bd doctor should recommend bd prime migration for existing repos

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

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

## Desired behavior
bd doctor should detect and suggest:

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

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

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

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

## Example output

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

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

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


Merge: bd-05a8

branch: polecat/valkyrie
target: main
source_issue: bd-05a8
rig: beads


swarm status: Handle external dependencies and error cases

Three issues: (1) Silent error swallowing - GetDependencyRecords errors are silently continued, but analyzeEpicForSwarm returns errors. Inconsistent. (2) External dependencies ignored - if issue depends on something outside epic thats still open, we mark it Ready incorrectly. (3) Command usage string says [epic-id] (optional) but requires exactly 1 arg. File: cmd/bd/swarm.go


Blocking logic: Include 'hooked' in blocking statuses

Update the blocked_cache.go SQL to treat 'hooked' as a blocking status.

## Current Logic (line ~163)

```sql
blocker.status IN ('open', 'in_progress', 'blocked', 'deferred')
```

## Updated Logic

```sql
blocker.status IN ('open', 'in_progress', 'blocked', 'deferred', 'hooked')
```

## Files to Update

- internal/storage/sqlite/blocked_cache.go

## Test Cases

1. Issue A (hooked) blocks Issue B → B should NOT appear in bd ready
2. Issue A (pinned, type=agent) → B should appear in bd ready
3. Issue A (hooked) closed → B should appear in bd ready


Test pinned for stats


CLI cleanup: Consolidate bd top-level commands

## Problem
bd has 76 top-level commands, making it hard to discover and remember.

## Proposed Changes

### Remove from top-level (nest instead):
- `bd cook` → `bd formula cook` (cooking is a formula operation)
- `bd pin` → already covered by `bd mol` commands
- `bd thanks` → `bd info --thanks` or just README
- `bd quickstart` → `bd help quickstart` or docs
- `bd detect-pollution` → `bd doctor --check=pollution`

### Consolidate migrations under `bd migrate`:
- `bd migrate-hash-ids` → `bd migrate hash-ids`
- `bd migrate-issues` → `bd migrate issues`
- `bd migrate-sync` → `bd migrate sync`
- `bd migrate-tombstones` → `bd migrate tombstones`

### Consolidate admin under `bd admin`:
- `bd cleanup` → `bd admin cleanup`
- `bd compact` → `bd admin compact`
- `bd reset` → `bd admin reset`

## Backwards Compatibility
Keep old commands as hidden aliases for one release cycle.


GH#444: Fix inconsistent status naming in_progress vs in-progress

Documentation uses in-progress (hyphen) but code expects in_progress (underscore). Update all docs to use canonical in_progress. See GitHub issue #444.


Integration test: agent waits for CI via gate

End-to-end test of the gate workflow.

## Test Scenario
1. Agent creates gate: bd gate create --await gh:run:123 --timeout 5m --notify beads/dave
2. Agent writes handoff and exits
3. Deacon patrol checks gate condition
4. (Mock) GitHub run completes
5. Deacon notifies waiter and closes gate
6. New agent session reads mail and resumes

## Test Requirements
- Mock GitHub API responses
- Test timeout path
- Test multiple waiters
- Verify mail notifications sent


Mail Commands: bd mail send/inbox/read/ack

Implement core mail commands in cmd/bd/mail.go

Commands:
- bd mail send <recipient> -s 'Subject' -m 'Body' [--urgent]
  - Creates issue with type=message, sender=identity, assignee=recipient
  - --urgent sets priority=0

- bd mail inbox [--from <sender>] [--priority <n>]
  - Lists open messages where assignee=my identity
  - Sorted by priority, then date

- bd mail read <id>
  - Shows full message content (subject, body, sender, timestamp)
  - Does NOT close (separate from ack)

- bd mail ack <id>
  - Marks message as read by closing it
  - Can ack multiple: bd mail ack <id1> <id2> ...

Requires: Identity configuration (bd-kwro.7)


Create release tag

Create annotated git tag.

```bash
git tag -a v0.41.0 -m "Release v0.41.0"
```

Verify: `git tag -l | tail -5`


Code smell: 20+ global variables in main.go

main.go lines 63-103 have over 20 global variables managing command-line state, daemon connection, auto-flush, auto-import, and error handling.

**Globals include:**
dbPath, actor, store, jsonOutput, daemonStatus, daemonClient, noDaemon, rootCtx, rootCancel, autoFlushEnabled, flushMutex, storeMutex, storeActive, flushFailureCount, lastFlushError, flushManager, hookRunner, skipFinalFlush, autoImportEnabled, versionUpgradeDetected, previousVersion, upgradeAcknowledged

**Problem:**
- Global state makes testing difficult
- Race conditions possible between goroutines
- Hard to track which functions modify which globals

**Acceptance Criteria:**
- [ ] Create CommandContext struct to hold runtime state
- [ ] Pass context through command execution
- [ ] Reduce global count to essential minimum
- [ ] Tests pass


Test cross-rig issue creation

Testing --rig flag from town root


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


Compound visualization in bd mol show

Enhance bd mol show to display compound structure.

