Tier 3: AI-powered squash summarization

## Design: Agent-Provided Summarization (Inversion of Control)

bd is a tool FOR agents, not an agent itself. The calling agent provides
the summary; bd just stores it.

### API

```bash
# Agent generates summary, passes to bd
bd mol squash bd-xxx --summary "Agent-generated summary here"

# Without --summary, falls back to basic concatenation
bd mol squash bd-xxx
```

### Gas Town Integration Pattern

```go
// In polecat completion handler or witness
raw := exec.Command("bd", "mol", "show", molID, "--json").Output()
summary := callHaiku(buildSummaryPrompt(raw))  // agent's job
exec.Command("bd", "mol", "squash", molID, "--summary", summary).Run()
```

### Why This Design

| Concern | bd's job | Agent's job |
|---------|----------|-------------|
| Store data | ✅ | |
| Query data | ✅ | |
| Generate summaries | | ✅ |
| Call LLMs | | ✅ |
| Manage API keys | | ✅ |

### Implementation Status

- [x] --summary flag added to bd mol squash
- [x] Tests for agent-provided summary
- [ ] Gas Town integration (separate task)

### Acceptance Criteria

- ✅ bd mol squash --summary uses provided text
- ✅ Without --summary, falls back to concatenation
- ✅ No LLM calls in bd itself


Merge: bd-dxtc

branch: polecat/cheedo
target: main
source_issue: bd-dxtc
rig: beads


Merge: bd-indn

branch: polecat/rictus
target: main
source_issue: bd-indn
rig: beads


Audit and fix JSONL filename mismatches across all repo clones

## Problem

Multiple clones of repos are configured with different JSONL filenames (issues.jsonl vs beads.jsonl), causing:
1. JSONL files to be resurrected after deletion (one clone pushes issues.jsonl, another pushes beads.jsonl)
2. Agents unable to see issues filed by other agents after sync
3. Merge conflicts and data inconsistencies

## Root Cause

When repos were "bd doctored" or initialized at different times, some got issues.jsonl (old default) and others got beads.jsonl (Beads repo specific). These clones push their respective files, creating duplicates.

## Task

Scan all repo clones under ~/src/ (1-2 levels deep) and standardize their JSONL configuration.

### Step 1: Find all beads-enabled repos

```bash
# Find all directories named 'beads' at levels 1-2 under ~/src/
find ~/src -maxdepth 2 -type d -name beads
```

### Step 2: For each repo found, check configuration

For each directory from Step 1, check:
- Does `.beads/metadata.json` exist?
- What is the `jsonl_export` value?
- What JSONL files actually exist in `.beads/`?
- Are there multiple JSONL files (problem!)?

### Step 3: Create audit report

Generate a report showing:
```
Repo Path                           | Config        | Actual Files           | Status
----------------------------------- | ------------- | ---------------------- | --------
~/src/beads                         | beads.jsonl   | beads.jsonl            | OK
~/src/dave/beads                    | issues.jsonl  | issues.jsonl           | MISMATCH
~/src/emma/beads                    | issues.jsonl  | issues.jsonl, beads.jsonl | DUPLICATE!
```

### Step 4: Determine canonical name for each repo

For repos that are the SAME git repository (check `git remote -v`):
- Group them together
- Determine which JSONL filename should be canonical (majority wins, or beads.jsonl for the beads repo itself)
- List which clones need to be updated

### Step 5: Generate fix script

Create a script that for each mismatched clone:
1. Updates `.beads/metadata.json` to use the canonical name
2. If JSONL file needs renaming: `git mv .beads/old.jsonl .beads/new.jsonl`
3. Removes any duplicate JSONL files: `git rm .beads/duplicate.jsonl`
4. Commits the change
5. Syncs: `bd sync`

### Expected Output

1. Audit report showing all repos and their config status
2. List of repos grouped by git remote (same repository)
3. Fix script or manual instructions for standardizing each repo
4. Verification that after fixes, all clones of the same repo use the same JSONL filename

### Edge Cases

- Handle repos without metadata.json (use default discovery)
- Handle repos with no git remote (standalone/local)
- Handle repos that are not git repositories
- Don't modify repos with uncommitted changes (warn instead)

### Success Criteria

- All clones of the same git repository use the same JSONL filename
- No duplicate JSONL files in any repo
- All configurations documented in metadata.json
- bd doctor passes on all repos


test hash length


Gate await fields cleared by --no-daemon CLI access (not multi-repo)


Update CHANGELOG.md for 0.30.4

1. Change `## [Unreleased]` to `## [0.30.4] - 2025-12-17`
2. Add new empty `## [Unreleased]` section at top
3. Ensure all changes since 0.30.3 are documented


Work on beads-ocs: Thin shim hooks to eliminate version d...

Work on beads-ocs: Thin shim hooks to eliminate version drift (GH#615). Replace full hook scripts with thin shims that call bd hooks run. When done, submit MR (not PR) to integration branch for Refinery.


Fix or remove TestFindJSONLPathDefault (issue #356)

Code health review found .test-skip permanently skips TestFindJSONLPathDefault.

The test references issue #356 about wrong JSONL filename expectations (issues.jsonl vs beads.jsonl).

Test file: internal/beads/beads_test.go

The underlying migration from beads.jsonl to issues.jsonl may be complete, so either:
1. Fix the test expectations
2. Remove the test if no longer needed
3. Document why it remains skipped


bd mol update: Check and update installed formulas

Check for newer versions of installed formulas and update them.

## Usage
```bash
bd mol update                    # Update all
bd mol update mol-code-review    # Update specific formula
bd mol update --check            # Just check, don't update
```

## Implementation
1. Read .beads/installed.json
2. For each installed formula:
   - Fetch latest tag from GitHub API
   - Compare with installed version
   - If newer: download, cook, update installed.json
3. Report what was updated

## Flags
- `--check` - Only check for updates, don't install
- `--force` - Reinstall even if up to date
- `--json` - Machine-readable output


Implement transaction retry logic for SQLITE_BUSY

BEGIN IMMEDIATE fails immediately on SQLITE_BUSY instead of retrying with exponential backoff.

Location: internal/storage/sqlite/sqlite.go:223-225

Problem:
- Under concurrent write load, BEGIN IMMEDIATE can fail with SQLITE_BUSY
- Current implementation fails immediately instead of retrying
- Results in spurious failures under normal concurrent usage

Solution: Implement exponential backoff retry:
- Retry up to N times (e.g., 5)
- Backoff: 10ms, 20ms, 40ms, 80ms, 160ms
- Check for context cancellation between retries
- Only retry on SQLITE_BUSY/database locked errors

Impact: Spurious failures under concurrent write load

Effort: 3 hours


Systematic bd sync stability investigation

## Context

bd sync has chronic instability issues that have persisted since inception:
- issues.jsonl is always dirty after push
- bd sync often creates messes requiring manual cleanup
- Problems escalating despite accumulated bug fixes
- Workarounds are getting increasingly draconian

## Goal

Systematically observe and diagnose bd sync failures rather than applying band-aid fixes.

## Approach

1. Start fresh session with latest binary (all fixes applied)
2. Run bd sync and carefully observe what happens
3. Document exact sequence of events when things go wrong
4. File specific issues for each discrete problem identified
5. Track the root causes, not just symptoms

## Test Environment

- Fresh clone or clean state
- Latest bd binary with all bug fixes
- Monitor both local and remote JSONL state
- Check for timing issues, race conditions, merge conflicts

## Success Criteria

- Identify root causes of sync instability
- Create actionable issues for each problem
- Eventually achieve stable bd sync (no manual intervention needed)


Protect pinned issues from bd cleanup/compact

Update bd cleanup and bd compact to never delete pinned issues, even if they are closed. Pinned issues should persist indefinitely as reference material.


Test Thread

Initial message for threading test


Merge: bd-au0.6

branch: polecat/furiosa
target: main
source_issue: bd-au0.6
rig: beads


Digest: Release v0.34.0 @ 2025-12-22 12:16

Released v0.34.0: wisp commands, chemistry UX, cross-project deps


Commit release

Stage and commit all version changes.

```bash
git add -A
git commit -m "chore: Bump version to 0.39.0"
```

Review the commit to ensure all expected files are included.


Tier 5 (Future): JSONL archive rotation

Periodic rotation of issues.jsonl for long-running repos.

## Design

.beads/
├── issues.jsonl           # Current (hot)
├── archive/
│   ├── issues-2025-12.jsonl.gz  # Archived (cold)
│   └── ...
└── index.jsonl            # Merged index for queries

## Commands

bd archive rotate [flags]
  --older-than N    Archive issues closed > N days
  --compress        Gzip archives
  --dry-run         Preview

bd archive list           # Show archived periods
bd archive restore <period>  # Restore from archive

## Config

bd config set archive.enabled true
bd config set archive.rotate_days 90
bd config set archive.compress true
bd config set archive.path '.beads/archive'

## Considerations

- Archives can be gitignored (local only) or committed (shared)
- Query layer must check index, hydrate from archive
- Cold storage tiering (S3/GCS) for enterprise
- Merkle proofs preserved for audit

## Priority

This is post-1.0 work. Current focus is on squash (removes ephemeral).
Archive helps with long-term history but is less critical.


No logging/debugging for tombstone resurrection events

Per the design document bd-zvg Open Question 1: Should resurrection log a warning? Recommendation was Yes. Currently, when an expired tombstone loses to a live issue (resurrection), there is no logging or debugging output. This makes it hard to understand why an issue reappeared. Recommendation: Add optional debug logging when resurrection occurs, e.g., Issue bd-abc resurrected (tombstone expired). Files: internal/merge/merge.go:359-366, 371-378, 400-405, 410-415


GH#405: Prefix parsing with hyphens treats first segment as prefix

Prefix me-py-toolkit gets parsed as just me- when detecting mismatches. Fix prefix parsing to handle multi-hyphen prefixes. See GitHub issue #405.


Update Metrics and Health Endpoints

Remove cache-related metrics from health/metrics endpoints


Exclude pinned issues from bd blocked

Update bd blocked to exclude pinned issues. Pinned issues are context markers and should not appear in the blocked work list.


Add empty tasks validation in workflow create

workflow.go:321 will panic if wf.Tasks is empty. Add validation that len(wf.Tasks) > 0 before accessing wf.Tasks[0].


Auto-repair stale merge driver configs with invalid placeholders

Old bd versions (<0.24.0) installed merge driver with invalid placeholders %L %R instead of %A %B. Add detection to bd doctor --fix: check if git config merge.beads.driver contains %L or %R, auto-repair to 'bd merge %A %O %A %B'. One-time migration for users who initialized with old versions.


GH#519: bd sync fails when sync.branch is currently checked-out branch


Tier 2: Basic bd mol squash command

Add bd mol squash command for basic molecule execution compression.

## Command

bd mol squash <molecule-id> [flags]
  --dry-run         Preview what would be squashed
  --keep-children   Don't delete ephemeral children after squash
  --json            JSON output

## Implementation

1. Find all ephemeral children of molecule (parent-child deps)
2. Concatenate child descriptions/notes into digest
3. Create digest issue in main repo with:
   - Title: 'Molecule Execution Summary: <original-title>'
   - digest_of: [list of squashed child IDs]
   - ephemeral: false (digest is permanent)
4. Delete ephemeral children (unless --keep-children)
5. Link digest to parent work item

## Schema Changes

Add to Issue struct:
- SquashedAt *time.Time
- SquashDigest string (ID of digest)
- DigestOf []string (IDs of squashed children)

## Acceptance Criteria

- bd mol squash <id> creates digest, removes children
- --dry-run shows preview
- Digest has proper metadata linking


bd find-duplicates - AI-powered duplicate detection

Find semantically duplicate issues.

Approaches:
1. Mechanical: Exact title/description matching
2. Embeddings: Cosine similarity (cheap, scalable)
3. AI: LLM-based semantic comparison (expensive, accurate)

Uses embeddings by default for >100 issues.

Files: cmd/bd/find_duplicates.go (new)


Consolidate git context into single cached struct

Code review finding from bd-7di fix.

