fix: fail on refused portal requests and catch black recordings

The portal reports refusals only in OBS's log; a denied, cancelled or failed
source selection now fails with an actionable reason instead of waiting
forever. check --expect-motion rejects black or frozen footage, and the
hardware script checks only runs that recorded, tests restore tokens in their
own step, and treats closing a window as informational: on Hyprland the
stream keeps its last frame, so sessions must end on game exit.

crates/clipbin-obs/src/ffi.rs

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ use libobs as sys;
 
 use crate::{
     capture::{SettingValue, SourceSpec},
-    recorder::{Health, RecorderEvent},
+    recorder::{Health, PipeWireState, RecorderEvent},
 };
 
 fn cstring(value: &str) -> CString {
@@ -149,13 +149,8 @@ unsafe extern "C" fn log_to_stderr(
         _ => "debug",
     };
     if let Some(text) = owned(message.array) {
-        if let Some(state) = pipewire_stream_state(&text) {
+        if let Some(state) = pipewire_state(&text) {
-            let code = if state == "streaming" {
+            PIPEWIRE_STATE.store(state as u8, Ordering::Relaxed);
-                STREAMING
-            } else {
-                NOT_STREAMING
-            };
-            PIPEWIRE_STREAM.store(code, Ordering::Relaxed);
         }
         eprintln!("obs {label}: {text}");
     }
@@ -163,22 +158,38 @@ unsafe extern "C" fn log_to_stderr(
     unsafe { sys::bfree(message.array.cast()) };
 }
 
-/// The state of the PipeWire capture stream, as last logged by OBS.
+/// The PipeWire capture state, as last logged by OBS (0 = nothing logged).
 ///
 /// OBS 32.0.4's PipeWire capture keeps reporting its last size and rendering
-/// its last frame after the stream stops, and exposes the stream state only
+/// its last frame after its stream stops, and reports portal refusals and
-/// through this log line. Clipbin records one capture source at a time.
+/// stream states only in its log (linux-pipewire's screencast-portal.c and
-static PIPEWIRE_STREAM: AtomicU8 = AtomicU8::new(NO_PIPEWIRE_STREAM);
+/// pipewire.c). Clipbin records one capture source at a time.
-const NO_PIPEWIRE_STREAM: u8 = 0;
+static PIPEWIRE_STATE: AtomicU8 = AtomicU8::new(0);
-const STREAMING: u8 = 1;
-const NOT_STREAMING: u8 = 2;
 
-/// Parses `[pipewire] Stream 0x... state: "streaming" (error: none)` from
+fn pipewire_state(message: &str) -> Option<PipeWireState> {
-/// linux-pipewire's on_state_changed_cb.
+    if let Some(rest) = message.strip_prefix("[pipewire] Stream ") {
-fn pipewire_stream_state(message: &str) -> Option<&str> {
+        // `[pipewire] Stream 0x... state: "streaming" (error: none)`
-    let rest = message.strip_prefix("[pipewire] Stream ")?;
+        let state = rest.split_once(" state: \"")?.1.split_once('"')?.0;
-    let state = rest.split_once(" state: \"")?.1;
+        return Some(if state == "streaming" {
-    state.split_once('"').map(|(state, _)| state)
+            PipeWireState::Streaming
+        } else {
+            PipeWireState::Stopped
+        });
+    }
+    // The user denied or cancelled the portal request, or it failed.
+    let refused = message.starts_with("[pipewire] Error ")
+        || (message.starts_with("[pipewire] Failed to ")
+            && message.ends_with("denied or cancelled by user"));
+    refused.then_some(PipeWireState::Refused)
+}
+
+fn load_pipewire_state() -> Option<PipeWireState> {
+    match PIPEWIRE_STATE.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
+        state if state == PipeWireState::Streaming as u8 => Some(PipeWireState::Streaming),
+        state if state == PipeWireState::Stopped as u8 => Some(PipeWireState::Stopped),
+        state if state == PipeWireState::Refused as u8 => Some(PipeWireState::Refused),
+        _ => None,
+    }
 }
 
