Upgrade code

app/routes/admin.py

@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 import logging
 import os
 import uuid
+import csv
+import io
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from functools import wraps
-from flask import Blueprint, render_template, redirect, url_for, flash, request, abort, jsonify, current_app, send_from_directory
+from flask import Blueprint, render_template, redirect, url_for, flash, request, abort, jsonify, current_app, send_from_directory, Response
 from flask_login import login_required, current_user
 from werkzeug.utils import secure_filename
 import bleach
@@ -340,7 +342,7 @@ def create_user():
 @login_required
 @admin_required
 def edit_user(user_id):
-    user = User.query.get_or_404(user_id)
+    user = db.session.get(User, user_id) or abort(404)
     if request.method == 'POST':
         old_role      = user.role
         user.full_name = request.form.get('full_name', user.full_name).strip()
@@ -370,7 +372,7 @@ def edit_user(user_id):
 @login_required
 @admin_required
 def delete_user(user_id):
-    user = User.query.get_or_404(user_id)
+    user = db.session.get(User, user_id) or abort(404)
     if user.id == current_user.id:
         flash('You cannot delete your own account.', 'danger')
         return redirect(url_for('admin.users'))
@@ -392,6 +394,7 @@ def all_tickets():
     status   = request.args.get('status', '')
     priority = request.args.get('priority', '')
     assigned = request.args.get('assigned', '')
+    search   = request.args.get('q', '').strip()
 
     q = Ticket.query
     if status:   q = q.filter_by(status=status)
@@ -399,9 +402,30 @@ def all_tickets():
     if assigned == 'me': q = q.filter_by(assigned_to_id=current_user.id)
     elif assigned == 'unassigned': q = q.filter_by(assigned_to_id=None)
 
+    if search:
+        from app.models import Comment
+        submitter_alias = db.aliased(User)
+        assignee_alias  = db.aliased(User)
+        q = (
+            q
+            .outerjoin(submitter_alias, submitter_alias.id == Ticket.created_by_id)
+            .outerjoin(assignee_alias,  assignee_alias.id  == Ticket.assigned_to_id)
+            .outerjoin(Comment, Comment.ticket_id == Ticket.id)
+            .filter(
+                Ticket.title.ilike(f'%{search}%') |
+                Ticket.ticket_number.ilike(f'%{search}%') |
+                Ticket.description.ilike(f'%{search}%') |
+                submitter_alias.full_name.ilike(f'%{search}%') |
+                assignee_alias.full_name.ilike(f'%{search}%') |
+                Comment.body.ilike(f'%{search}%')
+            )
+            .distinct()
+        )
+
     tickets = q.order_by(Ticket.created_at.desc()).paginate(page=page, per_page=25)
     return render_template('admin/tickets.html', tickets=tickets,
-                           status=status, priority=priority, assigned=assigned)
+                           status=status, priority=priority, assigned=assigned,
+                           search=search)
 
 
 # ─── Knowledge Base Management ────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -623,7 +647,7 @@ def kb_new():
 @login_required
 @it_required
 def kb_edit(article_id):
-    article = KnowledgeBase.query.get_or_404(article_id)
+    article = db.session.get(KnowledgeBase, article_id) or abort(404)
     if request.method == 'POST':
         try:
             article.title       = request.form.get('title', article.title).strip()
@@ -658,7 +682,7 @@ def kb_edit(article_id):
 @it_required
 def kb_toggle_publish(article_id):
     """Quick publish/unpublish toggle — callable from the article list."""
-    article = KnowledgeBase.query.get_or_404(article_id)
+    article = db.session.get(KnowledgeBase, article_id) or abort(404)
     article.is_published = not article.is_published
     state = 'published' if article.is_published else 'unpublished'
     log_action(current_user.id, f'kb_{state}', 'knowledge_base', article.id,
@@ -673,7 +697,7 @@ def kb_toggle_publish(article_id):
 @login_required
 @it_required
 def kb_delete(article_id):
-    article    = KnowledgeBase.query.get_or_404(article_id)
+    article    = db.session.get(KnowledgeBase, article_id) or abort(404)
     upload_dir = current_app.config['UPLOAD_FOLDER']
 
     # Remove physical files before the cascade deletes the KBAttachment rows.
@@ -740,6 +764,83 @@ def activity_logs():
     )
 
