approvals: manager can withdraw pending approvals (closes #250)

docs/approvals.md

@@ -63,6 +63,21 @@ happens after a decision lands.
    ApplyCommit kind) land in the manager's inbox, carrying both
    the canonical sha and the terminal tag.
 
+### Withdrawing a pending approval
+
+The manager can call `cancel_loose_end(kind: "approval", id)` to
+withdraw an approval that hasn't been acted on yet (closes #250).
+The row transitions to `ApprovalStatus::Cancelled` (distinct from
+`Denied`/`Failed`), the dashboard pulls the card out of the
+pending pane, and `ApprovalResolved { status: "cancelled" }` fires
+on the manager + dashboard channels. Approvals that have already
+been approved/denied/failed return an error — the resolution is
+final once the operator (or a lifecycle failure) acted on the row.
+
+Sub-agent surface refuses the `approval` kind with a clear error:
+sub-agents don't submit approvals, so they have nothing of their
+own to withdraw. Manager-only.
+
 `InitConfig` approvals are the first step in a two-step spawn
 flow. On approve, hive-c0re seeds the proposed config repo with
 a default `agent.nix` template and sends the manager

frontend/packages/dashboard/src/dashboard.css

@@ -656,9 +656,11 @@ code {
 .status-approved { color: var(--green); }
 .status-denied { color: var(--red); }
 .status-failed { color: var(--amber); }
+.status-cancelled { color: var(--muted); }
 .glyph-approved { color: var(--green); }
 .glyph-denied { color: var(--red); }
 .glyph-failed { color: var(--amber); }
+.glyph-cancelled { color: var(--muted); }
 .meta-inputs {
   list-style: none;
   padding: 0;

frontend/packages/dashboard/src/tabs.js

@@ -1598,6 +1598,7 @@ window.marked = marked;
       const row = el('div', { class: 'row' });
       const glyph = a.status === 'approved' ? '✓'
         : a.status === 'denied' ? '✗'
+        : a.status === 'cancelled' ? '⊘'
         : '⚠';
       row.append(
         el('span', { class: 'glyph glyph-' + a.status }, glyph), ' ',

hive-ag3nt/src/mcp.rs

@@ -261,8 +261,10 @@ fn parse_loose_end_kind(raw: &str) -> Result<hive_sh4re::CancelLooseEndKind, Str
     match raw.trim().to_ascii_lowercase().as_str() {
         "question" | "q" => Ok(hive_sh4re::CancelLooseEndKind::Question),
         "reminder" | "r" => Ok(hive_sh4re::CancelLooseEndKind::Reminder),
+        "approval" | "a" => Ok(hive_sh4re::CancelLooseEndKind::Approval),
         other => Err(format!(
-            "cancel_loose_end: unknown kind '{other}' (expected \"question\" or \"reminder\")"
+            "cancel_loose_end: unknown kind '{other}' \
+             (expected \"question\", \"reminder\", or \"approval\")"
         )),
     }
 }
@@ -275,6 +277,7 @@ fn loose_end_kind_label(kind: hive_sh4re::CancelLooseEndKind) -> &'static str {
     match kind {
         hive_sh4re::CancelLooseEndKind::Question => "question",
         hive_sh4re::CancelLooseEndKind::Reminder => "reminder",
+        hive_sh4re::CancelLooseEndKind::Approval => "approval",
     }
 }
 
@@ -1628,11 +1631,14 @@ impl ManagerServer {
 
     #[tool(
         description = "Cancel any open thread in the swarm — a `question` (cancels \
-        with the operator-override sentinel so the asker unblocks) or a `reminder` \
+        with the operator-override sentinel so the asker unblocks), a `reminder` \
-        (hard-deleted before fire). `kind` is `\"question\"` or `\"reminder\"`; `id` \
+        (hard-deleted before fire), or an `approval` (withdraws a pending approval \
-        is the row id from `get_loose_ends` or the original submission reply. \
+        you submitted; the dashboard pulls the card from pending and the row resolves \
-        Manager surface bypasses the owner check on the sub-agent flavour — use for \
+        as `cancelled` instead of approved/denied/failed — closes #250). `kind` is \
-        hive-wide cleanup of stuck or stale threads."
+        `\"question\"`, `\"reminder\"`, or `\"approval\"`; `id` is the row id from \
+        `get_loose_ends` or the original submission reply. Manager surface bypasses \
+        the owner check on the sub-agent flavour — use for hive-wide cleanup of \
+        stuck or stale threads, or to drop your own approvals that got superseded."
     )]
     async fn cancel_loose_end(&self, Parameters(args): Parameters<CancelLooseEndArgs>) -> String {
         let log = format!("{args:?}");

