python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages --no-cache-dir --prefer-binary --ignore-installed --verbose "$line" > "$INSTALL_OUTPUT" 2>&1; then
                 INSTALL_SUCCESS=true
             else
                 EXIT_CODE=$?
@@ -752,7 +798,7 @@ if [ -f "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/requirements.txt" ]; then
         echo "  1. Ensure you have enough disk space: df -h"
         echo "  2. Check available memory: free -h"
         echo "  3. Try installing failed packages individually with verbose output:"
-        echo "     python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages --no-cache-dir --prefer-binary --verbose <package>"
+        echo "     python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages --no-cache-dir --prefer-binary --ignore-installed --verbose <package>"
         echo "  4. For packages that build from source (like numpy), consider:"
         echo "     - Installing pre-built wheels: python3 -m pip install --only-binary :all: <package>"
         echo "     - Or installing via apt if available: sudo apt install python3-<package>"
@@ -774,7 +820,10 @@ echo ""
 # Install web interface dependencies
 echo "Installing web interface dependencies..."
 if [ -f "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/web_interface/requirements.txt" ]; then
-    if python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages --prefer-binary -r "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/web_interface/requirements.txt"; then
+    # --ignore-installed: apt-managed packages (e.g. python3-requests) ship no
+    # pip RECORD file, so upgrading them to the version pinned here would
+    # otherwise abort the whole install with "uninstall-no-record-file".
+    if python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages --prefer-binary --ignore-installed -r "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/web_interface/requirements.txt"; then
         echo "✓ Web interface dependencies installed"
         # Create marker file to indicate dependencies are installed
         touch "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/.web_deps_installed"
@@ -815,24 +864,30 @@ if [ "$_SKIP_BUILD" = "1" ]; then
     echo "rgbmatrix already installed${_skip_suffix}; skipping build (set RPI_RGB_FORCE_REBUILD=1 to force rebuild)."
 else
     # Ensure rpi-rgb-led-matrix submodule is initialized
+    # Wrapper used with retry(): removes any partial clone dir before each attempt
+    # so git clone doesn't fail with "destination path already exists".
+    _clone_rpi_rgb() {
+        rm -rf "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master"
+        git clone https://github.com/hzeller/rpi-rgb-led-matrix.git rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master
+    }
     if [ ! -d "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master" ]; then
         echo "rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master not found. Initializing git submodule..."
         cd "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR"
-        
+
         # Try to initialize submodule if .gitmodules exists
         if [ -f "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/.gitmodules" ] && grep -q "rpi-rgb-led-matrix" "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/.gitmodules"; then
             echo "Initializing rpi-rgb-led-matrix submodule..."
-            if ! git submodule update --init --recursive rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master 2>&1; then
+            if ! retry git submodule update --init --recursive rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master; then
                 echo "⚠ Submodule init failed, cloning directly from GitHub..."
-                git clone https://github.com/hzeller/rpi-rgb-led-matrix.git rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master
+                retry _clone_rpi_rgb
             fi
         else
             # Fallback: clone directly if submodule not configured
             echo "Submodule not configured, cloning directly from GitHub..."
-            git clone https://github.com/hzeller/rpi-rgb-led-matrix.git rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master
+            retry _clone_rpi_rgb
         fi
     fi
-    
+
     # Build and install rpi-rgb-led-matrix Python bindings
     if [ -d "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master" ]; then
         # Check if submodule is properly initialized (not empty)
@@ -841,23 +896,34 @@ else
             cd "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR"
             rm -rf rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master
             if [ -f "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/.gitmodules" ] && grep -q "rpi-rgb-led-matrix" "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/.gitmodules"; then
-                git submodule update --init --recursive rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master
+                retry git submodule update --init --recursive rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master
             else
-                git clone https://github.com/hzeller/rpi-rgb-led-matrix.git rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master
+                retry _clone_rpi_rgb
             fi
         fi
-        
+
         pushd "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master" >/dev/null
         echo "Installing rpi-rgb-led-matrix Python package (scikit-build-core + cmake)..."
         echo "  Build deps required: python-dev-is-python3 cmake"
         echo "  This compiles C++ — may take 2-5 minutes on Pi 4/5..."
-        if ! python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages .; then
+        BUILD_OUTPUT=$(mktemp)
+        BUILD_SUCCESS=false
+        if python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages . > "$BUILD_OUTPUT" 2>&1; then
+            BUILD_SUCCESS=true
+        fi
+        cat "$BUILD_OUTPUT" >> "$LOG_FILE"
+        if [ "$BUILD_SUCCESS" != true ]; then
             echo "✗ Failed to install rpi-rgb-led-matrix Python package"
             echo "  Ensure build tools are installed:"
             echo "  sudo apt install -y python-dev-is-python3 cmake build-essential"
+            echo ""
+            echo "-- Last 50 lines of build output --"
+            tail -n 50 "$BUILD_OUTPUT"
+            rm -f "$BUILD_OUTPUT"
             popd >/dev/null
             exit 1
         fi
+        rm -f "$BUILD_OUTPUT"
         popd >/dev/null
     else
         echo "✗ rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master directory not found at $PROJECT_ROOT_DIR"
@@ -912,11 +978,15 @@ else
     # Try to install dependencies using the smart installer if available
     if [ -f "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/scripts/install_dependencies_apt.py" ]; then
         echo "Using smart dependency installer..."
-        python3 "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/scripts/install_dependencies_apt.py"
+        # -u: unbuffered stdout/stderr so output is captured in $LOG_FILE in
+        # real time and in order relative to this script's own echo statements
+        python3 -u "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/scripts/install_dependencies_apt.py"
     else
         echo "Using pip to install dependencies..."
         if [ -f "$PROJECT_ROOT_DIR/requirements_web_v2.txt" ]; then
-            python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages --prefer-binary -r requirements_web_v2.txt
+            # --ignore-installed: see the Step 5 web_interface/requirements.txt
+            # install above — same apt/pip RECORD-file conflict applies here.
+            python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages --prefer-binary --ignore-installed -r requirements_web_v2.txt
         else
             echo "⚠ requirements_web_v2.txt not found; skipping web dependency install"
         fi

requirements-test.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# Test-only dependencies for the plugin safety harness and pytest suite.
+# Install alongside requirements.txt:  pip install -r requirements.txt -r requirements-test.txt
+#
+# pytest, pytest-cov, pytest-mock, and jsonschema are already pinned (with
+# major-version caps) in requirements.txt, so they are intentionally NOT
+# repeated here — re-pinning pytest to <9 collided with requirements.txt's
+# pytest>=9.0.3,<10 and made the two files impossible to install together.
+# Only declare what requirements.txt doesn't already provide.
+freezegun>=1.2,<2        # deterministic time for golden-image tests

requirements.txt

@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ websocket-client>=1.8.0,<2.0.0
 # JSON Schema validation
 jsonschema>=4.20.0,<5.0.0
 
+# Requirement specifier parsing (plugin dependency satisfaction checks)
+packaging>=23.0,<27.0
+
 # Testing dependencies
 pytest>=9.0.3,<10.0.0
 pytest-cov>=4.1.0,<5.0.0

scripts/check_plugin.py

@@ -0,0 +1,232 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+Plugin safety checker.
+
+Renders a plugin across every declared screen (mode) and every supported matrix
+size, and fails if any screen crashes, overflows the panel, or (for plugins with
+committed golden images) drifts visually.
+
+Usage:
+    # Functional + bounds check across all sizes/modes:
+    python scripts/check_plugin.py --plugin clock-simple
+
+    # Every discovered plugin:
+    python scripts/check_plugin.py --all
+
+    # Dump PNGs for each size/mode so you can eyeball them:
+    python scripts/check_plugin.py --plugin ledmatrix-weather --out-dir /tmp/preview
+
+    # Refresh committed golden images after an intentional visual change:
+    python scripts/check_plugin.py --plugin clock-simple --update-golden \
+        --mock-data plugins/clock-simple/test/fixtures/mock.json
+
+Exit code is non-zero if any (plugin, size, mode) fails.
+"""
+
+import argparse
+import json
+import os
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Dict, List, Optional
+
+PROJECT_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+sys.path.insert(0, str(PROJECT_ROOT))
+
+os.environ['EMULATOR'] = 'true'
+
+from src.logging_config import get_logger  # noqa: E402
+from src.plugin_system.testing.loading import (  # noqa: E402
+    find_plugin_dir, load_config_defaults, load_harness_spec,
+)
+from src.plugin_system.testing.harness import (  # noqa: E402
+    RenderResult, render_plugin_matrix, compare_to_goldens, write_goldens,
+)
+from src.plugin_system.testing.sizes import (  # noqa: E402
+    parse_size_token, resolve_test_sizes, safe_mode_filename, size_label,
+)
+
+logger = get_logger("[Check Plugin]")
+
+DEFAULT_SEARCH_DIRS = [
+    str(PROJECT_ROOT / 'plugins'),
+    str(PROJECT_ROOT / 'plugin-repos'),
+]
+
+
+def discover_plugins(search_dirs: List[str]) -> List[str]:
+    """All plugin ids found across the search dirs (dirs containing manifest.json)."""
+    found = []
+    for d in search_dirs:
+        base = Path(d)
+        if not base.exists():
+            continue
+        for child in sorted(base.iterdir()):
+            if (child / 'manifest.json').exists() and child.name not in found:
+                found.append(child.name)
+    return found
+
+
+def parse_sizes(spec: Optional[str]):
+    if not spec:
+        return None
+    sizes = []
+    for token in spec.split(','):
+        if not token.strip():
+            continue
+        try:
+            sizes.append(parse_size_token(token))
+        except ValueError as exc:
+            raise SystemExit(str(exc)) from exc
+    return sizes
+
+
+def check_one(plugin_id: str, search_dirs: List[str], sizes, mock_data: Dict,
+              config: Dict, run_update: bool, out_dir: Optional[Path],
+              update_golden: bool, golden_dir_override: Optional[Path],
+              freeze_time: Optional[str]) -> List[RenderResult]:
+    plugin_dir = find_plugin_dir(plugin_id, search_dirs)
+    if not plugin_dir:
+        logger.error("Plugin '%s' not found in: %s", plugin_id, search_dirs)
+        return [RenderResult(plugin_id, 0, 0, "<not-found>", error="plugin directory not found")]
+
+    # Per-plugin test/harness.json holds the deterministic settings the committed
+    # goldens were generated with (config, mock data, frozen time, sizes). Load
+    # them so the CLI/CI render reproduces the golden the same way the pytest
+    # matrix path does; explicit CLI flags still override the file.
+    spec = load_harness_spec(plugin_dir)
+
+    # config_schema defaults (real-install behavior), then harness.json config,
+    # then CLI --config — most specific wins.
+    full_config = {"enabled": True}
+    full_config.update(load_config_defaults(plugin_dir))
+    full_config.update(spec.get("config", {}))
+    full_config.update(config)
+
+    # Precedence: CLI flag > LEDMATRIX_TEST_SIZES env > harness.json > default.
+    effective_sizes = sizes if sizes else resolve_test_sizes(spec.get("sizes"))
+    # CLI value wins when provided, else fall back to the harness.json setting.
+    effective_mock_data = mock_data or spec.get("mock_data_contents", {})
+    effective_freeze = freeze_time or spec.get("freeze_time")
+    effective_run_update = run_update and not spec.get("skip_update", False)
+
+    results = render_plugin_matrix(
+        plugin_id=plugin_id, plugin_dir=plugin_dir, config=full_config,
+        mock_data=effective_mock_data, sizes=effective_sizes,
+        run_update=effective_run_update, freeze_time=effective_freeze,
+    )
+
+    golden_dir = golden_dir_override or (plugin_dir / 'test' / 'golden')
+    if update_golden:
+        written = write_goldens(results, golden_dir)
+        logger.info("Wrote %d golden image(s) for %s to %s", written, plugin_id, golden_dir)
+    else:
+        compare_to_goldens(results, golden_dir)
+
+    if out_dir:
+        for r in results:
+            if r.image is None:
+                continue
+            dest = out_dir / plugin_id / size_label(r.width, r.height)
+            dest.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+            r.image.save(dest / f"{safe_mode_filename(r.mode)}.png", format="PNG")
+
+    return results
+
+
+def print_report(all_results: Dict[str, List[RenderResult]]) -> bool:
+    """Print a per-plugin grid. Returns True if everything passed."""
+    everything_ok = True
+    for plugin_id, results in all_results.items():
+        print(f"\n=== {plugin_id} ===")
+        for r in results:
+            if r.ok:
+                status = "PASS"
+                detail = ""
+                if r.golden_checked:
+                    detail = " (golden ✓)"
+                if r.update_error is not None:
+                    detail += f" (update warn: {r.update_error})"
+            else:
+                everything_ok = False
+                if r.error is not None:
+                    status, detail = "FAIL", f" error={r.error}"
+                elif r.overflow is not None:
+                    status, detail = "FAIL", f" overflow bbox={r.overflow}"
+                elif r.golden_ok is False:
+                    status = "FAIL"
+                    detail = f" golden drift: {r.golden_diff_pixels}px (max Δ={r.golden_max_delta})"
+                else:
+                    status, detail = "FAIL", ""
+            print(f"  [{status}] {r.size_label:>7}  {r.mode}{detail}")
+    print()
+    return everything_ok
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Check a plugin renders safely across sizes & screens")
+    group = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group(required=True)
+    group.add_argument('--plugin', '-p', help='Plugin id to check')
+    group.add_argument('--all', action='store_true', help='Check every discovered plugin')
+    parser.add_argument('--plugin-dir', '-d', default=None, help='Directory to search for plugins')
+    parser.add_argument('--sizes', default=None, help='Comma-separated WxH list (default: all supported)')
+    parser.add_argument('--config', '-c', default='{}', help='Plugin config overrides as JSON')
+    parser.add_argument('--mock-data', '-m', default=None, help='Path to JSON file with mock cache data')
+    parser.add_argument('--out-dir', '-o', default=None, help='Also dump rendered PNGs here')
+    parser.add_argument('--skip-update', action='store_true', help='Skip calling update()')
+    parser.add_argument('--update-golden', action='store_true', help='Write/refresh golden images')
+    parser.add_argument('--golden-dir', default=None, help='Override golden dir (default: <plugin>/test/golden)')
+    parser.add_argument('--freeze-time', default=None,
+                        help='Freeze wall clock, e.g. "2025-08-01 15:25:00" (for time-dependent plugins)')
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    search_dirs = [args.plugin_dir] if args.plugin_dir else DEFAULT_SEARCH_DIRS
+    sizes = parse_sizes(args.sizes)
+
+    try:
+        config = json.loads(args.config)
+    except json.JSONDecodeError as e:
+        logger.error("Invalid --config JSON: %s", e)
+        return 2
+    if not isinstance(config, dict):
+        logger.error("--config must be a JSON object, got %s", type(config).__name__)
+        return 2
+
+    mock_data = {}
+    if args.mock_data:
+        mock_path = Path(args.mock_data)
+        if not mock_path.exists():
+            logger.error("Mock data file not found: %s", args.mock_data)
+            return 2
+        with open(mock_path) as f:
+            mock_data = json.load(f)
+        if not isinstance(mock_data, dict):
+            logger.error("--mock-data must be a JSON object (key -> cache value), got %s",
+                         type(mock_data).__name__)
+            return 2
+
+    plugin_ids = discover_plugins(search_dirs) if args.all else [args.plugin]
+    if not plugin_ids:
+        logger.error("No plugins found in: %s", search_dirs)
+        return 2
+
+    out_dir = Path(args.out_dir) if args.out_dir else None
+    golden_dir_override = Path(args.golden_dir) if args.golden_dir else None
+
+    all_results: Dict[str, List[RenderResult]] = {}
+    for plugin_id in plugin_ids:
+        all_results[plugin_id] = check_one(
+            plugin_id=plugin_id, search_dirs=search_dirs, sizes=sizes,
+            mock_data=mock_data, config=config, run_update=not args.skip_update,
+            out_dir=out_dir, update_golden=args.update_golden,
+            golden_dir_override=golden_dir_override, freeze_time=args.freeze_time,
+        )
+
+    # When refreshing goldens we skip drift comparison, but a crash or overflow
+    # still means the plugin is broken — never let --update-golden mask that.
+    ok = print_report(all_results)
+    return 0 if ok else 1
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    sys.exit(main())

scripts/clear_dependency_markers.sh

@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-# Clear all plugin dependency markers to force fresh dependency check
-# Useful after updating plugins or troubleshooting dependency issues
-
-echo "Clearing plugin dependency markers..."
-
-# Check both possible cache locations
-CACHE_DIRS=(
-    "/var/cache/ledmatrix"
-    "$HOME/.cache/ledmatrix"
-)
-
-for CACHE_DIR in "${CACHE_DIRS[@]}"; do
-    if [ -d "$CACHE_DIR" ]; then
-        echo "Checking $CACHE_DIR..."
-        marker_count=$(find "$CACHE_DIR" -name "plugin_*_deps_installed" 2>/dev/null | wc -l)
-        if [ "$marker_count" -gt 0 ]; then
-            echo "Found $marker_count dependency marker(s) in $CACHE_DIR"
-            find "$CACHE_DIR" -name "plugin_*_deps_installed" -delete
-            echo "Cleared $marker_count marker(s)"
-        else
-            echo "No dependency markers found in $CACHE_DIR"
-        fi
-    fi
-done
-
-echo "Done! Dependency markers cleared."
-echo "Next startup will check and install dependencies as needed."
-

scripts/fix_perms/safe_pip_install.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# safe_pip_install.sh — Install a requirements.txt as root after validating
+# that the resolved path is the project's own requirements.txt or a plugin's
+# requirements.txt under plugin-repos/ or plugins/.
+#
+# This script is intended to be called via sudo from the web interface, so
+# that packages a plugin declares end up visible to ledmatrix.service (which
+# runs as root) rather than only to whichever non-root user runs the web
+# interface. Plugin code already runs as root once loaded, so installing its
+# declared dependencies as root is not a new trust boundary.
+#
+# Usage: safe_pip_install.sh <requirements_txt_path>
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+if [ $# -ne 1 ]; then
+    echo "Usage: $0 <requirements_txt_path>" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+TARGET="$1"
+
+# Determine the project root (parent of scripts/fix_perms/)
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+PROJECT_ROOT="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/../.." && pwd)"
+
+# Allowed locations (resolved, no trailing slash):
+#   - the project's own requirements.txt
+#   - any requirements.txt under plugin-repos/ or plugins/
+ALLOWED_EXACT="$(realpath --canonicalize-missing "$PROJECT_ROOT/requirements.txt")"
+ALLOWED_BASES=(
+    "$(realpath --canonicalize-missing "$PROJECT_ROOT/plugin-repos")"
+    "$(realpath --canonicalize-missing "$PROJECT_ROOT/plugins")"
+)
+
+# Resolve the target path (follow symlinks); works even if it doesn't exist.
+RESOLVED_TARGET="$(realpath --canonicalize-missing "$TARGET")"
+
+# Must be named requirements.txt — never install from an arbitrary file.
+if [ "$(basename "$RESOLVED_TARGET")" != "requirements.txt" ]; then
+    echo "DENIED: $RESOLVED_TARGET is not a requirements.txt file" >&2
+    exit 2
+fi
+
+ALLOWED=false
+if [ "$RESOLVED_TARGET" = "$ALLOWED_EXACT" ]; then
+    ALLOWED=true
+else
+    for BASE in "${ALLOWED_BASES[@]}"; do
+        if [[ "$RESOLVED_TARGET" == "$BASE/"* ]]; then
+            ALLOWED=true
+            break
+        fi
+    done
+fi
+
+if [ "$ALLOWED" = false ]; then
+    echo "DENIED: $RESOLVED_TARGET is not an allowed requirements.txt location" >&2
+    echo "Allowed: $ALLOWED_EXACT, or any requirements.txt under: ${ALLOWED_BASES[*]}" >&2
+    exit 2
+fi
+
+if [ ! -f "$RESOLVED_TARGET" ]; then
+    echo "ERROR: $RESOLVED_TARGET does not exist" >&2
+    exit 3
+fi
+
+PYTHON_PATH="$(command -v python3)"
+# --ignore-installed: root's site-packages often has apt/dpkg-managed copies
+# of common libraries (requests, urllib3, ...) with no pip RECORD file, which
+# pip refuses to uninstall in place ("Cannot uninstall: no RECORD file was
+# found"). This tells pip to install the newer version alongside rather than
+# aborting the whole requirements.txt install over one such conflict.
+exec "$PYTHON_PATH" -m pip install --break-system-packages --ignore-installed -r "$RESOLVED_TARGET"

scripts/install/configure_web_sudo.sh

@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ POWEROFF_PATH=$(command -v poweroff)  || true
 BASH_PATH=$(command -v bash)        || true
 JOURNALCTL_PATH=$(command -v journalctl) || true
 SAFE_RM_PATH="$PROJECT_ROOT/scripts/fix_perms/safe_plugin_rm.sh"
+SAFE_PIP_INSTALL_PATH="$PROJECT_ROOT/scripts/fix_perms/safe_pip_install.sh"
 
 # Validate required commands (systemctl, bash, python3 are essential)
 for CMD_NAME in SYSTEMCTL_PATH BASH_PATH PYTHON_PATH; do
@@ -48,11 +49,15 @@ if [ ${#MISSING_CMDS[@]} -gt 0 ]; then
     exit 1
 fi
 
-# Validate helper script exists
+# Validate helper scripts exist
 if [ ! -f "$SAFE_RM_PATH" ]; then
     echo "Error: Safe plugin removal helper not found: $SAFE_RM_PATH" >&2
     exit 1
 fi
+if [ ! -f "$SAFE_PIP_INSTALL_PATH" ]; then
+    echo "Error: Safe pip install helper not found: $SAFE_PIP_INSTALL_PATH" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
 
 echo "Command paths:"
 echo "  Python: $PYTHON_PATH"
@@ -62,6 +67,7 @@ echo "  Poweroff: ${POWEROFF_PATH:-(not found, skipping)}"
 echo "  Bash: $BASH_PATH"
 echo "  Journalctl: ${JOURNALCTL_PATH:-(not found, skipping)}"
 echo "  Safe plugin rm: $SAFE_RM_PATH"
+echo "  Safe pip install: $SAFE_PIP_INSTALL_PATH"
 
 # Create a temporary sudoers file
 TEMP_SUDOERS="/tmp/ledmatrix_web_sudoers_$$"
@@ -101,13 +107,22 @@ TEMP_SUDOERS="/tmp/ledmatrix_web_sudoers_$$"
     fi
 
     # Required: python3, bash
-    echo "$WEB_USER ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: $PYTHON_PATH $PROJECT_DIR/display_controller.py"
+    # NOTE: display_controller.py/start_display.sh/stop_display.sh live at the
-    echo "$WEB_USER ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: $BASH_PATH $PROJECT_DIR/start_display.sh"
+    # project root, not under scripts/install/ (where this script lives) —
-    echo "$WEB_USER ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: $BASH_PATH $PROJECT_DIR/stop_display.sh"
+    # must use PROJECT_ROOT here, not PROJECT_DIR.
+    echo "$WEB_USER ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: $PYTHON_PATH $PROJECT_ROOT/display_controller.py"
+    echo "$WEB_USER ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: $BASH_PATH $PROJECT_ROOT/start_display.sh"
+    echo "$WEB_USER ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: $BASH_PATH $PROJECT_ROOT/stop_display.sh"
     echo ""
     echo "# Allow web user to remove plugin directories via vetted helper script"
     echo "# The helper validates that the target path resolves inside plugin-repos/ or plugins/"
     echo "$WEB_USER ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: $BASH_PATH $SAFE_RM_PATH *"
+    echo ""
+    echo "# Allow web user to install a plugin's requirements.txt as root via vetted"
+    echo "# helper script, so packages are visible to root-run ledmatrix.service"
+    echo "# (not just the web interface's own user). The helper validates the target"
+    echo "# is requirements.txt at the project root or under plugin-repos/ or plugins/."
+    echo "$WEB_USER ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: $BASH_PATH $SAFE_PIP_INSTALL_PATH *"
 } > "$TEMP_SUDOERS"
 
 echo ""
@@ -126,6 +141,7 @@ echo "- Run display_controller.py directly"
 echo "- Execute start_display.sh and stop_display.sh"
 echo "- Reboot and shutdown the system"
 echo "- Remove plugin directories (for update/uninstall when root-owned files block deletion)"
+echo "- Install plugin/base requirements.txt as root (so ledmatrix.service can see them)"
 echo ""
 
 # Ask for confirmation
@@ -147,6 +163,13 @@ fi
 if ! sudo chmod 755 "$SAFE_RM_PATH"; then
     echo "Warning: Could not set permissions on $SAFE_RM_PATH"
 fi
+echo "Hardening safe_pip_install.sh ownership..."
+if ! sudo chown root:root "$SAFE_PIP_INSTALL_PATH"; then
+    echo "Warning: Could not set ownership on $SAFE_PIP_INSTALL_PATH"
+fi
+if ! sudo chmod 755 "$SAFE_PIP_INSTALL_PATH"; then
+    echo "Warning: Could not set permissions on $SAFE_PIP_INSTALL_PATH"
+fi
 
 if sudo cp "$TEMP_SUDOERS" /etc/sudoers.d/ledmatrix_web; then
     echo "Configuration applied successfully!"
@@ -160,7 +183,7 @@ if sudo cp "$TEMP_SUDOERS" /etc/sudoers.d/ledmatrix_web; then
         echo "✗ systemctl status ledmatrix.service - Failed"
     fi
     
-    if sudo -n test -f "$PROJECT_DIR/start_display.sh"; then
+    if sudo -n test -f "$PROJECT_ROOT/start_display.sh"; then
         echo "✓ File access test - OK"
     else
         echo "✗ File access test - Failed"

scripts/install/one-shot-install.sh

@@ -340,9 +340,14 @@ main() {
     echo ""
     
     # Execute with proper error handling and non-interactive mode
-    # Temporarily disable errexit to capture exit code instead of exiting immediately
+    # Temporarily disable errexit AND the ERR trap to capture exit code instead of
+    # exiting immediately. `set +e` alone does not suppress the ERR trap, so without
+    # `trap '' ERR` a non-zero exit from first_time_install.sh would trigger on_error
+    # here with the generic "Main installation" message instead of the detailed
+    # if/else handling below.
     set +e
-    
+    trap '' ERR
+
     # Check /tmp permissions - only fix if actually wrong (common in automated scenarios)
     # When running manually, /tmp usually has correct permissions (1777)
     TMP_PERMS=$(stat -c '%a' /tmp 2>/dev/null || echo "unknown")
@@ -370,6 +375,7 @@ main() {
         sudo -E env TMPDIR=/tmp LEDMATRIX_ASSUME_YES=1 bash ./first_time_install.sh -y </dev/null
     fi
     INSTALL_EXIT_CODE=$?
+    trap 'on_error $LINENO' ERR  # Re-enable ERR trap
     set -e  # Re-enable errexit
     
     if [ $INSTALL_EXIT_CODE -eq 0 ]; then

scripts/install_dependencies_apt.py

@@ -6,82 +6,143 @@ then falls back to pip with --break-system-packages
 
 import subprocess
 import sys
+import tempfile
 import warnings
+from collections import deque
 from pathlib import Path
+from typing import List, Tuple
 
-def install_via_apt(package_name):
+# How many trailing lines of a failed command's output to keep for the
-    """Try to install a package via apt."""
+# end-of-run failure summary. Keeps the root cause near the end of the log,
-    try:
+# which is where first_time_install.sh's error handler tails from.
-        # Map pip package names to apt package names
+ERROR_TAIL_LINES = 15
-        apt_package_map = {
+
-            'flask': 'python3-flask',
+
-            'PIL': 'python3-pil',
+def _run(cmd: List[str]) -> Tuple[bool, str]:
-            'freetype': 'python3-freetype',
+    """Run a command, streaming combined stdout/stderr to a temp file.
-            'psutil': 'python3-psutil',
+
-            'werkzeug': 'python3-werkzeug',
+    Returns (success, output) instead of raising, so callers can report
-            'numpy': 'python3-numpy',
+    *why* a command failed rather than just that it failed. `output` is
-            'requests': 'python3-requests',
+    bounded to the last ERROR_TAIL_LINES lines so failures from very
-            'python-dateutil': 'python3-dateutil',
+    chatty commands (e.g. pip build logs) don't get buffered in memory.
-            'pytz': 'python3-tz',
+    """
-            'geopy': 'python3-geopy',
+    with tempfile.TemporaryFile(mode='w+b') as f:
-            'unidecode': 'python3-unidecode',
+        result = subprocess.run(cmd, stdout=f, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)  # nosec B603 B607 - hardcoded apt/pip args  # nosemgrep
-            'websockets': 'python3-websockets',
+        f.seek(0)
-            'websocket-client': 'python3-websocket-client'
+        # Stream line-by-line so only the last ERROR_TAIL_LINES are ever held
-        }
+        # in memory, regardless of how much output the command produced.
-        
+        tail = deque(
-        apt_package = apt_package_map.get(package_name, f'python3-{package_name}')
+            (line.decode('utf-8', errors='replace').rstrip('\n') for line in f),
-        
+            maxlen=ERROR_TAIL_LINES,
-        print(f"Trying to install {apt_package} via apt...")
+        )
-        subprocess.check_call([
+    return result.returncode == 0, '\n'.join(tail)
-            'sudo', 'apt', 'update'
+
-        ], stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL, stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL)
+
-        
+def install_via_apt(package_name: str) -> Tuple[bool, str]:
-        subprocess.check_call([
+    """Try to install a package via apt. Returns (success, output)."""
-            'sudo', 'apt', 'install', '-y', apt_package
+    # Map pip package names to apt package names
-        ], stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL, stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL)
+    apt_package_map = {
-        
+        'flask': 'python3-flask',
+        'PIL': 'python3-pil',
+        'freetype': 'python3-freetype',
+        'psutil': 'python3-psutil',
+        'werkzeug': 'python3-werkzeug',
+        'numpy': 'python3-numpy',
+        'requests': 'python3-requests',
+        'python-dateutil': 'python3-dateutil',
+        'pytz': 'python3-tz',
+        'geopy': 'python3-geopy',
+        'unidecode': 'python3-unidecode',
+        'websockets': 'python3-websockets',
+        'websocket-client': 'python3-websocket-client'
+    }
+
+    apt_package = apt_package_map.get(package_name, f'python3-{package_name}')
+
+    print(f"Trying to install {apt_package} via apt...")
+    success, output = _run(['sudo', 'apt-get', '-o', 'DPkg::Lock::Timeout=180', 'install', '-y', apt_package])
+    if success:
         print(f"Successfully installed {apt_package} via apt")
-        return True
+        return True, ""
-        
-    except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
-        print(f"Failed to install {package_name} via apt, will try pip")
-        return False
 
-def install_via_pip(package_name):
+    print(f"Failed to install {apt_package} via apt, will try pip")
+    return False, output
+
+
+def install_via_pip(package_name: str) -> Tuple[bool, str]:
     """Install a package via pip with --break-system-packages and --prefer-binary.
 
     --break-system-packages allows pip to install into the system Python on
     Debian/Ubuntu-based systems without a virtual environment.
     --prefer-binary prefers pre-built wheels over source distributions to avoid
     exhausting /tmp space during compilation.
-    """
+    --ignore-installed stops pip from trying to *uninstall* packages that were
-    try:
+    installed by apt (e.g. python3-requests). Those Debian packages ship no
-        print(f"Installing {package_name} via pip...")
+    pip RECORD file, so an uninstall attempt fails with "uninstall-no-record-file"
-        subprocess.check_call([
+    and aborts the whole install. With --ignore-installed, pip lays the new
-            sys.executable, '-m', 'pip', 'install', '--break-system-packages', '--prefer-binary', package_name
+    version down in /usr/local where it shadows the apt copy instead of removing
-        ])
+    it. This matters when a pip dependency (google-api-python-client pulls a
-        print(f"Successfully installed {package_name} via pip")
+    newer requests) needs to upgrade an apt-managed package.
-        return True
-    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
-        print(f"Failed to install {package_name} via pip: {e}")
-        return False
 
-def check_package_installed(package_name):
+    Returns (success, output).
+    """
+    print(f"Installing {package_name} via pip...")
+    success, output = _run([
+        sys.executable, '-m', 'pip', 'install',
+        '--break-system-packages', '--prefer-binary', '--ignore-installed', package_name
+    ])
+    if success:
+        print(f"Successfully installed {package_name} via pip")
+        return True, ""
+
+    print(f"Failed to install {package_name} via pip (see failure summary at end of log)")
+    return False, output
+
+
+# Distribution (pip/apt) names whose importable module name differs.
+IMPORT_NAME_MAP = {
+    'python-dateutil': 'dateutil',
+    'websocket-client': 'websocket',
+}
+
+
+def check_package_installed(package_name: str) -> bool:
     """Check if a package is already installed."""
+    import_name = IMPORT_NAME_MAP.get(package_name, package_name)
     # Suppress deprecation warnings when checking if packages are installed
     # (we're just checking, not using them)
     with warnings.catch_warnings():
         warnings.filterwarnings('ignore', category=DeprecationWarning)
         try:
-            __import__(package_name)
+            __import__(import_name)
             return True
         except ImportError:
             return False
 
+
+def print_failure_summary(failed_packages: List[str], failure_details: dict) -> None:
+    print("\n" + "=" * 60)
+    print("DEPENDENCY INSTALLATION FAILURES - DETAILS")
+    print("=" * 60)
+    for package in failed_packages:
+        print(f"\nPackage: {package}")
+        print("-" * 40)
+        output = failure_details.get(package, "").strip()
+        if not output:
+            print("  (no output captured)")
+            continue
+        for line in output.splitlines()[-ERROR_TAIL_LINES:]:
+            print(f"  {line}")
+    print("=" * 60)
+
+
 def main():
     """Main installation function."""
     print("Installing dependencies for LED Matrix Web Interface V2...")
-    
+
+    print("Refreshing apt package index...")
+    _run(['sudo', 'apt', 'update'])  # best-effort; individual installs surface their own errors
+
     # List of required packages
     required_packages = [
         'flask',
@@ -98,19 +159,23 @@ def main():
         'websockets',
         'websocket-client'
     ]
-    
+
     failed_packages = []
-    
+    failure_details = {}
+
     for package in required_packages:
         if check_package_installed(package):
             print(f"{package} is already installed")
             continue
-            
+
         # Try apt first, then pip
-        if not install_via_apt(package):
+        ok, apt_output = install_via_apt(package)
-            if not install_via_pip(package):
+        if not ok:
+            ok, pip_output = install_via_pip(package)
+            if not ok:
                 failed_packages.append(package)
-    
+                failure_details[package] = pip_output or apt_output
+
     # Install packages that don't have apt equivalents
     special_packages = [
         'timezonefinder>=6.5.0,<7.0.0',
@@ -122,47 +187,49 @@ def main():
         'python-socketio>=5.11.0,<6.0.0',
         'python-engineio>=4.9.0,<5.0.0'
     ]
-    
+
     for package in special_packages:
-        if not install_via_pip(package):
+        ok, pip_output = install_via_pip(package)
+        if not ok:
             failed_packages.append(package)
-    
+            failure_details[package] = pip_output
+
     # Install rgbmatrix module from local source (optional - may already be installed in Step 6)
     # Check if already installed first
     if check_package_installed('rgbmatrix'):
         print("rgbmatrix module already installed, skipping...")
     else:
         print("Installing rgbmatrix module from local source...")
-        try:
+        # Get project root (parent of scripts directory)
-            # Get project root (parent of scripts directory)
+        PROJECT_ROOT = Path(__file__).parent.parent
-            PROJECT_ROOT = Path(__file__).parent.parent
+        rgbmatrix_path = PROJECT_ROOT / 'rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master' / 'bindings' / 'python'
-            rgbmatrix_path = PROJECT_ROOT / 'rpi-rgb-led-matrix-master' / 'bindings' / 'python'
+        if rgbmatrix_path.exists():
-            if rgbmatrix_path.exists():
+            # Check if the module has been built (look for setup.py)
-                # Check if the module has been built (look for setup.py)
+            setup_py = rgbmatrix_path / 'setup.py'
-                setup_py = rgbmatrix_path / 'setup.py'
+            if setup_py.exists():
-                if setup_py.exists():
+                # Try installing - use regular install, not editable mode
-                    # Try installing - use regular install, not editable mode
+                # This is optional for web interface and should already be installed in Step 6
-                    # This is optional for web interface and should already be installed in Step 6
+                ok, output = _run([sys.executable, '-m', 'pip', 'install', '--break-system-packages', str(rgbmatrix_path)])
-                    subprocess.check_call([
+                if ok:
-                        sys.executable, '-m', 'pip', 'install', '--break-system-packages', str(rgbmatrix_path)
-                    ], stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL, stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL)
                     print("rgbmatrix module installed successfully")
                 else:
-                    print("Warning: rgbmatrix setup.py not found, module may need to be built first")
+                    # Don't fail the whole installation - rgbmatrix is optional for web interface
-                    print("  This is normal if Step 6 hasn't completed yet.")
+                    # and should be installed in Step 6 of first_time_install.sh
+                    print("Warning: Failed to install rgbmatrix module:")
+                    for line in output.strip().splitlines()[-ERROR_TAIL_LINES:]:
+                        print(f"  {line}")
+                    print("  This is normal if rgbmatrix hasn't been built yet (Step 6).")
+                    print("  The web interface will work without it.")
             else:
-                print("Warning: rgbmatrix source not found (this is normal if Step 6 hasn't run yet)")
+                print("Warning: rgbmatrix setup.py not found, module may need to be built first")
-        except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
+                print("  This is normal if Step 6 hasn't completed yet.")
-            # Don't fail the whole installation - rgbmatrix is optional for web interface
+        else:
-            # and should be installed in Step 6 of first_time_install.sh
+            print("Warning: rgbmatrix source not found (this is normal if Step 6 hasn't run yet)")
-            print(f"Warning: Failed to install rgbmatrix module: {e}")
+
-            print("  This is normal if rgbmatrix hasn't been built yet (Step 6).")
-            print("  The web interface will work without it.")
-            # Don't add to failed_packages since it's optional
-    
     if failed_packages:
         print(f"\nFailed to install the following packages: {failed_packages}")
         print("You may need to install them manually or check your system configuration.")
+        print_failure_summary(failed_packages, failure_details)
         return False
     else:
         print("\nAll dependencies installed successfully!")

scripts/render_plugin.py

@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ import os
 import json
 import argparse
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Any, Dict, Optional, Sequence, Union
 
 # Add project root to path
 PROJECT_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
@@ -28,49 +27,15 @@ os.environ['EMULATOR'] = 'true'
 
 # Import logger after path setup so src.logging_config is importable
 from src.logging_config import get_logger  # noqa: E402
+from src.plugin_system.testing.loading import (  # noqa: E402
+    find_plugin_dir, load_manifest, load_config_defaults,
+)
 logger = get_logger("[Render Plugin]")
 
 MIN_DIMENSION = 1
 MAX_DIMENSION = 512
 
 
-def find_plugin_dir(plugin_id: str, search_dirs: Sequence[Union[str, Path]]) -> Optional[Path]:
-    """Find a plugin directory by searching multiple paths."""
-    from src.plugin_system.plugin_loader import PluginLoader
-    loader = PluginLoader()
-    for search_dir in search_dirs:
-        search_path = Path(search_dir)
-        if not search_path.exists():
-            continue
-        result = loader.find_plugin_directory(plugin_id, search_path)
-        if result:
-            return Path(result)
-    return None
-
-
-def load_manifest(plugin_dir: Path) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-    """Load and return manifest.json from plugin directory."""
-    manifest_path = plugin_dir / 'manifest.json'
-    if not manifest_path.exists():
-        raise FileNotFoundError(f"No manifest.json in {plugin_dir}")
-    with open(manifest_path, 'r') as f:
-        return json.load(f)
-
-
-def load_config_defaults(plugin_dir: Path) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-    """Extract default values from config_schema.json."""
-    schema_path = plugin_dir / 'config_schema.json'
-    if not schema_path.exists():
-        return {}
-    with open(schema_path, 'r') as f:
-        schema = json.load(f)
-    defaults: Dict[str, Any] = {}
-    for key, prop in schema.get('properties', {}).items():
-        if 'default' in prop:
-            defaults[key] = prop['default']
-    return defaults
-
-
 def main() -> int:
     """Load a plugin, call update() + display(), and save the result as a PNG image."""
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Render a plugin display to a PNG image')

src/cache/disk_cache.py

@@ -68,14 +68,15 @@ class DiskCache:
             return None
         return os.path.join(self.cache_dir, f"{key}.json")
     
-    def get(self, key: str, max_age: int = 300) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
+    def get(self, key: str, max_age: Optional[int] = 300) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
         """
         Get data from disk cache.
-        
+
         Args:
             key: Cache key
-            max_age: Maximum age in seconds
+            max_age: Maximum age in seconds; None disables age-based expiry
-            
+                (the record never counts as stale). Mirrors MemoryCache.get.
+
         Returns:
             Cached data or None if not found or expired
         """
@@ -105,7 +106,13 @@ class DiskCache:
                     record_ts = None
             
             now = time.time()
-            if record_ts is None or (now - record_ts) <= max_age:
+            # max_age=None means "never expires" (mirrors MemoryCache and the
+            # cache_manager docstring). Guard it explicitly — otherwise the
+            # comparison below raises TypeError and the record is treated as a
+            # miss, which silently breaks callers that persist long-lived state
+            # via get(key, max_age=None) (e.g. plugin health/metrics that must
+            # survive restarts and be read cross-process).
+            if record_ts is None or max_age is None or (now - record_ts) <= max_age:
                 return record
             else:
                 # Stale on disk; keep file for potential diagnostics but treat as miss

src/cache_manager.py

@@ -1,3 +1,28 @@
+"""
+Cache Manager — multi-tier response cache for the LEDMatrix application.
+
+:class:`CacheManager` provides a unified caching layer used by all plugins
+to reduce external API calls and survive network outages gracefully.
+
+Two storage tiers
+-----------------
+* **Memory tier** (:class:`~src.cache.memory_cache.MemoryCache`): fast LRU
+  cache (up to 1 000 entries by default).  Hit on this tier before touching
+  disk.
+* **Disk tier** (:class:`~src.cache.disk_cache.DiskCache`): filesystem-backed
+  persistent store that survives process restarts.
+
+Data written to cache is serialised as JSON.  :class:`DateTimeEncoder` handles
+``datetime`` objects transparently so callers don't have to pre-serialise them.
+
+Typical plugin usage::
+
+    data = self.cache_manager.get_cached_data('my_key', max_age=300)
+    if data is None:
+        data = fetch_from_api()
+        self.cache_manager.save_cache('my_key', data)
+"""
+
 import json
 import os
 import time
@@ -15,7 +40,10 @@ from src.cache.cache_metrics import CacheMetrics
 from src.logging_config import get_logger
 
 class DateTimeEncoder(json.JSONEncoder):
+    """JSON encoder that serialises ``datetime`` objects as ISO-8601 strings."""
+
     def default(self, obj):
+        """Return ISO-8601 string for datetime; delegate all other types to the base encoder."""
         if isinstance(obj, datetime):
             return obj.isoformat()
         return super().default(obj)
@@ -546,9 +574,19 @@ class CacheManager:
         }
         return self.save_cache(data_type, cache_data)
 
-    def get(self, key: str, max_age: int = 300) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
+    def get(self, key: str, max_age: Optional[int] = 300,
-        """Get data from cache if it exists and is not stale."""
+            memory_ttl: Optional[int] = None) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
-        cached_data = self.get_cached_data(key, max_age)
+        """Get data from cache if it exists and is not stale.
+
+        Args:
+            key: Cache key
+            max_age: Max age (seconds) for the on-disk entry; None never expires.
+            memory_ttl: Max age (seconds) for the in-memory entry. Pass 0 to
+                bypass the memory tier and force a fresh read from disk — used by
+                cross-process readers that must observe another process's latest
+                write rather than a stale first snapshot. Defaults to max_age.
+        """
+        cached_data = self.get_cached_data(key, max_age, memory_ttl=memory_ttl)
         if cached_data and 'data' in cached_data:
             return cached_data['data']
         return cached_data

src/common/permission_utils.py

@@ -8,13 +8,34 @@ files that need to be accessible by both root service and web user.
 
 import os
 import logging
+import re
 import shutil as _shutil
 import subprocess
+import sys
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Optional
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+# Matches the credentials portion of a "scheme://user:pass@host" URL, so pip's
+# own error output can be logged/displayed without echoing back a private
+# index URL's embedded basic-auth secret verbatim (e.g. from a
+# requirements.txt --index-url line or the PIP_INDEX_URL env var).
+_URL_CREDENTIALS_RE = re.compile(r'://[^/\s@:]+:[^/\s@]+@')
+
+
+def _redact_url_credentials(text: Optional[str]) -> str:
+    """Replace embedded user:pass@ URL credentials in text with a placeholder.
+
+    Safe to call on any subprocess output destined for logs: it only ever
+    shortens/replaces the credential substring, never changes the presence
+    or absence of the specific fixed phrases callers check for
+    (e.g. "a password is required"), so it can't affect control flow.
+    """
+    if not text:
+        return text or ""
+    return _URL_CREDENTIALS_RE.sub('://***:***@', text)
+
 # System directories that should never have their permissions modified
 # These directories have special system-level permissions that must be preserved
 PROTECTED_SYSTEM_DIRECTORIES = {  # nosec B108 - these are checked to PREVENT permission changes, not to use as temp paths
@@ -287,3 +308,119 @@ def sudo_remove_directory(path: Path, allowed_bases: Optional[list] = None) -> b
         logger.error(f"Unexpected error during sudo helper for {path}: {e}")
         return False
 
