Production Readiness (Optional)

Enable multi-machine deployments with containerization and monitoring.


bd hooks install fails in git worktrees

When bd is used in a git worktree, bd hooks install fails with 'mkdir .git: not a directory' because .git is a file (gitdir pointer) not a directory. Beads should detect and follow the .git gitdir pointer to install hooks in the correct location. This blocks normal worktree workflows.

## Symptoms of this bug:
- Git hooks don't install automatically
- Auto-sync doesn't run (5-second debounce)
- Hash mismatch warnings in bd output
- Daemon fails to start with 'auto_start_failed'

## Workaround:
Use `git rev-parse --git-dir` to find the actual hooks directory and copy hooks manually:
```bash
mkdir -p $(git rev-parse --git-dir)/hooks
cp -r .beads-hooks/* $(git rev-parse --git-dir)/hooks/
```


Test numeric 1


Test issue 1


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).


Makefile Integration for Benchmarks

Add a single 'bench' target to the Makefile for running performance benchmarks.

Target:
.PHONY: bench

bench:
	go test -bench=. -benchtime=3s -tags=bench \
		-cpuprofile=cpu.prof -memprofile=mem.prof \
		./internal/storage/sqlite/
	@echo ""
	@echo "Profiles generated. View flamegraph:"
	@echo "  go tool pprof -http=:8080 cpu.prof"

Features:
- Single simple target, no complexity
- Always generates CPU and memory profiles
- Clear output on how to view results
- 3 second benchmark time for reliable results
- Uses bench build tag for heavy benchmarks

Usage:
  make bench                              # Run all benchmarks
  go test -bench=BenchmarkGetReadyWork... # Run specific benchmark


Add .beads/README.md during 'bd init' for project documentation and promotion

When 'bd init' is run, automatically generate a .beads/README.md file that:

1. Briefly explains what Beads is (AI-native issue tracking that lives in your repo)
2. Links to the main repository: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads
3. Provides a quick reference of essential commands:
   - bd create: Create new issues
   - bd list: View all issues
   - bd update: Modify issue status/details
   - bd show: View issue details
   - bd sync: Sync with git remote
4. Highlights key benefits for AI coding agents and developers
5. Encourages developers to try it out

The README should be enthusiastic and compelling to get open source contributors excited about using Beads for their AI-assisted development workflows.


Implement CLI command (cmd/bd/reset.go)

Wire up the reset command with Cobra CLI.

## Responsibilities
- Define command and all flags
- User confirmation prompt (unless --force)
- Display impact summary before confirmation
- Colored output and progress indicators
- Call core reset package
- Handle errors with user-friendly messages
- Register command with rootCmd in init()

## Flags
```go
--hard       bool   "Also remove from git and commit"
--force      bool   "Skip confirmation prompt"
--backup     bool   "Create backup before reset"
--dry-run    bool   "Preview what would happen"
--skip-init  bool   "Do not re-initialize after reset"
--verbose    bool   "Show detailed progress output"
```

## Output Format
```
⚠  This will reset beads to a clean state.

Will be deleted:
  • 47 issues (23 open, 24 closed)
  • 12 tombstones

Continue? [y/N] y

→ Stopping daemons... ✓
→ Removing .beads/... ✓
→ Initializing fresh... ✓

✓ Reset complete. Run 'bd onboard' to set up hooks.
```

## Implementation Notes
- Confirmation logic lives HERE, not in core package
- Use color package (github.com/fatih/color) for output
- Follow patterns from other commands (init.go, doctor.go)
- Add to rootCmd in init() function

## File Location
`cmd/bd/reset.go`


Vendor beads-merge Go code into internal/merge/

Copy beads-merge source code from @neongreen's repo into bd codebase.

**Tasks**:
- Create `internal/merge/` package
- Copy merge algorithm code
- Add attribution header to all files
- Update imports to use bd's internal types
- Add LICENSE/ATTRIBUTION file crediting @neongreen
- Keep original algorithm intact

**Source**: https://github.com/neongreen/mono/tree/main/beads-merge


Fix TestTwoCloneCollision timeout


Add transaction + retry logic for N-way collision resolution

## Problem
Current N-way collision resolution fails on UNIQUE constraint violations during convergence rounds when 5+ clones sync. The RemapCollisions function is non-atomic and performs operations sequentially:
1. Delete old issues (CASCADE deletes dependencies)
2. Create remapped issues (can fail with UNIQUE constraint)
3. Recreate dependencies
4. Update text references

Failure at step 2 leaves database in inconsistent state.

## Solution
Wrap collision resolution in database transaction with retry logic:
- Make entire RemapCollisions operation atomic
- Retry up to 3 times on UNIQUE constraint failures
- Re-sync counters between retries
- Add better error messages for debugging

## Implementation
Location: internal/storage/sqlite/collision.go:342 (RemapCollisions function)

```go
// Retry up to 3 times on UNIQUE constraint failures
for attempt := 0; attempt < 3; attempt++ {
    err := s.db.ExecInTransaction(func(tx *sql.Tx) error {
        // All collision resolution operations
    })
    if !isUniqueConstraintError(err) {
        return err
    }
    s.SyncAllCounters(ctx)
}
```

## Success Criteria
- 5-clone collision test passes reliably
- No partial state on UNIQUE constraint errors
- Automatic recovery from transient ID conflicts

## References
- See beads_nway_test.go:124 for the KNOWN LIMITATION comment
- Related to-7c5915ae (transaction support)

## Progress Made

1. Added `ExecInTransaction` helper to SQLiteStorage for atomic database operations
2. Added `IsUniqueConstraintError` function to detect UNIQUE constraint violations
3. Wrapped `RemapCollisions` with retry logic (up to 3 attempts) with counter sync between retries
4. Enhanced `handleRename` to detect and handle race conditions where target ID already exists
5. Added defensive checks for when old ID has been deleted by another clone

## Test Results

The changes improve N-way collision handling but don't fully solve the problem:
- Original error: `UNIQUE constraint failed: issues.id` during first convergence round
- With changes: Test proceeds further but encounters different collision scenarios
- New error: `target ID already exists with different content` in later convergence rounds

## Root Cause Analysis

The issue is more complex than initially thought. In N-way scenarios:
1. Clone A remaps bd-1c63eb84 → test-2 → test-4
2. Clone B remaps bd-1c63eb84 → test-3 → test-4
3. Both try to create test-4, but with different intermediate states
4. This creates legitimate content collisions that require additional resolution

## Next Steps

The full solution requires:
1. Making remapping fully deterministic across clones (same input → same remapped ID)
2. OR making `handleRename` more tolerant of mid-flight collisions
3. OR implementing full transaction support for multi-step collision resolution -7c5915ae)

The retry logic added here provides a foundation but isn't sufficient for complex N-way scenarios.


Clarify exclusive lock protocol compatibility with multi-repo

The contributor-workflow-analysis.md proposes per-repo file locking (Decision #7) using flock on JSONL files. However, VC (a downstream library consumer) uses an exclusive lock protocol (vc-195, requires Beads v0.17.3+) that allows bd daemon and VC executor to coexist.

Need to clarify:
- Does the proposed per-repo file locking work with VC's existing exclusive lock protocol?
- Do library consumers like VC need to adapt their locking logic?
- Can multiple repos be locked atomically for cross-repo operations?

Context: contributor-workflow-analysis.md lines 662-681


Add bd init --team wizard

Interactive wizard for team workflow setup. Guides user through: branch workflow configuration, shared repo setup, team member onboarding, examples of team collaboration patterns.


Add depth-based batch creation in upsertIssues

Replace single batch creation with depth-level batching (max depth 3). Create issues at depth 0, then 1, then 2, then 3. Prevents parent validation errors when importing hierarchical issues in same batch. File: internal/importer/importer.go:534-546


Split internal/rpc/server.go into focused modules

The file `internal/rpc/server.go` is 2,273 lines with 50+ methods, making it difficult to navigate and prone to merge conflicts. Split into 8 focused files with clear responsibilities.

Current structure: Single 2,273-line file with:
- Connection handling
- Request routing
- All 40+ RPC method implementations
- Storage caching
- Health checks & metrics
- Cleanup loops

Target structure:
```
internal/rpc/
├── server.go          # Core server, connection handling (~300 lines)
├── methods_issue.go   # Issue operations (~400 lines)
├── methods_deps.go    # Dependency operations (~200 lines)
├── methods_labels.go  # Label operations (~150 lines)
├── methods_ready.go   # Ready work queries (~150 lines)
├── methods_compact.go # Compaction operations (~200 lines)
├── methods_comments.go # Comment operations (~150 lines)
├── storage_cache.go   # Storage caching logic (~300 lines)
└── health.go          # Health & metrics (~200 lines)
```

Migration strategy:
1. Create new files with appropriate methods
2. Keep `server.go` as main file with core server logic
3. Test incrementally after each file split
4. Final verification with full test suite


Code Review: PR #481 - Context Engineering Optimizations

Comprehensive code review of the merged context engineering PR (PR #481) that reduces MCP context usage by 80-90%.

## Summary
The PR successfully implements lazy tool schema loading and minimal issue models to reduce context window usage. Overall implementation is solid and well-tested.

## Positive Findings
✅ Well-designed models (IssueMinimal, CompactedResult)
✅ Comprehensive test coverage (28 tests, all passing)
✅ Clear documentation and comments
✅ Backward compatibility preserved (show() still returns full Issue)
✅ Sensible defaults (COMPACTION_THRESHOLD=20, PREVIEW_COUNT=5)
✅ Tool catalog complete with all 15 tools documented

## Issues Identified
See linked issues for specific followup tasks.

## Context Engineering Architecture
- discover_tools(): List tool names only (~500 bytes vs ~15KB)
- get_tool_info(name): Get specific tool details on-demand
- IssueMinimal: Lightweight model for list views (~80 bytes vs ~400 bytes)
- CompactedResult: Auto-compacts results with >20 issues
- _to_minimal(): Conversion function (efficient, no N+1 issues)


Add error handling test for cmd.Help() in search command

Test coverage gap identified by automated analysis (vc-217).

**Original Issue:** [deleted:bd-da96-baseline-lint]

In cmd/bd/search.go:39, the return value of cmd.Help() is not checked, flagged by errcheck linter.

Add test to verify:
- Error handling when cmd.Help() fails (e.g., output redirection fails)
- Proper error propagation to caller
- Command still exits gracefully on help error

This ensures the search command handles help errors properly and doesn't silently ignore failures.

_This issue was automatically created by AI test coverage analysis._


bd message: Fix inefficient client-side filtering for --unread-only


Fix autoimport tests for content-hash collision scoring

## Overview
Three autoimport tests are failing after [deleted:[deleted:bd-cbed9619.4]] because they expect behavior based on the old reference-counting collision resolution, but the system now uses deterministic content-hash scoring.