 pub(crate) fn startup(spec: &StartupSpec) -> Result<Session, String> {
@@ -568,7 +579,7 @@ impl Pipeline {
         events: Sender<RecorderEvent>,
         current_segment: Arc<Mutex<Option<String>>>,
     ) -> Result<Self, String> {
-        PIPEWIRE_STREAM.store(NO_PIPEWIRE_STREAM, Ordering::Relaxed);
+        PIPEWIRE_STATE.store(0, Ordering::Relaxed);
         // OBS releases objects asynchronously, so names must not be reused.
         static RECORDINGS: AtomicU64 = AtomicU64::new(0);
         let id = RECORDINGS.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
@@ -745,14 +756,10 @@ impl Pipeline {
                     sys::obs_source_get_height(self.video_source),
                 )
             };
-            let source_streaming = match PIPEWIRE_STREAM.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
-                NO_PIPEWIRE_STREAM => None,
-                state => Some(state == STREAMING),
-            };
             Health {
                 source_width: width,
                 source_height: height,
-                source_streaming,
+                pipewire: load_pipewire_state(),
                 output_active: sys::obs_output_active(self.output),
                 total_frames: sys::obs_output_get_total_frames(self.output).max(0) as u64,
                 dropped_frames: sys::obs_output_get_frames_dropped(self.output).max(0) as u64,
@@ -852,13 +859,27 @@ mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
     #[test]
-    fn pipewire_stream_state_is_read_from_the_plugin_log() {
+    fn pipewire_state_is_read_from_the_plugin_log() {
-        let line = r#"[pipewire] Stream 0x7fe128037440 state: "paused" (error: none)"#;
+        let state = |line| pipewire_state(line);
-        assert_eq!(pipewire_stream_state(line), Some("paused"));
         assert_eq!(
-            pipewire_stream_state("[pipewire] Screencast session created"),
+            state(r#"[pipewire] Stream 0x7fe128037440 state: "streaming" (error: none)"#),
-            None
+            Some(PipeWireState::Streaming)
         );
+        assert_eq!(
+            state(r#"[pipewire] Stream 0x7fe128037440 state: "paused" (error: none)"#),
+            Some(PipeWireState::Stopped)
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            state("[pipewire] Failed to select source, denied or cancelled by user"),
+            Some(PipeWireState::Refused)
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            state("[pipewire] Error selecting screencast source: Timeout"),
+            Some(PipeWireState::Refused)
+        );
+        assert_eq!(state("[pipewire] Screencast session created"), None);
+        // OBS cancelling its own pending request at teardown is not a refusal.
+        assert_eq!(state("[portals] Request cancelled"), None);
     }
 
     #[test]

crates/clipbin-obs/src/lib.rs

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ pub mod runtime;
 mod thread;
 
 pub use recorder::{
-    Engine, EngineError, Health, RecorderEvent, Recording, RecordingConfig, SEGMENT_EXTENSION,
+    Engine, EngineError, Health, PipeWireState, RecorderEvent, Recording, RecordingConfig,
-    StatusTracker, StopReason, VideoFormat,
+    SEGMENT_EXTENSION, StatusTracker, StopReason, VideoFormat,
 };
 pub use runtime::{RuntimeError, RuntimeLayout};