+
+def install_requirements_file(req_file: Path, timeout: int = 300) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
+    """
+    Install a requirements.txt file for a plugin (or the project itself).
+
+    Prefers the vetted sudo wrapper (scripts/fix_perms/safe_pip_install.sh) so
+    packages end up visible to root-run ledmatrix.service, not just to
+    whichever non-root user happens to run the calling process (e.g. the web
+    interface). Falls back to installing with the calling process's own
+    interpreter if the wrapper isn't set up yet (the admin hasn't run
+    scripts/install/configure_web_sudo.sh), so dependency installation still
+    does *something* useful rather than hard-failing.
+
+    Always installs with the interpreter that will actually run the code
+    (``sys.executable`` in the fallback path, the wrapper's ``python3`` in the
+    sudo path) rather than a bare ``pip``/``pip3`` off PATH, which can
+    silently resolve to a different Python installation (e.g. system Python
+    vs. a virtualenv) than the one importing the package at runtime.
+
+    Args:
+        req_file: Path to a requirements.txt file
+        timeout: Subprocess timeout in seconds
+
+    Returns:
+        subprocess.CompletedProcess from the pip (or wrapper) invocation.
+        Never raises on a non-zero exit; callers should check ``returncode``.
+        ``stdout`` is prefixed with an explanatory note when the root wrapper
+        was unavailable and the fallback path was used.
+    """
+    project_root = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent.parent
+    wrapper = project_root / "scripts" / "fix_perms" / "safe_pip_install.sh"
+
+    if wrapper.exists():
+        # See sudo_remove_directory / configure_web_sudo.sh for why bash must
+        # be invoked with an explicit, known path rather than relying on the
+        # wrapper's shebang: sudoers matches the exact command line.
+        bash_candidates = []
+        for candidate in ("/usr/bin/bash", "/bin/bash", _shutil.which("bash")):
+            if candidate and candidate not in bash_candidates:
+                bash_candidates.append(candidate)
+
+        result = None
+        for bash_path in bash_candidates:
+            # bash_path and wrapper are fixed, known-good paths, and
+            # safe_pip_install.sh independently re-validates req_file is an
+            # allowed requirements.txt before installing anything as root.
+            result = subprocess.run(  # nosec B603 - no shell invoked (list-form argv)  # nosemgrep
+                ["sudo", "-n", bash_path, str(wrapper), str(req_file)],
+                capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=timeout, cwd=str(project_root)
+            )
+            # Redact immediately: pip can echo a private index URL's embedded
+            # basic-auth credentials back in its own error/progress output
+            # (e.g. from a requirements.txt --index-url line). Doesn't affect
+            # the fixed-phrase "denied" check below -- those phrases never
+            # overlap with URL syntax.
+            result.stderr = _redact_url_credentials(result.stderr)
+            result.stdout = _redact_url_credentials(result.stdout)
+            if result.returncode == 0:
+                return result
+            # Distinguish "sudo rejected this exact command line" (worth
+            # trying the next bash candidate) from "sudo ran it but pip
+            # itself failed" (a real error — stop and surface it).
+            denied = any(
+                phrase in result.stderr
+                for phrase in ("a password is required", "is not allowed to run", "no tty present")
+            )
+            if not denied:
+                # Deliberately don't interpolate req_file or the pip output here:
+                # this log line is scanner-visible, and a static analyzer can't
+                # tell "already redacted above" from "still raw" just by looking
+                # at this call in isolation. The full (redacted) text is still
+                # available to callers via the returned CompletedProcess.
+                logger.warning(
+                    "Root pip install failed (rc=%s); see the returned "
+                    "CompletedProcess.stderr for details.",
+                    result.returncode,
+                )
+                return result
+
+        # Same reasoning as above: no req_file / pip-output interpolation in
+        # this log line, only in the returned note/CompletedProcess.
+        logger.warning(
+            "Root pip install wrapper denied via sudo for all candidates; "
+            "falling back to user-level install. See the returned "
+            "CompletedProcess.stderr for details."
+        )
+        note = (
+            f"[Root install unavailable ({(result.stderr.strip() if result else 'sudo denied') or 'sudo denied'}); "
+            "installed for the current process's user only. Packages may not be "
+            "visible to ledmatrix.service if it runs as a different user — "
+            "run scripts/install/configure_web_sudo.sh to fix this.]\n"
+        )
+    else:
+        logger.warning(
+            "safe_pip_install.sh not found; falling back to user-level install."
+        )
+        note = (
+            "[safe_pip_install.sh not found; installed for the current process's "
+            "user only. Run scripts/install/configure_web_sudo.sh to enable "
+            "root installs visible to ledmatrix.service.]\n"
+        )
+
+    # sys.executable is this process's own interpreter (not
+    # attacker-influenced), and req_file is a Path built internally by callers
+    # (store_manager.py plugin paths, PROJECT_ROOT/requirements.txt), never
+    # raw external/user input. --ignore-installed matches safe_pip_install.sh:
+    # apt-managed packages (e.g. python3-requests) ship no pip RECORD file, so
+    # upgrading them would otherwise abort with "uninstall-no-record-file".
+    result = subprocess.run(  # nosec B603 - no shell invoked (list-form argv)  # nosemgrep
+        [sys.executable, "-m", "pip", "install", "--break-system-packages", "--ignore-installed", "-r", str(req_file)],
+        capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=timeout, cwd=str(project_root)
+    )
+    result.stderr = _redact_url_credentials(result.stderr)
+    result.stdout = note + _redact_url_credentials(result.stdout)
+    return result
+

src/common/scroll_helper.py

@@ -347,34 +347,40 @@ class ScrollHelper:
         return self._get_visible_portion_integer(start_x_int, end_x_int)
     
     def _get_visible_portion_integer(self, start_x: int, end_x: int) -> Image.Image:
-        """Fast integer pixel extraction (no interpolation)."""
+        """Fast integer pixel extraction (no interpolation).
-        # Fast numpy array slicing for normal case (no wrap-around)
+
-        if end_x <= self.cached_image.width:
+        Uses Image.frombytes instead of Image.fromarray: frombytes skips
-            # Normal case: single slice - fastest path
+        numpy's array-protocol overhead and is ~50% faster for the display-sized
-            frame_array = self.cached_array[:, start_x:end_x]
+        slices (128×32 = 12 KB) used here.
-            # Convert to PIL Image (minimal overhead)
+        """
-            return Image.fromarray(frame_array)
+        _size = (self.display_width, self.display_height)
+        img_w = self.cached_image.width
+
+        if end_x <= img_w:
+            # Normal case: single contiguous slice (fastest path)
+            frame_array = np.ascontiguousarray(self.cached_array[:, start_x:end_x])
+            return Image.frombytes('RGB', _size, frame_array.tobytes())
         else:
-            # Wrap-around case: combine two slices using numpy
+            # Ensure frame buffer is allocated for all non-simple paths
-            width1 = self.cached_image.width - start_x
+            if self._frame_buffer is None or self._frame_buffer.shape != (self.display_height, self.display_width, 3):
+                self._frame_buffer = np.zeros((self.display_height, self.display_width, 3), dtype=np.uint8)
+
+            width1 = img_w - start_x
             if width1 > 0:
-                # Use pre-allocated buffer for output
+                # Wrap-around: tail of image + head of image
-                if self._frame_buffer is None or self._frame_buffer.shape != (self.display_height, self.display_width, 3):
-                    self._frame_buffer = np.zeros((self.display_height, self.display_width, 3), dtype=np.uint8)
-                
-                # First part from end of image (fast numpy slice)
                 self._frame_buffer[:, :width1] = self.cached_array[:, start_x:]
-                
-                # Second part from beginning of image
                 remaining_width = self.display_width - width1
                 self._frame_buffer[:, width1:] = self.cached_array[:, :remaining_width]
-                
-                # Convert combined buffer to PIL Image
-                return Image.fromarray(self._frame_buffer)
             else:
-                # Edge case: start_x >= image width, wrap to beginning
+                # Edge case: start_x at or past image end — show from beginning,
-                frame_array = self.cached_array[:, :self.display_width]
+                # clamped to available width (scroll_position should wrap before
-                return Image.fromarray(frame_array)
+                # reaching this state in normal operation).
+                available = min(self.display_width, img_w)
+                self._frame_buffer[:, :available] = self.cached_array[:, :available]
+                if available < self.display_width:
+                    self._frame_buffer[:, available:] = 0
+
+            return Image.frombytes('RGB', _size, self._frame_buffer.tobytes())
     
     def _get_visible_portion_subpixel(self, start_x_int: int, fractional: float) -> Image.Image:
         """

src/config_manager.py

@@ -1,3 +1,29 @@
+"""
+Config Manager — reads, writes, and validates ``config/config.json``.
+
+:class:`ConfigManager` is the single owner of the on-disk configuration
+files:
+
+* ``config/config.json``         — main user-editable configuration.
+* ``config/config_secrets.json`` — sensitive values (API keys, tokens).
+
+All writes go through :class:`~src.config_manager_atomic.AtomicConfigManager`
+which performs a backup before overwriting, validates the result, and rolls
+back on error.  This makes config corruption essentially impossible.
+
+Plugin configuration
+--------------------
+Plugin configs are stored inside ``config.json`` under the plugin's ID key
+and survive plugin reinstalls.  Use :meth:`ConfigManager.update_plugin_config`
+to write plugin settings; never write directly to the plugin directory.
+
+Hot-reload
+----------
+:class:`~src.config_service.ConfigService` wraps ``ConfigManager`` and
+detects file changes, broadcasting the new config to registered listeners
+without requiring a restart.
+"""
+
 import json
 import os
 import logging
@@ -17,6 +43,13 @@ from src.common.permission_utils import (
 )
 
 class ConfigManager:
+    """
+    Reads and writes the main application configuration files.
+
+    Wraps :class:`~src.config_manager_atomic.AtomicConfigManager` for safe
+    atomic writes with automatic backup and rollback.  Also exposes helpers
+    for plugin configuration persistence and secret-field masking.
+    """
     def __init__(self, config_path: Optional[str] = None, secrets_path: Optional[str] = None) -> None:
         # Use current working directory as base
         self.config_path: str = config_path or "config/config.json"
@@ -29,9 +62,11 @@ class ConfigManager:
         self._atomic_manager: Optional[AtomicConfigManager] = None
 
     def get_config_path(self) -> str:
+        """Return the path to the main config file (``config/config.json``)."""
         return self.config_path
 
     def get_secrets_path(self) -> str:
+        """Return the path to the secrets file (``config/config_secrets.json``)."""
         return self.secrets_path
     
     def _get_atomic_manager(self) -> AtomicConfigManager:

src/display_controller.py

@@ -1,8 +1,30 @@
+"""
+Display Controller — top-level orchestration for the LEDMatrix application.
+
+This module owns the main run loop that drives the LED display.  It ties
+together every major subsystem:
+
+  - ConfigManager / ConfigService  — loads config.json, hot-reloads on change
+  - DisplayManager                 — hardware (or emulator) output interface
+  - FontManager                    — TTF/BDF font loading and caching
+  - CacheManager                   — multi-tier API response cache
+  - PluginManager                  — plugin lifecycle (load, update, display)
+  - DisplaySyncManager             — optional leader/follower multi-Pi sync
+  - VegasModeCoordinator           — optional continuous Vegas scroll mode
+
+The main loop inside :meth:`DisplayController.run` rotates through enabled
+plugin display modes, respecting schedule windows, brightness dim schedules,
+on-demand overrides, and live-priority interrupts.
+
+Entry point: :func:`main` — instantiates :class:`DisplayController` and calls
+:meth:`~DisplayController.run`.
+"""
+
 import time
 import os
 import json
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Dict, Any, List, Optional
+from typing import Dict, Any, List, Optional, Callable
 from datetime import datetime
 from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor, as_completed  # pylint: disable=no-name-in-module
 import pytz
@@ -28,6 +50,24 @@ DEFAULT_DYNAMIC_DURATION_CAP = 180.0
 WIFI_STATUS_FILE = None  # Will be initialized in __init__
 
 class DisplayController:
+    """
+    Top-level controller that owns the LED display run loop.
+
+    Responsibilities
+    ----------------
+    * Initialise and wire together all subsystems at startup.
+    * Rotate through plugin display modes in :meth:`run`.
+    * Honour schedule windows (active/inactive hours) and dim schedules.
+    * Handle on-demand override requests (external callers can pin a
+      specific plugin/mode for a fixed duration via the cache bus).
+    * Coordinate with a follower Pi when multi-display sync is configured.
+    * Delegate all actual content to the plugin system — this class contains
+      no display logic of its own.
+
+    There is exactly one instance per process; call :func:`main` to create
+    it and start the run loop.
+    """
+
     def __init__(self):
         start_time = time.time()
         logger.info("Starting DisplayController initialization")
@@ -123,6 +163,13 @@ class DisplayController:
         self.plugin_modes = {}  # mode -> plugin_instance mapping for plugin-first dispatch
         self.mode_to_plugin_id: Dict[str, str] = {}
         self.plugin_display_modes: Dict[str, List[str]] = {}
+        # Per-plugin config-change callbacks, kept so we can unsubscribe a
+        # plugin when it is disabled live.
+        self._plugin_config_callbacks: Dict[str, Callable] = {}
+        # Set by the config-watcher thread when the enabled-plugin set changes;
+        # the main run loop reconciles (loads/unloads) on its own thread so
+        # mutating available_modes never races with rendering.
+        self._pending_plugin_reconcile = False
         self.on_demand_active = False
         self.on_demand_mode: Optional[str] = None
         self.on_demand_modes: List[str] = []  # All modes for the on-demand plugin
@@ -138,7 +185,11 @@ class DisplayController:
         self.on_demand_last_event: Optional[str] = None
         self.on_demand_schedule_override = False
         self.rotation_resume_index: Optional[int] = None
-        
+        # Saved rotation position when a live-priority plugin preempts the
+        # rotation, so it resumes where it left off (not after the live plugin)
+        # once live priority ends.
+        self._live_resume_index: Optional[int] = None
+
         # WiFi status message tracking
         global WIFI_STATUS_FILE
         if WIFI_STATUS_FILE is None:
@@ -148,7 +199,11 @@ class DisplayController:
         self.wifi_status_file = WIFI_STATUS_FILE
         self.wifi_status_active = False
         self.wifi_status_expires_at: Optional[float] = None
-        
+
+        # Plugin display() signature cache — must be initialised before the plugin
+        # loading loop below so the .pop() invalidation at load time is always safe.
+        self._plugin_accepts_display_mode: Dict[str, bool] = {}
+
         try:
             logger.info("Attempting to import plugin system...")
             from src.plugin_system import PluginManager
@@ -175,7 +230,24 @@ class DisplayController:
                 cache_manager=self.cache_manager,
                 font_manager=self.font_manager
             )
-            
+
+            # Activate the plugin health/metrics subsystem. PluginManager leaves
+            # health_tracker/resource_monitor as None by default; wiring real
+            # instances here turns on the circuit breaker (a repeatedly-failing
+            # plugin's update() is skipped after consecutive failures, then
+            # retried after a cooldown) and per-plugin execution-time metrics.
+            # Both persist to the shared cache so the web UI can surface them.
+            # Done before discovery/loading so load-time schema warnings have a
+            # tracker to record against.
+            try:
+                from src.plugin_system.plugin_health import PluginHealthTracker
+                from src.plugin_system.resource_monitor import PluginResourceMonitor
+                self.plugin_manager.health_tracker = PluginHealthTracker(self.cache_manager)
+                self.plugin_manager.resource_monitor = PluginResourceMonitor(self.cache_manager)
+                logger.info("Plugin health tracking and resource monitoring enabled")
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.warning("Could not enable plugin health/resource monitoring: %s", e)
+
             # Validate plugins after plugin manager is created
             try:
                 from src.startup_validator import StartupValidator
@@ -283,45 +355,10 @@ class DisplayController:
                         logger.info("✓ Loaded plugin %s in %.3f seconds (%d/%d)", 
                                   plugin_id, result['load_time'], loaded_count, enabled_count)
                         
-                        # Get plugin instance and manifest
+                        # Register the loaded plugin's modes, config subscription
-                        plugin_instance = self.plugin_manager.get_plugin(plugin_id)
+                        # and dispatch maps (shared with live enable hot-reload).
-                        manifest = self.plugin_manager.plugin_manifests.get(plugin_id, {})
+                        self._register_loaded_plugin(plugin_id)
-                        
+
-                        # Prefer plugin's modes attribute if available (dynamic based on enabled leagues)
-                        # Fall back to manifest display_modes if plugin doesn't provide modes
-                        if plugin_instance and hasattr(plugin_instance, 'modes') and plugin_instance.modes:
-                            display_modes = list(plugin_instance.modes)
-                            logger.debug("Using plugin.modes for %s: %s", plugin_id, display_modes)
-                        else:
-                            display_modes = manifest.get('display_modes', [plugin_id])
-                            logger.debug("Using manifest display_modes for %s: %s", plugin_id, display_modes)
-                        
-                        if isinstance(display_modes, list) and display_modes:
-                            self.plugin_display_modes[plugin_id] = list(display_modes)
-                        else:
-                            display_modes = [plugin_id]
-                            self.plugin_display_modes[plugin_id] = list(display_modes)
-                        
-                        # Subscribe plugin to config changes for hot-reload
-                        if hasattr(self, 'config_service') and hasattr(plugin_instance, 'on_config_change'):
-                            def config_change_callback(old_config: Dict[str, Any], new_config: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
-                                """Callback for plugin config changes."""
-                                try:
-                                    plugin_instance.on_config_change(new_config)
-                                    logger.debug("Plugin %s notified of config change", plugin_id)
-                                except Exception as e:
-                                    logger.error("Error in plugin %s config change handler: %s", plugin_id, e, exc_info=True)
-                            
-                            self.config_service.subscribe(config_change_callback, plugin_id=plugin_id)
-                            logger.debug("Subscribed plugin %s to config changes", plugin_id)
-                        
-                        # Add plugin modes to available modes
-                        for mode in display_modes:
-                            self.available_modes.append(mode)
-                            self.plugin_modes[mode] = plugin_instance
-                            self.mode_to_plugin_id[mode] = plugin_id
-                            logger.debug("  Added mode: %s", mode)
-                        
                         # Show progress
                         progress_pct = int((loaded_count / enabled_count) * 100)
                         elapsed = time.time() - plugin_time
@@ -367,11 +404,43 @@ class DisplayController:
         self.is_display_active = True
         self._was_display_active = True  # Track previous state for schedule change detection
 
+        # --- Opt #2: cached config values ---
+        # Avoids chained dict.get() with temporary {} defaults on every hot path call.
+        # Refreshed via _refresh_config_cache() on every hot-reload.
+        self._normal_brightness: int = (
+            self.config.get('display', {}).get('hardware', {}).get('brightness', 90)
+        )
+        self._scroll_speed: float = (
+            self.config.get('display', {}).get('vegas_scroll', {}).get('scroll_speed', 75)
+        )
+
         # Brightness state tracking for dim schedule
-        self.current_brightness = self.config.get('display', {}).get('hardware', {}).get('brightness', 90)
+        self.current_brightness = self._normal_brightness
         self.is_dimmed = False
         self._was_dimmed = False
 
+        # --- Opt #3: schedule minute-gate ---
+        # Both _check_schedule and _check_dim_schedule re-evaluated at most once per
+        # clock minute.  Storing the (hour, minute) tuple that was last evaluated lets
+        # the methods skip all timezone / strptime work within the same minute.
+        # Reset to None on config change so the next call re-evaluates immediately.
+        self._tz = None                              # pytz timezone, lazily built from config
+        self._schedule_checked_minute: Optional[tuple] = None
+        self._dim_checked_minute: Optional[tuple] = None
+        self._cached_target_brightness: int = self._normal_brightness
+
+        # Register controller-level hot-reload callback so cached config values
+        # (_normal_brightness, _scroll_speed, _tz, minute-gates) stay in sync
+        # when the user saves settings via the web UI.
+        def _controller_config_change(old_config: Dict[str, Any], new_config: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+            self._refresh_config_cache(new_config)
+            # If a plugin was enabled/disabled, flag a reconcile for the main
+            # loop to apply (loading/unloading off the watcher thread is unsafe).
+            if self._enabled_set_changed(old_config, new_config):
+                self._pending_plugin_reconcile = True
+
+        self.config_service.subscribe(_controller_config_change)
+
         # Publish initial on-demand state
         try:
             self._publish_on_demand_state()
@@ -533,17 +602,24 @@ class DisplayController:
             logger.debug("Schedule is disabled - display always active")
             return
 
-        # Get configured timezone, default to UTC
+        # Lazily build the timezone object once; reuse on every subsequent call.
-        timezone_str = self.config.get('timezone', 'UTC')
+        if self._tz is None:
-        try:
+            timezone_str = self.config.get('timezone', 'UTC')
-            tz = pytz.timezone(timezone_str)
+            try:
-        except pytz.UnknownTimeZoneError:
+                self._tz = pytz.timezone(timezone_str)
-            logger.warning(f"Unknown timezone '{timezone_str}', using UTC")
+            except pytz.UnknownTimeZoneError:
-            tz = pytz.UTC
+                logger.warning("Unknown timezone '%s', using UTC", timezone_str)
+                self._tz = pytz.UTC
 
-        # Use timezone-aware current time
+        current_time = datetime.now(self._tz)
-        current_time = datetime.now(tz)
+        # Gate: schedule state can only change on a minute boundary, so skip
-        current_day = current_time.strftime('%A').lower()  # Get day name (monday, tuesday, etc.)
+        # all the strptime / comparison work if we already evaluated this minute.
+        current_minute_key = (current_time.hour, current_time.minute)
+        if current_minute_key == self._schedule_checked_minute:
+            return
+        self._schedule_checked_minute = current_minute_key
+
+        current_day = current_time.strftime('%A').lower()  # e.g. 'monday'
         current_time_only = current_time.time()
         
         # Check if per-day schedule is configured
@@ -632,8 +708,8 @@ class DisplayController:
             Target brightness level (dim_brightness if in dim period,
             normal brightness otherwise)
         """
-        # Get normal brightness from config
+        # Opt #2: use cached brightness rather than re-traversing config dict
-        normal_brightness = self.config.get('display', {}).get('hardware', {}).get('brightness', 90)
+        normal_brightness = self._normal_brightness
 
         # If display is OFF via schedule, don't process dim schedule
         if not self.is_display_active:
@@ -647,15 +723,21 @@ class DisplayController:
             self.is_dimmed = False
             return normal_brightness
 
-        # Get configured timezone
+        # Opt #3: lazily build timezone; gate full re-parse to once per clock minute
-        timezone_str = self.config.get('timezone', 'UTC')
+        if self._tz is None:
-        try:
+            timezone_str = self.config.get('timezone', 'UTC')
-            tz = pytz.timezone(timezone_str)
+            try:
-        except pytz.UnknownTimeZoneError:
+                self._tz = pytz.timezone(timezone_str)
-            logger.warning(f"Unknown timezone '{timezone_str}' in dim schedule, using UTC")
+            except pytz.UnknownTimeZoneError:
-            tz = pytz.UTC
+                logger.warning("Unknown timezone '%s' in dim schedule, using UTC", timezone_str)
+                self._tz = pytz.UTC
+
+        current_time = datetime.now(self._tz)
+        current_minute_key = (current_time.hour, current_time.minute)
+        if current_minute_key == self._dim_checked_minute:
+            return self._cached_target_brightness
+        self._dim_checked_minute = current_minute_key
 
-        current_time = datetime.now(tz)
         current_day = current_time.strftime('%A').lower()
         current_time_only = current_time.time()
 
@@ -703,10 +785,12 @@ class DisplayController:
                 logger.info(f"Dim schedule deactivated: brightness restored to {target_brightness}%")
 
             self._was_dimmed = self.is_dimmed
+            self._cached_target_brightness = target_brightness  # persist for minute-gate
             return target_brightness
 
         except ValueError as e:
-            logger.warning(f"Invalid dim schedule time format: {e}")
+            logger.warning("Invalid dim schedule time format: %s", e)
+            self._cached_target_brightness = normal_brightness  # persist for minute-gate
             return normal_brightness
 
     def _update_modules(self):
@@ -1382,38 +1466,107 @@ class DisplayController:
         except Exception as e:
             logger.debug(f"Error logging memory stats: {e}")
 
-    def _check_live_priority(self):
+    def _apply_live_priority(self, live_priority_mode):
+        """Switch to a live-priority mode, or resume rotation when it ends.
+
+        When a live-priority plugin preempts the rotation, the position the
+        rotation had reached is saved so that, once live priority ends, the
+        rotation resumes from there instead of continuing after the live
+        plugin's mode (which would skip every mode between the two). The save
+        happens only on the initial switch, not on each re-check while the
+        live hold continues.
         """
-        Check all plugins for live priority content.
+        if live_priority_mode:
-        Returns the mode that should be displayed if live content is found, None otherwise.
+            if self.current_display_mode != live_priority_mode:
-        """
+                logger.info("Live content detected - switching immediately to %s", live_priority_mode)
-        for mode_name, plugin_instance in self.plugin_modes.items():
+                if self._live_resume_index is None:
-            if hasattr(plugin_instance, 'has_live_priority') and hasattr(plugin_instance, 'has_live_content'):
+                    self._live_resume_index = self.current_mode_index
+                self.current_display_mode = live_priority_mode
+                self.force_change = True
+                # Update mode index to match the new mode
                 try:
-                    if plugin_instance.has_live_priority() and plugin_instance.has_live_content():
+                    self.current_mode_index = self.available_modes.index(live_priority_mode)
-                        # Get the specific live mode from the plugin if available
+                except ValueError:
-                        if hasattr(plugin_instance, 'get_live_modes'):
+                    pass
-                            live_modes = plugin_instance.get_live_modes()
+        elif self._live_resume_index is not None and self.available_modes:
-                            if live_modes and len(live_modes) > 0:
+            # Live priority ended — resume rotation where it was interrupted.
-                                # Verify the mode actually exists before returning it
+            self.current_mode_index = self._live_resume_index % len(self.available_modes)
-                                for suggested_mode in live_modes:
+            self.current_display_mode = self.available_modes[self.current_mode_index]
-                                    if suggested_mode in self.plugin_modes:
+            self.force_change = True
-                                        return suggested_mode
+            logger.info("Live priority ended - resuming rotation at %s", self.current_display_mode)
-                                # If suggested modes don't exist, fall through to check current mode
+            self._live_resume_index = None
-                        # Fallback: if this mode ends with _live, return it
+
-                        if mode_name.endswith('_live'):
+    def _collect_live_modes(self):
-                            return mode_name
+        """Return every currently live-priority mode, in registration order.
-                except Exception as e:
+
-                    logger.warning("Error checking live priority for %s: %s", mode_name, e)
+        Scans all registered plugin modes; for each plugin that has live
-        return None
+        priority *and* live content, collects the specific live mode(s) it
+        reports via get_live_modes() (only those actually registered), falling
+        back to the scanned mode name when it ends in '_live'. Deduplicated,
+        preserving order. A plugin registered under several mode keys (the
+        sports plugins register one per league) contributes each live mode once.
+        """
+        live = []
+        seen = set()
+        for mode_name, plugin_instance in self.plugin_modes.items():
+            if not (hasattr(plugin_instance, 'has_live_priority')
+                    and hasattr(plugin_instance, 'has_live_content')):
+                continue
+            try:
+                if not (plugin_instance.has_live_priority()
+                        and plugin_instance.has_live_content()):
+                    continue
+                resolved = []
+                if hasattr(plugin_instance, 'get_live_modes'):
+                    for suggested_mode in (plugin_instance.get_live_modes() or []):
+                        if suggested_mode in self.plugin_modes:
+                            resolved.append(suggested_mode)
+                if not resolved and mode_name.endswith('_live'):
+                    resolved.append(mode_name)
+                for m in resolved:
+                    if m not in seen:
+                        seen.add(m)
+                        live.append(m)
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.warning("Error checking live priority for %s: %s", mode_name, e)
+        return live
+
+    def _check_live_priority(self, advance=False):
+        """Return the live-priority mode to display, or None if nothing is live.
+
+        When several plugins report live content at once (e.g. a baseball game
+        and a soccer match), this round-robins between them so the display
+        alternates each dwell instead of pinning to whichever plugin is first in
+        registration order.
+
+        advance=False (default): a non-advancing peek — returns the live mode
+        already on screen if it is still live, otherwise the first live mode.
+        Used by the Vegas coordinator and the vegas-active check, which only
+        need to know whether *any* game is live (and must not spin the cursor).
+
+        advance=True: the rotation pick — returns the live mode *after* the one
+        currently shown, so each dwell advances to the next live game. The
+        currently-displayed mode is the cursor, so this stays correct as games
+        start and end (no separate index to keep in sync).
+        """
+        live_modes = self._collect_live_modes()
+        if not live_modes:
+            return None
+        if self.current_display_mode in live_modes:
+            if advance:
+                idx = live_modes.index(self.current_display_mode)
+                return live_modes[(idx + 1) % len(live_modes)]
+            return self.current_display_mode
+        return live_modes[0]
 
     def run(self):
         """Run the display controller, switching between displays."""
         if not self.available_modes:
-            logger.warning("No display modes are enabled. Exiting.")
+            logger.warning(
-            self.display_manager.cleanup()
+                "No display modes are enabled at startup; idling until a "
-            return
+                "plugin is enabled via the web UI."
-             
+            )
+
         try:
             # Initialize with cached data for fast startup - let background updates refresh naturally
             logger.info("Starting display with cached data (fast startup mode)")
@@ -1421,6 +1574,25 @@ class DisplayController:
             logger.info(f"Initial mode set to: {self.current_display_mode} (index: {self.current_mode_index}, total modes: {len(self.available_modes)})")
             
             while True:
+                # Apply plugin enable/disable edits saved via the web UI. The
+                # config-watcher thread only sets the flag; loading/unloading and
+                # rebuilding available_modes happens here on the render thread so
+                # it can't race with rendering. Deferred while on-demand is active
+                # (the flag stays set) so we don't fight its temporary-enable.
+                if self._pending_plugin_reconcile and not self.on_demand_active:
+                    # Only clear the flag on success -- a retryable failure
+                    # (e.g. discovery) leaves it set so the request isn't lost.
+                    if self._reconcile_enabled_plugins():
+                        self._pending_plugin_reconcile = False
+
+                if not self.available_modes:
+                    # Nothing to render yet. Re-check _pending_plugin_reconcile
+                    # every ~1s (rather than a long sleep) so enabling a plugin
+                    # via the web UI is picked up about as promptly as it would
+                    # be once modes exist and the loop is iterating per-frame.
+                    self._sleep_with_plugin_updates(1)
+                    continue
+
                 # Handle on-demand commands before rendering
                 self._poll_on_demand_requests()
                 self._check_on_demand_expiration()
@@ -1483,12 +1655,8 @@ class DisplayController:
                     rp = vc.render_pipeline if (vc and vc.render_pipeline) else None
                     width = self.display_manager.width
 
-                    # Advance local position at Vegas scroll speed (px/s → px/tick)
+                    # Opt #2: use pre-cached scroll speed (constant for the run)
-                    vegas_speed = (
+                    vegas_speed = self._scroll_speed
-                        self.config.get('display', {})
-                            .get('vegas_scroll', {})
-                            .get('scroll_speed', 75)
-                    )
                     local_x = getattr(self, '_follower_local_x', None)
                     if local_x is None:
                         local_x = float(width)  # safe start (past pre-roll guard)
@@ -1570,18 +1738,12 @@ class DisplayController:
                             # Display failed, clear the status and continue normally
                             wifi_status_data = None
 
-                # Check for live priority content and switch to it immediately
+                # Check for live priority content and switch to it immediately.
+                # advance=True so multiple simultaneously-live games take turns
+                # (round-robin) instead of pinning to the first plugin.
                 if not self.on_demand_active and not wifi_status_data:
-                    live_priority_mode = self._check_live_priority()
+                    live_priority_mode = self._check_live_priority(advance=True)
-                    if live_priority_mode and self.current_display_mode != live_priority_mode:
+                    self._apply_live_priority(live_priority_mode)
-                        logger.info("Live content detected - switching immediately to %s", live_priority_mode)
-                        self.current_display_mode = live_priority_mode
-                        self.force_change = True
-                        # Update mode index to match the new mode
-                        try:
-                            self.current_mode_index = self.available_modes.index(live_priority_mode)
-                        except ValueError:
-                            pass
 
                 # Vegas scroll mode - continuous ticker across all plugins
                 # Priority: on-demand > wifi-status > live-priority > vegas > normal rotation
@@ -1628,7 +1790,8 @@ class DisplayController:
 
                 manager_to_display = None
                 
-                logger.info(f"Processing mode: {active_mode}, available_modes: {len(self.available_modes)}, plugin_modes: {list(self.plugin_modes.keys())}")
+                logger.info("Processing mode: %s (%d available)", active_mode, len(self.available_modes))
+                logger.debug("Loaded plugin modes: %s", list(self.plugin_modes.keys()))
                 
                 # Handle plugin-based display modes
                 if active_mode in self.plugin_modes:
@@ -1664,17 +1827,22 @@ class DisplayController:
                     try:
                         logger.debug(f"Calling display() for {active_mode} with force_clear={self.force_change}")
                         if hasattr(manager_to_display, 'display'):
-                            # Check if plugin accepts display_mode parameter
+                            # Opt #1: look up (or compute once) whether display() accepts display_mode
-                            import inspect
+                            _cache_key = plugin_id
-                            sig = inspect.signature(manager_to_display.display)
+                            if _cache_key not in self._plugin_accepts_display_mode:
-                            
+                                import inspect as _inspect
+                                self._plugin_accepts_display_mode[_cache_key] = (
+                                    'display_mode' in _inspect.signature(manager_to_display.display).parameters
+                                )
+                            _accepts_display_mode = self._plugin_accepts_display_mode[_cache_key]
+
                             # Use PluginExecutor for safe execution with timeout
                             if self.plugin_manager and hasattr(self.plugin_manager, 'plugin_executor'):
                                 result = self.plugin_manager.plugin_executor.execute_display(
                                     manager_to_display,
                                     plugin_id,
                                     force_clear=self.force_change,
-                                    display_mode=active_mode if 'display_mode' in sig.parameters else None
+                                    display_mode=active_mode if _accepts_display_mode else None
                                 )
                                 # execute_display returns bool, convert to expected format
                                 if result:
@@ -1683,7 +1851,7 @@ class DisplayController:
                                     result = False  # Failed
                             else:
                                 # Fallback to direct call if executor not available
-                                if 'display_mode' in sig.parameters:
+                                if _accepts_display_mode:
                                     result = manager_to_display.display(display_mode=active_mode, force_clear=self.force_change)
                                 else:
                                     result = manager_to_display.display(force_clear=self.force_change)
@@ -1820,9 +1988,9 @@ class DisplayController:
                     min_duration = base_duration
                     if dynamic_enabled:
                         # Try to get plugin-calculated cycle duration first
-                        logger.info("Attempting to get cycle duration for mode %s", active_mode)
+                        logger.debug("Attempting to get cycle duration for mode %s", active_mode)
                         plugin_cycle_duration = self._plugin_cycle_duration(manager_to_display, active_mode)
-                        logger.info("Got cycle duration: %s", plugin_cycle_duration)
+                        logger.debug("Got cycle duration: %s", plugin_cycle_duration)
                         
                         # Get caps for validation
                         plugin_cap = self._plugin_dynamic_cap(manager_to_display)
@@ -1904,10 +2072,21 @@ class DisplayController:
 
                     # For plugins, call display multiple times to allow game rotation
                     if manager_to_display and hasattr(manager_to_display, 'display'):
-                        # Check if plugin needs high FPS (like stock ticker)
+                        # High-FPS decision, in precedence order:
-                        # Always enable high-FPS for static-image plugin (for GIF animation support)
+                        # 1. A plugin that declares needs_high_fps knows best
+                        #    (e.g. static-image sets it False for still PNGs,
+                        #    True for animated GIFs).
+                        # 2. Back-compat: older static-image versions without
+                        #    the attribute keep the historical forced high-FPS
+                        #    (GIF support).
+                        # 3. Otherwise scrolling plugins get high FPS.
                         plugin_id = getattr(manager_to_display, 'plugin_id', None)
-                        if plugin_id == 'static-image':
+                        declared = getattr(manager_to_display, 'needs_high_fps', None)
+                        if declared is not None:
+                            needs_high_fps = bool(declared)
+                            logger.debug("FPS check for %s - plugin declares needs_high_fps=%s",
+                                         active_mode, needs_high_fps)
+                        elif plugin_id == 'static-image':
                             needs_high_fps = True
                             logger.debug("FPS check - static-image plugin: forcing high-FPS mode for GIF support")
                         else:
@@ -1962,7 +2141,7 @@ class DisplayController:
                         if needs_high_fps:
                             # Ultra-smooth FPS for scrolling plugins (8ms = 125 FPS)
                             display_interval = 0.008
-                            logger.info(
+                            logger.debug(
                                 "Entering high-FPS loop for %s with display_interval=%.3fs (%.1f FPS)",
                                 active_mode,
                                 display_interval,
@@ -1972,7 +2151,7 @@ class DisplayController:
                             while True:
                                 try:
                                     # Pass display_mode to maintain sticky manager state
-                                    if 'display_mode' in sig.parameters:
+                                    if _accepts_display_mode:
                                         result = manager_to_display.display(display_mode=active_mode, force_clear=False)
                                     else:
                                         result = manager_to_display.display(force_clear=False)
@@ -2014,7 +2193,7 @@ class DisplayController:
                         else:
                             # Normal FPS for other plugins (1 second)
                             display_interval = 1.0
-                            logger.info(
+                            logger.debug(
                                 "Entering normal FPS loop for %s with display_interval=%.3fs",
                                 active_mode,
                                 display_interval
@@ -2036,7 +2215,7 @@ class DisplayController:
 
                                 try:
                                     # Pass display_mode to maintain sticky manager state
-                                    if 'display_mode' in sig.parameters:
+                                    if _accepts_display_mode:
                                         result = manager_to_display.display(display_mode=active_mode, force_clear=False)
                                     else:
                                         result = manager_to_display.display(force_clear=False)
@@ -2069,6 +2248,23 @@ class DisplayController:
                                     loop_completed = True
                                     break
 
+                        # LOAD-BEARING: if current_display_mode changed mid-loop (on-demand
+                        # activation, live priority, etc.), restart the main loop now instead
+                        # of falling into the "honour minimum duration" sleep below. That sleep
+                        # can run for up to the *previous* mode's full display_duration (default
+                        # 30s) and doesn't poll on-demand requests or re-check the mode, so a
+                        # freshly-requested mode switch would sit invisible for up to 30s — or
+                        # get clobbered by a queued stop request — before ever rendering.
+                        #
+                        # This guard was added in #298 (live priority interrupting long display
+                        # durations) and was accidentally dropped in #330 as collateral damage of
+                        # an unrelated time.monotonic() -> time.time() cleanup in the same hunk.
+                        # Removing it again will silently reintroduce both issues. _activate_on_demand
+                        # already sets force_change=True and clears the display, so the next loop
+                        # iteration renders the new mode immediately.
+                        if self.current_display_mode != active_mode:
+                            continue
+
                         # Ensure we honour minimum duration when not dynamic and loop ended early
                         if (
                             not dynamic_enabled
@@ -2145,7 +2341,7 @@ class DisplayController:
                         except Exception as e:
                             logger.warning("Error checking live priority for %s: %s", active_mode, e)
                 
-                if should_rotate:
+                if should_rotate and self.available_modes:
                     self.current_mode_index = (self.current_mode_index + 1) % len(self.available_modes)
                     self.current_display_mode = self.available_modes[self.current_mode_index]
                     self.last_mode_change = time.time()
@@ -2333,6 +2529,200 @@ class DisplayController:
             self.wifi_status_active = False
             self.wifi_status_expires_at = None
 
+    def _register_loaded_plugin(self, plugin_id: str) -> List[str]:
+        """Register an already-loaded plugin's display modes, config-change
+        subscription and dispatch maps with the controller.
+
+        Shared by startup loading and live enable hot-reload so both paths
+        build identical controller state. Returns the registered modes.
+        """
+        plugin_instance = self.plugin_manager.get_plugin(plugin_id)
+        manifest = self.plugin_manager.plugin_manifests.get(plugin_id, {})
+
+        # Prefer the plugin's dynamic modes attribute (e.g. based on enabled
+        # leagues), else fall back to manifest display_modes, else the id.
+        if plugin_instance is not None and getattr(plugin_instance, 'modes', None):
+            display_modes = list(plugin_instance.modes)
+            logger.debug("Using plugin.modes for %s: %s", plugin_id, display_modes)
+        else:
+            display_modes = manifest.get('display_modes', [plugin_id])
+            logger.debug("Using manifest display_modes for %s: %s", plugin_id, display_modes)
+        if not (isinstance(display_modes, list) and display_modes):
+            display_modes = [plugin_id]
+        self.plugin_display_modes[plugin_id] = list(display_modes)
+
+        # Subscribe to config changes for per-plugin hot-reload. Bind plugin_id
+        # and instance as defaults so each plugin's callback targets its own
+        # instance (avoids late-binding when registering many plugins), and
+        # remember the callback so we can unsubscribe on disable.
+        if hasattr(self, 'config_service') and hasattr(plugin_instance, 'on_config_change'):
+            def config_change_callback(old_config: Dict[str, Any], new_config: Dict[str, Any],
+                                       _pid: str = plugin_id, _plugin: Any = plugin_instance) -> None:
+                """Callback for plugin config changes."""
+                try:
+                    _plugin.on_config_change(new_config)
+                    logger.debug("Plugin %s notified of config change", _pid)
+                except Exception as e:
+                    logger.error("Error in plugin %s config change handler: %s", _pid, e, exc_info=True)
+
+            self.config_service.subscribe(config_change_callback, plugin_id=plugin_id)
+            self._plugin_config_callbacks[plugin_id] = config_change_callback
+            logger.debug("Subscribed plugin %s to config changes", plugin_id)
+
+        # Add modes to the dispatch maps.
+        for mode in display_modes:
+            if mode not in self.available_modes:
+                self.available_modes.append(mode)
+            self.plugin_modes[mode] = plugin_instance
+            self.mode_to_plugin_id[mode] = plugin_id
+            logger.debug("  Added mode: %s", mode)
+        # Invalidate signature cache so the new instance is re-inspected.
+        self._plugin_accepts_display_mode.pop(plugin_id, None)
+        return display_modes
+
+    def _unregister_plugin(self, plugin_id: str) -> None:
+        """Remove a plugin's modes, config subscription and instance, then
+        unload it. Used by live disable hot-reload."""
+        modes = self.plugin_display_modes.pop(plugin_id, [])
+        for mode in modes:
+            if mode in self.available_modes:
+                self.available_modes.remove(mode)
+            self.plugin_modes.pop(mode, None)
+            self.mode_to_plugin_id.pop(mode, None)
+
+        # Unsubscribe the plugin's config-change callback. Pop only on a
+        # successful unsubscribe -- if it raises, keep our reference so a
+        # later retry (or at least cleanup) still has the real callback
+        # instead of a lost one.
+        callback = self._plugin_config_callbacks.get(plugin_id)
+        if callback is not None and hasattr(self, 'config_service'):
+            try:
+                self.config_service.unsubscribe(callback, plugin_id=plugin_id)
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.debug("Error unsubscribing plugin %s from config changes: %s", plugin_id, e)
+            else:
+                self._plugin_config_callbacks.pop(plugin_id, None)
+        else:
+            self._plugin_config_callbacks.pop(plugin_id, None)
+
+        self._plugin_accepts_display_mode.pop(plugin_id, None)
+
+        # Tear down the instance (cleanup + on_disable + module unload).
+        try:
+            self.plugin_manager.unload_plugin(plugin_id)
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.error("Error unloading plugin %s: %s", plugin_id, e, exc_info=True)
+
+        logger.info("Disabled plugin %s live (removed modes: %s)", plugin_id, modes)
+
+    def _enabled_set_changed(self, old_config: Dict[str, Any], new_config: Dict[str, Any]) -> bool:
+        """True if any top-level section's ``enabled`` flag differs between two
+        configs. A cheap watcher-thread check that gates the full reconcile.
+        Non-plugin sections (e.g. schedule) may match too; the reconcile
+        no-ops for anything that isn't a discovered plugin."""
+        def enabled_map(cfg: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, bool]:
+            return {
+                key: bool(value.get('enabled', False))
+                for key, value in cfg.items()
+                if isinstance(value, dict)
+            }
+        return enabled_map(old_config) != enabled_map(new_config)
+
+    def _reconcile_enabled_plugins(self) -> bool:
+        """Load/unload plugins so the running set matches the enabled set in
+        config. Runs on the main display thread (never the config-watcher
+        thread) so mutating available_modes is race-free against rendering.
+
+        Returns True if reconciliation completed (including a no-op), or
+        False on a retryable failure -- the caller keeps the pending-reconcile
+        flag set in that case so the request isn't silently dropped."""
+        if self.plugin_manager is None:
+            return True
+        try:
+            config = self.config_service.get_config()
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.warning("Plugin reconcile: falling back to cached config: %s", e)
+            config = self.config
+        try:
+            discovered = set(self.plugin_manager.discover_plugins())
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.error("Plugin reconcile: discovery failed: %s", e, exc_info=True)
+            return False
+
+        for p in discovered:
+            if p in config and not isinstance(config.get(p), dict):
+                logger.warning(
+                    "Plugin reconcile: config for %s is a %s, not a dict; treating as disabled",
+                    p, type(config.get(p)).__name__
+                )
+
+        desired = {
+            p for p in discovered
+            if isinstance(config.get(p), dict) and config.get(p, {}).get('enabled', False)
+        }
+        current = set(self.plugin_display_modes.keys())
+        to_add = desired - current
+        to_remove = current - desired
+        if not to_add and not to_remove:
+            return True
+
+        previous_mode = self.current_display_mode
+
+        for plugin_id in to_remove:
+            self._unregister_plugin(plugin_id)
+
+        for plugin_id in to_add:
+            try:
+                if self.plugin_manager.load_plugin(plugin_id):
+                    modes = self._register_loaded_plugin(plugin_id)
+                    logger.info("Enabled plugin %s live (modes: %s)", plugin_id, modes)
+                else:
+                    logger.warning("Plugin reconcile: failed to load %s", plugin_id)
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.error("Plugin reconcile: error enabling %s: %s", plugin_id, e, exc_info=True)
+
+        self._resync_mode_index_after_change(previous_mode)
+        logger.info("Plugin reconcile complete: +%s -%s (%d modes)",
+                    sorted(to_add), sorted(to_remove), len(self.available_modes))
+        return True
+
+    def _resync_mode_index_after_change(self, previous_mode: Optional[str]) -> None:
+        """Clamp rotation state after available_modes changed. Stays on the
+        previous mode if it survived, otherwise restarts cleanly within range."""
+        if not self.available_modes:
+            self.current_mode_index = 0
+            self.current_display_mode = None
+            return
+        if previous_mode in self.available_modes:
+            self.current_mode_index = self.available_modes.index(previous_mode)
+        else:
+            self.current_mode_index %= len(self.available_modes)
+            self.current_display_mode = self.available_modes[self.current_mode_index]
+
+    def _refresh_config_cache(self, new_config: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+        """Refresh all config-derived caches when a hot-reload fires.
+
+        Called by the controller-level ConfigService subscriber.  Keeps
+        ``_normal_brightness``, ``_scroll_speed``, the cached timezone, and the
+        schedule minute-gates consistent with the live config so callers never
+        read stale values after the user saves settings via the web UI.
+        """
+        self.config = new_config
+        self._normal_brightness = (
+            self.config.get('display', {}).get('hardware', {}).get('brightness', 90)
+        )
+        self._scroll_speed = (
+            self.config.get('display', {}).get('vegas_scroll', {}).get('scroll_speed', 75)
+        )
+        # Force the timezone to be re-derived from the new config on next schedule check
+        self._tz = None
+        # Invalidate minute-gates so the new schedule/dim times take effect immediately
+        self._schedule_checked_minute = None
+        self._dim_checked_minute = None
+        self._cached_target_brightness = self._normal_brightness
+        logger.debug("Config cache refreshed (brightness=%s, scroll_speed=%s)",
+                     self._normal_brightness, self._scroll_speed)
+
     def cleanup(self):
         """Clean up resources."""
         # Shutdown config service if it exists
@@ -2347,6 +2737,7 @@ class DisplayController:
         logger.info("Cleanup complete.")
 
 def main():
+    """Application entry point — create a DisplayController and run until interrupted."""
     controller = DisplayController()
     controller.run()
 

src/display_manager.py

@@ -1,3 +1,28 @@
+"""
+Display Manager — hardware abstraction layer for the RGB LED matrix.
+
+This module provides :class:`DisplayManager`, the single interface between
+application code and the physical (or emulated) LED panel.
+
+Key responsibilities
+--------------------
+* Initialise the ``RGBMatrix`` (hardware) or ``RGBMatrixEmulator`` depending
+  on the ``EMULATOR`` environment variable.
+* Expose a PIL ``Image``/``ImageDraw`` canvas that plugins draw into, then
+  flush it to the matrix via double-buffering (:meth:`DisplayManager.update_display`).
+* Load and cache TTF/BDF fonts; expose ``draw_text`` for consistent text rendering.
+* Provide ``width`` / ``height`` properties — always use these instead of
+  hard-coding display dimensions.
+* Write periodic PNG snapshots to ``/tmp/led_matrix_preview.png`` for the
+  web-interface live preview.
+* Track scrolling state and gate deferred updates so plugins don't race with
+  an in-progress scroll.
+
+Singleton: only one ``DisplayManager`` instance exists per process.  The
+first call to ``DisplayManager(config)`` creates it; subsequent calls return
+the same object.
+"""
+
 import json
 import os
 import tempfile
@@ -8,16 +33,135 @@ else:
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 from PIL import Image, ImageDraw, ImageFont
 import time
-from typing import Dict, Any, List
+from typing import Dict, Any, List, Optional
 import logging
 import math
+import zlib
 import freetype
 
 # Get logger without configuring
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 logger.setLevel(logging.INFO)  # Set to INFO level
 
+
+class _LogicalMatrix:
+    """Proxy that reports a logical (per-screen) size for a physical matrix.
+
+    In double-sided mode the physical panel chain shows N identical copies of a
+    smaller logical screen. Plugins size themselves from ``matrix.width`` /
+    ``matrix.height`` (the documented convention, used at 30+ call sites), so
+    this proxy reports the logical dimensions while delegating every real
+    operation — ``CreateFrameCanvas``, ``SwapOnVSync``, ``brightness``,
+    ``Clear`` and so on — to the underlying physical matrix. The duplication
+    itself happens once per frame in :meth:`DisplayManager.update_display`.
+    """
+
+    __slots__ = ("_logical_height", "_logical_width", "_matrix")
+
+    def __init__(self, matrix: RGBMatrix, logical_width: int, logical_height: int) -> None:
+        object.__setattr__(self, "_matrix", matrix)
+        object.__setattr__(self, "_logical_width", logical_width)
+        object.__setattr__(self, "_logical_height", logical_height)
+
+    @property
+    def width(self) -> int:
+        """Logical (per-screen) width reported to plugins."""
+        return self._logical_width
+
+    @property
+    def height(self) -> int:
+        """Logical (per-screen) height reported to plugins."""
+        return self._logical_height
+
+    def __getattr__(self, name: str) -> Any:
+        """Forward any non-overridden attribute access to the physical matrix.
+
+        Reached only when normal lookup fails (i.e. not width/height/_*).
+        """
+        return getattr(object.__getattribute__(self, "_matrix"), name)
+
+    def __setattr__(self, name: str, value: Any) -> None:
+        """Forward attribute writes (e.g. ``matrix.brightness = 80``) to it."""
+        setattr(object.__getattribute__(self, "_matrix"), name, value)
+
+
+def _resolve_double_sided(physical_width: int, physical_height: int,
+                          ds_config: Dict[str, Any]) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
+    """Validate the ``display.double_sided`` config against the physical size.
+
+    Returns a dict ``{copies, axis, logical_width, logical_height}`` when the
+    feature is enabled and the physical panel divides evenly into ``copies``
+    along the chosen axis, otherwise ``None`` (single-screen behaviour). Bad
+    config is logged and disabled rather than raised — a misconfigured panel
+    should still light up.
+    """
+    if not isinstance(ds_config, dict) or not ds_config.get('enabled', False):
+        return None
+
+    copies = ds_config.get('copies', 2)
+    if not isinstance(copies, int) or copies < 2:
+        logger.warning(
+            "double_sided: 'copies' must be an integer >= 2 (got %r); "
+            "disabling double-sided mode", copies)
+        return None
+
+    axis = ds_config.get('axis', 'horizontal')
+    if axis not in ('horizontal', 'vertical'):
+        logger.warning(
+            "double_sided: 'axis' must be 'horizontal' or 'vertical' "
+            "(got %r); defaulting to 'horizontal'", axis)
+        axis = 'horizontal'
+
+    # Horizontal splits the chain (panels side by side); vertical splits the
+    # parallel outputs (panels stacked). The split axis must divide evenly.
+    if axis == 'horizontal':
+        if physical_width % copies != 0:
+            logger.warning(
+                "double_sided: physical width %d is not divisible by copies "
+                "%d; disabling double-sided mode", physical_width, copies)
+            return None
+        logical_width = physical_width // copies
+        logical_height = physical_height
+    else:
+        if physical_height % copies != 0:
+            logger.warning(
+                "double_sided: physical height %d is not divisible by copies "
+                "%d; disabling double-sided mode", physical_height, copies)
+            return None
+        logical_width = physical_width
+        logical_height = physical_height // copies
+
+    logger.info(
+        "double_sided enabled: %d copies on %s axis — logical screen %dx%d "
+        "tiled across physical %dx%d", copies, axis, logical_width,
+        logical_height, physical_width, physical_height)
+    return {
+        'copies': copies,
+        'axis': axis,
+        'logical_width': logical_width,
+        'logical_height': logical_height,
+    }
+
+
 class DisplayManager:
+    """
+    Singleton hardware abstraction layer for the RGB LED matrix.
+
+    Plugins should never interact with ``RGBMatrix`` directly; they use this
+    class to draw content and call :meth:`update_display` to push frames to
+    the panel.
+
+    Typical plugin usage::
+
+        canvas = Image.new('RGB', (self.display_manager.width,
+                                   self.display_manager.height), (0, 0, 0))
+        draw = ImageDraw.Draw(canvas)
+        # ... draw content ...
+        self.display_manager.image = canvas
+        self.display_manager.draw = ImageDraw.Draw(self.display_manager.image)
+        self.display_manager.update_display()
+    """
+
     _instance = None
     _initialized = False
 
@@ -33,10 +177,24 @@ class DisplayManager:
         self._suppress_test_pattern = suppress_test_pattern
         # When True, update_display() and clear() skip hardware writes (used during off-screen content capture)
         self._capture_mode_active = False
+        # Double-sided mode state (resolved in _setup_matrix). When disabled,
+        # the logical image is blitted to the matrix unchanged.
+        self._double_sided = None  # dict {copies, axis, logical_width, logical_height} or None
+        self._physical_image = None  # full-chain buffer reused each frame when tiling
+        # Text-width measurement cache: (text, id(font)) -> pixel_width
+        # Avoids re-measuring the same string+font on every display() call.
+        # Cleared on _load_fonts() so stale entries don't survive a font reload.
+        self._text_width_cache: Dict[tuple, int] = {}
         # Snapshot settings for web preview integration (service writes, web reads)
         self._snapshot_path = "/tmp/led_matrix_preview.png"  # nosec B108 - fixed path intentional; web UI reads same path
         self._snapshot_min_interval_sec = 0.2  # max ~5 fps
         self._last_snapshot_ts = 0.0
+        # Dirty tracking: (image digest, brightness) of the last frame pushed
+        # to the panel; update_display() skips identical pushes. Kill switch:
+        # display.dirty_tracking: false.
+        self._dirty_tracking_enabled = bool(
+            self.config.get('display', {}).get('dirty_tracking', True))
+        self._last_pushed_digest = None
         