Currently there are 3 separate caches:
- isWorktreeOnce/isWorktreeResult
- mainRepoRootOnce/mainRepoRootResult/mainRepoRootErr
- repoRootOnce/repoRootResult

These have redundant git calls - e.g. both isWorktreeUncached() and getMainRepoRootUncached() call getGitDirNoError("--git-common-dir").

Could consolidate into a single cached struct:
```go
type gitContext struct {
    gitDir     string
    commonDir  string
    repoRoot   string
    isWorktree bool
}
```

This would reduce git calls further and simplify ResetCaches().

File: internal/git/gitdir.go


bd activity: Real-time molecule state feed

Implement activity feed command for watching molecule state transitions.

## Commands
```bash
bd activity --follow              # Real-time streaming
bd activity --mol <id>            # Activity for specific molecule
bd activity --since 5m            # Last 5 minutes
bd activity --type step           # Only step transitions
```

## Output Format
```
[14:32:01] ✓ patrol-x7k.inbox-check completed
[14:32:03] ✓ patrol-x7k.check-refinery completed
[14:32:08] + patrol-x7k.arm-ace bonded (5 steps)
[14:32:09] → patrol-x7k.arm-ace.capture in_progress
[14:32:10] ✓ patrol-x7k.arm-ace.capture completed
[14:32:14] ✓ patrol-x7k.arm-ace.decide completed (action: nudge-1)
[14:32:17] ✓ patrol-x7k.arm-ace COMPLETE
[14:32:23] ✓ patrol-x7k SQUASHED → digest-x7k
```

## Event Types
- `+` bonded - New molecule/step created
- `→` in_progress - Step started
- `✓` completed - Step/molecule finished
- `✗` failed - Step failed
- `⊘` burned - Wisp discarded
- `◉` squashed - Wisp condensed to digest

## Implementation
- Could use SQLite triggers or polling
- --follow uses OS file watching or polling
- Filter by mol ID, type, time range


Polymorphic bond command: bd mol bond A B

Implement proto-to-proto bonding to create compound protos.

COMMAND: bd mol bond proto-feature proto-testing [--as proto-feature-tested] [--type sequential]

BEHAVIOR:
- Load both proto subgraphs
- Create new compound proto with combined structure
- B's root becomes child of A's root (sequential) or sibling (parallel)
- Wire dependencies: B depends on A's leaf nodes (sequential) or runs parallel
- Store bonded_from metadata for lineage tracking

FLAGS:
- --as NAME: Custom ID for compound proto (default: generates hash)
- --type: sequential (default) or parallel
- --dry-run: Preview compound structure

OUTPUT:
- New compound proto in catalog
- Shows combined variable requirements

UPDATE: bond is now polymorphic - handles proto+proto, proto+mol, and mol+mol based on operand types. Separate 'attach' command eliminated.


bd doctor: detect issues referenced in commits but still open

Add a doctor check that finds 'orphaned' issues - ones referenced in git commit messages (e.g., 'fix bug (bd-xxx)') but still marked as open in beads.

**Detection logic:**
1. Get all open issue IDs from beads
2. Parse git log for issue ID references matching pattern \(prefix-[a-z0-9.]+\)
3. Report issues that appear in commits but are still open

**Output:**
⚠ Warning: N issues referenced in commits but still open
  bd-xxx: 'Issue title' (commit abc123)
  bd-yyy: 'Issue title' (commit def456)

  These may be implemented but not closed. Run 'bd show <id>' to check.

**Implementation:**
- Add check to doctor/checks.go
- Use git log parsing (already have git utilities)
- Match against configured issue_prefix


Workaround for FastMCP outputSchema bug in Claude Code

The beads MCP server (v0.23.1) successfully connects to Claude Code, but all tools fail to load with a schema validation error due to a bug in FastMCP 2.13.1.

Error: "Invalid literal value, expected \"object\"" in outputSchema.

Root Cause: FastMCP generates outputSchema with $ref at root level without "type": "object" for self-referential models (Issue).

Workaround: Use slash commands (/beads:ready) or wait for FastMCP fix.


bd doctor --deep: validate full graph integrity

Add a deep validation mode to bd doctor that checks the entire issue graph.

Current doctor checks:
- Orphan sessions
- Orphan processes
- Wisp GC
- Sync status

Proposed --deep checks:
- **Parent consistency**: Every issue with parent field points to existing issue
- **Dependency symmetry**: If A depends on B, B should show A in blocks
- **Orphan issues**: Issues mentioned in commits but never closed
- **Circular dependencies**: Detect dependency cycles
- **Epic completeness**: Epics with all children closed should be closeable
- **Agent bead integrity**: Agent beads have required fields (role_bead, state)
- **Mail thread integrity**: Messages point to valid threads
- **Molecule state**: Molecules have valid current_step pointing to existing step

Use case: After complex operations (reparenting, migrations, bulk updates), run `bd doctor --deep` to catch graph inconsistencies before they cause problems.

Performance: May be slow on large databases - warn user and show progress.


Implement bd close --continue flag

Auto-advance to next step in molecule when closing an issue. Referenced by gt-um6q, gt-lz13. Needed for molecule navigation workflow.


Improve version bump molecule with missing steps

During v0.32.1 release, discovered missing steps in the release molecule:

**Missing from molecule:**
1. Rebuild ~/go/bin/bd (only did ~/.local/bin/bd)
2. Install beads-mcp from local source: `uv tool install --reinstall ./integrations/beads-mcp`
3. Restart daemons with `bd daemons killall`
4. (Optional) Publish beads-mcp to PyPI

**Current molecule steps (bd-6s61):**
1. Update CHANGELOG.md
2. Update info.go versionChanges
3. Run bump-version.sh
4. Run tests and linting
5. Update local installation
6. Commit and push release
7. Wait for CI
8. Verify release artifacts

**Proposed additions:**
- After "Update local installation": rebuild BOTH ~/.local/bin/bd AND ~/go/bin/bd
- Add: "Install beads-mcp from source" step
- Add: "Restart daemons" step
- Add: "Verify all versions match" step that checks all artifacts

**Also learned:**
- Must run from mayor/rig to avoid git conflicts with bd sync (already documented in bump-version.sh)

CORRECTION: npm publishing IS automated and working!

**Package naming:**
- OLD: `beads` (npm) - deprecated, stuck at 0.2.1
- CURRENT: `@beads/bd` (npm) - scoped package, auto-published by CI

**How it works:**
- CI uses OIDC trusted publishing (no token needed)
- Workflow: .github/workflows/release.yml → publish-npm job
- Permissions: `id-token: write` enables GitHub OIDC
- To install: `npm install -g @beads/bd` (not `npm install beads`)

**All publishing is automated on tag push:**
1. GitHub Release - goreleaser ✓
2. PyPI - publish-pypi job ✓
3. Homebrew - update-homebrew job ✓
4. npm (@beads/bd) - publish-npm job ✓

**Remaining molecule improvements (local steps only):**
- Rebuild BOTH ~/.local/bin/bd AND ~/go/bin/bd
- Install beads-mcp from source: `uv tool install --reinstall ./integrations/beads-mcp`
- Restart daemons: `bd daemons killall`
- Run from mayor/rig to avoid git conflicts with bd sync
- Final verification step to check all local versions match


Rename 'template instantiate' to 'mol bond'

Rename the template instantiation command to match molecule metaphor.

Current: bd template instantiate <id> --var key=value
Target:  bd mol bond <id> --var key=value

Changes needed:
- Add 'mol' command group (or extend existing)
- Add 'bond' subcommand that wraps template instantiate logic
- Keep 'template instantiate' as deprecated alias for backward compat
- Update help text and docs to use molecule terminology

The 'bond' verb captures:
1. Chemistry metaphor (molecules bond to form structures)
2. Dependency linking (child issues bonded in a DAG)
3. Short and active

See also: molecule execution model in Gas Town


Improve test coverage for cmd/bd/doctor/fix (23.9% → 50%)

The doctor/fix package has only 23.9% test coverage. The doctor fix functionality is important for troubleshooting.

Current coverage: 23.9%
Target coverage: 50%


Push release v{{version}} to remote

Push the commit and tag:

```bash
git push && git push --tags
```

Verify on GitHub that the tag appears in releases.


Fix JSON errors in label.go (label commands)

Replace ~19 direct stderr writes with FatalErrorRespectJSON() in label.go.

Commands affected:
- labelAddCmd
- labelRemoveCmd
- labelListCmd
- labelListAllCmd


Remove or fix ClearDirtyIssues() - race condition risk (bd-52)

Code health review found internal/storage/sqlite/dirty.go still exposes old ClearDirtyIssues() method (lines 103-108) which clears ALL dirty issues without checking what was actually exported.

Data loss risk: If export fails after some issues written to JSONL but before ClearDirtyIssues called, changes to remaining dirty issues will be lost.

The safer ClearDirtyIssuesByID() (lines 113-132) exists and clears only exported issues.

Fix: Either remove old method or mark it deprecated and ensure no code paths use it.


GH#402: Add --parent flag documentation to bd onboard

bd onboard output is missing --parent flag for epic subtasks. Agents guess wrong syntax (--deps parent:). See GitHub issue #402.


bd dep tree doesn't display external dependencies

GetDependencyTree (dependencies.go:464-624) uses a recursive CTE that JOINs with the issues table, which means external refs (external:project:capability) are invisible in the tree output.

When an issue has an external blocking dependency, running 'bd dep tree <id>' won't show it.

Options:
1. Query dependencies table separately for external refs and display them as leaf nodes
2. Add a synthetic 'external' node type that shows the ref and resolution status
3. Document that external deps aren't shown in tree view (use bd show for full deps)

Lower priority since bd show <id> displays all dependencies including external refs.


gt mail send: support reading message body from stdin

Currently gt mail send -m requires the message as a command-line argument, which causes shell escaping issues with backticks, quotes, and special characters.

Add support for reading message body from stdin:
- gt mail send addr -s 'Subject' --stdin  # Read body from stdin
- echo 'body' | gt mail send addr -s 'Subject' -m -  # Convention: -m - means stdin

This would allow:
cat <<'EOF' | gt mail send addr -s 'Subject' --stdin
Message with `backticks` and 'quotes' safely
EOF

Without this, agents struggle to send handoff messages containing code snippets.


Test suite hangs/never finishes

Running 'go test ./... -count=1' hangs indefinitely. The full test suite never completes, making it difficult to verify changes. Need to investigate which tests are hanging and fix or add timeouts.


Improve test coverage for cmd/bd/setup (28.4% → 50%)

The setup package has only 28.4% test coverage. Setup commands are critical for first-time user experience.

Current coverage: 28.4%
Target coverage: 50%


Work on beads-wkt: Output control parameters for MCP tool...

Work on beads-wkt: Output control parameters for MCP tools (GH#622). Add brief, fields, max_description_length params to ready/list/show. When done, submit MR (not PR) to integration branch for Refinery.


bd mol current: soft cursor showing current/next step

Add bd mol current command for molecule navigation orientation.

## Usage

bd mol current [mol-id]

If mol-id given, show status for that molecule.
If not given, infer from in_progress issues assigned to current agent.

## Output

You're working on molecule gt-abc (Feature X)

  [done] gt-abc.1: Design
  [done] gt-abc.2: Scaffold
  [done] gt-abc.3: Implement
  [current] gt-abc.4: Write tests [in_progress] <- YOU ARE HERE
  [pending] gt-abc.5: Documentation
  [pending] gt-abc.6: Exit decision

Progress: 3/6 steps complete

## Key behaviors
- Shows full molecule structure with status indicators
- Highlights current in_progress step
- If no in_progress, highlights first ready step
- Works without explicit cursor tracking (inferred from state)

## Implementation notes
- Query children of mol-id
- Sort by dependency order
- Find first in_progress or first ready
- Format with status indicators

## Gas Town integration
- gt-lz13: Update templates with nav workflow
- gt-um6q: Update docs with nav workflow


Update info.go versionChanges

Add entry to versionChanges in cmd/bd/info.go.

This powers `bd info --whats-new` for agents.

```go
"0.39.0": {
    "summary": "Brief description",
    "changes": []string{
        "Key change 1",
        "Key change 2",
    },
},
```

Focus on workflow-impacting changes agents need to know.