 
+@admin_bp.route('/tickets/export')
+@login_required
+@admin_required
+def export_tickets():
+    """Stream a CSV of tickets matching the current filter params."""
+    status   = request.args.get('status', '')
+    priority = request.args.get('priority', '')
+    assigned = request.args.get('assigned', '')
+    search   = request.args.get('q', '').strip()
+
+    q = Ticket.query
+    if status:   q = q.filter_by(status=status)
+    if priority: q = q.filter_by(priority=priority)
+    if assigned == 'me': q = q.filter_by(assigned_to_id=current_user.id)
+    elif assigned == 'unassigned': q = q.filter_by(assigned_to_id=None)
+
+    if search:
+        submitter_alias = db.aliased(User)
+        assignee_alias  = db.aliased(User)
+        q = (
+            q
+            .outerjoin(submitter_alias, submitter_alias.id == Ticket.created_by_id)
+            .outerjoin(assignee_alias,  assignee_alias.id  == Ticket.assigned_to_id)
+            .outerjoin(Comment, Comment.ticket_id == Ticket.id)
+            .filter(
+                Ticket.title.ilike(f'%{search}%') |
+                Ticket.ticket_number.ilike(f'%{search}%') |
+                Ticket.description.ilike(f'%{search}%') |
+                submitter_alias.full_name.ilike(f'%{search}%') |
+                assignee_alias.full_name.ilike(f'%{search}%') |
+                Comment.body.ilike(f'%{search}%')
+            )
+            .distinct()
+        )
+
+    tickets = q.order_by(Ticket.created_at.desc()).all()
+
+    log_action(current_user.id, 'ticket_export', 'ticket', None,
+               f'status={status} priority={priority} assigned={assigned} q={search} count={len(tickets)}')
+    logger.info(f'[ADMIN EXPORT] tickets count={len(tickets)} by admin_id={current_user.id}')
+
+    # Build the entire CSV in memory within the request context so the
+    # SQLAlchemy session remains active for all relationship accesses
+    # (creator, assignee).  Streaming generators execute outside the
+    # request context and cause DetachedInstanceError on lazy-loaded attrs.
+    buf = io.StringIO()
+    writer = csv.writer(buf)
+    writer.writerow([
+        'Ticket #', 'Title', 'Category', 'Status', 'Priority',
+        'Submitted By', 'Assigned To', 'Created', 'Updated',
+        'Resolved', 'Due Date', 'AI Generated', 'Resolution Notes',
+    ])
+    for t in tickets:
+        writer.writerow([
+            t.ticket_number,
+            t.title,
+            t.category.replace('_', ' ').title(),
+            t.status.replace('_', ' ').title(),
+            t.priority.title(),
+            t.creator.full_name,
+            t.assignee.full_name if t.assignee else '',
+            t.created_at.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M'),
+            t.updated_at.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M') if t.updated_at else '',
+            t.resolved_at.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M') if t.resolved_at else '',
+            t.due_date.strftime('%Y-%m-%d') if t.due_date else '',
+            'Yes' if t.ai_generated else 'No',
+            t.resolution_notes or '',
+        ])
+
+    filename = f"tickets_{datetime.utcnow().strftime('%Y%m%d_%H%M%S')}.csv"
+    return Response(
+        buf.getvalue(),
+        mimetype    = 'text/csv',
+        headers     = {'Content-Disposition': f'attachment; filename={filename}'},
+    )
+
+
 def _roles():
     return [UserRole.EMPLOYEE, UserRole.IT_STAFF, UserRole.ADMIN]
 

app/routes/api.py

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import logging
-from flask import Blueprint, jsonify, request
+from flask import Blueprint, jsonify, request, abort
 from flask_login import login_required, current_user
 from flask_socketio import emit, join_room, leave_room
 from app import db, socketio
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ def mark_all_read():
 def get_comments(ticket_id):
     """Return all visible comments for a ticket as JSON."""
     from app.models import Ticket, Comment, UserRole
-    ticket = Ticket.query.get_or_404(ticket_id)
+    ticket = db.session.get(Ticket, ticket_id) or abort(404)
     # Employees may only see their own tickets
     if not current_user.is_it_staff and ticket.created_by_id != current_user.id:
         return jsonify({'error': 'Forbidden'}), 403
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ def get_comments(ticket_id):
             'id'         : c.id,
             'author_name': c.author.full_name,
             'author_init': c.author.full_name[0].upper(),
+            'author_avatar': c.author.avatar_url or '',
             'is_it_staff': c.author.is_it_staff,
             'is_internal': c.is_internal,
             'body'       : c.body,

