feat: detect a hard-crashed diagnostic + analyze the crash boot — 0.15.0

A focused capture that ends without a clean stop (no session-stop, no live
recorder) is treated as a likely hard freeze.

- core/diagnostic.py: pending_crash() detects the unterminated session;
  acknowledge_crash() dismisses it; analyze_crash() combines the captured window
  (final readings + GPU-lost) with a focused scan of the PREVIOUS (crashed) boot
  + SMART/driver/persistence/temps.
- health.check_previous_boot() scans `journalctl -k -b -1`; run_health_checks
  gained include_journal to avoid double-scanning for the crash path.
- GUI: Games page shows a warning banner on launch for an interrupted diagnostic
  with Analyze crash / Dismiss → results dialog.
- Tests for crash detection / clean-stop / acknowledge / in-progress.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -5,6 +5,19 @@ All notable changes to RigDoctor are recorded here. Format follows
 (`MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH`, pre-1.0). `__version__` and `pyproject.toml` must match the git
 release tag (so the auto-updater, D18, can compare versions).
 
+## [0.15.0] - 2026-05-22
+### Added
+- **Hard-crash detection & recovery for the guided diagnostic.** If a focused capture ends
+  without a clean stop (the recorder never wrote `session-stop` and isn't running), RigDoctor
+  treats it as a likely hard freeze. On launch the **Games** page shows a warning banner —
+  *"Your last diagnostic for <game> ended unexpectedly…"* — with **Analyze crash** / **Dismiss**.
+- **Deeper crash analysis.** *Analyze crash* combines the captured window (final readings before
+  the freeze + any GPU-lost event) with a focused scan of the **previous (crashed) boot's kernel
+  log** (`journalctl -k -b -1`: Xid/panic/OOM/MCE/AER/thermal) plus SMART/driver/persistence/
+  live-temp checks — the full "what happened" picture. `core/diagnostic.py` gains
+  `pending_crash()` / `analyze_crash()`; `health.check_previous_boot()` +
+  `run_health_checks(include_journal=False)` back it.
+
 ## [0.14.0] - 2026-05-22
 ### Changed
 - **Dashboard headline tiles are now history trend graphs** instead of single-value gauges —

pyproject.toml

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "rigdoctor"
-version = "0.14.0"
+version = "0.15.0"
 description = "Modular hardware monitoring & crash diagnostics for Linux gamers."
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.11"

src/rigdoctor/__init__.py

@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 """RigDoctor — modular hardware monitoring & crash diagnostics for Linux gamers."""
 
-__version__ = "0.14.0"
+__version__ = "0.15.0"

src/rigdoctor/core/diagnostic.py

@@ -11,13 +11,16 @@ The capture is **manually bracketed** (start/finish) for now; auto start/stop on
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import json
 import time
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 
 from .. import config
 from . import reccontrol
 from .crashlog import Summary, summarize
-from .health import Finding
+from .health import CRITICAL, OK, WARNING, Finding
+
+_SEV_ORDER = {CRITICAL: 0, WARNING: 1, "info": 2, OK: 3}
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -27,6 +30,14 @@ class DiagnosticResult:
     findings: list[Finding]    # health findings: Xid/SMART/driver/etc. (M4)
 
