fix(gl,node): classify capped node-info bodies and reject encoded bidi in web_url

An oversized or half-read GET / body previously fell through JSON parse
failure into the same silent-None arm as a node with no web front-end.
The classify step now consults the capped body's truncated and
read_failed flags and warns before omitting the View link.

web_url validation on both sides also scanned only literal bytes for
control and bidi characters, so a percent-encoded reordering character
(%E2%80%AE) passed boot validation and CLI ingest even though a browser
decodes it into a bidi spoof. Both validators now check the decoded host
and path (INV-6). Also fixes the control-byte test, which served invalid
JSON and passed without reaching the check it pinned.

.env.example

@@ -39,6 +39,12 @@ GITLAWB_KEY=/data/keys/identity.pem
 # Publicly reachable URL of this node (used in peer announcements)
 GITLAWB_PUBLIC_URL=https://your-node.example.com
 
+# Base URL for the web view of repos on this node (used by `gl` to print a
+# working View: link after repo creation). Omit for nodes with no web front-end.
+# Distinct from GITLAWB_PUBLIC_URL: that is API reachability for peers;
+# this is browser reachability for humans.
+# GITLAWB_WEB_URL=https://gitlawb.com
+
 # ── Server ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 GITLAWB_HOST=0.0.0.0
 GITLAWB_PORT=7545

Cargo.lock

@@ -2208,7 +2208,7 @@ version = "3.1.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "faf9468729b8cbcea668e36183cb69d317348c2e08e994829fb56ebfdfbaac34"
 dependencies = [
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.48.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -2701,7 +2701,7 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "7ab67060fc6b8ef687992d439ca0fa36e7ed17e9a0b16b25b601e8757df720de"
 dependencies = [
  "data-encoding",
- "syn 2.0.117",
+ "syn 1.0.109",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -3085,7 +3085,7 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "39cab71617ae0d63f51a36d69f866391735b51691dbda63cf6f96d042b63efeb"
 dependencies = [
  "libc",
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.52.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -3563,6 +3563,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "libp2p-swarm",
  "mockito",
  "multiaddr",
+ "percent-encoding",
  "prometheus",
  "reqwest",
  "serde",
@@ -3580,6 +3581,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "tracing",
  "tracing-subscriber",
  "unicode-normalization",
+ "url",
  "uuid",
  "zeroize",
  "zstd",
@@ -3599,6 +3601,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "gitlawb-core",
  "icaptcha-client",
  "mockito",
+ "percent-encoding",
  "reqwest",
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
@@ -3607,6 +3610,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "tokio",
  "tracing",
  "tracing-subscriber",
+ "url",
  "urlencoding",
  "uuid",
 ]
@@ -3642,9 +3646,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "h2"
-version = "0.4.18"
+version = "0.4.19"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "839c0e8a181239723652be9062bb56ca5bf5f64011f73b623f6f4fc59086a228"
+checksum = "ef8e5e5a340588f4452631496976cf8636d4a7ecf600239fdc27615d2530bc16"
 dependencies = [
  "atomic-waker",
  "bytes",
@@ -6223,7 +6227,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "errno",
  "libc",
  "linux-raw-sys",
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.52.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -7157,7 +7161,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "getrandom 0.4.2",
  "once_cell",
  "rustix",
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.52.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -7949,7 +7953,7 @@ version = "0.1.11"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "c2a7b1c03c876122aa43f3020e6c3c3ee5c05081c9a00739faf7503aeba10d22"
 dependencies = [
- "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "windows-sys 0.48.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]

Cargo.toml

@@ -54,8 +54,10 @@ uuid = { version = "1", features = ["v4"] }
 # http client
 reqwest = { version = "0.12", features = ["blocking", "json", "multipart", "rustls-tls"], default-features = false }
 # URL parsing (what reqwest::Url re-exports, so the shared redirect predicate can
-# take a parsed URL without pulling reqwest into gitlawb-core)
+# take a parsed URL without pulling reqwest into gitlawb-core; also used for the
+# absolute-browser-url validation on GITLAWB_WEB_URL in the node and CLI)
 url = "2"
+percent-encoding = "2"
 # HMAC
 hmac = "0.12"
 

crates/gitlawb-node/Cargo.toml

@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ tracing = { workspace = true }
 tracing-subscriber = { workspace = true }
 chrono = { workspace = true }
 uuid = { workspace = true }
+url = { workspace = true }
+percent-encoding = { workspace = true }
 axum = { version = "0.8", features = ["http1", "http2", "json", "ws"] }
 async-graphql = { version = "7", features = ["chrono", "uuid", "tracing"] }
 async-graphql-axum = "7"

crates/gitlawb-node/src/config.rs

@@ -66,6 +66,12 @@ pub struct Config {
     #[arg(long, env = "GITLAWB_PUBLIC_URL")]
     pub public_url: Option<String>,
 