ENHANCEMENTS:
- Show constituent protos and how they're bonded
- Display bond type (sequential/parallel) between components
- Indicate attachment points
- Show combined variable requirements across all protos

EXAMPLE OUTPUT:

  Compound: proto-feature-with-tests
  Bonded from:
    └─ proto-feature (root)
       └─ proto-testing (sequential, after completion)

  Variables: {{name}}, {{version}}, {{test_suite}}

  Structure:
    proto-feature-with-tests
    ├─ Design feature {{name}}
    ├─ Implement core
    ├─ Write unit tests      ← from proto-testing
    └─ Run test suite {{test_suite}}  ← from proto-testing


Add pre-migration orphan cleanup to avoid chicken-and-egg fix failure

## Problem

When the database has orphaned foreign key references (dependencies or labels pointing to non-existent issues), the migration invariant check fails, preventing the database from opening. This creates a chicken-and-egg problem:

1. `bd doctor --fix` tries to open the database
2. Opening triggers migrations with invariant checks
3. Invariant check fails due to orphaned refs
4. Fix never runs because database won't open

## Root Cause

Aggressive tombstone deletion (e.g., deleting ~1000 old tombstones) left behind orphaned:
- 218+ dependencies where issue_id not in issues
- 222+ dependencies where depends_on_id not in issues
- 30+ labels where issue_id not in issues

## Current Workaround

Direct SQL to clean up before bd can run:
```sql
DELETE FROM dependencies WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM issues WHERE id = issue_id);
DELETE FROM dependencies WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM issues WHERE id = depends_on_id) AND depends_on_id NOT LIKE 'external:%';
DELETE FROM labels WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM issues WHERE id = issue_id);
```

## Proposed Fix

Add a pre-migration cleanup step that runs BEFORE invariant checks:
1. Option A: Run orphan cleanup as part of migrations (before invariant check)
2. Option B: Add `bd doctor --force-fix` that bypasses invariant checks
3. Option C: Have invariant check auto-clean orphans instead of failing

Option A is cleanest - orphan cleanup should be part of normal migration.


Update Homebrew formula

Update the Homebrew tap with new version:

```bash
./scripts/update-homebrew.sh 0.33.2
```

This script waits for GitHub Actions to complete (~5 min), then updates the formula with new SHA256 hashes.


Phase 2.3: TOON deletion tracking

Implement deletion tracking in TOON format.

## Overview
Phase 2.2 switched storage to TOON format. Phase 2.3 adds deletion tracking in TOON format for propagating deletions across clones.

## Required Work

### 2.3.1 Deletion Tracking (TOON Format)
- [ ] Implement deletions.toon file (tracking deleted issue records)
- [ ] Add DeleteTracker struct to record deleted issue IDs and metadata
- [ ] Update bdt delete command to record in deletions.toon
- [ ] Design deletion record format (ID, timestamp, reason, hash)
- [ ] Implement auto-prune of old deletion records (configurable TTL)

### 2.3.2 Sync Propagation
- [ ] Load deletions.toon during import
- [ ] Remove deleted issues from local database when imported from remote
- [ ] Handle edge cases (delete same issue in multiple clones)
- [ ] Deletion ordering and conflict resolution

### 2.3.3 Testing
- [ ] Unit tests for deletion tracking
- [ ] Integration tests for deletion propagation
- [ ] Multi-clone deletion scenarios
- [ ] TTL expiration tests

## Success Criteria
- deletions.toon stores deletion records in TOON format
- Deletions propagate across clones via git sync
- Old records auto-prune after TTL
- All 70+ tests still passing
- bdt delete command works seamlessly


Test agent bead

Testing new agent type


Update CHANGELOG.md for 0.30.4

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


Run bump-version.sh 0.32.1

Execute ./scripts/bump-version.sh 0.32.1 to update all version references


bd mol run: Support proto lookup by title

`bd mol run` only accepts proto ID (e.g., gt-lwuu), not proto title (e.g., mol-polecat-work).

## Current Behavior
```bash
bd mol run mol-polecat-work --var issue=gt-xxx
# Error: no issue found matching "mol-polecat-work"

bd mol run gt-lwuu --var issue=gt-xxx
# Works
```

## Desired Behavior
Both should work - lookup by ID or by title.

## Why This Matters
- Proto titles are human-readable and memorable
- Proto IDs are opaque (gt-lwuu vs mol-polecat-work)
- Hardcoding IDs in code is fragile (IDs change across databases)
- `bd mol catalog` shows both: `gt-lwuu: mol-polecat-work`

## Workaround
Currently using hardcoded proto ID in gt spawn, which is brittle.


Add type: event for state transitions

Events capture operational state changes as immutable records.

Fields needed:
- event_type: string (namespaced category like patrol.muted, agent.started)
- actor: string (entity URI who caused this)
- target: string (entity URI or bead ID affected)
- payload: object (event-specific JSON data)

Example:
  id: evt-x7k2
  type: event
  event_type: patrol.muted
  actor: human:overseer
  target: agent:deacon
  payload: {reason: fixing deadlock, until: gt-abc1}

This enables:
- bd activity --follow showing events
- bd list --type=event --target=agent:deacon
- Full audit trail for operational state
- HOP-compatible transaction records


Update hook templates to 0.30.4

Update bd-hooks-version comment in all 4 hook templates:
- cmd/bd/templates/hooks/pre-commit
- cmd/bd/templates/hooks/post-merge
- cmd/bd/templates/hooks/pre-push
- cmd/bd/templates/hooks/post-checkout

Each should have:
```bash
# bd-hooks-version: 0.30.4
```

```verify
grep -l 'bd-hooks-version: 0.30.4' cmd/bd/templates/hooks/* | wc -l | grep -q '4'
```


.beads-ephemeral/ storage backend

Implement ephemeral storage layer for wisps.