app/routes/auth.py

@@ -1,16 +1,22 @@
 import logging
+import os
+import uuid
 from datetime import datetime
 from urllib.parse import urlparse, urljoin
-from flask import Blueprint, render_template, redirect, url_for, flash, request
+from flask import Blueprint, render_template, redirect, url_for, flash, request, current_app, send_from_directory
 from flask_login import login_user, logout_user, login_required, current_user
+from werkzeug.utils import secure_filename
 from app import db, limiter
 from app.models import User, UserRole
 from app.services.log_service import log_action
-from app.services.validation_service import validate_password
+from app.services.validation_service import validate_password, validate_file
 
 auth_bp = Blueprint('auth', __name__, url_prefix='/auth')
 logger  = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+AVATAR_ALLOWED_EXT = {'png', 'jpg', 'jpeg', 'gif', 'webp'}
+AVATAR_MAX_BYTES   = 5 * 1024 * 1024   # 5 MB
+
 
 def _is_safe_url(target):
     """Return True only when *target* points back to this same host.
@@ -138,6 +144,31 @@ def profile():
         current_user.email_notif= email_notif
         current_user.web_notif  = web_notif
 
+        # ── Avatar upload ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+        avatar_file = request.files.get('avatar')
+        if avatar_file and avatar_file.filename:
+            file_error = validate_file(avatar_file, AVATAR_ALLOWED_EXT)
+            if file_error:
+                flash(f'Avatar not saved: {file_error}', 'danger')
+            else:
+                avatar_file.stream.seek(0, 2)
+                avatar_size = avatar_file.stream.tell()
+                avatar_file.stream.seek(0)
+                if avatar_size > AVATAR_MAX_BYTES:
+                    flash('Avatar image must be under 5 MB.', 'danger')
+                else:
+                    ext         = secure_filename(avatar_file.filename).rsplit('.', 1)[-1].lower()
+                    stored_name = f"avatar_{current_user.id}_{uuid.uuid4().hex}.{ext}"
+                    upload_dir  = current_app.config['UPLOAD_FOLDER']
+                    # Delete old avatar file from disk if present
+                    if current_user.avatar_url:
+                        old_file = os.path.join(upload_dir, os.path.basename(current_user.avatar_url))
+                        if os.path.exists(old_file):
+                            os.remove(old_file)
+                    avatar_file.save(os.path.join(upload_dir, stored_name))
+                    current_user.avatar_url = stored_name
+                    logger.info(f'[AUTH AVATAR UPLOAD] user_id={current_user.id} file={stored_name}')
+
         if new_pw:
             pw_error = validate_password(new_pw, confirm_pw)
             if pw_error:
@@ -152,3 +183,15 @@ def profile():
         flash('Profile updated successfully.', 'success')
 
     return render_template('auth/profile.html')
+
+
+@auth_bp.route('/avatar/<string:filename>')
+@login_required
+def serve_avatar(filename):
+    """Serve a user avatar image stored in the upload folder."""
+    # Prevent path traversal — stored_name never contains slashes
+    if '/' in filename or '\\' in filename or '..' in filename:
+        from flask import abort
+        abort(400)
+    upload_dir = current_app.config['UPLOAD_FOLDER']
+    return send_from_directory(upload_dir, filename, as_attachment=False)

app/routes/tickets.py

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ from app.services.notification_service import (
     notify_comment_added, notify_assignment,
 )
 from app.services.log_service import log_action, log_ticket_history
-from app.services.validation_service import validate_file
+from app.services.validation_service import validate_file, render_comment_body
 
 tickets_bp = Blueprint('tickets', __name__)
 logger     = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -154,10 +154,22 @@ def ticket_list():
     if category:
         query = query.filter_by(category=category)
     if search:
-        query = query.filter(
+        # Extend search to cover comments and assignee name via outer joins.
+        # distinct() prevents duplicate ticket rows when multiple comments match.
+        from app.models import Comment
+        assignee_alias = db.aliased(User)
+        query = (
+            query
+            .outerjoin(Comment, Comment.ticket_id == Ticket.id)
+            .outerjoin(assignee_alias, assignee_alias.id == Ticket.assigned_to_id)
+            .filter(
                 Ticket.title.ilike(f'%{search}%') |
                 Ticket.ticket_number.ilike(f'%{search}%') |
-            Ticket.description.ilike(f'%{search}%')
+                Ticket.description.ilike(f'%{search}%') |
+                Comment.body.ilike(f'%{search}%') |
+                assignee_alias.full_name.ilike(f'%{search}%')
+            )
+            .distinct()
         )
 
     tickets = query.order_by(Ticket.created_at.desc()).paginate(page=page, per_page=20)
@@ -173,7 +185,7 @@ def ticket_list():
 @tickets_bp.route('/tickets/<int:ticket_id>', methods=['GET', 'POST'])
 @login_required
 def ticket_detail(ticket_id):
-    ticket = Ticket.query.get_or_404(ticket_id)
+    ticket = db.session.get(Ticket, ticket_id) or abort(404)
 