+    /// Base URL for the web view of repos on this node (e.g. https://gitlawb.com).
+    /// When set, `GET /` advertises it as `web_url` so the CLI can print a
+    /// working `View:` link.  Omit for nodes that have no web front-end.
+    #[arg(long, env = "GITLAWB_WEB_URL")]
+    pub web_url: Option<String>,
+
     /// Comma-separated list of bootstrap peer URLs to announce to on startup
     #[arg(long, env = "GITLAWB_BOOTSTRAP_PEERS", value_delimiter = ',')]
     pub bootstrap_peers: Vec<String>,
@@ -803,7 +809,13 @@ impl Config {
     /// Cross-field boot validation. Single-field ranges are enforced by clap; this
     /// catches combinations that ship a denial-of-service under otherwise-valid
     /// values. Call once at startup and fail fast on `Err`.
-    pub fn validate(&self) -> Result<(), String> {
+    ///
+    /// `&mut self` is required so the validator can normalize `web_url` to
+    /// its canonical form after validation: the configured value is
+    /// advertised on public `GET /`, and any consumer reading
+    /// `config.web_url` later must see the same string that was actually
+    /// validated.
+    pub fn validate(&mut self) -> Result<(), String> {
         // Concurrent git writes pin the dedicated lock pool for their whole
         // duration (connection-affine advisory lock in acquire_write). The main
         // pool no longer carries that occupancy.
@@ -920,10 +932,101 @@ impl Config {
                 .map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
         }
 
+        // GITLAWB_WEB_URL is advertised in GET / so the CLI can print a working
+        // View: link. Clap maps "" to Some("") which would produce a broken URL;
+        // reject early instead of serving a malformed link. Non-blank values must
+        // additionally parse as an absolute http(s) URL — the CLI appends
+        // `/{owner}/{repo}` to it, so scheme-less hosts ("gitlawb.com") and other
+        // garbage would render links no browser can follow.
+        if let Some(raw) = &self.web_url {
+            match validate_web_url(raw) {
+                Ok(()) => {}
+                Err(reason) => {
+                    return Err(format!(
+                        "GITLAWB_WEB_URL {reason} — \
+                         set it to an absolute URL like https://gitlawb.com or leave it unset."
+                    ));
+                }
+            }
+            // Normalize to one canonical form so every consumer (the regular
+            // and degraded `GET /` handlers, anyone who reads
+            // `config.web_url` directly) sees the same string that was
+            // actually validated. The CLI's own defensive trim would paper
+            // over the divergence on the `View:` line, but that hides the
+            // bug from any other consumer that parses the value verbatim.
+            let canonical = raw
+                .trim()
+                .parse::<url::Url>()
+                .map(|u| u.to_string())
+                .map_err(|_| "is not a valid absolute URL".to_string())?;
+            if canonical != *raw {
+                self.web_url = Some(canonical);
+            }
+        }
+
         Ok(())
     }
 }
 
+/// Validate a `web_url` value for use as a browser-reachable base URL.
+/// Blank values are rejected (clap maps `--web-url ""` to `Some("")`), and
+/// non-blank values must parse as absolute `http`/`https` URLs with no
+/// query, fragment, or userinfo — the CLI treats this as a string prefix
+/// to append paths to, so anything else produces links no browser can
+/// follow (`?a=1/owner/repo` puts the repo path inside the query string);
+/// and userinfo is rejected outright because the configured value is
+/// published on public `GET /` and reprinted on the CLI's `View:` line,
+/// so an accidentally configured password would land in public metadata,
+/// terminal scrollback, and CI logs.
+pub(crate) fn validate_web_url(raw: &str) -> Result<(), String> {
+    if raw.trim().is_empty() {
+        return Err("must not be empty or whitespace-only".into());
+    }
+    let parsed: url::Url = raw
+        .trim()
+        .parse()
+        .map_err(|_| "is not a valid absolute URL".to_string())?;
+    match parsed.scheme() {
+        "http" | "https" => {}
+        other => return Err(format!("must use http or https, got '{other}:'")),
+    }
+    // url::Url cannot represent a URL without a host for http/https schemes, so
+    // reaching here guarantees an absolute browser-usable base.
+    if parsed.query().is_some() {
+        return Err(
+            "must not contain a query string — it is used as a path prefix for View links".into(),
+        );
+    }
+    if parsed.fragment().is_some() {
+        return Err(
+            "must not contain a fragment — it is used as a path prefix for View links".into(),
+        );
+    }
+    if !parsed.username().is_empty() || parsed.password().is_some() {
+        return Err(
+            "must not contain a username or password — it is advertised publicly and printed on the View: line"
+                .into(),
+        );
+    }
+    // Bidi/control bytes can hide behind percent-encoding: a literal scan of
+    // the wire form misses `.../%E2%80%AE` even though a browser decodes it
+    // into a reordering character on the rendered View: link. Check the
+    // decoded host and path before the value is advertised on GET / (INV-6).
+    let host = parsed.host_str().unwrap_or("");
+    let decoded_path = percent_encoding::percent_decode_str(parsed.path()).decode_utf8_lossy();
+    if host
+        .chars()
+        .chain(decoded_path.chars())
+        .any(|c| c.is_control() || gitlawb_core::sanitize::is_bidi_format(c))
+    {
+        return Err(
+            "must not contain control or bidi characters, even percent-encoded — the View: line is terminal output"
+                .into(),
+        );
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
@@ -1566,7 +1669,7 @@ mod tests {
             .expect("default config must validate");
 
         // An under-sized lock pool relative to the push cap is rejected.
-        let under_lock = Config::parse_from([
+        let mut under_lock = Config::parse_from([
             "gitlawb-node",
             "--db-lock-pool-max-connections",
             "16",
@@ -1579,7 +1682,7 @@ mod tests {
         );
 
         // Exactly at the push cap without non-push headroom is rejected.
-        let push_only = Config::parse_from([
+        let mut push_only = Config::parse_from([
             "gitlawb-node",
             "--db-lock-pool-max-connections",
             "32",
@@ -1592,7 +1695,7 @@ mod tests {
         );
 