## Requirements
- New storage location: .beads-ephemeral/issues.jsonl (sibling to .beads/)
- Gitignored by default (add to .beads/.gitignore)
- Same JSONL format as regular beads
- Config option: ephemeral.directory (relative path)
- ephemeral.enabled config flag

## Storage Behavior
- Ephemeral issues have ephemeral: true field
- No sync to remote (local only)
- No daemon tracking needed (transient)

## Implementation
- Add EphemeralStore in storage package
- Initialize on demand when --ephemeral flag used
- Share Issue struct, just different storage path


bd sync fails with orphaned issues and duplicate ID conflict

After fixing the deleted_at TEXT column scanning bug (commit 18b1eb2), bd sync still fails with two issues:

1. Orphan Detection Warning: 12 orphaned child issues whose parents no longer exist (bd-cb64c226.* and bd-cbed9619.*)

2. Import Failure: UNIQUE constraint failed for bd-360 - this tombstone exists in both DB and JSONL

Error: "Import failed: error creating depth-0 issues: bulk insert issues: failed to insert issue bd-360: sqlite3: constraint failed: UNIQUE constraint failed: issues.id"

Fix options:
- Delete orphaned child issues with bd delete
- Resolve bd-360 duplicate (in deletions.jsonl vs tombstone in DB)
- Reset sync branch: git branch -f beads-sync main && git push --force-with-lease origin beads-sync

Fixed tombstone constraint violation bug. When deleting closed issues, the CHECK constraint (status = 'closed') = (closed_at IS NOT NULL) was violated because CreateTombstone didn't clear closed_at. Fix: set closed_at = NULL in tombstone creation SQL.

The sync data corruption (orphaned issues in beads-sync branch) requires manual cleanup: reset sync branch with 'git branch -f beads-sync main && git push --force-with-lease origin beads-sync'


Test refile v2

Testing improved refile


Fix TestFallbackToDirectModeEnablesFlush deadlock causing 10min test timeout

## Problem

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

## Root Cause

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

## Stack Trace Evidence

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

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

## Impact

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

## Related

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

## Fix Approaches

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

## Files

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

## Acceptance

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


Swarm: Test coordinator display

Swarm molecule orchestrating epic bd-2rkr.

Epic: bd-2rkr
Coordinator:


Fix JSON errors in dep.go (dependency commands)

Replace ~41 direct stderr writes with FatalErrorRespectJSON() in dep.go.

Commands affected:
- depAddCmd
- depRemoveCmd
- depTreeCmd
- depCyclesCmd

Key error paths:
- ID resolution errors
- Cycle detection errors
- External reference validation


Code smell: Long function flushToJSONLWithState (~280 lines)

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

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

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

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


Preflight: Pull latest

Ensure we're up to date with origin.

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

Resolve any conflicts before proceeding.


Remove bd mol spawn - use pour/wisp only

Remove the spawn command from bd mol. Replace with:

- bd pour <proto> - Instantiate as mol (liquid, persistent)
- bd wisp <proto> - Instantiate as wisp (vapor, ephemeral)

Rationale:
- 'spawn' doesn't fit the chemistry metaphor
- Two phase transitions (pour/wisp) are clearer than one command with flags
- Avoids confusion about defaults

Implementation:
1. Add bd pour command (currently bd mol spawn --pour)
2. Add bd wisp command (currently bd mol spawn without --pour)
3. Remove bd mol spawn
4. Update all docs/tests

Gas Town tracking: gt-ingm.6


Test prefix beads


Gate await fields cleared by auto-flush/auto-import cycle

## Problem

When creating a gate with `--await` fields (e.g., `gh:run:123`), the await_type and await_id are initially stored correctly in the SQLite database. However, they get cleared (set to empty strings) during subsequent bd commands due to the auto-flush/auto-import cycle.

## Reproduction Steps

1. Create a gate with await:
   ```
   bd gate create --molecule test-mol --await gh:run:20517738002
   ```
   Output shows correct `await_type: gh:run, await_id: 20517738002`

2. Check database - fields are present

3. Run any bd command (e.g., `bd list`)

4. Check database again - await_type and await_id are now empty

## Root Cause

Gates are wisps (ephemeral issues). During the auto-flush cycle:
1. Auto-flush exports issues to JSONL (filtering out wisps)
2. Auto-import reads JSONL and updates DB rows
3. The update clears fields that weren't in the JSONL (including await fields)

## Workaround

Using `--no-auto-import --no-auto-flush` flags preserves the fields, but this isn't practical for normal use.

## Impact

GitHub gate evaluation (`bd gate eval`) cannot work because by the time eval runs, the await fields have been cleared.

## Suggested Fix

Either:
1. Don't clear await fields during auto-import if they weren't in the source
2. Store wisp fields separately from the main JSONL export
3. Include wisps in export but filter them at sync time


Test Agent


HOP-compatible schema additions

Add optional fields to Beads schema to enable future HOP integration.
All fields are backwards-compatible (optional, omitted if empty).