Commit release v{{version}}

Stage and commit the version bump:

```bash
git add cmd/bd/version.go cmd/bd/info.go CHANGELOG.md
git commit -m "release: v{{version}}"
```

Do NOT push yet - tag first.


Create and push tag

git tag v{{version}} && git push origin main && git push origin v{{version}}


Fix JSON error output consistency across all commands

## Problem

When `--json` flag is specified, error output should return JSON format, not plain text. Currently only `bd show` uses `FatalErrorRespectJSON` - all other commands use direct `fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, ...)`.

## Audit Findings (bd-au0.7)

| File | stderr writes | Commands affected |
|------|---------------|-------------------|
| show.go | 51 | update, close, edit |
| dep.go | 41 | dep add/remove/tree/cycles |
| label.go | 19 | label add/remove/list |
| comments.go | ~10 | comments add/list |
| epic.go | ~5 | epic status/close-eligible |

## Solution

Replace `fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, ...) + os.Exit(1)` patterns with `FatalErrorRespectJSON()` in all commands that support `--json` flag.

## Pattern

```go
// Before (inconsistent)
fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Error: %v\n", err)
os.Exit(1)

// After (respects --json)
FatalErrorRespectJSON("%v", err)
```

## Success Criteria

- All commands return JSON errors when `--json` flag is set
- Error format: `{"error": "message"}`
- Exit code 1 preserved for errors


Add tests for validation functions

Validation functions like ParseIssueType have 0% coverage. These are critical for ensuring data quality and preventing invalid data from entering the system.


Investigate JSONL hash mismatch warnings (bd-160)

During v0.39.1 release, saw repeated warnings:

WARNING: JSONL file hash mismatch detected (bd-160)
  This indicates JSONL and export_hashes are out of sync.
  Clearing export_hashes to force full re-export.

This appeared multiple times during wisp close operations. Questions:
1. What causes export_hashes to drift from actual JSONL content?
2. Is this expected during wisp operations (since wisps do not export)?
3. Should wisp operations skip the hash check entirely?
4. Is there actual data integrity risk or just noise?

The warning references bd-160 - may need to check that issue for context.


GH#540: Add silent quick-capture mode (bd q)

Add bd q alias for quick capture that outputs only issue ID. Useful for piping/scripting. See GitHub issue #540.


Work on beads-eub: Consolidated context tool for MCP serv...

Work on beads-eub: Consolidated context tool for MCP server (GH#636). Merge set_context, where_am_i, init into single 'context' tool. When done, submit MR (not PR) to integration branch for Refinery.


bd update --parent: allow reparenting issues

**Request:** Add `--parent` flag to `bd update` command.

**Use case:** When renaming/migrating an epic (e.g., gt-oki8p → gt-liftoff), need to reparent child issues to the new epic.

**Current workaround:** None clean - must delete and recreate children, or manually edit JSONL.

**Proposed:**
```bash
bd update gt-j0gx2 --parent=gt-liftoff
```

**Note:** `bd create` already has `--parent` flag, so the semantics are established.


Commit release

git add -A && git commit -m 'release: v{{version}}'


Add gate timeout tracking and notification

Implement timeout and notification logic for gates.

## Timeout Behavior
1. Gate created with timeout (e.g., 30m)
2. Deacon tracks elapsed time during patrol
3. If timeout reached:
   - Notify all waiters: "Gate timed out"
   - Close gate with timeout reason
   - Waiter can retry, escalate, or fail gracefully

## Notification
- Use gt mail send to notify waiters
- Include gate ID, await type, and reason in message
- Support multiple waiters notification

## Escalation Path
- Witness sees stuck worker, nudges them
- Worker can escalate to human if needed


Merge: bd-phtv

branch: polecat/Pinner
target: main
source_issue: bd-phtv
rig: beads


getLocalSyncBranch silently ignores YAML parse errors

In autoimport.go:170-172, YAML parsing errors are silently ignored. If a user has malformed YAML in config.yaml, sync-branch will just silently be empty with no feedback.

Recommendation: Add debug logging since this function is only called during auto-import, and debugging silent failures is painful.

Add: debug.Logf("Warning: failed to parse config.yaml: %v", err)


Beads commands operate on stale database without warning

All beads read operations should validate database is in sync with JSONL before proceeding.

**Current Behavior:**
- Commands can query/read from stale database
- Only mutation operations (like 'bd sync') check if JSONL is newer
- User gets incorrect results without realizing database is out of sync

**Expected Behavior:**
- All beads commands should have pre-flight check for database freshness
- If JSONL is newer than database, refuse to operate with error: "Database out of sync. Run 'bd import' first."
- Same safety check that exists for 'bd sync' should apply to ALL operations

**Impact:**
- Users make decisions based on incomplete/outdated data
- Silent failures lead to confusion (e.g., thinking issues don't exist when they do)
- Similar to running git commands on stale repo without being warned to pull

**Example:**
- Searched for bd-g9eu issue file: not found
- Issue exists in .beads/issues.jsonl (in git)
- Database was stale, but no warning was given
- Led to incorrect conclusion that issue was already closed/deleted

## Implementation Complete

**Phase 1: Created staleness check (cmd/bd/staleness.go)**
- ensureDatabaseFresh() function checks JSONL mtime vs last_import_time
- Returns error with helpful message when database is stale
- Auto-skips in daemon mode (daemon has auto-import)

**Phase 2: Added to all read commands**
- list, show, ready, status, stale, info, duplicates, validate
- Check runs before database queries in direct mode
- Daemon mode already protected via checkAndAutoImportIfStale()

**Phase 3: Code Review Findings**
See follow-up issues:
- bd-XXXX: Add warning when staleness check errors
- bd-YYYY: Improve CheckStaleness error handling
- bd-ZZZZ: Refactor redundant daemon checks (low priority)

**Testing:**
- Build successful: go build ./cmd/bd
- Binary works: ./bd --version
- Ready for manual testing

**Next Steps:**
1. Test with stale database scenario
2. Implement review improvements
3. Close issue when tests pass


Add --pinned and --no-pinned flags to bd list

Add filtering flags to bd list: --pinned shows only pinned issues, --no-pinned excludes pinned issues. Default behavior shows all issues with a pin indicator.


Code smell: Issue struct is a God Object (50+ fields)

attached_args: Refactor Issue struct God Object

The Issue struct in internal/types/types.go has 50+ fields covering many different concerns:

- Basic issue tracking (ID, Title, Description, Status, Priority)
- Messaging/communication (Sender, Ephemeral, etc.)
- Agent identity (HookBead, RoleBead, AgentState, RoleType, Rig)
- Gate/async coordination (AwaitType, AwaitID, Timeout, Waiters)
- Source tracing (SourceFormula, SourceLocation)
- HOP validation/entities (Creator, Validations)
- Compaction (CompactionLevel, CompactedAt, OriginalSize)
- Tombstones (DeletedAt, DeletedBy, DeleteReason)

Consider:
1. Extracting field groups into embedded structs (e.g., AgentFields, GateFields)
2. Using composition pattern to make the struct more modular
3. At minimum, grouping related fields together with section comments

Location: internal/types/types.go:12-82


Work on gt-8tmz.36: Validate expanded step IDs are unique...

Work on gt-8tmz.36: Validate expanded step IDs are unique. In internal/formula/, add validation during cooking that checks for duplicate step IDs after expansion. When done: 1) bd close gt-8tmz.36, 2) bd sync, 3) git push, 4) gt mq submit


Bump version in all files

Run ./scripts/bump-version.sh {{version}} to update 10 version files. Then run with --commit after info.go is updated.


Wait for CI to pass

Monitor GitHub Actions - all checks must pass before release artifacts are built


Commit and push release

git add -A && git commit && git push to trigger CI


bd mol squash handles wisp→digest

Update bd mol squash to handle ephemeral molecules.

## Behavior for Ephemeral Molecules
1. Delete wisp from .beads-ephemeral/
2. Create digest issue in .beads/ (permanent)
3. Digest has type:digest and squashed_from field

## Digest Format
```json
{
  "id": "<parent>.digest-NNN",
  "type": "digest",
  "title": "<proto> cycle @ <timestamp>",
  "description": "<summary from --summary flag>",
  "parent": "<proto-id>",
  "squashed_from": "<wisp-id>"
}
```

## Implementation
- Detect if molecule is ephemeral (check storage location or flag)
- Delete from ephemeral store
- Create digest in permanent store
- Return digest ID

## Testing
- Test squash of ephemeral mol creates digest
- Test wisp is deleted after squash
- Test digest is queryable


Work on beads-d8h: Fix prefix mismatch false positive wit...

Work on beads-d8h: Fix prefix mismatch false positive with multi-hyphen prefixes like 'asianops-audit-' (GH#422). When done, submit MR (not PR) to integration branch for Refinery.


Add timeout message for long-running git push operations

When git push hangs waiting for credential/browser auth, show a periodic message to the user instead of appearing frozen. Add timeout messaging after N seconds of inactivity during git operations.


Investigate TestRoutingIntegration failure

TestRoutingIntegration/maintainer_with_SSH_remote failed during pre-commit check with "expected role maintainer, got contributor".
This occurred while running `go test -short ./...` on darwin/arm64.
The failure appears unrelated to storage/sqlite changes.
Need to investigate if this is a flaky test or environmental issue.


bd validate - Comprehensive health check

Run all validation checks in one command.

Checks:
- Duplicates
- Orphaned dependencies
- Test pollution
- Git conflicts

Supports --fix-all for auto-repair.

Depends on bd-cbed9619.1, bd-0dcea000, bd-31aab707, bd-9826b69a.

Files: cmd/bd/validate.go (new)


Add bd daemon --stop-all command to kill all daemon processes

Currently there's no easy way to stop all running bd daemon processes. Users must resort to pkill -f 'bd daemon' or similar shell commands.

Add a --stop-all flag to bd daemon that:
1. Finds all running bd daemon processes (not just the current repo's daemon)
2. Gracefully stops them all
3. Reports how many were stopped

This is useful when:
- Multiple daemons are running and causing race conditions
- User wants a clean slate before running bd sync
- Debugging daemon-related issues


Exclude pinned issues from bd ready

Update bd ready to exclude pinned issues. Pinned issues are context markers, not work items, and should never appear in the ready-to-work list.


bd mol run: panic slice bounds out of range in mol_run.go:130

## Problem
bd mol run panics after successfully creating the molecule:

```
✓ Molecule running: created 9 issues
  Root issue: gt-i4lo (pinned, in_progress)
  Assignee: stevey

Next steps:
  bd ready                # Find unblocked work in this molecule
panic: runtime error: slice bounds out of range [:8] with length 7

goroutine 1 [running]:
main.runMolRun(0x1014fc0c0, {0x140001e0f80, 0x1, 0x10089daad?})
  /Users/stevey/gt/beads/crew/dave/cmd/bd/mol_run.go:130 +0xc38
```

## Reproduction
```bash
bd --no-daemon mol run gt-lwuu --var issue=gt-test123
```
Where gt-lwuu is a mol-polecat-work proto with 8 child steps.

## Impact
The molecule IS created successfully - the panic happens after creation when formatting the "Next steps" output.


Parallel step detection in molecules

Detect and flag parallelizable steps in molecules.

## Detection Rules
Steps can run in parallel when:
1. No Needs dependencies between them
2. Not in same sequential chain
3. Across dynamic arms (arm-ace and arm-nux can parallelize)

## Output in bd mol show
```
patrol-x7k (mol-witness-patrol)
├── inbox-check [completed]
├── survey-workers [completed]
│   ├── arm-ace [parallel group A]
│   │   ├── capture [can parallelize]
│   │   ├── assess [needs: capture]
│   │   └── execute [needs: assess]
│   └── arm-nux [parallel group A]
│       ├── capture [can parallelize]
│       └── ...
├── aggregate [gate: waits for all-children]
```

## Flags
- `bd mol show <id> --parallel` - Highlight parallel opportunities
- `bd ready --mol <id>` - List all steps that can run now

## Future: Parallel Execution Hints
For agents using Task tool subagents:
- Identify independent arms that can run simultaneously
- Suggest parallelization strategy


Fix TestRunSync_Timeout failing on macOS

The hooks timeout test fails because exec.CommandContext doesn't properly terminate child processes of shell scripts on macOS. The test creates a hook that runs 'sleep 60' with a 500ms timeout, but it waits the full 60 seconds.