crates/clipbin-obs/src/recorder.rs

@@ -270,9 +270,9 @@ pub enum RecorderEvent {
 pub struct Health {
     pub source_width: u32,
     pub source_height: u32,
-    /// For PipeWire capture, whether its stream is delivering frames. `None`
+    /// PipeWire capture's portal and stream state. `None` for other sources,
-    /// for sources that report loss through their size instead.
+    /// which report loss through their size, and before the portal answers.
-    pub source_streaming: Option<bool>,
+    pub pipewire: Option<PipeWireState>,
     pub output_active: bool,
     pub total_frames: u64,
     pub dropped_frames: u64,
@@ -284,6 +284,15 @@ pub struct Health {
     pub disk_available_bytes: Option<u64>,
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum PipeWireState {
+    Streaming = 1,
+    /// The stream exists but is not delivering frames.
+    Stopped = 2,
+    /// The portal request was denied, cancelled by the user, or failed.
+    Refused = 3,
+}
+
 /// Derives the status shown to the user from health samples and output events.
 ///
 /// Recording is reported only while the source has a picture and encoded data
@@ -334,9 +343,16 @@ impl StatusTracker {
             self.last_written = health.written_bytes;
             self.last_progress = now;
         }
+        if health.pipewire == Some(PipeWireState::Refused) {
+            self.status = RecordingStatus::Failed {
+                reason: "screen capture was not allowed: the source selection was denied, cancelled or failed"
+                    .into(),
+            };
+            return &self.status;
+        }
         let has_picture = health.source_width > 0
             && health.source_height > 0
-            && health.source_streaming != Some(false);
+            && matches!(health.pipewire, None | Some(PipeWireState::Streaming));
         let stalled = now.duration_since(self.last_progress) >= self.stall_limit;
         if let Some(available) = health.disk_available_bytes
             && available < self.min_free_bytes
@@ -450,7 +466,7 @@ mod tests {
         Health {
             source_width: 1920,
             source_height: 1080,
-            source_streaming: None,
+            pipewire: None,
             output_active: true,
             total_frames: bytes / 1000,
             dropped_frames: 0,
@@ -562,7 +578,7 @@ mod tests {
         let start = Instant::now();
         let mut tracker = StatusTracker::new(start, 0, SEGMENT);
         let streaming = Health {
-            source_streaming: Some(true),
+            pipewire: Some(PipeWireState::Streaming),
             ..healthy(5000)
         };
         assert_eq!(
@@ -570,7 +586,7 @@ mod tests {
             &RecordingStatus::Recording
         );
         let paused = Health {
-            source_streaming: Some(false),
+            pipewire: Some(PipeWireState::Stopped),
             ..healthy(9000)
         };
         assert!(matches!(
@@ -579,6 +595,29 @@ mod tests {
         ));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn a_refused_portal_request_fails_while_waiting_for_capture() {
+        let start = Instant::now();
+        let mut tracker = StatusTracker::new(start, 0, SEGMENT);
+        let waiting = Health {
+            source_width: 0,
+            source_height: 0,
+            ..healthy(5000)
+        };
+        assert_eq!(
+            tracker.sample(&waiting, start),
+            &RecordingStatus::WaitingForCapture
+        );
+        let refused = Health {
+            pipewire: Some(PipeWireState::Refused),
+            ..waiting
+        };
+        assert!(matches!(
+            tracker.sample(&refused, start),
+            RecordingStatus::Failed { reason } if reason.contains("not allowed")
+        ));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn output_errors_fail_and_clean_stops_go_idle() {
         let mut tracker = StatusTracker::new(Instant::now(), 0, SEGMENT);

crates/clipbin-probe/src/main.rs

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 //!                        [--seconds N] [--segment-seconds N] [--keyint N] [--bitrate KBPS]
 //!                        [--width W --height H --fps F] [--no-audio] [--mic]
 //!                        [--min-free-mb MB] [--out DIR]
-//!   clipbin-probe check [--codec h264|hevc|av1] [--segment-seconds N] [--out DIR]
+//!   clipbin-probe check [--codec h264|hevc|av1] [--segment-seconds N] [--expect-motion] [--out DIR]
 //!
 //! `check` inspects the segments `record` wrote, using the ffprobe and ffmpeg
 //! command-line tools (install FFmpeg; on Windows, e.g. `winget install ffmpeg`).
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ fn usage(error: &str) -> ExitCode {
 
 struct Options {
     verify: bool,
+    expect_motion: bool,
     target: String,
     window: String,
     restore_token: Option<String>,
@@ -83,6 +84,7 @@ impl Options {
     fn parse(args: &[String]) -> Result<Self, String> {
         let mut options = Self {
             verify: false,
+            expect_motion: false,
             target: "monitor".into(),
             window: String::new(),
             restore_token: None,
@@ -112,6 +114,7 @@ impl Options {
             };
             match flag.as_str() {
                 "--verify" => options.verify = true,
+                "--expect-motion" => options.expect_motion = true,
                 "--target" => options.target = value()?,
                 "--window" => options.window = value()?,
                 "--restore-token" => options.restore_token = Some(value()?),
@@ -337,11 +340,11 @@ fn record(options: &Options) -> Result<bool, Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
             next_sample += Duration::from_secs(1);
             let health = recording.health();
             println!(
-                "t={} health source={}x{} streaming={:?} active={} frames={} dropped={} lagged={} muxer_bytes={} disk_bytes={}",
+                "t={} health source={}x{} pipewire={:?} active={} frames={} dropped={} lagged={} muxer_bytes={} disk_bytes={}",
                 elapsed(),
                 health.source_width,
                 health.source_height,
-                health.source_streaming,
+                health.pipewire,
                 health.output_active,
                 health.total_frames,
                 health.dropped_frames,
@@ -466,6 +469,27 @@ fn check(options: &Options) -> Result<bool, Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
         );
     }
 
