Review multi-repo deletion tracking implementation

Thoroughly review the multi-repo deletion tracking fix (bd-4oob):

Files changed:
- cmd/bd/deletion_tracking.go: Added getMultiRepoJSONLPaths() helper
- cmd/bd/daemon_sync.go: Updated snapshot capture/update logic for multi-repo
- cmd/bd/deletion_tracking_test.go: Added 2 new tests (287 lines)

Review focus areas:
1. Correctness: Does getMultiRepoJSONLPaths() handle all edge cases?
2. Performance: Calling getMultiRepoJSONLPaths() 3x per sync (snapshot capture, merge, base update) - should we cache?
3. Error handling: What if some repos fail snapshot operations but others succeed?
4. Race conditions: Multiple daemons in different repos?
5. Test coverage: Are TestMultiRepoDeletionTracking and TestMultiRepoSnapshotIsolation sufficient?
6. Path handling: Absolute vs relative paths, tilde expansion

This is fresh code - needs careful review before considering deletion tracking production-ready.

Code review completed. Overall assessment: Core deletion tracking logic is sound, but error handling and path handling issues make this not yet production-ready for multi-repo scenarios.

Key findings:

CRITICAL ISSUES (Priority 1):
1. Inconsistent error handling in daemon_sync.go - snapshot/merge fail hard but base update warns. Can leave DB in inconsistent state with no rollback. See bd-sjmr.
2. No path normalization in getMultiRepoJSONLPaths() - tilde expansion, relative paths, duplicates not handled. See bd-iye7.

SHOULD FIX (Priority 2):
3. Missing test coverage for edge cases - empty paths, duplicates, partial failures. See bd-kdoh.
4. Performance - getMultiRepoJSONLPaths() called 3x per sync (minor issue). See bd-we4p.

WHAT WORKS WELL:
- Atomic file operations with PID-based temp files
- Good snapshot isolation between repos
- Race condition protection via exclusive locks
- Solid test coverage for happy path scenarios

VERDICT: Address bd-iye7 and bd-sjmr before considering deletion tracking production-ready for multi-repo mode.

Detailed review notes available in conversation history.


Refactor check-health DB access to avoid repeated path resolution

The runCheckHealth lightweight checks (hintsDisabled, checkVersionMismatch, checkSyncBranchQuick) each have duplicated database path resolution logic. Extract a helper function to DRY this up.


Deletion propagation via deletions manifest

## Problem

When `bd cleanup -f` or `bd delete` removes issues in one clone, those deletions don't propagate to other clones. The import logic only creates/updates, never deletes. This causes "resurrection" where deleted issues reappear.

## Root Cause

Import sees DB issues not in JSONL and assumes they're "local unpushed work" rather than "intentionally deleted upstream."

## Solution: Deletions Manifest

Add `.beads/deletions.jsonl` - an append-only log of deleted issue IDs with metadata.

### Format
```jsonl
{"id":"bd-xxx","ts":"2025-11-25T10:00:00Z","by":"stevey"}
{"id":"bd-yyy","ts":"2025-11-25T10:05:00Z","by":"claude","reason":"duplicate of bd-zzz"}
```

### Fields
- `id`: Issue ID (required)
- `ts`: ISO 8601 UTC timestamp (required)
- `by`: Actor who deleted (required)
- `reason`: Optional context ("cleanup", "duplicate of X", etc.)

### Import Logic
```
For each DB issue not in JSONL:
  1. Check deletions manifest → if found, delete from DB
  2. Fallback: check git history → if found, delete + backfill manifest
  3. Neither → keep (local unpushed work)
```

### Conflict Resolution
Simultaneous deletions from multiple clones are handled naturally:
- Append-only design means both clones append their deletion records
- On merge, file contains duplicate entries (same ID, different timestamps)
- `LoadDeletions` deduplicates by ID (keeps any/first entry)
- Result: deletion propagates correctly, duplicates are harmless

### Pruning Policy
- Default retention: 7 days (configurable via `deletions.retention_days`)
- Auto-compact during `bd sync` is **opt-in** (disabled by default)
- Hard cap: `deletions.max_entries` (default 50000)
- Git fallback handles pruned entries (self-healing)

### Self-Healing
When git fallback catches a resurrection (pruned entry), it backfills the manifest. One-time git scan cost, then fast again.

### Size Estimates
- ~80 bytes/entry
- 7-day retention with 100 deletions/day = ~56KB
- Git compressed: ~10KB

## Benefits
- ✅ Deletions propagate across clones
- ✅ O(1) lookup (no git scan in normal case)
- ✅ Works in shallow clones
- ✅ Survives history rewrite
- ✅ Audit trail (who deleted what when)
- ✅ Self-healing via git fallback
- ✅ Bounded size via time-based pruning

## References
- Investigation session: 2025-11-25
- Related: bd-2q6d (stale database warnings)


Batch test 2


Verify MCP Server Compatibility

Ensure MCP server works with cache-free daemon


Update JSONL format to use hash IDs

Update JSONL import/export to use hash IDs, store aliases separately.

## Current JSONL Format
```jsonl
{"id":"bd-1c63eb84","title":"Fix bug","status":"open",...}
{"id":"bd-9063acda","title":"Add test","status":"open",...}
```

## New JSONL Format (Option A: Include Alias)
```jsonl
{"id":"bd-af78e9a2","alias":1,"title":"Fix bug","status":"open",...}
{"id":"bd-e5f6a7b8","alias":2,"title":"Add test","status":"open",...}
```

## New JSONL Format (Option B: Hash ID Only)
```jsonl
{"id":"bd-af78e9a2","title":"Fix bug","status":"open",...}
{"id":"bd-e5f6a7b8","title":"Add test","status":"open",...}
```

Store aliases in separate .beads/aliases.jsonl (local only, git-ignored):
```jsonl
{"hash":"bd-af78e9a2","alias":1}
{"hash":"bd-e5f6a7b8","alias":2}
```

**Recommendation**: Option B (hash only in main JSONL)
- Cleaner git diffs (no alias conflicts)
- Aliases are workspace-local preference
- Main JSONL is canonical, portable

## Export Changes
File: cmd/bd/export.go
```go
// Export issues with hash IDs
for _, issue := range issues {
    json := marshalIssue(issue)  // Uses issue.ID (hash)
    // Don't include alias in JSONL
}

// Separately export aliases to .beads/aliases.jsonl
exportAliases(issues)
```

## Import Changes
File: cmd/bd/import.go, internal/importer/importer.go
```go
// Import issues by hash ID
issue := unmarshalIssue(line)
// Assign new alias on import (don't use incoming alias)
issue.Alias = getNextAlias()

// No collision detection needed! Hash IDs are globally unique
```

## Dependency Reference Format
No change needed - already uses issue IDs:
```json
{"depends_on_id":"bd-af78e9a2","type":"blocks"}
```

## Files to Modify
- cmd/bd/export.go (use hash IDs)
- cmd/bd/import.go (import hash IDs, assign aliases)
- internal/importer/importer.go (remove collision detection!)
- .gitignore (add .beads/aliases.jsonl)

## Testing
- Test export produces hash IDs
- Test import assigns new aliases
- Test dependencies preserved with hash IDs
- Test no collision detection triggered


Create shared insert/event/dirty helpers

Create issues.go (insertIssue/insertIssues), events.go (recordCreatedEvent/recordCreatedEvents), dirty.go (markDirty/markDirtyBatch). Refactor single and bulk create paths to use these.


Platform tests: Linux, macOS, Windows

Test event-driven mode on all platforms. Verify inotify (Linux), FSEvents (macOS), ReadDirectoryChangesW (Windows). Test fallback behavior on each.


bd message: Implement full message reading functionality

The `bd message read` command is incomplete and doesn't actually fetch or display message content.

**Location:** cmd/bd/message.go:413-441

**Current Behavior:**
- Only marks message as read
- Prints placeholder text
- Doesn't fetch message body

**Expected:**
- Fetch full message from Agent Mail resource API
- Display sender, subject, timestamp, body
- Consider markdown rendering

**Blocker:** Core feature for message system MVP


Fresh clone: bd should suggest 'bd init' when no database exists

On a fresh clone of a repo using beads, running `bd stats` or `bd list` gives a cryptic error:

```
Error: failed to open database: post-migration validation failed: migration invariants failed:
  - required_config_present: required config key missing: issue_prefix (database has 2 issues)
```

**Expected**: A helpful message like:
```
No database found. This appears to be a fresh clone.
Run 'bd init --prefix <prefix>' to hydrate from the committed JSONL file.
Found: .beads/beads.jsonl (38 issues)
```

**Why this matters**: The current UX is confusing for new contributors or fresh clones. The happy path should be obvious.


Document shared memory test isolation pattern in test_helpers.go

Tests were failing because :memory: creates a shared database across all tests. The fix is to use "file::memory:?mode=memory&cache=private" for test isolation.

Should document this pattern in test_helpers.go and potentially update newTestStore to use private memory by default.


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


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


Handle unchecked errors (errcheck - 683 issues)

683 unchecked error returns, mostly in tests (Close, Rollback, RemoveAll). Many already excluded in config but still showing up.

Fixed all errcheck warnings in production code:
- Enabled errcheck linter (was disabled)
- Set tests: false in .golangci.yml to focus on production code
- Fixed 27 total errors in production code using Oracle guidance:
  * Database patterns: defer func() { _ = rows.Close() }() and defer func() { _ = tx.Rollback() }()
  * Best-effort closers: _ = store.Close(), _ = client.Close()
  * Proper error handling for file writes, fmt.Scanln(), os.Remove()
- All tests pass
- Only 2 "unused" linter warnings remain (not errcheck)


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).


bd doctor: handle missing daemon registry gracefully

When no daemon has ever been started, bd doctor shows an error parsing the registry: 'failed to parse registry: invalid character 0 after top-level value'. The doctor should handle the case where ~/.bd/daemon/registry.json doesn't exist, treating it as 'no daemon running' rather than an error.


Remove unused global daemon infrastructure (internal/daemonrunner/)

The internal/daemonrunner/ package (1,468 LOC) contains the old global daemon implementation that is no longer used. We now use per-workspace daemons.