     # Employees can only view their own tickets
     if not current_user.is_it_staff and ticket.created_by_id != current_user.id:
@@ -189,14 +201,35 @@ def ticket_detail(ticket_id):
             comment = Comment(
                 ticket_id  = ticket.id,
                 author_id  = current_user.id,
-                body       = body,
+                body       = render_comment_body(body),
                 is_internal= is_internal,
             )
             db.session.add(comment)
             db.session.flush()
 
-            for f in request.files.getlist('attachments'):
+            # ── Attachment limits (mirrors client-side constants in detail.html)
-                if f and f.filename:
+            MAX_COMMENT_FILES = 5
+            MAX_COMMENT_BYTES = 25 * 1024 * 1024   # 25 MB total per comment
+
+            uploaded_files = [f for f in request.files.getlist('attachments') if f and f.filename]
+            if len(uploaded_files) > MAX_COMMENT_FILES:
+                db.session.rollback()
+                logger.warning(f'[COMMENT UPLOAD REJECTED] Too many files ({len(uploaded_files)}) ticket_id={ticket.id} user_id={current_user.id}')
+                flash(f'Too many attachments — maximum {MAX_COMMENT_FILES} files per comment.', 'danger')
+                return redirect(url_for('tickets.ticket_detail', ticket_id=ticket.id))
+
+            total_bytes = 0
+            for f in uploaded_files:
+                f.stream.seek(0, 2)
+                total_bytes += f.stream.tell()
+                f.stream.seek(0)
+            if total_bytes > MAX_COMMENT_BYTES:
+                db.session.rollback()
+                logger.warning(f'[COMMENT UPLOAD REJECTED] Total size {total_bytes} exceeds limit ticket_id={ticket.id} user_id={current_user.id}')
+                flash(f'Total attachment size exceeds the 25 MB limit per comment.', 'danger')
+                return redirect(url_for('tickets.ticket_detail', ticket_id=ticket.id))
+
+            for f in uploaded_files:
                 file_error = validate_file(f, ALLOWED_EXT)
                 if file_error:
                     logger.warning(f'[COMMENT UPLOAD REJECTED] {file_error} filename="{f.filename}" user_id={current_user.id}')
@@ -239,7 +272,7 @@ def update_ticket(ticket_id):
     if not current_user.is_it_staff:
         abort(403)
 
-    ticket        = Ticket.query.get_or_404(ticket_id)
+    ticket        = db.session.get(Ticket, ticket_id) or abort(404)
     old_status    = ticket.status
     old_priority  = ticket.priority
     old_assigned  = ticket.assigned_to_id
@@ -317,7 +350,7 @@ def update_ticket(ticket_id):
 @tickets_bp.route('/comments/<int:comment_id>/delete', methods=['POST'])
 @login_required
 def delete_comment(comment_id):
-    comment = Comment.query.get_or_404(comment_id)
+    comment = db.session.get(Comment, comment_id) or abort(404)
     if not current_user.is_it_staff and comment.author_id != current_user.id:
         abort(403)
     ticket_id = comment.ticket_id
@@ -335,13 +368,13 @@ def delete_comment(comment_id):
 @tickets_bp.route('/attachments/<int:att_id>')
 @login_required
 def download_attachment(att_id):
-    att = Attachment.query.get_or_404(att_id)
+    att = db.session.get(Attachment, att_id) or abort(404)
     # Authorization: employees may only download attachments belonging to
     # their own tickets. IT staff have unrestricted access across all tickets.
     # att.ticket_id is the authoritative link — comment attachments also carry
     # the parent ticket_id, so this check covers both ticket and comment files.
     if not current_user.is_it_staff:
-        ticket = Ticket.query.get_or_404(att.ticket_id)
+        ticket = db.session.get(Ticket, att.ticket_id) or abort(404)
         if ticket.created_by_id != current_user.id:
             logger.warning(
                 f'[ATTACHMENT ACCESS DENIED] att_id={att_id} ticket_id={att.ticket_id} '
@@ -416,7 +449,7 @@ def knowledge_base():
 @tickets_bp.route('/kb/<int:article_id>')
 @login_required
 def kb_article(article_id):
-    article = KnowledgeBase.query.get_or_404(article_id)
+    article = db.session.get(KnowledgeBase, article_id) or abort(404)
     # Increment view_count atomically at the SQL level. A Python-level
     # read-modify-write (article.view_count += 1) is not safe under concurrent
     # requests: two simultaneous reads both see the same value and one