 
+@dataclass
+class CrashInfo:
+    game: str | None
+    samples: int
+    when: float | None         # ts of the last captured sample (≈ when the freeze hit)
+    gpu_lost: bool
+
+
 def _clear_diag_log() -> None:
     """Each diagnostic is a fresh focused capture — drop any previous session + segments."""
     base = config.DIAG_LOG
@@ -82,3 +93,70 @@ def finish(last_n: int = 10, log_path=None) -> DiagnosticResult:
     game = _game_from_summary(summary) or (reccontrol.read_status() or {}).get("game")
     findings = run_health_checks()
     return DiagnosticResult(game=game, summary=summary, findings=findings)
+
+
+# --- hard-crash detection & post-crash analysis -----------------------------------
+
+def pending_crash() -> CrashInfo | None:
+    """Detect a diagnostic that ended abnormally (no clean stop, no live recorder).
+
+    A focused capture writes `session-start` (+ `game`) and, on a clean stop, `session-stop`.
+    After a hard freeze that block never runs, so the log has a start with no stop and no
+    live recorder — that's our hard-crash signal. Returns None if a capture is running, none
+    is recorded, it stopped cleanly, or the user already acknowledged it.
+    """
+    if is_running() or not config.DIAG_LOG.exists():
+        return None
+    summary = summarize(config.DIAG_LOG)
+    kinds = {kind for _ts, kind, _detail in summary.events}
+    if "session-start" not in kinds:
+        return None
+    if "session-stop" in kinds or "diagnostic-acknowledged" in kinds:
+        return None
+    return CrashInfo(
+        game=_game_from_summary(summary),
+        samples=summary.samples,
+        when=summary.end,
+        gpu_lost="gpu-lost" in kinds,
+    )
+
+
+def acknowledge_crash() -> None:
+    """Mark the recorded crash as seen so it stops prompting (appends a marker event)."""
+    try:
+        config.DIAG_LOG.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        with open(config.DIAG_LOG, "a", encoding="utf-8") as fh:
+            fh.write(json.dumps({"ts": time.time(), "event": "diagnostic-acknowledged", "detail": ""}) + "\n")
+    except OSError:
+        pass
+
+
+def _crash_headline(summary: Summary) -> Finding:
+    gpu_lost = any(kind == "gpu-lost" for _ts, kind, _detail in summary.events)
+    when = time.strftime("%H:%M:%S", time.localtime(summary.end)) if summary.end else "?"
+    detail = (
+        f"The capture stopped abruptly at {when} after {summary.samples} samples, with no clean "
+        "shutdown recorded — consistent with a hard freeze or power loss."
+    )
+    if gpu_lost:
+        detail += " A GPU-lost event was captured during the session."
+    return Finding(
+        CRITICAL if gpu_lost else WARNING,
+        "Diagnostic",
+        "Session ended without a clean stop (likely a hard crash)",
+        detail,
+        "Review the last readings (Capture, above) and the crash-boot findings below.",
+    )
+
+
+def analyze_crash(last_n: int = 15) -> DiagnosticResult:
+    """Analyze a recorded hard crash: the captured window + the previous boot's kernel log
+    + the rest of the health report (SMART/driver/persistence/temps)."""
+    from .health import check_previous_boot, run_health_checks
+
+    summary = summarize(config.DIAG_LOG, last_n=last_n)
+    findings: list[Finding] = [_crash_headline(summary)]
+    findings += check_previous_boot()                       # the crashed boot's kernel log
+    findings += run_health_checks(include_journal=False)    # SMART/driver/persistence/temps
+    findings.sort(key=lambda f: _SEV_ORDER.get(f.severity, 9))
+    return DiagnosticResult(game=_game_from_summary(summary), summary=summary, findings=findings)

src/rigdoctor/core/health.py

@@ -146,6 +146,22 @@ def check_journal() -> list[Finding]:
     return findings
 
 
+def check_previous_boot() -> list[Finding]:
+    """Scan the previous boot's kernel log — the boot that crashed — for fault signatures.
+
+    Needs persistent journald (else the crashed boot's logs were lost on reboot, which the
+    persistence check flags separately). Findings are framed as coming from that boot.
+    """
+    out = _journalctl(["-k", "-b", "-1", "--no-pager", "-o", "cat"])
+    if not out or not out.strip():
+        return []
+    tagged = []
+    for f in scan_journal_text(out):
+        detail = ("Logged during the previous (crashed) boot. " + (f.detail or "")).strip()
+        tagged.append(Finding(f.severity, f.category, f.title, detail, f.suggestion))
+    return tagged
+
+
 def check_journal_persistence() -> list[Finding]:
     if Path("/var/log/journal").is_dir():
         return []
@@ -235,17 +251,21 @@ def check_live_temps() -> list[Finding]:
     )]
 
 
-def run_health_checks() -> list[Finding]:
+def run_health_checks(include_journal: bool = True) -> list[Finding]:
     """Run all checks and return findings sorted by severity (worst first).
 