## Reference
See ~/gt/docs/hop/BEADS-SCHEMA-CHANGES.md for full specification.

## P1 Changes (Must Have Before Launch)

### 1. EntityRef type
Structured entity reference that can become HOP URI:
```go
type EntityRef struct {
    Name     string // "polecat/Nux"
    Platform string // "gastown"
    Org      string // "steveyegge"
    ID       string // "polecat-nux"
}
```

### 2. creator field
Every issue tracks who created it (EntityRef).

### 3. assignee_ref field
Structured form alongside existing string assignee.

### 4. validations array
Track who validated work completion:
```go
type Validation struct {
    Validator *EntityRef
    Outcome   string    // accepted, rejected, revision_requested
    Timestamp time.Time
    Score     *float32  // Future
}
```

## P2 Changes (Should Have)

### 5. work_type field
"mutex" (default) or "open_competition"

### 6. crystallizes field
Boolean - does this work compound (true) or evaporate (false)?

### 7. cross_refs field
Array of URIs to beads in other repos:
- "beads://github/anthropics/claude-code/bd-xyz"

## P3 Changes (Nice to Have)

### 8. skill_vector placeholder
Reserved for future embeddings: []float32

## Implementation Notes
- All fields optional in JSONL serialization
- Empty/null fields omit from output
- No migration needed for existing data
- CLI additions: --creator, --validated-by filters

Scope reduced after review. P1 only: EntityRef type, creator field, validations array. Deferred: assignee_ref, work_type, crystallizes, cross_refs, skill_vector (YAGNI - semantics unclear, can add later when needed).


Fix JSON errors in label.go (label commands)

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

Commands affected:
- labelAddCmd
- labelRemoveCmd
- labelListCmd
- labelListAllCmd


Investigate Claude Code crash logging improvements

## Problem

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

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

## What we found

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

## Desired improvements

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

## Investigation paths

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

## Related

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


Crew worker fang in beads - human-managed persistent workspace.

role_type: crew
rig: beads
agent_state: idle
hook_bead: null
role_bead: gt-crew-role
cleanup_status: null


Polymorphic bond command: bd mol bond A B

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

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

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

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

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

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


Beads Messaging & Knowledge Graph (v0.30.2)

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

## Motivation

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

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

## New Issue Type

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

## New Graph Links

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

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

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

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

## New Fields (optional, any issue type)

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

## New Commands

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

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

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

## Identity Configuration

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

## Hooks (for GGT integration)

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

GGT registers hooks to notify daemons of new messages.

## Schema Changes (Migration Required)

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

Migration adds fields as optional - existing beads unchanged.

## Success Criteria

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


Molecule bonding: composable workflow templates

Vision: Molecules should be composable like LEGO bricks or Mad Max war rig sections. Bonding lets you attach molecules together to create compound workflows.

THREE BONDING CONTEXTS:
1. Template-time: bd mol bond A B → Create reusable compound proto
2. Spawn-time: bd mol spawn A --attach B → Attach modules when instantiating
3. Runtime: bd mol attach epic B → Add to running workflow

BOND TYPES:
- Sequential: B after A completes (feature → deploy)
- Parallel: B runs alongside A (feature + docs)
- Conditional: B only if A fails (feature → hotfix)

BOND POINTS (Attachment Sites):
- Default: B depends on A root epic completion
- Explicit: --after issue-id for specific attachment
- Future: Named bond points in proto definitions

VARIABLE FLOW:
- Shared namespace between bonded molecules
- Warn on variable name conflicts
- Future: explicit mapping with --map

DATA MODEL: Issues track bonded_from to preserve compound lineage.

SUCCESS CRITERIA:
- Can bond two protos into a compound proto
- Can spawn with --attach for on-the-fly composition
- Can attach molecules to running workflows
- Compound structure visible in bd mol show
- Variables flow correctly between bonded molecules


Release v0.34.0

Minor version release for beads v0.34.0. This bead serves as my persistent work assignment; the actual release steps are tracked in an attached wisp.


mol-beads-release

Release checklist for beads version 0.99.0.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Needs: update-changelog

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

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

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

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

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

Needs: run-tests

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

# Check npm
npm view @beads/bd version

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

Needs: wait-for-ci

## Step: update-local
Update local installations.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Bug: bd swarm create allows duplicate swarm molecules

Running `bd swarm create <epic>` twice creates two swarm molecules for the same epic.

Should check for existing swarm molecule linked to the epic and either:
1. Error with 'swarm already exists: <id>'
2. Warn and return existing swarm ID
3. Add --force flag to allow creating another

Check by querying for molecules with mol_type=swarm that have a relates-to dependency to the epic.


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

## Problem

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

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

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

## Proposed Solution

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

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

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

## Implementation

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

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

### 2. Flag precedence

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

### 3. Error handling

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

## Benefits

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

## Related Commands

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

## Examples

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

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

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

## Testing

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


bd wisp gc command

Add bd wisp gc command to garbage collect orphaned wisps.

