[Feature] Desktop: expose /hooks, /mcp, /plugins slash-commands (or equivalents) for power users
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Description
Problem
In ZCode desktop, several slash-commands documented for Claude Code are not available. Most notably:
/hooks— read-only browser for configured hooks (would let users verify their config without restarting)./mcp— MCP server status, connection check, reconnect./plugins— browse/install/manage plugins.
Currently the only way to manage these is through Settings → MCP / Plugins GUI, which works for enable/disable but doesn't show runtime status (connection state, hook execution log, hook config validation errors).
Why this matters
I just spent ~3 hours debugging why my UserPromptSubmit hook wasn't firing. Root cause turned out to be an invalid args field in config.json that silently disabled the entire hooks section (see issue #32, where I left a detailed comment). A /hooks command showing:
- Which hooks are registered.
- Their matchers.
- The last execution result (success/failed/not-triggered).
would have caught this in 30 seconds instead of 3 hours.
Similarly, /mcp showing live connection state would help diagnose the MCP subprocess leak (#104) — users could see "5 desktop-commander processes running" without leaving the chat.
What exists today (verified on ZCode 3.3.6, Windows 11 Pro)
- Settings → MCP Servers (GUI): add/edit/delete/enable/disable.
No runtime status, no "test connection" button. - Settings → Plugins (GUI): enable/disable, marketplace browse.
No hook viewer. ~/.zcode/cli/log/zcode-YYYY-MM-DD.jsonl: containsconfig.file.invalid,hook.run.failed,mcp.configured_servers.connect.completedevents with detailed diagnostics. But this is a JSONL file users have to grep manually — not friendly.
Proposal
Add slash-commands (or in-chat UI) that surface the runtime state already being logged:
/hooks— list registered hooks with last-execution status./mcp— list MCP servers with connection state and process count./plugins— list installed plugins with enabled state and last error.
These are read-only views over data ZCode already collects. Would significantly improve power-user debuggability without changing the underlying engine.
Related
- Issue #32 — my comment about
argsfield regression. - Issue #104 — MCP subprocess leak (users want to see process count).
- Issue #108 — slash-command menu accessibility (related UX).
- Skills
zcode-guide:diagnosing-hooks,diagnosing-mcp,diagnosing-plugins— already document the intended commands.
Environment
- ZCode 3.3.6, Windows 11 Pro.
- 6 MCP servers, 3 custom hooks, 4 plugins.
Thanks!
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start by reviewing the existing Settings → MCP Servers and Settings → Plugins views, the documented slash-command skills, and the JSONL events in ~/.zcode/cli/log/zcode-YYYY-MM-DD.jsonl. The issue does not name source files or tests; the work would need a decided scope for the /hooks, /mcp, and /plugins views and a way to verify their displayed runtime state.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Domain
- desktop
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 5/5
- Estimated time
- Over a week
- Activity status
- Quiet
- Clarity
- Needs clarification
- Newbie friendliness
- 30/100