fix: return empty status instead of error on cold-start palace (#830)

tool_status() called _get_collection() with the default create=False,
which throws when the ChromaDB collection does not exist yet (valid
palace, zero drawers). The exception was swallowed and status returned
"No palace found" even though init had completed successfully.

Switching to create=True bootstraps an empty collection on first
status call, matching what the write path already does.

Fix suggested by @hkevinchu in the issue.

Author: mvalentsev

mempalace/mcp_server.py

@@ -267,7 +267,11 @@ def _sanitize_optional_name(value: str = None, field_name: str = "name") -> str:
 
 
 def tool_status():
-    col = _get_collection()
+    # Use create=True only when a palace DB already exists on disk -- this
+    # bootstraps the ChromaDB collection on a valid-but-empty palace without
+    # accidentally creating a palace in a non-existent directory (#830).
+    db_exists = os.path.isfile(os.path.join(_config.palace_path, "chroma.sqlite3"))
+    col = _get_collection(create=db_exists)
     if not col:
         return _no_palace()
     count = col.count()

tests/test_mcp_server.py

@@ -212,6 +212,25 @@ def test_tools_call_dispatches(self, monkeypatch, config, palace_path, seeded_kg
 
 
 class TestReadTools:
+    def test_status_cold_start_no_collection(self, monkeypatch, config, palace_path, kg):
+        """Status on a valid palace with no ChromaDB collection yet (#830).
+
+        After `mempalace init`, chroma.sqlite3 exists but the mempalace_drawers
+        collection has not been created (no mine or add_drawer yet).  Status
+        should return total_drawers: 0, not 'No palace found'.
+        """
+        import chromadb
+
+        _patch_mcp_server(monkeypatch, config, kg)
+        # Create the DB file (init does this) but NOT the collection
+        client = chromadb.PersistentClient(path=palace_path)
+        del client
+        from mempalace.mcp_server import tool_status
+
+        result = tool_status()
+        assert "error" not in result, f"cold-start should not error: {result}"
+        assert result["total_drawers"] == 0
+
     def test_status_empty_palace(self, monkeypatch, config, palace_path, kg):
         _patch_mcp_server(monkeypatch, config, kg)
         _client, _col = _get_collection(palace_path, create=True)