Options to fix:
- Use SysProcAttr{Setpgid: true} to create process group and kill the group
- Skip test on darwin with build tag
- Use a different approach for timeout testing

Location: internal/hooks/hooks_test.go:220-253


Thread Test 2

Testing direct mode


Merge: bd-t4sb

branch: polecat/capable
target: main
source_issue: bd-t4sb
rig: beads


Edge Schema Consolidation: Unify all edges in dependencies table

Consolidate all edge types into the dependency table per decision 004.

## Changes
- Add metadata column to dependencies table
- Add thread_id column for conversation grouping
- Remove redundant Issue fields: replies_to, relates_to, duplicate_of, superseded_by
- Update all code to use dependencies API
- Migration script for existing data
- JSONL format change (breaking)

Reference: ~/gt/hop/decisions/004-edge-schema-consolidation.md


Work on beads-7jl: Fix Windows installer file locking iss...

Work on beads-7jl: Fix Windows installer file locking issue (GH#652). Close file handle before extraction in postinstall.js. When done, submit MR (not PR) to integration branch for Refinery.


Optimization: Tombstones still synced, adding overhead

Tombstoned (deleted) issues are still processed during sync, adding overhead.

## Evidence
```
Import complete: 0 created, 0 updated, 407 unchanged, 100 skipped
```
Those 100 skipped are tombstones - they're read from JSONL, parsed, then filtered out.

## Current State (Beads repo)
- 408 total issues
- 99 tombstones (24% of database)
- Every sync reads and skips these 99 entries

## Impact
- Sync time increases with tombstone count
- JSONL file size grows indefinitely
- Git history accumulates tombstone churn

## Proposed Solutions

### 1. JSONL Compaction (`bd compact`)
Periodically rewrite JSONL without tombstones:
```bash
bd compact  # Removes tombstones, rewrites issues.jsonl
```
Trade-off: Loses delete history, but that's in git anyway.

### 2. Tombstone TTL
Auto-remove tombstones older than N days during sync:
```go
if issue.Deleted && time.Since(issue.UpdatedAt) > 7*24*time.Hour {
    // Skip writing to new JSONL
}
```

### 3. Archive File
Move old closed issues to `issues-archive.jsonl`:
- Not synced regularly
- Available for historical queries
- Main JSONL stays small

### 4. Lazy Tombstone Handling
Don't write tombstones to JSONL at all - just remove the line:
- Simpler, but loses cross-clone delete propagation
- Would need different delete propagation mechanism

## Recommendation
Start with `bd compact` command - simple, explicit, user-controlled.

## Related
- gt-tnss: Analysis - Beads database size and hygiene strategy
- gt-ox67: Maintenance - Regular cleanup of closed MR/gate beads


gt polecat done should auto-stop running session

Currently 'gt polecat done' fails if session is running, requiring a separate 'gt session stop' first. This is unnecessary friction - done should just stop the session automatically since that's always what you want.


Merge: bd-4opy

branch: polecat/angharad
target: main
source_issue: bd-4opy
rig: beads


Update CHANGELOG.md with release notes

Add meaningful release notes to CHANGELOG.md describing what changed in {{version}}


Create migration script for edge field to dependency conversion

Migration must:
1. Read existing JSONL with old fields
2. Convert field values to dependency records
3. Write updated JSONL without old fields
4. Handle edge cases (missing refs, duplicates)

Run via: bd migrate or automatic on bd prime


bd mol bond: Dynamic bond with variable substitution

Implement dynamic molecule bonding with runtime variable substitution.

## Command
```bash
bd mol bond <proto-id> <parent-wisp-id> --var key=value --var key2=value2
```

## Behavior
1. Parse proto molecule template
2. Substitute {{key}} placeholders with provided values
3. Create wisp children under the parent molecule
4. Child IDs follow pattern: parent-id.child-ref (e.g., patrol-x7k.arm-ace)
5. Nested children: parent-id.child-ref.step-ref (e.g., patrol-x7k.arm-ace.capture)

## Variable Substitution
- In step titles: "Inspect {{polecat_name}}" -> "Inspect ace"
- In descriptions: Full template substitution
- In Needs directives: Allow referencing parent steps

## Output
```
✓ Bonded mol-polecat-arm to patrol-x7k
  Created: patrol-x7k.arm-ace (5 steps)
```


Fix TestFallbackToDirectModeEnablesFlush deadlock causing 10min test timeout

## Problem

TestFallbackToDirectModeEnablesFlush in direct_mode_test.go deadlocks for 9m59s before timing out, causing the entire test suite to take 10+ minutes instead of <10 seconds.

## Root Cause

Database lock contention between test cleanup and flushToJSONL():
- Test cleanup (line 36) tries to close DB via defer
- flushToJSONL() (line 132) is still accessing DB
- Results in deadlock: database/sql.(*DB).Close() waits for mutex while GetJSONLFileHash() holds it

## Stack Trace Evidence

```
goroutine 512 [sync.Mutex.Lock, 9 minutes]:
database/sql.(*DB).Close(0x14000643790)
  .../database/sql/sql.go:927 +0x84
github.com/steveyegge/beads/cmd/bd.TestFallbackToDirectModeEnablesFlush.func1()
  .../direct_mode_test.go:36 +0xf4

While goroutine running flushToJSONL() holds DB connection via GetJSONLFileHash()
```

## Impact

- Test suite: 10+ minutes → should be <10 seconds
- ALL other tests pass in ~4 seconds
- This ONE test accounts for 99.9% of test runtime

## Related

This is the EXACT same issue documented in MAIN_TEST_REFACTOR_NOTES.md for why main_test.go refactoring was deferred - global state manipulation + DB cleanup = deadlock.

## Fix Approaches

1. **Add proper cleanup sequencing** - stop flush goroutines BEFORE closing DB
2. **Use test-specific DB lifecycle** - ensure flush completes before cleanup
3. **Mock the flush mechanism** - avoid real DB for testing this code path
4. **Add explicit timeout handling** - fail fast with clear error instead of hanging

## Files

- cmd/bd/direct_mode_test.go:36-132
- cmd/bd/autoflush.go:353 (validateJSONLIntegrity)
- cmd/bd/autoflush.go:508 (flushToJSONLWithState)

## Acceptance

- Test passes without timeout
- Test suite completes in <10 seconds
- No deadlock between cleanup and flush operations


Sync branch integrity guards

Track sync branch parent commit. If sync branch was force-pushed, warn user and require confirmation before proceeding. Add option to reset to remote if user accepts rebase. Prevents silent corruption from forced pushes.


Refactor long SQLite test files

The SQLite test files have grown unwieldy. Review and refactor.

## Goals
- Break up large test files into focused modules
- Improve test organization by feature area
- Reduce test duplication
- Make tests easier to maintain and extend

## Areas to Review
- main_test.go (likely the largest)
- Any test files over 500 lines
- Shared test fixtures and helpers
- Test coverage gaps

## Approach
- Group tests by feature (CRUD, sync, queries, transactions)
- Extract common fixtures to test helpers
- Consider table-driven tests where appropriate
- Ensure each test file has clear focus

## Reference
See docs/dev-notes/ for any existing test audit notes


Polecats get stuck on interactive shell prompts (cp/mv/rm -i)

During swarm operations, polecats frequently get stuck waiting for interactive prompts from shell commands like:
- cp prompting 'overwrite file? (y/n)'
- mv prompting 'overwrite file? (y/n)'
- rm prompting 'remove file?'

This happens because macOS aliases or shell configs may have -i flags set by default.

Root cause: Claude Code runs commands that trigger interactive confirmation prompts, but cannot respond to them, causing the agent to hang indefinitely.

Observed in: Multiple polecats during GH issues swarm (Dec 2024)
- Derrick, Roustabout, Prospector, Warboy all got stuck on y/n prompts

Suggested fixes:
1. AGENTS.md should instruct agents to always use -f flag with cp/mv/rm
2. Polecat startup could set shell aliases to use non-interactive versions
3. bd prime hook could include guidance about non-interactive commands
4. Consider detecting stuck prompts and auto-recovering


Fix multi-round convergence for N-way collisions

**Summary:** Multi-round collision resolution was identified as a critical issue preventing complete synchronization across distributed clones. The problem stemmed from incomplete final pulls that didn't fully propagate all changes between system instances.

**Key Decisions:**
- Implement multi-round sync mechanism
- Ensure bounded convergence (≤N rounds)
- Guarantee idempotent import without data loss

**Resolution:** Developed a sync strategy that ensures all clones converge to the same complete set of issues, unblocking the bd-cbed9619 epic and improving distributed system reliability.


Preflight: Pull latest

Ensure we're up to date with origin.

```bash
git pull --rebase
```

Resolve any conflicts before proceeding.


Code review findings: mol squash deletion bypasses tombstones


Update .claude-plugin/marketplace.json to 0.30.4

Update version field in .claude-plugin/marketplace.json:
```json
"version": "0.30.4"
```

```verify
jq -e '.plugins[0].version == "0.30.4"' .claude-plugin/marketplace.json
```


Add thread-safety warning to git.ResetCaches() doc comment

Code review finding from bd-7di fix.

ResetCaches() reassigns sync.Once values which is not thread-safe. While this is only used in tests (which are single-threaded), the function is exported and could be misused.

Add a warning comment:
```go
// ResetCaches resets all cached git information.
// WARNING: Not thread-safe. Only call from single-threaded test contexts.
```

File: internal/git/gitdir.go


Implement global N-way collision resolution algorithm

**Summary:** Replaced pairwise collision resolution with a global N-way algorithm that deterministically resolves issue ID conflicts across multiple clones. The new approach groups collisions, deduplicates by content hash, and assigns sequential IDs to ensure consistent synchronization.

**Key Decisions:**
- Use content hash for global, stable sorting
- Group collisions by base ID
- Assign sequential IDs based on sorted unique versions
- Eliminate order-dependent remapping logic

**Resolution:** Implemented ResolveNWayCollisions function that guarantees deterministic issue ID assignment across multiple synchronization scenarios, solving the core challenge of maintaining consistency in distributed systems with potential conflicts.


RemoveDependency fails on external deps - FK violation in dirty_issues

In dependencies.go:225, RemoveDependency marks BOTH issueID and dependsOnID as dirty. For external refs (e.g., external:project:capability), dependsOnID doesn't exist in the issues table. This causes FK violation since dirty_issues.issue_id has FK constraint to issues.id.

Fix: Check if dependsOnID starts with 'external:' and only mark source issue as dirty, matching the logic in AddDependency (lines 162-170).

Repro: bd dep rm <issue> external:project:capability


Implement bd mol current command

Show what molecule the agent should currently be working on. Referenced by gt-um6q, gt-lz13. Needed for molecule navigation workflow in templates.


Create and push git tag v{{version}}

Create the release tag and push it:

```bash
git tag v{{version}}
git push origin v{{version}}
```

This triggers the GoReleaser GitHub Action to build release binaries.


Explore wiki-style documentation structure

Our docs are growing into a book. Evaluate options for wiki-like structure:

**Options to evaluate:**
- GitHub Wiki (built-in, limited features)
- mdBook (Rust, CLI-friendly, produces HTML/PDF/ePub)
- MkDocs / Material for MkDocs (Python, beautiful themes)
- Docusaurus (React, powerful but complex)
- Plain markdown with good structure (current approach)

**Requirements:**
- Git-backed (version control)
- Markdown-native (agents can edit)
- Table of contents / navigation
- Cross-linking between pages
- Searchable
- Can be hosted on GitHub Pages

**Deliverables:**
- Recommendation with pros/cons
- If switching: migration plan
- If staying with markdown: structure guidelines for wiki-like organization

References:
- https://squidfunk.github.io/mkdocs-material/alternatives/
- https://www.archbee.com/blog/gitbook-alternatives


Release v{{version}}

Clean release workflow for beads. Variables: version (e.g., 0.37.0), date (YYYY-MM-DD)


Work on beads-1ra: Add molecules.jsonl as separate catalo...

