PostHog / PostHog/posthog

Local branch picker: no feedback while git checkout runs (3–4s delay or more)

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#76,209 1 comment 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub

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bug feature/desktop
Dominant language
Python
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Avg merge
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Merged PRs (30d)
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Description

Branch picker in Local mode feels stuck for several seconds after selecting a branch

What I was doing

On the new task screen (Task Input), with Local mode and the posthog repo selected, I opened the branch dropdown and picked a different branch (e.g. from 39135 to master or another branch in the list).

What happened
  • The dropdown closed right away
  • The branch button kept showing the old branch name for about 3–4 seconds
  • Nothing indicated that anything was happening — no spinner, no “switching…” text
  • After a few seconds, the label finally updated to the branch I picked

It felt like the UI didn’t register my click, even though something was probably still running in the background.

What I expected
  • The button should update immediately to the branch I selected, or
  • Show clear feedback like “Switching to …” with a spinner while it’s working
Screen recording

(Disk was busy with other tasks too, so it took more time here.)

Environment
  • PostHog Code (desktop)
  • Workspace mode: Local
  • Repo: posthog (large monorepo)
Additional context

In Local mode, changing the branch picker seems to run a real git checkout on the repo, which I guess can take a few seconds on a big codebase. That part is understandable — but the UI doesn’t show that anything is happening, so it feels broken until it finally updates.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Locate the Local-mode branch picker on the new task screen and trace the git checkout triggered when a branch is selected. Check how the branch label and loading state are handled; done means the selection gives immediate feedback until checkout finishes.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
git
Domain
desktop, devtools
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
52/100

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