         // Main pool can be smaller than pushes + headroom when the lock pool carries writes.
-        let split = Config::parse_from([
+        let mut split = Config::parse_from([
             "gitlawb-node",
             "--db-max-connections",
             "16",
@@ -1607,13 +1710,153 @@ mod tests {
         );
 
         // Main pool still needs the app headroom floor.
-        let under_main = Config::parse_from(["gitlawb-node", "--db-max-connections", "4"]);
+        let mut under_main = Config::parse_from(["gitlawb-node", "--db-max-connections", "4"]);
         assert!(
             under_main.validate().is_err(),
             "db_max_connections below DB_POOL_APP_HEADROOM must be rejected"
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn web_url_rejects_empty_and_whitespace() {
+        // Unset is fine.
+        Config::parse_from(["gitlawb-node"])
+            .validate()
+            .expect("no web_url must validate");
+
+        // A real URL validates.
+        let mut cfg = Config::parse_from(["gitlawb-node"]);
+        cfg.web_url = Some("https://gitlawb.com".into());
+        assert!(cfg.validate().is_ok());
+
+        // Empty string is rejected.
+        let mut cfg = Config::parse_from(["gitlawb-node"]);
+        cfg.web_url = Some("".into());
+        assert!(cfg.validate().is_err(), "empty web_url must be rejected");
+
+        // Whitespace-only is rejected.
+        let mut cfg = Config::parse_from(["gitlawb-node"]);
+        cfg.web_url = Some("   ".into());
+        assert!(
+            cfg.validate().is_err(),
+            "whitespace-only web_url must be rejected"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn web_url_rejects_non_absolute_or_non_browser_urls() {
+        // Scheme-less host: parses nowhere, renders a broken View: link.
+        for bad in [
+            "gitlawb.com",
+            "not a url",
+            "ftp://files.example.com",
+            "javascript:alert(1)",
+            "https://", // no host
+        ] {
+            let mut cfg = Config::parse_from(["gitlawb-node"]);
+            cfg.web_url = Some(bad.into());
+            assert!(cfg.validate().is_err(), "web_url {bad:?} must be rejected");
+        }
+
+        // Query strings and fragments corrupt the appended repo path, since
+        // web_url is used as a raw string prefix (`?a=1` would swallow
+        // `/{owner}/{repo}` into the query).
+        for bad in [
+            "https://gitlawb.com?a=1",
+            "https://gitlawb.com/?utm_source=docs",
+            "https://gitlawb.com#section",
+            "https://gitlawb.com/#faq",
+        ] {
+            let mut cfg = Config::parse_from(["gitlawb-node"]);
+            cfg.web_url = Some(bad.into());
+            assert!(
+                cfg.validate().is_err(),
+                "web_url {bad:?} (query or fragment) must be rejected"
+            );
+        }
+
+        // Surrounding whitespace around a valid URL is tolerated.
+        let mut cfg = Config::parse_from(["gitlawb-node"]);
+        cfg.web_url = Some("  https://gitlawb.com  ".into());
+        assert!(
+            cfg.validate().is_ok(),
+            "padded-but-valid web_url must validate"
+        );
+
+        // Percent-encoded bidi must not boot: the wire form carries no Cf
+        // code point, but a browser decodes %E2%80%AE into a reordering
+        // character on the rendered View: link (INV-6). Literal bidi and
+        // control bytes are rejected the same way.
+        for bad in [
+            "https://example.com/%E2%80%AE",
+            "https://example.com/\u{202e}spoof",
+            "https://example.com/%1b[31m",
+        ] {
+            let mut cfg = Config::parse_from(["gitlawb-node"]);
+            cfg.web_url = Some(bad.into());
+            assert!(
+                cfg.validate().is_err(),
+                "web_url {bad:?} (control or bidi, even encoded) must be rejected"
+            );
+        }
+
+        // Non-default ports and paths are fine.
+        let mut cfg = Config::parse_from(["gitlawb-node"]);
+        cfg.web_url = Some("http://localhost:8080/ui".into());
+        assert!(cfg.validate().is_ok(), "port+path web_url must validate");
+
+        // Userinfo must be rejected: `web_url` is published on public
+        // `GET /` and reprinted on the CLI's `View:` line, so an
+        // accidentally configured password would land in public metadata,
+        // terminal scrollback, and CI logs. Reject username-only and
+        // user+password forms.
+        for bad in [
+            "https://[email protected]",
+            "https://user:[email protected]",
+            "https://:[email protected]",
+        ] {
+            let mut cfg = Config::parse_from(["gitlawb-node"]);
+            cfg.web_url = Some(bad.into());
+            assert!(
+                cfg.validate().is_err(),
+                "web_url {bad:?} (userinfo) must be rejected"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// `validate()` accepts whitespace-padded input but the stored value
+    /// must match the canonical form actually validated, so every consumer
+    /// (the regular and degraded `GET /` handlers, anyone who reads
+    /// `config.web_url` directly) sees the same string. Without this, an
+    /// operator that sets `GITLAWB_WEB_URL="  https://git.example  "` boots
+    /// a node that advertises `"  https://git.example  "` on public
+    /// metadata — different from what was validated, different from what
+    /// any other consumer would parse.
+    #[test]
+    fn web_url_is_normalized_to_canonical_form_after_validation() {
+        // Padded input is rewritten to the canonical form. `url::Url`'s
+        // own `to_string` is what we use for the canonicalization, and
+        // it always appends a path-separator slash to a bare-host URL,
+        // so the stored value is `https://git.example/` (which is also
+        // what every browser would normalize the operator-typed form to).
+        let mut cfg = Config::parse_from(["gitlawb-node"]);
+        cfg.web_url = Some("  https://git.example  ".into());
+        cfg.validate().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            cfg.web_url.as_deref(),
+            Some("https://git.example/"),
+            "stored web_url must be the canonical form, not the operator-typed one"
+        );
+
+        // Already-canonical input is left alone after a no-op
+        // re-normalization — same form comes back out, so any consumer
+        // reading the stored value sees a stable string across calls.
+        let mut cfg = Config::parse_from(["gitlawb-node"]);
+        cfg.web_url = Some("https://git.example/".into());
+        cfg.validate().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(cfg.web_url.as_deref(), Some("https://git.example/"));
+    }
+
     /// The DECLARED default, read off the parser rather than out of a parse.
     ///
     /// `Config::parse_from` consults the process environment, so on a host that
@@ -1878,7 +2121,7 @@ mod tests {
         std::os::unix::fs::symlink(&target, &link).unwrap();
         let key_path = link.join("p2p.key");
 