Work on beads-1ra: Add molecules.jsonl as separate catalog file for template molecules


Code smell: Long function flushToJSONLWithState (~280 lines)

The flushToJSONLWithState() function in cmd/bd/autoflush.go (lines 490-772) is ~280 lines with:

1. Multiple nested conditionals
2. Inline helper function definitions (recordFailure, recordSuccess)
3. Complex multi-repo filtering logic
4. Mixed concerns (validation, export, error handling)

Consider breaking into:
- validateJSONLIntegrity() - already exists but could absorb more
- getIssuesToExport(fullExport bool) - determines what to export
- mergeWithExistingJSONL(issueMap, dirtyIDs) - handles incremental merge
- filterByPrefix(issues) - multi-repo prefix filtering
- performExport(issues, jsonlPath) - the actual write
- updateMetadataAfterExport() - hash/timestamp updates

Location: cmd/bd/autoflush.go:490-772


bd: Add town-level activity signal in PersistentPreRun

Add activity signaling to beads so Gas Town daemon can detect bd usage.

In cmd/bd/main.go PersistentPreRun, add a call to write activity to
the Gas Town daemon directory if running inside a Gas Town workspace.

The signal file is ~/gt/daemon/activity.json (or detected town root).

Format:
{
  "last_command": "bd create ...",
  "actor": "gastown/crew/max",
  "timestamp": "2025-12-26T19:30:00Z"
}

Should be best-effort (silent failure) to avoid breaking bd outside Gas Town.

Cross-rig ref: gastown gt-ws8ol (Deacon exponential backoff epic)


Investigate incremental blocked_issues_cache updates at scale

Current blocked_issues_cache strategy does full DELETE + INSERT on every dependency/status change.

**Problem at scale:**
- 10K issues: ~50ms rebuild (acceptable)
- 100K issues: ~500ms rebuild (noticeable)
- 1M issues: multi-second rebuilds (problematic)

**Current implementation (blocked_cache.go:104-154):**
- DELETE FROM blocked_issues_cache
- INSERT with recursive CTE

**Potential optimizations:**
1. **Incremental updates:** Only add/remove affected issue IDs instead of full rebuild
2. **Dirty tracking:** Skip rebuild if cache is already valid
3. **Async rebuild:** Rebuild in background, serve stale cache briefly
4. **Partial invalidation:** Only invalidate affected subtree

**Decision needed:** Is this premature optimization? Current target is <100K issues.

**Benchmark:** Add benchmark for cache rebuild at 100K scale to measure actual impact.


Deferred HOP schema additions (P2/P3)

Deferred from bd-7pwh after review. Add when semantics are clearer and actually needed:

- assignee_ref: Structured EntityRef alongside string assignee
- work_type: 'mutex' vs 'open_competition' (everything is mutex in v0.1)
- crystallizes: bool for work that compounds vs evaporates (can derive from issue_type)
- cross_refs: URIs to beads in other repos (needs federation first)
- skill_vector: []float32 embeddings placeholder (YAGNI)

These can be added later without breaking changes (all optional fields).


Implement bd mol stale command

Add command to detect complete-but-unclosed molecules.

**Definition of stale:**
A molecule is stale if:
1. All children are closed (Completed >= Total)
2. Root issue is still open
3. Not assigned to anyone
4. Not pinned to any hook
5. AND it's blocking other assigned work (graph pressure)

**Command design:**
```bash
bd mol stale              # List stale mols
bd mol stale --json       # Machine-readable
bd mol stale --blocking   # Only show those blocking other work
bd mol stale --all        # Include orphaned-but-not-blocking
```

**Output:**
```
Stale molecules (complete but unclosed, blocking work):

  bd-xyz  "Version bump v0.36.0"  (blocking: bd-abc, bd-def)
    → Close with: bd close bd-xyz
    → Or squash: bd mol squash bd-xyz

Orphaned molecules (complete but unclosed, not blocking):
  bd-uvw  "Old patrol cycle"
    → Consider: bd mol burn bd-uvw
```

**Implementation:**
1. Query all open issues with children (potential mols)
2. Compute progress for each (Completed vs Total)
3. Filter to complete ones
4. Check assigned_to field
5. Check pinned status (may need gt integration)
6. Check if blocking other assigned work

Does NOT use time-based staleness. Graph pressure only.


Ephemeral patrol molecules leaking into beads

## Problem

Ephemeral patrol orchestration molecules (e.g., mol-deacon-patrol, wisp step issues) keep appearing in `bd ready` output in gastown beads.

These are ephemeral/wisp issues that should:
1. Never be synced to the beads-sync branch
2. Live only in .beads-wisp/ (ephemeral storage)
3. Be squashed to digests, not persisted as regular beads

## Examples found

- gt-wisp-6ue: mol-deacon-patrol
- gt-pacdm: mol-deacon-patrol
- gt-wisp-mpm: Check own context limit
- gt-wisp-lkc: Clean dead sessions

## Investigation needed

1. Where are these being created? (gt mol bond? manual bd create?)
2. Why are they using the gt- prefix instead of staying ephemeral?
3. Is the wisp storage (.beads-wisp/) being used correctly?
4. Is bd sync accidentally picking up ephemeral issues?

## Expected behavior

Patrol molecules and their steps should be ephemeral and never appear in `bd ready` or `bd list`.


Sync race: rebase-based divergence recovery resurrects tombstones

## Problem
When two repos sync simultaneously, tombstones can be resurrected:

1. Repo A deletes issue (creates tombstone), pushes to sync branch
2. Repo B (with 'closed' status) exports and tries to push
3. Push fails (non-fast-forward)
4. fetchAndRebaseInWorktree does git rebase
5. Git rebase applies B's 'closed' patch on top of A's 'tombstone'
6. TEXT-level rebase doesn't invoke beads merge driver
7. 'closed' overwrites 'tombstone' = resurrection

## Root Cause
CommitToSyncBranch uses git rebase for divergence recovery, but rebase is text-level, not content-level. The proper content-level merge in PullFromSyncBranch handles tombstones correctly, but it runs AFTER the problematic push.

## Proposed Fix
Option 1: Don't push in CommitToSyncBranch - let PullFromSyncBranch handle merge+push
Option 2: Replace git rebase with content-level merge in fetchAndRebaseInWorktree
Option 3: Reorder sync steps: Export → Pull/Merge → Commit → Push

## Workaround Applied
Excluded tombstones from orphan detection warnings (commit 1e97d9cc).

See also: bd-3852 (Add orphan detection migration)


Add gate fields: await_type, await_id, timeout, waiters

Add gate-specific fields to the Issue type.

## New Fields
- await_type: string - Type of condition (gh:run, gh:pr, timer, human, mail)
- await_id: string - Identifier for the condition
- timeout: duration - Max time to wait before escalation
- waiters: []string - Mail addresses to notify when gate clears

## Implementation
- Add fields to Issue struct in internal/types/types.go
- Update SQLite schema for new columns
- Add JSONL serialization/deserialization
- Update import/export logic


bd prime: AI context loading and Claude Code integration

Implement `bd prime` command and Claude Code hooks for context recovery. Hooks work with BOTH MCP server and CLI approaches - they solve the context memory problem (keeping bd workflow fresh after compaction) not the tool access problem (MCP vs CLI).


Investigate Claude Code crash logging improvements

## Problem

Claude Code doesn't leave useful crash logs when it terminates unexpectedly. Investigation of a crash on 2025-12-26 showed:

- Debug logs in ~/.claude/debug/ just stop mid-stream with no error/exit message
- No signal handlers appear to log SIGTERM/SIGKILL/SIGINT
- No dedicated crash log file exists
- When Node.js crashes hard or gets killed, there's no record of why

## What we found

- Session debug log (02080b1a-...) stopped at 22:58:40 UTC mid-operation
- No 'exit', 'error', 'crash', 'signal' entries at end of file
- macOS DiagnosticReports showed Chrome crashes but no Node crashes
- System logs showed no relevant kill/OOM events

## Desired improvements

1. Exit handlers that log graceful shutdown
2. Signal handlers that log SIGTERM/SIGINT before exiting
3. A dedicated crash log or at least a 'last known state' file
4. Possibly CLI flags to enable verbose crash debugging

## Investigation paths

- Check if Claude Code has --debug or similar flags
- Look at Node.js crash handling best practices
- Consider if we can wrap claude invocations to capture crashes

## Related

This came up while investigating why a crew worker session crashed at end of a code review task.


Review jordanhubbard chaos testing PR #752

FINDINGS:
- Implementation quality: HIGH
- Recommendation: MERGE WITH MODIFICATIONS
- Mods: No hard coverage threshold, chaos tests on releases only

DECISION: User agrees. Next steps:
1. Add chaos tests to release-bump formula
2. Merge PR #752

Review doc: docs/pr-752-chaos-testing-review.md


Add tests for delete operations

Core delete functionality including deleteViaDaemon, createTombstone, and deleteIssue functions have 0% coverage. These are critical for data integrity and need comprehensive test coverage.


GH#517: Claude sets priority wrong on new install

Claude uses 'medium/high/low' for priority instead of P0-P4. Update bd prime/onboard output to be clearer about priority syntax. See GitHub issue #517.


Code Review Followup Summary: PR #481 + PR #551

## Merged PRs Summary

### PR #551: Persist close_reason to issues table
- ✅ Merged successfully
- ✅ Bug fix: close_reason now persisted in database column (not just events table)
- ✅ Comprehensive test coverage added
- ✅ Handles reopen case (clearing close_reason)

**Followup Issues Filed:**
- bd-lxzx: Document close_reason in JSONL export format
- bd-077e: Update CLI documentation for close_reason field

---

### PR #481: Context Engineering Optimizations (80-90% context reduction)
- ✅ Merged successfully
- ✅ Lazy tool discovery: discover_tools() + get_tool_info()
- ✅ Minimal issue models: IssueMinimal (~80% smaller than full Issue)
- ✅ Result compaction: Auto-compacts results >20 items
- ✅ All 28 tests passing
- ⚠ Breaking change: ready() and list() return type changed

**Followup Issues Filed:**
- bd-b318: Add integration tests for CompactedResult
- bd-4u2b: Make compaction settings configurable (THRESHOLD, PREVIEW_COUNT)
- bd-2kf8: Document CompactedResult response format in CONTEXT_ENGINEERING.md
- bd-pdr2: Document backwards compatibility considerations

---

## Overall Assessment

Both PRs are production-ready with solid implementations. All critical functionality works and tests pass. Followup issues focus on:
1. Documentation improvements (5 issues)
2. Integration test coverage (1 issue)
3. Configuration flexibility (1 issue)
4. Backwards compatibility guidance (1 issue)

No critical bugs or design issues found.

## Review Completed By
Code review process completed. Issues auto-created for tracking improvements.


Consider backwards compatibility for ready() and list() return type change

PR #481 changed the return types of `ready()` and `list()` from `list[Issue]` to `list[IssueMinimal] | CompactedResult`. This is a breaking change for MCP clients.

## Impact Assessment
Breaking change affects:
- Any MCP client expecting `list[Issue]` from ready()
- Any MCP client expecting `list[Issue]` from list()
- Client code that accesses full Issue fields (description, design, acceptance_criteria, timestamps, dependencies, dependents)

## Current Behavior
- ready() returns `list[IssueMinimal] | CompactedResult`
- list() returns `list[IssueMinimal] | CompactedResult`
- show() still returns full `Issue` (good)

## Considerations
**Pros of current approach:**
- Forces clients to use show() for full details (good for context efficiency)
- Simple mental model (always use show for full data)
- Documentation warns about this

**Cons:**
- Clients expecting list[Issue] will break
- No graceful degradation option
- No migration period

## Potential Solutions
1. Add optional parameter `full_details=false` to ready/list (would increase payload)
2. Create separate tools: ready_minimal/list_minimal + ready_full/list_full
3. Accept breaking change and document upgrade path (current approach)
4. Version the MCP server and document migration guide

## Recommendation
Current approach (solution 3) is reasonable if:
- Changelog clearly documents the breaking change
- Migration guide provided to clients
- Error handling is graceful for clients expecting specific fields


Tests for messaging and graph links

Comprehensive test coverage for all new features.