Deadcode analysis shows all these functions are unreachable:
- Daemon.Start, runGlobalDaemon, setupLock
- validateSingleDatabase, validateSchemaVersion
- registerDaemon, unregisterDaemon
- validateDatabaseFingerprint
- Full git client implementation (NewGitClient, HasUpstream, HasChanges, Commit, Push, Pull)
- Helper functions: isGitRepo, gitHasUpstream, gitHasChanges, gitCommit

The entire package appears unused since switching to per-workspace daemon architecture.

Files to remove:
- daemon.go (9,436 bytes)
- git.go (3,510 bytes)
- sync.go (6,401 bytes)
- fingerprint.go (2,076 bytes)
- process.go (3,332 bytes)
- rpc.go (994 bytes)
- config.go (486 bytes)
- logger.go (1,579 bytes)
- flock_*.go (platform-specific file locking)
- signals_*.go (platform-specific signal handling)
- All test files

Total cleanup: ~1,500 LOC


Add 'town report' command for aggregated swarm status

## Problem
Getting a full swarm status requires running 6+ commands:
- `town list <rig>` for each rig
- `town mail inbox` as Boss
- `bd list --status=open/in_progress` per rig

This is slow and error-prone for both humans and agents.

## Proposed Solution
Add `town report [RIG]` command that aggregates:
- All rigs with polecat states (running/stopped, awake/asleep)
- Boss inbox summary (unread count, recent senders)
- Aggregate issue counts per rig (open/in_progress/blocked)

Example output:
```
=== beads ===
Polecats: 5 (5 running, 0 stopped)
Issues: 20 open, 0 in_progress, 0 blocked

=== gastown ===
Polecats: 6 (4 running, 2 stopped)
Issues: 0 open, 0 in_progress, 0 blocked

=== Boss Mail ===
Unread: 10 | Total: 22
Recent: rictus (21:19), scrotus (21:14), immortanjoe (21:14)
```

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] `town report` shows all rigs
- [ ] `town report <rig>` shows single rig detail
- [ ] Output is concise and scannable
- [ ] Completes in <2 seconds


Test auto-start in fred


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


Test simple issue


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


Split test suites: fast vs. integration

Reorganize tests into separate packages/files for fast unit tests vs slow integration tests.

Benefits:
- Clear separation of concerns
- Easier to run just fast tests during development
- Can parallelize CI jobs better

Files to organize:
- beads_hash_multiclone_test.go (slow integration tests)
- beads_integration_test.go (medium-speed integration tests)
- Other test files (fast unit tests)


Baseline quality gate failure: lint

The lint quality gate is failing on the baseline (main branch).

This blocks the executor from claiming work until fixed.

Error: golangci-lint failed: exit status 1

Output:
```
cmd/bd/search.go:39:12: Error return value of `cmd.Help` is not checked (errcheck)
			cmd.Help()
			        ^
cmd/bd/clean.go:118:15: G304: Potential file inclusion via variable (gosec)
	file, err := os.Open(gitignorePath)
	             ^
cmd/bd/doctor/gitignore.go:98:12: G306: Expect WriteFile permissions to be 0600 or less (gosec)
	if err := os.WriteFile(gitignorePath, []byte(GitignoreTemplate), 0644); err != nil {
	          ^
cmd/bd/merge.go:121:16: G204: Subprocess launched with variable (gosec)
			gitRmCmd := exec.Command("git", "rm", "-f", "--quiet", fullPath)
			            ^
cmd/bd/doctor.go:167:20: `cancelled` is a misspelling of `canceled` (misspell)
		fmt.Println("Fix cancelled.")
		                 ^
cmd/bd/flush_manager.go:139:42: `cancelling` is a misspelling of `canceling` (misspell)
		// Send shutdown request FIRST (before cancelling context)
		                                       ^
cmd/bd/flush_manager.go:261:15: `cancelled` is a misspelling of `canceled` (misspell)
			// Context cancelled (shouldn't normally happen)
			           ^
cmd/bd/flush_manager.go:269:55: (*FlushManager).performFlush - result 0 (error) is always nil (unparam)
func (fm *FlushManager) performFlush(fullExport bool) error {
                                                      ^
8 issues:
* errcheck: 1
* gosec: 3
* misspell: 3
* unparam: 1

```


Add bd doctor --fix flag to automatically repair issues

Implement a --fix flag for bd doctor that can automatically repair detected issues.

Requirements:
- Add --fix flag to bd doctor command
- Show all fixable issues and prompt for confirmation before applying fixes
- Organize fix implementations under doctor/fix/<type_of_fix>.go
- Each fix type should have its own file (e.g., doctor/fix/hooks.go, doctor/fix/sync.go)
- Display what will be fixed and ask user to confirm (Y/n) before proceeding
- Support fixing issues like:
  - Missing or broken git hooks
  - Sync problems with remote
  - File permission issues
  - Any other auto-repairable issues doctor detects

Implementation notes:
- Maintain separation between detection (existing doctor code) and repair (new fix code)
- Each fix should be idempotent and safe to run multiple times
- Provide clear output about what was fixed
- Log any fixes that fail with actionable error messages


Optimize CLI test suite - eliminate redundant git init calls

Current: Each of 13 CLI tests calls git init (31s total). Solution: Use single test binary built once in init(), skip git operations where possible, or use mock filesystem.


Fix Windows-specific test failures in CI

Several tests are failing on Windows but passing on Linux:

**Failing tests:**
- TestFindDatabasePathEnvVar
- TestHashIDs_MultiCloneConverge
- TestHashIDs_IdenticalContentDedup
- TestDatabaseReinitialization (all 5 subtests):
  - fresh_clone_auto_import
  - database_removal_scenario
  - legacy_filename_support
  - precedence_test
  - init_safety_check
- TestFindBeadsDir_NotFound
- TestMetricsSnapshot/uptime (in internal/rpc)

**CI Run:** https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/actions/runs/19015638968

These are likely path separator or filesystem behavior differences between Windows and Linux.

Fixed all Windows path issues:
1. TestFindDatabasePathEnvVar - expects canonicalized paths ✅
2. TestHashIDs tests - use platform-specific bd.exe command ✅
3. TestMetricsSnapshot/uptime - enforce minimum 1 second uptime ✅
4. TestFindBeadsDir_NotFound - allow finding .beads in parent dirs ✅
5. TestDatabaseReinitialization - fix git path conversion on Windows (git returns /c/Users/... but filepath needs C:\Users\...) ✅

CI run in progress to verify all fixes.


Consolidate ID generation and validation into ids.go

Extract ID logic into ids.go: ValidateIssueIDPrefix, GenerateIssueID, EnsureIDs. Move GetAdaptiveIDLength here. Unify single and bulk ID generation flows.


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.


Test issue


Plugin should provide hooks instead of requiring global install


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.


DetectCycles SQL query has bug preventing cycle detection

The DetectCycles function's SQL query has a bug in the LIKE filter that prevents it from detecting cycles.

Current code (line 571):
```sql
AND p.path NOT LIKE '%' || d.depends_on_id || '→%'
```

This prevents ANY revisit to nodes, including returning to the start node to complete a cycle.

Fix:
```sql
AND (d.depends_on_id = p.start_id OR p.path NOT LIKE '%' || d.depends_on_id || '→%')
```

This allows revisiting the start node (to detect the cycle) while still preventing intermediate node revisits.

Impact: Currently DetectCycles cannot detect any cycles, but this hasn't been noticed because AddDependency prevents cycles from being created. The function would only matter if cycles were manually inserted into the database.


Stress test: event storm handling

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


bd jira sync command

Add a built-in bd command for Jira synchronization.

**Requires**: Both import and export scripts working

**Features**:
- `bd jira sync --pull` - Import from Jira to beads
- `bd jira sync --push` - Export from beads to Jira
- `bd jira sync` - Bidirectional (pull then push, with conflict resolution)
- `bd jira status` - Show sync status and last sync time

**Conflict resolution**:
- Timestamp-based: newer update wins
- Option for --prefer-local or --prefer-jira to override
- Interactive mode for manual conflict resolution (optional)

**Integration**:
- Uses jira.* config settings from bd config
- Stores last sync timestamp in config
- Logs sync activity for audit

**Stretch goals**:
- Webhook integration for real-time sync
- Selective sync by JQL filter


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


Test database naming


Add tests for daemon sync module


Add bd init --contributor wizard

Interactive wizard for OSS contributor setup. Guides user through: fork workflow setup, separate planning repo configuration, auto-detection of fork relationships, examples of common OSS workflows.


Inconsistent stderr printing: bd-feh warning still prints directly


purgeDeletedIssues still writes to deletions.jsonl during git-history-backfill

In purgeDeletedIssues (lines 929-939), when a deletion is recovered from git history, we:
1. Append to deletions.jsonl (backfill)
2. Create a tombstone in DB

With the tombstone approach, writing to deletions.jsonl is redundant since the tombstone will be exported to JSONL. Consider removing the deletions.jsonl backfill once we're confident in the tombstone approach.

This is related to the Phase 2 migration (bd-vw8) - we should stop writing to deletions.jsonl entirely.


Add mermaid output format for bd dep tree

Add visual dependency graph output using Mermaid format for better visualization of issue relationships.

Example usage:
  bd dep tree --format mermaid <issue-id>
  bd dep tree --format mermaid bd-42 > graph.md

This would output Mermaid syntax that can be rendered in GitHub, documentation sites, or Mermaid live editor.

Implementation notes:
- Add --format flag to dep tree command
- Support 'text' (default) and 'mermaid' formats
- Mermaid graph should show issue IDs, titles, and dependency types
- Consider using flowchart LR or graph TD syntax


Add git operations for --hard reset

Implement git integration for hard reset mode.