-        let config = Config::parse_from([
+        let mut config = Config::parse_from([
             "gitlawb-node",
             "--p2p-port",
             "0",
@@ -1973,7 +2216,7 @@ mod tests {
             let key_path = build(base.path());
             let before = snapshot(base.path());
 
-            let config = Config::parse_from([
+            let mut config = Config::parse_from([
                 "gitlawb-node",
                 "--p2p-port",
                 "7546",

crates/gitlawb-node/src/main.rs

@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ use state::AppState;
 struct DegradedState {
     node_did: String,
     db_startup: Arc<DbStartupStatus>,
+    web_url: Option<String>,
 }
 
 /// Two independent counters with no cross-field invariant — atomics, not a
@@ -159,6 +160,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
         degraded_listener,
         node_did.to_string(),
         Arc::clone(&db_startup),
+        config.web_url.clone(),
         db_ready_rx,
         shutdown_tx.subscribe(),
     ));
@@ -872,11 +874,12 @@ async fn run_degraded_server(
     listener: TcpListener,
     node_did: String,
     db_startup: Arc<DbStartupStatus>,
+    web_url: Option<String>,
     mut db_ready_rx: watch::Receiver<bool>,
     mut shutdown_rx: watch::Receiver<bool>,
 ) -> Result<()> {
     let addr = listener.local_addr().ok();
-    let router = build_degraded_router(node_did, db_startup);
+    let router = build_degraded_router(node_did, db_startup, web_url);
     info!(?addr, "degraded HTTP server ready");
 
     axum::serve(listener, router)
@@ -893,10 +896,15 @@ async fn run_degraded_server(
     Ok(())
 }
 
-fn build_degraded_router(node_did: String, db_startup: Arc<DbStartupStatus>) -> Router {
+fn build_degraded_router(
+    node_did: String,
+    db_startup: Arc<DbStartupStatus>,
+    web_url: Option<String>,
+) -> Router {
     let state = DegradedState {
         node_did,
         db_startup,
+        web_url,
     };
     // Everything answers 503 with the same body — including /health and
     // /ready, so peer readiness probes and uptime monitors correctly see a
@@ -928,6 +936,9 @@ async fn degraded_node_info(State(state): State<DegradedState>) -> impl IntoResp
         obj.insert("name".into(), "gitlawb-node".into());
         obj.insert("version".into(), env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION").into());
         obj.insert("did".into(), state.node_did.clone().into());
+        if let Some(web_url) = &state.web_url {
+            obj.insert("web_url".into(), web_url.clone().into());
+        }
     }
     (StatusCode::SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE, Json(body))
 }

crates/gitlawb-node/src/server.rs

@@ -619,7 +619,7 @@ async fn ready(State(state): State<AppState>) -> axum::response::Response {
 
 async fn node_info(State(state): State<AppState>) -> Json<serde_json::Value> {
     let p2p_peer_id = state.p2p.as_ref().map(|h| h.local_peer_id.to_string());
-    Json(json!({
+    let mut body = json!({
         "name": "gitlawb-node",
         "version": env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION"),
         "did": state.node_did.to_string(),
@@ -628,7 +628,11 @@ async fn node_info(State(state): State<AppState>) -> Json<serde_json::Value> {
         "auth": "http-signature-rfc9421",
         "identity": "ed25519",
         "p2p_peer_id": p2p_peer_id,
-    }))
+    });
+    if let Some(web_url) = &state.config.web_url {
+        body["web_url"] = json!(web_url);
+    }
+    Json(body)
 }
 
 pub(crate) async fn stats(State(state): State<AppState>) -> Json<serde_json::Value> {

crates/gl/Cargo.toml

@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ clap = { version = "4", features = ["derive", "env"] }
 dirs = "5"
 reqwest = { workspace = true }
 uuid = { workspace = true }
+url = { workspace = true }
+percent-encoding = { workspace = true }
 urlencoding = "2"
 alloy = { version = "1", default-features = false, features = [
     "contract",

crates/gl/src/mirror.rs

@@ -142,7 +142,11 @@ pub async fn run(args: MirrorArgs) -> Result<()> {
     println!();
     println!("✓ Mirror complete: {name}");
     println!("  Clone:  git clone {gitlawb_url}");
-    println!("  View:   https://twigpine.com/{owner_short}/{name}");
+    // Only print View: when the node advertises a web_url — self-hosted nodes
+    // without a web front-end would otherwise produce a 404 link (#370).
+    if let Some(web_url) = crate::repo::fetch_node_web_url(&args.node).await {
+        println!("  View:   {web_url}/{owner_short}/{name}");
+    }
 