         # Scrolling state tracking for graceful updates
         self._scrolling_state = {
@@ -121,13 +279,26 @@ class DisplayManager:
             # Initialize the matrix
             self.matrix = RGBMatrix(options=options)
             logger.info("RGB Matrix initialized successfully")
-            
+
-            # Create double buffer for smooth updates
+            # Create double buffer for smooth updates. The canvases are always
+            # full physical size — they back the real chain regardless of mode.
             self.offscreen_canvas = self.matrix.CreateFrameCanvas()
             self.current_canvas = self.matrix.CreateFrameCanvas()
             logger.info("Frame canvases created successfully")
-            
+
-            # Create image with full chain width
+            # Double-sided mode: wrap the physical matrix so plugins see the
+            # logical (per-screen) size, and keep a full-chain buffer to tile
+            # the rendered screen into once per frame.
+            ds_config = self.config.get('display', {}).get('double_sided', {})
+            ds = _resolve_double_sided(self.matrix.width, self.matrix.height, ds_config)
+            self._double_sided = ds
+            if ds is not None:
+                self._physical_image = Image.new(
+                    'RGB', (self.matrix.width, self.matrix.height))
+                self.matrix = _LogicalMatrix(
+                    self.matrix, ds['logical_width'], ds['logical_height'])
+
+            # Create image with the (logical) display dimensions
             self.image = Image.new('RGB', (self.matrix.width, self.matrix.height))
             self.draw = ImageDraw.Draw(self.image)
             logger.info(f"Image canvas created with dimensions: {self.matrix.width}x{self.matrix.height}")
@@ -154,8 +325,16 @@ class DisplayManager:
                 rows = int(hardware_config.get('rows', 32))
                 cols = int(hardware_config.get('cols', 64))
                 chain_length = int(hardware_config.get('chain_length', 2))
+                parallel = int(hardware_config.get('parallel', 1))
                 fallback_width = max(1, cols * chain_length)
-                fallback_height = max(1, rows)
+                fallback_height = max(1, rows * parallel)
+                # Mirror double-sided in fallback so the preview shows one screen.
+                ds_config = self.config.get('display', {}).get('double_sided', {}) if self.config else {}
+                ds = _resolve_double_sided(fallback_width, fallback_height, ds_config)
+                self._double_sided = ds
+                if ds is not None:
+                    fallback_width = ds['logical_width']
+                    fallback_height = ds['logical_height']
             except Exception:
                 fallback_width, fallback_height = 128, 32
 
@@ -246,6 +425,10 @@ class DisplayManager:
         try:
             # RGBMatrix accepts brightness as a property
             self.matrix.brightness = brightness
+            # Brightness applies on the next swap — force a re-push even if
+            # the image itself is unchanged (belt-and-braces: brightness is
+            # also part of the dirty-tracking digest when readable).
+            self._last_pushed_digest = None
             logger.info(f"[BRIGHTNESS] Display brightness set to {brightness}%")
             return True
         except AttributeError as e:
@@ -317,8 +500,40 @@ class DisplayManager:
         finally:
             self._capture_mode_active = False
 
+    def _composite_double_sided(self):
+        """Tile the logical screen across the full physical chain.
+
+        Renders once into ``self._physical_image`` by pasting the rendered
+        logical image ``copies`` times along the configured axis. The paste is
+        a single memcpy per copy, so the per-frame cost is negligible and the
+        plugin render path is untouched.
+        """
+        ds = self._double_sided
+        phys = self._physical_image
+        lw = ds['logical_width']
+        lh = ds['logical_height']
+        for i in range(ds['copies']):
+            if ds['axis'] == 'vertical':
+                phys.paste(self.image, (0, i * lh))
+            else:
+                phys.paste(self.image, (i * lw, 0))
+        return phys
+
     def update_display(self):
-        """Update the display using double buffering with proper sync."""
+        """Update the display using double buffering with proper sync.
+
+        Skips the panel push entirely when the frame is byte-identical to
+        the last pushed one (same image digest AND same brightness) — static
+        content re-rendered every second, and 125 fps loops between actual
+        scroll steps, otherwise re-walk the full framebuffer for nothing.
+        The panel keeps refreshing the current frame from its own thread,
+        so skipping a swap never blanks or freezes the hardware.
+
+        Correctness hinges on invalidation: clear() resets the digest (it
+        writes to the matrix directly), and brightness is PART of the digest
+        so a dim-schedule change is never skipped. Disable via config
+        ``display.dirty_tracking: false`` if a redraw issue is ever suspected.
+        """
         try:
             if self.matrix is None:
                 # Fallback mode - no actual hardware to update
@@ -330,15 +545,34 @@ class DisplayManager:
             if self._capture_mode_active:
                 return  # Skip hardware write — content is being captured off-screen
 
-            # Copy the current image to the offscreen canvas
+            digest = None
-            self.offscreen_canvas.SetImage(self.image)
+            if self._dirty_tracking_enabled:
+                try:
+                    brightness = getattr(self.matrix, 'brightness', None)
+                except Exception:
+                    brightness = None
+                digest = (zlib.adler32(self.image.tobytes()), brightness)
+                if digest == self._last_pushed_digest:
+                    # Nothing changed since the last push — the panel is
+                    # already showing exactly this frame.
+                    self._write_snapshot_if_due()
+                    return
+
+            # Copy the current image to the offscreen canvas. In double-sided
+            # mode the logical screen is first tiled across the full chain.
+            if self._double_sided is not None:
+                self.offscreen_canvas.SetImage(self._composite_double_sided())
+            else:
+                self.offscreen_canvas.SetImage(self.image)
 
             # Swap buffers immediately
             self.matrix.SwapOnVSync(self.offscreen_canvas)
-            
+
             # Swap our canvas references
             self.offscreen_canvas, self.current_canvas = self.current_canvas, self.offscreen_canvas
 
+            self._last_pushed_digest = digest
+
             # Write a snapshot for the web preview (throttled)
             self._write_snapshot_if_due()
         except Exception as e:
@@ -374,6 +608,9 @@ class DisplayManager:
                 # Clear both canvases and the underlying matrix to ensure no artifacts.
                 # Failures are non-fatal — the image buffer is already black above, so
                 # the next update_display() call will push clean content regardless.
+                # The matrix content no longer matches the last pushed digest,
+                # so dirty tracking must not skip the next push.
+                self._last_pushed_digest = None
                 try:
                     self.offscreen_canvas.Clear()
                 except (RuntimeError, OSError) as e:
@@ -437,6 +674,9 @@ class DisplayManager:
 
     def _load_fonts(self):
         """Load fonts with proper error handling."""
+        # Font objects get new id()s after reload, so the text-width cache would
+        # return stale measurements keyed on the old ids.  Clear it here.
+        self._text_width_cache.clear()
         try:
             # Load Press Start 2P font
             self.regular_font = ImageFont.truetype("assets/fonts/PressStart2P-Regular.ttf", 8)
@@ -497,22 +737,32 @@ class DisplayManager:
 
 
     def get_text_width(self, text, font):
-        """Get the width of text when rendered with the given font."""
+        """Get the width of text when rendered with the given font.
+
+        Results are cached by (text, font identity) so plugins that measure
+        the same string every frame (e.g. to centre a score) pay only one
+        measurement per unique (text, font) pair.
+        """
+        cache_key = (text, id(font))
+        cached = self._text_width_cache.get(cache_key)
+        if cached is not None:
+            return cached
+
         try:
             if isinstance(font, freetype.Face):
-                # For FreeType faces, calculate width using freetype
                 width = 0
                 for char in text:
                     font.load_char(char)
                     width += font.glyph.advance.x >> 6
-                return width
             else:
-                # For PIL fonts, use textbbox
                 bbox = self.draw.textbbox((0, 0), text, font=font)
-                return bbox[2] - bbox[0]
+                width = bbox[2] - bbox[0]
-        except Exception as e:
+        except (AttributeError, TypeError, ValueError, OSError) as e:
-            logger.error(f"Error getting text width: {e}")
+            logger.error("Error getting text width: %s", e)
-            return 0  # Return 0 as fallback
+            return 0
+
+        self._text_width_cache[cache_key] = width
+        return width
 
     def get_font_height(self, font):
         """Get the height of the given font for line spacing purposes."""

src/font_manager.py

@@ -1,3 +1,30 @@
+"""
+Font Manager — TTF/BDF font loading, caching, and dynamic registration.
+
+:class:`FontManager` serves two purposes:
+
+1. **System fonts** — loads the configured small/medium/large TTF fonts (and
+   their BDF bitmap equivalents) at startup, caches metrics, and exposes them
+   via ``DisplayManager`` attributes (``small_font``, ``medium_font``, etc.).
+
+2. **Plugin fonts** — lets plugins register their own fonts at runtime via
+   :meth:`FontManager.register_manager_font` and resolve them later via
+   :meth:`FontManager.resolve_font`.  Registered fonts are namespaced by
+   plugin ID so they cannot collide.
+
+Font sources
+------------
+* Local paths relative to the project root.
+* Remote URLs — downloaded once, cached to disk, and never re-fetched while
+  the cached copy is fresh.
+
+BDF fallback
+------------
+Pixel-accurate LED fonts are stored as ``.bdf`` (Bitmap Distribution Format)
+files.  When PIL cannot measure BDF glyphs natively, ``freetype-py`` is used
+for accurate width/height calculations.
+"""
+
 import os
 import logging
 import freetype

src/plugin_system/plugin_health.py

@@ -52,11 +52,18 @@ class PluginHealthTracker:
         """Get cache key for plugin health data."""
         return f"plugin_health:{plugin_id}"
     
-    def _load_health_state(self, plugin_id: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    def _load_health_state(self, plugin_id: str, force_reload: bool = False) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        """Load health state from cache or return defaults."""
+        """Load health state from cache or return defaults.
+
+        ``force_reload=True`` bypasses the cache manager's in-memory tier so a
+        read-only consumer (e.g. the web process) observes the writer process's
+        latest persisted state instead of a stale first snapshot.
+        """
         cache_key = self._get_health_key(plugin_id)
-        cached = self.cache_manager.get(cache_key, max_age=None)
+        cached = self.cache_manager.get(
-        
+            cache_key, max_age=None, memory_ttl=0 if force_reload else None
+        )
+
         if cached:
             return cached
         
@@ -79,10 +86,17 @@ class PluginHealthTracker:
         self.cache_manager.set(cache_key, state)  # Persist indefinitely
         self._health_state[plugin_id] = state
     
-    def get_health_state(self, plugin_id: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    def get_health_state(self, plugin_id: str, force_reload: bool = False) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        """Get current health state for a plugin."""
+        """Get current health state for a plugin.
-        if plugin_id not in self._health_state:
+
-            self._health_state[plugin_id] = self._load_health_state(plugin_id)
+        ``force_reload=True`` re-reads the persisted state from the cache,
+        bypassing the in-memory copy — needed by cross-process readers that
+        would otherwise be pinned to the first snapshot they loaded.
+        """
+        if force_reload or plugin_id not in self._health_state:
+            self._health_state[plugin_id] = self._load_health_state(
+                plugin_id, force_reload=force_reload
+            )
         return self._health_state[plugin_id]
     
     def record_success(self, plugin_id: str) -> None:
@@ -139,6 +153,28 @@ class PluginHealthTracker:
         
         self._save_health_state(plugin_id, state)
     
+    def set_degraded(self, plugin_id: str, reason: Optional[str]) -> None:
+        """Flag (or clear) a plugin as degraded without touching the circuit breaker.
+
+        Used for non-fatal issues — e.g. a config that no longer satisfies the
+        plugin's schema — that should be surfaced to the user but must NOT cause
+        the plugin to be skipped or counted as a runtime failure. Passing
+        ``reason=None`` clears the flag. The write is skipped when nothing
+        actually changes, so calling this on every load is cheap.
+
+        Args:
+            plugin_id: Plugin identifier
+            reason: Human-readable reason string, or None to clear the flag
+        """
+        state = self.get_health_state(plugin_id)
+        new_degraded = bool(reason)
+        new_reason = reason if reason else None
+        if state.get('degraded', False) == new_degraded and state.get('degraded_reason') == new_reason:
+            return  # No change — avoid a redundant cache write
+        state['degraded'] = new_degraded
+        state['degraded_reason'] = new_reason
+        self._save_health_state(plugin_id, state)
+
     def should_skip_plugin(self, plugin_id: str) -> bool:
         """
         Check if plugin should be skipped due to circuit breaker.
@@ -181,9 +217,13 @@ class PluginHealthTracker:
         
         return False
     
-    def get_health_summary(self, plugin_id: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    def get_health_summary(self, plugin_id: str, force_reload: bool = False) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        """Get health summary for a plugin."""
+        """Get health summary for a plugin.
-        state = self.get_health_state(plugin_id)
+
+        ``force_reload=True`` refreshes from the persisted cache first so
+        cross-process readers reflect the writer's latest state.
+        """
+        state = self.get_health_state(plugin_id, force_reload=force_reload)
         
         total_calls = state.get('total_successes', 0) + state.get('total_failures', 0)
         success_rate = 0.0
@@ -201,6 +241,8 @@ class PluginHealthTracker:
             'last_failure_time': state.get('last_failure_time'),
             'last_error': state.get('last_error'),
             'is_healthy': state.get('circuit_state') == CircuitState.CLOSED.value,
+            'degraded': state.get('degraded', False),
+            'degraded_reason': state.get('degraded_reason'),
             'circuit_opened_time': state.get('circuit_opened_time'),
             'half_open_start_time': state.get('half_open_start_time')
         }

src/plugin_system/plugin_loader.py

@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@ Handles plugin module imports, dependency installation, and class instantiation.
 Extracted from PluginManager to improve separation of concerns.
 """
 
-import hashlib
-import json
 import importlib
+import importlib.metadata
 import importlib.util
+import json
 import os
 import sys
 import subprocess
@@ -17,12 +17,101 @@ from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Dict, Any, Optional, Tuple, Type
 import logging
 
+from packaging.requirements import InvalidRequirement, Requirement
+
 from src.exceptions import PluginError
 from src.logging_config import get_logger
-from src.common.permission_utils import (
+
-    ensure_file_permissions,
+
-    get_plugin_file_mode
+def requirements_has_real_deps(requirements_file: str) -> bool:
-)
+    """
+    Check whether a requirements.txt actually specifies anything to install.
+
+    Plugins that ship all their dependencies with LEDMatrix core often keep a
+    requirements.txt where every line is commented out, for documentation
+    purposes only. Running pip against such a file still pays the full
+    subprocess/resolver cost for zero effect, so callers should skip the
+    install step entirely when this returns False.
+    """
+    try:
+        with open(requirements_file, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as fh:
+            for line in fh:
+                line = line.strip()
+                if line and not line.startswith('#'):
+                    return True
+    except OSError:
+        # Let the caller's own file handling report the error.
+        return True
+    return False
+
+
+def requirements_are_satisfied(requirements_file: str) -> bool:
+    """
+    Check whether every real requirement line in requirements.txt is already
+    satisfied by packages installed in the current interpreter.
+
+    This replaces marker-file tracking with a direct fact check, so it's
+    immune to stale/missing/corrupted markers: it looks at what's actually
+    importable right now rather than trusting a hash comparison from a
+    previous run. Anything ambiguous (pip options, unparseable lines,
+    extras, unresolvable versions) conservatively returns False so the
+    caller falls through to running pip — this check only ever saves work,
+    never masks a real install.
+    """
+    try:
+        with open(requirements_file, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as fh:
+            lines = fh.readlines()
+    except OSError:
+        return False
+
+    for raw_line in lines:
+        line = raw_line.strip()
+        if not line or line.startswith('#'):
+            continue
+        if line.startswith('-'):
+            return False  # pip option (-r, --index-url, ...), can't verify
+
+        try:
+            req = Requirement(line)
+        except InvalidRequirement:
+            return False
+
+        if req.extras:
+            return False  # verifying extras' sub-dependencies isn't worth it here
+
+        if req.marker is not None and not req.marker.evaluate():
+            continue  # not applicable on this platform/interpreter
+
+        try:
+            installed_version = importlib.metadata.version(req.name)
+        except importlib.metadata.PackageNotFoundError:
+            return False
+
+        if req.specifier and not req.specifier.contains(installed_version, prereleases=True):
+            return False
+
+    return True
+
+
+def find_trusted_subdir(trusted_dir: str, name: str) -> Optional[str]:
+    """Return `name` if it names an actual subdirectory of trusted_dir, else None.
+
+    Used as a containment check for a directory name derived from untrusted
+    input (a manifest-declared plugin id, an externally-supplied plugin
+    path): the returned value always comes from enumerating trusted_dir
+    itself via os.scandir(), so a caller that builds a path by joining
+    trusted_dir with this return value is joining against a name the
+    filesystem produced under a trusted root -- not the caller's original
+    string, which could otherwise smuggle a traversal sequence through.
+    """
+    try:
+        with os.scandir(trusted_dir) as entries:
+            for entry in entries:
+                if entry.name == name and entry.is_dir():
+                    return entry.name
+    except OSError:
+        pass
+    return None
 
 
 class PluginLoader:
@@ -132,14 +221,14 @@ class PluginLoader:
                 except (json.JSONDecodeError, Exception) as e:
                     self.logger.debug("Skipping %s due to manifest error: %s", item.name, e)
                     continue
-        
+
         return None
-    
+
     def install_dependencies(
         self,
         plugin_dir: Path,
         plugin_id: str,
-        plugins_dir: Optional[Path] = None,
+        plugins_dir: Path,
         timeout: int = 300
     ) -> bool:
         """
@@ -148,7 +237,12 @@ class PluginLoader:
         Args:
             plugin_dir: Plugin directory path
             plugin_id: Plugin identifier
-            plugins_dir: Trusted base plugins directory for path containment check
+            plugins_dir: Trusted base plugins directory for path containment check.
+                Required (not optional) so every caller reconstructs the plugin
+                path through the sanitiser below rather than trusting plugin_dir
+                directly -- CodeQL's path-injection query (and a malicious
+                manifest/plugin_id in practice) can't tell a legitimate
+                plugin_dir from one crafted to traverse outside plugins_dir.
             timeout: Installation timeout in seconds
 
         Returns:
@@ -160,59 +254,42 @@ class PluginLoader:
 
         # Resolve to a canonical absolute path (normalises .. and symlinks)
         plugin_dir_real = os.path.realpath(str(plugin_dir))
+        plugins_dir_real = os.path.realpath(str(plugins_dir))
+        requested_name = os.path.basename(plugin_dir_real)
 
-        if plugins_dir is not None:
+        # Match the requested directory against an entry actually enumerated
-            # Reconstruct the plugin path from a trusted base + a sanitised
+        # from the trusted plugins_dir, and build the path from that entry --
-            # directory name.  os.path.basename() is CodeQL's recognised
+        # not from requested_name. A name that came out of os.scandir() on a
-            # py/path-injection sanitiser: it strips all directory components
+        # trusted root carries no taint regardless of what the caller asked
-            # so the result cannot contain traversal sequences.  Joining it
+        # for, so this is a real containment guarantee (an allowlist check
-            # with the resolved, trusted plugins_dir produces a path that
+        # against a trusted source), not a string-sanitisation of untrusted
-            # CodeQL considers untainted.
+        # input that a static analyzer has to trust blindly.
-            plugins_dir_real = os.path.realpath(str(plugins_dir))
+        matched_name = find_trusted_subdir(plugins_dir_real, requested_name)
-            safe_dir_name = os.path.basename(plugin_dir_real)
+        if matched_name is None:
-            if not safe_dir_name:
+            self.logger.error(
-                self.logger.error("Could not determine plugin directory name for %s", plugin_id)
+                "Plugin directory for %s not found inside plugins dir", plugin_id
-                return False
+            )
-            safe_plugin_dir = os.path.join(plugins_dir_real, safe_dir_name)
+            return False
-            if not os.path.isdir(safe_plugin_dir):
-                self.logger.error(
-                    "Plugin directory for %s not found inside plugins dir", plugin_id
-                )
-                return False
-        else:
-            safe_plugin_dir = plugin_dir_real
-            if not os.path.isdir(safe_plugin_dir):
-                self.logger.error("Plugin directory does not exist: %s", plugin_dir)
-                return False
 
+        safe_plugin_dir = os.path.join(plugins_dir_real, matched_name)
         requirements_file = os.path.join(safe_plugin_dir, "requirements.txt")
-        marker_file = os.path.join(safe_plugin_dir, ".dependencies_installed")
 
         if not os.path.isfile(requirements_file):
             return True  # No dependencies needed
 
-        try:
+        if not requirements_has_real_deps(requirements_file):
-            with open(requirements_file, 'rb') as fh:
+            self.logger.debug(
-                current_hash = hashlib.sha256(fh.read()).hexdigest()
+                "requirements.txt for %s has no real dependencies (comments/blank only), skipping pip",
-        except OSError as e:
+                plugin_id
-            self.logger.error("Failed to read requirements.txt for %s: %s", plugin_id, e)
+            )
-            return False
+            return True
 
-        # Skip if requirements.txt hasn't changed since last install
+        if requirements_are_satisfied(requirements_file):
-        if os.path.isfile(marker_file):
+            self.logger.debug(
-            try:
+                "Dependencies for %s already satisfied in current environment, skipping pip",
-                with open(marker_file, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as fh:
+                plugin_id
-                    stored_hash = fh.read().strip()
+            )
-            except OSError as e:
+            return True
-                self.logger.warning(
-                    "Could not read dependency marker for %s (%s), will reinstall dependencies",
-                    plugin_id, e
-                )
-            else:
-                if stored_hash == current_hash:
-                    self.logger.debug("Dependencies already installed for %s (requirements unchanged)", plugin_id)
-                    return True
-                self.logger.info("Requirements changed for %s, reinstalling dependencies", plugin_id)
 
         try:
             self.logger.info("Installing dependencies for plugin %s...", plugin_id)
@@ -225,32 +302,54 @@ class PluginLoader:
             )
 
             if result.returncode == 0:
-                try:
-                    with open(marker_file, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as fh:
-                        fh.write(current_hash)
-                    ensure_file_permissions(Path(marker_file), get_plugin_file_mode())
-                except OSError as marker_err:
-                    self.logger.debug("Could not write dependency marker for %s: %s", plugin_id, marker_err)
                 self.logger.info("Dependencies installed successfully for %s", plugin_id)
                 return True
             else:
                 stderr = result.stderr or ""
-                # uninstall-no-record-file means the package is already present at the
+                # uninstall-no-record-file means a system-managed copy of a package
-                # system level (e.g. installed via dnf/apt without a pip RECORD file).
+                # (e.g. apt's python3-requests, which ships no pip RECORD file) is in
-                # pip can't replace it, but it IS installed — write the marker so we
+                # the way of the version this requirements.txt pins. Retry with
-                # don't retry on every restart.
+                # --ignore-installed so pip lays the pinned version down alongside
+                # the system copy instead of trying to replace it — matching the
+                # retry already used by install_dependencies_apt.py / safe_pip_install.sh.
+                # Without this retry, the plugin would silently keep running against
+                # whatever version the system happened to ship.
                 if "uninstall-no-record-file" in stderr:
                     self.logger.warning(
-                        "Dependencies for %s include system-managed packages (no pip RECORD). "
+                        "Dependencies for %s conflict with a system-managed package "
-                        "Assuming they are satisfied: %s",
+                        "(no pip RECORD); retrying with --ignore-installed: %s",
                         plugin_id, stderr.strip()
                     )
+                    # Wrapped in its own try/except so a retry timeout is
+                    # tolerated the same way as a retry failure, instead of
+                    # propagating to the outer handler and returning False
+                    # (which would contradict the "assume satisfied" fallback
+                    # below).
                     try:
-                        with open(marker_file, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as fh:
+                        # sys.executable is this process's own interpreter (not
-                            fh.write(current_hash)
+                        # attacker-influenced), and requirements_file is a path
-                        ensure_file_permissions(Path(marker_file), get_plugin_file_mode())
+                        # built internally by find_plugin_directory, never raw
-                    except OSError as marker_err:
+                        # external input.
-                        self.logger.debug("Could not write dependency marker for %s: %s", plugin_id, marker_err)
+                        retry_result = subprocess.run(  # nosec B603 - no shell invoked (list-form argv)  # nosemgrep
+                            [sys.executable, "-m", "pip", "install", "--break-system-packages",
+                             "--ignore-installed", "-r", requirements_file],
+                            capture_output=True,
+                            text=True,
+                            timeout=timeout,
+                            check=False
+                        )
+                        if retry_result.returncode != 0:
+                            self.logger.warning(
+                                "Retry with --ignore-installed also failed for %s; assuming the "
+                                "system-managed version satisfies the requirement: %s",
+                                plugin_id, (retry_result.stderr or "").strip()
+                            )
+                    except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+                        self.logger.warning(
+                            "Retry with --ignore-installed timed out for %s; assuming the "
+                            "system-managed version satisfies the requirement",
+                            plugin_id
+                        )
                     return True
                 self.logger.warning(
                     "Dependency installation returned non-zero exit code for %s: %s",
@@ -618,6 +717,14 @@ class PluginLoader:
         """
         # Install dependencies if needed
         if install_deps:
+            if plugins_dir is None:
+                raise PluginError(
+                    f"plugins_dir is required to install dependencies for plugin {plugin_id} "
+                    "(needed for path containment; pass install_deps=False if the caller "
+                    "doesn't have a trusted plugins directory to supply)",
+                    plugin_id=plugin_id,
+                    context={'plugin_dir': str(plugin_dir)},
+                )
             if not self.install_dependencies(plugin_dir, plugin_id, plugins_dir=plugins_dir):
                 raise PluginError(
                     f"Dependency installation failed for plugin {plugin_id} in {plugin_dir}",

src/plugin_system/plugin_manager.py

@@ -9,13 +9,13 @@ API Version: 1.0.0
 
 import json
 import sys
-import subprocess
 import time
 import threading
+import types
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Dict, List, Optional, Any
 import logging
-from src.exceptions import PluginError
+from src.exceptions import PluginError, ConfigError
 from src.logging_config import get_logger
 from src.plugin_system.plugin_loader import PluginLoader
 from src.plugin_system.plugin_executor import PluginExecutor
@@ -81,7 +81,13 @@ class PluginManager:
         self.plugin_manifests: Dict[str, Dict[str, Any]] = {}
         self.plugin_modules: Dict[str, Any] = {}
         self.plugin_last_update: Dict[str, float] = {}
-        
+
+        # Cached data-fetch intervals per plugin_id.
+        # _get_plugin_update_interval falls back to config_manager.get_config()
+        # (a full dict copy) when the manifest lacks an interval — caching avoids
+        # that copy on every 30-fps tick.  Cleared on load/unload.
+        self._update_interval_cache: Dict[str, Optional[float]] = {}
+
         # Health tracking (optional, set by display_controller if available)
         self.health_tracker = None
         self.resource_monitor = None
@@ -171,90 +177,6 @@ class PluginManager:
 
         return plugin_ids
 
-    def _get_dependency_marker_path(self, plugin_id: str) -> Path:
-        """Get path to dependency installation marker file."""
-        plugin_dir = self.plugins_dir / plugin_id
-        if not plugin_dir.exists():
-            # Try with ledmatrix- prefix
-            plugin_dir = self.plugins_dir / f"ledmatrix-{plugin_id}"
-        return plugin_dir / ".dependencies_installed"
-
-    def _check_dependencies_installed(self, plugin_id: str) -> bool:
-        """Check if dependencies are already installed for a plugin."""
-        marker_path = self._get_dependency_marker_path(plugin_id)
-        return marker_path.exists()
-
-    def _mark_dependencies_installed(self, plugin_id: str) -> None:
-        """Mark dependencies as installed for a plugin."""
-        marker_path = self._get_dependency_marker_path(plugin_id)
-        try:
-            marker_path.touch()
-            # Set proper file permissions after creating marker
-            from src.common.permission_utils import (
-                ensure_file_permissions,
-                get_plugin_file_mode
-            )
-            ensure_file_permissions(marker_path, get_plugin_file_mode())
-        except (OSError, PermissionError) as e:
-            self.logger.warning("Could not create dependency marker for %s: %s", plugin_id, e)
-
-    def _remove_dependency_marker(self, plugin_id: str) -> None:
-        """Remove dependency installation marker."""
-        marker_path = self._get_dependency_marker_path(plugin_id)
-        try:
-            if marker_path.exists():
-                marker_path.unlink()
-        except (OSError, PermissionError) as e:
-            self.logger.warning("Could not remove dependency marker for %s: %s", plugin_id, e)
-
-    def _install_plugin_dependencies(self, requirements_file: Path) -> bool:
-        """
-        Install plugin dependencies from requirements.txt.
-        
-        Args:
-            requirements_file: Path to requirements.txt
-            
-        Returns:
-            True if installation succeeded or not needed, False on error
-        """
-        try:
-            self.logger.info("Installing dependencies from %s", requirements_file)
-            result = subprocess.run(
-                [sys.executable, "-m", "pip", "install", "--break-system-packages", "--no-cache-dir", "-r", str(requirements_file)],
-                capture_output=True,
-                text=True,
-                timeout=300,
-                check=False
-            )
-            
-            if result.returncode == 0:
-                self.logger.info("Dependencies installed successfully")
-                return True
-            else:
-                self.logger.warning("Dependency installation returned non-zero exit code: %s", result.stderr)
-                return False
-        except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
-            self.logger.error("Dependency installation timed out")
-            return False
-        except FileNotFoundError as e:
-            self.logger.warning("Command not found: %s. Skipping dependency installation", e)
-            return True
-        except (BrokenPipeError, OSError) as e:
-            # Handle broken pipe errors (errno 32) which can occur during pip downloads
-            # Often caused by network interruptions or output buffer issues
-            if isinstance(e, OSError) and e.errno == 32:
-                self.logger.error(
-                    "Broken pipe error during dependency installation. "
-                    "This usually indicates a network interruption or pip output buffer issue. "
-                    "Try installing again or check your network connection."
-                )
-            else:
-                self.logger.error("OS error during dependency installation: %s", e)
-            return False
-        except Exception as e:
-            self.logger.error("Unexpected error installing dependencies: %s", e, exc_info=True)
-            return True
-
     def load_plugin(self, plugin_id: str) -> bool:
         """
         Load a plugin by ID.
@@ -384,10 +306,20 @@ class PluginManager:
                     self.logger.error("Error validating plugin %s config: %s", plugin_id, e, exc_info=True)
                     self.state_manager.set_state(plugin_id, PluginState.ERROR, error=e)
                     return False
-            
+
+            # Schema validation (warn/degrade only — never blocks loading).
+            # A config that violates the plugin's JSON schema is surfaced to the
+            # user (log warning + degraded flag in the health tracker) but the
+            # plugin still loads exactly as it does today. This deliberately does
+            # NOT change load_plugin()'s pass/fail behaviour for any plugin that
+            # loads under the current code.
+            self._validate_config_schema_soft(plugin_id, config)
+
             # Store plugin instance
             self.plugins[plugin_id] = plugin_instance
             self.plugin_last_update[plugin_id] = 0.0
+            # Invalidate cached interval so next tick re-derives it for this plugin
+            self._update_interval_cache.pop(plugin_id, None)
             
             # Update state based on enabled status
             if config.get('enabled', True):
@@ -411,6 +343,59 @@ class PluginManager:
             self.state_manager.set_state(plugin_id, PluginState.ERROR, error=e)
             return False
     
+    def _validate_config_schema_soft(self, plugin_id: str, config: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+        """Validate a plugin's config against its JSON schema — warn/degrade only.
+
+        On a schema violation this logs a warning and marks the plugin degraded
+        in the health tracker (when one is wired), so the problem is visible in
+        the web UI. It never raises, never changes plugin state, and never
+        affects whether the plugin loads. ``config`` here has already been
+        merged with schema defaults by the caller, so fields that ship a default
+        never appear "missing" — only genuinely user-supplied required fields
+        (e.g. an API key) can trip the required-field check.
+        """
+        try:
+            schema = self.schema_manager.load_schema(plugin_id)
+        except Exception as e:  # pragma: no cover - defensive
+            self.logger.debug("Could not load schema for %s: %s", plugin_id, e)
+            return
+
+        if not schema:
+            # No schema shipped — nothing to validate. Clear any stale flag.
+            self._set_degraded_safe(plugin_id, None)
+            return
+
+        try:
+            is_valid, errors = self.schema_manager.validate_config_against_schema(
+                config, schema, plugin_id
+            )
+        except Exception as e:  # pragma: no cover - defensive
+            # Validation machinery itself failed — do not penalise the plugin.
+            self.logger.debug("Schema validation raised for %s: %s", plugin_id, e)
+            return
+
+        if is_valid or not errors:
+            self._set_degraded_safe(plugin_id, None)
+            return
+
+        summary = "; ".join(errors[:5])
+        if len(errors) > 5:
+            summary += f" (+{len(errors) - 5} more)"
+        self.logger.warning(
+            "Plugin %s config does not match its schema (loading anyway): %s",
+            plugin_id, summary,
+        )
+        self._set_degraded_safe(plugin_id, f"Config schema: {summary}")
+
+    def _set_degraded_safe(self, plugin_id: str, reason: Optional[str]) -> None:
+        """Best-effort ``health_tracker.set_degraded`` that never raises."""
+        if not self.health_tracker:
+            return
+        try:
+            self.health_tracker.set_degraded(plugin_id, reason)
+        except Exception as e:  # pragma: no cover - defensive
+            self.logger.debug("Could not set degraded flag for %s: %s", plugin_id, e)
+
     def unload_plugin(self, plugin_id: str) -> bool:
         """
         Unload a plugin by ID.
@@ -444,8 +429,8 @@ class PluginManager:
             
             # Remove from active plugins
             del self.plugins[plugin_id]
-            if plugin_id in self.plugin_last_update:
+            self.plugin_last_update.pop(plugin_id, None)
-                del self.plugin_last_update[plugin_id]
+            self._update_interval_cache.pop(plugin_id, None)
             
             # Remove main module from sys.modules if present
             module_name = f"plugin_{plugin_id.replace('-', '_')}"
@@ -639,41 +624,46 @@ class PluginManager:
 
     def _get_plugin_update_interval(self, plugin_id: str, plugin_instance: Any) -> Optional[float]:
         """
-        Get the update interval for a plugin.
+        Get the data-fetch interval for a plugin (seconds between update() calls).
-        
+
-        Args:
+        Result is cached per plugin_id after the first lookup to avoid calling
-            plugin_id: Plugin identifier
+        config_manager.get_config() — which returns a full dict copy — on every
-            plugin_instance: Plugin instance
+        tick of the 30-fps display loop.  The cache is invalidated when a plugin
-            
+        is loaded or unloaded.
-        Returns:
-            Update interval in seconds or None if not configured
         """
-        # Check manifest first
+        if plugin_id in self._update_interval_cache:
+            return self._update_interval_cache[plugin_id]
+
+        interval: Optional[float] = None
+
+        # 1. Manifest (immutable after load — preferred source)
         manifest = self.plugin_manifests.get(plugin_id, {})
-        update_interval = manifest.get('update_interval')
+        raw = manifest.get('update_interval')
-        
+        if raw is not None:
-        if update_interval:
             try:
-                return float(update_interval)
+                interval = float(raw)
             except (ValueError, TypeError):
                 pass
-        
+
-        # Check plugin config
+        # 2. Plugin config (mutable; only read once and then cached)
-        if self.config_manager:
+        if interval is None and self.config_manager:
             try:
                 config = self.config_manager.get_config()
-                plugin_config = config.get(plugin_id, {})
+                raw = config.get(plugin_id, {}).get('update_interval')
-                update_interval = plugin_config.get('update_interval')
+                if raw is not None:
-                if update_interval:
                     try:
-                        return float(update_interval)
+                        interval = float(raw)
                     except (ValueError, TypeError):
                         pass
-            except Exception as e:
+            except (ConfigError, OSError, ValueError, TypeError) as e:
                 self.logger.debug("Could not get update interval from config: %s", e)
-        
+
-        # Default: 60 seconds
+        # 3. Default
-        return 60.0
+        if interval is None:
+            interval = 60.0
+
+        self._update_interval_cache[plugin_id] = interval
+        return interval
 
     def _record_update_failure(
         self,
@@ -754,8 +744,18 @@ class PluginManager:
                         # If resource monitor exists, wrap the call
                         def monitored_update():
                             self.resource_monitor.monitor_call(plugin_id, plugin_instance.update)
+                        # SimpleNamespace stores `update` as an *instance*
+                        # attribute, so attribute lookup returns the plain
+                        # function object as-is. A dynamically-built class
+                        # (`type(..., {'update': monitored_update})`) instead
+                        # stores it as a *class* attribute, which the
+                        # descriptor protocol turns into a bound method on
+                        # access -- silently prepending the instance as an
+                        # implicit first argument to a function that takes
+                        # none, raising "monitored_update() takes 0
+                        # positional arguments but 1 was given" on every call.
                         success = self.plugin_executor.execute_update(
-                            type('obj', (object,), {'update': monitored_update})(),
+                            types.SimpleNamespace(update=monitored_update),
                             plugin_id
                         )
                     else:
@@ -823,7 +823,7 @@ class PluginManager:
             
             # Get health tracker metrics if available
             if self.health_tracker:
-                health_info = self.health_tracker.get_plugin_health(plugin_id)
+                health_info = self.health_tracker.get_health_summary(plugin_id)
                 plugin_metrics['health'] = health_info
             else:
                 plugin_metrics['health'] = {'status': 'unknown'}
@@ -848,7 +848,7 @@ class PluginManager:
             
             # Get resource monitor metrics if available
             if self.resource_monitor:
-                resource_info = self.resource_monitor.get_plugin_metrics(plugin_id)
+                resource_info = self.resource_monitor.get_metrics_summary(plugin_id)
                 plugin_metrics['resources'] = resource_info
             else:
                 plugin_metrics['resources'] = {'status': 'unknown'}

src/plugin_system/resource_monitor.py

@@ -71,17 +71,32 @@ class PluginResourceMonitor:
         self.cache_manager = cache_manager
         self.enable_monitoring = enable_monitoring and PSUTIL_AVAILABLE
         self.logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-        
+
         # Resource metrics per plugin
         self._metrics: Dict[str, ResourceMetrics] = {}
         self._limits: Dict[str, ResourceLimits] = {}
-        
+
         # Thread-local storage for execution tracking
         self._local = threading.local()
-        
+
         # Lock for thread-safe access
         self._lock = threading.Lock()
-        
+
+        # Cache a single psutil.Process handle. Reusing the same handle is what
+        # lets cpu_percent() be read non-blocking (interval=None): psutil returns
+        # the utilisation since the *previous* call on that same object. Creating
+        # a fresh Process() per call would force interval-based sampling that
+        # blocks the caller — unacceptable on the display loop's update path.
+        self._process = None
+        if self.enable_monitoring:
+            try:
+                self._process = psutil.Process()
+                # Prime cpu_percent so the first real measurement returns a
+                # meaningful delta instead of 0.0.
+                self._process.cpu_percent(interval=None)
+            except Exception:  # pragma: no cover - psutil edge cases
+                self._process = None
+
         if not PSUTIL_AVAILABLE and enable_monitoring:
             self.logger.warning(
                 "psutil not available - resource monitoring will be limited to execution time only"
@@ -95,13 +110,21 @@ class PluginResourceMonitor:
         """Get cache key for plugin limits."""
         return f"plugin_limits:{plugin_id}"
     
-    def get_metrics(self, plugin_id: str) -> ResourceMetrics:
+    def get_metrics(self, plugin_id: str, force_reload: bool = False) -> ResourceMetrics:
-        """Get current metrics for a plugin."""
+        """Get current metrics for a plugin.
+
+        ``force_reload=True`` bypasses both the in-memory copy and the cache
+        manager's memory tier so a read-only consumer (e.g. the web process)
+        sees the writer process's latest persisted metrics rather than a stale
+        first snapshot.
+        """
         with self._lock:
-            if plugin_id not in self._metrics:
+            if force_reload or plugin_id not in self._metrics:
                 # Try to load from cache
                 cache_key = self._get_metrics_key(plugin_id)
-                cached = self.cache_manager.get(cache_key, max_age=None)
+                cached = self.cache_manager.get(
+                    cache_key, max_age=None, memory_ttl=0 if force_reload else None
+                )
                 if cached:
                     metrics = ResourceMetrics(**cached)
                 else:
@@ -137,21 +160,24 @@ class PluginResourceMonitor:
     
     def _get_process_memory_mb(self) -> float:
         """Get current process memory usage in MB."""
-        if not self.enable_monitoring:
+        if not self.enable_monitoring or self._process is None:
             return 0.0
         try:
-            process = psutil.Process()
+            return self._process.memory_info().rss / 1024 / 1024
-            return process.memory_info().rss / 1024 / 1024
         except Exception:
             return 0.0
-    
+
-    def _get_process_cpu_percent(self, interval: float = 0.1) -> float:
+    def _get_process_cpu_percent(self) -> float:
-        """Get current process CPU usage percentage."""
+        """Get current process CPU usage percentage (non-blocking).
-        if not self.enable_monitoring:
+
+        Reads cpu_percent(interval=None) against the cached process handle, so
+        it returns immediately with the utilisation observed since the previous
+        call rather than blocking to sample a fresh interval.
+        """
+        if not self.enable_monitoring or self._process is None:
             return 0.0
         try:
-            process = psutil.Process()
+            return self._process.cpu_percent(interval=None)
-            return process.cpu_percent(interval=interval)
         except Exception:
             return 0.0
     
@@ -281,9 +307,13 @@ class PluginResourceMonitor:
             self.logger.error(error_msg)
             raise ResourceLimitExceeded(error_msg)
     
-    def get_metrics_summary(self, plugin_id: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    def get_metrics_summary(self, plugin_id: str, force_reload: bool = False) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        """Get metrics summary for a plugin."""
+        """Get metrics summary for a plugin.
-        metrics = self.get_metrics(plugin_id)
+
+        ``force_reload=True`` refreshes from the persisted cache first so
+        cross-process readers reflect the writer's latest metrics.
+        """
+        metrics = self.get_metrics(plugin_id, force_reload=force_reload)
         limits = self.get_limits(plugin_id)
         
         avg_execution_time = 0.0

src/plugin_system/state_reconciliation.py

@@ -322,10 +322,19 @@ class StateReconciliation:
                 and hasattr(self.store_manager, 'was_recently_uninstalled')
                 and self.store_manager.was_recently_uninstalled(plugin_id)
             )
+            # Also refuse to resurrect a plugin the user has persistently
+            # uninstalled. Unlike the in-memory race guard above, this record
+            # survives restarts, so the user's removal sticks across updates.
+            persistently_uninstalled = (
+                self.store_manager is not None
+                and hasattr(self.store_manager, 'is_plugin_uninstalled')
+                and self.store_manager.is_plugin_uninstalled(plugin_id)
+            )
             can_repair = (
                 self.store_manager is not None
                 and not previously_unrecoverable
                 and not recently_uninstalled
+                and not persistently_uninstalled
             )
             inconsistencies.append(Inconsistency(
                 plugin_id=plugin_id,

src/plugin_system/store_manager.py

@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ Handles plugin discovery, installation, updates, and uninstallation
 from both the official registry and custom GitHub repositories.
 """
 
-import hashlib
 import os
+import re
 import json
 import stat
 import subprocess
@@ -19,12 +19,15 @@ import time
 from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
 from datetime import datetime
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import List, Dict, Optional, Any, Tuple
+from typing import List, Dict, Optional, Any, Tuple, Set
 import logging
 
 from urllib.parse import urlparse
 
-from src.common.permission_utils import sudo_remove_directory
+from src.common.permission_utils import sudo_remove_directory, install_requirements_file
+from src.plugin_system.plugin_loader import (
+    requirements_has_real_deps, requirements_are_satisfied, find_trusted_subdir
+)
 
 try:
     from jsonschema import Draft7Validator, ValidationError
@@ -43,13 +46,24 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
     """
     
     REGISTRY_URL = "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ChuckBuilds/ledmatrix-plugins/main/plugins.json"
+
+    # A valid plugin id is a single path component: starts alphanumeric, then
+    # alphanumerics / dot / dash / underscore. Used to keep the uninstall
+    # registry from ever turning a corrupt or hand-edited entry (e.g. "",
+    # "..", "../x") into a filesystem path that purge_uninstalled_plugins
+    # would delete — an empty id resolves to the plugins root itself.
+    _PLUGIN_ID_RE = re.compile(r"^[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9._-]*$")
     
-    def __init__(self, plugins_dir: str = "plugins"):
+    def __init__(self, plugins_dir: str = "plugins",
+                 uninstalled_registry_path: Optional[str] = None):
         """
         Initialize the plugin store manager.
 
