ask_operator: multi-select + free-text fallback

ask_operator now accepts a multi: bool. when true and options is
non-empty, the dashboard renders the choices as checkboxes — operator
picks any subset, answer comes back as a ', '-joined string. when
false (default), options are radio buttons.

independent of multi, a free-text input ('or type your own…') is
always rendered alongside options so the operator is never trapped
by an incomplete list. submit merges checked options + free text into
the single 'answer' field.

schema migration: operator_questions grows a multi INTEGER column
with a one-shot ALTER TABLE on open. backward compatible — old rows
default to 0 (not multi).

prompt + mcp tool description updated; existing dashboard css for
.qform was rewritten around the new vertical layout.

hive-ag3nt/prompts/manager.md

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ Tools (hyperhive surface):
 - `mcp__hyperhive__start(name)` — start a stopped sub-agent. No approval required.
 - `mcp__hyperhive__restart(name)` — stop + start a sub-agent. No approval required.
 - `mcp__hyperhive__request_apply_commit(agent, commit_ref)` — submit a config change for any agent (`hm1nd` for self) for operator approval.
-- `mcp__hyperhive__ask_operator(question, options?)` — surface a question on the dashboard. Returns immediately with a question id; the operator's answer arrives later as a system `operator_answered` event in your inbox. Do not poll inside the same turn — finish the current work and react when the event lands.
+- `mcp__hyperhive__ask_operator(question, options?, multi?)` — surface a question on the dashboard. Returns immediately with a question id; the operator's answer arrives later as a system `operator_answered` event in your inbox. Options are advisory: the dashboard always lets the operator type a free-text answer in addition. Set `multi: true` to render options as checkboxes (operator can pick multiple); the answer comes back as `, `-separated. Do not poll inside the same turn — finish the current work and react when the event lands.
 
 Approval boundary: lifecycle ops on *existing* sub-agents (`kill`, `start`, `restart`) are at your discretion — no operator approval. *Creating* a new agent (`request_spawn`) and *changing* any agent's config (`request_apply_commit`) still go through the approval queue. The operator only signs off on changes; you run the day-to-day.
 

hive-ag3nt/src/mcp.rs

@@ -227,10 +227,16 @@ pub struct RestartArgs {
 pub struct AskOperatorArgs {
     /// The question to surface on the dashboard.
     pub question: String,
-    /// Optional fixed-choice answers. If empty, the dashboard renders a
+    /// Optional fixed-choice answers. The dashboard always renders a
-    /// free-text input. Otherwise renders a select list of these options.
+    /// free-text fallback ("Other…") so the operator is never trapped
+    /// by an incomplete list.
     #[serde(default)]
     pub options: Vec<String>,
+    /// When true, options are rendered as checkboxes — operator can pick
+    /// any subset. The answer comes back as a single string with
+    /// selections joined by ", ". Ignored when `options` is empty.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub multi: bool,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, serde::Deserialize, schemars::JsonSchema)]
@@ -369,7 +375,9 @@ impl ManagerServer {
         with event `operator_answered { id, question, answer }` lands in your inbox; handle it \
         on a future turn. Use this when a decision needs human signal (ambiguous sub-agent \
         request, policy call, scope clarification). `options` is advisory: pass a short \
-        fixed-choice list when applicable, otherwise leave empty for free text."
+        fixed-choice list when applicable, otherwise leave empty for free text. Set \
+        `multi: true` to let the operator pick multiple options (checkboxes); the answer \
+        comes back as a comma-separated string."
     )]
     async fn ask_operator(&self, Parameters(args): Parameters<AskOperatorArgs>) -> String {
         let log = format!("{args:?}");
@@ -378,6 +386,7 @@ impl ManagerServer {
                 .dispatch(hive_sh4re::ManagerRequest::AskOperator {
                     question: args.question,
                     options: args.options,
+                    multi: args.multi,
                 })
                 .await;
             match resp {