Test files:
- cmd/bd/mail_test.go - mail command tests
- internal/storage/sqlite/graph_links_test.go - graph link tests
- internal/hooks/hooks_test.go - hook execution tests

Test cases:
- Mail send/inbox/read/ack lifecycle
- Thread creation and traversal (replies_to)
- Bidirectional relates_to
- Duplicate marking and queries
- Supersedes chains
- Ephemeral cleanup
- Identity resolution priority
- Hook execution (mock hooks)
- Schema migration preserves data

Target: >80% coverage on new code


Add --body-file flag to bd create for reading descriptions from files

## Problem

Creating issues with long/complex descriptions via CLI requires shell escaping gymnastics:

```bash
# Current workaround - awkward heredoc quoting
bd create --title="..." --description="$(cat <<'EOF'
...markdown...
EOF
)"

# Often fails with quote escaping errors in eval context
# Agents resort to writing temp files then reading them
```

## Proposed Solution

Add `--body-file` and `--description-file` flags to read description from a file, matching `gh` CLI pattern.

```bash
# Natural pattern that aligns with training data
cat > /tmp/desc.md << 'EOF'
...markdown content...
EOF

bd create --title="..." --body-file=/tmp/desc.md
```

## Implementation

### 1. Add new flags to `bd create`

```go
createCmd.Flags().String("body-file", "", "Read description from file (use - for stdin)")
createCmd.Flags().String("description-file", "", "Alias for --body-file")
```

### 2. Flag precedence

- If `--body-file` or `--description-file` is provided, read from file
- If value is `-`, read from stdin
- Otherwise fall back to `--body` or `--description` flag
- If neither provided, description is empty (current behavior)

### 3. Error handling

- File doesn't exist → clear error message
- File not readable → clear error message
- stdin specified but not available → clear error message

## Benefits

✅ **Matches training data**: `gh issue create --body-file file.txt` is a common pattern
✅ **No shell escaping issues**: File content is read directly
✅ **Works with any content**: Markdown, special characters, quotes, etc.
✅ **Agent-friendly**: Agents already write complex content to temp files
✅ **User-friendly**: Easier for humans too when pasting long descriptions

## Related Commands

Consider adding similar support to:
- `bd update --body-file` (for updating descriptions)
- `bd comment --body-file` (if/when we add comments)

## Examples

```bash
# From file
bd create --title="Add new feature" --body-file=feature.md

# From stdin
echo "Quick description" | bd create --title="Bug fix" --body-file=-

# With other flags
bd create \
  --title="Security issue" \
  --type=bug \
  --priority=0 \
  --body-file=security-report.md \
  --label=security
```

## Testing

- Test with normal files
- Test with stdin (`-`)
- Test with non-existent files (error handling)
- Test with binary files (should handle gracefully)
- Test with empty files (valid - empty description)
- Test that `--description-file` and `--body-file` are equivalent aliases


bd cook: Compile formula to proto

Implement the 'bd cook' command that transforms formulas into protos:

Usage: bd cook <formula-file> [options]
       bd cook .beads/formulas/*.formula.yaml

Process:
1. Parse formula YAML (uses formula parser)
2. Resolve extends (formula inheritance)
3. Expand macros (expansion rules)
4. Apply aspects (cross-cutting concerns)
5. Generate flat proto bead

Output:
- Creates proto bead in .beads/ with mol-prefix
- Proto has all steps pre-expanded
- Proto is ready for pour/wisp instantiation

Example:
  bd cook .beads/formulas/mol-deacon-patrol.formula.yaml
  → Creates mol-deacon-patrol proto bead

Gas Town tracking: gt-8tmz.13


Run bump-version.sh {{version}}

Run ./scripts/bump-version.sh {{version}} to update version in all files


Fix resolvePartialID stub in workflow.go

The resolvePartialID function at workflow.go:921-925 is a stub that just returns the ID unchanged. Should use utils.ResolvePartialID for proper partial ID resolution in direct mode (non-daemon).


Improve test coverage for internal/rpc (47.5% → 60%)

The RPC package has only 47.5% test coverage. RPC is the communication layer for daemon operations.

Current coverage: 47.5%
Target coverage: 60%


Document pinned status in CLI_REFERENCE.md

## Task

The `pinned` status is a valid issue status but is not documented in CLI_REFERENCE.md.

## Current Status Values (from types.go:295-301)

- open
- in_progress
- blocked
- deferred
- closed
- tombstone
- **pinned** ← undocumented

## Definition

`StatusPinned Status = "pinned" // Persistent bead that stays open indefinitely (bd-6v2)`

## Where to Document

Add to the 'Issue Types' or create a new 'Issue Statuses' section in docs/CLI_REFERENCE.md.

## Related

The pinned status is heavily used by gt for hook management (`--status=pinned`).


Add unit tests for reset package

Comprehensive unit tests for internal/reset package.

## Test Cases

### ValidateState tests
- .beads/ exists → success
- .beads/ missing → appropriate error
- git dirty state detection

### CountImpact tests
- Empty .beads/ → zero counts
- With issues → correct count (open vs closed)
- With tombstones → correct count
- Returns HasUncommitted correctly

### Backup tests
- Creates backup with correct timestamp format
- Preserves all files and permissions
- Returns correct path
- Handles missing .beads/ gracefully
- Errors on pre-existing backup dir

### Git operation tests
- CheckGitState detects dirty, detached, not-a-repo
- GitRemoveBeads removes correct files
- GitCommitReset creates commit with message
- Operations skip gracefully when not in git repo

### Reset tests (with mocks/temp dirs)
- Soft reset removes files, calls init
- Hard reset includes git operations
- Dry run doesn't modify anything
- SkipInit flag prevents re-initialization
- Daemon killall is called
- Backup is created when requested

## Approach
- Can start with interface definitions (TDD style)
- Use testify for assertions
- Create temp directories for isolation
- Mock git operations where needed
- Test completion depends on implementation tasks

## File Location
`internal/reset/reset_test.go`
`internal/reset/backup_test.go`
`internal/reset/git_test.go`


Beads Messaging & Knowledge Graph (v0.30.2)

Add messaging semantics and extended graph links to Beads, enabling it to serve as
the universal substrate for knowledge work - issues, messages, documents, and threads
as nodes in a queryable graph.

## Motivation

Gas Town (GGT) needs inter-agent communication. Rather than a separate mail system,
collapse messaging into Beads - one system, one sync, one query interface, all in git.

This also positions Beads as a foundation for:
- Company-wide issue tracking (like Notion)
- Threaded conversations (like Reddit/Slack)
- Knowledge graphs with loose associations
- Arbitrary workflow UIs built on top

## New Issue Type

**message** - ephemeral communication between workers
- sender: who sent it
- assignee: recipient
- priority: P0 (urgent) to P4 (routine)
- status: open (unread) -> closed (read)
- ephemeral: true = can be bulk-deleted after swarm

## New Graph Links

**replies_to** - conversation threading
- Messages reply to messages
- Enables Reddit-style nested threads
- Different from parent_id (not hierarchy, its conversation flow)

**relates_to** - loose see also associations
- Bidirectional knowledge graph edges
- Not blocking, not hierarchical, just related
- Enables discovery and traversal

**duplicates** - deduplication at scale
- Mark issue B as duplicate of canonical issue A
- Close B, link to A
- Essential for large issue databases

**supersedes** - version chains
- Design Doc v2 supersedes Design Doc v1
- Track evolution of artifacts

## New Fields (optional, any issue type)

- sender (string) - who created this (for messages)
- ephemeral (boolean) - can be bulk-deleted when closed

## New Commands

Messaging:
- bd mail send <recipient> -s Subject -m Body
- bd mail inbox (list open messages for me)
- bd mail read <id> (show message content)
- bd mail ack <id> (mark as read/close)
- bd mail reply <id> -m Response (reply to thread)

Graph links:
- bd relate <id1> <id2> (create relates_to link)
- bd duplicate <id> --of <canonical> (mark as duplicate)
- bd supersede <id> --with <new> (mark superseded)

Cleanup:
- bd cleanup --ephemeral (delete closed ephemeral issues)

## Identity Configuration

Workers need identity for sender field:
- BEADS_IDENTITY env var
- Or .beads/config.json: identity field

## Hooks (for GGT integration)

Beads as platform - extensible without knowing about GGT.
Hook files in .beads/hooks/:
- on_create (runs after bd create)
- on_update (runs after bd update)
- on_close (runs after bd close)
- on_message (runs after bd mail send)

GGT registers hooks to notify daemons of new messages.

## Schema Changes (Migration Required)

Add to issue schema:
- type: message (new valid type)
- sender: string (optional)
- ephemeral: boolean (optional)
- replies_to: string (issue ID, optional)
- relates_to: []string (issue IDs, optional)
- duplicates: string (canonical issue ID, optional)
- superseded_by: string (new issue ID, optional)

Migration adds fields as optional - existing beads unchanged.

## Success Criteria

1. bd mail send/inbox/read/ack/reply work end-to-end
2. replies_to creates proper thread structure
3. relates_to, duplicates, supersedes links queryable
4. Hooks fire on create/update/close/message
5. Identity configurable via env or config
6. Migration preserves all existing data
7. All new features have tests


Remove redundant edge fields from Issue struct

Remove from Issue struct:
- RepliesTo -> dependency with type replies-to
- RelatesTo -> dependencies with type relates-to
- DuplicateOf -> dependency with type duplicates
- SupersededBy -> dependency with type supersedes

Keep: Sender, Ephemeral (these are attributes, not relationships)


Verify version consistency

Confirm all versions match 0.39.0.

```bash
grep 'Version = ' cmd/bd/version.go
jq -r '.version' .claude-plugin/plugin.json
jq -r '.version' npm-package/package.json
grep 'version = ' integrations/beads-mcp/pyproject.toml
```

All should show 0.39.0.


Improve test coverage for internal/daemon (27.3% → 60%)

The daemon package has only 27.3% test coverage. The daemon is critical for background operations and reliability.

Key areas needing tests:
- Daemon autostart logic
- Socket handling
- PID file management
- Health checks

Current coverage: 27.3%
Target coverage: 60%


bd mol install: Install formula from GitHub

Download and cook a formula from a GitHub repository.

## Usage
```bash
# Direct GitHub URL
bd mol install github.com/anthropics/mol-code-review

# With version tag
bd mol install github.com/anthropics/mol-code-review@v1.2.0

# Shorthand (future: via registry lookup)
bd mol install @anthropic/mol-code-review
```

## Implementation
1. Parse URL: extract org, repo, optional version tag
2. Construct raw URL: `https://raw.githubusercontent.com/org/repo/[tag]/formula.json`
3. Fetch formula.json via HTTP
4. Validate formula structure
5. Save to .beads/formulas/
6. Run cook to create local proto
7. Record in .beads/installed.json for update tracking

## installed.json Format
```json
{
  "mol-code-review": {
    "source": "github.com/anthropics/mol-code-review",
    "version": "v1.2.0",
    "installed_at": "2025-12-25T12:00:00Z"
  }
}
```

## Dependencies
- Requires network access
- Uses `gh` CLI or direct HTTP for auth (private repos)


Hooks System

Implement hook system for extensibility.

Hook directory: .beads/hooks/
Hook files (executable scripts):
- on_create - runs after bd create
- on_update - runs after bd update
- on_close - runs after bd close
- on_message - runs after bd mail send

Hook invocation:
- Pass issue ID as first argument
- Pass event type as second argument
- Pass JSON issue data on stdin
- Run asynchronously (dont block command)

Example hook (GGT notification):
  #!/bin/bash
  gt notify --event=$2 --issue=$1

This allows GGT to register notification handlers without Beads knowing about GGT.


Enrich MutationEvent with title and assignee

Current MutationEvent only has IssueID, no context. Add Title and Assignee fields so activity feeds can display meaningful info without extra lookups. Emit these fields when creating mutation events in server_core.go.


