feat(plugins): enable the plugin system by default

The runtime and the Admin -> Plugins panel are now available out of the box;
TREK_PLUGINS_ENABLED becomes an opt-out (set it to false to switch the whole
system off). Installed plugins are still registered inactive and have to be
activated one by one, so no third-party code runs until an admin turns a
specific plugin on.

Update the kill-switch default test and the plugin/env-var wiki pages to match.

server/src/nest/plugins/kill-switch.ts

@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
 /**
- * Plugin-system kill switch (#plugins). Off by default — a brand-new, high-risk
- * surface an instance owner must deliberately opt into. Lives in its own module
- * (not config.ts) so the many tests that mock config with a partial export set
- * don't have to know about it: the plugin runtime reads the env directly here.
- * Read at call time so tests and runtime env changes take effect immediately.
+ * Plugin-system kill switch (#plugins). On by default — the runtime and the
+ * Admin → Plugins panel are available out of the box, but installed plugins
+ * still have to be activated one by one, so no third-party code runs until an
+ * admin turns a specific plugin on. Set TREK_PLUGINS_ENABLED=false to switch the
+ * whole system off (installed plugins stay on disk, deactivated). Lives in its
+ * own module (not config.ts) so the many tests that mock config with a partial
+ * export set don't have to know about it: the plugin runtime reads the env
+ * directly here. Read at call time so tests and runtime env changes take effect
+ * immediately.
  */
 export function pluginsEnabled(): boolean {
-  return (process.env.TREK_PLUGINS_ENABLED || '').trim().toLowerCase() === 'true';
+  const v = (process.env.TREK_PLUGINS_ENABLED || '').trim().toLowerCase();
+  return !['false', '0', 'off', 'no'].includes(v);
 }

server/tests/unit/plugins/plugins-service.test.ts

@@ -43,7 +43,18 @@ describe('PluginsService.list', () => {
     expect(out.plugins[0]).toMatchObject({ id: 'flight', name: 'Flight', status: 'inactive' });
   });
 
-  it('reports disabled when the kill switch is off (default)', () => {
+  it('reports enabled by default (no kill switch set)', () => {
+    testDb
+      .prepare('INSERT INTO plugins (id, name, description, type, status, version) VALUES (?,?,?,?,?,?)')
+      .run('flight', 'Flight', 'desc', 'widget', 'inactive', '1.0.0');
+
+    const out = new PluginsService().list();
+    expect(out.enabled).toBe(true);
+    expect(out.plugins).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+
+  it('reports disabled when the kill switch is off (TREK_PLUGINS_ENABLED=false)', () => {
+    process.env.TREK_PLUGINS_ENABLED = 'false';
     const out = new PluginsService().list();
     expect(out.enabled).toBe(false);
     expect(out.plugins).toEqual([]);

wiki/Environment-Variables.md

@@ -253,11 +253,11 @@ seeded.
 
 ## Plugins
 
-The plugin runtime is **off unless you opt in**. It only starts when `TREK_PLUGINS_ENABLED` is exactly `true`; otherwise the Admin → Plugins panel shows a disabled banner and no plugin code runs. See [Plugins](Plugins) for the full system and [Plugin-Permissions](Plugin-Permissions) for the isolation model.
+The plugin system is **on by default**. The runtime and the Admin → Plugins panel are available out of the box, but installed plugins still have to be activated one by one — so no third-party code runs until an admin turns a specific plugin on. Set `TREK_PLUGINS_ENABLED=false` to switch the whole system off. See [Plugins](Plugins) for the full system and [Plugin-Permissions](Plugin-Permissions) for the isolation model.
 
 | Variable                          | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                           | Default                                                                             |
 |-----------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-| `TREK_PLUGINS_ENABLED`            | Master switch for the plugin runtime. Must be exactly `true` (case-insensitive) to enable. Setting it back to `false` is a kill switch — installed plugins stay on disk but nothing runs.                             | `false`                                                                             |
+| `TREK_PLUGINS_ENABLED`            | Master switch for the plugin system. Enabled unless set to `false` (also accepts `0`, `off`, `no`, case-insensitive). Turning it off is a kill switch — installed plugins stay on disk but nothing runs.               | enabled                                                                             |
 | `TREK_PLUGINS_DIR`                | Directory where installed plugin **code** is stored. Persist it as a volume if you use plugins.                                                                                                                       | `<data>/plugins`                                                                    |
 | `TREK_PLUGINS_DATA_DIR`           | Directory for each plugin's own **data** (its private SQLite file). Kept separate from the code tree; persist it as a volume too.                                                                                     | `<data>/plugins-data`                                                               |
 | `TREK_PLUGIN_REGISTRY_URL`        | Override the plugin registry index the *Discover* tab browses. Point it at your own fork or mirror of the registry.                                                                                                  | `https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mauriceboe/TREK-Plugins/main/dist/index.json` |
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ The plugin runtime is **off unless you opt in**. It only starts when `TREK_PLUGI
 | `TREK_PLUGIN_PERMISSIONS`         | Set to `off` to opt **out** of the Node.js OS-level permission sandbox for plugin child processes (not recommended). Any other value keeps the sandbox on.                                                            | `on`                                                                                |
 | `TREK_PLUGIN_ALLOW_PRIVATE_EGRESS`| Set to `on` to let a plugin's declared outbound hosts resolve to private/internal addresses (e.g. a service on your LAN). By default connections to private, loopback, link-local and metadata addresses are refused. | off (private egress blocked)                                                        |
 
-All of these are optional — the defaults are safe, and only `TREK_PLUGINS_ENABLED` is needed to turn the system on.
+All of these are optional — the defaults are safe. Set `TREK_PLUGINS_ENABLED=false` if you want to switch the plugin system off entirely.
 
 ---
 

wiki/Plugins.md

@@ -24,17 +24,21 @@ A plugin declares one `type` in its manifest, which decides where it surfaces:
 
 ## Enabling plugins
 
-The plugin runtime is **off by default**. To turn it on, set the environment
-variable to exactly `true` and restart:
+The plugin system is **on by default** — the runtime and the **Admin → Plugins**
+tab are available out of the box. Installed plugins still have to be activated
+one by one, so nothing third-party runs until you turn a specific plugin on.
+
+To switch the whole system off, set the environment variable to `false` and
+restart:
 
 ```yaml
 environment:
-  - TREK_PLUGINS_ENABLED=true
+  - TREK_PLUGINS_ENABLED=false
 ```
 
 When it's off, the **Admin → Plugins** tab shows a "turned off
-(TREK_PLUGINS_ENABLED)" banner and nothing runs. Setting it back to `false` is a
-kill switch — installed plugins stay on disk, deactivated and harmless.
+(TREK_PLUGINS_ENABLED)" banner and nothing runs. Installed plugins stay on disk,
+deactivated and harmless, until you turn the system back on.
 
 ## The isolation model — what a plugin can and can't do