Surface git clone/fetch progress and review commencement on stderr

cmd/prr/checkout.go

@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ var checkoutCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		}
 		prRef = provider.EnrichPRRef(context.Background(), prRef, prEnricherFactory(), warnf)
 
-		service := mirrorServiceFactory()
+		service := mirrorServiceFactory(cmd.ErrOrStderr())
 		commonOpts := git.EnsureOptions{
 			Verbose: verbose || whatIf,
 			WhatIf:  whatIf,

cmd/prr/checkout_helpers.go

@@ -1,14 +1,16 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"io"
+
 	apperrors "github.com/richardthombs/prr/internal/errors"
 	"github.com/richardthombs/prr/internal/git"
 	"github.com/richardthombs/prr/internal/provider"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
-var mirrorServiceFactory = func() *git.Service {
-	return git.NewService(git.NewExecRunner())
+var mirrorServiceFactory = func(stderr io.Writer) *git.Service {
+	return git.NewService(git.NewExecRunnerWithStderr(stderr))
 }
 
 var prEnricherFactory = func() provider.CLIRunner {

cmd/prr/checkout_test.go

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"io"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ func TestCheckoutEmitsPipelineEquivalentPayload(t *testing.T) {
 		return "", nil
 	}}, t.TempDir())
 
-	mirrorServiceFactory = func() *git.Service {
+	mirrorServiceFactory = func(_ io.Writer) *git.Service {
 		return service
 	}
 
@@ -118,7 +119,7 @@ func TestCheckoutWhatIfSkipsExternalExecution(t *testing.T) {
 	}}
 
 	service := git.NewServiceWithCacheDir(runner, t.TempDir())
-	mirrorServiceFactory = func() *git.Service {
+	mirrorServiceFactory = func(_ io.Writer) *git.Service {
 		return service
 	}
 

cmd/prr/diff.go

@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ var diffCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			return apperrors.WrapConfig("worktree directory is required; provide --work-dir or stdin JSON with workDir", nil)
 		}
 
-		service := mirrorServiceFactory()
+		service := mirrorServiceFactory(cmd.ErrOrStderr())
 		diffOutput, err := service.DiffContributionWithOptions(context.Background(), resolvedWorkDir, strings.TrimSpace(input.BaseRef), git.EnsureOptions{
 			Verbose: verbose || whatIf,
 			WhatIf:  whatIf,

cmd/prr/diff_bundle_test.go

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"io"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ func TestDiffCommandEmitsJSONFromStdinWorkDir(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}}, t.TempDir())
 
-	mirrorServiceFactory = func() *git.Service { return service }
+	mirrorServiceFactory = func(_ io.Writer) *git.Service { return service }
 
 	stdin := bytes.NewBufferString(`{"prId":12,"repoUrl":"https://github.com/acme/repo","remote":"origin","provider":"github","bareDir":"/tmp/bare","mergeRef":"refs/prr/pull/12/merge","workDir":"/tmp/work/12"}`)
 	stdout := &bytes.Buffer{}
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ func TestDiffCommandWhatIfLogsAndSkipsExecution(t *testing.T) {
 		return "", nil
 	}}
 	service := git.NewServiceWithCacheDir(runner, t.TempDir())
-	mirrorServiceFactory = func() *git.Service { return service }
+	mirrorServiceFactory = func(_ io.Writer) *git.Service { return service }
 
 	stdin := bytes.NewBufferString(`{"workDir":"/tmp/work/99"}`)
 	stdout := &bytes.Buffer{}

cmd/prr/pwd.go

@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ var pwdCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			return err
 		}
 
-		service := mirrorServiceFactory()
+		service := mirrorServiceFactory(cmd.ErrOrStderr())
 
 		bareDir, err := service.ResolveMirrorDir(prRef.RepoURL)
 		if err != nil {

cmd/prr/review.go

@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ var reviewCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			prRef = provider.EnrichPRRef(context.Background(), prRef, prEnricherFactory(), warnf)
 		}
 