Test and document molecular chemistry commands

## Context

Implemented the molecular chemistry UX commands per the design docs:
- gastown/mayor/rig/docs/molecular-chemistry.md
- gastown/mayor/rig/docs/chemistry-design-changes.md

Commit: cadf798b

## New Commands to Test

| Command | Purpose |
|---------|---------|
| `bd pour <proto>` | Instantiate proto as persistent mol |
| `bd wisp create <proto>` | Instantiate proto as ephemeral wisp |
| `bd hook [--agent]` | Inspect what's on an agent's hook |

## Enhanced Commands to Test

| Command | Changes |
|---------|---------|
| `bd mol spawn --pour` | New flag, `--persistent` deprecated |
| `bd mol bond --pour` | Force liquid phase on wisp target |
| `bd pin --for <agent> --start` | Chemistry workflow support |

## Test Scenarios

1. **bd pour**: Create persistent mol from a proto
   - Verify creates in .beads/ (not .beads-wisp/)
   - Verify variable substitution works
   - Verify --dry-run works

2. **bd wisp create**: Create ephemeral wisp from proto
   - Verify creates in .beads-wisp/
   - Verify bd wisp list shows it
   - Verify bd mol squash works
   - Verify bd mol burn works

3. **bd hook**: Inspect pinned work
   - Pin something, verify bd hook shows it
   - Test --agent flag
   - Test --json output

4. **bd pin --for**: Assign work to agent
   - Verify sets pinned=true
   - Verify sets assignee
   - Verify --start sets status=in_progress

5. **bd mol bond --pour**: Force liquid on wisp target
   - Bond a proto to a wisp with --pour
   - Verify spawned issues are in .beads/

## Documentation

- Update CLAUDE.md with new commands
- Add examples to --help output (already done)
- Consider adding to docs/CLI_REFERENCE.md

## Code Review

- Check for edge cases
- Verify error messages are helpful
- Ensure --json output is consistent


Test cross-rig issue creation

Testing --rig flag from town root


refinery Handoff


HANDOFF: Version 0.30.7 release in progress

## Context
Doing a 0.30.7 patch release with bug fixes.

## What's done
- Fixed #657: bd graph nil pointer crash (graph.go:102)
- Fixed #652: Windows npm installer file lock (postinstall.js)
- Updated CHANGELOG.md and info.go
- Pushed to main, CI running (run 20390861825)
- Created version-bump molecule template (bd-6s61) and instantiated for 0.30.7 (bd-8pyn)

## In progress
Molecule bd-8pyn has 3 remaining tasks:
  - bd-dxo7: Wait for CI to pass
  - bd-7l70: Verify release artifacts
  - bd-5c91: Update local installation

## Check CI
  gh run list --repo steveyegge/beads --limit 1
  gh run view 20390861825 --repo steveyegge/beads

## New feature filed
bd-n777: Timer beads for scheduled agent callbacks
Design for Deacon-managed timers that can interrupt agents via tmux

## Resume commands
  bd --no-daemon show bd-8pyn
  gh run list --repo steveyegge/beads --limit 1


Update integrations/beads-mcp/pyproject.toml to 0.30.4

Update version in pyproject.toml:
```toml
version = "0.30.4"
```

```verify
grep -q 'version = "0.30.4"' integrations/beads-mcp/pyproject.toml
```


Merge: bd-u2sc.4

branch: polecat/Logger
target: main
source_issue: bd-u2sc.4
rig: beads


mol-beads-release

Release checklist for beads version 0.99.0.

This molecule ensures all release steps are completed properly.
Variable: 0.99.0 - target version (e.g., 0.35.0)

## Step: update-release-notes
Update cmd/bd/info.go with release notes for 0.99.0.

Add a new VersionChange entry at the top of versionChanges slice:
```go
{
    Version: "0.99.0",
    Date:    "YYYY-MM-DD",
    Changes: []string{
        "NEW: Feature description",
        "FIX: Bug fix description",
        "IMPROVED: Enhancement description",
    },
},
```

Run `git log --oneline v<previous>..HEAD` to see what changed.

## Step: update-changelog
Update CHANGELOG.md with detailed release notes.

Add a new section after [Unreleased]:
```markdown
## [0.99.0] - YYYY-MM-DD

### Added
- **Feature name** (issue-id) - Description

### Changed
- **Change description** (issue-id)

### Fixed
- **Bug fix** (issue-id) - Description
```

Sort by importance, not chronologically.
Needs: update-release-notes

## Step: bump-version
Run the version bump script.

```bash
./scripts/bump-version.sh 0.99.0
```

This updates version in all files:
- cmd/bd/version.go
- .claude-plugin/*.json
- integrations/beads-mcp/pyproject.toml
- npm-package/package.json
- Hook templates

Needs: update-changelog

## Step: run-tests
Run tests and verify lint passes.

```bash
go test -short ./...
```

CI will run full lint, but fix any obvious issues first.
Needs: bump-version

## Step: commit-release
Commit the release changes.

```bash
git add -A
git commit -m "chore: bump version to v0.99.0"
```

Needs: run-tests

## Step: push-and-tag
Push commit and create release tag.

```bash
git push origin main
git tag v0.99.0
git push origin v0.99.0
```

This triggers GitHub Actions release workflow.
Needs: commit-release

## Step: wait-for-ci
Wait for GitHub Actions to complete.

Monitor: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/actions

CI will:
- Build binaries via GoReleaser
- Create GitHub Release with assets
- Publish to npm (@beads/bd)
- Publish to PyPI (beads-mcp)
- Update Homebrew tap

Wait until all jobs succeed (~5-10 min).
Needs: push-and-tag

## Step: verify-release
Verify the release is complete.

```bash
# Check GitHub release
gh release view v0.99.0

# Check Homebrew
brew update && brew info steveyegge/beads/bd

# Check npm
npm view @beads/bd version

# Check PyPI
pip index versions beads-mcp
```

Needs: wait-for-ci

## Step: update-local
Update local installations.

```bash
# Upgrade Homebrew
brew upgrade steveyegge/beads/bd

# Or install from source
./scripts/bump-version.sh 0.99.0 --install

# Install MCP locally
pip install -e integrations/beads-mcp

# Restart daemons
pkill -f "bd daemon" || true
```

Verify: `bd --version` shows 0.99.0
Needs: verify-release

## Step: manual-publish
(Optional) Manual publish if CI failed.

```bash
# npm (requires npm login)
./scripts/bump-version.sh 0.99.0 --publish-npm

# PyPI (requires TWINE credentials)
./scripts/bump-version.sh 0.99.0 --publish-pypi

# Or both
./scripts/bump-version.sh 0.99.0 --publish-all
```

Only needed if CI publishing failed.
Needs: wait-for-ci


Design auto-squash behavior for wisps

Explore the design space for automatic wisp squashing.

**Context:**
Wisps are ephemeral molecules that should be squashed (digest) or burned (no trace)
when complete. Currently this is manual. Should it be automatic?

**Questions to answer:**
1. When should auto-squash trigger?
   - On molecule completion?
   - On session end/handoff?
   - On patrol detection?

2. What's the default summary for auto-squash?
   - Generic: 'Auto-squashed on completion'
   - Step-based: List closed steps
   - AI-generated: Require agent to provide

3. Should this be configurable?
   - Per-molecule setting in formula?
   - Global config: auto_squash: true/false
   - Per-wisp flag at creation time?

4. Who decides - Beads or Gas Town?
   - Beads: Provides operators (squash, burn)
   - Gas Town: Makes policy decisions
   - Proposal: GT patrol molecules call bd mol squash

**Constraints:**
- Don't lose important context (summary matters)
- Don't create noise in digest history
- Respect agent's intent (some wisps should burn, not squash)

**Recommendation:**
Gas Town patrol molecules should have explicit squash/burn steps.
Beads provides primitives, GT makes policy decisions.
Auto-squash at Beads level is probably wrong layer.


Create bd admin parent command and nest cleanup/compact/reset

## Task
Create new `bd admin` parent command and move:
- `bd cleanup` → `bd admin cleanup`
- `bd compact` → `bd admin compact`
- `bd reset` → `bd admin reset`

## Implementation

### 1. Create admin.go
New file with parent command:
```go
var adminCmd = &cobra.Command{
    Use:   "admin",
    Short: "Administrative commands for database maintenance",
    Long: `Administrative commands for beads database maintenance.

These commands are for advanced users and should be used carefully:
  cleanup   Delete closed issues and prune expired tombstones
  compact   Compact old closed issues to save space
  reset     Remove all beads data and configuration

For routine operations, prefer 'bd doctor --fix'.`,
}

func init() {
    rootCmd.AddCommand(adminCmd)
    adminCmd.AddCommand(cleanupCmd)
    adminCmd.AddCommand(compactCmd)
    adminCmd.AddCommand(resetCmd)
}
```

### 2. Update cleanup.go, compact.go, reset.go
- Remove `rootCmd.AddCommand()` from each init()
- Keep all existing functionality

### 3. Create hidden aliases for backwards compatibility
Top-level hidden commands that forward to admin subcommands.

### 4. Update docs (major updates)
- docs/CLI_REFERENCE.md - cleanup, compact references
- docs/QUICKSTART.md - compact, cleanup references
- docs/FAQ.md - compact references
- docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md - compact references
- docs/DELETIONS.md - compact reference
- docs/CONFIG.md - compact reference
- skills/beads/SKILL.md - compact reference
- commands/compact.md - update all examples
- examples/compaction/README.md - update examples

## Files to create
- cmd/bd/admin.go

## Files to modify
- cmd/bd/cleanup.go
- cmd/bd/compact.go
- cmd/bd/reset.go
- cmd/bd/main.go (aliases)
- Multiple docs (see list above)


Implement bd gate create/show/list/close/wait commands

Implement the gate CLI commands.

## Commands
```bash
# Create gate (returns gate ID)
bd gate create --await <type>:<id> --timeout <duration> --notify <addr>

# Check gate status
bd gate show <id>

# List open gates
bd gate list

# Close gate (usually done by Deacon)
bd gate close <id> --reason "completed"

# Add waiter to existing gate
bd gate wait <id> --notify <addr>
```

## Implementation
- Add cmd/bd/gate.go with subcommands
- Gate create creates wisp issue of type gate
- Gate list filters for open gates
- Gate wait adds to waiters[] array
- All support --json output


Support external: prefix in blocked_by field

Allow blocked_by to include external project references:

```bash
bd update gt-xyz --blocked-by="external:beads:mol-run-assignee"
```

Syntax: `external:<project>:<capability>`
- project: name from external_projects config
- capability: matches provides:<capability> label in target project

Storage: Store as-is in blocked_by array. Resolution happens at query time.

Part of cross-project dependency system.
See: gastown/docs/cross-project-deps.md


Test body-file

This is a test description from a file.

It has multiple lines.


Merge: bd-14ie

branch: polecat/toast
target: main
source_issue: bd-14ie
rig: beads


Verify version consistency


Deprecate bd mol run after gt absorbs its semantics

bd mol run is a convenience combo (pour + update + pin) that feels like orchestration but lives in the data layer. This blurs the bd/gt architectural boundary.

## Current State
- bd mol run = bd pour + bd update --status=in_progress + bd pin --for me
- gt spawn depends on bd mol run (shells out to it)

## Proposed Change
Once gt spawn inlines the pour+assign+pin logic:
1. Deprecate bd mol run with a warning pointing to gt spawn
2. Eventually remove bd mol run entirely

## Why
- bd should be pure data operations (pour, update, pin, close)
- gt should own orchestration (spawn, sling, hook, handoff)
- Standalone bd users can run the three commands separately or script them

## Blocked By
gastown issue gt-r7jj2 (Move mol run semantics from bd into gt spawn)


Test hook


Merge: bd-au0.5

branch: polecat/Searcher
target: main
source_issue: bd-au0.5
rig: beads


Add bd agent state command for ZFC-compliant state reporting

Add command for agents to write their own state to agent beads.

```bash
bd agent state <agent-id> <state>
# Example: bd agent state gt-mayor running
# States: idle | running | stuck | stopped | dead
```

Implementation:
1. Lookup agent bead by ID (type=agent)
2. Update agent_state field in description
3. Update last_activity timestamp
4. Trigger bd sync if configured

Also add:
- bd agent heartbeat <agent-id> - just updates last_activity
- bd agent show <agent-id> - show agent bead details

This is the ZFC-compliant way for agents to self-report state.

Cross-ref: gt-p2vyo in gastown


bd wisp list command

Add bd wisp list command to show ephemeral molecules.

