1 files changed, 21 insertions, 3 deletions

diff --git a/packages/meshbay-hub/src/meshbay_hub/static/group-settings.js b/packages/meshbay-hub/src/meshbay_hub/static/group-settings.js
index 5d0ab07..f8b4aa5 100644
--- a/packages/meshbay-hub/src/meshbay_hub/static/group-settings.js
+++ b/packages/meshbay-hub/src/meshbay_hub/static/group-settings.js
@@ -361,7 +361,8 @@ function GroupSettingsPanel({ groupId, group, token, transportRef, gekRef,
                              enabledApps, onEnabledApps,
                              scanSettings, onScanSettings,
                              entries, nodeDirs,
-                             appSettings, onAppDirectories, onRefreshIndex,
+                             appSettings, nodeSupportsAppOps,
+                             onAppDirectories, onRefreshIndex,
                              onPaired, onLeft }) {
   const [members, setMembers] = useState([]);
   const [adminId, setAdminId] = useState('');
@@ -647,7 +648,14 @@ function GroupSettingsPanel({ groupId, group, token, transportRef, gekRef,
     if (!transport || !transport.connected) {
       throw new Error(t('node.root_no_route'));
     }
-    await transport.setAppDirectories(appKey, paths, adminSignFn);
+    // A node too old for the generic op still answers the three per-app
+    // messages that came before it, so an operator on one keeps the ability
+    // they had rather than being handed a control that times out.
+    if (transport.supportsAppOps) {
+      await transport.setAppDirectories(appKey, paths, adminSignFn);
+    } else {
+      await transport.setAppDirectoriesLegacy(appKey, paths, adminSignFn);
+    }
     if (onAppDirectories) onAppDirectories(appKey, paths);
   }, [transportRef, adminSignFn, onAppDirectories]);
 
@@ -845,11 +853,19 @@ function GroupSettingsPanel({ groupId, group, token, transportRef, gekRef,
           <p class="settings-hint">${t('settings_node.shared_directories_hint')}</p>
           ${!connected && nodeDetected && html`
             <p class="settings-hint">${t('settings_node.roots_offline_hint')}</p>`}
+          ${/* Read-only against a node that predates the root operations:
+                writable, removable, eject and plug have no older equivalent
+                to fall back to, and an unknown message type is dropped
+                unanswered — a thirty-second wait ending in a timeout, with
+                nothing on screen to say the node simply cannot do it. */''}
+          ${connected && !nodeSupportsAppOps && !nodeDetected && html`
+            <p class="settings-hint">${t('settings_node.roots_node_too_old')}</p>`}
           <${SharedDirectoriesTable}
             roots=${effectiveRoots}
             groupId=${groupId}
             transport=${transportRef.current}
             signFn=${adminSignFn}
+            readOnly=${connected && !nodeSupportsAppOps && !nodeDetected}
             nodeDetected=${nodeDetected}
             onRootsChange=${loadNodeInfo}
             onRefreshIndex=${onRefreshIndex} />
@@ -876,7 +892,9 @@ function GroupSettingsPanel({ groupId, group, token, transportRef, gekRef,
             disabled=${appsBusy}
             onChange=${() => toggleApp(app.key)} />
         `}>
-          ${activeApps.includes(app.key)
+          ${!nodeSupportsAppOps && app.key === 'chat'
+            ? html`<p class="settings-hint">${t('settings_node.app_node_too_old')}</p>`
+            : activeApps.includes(app.key)
             ? html`<${app.Settings}
                 roots=${effectiveRoots} dirs=${folderOptions}
                 settings=${appSettings}