-		service := mirrorServiceFactory()
+		service := mirrorServiceFactory(cmd.ErrOrStderr())
 		commonOpts := git.EnsureOptions{
 			Verbose: verbose || whatIf,
 			WhatIf:  whatIf,
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@ var reviewCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			return err
 		}
 
+		_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(cmd.ErrOrStderr(), "[prr] starting PR review...\n")
 		reviewOutput, err := reviewEngineFactory().Review(context.Background(), engine.ReviewInput{
 			Bundle:             bundlePayload,
 			WorkDir:            workDir,

cmd/prr/review_render_test.go

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
+	"io"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ func TestReviewCommandEmitsStructuredJSONAndKeepsDiagnosticsOffStdout(t *testing
 		}
 	}}, t.TempDir())
 
-	mirrorServiceFactory = func() *git.Service { return service }
+	mirrorServiceFactory = func(_ io.Writer) *git.Service { return service }
 	issueRunnerFactory = func() provider.CLIRunner {
 		return stubRunner{runFunc: func(_ context.Context, name string, args ...string) (string, error) {
 			if name != "gh" {
@@ -79,8 +80,8 @@ func TestReviewCommandEmitsStructuredJSONAndKeepsDiagnosticsOffStdout(t *testing
 		t.Fatalf("expected review command to succeed, got %v", err)
 	}
 
-	if strings.TrimSpace(stderr.String()) != "" {
-		t.Fatalf("expected no diagnostics on stderr without verbose/what-if, got %q", stderr.String())
+	if !strings.Contains(stderr.String(), "[prr] starting PR review...") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected review commencement message on stderr, got %q", stderr.String())
 	}
 
 	var payload map[string]any
@@ -133,7 +134,7 @@ func TestReviewCommandWhatIfVerbosePrintsCommandsToStderr(t *testing.T) {
 		return "", nil
 	}}
 	service := git.NewServiceWithCacheDir(runner, t.TempDir())
-	mirrorServiceFactory = func() *git.Service { return service }
+	mirrorServiceFactory = func(_ io.Writer) *git.Service { return service }
 	issueRunnerFactory = func() provider.CLIRunner {
 		return stubRunner{runFunc: func(_ context.Context, _ string, _ ...string) (string, error) { return "[]", nil }}
 	}
@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ func TestReviewCommandAcceptsPRURLArgument(t *testing.T) {
 			return "", nil
 		}
 	}}, t.TempDir())
-	mirrorServiceFactory = func() *git.Service { return service }
+	mirrorServiceFactory = func(_ io.Writer) *git.Service { return service }
 	issueRunnerFactory = func() provider.CLIRunner {
 		return stubRunner{runFunc: func(_ context.Context, _ string, _ ...string) (string, error) { return "[]", nil }}
 	}
@@ -245,7 +246,7 @@ func TestReviewCommandAcceptsPipedCheckoutJSONWithoutArgs(t *testing.T) {
 			return "", nil
 		}
 	}}, t.TempDir())
-	mirrorServiceFactory = func() *git.Service { return service }
+	mirrorServiceFactory = func(_ io.Writer) *git.Service { return service }
 	issueRunnerFactory = func() provider.CLIRunner {
 		return stubRunner{runFunc: func(_ context.Context, _ string, _ ...string) (string, error) { return "[]", nil }}
 	}
@@ -309,7 +310,7 @@ func TestReviewCommandBypassesSetupWithAuthoritativeCheckoutJSON(t *testing.T) {
 	}}
 