## Operations Needed
1. `git rm -rf .beads/*.jsonl` - remove data files from index
2. `git commit -m 'beads: reset to clean state'` - commit removal
3. After re-init: `git add .beads/` and commit fresh state

## Edge Cases to Handle
- Uncommitted changes in .beads/ - warn or error
- Detached HEAD state - warn, maybe block
- Git not initialized - skip git ops, warn
- Git operations fail mid-way - clear error messaging

## Interface
```go
type GitState struct {
    IsRepo       bool
    IsDirty      bool   // uncommitted changes in .beads/
    IsDetached   bool   // detached HEAD
    Branch       string // current branch name
}

func CheckGitState(beadsDir string) (*GitState, error)
func GitRemoveBeads(beadsDir string) error
func GitCommitReset(message string) error
func GitAddAndCommit(beadsDir, message string) error
```

## Location
`internal/reset/git.go` - keep with reset package for now

Note: Codebase has no central git package. internal/compact/git.go is compact-specific.
Future refactoring could extract shared git utilities, but YAGNI for now.


Code Review: PR #551 - Persist close_reason to issues table

Code review of PR #551 which fixes close_reason persistence bug.

## Summary
The PR correctly fixes a bug where close_reason was only stored in the events table, not in the issues.close_reason column. This caused `bd show --json` to return empty close_reason.

## What Was Fixed
- ✅ CloseIssue now updates both close_reason and closed_at
- ✅ ReOpenIssue clears both close_reason and closed_at
- ✅ Comprehensive tests added for both storage and CLI layers
- ✅ Clear documentation in queries.go about dual storage strategy

## Quality Assessment
✅ Tests cover both storage layer and CLI JSON output
✅ Handles reopen case (clearing close_reason)
✅ Good comments explaining dual-storage design
✅ No known issues

## Potential Followups
See linked issues for suggestions.


Document bd edit command and verify MCP exclusion

Follow-up from PR #152:
1. Add "bd edit" to AGENTS.md with "Humans only" note
2. Verify MCP server doesn't expose bd edit command
3. Consider adding test for command registration


Test label update feature


Update LINTING.md with current baseline

After cleanup, document the remaining acceptable baseline in LINTING.md so we can track regression.


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.


GH#509: bd fails to find .beads from nested worktrees

findDatabaseInTree stops at worktree git root, missing .beads in parent repo. Should check git-common-dir and search past worktree root. See: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/issues/509


SearchIssues N+1 query causes context timeout with GetLabels

scanIssues() calls GetLabels in a loop for every issue, causing N+1 queries and context deadline exceeded errors when used with short timeouts or in-memory databases. This is especially problematic since SearchIssues already supports label filtering via SQL WHERE clauses.


bd-hv01: Refactor snapshot management into dedicated module

Problem: Snapshot logic is scattered across deletion_tracking.go. Would benefit from abstraction with SnapshotManager type.

Benefits: cleaner separation of concerns, easier to test in isolation, better encapsulation, could add observability/metrics.

Suggested improvements: add magic constants, track merge statistics, better error messages.

Files: cmd/bd/deletion_tracking.go (refactor into new snapshot_manager.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


Test issue 2


Test parent issue


Clean up linter errors (914 total issues)

The codebase has 914 linter issues reported by golangci-lint. While many are documented as baseline in LINTING.md, we should clean these up systematically to improve code quality and maintainability.

Reduced from 56 to 41 issues locally, then to 0 issues.

**Fixed in commits:**
- c2c7eda: Fixed 15 actual errors (dupl, gosec, revive, staticcheck, unparam)
- 963181d: Configured exclusions to get to 0 issues locally

**Current status:**
- ✅ Local: golangci-lint reports 0 issues
- ❌ CI: Still failing (see [deleted:bd-cb64c226.1])

**Problem:**
Config v2 format or golangci-lint-action@v8 compatibility issue causing CI to fail despite local success.

**Next:** Debug [deleted:bd-cb64c226.1] to fix CI/local discrepancy


GH#483: Pre-commit hook should not fail when .beads exists but bd sync fails

Pre-commit hook exit 1 on bd sync --flush-only failure blocks commits even when user removed beads but .beads dir reappears. Should warn not fail. See: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/issues/483


Add alias field to database schema

Extend database schema to support human-friendly aliases alongside hash IDs.

## Database Changes

### 1. Add alias column to issues table
```sql
ALTER TABLE issues ADD COLUMN alias INTEGER UNIQUE;
CREATE INDEX idx_issues_alias ON issues(alias);
```

### 2. Add alias counter table
```sql
CREATE TABLE alias_counter (
    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY CHECK (id = 1),
    next_alias INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1
);
INSERT INTO alias_counter (id, next_alias) VALUES (1, 1);
```

### 3. Add alias conflict tracking (for multi-clone scenarios)
```sql
CREATE TABLE alias_history (
    issue_id TEXT NOT NULL,
    alias INTEGER NOT NULL,
    assigned_at TIMESTAMP NOT NULL,
    workspace_id TEXT NOT NULL,
    PRIMARY KEY (issue_id, alias)
);
```

## API Changes

### CreateIssue
- Generate hash ID
- Assign next available alias
- Store both in database

### ResolveAliasConflicts (new function)
- Detect conflicting alias assignments after import
- Apply resolution strategy (content-hash ordering)
- Reassign losers to next available aliases

## Migration Path
```bash
bd migrate --add-aliases  # Adds columns, assigns aliases to existing issues
```

## Files to Modify
- internal/storage/sqlite/schema.go
- internal/storage/sqlite/sqlite.go (CreateIssue, GetIssue)
- internal/storage/sqlite/aliases.go (new file for alias logic)
- internal/storage/sqlite/migrations.go

## Testing
- Test alias auto-assignment on create
- Test alias uniqueness constraint
- Test alias lookup performance
- Test alias conflict resolution


Log errors from timer-triggered flushes instead of discarding


Add schema compatibility probe to prevent silent migration failures

Issue #262 revealed a serious bug: migrations may fail silently, causing UNIQUE constraint errors later.

Root cause:
- sqlite.New() runs migrations once on open
- checkVersionMismatch() prints 'database will be upgraded automatically' but only updates metadata
- If migrations fail or daemon runs older version, queries expecting new columns fail with 'no such column'
- Import logic misinterprets this as 'not found' and tries INSERT on existing ID
- Result: UNIQUE constraint failed: issues.id

Fix strategy (minimal):
1. Add schema probe in sqlite.New() after RunMigrations
   - SELECT all expected columns from all tables with LIMIT 0
   - If fails, retry RunMigrations and probe again
   - If still fails, return fatal error with clear message
2. Fix checkVersionMismatch to not claim 'will upgrade' unless probe passes
3. Only update bd_version after successful migration probe
4. Add schema verification before import operations
5. Map 'no such column' errors to clear actionable message

Related: #262


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 unit tests for hasJSONLChanged() function

The hasJSONLChanged() function has no unit tests. Should test:
- Normal case: hash matches
- Normal case: hash differs
- Edge case: empty file
- Edge case: missing metadata (first run)
- Edge case: corrupted metadata
- Edge case: file read errors
- Edge case: invalid hash format in metadata

Also add performance benchmarks for large JSONL files.


Improve timestamp comparison readability in import

The timestamp comparison logic uses double-negative which can be confusing:

Current code:
if !incoming.UpdatedAt.After(existing.UpdatedAt) {
    // skip update
}

More readable:
if incoming.UpdatedAt.After(existing.UpdatedAt) {
    // perform update
} else {
    // skip (local is newer)
}

This is a minor refactor for code clarity.

Related: bd-1022
Files: internal/importer/importer.go:411, 488


Consolidate export/import/commit/push into sync.go

Create internal/daemonrunner/sync.go with Syncer type. Add ExportOnce, ImportOnce, CommitAndMaybePush methods. Replace createExportFunc/createAutoImportFunc with thin closures calling Syncer.


bd export only outputs 1 issue after auto-import corrupts database

When auto-import runs and purges issues (due to git history backfill bug), subsequent 'bd export' only exports 1 issue even though the database should have many.

Reproduction:
1. Have issues.jsonl with 55 issues
2. Auto-import triggers and purges all issues via git history backfill
3. Run 'bd export' - only exports 1 issue (the last one created before corruption)

The database gets into an inconsistent state where most issues are purged but export doesn't realize this.

Workaround: Rebuild database from scratch with 'rm .beads/beads.db && bd init --prefix bd'


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.


Test child issue


Week 1 task


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 daemon config functions to daemon_config.go


Database import silently fails when daemon version != CLI version


Test all core bd commands in WASM for feature parity

Comprehensive testing of bd-wasm against native bd:
- Test all CRUD operations (create, update, show, close)
- Test dependency management (dep add, dep tree)
- Test sync operations (sync, import, export)
- Verify JSONL output matches native bd
- Run existing Go test suite in WASM if possible
- Benchmark performance (should be within 2x of native)


Post-merge hook silently fails on JSONL conflicts, poor UX

When git pull results in merge conflicts in .beads/issues.jsonl, the post-merge hook runs 'bd sync --import-only' which fails, but stderr was redirected to /dev/null. User only saw generic warning.

Fixed by capturing and displaying the actual error output, so users see 'Git conflict markers detected' message immediately.


Override test

## 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


Test: N-clone scenario with hash IDs (no collisions)

Comprehensive test to verify hash IDs eliminate collision problems.

