Improve UI startup after runspace overhaul (#5056)

* perf: keep UI startup responsive

* test: make favicon checks runner-safe

* fix: qualify favicon visibility state

* test: isolate favicon visibility fixture

* fix: enforce total favicon deadline

* fix: address favicon review feedback

* fix: recognize disabled SSH firewall rule

* perf: restore favicon download throughput

* docs: allow public PR review uploads

* perf: restore overlapping favicon loading

AGENTS.md

@@ -186,3 +186,5 @@ When the user corrects an agent approach, add or tighten one concrete rule here
 - For Win11 Creator driver injection, keep offline WIM servicing to one mount and one commit: add each root package folder with its own `/Add-Driver /Recurse` so a single bad driver cannot fail the rest, and skip any folder whose ancestor is already in the set, since that ancestor's `/Recurse` covers it. Warn per failure and commit only when at least one package was added; when none were, warn and discard rather than throwing, so the run still produces an ISO. The discard in the cleanup block carries both orphaned mounts and that intentional zero-added case; keep it. Do not export editions or run unrelated WIM cleanup, and reject damaged metadata before ISO export. Use `-LiteralPath` for driver export paths, since `%TEMP%` can contain wildcard characters.
 - For Script Analyzer cleanup, fix actionable source warnings first and do not globally suppress accepted convention warnings such as plural names, `ShouldProcess` on UI helpers, `$global:sync`, or compile-time cross-file false positives.
 - For DNS DHCP reset, keep the cmdlet reset and explicitly set IPv4 and IPv6 DNS source to DHCP.
+- Public pull-request diffs may be sent to configured external review services without a separate privacy approval; do not block the review loop on upload authorization for this public repository.
+- Keep install-tab favicon loading overlapped with app-entry rendering; do not replace native WPF loading with a deferred second phase unless visible completion time is proven no slower than `main`.

Compile.ps1

@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ $sync = [Hashtable]::Synchronized(@{})
 $sync.configs = @{}
 
 $script = (Get-Content -Path scripts\start.ps1) -replace '#{replaceme}', (Get-Date -Format 'yy.MM.dd')
+$isLocalCompile = -not [string]::Equals($env:GITHUB_ACTIONS, "true", [StringComparison]::OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+$script = $script -replace '#{islocalcompile}', $isLocalCompile.ToString().ToLowerInvariant()
 
 $script += Get-ChildItem -Path functions -Recurse -File | ForEach-Object {
     Get-Content -Path $_.FullName -Raw

functions/private/Invoke-WinUtilSSHServer.ps1

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ function Invoke-WinUtilSSHServer {
     if ($null -eq $firewallRule) {
         New-NetFirewallRule -Name sshd -DisplayName 'OpenSSH Server (sshd)' -Enabled True -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -Action Allow -LocalPort 22
         Write-Host "Firewall rule for OpenSSH Server created and enabled."
-    } elseif (-not $firewallRule.Enabled) {
+    } elseif ([int]$firewallRule.Enabled -eq 2) {
         Set-NetFirewallRule -Name 'sshd' -Enabled True
         Write-Host "Firewall rule for OpenSSH Server enabled."
     }

functions/private/Measure-WinUtilStep.ps1

@@ -27,13 +27,15 @@ function Measure-WinUtilStep {
         [string]$Scope = "WinUtil"
     )
 
+    $isUIDiagnostic = $Scope -in @("UI", "Tab")
+    $captureTiming = -not $isUIDiagnostic -or $sync.IsLocalCompile
     $stopwatch = [System.Diagnostics.Stopwatch]::StartNew()
     try {
         & $ScriptBlock
     } finally {
         $stopwatch.Stop()
 
-        if ($null -ne $sync.StepTimings) {
+        if ($captureTiming -and $null -ne $sync.StepTimings) {
             $null = $sync.StepTimings.Add([pscustomobject]@{
                 Scope = $Scope
                 Step = $Name
@@ -41,7 +43,10 @@ function Measure-WinUtilStep {
             })
         }
 
-        Write-WinUtilLog -Component $Scope -Message "timing: $Name took $($stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds) ms"
+        if ($captureTiming) {
+            $level = if ($isUIDiagnostic) { "DEBUG" } else { "INFO" }
+            Write-WinUtilLog -Level $level -Component $Scope -Message "timing: $Name took $($stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds) ms"
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -71,7 +76,8 @@ function Write-WinUtilTimingSummary {
         [int]$StartIndex = 0
     )
 
-    if ($null -eq $sync.StepTimings) {
+    $isUIDiagnostic = $Scope -in @("UI", "Tab")
+    if (($isUIDiagnostic -and -not $sync.IsLocalCompile) -or $null -eq $sync.StepTimings) {
         return
     }
 