app/services/notification_service.py

@@ -219,9 +219,10 @@ def notify_comment_added(comment):
     # receive the new comment immediately without needing to reload.
     payload = {
         'id'         : comment.id,
-        'author_name': comment.author.full_name,
+        'author_name'  : comment.author.full_name,
-        'author_init': comment.author.full_name[0].upper(),
+        'author_init'  : comment.author.full_name[0].upper(),
-        'is_it_staff': comment.author.is_it_staff,
+        'author_avatar': comment.author.avatar_url or '',
+        'is_it_staff'  : comment.author.is_it_staff,
         'is_internal': comment.is_internal,
         'body'       : comment.body,
         'created_at' : comment.created_at.strftime('%b %d, %Y %H:%M'),

app/services/validation_service.py

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ copy-pasting validation code into auth.py, admin.py, and future modules.
 """
 
 import logging
+import mistune
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -177,3 +178,51 @@ def _group_by_alternative(
             else:
                 groups.append([(offset, magic)])
     return groups if groups else [[]]
+
+
+# ─── Comment Body Markdown Rendering ─────────────────────────────────────────
+# Comments support a safe subset of Markdown (bold, italic, code, lists,
+# blockquotes, links).  We render to HTML at write time and sanitize with a
+# strict allowlist so stored bodies are always safe to render with | safe.
+#
+# Intentionally excluded from comments (present in KB allowlist):
+#   img, table, div, h1-h6, figure — keep comment rendering lightweight.
+
+import bleach as _bleach
+
+_COMMENT_ALLOWED_TAGS = {
+    'p', 'br',
+    'strong', 'em', 'u', 's', 'code', 'pre',
+    'ul', 'ol', 'li',
+    'blockquote',
+    'a',
+    'hr',
+}
+_COMMENT_ALLOWED_ATTRS = {
+    'a': ['href', 'title', 'rel'],
+}
+
+_md = mistune.create_markdown(escape=True)
+
+
+def render_comment_body(raw_text: str) -> str:
+    """Convert plain-text Markdown comment to sanitized HTML.
+
+    Renders Markdown to HTML with mistune, then strips any tags/attributes
+    not in the comment allowlist via bleach.  The result is safe to render
+    with Jinja2's ``| safe`` filter without further escaping.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    raw_text : str  – the raw plain-text comment body submitted by the user
+    """
+    if not raw_text:
+        return ''
+    html    = _md(raw_text)
+    cleaned = _bleach.clean(
+        html,
+        tags       = _COMMENT_ALLOWED_TAGS,
+        attributes = _COMMENT_ALLOWED_ATTRS,
+        strip      = True,
+    )
+    return cleaned

app/templates/admin/tickets.html

@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@
   <div class="card-body">
     <form method="GET" class="row g-2 align-items-end">
       <div class="col-md-3">
+        <label class="form-label">Search</label>
+        <input type="text" class="form-control" name="q" value="{{ search }}"
+               placeholder="Title, ticket #, submitter, assignee, comments…"/>
+      </div>
+      <div class="col-md-2">
         <label class="form-label">Status</label>
         <select class="form-select" name="status">
           <option value="">All Statuses</option>
@@ -16,7 +21,7 @@
           {% endfor %}
         </select>
       </div>
-      <div class="col-md-3">
+      <div class="col-md-2">
         <label class="form-label">Priority</label>
         <select class="form-select" name="priority">
           <option value="">All Priorities</option>
@@ -25,7 +30,7 @@
           {% endfor %}
         </select>
       </div>
-      <div class="col-md-3">
+      <div class="col-md-2">
         <label class="form-label">Assignment</label>
         <select class="form-select" name="assigned">
           <option value="">All</option>
@@ -35,7 +40,11 @@
       </div>
       <div class="col-md-3 d-flex gap-2">
         <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary flex-fill"><i class="bi bi-search me-1"></i>Filter</button>
-        <a href="{{ url_for('admin.all_tickets') }}" class="btn btn-secondary"><i class="bi bi-x-lg"></i></a>
+        <a href="{{ url_for('admin.all_tickets') }}" class="btn btn-secondary" title="Clear filters"><i class="bi bi-x-lg"></i></a>
+        <a href="{{ url_for('admin.export_tickets', status=status, priority=priority, assigned=assigned, q=search) }}"
+           class="btn btn-secondary" title="Export current results to CSV">
+          <i class="bi bi-download me-1"></i>CSV
+        </a>
       </div>
     </form>
   </div>
@@ -83,19 +92,19 @@
     <div class="d-flex justify-content-center py-3">
       <nav><ul class="pagination mb-0">
         {% if tickets.has_prev %}
-        <li class="page-item"><a class="page-link" href="{{ url_for('admin.all_tickets', page=tickets.prev_num, status=status, priority=priority, assigned=assigned) }}">‹</a></li>
+        <li class="page-item"><a class="page-link" href="{{ url_for('admin.all_tickets', page=tickets.prev_num, status=status, priority=priority, assigned=assigned, q=search) }}">‹</a></li>
         {% endif %}
         {% for p in tickets.iter_pages(left_edge=1, right_edge=1, left_current=2, right_current=2) %}
           {% if p %}
           <li class="page-item {% if p==tickets.page %}active{% endif %}">
-            <a class="page-link" href="{{ url_for('admin.all_tickets', page=p, status=status, priority=priority, assigned=assigned) }}">{{ p }}</a>
+            <a class="page-link" href="{{ url_for('admin.all_tickets', page=p, status=status, priority=priority, assigned=assigned, q=search) }}">{{ p }}</a>
           </li>
           {% else %}
           <li class="page-item disabled"><span class="page-link">…</span></li>
           {% endif %}
         {% endfor %}
         {% if tickets.has_next %}
-        <li class="page-item"><a class="page-link" href="{{ url_for('admin.all_tickets', page=tickets.next_num, status=status, priority=priority, assigned=assigned) }}">›</a></li>
+        <li class="page-item"><a class="page-link" href="{{ url_for('admin.all_tickets', page=tickets.next_num, status=status, priority=priority, assigned=assigned, q=search) }}">›</a></li>
         {% endif %}
       </ul></nav>
     </div>