## Test: TestHashIDsNClones

### Purpose
Verify that N clones can work offline and sync without ID collisions using hash IDs.

### Test Scenario
```
Setup:
- 1 bare remote repo
- 5 clones (A, B, C, D, E)

Offline Work:
- Each clone creates 10 issues with different titles
- No coordination, no network access
- Total: 50 unique issues

Sync:
- Clones sync in random order
- Each pull/import other clones' issues

Expected Result:
- All 5 clones converge to 50 issues
- Zero ID collisions
- Zero remapping needed
- Alias conflicts resolved deterministically
```

### Implementation
File: cmd/bd/beads_hashid_test.go (new)

```go
func TestHashIDsFiveClones(t *testing.T) {
    tmpDir := t.TempDir()
    remoteDir := setupBareRepo(t, tmpDir)

    // Setup 5 clones
    clones := make(map[string]string)
    for _, name := range []string{"A", "B", "C", "D", "E"} {
        clones[name] = setupClone(t, tmpDir, remoteDir, name)
    }

    // Each clone creates 10 issues offline
    for name, dir := range clones {
        for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
            createIssue(t, dir, fmt.Sprintf("%s-issue-%d", name, i))
        }
        // No sync yet!
    }

    // Sync in random order
    syncOrder := []string{"C", "A", "E", "B", "D"}
    for _, name := range syncOrder {
        syncClone(t, clones[name], name)
    }

    // Final convergence round
    for _, name := range []string{"A", "B", "C", "D", "E"} {
        finalPull(t, clones[name], name)
    }

    // Verify all clones have all 50 issues
    for name, dir := range clones {
        issues := getIssues(t, dir)
        if len(issues) != 50 {
            t.Errorf("Clone %s: expected 50 issues, got %d", name, len(issues))
        }

        // Verify all issue IDs are hash-based
        for _, issue := range issues {
            if !strings.HasPrefix(issue.ID, "bd-") || len(issue.ID) != 11 {
                t.Errorf("Invalid hash ID: %s", issue.ID)
            }
        }
    }

    // Verify no collision resolution occurred
    // (This would be in logs if it happened)

    t.Log("✓ All 5 clones converged to 50 issues with zero collisions")
}
```

### Edge Case Tests

#### Test: Hash Collision Detection (Artificial)
```go
func TestHashCollisionDetection(t *testing.T) {
    // Artificially inject collision by mocking hash function
    // Verify system detects and handles it
}
```

#### Test: Alias Conflicts Resolved Deterministically
```go
func TestAliasConflictsNClones(t *testing.T) {
    // Two clones assign same alias to different issues
    // Verify deterministic resolution (content-hash ordering)
    // Verify all clones converge to same alias assignments
}
```

#### Test: Mixed Sequential and Hash IDs (Should Fail)
```go
func TestMixedIDsRejected(t *testing.T) {
    // Try to import JSONL with sequential IDs into hash-ID database
    // Verify error or warning
}
```

### Performance Test

#### Benchmark: Hash ID Generation
```go
func BenchmarkHashIDGeneration(b *testing.B) {
    for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
        GenerateHashID("title", "description", time.Now(), "workspace-id")
    }
}

// Expected: < 1μs per generation
```

#### Benchmark: N-Clone Convergence Time
```go
func BenchmarkNCloneConvergence(b *testing.B) {
    for _, n := range []int{3, 5, 10, 20} {
        b.Run(fmt.Sprintf("N=%d", n), func(b *testing.B) {
            // Measure total convergence time
        })
    }
}

// Expected: Linear scaling O(N)
```

### Acceptance Criteria
- TestHashIDsFiveClones passes reliably (10/10 runs)
- Zero ID collisions in any scenario
- All clones converge in single round (not multi-round like old system)
- Alias conflicts resolved deterministically
- Performance benchmarks meet targets (<1μs hash gen)

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

## Comparison to Old System
This test replaces:
- TestTwoCloneCollision (bd-71107098) - no longer needed
- TestThreeCloneCollision (bd-cbed9619) - no longer needed
- TestFiveCloneCollision (bd-a40f374f) - no longer needed

Old system required complex collision resolution and multi-round convergence.
New system: single-round convergence with zero collisions.


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


GH#522: Add --type flag to bd update command

Allow changing issue type (task/epic/bug/feature) via bd update --type. Storage layer already supports it. Needed for TUI tools like Abacus. See: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/issues/522


Fix auto-import creating duplicates instead of updating issues

ROOT CAUSE: server_export_import_auto.go line 221 uses ResolveCollisions: true for ALL auto-imports. This is wrong.

Problem:
- ResolveCollisions is for branch merges (different issues with same ID)
- Auto-import should UPDATE existing issues, not create duplicates
- Every git pull creates NEW duplicate issues with different IDs
- Two agents ping-pong creating endless duplicates

Evidence:
- 31 duplicate groups found (bd duplicates)
- bd-236-246 are duplicates of bd-224-235
- Both agents keep pulling and creating more duplicates
- JSONL file grows endlessly with duplicates

The Fix:
Change checkAndAutoImportIfStale in server_export_import_auto.go:
- Remove ResolveCollisions: true (line 221)
- Use normal import logic that updates existing issues by ID
- Only use ResolveCollisions for explicit bd import --resolve-collisions

Impact: Critical - makes beads unusable for multi-agent workflows


Add --yes flag to bd doctor --fix for non-interactive mode

## Feature Request

Add a `--yes` or `-y` flag to `bd doctor --fix` that automatically confirms all prompts, enabling non-interactive usage in scripts and CI/CD pipelines.

## Current Behavior
`bd doctor --fix` prompts for confirmation before applying fixes, which blocks automated workflows.

## Desired Behavior
`bd doctor --fix --yes` should apply all fixes without prompting.

## Use Cases
- CI/CD pipelines that need to auto-fix issues
- Scripts that automate repository setup
- Pre-commit hooks that want to silently fix issues


Add date and priority filters to bd search

Add filter parity with bd list for consistent querying.

**Missing filters to add:**
- --priority, --priority-min, --priority-max
- --created-after, --created-before
- --updated-after, --updated-before
- --closed-after, --closed-before
- --empty-description, --no-assignee, --no-labels
- --desc-contains, --notes-contains

**Files to modify:**
- cmd/bd/search.go
- internal/rpc/protocol.go (SearchArgs)
- internal/storage/storage.go (Search method)

**Testing:**
- All filter combinations
- Date format parsing
- Daemon and direct mode


Centralize error handling patterns in storage layer

80+ instances of inconsistent error handling across sqlite.go with mix of %w, %v, and no wrapping.

Location: internal/storage/sqlite/sqlite.go (throughout)

Problem:
- Some use fmt.Errorf("op failed: %w", err) - correct wrapping
- Some use fmt.Errorf("op failed: %v", err) - loses error chain
- Some return err directly - no context
- Hard to debug production issues
- Can't distinguish error types

Solution: Create internal/storage/sqlite/errors.go:
- Define sentinel errors (ErrNotFound, ErrInvalidID, etc.)
- Create wrapDBError(op string, err error) helper
- Convert sql.ErrNoRows to ErrNotFound
- Always wrap with operation context

Impact: Lost error context; inconsistent messages; hard to debug

Effort: 5-7 hours


Investigate jujutsu VCS as potential solution for conflict-free merging

## Context
Current N-way collision resolution struggles with Git line-based merge model. When 5+ clones create issues with same ID, Git merge conflicts require manual resolution, and our collision resolver can fail during convergence rounds.

## Research Question
Could jujutsu (jj) provide better conflict handling for JSONL files?

## Jujutsu Overview
- Next-gen VCS built on libgit2
- Designed to handle conflicts as first-class citizens
- Supports conflict-free replicated data types (CRDTs) in some scenarios
- Better handling of concurrent edits
- Can work with Git repos (compatible with existing infrastructure)

## Investigation Tasks
1. JSONL Merge Behavior - How does jj handle line-by-line JSONL conflicts?
2. Integration Feasibility - Can beads use jj as backend while maintaining Git compatibility?
3. Conflict Resolution Model - Does jj conflict model map to our collision resolution?
4. Operational Transform Support - Does jj implement operational transforms?

## Deliverables
1. Technical report on jj merge algorithm for JSONL
2. Proof-of-concept: 5-clone collision test using jj instead of Git
3. Performance comparison: Git vs jj for beads workload
4. Recommendation: Adopt, experiment further, or abandon

## References
- https://github.com/martinvonz/jj
- Related to bd-e6d71828, bd-7a2b58fc


Improve test coverage for internal/compact (18.2% → 70%)

The compact package has only 18.2% test coverage. This is a core package handling issue compaction and should have at least 70% coverage.

Key functions needing tests:
- runCompactSingle (0%)
- runCompactAll (0%)
- runCompactRPC (0%)
- runCompactStatsRPC (0%)
- runCompactAnalyze (0%)
- runCompactApply (0%)
- pruneDeletionsManifest (0%)

Current coverage: 18.2%
Target coverage: 70%


string(rune()) pattern in other test files still only works for single digits

The bd-c5m fix only addressed worktree_divergence_test.go, but several other test files have the same issue:

- cmd/bd/stale_test.go:218, 234
- cmd/bd/export_integrity_integration_test.go:45-47, 279-280
- internal/storage/sqlite/comments_test.go:146, 165
- internal/storage/sqlite/blocked_cache_test.go:292
- internal/storage/sqlite/compact_bench_test.go:117
- internal/storage/sqlite/cycle_detection_test.go:418

These use string(rune('0'+i)) which produces wrong characters when i >= 10.
Should use strconv.Itoa(i) instead.


Measure git operation reduction

Quantify the reduction in git operations (pulls, commits, pushes) when using Agent Mail for coordination.

Acceptance Criteria:
- Baseline: count git ops for 10 issues without Agent Mail
- With Agent Mail: count git ops for 10 issues
- Document reduction percentage
- Verify 70-80% reduction claim
- Measure impact on .git directory size growth

Success Metric: ≥70% reduction in git operations


Add AI planning docs management guidance to bd onboard (GH-196)

Enhanced bd onboard command to provide guidance for managing AI-generated planning documents (Claude slop).

Addresses GitHub issue #196: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/issues/196

Changes:
- Added Managing AI-Generated Planning Documents section to bd onboard
- Recommends using history/ directory for ephemeral planning files
- Updated AGENTS.md to demonstrate the pattern
- Added comprehensive tests

Commit: d46177d


Add bd hooks install command to embed git hooks in binary

Currently git hooks are installed via `examples/git-hooks/install.sh`, which only exists in the beads source repo. Users who install bd via installer/homebrew/npm can't easily install hooks.

**Proposal:**
Add `bd hooks install` command that:
- Embeds hook scripts in the bd binary (using go:embed)
- Installs them to .git/hooks/ in current repo
- Backs up existing hooks
- Makes them executable

**Commands:**
- `bd hooks install` - Install all hooks
- `bd hooks uninstall` - Remove hooks
- `bd hooks list` - Show installed hooks status

**Benefits:**
- Works for all bd users, not just source repo users
- More discoverable (shows in bd --help)
- Consistent with bd workflow
- Can version hooks with bd releases


Test label


Add integration tests for CompactedResult in MCP server

The CompactedResult model is used for list operations when results exceed COMPACTION_THRESHOLD (20 items), but there are no integration tests verifying the actual MCP server behavior with large result sets.