     Ok(())
 }

crates/gl/src/repo.rs

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use clap::{Args, Subcommand};
 use serde_json::{json, Value};
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 
-use crate::http::NodeClient;
+use crate::http::{sanitize_node_msg, NodeClient};
 use crate::identity::load_keypair_from_dir;
 
 #[derive(Args)]
@@ -274,6 +274,126 @@ async fn resolve_owner_did(_node: &str, dir: Option<&std::path::Path>) -> Result
     Ok(did.split(':').next_back().unwrap_or(&did).to_string())
 }
 
+/// Fetch `GET /` from the node and return the `web_url` if the node advertises one.
+///
+/// The View: link is a nice-to-have, so every failure mode degrades to `None`
+/// rather than failing the enclosing command — but failures are surfaced as
+/// stderr warnings (request error, non-success HTTP status with the status,
+/// malformed advertised value), since they all mean the node itself is
+/// misbehaving or misconfigured, which the user would otherwise never learn.
+/// A successful response that lacks a usable `web_url` (field missing or
+/// blank) omits the link silently: self-hosted nodes without a web front-end
+/// are expected to not advertise one (#370).
+///
+/// The body is treated like every other caller-chosen node reply (INV-6): the
+/// read is capped and an accepted `web_url` must be free of control/bidi bytes
+/// — it reaches the terminal verbatim through the View: line.
+pub(crate) async fn fetch_node_web_url(node: &str) -> Option<String> {
+    let info_client = NodeClient::new(node, None);
+    let info_resp = match info_client.get("/").await {
+        Ok(resp) => resp,
+        Err(err) => {
+            eprintln!("warning: node info request failed ({err}); skipping View link");
+            return None;
+        }
+    };
+    let status = info_resp.status();
+    if !status.is_success() {
+        eprintln!("warning: node info request returned {status}; skipping View link");
+        return None;
+    }
+    // An info reply is a DID, a few URLs and counts — 8 KiB is well past what
+    // the shape needs; anything longer is hostile or broken (peer.rs precedent).
+    let raw_body = crate::http::read_body_capped(info_resp, 8 * 1024).await;
+    match web_url_from_info_body(&raw_body) {
+        Ok(url) => url,
+        Err(reason) => {
+            eprintln!("warning: {reason}; skipping View link");
+            None
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Classify a capped `GET /` body for the `View:` advertisement. Split out of
+/// `fetch_node_web_url` so tests can pin the classification contract directly:
+/// a truncated or half-read body is indistinguishable from a node that
+/// advertised nothing, so it must warn rather than silently omit the link.
+fn web_url_from_info_body(
+    raw_body: &crate::http::CappedBody,
+) -> std::result::Result<Option<String>, String> {
+    if raw_body.truncated || raw_body.read_failed {
+        return Err("node info body was oversized or could not be read in full".to_string());
+    }
+    let info: Value = match serde_json::from_str(&raw_body.text) {
+        Ok(json) => json,
+        Err(_) => return Err("node info body was not valid JSON".to_string()),
+    };
+    // Missing field / non-string degrade to None without warning — same contract
+    // as before; only transport- and advertisement-level failures warn there.
+    let raw = match info["web_url"].as_str() {
+        Some(v) => v,
+        None => return Ok(None),
+    };
+    let trimmed = raw.trim().trim_end_matches('/');
+    if trimmed.is_empty() {
+        return Ok(None);
+    }
+    // A present-but-malformed value means the node is misconfigured; say so
+    // instead of quietly dropping the link. Mirrors the node-side boot
+    // validation: must be an absolute http(s) URL with no query or fragment —
+    // the link is built by string-appending `/{owner}/{repo}` to it. Control
+    // and bidi-format bytes are rejected outright (not stripped): they have no
+    // legitimate place in a base URL and would reach the terminal through the
+    // View: line — including when they arrive percent-encoded (INV-6).
+    let malformed_reason: Option<String> = if trimmed
+        .chars()
+        .any(|c| c.is_control() || gitlawb_core::sanitize::is_bidi_format(c))
+    {
+        Some("contains control or bidi characters".to_string())
+    } else {
+        match trimmed.parse::<url::Url>() {
+            Err(_) => Some("not an absolute URL".to_string()),
+            Ok(parsed) if !matches!(parsed.scheme(), "http" | "https") => {
+                Some("not http(s)".to_string())
+            }
+            Ok(parsed) if parsed.query().is_some() || parsed.fragment().is_some() => {
+                Some("contains a query or fragment".to_string())
+            }
+            // userinfo is rejected because the `View:` line prints the
+            // value verbatim; a remote advertisement carrying
+            // `user:pass@host` would land that credential in terminal
+            // scrollback and CI logs.
+            Ok(parsed) if !parsed.username().is_empty() || parsed.password().is_some() => {
+                Some("contains a username or password".to_string())
+            }
+            Ok(parsed)
+                if parsed
+                    .host_str()
+                    .unwrap_or("")
+                    .chars()
+                    .chain(
+                        percent_encoding::percent_decode_str(parsed.path())
+                            .decode_utf8_lossy()
+                            .chars(),
+                    )
+                    .any(|c| c.is_control() || gitlawb_core::sanitize::is_bidi_format(c)) =>
+            {
+                Some("contains control or bidi characters, even percent-encoded".to_string())
+            }
+            Ok(_) => None,
+        }
+    };
+    match malformed_reason {
+        // The reason string is ours; the advertised value is not — defang it
+        // exactly as it would have been defanged had it been accepted.
+        Some(reason) => Err(format!(
+            "node advertised a malformed web_url ({:?}, {reason})",
+            sanitize_node_msg(trimmed)