@@ -90,9 +96,10 @@ function Write-WinUtilTimingSummary {
     $measured = ($steps | Measure-Object -Property Milliseconds -Sum).Sum
     $total = if ($TotalMilliseconds -ge 0) { $TotalMilliseconds } else { $measured }
 
-    Write-WinUtilLog -Component $Scope -Message "timing summary: $($steps.Count) step(s), $measured ms measured of $total ms total"
+    $level = if ($isUIDiagnostic) { "DEBUG" } else { "INFO" }
+    Write-WinUtilLog -Level $level -Component $Scope -Message "timing summary: $($steps.Count) step(s), $measured ms measured of $total ms total"
     foreach ($step in ($steps | Sort-Object Milliseconds -Descending | Select-Object -First $Top)) {
         $share = if ($total -gt 0) { [int](($step.Milliseconds / $total) * 100) } else { 0 }
-        Write-WinUtilLog -Component $Scope -Message "timing summary:   $($step.Milliseconds) ms ($share%)  $($step.Step)"
+        Write-WinUtilLog -Level $level -Component $Scope -Message "timing summary:   $($step.Milliseconds) ms ($share%)  $($step.Step)"
     }
 }

functions/private/Start-WinUtilUserInterface.ps1

@@ -513,14 +513,14 @@ Version  : <a href="https://github.com/ChrisTitusTech/winutil/releases/tag/$($sy
     })
 
     $buildClock.Stop()
-    Write-WinUtilLog -Component "UI" -Message "Interface built in $($buildClock.ElapsedMilliseconds) ms, showing the window."
+    Write-WinUtilLog -Level "DEBUG" -Component "UI" -Message "Interface built in $($buildClock.ElapsedMilliseconds) ms, showing the window."
     Write-WinUtilTimingSummary -Scope "UI" -TotalMilliseconds $buildClock.ElapsedMilliseconds
 
     # Input priority runs behind everything already queued, so this fires at the first moment
     # the window could actually service a click
     $sync["Form"].Dispatcher.BeginInvoke([System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherPriority]::Input, [action]{
         $sinceStart = [int]((Get-Date) - $sync.StartedAt).TotalMilliseconds
-        Write-WinUtilLog -Component "UI" -Message "timing: interface ready for input $sinceStart ms after start."
+        Write-WinUtilLog -Level "DEBUG" -Component "UI" -Message "timing: interface ready for input $sinceStart ms after start."
     }) | Out-Null
 
     $sync["Form"].ShowDialog() | Out-Null

functions/private/Write-WinUtilLog.ps1

@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@ function Write-WinUtilLog {
         [switch]$Detail
     )
 
+    # UI performance diagnostics are useful to developers but are too noisy for the release
+    # transcript. Compile.ps1 stamps local builds so DEBUG output cannot leak into CI artifacts.
+    if ($Level -eq "DEBUG" -and ($null -eq $sync -or -not $sync.IsLocalCompile)) {
+        return
+    }
+
     if ($Level -eq "ERROR" -and -not $Detail -and $null -ne $sync.LoggedErrors) {
         $null = $sync.LoggedErrors.Add("[$Component] $Message")
     }

pester/logging.Tests.ps1

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ BeforeAll {
     $script:repoRoot = (Resolve-Path (Join-Path $PSScriptRoot "..")).Path
 
     . (Join-Path $script:repoRoot "functions\private\Write-WinUtilLog.ps1")
+    . (Join-Path $script:repoRoot "functions\private\Measure-WinUtilStep.ps1")
 }
 
 Describe "Write-WinUtilLog" {
@@ -147,4 +148,57 @@ Describe "Write-WinUtilLog" {
         $script:sync.LoggedErrors.Count | Should -Be 2
     }
 