hive-c0re/assets/app.js

@@ -205,20 +205,46 @@
         method: 'POST', action: '/answer-question/' + q.id,
         class: 'qform', 'data-async': '',
       });
-      let input;
+      const hasOptions = q.options && q.options.length;
-      if (q.options && q.options.length) {
+      const isMulti = !!q.multi && hasOptions;
-        input = el('select', { name: 'answer', required: '' });
+      const freeText = el('input', {
-        input.append(el('option', { value: '', disabled: '', selected: '' }, 'choose…'));
+        type: 'text', name: 'answer-free',
-        for (const opt of q.options) {
+        placeholder: hasOptions ? 'or type your own…' : 'your answer',
-          input.append(el('option', { value: opt }, opt));
+        autocomplete: 'off',
-        }
-      } else {
-        input = el('input', {
-          name: 'answer', type: 'text', required: '',
-          placeholder: 'your answer', autocomplete: 'off',
       });
+      const optionGroup = el('div', { class: 'q-options' });
+      if (hasOptions) {
+        for (const opt of q.options) {
+          const inputType = isMulti ? 'checkbox' : 'radio';
+          const id = 'q' + q.id + '-' + Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 8);
+          const input = el('input', { type: inputType, name: 'choice', value: opt, id });
+          const label = el('label', { for: id }, ' ' + opt);
+          optionGroup.append(el('div', { class: 'q-option' }, input, label));
         }
-      f.append(input, el('button', { type: 'submit', class: 'btn btn-approve' }, '▸ ANSW3R'));
+      }
+      // On submit, build the final `answer` field from selected
+      // options + free-text, joined by ', '. This lets the operator
+      // pick options AND add free text in the same form.
+      f.addEventListener('submit', (ev) => {
+        const parts = [];
+        for (const cb of f.querySelectorAll('input[name="choice"]:checked')) {
+          parts.push(cb.value);
+        }
+        const ft = (freeText.value || '').trim();
+        if (ft) parts.push(ft);
+        const merged = parts.join(', ');
+        // Replace the existing hidden `answer` (if any) with the merged value.
+        const existing = f.querySelector('input[name="answer"]');
+        if (existing) existing.remove();
+        f.append(el('input', { type: 'hidden', name: 'answer', value: merged }));
+        if (!merged) { ev.preventDefault(); alert('pick an option or type an answer'); }
+      }, true);
+      if (hasOptions) f.append(optionGroup);
+      f.append(
+        el('div', { class: 'q-free' }, freeText),
+        el('button', { type: 'submit', class: 'btn btn-approve' },
+          isMulti ? '▸ ANSW3R · ' + (q.options.length) + ' opts' : '▸ ANSW3R'),
+      );
       li.append(f);
       ul.append(li);
     }

hive-c0re/assets/dashboard.css

@@ -292,18 +292,36 @@ summary:hover { color: var(--purple); }
   white-space: pre-wrap;
   word-break: break-word;
 }
-.qform { display: flex; gap: 0.6em; align-items: stretch; margin-top: 0.3em; }
+.qform {
-.qform input, .qform select {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  gap: 0.5em;
+  margin-top: 0.4em;
+}
+.qform .q-options {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  gap: 0.25em;
+  background: var(--bg);
+  border: 1px solid var(--border);
+  border-radius: 4px;
+  padding: 0.4em 0.6em;
+}
+.qform .q-option label { cursor: pointer; user-select: none; }
+.qform .q-option input { margin-right: 0.4em; accent-color: var(--amber); }
+.qform .q-free { display: flex; }
+.qform .q-free input {
+  flex: 1;
   font-family: inherit;
   font-size: 1em;
   background: var(--bg);
   color: var(--fg);
   border: 1px solid var(--border);
   padding: 0.4em 0.6em;
-  flex: 1;
 }
-.qform input::placeholder { color: var(--muted); }
+.qform .q-free input::placeholder { color: var(--muted); }
-.qform input:focus, .qform select:focus { outline: 1px solid var(--amber); }
+.qform .q-free input:focus { outline: 1px solid var(--amber); }
+.qform button { align-self: flex-start; }
 .inbox {
   background: var(--bg-elev);
   border: 1px solid var(--border);

hive-c0re/src/manager_server.rs

@@ -182,9 +182,16 @@ async fn dispatch(req: &ManagerRequest, coord: &Coordinator) -> ManagerResponse
                 },
             }
         }
-        ManagerRequest::AskOperator { question, options } => {
+        ManagerRequest::AskOperator {
-            tracing::info!(%question, ?options, "manager: ask_operator");
+            question,
-            match coord.questions.submit(MANAGER_AGENT, question, options) {
+            options,
+            multi,
+        } => {
+            tracing::info!(%question, ?options, multi, "manager: ask_operator");
+            match coord
+                .questions
+                .submit(MANAGER_AGENT, question, options, *multi)
+            {
                 Ok(id) => {
                     tracing::info!(%id, "operator question queued");
                     ManagerResponse::QuestionQueued { id }

hive-c0re/src/operator_questions.rs

@@ -25,12 +25,29 @@ CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_operator_questions_pending
     ON operator_questions (id) WHERE answered_at IS NULL;
 ";
 