hive-c0re/src/approvals.rs

@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ impl Approvals {
         let mut stmt = conn.prepare(
             "SELECT id, agent, kind, commit_ref, requested_at, status, resolved_at, note, fetched_sha, description
                FROM approvals
-              WHERE status IN ('approved', 'denied', 'failed')
+              WHERE status IN ('approved', 'denied', 'failed', 'cancelled')
               ORDER BY resolved_at DESC, id DESC
               LIMIT ?1",
         )?;
@@ -246,6 +246,67 @@ impl Approvals {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    /// Withdraw a pending approval (closes #250). Returns the now-updated
+    /// row so the caller can emit `ApprovalResolved` with the right
+    /// kind / agent / sha. Errors if the approval isn't pending — once
+    /// it's approved/denied/failed/cancelled, the resolution is final.
+    pub fn mark_cancelled(&self, id: i64, canceller: &str) -> Result<Approval> {
+        let mut conn = self.conn.lock().unwrap();
+        let tx = conn.transaction()?;
+        let row: Option<(
+            String,
+            String,
+            String,
+            i64,
+            String,
+            Option<String>,
+            Option<String>,
+        )> = tx
+            .query_row(
+                "SELECT agent, kind, commit_ref, requested_at, status, fetched_sha, description
+                   FROM approvals WHERE id = ?1",
+                params![id],
+                |row| {
+                    Ok((
+                        row.get(0)?,
+                        row.get(1)?,
+                        row.get(2)?,
+                        row.get(3)?,
+                        row.get(4)?,
+                        row.get(5)?,
+                        row.get(6)?,
+                    ))
+                },
+            )
+            .optional()?;
+        let Some((agent, kind, commit_ref, requested_at, status, fetched_sha, description)) = row
+        else {
+            bail!("approval {id} not found");
+        };
+        if status != "pending" {
+            bail!("approval {id} is {status}, not pending");
+        }
+        let resolved_at = now_unix();
+        let note = format!("cancelled by {canceller}");
+        tx.execute(
+            "UPDATE approvals SET status = 'cancelled', resolved_at = ?1, note = ?2 WHERE id = ?3",
+            params![resolved_at, note, id],
+        )?;
+        tx.commit()?;
+        Ok(Approval {
+            id,
+            agent,
+            kind: kind_from_str(&kind)?,
+            commit_ref,
+            requested_at,
+            status: ApprovalStatus::Cancelled,
+            resolved_at: Some(resolved_at),
+            note: Some(note),
+            fetched_sha,
+            description,
+        })
+    }
+
     /// Mark every pending approval for `agent` as failed (returns rows affected).
     /// Used by `destroy` to clear the queue of an agent that no longer exists.
     pub fn fail_pending_for_agent(&self, agent: &str, note: &str) -> Result<usize> {
@@ -301,6 +362,7 @@ fn row_to_approval(row: &rusqlite::Row<'_>) -> rusqlite::Result<Approval> {
         "approved" => ApprovalStatus::Approved,
         "denied" => ApprovalStatus::Denied,
         "failed" => ApprovalStatus::Failed,
+        "cancelled" => ApprovalStatus::Cancelled,
         other => {
             return Err(rusqlite::Error::FromSqlConversionFailure(
                 5,
@@ -323,7 +385,11 @@ fn row_to_approval(row: &rusqlite::Row<'_>) -> rusqlite::Result<Approval> {
     })
 }
 
-fn kind_to_str(kind: ApprovalKind) -> &'static str {
+/// Stable kind→str mapping used wherever we emit `ApprovalResolved`
+/// or persist a kind to sqlite. `pub(crate)` so callers like
+/// `questions::handle_cancel_loose_end` don't have to duplicate the
+/// match; bumping a kind here is the single source of truth.
+pub(crate) fn kind_to_str(kind: ApprovalKind) -> &'static str {
     match kind {
         ApprovalKind::ApplyCommit => "apply_commit",
         ApprovalKind::Spawn => "spawn",
@@ -394,6 +460,41 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(pending.len(), 3, "all three kinds must be visible");
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn mark_cancelled_transitions_pending_row() {
+        // #250: manager withdraws a pending approval. Row leaves
+        // pending(), shows up in recent_resolved() with the cancelled
+        // status + a "cancelled by <who>" note.
+        let (_dir, _path, db) = open_temp();
+        let id = db
+            .submit_kind("bitburner", ApprovalKind::ApplyCommit, "cafef00d", Some("test"))
+            .unwrap();
+        let row = db.mark_cancelled(id, "manager").expect("cancel");
+        assert_eq!(row.id, id);
+        assert!(matches!(row.status, ApprovalStatus::Cancelled));
+        assert_eq!(row.note.as_deref(), Some("cancelled by manager"));
+        assert!(row.resolved_at.is_some());
+        assert!(db.pending().unwrap().is_empty(), "row leaves pending");
+        let resolved = db.recent_resolved(10).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(resolved.len(), 1);
+        assert!(matches!(resolved[0].status, ApprovalStatus::Cancelled));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn mark_cancelled_refuses_already_resolved_row() {
+        // Once approved/denied/failed/cancelled the resolution is
+        // final — re-cancelling errors instead of silently overwriting.
+        let (_dir, _path, db) = open_temp();
+        let id = db
+            .submit_kind("a", ApprovalKind::Spawn, "deadbeef", None)
+            .unwrap();
+        db.mark_cancelled(id, "manager").expect("first cancel");
+        let err = db
+            .mark_cancelled(id, "manager")
+            .expect_err("second cancel must fail");
+        assert!(err.to_string().contains("not pending"), "{err}");
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn unknown_kind_row_is_skipped_not_fatal() {
         // A single malformed / future-kind row must not blank the