## Failing Tests
1. `TestAutoImportMultipleCollisionsRemapped` - expects local versions preserved
2. `TestAutoImportAllCollisionsRemapped` - expects local versions preserved
3. `TestAutoImportCollisionRemapMultipleFields` - expects specific collision resolution behavior

## Root Cause
These tests were written when ScoreCollisions used reference counting to determine which version to keep. Now it uses content-hash comparison (introduced in commit 2e87329), which produces different but deterministic results.

## Example
Old behavior: Issue with more references would be kept
New behavior: Issue with lexicographically lower content hash is kept

## Solution
Update each test to:
1. Verify the new content-hash based behavior is correct
2. Check that the remapped issue (not necessarily local/remote) has the expected content
3. Ensure dependencies are preserved on the correct remapped issue

## Acceptance Criteria
- All three autoimport tests pass
- Tests verify content-hash determinism (same collision always resolves the same way)
- Tests check dependency preservation on remapped issues
- Test documentation explains content-hash scoring expectations

## Files to Modify
- `cmd/bd/autoimport_collision_test.go`

## Testing
Run: `go test ./cmd/bd -run "TestAutoImport.*Collision" -v`


Benchmark git traffic reduction

Automated benchmark comparing git operations with/without Agent Mail.

Acceptance Criteria:
- Script that processes 50 issues
- Counts git operations (pull, commit, push)
- Generates comparison report
- Verifies ≥70% reduction
- Fails if regression detected

File: tests/benchmarks/git_traffic.py

Output: Without Agent Mail: 450 git operations, With Agent Mail: 135 git operations, Reduction: 70%

Implemented automated benchmark script with following features:
- Processes configurable number of issues (default 50)
- Compares git operations in two modes: git-only vs Agent Mail
- Generates detailed comparison report with statistics
- Exit code reflects pass/fail based on 70% reduction target
- Results: 98.5% reduction (200 ops → 3 ops) for 50 issues

Files created:
- tests/benchmarks/git_traffic.py (main benchmark script)
- tests/benchmarks/README.md (documentation)
- tests/benchmarks/git_traffic_50_issues.md (sample results)

The benchmark vastly exceeds the 70% target, showing 98.5% reduction.


WASM port of bd for Claude Code Web sandboxes

Enable beads to work in Claude Code Web sandboxes by compiling bd to WebAssembly.

## Problem
Claude Code Web sandboxes cannot install bd CLI due to network restrictions:
- GitHub releases return 403
- go install fails with DNS errors
- Binary cannot be downloaded

## Solution
Compile bd Go codebase to WASM, publish to npm as drop-in replacement.

## Technical Approach
- Use GOOS=js GOARCH=wasm to compile bd
- modernc.org/sqlite already supports js/wasm target
- Publish to npm as bd-wasm package
- Full feature parity with bd CLI

## Success Criteria
- bd-wasm installs via npm in web sandbox
- All core bd commands work identically
- JSONL output matches native bd
- Performance within 2x of native

WASM port abandoned - Claude Code Web has full VMs not browser restrictions. Better: npm + native binary


Re: Thread Test 2

Got your message. Testing reply feature.


Test integration issue

This is a real integration test


Pre-sync integrity check (bd sync --check)

Add bd sync --check flag that detects problematic states before attempting sync: forced pushes on sync branch (via git reflog), prefix mismatches in JSONL, orphaned children with missing parents. Output combined diagnostic without modifying state.


deletions.jsonl gets corrupted with full issue objects instead of deletion records

## Bug Description

The deletions.jsonl file was found to contain full issue objects (like issues.jsonl) instead of deletion records.

### Expected Format (DeletionRecord)
```json
{"id":"bd-xxx","timestamp":"2025-...","actor":"user","reason":"deleted"}
```

### Actual Content Found
```json
{"id":"bd-03r","title":"Document deletions manifest...","description":"...","status":"closed",...}
```

## Impact
- bd sync sanitization step reads deletions.jsonl and removes any matching IDs from issues.jsonl
- With 60 full issue objects in deletions.jsonl, ALL 60 issues were incorrectly removed during sync
- This caused complete data loss of the issue database

## Root Cause (suspected)
Something wrote issues.jsonl content to deletions.jsonl. Possible causes:
- Export writing to wrong file
- File path confusion during sync
- Race condition between export and deletion tracking

## Related Issues
- bd-0b2: --no-git-history flag (just fixed)
- bd-4pv: export outputs only 1 issue after corruption
- bd-4t7: auto-import runs during --no-auto-import

## Reproduction
Unknown - discovered during bd sync session on 2025-11-26

## Fix
Need to investigate what code path could write issue objects to deletions.jsonl


Fix daemon/direct mode inconsistency in relate and duplicate commands

The relate.go and duplicate.go commands have inconsistent daemon/direct mode handling:

When daemonClient is connected, they resolve IDs via RPC but then perform updates directly via store.UpdateIssue(), bypassing the daemon.

Affected locations:
- relate.go:125-139 (runRelate update)
- relate.go:235-246 (runUnrelate update)
- duplicate.go:120 (runDuplicate update)
- duplicate.go:207 (runSupersede update)

Should either use RPC for updates when daemon is running, or document why direct access is intentional.


Auto-routing and maintainer detection

Implement intelligent routing to automatically send new issues to correct repo based on user's maintainer vs contributor status, with discovered issues inheriting parent's source_repo.


Add test coverage for internal/autoimport package


Sync should cleanup snapshot files after completion

After sync completion, orphan .base.jsonl and .left.jsonl snapshot files remain in .beads/ directory. These should be cleaned up on successful sync.


Add sync resilience guardrails for forced pushes and prefix mismatches

Beads can get into unrecoverable sync states when remote forces pushes occur (e.g., rebases) combined with prefix mismatches from multi-worker scenarios. Add detection, prevention, and auto-recovery features to handle this gracefully.


Update MCP server for hash IDs

Update beads-mcp server to support hash IDs and aliases.

## Changes Needed

### 1. MCP Function Signatures (No Change)
Functions already use issue IDs as strings, so they work with hash IDs:

```python
# These already work!
beads_show(issue_id: str)           # Accepts bd-af78e9a2 or #42
beads_update(issue_id: str, ...)    # Accepts both formats
beads_close(issue_ids: List[str])   # Accepts both formats
```

### 2. Add Alias Resolution Helper
File: integrations/beads-mcp/src/beads_mcp/server.py

```python
def resolve_issue_id(issue_id: str) -> str:
    """Resolve alias to hash ID if needed."""
    # Hash ID: pass through
    if issue_id.startswith('bd-') and len(issue_id) == 11:
        return issue_id

    # Alias: #42 or 42
    alias_str = issue_id.lstrip('#')
    try:
        alias = int(alias_str)
        # Call bd to resolve
        result = subprocess.run(
            ['bd', 'alias', 'find', f'bd-{alias}'],
            capture_output=True, text=True
        )
        if result.returncode == 0:
            return result.stdout.strip()
    except ValueError:
        pass

    # Invalid format
    raise ValueError(f"Invalid issue ID: {issue_id}")
```

### 3. Update Response Formatting
Show aliases in responses:

```python
@server.call_tool()
async def beads_show(issue_id: str) -> List[TextContent]:
    resolved_id = resolve_issue_id(issue_id)

    result = subprocess.run(['bd', 'show', resolved_id], ...)

    # Parse response and add alias info
    # Format: "bd-af78e9a2 (alias: #42)"
    ...
```

### 4. Add beads_alias_* Functions

```python
@server.call_tool()
async def beads_alias_list() -> List[TextContent]:
    """List all alias mappings."""
    result = subprocess.run(['bd', 'alias', 'list'], ...)
    return [TextContent(type="text", text=result.stdout)]

@server.call_tool()
async def beads_alias_set(alias: int, issue_id: str) -> List[TextContent]:
    """Manually assign alias to issue."""
    result = subprocess.run(['bd', 'alias', 'set', str(alias), issue_id], ...)
    return [TextContent(type="text", text=result.stdout)]

@server.call_tool()
async def beads_alias_compact() -> List[TextContent]:
    """Compact aliases to fill gaps."""
    result = subprocess.run(['bd', 'alias', 'compact'], ...)
    return [TextContent(type="text", text=result.stdout)]
```

### 5. Update Documentation
File: integrations/beads-mcp/README.md

```markdown
## Issue IDs (v2.0+)

The MCP server accepts both hash IDs and aliases:

```python
# Using hash IDs
await beads_show(issue_id="bd-af78e9a2")

# Using aliases
await beads_show(issue_id="#42")
await beads_show(issue_id="42")  # Shorthand
```

## Alias Management

New functions for alias control:

- `beads_alias_list()` - List all alias mappings
- `beads_alias_set(alias, issue_id)` - Manually assign alias
- `beads_alias_compact()` - Compact aliases to fill gaps

## Migration

After migrating to hash IDs:
1. Update beads-mcp: `pip install --upgrade beads-mcp`
2. Restart MCP server
3. All existing workflows continue to work
```

### 6. Version Compatibility
Detect and handle both v1.x and v2.0 formats:

```python
def detect_beads_version() -> str:
    """Detect if beads is using sequential or hash IDs."""
    result = subprocess.run(['bd', 'list', '-n', '1'], ...)
    first_id = parse_first_issue_id(result.stdout)

    if first_id.startswith('bd-') and len(first_id) > 11:
        return '2.0'  # Hash ID
    else:
        return '1.x'  # Sequential ID

# On startup
beads_version = detect_beads_version()
logger.info(f"Detected beads version: {beads_version}")
```

## Testing

### Unit Tests
File: integrations/beads-mcp/tests/test_hash_ids.py

```python
def test_resolve_hash_id():
    """Hash IDs pass through unchanged."""
    assert resolve_issue_id("bd-af78e9a2") == "bd-af78e9a2"

def test_resolve_alias():
    """Aliases resolve to hash IDs."""
    # Mock bd alias find command
    assert resolve_issue_id("#42") == "bd-af78e9a2"
    assert resolve_issue_id("42") == "bd-af78e9a2"

def test_invalid_id():
    """Invalid IDs raise ValueError."""
    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
        resolve_issue_id("invalid")
```

### Integration Tests
```python
async def test_show_with_hash_id(mcp_server):
    result = await mcp_server.beads_show(issue_id="bd-af78e9a2")
    assert "bd-af78e9a2" in result[0].text

async def test_show_with_alias(mcp_server):
    result = await mcp_server.beads_show(issue_id="#42")
    assert "bd-af78e9a2" in result[0].text  # Resolved
```

## Backward Compatibility
The MCP server should work with both:
- Beads v1.x (sequential IDs)
- Beads v2.0+ (hash IDs)

Detection happens at runtime based on issue ID format.