## What's Missing
- Integration test that mocks a large result set (>20 issues) and verifies CompactedResult is returned
- Verification that preview_count matches PREVIEW_COUNT (5)
- Verification that total_count reflects actual result size
- Test that compaction threshold is configurable (currently hardcoded COMPACTION_THRESHOLD=20)

## Why This Matters
The compaction logic is critical for preventing context overflow with large lists. Without integration tests, we can't verify it works correctly with the actual MCP protocol.

## Suggested Implementation
Create test_mcp_compaction.py with:
1. test_list_with_large_result_set_returns_compacted_result()
2. test_ready_work_respects_compaction_threshold()
3. test_compacted_result_structure_is_valid()


Update docs with multi-repo patterns

Update AGENTS.md, README.md, QUICKSTART.md with multi-repo patterns. Document: config options, routing behavior, backward compatibility, troubleshooting, best practices.


Remove Cache-Related Tests

Delete or update tests that assume multi-repo caching


bd doctor: export diagnostics history for debugging

Add ability to save doctor diagnostics to a file (e.g., diagnostics.json) for historical analysis and bug reporting. This would help track intermittent issues and provide context when filing bug reports. Could integrate with --perf output for comprehensive system snapshots.


Add comprehensive filters to bd export

Enhance bd export with filtering options for selective exports.

**Currently only has:**
- --status

**Add filters:**
- --label, --label-any
- --assignee
- --type
- --priority, --priority-min, --priority-max
- --created-after, --created-before
- --updated-after, --updated-before

**Use case:**
- Export only open issues: bd export --status open
- Export high-priority bugs: bd export --type bug --priority-max 1
- Export recent issues: bd export --created-after 2025-01-01

**Files to modify:**
- cmd/bd/export.go
- Reuse filter logic from list.go


Add UNIQUE constraint on external_ref column

The external_ref column should have a UNIQUE constraint to prevent multiple issues from having the same external reference. This ensures data integrity when syncing from external systems (Jira, GitHub, Linear).

Current behavior:
- Multiple issues can have the same external_ref
- GetIssueByExternalRef returns first match (non-deterministic with duplicates)

Proposed solution:
- Add UNIQUE constraint to external_ref column
- Add migration to check for and resolve existing duplicates
- Update tests to verify constraint enforcement

Related: bd-1022


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.


Audit Current Cache Usage

Understand exactly what code depends on the storage cache


Daemon crashes silently when multiple .db files exist in .beads/

When daemon detects multiple .db files (after filtering out .backup and vc.db files), it writes error details to .beads/daemon-error file before exiting.

The error file is checked when:
1. Daemon discovery fails to connect (internal/daemon/discovery.go)
2. Auto-start fails to yield a running daemon (cmd/bd/main.go)
3. Daemon list shows 'daemon not responding' error

This makes the error immediately visible to users without requiring them to check daemon logs.

File created:  cmd/bd/daemon.go (writes daemon-error on multiple .db detection)
Files modified:
- internal/daemon/discovery.go (reads daemon-error and surfaces in DaemonInfo.Error)
- cmd/bd/main.go (displays daemon-error when auto-start fails)

Testing: Create multiple .db files in .beads/, start daemon, verify error file created and shown in bd daemons list

Root cause: Daemon exits with os.Exit(1) when multiple .db files detected (daemon.go:1381), but error only goes to daemon log file. User sees 'daemon not responding' without knowing why.

Current detection:
- daemon.go filters out .backup and vc.db files
- bd doctor detects multiple databases
- Error message tells user to run 'bd init' or manually remove

Problem: Error is not user-visible unless they check daemon logs.

Proposed fix options:
1. Surface the error in 'bd info' and 'bd daemons list' output
2. Add a hint in error messages to run 'bd doctor' when daemon fails
3. Make daemon write error to a .beads/daemon-error file that gets checked
4. Improve 'bd doctor' to run automatically when daemon is unhealthy


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.


Update bd delete to create tombstones

Modify delete command to create tombstone records instead of (or in addition to) deletions.jsonl entries. Phase 1: dual-write mode. Per design bd-dli.


bd sync corrupts issues.jsonl in multi-clone environments

During parallel swarm operations on 2025-11-29, bd sync corrupted the issues database. Commit 93718056 purged all 80 issues from issues.jsonl.

Reproduction:
1. Multiple clones of same repo (polecat swarm)
2. Each clone runs bd sync in parallel
3. One sync overwrites others, resulting in data loss

Even in single-clone scenarios (~/src/beads), running bd sync after git pull seems to nuke the JSONL.

Workaround: Use bd import -i .beads/issues.jsonl --no-git-history instead of bd sync.

Root cause investigation needed. Options:
1. Pessimistic locking (flock)
2. Single point of merge (polecats on ephemeral branches)
3. Beads-level locking (bd sync --lock)


Git merge driver uses invalid placeholders (%L, %R instead of %A, %B)

## Problem

The beads git merge driver is configured with invalid Git placeholders:

```
git config merge.beads.driver "bd merge %A %O %L %R"
```

Git doesn't recognize `%L` or `%R` as valid merge driver placeholders. The valid placeholders are:
- `%O` = base (common ancestor)
- `%A` = current version (ours)
- `%B` = other version (theirs)

## Impact

- Affects ALL users when they have `.beads/beads.jsonl` merge conflicts
- Automatic JSONL merge fails with error: "error reading left file: failed to open file: open 7: no such file or directory"
- Users must manually resolve conflicts instead of getting automatic merge

## Root Cause

The `bd init` command (or wherever the merge driver is configured) is using non-standard placeholders. When Git encounters `%L` and `%R`, it either passes them literally or interprets them incorrectly.

## Fix

Update the merge driver configuration to:
```
git config merge.beads.driver "bd merge %A %O %A %B"
```

Where:
- 1st `%A` = output file (current file, will be overwritten)
- `%O` = base (common ancestor)
- 2nd `%A` = left/current version
- `%B` = right/other version

## Action Items

1. Fix `bd init` (or equivalent setup command) to use correct placeholders
2. Add migration/warning for existing users with misconfigured merge driver
3. Update documentation with correct merge driver setup
4. Consider adding validation when `bd init` is run


Update documentation for merge driver auto-config

Update documentation to reflect the new merge driver auto-configuration during `bd init`.

**Files to update:**
- README.md - Mention merge driver setup in initialization section
- AGENTS.md - Update onboarding section about merge driver
- Possibly QUICKSTART.md

**Content:**
- Explain what the merge driver does
- Show --skip-merge-driver flag usage
- Manual installation steps for post-init setup


Add import.orphan_handling config option

Add configuration option to control orphan handling behavior: 'strict' (fail on missing parent, current behavior), 'resurrect' (auto-resurrect from JSONL, recommended default), 'skip' (skip orphaned issues with warning), 'allow' (import orphans without validation). Update CONFIG.md documentation.


Add TestNWayCollision for 5+ clones

## Overview
Add comprehensive tests for N-way (5+) collision resolution to verify the solution scales beyond 3 clones.

## Purpose
While TestThreeCloneCollision validates the basic N-way case, we need to verify:
1. Solution scales to arbitrary N
2. Performance is acceptable with more clones
3. Convergence time is bounded
4. No edge cases in larger collision groups

## Implementation Tasks

### 1. Create TestFiveCloneCollision
File: beads_twoclone_test.go (or new beads_nway_test.go)

```go
func TestFiveCloneCollision(t *testing.T) {
    // Test with 5 clones creating same ID with different content
    // Verify all 5 clones converge after sync rounds

    t.Run("SequentialSync", func(t *testing.T) {
        testNCloneCollision(t, 5, "A", "B", "C", "D", "E")
    })

    t.Run("ReverseSync", func(t *testing.T) {
        testNCloneCollision(t, 5, "E", "D", "C", "B", "A")
    })

    t.Run("RandomSync", func(t *testing.T) {
        testNCloneCollision(t, 5, "C", "A", "E", "B", "D")
    })
}
```

### 2. Implement generalized testNCloneCollision
Generalize the 3-clone test to handle arbitrary N:

```go
func testNCloneCollision(t *testing.T, numClones int, syncOrder ...string) {
    t.Helper()

    if len(syncOrder) != numClones {
        t.Fatalf("syncOrder length (%d) must match numClones (%d)",
            len(syncOrder), numClones)
    }

    tmpDir := t.TempDir()

    // Setup remote and N clones
    remoteDir := setupBareRepo(t, tmpDir)
    cloneDirs := make(map[string]string)

    for i := 0; i < numClones; i++ {
        name := string(rune('A' + i))
        cloneDirs[name] = setupClone(t, tmpDir, remoteDir, name)
    }

    // Each clone creates issue with same ID but different content
    for name, dir := range cloneDirs {
        createIssue(t, dir, fmt.Sprintf("Issue from clone %s", name))
    }

    // Sync in specified order
    for _, name := range syncOrder {
        syncClone(t, cloneDirs[name], name)
    }

    // Final pull for convergence
    for name, dir := range cloneDirs {
        finalPull(t, dir, name)
    }

    // Verify all clones have all N issues
    expectedTitles := make(map[string]bool)
    for i := 0; i < numClones; i++ {
        name := string(rune('A' + i))
        expectedTitles[fmt.Sprintf("Issue from clone %s", name)] = true
    }

    for name, dir := range cloneDirs {
        titles := getTitles(t, dir)
        if !compareTitleSets(titles, expectedTitles) {
            t.Errorf("Clone %s missing issues: expected %v, got %v",
                name, expectedTitles, titles)
        }
    }

    t.Log("✓ All", numClones, "clones converged successfully")
}
```

