fix(recording): track backend subprocess for active state

active shelled out to pidof on every read, blocking the main loop and
missing our own recorder handle. Track the spawned Gio.Subprocess for
an exact answer and cache the external pidof probe for 2s.

Resets the cache at ownership boundaries (start/stop).

src/services/screenrecorder.py

@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ from utils.functions import is_app_running, resolve_monitor
 
 _RECORDER_PROCESSES = ("wf-recorder", "gpu-screen-recorder")
 
+# How long a cached external-recorder probe stays valid. Detecting a recorder
+# spawned outside this service requires a ``pidof`` call; caching the result
+# means reading the ``active`` property never spawns a subprocess on the main
+# loop more than once per this window.
+_ACTIVE_PROBE_TTL = 2.0
+
 
 class ScreenRecorder(Service):
     """Record the screen through a pluggable :class:`CaptureBackend`."""
@@ -69,6 +75,8 @@ class ScreenRecorder(Service):
         self._output_file: str | None = None
         self._start_time: float | None = None
         self._tick_source_id: int | None = None
+        self._external_recorder_active = False
+        self._external_probe_time = 0.0
 
         self.recordings_dir = Path.home() / "Videos" / "Recordings"
         self.recordings_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
@@ -121,10 +129,21 @@ class ScreenRecorder(Service):
     def active(self) -> bool:
         """Whether a recorder process is actually running.
 
-        Unlike :attr:`recording`, this reflects the real process state and
+        A recording started through this service is tracked exactly via its
-        also detects recordings started outside this service.
+        subprocess handle. Recordings started outside modus are detected with
+        a short-lived cached ``pidof`` probe, so reading this property never
+        blocks the main loop more than once per ``_ACTIVE_PROBE_TTL`` seconds.
         """
-        return any(is_app_running(proc) for proc in _RECORDER_PROCESSES)
+        ours = self._backend.is_recorder_running()
+        if ours is not None:
+            return ours
+        now = time.monotonic()
+        if now - self._external_probe_time >= _ACTIVE_PROBE_TTL:
+            self._external_recorder_active = any(
+                is_app_running(proc) for proc in _RECORDER_PROCESSES
+            )
+            self._external_probe_time = now
+        return self._external_recorder_active
 
     # -- public API --------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -220,6 +239,10 @@ class ScreenRecorder(Service):
         self._recording = True
         self._paused = False
         self._start_time = time.monotonic()
+        # This service now owns the recorder: drop the external cache so the
+        # next ``active`` read resolves exactly from the tracked subprocess.
+        self._external_recorder_active = False
+        self._external_probe_time = 0.0
         self._start_tick()
         self.notify("output-file")
         self.notify("recording")
@@ -230,6 +253,8 @@ class ScreenRecorder(Service):
         self._recording = False
         self._paused = False
         self._start_time = None
+        # Force a fresh external probe on the next ``active`` read.
+        self._external_probe_time = 0.0
         self.notify("recording")
         self.notify("busy")
         self.notify("elapsed-seconds")

src/shared/capture.py

@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ class HyprlandCaptureBackend(CaptureBackend):
             tool: find_binary(tool) is not None
             for tool in ("hyprshot", "grim", "slurp", self._RECORDER)
         }
+        self._recorder_proc: Gio.Subprocess | None = None
 
     @property
     def capabilities(self) -> BackendCapabilities:
@@ -163,6 +164,18 @@ class HyprlandCaptureBackend(CaptureBackend):
         """Return whether a wrapped tool is available on this system."""
         return self._tools.get(tool, False)
 
+    def is_recorder_running(self) -> bool | None:
+        """Return whether the recorder spawned by this backend is still alive.
+
+        ``None`` means no recorder was started through this backend, so the
+        caller must fall back to external detection. Cheap: reads the already
+        tracked subprocess instead of shelling out.
+        """
+        proc = self._recorder_proc
+        if proc is None:
+            return None
+        return not proc.get_if_exited()
+
     # screenshots
 
     def screenshot(self, request: ScreenshotRequest, on_result: ResultCallback) -> bool:
@@ -322,10 +335,12 @@ class HyprlandCaptureBackend(CaptureBackend):
         if proc is None:
             on_result(CaptureResult.failure(f"failed to launch {self._RECORDER}"))
             return False
+        self._recorder_proc = proc
         on_result(CaptureResult.ok(str(request.output_file)))
         return True
 
     def stop_recording(self) -> bool:
+        self._recorder_proc = None
         kill_process(self._RECORDER)
         return True