     SMART needs root; if the session collected it via launch elevation, use that
     instead of re-running smartctl (which would just report "needs root").
+
+    `include_journal=False` skips the 7-day kernel-journal scan — used by the crash
+    analysis, which scans the previous (crashed) boot specifically instead.
     """
     from . import elevation
 
     findings: list[Finding] = []
     findings += check_nvidia_driver()
-    findings += check_journal()
+    if include_journal:
+        findings += check_journal()
     findings += check_journal_persistence()
     priv = elevation.privileged()
     if priv is not None and priv.get("smart") is not None:

src/rigdoctor/gui/games_page.py

@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ from PySide6.QtWidgets import (
 
 from ..config import load_config, update_config
 from .diagnostic_dialog import DiagnosticDialog
-from .theme import ACCENT, GOOD, MUTED
+from .theme import ACCENT, GOOD, MUTED, WARN
 
 
 def _game_row(name: str, sublabel: str, size: str, is_new: bool, appid: str = "", on_diagnose=None) -> QFrame:
@@ -126,6 +126,27 @@ class GamesPage(QWidget):
         self._banner.hide()
         root.addWidget(self._banner)
 
+        # Hard-crash banner: a previous diagnostic ended without a clean stop.
+        self._crash_banner = QFrame()
+        self._crash_banner.setObjectName("Card")
+        self._crash_banner.setStyleSheet(f"#Card {{ border: 1px solid {WARN}; }}")
+        crash_h = QHBoxLayout(self._crash_banner)
+        crash_h.setContentsMargins(16, 10, 16, 10)
+        crash_h.setSpacing(10)
+        self._crash_label = QLabel("")
+        self._crash_label.setWordWrap(True)
+        self._crash_label.setStyleSheet(f"color: {WARN}; font-weight: 700; background: transparent;")
+        crash_h.addWidget(self._crash_label, 1)
+        self._analyze_btn = QPushButton("Analyze crash")
+        self._analyze_btn.setObjectName("ActionButton")
+        self._analyze_btn.clicked.connect(self._analyze_crash)
+        crash_h.addWidget(self._analyze_btn)
+        self._dismiss_btn = QPushButton("Dismiss")
+        self._dismiss_btn.clicked.connect(self._dismiss_crash)
+        crash_h.addWidget(self._dismiss_btn)
+        self._crash_banner.hide()
+        root.addWidget(self._crash_banner)
+
         self._diag_timer = QTimer(self)
         self._diag_timer.setInterval(1000)
         self._diag_timer.timeout.connect(self._poll_diag)
@@ -163,6 +184,7 @@ class GamesPage(QWidget):
 
         self._load_cached()                       # instant display from the last scan
         QTimer.singleShot(400, self.refresh)      # then rescan in the background on launch
+        self._check_crash()                       # surface an interrupted (crashed) diagnostic
 
     # --- loading ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -357,8 +379,10 @@ class GamesPage(QWidget):
 
     def _on_diag_done(self, result) -> None:
         self._banner.hide()
+        self._crash_banner.hide()
         self._finish_btn.setEnabled(True)
         self._discard_btn.setEnabled(True)
+        self._analyze_btn.setEnabled(True)
         if result is None:
             QMessageBox.warning(self, "RigDoctor", "The diagnostic couldn't be analyzed.")
             return
@@ -371,6 +395,48 @@ class GamesPage(QWidget):
         reccontrol.stop_background()
         self._banner.hide()
 
