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+# Debug Log
+
+A running log of notable bugs fixed in Librarian, **newest first**. Add new entries
+at the top. Each entry records the symptom, the root cause, how it was fixed, and the
+files/lines touched, with the commit that carries the fix for context.
+
+---
+
+## 2026-06-17 — WSL folder load: column "pinch" + inconsistent loading screen
+
+**Commit:** `20347e3` — "WSL loading screen fix" (branch `feat-phase2`)
+The fix is confined to `crates/librarian-app/src/main.rs`. That commit also bundles
+unrelated in-flight phase-2 work (`rows.rs`, `model.rs`, `sort.rs`, `lib.rs`,
+`docs/phase2_simplify_review.md`) — those files are **not** part of this fix.
+
+### Symptom
+Navigating into a WSL folder (e.g. `\\wsl.localhost\Ubuntu\...`) showed a different
+loading experience than thumbnail loading: the details-view columns visibly *pinched*
+to their minimum widths and then snapped back when the listing arrived, and there was
+no spinner overlay. On fast local folders this flashed by; over WSL's slow 9P network
+reads it sat on screen long enough to be jarring.
+
+### Root cause
+Two unrelated loading paths existed:
+
+- **Thumbnail loading** used a modal overlay (`loading_overlay`): a rotating spinner +
+  "Loading…" on a semi-transparent scrim drawn *over the existing grid*, so nothing
+  reflowed.
+- **Folder loading** (`load_current`) instead *blanked* the list immediately —
+  set `Content::Folder { loading: true }`, cleared `rows`, and reset `col_measure` to
+  default. With no rows to measure, the auto-fit columns collapsed to `MIN_COL_W`
+  (the pinch), and no overlay was shown during the directory read at all. The nice
+  overlay only ever appeared later, for the thumbnail phase.
+
+### Fix
+Unified folder loads onto the same modal overlay, and kept the previous folder on
+screen (dimmed, under the overlay) instead of blanking — which removes the pinch:
+
+- `load_current` (the `Path` branch) no longer touches `content`/`rows`/columns. It
+  raises `overlay_loading` and a new per-tab `load_pending` flag, then kicks off the
+  read. The previous folder stays visible under the spinner.
+- `Message::Loaded` clears `load_pending`, *then* adopts the new folder's column
+  layout and resets `col_measure` (deferred from navigation), swaps in the entries,
+  and hands off to the thumbnail session. In details view the overlay simply releases
+  onto correctly-sized columns; in grid views it carries into thumbnail loading.
+- `load_pending` replaced the old `Content::Folder { loading }` marker (which only
+  existed to blank + later resume a mid-load tab), so that field was removed. The flag
+  is parked/restored per tab via `TabState`.
+- Edge case covered: a disk-change refresh (`Message::Reloaded`) landing mid-navigation
+  now fulfills the pending load (adopts columns, clears the flag) instead of leaving it
+  stuck.
+
+Because all navigation (back/forward/up/refresh/tree/address) routes through
+`load_current`, the unified overlay + no-pinch behavior applies everywhere.
+
+### Affected files & lines
+`crates/librarian-app/src/main.rs`:
+- **L299–301** — `Content::Folder`: removed the `loading: bool` field.
+- **L408–413** — `Librarian` struct: added the per-tab `load_pending: bool` field.
+- **L450–454** — updated the `overlay_loading` doc comment (now covers folder reads).
+- **L521** — `TabState`: added `load_pending: bool`.
+- **L695** — `new()`: init `load_pending: false`.
+- **L771** — `snapshot_flat`: park `load_pending`.
+- **L792** — `restore_flat`: restore `load_pending`.
+- **L823** — `reset_flat`: reset `load_pending = false`.
+- **L898–901** — `show_active`: resume a mid-load tab via `if self.load_pending`.
+- **L1169–1205** — `Message::Loaded`: clear `load_pending` (L1173), adopt columns
+  (L1178–1179), drop the `loading` field, release the overlay on the error path.
+- **L1216–1231** — `Message::Reloaded`: mid-navigation guard (`std::mem::take`, L1226),
+  drop the `loading` field.
+- **L1677–1735** — `load_current`: removed the eager column reset; landing-page arms
+  (`ThisPc`/`Wsl`) reset columns to default; the `Path` branch keeps the previous
+  folder and raises `load_pending` (L1729) + `overlay_loading` (L1730).
+- **L2492–2493** — `empty_list_message`: key the "Loading…" placeholder off
+  `load_pending` (only seen at startup / fresh tabs, where there is no previous folder).