### 3. Add performance benchmarks
Test convergence time and memory usage:

```go
func BenchmarkNWayCollision(b *testing.B) {
    for _, n := range []int{3, 5, 10, 20} {
        b.Run(fmt.Sprintf("N=%d", n), func(b *testing.B) {
            for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
                // Run N-way collision and measure time
                testNCloneCollisionBench(b, n)
            }
        })
    }
}
```

### 4. Add convergence time tests
Verify bounded convergence:

```go
func TestConvergenceTime(t *testing.T) {
    // Test that convergence happens within expected rounds
    // For N clones, should converge in at most N-1 sync rounds

    for n := 3; n <= 10; n++ {
        t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("N=%d", n), func(t *testing.T) {
            rounds := measureConvergenceRounds(t, n)
            maxExpected := n - 1
            if rounds > maxExpected {
                t.Errorf("Convergence took %d rounds, expected ≤ %d",
                    rounds, maxExpected)
            }
        })
    }
}
```

### 5. Add edge case tests
Test boundary conditions:
- All N clones have identical content (dedup works)
- N-1 clones have same content, 1 differs
- All N clones have unique content
- Mix of collisions and non-collisions

## Acceptance Criteria
- TestFiveCloneCollision passes with all sync orders
- All 5 clones converge to identical content
- Performance is acceptable (< 5 seconds for 5 clones)
- Convergence time is bounded (≤ N-1 rounds)
- Edge cases handled correctly
- Benchmarks show scalability to 10+ clones

## Files to Create/Modify
- beads_twoclone_test.go or beads_nway_test.go
- Add helper functions for N-clone setup

## Testing Strategy

### Test Matrix
| N Clones | Sync Orders | Expected Result |
|----------|-------------|-----------------|
| 3        | A→B→C       | Pass            |
| 3        | C→B→A       | Pass            |
| 5        | A→B→C→D→E   | Pass            |
| 5        | E→D→C→B→A   | Pass            |
| 5        | Random      | Pass            |
| 10       | Sequential  | Pass            |

### Performance Targets
- 3 clones: < 2 seconds
- 5 clones: < 5 seconds
- 10 clones: < 15 seconds

## Dependencies
- Requires bd-cbed9619.5, bd-cbed9619.4, bd-cbed9619.3, bd-cbed9619.2 to be completed
- TestThreeCloneCollision must pass first

## Success Metrics
- All tests pass for N ∈ {3, 5, 10}
- Convergence time scales linearly (O(N))
- Memory usage reasonable (< 100MB for 10 clones)
- No data corruption or loss in any scenario


bd doctor --fix needs non-interactive mode (-y/--yes flag)

When running `bd doctor --fix` in non-interactive mode (scripts, CI, Claude Code), it prompts 'Continue? (Y/n):' and fails with EOF.

**Expected**: A `-y` or `--yes` flag to auto-confirm fixes.

**Workaround**: Currently have to run `bd init` instead, but that's not discoverable from the doctor output.


Make DetectCollisions read-only (separate detection from modification)

## Overview
Phase 2: Separate collision detection from state modification to enable safe, composable collision resolution.

## Current Problem
DetectCollisions (collision.go:38-111) modifies database state during detection:
- Line 83-86: Deletes issues when content matches but ID differs
- This violates separation of concerns
- Causes race conditions when processing multiple issues
- Makes contentToDBIssue map stale after first deletion
- Partial failures leave DB in inconsistent state

## Solution
Make DetectCollisions purely read-only. Move all modifications to a separate ApplyCollisionResolution function.

## Implementation Tasks

### 1. Add RenameDetail to CollisionResult
File: internal/storage/sqlite/collision.go
```go
type CollisionResult struct {
    ExactMatches []string
    Collisions   []*CollisionDetail
    NewIssues    []string
    Renames      []*RenameDetail  // NEW
}

type RenameDetail struct {
    OldID string        // ID in database
    NewID string        // ID in incoming
    Issue *types.Issue  // The issue with new ID
}
```

### 2. Remove deletion from DetectCollisions
Replace lines 83-86:
```go
// OLD (DELETE THIS):
if err := s.DeleteIssue(ctx, dbMatch.ID); err != nil {
    return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to delete renamed issue...")
}

// NEW (ADD THIS):
result.Renames = append(result.Renames, &RenameDetail{
    OldID: dbMatch.ID,
    NewID: incoming.ID,
    Issue: incoming,
})
continue  // Don't mark as NewIssue yet
```

### 3. Create ApplyCollisionResolution function
New function to apply all modifications atomically:
```go
func ApplyCollisionResolution(ctx context.Context, s *SQLiteStorage,
    result *CollisionResult, mapping map[string]string) error {

    // Phase 1: Handle renames (delete old IDs)
    for _, rename := range result.Renames {
        if err := s.DeleteIssue(ctx, rename.OldID); err != nil {
            return fmt.Errorf("failed to delete renamed issue %s: %w",
                rename.OldID, err)
        }
    }

    // Phase 2: Create new IDs (from mapping)
    // Phase 3: Update references
    return nil
}
```

### 4. Update callers to use two-phase approach
File: internal/importer/importer.go (handleCollisions)
```go
// Phase 1: Detect (read-only)
collisionResult, err := sqlite.DetectCollisions(ctx, sqliteStore, issues)

// Phase 2: Resolve (compute mapping)
mapping, err := sqlite.ResolveNWayCollisions(ctx, sqliteStore, collisionResult)

// Phase 3: Apply (modify DB)
err = sqlite.ApplyCollisionResolution(ctx, sqliteStore, collisionResult, mapping)
```

### 5. Update tests
- Verify DetectCollisions doesn't modify DB
- Test ApplyCollisionResolution separately
- Add test for rename detection without modification

## Acceptance Criteria
- DetectCollisions performs zero writes to database
- DetectCollisions returns RenameDetail entries for content matches
- ApplyCollisionResolution handles all modifications
- All existing tests still pass
- New test verifies read-only detection
- contentToDBIssue map stays consistent throughout detection

## Files to Modify
- internal/storage/sqlite/collision.go (DetectCollisions, new function)
- internal/importer/importer.go (handleCollisions caller)
- internal/storage/sqlite/collision_test.go (add tests)

## Testing
- Unit test: DetectCollisions with content match doesn't delete DB issue
- Unit test: RenameDetail correctly populated
- Unit test: ApplyCollisionResolution applies renames
- Integration test: Full flow still works end-to-end

## Risk Mitigation
This is a significant refactor of core collision logic. Recommend:
1. Add comprehensive tests before modifying
2. Use feature flag to enable/disable new behavior
3. Test thoroughly with TestTwoCloneCollision first


Rapid 1


Improve test coverage for cmd/bd CLI (26.2% → 50%)

The main CLI package (cmd/bd) has only 26.2% test coverage. CLI commands should have at least 50% coverage to ensure reliability.

Key areas with low/no coverage:
- daemon_autostart.go (multiple 0% functions)
- compact.go (several 0% functions)
- Various command handlers

Current coverage: 26.2%
Target coverage: 50%


Add tests for DetectCycles to improve coverage from 29.6%

DetectCycles currently has 29.6% coverage. Need comprehensive tests for:
- Simple cycles (A->B->A)
- Complex multi-node cycles
- Acyclic graphs (should not detect cycles)
- Self-loops
- Multiple independent cycles
- Edge cases (empty graph, single node)


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%


Issue to reopen with reason


Test FK constraint via close


Update documentation for beads-merge integration

Document the integrated merge functionality.

**Updates needed**:
- AGENTS.md: Replace "use external beads-merge" with "bd merge"
- README.md: Add git merge driver section
- TROUBLESHOOTING.md: Update merge conflict resolution
- ADVANCED.md: Document 3-way merge algorithm
- Create CREDITS.md or ATTRIBUTION.md for @neongreen

**Highlight**: Deletion sync fix (bd-hv01)


Unit tests for FileWatcher

Test watcher detects JSONL changes. Test git ref changes trigger import. Test debounce integration. Test watcher recovery from file removal/rename.


Manual task


Test dependency parent


Test parent issue


Clarify JSONL size bounds with multi-repo

The contributor-workflow-analysis.md states (line 226): 'Keep beads.jsonl small enough for agents to read (<25k)'

With multi-repo hydration, it's unclear whether this bound applies to:
- Each individual JSONL file (likely intention)
- The total hydrated size across all repos (unclear)
- Both (most conservative)

Clarification needed because:
- VC monitors .beads/issues.jsonl size to stay under limit
- With multi-repo, VC needs to know if each additional repo also has 25k limit
- Agents reading hydrated data need to know total size bounds
- Performance characteristics depend on total vs per-repo limits

Example scenario:
- Primary repo: 20k JSONL
- Planning repo: 15k JSONL
- Total hydrated: 35k
Is this acceptable or does it violate the <25k principle?


Batch test 1


Design migration path from deletions.jsonl to tombstones

Plan the migration from current deletions manifest to inline tombstones. Steps: 1) Read existing deletions.jsonl and convert to tombstones during import, 2) Continue reading deletions.jsonl for backward compat, 3) Stop writing to deletions.jsonl, 4) Eventually remove deletions.jsonl support. Consider version flags and deprecation warnings.


Change default JSONL filename from beads.jsonl back to issues.jsonl throughout codebase


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.


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).


Tombstone export includes tombstones even with --status filter

In export.go, we set IncludeTombstones: true unconditionally. However, if a user runs:

  bd export --status=open

They might not expect tombstones in the output. The IncludeTombstones flag should probably only be set when no status filter is specified, or when --status=tombstone is explicitly requested.

Current behavior: exports tombstones regardless of status filter
Expected behavior: respect status filter, only include tombstones when explicitly requested or no filter


Test worktree sync branch commit


formatVanishedIssues output order is non-deterministic


Fix: bd migrate-tombstones corrupts deletions manifest

When running 'bd migrate-tombstones' followed by 'bd sync', the operation adds thousands of issues to deletions.jsonl with author 'bd-doctor-hydrate' that should never have been deleted. This causes:
1. Issues are marked as deleted that were never intended for deletion
2. Subsequent 'bd sync' fails with 3-way merge errors
3. The migration operation corrupts database state

## Root Cause
The tombstone migration logic incorrectly identifies issues that should be migrated as 'deleted issues' and adds them to the deletions manifest instead of converting them to inline tombstones.