+    // A black or frozen capture still produces valid segments. When the
+    // captured content was moving, the middle segment must show it.
+    if options.expect_motion {
+        let middle = &segments[segments.len() / 2];
+        let distinct = Command::new("ffmpeg")
+            .args(["-v", "error", "-i"])
+            .arg(middle)
+            .args(["-map", "0:v:0", "-vf", "mpdecimate=max=0", "-f", "null", "-", "-stats_period", "100"])
+            .args(["-progress", "pipe:1"])
+            .output()?;
+        let frames = String::from_utf8_lossy(&distinct.stdout)
+            .lines()
+            .filter_map(|line| line.strip_prefix("frame="))
+            .filter_map(|frames| frames.parse::<u64>().ok())
+            .last()
+            .unwrap_or(0);
+        let moving = frames > 1;
+        ok &= moving;
+        println!("motion ok={moving} distinct_frames={frames} segment={}", middle.display());
+    }
+
     // A clip spanning the boundaries between the first three segments.
     let list = options.out.join("concat.txt");
     let entries: String = segments[..3]

docs/validation.md

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ pass/fail results.
 | Where | Script | Status |
 | --- | --- | --- |
 | Linux, headless rig (Wayland portal + Xwayland) | `scripts/validate/linux-rig.sh` | All 9 scenarios pass on devbox (Intel UHD 770, VA-API) |
-| Linux, real session (CachyOS, Hyprland, RX 9070 XT, 1440p60) | `scripts/validate/linux-hardware.sh` | Not run yet |
+| Linux, real session (CachyOS, Hyprland, RX 9070 XT, 1440p60) | `scripts/validate/linux-hardware.sh` | First run 2026-10-08: H.264, HEVC and AV1 all usable; restore token still to confirm |
 | Windows (Game Capture, NVENC/AMF/QSV) | `scripts/validate/windows.ps1` | Not run yet; script untested |
 
 ## Probe commands
@@ -45,7 +45,11 @@ The suite covers:
 3. X11 window capture (Xcomposite).
 4. Failures that must end in `status=failed`: PipeWire stream lost, captured
    X11 window closed, segment directory unwritable, free space below the margin.
-5. A portal that grants no usable source never reports `Recording`.
+5. A portal that refuses the request fails with an actionable reason and
+   never reports `Recording`.
+
+Segment checks run with `--expect-motion`, so black or frozen footage (which
+still makes valid segments) fails.
 
 ## Linux hardware sign-off
 
@@ -55,6 +59,24 @@ shows the portal picker; later runs pass the restore token and ask whether the
 picker stayed away), records a window, and asks you to close a window
 mid-recording. Send back `report.txt` from the output directory.
 
+### First hardware run (2026-10-08)
+
+CachyOS 7.2.9, Hyprland, RX 9070 XT, 1440p60, OBS 32.0.4:
+
+- H.264, HEVC and AV1 all encode through VA-API (`*_ffmpeg_vaapi_tex`).
+  Monitor and window capture recorded keyframe-aligned 2 s segments that
+  remuxed across boundaries with no decode errors.
+- The restore token came back on one of three runs, probably because the
+  "Allow a restore token" box in the picker was ticked only once. The script
+  now has a dedicated restore step.
+- One run never got a portal selection: the picker either did not appear or
+  was not answered, and the probe stayed in `Waiting for capture` for 20 s
+  while writing black segments that `check` passed. `check --expect-motion`
+  now catches black footage; a refused request now fails at once.
+- Closing the captured window (Super+W) is not visible to capture: xdph keeps
+  the PipeWire stream `streaming` and OBS repeats the window's last frame.
+  See findings.
+
 ## Windows
 