## Usage
```bash
bd wisp gc                # Clean orphaned wisps
bd wisp gc --dry-run      # Show what would be cleaned
bd wisp gc --age 1h       # Custom orphan threshold (default: 1h)
```

## Orphan Detection
A wisp is orphaned if:
- process_id field exists AND process is dead
- OR updated_at older than threshold AND not complete
- AND molecule status is not complete/abandoned

## Behavior
- Delete orphaned wisps (no digest created)
- Report count of cleaned wisps
- --dry-run shows candidates without deleting

## Implementation
- Add 'gc' subcommand to wisp group
- Process detection via os.FindProcess or /proc
- Configurable age threshold


bd list --parent: filter by parent issue

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

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

Would show all open children of gt-h5n.

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


bd ready resolves external dependencies

Extend bd ready to check external blocked_by references:

1. Parse external:<project>:<capability> from blocked_by
2. Look up project path from external_projects config
3. Check if target project has provides:<capability> label on a closed issue
4. If not satisfied, issue is blocked

Example output:
```bash
bd ready
# gt-xyz: blocked by external:beads:mol-run-assignee (not provided)
# gt-abc: ready
```

Depends on: bd-om4a (external: prefix), bd-66w1 (config)

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


Code Review: PR #481 - Context Engineering Optimizations

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

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

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

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

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


doctor --fix should export when DB has more issues than JSONL

When 'bd doctor' detects a count mismatch (DB has more issues than JSONL), it currently recommends 'bd sync --import-only', which imports JSONL into DB. But JSONL is the source of truth, not the DB.

**Current behavior:**
- Doctor detects: DB has 355 issues, JSONL has 292
- Recommends: 'bd sync --import-only'
- User runs it: Returns '0 created, 0 updated' (no-op, because JSONL hasn't changed)
- User is stuck

**Root cause:**
The doctor fix is one-directional (JSONL→DB) when it should be bidirectional. If DB has MORE issues, they haven't been exported yet - the fix should be 'bd export' (DB→JSONL), not import.

**Desired fix:**
In fix.DBJSONLSync(), detect which has more data:
- If DB > JSONL: Run 'bd export' to sync JSONL (since DB is the working copy)
- If JSONL > DB: Run 'bd sync --import-only' to import (JSONL is source of truth)
- If equal but timestamps differ: Detect based on file mtime

This makes 'bd doctor --fix' actually fix the problem instead of being a no-op.


Merge: bd-c7y5

branch: polecat/toast
target: main
source_issue: bd-c7y5
rig: beads


Investigate incremental blocked_issues_cache updates at scale

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

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

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

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

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

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


Add --pretty flag to bd ready

bd list has --pretty but bd ready doesn't. Should support same tree format with status/priority symbols for consistency.


Refinery Patrol

Merge queue processor patrol loop with verification gates.


Merge: topaz-1767106269860

branch: polecat/topaz-1767106269860
target: main
source_issue: topaz-1767106269860
rig: beads


Merge: bd-g4b4

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


Verify CI is green

Check that CI is passing before starting release:
```bash
gh run list --limit 3
```
All recent runs should show 'success'. If not, fix issues first.


Introduce slog for structured daemon logging.

## Current State
Daemon uses fmt.Fprintf for logging:
```go
fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Warning: failed to detect user role: %v\n", err)
fmt.Fprintf(logFile, "[%s] %s\n", time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339), msg)
```

This produces unstructured, hard-to-parse logs.

## Target State
Use Go 1.21+ slog for structured logging:
```go
slog.Warn("failed to detect user role", "error", err)
slog.Info("sync completed", "created", 5, "updated", 3, "duration_ms", 150)
```

## Implementation

### 1. Create logger setup (internal/daemon/logger.go)

```go
package daemon

import (
    "io"
    "log/slog"
    "os"
)

// SetupLogger configures the daemon logger.
// Returns a cleanup function to close the log file.
func SetupLogger(logPath string, jsonFormat bool, level slog.Level) (func(), error) {
    var w io.Writer = os.Stderr
    var cleanup func()

    if logPath \!= "" {
        f, err := os.OpenFile(logPath, os.O_CREATE|os.O_APPEND|os.O_WRONLY, 0600)
        if err \!= nil {
            return nil, err
        }
        w = io.MultiWriter(os.Stderr, f)
        cleanup = func() { f.Close() }
    }

    var handler slog.Handler
    opts := &slog.HandlerOptions{Level: level}

    if jsonFormat {
        handler = slog.NewJSONHandler(w, opts)
    } else {
        handler = slog.NewTextHandler(w, opts)
    }

    slog.SetDefault(slog.New(handler))

    return cleanup, nil
}
```

### 2. Add log level flag

In cmd/bd/daemon.go:
```go
daemonCmd.Flags().String("log-level", "info", "Log level (debug, info, warn, error)")
daemonCmd.Flags().Bool("log-json", false, "Output logs in JSON format")
```

### 3. Replace fmt.Fprintf with slog calls

**Pattern 1: Simple messages**
```go
// Before
fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Starting daemon on %s\n", socketPath)

// After
slog.Info("starting daemon", "socket", socketPath)
```

**Pattern 2: Errors**
```go
// Before
fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Error: failed to connect: %v\n", err)

// After
slog.Error("failed to connect", "error", err)
```

**Pattern 3: Debug info**
```go
// Before
if debug {
    fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Received request: %s\n", method)
}

// After
slog.Debug("received request", "method", method)
```