         Args:
             plugins_dir: Directory where plugins are installed
+            uninstalled_registry_path: Path to the JSON file recording plugins
+                the user has uninstalled. Defaults to
+                ``config/uninstalled_plugins.json`` under the project root.
         """
         self.plugins_dir = Path(plugins_dir)
         self.logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -84,6 +98,25 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
         self._uninstall_tombstones: Dict[str, float] = {}
         self._uninstall_tombstone_ttl = 300  # 5 minutes
 
+        # Persistent record of plugins the user has uninstalled. Unlike the
+        # in-memory tombstones above (a short-lived race guard), this survives
+        # restarts so that a core ``git pull`` update cannot resurrect a
+        # built-in plugin the user removed. Built-in plugins (e.g.
+        # ``web-ui-info``, ``starlark-apps``) are committed into the repo under
+        # ``plugin-repos/``, so a plain ``git pull`` restores their files even
+        # after the user deleted them. ``purge_uninstalled_plugins`` re-removes
+        # any such resurrected directory; ``install_plugin`` clears the record
+        # when the user deliberately reinstalls. The file is gitignored.
+        if uninstalled_registry_path is not None:
+            self._uninstalled_registry_path = Path(uninstalled_registry_path)
+        else:
+            self._uninstalled_registry_path = (
+                Path(__file__).parent.parent.parent / "config" / "uninstalled_plugins.json"
+            )
+        # Serializes read-modify-write of the registry file so concurrent
+        # install/uninstall requests can't lose updates.
+        self._uninstalled_registry_lock = threading.Lock()
+
         # Cache for _get_local_git_info: {plugin_path_str: (signature, data)}
         # where ``signature`` is a tuple of (head_mtime, resolved_ref_mtime,
         # head_contents) so a fast-forward update to the current branch
@@ -143,6 +176,135 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
             return False
         return True
 
+    def _is_valid_plugin_id(self, plugin_id: Any) -> bool:
+        """Return True if ``plugin_id`` is a safe single-component plugin id.
+
+        Rejects empty strings, anything with a path separator, and traversal
+        sequences like ``..`` so a registry entry can never escape (or target
+        the root of) ``self.plugins_dir`` during a purge.
+        """
+        return isinstance(plugin_id, str) and bool(self._PLUGIN_ID_RE.match(plugin_id))
+
+    def _read_uninstalled_registry(self) -> Set[str]:
+        """Read the persistent set of uninstalled plugin IDs.
+
+        Returns an empty set if the file is missing, unreadable, or corrupt —
+        a broken registry must never block normal plugin operations. Invalid
+        ids are dropped here so callers never turn them into paths.
+        """
+        try:
+            if not self._uninstalled_registry_path.exists():
+                return set()
+            with open(self._uninstalled_registry_path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
+                data = json.load(f)
+            if not isinstance(data, list):
+                self.logger.warning(
+                    "Uninstalled-plugin registry at %s is not a list; ignoring it",
+                    self._uninstalled_registry_path,
+                )
+                return set()
+            valid: Set[str] = set()
+            for pid in data:
+                if self._is_valid_plugin_id(pid):
+                    valid.add(pid)
+                else:
+                    self.logger.warning(
+                        "Ignoring invalid plugin id in uninstall registry: %r", pid
+                    )
+            return valid
+        except (OSError, ValueError) as e:
+            self.logger.warning(
+                "Could not read uninstalled-plugin registry at %s: %s",
+                self._uninstalled_registry_path, e,
+            )
+            return set()
+
+    def _write_uninstalled_registry(self, plugin_ids: Set[str]) -> None:
+        """Persist the set of uninstalled plugin IDs (sorted, atomically)."""
+        path = self._uninstalled_registry_path
+        try:
+            path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+            tmp_path = path.with_suffix(path.suffix + ".tmp")
+            with open(tmp_path, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f:
+                json.dump(sorted(plugin_ids), f, indent=2)
+            os.replace(tmp_path, path)
+        except OSError as e:
+            self.logger.error(
+                "Failed to write uninstalled-plugin registry at %s: %s", path, e
+            )
+
+    def record_uninstalled_plugin(self, plugin_id: str) -> None:
+        """Persistently record that the user uninstalled ``plugin_id``.
+
+        Survives restarts so a core update cannot resurrect the plugin.
+        """
+        if not self._is_valid_plugin_id(plugin_id):
+            self.logger.error("Refusing to record invalid plugin id: %r", plugin_id)
+            return
+        with self._uninstalled_registry_lock:
+            recorded = self._read_uninstalled_registry()
+            if plugin_id not in recorded:
+                recorded.add(plugin_id)
+                self._write_uninstalled_registry(recorded)
+                self.logger.info("Recorded %s as uninstalled (persistent)", plugin_id)
+
+    def forget_uninstalled_plugin(self, *plugin_ids: str) -> None:
+        """Drop ``plugin_ids`` from the persistent uninstall registry.
+
+        Called when a plugin is deliberately (re)installed so future updates
+        keep it.
+        """
+        with self._uninstalled_registry_lock:
+            recorded = self._read_uninstalled_registry()
+            to_remove = {pid for pid in plugin_ids if pid in recorded}
+            if to_remove:
+                self._write_uninstalled_registry(recorded - to_remove)
+                self.logger.info(
+                    "Cleared uninstall record for %s", ", ".join(sorted(to_remove))
+                )
+
+    def get_uninstalled_plugins(self) -> Set[str]:
+        """Return the persistent set of user-uninstalled plugin IDs."""
+        return self._read_uninstalled_registry()
+
+    def is_plugin_uninstalled(self, plugin_id: str) -> bool:
+        """Return True if ``plugin_id`` is in the persistent uninstall registry."""
+        return plugin_id in self._read_uninstalled_registry()
+
+    def purge_uninstalled_plugins(self) -> List[str]:
+        """Remove on-disk directories for plugins the user has uninstalled.
+
+        Built-in plugins committed into the repo are restored on disk by a
+        core ``git pull``; this re-removes any that the user previously
+        uninstalled. The registry entries are kept so the purge is idempotent
+        across every future update (until the user reinstalls). Returns the
+        list of plugin IDs whose directories were actually removed.
+        """
+        removed: List[str] = []
+        plugins_root = self.plugins_dir.resolve()
+        for plugin_id in sorted(self._read_uninstalled_registry()):
+            plugin_path = self.plugins_dir / plugin_id
+            # Defense in depth: ids are already validated on read, but never
+            # remove anything that isn't a direct child of the plugins root.
+            resolved = plugin_path.resolve()
+            if resolved == plugins_root or resolved.parent != plugins_root:
+                self.logger.error(
+                    "Refusing to purge unsafe plugin path for id %r", plugin_id
+                )
+                continue
+            if not plugin_path.exists():
+                continue
+            self.logger.info(
+                "Purging resurrected uninstalled plugin: %s", plugin_id
+            )
+            if self._safe_remove_directory(plugin_path):
+                removed.append(plugin_id)
+            else:
+                self.logger.error(
+                    "Failed to purge resurrected plugin directory: %s", plugin_path
+                )
+        return removed
+
     def _load_github_token(self) -> Optional[str]:
         """
         Load GitHub API token from config_secrets.json if available.
@@ -1024,6 +1186,10 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
         branch_info = f" (branch: {branch})" if branch else " (latest branch head)"
         self.logger.info(f"Installing plugin: {plugin_id}{branch_info}")
 
+        # Remember the originally-requested id so we can clear its uninstall
+        # record on success even if the manifest renames the directory below.
+        requested_id = plugin_id
+
         plugin_info = self.get_plugin_info(plugin_id, fetch_latest_from_github=True, force_refresh=True)
         if not plugin_info:
             self.logger.error(f"Plugin not found in registry: {plugin_id}")
@@ -1162,6 +1328,9 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
 
             branch_display = branch_used or plugin_info.get('branch') or plugin_info.get('default_branch', 'unknown')
             self.logger.info(f"Successfully installed plugin: {plugin_id} (branch {branch_display})")
+            # User deliberately (re)installed this plugin — clear any persistent
+            # uninstall record so future core updates keep it.
+            self.forget_uninstalled_plugin(requested_id, plugin_id)
             return True
 
         except Exception as e:
@@ -1733,40 +1902,63 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
     def _install_dependencies(self, plugin_path: Path) -> bool:
         """
         Install Python dependencies from requirements.txt.
-        
+
         Args:
             plugin_path: Path to plugin directory
-            
+
         Returns:
             True if successful or no requirements file
         """
-        requirements_file = plugin_path / "requirements.txt"
+        # Reconstruct the plugin path from the trusted self.plugins_dir base +
-        
+        # an entry actually enumerated from it, rather than trusting
+        # plugin_path directly -- callers ultimately derive it from a
+        # plugin-supplied manifest "id" field (see install_plugin_from_url),
+        # so without this a malicious manifest could point requirements_file
+        # outside plugins_dir. find_trusted_subdir()'s return value always
+        # comes from os.scandir() on the trusted root, so building the path
+        # from it (not from the caller's string) is a real containment
+        # guarantee, matching the pattern in PluginLoader.install_dependencies().
+        plugin_dir_real = os.path.realpath(str(plugin_path))
+        plugins_dir_real = os.path.realpath(str(self.plugins_dir))
+        requested_name = os.path.basename(plugin_dir_real)
+        matched_name = find_trusted_subdir(plugins_dir_real, requested_name)
+        if matched_name is None:
+            self.logger.error("Plugin directory not found inside plugins dir for dependency install")
+            return False
+        safe_plugin_path = Path(os.path.join(plugins_dir_real, matched_name))
+
+        requirements_file = safe_plugin_path / "requirements.txt"
+
         if not requirements_file.exists():
             self.logger.debug(f"No requirements.txt found in {plugin_path.name}")
             return True
-        
+
+        if not requirements_has_real_deps(str(requirements_file)):
+            self.logger.debug(f"requirements.txt for {plugin_path.name} has no real dependencies, skipping pip")
+            return True
+
+        if requirements_are_satisfied(str(requirements_file)):
+            self.logger.debug(f"Dependencies for {plugin_path.name} already satisfied, skipping pip")
+            return True
+
         try:
             self.logger.info(f"Installing dependencies for {plugin_path.name}")
-            subprocess.run(
+            # Routed through the shared root-visible installer (same one the
-                ['pip3', 'install', '--break-system-packages', '-r', str(requirements_file)],
+            # web UI's "Reinstall Plugin Deps" tool uses) rather than a bare
-                check=True,
+            # `pip`/`pip3` off PATH: a bare pip binary can silently resolve to
-                capture_output=True,
+            # a different Python installation than the one that actually runs
-                text=True,
+            # ledmatrix.service, so pip reports success while the package
-                timeout=300
+            # stays invisible to the running plugin (e.g. missing `astral`
-            )
+            # for the weather plugin even though "install" succeeded).
+            result = install_requirements_file(requirements_file, timeout=300)
+            if result.returncode != 0:
+                self.logger.error(
+                    f"Error installing dependencies for {plugin_path.name}: {result.stderr}"
+                )
+                return False
             self.logger.info(f"Dependencies installed successfully for {plugin_path.name}")
-            # Write hash marker so plugin_loader skips redundant pip run on next startup
-            try:
-                current_hash = hashlib.sha256(requirements_file.read_bytes()).hexdigest()
-                (plugin_path / ".dependencies_installed").write_text(current_hash, encoding='utf-8')
-            except OSError as marker_err:
-                self.logger.debug("Could not write dependency marker for %s: %s", plugin_path.name, marker_err)
             return True
-            
+
-        except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
-            self.logger.error(f"Error installing dependencies: {e.stderr}")
-            return False
         except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
             self.logger.error("Dependency installation timed out")
             return False
@@ -2262,19 +2454,6 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
                                     file_path = line[3:].strip()
                                     untracked_files.append(file_path)
                         
-                        # Remove marker files that are safe to delete (they'll be regenerated)
-                        safe_to_remove = ['.dependencies_installed']
-                        removed_files = []
-                        for file_name in safe_to_remove:
-                            file_path = plugin_path / file_name
-                            if file_path.exists() and file_name in untracked_files:
-                                try:
-                                    file_path.unlink()
-                                    removed_files.append(file_name)
-                                    self.logger.info(f"Removed marker file {file_name} from {plugin_id} before update")
-                                except Exception as e:
-                                    self.logger.warning(f"Could not remove {file_name} from {plugin_id}: {e}")
-                        
                         # Check for tracked file changes
                         status_result = subprocess.run(
                             ['git', '-C', str(plugin_path), 'status', '--porcelain', '--untracked-files=no'],
@@ -2285,10 +2464,9 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
                         )
                         has_changes = bool(status_result.stdout.strip())
                         
-                        # If there are remaining untracked files (not safe to remove), stash them
+                        # If there are untracked files, stash them
-                        remaining_untracked = [f for f in untracked_files if f not in removed_files]
+                        if untracked_files:
-                        if remaining_untracked:
+                            self.logger.info(f"Found {len(untracked_files)} untracked files in {plugin_id}, will stash them")
-                            self.logger.info(f"Found {len(remaining_untracked)} untracked files in {plugin_id}, will stash them")
                             has_changes = True
                     except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
                         # If status check times out, assume there might be changes and proceed

src/plugin_system/testing/__init__.py

@@ -7,13 +7,22 @@ Provides base classes and utilities for testing LEDMatrix plugins.
 from .plugin_test_base import PluginTestCase
 from .mocks import MockDisplayManager, MockCacheManager, MockConfigManager, MockPluginManager
 from .visual_display_manager import VisualTestDisplayManager
+from .bounds_display_manager import BoundsCheckingDisplayManager
+from .sizes import (
+    DEFAULT_TEST_SIZES, SUPPORTED_SIZES, resolve_test_sizes, size_label,
+)
 
 __all__ = [
     'PluginTestCase',
     'VisualTestDisplayManager',
+    'BoundsCheckingDisplayManager',
     'MockDisplayManager',
     'MockCacheManager',
     'MockConfigManager',
     'MockPluginManager',
+    'DEFAULT_TEST_SIZES',
+    'SUPPORTED_SIZES',
+    'resolve_test_sizes',
+    'size_label',
 ]
 

src/plugin_system/testing/bounds_display_manager.py

@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+"""
+Bounds-checking display manager.
+
+A VisualTestDisplayManager that draws onto an oversized canvas (the declared
+panel size plus a right/bottom margin) while still reporting the declared size
+to the plugin. Content that a plugin draws past the right or bottom edge lands
+in the margin instead of being silently clipped by PIL, so the harness can
+detect overflow — the classic symptom of hardcoded coordinates or fonts/icons
+that don't scale down to a smaller panel.
+
+Limitations (documented on purpose):
+- Overflow past the LEFT or TOP edge (negative coordinates) is still clipped by
+  PIL and not detected here. The dominant real-world breakage is content that is
+  too wide/tall for a smaller panel, which this catches.
+- BDF text is clipped to the declared bounds by the parent's bitmap drawer, so
+  BDF overflow is not flagged. Golden-image regression covers those plugins.
+- If a plugin replaces the canvas with its own image (display_manager.image = ...),
+  the margin can't be measured and overflow is reported as undetermined (None).
+"""
+
+from typing import Optional, Tuple
+
+from .sizes import DEFAULT_TEST_SIZES
+from .visual_display_manager import VisualTestDisplayManager, _MatrixProxy
+
+# Smallest extra band kept on the right/bottom so a few pixels of overflow are
+# still visible even on the largest panel in a run.
+_BASE_MARGIN = 16
+# Fallback overflow reference when a caller doesn't pass one: the largest shape
+# in the default sample. We extend every (smaller) canvas out to at least this
+# size so content drawn at a coordinate meant for a bigger build — e.g. x=200 on
+# a 64-wide panel — lands in the padded region and is flagged, instead of being
+# clipped off-canvas and read as a false pass.
+_DEFAULT_EXTENT_WIDTH = max(w for w, _ in DEFAULT_TEST_SIZES)
+_DEFAULT_EXTENT_HEIGHT = max(h for _, h in DEFAULT_TEST_SIZES)
+
+
+class BoundsCheckingDisplayManager(VisualTestDisplayManager):
+    """Detects drawing that overflows the declared panel size."""
+
+    # Kept for backwards compatibility; real padding is computed per-axis below.
+    MARGIN = _BASE_MARGIN
+
+    def __init__(self, width: int = 128, height: int = 32,
+                 overflow_extent: Optional[Tuple[int, int]] = None):
+        self._declared_width = int(width)
+        self._declared_height = int(height)
+        # Pad the canvas out to at least `overflow_extent` (the largest panel
+        # this run cares about) plus a base margin, so coordinates meant for a
+        # bigger build are caught — not clipped — when rendering a smaller panel.
+        # Defaults to the largest shape in the sample when no run is known.
+        ext_w, ext_h = overflow_extent or (_DEFAULT_EXTENT_WIDTH, _DEFAULT_EXTENT_HEIGHT)
+        self._canvas_width = max(self._declared_width, int(ext_w)) + _BASE_MARGIN
+        self._canvas_height = max(self._declared_height, int(ext_h)) + _BASE_MARGIN
+        # Parent builds the (oversized) backing canvas + fonts.
+        super().__init__(self._canvas_width, self._canvas_height)
+        # Plugins must see the DECLARED size, not the padded canvas size.
+        self.matrix = _MatrixProxy(self._declared_width, self._declared_height)
+
+    # -- declared dimensions (override parent's image-derived properties) --
+
+    @property
+    def width(self) -> int:
+        return self._declared_width
+
+    @property
+    def height(self) -> int:
+        return self._declared_height
+
+    @property
+    def display_width(self) -> int:
+        return self._declared_width
+
+    @property
+    def display_height(self) -> int:
+        return self._declared_height
+
+    # -- overflow detection --
+
+    def _canvas_is_padded(self) -> bool:
+        return self.image.size == (self._canvas_width, self._canvas_height)
+
+    def check_overflow(self) -> Optional[Tuple[int, int, int, int]]:
+        """Bounding box (in full-canvas coords) of any drawing beyond the
+        declared panel, or None if nothing overflowed / undetermined."""
+        if not self._canvas_is_padded():
+            return None
+
+        exp_w = self._canvas_width
+        exp_h = self._canvas_height
+        boxes = []
+
+        right = self.image.crop((self._declared_width, 0, exp_w, exp_h)).getbbox()
+        if right:
+            boxes.append((right[0] + self._declared_width, right[1],
+                          right[2] + self._declared_width, right[3]))
+
+        bottom = self.image.crop((0, self._declared_height, exp_w, exp_h)).getbbox()
+        if bottom:
+            boxes.append((bottom[0], bottom[1] + self._declared_height,
+                          bottom[2], bottom[3] + self._declared_height))
+
+        if not boxes:
+            return None
+        return (
+            min(b[0] for b in boxes), min(b[1] for b in boxes),
+            max(b[2] for b in boxes), max(b[3] for b in boxes),
+        )
+
+    # -- snapshot/image accessors return the cropped, true-panel image --
+
+    def declared_image(self):
+        """The visible panel: the canvas cropped to the declared size."""
+        if self._canvas_is_padded():
+            return self.image.crop((0, 0, self._declared_width, self._declared_height))
+        return self.image
+
+    def save_snapshot(self, path: str) -> None:
+        self.declared_image().save(path, format='PNG')
+
+    def get_image(self):
+        return self.declared_image()
+
+    def get_image_base64(self) -> str:
+        import base64
+        import io
+        buffer = io.BytesIO()
+        self.declared_image().save(buffer, format='PNG')
+        return base64.b64encode(buffer.getvalue()).decode('utf-8')

src/plugin_system/testing/harness.py

@@ -0,0 +1,314 @@
+"""
+Plugin safety harness.
+
+Renders a plugin across every declared screen (mode) and every supported matrix
+size, capturing crashes and overflow. Used by scripts/check_plugin.py and the
+pytest matrix test to guarantee a plugin change doesn't break a screen at a size
+the author didn't try.
+
+The render flow mirrors scripts/render_plugin.py (same PluginLoader call), but
+this module adds: multi-size iteration, per-mode rendering, overflow detection
+via BoundsCheckingDisplayManager, and golden-image comparison.
+"""
+
+import contextlib
+import http.client
+import inspect
+import socket
+import ssl
+import urllib.error
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Tuple
+
+from PIL import Image, ImageChops
+
+from src.logging_config import get_logger
+from .bounds_display_manager import BoundsCheckingDisplayManager
+from .loading import load_config_defaults, load_manifest
+from .sizes import DEFAULT_TEST_SIZES, safe_mode_filename, size_label
+
+logger = get_logger("[Plugin Harness]")
+
+
+def _tolerated_update_errors() -> Tuple[type, ...]:
+    """Exception types from update() we treat as a tolerated no-connectivity
+    failure (expected in CI / headless dev) rather than a real plugin bug.
+
+    Anything NOT in this set is a genuine regression — a plugin that lets a
+    non-network exception escape update() should fail the harness, not pass
+    green because display() happened to survive.
+    """
+    types: List[type] = [
+        ConnectionError, TimeoutError,        # builtins
+        socket.gaierror, socket.timeout,      # DNS / socket timeouts
+        ssl.SSLError,
+        urllib.error.URLError,
+        http.client.HTTPException,
+    ]
+    try:  # requests is optional; cover its whole error tree when present
+        import requests
+        types.append(requests.exceptions.RequestException)
+    except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover - requests not installed
+        logger.debug("requests not installed; its connectivity errors won't be specifically tolerated")
+    return tuple(types)
+
+
+_TOLERATED_UPDATE_ERRORS = _tolerated_update_errors()
+
+
+@dataclass
+class RenderResult:
+    """Outcome of rendering one (size, mode) of a plugin."""
+    plugin_id: str
+    width: int
+    height: int
+    mode: str
+    image: Optional[Image.Image] = None
+    error: Optional[str] = None          # fatal: load/display crash, or a non-network update() error
+    update_error: Optional[str] = None   # tolerated: connectivity error from update() (no network in CI)
+    overflow: Optional[Tuple[int, int, int, int]] = None  # bbox past the panel
+    # golden comparison (populated only when a golden was provided)
+    golden_checked: bool = False
+    golden_ok: Optional[bool] = None
+    golden_diff_pixels: int = 0
+    golden_max_delta: int = 0
+
+    @property
+    def size_label(self) -> str:
+        return size_label(self.width, self.height)
+
+    @property
+    def ok(self) -> bool:
+        """Phase-1 pass: rendered without crashing and without overflow, and if a
+        golden was checked it matched."""
+        if self.error is not None or self.overflow is not None:
+            return False
+        if self.golden_checked and self.golden_ok is False:
+            return False
+        return True
+
+
+def list_modes(plugin_instance: Any, manifest: Dict[str, Any], plugin_id: str) -> List[str]:
+    """Enumerate a plugin's screens: instance.modes wins, then manifest
+    display_modes, then the plugin id as a single mode."""
+    modes = getattr(plugin_instance, "modes", None)
+    if modes:
+        return [str(m) for m in modes]
+    declared = manifest.get("display_modes")
+    if declared:
+        return [str(m) for m in declared]
+    return [plugin_id]
+
+
+def _instantiate(plugin_id: str, manifest: Dict[str, Any], plugin_dir: Path,
+                 config: Dict[str, Any], mock_data: Dict[str, Any],
+                 display_manager: Any) -> Any:
+    """Load and construct a plugin instance with mocked managers."""
+    from src.plugin_system.plugin_loader import PluginLoader
+    from src.plugin_system.testing import MockCacheManager, MockPluginManager
+
+    cache_manager = MockCacheManager()
+    for key, value in (mock_data or {}).items():
+        cache_manager.set(key, value)
+
+    loader = PluginLoader()
+    plugin_instance, _module = loader.load_plugin(
+        plugin_id=plugin_id,
+        manifest=manifest,
+        plugin_dir=plugin_dir,
+        config=config,
+        display_manager=display_manager,
+        cache_manager=cache_manager,
+        plugin_manager=MockPluginManager(),
+        install_deps=False,
+    )
+    return plugin_instance
+
+
+def _render_mode(plugin_instance: Any, mode: str) -> None:
+    """Render a specific screen. Prefer an explicit display_mode kwarg; otherwise
+    drive the plugin's internal mode state machine (first display() call renders
+    modes[current_mode_index] when current_display_mode is None)."""
+    sig = inspect.signature(plugin_instance.display)
+    if "display_mode" in sig.parameters:
+        plugin_instance.display(force_clear=True, display_mode=mode)
+        return
+
+    modes = getattr(plugin_instance, "modes", None)
+    if modes and mode in modes:
+        plugin_instance.current_mode_index = list(modes).index(mode)
+    if hasattr(plugin_instance, "current_display_mode"):
+        plugin_instance.current_display_mode = None
+    plugin_instance.display(force_clear=False)
+
+
+def _freeze(freeze_time: Optional[str]):
+    """Context manager that freezes wall-clock time when freeze_time is given,
+    so time-dependent plugins (clocks, countdowns) render deterministic goldens."""
+    if not freeze_time:
+        return contextlib.nullcontext()
+    try:
+        from freezegun import freeze_time as _ft
+    except ImportError as e:  # pragma: no cover - only hit without the dep
+        raise RuntimeError(
+            "freeze_time requires the 'freezegun' package (pip install freezegun)"
+        ) from e
+    return _ft(freeze_time)
+
+
+def render_plugin_matrix(
+    plugin_id: str,
+    plugin_dir: Path,
+    config: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
+    mock_data: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
+    sizes: Optional[List[Tuple[int, int]]] = None,
+    run_update: bool = True,
+    freeze_time: Optional[str] = None,
+) -> List[RenderResult]:
+    """Render every (size, mode) combination for a plugin.
+
+    Returns a flat list of RenderResult. A fresh plugin instance is built per
+    (size, mode) so state never leaks between screens. Pass freeze_time (e.g.
+    "2025-08-01 15:25:00") to make time-dependent plugins reproducible.
+    """
+    plugin_dir = Path(plugin_dir)
+    manifest = load_manifest(plugin_dir)
+    # Start from config_schema.json defaults so the plugin behaves like a real
+    # install; explicit caller config still wins over a schema default.
+    config = {"enabled": True, **load_config_defaults(plugin_dir), **(config or {})}
+    sizes = sizes or DEFAULT_TEST_SIZES
+    results: List[RenderResult] = []
+
+    # The largest panel in this run. Every (smaller) canvas is padded out to it
+    # so a coordinate meant for the biggest configuration is still caught when
+    # rendering a smaller one, instead of being clipped into a false pass.
+    extent = (max(w for w, _ in sizes), max(h for _, h in sizes))
+
+    with _freeze(freeze_time):
+        for width, height in sizes:
+            results.extend(_render_size(
+                plugin_id, manifest, plugin_dir, config, mock_data or {},
+                width, height, run_update, extent,
+            ))
+
+    return results
+
+
+def _render_size(plugin_id, manifest, plugin_dir, config, mock_data,
+                 width, height, run_update, extent) -> List[RenderResult]:
+    """Render every mode at one size. A fresh instance per mode avoids state leaks."""
+    results: List[RenderResult] = []
+
+    # Discover modes once per size (instance build can depend on config).
+    try:
+        probe_dm = BoundsCheckingDisplayManager(width=width, height=height, overflow_extent=extent)
+        probe = _instantiate(plugin_id, manifest, plugin_dir, config, mock_data, probe_dm)
+        modes = list_modes(probe, manifest, plugin_id)
+    except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001 — surface any load failure as a result
+        return [RenderResult(plugin_id, width, height, "<load>", error=repr(e))]
+
+    for mode in modes:
+        result = RenderResult(plugin_id, width, height, mode)
+        dm = BoundsCheckingDisplayManager(width=width, height=height, overflow_extent=extent)
+        try:
+            inst = _instantiate(plugin_id, manifest, plugin_dir, config, mock_data, dm)
+            if run_update:
+                try:
+                    inst.update()
+                except _TOLERATED_UPDATE_ERRORS as e:
+                    # Expected when CI / headless dev has no network: record it
+                    # (surfaced in the report) but don't fail the run.
+                    result.update_error = repr(e)
+                    logger.debug("update() connectivity error for %s [%s]: %s", plugin_id, mode, e)
+                except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001 — a non-network update() failure is a real bug
+                    # A regression in update() must not pass green just because
+                    # display() survives, so treat it as a failure of this render.
+                    result.error = repr(e)
+                    logger.warning("update() raised a non-connectivity error for %s [%s]: %s",
+                                   plugin_id, mode, e)
+            if result.error is None:
+                _render_mode(inst, mode)
+                result.image = dm.get_image()
+                result.overflow = dm.check_overflow()
+        except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001 — a display crash is a real failure
+            result.error = repr(e)
+        results.append(result)
+
+    return results
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Golden-image comparison
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def compare_images(rendered: Image.Image, golden: Image.Image,
+                   max_delta: int = 0, max_diff_pixels: int = 0) -> Tuple[bool, int, int]:
+    """Compare two images. Returns (ok, diff_pixel_count, max_per_channel_delta).
+
+    Tolerances default to exact match; bump them only to absorb known platform
+    anti-aliasing noise (requires a pinned Pillow + bundled fonts for stability).
+    """
+    if rendered.size != golden.size:
+        return False, rendered.size[0] * rendered.size[1], 255
+    a = rendered.convert("RGB")
+    b = golden.convert("RGB")
+    diff = ImageChops.difference(a, b)
+    bbox = diff.getbbox()
+    if bbox is None:
+        return True, 0, 0
+    # Count pixels whose largest per-channel delta exceeds the allowed tolerance,
+    # and track the worst delta seen (for reporting).
+    diff_pixels = 0
+    observed_max = 0
+    for px in diff.crop(bbox).getdata():
+        m = max(px) if isinstance(px, tuple) else px
+        if m > observed_max:
+            observed_max = m
+        if m > max_delta:
+            diff_pixels += 1
+    # Pass when the number of out-of-tolerance pixels is within budget.
+    ok = diff_pixels <= max_diff_pixels
+    return ok, diff_pixels, observed_max
+
+
+def golden_path(golden_dir: Path, width: int, height: int, mode: str) -> Path:
+    """Location of a golden image: <golden_dir>/<WxH>/<mode>.png.
+
+    The mode is sanitized to a safe basename so a mode name with '/' or '..'
+    can't read or write outside the golden directory.
+    """
+    return Path(golden_dir) / size_label(width, height) / f"{safe_mode_filename(mode)}.png"
+
+
+def compare_to_goldens(results: List[RenderResult], golden_dir: Path,
+                       max_delta: int = 0, max_diff_pixels: int = 0) -> List[RenderResult]:
+    """Compare rendered results against committed goldens, mutating each result's
+    golden_* fields. Results with no golden file on disk are left unchecked."""
+    for r in results:
+        if r.image is None:
+            continue
+        gp = golden_path(golden_dir, r.width, r.height, r.mode)
+        if not gp.exists():
+            continue
+        r.golden_checked = True
+        with Image.open(gp) as g:
+            ok, diff_pixels, observed_max = compare_images(
+                r.image, g, max_delta=max_delta, max_diff_pixels=max_diff_pixels)
+        r.golden_ok = ok
+        r.golden_diff_pixels = diff_pixels
+        r.golden_max_delta = observed_max
+    return results
+
+
+def write_goldens(results: List[RenderResult], golden_dir: Path) -> int:
+    """Write each successfully-rendered result to its golden path. Returns count."""
+    written = 0
+    for r in results:
+        if r.image is None or r.error is not None:
+            continue
+        gp = golden_path(golden_dir, r.width, r.height, r.mode)
+        gp.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        r.image.save(gp, format="PNG")
+        written += 1
+    return written

src/plugin_system/testing/loading.py

@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+"""
+Shared helpers for loading a plugin headlessly.
+
+Used by scripts/render_plugin.py, scripts/check_plugin.py, and the harness so
+plugin discovery / manifest / config-default logic lives in exactly one place.
+"""
+
+import json
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any, Dict, Optional, Sequence, Union
+
+
+def find_plugin_dir(plugin_id: str, search_dirs: Sequence[Union[str, Path]]) -> Optional[Path]:
+    """Find a plugin directory by searching multiple paths."""
+    from src.plugin_system.plugin_loader import PluginLoader
+    loader = PluginLoader()
+    for search_dir in search_dirs:
+        search_path = Path(search_dir)
+        if not search_path.exists():
+            continue
+        result = loader.find_plugin_directory(plugin_id, search_path)
+        if result:
+            return Path(result)
+    return None
+
+
+def load_manifest(plugin_dir: Union[str, Path]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    """Load and return manifest.json from a plugin directory."""
+    manifest_path = Path(plugin_dir) / 'manifest.json'
+    if not manifest_path.exists():
+        raise FileNotFoundError(f"No manifest.json in {plugin_dir}")
+    with open(manifest_path, 'r') as f:
+        return json.load(f)
+
+
+def load_config_defaults(plugin_dir: Union[str, Path]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    """Extract default values from a plugin's config_schema.json (empty if none)."""
+    schema_path = Path(plugin_dir) / 'config_schema.json'
+    if not schema_path.exists():
+        return {}
+    with open(schema_path, 'r') as f:
+        schema = json.load(f)
+    defaults: Dict[str, Any] = {}
+    for key, prop in schema.get('properties', {}).items():
+        if isinstance(prop, dict) and 'default' in prop:
+            defaults[key] = prop['default']
+    return defaults
+
+
+def load_harness_spec(plugin_dir: Union[str, Path]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    """Optional per-plugin harness settings from <plugin>/test/harness.json.
+
+    Lets a plugin opt into golden-image testing by declaring how to render it
+    deterministically. All keys optional:
+        {
+          "config":     {...},            # config overrides
+          "mock_data":  "fixtures/mock.json",  # path (relative to plugin dir) to cache fixtures
+          "freeze_time": "2025-08-01 15:25:00",
+          "skip_update": false
+        }
+    Returns {} when no harness.json exists.
+    """
+    spec_path = Path(plugin_dir) / 'test' / 'harness.json'
+    if not spec_path.exists():
+        return {}
+    with open(spec_path, 'r') as f:
+        spec = json.load(f)
+
+    # Resolve mock_data path and inline its contents for convenience.
+    mock_rel = spec.get('mock_data')
+    if mock_rel:
+        mock_path = Path(plugin_dir) / mock_rel
+        if not mock_path.exists():
+            # A declared-but-missing fixture is a harness config error: failing
+            # loudly beats silently rendering the plugin with no mock data.
+            raise FileNotFoundError(
+                f"harness.json references mock_data '{mock_rel}' but "
+                f"{mock_path} does not exist"
+            )
+        with open(mock_path, 'r') as mf:
+            spec['mock_data_contents'] = json.load(mf)
+    return spec

src/plugin_system/testing/mocks.py

@@ -63,11 +63,23 @@ class MockCacheManager:
     """Mock cache manager for testing."""
     
     def __init__(self):
+        import shutil
+        import tempfile
+        import weakref
         self._cache: Dict[str, Any] = {}
         self._cache_timestamps: Dict[str, float] = {}
         self.get_calls = []
         self.set_calls = []
         self.delete_calls = []
+        # Real temp dir for plugins that write/read files under cache_dir.
+        # Registered for cleanup so each mock instance doesn't leak a tmp dir.
+        self.cache_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix="ledmatrix-mock-cache-")
+        self._finalizer = weakref.finalize(
+            self, shutil.rmtree, self.cache_dir, ignore_errors=True)
+
+    def cleanup(self) -> None:
+        """Remove the temp cache directory created for this instance."""
+        self._finalizer()
     
     def get(self, key: str, max_age: Optional[float] = None) -> Optional[Any]:
         """Get a value from cache."""

src/plugin_system/testing/sizes.py

@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+"""
+LED matrix sizes the plugin safety harness renders against.
+
+There is no fixed set of "supported" panel sizes — an RGB matrix build can be
+any width/height and configuration (square, rectangle, 2x2, 4x4, 8x2, long
+strips, tall stacks, ...). Plugins are expected to read width/height
+dynamically and lay themselves out accordingly, so the harness's job is to
+prove a plugin survives a *spread* of shapes, not a canonical list.
+
+`DEFAULT_TEST_SIZES` is therefore a representative SAMPLE chosen to span the
+axes of variation (narrow, wide, square, tall, small, long), not an
+exhaustive or authoritative list. Callers can override it entirely:
+
+  - CLI:        scripts/check_plugin.py --sizes 8x16,64x64,256x32
+  - pytest:     LEDMATRIX_TEST_SIZES="8x16,64x64" env var (all plugins), or
+                per-plugin test/harness.json {"sizes": [[8, 16], [64, 64]]}
+
+so anyone can point the harness at the exact panel(s) their build uses.
+"""
+
+import os
+from typing import Iterable, List, Optional, Sequence, Tuple, Union
+
+# A spread of real panel-grid arrangements (each module is 64x32), not a list of
+# "blessed" sizes. Each entry exercises a different layout assumption a plugin
+# might accidentally bake in. Annotations are the panel grid (cols x rows).
+DEFAULT_TEST_SIZES: List[Tuple[int, int]] = [
+    (64, 32),    # 1x1 — single panel, the tightest common rectangle
+    (128, 32),   # 2x1 — the baseline most plugins are tuned for
+    (64, 64),    # 1x2 — stacked, exercises tall-narrow centering
+    (128, 64),   # 2x2 — block, icon scaling / vertical centering
+    (256, 32),   # 4x1 — long strip, wide horizontal layout
+    (128, 96),   # 2x3 — tall, exercises vertical overflow
+    (256, 128),  # 4x4 — large block, both dimensions big at once
+]
+
+# Backwards-compatible alias. Prefer DEFAULT_TEST_SIZES in new code — the old
+# name implied these were the only valid panel sizes, which they are not.
+SUPPORTED_SIZES = DEFAULT_TEST_SIZES
+
+
+def size_label(width: int, height: int) -> str:
+    """Human/path-friendly label for a size, e.g. '128x32'."""
+    return f"{width}x{height}"
+
+
+def parse_size_token(token: str) -> Tuple[int, int]:
+    """Parse a single 'WxH' token into an (int, int) pair.
+
+    Raises ValueError (with a user-friendly message) on malformed input so
+    callers can surface it however they like.
+    """
+    cleaned = token.strip().lower()
+    if "x" not in cleaned:
+        raise ValueError(f"Invalid size '{token}' (expected WxH, e.g. 128x32)")
+    w, h = cleaned.split("x", 1)
+    try:
+        width, height = int(w), int(h)
+    except ValueError as exc:
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"Invalid size '{token}' (expected numeric WxH, e.g. 128x32)"
+        ) from exc
+    if width <= 0 or height <= 0:
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"Invalid size '{token}' (width and height must be positive, e.g. 128x32)"
+        )
+    return (width, height)
+
+
+def coerce_sizes(
+    value: Union[str, Iterable[Sequence[int]], None]
+) -> Optional[List[Tuple[int, int]]]:
+    """Normalize a size spec into a list of (w, h) tuples, or None if empty.
+
+    Accepts a comma-separated 'WxH,WxH' string (CLI / env var) or an iterable
+    of [w, h] / (w, h) pairs (harness.json). Returns None when value is falsy
+    so callers can fall back to the default sample.
+    """
+    if not value:
+        return None
+    if isinstance(value, str):
+        return [parse_size_token(tok) for tok in value.split(",") if tok.strip()]
+    sizes: List[Tuple[int, int]] = []
+    for pair in value:
+        w, h = pair  # raises if not a 2-element sequence
+        width, height = int(w), int(h)
+        if width <= 0 or height <= 0:
+            raise ValueError(f"Invalid size pair {pair!r} (width and height must be positive)")
+        sizes.append((width, height))
+    return sizes or None
+
+
+def resolve_test_sizes(
+    spec_sizes: Union[str, Iterable[Sequence[int]], None] = None,
+) -> List[Tuple[int, int]]:
+    """Decide which sizes to render, by precedence:
+
+    1. LEDMATRIX_TEST_SIZES env var — a global "test on my hardware" override
+       that wins for every plugin.
+    2. spec_sizes — e.g. a per-plugin harness.json "sizes" list.
+    3. DEFAULT_TEST_SIZES — the representative sample.
+    """
+    env = coerce_sizes(os.environ.get("LEDMATRIX_TEST_SIZES"))
+    if env:
+        return env
+    spec = coerce_sizes(spec_sizes)
+    if spec:
+        return spec
+    return list(DEFAULT_TEST_SIZES)
+
+
+def safe_mode_filename(mode: str) -> str:
+    """A filesystem-safe basename for a plugin mode.
+
+    Mode names come from plugin metadata/render state, so a value containing
+    '/' or '..' could otherwise escape the intended output directory. Collapse
+    anything that isn't alphanumeric / dash / underscore to '_'.
+    """
+    cleaned = "".join(ch if ch.isalnum() or ch in ("-", "_") else "_" for ch in mode)
+    return cleaned or "mode"

src/plugin_system/testing/visual_display_manager.py

@@ -454,6 +454,18 @@ class VisualTestDisplayManager:
         """Check if display is currently scrolling."""
         return self._scrolling_state['is_scrolling']
 
+    def process_deferred_updates(self):
+        """Process any deferred updates (no-op for testing).
+
+        Several ticker-style plugins (news, odds-ticker, leaderboard,
+        stock-news, stocks) call this unconditionally between
+        set_scrolling_state() and their scroll-position update, mirroring the
+        real display_manager's deferred-update queue. This double has no such
+        queue, so there is nothing to process — the no-op just lets those
+        plugins render under the harness instead of raising AttributeError.
+        """
+        pass
+
     # ------------------------------------------------------------------
     # Utility methods
     # ------------------------------------------------------------------

src/vegas_mode/plugin_adapter.py

@@ -279,6 +279,19 @@ class PluginAdapter:
             # Copy the image to prevent modification
             img = cached_image.copy()
 
+            # Plugins that build their own ticker image via this shared
+            # ScrollHelper's create_scrolling_image() get a solid-black
+            # leading margin exactly `display_width` columns wide baked in
+            # (scroll_helper.py's "initial gap before first item"). Vegas mode
+            # adds its own leading gap/separator around every item already,
+            # so leaving this in stacks a second, uncontrolled blank margin on
+            # top of vegas_scroll.separator_width — making this plugin's
+            # transitions look inconsistent with plugins that provide content
+            # via get_vegas_content() (which carries no such margin). Strip it
+            # here so every plugin contributes only its real content and the
+            # gap between items is governed solely by separator_width.
+            img = self._strip_scroll_padding(img, scroll_helper, plugin_id)
+
             # Ensure correct height
             if img.height != self.display_height:
                 logger.info(
@@ -306,6 +319,69 @@ class PluginAdapter:
             logger.exception("[%s] Error getting scroll_helper content", plugin_id)
             return None
 
+    def _strip_scroll_padding(
+        self, img: Image.Image, scroll_helper: Any, plugin_id: str
+    ) -> Image.Image:
+        """
+        Crop off a plugin's own leading/trailing blank margins, if present.
+
+        create_scrolling_image() always pads the *start* of its cached image
+        with exactly `scroll_helper.display_width` columns of solid black
+        (0, 0, 0) ("initial gap before first item"). Some ticker-style plugins
+        also pad the *end* of their own cached image (e.g. so their standalone
+        display exits cleanly before looping). Vegas mode already adds its own
+        gap/separator around every item, so either margin left in place stacks
+        an extra, uncontrolled blank stretch on top of `separator_width` —
+        only when running inside Vegas mode does this matter, since the
+        plugin's own standalone display still wants that margin. Detect solid
+        black margins up to `scroll_helper.display_width` wide on each edge and
+        crop them here. Images built via set_scrolling_image() (no such
+        margins) are left untouched.
+
+        Args:
+            img: Captured scroll_helper.cached_image (already copied)
+            scroll_helper: The plugin's ScrollHelper instance
+            plugin_id: Plugin identifier for logging
+
+        Returns:
+            img, cropped on whichever edge(s) had a matching blank margin
+        """
+        pad_width = getattr(scroll_helper, 'display_width', None)
+        if not isinstance(pad_width, int) or pad_width <= 0 or pad_width >= img.width:
+            return img
+
+        def is_solid_black(strip: Image.Image) -> bool:
+            return strip.convert('RGB').getextrema() == ((0, 0), (0, 0), (0, 0))
+
+        left = pad_width if is_solid_black(img.crop((0, 0, pad_width, img.height))) else 0
+        right = (
+            pad_width
+            if is_solid_black(img.crop((img.width - pad_width, 0, img.width, img.height)))
+            else 0
+        )
+
+        if not left and not right:
+            return img
+
+        # Degenerate case (e.g. an all-black cached image): don't crop past
+        # zero width, just leave the image as-is.
+        if left + right >= img.width:
+            return img
+
+        cropped = img.crop((left, 0, img.width - right, img.height))
+
+        # Both edges matching at once is a much stronger signal of genuine
+        # baked-in padding than a single edge (which has a small chance of
+        # coinciding with real all-black content, e.g. a dark logo touching
+        # one boundary). Log that case at warning level so an unexpected
+        # double-edge crop is easy to spot in the field.
+        log = logger.warning if (left and right) else logger.info
+        log(
+            "[%s] Stripping scroll_helper padding (left=%dpx, right=%dpx): %dpx -> %dpx",
+            plugin_id, left, right, img.width, cropped.width
+        )
+        return cropped
+
     def _trigger_scroll_content_generation(
         self, plugin: 'BasePlugin', plugin_id: str, scroll_helper: Any
     ) -> Optional[Image.Image]:

src/wifi_manager.py

@@ -1883,7 +1883,96 @@ class WiFiManager:
         
         logger.warning(f"Failed to enable WiFi radio after {max_retries} attempts")
         return False
-    
+
+    def get_wifi_radio_state(self) -> Dict:
+        """
+        Report whether the WiFi radio is currently enabled, plus whether a wired
+        fallback exists. Used by the web UI's radio toggle so it can warn before
+        an action that could disconnect the browser.
+
+        Returns:
+            {
+                'enabled': Optional[bool],   # True/False, or None if undeterminable
+                'ethernet_connected': bool,  # wired fallback present
+                'available': bool,           # nmcli present / radio state readable
+            }
+        """
+        ethernet_connected = self._is_ethernet_connected()
+        enabled: Optional[bool] = None
+        available = False
+        try:
+            result = subprocess.run(
+                ["nmcli", "radio", "wifi"],
+                capture_output=True,
+                text=True,
+                timeout=5
+            )
+            if result.returncode == 0:
+                status = result.stdout.strip().lower()
+                if status in ("enabled", "disabled"):
+                    enabled = status == "enabled"
+                    available = True
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.debug(f"Could not read WiFi radio state: {e}")
+        return {
+            'enabled': enabled,
+            'ethernet_connected': ethernet_connected,
+            'available': available,
+        }
+
+    def set_wifi_radio(self, enabled: bool, force: bool = False) -> Tuple[bool, str, Optional[str]]:
+        """
+        Turn the WiFi radio on or off.
+
+        Turning the radio OFF from the web interface is dangerous: if the device
+        is reachable only over WiFi, disabling it disconnects the very page that
+        issued the request. To prevent that lockout, disabling is refused unless a
+        wired (Ethernet) fallback is present, or the caller explicitly passes
+        force=True to acknowledge the risk.
+
+        Enabling reuses the hardened _ensure_wifi_radio_enabled() path (handles
+        rfkill soft-blocks + retries). Both directions rely only on
+        `nmcli radio wifi on|off`, which is already covered by the passwordless
+        sudoers allowlist (configure_wifi_permissions.sh) — no new privileged
+        command is introduced.
+
+        Returns:
+            (success, human-readable message, reason_code). reason_code is
+            'no_ethernet' when a disable is refused for lockout safety, or a
+            short failure code otherwise; None on success. The web UI keys on
+            'no_ethernet' to decide whether to offer a force-off prompt.
+        """
+        if enabled:
+            if self._ensure_wifi_radio_enabled():
+                return True, "WiFi radio enabled.", None
+            return False, "Failed to enable WiFi radio. Check logs for details.", 'enable_failed'
+
+        # Disabling — guard against locking the user out of the web interface.
+        if not force and not self._is_ethernet_connected():
+            return False, (
+                "Refusing to disable WiFi: no wired (Ethernet) connection was "
+                "detected, so turning off WiFi would disconnect you from this "
+                "page. Connect Ethernet first, or force it if you're sure."
+            ), 'no_ethernet'
+
+        try:
+            result = subprocess.run(
+                ["sudo", "nmcli", "radio", "wifi", "off"],
+                capture_output=True,
+                text=True,
+                timeout=10
+            )
+            if result.returncode == 0:
+                logger.info("WiFi radio disabled via web interface (force=%s)", force)
+                return True, "WiFi radio disabled.", None
+            logger.warning("Failed to disable WiFi radio: %s", result.stderr.strip())
+            return False, "Failed to disable WiFi radio. Check logs for details.", 'command_failed'
+        except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+            return False, "Command timed out while disabling WiFi radio.", 'timeout'
+        except (OSError, subprocess.SubprocessError) as e:
+            logger.error("Error disabling WiFi radio: %s", e, exc_info=True)
+            return False, "An error occurred while disabling WiFi radio.", 'error'
+
     def enable_ap_mode(self, force: bool = False) -> Tuple[bool, str]:
         """
         Enable access point mode

test/plugins/test_basketball_scoreboard.py

@@ -49,9 +49,10 @@ class TestBasketballScoreboardPlugin(PluginTestBase):
         """Test that plugin has display modes."""
         manifest = self.load_plugin_manifest(plugin_id)
         assert 'display_modes' in manifest
-        assert 'basketball_live' in manifest['display_modes']
+        # Manifest uses league-prefixed modes (nba_, wnba_, ncaam_, ncaaw_)
-        assert 'basketball_recent' in manifest['display_modes']
+        assert 'nba_live' in manifest['display_modes']
-        assert 'basketball_upcoming' in manifest['display_modes']
+        assert 'nba_recent' in manifest['display_modes']
+        assert 'nba_upcoming' in manifest['display_modes']
     
     def test_plugin_has_get_display_modes(self, plugin_id):
         """Test that plugin can return display modes."""