+        )),
+        None => Ok(Some(trimmed.to_string())),
+    }
+}
+
 async fn cmd_create(
     name: String,
     description: Option<String>,
@@ -311,7 +431,11 @@ async fn cmd_create(
     println!("✓ Created repository: {name}");
     println!("  Clone: git clone {gitlawb_url}");
     println!("  HTTP:  {clone_url}");
-    println!("  View:  https://twigpine.com/{owner_short}/{name}");
+    // Only print View: when the node advertises a web_url — self-hosted nodes
+    // without a web front-end would otherwise produce a 404 link (#370).
+    if let Some(web_url) = fetch_node_web_url(&node).await {
+        println!("  View:  {web_url}/{owner_short}/{name}");
+    }
     if let Some(desc) = payload["description"].as_str().filter(|s| !s.is_empty()) {
         println!("  Desc:  {desc}");
     }
@@ -848,6 +972,285 @@ mod tests {
         .unwrap();
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_fetch_node_web_url_with_web_url() {
+        let mut server = mockito::Server::new_async().await;
+        let _m = server
+            .mock("GET", "/")
+            .with_status(200)
+            .with_header("content-type", "application/json")
+            .with_body(r#"{"web_url":"https://example.com","did":"did:key:z6Mk"}"#)
+            .create_async()
+            .await;
+
+        let web_url = fetch_node_web_url(&server.url()).await;
+        assert_eq!(web_url.as_deref(), Some("https://example.com"));
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_fetch_node_web_url_trims_trailing_slash() {
+        let mut server = mockito::Server::new_async().await;
+        let _m = server
+            .mock("GET", "/")
+            .with_status(200)
+            .with_header("content-type", "application/json")
+            .with_body(r#"{"web_url":"https://example.com/"}"#)
+            .create_async()
+            .await;
+
+        let web_url = fetch_node_web_url(&server.url()).await;
+        assert_eq!(web_url.as_deref(), Some("https://example.com"));
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_fetch_node_web_url_without_web_url() {
+        let mut server = mockito::Server::new_async().await;
+        let _m = server
+            .mock("GET", "/")
+            .with_status(200)
+            .with_header("content-type", "application/json")
+            .with_body(r#"{"did":"did:key:z6Mk"}"#)
+            .create_async()
+            .await;
+
+        let web_url = fetch_node_web_url(&server.url()).await;
+        assert_eq!(web_url, None);
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_fetch_node_web_url_empty_string() {
+        let mut server = mockito::Server::new_async().await;
+        let _m = server
+            .mock("GET", "/")
+            .with_status(200)
+            .with_header("content-type", "application/json")
+            .with_body(r#"{"web_url":""}"#)
+            .create_async()
+            .await;
+
+        let web_url = fetch_node_web_url(&server.url()).await;
+        assert_eq!(web_url, None);
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_fetch_node_web_url_whitespace_only() {
+        let mut server = mockito::Server::new_async().await;
+        let _m = server
+            .mock("GET", "/")
+            .with_status(200)
+            .with_header("content-type", "application/json")
+            .with_body(r#"{"web_url":"   "}"#)
+            .create_async()
+            .await;
+
+        let web_url = fetch_node_web_url(&server.url()).await;
+        assert_eq!(web_url, None);
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_fetch_node_web_url_server_error() {
+        let mut server = mockito::Server::new_async().await;
+        let _m = server
+            .mock("GET", "/")
+            .with_status(500)
+            .create_async()
+            .await;
+
+        let web_url = fetch_node_web_url(&server.url()).await;
+        assert_eq!(web_url, None);
+    }
+
+    /// A node advertising a present-but-malformed web_url (not an absolute
+    /// http(s) URL) must not yield a View link — and must warn, since a
+    /// malformed advertisement means the node is misconfigured (#370).
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_fetch_node_web_url_malformed_value_is_rejected() {
+        for bad in [
+            "gitlawb.com",
+            "not a url",
+            "ftp://files.example.com",
+            // Query/fragment corrupt the appended /{owner}/{repo} path.
+            "https://example.com?a=1",
+            "https://example.com/#faq",
+        ] {
+            let mut server = mockito::Server::new_async().await;
+            let _m = server
+                .mock("GET", "/")
+                .with_status(200)
+                .with_header("content-type", "application/json")
+                .with_body(format!(r#"{{"web_url":"{bad}"}}"#))
+                .create_async()
+                .await;
+
+            let web_url = fetch_node_web_url(&server.url()).await;
+            assert_eq!(
+                web_url, None,
+                "malformed web_url {bad:?} must not render a View link"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// A transport-level failure (connection refused) degrades to None but is
+    /// no longer silent: the request error is surfaced on stderr so an
+    /// unreachable node isn't indistinguishable from one without a web_url.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_fetch_node_web_url_connection_refused_warns() {
+        // Port 1 on localhost is reserved (tcpmux) and refuses connections.
+        let web_url = fetch_node_web_url("http://127.0.0.1:1").await;
+        assert_eq!(web_url, None);
+    }
+
+    /// A hostile node can smuggle ANSI/bell/bidi controls inside a web_url that
+    /// still passes http(s) URL parsing — those bytes would reach the terminal
+    /// verbatim through the View: line. The advertised value must be rejected
+    /// outright: no control byte may survive into the returned string.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_fetch_node_web_url_rejects_control_bytes() {
+        for bad in [
+            "https://example.com/\x1b[31mred",      // ANSI CSI escape in path
+            "https://example.com\x07",              // bell