**Pattern 4: Structured data**
```go
// Before
fmt.Fprintf(logFile, "Import: %d created, %d updated\n", created, updated)

// After
slog.Info("import completed",
    "created", created,
    "updated", updated,
    "unchanged", unchanged,
    "duration_ms", duration.Milliseconds())
```

### 4. Files to Update

| File | Changes |
|------|---------|
| cmd/bd/daemon.go | Add log flags, call SetupLogger |
| internal/daemon/server.go | Replace fmt with slog |
| internal/daemon/rpc_handler.go | Replace fmt with slog |
| internal/daemon/sync.go | Replace fmt with slog |
| internal/daemon/autoflush.go | Replace fmt with slog |
| internal/daemon/logger.go | New file |

### 5. Log output examples

**Text format (default):**
```
time=2025-12-23T12:30:00Z level=INFO msg="daemon started" socket=/tmp/bd.sock pid=12345
time=2025-12-23T12:30:01Z level=INFO msg="import completed" created=5 updated=3 duration_ms=150
time=2025-12-23T12:30:05Z level=WARN msg="sync branch diverged" local_ahead=2 remote_ahead=1
```

**JSON format (--log-json):**
```json
{"time":"2025-12-23T12:30:00Z","level":"INFO","msg":"daemon started","socket":"/tmp/bd.sock","pid":12345}
{"time":"2025-12-23T12:30:01Z","level":"INFO","msg":"import completed","created":5,"updated":3,"duration_ms":150}
```

## Migration Strategy

1. **Add logger.go** with SetupLogger
2. **Update daemon startup** to initialize slog
3. **Convert one file at a time** (start with server.go)
4. **Test after each file**
5. **Remove old logging code** once all converted

## Testing

```bash
# Start daemon with debug logging
bd daemon start --log-level debug

# Check logs
bd daemons logs . | head -20

# Test JSON output
bd daemon start --log-json --log-level debug
bd daemons logs . | jq .
```

## Success Criteria
- All daemon logging uses slog
- --log-level controls verbosity
- --log-json produces machine-parseable output
- Log entries have consistent structure
- No fmt.Fprintf to stderr in daemon code


Dead code: fetchAndRebaseInWorktree() marked DEPRECATED but still exists

attached_args: Remove dead code fetchAndRebaseInWorktree

The function fetchAndRebaseInWorktree() in internal/syncbranch/worktree.go (lines 811-830) is marked as DEPRECATED with a comment:

```go
// fetchAndRebaseInWorktree is DEPRECATED - kept for reference only.
// Use contentMergeRecovery instead to avoid tombstone resurrection.
```

Since contentMergeRecovery() is the replacement and is being used, this dead code should be removed to reduce maintenance burden.

Location: internal/syncbranch/worktree.go:811-830


Merge: obsidian-1767138468820

branch: polecat/obsidian-1767138468820
target: main
source_issue: obsidian-1767138468820
rig: beads


Merge: topaz-1767142022153

branch: polecat/topaz-1767142022153
target: main
source_issue: topaz-1767142022153
rig: beads


Phase 1.2 follow-up: Clarify format storage

Phase 1.2 created the bdt executable structure but issues.toon is currently stored in JSONL format, not TOON format.

This is intentional for now:
- Phase 1.2 (bd-jv4w): Just infrastructure - separate binary, separate directory
- Phase 1.3 (bd-j0tr): Implement actual TOON encoding/writing

For now, keep as-is: filename '.toon' signals intent, content is JSONL (interim format). Phase 1.3 will switch to actual TOON.


Witness should auto-nuke idle polecats, not escalate

When witness detects an idle polecat with no work, it escalates to Mayor asking what to do.

Expected: Witness should nuke idle polecats automatically if:
1. No work hooked
2. No uncommitted/unpushed changes (cleanup_status=clean)
3. Idle for >threshold (e.g., 5 minutes)

Only escalate if polecat has unsaved work that needs recovery.

Current behavior creates unnecessary mail noise for the Mayor.


Remove unreachable utility functions

Several small utility functions are unreachable:

Files to clean:
1. `internal/storage/sqlite/hash.go` - `computeIssueContentHash` (line 17)
   - Check if entire file can be deleted if only contains this function

2. `internal/config/config.go` - `FileUsed` (line 151)
   - Delete unused config helper

3. `cmd/bd/git_sync_test.go` - `verifyIssueOpen` (line 300)
   - Delete dead test helper

4. `internal/compact/haiku.go` - `HaikuClient.SummarizeTier2` (line 81)
   - Tier 2 summarization not implemented
   - Options: implement feature OR delete method

Impact: Removes 50-100 LOC depending on decisions


Consider caching external dep resolution results

Each call to GetReadyWork re-checks all external dependencies by:
1. Querying for external deps in the local database
2. Opening each external project's database
3. Querying for closed issues with provides: labels

For workloads with many external deps or slow external databases, this adds latency on every bd ready call.

Potential optimizations:
- In-memory TTL cache for external dep status (e.g., 60 second TTL)
- Store resolved status in a local cache table with timestamp
- Batch resolution of common project/capability pairs

This is not urgent - current implementation is correct and performant for typical workloads. Only becomes an issue with many external deps across many projects.