## Files to Modify
- integrations/beads-mcp/src/beads_mcp/server.py
- integrations/beads-mcp/README.md
- integrations/beads-mcp/tests/test_hash_ids.py (new)
- integrations/beads-mcp/pyproject.toml (bump version)

## Deployment
```bash
cd integrations/beads-mcp
# Bump version to 2.0.0
poetry version 2.0.0
# Publish to PyPI
poetry publish --build
```


Test Epic 2

## Overview

[Describe the high-level goal and scope of this epic]

## Success Criteria

- [ ] Criteria 1
- [ ] Criteria 2
- [ ] Criteria 3

## Background

[Provide context and motivation]

## Scope

**In Scope:**
- Item 1
- Item 2

**Out of Scope:**
- Item 1
- Item 2


Add Agent Mail to QUICKSTART.md

Mention Agent Mail as optional advanced feature in quickstart guide.

File: docs/QUICKSTART.md


Database import silently fails when daemon version != CLI version


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)


bd message: Improve type safety with typed parameter structs


Consider consolidating config.yaml parsing into shared utility

Multiple places parse config.yaml with custom structs:

1. **autoimport.go:148** - `localConfig{SyncBranch}`
2. **main.go:310** - strings.Contains for no-db (fragile, see bd-r6k2)
3. **doctor.go:863** - strings.Contains for no-db (fragile, see bd-r6k2)
4. **internal/config/config.go** - Uses viper (but caches at startup, problematic for tests)

Consider creating a shared utility in `internal/configfile/` or extending the viper config:

```go
// internal/configfile/yaml.go
type YAMLConfig struct {
    SyncBranch string `yaml:"sync-branch"`
    NoDb       bool   `yaml:"no-db"`
    IssuePrefix string `yaml:"issue-prefix"`
    Author     string `yaml:"author"`
}

func LoadYAML(beadsDir string) (*YAMLConfig, error) {
    // Parse config.yaml with proper YAML library
}
```

Benefits:
- Single source of truth for config.yaml structure
- Proper YAML parsing everywhere
- Easier to add new config fields

Trade-off: May add complexity for simple one-off reads.


Add --lock-timeout global flag

Add new global flag to control SQLite busy_timeout.

## Implementation
1. Add to cmd/bd/main.go:
   - `lockTimeout time.Duration` global variable
   - Register flag: `--lock-timeout=<duration>` (default 30s)

2. Add config support in internal/config/config.go:
   - `v.SetDefault("lock-timeout", "30s")`
   - Read from config.yaml if not set via flag

3. Pass timeout to sqlite.New() - see next task

## Acceptance Criteria
- `bd --lock-timeout=0 list` fails immediately if DB is locked
- `bd --lock-timeout=100ms list` waits max 100ms
- Config file setting works: `lock-timeout: 100ms`
- Default remains 30s for backward compatibility

Part of bd-olc1


Clean up orphaned child issues (bd-cb64c226.*, bd-cbed9619.*)

## Problem

Every bd command shows warnings about 12 orphaned child issues:
- bd-cb64c226.1, .6, .8, .9, .10, .12, .13
- bd-cbed9619.1, .2, .3, .4, .5

These are hierarchical IDs (parent.child format) where the parent issues no longer exist.

## Impact

- Clutters output of every bd command
- Confusing for users
- Indicates incomplete cleanup of deleted parent issues

## Proposed Solution

1. Delete the orphaned issues since their parents no longer exist:
   ```bash
   bd delete bd-cb64c226.1 bd-cb64c226.6 bd-cb64c226.8 ...
   ```

2. Or convert them to top-level issues if they contain useful content

## Investigation Needed

- What were the parent issues bd-cb64c226 and bd-cbed9619?
- Why were they deleted without their children?
- Should bd delete cascade to children automatically?


Show dependency status in bd show output

When bd show displays dependencies and dependents, include their status (open/closed/in_progress/blocked) for quick progress tracking. Improves context rebuilding and planning.


bd prime: Detect ephemeral branches and adjust workflow output

When 'bd prime' runs on a branch with no upstream (ephemeral branch), it should output a different SESSION CLOSE PROTOCOL.

**Current output (wrong for ephemeral branches):**
```
[ ] 1. git status
[ ] 2. git add <files>
[ ] 3. bd sync
[ ] 4. git commit -m "..."
[ ] 5. bd sync
[ ] 6. git push
```

**Needed output for ephemeral branches:**
```
[ ] 1. git status
[ ] 2. git add <files>
[ ] 3. bd sync --from-main  (pull updates from main)
[ ] 4. git commit -m "..."
[ ] 5. (no push - branch is ephemeral)
```

**Detection:** `git rev-parse --abbrev-ref --symbolic-full-name @{u}` returns error code 128 if no upstream.

Also update Sync & Collaboration section to mention `bd sync --from-main` for ephemeral branches.

**Use case:** Gastown polecats work on ephemeral local branches that are never pushed. Their code gets merged to main via local merge, and beads changes stay local (communicated via gm mail to Overseer).


Add .beads-backup-* pattern to gitignore template

Update the gitignore template in doctor package to include backup directories.

## Change
Add `.beads-backup-*/` to the GitignoreTemplate in `cmd/bd/doctor/gitignore.go`

## Why
Backup directories created by `bd reset --backup` should not be committed to git.
They are local-only recovery tools.

## File
`cmd/bd/doctor/gitignore.go` - look for GitignoreTemplate constant


Extract duplicated validation logic from CLI commands

~150 lines of identical validation logic duplicated between cmd_create.go and cmd_update.go

Duplication found:
- validateBeadFields(): 2 identical copies (50+ lines each)
- parseTimeWithDefault(): 2 identical copies (30 lines each)
- Flag definitions: 15+ duplicate registrations

Solution: Extract to shared packages:
- internal/validation/bead.go - Centralized validation
- internal/utils/time.go - Consolidate time parsing (already exists)
- cmd/bd/flags.go - Shared flag registration

Impact: Changes require touching 2+ files; high risk of inconsistency; steep learning curve

Effort: 4-6 hours


Batch test 3


Comprehensive testing for separate branch workflow including unit tests, integration tests, and performance testing.

Tasks:
- Unit tests for worktree management
- Unit tests for config parsing
- Integration tests: create/update/close → beads branch
- Integration test: merge beads → main
- Integration test: protected branch scenario
- Integration test: network failure recovery
- Integration test: config change handling
- Manual testing guide
- Performance testing (worktree overhead)

Test scenarios: fresh setup, issue operations, merge workflow, protected branch, error handling, migration, multiple workspaces, sparse checkout

Estimated effort: 4-5 days

Completed comprehensive test coverage. Added 4 new integration tests: config change handling, multiple concurrent clones (3-way), performance testing (avg 77ms < 150ms target), and network failure recovery. All tests pass. Coverage includes fresh setup, issue ops, error handling, multiple workspaces, sparse checkout, config changes, network failures, and performance.


Fix variable shadowing in GetNextChildID resurrection code

## Problem
Minor variable shadowing in hash_ids.go:

```go
// Line 33: err declared here
err := s.db.QueryRowContext(ctx, `SELECT COUNT(*) FROM issues WHERE id = ?`, parentID).Scan(&count)

// Line 38: err reused/shadowed here
resurrected, err := s.TryResurrectParent(ctx, parentID)
```

While Go allows this, it can be confusing and some linters flag it.

## Solution
Use different variable name:

```go
resurrected, resurrectErr := s.TryResurrectParent(ctx, parentID)
if resurrectErr != nil {
    return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to resurrect parent %s: %w", parentID, resurrectErr)
}
```

## Files
- internal/storage/sqlite/hash_ids.go:38

## Priority
Low - code works correctly, just a style improvement


Update documentation for bd prime and Claude integration

Update AGENTS.md, README.md, and QUICKSTART.md to document the new `bd prime` command, `bd setup claude` command, and tip system.


Audit all cmd/bd tests and group into suites

Analyze all 279 tests in cmd/bd and identify:
1. Which tests can share DB setup (most of them\!)
2. Which tests actually need isolation (export/import, git ops)
3. Optimal grouping into test suites

Create a mapping document showing:
- Current: 279 individual test functions
- Proposed: ~10-15 test suites with subtests
- Expected speedup per suite

Blocks all refactoring work.


Debug test


Test parent issue


Updated title


Consider extracting error handling helpers

Evaluate creating FatalError() and WarnError() helpers as suggested in ERROR_HANDLING.md to reduce boilerplate and enforce consistency. Prototype in a few files first to validate the approach.


Create architecture decision record (ADR)

Document why we chose Agent Mail, alternatives considered, and tradeoffs.

Acceptance Criteria:
- Problem statement (git traffic, no locks)
- Alternatives considered (custom RPC, Redis, etc.)
- Why Agent Mail fits Beads
- Integration principles (optional, graceful degradation)
- Future considerations

File: docs/adr/002-agent-mail-integration.md


Fix bd --version and bd completion to work without database


Testing event-driven mode!


bd cleanup should also prune expired tombstones

## Problem

`bd cleanup` deletes closed issues (converting them to tombstones) but does NOT prune expired tombstones. Users expect 'cleanup' to do comprehensive cleanup.

## Current Behavior

1. `bd cleanup --force` → converts closed issues to tombstones
2. Expired tombstones (>30 days) remain in issues.jsonl
3. User must separately run `bd compact` to prune tombstones
4. `bd doctor` warns about expired tombstones: 'Run bd compact to prune'

## Expected Behavior

`bd cleanup` should also prune expired tombstones from issues.jsonl.

## Impact

With v0.30.0 making tombstones the default migration path, this UX gap becomes more visible. Users cleaning up their database shouldn't need to know about a separate `bd compact` command.

## Proposed Solution

Call `pruneExpiredTombstones()` at the end of the cleanup command (same function used by compact). Report results:

```
✓ Deleted 15 closed issue(s)
✓ Pruned 3 expired tombstone(s) (older than 30 days)
```

## Files to Modify

- `cmd/bd/cleanup.go` - Add call to pruneExpiredTombstones after deleteBatch
- May need to move pruneExpiredTombstones to shared location if not already accessible

## Acceptance Criteria

- [ ] `bd cleanup --force` prunes expired tombstones after deleting closed issues
- [ ] `bd cleanup --dry-run` shows what tombstones would be pruned
- [ ] JSON output includes tombstone prune results


Issue 2 to reopen


Document protected branch workflow

Create comprehensive documentation for protected branch workflow.

Tasks:
- Add "Protected Branch Workflow" section to AGENTS.md
- Create docs/PROTECTED_BRANCHES.md guide
- Update README.md quick start
- Add examples to examples/protected-branch/
- Update bd init --help documentation
- Add troubleshooting guide
- Add migration guide for existing users
- Record demo video (optional)

Estimated effort: 2-3 days

Completed protected branch workflow documentation. Created comprehensive guide (docs/PROTECTED_BRANCHES.md), updated AGENTS.md with workflow section, added feature to README.md, and created working example (examples/protected-branch/). All commands verified working (bd init --branch, bd sync --status, bd sync --merge, bd config get/set sync.branch).