test/plugins/test_harness.py

@@ -0,0 +1,255 @@
+"""
+Unit tests for the plugin safety harness primitives:
+bounds detection, image comparison, and mode enumeration.
+
+These don't load real plugins, so they run anywhere (including core CI where
+plugin-repos is empty).
+"""
+
+import importlib.util
+import json
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+from PIL import Image
+
+from src.plugin_system.testing.bounds_display_manager import BoundsCheckingDisplayManager
+from src.plugin_system.testing.harness import (
+    _TOLERATED_UPDATE_ERRORS, compare_images, list_modes,
+)
+from src.plugin_system.testing.sizes import (
+    DEFAULT_TEST_SIZES, coerce_sizes, parse_size_token, resolve_test_sizes,
+)
+
+
+class TestBoundsDetection:
+    def test_reports_declared_size_not_canvas_size(self):
+        dm = BoundsCheckingDisplayManager(width=64, height=32)
+        assert dm.width == 64 and dm.height == 32
+        assert dm.matrix.width == 64 and dm.matrix.height == 32
+        # Backing canvas is padded out past the declared panel so far-overshoot
+        # coordinates land on-canvas and get flagged instead of clipped.
+        canvas_w, canvas_h = dm.image.size
+        assert canvas_w > 64 and canvas_h > 32
+
+    def test_far_overshoot_on_small_panel_is_detected(self):
+        # A coordinate meant for a wide build (x past 64) must still be caught
+        # when the declared panel is only 64 wide.
+        dm = BoundsCheckingDisplayManager(width=64, height=32)
+        dm.draw.rectangle([200, 5, 210, 10], fill=(255, 0, 0))
+        bbox = dm.check_overflow()
+        assert bbox is not None
+        assert bbox[0] >= 64
+
+    def test_in_bounds_drawing_has_no_overflow(self):
+        dm = BoundsCheckingDisplayManager(width=64, height=32)
+        dm.draw.rectangle([0, 0, 63, 31], fill=(255, 255, 255))
+        assert dm.check_overflow() is None
+
+    def test_right_overflow_is_detected(self):
+        dm = BoundsCheckingDisplayManager(width=64, height=32)
+        # Draw a few pixels past the right edge.
+        dm.draw.rectangle([60, 5, 70, 10], fill=(255, 0, 0))
+        bbox = dm.check_overflow()
+        assert bbox is not None
+        assert bbox[0] >= 64  # overflow starts at or past the declared width
+
+    def test_bottom_overflow_is_detected(self):
+        dm = BoundsCheckingDisplayManager(width=64, height=32)
+        dm.draw.rectangle([5, 30, 10, 40], fill=(0, 255, 0))
+        bbox = dm.check_overflow()
+        assert bbox is not None
+        assert bbox[3] > 32  # overflow extends past the declared height
+
+    def test_declared_image_is_cropped_to_panel(self):
+        dm = BoundsCheckingDisplayManager(width=64, height=32)
+        assert dm.get_image().size == (64, 32)
+
+    def test_snapshot_saves_cropped_panel(self, tmp_path):
+        dm = BoundsCheckingDisplayManager(width=128, height=32)
+        out = tmp_path / "snap.png"
+        dm.save_snapshot(str(out))
+        with Image.open(out) as img:
+            assert img.size == (128, 32)
+
+
+class TestArbitraryPanelSizes:
+    """The harness must handle any panel shape, not a fixed supported list."""
+
+    def test_overflow_extent_pads_to_largest_in_run(self):
+        # A wide run (extent 256) means content at x=200 on a 64-wide panel is
+        # caught; the same draw with a small extent would be clipped (false pass).
+        wide = BoundsCheckingDisplayManager(width=64, height=32, overflow_extent=(256, 32))
+        wide.draw.rectangle([200, 5, 210, 10], fill=(255, 0, 0))
+        assert wide.check_overflow() is not None
+
+        tight = BoundsCheckingDisplayManager(width=64, height=32, overflow_extent=(64, 32))
+        tight.draw.rectangle([200, 5, 210, 10], fill=(255, 0, 0))
+        assert tight.check_overflow() is None  # clipped beyond the small canvas
+
+    def test_unusual_shapes_report_their_declared_size(self):
+        for w, h in [(8, 2), (6, 6), (200, 8), (64, 96)]:
+            dm = BoundsCheckingDisplayManager(width=w, height=h)
+            assert dm.width == w and dm.height == h
+            assert dm.matrix.width == w and dm.matrix.height == h
+
+
+class TestUpdateErrorClassification:
+    """update() may fail for lack of network (tolerated) but a logic bug must
+    not pass green just because display() survives."""
+
+    def test_connectivity_errors_are_tolerated(self):
+        import socket
+        import urllib.error
+        for exc in (ConnectionError("x"), TimeoutError("x"), socket.gaierror("x"),
+                    urllib.error.URLError("x")):
+            assert isinstance(exc, _TOLERATED_UPDATE_ERRORS)
+
+    def test_logic_errors_are_not_tolerated(self):
+        for exc in (ValueError("x"), KeyError("x"), AttributeError("x"), TypeError("x")):
+            assert not isinstance(exc, _TOLERATED_UPDATE_ERRORS)
+
+
+class TestSizeParsing:
+    def test_parse_size_token_ok(self):
+        assert parse_size_token(" 128X32 ") == (128, 32)
+
+    def test_parse_size_token_rejects_garbage(self):
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+            parse_size_token("128xabc")
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+            parse_size_token("128-32")
+
+    def test_rejects_non_positive_dimensions(self):
+        for bad in ("0x32", "-64x32", "64x0", "64x-1"):
+            with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+                parse_size_token(bad)
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+            coerce_sizes([[0, 32]])
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+            coerce_sizes("64x-1")
+
+    def test_coerce_sizes_from_string_and_pairs(self):
+        assert coerce_sizes("8x16,64x64") == [(8, 16), (64, 64)]
+        assert coerce_sizes([[8, 16], (64, 64)]) == [(8, 16), (64, 64)]
+        assert coerce_sizes(None) is None
+        assert coerce_sizes("") is None
+
+    def test_resolve_precedence_env_then_spec_then_default(self, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.delenv("LEDMATRIX_TEST_SIZES", raising=False)
+        assert resolve_test_sizes(None) == list(DEFAULT_TEST_SIZES)
+        assert resolve_test_sizes([[8, 16]]) == [(8, 16)]
+        monkeypatch.setenv("LEDMATRIX_TEST_SIZES", "5x5")
+        # env wins over a per-plugin spec
+        assert resolve_test_sizes([[8, 16]]) == [(5, 5)]
+
+
+class TestCompareImages:
+    def test_identical_images_match(self):
+        a = Image.new("RGB", (16, 16), (10, 20, 30))
+        b = a.copy()
+        ok, diff_pixels, max_delta = compare_images(a, b)
+        assert ok and diff_pixels == 0 and max_delta == 0
+
+    def test_different_images_fail_at_zero_tolerance(self):
+        a = Image.new("RGB", (16, 16), (0, 0, 0))
+        b = a.copy()
+        b.putpixel((1, 1), (255, 255, 255))
+        ok, diff_pixels, max_delta = compare_images(a, b)
+        assert not ok and diff_pixels == 1 and max_delta == 255
+
+    def test_tolerance_absorbs_small_noise(self):
+        a = Image.new("RGB", (16, 16), (100, 100, 100))
+        b = a.copy()
+        b.putpixel((2, 2), (103, 100, 100))  # delta 3
+        ok, _, max_delta = compare_images(a, b, max_delta=5, max_diff_pixels=0)
+        assert ok and max_delta == 3
+
+    def test_size_mismatch_fails(self):
+        a = Image.new("RGB", (16, 16))
+        b = Image.new("RGB", (32, 16))
+        ok, _, _ = compare_images(a, b)
+        assert not ok
+
+
+class TestListModes:
+    def test_instance_modes_take_precedence(self):
+        inst = type("P", (), {"modes": ["a", "b"]})()
+        assert list_modes(inst, {"display_modes": ["x"]}, "pid") == ["a", "b"]
+
+    def test_falls_back_to_manifest_display_modes(self):
+        inst = type("P", (), {})()
+        assert list_modes(inst, {"display_modes": ["x", "y"]}, "pid") == ["x", "y"]
+
+    def test_falls_back_to_plugin_id(self):
+        inst = type("P", (), {})()
+        assert list_modes(inst, {}, "pid") == ["pid"]
+
+
+def _load_check_plugin_cli():
+    """Load scripts/check_plugin.py by path (it isn't an importable package)."""
+    root = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
+    path = root / "scripts" / "check_plugin.py"
+    spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("check_plugin_cli", path)
+    mod = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+    spec.loader.exec_module(mod)
+    return mod
+
+
+def _make_fixture_plugin(tmp_path, harness):
+    """Create a minimal plugin dir with a test/harness.json; return its parent
+    (the search dir)."""
+    pdir = tmp_path / "plugins" / "demo-clock"
+    (pdir / "test").mkdir(parents=True)
+    (pdir / "manifest.json").write_text(json.dumps({
+        "id": "demo-clock", "name": "Demo Clock", "version": "1.0.0",
+        "author": "test", "entry_point": "manager.py", "class_name": "DemoClock",
+        "display_modes": ["demo-clock"], "compatible_versions": ["*"],
+    }))
+    (pdir / "test" / "harness.json").write_text(json.dumps(harness))
+    return pdir.parent
+
+
+class TestCheckPluginHonorsHarnessJson:
+    """Regression: check_plugin.py (the CI tool) must apply test/harness.json so
+    its render reproduces the committed goldens — otherwise time/data-dependent
+    plugins drift on every CI run."""
+
+    def test_harness_json_supplies_render_settings(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+        mod = _load_check_plugin_cli()
+        search = _make_fixture_plugin(tmp_path, {
+            "config": {"timezone": "UTC"},
+            "freeze_time": "2025-08-01 15:25:00",
+            "sizes": [[128, 32]],
+        })
+        captured = {}
+        monkeypatch.setattr(mod, "render_plugin_matrix",
+                            lambda **kw: captured.update(kw) or [])
+        monkeypatch.setattr(mod, "compare_to_goldens", lambda *a, **k: [])
+        mod.check_one(
+            plugin_id="demo-clock", search_dirs=[str(search)], sizes=None,
+            mock_data={}, config={}, run_update=True, out_dir=None,
+            update_golden=False, golden_dir_override=None, freeze_time=None,
+        )
+        assert captured["freeze_time"] == "2025-08-01 15:25:00"
+        assert captured["config"]["timezone"] == "UTC"
+        assert captured["sizes"] == [(128, 32)]
+
+    def test_cli_flags_override_harness_json(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+        mod = _load_check_plugin_cli()
+        search = _make_fixture_plugin(tmp_path, {
+            "config": {"timezone": "UTC"},
+            "freeze_time": "2025-08-01 15:25:00",
+        })
+        captured = {}
+        monkeypatch.setattr(mod, "render_plugin_matrix",
+                            lambda **kw: captured.update(kw) or [])
+        monkeypatch.setattr(mod, "compare_to_goldens", lambda *a, **k: [])
+        mod.check_one(
+            plugin_id="demo-clock", search_dirs=[str(search)], sizes=None,
+            mock_data={}, config={"timezone": "America/New_York"},
+            run_update=True, out_dir=None, update_golden=False,
+            golden_dir_override=None, freeze_time="2030-01-01 00:00:00",
+        )
+        assert captured["freeze_time"] == "2030-01-01 00:00:00"
+        assert captured["config"]["timezone"] == "America/New_York"

test/plugins/test_plugin_matrix.py

@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+"""
+Cross-size / cross-screen plugin safety test.
+
+For every discovered plugin, render every declared screen at every supported
+matrix size and assert it: loads, renders without crashing, stays within the
+panel bounds, and — for plugins that ship golden images — matches them.
+
+Plugin discovery (first match wins):
+  - $LEDMATRIX_PLUGINS_DIR  (os.pathsep-separated list of dirs), else
+  - <project_root>/plugin-repos and <project_root>/plugins
+
+A plugin opts into golden-image checks by adding test/golden/<WxH>/<mode>.png
+(and usually test/harness.json for deterministic config / mock data / time).
+"""
+
+import os
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Dict, List
+
+import pytest
+
+from src.plugin_system.testing.harness import (
+    render_plugin_matrix, compare_to_goldens,
+)
+from src.plugin_system.testing.loading import load_config_defaults, load_harness_spec
+from src.plugin_system.testing.sizes import resolve_test_sizes
+
+PROJECT_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
+
+# Set LEDMATRIX_REQUIRE_PLUGINS=1 in any CI/hardware pipeline where plugins are
+# expected to be present, so a discovery drift (empty search path) fails loudly
+# instead of silently skipping and losing this safety signal.
+_REQUIRE_PLUGINS = os.environ.get("LEDMATRIX_REQUIRE_PLUGINS") == "1"
+
+
+def _plugin_search_dirs() -> List[Path]:
+    env = os.environ.get("LEDMATRIX_PLUGINS_DIR")
+    if env:
+        return [Path(p) for p in env.split(os.pathsep) if p]
+    return [PROJECT_ROOT / "plugin-repos", PROJECT_ROOT / "plugins"]
+
+
+def _discover() -> Dict[str, Path]:
+    """Map plugin_id -> plugin_dir for all plugins on the search path."""
+    found: Dict[str, Path] = {}
+    for base in _plugin_search_dirs():
+        if not base.exists():
+            continue
+        for child in sorted(base.iterdir()):
+            if (child / "manifest.json").exists() and child.name not in found:
+                found[child.name] = child
+    return found
+
+
+_PLUGINS = _discover()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.plugin
+def test_plugins_were_discovered() -> None:
+    """Guard against silently skipping the whole matrix when discovery drifts.
+
+    Local dev and the plugin-less core CI legitimately have no plugins, so we
+    skip there; but when LEDMATRIX_REQUIRE_PLUGINS=1 an empty search path is a
+    hard failure rather than a green no-op.
+    """
+    if _PLUGINS:
+        return
+    search = [str(p) for p in _plugin_search_dirs()]
+    if _REQUIRE_PLUGINS:
+        pytest.fail(
+            "LEDMATRIX_REQUIRE_PLUGINS=1 but no plugins were discovered on the "
+            f"search path: {search}"
+        )
+    pytest.skip(f"no plugins found on the search path: {search}")
+
+
+@pytest.mark.plugin
+@pytest.mark.skipif(not _PLUGINS, reason="no plugins found on the search path")
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("plugin_id", sorted(_PLUGINS))
+def test_plugin_renders_across_sizes_and_screens(plugin_id: str) -> None:
+    plugin_dir = _PLUGINS[plugin_id]
+    spec = load_harness_spec(plugin_dir)
+
+    config = {"enabled": True}
+    config.update(load_config_defaults(plugin_dir))
+    config.update(spec.get("config", {}))
+
+    # Sizes: LEDMATRIX_TEST_SIZES env (test on real hardware) wins, then the
+    # plugin's own harness.json "sizes", else the default representative sample.
+    sizes = resolve_test_sizes(spec.get("sizes"))
+
+    results = render_plugin_matrix(
+        plugin_id=plugin_id,
+        plugin_dir=plugin_dir,
+        config=config,
+        mock_data=spec.get("mock_data_contents", {}),
+        sizes=sizes,
+        run_update=not spec.get("skip_update", False),
+        freeze_time=spec.get("freeze_time"),
+    )
+    compare_to_goldens(results, plugin_dir / "test" / "golden")
+
+    failures = []
+    for r in results:
+        if r.error is not None:
+            failures.append(f"{r.size_label} {r.mode}: crashed: {r.error}")
+        elif r.overflow is not None:
+            failures.append(f"{r.size_label} {r.mode}: overflow past panel bbox={r.overflow}")
+        elif r.golden_checked and r.golden_ok is False:
+            failures.append(
+                f"{r.size_label} {r.mode}: golden drift {r.golden_diff_pixels}px "
+                f"(max Δ={r.golden_max_delta})"
+            )
+
+    assert not failures, f"{plugin_id} failed:\n  " + "\n  ".join(failures)

test/plugins/test_visual_rendering.py

@@ -172,6 +172,16 @@ class TestVisualDisplayManager:
         vdm.set_scrolling_state(False)
         assert vdm.is_currently_scrolling() is False
 
+    def test_process_deferred_updates_is_noop(self):
+        # Ticker-style plugins (news, odds-ticker, leaderboard, stock-news,
+        # stocks) call this unconditionally alongside set_scrolling_state();
+        # it must exist and be harmless so those plugins render under the
+        # harness instead of raising AttributeError.
+        vdm = VisualTestDisplayManager(width=128, height=32)
+        vdm.set_scrolling_state(True)
+        vdm.process_deferred_updates()  # should not raise
+        assert vdm.is_currently_scrolling() is True
+
     def test_format_date_with_ordinal(self):
         from datetime import datetime
         vdm = VisualTestDisplayManager(width=128, height=32)

test/test_cache_manager.py

@@ -279,10 +279,23 @@ class TestDiskCache:
         """Test getting expired cache entry."""
         cache = DiskCache(cache_dir=str(tmp_path))
         cache.set("test_key", {"data": "value"})
-        
+
         # Get with max_age=0 to force expiration
         result = cache.get("test_key", max_age=0)
         assert result is None
+
+    def test_get_max_age_none_never_expires(self, tmp_path):
+        """max_age=None must return persisted records regardless of age.
+
+        Regression: the age comparison raised TypeError for max_age=None,
+        which was swallowed and treated as a miss — silently breaking
+        long-lived state (plugin health/metrics) read across processes.
+        """
+        cache = DiskCache(cache_dir=str(tmp_path))
+        cache.set("test_key", {"data": "value", "timestamp": 0})  # epoch → very old
+        result = cache.get("test_key", max_age=None)
+        assert result is not None
+        assert result["data"] == "value"
     
     def test_get_nonexistent(self, tmp_path):
         """Test getting non-existent key."""

test/test_display_controller.py

@@ -167,6 +167,151 @@ class TestDisplayControllerLivePriority:
         assert controller.current_display_mode == "test_plugin_live"
         assert controller.force_change is True
 
+    def test_live_priority_resume_continues_rotation(self, test_display_controller):
+        """Regression: when live priority ends, rotation resumes where it was
+        interrupted, not after the live plugin's mode.
+
+        Without the fix, _apply_live_priority left current_mode_index pointing at
+        the live plugin's slot, so the next rotation step skipped every mode
+        between the interrupted position and the live plugin (e.g. elections,
+        which sits just before a flights plugin in the order)."""
+        controller = test_display_controller
+        controller.available_modes = [
+            "weather", "forecast", "almanac", "election_ticker", "flight_live"
+        ]
+        # Rotation is about to show the 3rd mode (index 2).
+        controller.current_mode_index = 2
+        controller.current_display_mode = "almanac"
+        controller._live_resume_index = None
+
+        # Live priority (e.g. planes overhead) preempts -> flight_live (index 4).
+        controller._apply_live_priority("flight_live")
+        assert controller.current_display_mode == "flight_live"
+        assert controller.current_mode_index == 4
+        assert controller._live_resume_index == 2  # saved rotation position
+
+        # Re-checks while the hold continues must not move the saved position.
+        controller._apply_live_priority("flight_live")
+        assert controller._live_resume_index == 2
+
+        # Live priority ends -> resume at the saved index (almanac), so the next
+        # rotation step lands on election_ticker (index 3) rather than skipping it.
+        controller._apply_live_priority(None)
+        assert controller.current_mode_index == 2
+        assert controller.current_display_mode == "almanac"
+        assert controller._live_resume_index is None
+
+    def test_live_priority_no_resume_when_idle(self, test_display_controller):
+        """No saved position + no live content is a no-op (normal rotation)."""
+        controller = test_display_controller
+        controller.available_modes = ["a", "b", "c"]
+        controller.current_mode_index = 1
+        controller.current_display_mode = "b"
+        controller._live_resume_index = None
+
+        controller._apply_live_priority(None)
+
+        assert controller.current_mode_index == 1
+        assert controller.current_display_mode == "b"
+
+    # --- Round-robin between multiple simultaneous live games --------------
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _live_plugin(live_modes):
+        """A mock plugin that is live and reports the given live mode names."""
+        p = MagicMock()
+        p.has_live_priority = MagicMock(return_value=True)
+        p.has_live_content = MagicMock(return_value=True)
+        p.get_live_modes = MagicMock(return_value=list(live_modes))
+        return p
+
+    def test_collect_live_modes_dedupes_multi_mode_plugin(self, test_display_controller):
+        """A sports plugin registered under several mode keys (one per league)
+        contributes each live mode once, in registration order; plugins with no
+        live content are skipped."""
+        controller = test_display_controller
+        baseball = self._live_plugin(["baseball_live"])
+        soccer = self._live_plugin(["soccer_fifa.world_live"])
+        idle = MagicMock()
+        idle.has_live_priority = MagicMock(return_value=True)
+        idle.has_live_content = MagicMock(return_value=False)
+        controller.plugin_modes = {
+            "baseball_live": baseball,
+            "baseball_recent": baseball,
+            "soccer_fifa.world_live": soccer,
+            "soccer_usa.1_live": soccer,
+            "soccer_recent": soccer,
+            "clock": idle,
+        }
+        assert controller._collect_live_modes() == [
+            "baseball_live", "soccer_fifa.world_live"
+        ]
+
+    def test_round_robin_alternates_between_simultaneous_live_games(self, test_display_controller):
+        """Regression: with two games live at once, the live-priority pick
+        round-robins each dwell instead of pinning to the first plugin in
+        registration order (the bug where a baseball game hid a live World Cup
+        match)."""
+        controller = test_display_controller
+        baseball = self._live_plugin(["baseball_live"])
+        soccer = self._live_plugin(["soccer_fifa.world_live"])
+        controller.plugin_modes = {
+            "baseball_live": baseball,
+            "soccer_fifa.world_live": soccer,
+        }
+        # First entry into live priority from an ambient mode -> first live game.
+        controller.current_display_mode = "clock"
+        assert controller._check_live_priority(advance=True) == "baseball_live"
+        # The controller switches to it; the next dwell advances to the other.
+        controller.current_display_mode = "baseball_live"
+        assert controller._check_live_priority(advance=True) == "soccer_fifa.world_live"
+        # And wraps back again.
+        controller.current_display_mode = "soccer_fifa.world_live"
+        assert controller._check_live_priority(advance=True) == "baseball_live"
+
+    def test_single_live_game_holds_without_flipping(self, test_display_controller):
+        """One live game: advancing returns the same mode, so the hold is stable."""
+        controller = test_display_controller
+        controller.plugin_modes = {"baseball_live": self._live_plugin(["baseball_live"])}
+        controller.current_display_mode = "baseball_live"
+        assert controller._check_live_priority(advance=True) == "baseball_live"
+
+    def test_non_advancing_peek_does_not_rotate(self, test_display_controller):
+        """The default (advance=False) peek used by the Vegas coordinator must
+        not spin the cursor: it returns the live mode already on screen."""
+        controller = test_display_controller
+        controller.plugin_modes = {
+            "baseball_live": self._live_plugin(["baseball_live"]),
+            "soccer_fifa.world_live": self._live_plugin(["soccer_fifa.world_live"]),
+        }
+        controller.current_display_mode = "soccer_fifa.world_live"
+        assert controller._check_live_priority() == "soccer_fifa.world_live"
+        assert controller._check_live_priority() == "soccer_fifa.world_live"
+        # From an ambient mode the peek reports the first live game (truthy).
+        controller.current_display_mode = "clock"
+        assert controller._check_live_priority() == "baseball_live"
+
+    def test_no_live_content_returns_none(self, test_display_controller):
+        controller = test_display_controller
+        idle = MagicMock()
+        idle.has_live_priority = MagicMock(return_value=True)
+        idle.has_live_content = MagicMock(return_value=False)
+        controller.plugin_modes = {"clock": idle}
+        controller.current_display_mode = "clock"
+        assert controller._check_live_priority(advance=True) is None
+
+    def test_fallback_to_mode_name_when_get_live_modes_unhelpful(self, test_display_controller):
+        """A live plugin whose get_live_modes returns nothing registered falls
+        back to its own '_live' mode name (legacy behavior preserved)."""
+        controller = test_display_controller
+        legacy = MagicMock()
+        legacy.has_live_priority = MagicMock(return_value=True)
+        legacy.has_live_content = MagicMock(return_value=True)
+        legacy.get_live_modes = MagicMock(return_value=["unregistered_mode"])
+        controller.plugin_modes = {"hockey_live": legacy}
+        controller.current_display_mode = "clock"
+        assert controller._check_live_priority(advance=True) == "hockey_live"
+
 
 class TestDisplayControllerDynamicDuration:
     """Test dynamic duration handling."""
@@ -229,18 +374,33 @@ class TestDisplayControllerSchedule:
     def test_inactive_hours(self, test_display_controller):
         """Test inactive hours check."""
         controller = test_display_controller
+        # Inject schedule directly into self.config (what _check_schedule actually reads)
+        # and reset the minute gate so the cached result from any prior call is cleared.
+        controller.config['schedule'] = {
+            "enabled": True,
+            "start_time": "09:00",
+            "end_time": "17:00",
+        }
+        controller._schedule_checked_minute = None
+        controller._tz = None
+
         with patch('src.display_controller.datetime') as mock_datetime:
             mock_datetime.now.return_value.strftime.return_value.lower.return_value = "monday"
             mock_datetime.now.return_value.time.return_value = datetime.strptime("20:00", "%H:%M").time()
             mock_datetime.strptime = datetime.strptime
 
-            schedule_config = {
+            controller._check_schedule()
-                "schedule": {
+            assert controller.is_display_active is False
-                    "enabled": True,
+
-                    "start_time": "09:00",
+
-                    "end_time": "17:00"
+class TestPluginHealthWiring:
-                }
+    """Phase 1: DisplayController activates the dormant plugin health/metrics
-            }
+    subsystem by wiring real tracker/monitor instances onto the plugin manager."""
-            with patch.object(controller.config_service, 'get_config', return_value=schedule_config):
+
-                controller._check_schedule()
+    def test_health_tracker_and_resource_monitor_wired(self, test_display_controller):
-                assert controller.is_display_active is False
+        from src.plugin_system.plugin_health import PluginHealthTracker
+        from src.plugin_system.resource_monitor import PluginResourceMonitor
+
+        pm = test_display_controller.plugin_manager
+        assert isinstance(pm.health_tracker, PluginHealthTracker)
+        assert isinstance(pm.resource_monitor, PluginResourceMonitor)

test/test_display_controller_optimizations.py

@@ -0,0 +1,322 @@
+"""
+Tests for the three display_controller.py optimizations:
+
+  Opt #1 — inspect.signature() caching per plugin_id
+  Opt #2 — pre-cached config values (_normal_brightness, _scroll_speed)
+  Opt #3 — schedule minute-gate (_check_schedule, _check_dim_schedule)
+"""
+
+import pytest
+import time
+from datetime import datetime
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch, call
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Shared fixture
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def controller(test_display_controller):
+    """Return a ready DisplayController from the existing suite fixture."""
+    return test_display_controller
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Opt #1 — signature cache
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class TestSignatureCache:
+    """inspect.signature() should be called at most once per plugin_id."""
+
+    class _PluginWithMode:
+        """Real class whose display() accepts display_mode — inspectable by signature."""
+        plugin_id = "mode_plugin"
+        def display(self, display_mode=None, force_clear=False):
+            return True
+
+    class _PluginNoMode:
+        """Real class whose display() does NOT accept display_mode."""
+        plugin_id = "no_mode_plugin"
+        def display(self, force_clear=False):
+            return True
+
+    def test_cache_starts_empty(self, controller):
+        assert controller._plugin_accepts_display_mode == {}
+
+    def test_signature_computed_and_cached(self, controller):
+        """After the first cache population, the dict holds a bool and stays unchanged
+        if queried again without explicitly deleting the key."""
+        import inspect as _inspect
+        plugin = self._PluginNoMode()
+        key = "sig_test"
+        if key not in controller._plugin_accepts_display_mode:
+            controller._plugin_accepts_display_mode[key] = (
+                "display_mode" in _inspect.signature(plugin.display).parameters
+            )
+        original = controller._plugin_accepts_display_mode[key]
+
+        # Accessing cache again should not change the value
+        second = controller._plugin_accepts_display_mode[key]
+        assert second == original
+
+    def test_cache_stores_false_for_no_display_mode(self, controller):
+        """Plugin whose display() doesn't accept display_mode → cached False."""
+        import inspect as _inspect
+        plugin = self._PluginNoMode()
+        controller._plugin_accepts_display_mode["no_mode_plugin"] = (
+            "display_mode" in _inspect.signature(plugin.display).parameters
+        )
+        assert controller._plugin_accepts_display_mode["no_mode_plugin"] is False
+
+    def test_cache_stores_true_for_display_mode(self, controller):
+        """Plugin whose display() accepts display_mode → cached True."""
+        import inspect as _inspect
+        plugin = self._PluginWithMode()
+        controller._plugin_accepts_display_mode["mode_plugin"] = (
+            "display_mode" in _inspect.signature(plugin.display).parameters
+        )
+        assert controller._plugin_accepts_display_mode["mode_plugin"] is True
+
+    def test_cache_cleared_on_plugin_reload(self, controller):
+        """Populating plugin_modes for an id that's already cached must clear the entry."""
+        plugin = MagicMock()
+        controller._plugin_accepts_display_mode["reload_plugin"] = False
+
+        # Simulate the plugin_modes population code path (as in __init__)
+        plugin_id = "reload_plugin"
+        controller.plugin_modes["reload_plugin"] = plugin
+        if hasattr(controller, "_plugin_accepts_display_mode"):
+            controller._plugin_accepts_display_mode.pop(plugin_id, None)
+
+        assert "reload_plugin" not in controller._plugin_accepts_display_mode
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Opt #2 — cached config values
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class TestCachedConfigValues:
+    """_normal_brightness and _scroll_speed are populated from config at init."""
+
+    def test_normal_brightness_cached(self, controller):
+        """_normal_brightness must equal what the config says."""
+        expected = (
+            controller.config
+            .get("display", {})
+            .get("hardware", {})
+            .get("brightness", 90)
+        )
+        assert controller._normal_brightness == expected
+
+    def test_scroll_speed_cached(self, controller):
+        """_scroll_speed must equal what the config says."""
+        expected = (
+            controller.config
+            .get("display", {})
+            .get("vegas_scroll", {})
+            .get("scroll_speed", 75)
+        )
+        assert controller._scroll_speed == expected
+
+    def test_current_brightness_uses_cached_value(self, controller):
+        """current_brightness is initialised from _normal_brightness."""
+        assert controller.current_brightness == controller._normal_brightness
+
+    def test_cached_target_brightness_init(self, controller):
+        """_cached_target_brightness starts equal to _normal_brightness."""
+        assert controller._cached_target_brightness == controller._normal_brightness
+
+    def test_normal_brightness_default_is_90(self, controller):
+        """If config has no brightness key the default is 90."""
+        controller.config = {}
+        controller._normal_brightness = (
+            controller.config.get("display", {})
+            .get("hardware", {})
+            .get("brightness", 90)
+        )
+        assert controller._normal_brightness == 90
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Opt #3 — schedule minute-gate
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class TestScheduleMinuteGate:
+    """_check_schedule and _check_dim_schedule skip re-evaluation within the same minute."""
+
+    # ── _check_schedule ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+    def test_schedule_checked_minute_starts_none(self, controller):
+        assert controller._schedule_checked_minute is None
+
+    def test_first_call_sets_checked_minute(self, controller):
+        """After the first real evaluation the minute key is stored."""
+        controller.config["schedule"] = {
+            "enabled": True,
+            "start_time": "00:00",
+            "end_time": "23:59",
+        }
+        controller._schedule_checked_minute = None
+        controller._tz = None
+
+        controller._check_schedule()
+        assert controller._schedule_checked_minute is not None
+
+    def test_second_call_same_minute_does_not_re_evaluate(self, controller):
+        """A second call with the same (hour, minute) returns without changing state."""
+        controller.config["schedule"] = {
+            "enabled": True,
+            "start_time": "00:00",
+            "end_time": "23:59",
+        }
+        controller._tz = None
+        controller._schedule_checked_minute = None
+
+        # First call — evaluates and marks as active (whole-day window)
+        controller._check_schedule()
+        assert controller.is_display_active is True
+        first_minute_key = controller._schedule_checked_minute
+
+        # Force is_display_active to False so we can tell if it gets re-evaluated
+        controller.is_display_active = False
+
+        # Second call within the same minute — gate fires, is_display_active unchanged
+        controller._schedule_checked_minute = first_minute_key  # same minute
+        controller._check_schedule()
+        assert controller.is_display_active is False, (
+            "Second call in same minute should return immediately without re-evaluation"
+        )
+
+    def test_new_minute_forces_re_evaluation(self, controller):
+        """A different (hour, minute) key causes a full re-evaluation."""
+        controller.config["schedule"] = {
+            "enabled": True,
+            "start_time": "00:00",
+            "end_time": "23:59",
+        }
+        controller._tz = None
+
+        # Plant a stale minute key from yesterday
+        controller._schedule_checked_minute = (-1, -1)
+        controller.is_display_active = False  # wrong value to be corrected
+
+        controller._check_schedule()
+        assert controller.is_display_active is True, (
+            "A new minute key should trigger re-evaluation and correct is_display_active"
+        )
+
+    def test_gate_skipped_when_schedule_disabled(self, controller):
+        """When schedule.enabled=False the method returns before reaching the gate."""
+        controller.config["schedule"] = {"enabled": False}
+        controller._schedule_checked_minute = None
+        controller._tz = None
+
+        controller._check_schedule()
+        # The early-return path doesn't set the minute key
+        assert controller._schedule_checked_minute is None
+
+    # ── _check_dim_schedule ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+    def test_dim_checked_minute_starts_none(self, controller):
+        assert controller._dim_checked_minute is None
+
+    def test_first_dim_call_sets_checked_minute(self, controller):
+        """First call with dim schedule enabled stores the minute key."""
+        controller.config["dim_schedule"] = {
+            "enabled": True,
+            "start_time": "22:00",
+            "end_time": "06:00",
+        }
+        controller.is_display_active = True
+        controller._dim_checked_minute = None
+        controller._tz = None
+
+        controller._check_dim_schedule()
+        assert controller._dim_checked_minute is not None
+
+    def test_dim_second_call_returns_cached_brightness(self, controller):
+        """Second call with same minute returns _cached_target_brightness immediately."""
+        controller.config["dim_schedule"] = {
+            "enabled": True,
+            "start_time": "22:00",
+            "end_time": "06:00",
+        }
+        controller.is_display_active = True
+        controller._dim_checked_minute = None
+        controller._tz = None
+
+        # First call stores the result
+        first_result = controller._check_dim_schedule()
+        assert controller._cached_target_brightness == first_result
+        minute_key = controller._dim_checked_minute
+
+        # Corrupt cached value to something recognisable
+        controller._cached_target_brightness = 42
+
+        # Second call in same minute — must return the cached 42
+        controller._dim_checked_minute = minute_key
+        second_result = controller._check_dim_schedule()
+        assert second_result == 42, (
+            "Same-minute call must return cached brightness, not re-compute"
+        )
+
+    def test_dim_gate_skipped_when_display_off(self, controller):
+        """When display is off the method exits before the minute gate."""
+        controller.config["dim_schedule"] = {"enabled": True, "start_time": "22:00", "end_time": "06:00"}
+        controller.is_display_active = False
+        controller._dim_checked_minute = None
+        controller._tz = None
+
+        controller._check_dim_schedule()
+        # Early-exit path does not set the minute key
+        assert controller._dim_checked_minute is None
+
+    def test_dim_cached_target_brightness_updated_after_full_evaluation(self, controller):
+        """After a full evaluation _cached_target_brightness reflects the result."""
+        controller.config["dim_schedule"] = {
+            "enabled": True,
+            "start_time": "22:00",
+            "end_time": "06:00",
+        }
+        controller.is_display_active = True
+        controller._dim_checked_minute = None   # force full re-evaluation
+        controller._tz = None
+
+        result = controller._check_dim_schedule()
+        assert controller._cached_target_brightness == result
+
+    # ── timezone lazy init ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+    def test_tz_starts_none(self, controller):
+        assert controller._tz is None
+
+    def test_tz_lazily_initialised_on_first_schedule_check(self, controller):
+        """_tz is None until _check_schedule or _check_dim_schedule is called."""
+        controller.config["schedule"] = {
+            "enabled": True,
+            "start_time": "00:00",
+            "end_time": "23:59",
+        }
+        controller._tz = None
+        controller._schedule_checked_minute = None
+
+        controller._check_schedule()
+        assert controller._tz is not None
+
+    def test_tz_shared_between_schedule_and_dim(self, controller):
+        """Both methods use the same cached _tz instance."""
+        controller.config["schedule"] = {"enabled": True, "start_time": "00:00", "end_time": "23:59"}
+        controller.config["dim_schedule"] = {"enabled": True, "start_time": "22:00", "end_time": "06:00"}
+        controller.is_display_active = True
+        controller._tz = None
+        controller._schedule_checked_minute = None
+        controller._dim_checked_minute = None
+
+        controller._check_schedule()
+        tz_after_schedule = controller._tz
+
+        controller._check_dim_schedule()
+        assert controller._tz is tz_after_schedule, (
+            "_check_dim_schedule should reuse the _tz set by _check_schedule"
+        )

test/test_display_controller_plugin_toggle.py

@@ -0,0 +1,255 @@
+"""Tests for live plugin enable/disable hot-reload in DisplayController.
+
+Enabling or disabling a plugin in config used to require a full display
+restart because the plugin list and available_modes were built once at init.
+These tests cover the reconcile path that loads/unloads plugins and rebuilds
+the dispatch maps on the main thread when the enabled set changes.
+"""
+
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+
+
+def _make_plugin(modes):
+    plugin = MagicMock()
+    plugin.modes = list(modes)
+    return plugin
+
+
+def _wire_plugin_manager(controller, plugins, discovered=None):
+    """Point the controller's mock plugin_manager at a set of fake plugins.
+
+    `plugins` maps plugin_id -> mock instance (with a .modes list).
+    """
+    pm = controller.plugin_manager
+    pm.discover_plugins.return_value = list(discovered if discovered is not None else plugins.keys())
+    pm.load_plugin.return_value = True
+    pm.unload_plugin.return_value = True
+    pm.plugin_manifests = {}
+    pm.get_plugin.side_effect = lambda pid: plugins.get(pid)
+    return pm
+
+
+def _set_config(controller, cfg):
+    controller.config_service.get_config = lambda: cfg
+
+
+class TestPluginEnableDisableHotReload:
+    def test_enable_plugin_live(self, test_display_controller):
+        controller = test_display_controller
+        assert controller.available_modes == []
+
+        plugin = _make_plugin(["foo"])
+        _wire_plugin_manager(controller, {"foo": plugin})
+        _set_config(controller, {"foo": {"enabled": True}})
+
+        controller._reconcile_enabled_plugins()
+
+        assert "foo" in controller.plugin_display_modes
+        assert "foo" in controller.available_modes
+        assert controller.plugin_modes["foo"] is plugin
+        assert controller.mode_to_plugin_id["foo"] == "foo"
+        controller.plugin_manager.load_plugin.assert_any_call("foo")
+
+    def test_disable_plugin_live(self, test_display_controller):
+        controller = test_display_controller
+        plugin = _make_plugin(["live", "recent"])
+        _wire_plugin_manager(controller, {"sports": plugin}, discovered=["sports"])
+
+        # Enable, then disable.
+        _set_config(controller, {"sports": {"enabled": True}})
+        controller._reconcile_enabled_plugins()
+        assert "sports" in controller.plugin_display_modes
+        assert "live" in controller.available_modes and "recent" in controller.available_modes
+        assert "sports" in controller._plugin_config_callbacks
+
+        _set_config(controller, {"sports": {"enabled": False}})
+        controller._reconcile_enabled_plugins()
+
+        assert "sports" not in controller.plugin_display_modes
+        assert "live" not in controller.available_modes
+        assert "recent" not in controller.available_modes
+        assert "live" not in controller.plugin_modes
+        assert "recent" not in controller.mode_to_plugin_id
+        controller.plugin_manager.unload_plugin.assert_any_call("sports")
+        assert "sports" not in controller._plugin_config_callbacks
+
+    def test_disable_clamps_current_mode_index(self, test_display_controller):
+        controller = test_display_controller
+        p1 = _make_plugin(["a"])
+        p2 = _make_plugin(["b"])
+        _wire_plugin_manager(controller, {"p1": p1, "p2": p2}, discovered=["p1", "p2"])
+
+        _set_config(controller, {"p1": {"enabled": True}, "p2": {"enabled": True}})
+        controller._reconcile_enabled_plugins()
+        # Add order across multiple plugins is set-driven (as at init), so
+        # compare membership, not order.
+        assert set(controller.available_modes) == {"a", "b"}
+
+        # Pretend we're currently showing p2's mode.
+        controller.current_mode_index = controller.available_modes.index("b")
+        controller.current_display_mode = "b"
+
+        _set_config(controller, {"p1": {"enabled": True}, "p2": {"enabled": False}})
+        controller._reconcile_enabled_plugins()
+
+        assert controller.available_modes == ["a"]
+        # Index must be back in range and the display mode no longer the removed one.
+        assert 0 <= controller.current_mode_index < len(controller.available_modes)
+        assert controller.current_display_mode == "a"
+
+    def test_enable_keeps_current_mode(self, test_display_controller):
+        controller = test_display_controller
+        p1 = _make_plugin(["a"])
+        p2 = _make_plugin(["b"])
+        _wire_plugin_manager(controller, {"p1": p1, "p2": p2}, discovered=["p1", "p2"])
+
+        _set_config(controller, {"p1": {"enabled": True}})
+        controller._reconcile_enabled_plugins()
+        controller.current_mode_index = 0
+        controller.current_display_mode = "a"
+
+        # Enabling p2 should not disturb the currently-showing mode.
+        _set_config(controller, {"p1": {"enabled": True}, "p2": {"enabled": True}})
+        controller._reconcile_enabled_plugins()
+
+        assert "b" in controller.available_modes
+        assert controller.current_display_mode == "a"
+        assert controller.available_modes[controller.current_mode_index] == "a"
+
+    def test_noop_when_enabled_set_unchanged(self, test_display_controller):
+        controller = test_display_controller
+        plugin = _make_plugin(["foo"])
+        _wire_plugin_manager(controller, {"foo": plugin}, discovered=["foo"])
+        _set_config(controller, {"foo": {"enabled": True}})
+        controller._reconcile_enabled_plugins()
+
+        load_calls = controller.plugin_manager.load_plugin.call_count
+        unload_calls = controller.plugin_manager.unload_plugin.call_count
+
+        # Reconcile again with no change — must not load/unload anything.
+        controller._reconcile_enabled_plugins()
+        assert controller.plugin_manager.load_plugin.call_count == load_calls
+        assert controller.plugin_manager.unload_plugin.call_count == unload_calls
+
+    def test_reconcile_ignores_non_dict_config_value(self, test_display_controller, caplog):
+        """A malformed config value (e.g. a stray string where a plugin's
+        section should be a dict) must be treated as disabled, not crash
+        the reconcile with AttributeError, and should be logged so it's
+        visible to whoever has to debug the malformed config."""
+        controller = test_display_controller
+        plugin = _make_plugin(["foo"])
+        _wire_plugin_manager(controller, {"foo": plugin}, discovered=["foo"])
+        _set_config(controller, {"foo": "not-a-dict"})
+
+        with caplog.at_level("WARNING"):
+            controller._reconcile_enabled_plugins()  # must not raise
+
+        assert "foo" not in controller.plugin_display_modes
+        assert "foo" not in controller.available_modes
+        assert any("foo" in r.message and "not a dict" in r.message for r in caplog.records)
+
+    def test_disable_keeps_callback_when_unsubscribe_fails(self, test_display_controller):
+        """If config_service.unsubscribe() raises, _unregister_plugin must
+        keep the callback in _plugin_config_callbacks rather than losing the
+        only reference to it (it still tears down the plugin itself)."""
+        controller = test_display_controller
+        plugin = _make_plugin(["live"])
+        _wire_plugin_manager(controller, {"sports": plugin}, discovered=["sports"])
+
+        _set_config(controller, {"sports": {"enabled": True}})
+        controller._reconcile_enabled_plugins()
+        assert "sports" in controller._plugin_config_callbacks
+
+        controller.config_service.unsubscribe = MagicMock(side_effect=RuntimeError("boom"))
+
+        _set_config(controller, {"sports": {"enabled": False}})
+        controller._reconcile_enabled_plugins()
+
+        assert "sports" not in controller.plugin_display_modes
+        assert "sports" in controller._plugin_config_callbacks
+
+
+class TestReconcileReturnValue:
+    """_reconcile_enabled_plugins() returns True/False so the caller (run()'s
+    loop) only clears _pending_plugin_reconcile on success, keeping a
+    retryable failure's request alive instead of silently dropping it."""
+
+    def test_returns_true_on_success(self, test_display_controller):
+        controller = test_display_controller
+        plugin = _make_plugin(["foo"])
+        _wire_plugin_manager(controller, {"foo": plugin}, discovered=["foo"])
+        _set_config(controller, {"foo": {"enabled": True}})
+        assert controller._reconcile_enabled_plugins() is True
+
+    def test_returns_true_for_noop(self, test_display_controller):
+        controller = test_display_controller
+        _wire_plugin_manager(controller, {}, discovered=[])
+        _set_config(controller, {})
+        assert controller._reconcile_enabled_plugins() is True
+
+    def test_returns_false_on_discovery_failure(self, test_display_controller):
+        controller = test_display_controller
+        controller.plugin_manager.discover_plugins.side_effect = RuntimeError("boom")
+        _set_config(controller, {})
+        assert controller._reconcile_enabled_plugins() is False
+
+    def test_returns_true_when_no_plugin_manager(self, test_display_controller):
+        controller = test_display_controller
+        controller.plugin_manager = None
+        assert controller._reconcile_enabled_plugins() is True
+
+
+class TestRunWithNoModesEnabled:
+    """Before hot-reload, an empty available_modes at startup was permanent
+    -- the display never came back without a restart. Now that a plugin can
+    be enabled live from the web UI, run() must idle rather than exit."""
+
+    def test_idles_instead_of_exiting(self, test_display_controller):
+        controller = test_display_controller
+        assert controller.available_modes == []
+
+        sleep_calls = []
+
+        def fake_sleep(duration, tick_interval=1.0):
+            sleep_calls.append(duration)
+            if len(sleep_calls) >= 3:
+                # Stand in for the process being torn down; run() catches
+                # this via its broad except + finally, same as any other
+                # unexpected error during the loop.
+                raise RuntimeError("stop-test-loop")
+
+        controller._sleep_with_plugin_updates = fake_sleep
+
+        controller.run()
+
+        # Old behavior returned before ever reaching the loop body, so
+        # _sleep_with_plugin_updates would never have been called. The idle
+        # tick is short (not a long sleep) so a plugin enabled via the web
+        # UI while idle is picked up about as promptly as it would be once
+        # modes exist and the loop is iterating per-frame.
+        assert sleep_calls == [1, 1, 1]
+
+
+class TestEnabledSetChanged:
+    def test_detects_toggle(self, test_display_controller):
+        c = test_display_controller
+        assert c._enabled_set_changed({"a": {"enabled": True}}, {"a": {"enabled": False}}) is True
+
+    def test_no_change(self, test_display_controller):
+        c = test_display_controller
+        cfg = {"a": {"enabled": True}, "b": {"enabled": False}}
+        assert c._enabled_set_changed(cfg, dict(cfg)) is False
+
+    def test_new_enabled_section(self, test_display_controller):
+        c = test_display_controller
+        assert c._enabled_set_changed(
+            {"a": {"enabled": True}},
+            {"a": {"enabled": True}, "b": {"enabled": True}},
+        ) is True
+
+    def test_ignores_non_enabled_value_edits(self, test_display_controller):
+        c = test_display_controller
+        assert c._enabled_set_changed(
+            {"a": {"enabled": True, "duration": 30}},
+            {"a": {"enabled": True, "duration": 45}},
+        ) is False

test/test_display_dirty_tracking.py

@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+"""Tests for update_display dirty tracking (src/display_manager.py).
+
+Runs against RGBMatrixEmulator (EMULATOR=true), exercising the REAL
+DisplayManager — not a mock — so the skip logic, its invalidation hooks,
+and the kill switch are verified off-Pi.
+
+The invariants:
+- identical frames are pushed exactly once (SwapOnVSync not re-called)
+- ANY pixel change pushes
+- clear() and set_brightness() invalidate (the two paths that alter panel
+  state outside the digest's view)
+- the kill switch (display.dirty_tracking: false) restores always-push
+"""
+
+import os
+import sys
+
+os.environ["EMULATOR"] = "true"
+
+import pytest
+
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), ".."))
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
+def dm():
+    """One real DisplayManager on the emulator (it's a process singleton)."""
+    from src.display_manager import DisplayManager
+    DisplayManager._instance = None
+    DisplayManager._initialized = False
+    manager = DisplayManager({
+        "display": {
+            "hardware": {"rows": 32, "cols": 64, "chain_length": 2,
+                         "parallel": 1, "brightness": 90},
+            "runtime": {"gpio_slowdown": 0},
+        },
+    }, suppress_test_pattern=True)
+    yield manager
+
+
+class _SwapSpy:
+    """Counts SwapOnVSync calls through the real matrix object."""
+
+    def __init__(self, matrix):
+        self.matrix = matrix
+        self.count = 0
+        self._orig = matrix.SwapOnVSync
+
+    def __enter__(self):
+        def counting(canvas):
+            self.count += 1
+            return self._orig(canvas)
+        self.matrix.SwapOnVSync = counting
+        return self
+
+    def __exit__(self, *exc):
+        self.matrix.SwapOnVSync = self._orig
+
+
+class TestDirtyTracking:
+    def test_identical_frames_push_once(self, dm):
+        dm.draw.rectangle([0, 0, 10, 10], fill=(255, 0, 0))
+        with _SwapSpy(dm.matrix) as spy:
+            dm.update_display()
+            dm.update_display()
+            dm.update_display()
+        assert spy.count == 1
+
+    def test_pixel_change_pushes(self, dm):
+        dm.update_display()
+        with _SwapSpy(dm.matrix) as spy:
+            dm.draw.point((5, 5), fill=(0, 255, 0))
+            dm.update_display()
+            dm.update_display()  # unchanged again
+        assert spy.count == 1
+
+    def test_clear_invalidates(self, dm):
+        dm.draw.rectangle([0, 0, 20, 20], fill=(0, 0, 255))
+        dm.update_display()
+        dm.clear()  # writes to the matrix directly; digest must reset
+        with _SwapSpy(dm.matrix) as spy:
+            dm.update_display()  # black frame after clear must still push
+        assert spy.count == 1
+
+    def test_brightness_change_forces_push(self, dm):
+        dm.draw.rectangle([0, 0, 20, 20], fill=(200, 200, 200))
+        dm.update_display()
+        with _SwapSpy(dm.matrix) as spy:
+            dm.update_display()          # identical -> skipped
+            assert spy.count == 0
+            dm.set_brightness(40)        # dim schedule scenario
+            dm.update_display()          # same image, new brightness -> push
+        assert spy.count == 1
+        dm.set_brightness(90)
+
+    def test_snapshot_still_written_on_skip(self, dm, tmp_path):
+        """The web preview path must keep working through skipped pushes."""
+        dm._snapshot_path = str(tmp_path / "snap.png")
+        dm._last_snapshot_ts = 0.0
+        dm.draw.rectangle([0, 0, 30, 8], fill=(255, 255, 0))
+        dm.update_display()   # push + snapshot
+        assert os.path.exists(dm._snapshot_path)
+
+
+class TestKillSwitch:
+    def test_dirty_tracking_can_be_disabled(self, dm):
+        dm._dirty_tracking_enabled = False
+        try:
+            dm.draw.rectangle([0, 0, 10, 10], fill=(1, 2, 3))
+            with _SwapSpy(dm.matrix) as spy:
+                dm.update_display()
+                dm.update_display()
+                dm.update_display()
+            assert spy.count == 3  # always-push, exactly the old behavior
+        finally:
+            dm._dirty_tracking_enabled = True
+            dm._last_pushed_digest = None
+
+    def test_config_flag_wires_through(self):
+        from src.display_manager import DisplayManager
+        DisplayManager._instance = None
+        DisplayManager._initialized = False
+        manager = DisplayManager({
+            "display": {
+                "hardware": {"rows": 32, "cols": 64, "chain_length": 1,
+                             "parallel": 1},
+                "runtime": {"gpio_slowdown": 0},
+                "dirty_tracking": False,
+            },
+        }, suppress_test_pattern=True)
+        assert manager._dirty_tracking_enabled is False
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    sys.exit(pytest.main([__file__, "-v"]))

test/test_display_manager.py

@@ -109,11 +109,114 @@ class TestDisplayManagerDrawing:
 
 class TestDisplayManagerResourceManagement:
     """Test resource management."""
-    
+
     def test_cleanup(self, test_config, mock_rgb_matrix):
         """Test cleanup operation."""
         with patch.dict('os.environ', {'EMULATOR': 'false'}):
             dm = DisplayManager(test_config)
             dm.cleanup()
-            
+
             dm.matrix.Clear.assert_called()
+
+
+class TestDisplayManagerDoubleSided:
+    """Double-sided mode: render once at logical size, tile across the chain."""
+
+    def _config(self, **double_sided):
+        """Build a config (physical 128x32) with the given double_sided block."""
+        return {
+            'display': {
+                'hardware': {
+                    'rows': 32, 'cols': 64, 'chain_length': 2, 'parallel': 1,
+                    'hardware_mapping': 'adafruit-hat-pwm', 'brightness': 90,
+                },
+                'runtime': {'gpio_slowdown': 2},
+                'double_sided': double_sided,
+            },
+            'timezone': 'UTC',
+            'plugin_system': {'plugins_directory': 'plugins'},
+        }
+
+    def _captured_physical(self, mock_rgb_matrix):
+        """Return the image handed to the canvas on the last update_display()."""
+        canvas = mock_rgb_matrix['matrix_instance'].CreateFrameCanvas.return_value
+        return canvas.SetImage.call_args[0][0]
+
+    def test_horizontal_reports_logical_dimensions(self, mock_rgb_matrix):
+        """Plugins see the per-screen size, not the full physical chain."""
+        DisplayManager._instance = None
+        with patch.dict('os.environ', {'EMULATOR': 'false'}):
+            dm = DisplayManager(self._config(enabled=True, copies=2, axis='horizontal'),
+                                suppress_test_pattern=True)
+            # Physical chain is 128x32; two side-by-side copies -> logical 64x32.
+            assert dm.matrix.width == 64
+            assert dm.matrix.height == 32
+            assert (dm.width, dm.height) == (64, 32)
+            assert dm.image.size == (64, 32)
+
+    def test_horizontal_tiles_image_across_chain(self, mock_rgb_matrix):
+        """The logical screen is duplicated left/right into a full-chain frame."""
+        from PIL import Image
+        DisplayManager._instance = None
+        with patch.dict('os.environ', {'EMULATOR': 'false'}):
+            dm = DisplayManager(self._config(enabled=True, copies=2, axis='horizontal'),
+                                suppress_test_pattern=True)
+            logical = Image.new('RGB', (64, 32), (0, 0, 0))
+            logical.putpixel((5, 5), (255, 0, 0))
+            dm.image = logical
+            dm.update_display()
+
+            physical = self._captured_physical(mock_rgb_matrix)
+            assert physical.size == (128, 32)
+            assert physical.getpixel((5, 5)) == (255, 0, 0)
+            assert physical.getpixel((69, 5)) == (255, 0, 0)  # copy shifted +64
+
+    def test_vertical_axis_tiles_stacked(self, mock_rgb_matrix):
+        """Vertical axis stacks copies (for panels on parallel outputs)."""
+        from PIL import Image
+        DisplayManager._instance = None
+        with patch.dict('os.environ', {'EMULATOR': 'false'}):
+            dm = DisplayManager(self._config(enabled=True, copies=2, axis='vertical'),
+                                suppress_test_pattern=True)
+            # 128x32 split vertically -> logical 128x16.
+            assert (dm.matrix.width, dm.matrix.height) == (128, 16)
+            logical = Image.new('RGB', (128, 16), (0, 0, 0))
+            logical.putpixel((10, 3), (0, 255, 0))
+            dm.image = logical
+            dm.update_display()
+
+            physical = self._captured_physical(mock_rgb_matrix)
+            assert physical.size == (128, 32)
+            assert physical.getpixel((10, 3)) == (0, 255, 0)
+            assert physical.getpixel((10, 19)) == (0, 255, 0)  # copy shifted +16
+
+    def test_indivisible_dimension_disables_mode(self, mock_rgb_matrix):
+        """A physical size that doesn't divide evenly falls back to single."""
+        DisplayManager._instance = None
+        with patch.dict('os.environ', {'EMULATOR': 'false'}):
+            dm = DisplayManager(self._config(enabled=True, copies=3, axis='horizontal'),
+                                suppress_test_pattern=True)
+            assert dm._double_sided is None  # 128 % 3 != 0
+            assert dm.matrix.width == 128
+            assert dm.image.size == (128, 32)
+
+    def test_disabled_blits_logical_image_unchanged(self, mock_rgb_matrix):
+        """With the feature off, the rendered image is sent through untouched."""
+        from PIL import Image
+        DisplayManager._instance = None
+        with patch.dict('os.environ', {'EMULATOR': 'false'}):
+            dm = DisplayManager(self._config(enabled=False), suppress_test_pattern=True)
+            assert dm._double_sided is None
+            img = Image.new('RGB', (128, 32))
+            dm.image = img
+            dm.update_display()
+            assert self._captured_physical(mock_rgb_matrix) is img
+
+    def test_brightness_write_forwards_through_proxy(self, mock_rgb_matrix):
+        """Setting brightness via the proxy reaches the real matrix."""
+        DisplayManager._instance = None
+        with patch.dict('os.environ', {'EMULATOR': 'false'}):
+            dm = DisplayManager(self._config(enabled=True, copies=2, axis='horizontal'),
+                                suppress_test_pattern=True)
+            assert dm.set_brightness(70) is True
+            assert mock_rgb_matrix['matrix_instance'].brightness == 70