Create release tag

Create annotated git tag.

```bash
git tag -a v0.99.0-test -m "Release v0.99.0-test"
```

Verify: `git tag -l | tail -5`


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.


rpc: Rich mutation events not emitted

The activity command (activity.go) references rich mutation event types (MutationBonded, MutationSquashed, MutationBurned, MutationStatus) that include metadata like OldStatus, NewStatus, ParentID, and StepCount.

However, the emitMutation() function in server_core.go:141 only accepts (eventType, issueID) and only populates Type, IssueID, and Timestamp. The additional metadata fields are never set.

Need to either:
1. Add an emitRichMutation() function that accepts the additional metadata
2. Update call sites (close, bond, squash, burn operations) to emit rich events

Without this fix, the activity feed will never show:
- Status transitions (in_progress -> closed)
- Bonded events with step counts
- Parent molecule relationships

Discovered during code review of bd-xo1o implementation.


Enrich MutationEvent with title and assignee

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


bd swarm validate command

Add bd swarm validate to check epic structure for swarming.

## Context
Before running a swarm, we need to validate the epic structure:
- Are dependencies correct (not inverted)?
- Are there orphaned issues?
- Is the DAG well-formed?

The Ready Front model (not phases!) means dependencies define execution order.
Common mistake: 'Phase 1 before Phase 2' → inverted deps.
Correct thinking: 'Phase 2 needs Phase 1' → bd dep add phase2 phase1

## Implementation
1. New command: bd swarm validate <epic-id>
2. Walk the dependency DAG from epic children
3. Detect issues:
   - Root issues with no dependents (orphans?)
   - Leaf issues depending on nothing (missing deps?)
   - Cycles (impossible)
   - Disconnected subgraphs
4. Report:
   - Ready fronts (waves of parallel work)
   - Estimated worker-sessions
   - Max parallelism
   - Warnings for potential issues

## Reference
~/gt/docs/swarm-architecture.md - 'The Ready Front Model' section

## Acceptance
- bd swarm validate <epic> runs
- Reports ready fronts accurately
- Warns about structural issues
- Returns success/failure exit code


Merge: jade-mjtlsejo

branch: polecat/jade-mjtlsejo
target: main
source_issue: jade-mjtlsejo
rig: beads


Update .claude-plugin/plugin.json to 0.30.4

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

```verify
jq -e '.version == "0.30.4"' .claude-plugin/plugin.json
```


Merge: bd-uqfn

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


mergeDependencies uses union instead of 3-way merge

## Critical Bug

The `mergeDependencies` function in internal/merge/merge.go performs a UNION of left and right dependencies instead of a proper 3-way merge. This causes removed dependencies to be resurrected.

### Root Cause

```go
// Current code (lines 795-816):
func mergeDependencies(left, right []Dependency) []Dependency {
    // Just unions left + right
    // NEVER REMOVES anything
    // Doesn't even look at base!
}
```

And `mergeIssue` (line 579) doesn't pass `base`:
```go
result.Dependencies = mergeDependencies(left.Dependencies, right.Dependencies)
```

### Impact

If:
- Base has dependency D
- Left removes D (intentional)
- Right still has D (stale)

Current: D is in result (resurrection!)
Correct: Left removed it, D should NOT be in result

This breaks Gas Town's workflow and data integrity. Closed means closed.

### Fix

Change `mergeDependencies` to take `base` and do proper 3-way merge:
- If dep was in base and removed by left → exclude (left wins)
- If dep was in base and removed by right → exclude (right wins)
- If dep wasn't in base and added by either → include
- If dep was in base and both still have it → include

Key principle: **REMOVALS ARE AUTHORITATIVE**

### Files to Change

1. internal/merge/merge.go:
   - `mergeDependencies(left, right)` → `mergeDependencies(base, left, right)`
   - `mergeIssue` line 579: pass `base.Dependencies`

### Related

This also explains why `ProtectLocalExportIDs` in importer is defined but never used - the protection was never actually implemented.


Review changes since last release

Understand what's being released.

```bash
git log $(git describe --tags --abbrev=0)..HEAD --oneline
```

Categorize changes:
- Features (feat:)
- Fixes (fix:)
- Breaking changes
- Documentation


Fix beads-9yc: pinned column missing from schema. gt mail...

Fix beads-9yc: pinned column missing from schema. gt mail send fails because some beads DBs lack the pinned column. Add migration to ensure it exists.


Mol Mall: Formula marketplace using GitHub as backend

Create a marketplace for sharing molecule formulas using GitHub repos as the hosting backend.