GH#518: Document bd setup command

bd setup is undiscoverable. Add to README/docs. Currently only findable by grepping source. See GitHub issue #518.


Fix TestExportUpdatesMetadata to test actual daemon functions

## Problem
TestExportUpdatesMetadata (daemon_sync_test.go:296) manually replicates the metadata update logic rather than calling the fixed functions (createExportFunc/createSyncFunc).

This means:
- Test verifies the CONCEPT works
- But doesn't verify the IMPLEMENTATION in the actual daemon functions
- If daemon code is wrong, test still passes

## Current Test Flow
```go
// Test does:
exportToJSONLWithStore()  // ← Direct call
// ... manual metadata update ...
exportToJSONLWithStore()  // ← Direct call again
```

## Should Be
```go
// Test should:
createExportFunc(...)()  // ← Call actual daemon function
// ... verify metadata was updated by the function ...
createExportFunc(...)()  // ← Call again, should not fail
```

## Challenge
createExportFunc returns a closure that's run by the daemon. Testing this requires:
- Mock logger
- Proper context setup
- Git operations might need mocking

## Files
- cmd/bd/daemon_sync_test.go

## Acceptance Criteria
- Test calls actual createExportFunc and createSyncFunc
- Test verifies metadata updated by daemon code, not test code
- Both functions tested (export and sync)


Add security tests for file path validation in clean command

Test coverage gap identified by automated analysis (vc-217).

**Original Issue:** [deleted:bd-da96-baseline-lint]

In cmd/bd/clean.go:118, os.Open(gitignorePath) is flagged by gosec G304 for potential file inclusion via variable without validation.

Add tests covering:
- Path traversal attempts (../../etc/passwd)
- Absolute paths outside project directory
- Symlink following behavior
- Non-existent file handling
- Validation that only .gitignore files in valid locations are opened

This is a security-sensitive code path that needs validation to prevent unauthorized file access.

_This issue was automatically created by AI test coverage analysis._


Make MCP compaction settings configurable (COMPACTION_THRESHOLD, PREVIEW_COUNT)

Currently COMPACTION_THRESHOLD (20) and PREVIEW_COUNT (5) are hardcoded constants at the module level. This prevents users from tuning context engineering behavior.

## Current State
```python
COMPACTION_THRESHOLD = 20  # Compact results with more than 20 issues
PREVIEW_COUNT = 5          # Show first 5 issues in preview
```

## Problems
1. No way for MCP clients to request different preview sizes
2. No way to disable compaction for debugging
3. No way to adapt to different context window sizes
4. Values are not documented in tool schema

## Recommended Solution
Add environment variables or MCP tool parameters:
- `BEADS_MCP_COMPACTION_THRESHOLD` env var (default: 20)
- `BEADS_MCP_PREVIEW_COUNT` env var (default: 5)
- Optional `compact_threshold` and `preview_size` parameters to list/ready tools

## Implementation Notes
- Keep current defaults for backward compatibility
- Read from environment at server initialization
- Document in CONTEXT_ENGINEERING.md
- Add tests verifying env var behavior


bd sync --squash: batch multiple syncs into single commit

For solo developers who don't need real-time multi-agent coordination, add a --squash option to bd sync that accumulates changes and commits them in a single commit rather than one commit per sync.

This addresses the git history pollution concern (many 'bd sync: timestamp' commits) while preserving the default behavior needed for orchestration.

**Proposed behavior:**
- `bd sync --squash` accumulates pending exports without committing
- Commits accumulated changes on session end or explicit `bd sync` (without --squash)
- Default behavior unchanged (immediate commits for orchestration)

**Use case:** Solo developers who want cleaner git history but don't need real-time coordination between agents.

**Related:** PR #411 (docs: reduce bd sync commit pollution)
**See also:** Multi-repo support as alternative solution (docs/MULTI_REPO_AGENTS.md)


GH#518: Document bd setup command

bd setup (e.g. bd setup cursor) is undocumented. Users only find it by grepping source. Need proper docs. See: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/issues/518


MCP server: "No workspace set" and "chunk longer than limit" errors

Two related errors reported in beads-mcp v0.21:

**Error 1: "No workspace set" after successful set_context**
```
✓ Set beads context
✗ list
  Error calling tool 'list': No workspace set. Either provide workspace_root
  parameter or call set_context() first.
```

Hypothesis: Environment variable persistence issue between MCP tool calls, or ContextVar not being set correctly by @with_workspace decorator.

**Error 2: "Separator is found, but chunk is longer than limit"**
```
✗ list
  Error calling tool 'list': Separator is found, but chunk is longer than limit
```

Hypothesis: MCP protocol output size limit exceeded. Large issue databases may produce JSON output that exceeds MCP stdio buffer limits.

Platform: Fedora 43, using copilot-cli with Sonnet 4.5

Workaround: CLI works fine (`bd list --status open --json`)

## Fixes Implemented

**Issue 1: "No workspace set" after successful set_context** ✅ FIXED

Root cause: os.environ doesn't persist across MCP tool calls. When set_context() set BEADS_WORKING_DIR in os.environ, that change was lost on the next tool call.

Solution:
- Added module-level _workspace_context dict for persistent storage (server.py:51)
- Modified set_context() to store in both persistent dict and os.environ (server.py:265-287)
- Modified with_workspace() decorator to check persistent context first (server.py:129-133)
- Updated where_am_i() to check persistent context (server.py:302-330)

**Issue 2: "chunk longer than limit"** ✅ FIXED

Root cause: MCP stdio protocol has buffer limits. Large issue lists with full dependencies/dependents exceed this.

Solution:
- Reduced default list limit from 50 to 20 (server.py:356, models.py:122)
- Reduced max list limit from 1000 to 100 (models.py:122)
- Strip dependencies/dependents from list() and ready() responses (server.py:343-350, 368-373)
- Full dependency details still available via show() command

## Testing

✅ Python syntax validated with py_compile
✅ Changes are backward compatible
✅ Persistent context falls back to os.environ for compatibility

Users should now be able to call set_context() once and have it persist across all subsequent tool calls. Large databases will no longer cause buffer overflow errors.


Extract hash ID generation functions to hash_ids.go

Move generateHashID, getNextChildNumber, GetNextChildID to hash_ids.go


Registry has cross-process race condition

The global daemon registry (~/.beads/registry.json) can be corrupted when multiple daemons from different workspaces write simultaneously.

**Root cause:**
- Registry uses an in-process mutex but no file-level locking
- Register() and Unregister() release the mutex between read and write
- Multiple daemon processes can interleave their read-modify-write cycles

**Evidence:**
Found registry.json with double closing bracket: `]]` instead of `]`

**Fix options:**
1. Use file locking (flock/fcntl) around the entire read-modify-write cycle
2. Use atomic write pattern (write to temp file, rename)
3. Both (belt and suspenders)

**Files:**
- internal/daemon/registry.go:46-64 (readEntries)
- internal/daemon/registry.go:67-87 (writeEntries)
- internal/daemon/registry.go:90-108 (Register - the race window)


Update daemon commit logic for separate branch

Modify daemon to use worktree for commits when sync.branch configured.

Tasks:
- Update internal/daemon/server_export_import_auto.go
- Detect sync.branch configuration
- Ensure worktree exists before commit
- Sync JSONL to worktree
- Commit in worktree context
- Push to configured branch
- Fallback to current behavior if sync.branch not set
- Handle git errors (network, permissions, conflicts)

Estimated effort: 3-4 days


Auto-detect issue prefix from existing JSONL in 'bd init'

When running `bd init` in a fresh clone with existing JSONL, it should auto-detect the issue prefix from the JSONL file instead of requiring `--prefix`.

Currently you must specify `--prefix ef` manually. But the JSONL file already contains issues like `ef-1it`, `ef-1jp` etc., so the prefix is known.

**Ideal UX**:
```
$ bd init
Detected issue prefix 'ef' from existing JSONL (38 issues).
✓ Database initialized...
```

This would make fresh clone hydration a single command: `bd init` with no flags.


Migration guide documentation

Write comprehensive migration guide covering: OSS contributor workflow, team workflow, multi-phase development, multiple personas. Include step-by-step instructions, troubleshooting, and backward compatibility notes.


Add security tests for WriteFile permissions in doctor command

Test coverage gap identified by automated analysis (vc-217).

**Original Issue:** [deleted:[deleted:[deleted:bd-da96-baseline-lint]]]

In cmd/bd/doctor/gitignore.go:98, os.WriteFile uses 0644 permissions, flagged by gosec G306 as potentially too permissive.

Add tests to verify:
- File is created with appropriate permissions (0600 or less)
- Existing file permissions are not loosened
- File ownership is correct
- Sensitive data handling if .gitignore contains secrets

This ensures .gitignore files are created with secure permissions to prevent unauthorized access.

_This issue was automatically created by AI test coverage analysis._


PruneDeletions iterates map non-deterministically

## Problem

`PruneDeletions` iterates over `loadResult.Records` which is a map. Go maps iterate in random order, so:

1. `result.PrunedIDs` order is non-deterministic
2. `kept` slice order is non-deterministic → `WriteDeletions` output order varies

## Location
`internal/deletions/deletions.go:213`

## Impact
- Git diffs are noisy (file changes order on each prune)
- Tests could be flaky if they depend on order
- Harder to debug/audit

## Fix
Sort by ID or timestamp before iterating:

```go
// Convert map to slice and sort
var records []DeletionRecord
for _, r := range loadResult.Records {
    records = append(records, r)
}
sort.Slice(records, func(i, j int) bool {
    return records[i].ID < records[j].ID
})
```


Fix G304 potential file inclusion in cmd/bd/tips.go:259

Linting issue: G304: Potential file inclusion via variable (gosec) at cmd/bd/tips.go:259:18. Error: if data, err := os.ReadFile(settingsPath); err == nil {


bd sync false positive: conflict detection triggers on JSON-encoded angle brackets in issue content

The bd sync --import-only command incorrectly detects conflict markers when issue descriptions contain the text '<<<<<<<' or '>>>>>>>' as legitimate content (e.g., documentation about git conflict markers).

**Reproduction:**
1. Create issue with design field containing: 'Read file, extract <<<<<<< / ======= / >>>>>>> markers'
2. Export to JSONL (gets JSON-encoded as \u003c\u003c\u003c...)
3. Commit and push
4. Pull from remote
5. bd sync --import-only fails with: 'Git conflict markers detected in JSONL file'

**Root cause:**
The conflict detection appears to decode JSON before checking for conflict markers, causing false positives when issue content legitimately contains these strings.

**Expected behavior:**
Conflict detection should only trigger on actual git conflict markers (literal '<<<<<<<' bytes in the raw file), not on JSON-encoded content within issue fields.

**Test case:**
VC project at ~/src/dave/vc has vc-85 'JSONL Conflict Parser' which documents conflict parsing and triggers this bug.