+/// Add the `multi` column to pre-existing databases. `ALTER TABLE ADD COLUMN`
+/// has no `IF NOT EXISTS` form in sqlite, so we check pragma_table_info first.
+fn ensure_multi_column(conn: &Connection) -> Result<()> {
+    let has: bool = conn
+        .prepare("SELECT 1 FROM pragma_table_info('operator_questions') WHERE name = 'multi'")?
+        .exists([])?;
+    if !has {
+        conn.execute_batch(
+            "ALTER TABLE operator_questions ADD COLUMN multi INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0;",
+        )
+        .context("add operator_questions.multi column")?;
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize)]
+#[allow(clippy::doc_markdown)]
 pub struct OpQuestion {
     pub id: i64,
     pub asker: String,
     pub question: String,
     pub options: Vec<String>,
+    pub multi: bool,
     pub asked_at: i64,
     pub answered_at: Option<i64>,
     pub answer: Option<String>,
@@ -51,18 +68,25 @@ impl OperatorQuestions {
             .with_context(|| format!("open operator_questions db {}", path.display()))?;
         conn.execute_batch(SCHEMA)
             .context("apply operator_questions schema")?;
+        ensure_multi_column(&conn).context("migrate operator_questions.multi")?;
         Ok(Self {
             conn: Mutex::new(conn),
         })
     }
 
-    pub fn submit(&self, asker: &str, question: &str, options: &[String]) -> Result<i64> {
+    pub fn submit(
+        &self,
+        asker: &str,
+        question: &str,
+        options: &[String],
+        multi: bool,
+    ) -> Result<i64> {
         let conn = self.conn.lock().unwrap();
         let options_json = serde_json::to_string(options).unwrap_or_else(|_| "[]".into());
         conn.execute(
-            "INSERT INTO operator_questions (asker, question, options_json, asked_at)
+            "INSERT INTO operator_questions (asker, question, options_json, multi, asked_at)
-             VALUES (?1, ?2, ?3, ?4)",
+             VALUES (?1, ?2, ?3, ?4, ?5)",
-            params![asker, question, options_json, now_unix()],
+            params![asker, question, options_json, i64::from(multi), now_unix()],
         )?;
         Ok(conn.last_insert_rowid())
     }
@@ -95,7 +119,7 @@ impl OperatorQuestions {
     pub fn get(&self, id: i64) -> Result<Option<OpQuestion>> {
         let conn = self.conn.lock().unwrap();
         conn.query_row(
-            "SELECT id, asker, question, options_json, asked_at, answered_at, answer
+            "SELECT id, asker, question, options_json, multi, asked_at, answered_at, answer
                FROM operator_questions WHERE id = ?1",
             params![id],
             row_to_question,
@@ -107,7 +131,7 @@ impl OperatorQuestions {
     pub fn pending(&self) -> Result<Vec<OpQuestion>> {
         let conn = self.conn.lock().unwrap();
         let mut stmt = conn.prepare(
-            "SELECT id, asker, question, options_json, asked_at, answered_at, answer
+            "SELECT id, asker, question, options_json, multi, asked_at, answered_at, answer
                FROM operator_questions
               WHERE answered_at IS NULL
               ORDER BY id ASC",
@@ -121,14 +145,16 @@ impl OperatorQuestions {
 fn row_to_question(row: &rusqlite::Row<'_>) -> rusqlite::Result<OpQuestion> {
     let options_json: String = row.get(3)?;
     let options: Vec<String> = serde_json::from_str(&options_json).unwrap_or_default();
+    let multi: i64 = row.get(4)?;
     Ok(OpQuestion {
         id: row.get(0)?,
         asker: row.get(1)?,
         question: row.get(2)?,
         options,
-        asked_at: row.get(4)?,
+        multi: multi != 0,
-        answered_at: row.get(5)?,
+        asked_at: row.get(5)?,
-        answer: row.get(6)?,
+        answered_at: row.get(6)?,
+        answer: row.get(7)?,
     })
 }
 

hive-sh4re/src/lib.rs

@@ -289,13 +289,22 @@ pub enum ManagerRequest {
         agent: String,
         commit_ref: String,
     },
-    /// Ask the operator a question. The host-side handler blocks until the
+    /// Ask the operator a question. Returns immediately with the queued
-    /// operator answers via the dashboard; the answer is then returned as the
+    /// question id; the operator's answer arrives later as a
-    /// response. `options` is advisory: an empty list means free-text.
+    /// `HelperEvent::OperatorAnswered` in the manager inbox.
+    ///
+    /// - `options` is advisory: empty = free-text only; non-empty = the
+    ///   dashboard renders the choices alongside a free-text fallback
+    ///   ("Other…") so the operator is never trapped.
+    /// - `multi=true` lets the operator pick multiple options (rendered
+    ///   as checkboxes). The answer is returned as a single string with
+    ///   selections joined by ", ".
     AskOperator {
         question: String,
         #[serde(default)]
         options: Vec<String>,
+        #[serde(default)]
+        multi: bool,
     },
 }