+            "https://ex\u{202e}ample.com",          // bidi override (RLO)
+            "https://example.com/\u{200f}",         // RLM format char
+            "\x1b]0;title\x07https://evil.example", // OSC title-set prefix
+        ] {
+            let mut server = mockito::Server::new_async().await;
+            let _m = server
+                .mock("GET", "/")
+                .with_status(200)
+                .with_header("content-type", "application/json")
+                // serde_json escapes the control bytes so the body is VALID
+                // JSON — a raw literal would make parse fail and the test
+                // would pass without reaching the control check at all.
+                .with_body(serde_json::json!({"web_url": bad}).to_string())
+                .create_async()
+                .await;
+
+            let web_url = fetch_node_web_url(&server.url()).await;
+            assert_eq!(
+                web_url, None,
+                "web_url with control bytes {bad:?} must be rejected"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// An oversized or half-read `GET /` body must warn, not silently
+    /// classify as "no web front-end": a cut body fails JSON parse, which is
+    /// indistinguishable from a node that advertised nothing without the
+    /// truncated flag. Removing the flag check makes this test pass
+    /// vacuously through the parse-fail arm.
+    #[test]
+    fn web_url_from_info_body_warns_on_truncated_reads() {
+        for (body, label) in [
+            (
+                crate::http::CappedBody {
+                    text: r#"{"web_url":"https://x"#.repeat(2000),
+                    truncated: true,
+                    read_failed: false,
+                },
+                "truncated",
+            ),
+            (
+                crate::http::CappedBody {
+                    text: r#"{"web_url":"https://x"#.to_string(),
+                    truncated: false,
+                    read_failed: true,
+                },
+                "read_failed",
+            ),
+        ] {
+            let err = web_url_from_info_body(&body)
+                .expect_err(&format!("{label} body must warn, not silently classify"));
+            assert!(
+                err.contains("oversized or could not be read"),
+                "{label}: got {err}"
+            );
+        }
+        // A clean body missing web_url still classifies as a silent None.
+        let clean = crate::http::CappedBody {
+            text: r#"{"did":"did:key:x"}"#.to_string(),
+            truncated: false,
+            read_failed: false,
+        };
+        assert_eq!(web_url_from_info_body(&clean).unwrap(), None);
+    }
+
+    /// Percent-encoded bidi must not slip past the literal scan: a node
+    /// advertising `https://example.com/%E2%80%AE` serves wire bytes with no
+    /// Cf code point, but a browser decodes it into a reordering character
+    /// on the rendered View: link (INV-6).
+    #[test]
+    fn web_url_from_info_body_rejects_percent_encoded_bidi() {
+        let body = crate::http::CappedBody {
+            text: r#"{"web_url":"https://example.com/%E2%80%AE"}"#.to_string(),
+            truncated: false,
+            read_failed: false,
+        };
+        let err = web_url_from_info_body(&body).expect_err("percent-encoded bidi must be rejected");
+        assert!(err.contains("bidi"), "got {err}");
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_fetch_node_web_url_validates_after_trimming() {
+        // Trailing slash is trimmed before validation; result stays usable.
+        let mut server = mockito::Server::new_async().await;
+        let _m = server
+            .mock("GET", "/")
+            .with_status(200)
+            .with_header("content-type", "application/json")
+            .with_body(r#"{"web_url":"http://localhost:8080/ui/"}"#)
+            .create_async()
+            .await;
+
+        let web_url = fetch_node_web_url(&server.url()).await;
+        assert_eq!(web_url.as_deref(), Some("http://localhost:8080/ui"));
+    }
+
+    /// A remote node that advertises `web_url` with userinfo (`user@`,
+    /// `user:pass@`) must be dropped: the value is reprinted on the `View:`
+    /// line, and a credential embedded in the URL would land in terminal
+    /// scrollback and CI logs. Mirrors the node-side boot validation.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_fetch_node_web_url_rejects_userinfo() {
+        for bad in [
+            "https://[email protected]",
+            "https://user:[email protected]",
+        ] {
+            let mut server = mockito::Server::new_async().await;
+            let _m = server
+                .mock("GET", "/")
+                .with_status(200)
+                .with_header("content-type", "application/json")
+                .with_body(format!(r#"{{"web_url":"{}"}}"#, bad))
+                .create_async()
+                .await;
+
+            let web_url = fetch_node_web_url(&server.url()).await;
+            assert_eq!(
+                web_url, None,
+                "web_url with userinfo {bad:?} must be rejected"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// A non-success status must still return None (View link is cosmetic) but
+    /// the status surfaces as a user-visible stderr warning instead of being
+    /// swallowed silently (#370 review).
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_fetch_node_web_url_non_success_warns_with_status() {
+        let mut server = mockito::Server::new_async().await;
+        let _m = server
+            .mock("GET", "/")
+            .with_status(503)
+            .create_async()
+            .await;
+
+        let web_url = fetch_node_web_url(&server.url()).await;
+        assert_eq!(web_url, None);
+        // The warning itself goes to stderr; mockito can't capture it here, so
+        // this asserts only the None contract. Manual check: run against a
+        // 503-ing node and observe "node info request returned 503" on stderr.
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn test_cmd_create_server_error() {
         let dir = TempDir::new().unwrap();

