feat: add engine alive indicator, debug mode, and orchestrator retry logic

client/makefile

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 CC = gcc
-CFLAGS = -Wall -Wextra -Wpedantic -std=c11 -Isrc
+CFLAGS = -Wall -Wextra -Wpedantic -std=c11 -Isrc -I../engine/src
 CARLA_INC = -I/usr/include/carla -I/usr/include/carla/includes
 CARLA_LIB = -L/usr/lib/carla -Wl,-rpath,/usr/lib/carla -lcarla_standalone2
 
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ all: looper-client test_status_parse
 looper-client: src/main.c src/tui.c $(PLUGINS_OBJ) $(CARLA_OBJ) $(CLIENT_CMD_OBJ) $(SCRIPT_OBJ) $(LOG_OBJ)
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(CARLA_INC) -o $@ $^ $(CARLA_LIB) -ljack -lncurses
 
-test_status_parse: tests/test_status_parse.c $(PLUGINS_OBJ) $(CARLA_OBJ) $(CLIENT_CMD_OBJ)
+test_status_parse: tests/test_status_parse.c $(PLUGINS_OBJ) $(CARLA_OBJ) $(CLIENT_CMD_OBJ) $(SCRIPT_OBJ)
-	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(CARLA_INC) -o test_status_parse tests/test_status_parse.c src/tui.c $(PLUGINS_OBJ) $(CARLA_OBJ) $(CLIENT_CMD_OBJ) $(CARLA_LIB) -ljack -lncurses
+	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(CARLA_INC) -o test_status_parse tests/test_status_parse.c src/tui.c $(PLUGINS_OBJ) $(CARLA_OBJ) $(CLIENT_CMD_OBJ) $(SCRIPT_OBJ) $(CARLA_LIB) -ljack -lncurses
 
 # --- Plugin stubs (now real) ---
 $(PLUGINS_OBJ): src/plugins.c src/plugins.h

client/src/log.c

@@ -1 +1 @@
-#include "../engine/src/log.c"
+#include "../../engine/src/log.c"

client/src/tui.c

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
@@ -15,8 +16,15 @@
 #include "script.h"
 #include <CarlaHost.h>
 
+/* ---------- engine alive indicator ---------- */
+static bool engine_running = false;
+static bool debug_mode = false;
+
 /* ---------- FIFO command helper ---------- */
 int send_command(const char *cmd) {
+    if (debug_mode) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "DEBUG: send_command(%s)\n", cmd);
+    }
     const char *fifo_path = getenv("LOOPER_CMD_FIFO");
     if (!fifo_path) fifo_path = "/tmp/looper_cmd";
     int fd = open(fifo_path, O_WRONLY | O_NONBLOCK);
@@ -162,7 +170,7 @@ static void draw_grid(void) {
     }
     clear();
     attron(A_BOLD);
-    mvprintw(0,0,"JACK Looper - Client (FIFO only)");
+    mvprintw(0,0,"JACK Looper - Client (FIFO only)  %s", engine_running ? "[online]" : "[offline]");
     attroff(A_BOLD);
     for (int r=0; r<GRID_ROWS; r++)
         for (int c=0; c<GRID_COLS; c++)
@@ -181,6 +189,7 @@ static void draw_grid(void) {
 void tui_init(void) {
     initscr();
     cbreak(); noecho(); keypad(stdscr, TRUE); curs_set(0);
+    debug_mode = (getenv("LOOPER_DEBUG") != NULL);
     if (!has_colors()) { endwin(); fprintf(stderr,"No colors\n"); exit(1); }
     start_color();
     init_pair(COLOR_EMPTY, COLOR_WHITE, COLOR_BLACK);
@@ -234,6 +243,9 @@ void tui_run(void) {
             close(fd);
         }
 
+        /* Check if engine is alive by testing existence of status FIFO */
+        engine_running = (access(STATUS_FIFO, F_OK) == 0);
+
         /* read any available note events (for script macros) */
         int nfd = open(NOTES_FIFO, O_RDONLY | O_NONBLOCK);
         if (nfd >= 0) {

makefile

@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 # Top-level Makefile – delegates build/clean/test to subdirectories
 