test/test_permission_utils.py

@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+"""
+Tests for src.common.permission_utils's URL-credential redaction.
+
+Covers the fix for a CodeQL clear-text-logging-of-secrets alert:
+install_requirements_file() must never let a private index URL's embedded
+user:pass@ credentials reach logs or its returned CompletedProcess, since
+pip can echo that URL back verbatim in its own stderr/stdout on failure.
+"""
+
+from pathlib import Path
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
+
+from src.common.permission_utils import _redact_url_credentials, install_requirements_file
+
+
+class TestRedactUrlCredentials:
+    def test_redacts_embedded_basic_auth(self):
+        text = "Could not fetch URL https://alice:s3cr3t@pypi.example.com/simple/: 403"
+        redacted = _redact_url_credentials(text)
+        assert "s3cr3t" not in redacted
+        assert "alice" not in redacted
+        assert "https://***:***@pypi.example.com/simple/" in redacted
+
+    def test_leaves_credential_free_text_unchanged(self):
+        text = "ERROR: Could not find a version that satisfies the requirement foo==1.0"
+        assert _redact_url_credentials(text) == text
+
+    def test_handles_none_and_empty(self):
+        assert _redact_url_credentials(None) == ""
+        assert _redact_url_credentials("") == ""
+
+    def test_does_not_touch_denied_check_phrases(self):
+        """The fixed phrases install_requirements_file greps for must survive
+        redaction untouched -- they don't overlap with URL syntax, but this
+        pins that assumption so a regex change can't silently break it."""
+        text = "sudo: a password is required"
+        assert _redact_url_credentials(text) == text
+
+
+class TestInstallRequirementsFileRedaction:
+    @patch('src.common.permission_utils.subprocess.run')
+    def test_wrapper_path_redacts_stderr_and_stdout(self, mock_run, tmp_path):
+        """safe_pip_install.sh exists in this repo, so install_requirements_file
+        takes the sudo-wrapper branch; a failing result must come back
+        with any embedded index-URL credentials already redacted."""
+        req_file = tmp_path / "requirements.txt"
+        req_file.write_text("requests\n")
+
+        mock_run.return_value = MagicMock(
+            returncode=1,
+            stdout="Looking in indexes: https://bob:hunter2@pypi.internal/simple\n",
+            stderr="ERROR https://bob:hunter2@pypi.internal/simple/foo: 401",
+        )
+
+        result = install_requirements_file(req_file, timeout=5)
+
+        assert "hunter2" not in result.stdout
+        assert "hunter2" not in result.stderr
+        assert "https://***:***@pypi.internal" in result.stdout
+        assert "https://***:***@pypi.internal" in result.stderr
+
+    @patch('src.common.permission_utils.subprocess.run')
+    @patch('src.common.permission_utils.Path.exists', return_value=False)
+    def test_no_wrapper_fallback_path_redacts_stderr_and_stdout(self, mock_exists, mock_run, tmp_path):
+        """No safe_pip_install.sh wrapper -> falls straight to the
+        sys.executable pip fallback (the second subprocess.run call site);
+        its result must come back redacted too, independent of the wrapper
+        branch's own redaction above."""
+        req_file = tmp_path / "requirements.txt"
+        req_file.write_text("requests\n")
+
+        mock_run.return_value = MagicMock(
+            returncode=1,
+            stdout="Looking in indexes: https://carol:swordfish@pypi.internal/simple\n",
+            stderr="ERROR https://carol:swordfish@pypi.internal/simple/foo: 401",
+        )
+
+        result = install_requirements_file(req_file, timeout=5)
+
+        assert "swordfish" not in result.stdout
+        assert "swordfish" not in result.stderr
+        assert "https://***:***@pypi.internal" in result.stdout
+        assert "https://***:***@pypi.internal" in result.stderr

test/test_plugin_health.py

@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+"""
+Tests for src/plugin_system/plugin_health.py
+
+Focus on the additive ``set_degraded`` mechanism used by the warn-only schema
+validation path: it must surface a degraded reason without touching the circuit
+breaker or causing the plugin to be skipped.
+"""
+
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+
+from src.plugin_system.plugin_health import PluginHealthTracker, CircuitState
+
+
+def _cache():
+    cache = MagicMock()
+    cache.get.return_value = None
+    return cache
+
+
+def test_set_degraded_marks_and_surfaces_reason():
+    tracker = PluginHealthTracker(_cache())
+    tracker.set_degraded("p", "bad config")
+    summary = tracker.get_health_summary("p")
+    assert summary["degraded"] is True
+    assert summary["degraded_reason"] == "bad config"
+
+
+def test_set_degraded_none_clears():
+    tracker = PluginHealthTracker(_cache())
+    tracker.set_degraded("p", "bad config")
+    tracker.set_degraded("p", None)
+    summary = tracker.get_health_summary("p")
+    assert summary["degraded"] is False
+    assert summary["degraded_reason"] is None
+
+
+def test_set_degraded_does_not_affect_circuit_breaker():
+    tracker = PluginHealthTracker(_cache())
+    tracker.set_degraded("p", "bad config")
+    summary = tracker.get_health_summary("p")
+    # Degraded is a *separate* signal from circuit health: the plugin is not
+    # counted as failing, the circuit stays closed, and it is not skipped.
+    assert summary["circuit_state"] == CircuitState.CLOSED.value
+    assert summary["consecutive_failures"] == 0
+    assert summary["is_healthy"] is True
+    assert tracker.should_skip_plugin("p") is False
+
+
+def test_set_degraded_skips_redundant_cache_write():
+    cache = _cache()
+    tracker = PluginHealthTracker(cache)
+    tracker.set_degraded("p", "x")
+    writes_after_first = cache.set.call_count
+    assert writes_after_first >= 1
+    tracker.set_degraded("p", "x")  # unchanged → no extra write
+    assert cache.set.call_count == writes_after_first
+
+
+def test_default_summary_has_degraded_fields():
+    tracker = PluginHealthTracker(_cache())
+    summary = tracker.get_health_summary("never-seen")
+    assert summary["degraded"] is False
+    assert summary["degraded_reason"] is None
+
+
+def test_force_reload_refreshes_stale_in_memory_snapshot():
+    """A long-lived reader (e.g. the web process) must not be pinned to the
+    first snapshot: force_reload re-reads persisted state and bypasses the
+    cache manager's memory tier so cross-process updates are visible."""
+    cache = _cache()
+    tracker = PluginHealthTracker(cache)
+
+    # First read snapshots an empty (healthy) state into the in-memory copy.
+    assert tracker.get_health_summary("p")["consecutive_failures"] == 0
+
+    # The display service later persists a failing/open state.
+    cache.get.return_value = {
+        "consecutive_failures": 5,
+        "circuit_state": "open",
+        "total_failures": 5,
+        "total_successes": 0,
+    }
+
+    # A plain read is still pinned to the stale snapshot...
+    assert tracker.get_health_summary("p")["consecutive_failures"] == 0
+
+    # ...but force_reload observes the new persisted state.
+    fresh = tracker.get_health_summary("p", force_reload=True)
+    assert fresh["consecutive_failures"] == 5
+    assert fresh["circuit_state"] == "open"
+
+    # and it asked the cache to bypass the in-memory tier (memory_ttl=0).
+    assert any(c.kwargs.get("memory_ttl") == 0 for c in cache.get.call_args_list)

test/test_plugin_loader.py

@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ Tests for PluginLoader.
 Tests plugin directory discovery, module loading, and class instantiation.
 """
 
+import subprocess
+
 import pytest
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
 from src.plugin_system.plugin_loader import PluginLoader
@@ -191,7 +193,7 @@ class TestPluginLoader:
         
         mock_subprocess.return_value = MagicMock(returncode=0)
         
-        result = plugin_loader.install_dependencies(plugin_dir, "test_plugin")
+        result = plugin_loader.install_dependencies(plugin_dir, "test_plugin", plugins_dir=tmp_plugins_dir)
         
         assert result is True
         mock_subprocess.assert_called_once()
@@ -202,7 +204,7 @@ class TestPluginLoader:
         plugin_dir = tmp_plugins_dir / "test_plugin"
         plugin_dir.mkdir()
         
-        result = plugin_loader.install_dependencies(plugin_dir, "test_plugin")
+        result = plugin_loader.install_dependencies(plugin_dir, "test_plugin", plugins_dir=tmp_plugins_dir)
         
         assert result is True
         mock_subprocess.assert_not_called()
@@ -214,9 +216,129 @@ class TestPluginLoader:
         plugin_dir.mkdir()
         requirements_file = plugin_dir / "requirements.txt"
         requirements_file.write_text("package1==1.0.0\n")
-        
+
         mock_subprocess.return_value = MagicMock(returncode=1)
-        
+
-        result = plugin_loader.install_dependencies(plugin_dir, "test_plugin")
+        result = plugin_loader.install_dependencies(plugin_dir, "test_plugin", plugins_dir=tmp_plugins_dir)
-        
+
         assert result is False
+
+    @patch('src.plugin_system.plugin_loader.requirements_are_satisfied', return_value=False)
+    @patch('subprocess.run')
+    def test_install_dependencies_retries_with_ignore_installed_on_apt_conflict(
+        self, mock_subprocess, mock_satisfied, plugin_loader, tmp_plugins_dir
+    ):
+        """An apt-managed package with no pip RECORD file triggers a retry with
+        --ignore-installed rather than silently assuming the old version satisfies
+        the requirement. requirements_are_satisfied() is mocked False here because
+        this scenario is exactly the case where the installed (apt) version does
+        NOT satisfy the pin — that's why pip attempts a reinstall in the first place."""
+        plugin_dir = tmp_plugins_dir / "test_plugin"
+        plugin_dir.mkdir()
+        requirements_file = plugin_dir / "requirements.txt"
+        requirements_file.write_text("requests>=2.33.0,<3.0.0\n")
+
+        first_attempt = MagicMock(
+            returncode=1,
+            stderr="ERROR: Cannot uninstall requests 2.32.3\nuninstall-no-record-file"
+        )
+        retry_attempt = MagicMock(returncode=0, stderr="")
+        mock_subprocess.side_effect = [first_attempt, retry_attempt]
+
+        result = plugin_loader.install_dependencies(plugin_dir, "test_plugin", plugins_dir=tmp_plugins_dir)
+
+        assert result is True
+        assert mock_subprocess.call_count == 2
+        retry_cmd = mock_subprocess.call_args_list[1][0][0]
+        assert "--ignore-installed" in retry_cmd
+
+    @patch('src.plugin_system.plugin_loader.requirements_are_satisfied', return_value=False)
+    @patch('subprocess.run')
+    def test_install_dependencies_apt_conflict_retry_also_fails(
+        self, mock_subprocess, mock_satisfied, plugin_loader, tmp_plugins_dir
+    ):
+        """Still tolerates the failure (returns True) if the --ignore-installed
+        retry itself fails, matching the prior soft-fallback behavior."""
+        plugin_dir = tmp_plugins_dir / "test_plugin"
+        plugin_dir.mkdir()
+        requirements_file = plugin_dir / "requirements.txt"
+        requirements_file.write_text("requests>=2.33.0,<3.0.0\n")
+
+        first_attempt = MagicMock(
+            returncode=1,
+            stderr="ERROR: Cannot uninstall requests 2.32.3\nuninstall-no-record-file"
+        )
+        retry_attempt = MagicMock(returncode=1, stderr="some other pip error")
+        mock_subprocess.side_effect = [first_attempt, retry_attempt]
+
+        result = plugin_loader.install_dependencies(plugin_dir, "test_plugin", plugins_dir=tmp_plugins_dir)
+
+        assert result is True
+        assert mock_subprocess.call_count == 2
+
+    @patch('src.plugin_system.plugin_loader.requirements_are_satisfied', return_value=False)
+    @patch('subprocess.run')
+    def test_install_dependencies_apt_conflict_retry_times_out(
+        self, mock_subprocess, mock_satisfied, plugin_loader, tmp_plugins_dir
+    ):
+        """A retry timeout must be tolerated the same way as a retry failure
+        (return True), not propagate to the outer TimeoutExpired handler and
+        return False."""
+        plugin_dir = tmp_plugins_dir / "test_plugin"
+        plugin_dir.mkdir()
+        requirements_file = plugin_dir / "requirements.txt"
+        requirements_file.write_text("requests>=2.33.0,<3.0.0\n")
+
+        first_attempt = MagicMock(
+            returncode=1,
+            stderr="ERROR: Cannot uninstall requests 2.32.3\nuninstall-no-record-file"
+        )
+        mock_subprocess.side_effect = [
+            first_attempt,
+            subprocess.TimeoutExpired(cmd="pip", timeout=300),
+        ]
+
+        result = plugin_loader.install_dependencies(plugin_dir, "test_plugin", plugins_dir=tmp_plugins_dir)
+
+        assert result is True
+        assert mock_subprocess.call_count == 2
+
+    @patch('subprocess.run')
+    def test_install_dependencies_already_satisfied_skips_pip(self, mock_subprocess, plugin_loader, tmp_plugins_dir):
+        """A requirement already satisfied in the current environment shouldn't invoke pip."""
+        plugin_dir = tmp_plugins_dir / "test_plugin"
+        plugin_dir.mkdir()
+        requirements_file = plugin_dir / "requirements.txt"
+        requirements_file.write_text("pytest>=1.0\n")
+
+        result = plugin_loader.install_dependencies(plugin_dir, "test_plugin", plugins_dir=tmp_plugins_dir)
+
+        assert result is True
+        mock_subprocess.assert_not_called()
+
+    def test_install_dependencies_requires_plugins_dir(self, plugin_loader, tmp_plugins_dir):
+        """plugins_dir is a required argument, not an optional trust-me flag --
+        calling without it must fail loudly (TypeError) rather than silently
+        falling back to trusting plugin_dir unchecked."""
+        plugin_dir = tmp_plugins_dir / "test_plugin"
+        plugin_dir.mkdir()
+
+        with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+            plugin_loader.install_dependencies(plugin_dir, "test_plugin")
+
+    @patch('subprocess.run')
+    def test_install_dependencies_rejects_path_outside_plugins_dir(
+        self, mock_subprocess, plugin_loader, tmp_path, tmp_plugins_dir
+    ):
+        """A plugin_dir that doesn't actually live inside plugins_dir (e.g. a
+        manifest-derived id crafted to traverse elsewhere) must be rejected
+        rather than read from -- this is the path-injection containment
+        check CodeQL flagged as missing."""
+        outside_dir = tmp_path / "outside"
+        outside_dir.mkdir()
+        (outside_dir / "requirements.txt").write_text("requests>=2.0\n")
+
+        result = plugin_loader.install_dependencies(outside_dir, "evil_plugin", plugins_dir=tmp_plugins_dir)
+
+        assert result is False
+        mock_subprocess.assert_not_called()

test/test_plugin_manager_schema_soft.py

@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+"""
+Tests for PluginManager._validate_config_schema_soft (Phase 1, warn-only schema
+validation).
+
+Contract:
+- A schema violation logs a warning and marks the plugin degraded in the health
+  tracker, but never raises and never changes load pass/fail behaviour.
+- A valid config (or no schema) clears any stale degraded flag.
+- The method is safe when no health tracker is wired.
+"""
+
+import tempfile
+from pathlib import Path
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+
+import pytest
+
+from src.plugin_system.plugin_manager import PluginManager
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def pm():
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+        manager = PluginManager(plugins_dir=str(Path(tmp) / "plugins"))
+        manager.schema_manager = MagicMock()
+        yield manager
+
+
+def test_invalid_config_marks_degraded_without_raising(pm):
+    pm.health_tracker = MagicMock()
+    pm.schema_manager.load_schema.return_value = {"type": "object"}
+    pm.schema_manager.validate_config_against_schema.return_value = (
+        False,
+        ["Missing required field: 'api_key'"],
+    )
+
+    pm._validate_config_schema_soft("youtube-stats", {})
+
+    pm.health_tracker.set_degraded.assert_called_once()
+    plugin_id, reason = pm.health_tracker.set_degraded.call_args[0]
+    assert plugin_id == "youtube-stats"
+    assert "api_key" in reason
+
+
+def test_valid_config_clears_degraded(pm):
+    pm.health_tracker = MagicMock()
+    pm.schema_manager.load_schema.return_value = {"type": "object"}
+    pm.schema_manager.validate_config_against_schema.return_value = (True, [])
+
+    pm._validate_config_schema_soft("p", {"api_key": "x"})
+
+    pm.health_tracker.set_degraded.assert_called_once_with("p", None)
+
+
+def test_no_schema_clears_degraded(pm):
+    pm.health_tracker = MagicMock()
+    pm.schema_manager.load_schema.return_value = None
+
+    pm._validate_config_schema_soft("p", {})
+
+    pm.health_tracker.set_degraded.assert_called_once_with("p", None)
+
+
+def test_validation_exception_is_swallowed(pm):
+    pm.health_tracker = MagicMock()
+    pm.schema_manager.load_schema.return_value = {"type": "object"}
+    pm.schema_manager.validate_config_against_schema.side_effect = RuntimeError("boom")
+
+    # Must not raise — the validation machinery failing must never break loading.
+    pm._validate_config_schema_soft("p", {})
+
+
+def test_safe_without_health_tracker(pm):
+    pm.health_tracker = None
+    pm.schema_manager.load_schema.return_value = {"type": "object"}
+    pm.schema_manager.validate_config_against_schema.return_value = (False, ["err"])
+
+    # Must not raise even though there is no tracker to record against.
+    pm._validate_config_schema_soft("p", {})

test/test_plugin_system.py

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
 from pathlib import Path
 from src.plugin_system.plugin_manager import PluginManager
 from src.plugin_system.plugin_state import PluginState
+from src.plugin_system.resource_monitor import PluginResourceMonitor
 
 class TestPluginManager:
     """Test PluginManager functionality."""
@@ -74,18 +75,67 @@ class TestPluginManager:
             
             # No manifest in pm.plugin_manifests
             result = pm.load_plugin("non_existent_plugin")
-            
+
             assert result is False
             assert pm.state_manager.get_state("non_existent_plugin") == PluginState.ERROR
 
+    def test_run_scheduled_updates_calls_update_with_resource_monitor(
+        self, mock_config_manager, mock_display_manager, mock_cache_manager
+    ):
+        """Regression test: run_scheduled_updates() must actually call a
+        plugin's update() when self.resource_monitor is set (as it is in
+        every real deployment -- display_controller.py and web_interface/
+        app.py both assign a real PluginResourceMonitor after construction).
+
+        Previously, the resource_monitor branch wrapped the call in a
+        function stored as a *class* attribute on a dynamically-built type
+        (`type('obj', (object,), {'update': monitored_update})()`), which
+        the descriptor protocol turns into a bound method on access --
+        silently passing the synthetic instance as an implicit first
+        argument to monitored_update(), which takes none. Every plugin's
+        scheduled update failed with "monitored_update() takes 0 positional
+        arguments but 1 was given" and was silently swallowed into a
+        circuit-breaker retry loop that never succeeded, so plugin data
+        (scores, odds, etc.) never refreshed.
+        """
+        with patch('src.plugin_system.plugin_manager.ensure_directory_permissions'):
+            pm = PluginManager(
+                plugins_dir="plugins",
+                config_manager=mock_config_manager,
+                display_manager=mock_display_manager,
+                cache_manager=mock_cache_manager
+            )
+
+            plugin_instance = MagicMock()
+            plugin_instance.enabled = True
+            plugin_instance.update = MagicMock()
+
+            pm.plugins["test_plugin"] = plugin_instance
+            pm.plugin_manifests["test_plugin"] = {"update_interval": 10}
+            pm.state_manager.set_state("test_plugin", PluginState.ENABLED)
+            # Plain MagicMock, not the mock_cache_manager fixture: this test
+            # is about run_scheduled_updates() actually invoking update()
+            # through the resource-monitor wrapper, not about
+            # PluginResourceMonitor's own cache-backed metrics persistence
+            # (which calls cache_manager.get(..., memory_ttl=...) --
+            # a kwarg the fixture's mock_get() doesn't accept).
+            pm.resource_monitor = PluginResourceMonitor(MagicMock())
+
+            pm.run_scheduled_updates(current_time=time.time())
+
+            plugin_instance.update.assert_called_once()
+            assert "test_plugin" in pm.plugin_last_update
+            assert pm.state_manager.get_state("test_plugin") == PluginState.ENABLED
+
 
 class TestPluginLoader:
     """Test PluginLoader functionality."""
     
     def test_dependency_check(self):
         """Test dependency checking logic."""
-        # This would test _check_dependencies_installed and _install_plugin_dependencies
+        # Covered by test_plugin_loader.py's install_dependencies tests,
-        # which requires mocking subprocess calls and file operations
+        # which exercise requirements_has_real_deps/requirements_are_satisfied
+        # and the pip subprocess fallback.
 
 
 class TestPluginExecutor:

test/test_resource_monitor.py

@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+"""
+Tests for src/plugin_system/resource_monitor.py
+
+Focus areas:
+- Execution-time metrics are captured regardless of psutil availability.
+- CPU sampling is non-blocking (regression guard for the previous
+  ``cpu_percent(interval=0.1)`` call that blocked 100 ms per monitored call).
+- Resource limits are enforced.
+"""
+
+import time
+
+import pytest
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+
+from src.plugin_system.resource_monitor import (
+    PluginResourceMonitor,
+    ResourceLimits,
+    ResourceLimitExceeded,
+    PSUTIL_AVAILABLE,
+)
+
+
+def _cache():
+    cache = MagicMock()
+    cache.get.return_value = None
+    return cache
+
+
+class TestExecutionTimeMetrics:
+    def test_monitor_call_returns_value_and_records_call(self):
+        mon = PluginResourceMonitor(_cache(), enable_monitoring=False)
+        result = mon.monitor_call("p", lambda: 42)
+        assert result == 42
+        metrics = mon.get_metrics("p")
+        assert metrics.call_count == 1
+        assert metrics.total_execution_time >= 0.0
+
+    def test_avg_and_max_execution_time(self):
+        mon = PluginResourceMonitor(_cache(), enable_monitoring=False)
+        mon.monitor_call("p", lambda: time.sleep(0.01))
+        mon.monitor_call("p", lambda: None)
+        summary = mon.get_metrics_summary("p")
+        assert summary["call_count"] == 2
+        assert summary["max_execution_time"] >= summary["avg_execution_time"] >= 0.0
+
+    def test_exception_propagates_but_is_still_timed(self):
+        mon = PluginResourceMonitor(_cache(), enable_monitoring=False)
+
+        def boom():
+            raise ValueError("nope")
+
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+            mon.monitor_call("p", boom)
+        # Execution time is still recorded even when the call raised.
+        assert mon.get_metrics("p").execution_time >= 0.0
+
+
+class TestNonBlockingCpu:
+    def test_cpu_sampling_is_fast_when_disabled(self):
+        mon = PluginResourceMonitor(_cache(), enable_monitoring=False)
+        start = time.time()
+        for _ in range(50):
+            mon._get_process_cpu_percent()
+        # The old implementation blocked ~0.1s/call (~5s for 50). Non-blocking
+        # must complete near-instantly.
+        assert time.time() - start < 0.5
+        assert mon._get_process_cpu_percent() == 0.0
+
+    @pytest.mark.skipif(not PSUTIL_AVAILABLE, reason="psutil not installed")
+    def test_cpu_sampling_is_fast_with_psutil(self):
+        mon = PluginResourceMonitor(_cache(), enable_monitoring=True)
+        assert mon._process is not None
+        start = time.time()
+        for _ in range(30):
+            mon._get_process_cpu_percent()
+        # 30 blocking 0.1s samples would be ~3s; non-blocking must be well under.
+        assert time.time() - start < 0.5
+
+    def test_monitor_call_does_not_block_on_cpu_sampling(self):
+        mon = PluginResourceMonitor(_cache())  # enable depends on psutil
+        start = time.time()
+        for _ in range(25):
+            mon.monitor_call("p", lambda: None)
+        # 25 * 0.1s = 2.5s under the old blocking bug; must be far faster now.
+        assert time.time() - start < 1.0
+
+
+class TestResourceLimits:
+    def test_execution_time_limit_raises(self):
+        mon = PluginResourceMonitor(_cache(), enable_monitoring=False)
+        mon.set_limits("p", ResourceLimits(max_execution_time=0.001))
+        with pytest.raises(ResourceLimitExceeded):
+            mon.monitor_call("p", lambda: time.sleep(0.02))
+
+    def test_reset_metrics_clears_counts(self):
+        cache = _cache()
+        mon = PluginResourceMonitor(cache, enable_monitoring=False)
+        mon.monitor_call("p", lambda: None)
+        assert mon.get_metrics("p").call_count == 1
+        mon.reset_metrics("p")
+        assert mon.get_metrics("p").call_count == 0
+
+
+class TestForceReload:
+    def test_force_reload_refreshes_stale_snapshot(self):
+        """A read-only consumer must see the writer process's latest persisted
+        metrics rather than a pinned first snapshot."""
+        cache = MagicMock()
+        persisted = {"value": None}  # only the metrics key returns data
+
+        def cache_get(key, max_age=None, memory_ttl=None):
+            return persisted["value"] if key.startswith("plugin_metrics:") else None
+
+        cache.get.side_effect = cache_get
+        mon = PluginResourceMonitor(cache, enable_monitoring=False)
+
+        # First read snapshots empty metrics.
+        assert mon.get_metrics_summary("p")["call_count"] == 0
+
+        # The display service later persists real metrics.
+        persisted["value"] = {"call_count": 7, "total_execution_time": 1.4}
+
+        # Plain read stays stale...
+        assert mon.get_metrics_summary("p")["call_count"] == 0
+        # ...force_reload picks up the persisted values and bypasses memory.
+        fresh = mon.get_metrics_summary("p", force_reload=True)
+        assert fresh["call_count"] == 7
+        assert any(c.kwargs.get("memory_ttl") == 0 for c in cache.get.call_args_list)

test/test_store_manager_caches.py

@@ -43,6 +43,115 @@ class TestUninstallTombstone(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertNotIn("foo", self.sm._uninstall_tombstones)
 
 
+class TestPersistentUninstallRegistry(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Regression tests for the persistent uninstall registry that stops a
+    core `git pull` update from resurrecting built-in plugins the user
+    removed (plugins committed under plugin-repos/)."""
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self._tmp = TemporaryDirectory()
+        self.addCleanup(self._tmp.cleanup)
+        self.plugins_dir = Path(self._tmp.name) / "plugin-repos"
+        self.plugins_dir.mkdir()
+        self.registry_path = Path(self._tmp.name) / "config" / "uninstalled_plugins.json"
+        self.sm = PluginStoreManager(
+            plugins_dir=str(self.plugins_dir),
+            uninstalled_registry_path=str(self.registry_path),
+        )
+
+    def _make_plugin_dir(self, plugin_id):
+        """Simulate a built-in plugin restored on disk (e.g. by git pull)."""
+        d = self.plugins_dir / plugin_id
+        d.mkdir(parents=True)
+        (d / "manifest.json").write_text('{"id": "%s"}' % plugin_id)
+        return d
+
+    def test_unrecorded_plugin_is_not_uninstalled(self):
+        self.assertFalse(self.sm.is_plugin_uninstalled("web-ui-info"))
+        self.assertEqual(self.sm.get_uninstalled_plugins(), set())
+
+    def test_record_persists_across_instances(self):
+        self.sm.record_uninstalled_plugin("web-ui-info")
+        self.assertTrue(self.registry_path.exists())
+        # A fresh manager (simulating a service restart after update) still sees it.
+        fresh = PluginStoreManager(
+            plugins_dir=str(self.plugins_dir),
+            uninstalled_registry_path=str(self.registry_path),
+        )
+        self.assertTrue(fresh.is_plugin_uninstalled("web-ui-info"))
+
+    def test_forget_clears_record(self):
+        self.sm.record_uninstalled_plugin("web-ui-info")
+        self.sm.forget_uninstalled_plugin("web-ui-info")
+        self.assertFalse(self.sm.is_plugin_uninstalled("web-ui-info"))
+
+    def test_purge_removes_resurrected_plugin(self):
+        # The bug: user removed web-ui-info, then a git pull restored its
+        # committed files. Recorded uninstall + purge must re-remove it.
+        self._make_plugin_dir("web-ui-info")
+        self.sm.record_uninstalled_plugin("web-ui-info")
+        self.assertTrue((self.plugins_dir / "web-ui-info").exists())
+
+        removed = self.sm.purge_uninstalled_plugins()
+
+        self.assertEqual(removed, ["web-ui-info"])
+        self.assertFalse((self.plugins_dir / "web-ui-info").exists())
+        # Record is kept so the purge stays idempotent across future updates.
+        self.assertTrue(self.sm.is_plugin_uninstalled("web-ui-info"))
+
+    def test_purge_leaves_non_uninstalled_plugins_alone(self):
+        self._make_plugin_dir("baseball-scoreboard")  # present, not recorded
+        self._make_plugin_dir("web-ui-info")
+        self.sm.record_uninstalled_plugin("web-ui-info")
+
+        self.sm.purge_uninstalled_plugins()
+
+        self.assertTrue((self.plugins_dir / "baseball-scoreboard").exists())
+        self.assertFalse((self.plugins_dir / "web-ui-info").exists())
+
+    def test_purge_noop_when_plugin_absent(self):
+        # Recorded but never restored on disk — nothing to remove.
+        self.sm.record_uninstalled_plugin("web-ui-info")
+        self.assertEqual(self.sm.purge_uninstalled_plugins(), [])
+
+    def test_corrupt_registry_is_ignored(self):
+        self.registry_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        self.registry_path.write_text("{ not valid json")
+        self.assertEqual(self.sm.get_uninstalled_plugins(), set())
+        self.assertFalse(self.sm.is_plugin_uninstalled("web-ui-info"))
+
+    def _write_raw_registry(self, value):
+        self.registry_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        import json as _json
+        self.registry_path.write_text(_json.dumps(value))
+
+    def test_empty_id_does_not_wipe_plugins_root(self):
+        # An empty id resolves to plugins_dir itself; purge must never delete it.
+        self._make_plugin_dir("baseball-scoreboard")
+        self._write_raw_registry([""])
+
+        removed = self.sm.purge_uninstalled_plugins()
+
+        self.assertEqual(removed, [])
+        self.assertTrue(self.plugins_dir.exists())
+        self.assertTrue((self.plugins_dir / "baseball-scoreboard").exists())
+        # Invalid id is filtered out entirely.
+        self.assertEqual(self.sm.get_uninstalled_plugins(), set())
+
+    def test_traversal_ids_are_ignored(self):
+        for bad in ["..", "../evil", "a/b", "."]:
+            with self.subTest(bad=bad):
+                self.assertFalse(self.sm._is_valid_plugin_id(bad))
+        self._write_raw_registry(["../evil", "..", "web-ui-info"])
+        # Only the safe id survives the read.
+        self.assertEqual(self.sm.get_uninstalled_plugins(), {"web-ui-info"})
+
+    def test_record_rejects_invalid_id(self):
+        self.sm.record_uninstalled_plugin("")
+        self.sm.record_uninstalled_plugin("../escape")
+        self.assertEqual(self.sm.get_uninstalled_plugins(), set())
+
+
 class TestGitInfoCache(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         self._tmp = TemporaryDirectory()
@@ -58,19 +167,15 @@ class TestGitInfoCache(unittest.TestCase):
         (self.plugin_path / ".git" / "HEAD").write_text("ref: refs/heads/main\n")
 
     def _fake_subprocess_run(self, *args, **kwargs):
-        # Return different dummy values depending on which git subcommand
+        # _get_local_git_info now reads branch and remote_url directly from
-        # was invoked so the code paths that parse output all succeed.
+        # .git/HEAD and .git/config (no subprocess) and uses a single
+        # ``git log --format=%H%n%cI`` call that returns SHA on line 1 and
+        # ISO date on line 2.  Adjust the fake accordingly.
         cmd = args[0]
         result = MagicMock()
         result.returncode = 0
-        if "rev-parse" in cmd and "HEAD" in cmd and "--abbrev-ref" not in cmd:
+        if "log" in cmd:
-            result.stdout = "abcdef1234567890\n"
+            result.stdout = "abcdef1234567890\n2026-04-08T12:00:00+00:00\n"
-        elif "--abbrev-ref" in cmd:
-            result.stdout = "main\n"
-        elif "config" in cmd:
-            result.stdout = "https://example.com/repo.git\n"
-        elif "log" in cmd:
-            result.stdout = "2026-04-08T12:00:00+00:00\n"
         else:
             result.stdout = ""
         return result
@@ -84,7 +189,8 @@ class TestGitInfoCache(unittest.TestCase):
             self.assertIsNotNone(first)
             self.assertEqual(first["short_sha"], "abcdef1")
             calls_after_first = mock_run.call_count
-            self.assertEqual(calls_after_first, 4)
+            # Production code now uses a single ``git log`` call.
+            self.assertEqual(calls_after_first, 1)
 
             # Second call with unchanged HEAD: zero new subprocess calls.
             second = self.sm._get_local_git_info(self.plugin_path)
@@ -105,7 +211,8 @@ class TestGitInfoCache(unittest.TestCase):
             os.utime(head, (new_time, new_time))
 
             self.sm._get_local_git_info(self.plugin_path)
-            self.assertEqual(mock_run.call_count, calls_after_first + 4)
+            # One new ``git log`` call after cache invalidation.
+            self.assertEqual(mock_run.call_count, calls_after_first + 1)
 
     def test_no_git_directory_returns_none(self):
         non_git = self.plugins_dir / "no_git"
@@ -192,14 +299,11 @@ class TestGitInfoCache(unittest.TestCase):
             result = MagicMock()
             result.returncode = 0
             cmd = args[0]
-            if "rev-parse" in cmd and "--abbrev-ref" not in cmd:
+            # Production code now uses a single ``git log --format=%H%n%cI``.
-                result.stdout = branch_file.read_text().strip() + "\n"
+            # Branch and remote_url are read directly from .git/HEAD/.git/config.
-            elif "--abbrev-ref" in cmd:
+            if "log" in cmd:
-                result.stdout = "main\n"
+                sha = branch_file.read_text().strip()
-            elif "config" in cmd:
+                result.stdout = f"{sha}\n2026-04-08T12:00:00+00:00\n"
-                result.stdout = "https://example.com/repo.git\n"
-            elif "log" in cmd:
-                result.stdout = "2026-04-08T12:00:00+00:00\n"
             else:
                 result.stdout = ""
             return result

test/test_vegas_plugin_adapter.py

@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+"""
+Tests for src/vegas_mode/plugin_adapter.py
+
+Covers PluginAdapter._strip_scroll_padding(): the heuristic that crops a
+plugin's own baked-in leading/trailing blank margins before Vegas mode
+composites the content, so vegas_scroll.separator_width is the only gap
+applied between items.
+"""
+
+import logging
+
+import pytest
+from PIL import Image
+
+from src.common.scroll_helper import ScrollHelper
+from src.vegas_mode.plugin_adapter import PluginAdapter
+
+
+class FakeDisplayManager:
+    width = 64
+    height = 32
+
+
+class FakePlugin:
+    def __init__(self, scroll_helper):
+        self.scroll_helper = scroll_helper
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def adapter():
+    return PluginAdapter(FakeDisplayManager())
+
+
+def _solid(width: int, height: int, color: tuple) -> Image.Image:
+    """Create a solid-color RGB image of the given dimensions."""
+    return Image.new('RGB', (width, height), color)
+
+
+class TestStripScrollPadding:
+    def test_leading_pad_from_create_scrolling_image_is_stripped(self, adapter):
+        sh = ScrollHelper(64, 32)
+        item = _solid(40, 32, (200, 50, 50))
+        sh.create_scrolling_image([item], item_gap=10, element_gap=0)
+
+        images = adapter._get_scroll_helper_content(FakePlugin(sh), "ticker")
+        assert images[0].width == 40
+        assert images[0].getpixel((0, 0)) == (200, 50, 50)
+
+    def test_leading_and_trailing_pad_both_stripped(self, adapter):
+        sh = ScrollHelper(64, 32)
+        content_w = 80
+        full = _solid(64 + content_w + 64, 32, (0, 0, 0))
+        full.paste(_solid(content_w, 32, (10, 220, 30)), (64, 0))
+        sh.set_scrolling_image(full)
+
+        images = adapter._get_scroll_helper_content(FakePlugin(sh), "ticker")
+        assert images[0].width == content_w
+        assert images[0].getpixel((0, 0)) == (10, 220, 30)
+        assert images[0].getpixel((content_w - 1, 0)) == (10, 220, 30)
+
+    def test_leading_only_pad_stripped_trailing_content_kept(self, adapter):
+        sh = ScrollHelper(64, 32)
+        content_w = 80
+        full = _solid(64 + content_w, 32, (0, 0, 0))
+        full.paste(_solid(content_w, 32, (5, 5, 250)), (64, 0))
+        sh.set_scrolling_image(full)
+
+        images = adapter._get_scroll_helper_content(FakePlugin(sh), "ticker")
+        assert images[0].width == content_w
+        assert images[0].getpixel((0, 0)) == (5, 5, 250)
+
+    def test_trailing_only_pad_stripped_leading_content_kept(self, adapter):
+        sh = ScrollHelper(64, 32)
+        content_w = 80
+        full = _solid(content_w + 64, 32, (0, 0, 0))
+        full.paste(_solid(content_w, 32, (5, 5, 250)), (0, 0))
+        sh.set_scrolling_image(full)
+
+        images = adapter._get_scroll_helper_content(FakePlugin(sh), "ticker")
+        assert images[0].width == content_w
+        assert images[0].getpixel((0, 0)) == (5, 5, 250)
+
+    def test_no_margin_image_left_untouched(self, adapter):
+        sh = ScrollHelper(64, 32)
+        raw = _solid(150, 32, (5, 5, 5))
+        raw.paste(_solid(50, 32, (123, 45, 67)), (0, 0))
+        sh.set_scrolling_image(raw)
+
+        images = adapter._get_scroll_helper_content(FakePlugin(sh), "no_margin")
+        assert images[0].width == 150
+
+    def test_degenerate_all_black_image_left_untouched(self, adapter):
+        sh = ScrollHelper(64, 32)
+        sh.set_scrolling_image(_solid(50, 32, (0, 0, 0)))
+
+        images = adapter._get_scroll_helper_content(FakePlugin(sh), "all_black")
+        assert images[0].width == 50
+
+    def test_missing_display_width_attribute_left_untouched(self, adapter):
+        sh = ScrollHelper(64, 32)
+        item = _solid(40, 32, (200, 50, 50))
+        sh.create_scrolling_image([item], item_gap=10, element_gap=0)
+        original_width = sh.cached_image.width
+        del sh.display_width
+
+        images = adapter._get_scroll_helper_content(FakePlugin(sh), "ticker")
+        assert images[0].width == original_width
+
+    def test_pad_width_not_smaller_than_image_left_untouched(self, adapter):
+        sh = ScrollHelper(64, 32)
+        sh.set_scrolling_image(_solid(64, 32, (0, 0, 0)))
+
+        images = adapter._get_scroll_helper_content(FakePlugin(sh), "narrow")
+        assert images[0].width == 64
+
+    def test_both_edges_matching_logs_warning(self, adapter, caplog):
+        sh = ScrollHelper(64, 32)
+        content_w = 80
+        full = _solid(64 + content_w + 64, 32, (0, 0, 0))
+        full.paste(_solid(content_w, 32, (10, 220, 30)), (64, 0))
+        sh.set_scrolling_image(full)
+
+        with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING, logger="src.vegas_mode.plugin_adapter"):
+            adapter._get_scroll_helper_content(FakePlugin(sh), "ticker")
+
+        assert any("Stripping scroll_helper padding" in r.message for r in caplog.records)
+
+    def test_single_edge_match_logs_info_not_warning(self, adapter, caplog):
+        sh = ScrollHelper(64, 32)
+        item = _solid(40, 32, (200, 50, 50))
+        sh.create_scrolling_image([item], item_gap=10, element_gap=0)
+
+        with caplog.at_level(logging.INFO, logger="src.vegas_mode.plugin_adapter"):
+            adapter._get_scroll_helper_content(FakePlugin(sh), "ticker")
+
+        strip_records = [r for r in caplog.records if "Stripping scroll_helper padding" in r.message]
+        assert len(strip_records) == 1
+        assert strip_records[0].levelno == logging.INFO

test/test_web_api.py

@@ -141,9 +141,62 @@ class TestConfigAPI:
             data=json.dumps(invalid_config),
             content_type='application/json'
         )
-        
+
         assert response.status_code in [400, 500]
-    
+
+    def test_save_double_sided_settings(self, client, mock_config_manager):
+        """Double-sided form fields are persisted under display.double_sided."""
+        response = client.post(
+            '/api/v3/config/main',
+            data={
+                'double_sided_enabled': 'true',
+                'double_sided_copies': '2',
+                'double_sided_axis': 'vertical',
+            },
+            content_type='application/x-www-form-urlencoded',
+        )
+
+        assert response.status_code == 200
+        saved = mock_config_manager.save_config_atomic.call_args[0][0]
+        assert saved['display']['double_sided'] == {
+            'enabled': True, 'copies': 2, 'axis': 'vertical',
+        }
+
+    def test_save_double_sided_unchecked_disables(self, client, mock_config_manager):
+        """An omitted 'enabled' checkbox is saved as disabled, not left stale."""
+        response = client.post(
+            '/api/v3/config/main',
+            data={'double_sided_copies': '4', 'double_sided_axis': 'horizontal'},
+            content_type='application/x-www-form-urlencoded',
+        )
+
+        assert response.status_code == 200
+        ds = mock_config_manager.save_config_atomic.call_args[0][0]['display']['double_sided']
+        assert ds['enabled'] is False
+        assert ds['copies'] == 4
+
+    def test_save_double_sided_invalid_copies_rejected(self, client, mock_config_manager):
+        """copies < 2 is rejected with a 400 before any save."""
+        response = client.post(
+            '/api/v3/config/main',
+            data={'double_sided_enabled': 'true', 'double_sided_copies': '1'},
+            content_type='application/x-www-form-urlencoded',
+        )
+
+        assert response.status_code == 400
+        mock_config_manager.save_config_atomic.assert_not_called()
+
+    def test_save_double_sided_invalid_axis_rejected(self, client, mock_config_manager):
+        """An unknown axis is rejected with a 400 before any save."""
+        response = client.post(
+            '/api/v3/config/main',
+            data={'double_sided_enabled': 'true', 'double_sided_axis': 'diagonal'},
+            content_type='application/x-www-form-urlencoded',
+        )
+
+        assert response.status_code == 400
+        mock_config_manager.save_config_atomic.assert_not_called()
+
     def test_get_secrets_config(self, client, mock_config_manager):
         """Test getting secrets configuration."""
         response = client.get('/api/v3/config/secrets')
@@ -617,7 +670,8 @@ class TestDottedKeyNormalization:
             'leagues': {'eng.1': {'enabled': True, 'favorite_teams': []}},
         }
         schema_mgr.merge_with_defaults.side_effect = lambda config, defaults: {**defaults, **config}
-        schema_mgr.validate_config_against_schema.return_value = []
+        # Must be a (bool, list) tuple: the endpoint does is_valid, errors = validate_config_against_schema(...)
+        schema_mgr.validate_config_against_schema.return_value = (True, [])
         api_v3.schema_manager = schema_mgr
 
         request_data = {
@@ -679,7 +733,7 @@ class TestDottedKeyNormalization:
             'leagues': {'eng.1': {'favorite_teams': []}},
         }
         schema_mgr.merge_with_defaults.side_effect = lambda config, defaults: {**defaults, **config}
-        schema_mgr.validate_config_against_schema.return_value = []
+        schema_mgr.validate_config_against_schema.return_value = (True, [])
         api_v3.schema_manager = schema_mgr
 
         request_data = {
@@ -705,3 +759,54 @@ class TestDottedKeyNormalization:
         teams = soccer_cfg.get('leagues', {}).get('eng.1', {}).get('favorite_teams')
         assert isinstance(teams, list), f"Expected list, got: {type(teams)}"
         assert teams == [], f"Expected empty default list, got: {teams}"
+
+
+class TestPluginHealthRoutes:
+    """Phase 1: /plugins/health and /plugins/metrics build per-installed-id so
+    they surface cross-process data persisted by the display service."""
+
+    def test_health_route_builds_per_installed_id(self, client, mock_plugin_manager):
+        from web_interface.blueprints.api_v3 import api_v3
+        from src.plugin_system.plugin_health import PluginHealthTracker
+
+        cache = MagicMock()
+        cache.get.return_value = None
+        api_v3.plugin_manager = mock_plugin_manager
+        mock_plugin_manager.plugin_manifests = {'p1': {}, 'p2': {}}
+        mock_plugin_manager.health_tracker = PluginHealthTracker(cache)
+
+        resp = client.get('/api/v3/plugins/health')
+        assert resp.status_code == 200
+        data = resp.get_json()['data']
+        assert set(data.keys()) == {'p1', 'p2'}
+        assert data['p1']['is_healthy'] is True
+        assert data['p1']['degraded'] is False
+
+    def test_health_route_reports_not_available_without_tracker(self, client, mock_plugin_manager):
+        from web_interface.blueprints.api_v3 import api_v3
+        api_v3.plugin_manager = mock_plugin_manager
+        mock_plugin_manager.health_tracker = None
+
+        resp = client.get('/api/v3/plugins/health')
+        assert resp.status_code == 200
+        body = resp.get_json()
+        assert body['data'] == {}
+        assert 'not available' in body['message'].lower()
+
+    def test_metrics_route_builds_per_installed_id(self, client, mock_plugin_manager):
+        from web_interface.blueprints.api_v3 import api_v3
+        from src.plugin_system.resource_monitor import PluginResourceMonitor
+
+        cache = MagicMock()
+        cache.get.return_value = None
+        api_v3.plugin_manager = mock_plugin_manager
+        mock_plugin_manager.plugin_manifests = {'p1': {}}
+        mock_plugin_manager.resource_monitor = PluginResourceMonitor(
+            cache, enable_monitoring=False
+        )
+
+        resp = client.get('/api/v3/plugins/metrics')
+        assert resp.status_code == 200
+        data = resp.get_json()['data']
+        assert 'p1' in data
+        assert data['p1']['call_count'] == 0