crates/gl/tests/cmd_create_view_url.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+//! End-to-end test for the `View:` line printed by `gl repo create` (#370).
+//!
+//! `cmd_create` is the load-bearing #370 path: it is the one place the CLI
+//! prints a `View:` line, and the only thing keeping it from being a
+//! hardcoded `https://gitlawb.com/...` 404 is `fetch_node_web_url`. The
+//! helper-level tests in `repo.rs` cover the helper, not the command path —
+//! if `cmd_create` went back to a hardcoded constant, every helper test
+//! would still pass.
+//!
+//! This integration test drives the real `gl` binary against a mockito
+//! server that answers both `POST /api/v1/repos` and `GET /`. Asserting on
+//! the subprocess's stdout is straightforward: bytes are bytes, with no
+//! libtest / gag / in-process capture race.
+//!
+//! CARGO_BIN_EXE_gl is set by Cargo for integration tests of a `[[bin]]`
+//! in the same package, so the test always picks up the in-tree build.
+
+use std::process::Stdio;
+use tempfile::TempDir;
+use tokio::io::AsyncWriteExt;
+use tokio::process::Command;
+
+fn gl_bin() -> String {
+    std::env::var("CARGO_BIN_EXE_gl").expect("CARGO_BIN_EXE_gl is unset for this test")
+}
+
+async fn write_identity(dir: &TempDir) {
+    let kp = gitlawb_core::identity::Keypair::generate();
+    let pem = kp.to_pem().unwrap();
+    let path = dir.path().join("identity.pem");
+    let mut f = tokio::fs::File::create(&path).await.unwrap();
+    f.write_all(pem.as_bytes()).await.unwrap();
+}
+
+/// The trailing key segment of the freshly-generated identity. Mirrors the
+/// in-source `resolve_owner_did` test helper but lives in this integration
+/// file because that helper is `pub(crate)`.
+async fn owner_short(dir: &TempDir) -> String {
+    let pem = tokio::fs::read_to_string(dir.path().join("identity.pem"))
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    let kp = gitlawb_core::identity::Keypair::from_pem(&pem).unwrap();
+    let did = kp.did().to_string();
+    did.split(':').next_back().unwrap_or(&did).to_string()
+}
+
+async fn run_gl_create(node_url: &str, dir: &TempDir) -> String {
+    let output = Command::new(gl_bin())
+        .arg("repo")
+        .arg("create")
+        .arg("myrepo")
+        .arg("--private")
+        .arg("--branch")
+        .arg("main")
+        .arg("--node")
+        .arg(node_url)
+        .arg("--dir")
+        .arg(dir.path())
+        .env("NO_COLOR", "1")
+        .stdout(Stdio::piped())
+        .stderr(Stdio::piped())
+        .output()
+        .await
+        .expect("failed to spawn `gl repo create`");
+    assert!(
+        output.status.success(),
+        "`gl repo create` failed: stderr:\n{}\nstdout:\n{}",
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr),
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout),
+    );
+    String::from_utf8(output.stdout).expect("`gl` wrote non-UTF-8 to stdout")
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn cmd_create_view_url_tracks_node_advertisement() {
+    let dir = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    write_identity(&dir).await;
+    let owner = owner_short(&dir).await;
+
+    // Case 1: node advertises a web_url. The `View:` line must use the
+    // advertised origin and the resolved owner/short name.
+    {
+        let mut server = mockito::Server::new_async().await;
+        let _m_create = server
+            .mock("POST", "/api/v1/repos")
+            .with_status(200)
+            .with_header("content-type", "application/json")
+            .with_body(r#"{"name":"myrepo","clone_url":"gitlawb://did:key:z6Mk/myrepo"}"#)
+            .create_async()
+            .await;
+        let _m_info = server
+            .mock("GET", "/")
+            .with_status(200)
+            .with_header("content-type", "application/json")
+            .with_body(r#"{"web_url":"https://git.example","did":"did:key:z6Mk"}"#)
+            .create_async()
+            .await;
+        let server_url = server.url();
+
+        let out = run_gl_create(&server_url, &dir).await;
+        let view_line = out
+            .lines()
+            .find(|l| l.trim_start().starts_with("View:"))
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("View: line missing from stdout:\n{out}"));
+        assert!(
+            view_line.contains(&format!("https://git.example/{owner}/myrepo")),
+            "View: line must use the advertised origin, got: {view_line:?}"
+        );
+    }
+
+    // Case 2: node does NOT advertise a web_url. The `View:` line must be
+    // absent, so a self-hosted node without a web front-end never produces
+    // a 404 link (#370).
+    {
+        let mut server = mockito::Server::new_async().await;
+        let _m_create = server
+            .mock("POST", "/api/v1/repos")
+            .with_status(200)
+            .with_header("content-type", "application/json")
+            .with_body(r#"{"name":"myrepo","clone_url":"gitlawb://did:key:z6Mk/myrepo"}"#)
+            .create_async()
+            .await;
+        let _m_info = server
+            .mock("GET", "/")
+            .with_status(200)
+            .with_header("content-type", "application/json")
+            .with_body(r#"{"did":"did:key:z6Mk"}"#)
+            .create_async()
+            .await;
+        let server_url = server.url();
+
+        let out = run_gl_create(&server_url, &dir).await;
+        assert!(
+            !out.lines().any(|l| l.trim_start().starts_with("View:")),
+            "View: line must be absent when node omits web_url; got:\n{out}"
+        );
+    }
+}