 	service := git.NewServiceWithCacheDir(runner, t.TempDir())
-	mirrorServiceFactory = func() *git.Service { return service }
+	mirrorServiceFactory = func(_ io.Writer) *git.Service { return service }
 	issueRunnerFactory = func() provider.CLIRunner {
 		return stubRunner{runFunc: func(_ context.Context, _ string, _ ...string) (string, error) { return "[]", nil }}
 	}
@@ -367,7 +368,7 @@ func TestReviewCommandPassesModelFlagToEngine(t *testing.T) {
 			return "", nil
 		}
 	}}, t.TempDir())
-	mirrorServiceFactory = func() *git.Service { return service }
+	mirrorServiceFactory = func(_ io.Writer) *git.Service { return service }
 	issueRunnerFactory = func() provider.CLIRunner {
 		return stubRunner{runFunc: func(_ context.Context, _ string, _ ...string) (string, error) { return "[]", nil }}
 	}
@@ -419,7 +420,7 @@ func TestReviewCommandClassifiesEngineFailures(t *testing.T) {
 			return "", nil
 		}
 	}}, t.TempDir())
-	mirrorServiceFactory = func() *git.Service { return service }
+	mirrorServiceFactory = func(_ io.Writer) *git.Service { return service }
 	issueRunnerFactory = func() provider.CLIRunner {
 		return stubRunner{runFunc: func(_ context.Context, _ string, _ ...string) (string, error) { return "[]", nil }}
 	}
@@ -460,7 +461,7 @@ func TestReviewCommandEmitsDeterministicJSONShape(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("expected no external command execution in what-if mode")
 		return "", nil
 	}}
-	mirrorServiceFactory = func() *git.Service { return git.NewServiceWithCacheDir(runner, t.TempDir()) }
+	mirrorServiceFactory = func(_ io.Writer) *git.Service { return git.NewServiceWithCacheDir(runner, t.TempDir()) }
 	issueRunnerFactory = func() provider.CLIRunner {
 		return stubRunner{runFunc: func(_ context.Context, _ string, _ ...string) (string, error) { return "[]", nil }}
 	}
@@ -528,7 +529,7 @@ func TestReviewCommandEmitsDeterministicMarkdown(t *testing.T) {
 			return "", nil
 		}
 	}}, t.TempDir())
-	mirrorServiceFactory = func() *git.Service { return service }
+	mirrorServiceFactory = func(_ io.Writer) *git.Service { return service }
 	issueRunnerFactory = func() provider.CLIRunner {
 		return stubRunner{runFunc: func(_ context.Context, _ string, _ ...string) (string, error) {
 			return `{"data":{"repository":{"pullRequest":{"closingIssuesReferences":{"nodes":[{"number":13,"url":"https://github.com/acme/repo/issues/13","title":"Issue title","body":"Issue body","state":"OPEN","labels":{"nodes":[{"name":"bug"}]}}]}}}}}`, nil

internal/git/git.go

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"os/exec"
 	"strings"
 )
@@ -12,24 +13,40 @@ type Runner interface {
 	Run(ctx context.Context, name string, args ...string) (string, error)
 }
 
-type ExecRunner struct{}
+// ExecRunner executes real git commands. When Stderr is non-nil, git's stderr
+// output (e.g. clone/fetch progress) is forwarded to that writer in addition
+// to being captured for inclusion in any error messages.
+type ExecRunner struct {
+	Stderr io.Writer
+}
 
 func NewExecRunner() Runner {
 	return ExecRunner{}
 }
 
+// NewExecRunnerWithStderr returns an ExecRunner that forwards git stderr output
+// to the provided writer. This allows callers to surface clone and fetch progress
+// to the user without interfering with stdout.
+func NewExecRunnerWithStderr(stderr io.Writer) Runner {
+	return ExecRunner{Stderr: stderr}
+}
+
 func (r ExecRunner) Run(ctx context.Context, name string, args ...string) (string, error) {
 	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, name, args...)
 
 	var stdout bytes.Buffer
-	var stderr bytes.Buffer
+	var stderrBuf bytes.Buffer
 
 	cmd.Stdout = &stdout
-	cmd.Stderr = &stderr
+	if r.Stderr != nil {
+		cmd.Stderr = io.MultiWriter(&stderrBuf, r.Stderr)
+	} else {
+		cmd.Stderr = &stderrBuf
+	}
 
 	err := cmd.Run()
 	if err != nil {
-		combined := strings.TrimSpace(strings.Join([]string{stderr.String(), stdout.String()}, "\n"))
+		combined := strings.TrimSpace(strings.Join([]string{stderrBuf.String(), stdout.String()}, "\n"))
 		trimmed := strings.TrimSpace(combined)
 		if trimmed == "" {
 			return "", err