Allow enabling remote control in only some kitty windows

docs/changelog.rst

@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@ Changelog
 - Remote control: Allow matching windows by the environment variables of their
   child process as well
 
-- Allow running kitten via the remote control system (:iss:`738`)
+- Allow running kittens via the remote control system (:iss:`738`)
+
+- Allow enabling remote control in only some kitty windows
 
 - Add a keyboard shortcut to reset the terminal (:sc:`reset_terminal`). It
   takes parameters so you can define your own shortcuts to clear the

docs/remote-control.rst

@@ -119,4 +119,20 @@ keyboard shortcut (:sc:`kitty_shell` by default). This has the added
 advantage that you dont need to use ``allow_remote_control`` to make it work.
 
 
+Allowing only some windows to control kitty
+----------------------------------------------
+
+If you do not want to allow all programs running in |kitty| to control it, you can selectively
+enable remote control for only some |kitty| windows. Simply create a shortcut
+such as::
+
+    map ctrl+k new_window @ some_program
+
+Then programs running in windows created with that shortcut can use ``kitty @``
+to control kitty. Note that any program with the right level of permissions can
+still write to the pipes of any other program on the same computer and
+therefore can control |kitty|. It can, however, be useful to block programs
+running on other computers (for example, over ssh) or as other users.
+
+
 .. include:: generated/cli-kitty-at.rst

kitty/boss.py

@@ -686,23 +686,19 @@ def do_set_tab_title(self, title, tab_id):
                     break
 
     def kitty_shell(self, window_type):
-        cmd = [kitty_exe(), '@']
+        cmd = ['@', kitty_exe(), '@']
         if window_type == 'tab':
-            window = self._new_tab(cmd).active_window
+            self._new_tab(cmd).active_window
         elif window_type == 'os_window':
             os_window_id = self._new_os_window(cmd)
-            window = self.os_window_map[os_window_id].active_window
+            self.os_window_map[os_window_id].active_window
         elif window_type == 'overlay':
             w = self.active_window
             tab = self.active_tab
             if w is not None and tab is not None and w.overlay_for is None:
-                window = tab.new_special_window(SpecialWindow(cmd, overlay_for=w.id))
-            else:
-                window = None
+                tab.new_special_window(SpecialWindow(cmd, overlay_for=w.id))
         else:
-            window = self._new_window(cmd)
-        if window is not None:
-            window.allow_remote_control = True
+            self._new_window(cmd)
 
     def switch_focus_to(self, window_idx):
         tab = self.active_tab
@@ -786,7 +782,7 @@ def data_for_at(arg):
             if arg == '@ansi_screen':
                 return w.as_text(as_ansi=True)
 
-        if args[0].startswith('@'):
+        if args[0].startswith('@') and args[0] != '@':
             stdin = data_for_at(args[0]) or None
             if stdin is not None:
                 stdin = stdin.encode('utf-8')

kitty/child.py

@@ -79,6 +79,10 @@ class Child:
     forked = False
 
     def __init__(self, argv, cwd, opts, stdin=None, env=None, cwd_from=None):
+        self.allow_remote_control = False
+        if argv and argv[0] == '@':
+            self.allow_remote_control = True
+            argv = argv[1:]
         self.argv = argv
         if cwd_from is not None:
             try:

kitty/config_data.py

@@ -815,6 +815,13 @@ def macos_titlebar_color(x):
 working directory of the current window using::
 
     map ctrl+alt+enter    new_window_with_cwd
+
+You can open a new window that is allowed to control kitty via
+the kitty remote control facility by prefixing the command line with @.
+Any programs running in that window will be allowed to control kitty.
+For example::
+
+    map ctrl+enter new_window @ some_program
 '''))
 if is_macos:
     k('new_os_window', 'cmd+n', 'new_os_window', _('New OS window'))

kitty/window.py

@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ def __init__(self, tab, child, opts, args, override_title=None):
         self.overlay_for = None
         self.default_title = os.path.basename(child.argv[0] or appname)
         self.child_title = self.default_title
+        self.allow_remote_control = child.allow_remote_control
         self.id = add_window(tab.os_window_id, tab.id, self.title)
         if not self.id:
             raise Exception('No tab with id: {} in OS Window: {} was found, or the window counter wrapped'.format(tab.id, tab.os_window_id))