**Suggested fixes:**
1. Only scan for literal '<<<<<<<' bytes (not decoded JSON content)
2. Parse JSONL first and only flag unparseable lines
3. Check git merge state (git status) to confirm actual conflict
4. Add --skip-conflict-check flag for override


Auto-invoke 3-way merge for JSONL conflicts

Currently when git pull encounters merge conflicts in .beads/issues.jsonl, the post-merge hook fails with an error message pointing users to manual resolution or the beads-merge tool.

This is a poor user experience - the conflict detection is working, but we should automatically invoke the advanced 3-way merging instead of just telling users about it.

**Current behavior:**
- Detect conflict markers in JSONL
- Display error with manual resolution options
- Exit with failure

**Desired behavior:**
- Detect conflict markers in JSONL
- Automatically invoke beads-merge 3-way merge
- Only fail if automatic merge cannot resolve the conflicts

**Reference:**
- beads-merge tool: https://github.com/neongreen/mono/tree/main/beads-merge
- Error occurs in post-merge hook during bd sync after git pull


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


Design hash ID generation algorithm

Design and specify the hash-based ID generation algorithm.

## Requirements
- Deterministic: same inputs → same ID
- Collision-resistant: ~2^32 space for 8-char hex
- Fast: <1μs per generation
- Includes timestamp for uniqueness
- Includes creator/workspace for distributed uniqueness

## Proposed Algorithm
```go
func GenerateIssueID(title, desc string, created time.Time, workspaceID string) string {
    h := sha256.New()
    h.Write([]byte(title))
    h.Write([]byte(desc))
    h.Write([]byte(created.Format(time.RFC3339Nano)))
    h.Write([]byte(workspaceID))
    hash := hex.EncodeToString(h.Sum(nil))
    return "bd-" + hash[:8]  // 8-char prefix = 2^32 space
}
```

## Open Questions
1. 8 chars (2^32) or 16 chars (2^64) for collision resistance?
2. Include priority/type in hash? (Pro: more entropy. Con: immutable)
3. How to handle workspace ID generation? (hostname? UUID?)
4. What if title+desc change? (Answer: ID stays same - hash only used at creation)

## Deliverables
- Design doc: docs/HASH_ID_DESIGN.md
- Collision probability analysis
- Performance benchmarks
- Prototype implementation in internal/types/id_generator.go


Document which files to commit after bd init --branch

GH #312 reported confusion about which files should be committed after running 'bd init --branch beads-metadata'. Updated PROTECTED_BRANCHES.md to clearly document:

1. Files that should be committed to protected branch (main):
   - .beads/.gitignore
   - .gitattributes

2. Files that are automatically gitignored
3. Files that live in the sync branch (beads-metadata)

Changes:
- Added step-by-step instructions in Quick Start section
- Added 'What lives in each branch' section to How It Works
- Clarified the directory structure diagram

Fixes: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/issues/312


Multi-repo contributor workflow support

Implement separate repository support for OSS contributors to prevent PR pollution while maintaining git ledger and multi-clone sync. Based on contributor-workflow-analysis.md Solution #4.


Isolate RPC server startup into rpc_server.go

Create internal/daemonrunner/rpc_server.go with StartRPC function. Move startRPCServer logic here and return typed handle.


Fix default .beads/.gitignore to ignore merge artifacts (GH #274)

Updated the default .gitignore template created by `bd init` to properly ignore merge artifacts and fix overly broad patterns.

Changes:
- Added `*.db?*` pattern for database files with query strings
- Added explicit patterns for merge artifacts: beads.{base,left,right}.{jsonl,meta.json}
- Changed `!*.jsonl` to `!issues.jsonl` to avoid including merge artifact JSONL files

This fixes GitHub issue #274 reported by rscorer.


Document Claude Code for Web SessionStart hook

Create documentation for using bd in Claude Code for Web:

## Documentation locations
- README.md - Add Claude Code for Web section
- Create docs/CLAUDE_CODE_WEB.md with detailed instructions

## SessionStart hook example
```json
{
  "sessionStart": {
    "script": "npm install -g @beads/bd && bd init --quiet --prefix bd || true"
  }
}
```

## Documentation should cover
- How to configure SessionStart hook in .claude/settings.json
- Verification: Check bd is installed (bd --version)
- Basic workflow in Claude Code for Web
- Troubleshooting common issues
- Note about network restrictions and why npm approach works

## Examples
- Creating issues in web sandbox
- Syncing with git in web environment
- Using MCP server (if applicable)


Add integration test for cross-clone deletion propagation


GH#403: bd doctor --fix circular error message

bd doctor --fix suggests running bd doctor --fix for deletions manifest issue. Fix to provide actual resolution. See GitHub issue #403.


Add mutation channel to internal/rpc/server.go

Add mutationChan chan MutationEvent to Server struct. Emit events on CreateIssue, UpdateIssue, DeleteIssue, AddComment. Non-blocking send with default case for full channel.


Add TestThreeCloneCollision for regression protection

Add a 3-clone collision test to document behavior and provide regression protection.

Purpose:
- Verify content convergence regardless of sync order
- Document the ID non-determinism behavior (IDs may be assigned differently based on sync order)
- Provide regression protection for multi-way collisions

Test design:
- 3 clones create same ID with different content
- Test two different sync orders (A→B→C vs C→A→B)
- Assert content sets match (ignore specific ID assignments)
- Add comment explaining ID non-determinism is expected behavior

Known limitation:
- Content always converges correctly (all issues present with correct titles)
- Numeric ID assignments (test-2 vs test-3) depend on sync order
- This is acceptable if content convergence is the primary goal


Review PR #513: fix hooks install docs

Review and merge PR #513 from aspiers. This PR fixes incorrect docs for how to install git hooks - updates README to use bd hooks install instead of removed install.sh. Simple 1-line change. URL: https://github.com/anthropics/beads/pull/513


Test issue 0


Test FK constraint via close


Document CLI + hooks as recommended approach over MCP

Update documentation to position CLI + bd prime hooks as the primary recommended approach over MCP server, explaining why minimizing context matters even with large context windows (compute cost, energy, environment, latency).


Improve compact/daemon/merge documentation and UX

Multiple documentation and UX issues encountered:
1. "bd compact --analyze" fails with misleading "requires SQLite storage" error when daemon is running. Needs --no-daemon or better error.
2. "bd merge" help text is outdated (refers to 3-way merge instead of issue merging).
3. Daemon mode purpose isn't clear to local-only users.
4. Compact/cleanup commands are hard to discover.

Proposed fixes:
- Fix compact+daemon interaction or error message.
- Update "bd merge" help text.
- Add "when to use daemon" section to docs.
- Add maintenance section to quickstart.


Implement clone-scoped ID allocation to prevent N-way collisions

## Problem
Current ID allocation uses per-clone atomic counters (issue_counters table) that sync based on local database state. In N-way collision scenarios:
- Clone B sees {test-1} locally, allocates test-2
- Clone D sees {test-1, test-2, test-3} locally, allocates test-4
- When same content gets assigned test-2 and test-4, convergence fails

Root cause: Each clone independently allocates IDs without global coordination, leading to overlapping assignments for the same content.

## Solution
Add clone UUID to ID allocation to make every ID globally unique:

**Current format:** `test-1`, `test-2`, `test-3`
**New format:** `test-1-a7b3`, `test-2-a7b3`, `test-3-c4d9`

Where suffix is first 4 chars of clone UUID.

## Implementation

### 1. Add clone_identity table
```sql
CREATE TABLE clone_identity (
    clone_uuid TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
    created_at DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
);
```

### 2. Modify getNextIDForPrefix()
```go
func (s *SQLiteStorage) getNextIDForPrefix(ctx context.Context, prefix string) (string, error) {
    cloneUUID := s.getOrCreateCloneUUID(ctx)
    shortUUID := cloneUUID[:4]

    nextNum := s.getNextCounterForPrefix(ctx, prefix)
    return fmt.Sprintf("%s-%d-%s", prefix, nextNum, shortUUID), nil
}
```

### 3. Update ID parsing logic
All places that parse IDs (utils.ExtractIssueNumber, etc.) need to handle new format.

### 4. Migration strategy
- Existing IDs remain unchanged (no suffix)
- New IDs get clone suffix automatically
- Display layer can hide suffix in UI: `bd-cb64c226.3-a7b3` → `#42`

## Benefits
- **Zero collision risk**: Same content in different clones gets different IDs
- **Maintains readability**: Still sequential numbering within clone
- **No coordination needed**: Works offline, no central authority
- **Scales to 100+ clones**: 4-char hex = 65,536 unique clones

## Concerns
- ID format change may break existing integrations
- Need migration path for existing databases
- Display logic needs update to hide/show suffixes appropriately

## Success Criteria
- 10+ clone collision test passes without failures
- Existing issues continue to work (backward compatibility)
- Documentation updated with new ID format
- Migration guide for v1.x → v2.x

## Timeline
Medium-term (v1.1-v1.2), 2-3 weeks implementation

## References
- Related to bd-e6d71828 (immediate fix)
- See beads_nway_test.go for failing N-way tests


Daemon race condition: stale export overwrites recent DB changes

**Symptom:**
Merged bd-fc2d into bd-fb05 in ~/src/beads (commit ce4d756), pushed to remote. The ~/src/fred/beads daemon then exported its stale DB state and committed (8cc1bb4), reverting bd-fc2d back to "open" status.

**Timeline:**
1. 21:45:12 - Merge committed from ~/src/beads (ce4d756): bd-fc2d closed
2. 21:49:42 - Daemon in ~/src/fred/beads exported stale state (8cc1bb4): bd-fc2d open again

**Root cause:**
The fred/beads daemon had a stale database (bd-fc2d still open) and didn't auto-import the newer JSONL before exporting. When it exported, it overwrote the merge with its stale state.

**Expected behavior:**
Daemon should detect that JSONL is newer than its last export and import before exporting.

**Actual behavior:**
Daemon exported stale DB state, creating a conflicting commit that reverted upstream changes.

**Impact:**
Multi-workspace setups with daemons can silently lose changes if one daemon has stale state and exports.


Invert control for compact: provide tools for agent-driven compaction

Currently compact requires Anthropic API key because bd calls the AI directly. This is backwards - we should provide tools (like all other bd commands) that let an AI agent perform the compaction. The agent decides what to keep/merge, not bd. Related to GH #243 complaint about API key requirement.


Add bd alias command for manual alias control

Add command for users to manually view and reassign aliases.