+CC ?= gcc
+
 SUBDIRS = engine client
 
-.PHONY: all build clean test check format orchestrator $(SUBDIRS)
+.PHONY: all build clean test check format orchestrator run $(SUBDIRS)
 
 all: build orchestrator
 
@@ -15,6 +17,9 @@ orchestrator: orchestrator.c
 $(SUBDIRS):
 	$(MAKE) -C $@
 
+run: orchestrator
+	./looper
+
 test:
 #	$(MAKE) -C engine test
 	$(MAKE) -C client test

orchestrator.c

@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+/*
+ * orchestrator.c - Launches both the engine and client processes,
+ * forwards signals, and waits for either to exit before cleaning up
+ * the other. If a child exits abnormally it is retried up to 3 times.
+ */
+#define _GNU_SOURCE
+#define _POSIX_C_SOURCE 200809L
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
@@ -8,27 +15,44 @@
 static pid_t engine_pid = 0;
 static pid_t client_pid = 0;
 
-static void cleanup(int sig) {
+static void terminate_children(void) {
-    (void)sig;
     if (engine_pid > 0) kill(engine_pid, SIGTERM);
     if (client_pid > 0) kill(client_pid, SIGTERM);
-    while (wait(NULL) > 0);
+}
+
+static void wait_children(void) {
+    int status;
+    while (waitpid(-1, &status, 0) > 0);
+}
+
+static void cleanup(int sig) {
+    (void)sig;
+    terminate_children();
+    wait_children();
     _exit(0);
 }
 
-int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+static pid_t start_engine(void) {
-    signal(SIGINT, cleanup);
+    pid_t pid = fork();
-    signal(SIGTERM, cleanup);
+    if (pid == -1) {
-
+        perror("fork engine");
-    engine_pid = fork();
+        return -1;
-    if (engine_pid == 0) {
+    }
+    if (pid == 0) {
         execl("./engine/looper", "looper", NULL);
         perror("execl engine");
         _exit(1);
     }
+    return pid;
+}
 
-    client_pid = fork();
+static pid_t start_client(int argc, char *argv[]) {
-    if (client_pid == 0) {
+    pid_t pid = fork();
+    if (pid == -1) {
+        perror("fork client");
+        return -1;
+    }
+    if (pid == 0) {
         if (argc > 2 && strcmp(argv[1], "-s") == 0) {
             execl("./client/looper-client", "looper-client", "-s", argv[2], NULL);
         } else {
@@ -37,15 +61,85 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         perror("execl client");
         _exit(1);
     }
-
+    return pid;
-    int status;
-    pid_t exited = wait(&status);
-    if (exited == engine_pid) {
-        kill(client_pid, SIGTERM);
-        wait(NULL);
-    } else if (exited == client_pid) {
-        kill(engine_pid, SIGTERM);
-        wait(NULL);
 }
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+    signal(SIGINT, cleanup);
+    signal(SIGTERM, cleanup);
+
+    int i;
+    for (i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
+        if (strcmp(argv[i], "--debug") == 0) {
+            setenv("LOOPER_DEBUG", "1", 1);
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+
+    int attempt = 0;
+    const int MAX_ATTEMPTS = 3;
+
+    while (attempt < MAX_ATTEMPTS) {
+        attempt++;
+
+        engine_pid = start_engine();
+        if (engine_pid == -1) {
+            if (attempt >= MAX_ATTEMPTS) {
+                fprintf(stderr, "Failed to start engine after %d attempts\n", MAX_ATTEMPTS);
+                return 1;
+            }
+            usleep(500000);
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        client_pid = start_client(argc, argv);
+        if (client_pid == -1) {
+            kill(engine_pid, SIGTERM);
+            waitpid(engine_pid, NULL, 0);
+            if (attempt >= MAX_ATTEMPTS) {
+                fprintf(stderr, "Failed to start client after %d attempts\n", MAX_ATTEMPTS);
+                return 1;
+            }
+            usleep(500000);
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        /* Both children have started.  Wait for either to exit. */
+        int status;
+        pid_t exited = waitpid(-1, &status, 0);
+        pid_t other = 0;
+        if (exited == engine_pid) {
+            other = client_pid;
+        } else if (exited == client_pid) {
+            other = engine_pid;
+        } else {
+            /* unexpected waitpid failure */
+            terminate_children();
+            wait_children();
+            return 1;
+        }
+
+        /* Kill the other child now that one has exited. */
+        if (other > 0) {
+            kill(other, SIGTERM);
+            waitpid(other, NULL, 0);
+        }
+
+        /* Normal clean exit (zero status) means we are done. */
+        if (WIFEXITED(status) && WEXITSTATUS(status) == 0) {
             return 0;
         }
+
+        if (attempt >= MAX_ATTEMPTS) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "Child exited abnormally after %d attempts. Quitting.\n",
+                    MAX_ATTEMPTS);
+            return 1;
+        }
+
+        fprintf(stderr, "Child exited abnormally, retrying...\n");
+        usleep(500000);
+        /* loop back to try another fresh start */
+    }
+
+    return 1;
+}