app/templates/auth/profile.html

@@ -8,17 +8,30 @@
     <div class="card">
       <div class="card-header"><i class="bi bi-person-circle me-2"></i>Account Settings</div>
       <div class="card-body">
-        <form method="POST">
+        <form method="POST" enctype="multipart/form-data">
           <input type="hidden" name="csrf_token" value="{{ csrf_token() }}"/>
-          <!-- Avatar placeholder -->
+          <!-- Avatar -->
           <div class="text-center mb-4">
+            {% if current_user.avatar_url %}
+            <img src="{{ url_for('auth.serve_avatar', filename=current_user.avatar_url) }}"
+                 alt="Avatar"
+                 style="width:80px;height:80px;border-radius:50%;object-fit:cover;border:2px solid var(--border);margin:0 auto 10px;display:block;"/>
+            {% else %}
             <div style="width:80px;height:80px;border-radius:50%;background:var(--accent2);display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;font-size:32px;font-weight:700;color:#fff;margin:0 auto 10px;">
               {{ current_user.full_name[0].upper() }}
             </div>
+            {% endif %}
             <div style="font-size:12px;color:var(--muted);">{{ current_user.email }}</div>
             <div style="font-size:11px;background:rgba(0,180,216,.1);color:var(--accent3);display:inline-block;padding:2px 10px;border-radius:12px;margin-top:4px;">
               {{ current_user.role.replace('_',' ').upper() }}
             </div>
+            <div class="mt-3">
+              <label class="form-label" style="font-size:12px;">Profile Picture
+                <span style="color:var(--muted);font-weight:400;">(PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP — max 5 MB)</span>
+              </label>
+              <input type="file" class="form-control form-control-sm" name="avatar"
+                     accept=".png,.jpg,.jpeg,.gif,.webp" style="max-width:300px;margin:0 auto;"/>
+            </div>
           </div>
 
           <div class="row g-3">

app/templates/base.html

@@ -254,7 +254,16 @@
     .comment-card.internal{border-left:3px solid var(--warning);background:var(--warning-bg);}
     .comment-author{font-size:13px;font-weight:600;color:var(--text);}
     .comment-time{font-size:11px;color:var(--muted);font-family:'Space Mono',monospace;}
-    .comment-body{font-size:14px;margin-top:8px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:var(--text2);}
+    .comment-body{font-size:14px;margin-top:8px;color:var(--text2);line-height:1.65;}
+    .comment-body p{margin:0 0 8px;}
+    .comment-body p:last-child{margin-bottom:0;}
+    .comment-body ul,.comment-body ol{margin:0 0 8px;padding-left:20px;}
+    .comment-body pre{background:var(--surface);border:1px solid var(--border);border-radius:6px;padding:10px 14px;font-size:12px;overflow-x:auto;margin:0 0 8px;}
+    .comment-body code{background:var(--surface);border:1px solid var(--border);border-radius:4px;padding:1px 5px;font-size:12px;font-family:'Space Mono',monospace;}
+    .comment-body pre code{background:none;border:none;padding:0;}
+    .comment-body blockquote{border-left:3px solid var(--border);margin:0 0 8px;padding:4px 12px;color:var(--muted);}
+    .comment-body a{color:var(--accent3);}
+    .comment-body hr{border:none;border-top:1px solid var(--border);margin:10px 0;}
     .history-item{font-size:12px;color:var(--muted);padding:6px 0;border-bottom:1px solid var(--border);}
 