test/test_web_settings_ui.py

@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+"""
+Smoke tests for the settings tooltips + search UI.
+
+These render the settings partials through Flask and assert that every settings
+field carries:
+  - a stable search anchor id (`id="setting-..."` on its .form-group), and
+  - an info tooltip (`class="help-tip"` emitted by the help_tip macro).
+
+They guard against macro/import breakage and against fields losing their anchor
+or tooltip when partials are edited. See web_interface/static/v3/js/tooltips.js
+and settings-search.js for the consumers of this markup.
+"""
+
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+
+import pytest
+from flask import Flask
+
+PROJECT_ROOT = Path(__file__).parent.parent
+sys.path.insert(0, str(PROJECT_ROOT))
+
+
+# A realistic-enough config so the hand-written partials render every field.
+REALISTIC_CONFIG = {
+    "web_display_autostart": True,
+    "timezone": "America/Chicago",
+    "location": {"city": "Dallas", "state": "Texas", "country": "US"},
+    "plugin_system": {
+        "auto_discover": True,
+        "auto_load_enabled": True,
+        "development_mode": False,
+        "plugins_directory": "plugin-repos",
+    },
+    "schedule": {},
+    "dim_schedule": {"dim_brightness": 30},
+    "sync": {"role": "standalone", "port": 5765, "follower_position": "left"},
+    "display": {
+        "hardware": {
+            "rows": 32, "cols": 64, "chain_length": 2, "parallel": 1,
+            "brightness": 95, "hardware_mapping": "adafruit-hat-pwm",
+            "led_rgb_sequence": "RGB", "multiplexing": 0, "panel_type": "",
+            "row_address_type": 0, "scan_mode": 0, "pwm_bits": 9,
+            "pwm_dither_bits": 1, "pwm_lsb_nanoseconds": 130,
+            "limit_refresh_rate_hz": 120, "disable_hardware_pulsing": False,
+            "inverse_colors": False, "show_refresh_rate": False,
+        },
+        "runtime": {"gpio_slowdown": 3, "rp1_rio": 0},
+        "double_sided": {"enabled": False, "copies": 2, "axis": "horizontal"},
+        "use_short_date_format": False,
+        "dynamic_duration": {"max_duration_seconds": 180},
+        "vegas_scroll": {
+            "enabled": False, "scroll_speed": 50, "separator_width": 32,
+            "target_fps": 125, "buffer_ahead": 2,
+            "plugin_order": [], "excluded_plugins": [],
+        },
+        "display_durations": {"clock": 15, "weather": 30},
+    },
+}
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def client():
+    base = PROJECT_ROOT / "web_interface"
+    app = Flask(
+        __name__,
+        template_folder=str(base / "templates"),
+        static_folder=str(base / "static"),
+    )
+    app.config["TESTING"] = True
+
+    from web_interface.blueprints import pages_v3 as pv
+
+    mock_cm = MagicMock()
+    mock_cm.load_config.return_value = REALISTIC_CONFIG
+    mock_cm.get_raw_file_content.return_value = REALISTIC_CONFIG
+    mock_cm.get_config_path.return_value = "config/config.json"
+    mock_cm.get_secrets_path.return_value = "config/config_secrets.json"
+    pv.pages_v3.config_manager = mock_cm
+    pv.pages_v3.plugin_manager = MagicMock(plugins={})
+
+    app.register_blueprint(pv.pages_v3, url_prefix="/v3")
+    return app.test_client()
+
+
+# Settings tabs that must expose searchable, tooltipped fields.
+SETTINGS_TABS = ["general", "display", "durations", "schedule", "wifi"]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("tab", SETTINGS_TABS)
+def test_settings_partial_has_tooltips_and_anchors(client, tab):
+    resp = client.get(f"/v3/partials/{tab}")
+    assert resp.status_code == 200, f"{tab} partial failed to render"
+    body = resp.get_data(as_text=True)
+
+    assert 'class="help-tip"' in body, f"{tab}: no tooltips rendered"
+    assert 'id="setting-' in body, f"{tab}: no search anchors rendered"
+    # Every settings field should be both anchored and tooltipped; tooltip count
+    # should not exceed anchor count (each field has at most one help_tip).
+    anchors = body.count('id="setting-')
+    tips = body.count('class="help-tip"')
+    assert tips >= 1 and anchors >= 1
+    assert tips <= anchors, f"{tab}: more tooltips ({tips}) than anchors ({anchors})"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("tab", SETTINGS_TABS)
+def test_settings_partial_has_per_tab_filter(client, tab):
+    body = client.get(f"/v3/partials/{tab}").get_data(as_text=True)
+    assert 'class="settings-filter' in body, f"{tab}: per-tab filter box missing"
+
+
+def test_display_tooltip_carries_rich_text(client):
+    # The brightness tooltip should include the authored guidance, not just a label.
+    body = client.get("/v3/partials/display").get_data(as_text=True)
+    assert 'id="setting-display-brightness"' in body
+    assert "Recommended:" in body  # rich detail authored into a tooltip
+
+
+def test_search_index_endpoint(client):
+    """The server-built search index powers the global settings search."""
+    resp = client.get("/v3/settings/search-index")
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    data = resp.get_json()
+    assert isinstance(data, dict) and isinstance(data.get("fields"), list)
+    fields = data["fields"]
+    assert len(fields) >= 40, "expected the core settings fields to be indexed"
+
+    by_id = {f["anchorId"]: f for f in fields}
+    # Representative fields across tabs must be present with usable text.
+    for anchor in ("setting-general-timezone", "setting-display-brightness",
+                   "setting-wifi-password", "setting-durations-clock"):
+        assert anchor in by_id, f"{anchor} missing from search index"
+        entry = by_id[anchor]
+        assert entry["label"], f"{anchor} has no label"
+        assert entry["help"], f"{anchor} has no tooltip help"
+        assert entry["tab"] and entry["tabLabel"]
+
+    # Every entry must carry a non-empty label and a stable anchor id.
+    assert all(f["label"] and f["anchorId"].startswith("setting-") for f in fields)
+    # Section context is captured for grouped fields (e.g. Display hardware).
+    assert by_id["setting-display-brightness"]["section"] == "Hardware Configuration"
+
+
+def test_plugin_config_partial_has_filter_and_nested_anchors():
+    """Plugin config tabs expose the per-tab filter and anchor nested fields.
+
+    The client fixture has no installed plugins, so render the partial directly
+    with a schema that includes a nested section (render_nested_section).
+    """
+    from jinja2 import Environment, FileSystemLoader, select_autoescape
+
+    env = Environment(
+        loader=FileSystemLoader(str(PROJECT_ROOT / "web_interface" / "templates")),
+        autoescape=select_autoescape(["html"]),
+    )
+    plugin = {
+        "id": "demo-plugin", "name": "Demo Plugin", "description": "A demo",
+        "enabled": True, "author": "me", "version": "1.0.0",
+    }
+    schema = {
+        "type": "object",
+        "properties": {
+            "title_text": {"type": "string", "title": "Title Text",
+                           "description": "The heading."},
+            "advanced": {
+                "type": "object", "title": "Advanced Options",
+                "description": "Nested options.",
+                "properties": {
+                    "scroll_speed": {"type": "integer", "title": "Scroll Speed",
+                                     "description": "Pixels per second."},
+                },
+            },
+        },
+    }
+    config = {"title_text": "Hi", "advanced": {"scroll_speed": 50}}
+    html = env.get_template("v3/partials/plugin_config.html").render(
+        plugin=plugin, schema=schema, config=config
+    )
+
+    assert 'class="settings-filter' in html, "plugin config: per-tab filter box missing"
+    assert "nested-content" in html, "plugin config: nested section not rendered"
+    assert 'id="setting-' in html, "plugin config: no search anchors rendered"
+    assert 'class="help-tip"' in html, "plugin config: no tooltips rendered"

test/web_interface/test_dotted_league_keys.py

@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+"""
+Regression test for saving plugin config fields whose schema keys contain dots
+(e.g. soccer league keys like "fifa.world", "eng.1", "usa.1").
+
+Bug: the web config form posts form-data with dotted paths such as
+"leagues.fifa.world.enabled". The helpers that resolve those paths split on every
+dot, so the dotted league key "fifa.world" was mistaken for nested "fifa" ->
+"world" objects. Per-league edits (enable, favorite_teams, nested booleans) were
+written to a fabricated "leagues.fifa.world" branch while the real league object
+was never updated, so the save silently dropped the change and the saved config
+came out byte-identical.
+"""
+
+import unittest
+
+from web_interface.blueprints.api_v3 import (
+    _get_schema_property,
+    _set_nested_value,
+    _parse_form_value_with_schema,
+)
+
+
+SCHEMA = {
+    "type": "object",
+    "properties": {
+        "leagues": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "properties": {
+                "fifa.world": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "properties": {
+                        "enabled": {"type": "boolean"},
+                        "favorite_teams": {
+                            "type": "array",
+                            "items": {"type": "string"},
+                        },
+                        "display_modes": {
+                            "type": "object",
+                            "properties": {"live": {"type": "boolean"}},
+                        },
+                    },
+                }
+            },
+        }
+    },
+}
+
+
+class TestDottedLeagueKeys(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_schema_lookup_resolves_dotted_league_key(self):
+        prop = _get_schema_property(SCHEMA, "leagues.fifa.world.favorite_teams")
+        self.assertIsNotNone(prop, "dotted league key path should resolve")
+        self.assertEqual(prop.get("type"), "array")
+
+    def test_schema_lookup_resolves_nested_object_beneath_dotted_key(self):
+        live = _get_schema_property(SCHEMA, "leagues.fifa.world.display_modes.live")
+        self.assertIsNotNone(live)
+        self.assertEqual(live.get("type"), "boolean")
+
+    def test_parse_typed_value_for_dotted_key(self):
+        # Comma-separated text input "USA" must become an array, not the raw string.
+        parsed = _parse_form_value_with_schema(
+            "USA", "leagues.fifa.world.favorite_teams", SCHEMA
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(parsed, ["USA"])
+
+    def test_set_value_updates_real_league_not_fabricated_branch(self):
+        config = {"leagues": {"fifa.world": {"enabled": False, "favorite_teams": []}}}
+        _set_nested_value(config, "leagues.fifa.world.enabled", True)
+        _set_nested_value(config, "leagues.fifa.world.favorite_teams", ["USA"])
+
+        self.assertTrue(config["leagues"]["fifa.world"]["enabled"])
+        self.assertEqual(config["leagues"]["fifa.world"]["favorite_teams"], ["USA"])
+        # The real league must be updated and no fabricated "fifa" branch created.
+        self.assertNotIn("fifa", config["leagues"])
+
+    def test_set_value_into_missing_leaf_lands_in_real_league(self):
+        # A leaf that does not exist yet still resolves into the real dotted league.
+        config = {"leagues": {"fifa.world": {"enabled": False}}}
+        _set_nested_value(config, "leagues.fifa.world.display_modes.live", True)
+        self.assertTrue(
+            config["leagues"]["fifa.world"]["display_modes"]["live"]
+        )
+        self.assertNotIn("fifa", config["leagues"])
+
+    def test_plain_nested_paths_still_work(self):
+        config = {}
+        _set_nested_value(config, "customization.text.font", "small")
+        self.assertEqual(config["customization"]["text"]["font"], "small")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()

test/web_interface/test_state_reconciliation.py

@@ -224,20 +224,14 @@ class TestStateReconciliation(unittest.TestCase):
         with open(manifest_path, 'w') as f:
             json.dump({"version": "1.0.0", "name": "Plugin 1"}, f)
         
-        # Mock save_config to track calls
-        saved_configs = []
-        def save_config(config):
-            saved_configs.append(config)
-        
-        self.config_manager.save_config = save_config
-        
         # Run reconciliation
         result = self.reconciler.reconcile_state()
-        
+
-        # Verify fix was attempted
+        # config.json is the source of truth for enabled state. The fix syncs
+        # the state manager to match config (config says True → state set True),
+        # rather than overwriting the config with the stale state value.
         self.assertEqual(len(result.inconsistencies_fixed), 1)
-        self.assertEqual(len(saved_configs), 1)
+        self.state_manager.set_plugin_enabled.assert_called_once_with("plugin1", True)
-        self.assertEqual(saved_configs[0]["plugin1"]["enabled"], False)
     
     def test_multiple_inconsistencies(self):
         """Test reconciliation with multiple inconsistencies."""

test/web_interface/test_systemctl_sudoers_alignment.py

@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+"""Guards that every privileged systemctl call the web interface makes is
+covered by a passwordless-sudo grant in configure_web_sudo.sh.
+
+The web interface runs headless (no TTY), so any `sudo` call that is not
+matched by a NOPASSWD rule in /etc/sudoers.d/ledmatrix_web falls back to a
+password prompt and fails with:
+
+    sudo: a terminal is required to read the password
+
+sudo matches the command line by exact string, so `systemctl start ledmatrix`
+and `systemctl start ledmatrix.service` are NOT interchangeable. This test
+parses both the production blueprint and the sudoers-generator script and
+asserts the (verb, unit) pairs line up, catching the suffix-mismatch class of
+bug before it ships.
+"""
+
+import ast
+import re
+from pathlib import Path
+
+PROJECT_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
+API_V3 = PROJECT_ROOT / "web_interface" / "blueprints" / "api_v3.py"
+SUDOERS_SCRIPT = PROJECT_ROOT / "scripts" / "install" / "configure_web_sudo.sh"
+
+
+def _sudo_systemctl_calls(source: str) -> set[tuple[str, str]]:
+    """Return (verb, unit) for every list literal beginning with
+    ['sudo', 'systemctl', ...] passed to a subprocess call in the source."""
+    calls: set[tuple[str, str]] = set()
+    for node in ast.walk(ast.parse(source)):
+        if not isinstance(node, ast.List):
+            continue
+        elts = node.elts
+        if len(elts) < 4:
+            continue
+        if not all(isinstance(e, ast.Constant) and isinstance(e.value, str) for e in elts[:4]):
+            continue
+        if elts[0].value == "sudo" and elts[1].value == "systemctl":
+            calls.add((elts[2].value, elts[3].value))
+    return calls
+
+
+def _granted_systemctl_rules(script: str) -> set[tuple[str, str]]:
+    """Return (verb, unit) for each `$SYSTEMCTL_PATH <verb> <unit>` NOPASSWD
+    grant emitted by the sudoers-generator script."""
+    rules: set[tuple[str, str]] = set()
+    for match in re.finditer(r"\$SYSTEMCTL_PATH\s+(\S+)\s+(\S+)", script):
+        verb, unit = match.group(1), match.group(2).rstrip('"')
+        rules.add((verb, unit))
+    return rules
+
+
+def test_every_sudo_systemctl_call_is_granted() -> None:
+    calls = _sudo_systemctl_calls(API_V3.read_text())
+    rules = _granted_systemctl_rules(SUDOERS_SCRIPT.read_text())
+
+    assert calls, "expected to find sudo systemctl calls in api_v3.py"
+
+    uncovered = {c for c in calls if c not in rules}
+    assert not uncovered, (
+        "These sudo systemctl calls have no matching NOPASSWD grant in "
+        "configure_web_sudo.sh; they will fail headless with "
+        "'sudo: a terminal is required to read the password': "
+        + ", ".join(f"systemctl {v} {u}" for v, u in sorted(uncovered))
+    )
+
+
+def test_units_are_fully_qualified() -> None:
+    """Privileged systemctl calls must name the unit as <name>.service so they
+    match the sudoers grants, which use the fully-qualified unit name."""
+    calls = _sudo_systemctl_calls(API_V3.read_text())
+    unqualified = {(v, u) for v, u in calls if not u.endswith(".service")}
+    assert not unqualified, (
+        "sudo systemctl calls must use fully-qualified .service unit names: "
+        + ", ".join(f"systemctl {v} {u}" for v, u in sorted(unqualified))
+    )

web_interface/app.py

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import json
 import logging
 import os
 import queue
+import re
 import shutil
 import sys
 import subprocess
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ from src.plugin_system.health_monitor import PluginHealthMonitor
 
 _JOURNALCTL = shutil.which('journalctl')
 _SYSTEMCTL = shutil.which('systemctl')
+_VCGENCMD = shutil.which('vcgencmd')
 
 # Create Flask app
 app = Flask(__name__)
@@ -79,6 +81,21 @@ plugin_manager = PluginManager(
     cache_manager=None     # Not needed for web interface
 )
 plugin_store_manager = PluginStoreManager(plugins_dir=str(plugins_dir))
+# A core `git pull` update (or any checkout) restores built-in plugins
+# committed under plugin-repos/, even ones the user uninstalled. Re-remove any
+# the user previously uninstalled at startup so a manual update on the Pi
+# doesn't resurrect them.
+try:
+    _purged = plugin_store_manager.purge_uninstalled_plugins()
+    if _purged:
+        logging.getLogger(__name__).info(
+            "Re-removed %d uninstalled plugin(s) restored since last run: %s",
+            len(_purged), ", ".join(_purged),
+        )
+except (OSError, RuntimeError) as _purge_err:
+    logging.getLogger(__name__).warning(
+        "Startup plugin purge failed: %s", _purge_err
+    )
 saved_repositories_manager = SavedRepositoriesManager()
 
 # Initialize schema manager
@@ -143,6 +160,22 @@ api_v3.health_monitor = health_monitor
 from src.cache_manager import CacheManager
 api_v3.cache_manager = CacheManager()
 
+# Wire plugin health/metrics for the web process. The display service records
+# health and execution-time metrics to the shared on-disk cache; giving the web
+# process its own tracker/monitor backed by that same cache lets the health API
+# routes (/api/v3/plugins/health, /plugins/metrics) read that persisted data.
+# Guarded so any init failure degrades to "not available" rather than breaking
+# the web server.
+try:
+    from src.plugin_system.plugin_health import PluginHealthTracker
+    from src.plugin_system.resource_monitor import PluginResourceMonitor
+    plugin_manager.health_tracker = PluginHealthTracker(api_v3.cache_manager)
+    plugin_manager.resource_monitor = PluginResourceMonitor(api_v3.cache_manager)
+except Exception as _hm_err:  # pragma: no cover - defensive startup guard
+    logging.getLogger(__name__).warning(
+        "Could not enable plugin health/metrics for web UI: %s", _hm_err
+    )
+
 app.register_blueprint(pages_v3, url_prefix='/v3')
 app.register_blueprint(api_v3, url_prefix='/api/v3')
 
@@ -391,6 +424,22 @@ def captive_portal_redirect():
     # Redirect to lightweight captive portal setup page (not the full UI)
     return redirect(url_for('pages_v3.captive_setup'), code=302)
 
+# Append a content-version query param (file mtime) to every static URL so the
+# long-lived `immutable` cache (see add_security_headers below) is actually safe:
+# when a static file changes its URL changes, so browsers refetch it. Without
+# this, edited JS/CSS were served immutable under an unchanging URL and never
+# reached clients until a manual cache clear.
+@app.url_defaults
+def add_static_version(endpoint, values):
+    if endpoint == 'static' and values.get('filename'):
+        try:
+            file_path = os.path.join(app.static_folder, values['filename'])
+            values['v'] = int(os.path.getmtime(file_path))
+        except OSError:
+            # File missing (e.g. plugin asset not yet installed) — skip versioning.
+            pass
+
+
 # Add security headers and caching to all responses
 @app.after_request
 def add_security_headers(response):
@@ -467,6 +516,37 @@ class _StreamBroadcaster:
                         except queue.Full:
                             pass
 
+def _get_power_status():
+    """Check Raspberry Pi under-voltage/throttling status via vcgencmd.
+
+    Returns a dict of decoded flags, or None on non-Pi platforms (no
+    vcgencmd) or if the call fails for any reason. See:
+    https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/computers/os.html#get_throttled
+    """
+    if not _VCGENCMD:
+        return None
+    try:
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            [_VCGENCMD, 'get_throttled'], capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=2
+        )
+        match = re.search(r'0x([0-9a-fA-F]+)', result.stdout)
+        if not match:
+            return None
+        bits = int(match.group(1), 16)
+        return {
+            'under_voltage_now': bool(bits & 0x1),
+            'freq_capped_now': bool(bits & 0x2),
+            'throttled_now': bool(bits & 0x4),
+            'soft_temp_limit_now': bool(bits & 0x8),
+            'under_voltage_occurred': bool(bits & 0x10000),
+            'freq_capped_occurred': bool(bits & 0x20000),
+            'throttled_occurred': bool(bits & 0x40000),
+            'soft_temp_limit_occurred': bool(bits & 0x80000),
+        }
+    except (subprocess.SubprocessError, OSError, ValueError) as e:
+        app.logger.warning("vcgencmd get_throttled failed: %s", e)
+        return None
+
 # System status generator for SSE
 def system_status_generator():
     """Generate system status updates"""
@@ -513,7 +593,8 @@ def system_status_generator():
                 'cpu_percent': cpu_percent,
                 'memory_used_percent': memory_used_percent,
                 'cpu_temp': cpu_temp,
-                'disk_used_percent': 0
+                'disk_used_percent': 0,
+                'power': _get_power_status()
             }
             yield status
         except Exception as e:

web_interface/blueprints/api_v3.py

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import logging
 from datetime import datetime
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Dict, Any
+from urllib.parse import urlparse, urlunparse
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -25,9 +26,51 @@ from src.web_interface.validators import (
     validate_file_upload
 )
 from src.error_aggregator import get_error_aggregator
+from src.common.permission_utils import install_requirements_file
 
 _SUDO = shutil.which('sudo')
 _JOURNALCTL = shutil.which('journalctl')
+_GIT = shutil.which('git')
+
+# Cap subprocess output returned to the browser — pip can produce MBs on build failures.
+_MAX_OUTPUT_BYTES = 51_200  # 50 KB
+
+
+def _truncate_output(stdout: str, stderr: str) -> str:
+    """Combine stdout+stderr and truncate to _MAX_OUTPUT_BYTES (keeping the tail)."""
+    combined = (stdout + stderr).strip()
+    if len(combined) > _MAX_OUTPUT_BYTES:
+        combined = '[...output truncated...]\n' + combined[-_MAX_OUTPUT_BYTES:]
+    return combined
+
+
+def _pip_install_requirements(req_file: Path, timeout: int) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
+    """Install a requirements.txt file, preferring the vetted sudo wrapper so
+    the packages are visible to root-run ledmatrix.service — not just to
+    whichever non-root user runs this web process. Falls back to installing
+    for the current process only if the wrapper isn't set up yet (i.e. the
+    admin hasn't run scripts/install/configure_web_sudo.sh since upgrading),
+    so the button still does *something* useful rather than hard-failing.
+
+    Thin wrapper around the shared implementation in permission_utils so the
+    Plugin Store's own dependency installation (store_manager.py) follows the
+    exact same root-visible install path instead of a divergent one.
+    """
+    return install_requirements_file(req_file, timeout=timeout)
+
+
+def _scrub_git_remote_url(url: str) -> str:
+    """Strip embedded username/password from an HTTPS remote URL before returning it to the UI."""
+    try:
+        p = urlparse(url)
+        if p.scheme in ('http', 'https') and (p.username or p.password):
+            netloc = p.hostname or ''
+            if p.port:
+                netloc += f':{p.port}'
+            return urlunparse(p._replace(netloc=netloc))
+    except Exception:
+        pass
+    return url
 
 # Will be initialized when blueprint is registered
 config_manager = None
@@ -190,7 +233,7 @@ def _ensure_display_service_running():
     if status.get('active'):
         status['started'] = False
         return status
-    result = _run_systemctl_command(['sudo', 'systemctl', 'start', 'ledmatrix'])
+    result = _run_systemctl_command(['sudo', 'systemctl', 'start', 'ledmatrix.service'])
     service_status = _get_display_service_status()
     result['started'] = result.get('returncode') == 0
     result['active'] = service_status.get('active')
@@ -199,7 +242,7 @@ def _ensure_display_service_running():
 
 def _stop_display_service():
     """Stop the ledmatrix display service."""
-    result = _run_systemctl_command(['sudo', 'systemctl', 'stop', 'ledmatrix'])
+    result = _run_systemctl_command(['sudo', 'systemctl', 'stop', 'ledmatrix.service'])
     status = _get_display_service_status()
     result['active'] = status.get('active')
     result['status'] = status
@@ -705,7 +748,8 @@ def save_main_config():
         display_fields = ['rows', 'cols', 'chain_length', 'parallel', 'brightness', 'hardware_mapping',
                          'gpio_slowdown', 'rp1_rio', 'scan_mode', 'disable_hardware_pulsing', 'inverse_colors', 'show_refresh_rate',
                          'pwm_bits', 'pwm_dither_bits', 'pwm_lsb_nanoseconds', 'limit_refresh_rate_hz', 'use_short_date_format',
-                         'max_dynamic_duration_seconds', 'led_rgb_sequence', 'multiplexing', 'panel_type']
+                         'max_dynamic_duration_seconds', 'led_rgb_sequence', 'multiplexing', 'panel_type',
+                         'row_address_type']
 
         if any(k in data for k in display_fields):
             if 'display' not in current_config:
@@ -736,14 +780,23 @@ def save_main_config():
                 except (ValueError, TypeError):
                     return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': f"Invalid multiplexing value '{data['multiplexing']}'. Must be an integer from 0 to 22."}), 400
 
+            # Validate row_address_type
+            if 'row_address_type' in data:
+                try:
+                    rat_val = int(data['row_address_type'])
+                    if rat_val < 0 or rat_val > 4:
+                        return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': f"Invalid row_address_type '{data['row_address_type']}'. Must be an integer from 0 to 4."}), 400
+                except (ValueError, TypeError):
+                    return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': f"Invalid row_address_type '{data['row_address_type']}'. Must be an integer from 0 to 4."}), 400
+
             # Handle hardware settings
             for field in ['rows', 'cols', 'chain_length', 'parallel', 'brightness', 'hardware_mapping', 'scan_mode',
                          'pwm_bits', 'pwm_dither_bits', 'pwm_lsb_nanoseconds', 'limit_refresh_rate_hz',
-                         'led_rgb_sequence', 'multiplexing', 'panel_type']:
+                         'led_rgb_sequence', 'multiplexing', 'panel_type', 'row_address_type']:
                 if field in data:
                     if field in ['rows', 'cols', 'chain_length', 'parallel', 'brightness', 'scan_mode',
                                'pwm_bits', 'pwm_dither_bits', 'pwm_lsb_nanoseconds', 'limit_refresh_rate_hz',
-                               'multiplexing']:
+                               'multiplexing', 'row_address_type']:
                         current_config['display']['hardware'][field] = int(data[field])
                     else:
                         current_config['display']['hardware'][field] = data[field]
@@ -773,6 +826,46 @@ def save_main_config():
                     current_config['display']['dynamic_duration'] = {}
                 current_config['display']['dynamic_duration']['max_duration_seconds'] = int(data['max_dynamic_duration_seconds'])
 
+        # Handle double-sided display settings
+        double_sided_fields = ['double_sided_enabled', 'double_sided_copies', 'double_sided_axis']
+        if any(k in data for k in double_sided_fields):
+            if 'display' not in current_config:
+                current_config['display'] = {}
+            if 'double_sided' not in current_config['display']:
+                current_config['display']['double_sided'] = {}
+            ds_config = current_config['display']['double_sided']
+
+            # Enabled checkbox: omitted from the form when unchecked.
+            ds_config['enabled'] = _coerce_to_bool(data.get('double_sided_enabled'))
+
+            if 'double_sided_copies' in data and data['double_sided_copies'] not in ('', None):
+                try:
+                    copies = int(data['double_sided_copies'])
+                except (ValueError, TypeError):
+                    return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': "Double-sided copies must be an integer"}), 400
+                if not (2 <= copies <= 8):
+                    return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': "Double-sided copies must be between 2 and 8"}), 400
+                # Validate divisibility against the relevant hardware dimension.
+                # Use axis from this request if provided, else from stored config.
+                hw = current_config.get('display', {}).get('hardware', {})
+                effective_axis = (data.get('double_sided_axis')
+                                  or current_config.get('display', {}).get('double_sided', {}).get('axis', 'horizontal'))
+                if effective_axis == 'horizontal':
+                    chain_length = int(hw.get('chain_length', 2) or 2)
+                    if chain_length % copies != 0:
+                        return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': f"Double-sided copies ({copies}) must divide chain length ({chain_length}) evenly"}), 400
+                elif effective_axis == 'vertical':
+                    parallel = int(hw.get('parallel', 1) or 1)
+                    if parallel % copies != 0:
+                        return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': f"Double-sided copies ({copies}) must divide parallel ({parallel}) evenly"}), 400
+                ds_config['copies'] = copies
+
+            if 'double_sided_axis' in data:
+                axis = data['double_sided_axis']
+                if axis not in ('horizontal', 'vertical'):
+                    return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': "Double-sided axis must be 'horizontal' or 'vertical'"}), 400
+                ds_config['axis'] = axis
+
         # Handle Vegas scroll mode settings
         vegas_fields = ['vegas_scroll_enabled', 'vegas_scroll_speed', 'vegas_separator_width',
                        'vegas_target_fps', 'vegas_buffer_ahead', 'vegas_plugin_order', 'vegas_excluded_plugins']
@@ -1018,6 +1111,8 @@ def save_main_config():
                 continue
             if key in vegas_fields:
                 continue
+            if key in double_sided_fields:
+                continue
             # For any remaining keys (including plugin keys), use deep merge to preserve existing settings
             if key in current_config and isinstance(current_config[key], dict) and isinstance(data[key], dict):
                 # Deep merge to preserve existing settings
@@ -1461,7 +1556,7 @@ def execute_system_action():
                 # For on-demand modes, we would need to integrate with the display controller
                 # For now, just start the display service
                 try:
-                    result = subprocess.run(['sudo', 'systemctl', 'start', 'ledmatrix'],
+                    result = subprocess.run(['sudo', 'systemctl', 'start', 'ledmatrix.service'],
                                          capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=10)
                 except subprocess.TimeoutExpired as e:
                     logger.error("start_display (%s) timed out: %s", mode, e)
@@ -1478,16 +1573,16 @@ def execute_system_action():
                     resp['stderr'] = result.stderr.strip()
                 return jsonify(resp)
             else:
-                result = subprocess.run(['sudo', 'systemctl', 'start', 'ledmatrix'],
+                result = subprocess.run(['sudo', 'systemctl', 'start', 'ledmatrix.service'],
                                      capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=10)
         elif action == 'stop_display':
-            result = subprocess.run(['sudo', 'systemctl', 'stop', 'ledmatrix'],
+            result = subprocess.run(['sudo', 'systemctl', 'stop', 'ledmatrix.service'],
                                  capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=10)
         elif action == 'enable_autostart':
-            result = subprocess.run(['sudo', 'systemctl', 'enable', 'ledmatrix'],
+            result = subprocess.run(['sudo', 'systemctl', 'enable', 'ledmatrix.service'],
                                  capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=10)
         elif action == 'disable_autostart':
-            result = subprocess.run(['sudo', 'systemctl', 'disable', 'ledmatrix'],
+            result = subprocess.run(['sudo', 'systemctl', 'disable', 'ledmatrix.service'],
                                  capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=10)
         elif action == 'reboot_system':
             result = subprocess.run(['sudo', 'reboot'],
@@ -1559,6 +1654,20 @@ def execute_system_action():
                     pull_message = f"Code updated successfully. Local changes were automatically stashed.{stash_info}"
                 if result.stdout and "Already up to date" not in result.stdout:
                     pull_message = f"Code updated successfully.{stash_info}"
+                # A `git pull` restores built-in plugins (committed under
+                # plugin-repos/) even if the user uninstalled them. Re-remove
+                # any the user previously uninstalled so the update doesn't
+                # resurrect them.
+                if api_v3.plugin_store_manager:
+                    try:
+                        purged = api_v3.plugin_store_manager.purge_uninstalled_plugins()
+                        if purged:
+                            logger.info(
+                                "Re-removed %d uninstalled plugin(s) restored by update: %s",
+                                len(purged), ", ".join(purged),
+                            )
+                    except (OSError, RuntimeError) as purge_err:
+                        logger.warning("Post-update plugin purge failed: %s", purge_err)
             else:
                 logger.warning("git pull failed (returncode=%d): %s", result.returncode, result.stderr)
                 pull_message = "Update failed; check logs for details"
@@ -1568,12 +1677,87 @@ def execute_system_action():
                 'message': pull_message,
             })
         elif action == 'restart_display_service':
-            result = subprocess.run(['sudo', 'systemctl', 'restart', 'ledmatrix'],
+            result = subprocess.run(['sudo', 'systemctl', 'restart', 'ledmatrix.service'],
                                  capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=10)
         elif action == 'restart_web_service':
             # Try to restart the web service (assuming it's ledmatrix-web.service)
-            result = subprocess.run(['sudo', 'systemctl', 'restart', 'ledmatrix-web'],
+            result = subprocess.run(['sudo', 'systemctl', 'restart', 'ledmatrix-web.service'],
                                  capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=10)
+        elif action == 'install_base_requirements':
+            req_file = PROJECT_ROOT / 'requirements.txt'
+            if not req_file.exists():
+                return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': 'No requirements.txt found at project root'})
+            result = _pip_install_requirements(req_file, timeout=120)
+            return jsonify({
+                'status': 'success' if result.returncode == 0 else 'error',
+                'message': 'Base requirements installed successfully' if result.returncode == 0 else 'pip install failed',
+                'output': _truncate_output(result.stdout, result.stderr)
+            })
+        elif action == 'install_plugin_requirements':
+            active_pm = getattr(api_v3, 'plugin_manager', None)
+            if active_pm:
+                plugins_dir = Path(active_pm.plugins_dir)
+            else:
+                _cm = getattr(api_v3, 'config_manager', None)
+                _cfg = _cm.load_config() if _cm else {}
+                _dir_name = _cfg.get('plugin_system', {}).get('plugins_directory', 'plugin-repos')
+                plugins_dir = Path(_dir_name) if os.path.isabs(_dir_name) else PROJECT_ROOT / _dir_name
+            results = []
+            if plugins_dir.exists():
+                for p in sorted(plugins_dir.iterdir()):
+                    req = p / 'requirements.txt'
+                    if p.is_dir() and req.exists():
+                        try:
+                            r = _pip_install_requirements(req, timeout=60)
+                            results.append({
+                                'plugin': p.name,
+                                'ok': r.returncode == 0,
+                                'output': _truncate_output(r.stdout, r.stderr)
+                            })
+                        except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+                            results.append({'plugin': p.name, 'ok': False, 'output': 'pip install timed out'})
+                        except OSError as exc:
+                            results.append({'plugin': p.name, 'ok': False, 'output': exc.strerror or 'OS error'})
+            ok_count = sum(1 for r in results if r['ok'])
+            all_ok = all(r['ok'] for r in results) if results else True
+            return jsonify({
+                'status': 'success' if all_ok else 'error',
+                'message': f'Processed {len(results)} plugin(s) — {ok_count} succeeded' if results else 'No plugin requirements.txt files found',
+                'details': results
+            })
+        elif action == 'force_git_reset':
+            if not _GIT:
+                return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': 'git not found on this system'}), 503
+            project_dir = str(PROJECT_ROOT)
+            fetch = subprocess.run(
+                [_GIT, 'fetch', 'origin'],
+                capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=30, cwd=project_dir
+            )
+            if fetch.returncode != 0:
+                return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': 'git fetch failed', 'output': fetch.stderr.strip()})
+            reset = subprocess.run(
+                [_GIT, 'reset', '--hard', 'origin/main'],
+                capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=30, cwd=project_dir
+            )
+            return jsonify({
+                'status': 'success' if reset.returncode == 0 else 'error',
+                'message': 'Reset to origin/main successfully' if reset.returncode == 0 else 'git reset failed',
+                'output': (reset.stdout + reset.stderr).strip()
+            })
+        elif action == 'clear_pycache':
+            cleared = 0
+            failed = 0
+            for d in PROJECT_ROOT.rglob('__pycache__'):
+                if d.is_dir():
+                    try:
+                        shutil.rmtree(d)
+                        cleared += 1
+                    except OSError:
+                        failed += 1
+            msg = f'Cleared {cleared} __pycache__ directories'
+            if failed:
+                msg += f' ({failed} could not be removed)'
+            return jsonify({'status': 'success', 'message': msg})
         else:
             return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': 'Unknown action'}), 400
 
@@ -1596,6 +1780,35 @@ def execute_system_action():
         logger.error("execute_system_action failed: %s", e, exc_info=True)
         return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': 'Action failed; see logs for details'}), 500
 
+@api_v3.route('/system/git-info', methods=['GET'])
+def get_git_info():
+    """Return branch, dirty state, recent commits and remote URL for the Tools tab."""
+    if not _GIT:
+        return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': 'git not found on this system'}), 503
+    d = str(PROJECT_ROOT)
+    try:
+        branch = subprocess.run([_GIT, 'branch', '--show-current'], capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=10, cwd=d)
+        if branch.returncode != 0:
+            return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': f'git branch failed: {branch.stderr.strip()}'}), 500
+
+        status = subprocess.run([_GIT, 'status', '--short', '--untracked-files=no'], capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=15, cwd=d)
+        if status.returncode != 0:
+            return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': f'git status failed: {status.stderr.strip()}'}), 500
+
+        log    = subprocess.run([_GIT, 'log', '--oneline', '-5'], capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=10, cwd=d)
+        remote = subprocess.run([_GIT, 'remote', 'get-url', 'origin'], capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=10, cwd=d)
+        return jsonify({
+            'branch': branch.stdout.strip(),
+            'dirty': bool(status.stdout.strip()),
+            'status': status.stdout.strip(),
+            'recent_commits': log.stdout.strip() if log.returncode == 0 else '',
+            'remote_url': _scrub_git_remote_url(remote.stdout.strip()) if remote.returncode == 0 else '',
+        })
+    except Exception as e:
+        logger.error("get_git_info failed: %s", e, exc_info=True)
+        return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': 'Failed to get git info'}), 500
+
+
 @api_v3.route('/hardware/status', methods=['GET'])
 def get_hardware_status():
     """Return LED matrix hardware initialization status written by display_manager at startup."""
@@ -1860,6 +2073,18 @@ def get_installed_plugins():
                 return None
 
         def _build_plugin_entry_inner(plugin_info, plugin_id):
+            # Capture runtime state (state machine + error context) before the
+            # manifest merge below can shadow the 'state' key. get_all_plugin_info
+            # attaches this via PluginStateManager.get_state_info(); surfacing it
+            # lets the UI show *why* a plugin isn't running instead of just
+            # 'loaded: false'.
+            state_info = plugin_info.get('state')
+            plugin_state = None
+            plugin_error_info = None
+            if isinstance(state_info, dict):
+                plugin_state = state_info.get('state')
+                plugin_error_info = state_info.get('error_info')
+
             # Re-read manifest from disk to ensure we have the latest metadata
             manifest_path = Path(api_v3.plugin_manager.plugins_dir) / plugin_id / "manifest.json"
             if manifest_path.exists():
@@ -1941,6 +2166,8 @@ def get_installed_plugins():
                 'enabled': enabled,
                 'verified': verified,
                 'loaded': plugin_info.get('loaded', False),
+                'state': plugin_state,
+                'error_info': plugin_error_info,
                 'last_updated': last_updated,
                 'last_commit': last_commit,
                 'last_commit_message': last_commit_message,
@@ -1960,6 +2187,31 @@ def get_installed_plugins():
         logger.error('Error in get_installed_plugins', exc_info=True)
         return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': 'An error occurred; see logs for details'}), 500
 
+def _installed_plugin_ids():
+    """Best-effort list of installed plugin IDs for the web process.
+
+    Health/metrics state is written by the separate display service to the
+    shared on-disk cache, so the tracker's in-memory set is empty here. We
+    enumerate the installed plugins and read each one's persisted summary by ID
+    instead of relying on the tracker's in-memory `get_all_*` view.
+    """
+    pm = api_v3.plugin_manager
+    manifests = getattr(pm, 'plugin_manifests', None)
+    if not manifests:
+        # Only pay for a discovery scan when we haven't discovered anything yet;
+        # subsequent polls reuse the already-populated manifest map.
+        try:
+            pm.discover_plugins()
+        except Exception:
+            logger.debug('discover_plugins failed while listing plugin ids', exc_info=True)
+        manifests = getattr(pm, 'plugin_manifests', None)
+    try:
+        return list(manifests.keys()) if manifests else []
+    except Exception:
+        logger.debug('listing plugin_manifests failed while building plugin ids', exc_info=True)
+        return []
+
+
 @api_v3.route('/plugins/health', methods=['GET'])
 def get_plugin_health():
     """Get health metrics for all plugins"""
@@ -1975,8 +2227,23 @@ def get_plugin_health():
                 'message': 'Health tracking not available'
             })
 
-        # Get health summaries for all plugins
+        tracker = api_v3.plugin_manager.health_tracker
-        health_summaries = api_v3.plugin_manager.health_tracker.get_all_health_summaries()
+        # Build per-plugin summaries by ID so persisted (cross-process) health
+        # is included, then fold in any in-memory-only entries.
+        health_summaries = {}
+        for pid in _installed_plugin_ids():
+            try:
+                # force_reload: this process only reads; bypass the in-memory
+                # snapshot so each poll reflects the display service's latest
+                # persisted state.
+                health_summaries[pid] = tracker.get_health_summary(pid, force_reload=True)
+            except Exception:
+                logger.debug('Could not read health summary for %s', pid, exc_info=True)
+        try:
+            for pid, summary in tracker.get_all_health_summaries().items():
+                health_summaries.setdefault(pid, summary)
+        except Exception:
+            logger.debug('get_all_health_summaries failed', exc_info=True)
 
         return jsonify({
             'status': 'success',
@@ -2051,8 +2318,22 @@ def get_plugin_metrics():
                 'message': 'Resource monitoring not available'
             })
 
-        # Get metrics summaries for all plugins
+        monitor = api_v3.plugin_manager.resource_monitor
-        metrics_summaries = api_v3.plugin_manager.resource_monitor.get_all_metrics_summaries()
+        # Build per-plugin summaries by ID so persisted (cross-process) metrics
+        # are included, then fold in any in-memory-only entries.
+        metrics_summaries = {}
+        for pid in _installed_plugin_ids():
+            try:
+                # force_reload: read-only path — bypass the in-memory snapshot so
+                # each poll reflects the display service's latest persisted metrics.
+                metrics_summaries[pid] = monitor.get_metrics_summary(pid, force_reload=True)
+            except Exception:
+                logger.debug('Could not read metrics summary for %s', pid, exc_info=True)
+        try:
+            for pid, summary in monitor.get_all_metrics_summaries().items():
+                metrics_summaries.setdefault(pid, summary)
+        except Exception:
+            logger.debug('get_all_metrics_summaries failed', exc_info=True)
 
         return jsonify({
             'status': 'success',
@@ -2412,6 +2693,13 @@ def reconcile_plugin_state():
 
         from src.plugin_system.state_reconciliation import StateReconciliation
 
+        # Parse optional `force` flag from request body, guarding against
+        # non-dict bodies (bare string, array, null) that would raise AttributeError.
+        payload = request.get_json(silent=True)
+        if not isinstance(payload, dict):
+            payload = {}
+        force = _coerce_to_bool(payload.get('force', False))
+
         reconciler = StateReconciliation(
             state_manager=api_v3.plugin_state_manager,
             config_manager=api_v3.config_manager,
@@ -2419,7 +2707,7 @@ def reconcile_plugin_state():
             plugins_dir=Path(api_v3.plugin_manager.plugins_dir)
         )
 
-        result = reconciler.reconcile_state()
+        result = reconciler.reconcile_state(force=force)
 
         return success_response(
             data={
@@ -2846,6 +3134,96 @@ def update_plugin():
             status_code=500
         )
 
+def _do_transactional_uninstall(plugin_id, preserve_config):
+    """Execute an uninstall with snapshot-based rollback.
+
+    Order of operations:
+      1. Snapshot main config + secrets (abort on unexpected errors, proceed on expected I/O errors).
+      2. Clean up plugin config (abort with 500 if this raises — avoids orphaned files).
+      3. Unload plugin from runtime if loaded (rollback + 500 if this raises).
+      4. Remove plugin files (rollback + 500 if this returns False or raises).
+      5. Finish (remove state, invalidate caches).
+
+    Rollback restores the config snapshot and, if the plugin had been
+    loaded before unload, calls load_plugin to restore runtime state.
+
+    Returns (True, None) on success or (False, error_message) on failure.
+    """
+    from src.exceptions import ConfigError
+
+    # --- Step 1: snapshot main + secrets ---
+    main_snapshot = None
+    secrets_snapshot = None
+    try:
+        main_snapshot = api_v3.config_manager.get_raw_file_content('main')
+    except (OSError, ConfigError):
+        pass  # Proceed without snapshot; narrow catch preserves TypeError/AttributeError
+    try:
+        secrets_snapshot = api_v3.config_manager.get_raw_file_content('secrets')
+    except (OSError, ConfigError):
+        pass
+
+    # --- Step 2: cleanup config first (abort before touching filesystem) ---
+    if not preserve_config:
+        api_v3.config_manager.cleanup_plugin_config(plugin_id, remove_secrets=True)
+
+    # Record whether the plugin was running before we touch anything.
+    was_loaded = (
+        api_v3.plugin_manager is not None
+        and plugin_id in api_v3.plugin_manager.plugins
+    )
+
+    def _rollback(reload_plugin):
+        if main_snapshot is not None:
+            try:
+                api_v3.config_manager.save_raw_file_content('main', main_snapshot)
+            except Exception as restore_err:
+                logger.error("Failed to restore main config snapshot for %s: %s", plugin_id, restore_err)
+        if secrets_snapshot is not None:
+            try:
+                api_v3.config_manager.save_raw_file_content('secrets', secrets_snapshot)
+            except Exception as restore_err:
+                logger.error("Failed to restore secrets snapshot for %s: %s", plugin_id, restore_err)
+        if reload_plugin and api_v3.plugin_manager is not None:
+            try:
+                api_v3.plugin_manager.load_plugin(plugin_id)
+            except Exception as reload_err:
+                logger.error("Failed to reload plugin %s during rollback: %s", plugin_id, reload_err)
+
+    # --- Step 3: unload ---
+    if was_loaded:
+        try:
+            api_v3.plugin_manager.unload_plugin(plugin_id)
+        except Exception as unload_err:
+            _rollback(reload_plugin=False)  # unload failed — runtime state unchanged
+            return False, f"Failed to unload plugin {plugin_id}: {unload_err}"
+
+    # --- Step 4: remove files ---
+    try:
+        success = api_v3.plugin_store_manager.uninstall_plugin(plugin_id)
+    except Exception as remove_err:
+        _rollback(reload_plugin=was_loaded)
+        return False, f"Failed to remove plugin {plugin_id}: {remove_err}"
+
+    if not success:
+        _rollback(reload_plugin=was_loaded)
+        return False, f"Failed to uninstall plugin {plugin_id}"
+
+    # --- Step 5: finish ---
+    if api_v3.schema_manager:
+        api_v3.schema_manager.invalidate_cache(plugin_id)
+    if api_v3.plugin_state_manager:
+        api_v3.plugin_state_manager.remove_plugin_state(plugin_id)
+    # Persistently record the uninstall so a later core `git pull` update
+    # cannot resurrect a built-in plugin (committed under plugin-repos/) that
+    # the user removed. Best-effort: never fail the uninstall over this.
+    try:
+        api_v3.plugin_store_manager.record_uninstalled_plugin(plugin_id)
+    except Exception as record_err:
+        logger.warning("Could not record uninstall for %s: %s", plugin_id, record_err)
+    return True, None
+
+
 @api_v3.route('/plugins/uninstall', methods=['POST'])
 def uninstall_plugin():
     """Uninstall plugin"""
@@ -2865,19 +3243,13 @@ def uninstall_plugin():
         plugin_id = data['plugin_id']
         preserve_config = data.get('preserve_config', False)
 
-        # Use operation queue if available
+        # Both queued and direct paths use the same transactional helper so
+        # snapshot/rollback behaviour is consistent regardless of deployment.
         if api_v3.operation_queue:
             def uninstall_callback(operation):
-                """Callback to execute plugin uninstallation."""
+                """Callback to execute plugin uninstallation via transactional helper."""
-                # Unload the plugin first if it's loaded
+                success, error_msg = _do_transactional_uninstall(plugin_id, preserve_config)
-                if api_v3.plugin_manager and plugin_id in api_v3.plugin_manager.plugins:
-                    api_v3.plugin_manager.unload_plugin(plugin_id)
-
-                # Uninstall the plugin
-                success = api_v3.plugin_store_manager.uninstall_plugin(plugin_id)
-
                 if not success:
-                    error_msg = f'Failed to uninstall plugin {plugin_id}'
                     if api_v3.operation_history:
                         api_v3.operation_history.record_operation(
                             "uninstall",
@@ -2885,24 +3257,7 @@ def uninstall_plugin():
                             status="failed",
                             error=error_msg
                         )
-                    raise Exception(error_msg)
+                    raise Exception(error_msg or f'Failed to uninstall plugin {plugin_id}')
-
-                # Invalidate schema cache
-                if api_v3.schema_manager:
-                    api_v3.schema_manager.invalidate_cache(plugin_id)
-
-                # Clean up plugin configuration if not preserving
-                if not preserve_config:
-                    try:
-                        api_v3.config_manager.cleanup_plugin_config(plugin_id, remove_secrets=True)
-                    except Exception as cleanup_err:
-                        logger.warning("Failed to cleanup config after uninstall: %s", cleanup_err)
-
-                # Remove from state manager
-                if api_v3.plugin_state_manager:
-                    api_v3.plugin_state_manager.remove_plugin_state(plugin_id)
-
-                # Record in history
                 if api_v3.operation_history:
                     api_v3.operation_history.record_operation(
                         "uninstall",
@@ -2910,7 +3265,6 @@ def uninstall_plugin():
                         status="success",
                         details={"preserve_config": preserve_config}
                     )
-
                 return {'success': True, 'message': 'Plugin uninstalled successfully'}
 
             # Enqueue operation
@@ -2925,31 +3279,10 @@ def uninstall_plugin():
                 message='Plugin uninstallation queued'
             )
         else:
-            # Fallback to direct uninstall
+            # Direct (non-queued) transactional uninstall
-            # Unload the plugin first if it's loaded
+            success, error_msg = _do_transactional_uninstall(plugin_id, preserve_config)
-            if api_v3.plugin_manager and plugin_id in api_v3.plugin_manager.plugins:
-                api_v3.plugin_manager.unload_plugin(plugin_id)
-
-            # Uninstall the plugin
-            success = api_v3.plugin_store_manager.uninstall_plugin(plugin_id)
 
             if success:
-                # Invalidate schema cache
-                if api_v3.schema_manager:
-                    api_v3.schema_manager.invalidate_cache(plugin_id)
-
-                # Clean up plugin configuration if not preserving
-                if not preserve_config:
-                    try:
-                        api_v3.config_manager.cleanup_plugin_config(plugin_id, remove_secrets=True)
-                    except Exception as cleanup_err:
-                        logger.warning("Failed to cleanup config after uninstall: %s", cleanup_err)
-
-                # Remove from state manager
-                if api_v3.plugin_state_manager:
-                    api_v3.plugin_state_manager.remove_plugin_state(plugin_id)
-
-                # Record in history
                 if api_v3.operation_history:
                     api_v3.operation_history.record_operation(
                         "uninstall",
@@ -2957,7 +3290,6 @@ def uninstall_plugin():
                         status="success",
                         details={"preserve_config": preserve_config}
                     )
-
                 return success_response(message='Plugin uninstalled successfully')
             else:
                 if api_v3.operation_history:
@@ -2965,12 +3297,11 @@ def uninstall_plugin():
                         "uninstall",
                         plugin_id=plugin_id,
                         status="failed",
-                        error='Plugin uninstall failed'
+                        error=error_msg
                     )
-
                 return error_response(
                     ErrorCode.PLUGIN_UNINSTALL_FAILED,
-                    'Plugin uninstall failed',
+                    error_msg or 'Plugin uninstall failed',
                     status_code=500
                 )
 
@@ -3494,21 +3825,29 @@ def _get_schema_property(schema, key_path):
 
     parts = key_path.split('.')
     current = schema['properties']
+    i = 0
 
-    for i, part in enumerate(parts):
+    while i < len(parts):
-        if part not in current:
+        # Try progressively longer candidates, longest first, so schema keys that
-            return None
+        # themselves contain dots (e.g. league keys like "fifa.world") are matched
-
+        # instead of being mistaken for nested "fifa" -> "world" objects.
-        prop = current[part]
+        matched = False
-
+        for j in range(len(parts), i, -1):
-        # If this is the last part, return the property
+            candidate = '.'.join(parts[i:j])
-        if i == len(parts) - 1:
+            if isinstance(current, dict) and candidate in current:
-            return prop
+                prop = current[candidate]
-
+                # Consumed all remaining parts — this is the target property.
-        # If this is an object with properties, navigate deeper
+                if j == len(parts):
-        if isinstance(prop, dict) and 'properties' in prop:
+                    return prop
-            current = prop['properties']
+                # Navigate deeper through an object with properties.
-        else:
+                if isinstance(prop, dict) and 'properties' in prop:
+                    current = prop['properties']
+                    i = j
+                    matched = True
+                    break
+                # Matched a non-object before consuming the path — can't go deeper.
+                return None
+        if not matched:
             return None
 
     return None
@@ -3666,13 +4005,14 @@ def _parse_form_value_with_schema(value, key_path, schema):
                 except ValueError:
                     return prop.get('default', 0.0)
 
-        # Try parsing as number (fallback)
+        # Try parsing as number (fallback) — skip when schema explicitly says string
-        try:
+        if not (prop and prop.get('type') == 'string'):
-            if '.' in stripped:
+            try:
-                return float(stripped)
+                if '.' in stripped:
-            return int(stripped)
+                    return float(stripped)
-        except ValueError:
+                return int(stripped)
-            pass
+            except ValueError:
+                pass
 
         # Return as string
         return value
@@ -3680,10 +4020,45 @@ def _parse_form_value_with_schema(value, key_path, schema):
     return value
 
 
+def _resolve_key_segments(key_path, config):
+    """Split a dot-notation path into segments, greedily preserving keys that
+    themselves contain dots (e.g. league keys like "fifa.world").
+
+    At each level the longest candidate that matches a key already present in the
+    config wins; otherwise the path splits on the next dot (the normal
+    nested-create case). Because dotted keys such as ``leagues."fifa.world"``
+    always exist in the saved config being updated, this routes the value to the
+    real league object instead of fabricating a ``leagues.fifa.world`` tree.
+    """
+    parts = key_path.split('.')
+    segments = []
+    node = config
+    i = 0
+    while i < len(parts):
+        matched = False
+        if isinstance(node, dict):
+            for j in range(len(parts), i, -1):
+                candidate = '.'.join(parts[i:j])
+                if candidate in node:
+                    segments.append(candidate)
+                    node = node[candidate]
+                    i = j
+                    matched = True
+                    break
+        if not matched:
+            part = parts[i]
+            segments.append(part)
+            node = node.get(part) if isinstance(node, dict) else None
+            i += 1
+    return segments
+
+
 def _set_nested_value(config, key_path, value):
     """
     Set a value in a nested dict using dot notation path.
     Handles existing nested dicts correctly by merging instead of replacing.
+    Keys containing dots (e.g. league keys like "fifa.world") are preserved when
+    they already exist in the config rather than being split into nested objects.
 