 Run `scripts/validate/windows.ps1 -GameWindow "<title>:<class>:<exe>"` with a
@@ -102,6 +124,15 @@ Windows status:
   its last frame after the stream stops, and only logs the stream state. The
   engine reads that log line (stable for the pinned OBS version). A more robust
   follow-up is watching the PipeWire node state directly.
+- **Closed windows on Wayland.** With Hyprland's portal, closing a captured
+  window leaves the stream running on its last frame, with no state change or
+  error. Capture cannot tell this apart from a static window, so sessions must
+  end from game process exit (SPEC: "Stop/finalise the session when its game
+  exits"), which the Steam/process detection milestone provides.
+- **Writing while waiting for capture.** The output starts before the source
+  has a picture, so a source that never arrives produces black segments. The
+  session timeline should show that time as missing footage, or the output
+  should start only once capture is usable.
 - **Audio capture failures are not detected yet.** When the PulseAudio server
   was unreachable, recording continued with a silent track.
 - **Linux runtime dependencies.** The Linux OBS build links the system's

scripts/validate/linux-hardware.sh

@@ -25,6 +25,23 @@ ask() {
     log "answer: $1 -> ${answer}"
 }
 
+# record <name> <codec> [probe args...]: records 20 s, then checks the
+# segments only if the probe reached Recording.
+record() {
+    local name="$1" codec="$2" dir="${out}/$1"
+    shift 2
+    "${probe}" record --codec "${codec}" "$@" --seconds 20 "${format[@]}" --out "${dir}" \
+        > "${dir}.log" 2> "${dir}.obs.log"
+    local record_exit=$?
+    if grep -q '^recorded=true' "${dir}.log"; then
+        "${probe}" check --codec "${codec}" --expect-motion --out "${dir}" >> "${dir}.log" 2>&1
+        log "${name}: record_exit=${record_exit} check_exit=$? $(grep -E '^(encoder|check|motion)' "${dir}.log" | tr '\n' ' ')"
+    else
+        log "${name}: FAIL never reached Recording (record_exit=${record_exit})"
+    fi
+    log "  $(grep -E 'status=' "${dir}.log" | tr '\n' ' ')"
+}
+
 log "Clipbin hardware validation $(date -Is)"
 log "host: $(uname -r) session=${XDG_SESSION_TYPE:-?} desktop=${XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP:-?}"
 log "gpu: $(lspci 2>/dev/null | grep -iE 'vga|display' | cut -d: -f3- | xargs)"
@@ -32,52 +49,44 @@ log "gpu: $(lspci 2>/dev/null | grep -iE 'vga|display' | cut -d: -f3- | xargs)"
 "${probe}" encoders --verify "${format[@]}" --out "${out}/encoders" > "${out}/encoders.log" 2> "${out}/encoders.obs.log"
 log "$(grep -E '^(obs_version|usable\.|verify\.)' "${out}/encoders.log")"
 
-token=""
+echo
+echo "Each recording opens the screen-share picker: pick a monitor with motion on"
+echo "it (a video or game). Tick \"Allow a restore token\" (Hyprland) or"
+echo "\"Remember this selection\" when the picker offers it."
 for codec in h264 hevc av1; do
     if grep -q "^usable\.${codec}=none" "${out}/encoders.log"; then
         log "SKIP ${codec}: no usable hardware encoder"
         continue
     fi
-    if [[ -z "${token}" ]]; then
+    record "monitor-${codec}" "${codec}" --target monitor
-        echo
-        echo "Recording a monitor for 20 seconds with ${codec}. The portal will ask"
-        echo "you to pick a monitor: pick one and keep some motion on screen."
-    fi
-    dir="${out}/monitor-${codec}"
-    restore=()
-    [[ -n "${token}" ]] && restore=(--restore-token "${token}")
-    "${probe}" record --target monitor --codec "${codec}" "${restore[@]}" --seconds 20 "${format[@]}" \
-        --out "${dir}" > "${dir}.log" 2> "${dir}.obs.log"
-    record_exit=$?
-    "${probe}" check --codec "${codec}" --out "${dir}" >> "${dir}.log" 2>&1
-    check_exit=$?
-    log "monitor-${codec}: record_exit=${record_exit} check_exit=${check_exit} $(grep -E '^(encoder|recorded|check)=' "${dir}.log" | tr '\n' ' ')"
-    log "$(grep -E 'status=' "${dir}.log" | tr '\n' ' ')"
-    if [[ -z "${token}" ]]; then
-        token="$(sed -n 's/^restore_token=//p' "${dir}.log")"
-        log "restore token received: $([[ -n "${token}" ]] && echo yes || echo no)"
-    else
-        ask "Did ${codec} start WITHOUT showing the portal picker again?"
-    fi
 done
 