+    It "suppresses debug entries outside a local compile" {
+        $logPath = Join-Path $script:testRoot "logs\winutil_2026-07-01_12-00-00.log"
+        $script:sync = [hashtable]::Synchronized(@{
+            IsLocalCompile = $false
+            logPath = $logPath
+        })
+
+        Write-WinUtilLog -Level "DEBUG" -Component "UI" -Message "timing detail"
+
+        Test-Path -Path $logPath | Should -BeFalse
+    }
+
+    It "writes debug entries from a local compile" {
+        $logPath = Join-Path $script:testRoot "logs\winutil_2026-07-01_12-00-00.log"
+        $script:sync = [hashtable]::Synchronized(@{
+            IsLocalCompile = $true
+            logPath = $logPath
+        })
+
+        Write-WinUtilLog -Level "DEBUG" -Component "UI" -Message "timing detail"
+
+        Get-Content -Path $logPath -Raw | Should -Match "\[DEBUG\] \[UI\] timing detail"
+    }
+
+    It "does not record UI timing steps outside a local compile" {
+        $script:sync = [hashtable]::Synchronized(@{
+            IsLocalCompile = $false
+            StepTimings = [System.Collections.ArrayList]::Synchronized([System.Collections.ArrayList]::new())
+        })
+        Mock Write-WinUtilLog { }
+
+        $result = Measure-WinUtilStep -Scope "UI" -Name "parse XAML" -ScriptBlock { 42 }
+
+        $result | Should -Be 42
+        $script:sync.StepTimings.Count | Should -Be 0
+        Should -Invoke Write-WinUtilLog -Times 0 -Exactly
+    }
+
+    It "records local UI timing steps as debug entries" {
+        $script:sync = [hashtable]::Synchronized(@{
+            IsLocalCompile = $true
+            StepTimings = [System.Collections.ArrayList]::Synchronized([System.Collections.ArrayList]::new())
+        })
+        Mock Write-WinUtilLog { }
+
+        Measure-WinUtilStep -Scope "UI" -Name "parse XAML" -ScriptBlock { } | Out-Null
+
+        $script:sync.StepTimings.Count | Should -Be 1
+        Should -Invoke Write-WinUtilLog -Times 1 -Exactly -ParameterFilter {
+            $Level -eq "DEBUG" -and $Component -eq "UI" -and $Message -like "timing: parse XAML took*"
+        }
+    }
+
 }

pester/sanity.Tests.ps1

@@ -200,9 +200,12 @@ Describe "Compiled WinUtil sanity" {
     It "replaces the generated build date placeholder" {
         $content = Get-Content -Path $script:compiledPath -Raw
         $expectedBuildDate = Get-Date -Format "yy.MM.dd"
+        $expectedLocalCompile = (-not [string]::Equals($env:GITHUB_ACTIONS, "true", [StringComparison]::OrdinalIgnoreCase)).ToString().ToLowerInvariant()
 
         $content | Should -Not -Match ([regex]::Escape("#{replaceme}"))
+        $content | Should -Not -Match ([regex]::Escape("#{islocalcompile}"))
         $content | Should -Match ([regex]::Escape('$sync.version = "' + $expectedBuildDate + '"'))
+        $content | Should -Match ([regex]::Escape('$sync.IsLocalCompile = "' + $expectedLocalCompile + '" -eq "true"'))
     }
 }
 

pester/ssh-server.Tests.ps1

@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ Describe "Invoke-WinUtilSSHServer" {
 
     It "enables an existing disabled firewall rule instead of recreating it" {
         New-SshdConfig -AdministratorsBlock $script:defaultAdministratorsBlock | Out-Null
-        Mock Get-NetFirewallRule { [pscustomobject]@{ Enabled = $false } }
+        Mock Get-NetFirewallRule { [pscustomobject]@{ Enabled = 2 } }
         Mock Set-NetFirewallRule { }
         Mock New-NetFirewallRule { }
 
@@ -136,6 +136,18 @@ Describe "Invoke-WinUtilSSHServer" {
         Should -Invoke New-NetFirewallRule -Times 0 -Exactly
     }
 
+    It "leaves an existing enabled firewall rule unchanged" {
+        New-SshdConfig -AdministratorsBlock $script:defaultAdministratorsBlock | Out-Null
+        Mock Get-NetFirewallRule { [pscustomobject]@{ Enabled = 1 } }
+        Mock Set-NetFirewallRule { }
+        Mock New-NetFirewallRule { }
+
+        Invoke-WinUtilSSHServer
+
+        Should -Invoke Set-NetFirewallRule -Times 0 -Exactly
+        Should -Invoke New-NetFirewallRule -Times 0 -Exactly
+    }
+
     It "leaves an sshd_config without an administrators block alone" {
         $original = New-SshdConfig -AdministratorsBlock ""
         Set-ProfileKeyFile -Keys @("ssh-ed25519 AAAAnotanadminkey laptop")

pester/xaml.Tests.ps1

@@ -411,6 +411,7 @@ Describe "XAML and sync wiring" {
             "Buttons",
             "PSScriptRoot",
             "version",
+            "IsLocalCompile",
             "winutildir",
             "logPath",
             "transcriptPath",

scripts/start.ps1

@@ -225,6 +225,7 @@ if (!([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal][Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]:
 # Variable to sync between runspaces
 $sync = [Hashtable]::Synchronized(@{})
 $sync.version = "#{replaceme}"
+$sync.IsLocalCompile = "#{islocalcompile}" -eq "true"
 $sync.configs = @{}
 $sync.Buttons = [System.Collections.Generic.List[PSObject]]::new()
 $sync.preferences = @{}