## Command: bd alias

### Subcommands

#### 1. bd alias list
Show all alias mappings:
```bash
$ bd alias list
#1    → bd-af78e9a2  Fix authentication bug
#2    → bd-e5f6a7b8  Add logging to daemon
#42   → bd-1a2b3c4d  Investigate jujutsu integration
#100  → bd-9a8b7c6d  (reassigned after conflict)
```

#### 2. bd alias set <alias> <hash-id>
Manually assign alias to specific issue:
```bash
$ bd alias set 42 bd-1a2b3c4d
✓ Assigned alias #42 to bd-1a2b3c4d

$ bd alias set 1 bd-af78e9a2
✗ Error: Alias #1 already assigned to bd-e5f6a7b8
Use --force to override
```

#### 3. bd alias compact
Renumber all aliases to fill gaps:
```bash
$ bd alias compact [--dry-run]

Current aliases: #1, #2, #5, #7, #100, #101
After compacting: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6

Renumbering:
  #5   → #3
  #7   → #4
  #100 → #5
  #101 → #6

Apply changes? [y/N]
```

#### 4. bd alias reset
Regenerate all aliases (sequential from 1):
```bash
$ bd alias reset [--sort-by=priority|created|id]

WARNING: This will reassign ALL aliases. Continue? [y/N]

Reassigning 150 issues by priority:
  bd-a1b2c3d4 → #1   (P0: Critical security bug)
  bd-e5f6a7b8 → #2   (P0: Data loss fix)
  bd-1a2b3c4d → #3   (P1: Jujutsu integration)
  ...
```

#### 5. bd alias find <hash-id>
Look up alias for hash ID:
```bash
$ bd alias find bd-af78e9a2
#1

$ bd alias find bd-nonexistent
✗ Error: Issue not found
```

## Use Cases

### 1. Keep Important Issues Low-Numbered
```bash
# After closing many P0 issues, compact to free low numbers
bd alias compact

# Or manually set
bd alias set 1 bd-<critical-bug-hash>
```

### 2. Consistent Aliases Across Clones
```bash
# After migration, coordinator assigns canonical aliases
bd alias reset --sort-by=id
git add .beads/aliases.jsonl
git commit -m "Canonical alias assignments"
git push

# Other clones pull and adopt
git pull
bd import  # Alias conflicts resolved automatically
```

### 3. Debug Alias Conflicts
```bash
# See which aliases were reassigned
bd alias list | grep "#100"
```

## Flags

### Global
- `--dry-run`: Preview changes without applying
- `--force`: Override existing alias assignments

### bd alias reset
- `--sort-by=priority`: Assign by priority (P0 first)
- `--sort-by=created`: Assign by creation time (oldest first)
- `--sort-by=id`: Assign by hash ID (lexicographic)

## Implementation

File: cmd/bd/alias.go
```go
func aliasListCmd() *cobra.Command {
    return &cobra.Command{
        Use:   "list",
        Short: "List all alias mappings",
        Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
            aliases := storage.GetAllAliases()
            for _, a := range aliases {
                fmt.Printf("#%-4d → %s  %s\n",
                    a.Alias, a.IssueID, a.Title)
            }
        },
    }
}

func aliasSetCmd() *cobra.Command {
    return &cobra.Command{
        Use:   "set <alias> <hash-id>",
        Short: "Manually assign alias to issue",
        Args:  cobra.ExactArgs(2),
        Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
            alias, _ := strconv.Atoi(args[0])
            hashID := args[1]

            force, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("force")
            if err := storage.SetAlias(alias, hashID, force); err != nil {
                fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Error: %v\n", err)
                os.Exit(1)
            }
            fmt.Printf("✓ Assigned alias #%d to %s\n", alias, hashID)
        },
    }
}
```

## Files to Create
- cmd/bd/alias.go

## Testing
- Test alias list output
- Test alias set with/without force
- Test alias compact removes gaps
- Test alias reset with different sort orders
- Test alias find lookup


Implement content-hash based collision resolution for deterministic convergence

The current collision resolution uses creation timestamps to decide which issue to keep vs. remap. This is non-deterministic when two clones create issues at nearly the same time.

Root cause of bd-71107098:
- Clone A creates test-1="Issue from clone A" at T0
- Clone B creates test-1="Issue from clone B" at T0+30ms
- Clone B syncs first, remaps Clone A's to test-2
- Clone A syncs second, sees collision, remaps Clone B's to test-2
- Result: titles are swapped between clones

Solution:
- Use content-based hashing (title + description + priority + type)
- Deterministic winner: always keep issue with lower hash
- Same collision on different clones produces same result (idempotent)

Implementation:
- Modify ScoreCollisions in internal/storage/sqlite/collision.go
- Replace timestamp-based scoring with content hash comparison
- Ensure hash function is stable across platforms

Rename detection successfully implemented and tested!

**What was implemented:**
1. Content-hash based rename detection in DetectCollisions
2. When importing JSONL, if an issue has different ID but same content as DB issue, treat as rename
3. Delete old ID and accept new ID from JSONL
4. Added post-import re-export in sync command to flush rename changes
5. Added post-import commit to capture rename changes

**Test results:**
TestTwoCloneCollision now shows full convergence:
- Clone A: test-2="Issue from clone A", test-1="Issue from clone B"
- Clone B: test-1="Issue from clone B", test-2="Issue from clone A"

Both clones have **identical content** (titles match IDs correctly). Only timestamps differ (expected).

**What remains:**
- Test still expects exact JSON match including timestamps
- Could normalize timestamp comparison, but content convergence is the critical success metric
- The two-clone collision workflow now works without data corruption!


Issue 2


Fixture Generator for Realistic Test Data

Create internal/testutil/fixtures/fixtures.go with functions to generate realistic test data at scale.

Functions:
- LargeSQLite(storage) - 10K issues, native SQLite
- XLargeSQLite(storage) - 20K issues, native SQLite
- LargeFromJSONL(storage) - 10K issues imported from JSONL
- XLargeFromJSONL(storage) - 20K issues imported from JSONL

Data characteristics:
- Epic hierarchies (depth 4): Epic → Feature → Task → Subtask
- Cross-linked dependencies (tasks blocking across epics)
- Realistic status/priority/label distribution
- Representative assignees and temporal data

Implementation:
- Single file: internal/testutil/fixtures/fixtures.go
- No config structs, simple direct functions
- Seeded RNG for reproducibility
- Reusable by both benchmarks and tests


Deleted issues resurrect during bd sync (tombstones not propagating)

## Problem

When issues are deleted with bd delete --force, they get deleted from the local DB but resurrect during the next bd sync.

## Reproduction

1. Observe orphan warnings (bd-cb64c226.*, bd-cbed9619.*)
2. Delete them: bd delete bd-cb64c226.1 ... --force
3. Run bd sync
4. Orphan warnings reappear - issues were resurrected!

## Root Cause Hypothesis

The sync branch workflow (beads-sync) has the old state before deletions. When bd sync pulls from beads-sync and copies JSONL to main, the deleted issues are re-imported.

Tombstones may not be properly:
1. Written to beads-sync during export
2. Propagated during pull/merge
3. Honored during import

## Related

- bd-7b7h: chicken-and-egg sync.branch bug (same workflow)
- bd-ncwo: ID-based fallback matching to prevent ghost resurrection

## Files to Investigate

- cmd/bd/sync.go (export/import flow)
- internal/syncbranch/worktree.go (PullFromSyncBranch, copyJSONLToMainRepo)
- internal/importer/ (tombstone handling)


Test child issue


Wire config to import pipeline

Connect import.orphan_handling config to importer.go and sqlite validation functions. Pass mode flag through call chain. Implement all four modes (strict/resurrect/skip/allow) with proper error messages and logging.


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-2752a7a2, bd-9826b69a.

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


Add comprehensive tests for config.yaml issue-prefix migration

The GH #209 config.yaml migration lacks test coverage:

Missing tests:
- config.SetIssuePrefix() edge cases (empty file, comments, malformed YAML)
- config.GetIssuePrefix() with various config states
- MigrateConfigToYAML() automatic migration logic
- bd init writing to config.yaml instead of DB
- bd migrate DB→config.yaml migration path

Test scenarios needed:
1. SetIssuePrefix with empty config.yaml
2. SetIssuePrefix with existing config.yaml (preserves other settings)
3. SetIssuePrefix with commented issue-prefix line
4. SetIssuePrefix atomic write (temp file cleanup)
5. GetIssuePrefix fallback behavior
6. MigrateConfigToYAML when config.yaml missing prefix but DB has it
7. MigrateConfigToYAML when both missing (detect from issues)
8. MigrateConfigToYAML when config.yaml already has prefix (no-op)
9. Integration test: fresh bd init writes to config.yaml only
10. Integration test: upgrade from v0.21 DB migrates to config.yaml

Priority 1 because this is a user-facing migration affecting all users upgrading to v0.22.


Auto-compact deletions during bd sync

Parent: bd-imj

## Task
Optionally prune deletions manifest during sync when threshold exceeded.

**Note: Opt-in feature** - disabled by default to avoid sync latency.

## Implementation

In `bd sync`:
```go
func (s *Syncer) Sync() error {
    // ... existing sync logic ...

    // Auto-compact only if enabled
    if s.config.GetBool("deletions.auto_compact", false) {
        deletionCount := deletions.Count(".beads/deletions.jsonl")
        threshold := s.config.GetInt("deletions.auto_compact_threshold", 1000)

        if deletionCount > threshold {
            retentionDays := s.config.GetInt("deletions.retention_days", 7)
            if err := s.compactor.PruneDeletions(retentionDays); err != nil {
                log.Warnf("Failed to auto-compact deletions: %v", err)
                // Non-fatal, continue sync
            }
        }
    }

    // ... rest of sync ...
}
```

## Configuration
```yaml
deletions:
  retention_days: 7
  auto_compact: false              # Opt-in, disabled by default
  auto_compact_threshold: 1000     # Trigger when > N entries (if enabled)
```

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] Auto-compact disabled by default
- [ ] Enabled via config `deletions.auto_compact: true`
- [ ] Sync checks deletion count only when enabled
- [ ] Auto-prunes when threshold exceeded
- [ ] Failure is non-fatal (logged warning)
- [ ] Test: no compaction when disabled
- [ ] Test: compaction triggers when enabled and threshold exceeded


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)


Doctor should exclude merge artifacts from 'multiple JSONL' warning

Doctor command warns about 'multiple JSONL files' when .base.jsonl and .left.jsonl merge artifacts exist. These are expected during/after merge operations and should be excluded from the warning.


Add migration registry and simplify New()

Create migrations.go with Migration type and registry. Change New() to: openDB -> initSchema -> RunMigrations(db). This removes 8+ separate migrate functions from New().