     /* ── Responsive ── */
@@ -332,7 +341,15 @@
 
   <div class="sidebar-footer">
     <div class="user-card">
-      <div class="avatar">{{ current_user.full_name[0].upper() }}</div>
+      <div class="avatar">
+        {% if current_user.avatar_url %}
+        <img src="{{ url_for('auth.serve_avatar', filename=current_user.avatar_url) }}"
+             alt="{{ current_user.full_name[0].upper() }}"
+             style="width:32px;height:32px;border-radius:50%;object-fit:cover;display:block;"/>
+        {% else %}
+        {{ current_user.full_name[0].upper() }}
+        {% endif %}
+      </div>
       <div>
         <div class="user-name">{{ current_user.full_name }}</div>
         <div class="user-role">{{ current_user.role.replace('_',' ') }}</div>

app/templates/tickets/detail.html

@@ -38,16 +38,27 @@
     {% if ticket_atts %}
     <div class="card mb-4">
       <div class="card-header"><i class="bi bi-paperclip me-2"></i>Attachments</div>
-      <div class="card-body d-flex flex-wrap gap-2">
+      <div class="card-body">
+        <div class="d-flex flex-wrap gap-2 align-items-start">
           {% for att in ticket_atts %}
+            {% if att.mime_type and att.mime_type.startswith('image/') %}
+            <a href="{{ url_for('tickets.download_attachment', att_id=att.id) }}"
+               target="_blank" class="comment-img-link" title="{{ att.filename }}">
+              <img src="{{ url_for('tickets.download_attachment', att_id=att.id) }}"
+                   alt="{{ att.filename }}"
+                   class="comment-img-thumb"/>
+            </a>
+            {% else %}
             <a href="{{ url_for('tickets.download_attachment', att_id=att.id) }}"
                class="btn btn-secondary btn-sm">
               <i class="bi bi-download me-1"></i>{{ att.filename }}
               <span style="font-size:10px;color:var(--muted);">({{ (att.file_size/1024)|int }}KB)</span>
             </a>
+            {% endif %}
           {% endfor %}
         </div>
       </div>
+    </div>
     {% endif %}
 
     <!-- Resolution notes (IT only, or if resolved) -->
@@ -77,8 +88,14 @@
     <div class="comment-card {% if comment.is_internal %}internal{% endif %}" id="comment-{{ comment.id }}">
       <div class="d-flex align-items-center justify-content-between mb-2">
         <div class="d-flex align-items-center gap-2">
-          <div style="width:28px;height:28px;border-radius:50%;background:var(--accent2);display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;">
+          <div style="width:28px;height:28px;border-radius:50%;background:var(--accent2);display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;overflow:hidden;flex-shrink:0;">
+            {% if comment.author.avatar_url %}
+            <img src="{{ url_for('auth.serve_avatar', filename=comment.author.avatar_url) }}"
+                 alt="{{ comment.author.full_name[0].upper() }}"
+                 style="width:28px;height:28px;object-fit:cover;display:block;"/>
+            {% else %}
             {{ comment.author.full_name[0].upper() }}
+            {% endif %}
           </div>
           <span class="comment-author">{{ comment.author.full_name }}</span>
           {% if comment.author.is_it_staff %}
@@ -102,7 +119,7 @@
           {% endif %}
         </div>
       </div>
-      <div class="comment-body">{{ comment.body }}</div>
+      <div class="comment-body">{{ comment.body | safe }}</div>
       {% set c_atts = comment.attachments.all() %}
       {% if c_atts %}
       <div class="mt-2">
@@ -141,7 +158,7 @@
           <input type="hidden" name="csrf_token" value="{{ csrf_token() }}"/>
           <div class="mb-3">
             <textarea id="comment-body" class="form-control" name="body" rows="4" required
-                      placeholder="Add your update, follow-up, or response here… (you can also paste images directly)"></textarea>
+                      placeholder="Add your update… Markdown supported: **bold**, _italic_, `code`, - lists, > quotes (you can also paste images directly)"></textarea>
           </div>
           <!-- Image preview strip — populated by paste or file picker -->
           <div id="img-preview-strip" style="display:none;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:8px;margin-bottom:12px;"></div>
@@ -200,11 +217,41 @@ if (typeof socket !== 'undefined') {
 // on submit, since a paste event cannot modify a real <input type=file>.
 let pastedFiles = [];
 