## Reproduction
1. bd sync --import-only
2. bd migrate-tombstones
3. bd sync
Result: See thousands of 'Skipping bd-xxxx (in deletions manifest: deleted 2025-12-14 by bd-doctor-hydrate)' lines and 3-way merge failures

## Impact
- Database becomes inconsistent
- Issues permanently lost from local database
- Requires full reset to recover

## Files to Investigate
- cmd/bd/migrate_tombstones.go - migration logic
- deletions manifest handling during migration


bd sync: use worktree for sync.branch commits (non-daemon mode)

## Summary

When `sync.branch` is configured (e.g., `beads-sync`), `bd sync` should commit beads changes to that branch via git worktree, even when the user's working directory is on a different branch (e.g., `main`).

Currently:
- `bd sync` always commits to the current branch
- Daemon with `--auto-commit` uses worktrees to commit to sync branch
- Gap: `bd sync` ignores sync.branch config

## Goal

Workers stay on `main` (or feature branches) while beads metadata automatically flows to `beads-sync` branch. No daemon required.

## Design Considerations

1. **Worktree lifecycle**: Create on first use, reuse thereafter
2. **Daemon interaction**: Ensure daemon and bd sync don't conflict
3. **MCP server**: Uses daemon or direct mode - needs same behavior
4. **Pull semantics**: Pull from sync branch, not current branch
5. **Push semantics**: Push to sync branch remote
6. **Error handling**: Worktree corruption, missing branch, etc.

## Affected Components

- `cmd/bd/sync.go` - Main changes
- `cmd/bd/daemon_sync_branch.go` - Reuse existing functions
- `internal/git/worktree.go` - Already implemented
- MCP server (if it bypasses daemon)

## Edge Cases

- Fresh clone (no sync branch exists yet)
- Worktree exists but is corrupted
- Concurrent bd sync from multiple processes
- sync.branch configured but remote doesn't have that branch
- User switches sync.branch config mid-session


Install and test MCP Agent Mail locally

Install MCP Agent Mail on a single development machine and verify basic functionality.

Acceptance Criteria:
- Server installed via one-line installer
- Server running on port 8765
- Can register a project via HTTP
- Can register an agent identity
- Web UI accessible at /mail

Tested local installation. Server runs on port 8765, web UI works. MCP API tool execution has errors - needs debugging. See /tmp/bd-muls-report.md for details.


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!


Improve bd doctor output formatting for better readability

The current bd doctor output is a wall of text that's hard to process. Consider improvements like:
- Grouping related checks into collapsible sections
- Using color/bold for section headers
- Showing only failures/warnings by default with --verbose for full output
- Better visual hierarchy between major sections
- Summary line at top (e.g., '24 checks passed, 0 warnings, 0 errors')


Add transaction helper to replace manual COMMIT/ROLLBACK

Create tx.go with withTx helper that handles transaction lifecycle. Replace manual transaction blocks in create/insert/update paths.

Refactoring complete:
- Created withTx() helper in util.go
- Added ExecInTransaction() as deprecated wrapper for backward compatibility
- Refactored all manual transaction blocks to use withTx():
  - events.go: AddComment
  - dirty.go: MarkIssuesDirty, ClearDirtyIssuesByID
  - labels.go: executeLabelOperation
  - dependencies.go: AddDependency, RemoveDependency
  - compact.go: ApplyCompaction
- All tests pass successfully


CONFIG.md docs for sync.require_confirmation_on_mass_delete missing threshold detail

The docs say 'if >50% of issues vanish' but the actual code (worktree.go:380) also requires '>5 issues existed before'. The docs should mention both conditions for completeness.


Jira export script (jsonl2jira.py)

Create a Python script to push beads issues to Jira.

**Requires**: Jira import script to be complete first (need external_ref matching logic working)

**Features needed**:
- Create new Jira issues from beads issues without external_ref
- Update existing Jira issues matched by external_ref
- Map beads fields back to Jira fields
- Handle Jira workflow transitions (status changes may need transitions)
- Support custom field mapping for design/acceptance_criteria/notes

**Challenges**:
- Jira status changes often require workflow transitions, not direct updates
- Need to discover valid transitions via API
- Custom fields vary by Jira instance

**Usage**:
```bash
bd export | python jsonl2jira.py --create-only  # Only create, don't update
bd export | python jsonl2jira.py                 # Create and update
```

**After creation**: Sets external_ref on beads issue to link back


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


bd import auto-detects wrong prefix from directory name instead of issue IDs

When importing issues.jsonl into a fresh database, 'bd import' prints:

  ✓ Initialized database with prefix 'beads' (detected from issues)

But the issues all have prefix 'bd-' (e.g., bd-03r). It appears to be detecting the prefix from the directory name (.beads/) rather than from the actual issue IDs in the JSONL.

This causes import to fail with:
  validate ID prefix for bd-03r: issue ID 'bd-03r' does not match configured prefix 'beads'

Workaround: Run 'bd config set issue_prefix bd' before import, or use 'bd init --prefix bd'.


bd-hv01: Multi-repo mode not tested with deletion tracking

Problem: Test suite has no coverage for multi-repo mode. ExportToMultiRepo creates multiple JSONL files but snapshot files are hardcoded to single JSONL location.

Impact: Deletion tracking likely silently broken for multi-repo users, could cause data loss.

Fix: Add test and update snapshot logic to handle multiple JSONL files.

Files: cmd/bd/deletion_tracking_test.go, cmd/bd/deletion_tracking.go, cmd/bd/daemon_sync.go:24-34


Test P1 priority


Implement core reset package (internal/reset)

Create the core reset logic in internal/reset/ package.

## Responsibilities
- ResetOptions struct with all flag options
- CountImpact() - count issues/tombstones that will be deleted
- ValidateState() - check .beads/ exists, check git dirty state
- ExecuteReset() - main reset logic (without CLI concerns)
- Integrate with daemon killall

## Interface Design
```go
type ResetOptions struct {
    Hard      bool   // Include git operations (git rm, commit)
    Backup    bool   // Create backup before reset
    DryRun    bool   // Preview only, don't execute
    SkipInit  bool   // Don't re-initialize after reset
}

type ResetResult struct {
    IssuesDeleted     int
    TombstonesDeleted int
    BackupPath        string  // if backup was created
    DaemonsKilled     int
}

type ImpactSummary struct {
    IssueCount      int
    OpenCount       int
    ClosedCount     int
    TombstoneCount  int
    HasUncommitted  bool  // git dirty state
}

func Reset(opts ResetOptions) (*ResetResult, error)
func CountImpact() (*ImpactSummary, error)
func ValidateState() error
```

## IMPORTANT: CLI vs Core Separation
- `Force` (skip confirmation) is NOT in ResetOptions - that's a CLI concern
- Core always executes when called; CLI decides whether to prompt first
- Keep CLI-agnostic: no prompts, no colored output, no user interaction
- Return errors for CLI to handle with user-friendly messages
- Unit testable in isolation

## Dependencies
- Uses daemon.KillAllDaemons() from internal/daemon/
- Calls bd init logic after reset (unless SkipInit)


Tombstone fields not merged in mergeIssue function

The mergeIssue() function in merge.go does not handle tombstone fields (DeletedAt, DeletedBy, DeleteReason, OriginalType) when merging live issues. While tombstones are handled separately in merge3WayWithTTL(), if a tombstone ever reaches mergeIssue() via the mergeStatus safety fallback, the tombstone fields would be lost. The mergeIssue() function should either: 1) Copy tombstone fields when result.Status becomes tombstone, or 2) Assert that tombstones never reach mergeIssue() (defensive check). Files: internal/merge/merge.go:458-499


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


Add comprehensive tests for sync branch daemon logic

The daemon sync branch functionality (bd-6545) was implemented but needs proper end-to-end testing.

Current implementation:
- daemon_sync_branch.go has syncBranchCommitAndPush() and syncBranchPull()
- daemon_sync.go has been updated to use these functions when sync.branch is configured
- All daemon tests pass, but no specific tests for sync branch behavior

Testing needed:
- Test that daemon commits to sync branch when sync.branch is configured
- Test that daemon commits to current branch when sync.branch is NOT configured (backward compatibility)
- Test that daemon pulls from sync branch and syncs JSONL back to main repo
- Test worktree creation and health checks during daemon operations
- Test error handling (missing branch, worktree corruption, etc.)

Key challenge: Tests need to run in the context of the git repo (getGitRoot() uses current working directory), so test setup needs to properly change directory or mock the git root detection.

Reference existing daemon tests in daemon_test.go and daemon_autoimport_test.go for patterns.


Add tombstone validation: require deleted_at for tombstone status

ValidateWithCustomStatuses() doesn't enforce that tombstones must have deleted_at set. Per bd-2m7 design: 'If status == tombstone, then deleted_at MUST be set'. Also should validate that non-tombstones cannot have deleted_at set.

Location: internal/types/types.go:109-114

Add validation:
- if i.Status == StatusTombstone && i.DeletedAt == nil: error
- if i.Status != StatusTombstone && i.DeletedAt != nil: error


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% | 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%)


Extract daemon lifecycle functions to daemon_lifecycle.go


Test parent issue


Refactor sqlite.go into focused modules

Split sqlite.go (2,298 lines) into focused modules: migrations.go, ids.go, issues.go, events.go, dirty.go, db.go. This will improve maintainability and reduce cognitive load.


Update flake.nix vendorHash after dependency bumps

The Nix flake CI is failing due to stale vendorHash.

Error from CI:
```
error: hash mismatch in fixed-output derivation beads-0.24.4-go-modules.drv
```

Root cause: go.mod/go.sum was updated by dependabot (wazero, anthropic-sdk-go, etc.) but flake.nix vendorHash wasn't updated.