Refactor cmd/bd/daemon.go for testability and maintainability


Complete remaining sync branch daemon tests

4 remaining test scenarios in daemon_sync_branch_test.go need completion:

⚠ MINOR FIXES (apply same pattern as TestSyncBranchCommitAndPush_Success):
1. TestSyncBranchCommitAndPush_NoChanges
   - Reorder: call initMainBranch() BEFORE creating JSONL
   - Pattern: init branch → create issue → export JSONL → test

2. TestSyncBranchCommitAndPush_WorktreeHealthCheck
   - Same reordering needed
   - Verify worktree corruption detection and auto-repair

🔧 MORE WORK NEEDED (remote branch setup):
3. TestSyncBranchPull_Success
   - Issue: remote doesn't have sync branch after push
   - Need to verify branch is pushed to remote correctly
   - Then test pull from clone2

4. TestSyncBranchIntegration_EndToEnd
   - Full workflow: Agent A commits → Agent B pulls → Agent B commits → Agent A pulls
   - Same remote branch issue

Pattern to apply (from TestSyncBranchCommitAndPush_Success):
- Call initMainBranch(t, dir) BEFORE creating issues/JSONL
- This ensures sync branch worktree has changes to commit

Acceptance:
- All 7 tests pass
- go test -v -run TestSyncBranch ./cmd/bd/ succeeds


GH#508: Orphan detection false positive when directory name contains dot

Directory names with dots trigger orphan issue detection because dot is also used for orphan ID format. bd rename-prefix fixes it. See: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/issues/508


Research Go WASM compilation and modernc.org/sqlite WASM support

Investigate technical requirements for compiling bd to WASM:
- Verify modernc.org/sqlite has working js/wasm support
- Identify Go stdlib limitations in WASM (syscalls, file I/O, etc.)
- Research wasm_exec.js runtime and Node.js integration
- Document any API differences between native and WASM builds


Rapid 4


GH#519: bd sync fails when sync.branch equals current branch

bd sync tries to create worktree when sync.branch matches current checkout, fails with 'already used by worktree'. Should detect and commit directly. See: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/issues/519


Auto-detect scenarios and prompt users

Detect when user is in fork/contributor scenario and prompt with helpful suggestions. Check: git remote relationships, existing .beads config, repo ownership. Suggest appropriate wizard.


Fix bd doctor to recommend issues.jsonl as canonical (not beads.jsonl)


bd import silently succeeds when database matches working tree but not git HEAD

**Critical**: bd import reports '0 created, 0 updated' when database matches working tree JSONL, even when working tree is ahead of git HEAD. This gives false confidence that everything is synced with the source of truth.

## Reproduction

1. Start with database synced to working tree .beads/issues.jsonl (376 issues)
2. Git HEAD has older version of .beads/issues.jsonl (354 issues)
3. Run: bd import .beads/issues.jsonl
4. Output: 'Import complete: 0 created, 0 updated'

## Problem

User expects 'bd import' after 'git pull' to sync database with committed state, but:
- Command silently succeeds because DB already matches working tree
- No warning that working tree has uncommitted changes
- User falsely believes everything is synced with git
- Violates 'JSONL in git is source of truth' principle

## Expected Behavior

When .beads/issues.jsonl differs from git HEAD, bd import should:
1. Detect uncommitted changes: git diff --quiet HEAD .beads/issues.jsonl
2. Warn user: 'Warning: .beads/issues.jsonl has uncommitted changes (376 lines vs 354 in HEAD)'
3. Clarify status: 'Import complete: 0 created, 0 updated (already synced with working tree)'
4. Recommend: 'Run git diff .beads/issues.jsonl to review uncommitted work'

## Impact

- Users can't trust 'bd import' status messages
- Silent data loss risk if user assumes synced and runs git checkout
- Breaks mental model of 'JSONL in git = source of truth'
- Critical for VC's landing-the-plane workflow


Improve test coverage for internal/lockfile (42.0% → 60%)

The lockfile package has only 42.0% test coverage. Lock file handling is critical for preventing data corruption in concurrent scenarios.

Current coverage: 42.0%
Target coverage: 60%


worktree: any bd command is slow

in a git worktree any bd command is slow, with a 2-3s pause before any results are shown. The identical command with `--no-daemon` is near instant.


Create backup and restore procedures

Disaster recovery procedures for Agent Mail data.

Acceptance Criteria:
- Automated daily snapshots (GCP persistent disk)
- SQLite backup script
- Git repository backup
- Restore procedure documentation
- Test restore from backup

File: deployment/agent-mail/backup.sh


Test coverage improvement initiative (47.8% → 65%)

Umbrella epic for improving overall test coverage from 47.8% to 65%+.

## Summary

| Package | Current | Target | Issue |
|---------|---------|--------|-------|
| internal/compact | 18.2% | 70% | bd-thgk |
| cmd/bd/doctor/fix | 23.9% | 50% | bd-fx7v |
| cmd/bd | 26.2% | 50% | bd-llfl |
| internal/daemon | 27.3% | 60% | bd-n386 |
| cmd/bd/setup | 28.4% | 50% | bd-sh4c |
| internal/syncbranch | 33.0% | 70% | bd-io8c |
| internal/export | 37.1% | 60% | bd-6sm6 |
| internal/lockfile | 42.0% | 60% | [deleted:bd-9w3s] |
| internal/rpc | 47.5% | 60% | bd-m8ro |
| internal/beads | 48.1% | 70% | bd-tvu3 |
| internal/storage | N/A | basic | bd-a15d |

## Packages with good coverage (no action needed)
- internal/types: 91.0%
- internal/utils: 88.9%
- internal/deletions: 84.3%
- internal/config: 84.2%
- internal/autoimport: 83.5%
- internal/validation: 80.8%
- internal/merge: 78.9%
- internal/routing: 74.3%
- internal/storage/sqlite: 73.1%
- internal/importer: 70.2%

Overall target: 65%+ (from current 47.8%)


Document BEADS_DIR pattern for multi-agent workspaces (Gas Town)

Gas Town and similar multi-agent systems need to configure separate beads databases per workspace/rig, distinct from any project-level beads.

## Use Case

In Gas Town:
- Each 'rig' (managed project) has multiple agents (polecats, refinery, witness)
- All agents in a rig should share a single beads database at the rig level
- This should be separate from any .beads/ the project itself uses
- The BEADS_DIR env var enables this

## Documentation Needed

1. Add a section to docs explaining BEADS_DIR for multi-agent setups
2. Example: setting BEADS_DIR in agent startup scripts/hooks
3. Clarify interaction with project-level .beads/ (BEADS_DIR takes precedence)

## Current Support

Already implemented in internal/beads/beads.go:FindDatabasePath():
- BEADS_DIR env var is checked first (preferred)
- BEADS_DB env var still supported (deprecated)
- Falls back to .beads/ search in tree

Just needs documentation for the multi-agent workspace pattern.


Fix GH #227: bd edit broken pipe errors

bd edit command gets "broken pipe" errors when using daemon mode because editing can take minutes and the daemon connection times out.

Solution: Force bd edit to always use direct mode (--no-daemon) since it's human-only and interactive.

Fixed by checking cmd.Name() == "edit" in main.go PersistentPreRun and setting noDaemon = true.


bd-hv01: Non-atomic snapshot operations can cause data loss

## Problem
In sync.go:146-155 and daemon_sync.go:502-505, snapshot capture failures are logged as warnings but sync continues:

```go
if err := exportToJSONL(ctx, jsonlPath); err != nil { ... }
if err := captureLeftSnapshot(jsonlPath); err != nil {
    fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Warning: failed to capture snapshot...")
}
```

If export succeeds but snapshot capture fails, the merge uses stale snapshot data, potentially deleting wrong issues.

## Impact
- Critical data integrity issue
- Could delete issues incorrectly during multi-workspace sync

## Fix
Make snapshot capture mandatory:
```go
if err := captureLeftSnapshot(jsonlPath); err != nil {
    return fmt.Errorf("failed to capture snapshot (required for deletion tracking): %w", err)
}
```

## Files Affected
- cmd/bd/sync.go:146-155
- cmd/bd/daemon_sync.go:502-505


Stress test: event storm handling

Simulate 100+ rapid JSONL writes. Verify debouncer batches to single import. Verify no data loss. Test daemon stability.


Code Review Sweep: thorough

Perform thorough code review sweep based on accumulated activity.

**AI Reasoning:**
Significant code activity with 7608 lines added and 120 files changed indicates substantial modifications. Multiple high-churn areas (cmd/bd, internal/rpc) suggest potential for subtle issues and emerging patterns that warrant review.

**Scope:** thorough
**Target Areas:** cmd/bd, internal/rpc, .beads
**Estimated Files:** 12
**Estimated Cost:** $5

**Task:**
Review files for non-obvious issues that agents miss during focused work:
- Inefficiencies (algorithmic, resource usage)
- Subtle bugs (race conditions, off-by-one, copy-paste)
- Poor patterns (coupling, complexity, duplication)
- Missing best practices (error handling, docs, tests)
- Unnamed anti-patterns

File discovered issues with detailed reasoning and suggestions.


URGENT: main branch has failing tests (syncbranch migration error)

The main branch has failing tests that are blocking CI for all PRs.

## Problem
All syncbranch_test.go tests failing with:
"migration external_ref_column failed: failed to create index on external_ref: sqlite3: SQL logic error: no such table: main.issues"

## Evidence
- Last 5 CI runs on main: ALL FAILED
- Tests fail locally on current main (bd6dca5)
- Affects: TestGet, TestSet, TestUnset in internal/syncbranch

## Impact
- Blocking all PR merges
- CI shows red for all branches
- Can't trust test results

## Root Cause
Migration order issue - trying to create index on external_ref column before the issues table exists, or before the external_ref column is added to the issues table.

## Quick Fix Needed
Need to investigate migration order in internal/storage/sqlite/migrations.go and ensure:
1. issues table is created first
2. external_ref column is added to issues table
3. THEN index on external_ref is created

This is CRITICAL - main should never have breaking tests.


Import fails on same-content-different-ID instead of treating as update

## Problem

The importer still has rename detection (importer.go:482-500) that triggers when same content hash has different IDs. With hash IDs, this shouldn't happen, but when it does (test data, bugs, legacy data), the import fails:

```
failed to handle rename bd-ce75 -> bd-5a90: rename collision handling removed - should not occur with hash IDs
```

## Current Behavior

1. Importer finds same content hash with different IDs
2. Calls handleRename() (line 490)
3. handleRename() errors out (line 294): "rename collision handling removed"
4. Import fails

## Expected Behavior

Same content hash + different IDs should be treated as an **update**, not a rename:
- Keep existing ID (already in database)
- Update fields if incoming has newer timestamp
- Discard incoming ID (it's wrong - hash should have generated same ID)

## Impact

- Import fails on legitimate edge cases (test data, data corruption)
- Cryptic error message
- Blocks sync operations

## Fix

In handleRename() or import loop, instead of erroring:
```go
// Same content, different ID - treat as update
if incoming.UpdatedAt.After(existing.UpdatedAt) {
    existing.Status = incoming.Status
    // ... copy other fields
    s.UpdateIssue(ctx, existing)
}
result.Updated++
```

## Files
- internal/importer/importer.go:271-294 (handleRename)
- internal/importer/importer.go:482-500 (rename detection)

## Repro
Import JSONL with bd-ce75 and bd-5a90 (both "Test parent issue" but different content hashes).


Migration and onboarding for multi-repo

Create migration tools, wizards, and documentation to help users adopt multi-repo workflow, with special focus on OSS contributor onboarding and team adoption scenarios.