+// ── Attachment limits (enforced client-side here AND server-side in tickets.py)
+const MAX_ATTACHMENT_FILES = 5;
+const MAX_ATTACHMENT_BYTES = 25 * 1024 * 1024;  // 25 MB total per comment
+
+function getAttachmentError(allFiles) {
+  if (allFiles.length > MAX_ATTACHMENT_FILES) {
+    return `Too many files — maximum ${MAX_ATTACHMENT_FILES} attachments per comment.`;
+  }
+  const totalBytes = allFiles.reduce((sum, f) => sum + f.size, 0);
+  if (totalBytes > MAX_ATTACHMENT_BYTES) {
+    const mb = (MAX_ATTACHMENT_BYTES / (1024 * 1024)).toFixed(0);
+    return `Total attachment size exceeds the ${mb} MB limit per comment.`;
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
 function rebuildPreviewStrip() {
   // Collect all files: pasted images + files chosen via the picker
   const pickerFiles = Array.from(document.getElementById('attachment-input').files || []);
   const allFiles    = [...pastedFiles, ...pickerFiles];
   const strip       = document.getElementById('img-preview-strip');
+  const err         = document.getElementById('comment-error');
+
+  // Show/clear the limit error alongside the preview strip
+  const limitErr = getAttachmentError(allFiles);
+  if (limitErr) {
+    err.textContent    = limitErr;
+    err.style.display  = 'block';
+  } else {
+    // Only clear the error if it was an attachment limit message
+    if (err.textContent && err.textContent.includes('attachment')) {
+      err.style.display = 'none';
+      err.textContent   = '';
+    }
+  }
 
   if (allFiles.length === 0) { strip.style.display = 'none'; strip.innerHTML = ''; return; }
 
@@ -282,6 +329,18 @@ document.getElementById('comment-form').addEventListener('submit', async functio
   const fd = new FormData(this);
   pastedFiles.forEach(f => fd.append('attachments', f, f.name));
 
+  // Client-side attachment limit check — mirrors server-side guard in tickets.py
+  const pickerFiles = Array.from(document.getElementById('attachment-input').files || []);
+  const allFiles    = [...pastedFiles, ...pickerFiles];
+  const limitErr    = getAttachmentError(allFiles);
+  if (limitErr) {
+    err.textContent   = limitErr;
+    err.style.display = 'block';
+    btn.disabled      = false;
+    btn.innerHTML     = '<i class="bi bi-send me-2"></i>Post Comment';
+    return;
+  }
+
   try {
     const resp = await fetch(window.location.pathname, {
       method      : 'POST',
@@ -408,11 +467,16 @@ function buildCommentEl(c) {
             </a>`;
   }).join('');
 
+  const avatarInner = c.author_avatar
+    ? `<img src="/auth/avatar/${c.author_avatar}" alt="${c.author_init}"
+            style="width:28px;height:28px;object-fit:cover;display:block;border-radius:50%;"/>`
+    : c.author_init;
+
   wrap.innerHTML = `
     <div class="d-flex align-items-center justify-content-between mb-2">
       <div class="d-flex align-items-center gap-2">
-        <div style="width:28px;height:28px;border-radius:50%;background:var(--accent2);display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;">
+        <div style="width:28px;height:28px;border-radius:50%;background:var(--accent2);display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;overflow:hidden;flex-shrink:0;">
-          ${c.author_init}
+          ${avatarInner}
         </div>
         <span class="comment-author">${c.author_name}</span>
         ${itBadge}${intBadge}

app/templates/tickets/list.html

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     <form method="GET" class="row g-2 align-items-end">
       <div class="col-md-4">
         <label class="form-label">Search</label>
-        <input type="text" class="form-control" name="q" value="{{ search }}" placeholder="Search by title, ticket #, description…"/>
+        <input type="text" class="form-control" name="q" value="{{ search }}" placeholder="Search title, ticket #, description, comments, assignee…"/>
       </div>
       <div class="col-md-2">
         <label class="form-label">Status</label>

requirements.txt

@@ -18,4 +18,5 @@ requests==2.32.3
 APScheduler==3.10.4
 marshmallow==3.21.3
 bleach==6.1.0
+mistune==3.2.0
 Flask-Limiter==3.5.0