+# Restoring the last selection must not show the picker again.
+token="$(sed -n 's/^restore_token=//p' "${out}"/monitor-*.log | tail -1)"
+if [[ -n "${token}" ]]; then
+    echo
+    echo "Recording again with the saved selection. The picker should NOT appear."
+    record monitor-restored h264 --target monitor --restore-token "${token}"
+    ask "Did the recording start WITHOUT showing the picker?"
+else
+    log "restore: FAIL no restore token was returned (was \"Allow a restore token\" ticked?)"
+fi
+
 echo
 echo "Now recording a window for 20 seconds. Start a game (or any moving"
-echo "window) first, then pick it in the portal."
+echo "window) first, then pick it in the picker."
 read -r -p "Press Enter when ready. " _
-dir="${out}/window-h264"
+record window-h264 h264 --target window
-"${probe}" record --target window --seconds 20 "${format[@]}" --out "${dir}" > "${dir}.log" 2> "${dir}.obs.log"
-record_exit=$?
-"${probe}" check --out "${dir}" >> "${dir}.log" 2>&1
-log "window-h264: record_exit=${record_exit} check_exit=$? $(grep -E '^(recorded|check)=' "${dir}.log" | tr '\n' ' ')"
 
+# On Wayland the portal may keep streaming a closed window's last frame, so
+# this is informational: Clipbin ends sessions when the game process exits.
 echo
-echo "Last: source loss. Record a window again, then close that window"
+echo "Last: record a window again and close it (quit the app) about 5 seconds in."
-echo "about 5 seconds in. The probe should report a failure."
 read -r -p "Press Enter when ready. " _
 dir="${out}/window-closed"
 "${probe}" record --target window --seconds 20 "${format[@]}" --out "${dir}" > "${dir}.log" 2> "${dir}.obs.log"
-log "window-closed: exit=$? $(grep -E 'status=failed' "${dir}.log" | head -1)"
+log "window-closed (informational): exit=$? $(grep -E 'status=' "${dir}.log" | tail -1)"
+ask "Did you quit the captured app about 5 seconds in?"
 
 echo
 echo "Report: ${report}"

scripts/validate/linux-rig.sh

@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ for codec in h264 hevc; do
     name="wayland-${codec}"
     dir="${out}/${name}"
     "${rig}" "${probe}" record --codec "${codec}" --seconds 9 --out "${dir}" > "${out}/${name}.log" 2>&1 \
-        && "${probe}" check --codec "${codec}" --out "${dir}" >> "${out}/${name}.log" 2>&1
+        && "${probe}" check --codec "${codec}" --expect-motion --out "${dir}" >> "${out}/${name}.log" 2>&1
     ok=$?
     volume="$(ffmpeg -v info -i "${dir}/session/segment-000001.mkv" -map 0:a -af volumedetect -f null - 2>&1 \
         | awk '/max_volume/ { print $5 }')"
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ done
 name=x11-window
 "${rig}" --x11 bash -c "'${probe}' record --target window --window \"\${CLIPBIN_RIG_GAME_WINDOW}\" --seconds 9 --out '${out}/${name}'" \
     > "${out}/${name}.log" 2>&1 \
-    && "${probe}" check --out "${out}/${name}" >> "${out}/${name}.log" 2>&1
+    && "${probe}" check --expect-motion --out "${out}/${name}" >> "${out}/${name}.log" 2>&1
 result "${name}" "$?"
 
 # expect_failure <name> <reason pattern>: recording started, then failed honestly.
@@ -101,13 +101,14 @@ else
     result "${name}" 1
 fi
 
-# 8. The portal grants nothing usable: recording never starts or claims to.
+# 8. The portal refuses the request: an actionable failure, never Recording.
-name=portal-no-source
+name=portal-refused
 CLIPBIN_RIG_PORTAL_OUTPUT=NO-SUCH-OUTPUT "${rig}" "${probe}" record --seconds 8 --out "${out}/${name}" \
     > "${out}/${name}.log" 2>&1
 probe_exit=$?
-if [[ "${probe_exit}" != 0 ]] && ! has "${out}/${name}.log" "status=Recording"; then
+if [[ "${probe_exit}" != 0 ]] && ! has "${out}/${name}.log" "status=Recording" \
-    result "${name}" 0 "$(grep 'status=' "${out}/${name}.log" | tail -1)"
+    && has "${out}/${name}.log" "status=failed reason=screen capture was not allowed"; then
+    result "${name}" 0 "$(grep -m1 -o 'status=failed reason=.*' "${out}/${name}.log")"
 else
     result "${name}" 1
 fi