## Usage
```bash
bd wisp list              # List all wisps in current context
bd wisp list --json       # JSON output
bd wisp list --all        # Include orphaned wisps
```

## Output
- Shows in-progress ephemeral molecules
- Columns: ID, Title, Started, Last Update, Status
- Warns about orphaned wisps (old updated_at)

## Implementation
- New 'wisp' command group
- Read from .beads-ephemeral/issues.jsonl
- Filter to ephemeral:true issues


Merge: bd-g4b4

branch: polecat/Hooker
target: main
source_issue: bd-g4b4
rig: beads


bd doctor should recommend bd prime migration for existing repos

bd doctor should detect old beads integration patterns and recommend migrating to bd prime approach.

## Current behavior
- bd doctor checks if Claude hooks are installed globally
- Doesn't check project-level integration (AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md)
- Doesn't recommend migration for repos using old patterns

## Desired behavior
bd doctor should detect and suggest:

1. **Old slash command pattern detected**
   - Check for /beads:* references in AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md
   - Suggest: These slash commands are deprecated, use bd prime hooks instead

2. **No agent documentation**
   - Check if AGENTS.md or CLAUDE.md exists
   - Suggest: Run 'bd onboard' or 'bd setup claude' to document workflow

3. **Old MCP-only pattern**
   - Check for instructions to use MCP tools but no bd prime hooks
   - Suggest: Add bd prime hooks for better token efficiency

4. **Migration path**
   - Show: 'Run bd setup claude to add SessionStart/PreCompact hooks'
   - Show: 'Update AGENTS.md to reference bd prime instead of slash commands'

## Example output

⚠ Warning: Old beads integration detected in CLAUDE.md
  Found: /beads:* slash command references (deprecated)
  Recommend: Migrate to bd prime hooks for better token efficiency
  Fix: Run 'bd setup claude' and update CLAUDE.md

💡 Tip: bd prime + hooks reduces token usage by 80-99% vs slash commands
  MCP mode: ~50 tokens vs ~10.5k for full MCP scan
  CLI mode: ~1-2k tokens with automatic context recovery

## Benefits
- Helps existing repos adopt new best practices
- Clear migration path for users
- Better token efficiency messaging


Test message

This is a test message body


Add tests for daemon functionality

Critical daemon functions have 0% test coverage including daemon lifecycle, health checks, and RPC server functionality. These are essential for system reliability and need comprehensive test coverage.


Remove legacy autoflush code paths

## Problem

The autoflush system has dual code paths - an old timer-based approach and a new FlushManager. Both are actively used based on whether flushManager is nil.

## Locations

- main.go:78-81: isDirty, needsFullExport, flushTimer marked 'used by legacy code'
- autoflush.go:291-369: Functions with 'Legacy path for backward compatibility with tests'

## Current Behavior

```go
// In markDirtyAndScheduleFlush():
if flushManager != nil {
    flushManager.MarkDirty(false)
    return
}
// Legacy path for backward compatibility with tests
```

## Proposed Fix

1. Ensure flushManager is always initialized (even in tests)
2. Remove the legacy timer-based code paths
3. Remove isDirty, needsFullExport, flushTimer globals
4. Update tests to use FlushManager

## Risk

Low - the FlushManager is the production path. Legacy code only runs when flushManager is nil (test scenarios).


Merge: bd-tvu3

branch: polecat/Beader
target: main
source_issue: bd-tvu3
rig: beads


bd distill: Extract formula from mol/epic

Extract a formula from completed work (mol, wisp, or epic).

**Key change**: Distill works on execution artifacts (mols/wisps/epics), not protos.
Protos are ephemeral - they don't persist. Distillation extracts patterns from
actual executed work.

## Usage
```bash
bd distill bd-mol-xyz -o my-workflow.formula.json
bd distill bd-epic-abc -o feature-workflow.formula.json
```

## Use Cases
- **Emergent patterns**: Structured work manually, want to templatize it
- **Modified execution**: Poured a formula, added custom steps, want to capture
- **Learning from success**: Extract what made a complex mol succeed

## Implementation
1. Load mol/wisp/epic subgraph (root + all children)
2. Convert to formula JSON structure
3. Extract variables from patterns (titles, descriptions)
4. Generate step IDs from issue titles (slugify)
5. Write .formula.json file

## Output Format
```json
{
  "formula": "my-workflow",
  "description": "...",
  "version": 1,
  "vars": { ... },
  "steps": [ ... ]
}
```

## Architecture Note
This closes the formula lifecycle loop:
  Formulas ──cook──→ Mols ──distill──→ Formulas

All sharing happens via formulas. Mols contain execution context and aren't shared.


Add orphan detection migration

Create migration to detect orphaned children in existing databases. Query: SELECT id FROM issues WHERE id LIKE '%.%' AND substr(id, 1, instr(id || '.', '.') - 1) NOT IN (SELECT id FROM issues). Log results, let user decide action (delete orphans or convert to top-level).


Code Health Review Dec 2025: Technical Debt Cleanup

Epic grouping technical debt identified in the Dec 16, 2025 code health review.

## Overall Health Grade: B (Solid foundation, needs cleanup)

### P1 (High Priority):
- bd-74w1: Consolidate duplicate path-finding utilities
- [deleted:bd-b6xo]: Remove/fix ClearDirtyIssues() race condition
- [deleted:bd-b3og]: Fix TestImportBugIntegration deadlock

### P2 (Medium Priority):
- bd-05a8: Split large files (doctor.go, sync.go)
- bd-qioh: Standardize error handling patterns
- bd-rgyd: Split queries.go (1586 lines)
- bd-9g1z: Fix/remove TestFindJSONLPathDefault

### P3 (Low Priority):
- bd-ork0: Add comments to 30+ ignored errors
- bd-4nqq: Remove dead test code in info_test.go
- bd-dhza: Reduce global state in main.go

## Key Areas:
1. Code duplication in path utilities
2. Large monolithic files (5 files >1000 lines)
3. Global state (25+ variables, 3 deprecated)
4. Silent error suppression (30+ instances)
5. Test gaps and dead test code
6. Atomicity risks in batch operations


Documentation for messaging and graph links

Document all new features.

Files to update:
- README.md - brief mention of messaging capability
- AGENTS.md - update for AI agents using bd mail
- docs/messaging.md (new) - full messaging reference
- docs/graph-links.md (new) - graph link reference
- CHANGELOG.md - v0.30.2 release notes

Topics to cover:
- Mail commands with examples
- Graph link types and use cases
- Identity configuration
- Hooks setup for notifications
- Migration notes


Support wisps in nodb mode for lightweight Gas Town rigs

Enable proper wisp support in --no-db mode to allow lightweight Gas Town rigs (including HQ/Mayor) to run without SQLite overhead.

## Motivation
Gas Town HQ and simple rigs could benefit from nodb mode's simplicity. Currently wisps don't work properly in nodb mode.

## Proposed Design

### Phase 1: Session-scoped wisps
- Memory storage already has Wisp field on Issue
- Wisps exist only for the session lifetime
- Acceptable for patrol cycles that complete within a session
- Depends on: bd-9avq (fix the leak)

### Phase 2: Optional wisp persistence
- Add `.beads/wisps.jsonl` for wisp storage (gitignored)
- Load wisps from this file on nodb startup
- Save wisps to this file on nodb exit
- Wisps persist across restarts but don't sync via git

### Phase 3: Verify mol commands
- Test mol squash, burn, bond work with memory storage
- These currently check for SQLite storage type
- May need interface-based approach instead of type assertions

## Files affected
- cmd/bd/nodb.go - wisp filtering and optional persistence
- internal/storage/memory/ - verify wisp field handling
- cmd/bd/mol_*.go - verify memory storage compatibility
- .beads/.gitignore - add wisps.jsonl


Consider using types.Status in merge package for type safety

The merge package uses string for status comparison (e.g., result.Status == closed, issue.Status == StatusTombstone). The types package defines Status as a type alias with validation. While the merge package needs its own Issue struct for JSONL flexibility, it could import and use types.Status for constants to get compile-time type checking. Current code: if left == closed || right == closed. Could be: if left == string(types.StatusClosed). This is low priority since string comparison works correctly. Files: internal/merge/merge.go:44, 488, 501-521


Replace map[string]interface{} with typed JSON response structs

Many CLI commands use map[string]interface{} for JSON output which loses type safety and compile-time error detection.

Files with map[string]interface{}:
- cmd/bd/compact.go (10+ instances)
- cmd/bd/cleanup.go
- cmd/bd/daemons.go
- cmd/bd/daemon_lifecycle.go

Example fix:
```go
// Before
result := map[string]interface{}{
    "status": "ok",
    "count": 42,
}

// After
type CompactResponse struct {
    Status string `json:"status"`
    Count  int    `json:"count"`
}
result := CompactResponse{Status: "ok", Count: 42}
```

Benefits:
- Compile-time type checking
- IDE autocompletion
- Easier refactoring
- Self-documenting API


bd list --parent: filter by parent issue

Add --parent flag to bd list to filter issues by parent.

Example:
```bash
bd list --parent=gt-h5n --status=open
```

Would show all open children of gt-h5n.

Useful for:
- Checking epic progress
- Finding swarmable work within an epic
- Molecule step listing


Dynamic Molecule Bonding: Fanout patterns for patrol molecules

## Vision

Enable molecules to dynamically spawn child molecules at runtime based on discovered
work. This is the foundation for the "Christmas Ornament" pattern where a patrol
molecule grows arms per-polecat.

## The Activity Feed Vision

Instead of parsing agent logs, users see structured work state:

```
[14:32:08] + patrol-x7k.arm-ace bonded (5 steps)
[14:32:08] + patrol-x7k.arm-nux bonded (5 steps)
[14:32:09] → patrol-x7k.arm-ace.capture in_progress
[14:32:10] ✓ patrol-x7k.arm-ace.capture completed
[14:32:14] ✓ patrol-x7k.arm-ace.decide completed (action: nudge-1)
```

This requires beads to track molecule step state transitions in real-time.

## Key Primitives Needed

### 1. Dynamic Bond with Variables
```bash
bd mol bond mol-polecat-arm <parent-wisp-id> \
  --var polecat_name=ace \
  --var rig=gastown
```

Creates wisp children under the parent:
- parent-id.arm-ace
- parent-id.arm-ace.capture
- parent-id.arm-ace.assess
- etc.

### 2. WaitsFor Directive
```markdown
## Step: aggregate
Collect outcomes from all dynamically-bonded children.
WaitsFor: all-children
Needs: survey-workers
```

The `WaitsFor: all-children` directive makes this a fanout gate - it can't
proceed until ALL dynamically-bonded children complete.

### 3. Activity Feed Query
```bash
bd activity --follow              # Real-time state stream
bd activity --mol <id>            # Activity for specific molecule
bd activity --since 5m            # Last 5 minutes
```

### 4. Parallel Step Detection
Steps with no inter-dependencies should be flagged as parallelizable.
When arms are bonded, their steps can run in parallel across arms.

## Use Case: mol-witness-patrol

The Witness monitors N polecats where N varies at runtime:

```
survey-workers discovers: [ace, nux, toast]
For each polecat:
  bd mol bond mol-polecat-arm <patrol-id> --var polecat_name=<name>
aggregate step waits for all arms to complete
```

This creates the Christmas Ornament shape:
- Trunk: preflight steps
- Arms: per-polecat inspection molecules
- Base: cleanup after all arms complete

## Design Docs

See Gas Town docs:
- docs/molecular-chemistry.md (updated with Christmas Ornament pattern)
- docs/architecture.md (activity feed section)

## Dependencies

This epic may depend on:
- Wisp storage (.beads-wisp/) - already implemented
- Variable substitution in molecules - may need enhancement


Formula parser: YAML schema for .formula.yaml files

Implement formula parsing from YAML:
- Define YAML schema for .formula.yaml files
- Parse steps, compose rules, vars
- Support extends for formula inheritance
- Validate formula structure

Schema should support:
- formula: name
- description: text
- version: number
- type: workflow|expansion|aspect
- vars: variable definitions
- steps: step definitions
- compose: composition rules

Gas Town tracking: gt-8tmz.12