hive-c0re/src/dashboard.rs

@@ -602,6 +602,7 @@ fn history_view(a: Approval) -> ApprovalHistoryView {
         hive_sh4re::ApprovalStatus::Approved => "approved",
         hive_sh4re::ApprovalStatus::Denied => "denied",
         hive_sh4re::ApprovalStatus::Failed => "failed",
+        hive_sh4re::ApprovalStatus::Cancelled => "cancelled",
         // Pending shouldn't appear in recent_resolved, but be defensive.
         hive_sh4re::ApprovalStatus::Pending => "pending",
     };

hive-c0re/src/questions.rs

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
+use crate::approvals::kind_to_str;
 use crate::coordinator::Coordinator;
 use crate::limits;
 use crate::manager_server::spawn_question_watchdog;
@@ -179,6 +180,35 @@ pub fn handle_cancel_loose_end(
             tracing::info!(%id, %canceller, %owner, "reminder cancelled");
             Ok(())
         }
+        hive_sh4re::CancelLooseEndKind::Approval => {
+            // Manager-only: only the agent that can submit approvals
+            // is allowed to withdraw them. Sub-agents would have no
+            // pending approvals of their own to cancel anyway.
+            if canceller != hive_sh4re::MANAGER_AGENT {
+                return Err(
+                    "cancel_loose_end: only the manager can cancel approval rows".to_owned(),
+                );
+            }
+            let approval = coord
+                .approvals
+                .mark_cancelled(id, canceller)
+                .map_err(|e| format!("{e:#}"))?;
+            tracing::info!(%id, %canceller, agent = %approval.agent, "approval cancelled");
+            let sha_short = approval
+                .fetched_sha
+                .as_deref()
+                .map(|s| s[..s.len().min(12)].to_owned());
+            coord.emit_approval_resolved(
+                approval.id,
+                &approval.agent,
+                kind_to_str(approval.kind),
+                sha_short,
+                "cancelled",
+                approval.note,
+                approval.description,
+            );
+            Ok(())
+        }
     }
 }
 

hive-sh4re/src/lib.rs

@@ -136,6 +136,11 @@ pub enum ApprovalStatus {
     Approved,
     Denied,
     Failed,
+    /// Manager withdrew the request before the operator acted on it
+    /// (closes #250). Distinct from `Denied` (operator decision) and
+    /// `Failed` (post-approval lifecycle error) so the dashboard can
+    /// chip / sort cancellations separately.
+    Cancelled,
 }
 
 /// Reminder activity statistics for an agent over a time window.
@@ -271,10 +276,10 @@ pub enum ReminderTiming {
 /// as a short bulleted list — the per-row fields are all the context
 /// needed without a follow-up fetch.
 ///
-/// `Question` and `Reminder` rows are cancellable via the
+/// All three variants are cancellable via `CancelLooseEnd` /
-/// `CancelLooseEnd` request (and the `cancel_loose_end` MCP tool);
+/// `cancel_loose_end`. `Question` and `Reminder` can be cancelled
-/// `Approval` rows are not (operator approves/denies via the
+/// from either surface (subject to ownership checks); `Approval`
-/// dashboard, manager has no withdraw path today).
+/// is manager-only since sub-agents can't submit approvals.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 #[serde(tag = "kind", rename_all = "snake_case")]
 pub enum LooseEnd {
@@ -325,15 +330,20 @@ pub enum LooseEnd {
 }
 
 /// Kind discriminator for `CancelLooseEnd`. Maps to which underlying
-/// store the dispatcher reaches into (`OperatorQuestions` vs
+/// store the dispatcher reaches into (`OperatorQuestions` /
-/// `Broker::reminders`). Approvals are deliberately not cancellable
+/// `Broker::reminders` / `Approvals`). The `Approval` variant is
-/// — the operator approves/denies via the dashboard, manager has no
+/// manager-only — sub-agents can't submit approvals so they have
-/// withdraw path today.
+/// nothing to withdraw (closes #250).
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, Serialize, Deserialize, PartialEq, Eq)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "snake_case")]
 pub enum CancelLooseEndKind {
     Question,
     Reminder,
+    /// Withdraw a pending approval (manager surface only). The row
+    /// transitions to `ApprovalStatus::Cancelled` and an
+    /// `ApprovalResolved` event fires so the dashboard pulls the card
+    /// out of the pending pane.
+    Approval,
 }
 
 /// Requests on a per-agent socket. The agent's identity is the socket