Event-driven daemon architecture

Replace 5-second polling sync loop with event-driven architecture that reacts instantly to changes. Eliminates stale data issues while reducing CPU ~60%. Key components: FileWatcher (fsnotify), Debouncer (500ms), RPC mutation events, optional git hooks. Target latency: <500ms (vs 5000ms). See event_driven_daemon.md for full design.

## Implementation Progress

**Completed:**
1. ✅ Mutation events infrastructure (bd-143 equivalent)
   - MutationEvent channel in RPC server
   - Events emitted for all write operations: create, update, close, label add/remove, dep add/remove, comment add
   - Non-blocking emission with dropped event counter

2. ✅ FileWatcher with fsnotify (bd-b0c7f7ef related)
   - Watches .beads/issues.jsonl and .git/refs/heads
   - 500ms debounce
   - Polling fallback if fsnotify unavailable

3. ✅ Debouncer (bd-144 equivalent)
   - 500ms debounce for both export and import triggers
   - Thread-safe trigger/cancel

4. ✅ Separate export-only and import-only functions
   - createExportFunc(): exports + optional commit/push (no pull/import)
   - createAutoImportFunc(): pull + import (no export)
   - Target latency <500ms achieved by avoiding full sync

5. ✅ Dropped events safety net (bd-eef03e0a related)
   - Atomic counter tracks dropped mutation events
   - 60-second health check triggers export if events were dropped
   - Prevents silent data loss from event storms

**Still Needed:**
- Platform-specific tests (bd-69bce74a)
- Integration test for mutation→export latency (bd-140)
- Unit tests for FileWatcher (bd-b0c7f7ef)
- Unit tests for Debouncer (bd-144)
- Event storm stress test (bd-eef03e0a)
- Documentation update (bd-142)

**Next Steps:**
Add comprehensive test coverage before enabling events mode by default.


Auto-configure git merge driver during `bd init`

Enhance `bd init` to optionally set up beads-merge as git merge driver.

**Tasks**:
- Prompt user to install git merge driver
- Configure `.git/config`: `merge.beads.driver "bd merge %A %O %L %R"`
- Create/update `.gitattributes`: `.beads/beads.jsonl merge=beads`
- Add `--skip-merge-driver` flag for non-interactive use
- Update AGENTS.md onboarding section

**Files**:
- `cmd/bd/init.go`
- `.gitattributes` template


Fix checkExistingBeadsData to be worktree-aware

The checkExistingBeadsData function in cmd/bd/init.go checks for .beads in the current working directory, but for worktrees it should check the main repository root instead. This prevents proper worktree compatibility.


AI-supervised database migrations for safer schema evolution

## Problem

Database migrations can lose user data through edge cases that are hard to anticipate (e.g., GH #201 where bd migrate failed to set issue_prefix, or bd-d355a07d false positive data loss warnings). Since beads is designed to be run by AI agents, we should leverage AI to make migrations safer.

## Current State

Migrations run blindly with:
- No pre-flight validation
- No data integrity verification
- No rollback on failure
- Limited post-migration testing

Recent issues:
- GH #201: Migration didn't set issue_prefix config, breaking commands
- bd-d355a07d: False positive "data loss" warnings on collision resolution
- Users reported migration data loss (fixed but broader problem remains)

## Proposal: AI-Supervised Migration Framework

Use AI to supervise migrations through structured verification:

### 1. Pre-Migration Analysis
- AI reads migration code and current schema
- Identifies potential data loss scenarios
- Generates validation queries to verify assumptions
- Creates snapshot queries for before/after comparison

### 2. Migration Execution
- Take database backup/snapshot
- Run validation queries (pre-state)
- Execute migration in transaction
- Run validation queries (post-state)

### 3. Post-Migration Verification
- AI compares pre/post snapshots
- Verifies data integrity invariants
- Checks for unexpected data loss
- Validates config completeness (like issue_prefix)

### 4. Rollback on Anomalies
- If AI detects data loss, rollback transaction
- Present human-readable error report
- Suggest fix before retrying

## Example Flow

```
$ bd migrate

→ Analyzing migration plan...
→ AI identified 3 potential data loss scenarios
→ Generating validation queries...
→ Creating pre-migration snapshot...
→ Running migration in transaction...
→ Verifying post-migration state...
✓ All 247 issues accounted for
✓ Config table complete (issue_prefix: "mcp")
✓ Dependencies intact (342 relationships verified)
→ Migration successful!
```

If something goes wrong:
```
$ bd migrate

→ Analyzing migration plan...
→ AI identified issue: Missing issue_prefix config after migration
→ Recommendation: Add prefix detection step
→ Aborting migration - database unchanged
```

## Implementation Ideas

### A. Migration Validator Tool
Create `bd migrate --validate` that:
- Simulates migration on copy of database
- Uses AI to verify data integrity
- Reports potential issues before real migration

### B. Migration Test Generator
AI generates test cases for migrations:
- Edge cases (empty DB, large DB, missing config)
- Data integrity checks
- Regression tests

### C. Migration Invariants
Define invariants that AI checks:
- Issue count should not decrease (unless collision resolution)
- All required config keys present
- Foreign key relationships intact
- No orphaned dependencies

### D. Self-Healing Migrations
AI detects incomplete migrations and suggests fixes:
- Missing config values (like GH #201)
- Orphaned data
- Index inconsistencies

## Benefits

1. **Catch edge cases**: AI explores scenarios humans miss
2. **Self-documenting**: AI explains what migration does
3. **Agent-friendly**: Agents can run migrations confidently
4. **Fewer rollbacks**: Detect issues before committing
5. **Better testing**: AI generates comprehensive test suites

## Open Questions

1. Which AI model? (Fast: Haiku, Thorough: Sonnet/GPT-4)
2. How to balance safety vs migration speed?
3. Should AI validation be required or optional?
4. How to handle offline scenarios (no API access)?
5. What invariants should always be checked?

## Related Work

- bd-b245: Migration registry (makes migrations introspectable)
- GH #201: issue_prefix migration bug (motivating example)
- bd-d355a07d: False positive data loss warnings

## Progress

### ✅ Phase 1: Migration Invariants (COMPLETED)

**Implemented:**
- Created internal/storage/sqlite/migration_invariants.go with 3 invariants
- Updated RunMigrations() to verify invariants after migrations
- All tests pass ✓

### ✅ Phase 2: Inspection Tools (COMPLETED & PUSHED)

**Commit:** 1abe4e7 - "Add migration inspection tools for AI agents (bd-627d Phase 2)"

**Implemented:**
1. ✅ bd migrate --inspect --json - Shows migration plan
2. ✅ bd info --schema --json - Returns schema details
3. ✅ Migration warnings system
4. ✅ Documentation updated in AGENTS.md
5. ✅ All tests pass

### ✅ Phase 3: MCP Tools (COMPLETED & PUSHED)

**Commit:** 2493693 - "Add MCP tools for migration inspection (bd-627d Phase 3)"

**Implemented:**
1. ✅ inspect_migration(workspace_root) tool in beads-mcp
2. ✅ get_schema_info(workspace_root) tool in beads-mcp
3. ✅ Abstract methods in BdClientBase
4. ✅ CLI client implementations
5. ✅ All tests pass

**All phases complete!** Migration inspection fully integrated into MCP server.


RPC fast-fail: stat socket before dial, cap timeouts to 200ms

Eliminate 5s delay when daemon socket is missing by:
1. Add os.Stat(socketPath) check before dialing in TryConnect
2. Return (nil, nil) immediately if socket doesn't exist
3. Set default dial timeout to 200ms in TryConnect
4. Keep TryConnectWithTimeout for explicit health/status checks (1-2s)

This prevents clients from waiting through full timeout when no daemon is running.


Multi-clone collision resolution testing and documentation

Epic to track improvements to multi-clone collision resolution based on ultrathinking analysis of-3d844c58 and [deleted:bd-71107098].

Current state:
- 2-clone collision resolution is SOUND and working correctly
- Hash-based deterministic collision resolution works
- Test fails due to timestamp comparison, not actual logic issues

Work needed:
1. Fix TestTwoCloneCollision to compare content not timestamps
2. Add TestThreeCloneCollision for regression protection
3. Document 3-clone ID non-determinism as known behavior


Add ON DELETE CASCADE to child_counters schema

Update schema.go child_counters table foreign key with ON DELETE CASCADE. When parent deleted, child counter should also be deleted. If parent is resurrected, counter gets recreated from scratch. Add migration for existing databases.


Improve integration test coverage for stateful features


Merge PR #300: gitignore upgrade feature

PR #300 is ready to merge but has rebase conflicts with main.

**Context:**
- PR implements 3 mechanisms for .beads/.gitignore upgrade (bd doctor --fix, daemon auto-upgrade, bd init idempotent)
- Conflicts resolved locally but diverged branches make push difficult
- All fixes applied: removed merge artifact, applied new gitignore template
- Clean scope: only 6 files changed (+194/-42)

**Next steps:**
1. Option A: Merge via GitHub UI (resolve conflicts in web interface)
2. Option B: Fresh rebase on main and force push
3. Verify CI passes
4. Squash and merge

PR URL: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/pull/300
Fixes: #274


Remove unreachable RPC methods

Several RPC server and client methods are unreachable and should be removed:

Server methods (internal/rpc/server.go):
- `Server.GetLastImportTime` (line 2116)
- `Server.SetLastImportTime` (line 2123)
- `Server.findJSONLPath` (line 2255)

Client methods (internal/rpc/client.go):
- `Client.Import` (line 311) - RPC import not used (daemon uses autoimport)

Evidence:
```bash
go run golang.org/x/tools/cmd/deadcode@latest -test ./...
```

Impact: Removes ~80 LOC of unused RPC code


Support --parent flag in daemon mode

Added support for hierarchical child issue creation using --parent flag in daemon mode. Previously only worked in direct mode.


Fix mypy errors in beads-mcp

Running `mypy .` in `integrations/beads-mcp` reports 287 errors. These should be addressed to improve type safety and code quality.


Add comments to 30+ silently ignored errors or fix them

Code health review found 30+ instances of error suppression using blank identifier without explanation:

Good examples (with comments):
- merge.go: _ = gitRmCmd.Run() // Ignore errors
- daemon_watcher.go: _ = watcher.Add(...) // Ignore error

Bad examples (no context):
- create.go:213: dbPrefix, _ = store.GetConfig(ctx, "issue_prefix")
- daemon_sync_branch.go: _ = daemonClient.Close()
- migrate_hash_ids.go, version_tracking.go: _ = store.Close()

Fix: Add comments explaining WHY errors are ignored, or handle them properly.