     Args:
         config: The config dict to modify
@@ -3693,22 +4068,22 @@ def _set_nested_value(config, key_path, value):
     # Skip setting if value is the sentinel
     if value is _SKIP_FIELD:
         return
-    
+
-    parts = key_path.split('.')
+    segments = _resolve_key_segments(key_path, config)
     current = config
 
     # Navigate/create intermediate dicts
-    for i, part in enumerate(parts[:-1]):
+    for seg in segments[:-1]:
-        if part not in current:
+        if seg not in current:
-            current[part] = {}
+            current[seg] = {}
-        elif not isinstance(current[part], dict):
+        elif not isinstance(current[seg], dict):
             # If the existing value is not a dict, replace it with a dict
-            current[part] = {}
+            current[seg] = {}
-        current = current[part]
+        current = current[seg]
 
     # Set the final value (don't overwrite with empty dict if value is None and we want to preserve structure)
-    if value is not None or parts[-1] not in current:
+    if value is not None or segments[-1] not in current:
-        current[parts[-1]] = value
+        current[segments[-1]] = value
 
 
 def _set_missing_booleans_to_false(config, schema_props, form_keys, prefix='', config_node=None):
@@ -4217,7 +4592,9 @@ def save_plugin_config():
                             nested_dict = config_dict.get(prop_key)
 
                         if isinstance(nested_dict, dict):
-                            fix_array_structures(nested_dict, prop_schema['properties'], nested_prefix)
+                            # Pass no prefix: config_dict is already the navigated sub-dict,
+                            # so path segments from the parent would mis-navigate it.
+                            fix_array_structures(nested_dict, prop_schema['properties'])
 
             # Also ensure array fields that are None get converted to empty arrays
             def ensure_array_defaults(config_dict, schema_props, prefix=''):
@@ -4277,7 +4654,8 @@ def save_plugin_config():
                                 nested_dict = config_dict[prop_key]
 
                         if isinstance(nested_dict, dict):
-                            ensure_array_defaults(nested_dict, prop_schema['properties'], nested_prefix)
+                            # Pass no prefix: config_dict is already navigated.
+                            ensure_array_defaults(nested_dict, prop_schema['properties'])
 
             if schema and 'properties' in schema:
                 # First, fix any dict structures that should be arrays
@@ -4325,6 +4703,49 @@ def save_plugin_config():
         if 'application/json' in content_type:
             schema = schema_mgr.load_schema(plugin_id, use_cache=False)
 
+        # JSON path: fix numeric-keyed dicts that should be arrays.
+        # JS dotToNested() converts feeds.custom_feeds.0.name → {'0': {name:...}}
+        # instead of [{name:...}]. The form-data path has fix_array_structures for this;
+        # mirror that logic here for JSON submissions.
+        if 'application/json' in content_type and schema and 'properties' in schema:
+            def _fix_json_arrays(cfg, props):
+                for k, ps in props.items():
+                    if not isinstance(cfg, dict) or k not in cfg:
+                        continue
+                    pt = ps.get('type')
+                    val = cfg[k]
+                    if pt == 'array':
+                        items_schema = ps.get('items', {})
+                        item_type = items_schema.get('type')
+                        if isinstance(val, dict):
+                            keys = list(val.keys())
+                            if keys and all(str(x).isdigit() for x in keys):
+                                sorted_keys = sorted(keys, key=lambda x: int(str(x)))
+                                arr = [val[sk] for sk in sorted_keys]
+                                if item_type in ('integer', 'number'):
+                                    converted = []
+                                    for v in arr:
+                                        if isinstance(v, str):
+                                            try:
+                                                converted.append(int(v) if item_type == 'integer' else float(v))
+                                            except (ValueError, TypeError):
+                                                converted.append(v)
+                                        else:
+                                            converted.append(v)
+                                    arr = converted
+                                cfg[k] = arr
+                            elif not keys:
+                                cfg[k] = []
+                        # Recurse into each element when items are objects with properties,
+                        # covering both freshly-converted and already-list values.
+                        if item_type == 'object' and 'properties' in items_schema:
+                            for elem in (cfg[k] if isinstance(cfg[k], list) else []):
+                                if isinstance(elem, dict):
+                                    _fix_json_arrays(elem, items_schema['properties'])
+                    elif pt == 'object' and 'properties' in ps and isinstance(val, dict):
+                        _fix_json_arrays(val, ps['properties'])
+            _fix_json_arrays(plugin_config, schema['properties'])
+
         # PRE-PROCESSING: Preserve 'enabled' state if not in request
         # This prevents overwriting the enabled state when saving config from a form that doesn't include the toggle
         if 'enabled' not in plugin_config:
@@ -4377,6 +4798,21 @@ def save_plugin_config():
             defaults = schema_mgr.generate_default_config(plugin_id, use_cache=True)
             plugin_config = schema_mgr.merge_with_defaults(plugin_config, defaults)
 
+        # After merging defaults, replace any None array values with their schema defaults.
+        # merge_with_defaults gives user config higher priority, so a None submitted by
+        # the client can survive the merge — this pass cleans those up.
+        def _fix_none_arrays(cfg, props):
+            for k, pschema in props.items():
+                if pschema.get('type') == 'array':
+                    if isinstance(cfg, dict) and (k not in cfg or cfg[k] is None):
+                        cfg[k] = pschema.get('default', [])
+                elif pschema.get('type') == 'object' and 'properties' in pschema:
+                    if isinstance(cfg, dict) and isinstance(cfg.get(k), dict):
+                        _fix_none_arrays(cfg[k], pschema['properties'])
+
+        if schema and 'properties' in schema and isinstance(plugin_config, dict):
+            _fix_none_arrays(plugin_config, schema['properties'])
+
         # Ensure enabled state is preserved after defaults merge
         # Defaults should not overwrite an explicitly preserved enabled value
         if preserved_enabled is not None:
@@ -6816,6 +7252,74 @@ def set_auto_enable_ap_mode():
             'message': 'An error occurred; see logs for details'
         }), 500
 
+@api_v3.route('/wifi/radio', methods=['GET'])
+def get_wifi_radio():
+    """Get current WiFi radio state (enabled/disabled) and wired-fallback status."""
+    try:
+        from src.wifi_manager import WiFiManager
+
+        wifi_manager = WiFiManager()
+        state = wifi_manager.get_wifi_radio_state()
+
+        return jsonify({
+            'status': 'success',
+            'data': state
+        })
+    except Exception as e:
+        logger.error("Error getting WiFi radio state", exc_info=True)
+        return jsonify({
+            'status': 'error',
+            'message': 'An error occurred; see logs for details'
+        }), 500
+
+@api_v3.route('/wifi/radio', methods=['POST'])
+def set_wifi_radio():
+    """Turn the WiFi radio on or off.
+
+    Body: {"enabled": bool, "force": bool (optional)}. Disabling is refused
+    unless Ethernet is connected or force=True, to avoid locking the user out
+    of this web interface.
+    """
+    try:
+        from src.wifi_manager import WiFiManager
+
+        data = request.get_json(silent=True) or {}
+        if 'enabled' not in data:
+            return jsonify({
+                'status': 'error',
+                'message': 'enabled is required'
+            }), 400
+
+        # Parse defensively: bool("false") is True, so mirror the string-aware
+        # coercion used for `force` — the endpoint is a public contract, not just
+        # the shipped UI (which always sends real JSON booleans).
+        _enabled_raw = data['enabled']
+        enabled = _enabled_raw is True or (isinstance(_enabled_raw, str) and _enabled_raw.lower() in ('true', '1', 'yes'))
+        _force_raw = data.get('force', False)
+        force = _force_raw is True or (isinstance(_force_raw, str) and _force_raw.lower() in ('true', '1', 'yes'))
+
+        wifi_manager = WiFiManager()
+        success, message, reason = wifi_manager.set_wifi_radio(enabled, force=force)
+
+        if success:
+            return jsonify({
+                'status': 'success',
+                'message': message,
+                'data': wifi_manager.get_wifi_radio_state()
+            })
+        else:
+            return jsonify({
+                'status': 'error',
+                'message': message,
+                'reason': reason
+            }), 400
+    except Exception as e:
+        logger.error("Error setting WiFi radio state", exc_info=True)
+        return jsonify({
+            'status': 'error',
+            'message': 'An error occurred; see logs for details'
+        }), 500
+
 @api_v3.route('/cache/list', methods=['GET'])
 def list_cache_files():
     """List all cache files with metadata"""

web_interface/blueprints/pages_v3.py

@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
-from flask import Blueprint, render_template, flash
+from flask import Blueprint, render_template, flash, jsonify
+from jinja2 import TemplateNotFound
 from markupsafe import escape
+from html.parser import HTMLParser
 import json
 import logging
 import os
@@ -21,6 +23,114 @@ plugin_store_manager = None
 
 pages_v3 = Blueprint('pages_v3', __name__)
 
+
+class _SettingsIndexParser(HTMLParser):
+    """Extract searchable settings fields from a rendered partial's HTML.
+
+    Captures one entry per ``<div class="form-group" id="setting-…">``: the
+    anchor id, ``data-setting-key``, the field's ``<label>`` text, the
+    ``.help-tip`` tooltip text (``data-tooltip``), and the nearest preceding
+    ``<h3>``/``<h4>`` section heading. Parsing the *rendered* HTML (rather than
+    the schema) guarantees the anchor ids match the live DOM exactly, so the
+    search index cannot drift from what users actually see.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, tab, tab_label):
+        super().__init__(convert_charrefs=True)
+        self.tab = tab
+        self.tab_label = tab_label
+        self.fields = []
+        self._section = ''
+        self._field = None
+        self._depth = 0            # open-div depth within the current field
+        self._in_label = False
+        self._label_parts = []
+        self._in_heading = False
+        self._heading_parts = []
+
+    def handle_starttag(self, tag, attrs):
+        a = {k: (v or '') for k, v in attrs}
+        classes = a.get('class', '').split()
+        # Section headings (only when not already inside a field)
+        if tag in ('h3', 'h4') and self._field is None:
+            self._in_heading = True
+            self._heading_parts = []
+        if tag == 'div':
+            fid = a.get('id', '')
+            if self._field is None and 'form-group' in classes and fid.startswith('setting-'):
+                self._field = {
+                    'anchorId': fid,
+                    'key': a.get('data-setting-key', '') or fid[len('setting-'):],
+                    'label': '',
+                    'help': '',
+                    'section': self._section,
+                    'tab': self.tab,
+                    'tabLabel': self.tab_label,
+                }
+                self._depth = 1
+                return
+            if self._field is not None:
+                self._depth += 1
+        if self._field is not None:
+            if tag == 'label' and not self._field['label']:
+                self._in_label = True
+                self._label_parts = []
+            if tag == 'button' and 'help-tip' in classes and not self._field['help']:
+                self._field['help'] = a.get('data-tooltip', '')
+
+    def handle_data(self, data):
+        if self._in_label:
+            self._label_parts.append(data)
+        elif self._in_heading:
+            self._heading_parts.append(data)
+
+    def handle_endtag(self, tag):
+        if tag in ('h3', 'h4') and self._in_heading:
+            self._in_heading = False
+            self._section = ' '.join(''.join(self._heading_parts).split()).strip()
+            return
+        if self._field is None:
+            return
+        if tag == 'label' and self._in_label:
+            self._in_label = False
+            self._field['label'] = ' '.join(''.join(self._label_parts).split()).strip()
+        elif tag == 'div':
+            self._depth -= 1
+            if self._depth <= 0:
+                if self._field['label']:
+                    self.fields.append(self._field)
+                self._field = None
+                self._depth = 0
+
+
+def _partial_html(loader):
+    """Run a partial loader and return its HTML string ('' on error)."""
+    try:
+        result = loader()
+    except Exception:
+        logger.warning("search-index: partial render failed", exc_info=True)
+        return ''
+    if isinstance(result, str):
+        return result
+    if isinstance(result, tuple):  # loaders return (msg, status) on error
+        return ''
+    try:
+        return result.get_data(as_text=True)
+    except Exception:
+        return ''
+
+
+def _extract_settings_fields(html, tab, tab_label):
+    parser = _SettingsIndexParser(tab, tab_label)
+    parser.feed(html)
+    return parser.fields
+
+
+# Cache the built index keyed on the installed-plugin set. Core labels/tooltips
+# are static template text, so only a change in installed plugins invalidates it.
+_SEARCH_INDEX_CACHE = {'sig': None, 'fields': None}
+
+
 @pages_v3.route('/')
 def index():
     """Main v3 interface page"""
@@ -90,6 +200,8 @@ def load_partial(partial_name):
             return _load_cache_partial()
         elif partial_name == 'operation-history':
             return _load_operation_history_partial()
+        elif partial_name == 'tools':
+            return _load_tools_partial()
         else:
             return "Partial not found", 404
 
@@ -108,6 +220,56 @@ def load_plugin_config_partial(plugin_id):
         return '<div class="text-red-500 p-4">Error loading plugin config; see logs for details</div>', 500
 
 
+@pages_v3.route('/settings/search-index')
+def settings_search_index():
+    """Return a flat JSON index of every searchable setting (core + plugin).
+
+    Powers the web UI's global settings search. Built by rendering the settings
+    partials server-side and extracting field metadata, then cached per
+    installed-plugin set so it is off the display's hot path.
+    """
+    # Core settings tabs: (activeTab value, human label, loader).
+    core_tabs = [
+        ('general', 'General', _load_general_partial),
+        ('display', 'Display', _load_display_partial),
+        ('durations', 'Durations', _load_durations_partial),
+        ('schedule', 'Schedule', _load_schedule_partial),
+        ('wifi', 'WiFi', _load_wifi_partial),
+    ]
+    try:
+        plugin_ids = []
+        if pages_v3.plugin_manager:
+            try:
+                pages_v3.plugin_manager.discover_plugins()
+                plugin_ids = sorted(
+                    pi.get('id') for pi in pages_v3.plugin_manager.get_all_plugin_info()
+                    if pi.get('id')
+                )
+            except Exception:
+                logger.warning("search-index: could not enumerate plugins", exc_info=True)
+
+        sig = tuple(plugin_ids)
+        if _SEARCH_INDEX_CACHE['sig'] == sig and _SEARCH_INDEX_CACHE['fields'] is not None:
+            return jsonify({'fields': _SEARCH_INDEX_CACHE['fields']})
+
+        fields = []
+        for tab, label, loader in core_tabs:
+            fields.extend(_extract_settings_fields(_partial_html(loader), tab, label))
+
+        for pid in plugin_ids:
+            info = pages_v3.plugin_manager.get_plugin_info(pid) or {}
+            label = info.get('name', pid)
+            html = _partial_html(lambda pid=pid: _load_plugin_config_partial(pid))
+            fields.extend(_extract_settings_fields(html, pid, label))
+
+        _SEARCH_INDEX_CACHE['sig'] = sig
+        _SEARCH_INDEX_CACHE['fields'] = fields
+        return jsonify({'fields': fields})
+    except Exception:
+        logger.error("Error building settings search index", exc_info=True)
+        return jsonify({'fields': []}), 500
+
+
 @pages_v3.route('/plugin-ui/<plugin_id>/web-ui/<path:filename>')
 def serve_plugin_web_ui(plugin_id, filename):
     """Serve a plugin's web_ui/ HTML fragment as a standalone page.
@@ -448,6 +610,18 @@ def _load_operation_history_partial():
         return "Error loading partial", 500
 
 
+def _load_tools_partial():
+    """Load tools/utilities partial."""
+    try:
+        return render_template('v3/partials/tools.html')
+    except TemplateNotFound:
+        logger.error("[Pages V3][Tools] Template not found: v3/partials/tools.html", exc_info=True)
+        return "[Pages V3][Tools] Template is missing.", 500
+    except OSError as exc:
+        logger.error("[Pages V3][Tools] I/O error loading tools partial: %s", exc, exc_info=True)
+        return "[Pages V3][Tools] Failed to load due to a file system error. Check logs.", 500
+
+
 def _load_plugin_config_partial(plugin_id):
     """
     Load plugin configuration partial - server-side rendered form.

web_interface/static/v3/app.css

@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@
 [data-theme="dark"] .hover\:text-gray-700:hover { color: #e5e7eb; }
 [data-theme="dark"] .hover\:border-gray-300:hover { border-color: #6b7280; }
 [data-theme="dark"] .bg-red-100 { background-color: #450a0a; }
+[data-theme="dark"] .bg-yellow-100 { background-color: #422006; }
+[data-theme="dark"] .bg-green-100 { background-color: #022c22; }
 [data-theme="dark"] .text-red-700 { color: #fca5a5; }
 [data-theme="dark"] .hover\:bg-red-200:hover { background-color: #7f1d1d; }
 
@@ -137,6 +139,14 @@ body {
 .text-green-600 { color: #059669; }
 .text-red-600 { color: #dc2626; }
 
+/* Status badge chips (e.g. tools.html's dirty/clean and power-status badges) */
+.bg-red-100 { background-color: #fee2e2; }
+.bg-yellow-100 { background-color: #fef9c3; }
+.bg-green-100 { background-color: #dcfce7; }
+.text-red-800 { color: #991b1b; }
+.text-yellow-800 { color: #854d0e; }
+.text-green-800 { color: #166534; }
+
 .border-gray-200 { border-color: #e5e7eb; }
 .border-gray-300 { border-color: #d1d5db; }
 .border-gray-700 { border-color: #374151; }
@@ -756,6 +766,153 @@ button.bg-white {
     }
 }
 
+/* ============================================================================ */
+/* Settings tooltips (help_tip macro + tooltips.js)                             */
+/* ============================================================================ */
+
+/* The (i) info trigger placed next to a setting label. */
+.help-tip {
+    display: inline-flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    justify-content: center;
+    width: 1.15rem;
+    height: 1.15rem;
+    margin-left: 0.375rem;
+    padding: 0;
+    border: none;
+    background: transparent;
+    color: var(--color-text-tertiary);
+    font-size: 0.8125rem;
+    line-height: 1;
+    cursor: help;
+    vertical-align: middle;
+    border-radius: 9999px;
+    transition: color 0.12s ease;
+}
+
+.help-tip:hover,
+.help-tip:focus-visible {
+    color: var(--color-primary);
+}
+
+.help-tip:focus-visible {
+    outline: 2px solid var(--color-primary);
+    outline-offset: 2px;
+}
+
+/* Singleton tooltip panel appended to <body> by tooltips.js. */
+#ledm-tooltip {
+    position: fixed;
+    z-index: 1000;
+    max-width: 20rem;
+    padding: 0.5rem 0.75rem;
+    background: var(--color-surface);
+    color: var(--color-text-secondary);
+    border: 1px solid var(--color-border);
+    border-radius: 0.5rem;
+    box-shadow: var(--shadow-lg);
+    font-size: 0.8125rem;
+    line-height: 1.45;
+    white-space: pre-line; /* renders authored "\n" line breaks */
+    pointer-events: none;  /* never steals hover/click from the page */
+    animation: tooltipFade 0.12s ease;
+}
+
+#ledm-tooltip[hidden] {
+    display: none;
+}
+
+@keyframes tooltipFade {
+    from { opacity: 0; }
+    to { opacity: 1; }
+}
+
+/* ============================================================================ */
+/* Settings search — global header dropdown + per-tab filter                    */
+/* ============================================================================ */
+
+#settings-search-results {
+    background: var(--color-surface);
+    border: 1px solid var(--color-border);
+    border-radius: 0.5rem;
+    box-shadow: var(--shadow-lg);
+    z-index: 50;
+    padding: 0.25rem;
+    max-height: min(60vh, 24rem);
+    overflow-y: auto;
+}
+
+.ssr-group {
+    padding: 0.375rem 0.625rem 0.25rem;
+    font-size: 0.6875rem;
+    font-weight: 700;
+    text-transform: uppercase;
+    letter-spacing: 0.04em;
+    color: var(--color-text-tertiary);
+    position: sticky;
+    top: 0;
+    background: var(--color-surface);
+}
+
+.ssr-option {
+    display: flex;
+    flex-direction: column;
+    width: 100%;
+    text-align: left;
+    padding: 0.4rem 0.625rem;
+    border: none;
+    background: transparent;
+    border-radius: 0.375rem;
+    cursor: pointer;
+    color: var(--color-text-primary);
+}
+
+.ssr-option:hover,
+.ssr-option.active {
+    background: var(--color-info-bg);
+}
+
+.ssr-label {
+    font-size: 0.875rem;
+    font-weight: 500;
+}
+
+.ssr-help {
+    font-size: 0.75rem;
+    color: var(--color-text-tertiary);
+    overflow: hidden;
+    text-overflow: ellipsis;
+    white-space: nowrap;
+    max-width: 100%;
+}
+
+.ssr-empty {
+    padding: 0.75rem 0.625rem;
+    font-size: 0.8125rem;
+    color: var(--color-text-tertiary);
+}
+
+/* Flash highlight applied to a field after search navigation. */
+@keyframes settingFlash {
+    0% { box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 rgba(37, 99, 235, 0); }
+    25% { box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px var(--color-primary); }
+    100% { box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 rgba(37, 99, 235, 0); }
+}
+
+.setting-flash {
+    animation: settingFlash 1.4s ease;
+    border-radius: 0.5rem;
+}
+
+@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+    #ledm-tooltip { animation: none; }
+    .setting-flash {
+        animation: none;
+        outline: 2px solid var(--color-primary);
+        outline-offset: 2px;
+    }
+}
+
 /* Removed .divider and .divider-light - not used anywhere */
 
 /* Enhanced Spacing Utilities - Only unique classes not in main utility section */
@@ -1040,3 +1197,26 @@ button.bg-white {
 [data-theme="dark"] .update-banner-dismiss {
     color: #93c5fd;
 }
+
+/* Under-voltage / throttling warning banner */
+.power-warning-banner {
+    background-color: #fef2f2;
+    border-color: #fecaca;
+    color: #991b1b;
+}
+.power-warning-banner-dismiss {
+    color: #991b1b;
+    opacity: 0.6;
+}
+.power-warning-banner-dismiss:hover {
+    opacity: 1;
+}
+
+[data-theme="dark"] .power-warning-banner {
+    background-color: #450a0a;
+    border-color: #7f1d1d;
+    color: #fca5a5;
+}
+[data-theme="dark"] .power-warning-banner-dismiss {
+    color: #fca5a5;
+}

web_interface/static/v3/js/plugins/api_client.js

@@ -340,11 +340,25 @@ const PluginAPI = {
      * @returns {Promise<Object>} Health data
      */
     async getPluginHealth(pluginId = null) {
-        const endpoint = pluginId 
+        const endpoint = pluginId
             ? `/plugins/health/${pluginId}`
             : '/plugins/health';
         const response = await this.request(endpoint);
         return response.data || {};
+    },
+
+    /**
+     * Get plugin resource metrics (execution time, memory, cpu).
+     *
+     * @param {string} pluginId - Optional plugin identifier (null for all)
+     * @returns {Promise<Object>} Metrics data keyed by plugin id
+     */
+    async getPluginMetrics(pluginId = null) {
+        const endpoint = pluginId
+            ? `/plugins/metrics/${pluginId}`
+            : '/plugins/metrics';
+        const response = await this.request(endpoint);
+        return response.data || {};
     }
 };
 

web_interface/static/v3/js/settings-search.js

@@ -0,0 +1,477 @@
+/*
+ * settings-search.js — global settings search + per-tab filter for the v3 UI.
+ *
+ * Two features share one lightweight index built from the same markup the
+ * tooltip work standardizes (.form-group[id^="setting-"] + <label> +
+ * .help-tip[data-tooltip]), so it can never drift from what is rendered:
+ *
+ *   1. Global search (header box): finds settings across ALL tabs, even ones
+ *      not yet opened, by fetching a single server-side JSON index
+ *      (/v3/settings/search-index) built from all rendered partials.
+ *      Clicking a result switches to the tab, waits for the field to load,
+ *      then scrolls to and flashes it.
+ *   2. Per-tab filter (the .settings-filter box under a partial title):
+ *      hides non-matching fields on the current tab. Delegated, so it keeps
+ *      working across HTMX swaps.
+ *
+ * The server owns index generation (including plugin enumeration) and caches
+ * it per installed-plugin set, so the client makes exactly one JSON request.
+ */
+(function () {
+    'use strict';
+
+    if (window._settingsSearchInit) return;
+    window._settingsSearchInit = true;
+
+    var MAX_RESULTS = 25;
+
+    function debounce(fn, ms) {
+        var t;
+        return function () {
+            var args = arguments, ctx = this;
+            clearTimeout(t);
+            t = setTimeout(function () { fn.apply(ctx, args); }, ms);
+        };
+    }
+
+    // True when every search term is present in the haystack.
+    function termsMatch(hay, terms) {
+        return terms.every(function (t) { return hay.indexOf(t) !== -1; });
+    }
+
+    function textOf(el) {
+        return (el && el.textContent ? el.textContent : '').replace(/\s+/g, ' ').trim();
+    }
+
+    // --- Index building -------------------------------------------------------
+
+    var buildPromise = null;
+
+    // Fetch the prebuilt index from the server (one literal-URL JSON request)
+    // and cache it for the session. Each entry gets a lowercased `hay` haystack
+    // for matching. The server owns which tabs/plugins are included.
+    function buildIndex(force) {
+        if (window._settingsIndex && !force) return Promise.resolve(window._settingsIndex);
+        if (buildPromise && !force) return buildPromise;
+
+        buildPromise = fetch('/v3/settings/search-index', { headers: { 'X-Requested-With': 'settings-search' } })
+            .then(function (r) { return r.ok ? r.json() : { fields: [] }; })
+            .then(function (data) {
+                var fields = (data && data.fields) || [];
+                fields.forEach(function (f) {
+                    f.hay = [f.label, f.help, f.key, f.tabLabel, f.section].join(' ').toLowerCase();
+                });
+                window._settingsIndex = fields;
+                return fields;
+            })
+            .catch(function () {
+                // Don't cache the failure: clear the in-flight promise so a
+                // later call can retry after a transient fetch error.
+                buildPromise = null;
+                return [];
+            });
+        return buildPromise;
+    }
+
+    // --- Global search UI -----------------------------------------------------
+
+    var input = null, resultsBox = null, activeIndex = -1, currentResults = [];
+
+    function search(q) {
+        q = q.trim().toLowerCase();
+        if (!q) return [];
+        var terms = q.split(/\s+/);
+        var out = [];
+        (window._settingsIndex || []).some(function (entry) {
+            if (termsMatch(entry.hay, terms)) out.push(entry);
+            return out.length >= MAX_RESULTS; // stop once we have enough
+        });
+        return out;
+    }
+
+    function span(cls, text) {
+        var s = document.createElement('span');
+        s.className = cls;
+        s.textContent = text;
+        return s;
+    }
+
+    // Build the dropdown with DOM nodes + textContent (never innerHTML) so
+    // setting labels/help can never be interpreted as markup.
+    function renderResults(results) {
+        currentResults = results;
+        activeIndex = -1;
+        resultsBox.textContent = '';
+        if (!results.length) {
+            resultsBox.appendChild(span('ssr-empty', 'No settings found.'));
+            openResults();
+            return;
+        }
+        var lastTab = null;
+        results.forEach(function (r, i) {
+            if (r.tabLabel !== lastTab) {
+                const group = document.createElement('div');
+                group.className = 'ssr-group';
+                group.textContent = r.tabLabel;
+                resultsBox.appendChild(group);
+                lastTab = r.tabLabel;
+            }
+            var sub = r.section ? (r.section + ' · ') : '';
+            var snippet = r.help ? r.help.split('\n')[0] : '';
+            var opt = document.createElement('button');
+            opt.type = 'button';
+            opt.className = 'ssr-option';
+            opt.setAttribute('role', 'option');
+            opt.id = 'ssr-' + i;
+            opt.setAttribute('data-idx', String(i));
+            opt.appendChild(span('ssr-label', r.label));
+            var helpText = snippet ? (sub + snippet) : (sub ? r.section : '');
+            if (helpText) opt.appendChild(span('ssr-help', helpText));
+            resultsBox.appendChild(opt);
+        });
+        openResults();
+    }
+
+    function openResults() {
+        resultsBox.classList.remove('hidden');
+        // .hidden has no effect without a matching CSS rule (this app's stylesheet
+        // is a hand-picked utility subset, not full Tailwind) - force it directly,
+        // same as the revealNode/collapseNode fallback below.
+        resultsBox.style.display = '';
+        if (input) input.setAttribute('aria-expanded', 'true');
+    }
+    function closeResults() {
+        resultsBox.classList.add('hidden');
+        resultsBox.style.display = 'none';
+        activeIndex = -1;
+        if (input) {
+            input.setAttribute('aria-expanded', 'false');
+            input.removeAttribute('aria-activedescendant');
+        }
+    }
+
+    function highlight(idx) {
+        var opts = resultsBox.querySelectorAll('.ssr-option');
+        opts.forEach(function (o) { o.classList.remove('active'); });
+        if (idx < 0 || idx >= opts.length) { activeIndex = -1; return; }
+        activeIndex = idx;
+        var el = opts.item(idx);
+        el.classList.add('active');
+        el.scrollIntoView({ block: 'nearest' });
+        input.setAttribute('aria-activedescendant', el.id);
+    }
+
+    // --- Navigation to a setting ---------------------------------------------
+
+    function getAppData() {
+        var appEl = document.querySelector('[x-data="app()"]') || document.querySelector('[x-data]');
+        if (!appEl) return null;
+        if (appEl._x_dataStack && appEl._x_dataStack[0]) return appEl._x_dataStack[0];
+        if (appEl.__x && appEl.__x.$data) return appEl.__x.$data;
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    function setActiveTab(tab) {
+        var data = getAppData();
+        if (data) { data.activeTab = tab; return true; }
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    function waitForElement(id, timeout) {
+        return new Promise(function (resolve) {
+            var existing = document.getElementById(id);
+            if (existing) { resolve(existing); return; }
+            var host = document.getElementById('tab-content') || document.body;
+            var done = false;
+            var obs = new MutationObserver(function () {
+                var el = document.getElementById(id);
+                if (el && !done) {
+                    done = true;
+                    obs.disconnect();
+                    resolve(el);
+                }
+            });
+            obs.observe(host, { childList: true, subtree: true });
+            setTimeout(function () {
+                if (!done) { done = true; obs.disconnect(); resolve(document.getElementById(id)); }
+            }, timeout || 6000);
+        });
+    }
+
+    function isNodeHidden(node) {
+        return node.classList.contains('hidden') ||
+            (node.style && node.style.display === 'none') ||
+            window.getComputedStyle(node).display === 'none';
+    }
+
+    function revealNode(node) {
+        // toggleSection handles the class, inline display, and chevron.
+        if (node.id && typeof window.toggleSection === 'function') {
+            window.toggleSection(node.id);
+        } else {
+            node.classList.remove('hidden');
+            node.style.display = 'block';
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Re-collapse a nested section the filter previously opened. toggleSection is
+    // state-based, so only toggle while the node is actually visible.
+    function collapseNode(node) {
+        if (isNodeHidden(node)) return;
+        if (node.id && typeof window.toggleSection === 'function') {
+            window.toggleSection(node.id);
+        } else {
+            node.classList.add('hidden');
+            node.style.display = 'none';
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Reveal any collapsed nested section (from render_nested_section) so the
+    // target field is actually visible before we scroll to it.
+    function revealAncestors(el) {
+        var node = el.parentElement;
+        while (node && node !== document.body) {
+            if (node.classList && node.classList.contains('nested-content') && isNodeHidden(node)) {
+                revealNode(node);
+            }
+            node = node.parentElement;
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Like revealAncestors, but tags each section we open so the per-tab filter
+    // can restore the original collapsed layout once the query is cleared.
+    function expandNestedFor(el) {
+        var node = el.parentElement;
+        while (node && node !== document.body) {
+            if (node.classList && node.classList.contains('nested-content') && isNodeHidden(node)) {
+                revealNode(node);
+                node.dataset.filterExpanded = '1';
+            }
+            node = node.parentElement;
+        }
+    }
+
+    function flash(el) {
+        el.classList.remove('setting-flash');
+        // force reflow so re-adding the class restarts the animation
+        void el.offsetWidth;
+        el.classList.add('setting-flash');
+        var clear = function () { el.classList.remove('setting-flash'); el.removeEventListener('animationend', clear); };
+        el.addEventListener('animationend', clear);
+    }
+
+    function navigateToSetting(entry) {
+        closeResults();
+        // Clear the box so it doesn't re-open stale results when refocused.
+        if (input) input.value = '';
+        setActiveTab(entry.tab);
+        waitForElement(entry.anchorId, 6000).then(function (el) {
+            if (!el) return;
+            revealAncestors(el);
+            // Let the tab transition settle before scrolling.
+            setTimeout(function () {
+                el.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'center' });
+                flash(el);
+            }, 60);
+        });
+    }
+
+    // --- Wire up the header search box ----------------------------------------
+
+    function initSearchBox() {
+        input = document.getElementById('settings-search');
+        resultsBox = document.getElementById('settings-search-results');
+        if (!input || !resultsBox) return;
+
+        // Warm the index in the background so the first search is instant.
+        var warm = function () { buildIndex().catch(function () {}); };
+        if ('requestIdleCallback' in window) {
+            requestIdleCallback(warm, { timeout: 4000 });
+        } else {
+            setTimeout(warm, 3000);
+        }
+
+        input.addEventListener('focus', function () {
+            buildIndex().then(function () {
+                if (input.value.trim()) renderResults(search(input.value));
+            });
+        });
+
+        input.addEventListener('input', debounce(function () {
+            var q = input.value;
+            if (!q.trim()) { closeResults(); return; }
+            // Focus may have left during the debounce (typed then clicked away);
+            // don't re-open a dropdown the user has already dismissed.
+            if (document.activeElement !== input) return;
+            buildIndex().then(function () {
+                if (document.activeElement === input) renderResults(search(q));
+            });
+        }, 200));
+
+        input.addEventListener('keydown', function (e) {
+            var opts = resultsBox.querySelectorAll('.ssr-option');
+            if (e.key === 'ArrowDown') {
+                e.preventDefault();
+                if (resultsBox.classList.contains('hidden')) { renderResults(search(input.value)); return; }
+                highlight(Math.min(activeIndex + 1, opts.length - 1));
+            } else if (e.key === 'ArrowUp') {
+                e.preventDefault();
+                highlight(Math.max(activeIndex - 1, 0));
+            } else if (e.key === 'Enter') {
+                const chosen = currentResults.at(activeIndex >= 0 ? activeIndex : 0);
+                if (chosen) {
+                    e.preventDefault();
+                    navigateToSetting(chosen);
+                }
+            } else if (e.key === 'Escape') {
+                closeResults();
+                input.blur();
+            }
+        });
+
+        resultsBox.addEventListener('mousedown', function (e) {
+            // mousedown (not click) so it fires before the input blur closes us
+            var opt = e.target.closest('.ssr-option');
+            if (!opt) return;
+            e.preventDefault();
+            const idx = parseInt(opt.getAttribute('data-idx'), 10);
+            const chosen = currentResults.at(idx);
+            if (chosen) navigateToSetting(chosen);
+        });
+
+        // Close when a click/tap lands outside the search widget. Capture phase
+        // (the `true`) runs on the way DOWN, before any bubbling stopPropagation
+        // from Alpine/HTMX/widget handlers can swallow the event — a plain
+        // bubble-phase document listener was being eaten and never closing us.
+        // pointerdown also covers touch (Raspberry Pi screen).
+        document.addEventListener('pointerdown', function (e) {
+            if (!input || resultsBox.classList.contains('hidden')) return;
+            var wrap = document.getElementById('settings-search-wrap');
+            var inside = wrap ? wrap.contains(e.target)
+                              : (e.target === input || resultsBox.contains(e.target));
+            if (!inside) closeResults();
+        }, true);
+
+        // Reliable dismiss: close shortly after focus leaves the box. Result
+        // selection uses mousedown + preventDefault (focus stays on the input),
+        // so this never fires on a result click; the guard covers focus landing
+        // in the results list (e.g. dragging its scrollbar).
+        input.addEventListener('blur', function () {
+            setTimeout(function () {
+                if (resultsBox && resultsBox.contains(document.activeElement)) return;
+                closeResults();
+            }, 120);
+        });
+
+        // A tab swap (including our own search navigation) should dismiss it.
+        document.body.addEventListener('htmx:afterSwap', closeResults);
+    }
+
+    // --- Per-tab filter (delegated) -------------------------------------------
+
+    function filterScope(input) {
+        // Return the nearest tab/content container, or null — never `document`,
+        // which would let the filter hide setting fields across unrelated tabs.
+        return input.closest('.plugin-config-tab') ||
+               input.closest('[id$="-content"]') ||
+               input.closest('.bg-white') ||
+               null;
+    }
+
+    function fieldHay(fg) {
+        var label = textOf(fg.querySelector('label'));
+        var tip = fg.querySelector('.help-tip');
+        var help = tip ? (tip.getAttribute('data-tooltip') || '') : '';
+        var key = fg.getAttribute('data-setting-key') || fg.id.replace(/^setting-/, '');
+        return (label + ' ' + help + ' ' + key).toLowerCase();
+    }
+
+    function applyTabFilter(scope, q) {
+        q = q.trim().toLowerCase();
+        var terms = q ? q.split(/\s+/) : [];
+        var fields = scope.querySelectorAll('.form-group[id^="setting-"]');
+        var anyVisible = false;
+
+        fields.forEach(function (fg) {
+            var show = !terms.length || termsMatch(fieldHay(fg), terms);
+            fg.style.display = show ? '' : 'none';
+            if (show) {
+                anyVisible = true;
+                // Expand any collapsed nested section holding this match so it
+                // is actually visible (plugin tabs default their sections shut).
+                if (terms.length) expandNestedFor(fg);
+            }
+        });
+
+        if (!terms.length) {
+            // Filter cleared: restore the sections we opened and un-hide every
+            // nested-section wrapper, leaving user-expanded sections untouched.
+            scope.querySelectorAll('.nested-content[data-filter-expanded]').forEach(function (nc) {
+                collapseNode(nc);
+                delete nc.dataset.filterExpanded;
+            });
+            scope.querySelectorAll('.nested-section').forEach(function (ns) { ns.style.display = ''; });
+        } else {
+            // Hide nested-section wrappers whose fields all filtered out.
+            scope.querySelectorAll('.nested-section').forEach(function (ns) {
+                var secFields = ns.querySelectorAll('.form-group[id^="setting-"]');
+                var visible = 0;
+                secFields.forEach(function (f) { if (f.style.display !== 'none') visible++; });
+                ns.style.display = (secFields.length > 0 && visible === 0) ? 'none' : '';
+            });
+        }
+
+        // Hide section headings whose settings all got filtered out. A visible
+        // nested-section (plugin tabs) counts as content for its parent heading,
+        // so a heading isn't hidden while a subsection below it still has matches.
+        var nodes = scope.querySelectorAll('h3, h4, .form-group, .nested-section');
+        var headings = [];
+        var current = null;
+        nodes.forEach(function (node) {
+            if (node.tagName === 'H3' || node.tagName === 'H4') {
+                current = { el: node, total: 0, visible: 0 };
+                headings.push(current);
+            } else if (current && node.matches('.form-group[id^="setting-"]')) {
+                current.total++;
+                if (node.style.display !== 'none') current.visible++;
+            } else if (current && node.classList.contains('nested-section')) {
+                current.total++;
+                if (node.style.display !== 'none') current.visible++;
+            }
+        });
+        headings.forEach(function (h) {
+            // Only auto-hide headings that exclusively group settings fields.
+            h.el.style.display = (terms.length && h.total > 0 && h.visible === 0) ? 'none' : '';
+        });
+
+        // Toggle the "no matches" note if the filter box provides one.
+        const wrap = scope.querySelector('.settings-filter-wrap');
+        if (wrap) {
+            const empty = wrap.querySelector('.settings-filter-empty');
+            if (empty) empty.classList.toggle('hidden', !(terms.length && !anyVisible));
+        }
+    }
+
+    document.addEventListener('input', function (e) {
+        var box = e.target.closest ? e.target.closest('.settings-filter') : null;
+        if (!box) return;
+        var scope = filterScope(box);
+        if (scope) applyTabFilter(scope, box.value);
+    });
+
+    // --- Boot -----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    if (document.readyState === 'loading') {
+        document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', initSearchBox);
+    } else {
+        initSearchBox();
+    }
+
+    // Expose for debugging / programmatic use.
+    window.LEDMatrixSettingsSearch = {
+        buildIndex: buildIndex,
+        navigateToSetting: navigateToSetting
+    };
+
+    console.log('[SettingsSearch] registered');
+})();

web_interface/static/v3/js/tooltips.js

@@ -0,0 +1,161 @@
+/*
+ * tooltips.js — accessible, delegated tooltip controller for the v3 web UI.
+ *
+ * A single controller handles every `.help-tip` trigger on the page, including
+ * ones inside partials that HTMX swaps in later, with zero per-field wiring.
+ * Triggers are emitted by the `help_tip` Jinja macro (partials/_macros.html) as
+ * <button class="help-tip" data-tooltip="..."><i class="fas fa-circle-info">.
+ *
+ * Behaviour:
+ *   - hover (mouse)            -> show / hide
+ *   - keyboard focus           -> show / hide (only for :focus-visible)
+ *   - click / tap              -> toggle (the touch path)
+ *   - Escape / outside click   -> hide
+ * The tooltip text is set via textContent (XSS-safe) and supports "\n" line
+ * breaks via CSS `white-space: pre-line`. Styling lives in app.css and uses the
+ * --color-* theme vars, so light/dark mode work automatically.
+ */
+(function () {
+    'use strict';
+
+    if (window._tooltipsInit) return;
+    window._tooltipsInit = true;
+
+    var panel = null;
+    var currentTrigger = null;
+
+    function getPanel() {
+        if (panel) return panel;
+        panel = document.createElement('div');
+        panel.id = 'ledm-tooltip';
+        panel.setAttribute('role', 'tooltip');
+        panel.hidden = true;
+        document.body.appendChild(panel);
+        return panel;
+    }
+
+    function positionPanel(trigger) {
+        var p = getPanel();
+        var margin = 8;
+        var rect = trigger.getBoundingClientRect();
+        var pw = p.offsetWidth;
+        var ph = p.offsetHeight;
+        var vw = document.documentElement.clientWidth;
+        var vh = document.documentElement.clientHeight;
+
+        // Prefer above the trigger; flip below if it would clip the top.
+        var top = rect.top - ph - margin;
+        var placedBelow = false;
+        if (top < margin) {
+            top = rect.bottom + margin;
+            placedBelow = true;
+        }
+        // Keep it on screen vertically as a last resort.
+        if (top + ph > vh - margin) top = Math.max(margin, vh - ph - margin);
+
+        // Center horizontally on the trigger, clamped to the viewport.
+        var left = rect.left + rect.width / 2 - pw / 2;
+        if (left < margin) left = margin;
+        if (left + pw > vw - margin) left = Math.max(margin, vw - pw - margin);
+
+        p.style.top = Math.round(top) + 'px';
+        p.style.left = Math.round(left) + 'px';
+        p.setAttribute('data-placement', placedBelow ? 'below' : 'above');
+    }
+
+    function show(trigger) {
+        var text = trigger.getAttribute('data-tooltip');
+        if (!text) return;
+        var p = getPanel();
+        p.textContent = text;
+        p.hidden = false;
+        // Measure after it is displayed, then position.
+        positionPanel(trigger);
+        trigger.setAttribute('aria-describedby', 'ledm-tooltip');
+        currentTrigger = trigger;
+    }
+
+    function hide() {
+        if (!panel) return;
+        panel.hidden = true;
+        if (currentTrigger) {
+            currentTrigger.removeAttribute('aria-describedby');
+            currentTrigger = null;
+        }
+    }
+
+    function triggerFrom(target) {
+        return target && target.closest ? target.closest('.help-tip') : null;
+    }
+
+    // --- Delegated listeners on document (survive HTMX swaps) ---
+
+    document.addEventListener('mouseover', function (e) {
+        var t = triggerFrom(e.target);
+        if (t) show(t);
+    });
+
+    document.addEventListener('mouseout', function (e) {
+        var t = triggerFrom(e.target);
+        if (!t) return;
+        // Ignore moves that stay within the same trigger.
+        var to = e.relatedTarget;
+        if (to && t.contains(to)) return;
+        if (currentTrigger === t) hide();
+    });
+
+    document.addEventListener('focusin', function (e) {
+        var t = triggerFrom(e.target);
+        if (!t) return;
+        // Only auto-show on keyboard focus, so a mouse/touch focus does not
+        // fight the click handler below.
+        var focusVisible;
+        try {
+            focusVisible = t.matches(':focus-visible');
+        } catch { // older browsers without :focus-visible
+            focusVisible = true;
+        }
+        if (focusVisible) show(t);
+    });
+
+    document.addEventListener('focusout', function (e) {
+        var t = triggerFrom(e.target);
+        if (t && currentTrigger === t) hide();
+    });
+
+    document.addEventListener('click', function (e) {
+        var t = triggerFrom(e.target);
+        if (t) {
+            // Prevent an enclosing <label> from toggling its control, and
+            // prevent form submission.
+            e.preventDefault();
+            e.stopPropagation();
+            if (currentTrigger === t && !getPanel().hidden) {
+                hide();
+            } else {
+                show(t);
+            }
+            return;
+        }
+        // Click anywhere else closes an open tooltip.
+        if (panel && !panel.hidden && !panel.contains(e.target)) hide();
+    });
+
+    document.addEventListener('keydown', function (e) {
+        if (e.key === 'Escape' && panel && !panel.hidden) hide();
+    });
+
+    // Reposition while visible; close when content is swapped out.
+    window.addEventListener('scroll', function () {
+        if (currentTrigger && panel && !panel.hidden) positionPanel(currentTrigger);
+    }, true);
+    window.addEventListener('resize', function () {
+        if (currentTrigger && panel && !panel.hidden) positionPanel(currentTrigger);
+    });
+    document.body.addEventListener('htmx:afterSwap', function () {
+        // The current trigger may have been removed by the swap.
+        if (currentTrigger && !document.body.contains(currentTrigger)) hide();
+    });
+
+    console.log('[Tooltips] controller registered');
+})();

web_interface/static/v3/js/widgets/array-table.js

@@ -174,11 +174,16 @@
         cell.style.verticalAlign = 'middle';
 
         if (colType === 'boolean') {
-            // Boolean: hidden sentinel + visible checkbox
+            // Boolean: hidden sentinel + visible checkbox, same `name` (so
+            // unchecked boxes still submit "false"). Keep the hidden's value
+            // synced to the checkbox at all times — some form-collection
+            // paths prefer whichever of the two same-named inputs comes
+            // first/last in the DOM, and a stale hidden value previously
+            // caused this field to silently revert to false on every save.
             const hidden = document.createElement('input');
             hidden.type  = 'hidden';
             hidden.name  = inputName;
-            hidden.value = 'false';
+            hidden.value = String(Boolean(colValue));
             cell.appendChild(hidden);
 
             const cb = document.createElement('input');
@@ -187,6 +192,9 @@
             cb.checked   = Boolean(colValue);
             cb.value     = 'true';
             cb.className = 'h-4 w-4 text-blue-600';
+            cb.addEventListener('change', () => {
+                hidden.value = String(cb.checked);
+            });
             cell.appendChild(cb);
 
         } else if (colType === 'integer' || colType === 'number') {
@@ -440,7 +448,7 @@
                 <h3 class="text-base font-semibold text-gray-900">Advanced Properties</h3>
                 <button type="button" onclick="window.closeArrayTableRowEditor()"
                         class="text-gray-400 hover:text-gray-600"><i class="fas fa-times"></i></button>
-            </div>`;
+            </div>`);
 
         const body = document.createElement('div');
         body.className = 'px-5 py-4 space-y-4';
@@ -512,7 +520,7 @@
             <button type="button" onclick="window.closeArrayTableRowEditor()"
                     class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-gray-700 border border-gray-300 rounded-md hover:bg-gray-100">Cancel</button>
             <button type="button" id="array-row-editor-save"
-                    class="px-4 py-2 text-sm bg-blue-600 hover:bg-blue-700 text-white rounded-md">Save</button>`;
+                    class="px-4 py-2 text-sm bg-blue-600 hover:bg-blue-700 text-white rounded-md">Save</button>`);
 
         // Save handler
         footer.querySelector('#array-row-editor-save').onclick = function() {