## Immediate Fix
Run `nix build` locally, get the correct hash from the error message, update flake.nix.

## Long-term Fix
Add a GitHub Action that auto-updates vendorHash when go.mod/go.sum changes:
1. Trigger on push to main when go.mod/go.sum changes
2. Run `nix build` to get the new hash from the error
3. Update flake.nix with the correct hash
4. Commit and push


bd delete bulk operations fight with auto-import/daemon causing data resurrection

When bulk deleting issues (e.g., 244 closed issues older than 24h), the process fights with auto-import and daemon infrastructure:

**Expected behavior:**
- Delete 244 issues from 468-issue database
- Export to JSONL (224 lines)
- Commit and push
- Result: 224 issues

**Actual behavior:**
- Delete 244 issues
- Import runs (from stale git JSONL with 468 issues)
- Resurrects deleted issues back into database
- Export writes 356 lines (not 224)
- Math: 468 - 244 = 224, but got 356 (132 issues resurrected)

**Root cause:**
Auto-import keeps re-importing from git during the delete operation, before the new JSONL is committed. The workflow is:
1. Delete from DB
2. Auto-import runs (reads old JSONL from git with deleted issues still present)
3. Issues come back
4. Export writes partially-deleted state

**Solution options:**
1. Add `--no-auto-import` flag to bulk delete operations
2. Atomic delete-export-commit operation that suppresses imports
3. Dedicated `bd prune` command that handles this correctly
4. Lock file to prevent auto-import during bulk mutations

**Impact:**
- Bulk cleanup operations don't work reliably
- Makes it nearly impossible to prune old closed issues
- Confusing UX (delete 244, but only 112 actually removed)

**FIXED**: Auto-import now skips during delete operations to prevent resurrection.

**Root cause confirmed**: Auto-import was running in PersistentPreRun before delete executed, causing it to re-import stale JSONL from git and resurrect deleted issues.

**Solution implemented**:
1. Added delete to skip list in main.go PersistentPreRun (alongside import and sync --dry-run)
2. Delete operations now complete atomically without auto-import interference
3. Added comprehensive test (TestBulkDeleteNoResurrection) to prevent regression

**Test verification**:
- Creates 20 issues, deletes 10
- Verifies no resurrection after delete
- Confirms JSONL has correct count (10 remaining)
- All existing tests still pass


Run bd doctor at end of bd init to verify setup

Run bd doctor diagnostics at end of bd init (after line 398 in init.go). If issues found, warn user immediately: '⚠ Setup incomplete. Run bd doctor --fix to complete setup.' Catches configuration problems before user encounters them in normal workflow.


Add unit tests for config modes

Test all four orphan_handling modes: strict (fails), resurrect (creates tombstone), skip (logs warning), allow (imports orphan). Verify error messages and logging output for each mode.


GH#488: Support claude.local.md for local-only config

Allow CLAUDE.local.md for testing bd without committing to repo or overriding shared CLAUDE.md. Not every repo wants committed AI config. See: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/issues/488


Update GetStatistics to report tombstone count separately

Per bd-2m7 design: 'Should tombstones appear in bd stats? Recommendation: Yes, as separate counter: 5 deleted (tombstones)'

Currently GetStatistics counts tombstones in TotalIssues without distinguishing them.

Location: internal/storage/sqlite/events.go:114-121

Add to Statistics struct and query:
- DeletedIssues (tombstone count)
- Exclude tombstones from TotalIssues or document that it includes them


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.


Add 'bd message send' command for Agent Mail messaging

Agent Mail server supports messaging between agents, but bd CLI only uses it for file reservations. Add commands for inter-agent messaging.

## Background
- Agent Mail server running at http://127.0.0.1:8765
- 12 workspaces configured across 3 channels (beads.dev, vc.dev, wyvern.dev)
- Current integration: file reservations only
- Gap: no way to send messages from bd CLI

## Proposed Commands

```bash
# Send message to another agent
bd message send <to-agent> <message> [options]
  --subject <subject>
  --thread-id <thread-id>     # Optional - group related messages
  --project-id <project>      # Defaults to BEADS_PROJECT_ID

# List inbox messages
bd message inbox [options]
  --limit <N>
  --unread-only

# Read specific message
bd message read <message-id>

# Mark message as acknowledged
bd message ack <message-id>
```

## Example Usage

```bash
# Send message to agent in same channel
bd message send cino-beads-stevey-macbook "Working on bd-z0yn, need your review" \
  --subject "Review request" \
  --thread-id bd-z0yn

# Check inbox
bd message inbox --unread-only

# Read and acknowledge
bd message read msg-abc123
bd message ack msg-abc123
```

## Design Notes
- Use same env vars (BEADS_AGENT_MAIL_URL, BEADS_AGENT_NAME, BEADS_PROJECT_ID)
- Graceful degradation if Agent Mail unavailable
- JSON output support for all commands
- Consider integrating with bd update/close (auto-notify on status changes)

## References
- Agent Mail README: ~/src/mcp_agent_mail/README.md
- Beads integration docs: docs/AGENT_MAIL.md

## Implementation Summary

Added four new commands to bd CLI for Agent Mail messaging:

1. `bd message send <to-agent> <message>` - Send messages to other agents
   - Flags: --subject, --thread-id, --importance, --ack-required
   - Supports markdown content
   - Thread conversations by issue ID

2. `bd message inbox` - List inbox messages
   - Flags: --limit, --unread-only, --urgent-only, --json
   - Shows subject, sender, age, importance
   - Highlights unread and ACK-required messages

3. `bd message read <message-id>` - Read and mark message as read
   - Automatically marks message as read
   - Shows message content

4. `bd message ack <message-id>` - Acknowledge a message
   - Marks message as acknowledged
   - Also marks as read if not already

## Implementation Details

- Uses JSON-RPC over HTTP to communicate with Agent Mail server
- Configuration via environment variables (BEADS_AGENT_MAIL_URL, BEADS_AGENT_NAME, BEADS_PROJECT_ID)
- Graceful error messages when Agent Mail not configured
- Full JSON output support for programmatic use
- Follows same patterns as existing bd commands

## Documentation

Updated:
- docs/AGENT_MAIL.md - Added "Messaging Commands" section with examples and best practices
- README.md - Added "Messaging (Agent Mail)" section in Usage

## Testing

- Compiles successfully
- Help output works correctly
- Ready for integration testing with Agent Mail server


Latency test manual


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.

Production-ready after 3 critical fixes (commit 349b892):
- Skip redundant imports (mtime check prevents self-trigger loops)
- Add server.Stop() in serverErrChan case (clean shutdown)
- Fallback ticker (60s) when watcher unavailable (ensures remote sync)

Ready to make default after integration test (bd-1f4086c5.1) passes.


Block direct status update to tombstone in UpdateIssue

Per bd-2m7 design: 'Should we support tombstone as valid input to bd update --status? Recommendation: No, tombstones only created via bd delete'

Currently nothing prevents 'bd update <id> --status=tombstone', which would create an invalid tombstone (missing deleted_at, deleted_by, etc.).

Location: internal/storage/sqlite/queries.go:500-664 UpdateIssue

Add validation to reject status=tombstone in updates.


Event-driven daemon architecture


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 test case for symmetric collision (both clones create same ID simultaneously)

TestTwoCloneCollision demonstrates the problem, but we need a simpler unit test for the collision resolver itself.

Test should verify:
- Two issues with same ID, different content
- Content hash determines winner deterministically
- Result is same regardless of which clone imports first
- No title swapping occurs

This can be a simpler test than the full integration test.


Fix SyncJSONLToWorktree to merge instead of overwrite

SyncJSONLToWorktree blindly copies local JSONL to worktree, overwriting remote issues.

## Root Cause (GitHub #464)
When Computer B syncs with fewer issues than remote:
1. preemptiveFetchAndFastForward updates worktree (10 issues)
2. SyncJSONLToWorktree overwrites with local (1 issue)
3. Commit records deletion of 9 issues
4. 3-way merge sees "deletion in left" → deletion wins

## Fix
Before copying, check if worktree has more issues. If so:
- Option A: Merge local into worktree (preferred)
- Option B: Fail with helpful error message
- Option C: Warn and require --force flag

## Location
internal/syncbranch/worktree.go:107 - SyncJSONLToWorktree call

## Test Case
1. Clone repo with sync-branch containing issues
2. bd init (starts empty since JSONL on sync-branch)
3. bd create "test"
4. bd sync
5. Verify all issues preserved, not just "test"


Duplicate safety check message when confirmation required


Optimize Memory backend GetIssueByExternalRef with index

Currently GetIssueByExternalRef in Memory storage uses O(n) linear search through all issues.

Current code (memory.go:282-308):
for _, issue := range m.issues {
    if issue.ExternalRef != nil && *issue.ExternalRef == externalRef {
        return &issueCopy, nil
    }
}

Proposed optimization:
- Add externalRefToID map[string]string to MemoryStorage
- Maintain it in CreateIssue, UpdateIssue, DeleteIssue
- Achieve O(1) lookup like SQLite's index

Impact: Low (--no-db mode typically has smaller datasets)
Related: bd-1022


GH#516: Automate 'landing the plane' setup in AGENTS.md

bd init or /beads:init should auto-add landing-the-plane instructions to AGENTS.md (and @AGENTS.md for web Claude). Reduces manual setup. See: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/issues/516


GH#505: Add bd reset command to wipe database

Users struggle to fully reset beads (local + remote). Need bd reset command with safety confirmation. Currently requires manual hook/dir removal. See: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/issues/505


Add performance benchmarks for multi-repo hydration

The contributor-workflow-analysis.md asserts sub-second queries (line 702) and describes smart caching via file mtime tracking (Decision #4, lines 584-618), but doesn't provide concrete performance benchmarks.

VC's requirement (from VC feedback section):
- Executor polls GetReadyWork() every 5-10 seconds
- Queries must be sub-second (ideally <100ms)
- Smart caching must avoid re-parsing JSONLs on every query

Suggested performance targets to validate:
- File stat overhead: <1ms per repo
- Hydration (when needed): <500ms for typical JSONL (<25k)
- Query (from cache): <10ms
- Total GetReadyWork(): <100ms (VC's requirement)

Also test at scale:
- N=1 repo (baseline)
- N=3 repos (typical)
- N=10 repos (edge case)

These benchmarks are critical for library consumers like VC that run automated polling loops.