+    # --- hard-crash recovery ----------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def _check_crash(self) -> None:
+        from ..core import diagnostic
+
+        info = diagnostic.pending_crash()
+        if info is None:
+            self._crash_banner.hide()
+            return
+        game = info.game or "your last game"
+        extra = "  ·  ⚠ GPU-lost was captured" if info.gpu_lost else ""
+        self._crash_label.setText(
+            f"⚠ Your last diagnostic for {game} ended unexpectedly — likely a hard crash "
+            f"({info.samples} samples{extra}). Analyze it to see the final readings and the "
+            f"likely cause from the system logs."
+        )
+        self._analyze_btn.setEnabled(True)
+        self._crash_banner.show()
+
+    def _analyze_crash(self) -> None:
+        from ..core import diagnostic
+
+        diagnostic.acknowledge_crash()  # don't prompt again for this one
+        self._analyze_btn.setEnabled(False)
+        self._crash_label.setText("Analyzing the crash (final readings + system logs)…")
+        threading.Thread(target=self._work_analyze_crash, daemon=True).start()
+
+    def _work_analyze_crash(self) -> None:
+        from ..core import diagnostic
+
+        try:
+            result = diagnostic.analyze_crash()
+        except Exception:
+            result = None
+        self._diag_done.emit(result)
+
+    def _dismiss_crash(self) -> None:
+        from ..core import diagnostic
+
+        diagnostic.acknowledge_crash()
+        self._crash_banner.hide()
+
     # --- nav badge integration --------------------------------------------------------
 
     def showEvent(self, event) -> None:  # noqa: N802 (Qt override)
@@ -392,3 +458,5 @@ class GamesPage(QWidget):
             self._banner.show()
             if not self._diag_timer.isActive():
                 self._diag_timer.start()
+        else:
+            self._check_crash()  # re-surface an interrupted diagnostic if one is pending

tests/test_diagnostic.py

@@ -57,5 +57,51 @@ class FinishTests(unittest.TestCase):
             self.assertTrue(any(kind == "gpu-lost" for _ts, kind, _d in result.summary.events))
 
 
+class CrashDetectionTests(unittest.TestCase):
+    def _diag_log(self, d) -> Path:
+        return Path(d) / "diagnostic.jsonl"
+
+    def test_unterminated_session_is_a_pending_crash(self):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            log = self._diag_log(d)
+            _write_log(str(log), "Tarkov")  # has session-start + game, no session-stop
+            with mock.patch.object(diagnostic.config, "DIAG_LOG", log), \
+                 mock.patch.object(diagnostic.reccontrol, "running_pid", return_value=None):
+                info = diagnostic.pending_crash()
+            self.assertIsNotNone(info)
+            self.assertEqual(info.game, "Tarkov")
+            self.assertTrue(info.gpu_lost)  # _write_log writes a gpu-lost event
+
+    def test_clean_stop_is_not_a_crash(self):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            log = self._diag_log(d)
+            w = CrashLogWriter(str(log))
+            w.write_event("session-start"); w.write_event("game", "X")
+            w.write_sample(Sample(time.time(), [Reading("gpu", "temp", 60.0, "°C", "")]))
+            w.write_event("session-stop", "samples=1")
+            w.close()
+            with mock.patch.object(diagnostic.config, "DIAG_LOG", log), \
+                 mock.patch.object(diagnostic.reccontrol, "running_pid", return_value=None):
+                self.assertIsNone(diagnostic.pending_crash())
+
+    def test_acknowledge_clears_pending_crash(self):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            log = self._diag_log(d)
+            _write_log(str(log), "Tarkov")
+            with mock.patch.object(diagnostic.config, "DIAG_LOG", log), \
+                 mock.patch.object(diagnostic.reccontrol, "running_pid", return_value=None):
+                self.assertIsNotNone(diagnostic.pending_crash())
+                diagnostic.acknowledge_crash()
+                self.assertIsNone(diagnostic.pending_crash())
+
+    def test_running_capture_is_not_a_crash(self):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            log = self._diag_log(d)
+            _write_log(str(log), "Tarkov")
+            with mock.patch.object(diagnostic.config, "DIAG_LOG", log), \
+                 mock.patch.object(diagnostic.reccontrol, "running_pid", return_value=4321):
+                self.assertIsNone(diagnostic.pending_crash())  # it's in-progress, not crashed
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()