## Why GitHub?

GitHub solves multiple problems at once:
- **Hosting**: Raw file URLs for formula.json
- **Versioning**: Git tags (v1.0.0, v1.2.0)
- **Auth**: GitHub tokens for private formulas
- **Discovery**: GitHub search, topics, stars
- **Collaboration**: PRs for contributions, issues for bugs
- **Organizations**: Natural scoping (@anthropic/, @gastown/)

## URL Scheme

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

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

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

## Architecture

### Distributed Model (like Go modules)
Each formula lives in its own repo:
```
github.com/anthropics/mol-code-review/
├── formula.json      # The formula
├── README.md         # Documentation
└── CHANGELOG.md      # Version history
```

### Optional Registry (for discovery)
```
github.com/anthropics/mol-mall/
└── registry.json     # Index pointing to formula repos
```

## Child Issues

1. `bd mol export` - Proto → Formula file
2. `bd mol promote` - Distilled proto → Catalog proto (one step)
3. `bd mol install` - GitHub → Local proto
4. `bd mol update` - Check for newer versions
5. `bd mol search` - Find formulas (GitHub API)
6. `bd mol publish` - Push formula to GitHub repo
7. Formula versioning - Version field + git tag integration
8. Installation tracking - .beads/installed.json

## ID Namespace Design

| Entity | ID Format | Example |
|--------|-----------|---------|
| Formula (GitHub) | `github.com/org/repo` | `github.com/anthropics/mol-code-review` |
| Catalog proto (local) | `mol-name` | `mol-code-review` |
| Distilled proto | `<db>-proto-xxx` | `bd-proto-a7f` |
| Poured instance | `<db>-mol-xxx` | `gt-mol-b8c` |
| Wisp instance | `<db>-wisp-xxx` | `hq-wisp-d9e` |


Verify version consistency

Confirm all versions match 0.99.0-test.

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

All should show 0.99.0-test.


gt handoff deadlock at handoff.go:125

When running 'gt handoff -m "message"' after successful MR submit, go panics with 'fatal error: all goroutines are asleep - deadlock\!' at handoff.go:125. The shutdown request still appears to be sent successfully but the command crashes. Stack trace shows issue is in runHandoff select statement.


Update CHANGELOG header

Change [Unreleased] to [{{version}}] - {{date}} and add new empty [Unreleased] section above it.


bd close hooks: context check and notifications

Add hook system to bd close for notifications and custom actions.

## Scope (MVP)

Implement **command hooks only** for bd close. Deferred: notify, webhook types.

## Implementation

### 1. Config Schema

Add to internal/configfile/config.go:

```go
type HooksConfig struct {
    OnClose []HookEntry `yaml:"on_close,omitempty"`
}

type HookEntry struct {
    Command string `yaml:"command"`           // Shell command to run
    Name    string `yaml:"name,omitempty"`    // Optional display name
}
```

Add `Hooks HooksConfig` field to Config struct.

### 2. Hook Execution

Create internal/hooks/close_hooks.go:

```go
func RunCloseHooks(ctx context.Context, cfg *configfile.Config, issue *types.Issue) error {
    for _, hook := range cfg.Hooks.OnClose {
        cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "sh", "-c", hook.Command)
        cmd.Env = append(os.Environ(),
            "BEAD_ID="+issue.ID,
            "BEAD_TITLE="+issue.Title,
            "BEAD_TYPE="+string(issue.IssueType),
            "BEAD_PRIORITY="+strconv.Itoa(issue.Priority),
            "BEAD_CLOSE_REASON="+issue.CloseReason,
        )
        cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
        cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
        if err := cmd.Run(); err \!= nil {
            // Log warning but dont fail the close
            fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Warning: close hook %q failed: %v\n", hook.Name, err)
        }
    }
    return nil
}
```

### 3. Integration Point

In cmd/bd/close.go, after successful close:

```go
// Run close hooks
if cfg := configfile.Load(); cfg \!= nil {
    hooks.RunCloseHooks(ctx, cfg, closedIssue)
}
```

### 4. Example Config

```yaml
# .beads/config.yaml
hooks:
  on_close:
    - name: show-next
      command: bd ready --limit 1
    - name: context-check
      command: echo "Issue $BEAD_ID closed. Check context if nearing limit."
```

## Environment Variables

| Variable | Description |
|----------|-------------|
| BEAD_ID | Issue ID (e.g., bd-abc1) |
| BEAD_TITLE | Issue title |
| BEAD_TYPE | Issue type (task, bug, feature, etc.) |
| BEAD_PRIORITY | Priority (0-4) |
| BEAD_CLOSE_REASON | Close reason if provided |

## Testing

Add test in internal/hooks/close_hooks_test.go:
- Test hook execution with mock config
- Test env vars are set correctly
- Test hook failure doesnt block close

## Files to Create/Modify

1. **Create:** internal/hooks/close_hooks.go
2. **Create:** internal/hooks/close_hooks_test.go
3. **Modify:** internal/configfile/config.go (add HooksConfig)
4. **Modify:** cmd/bd/close.go (call RunCloseHooks)
5. **Modify:** docs/CONFIG.md (document hooks config)

## Out of Scope (Future)

- notify hook type (gt mail integration)
- webhook type (HTTP POST)
- on_create, on_update hooks
- Hook timeout configuration
- Parallel hook execution


Formula versioning: Version field and git tag integration

Add versioning support to formulas for tracking updates.

## Formula Version Field
```json
{
  "formula": "mol-code-review",
  "version": "1.2.0",
  "min_bd_version": "0.25.0",
  ...
}
```

## Version Semantics
- Use semver: MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH
- MAJOR: Breaking changes to step structure
- MINOR: New optional steps or variables
- PATCH: Documentation, bug fixes

## Git Tag Integration
- `bd mol install repo@v1.2.0` fetches that tag
- `bd mol install repo` fetches latest tag (or main if no tags)
- `bd mol publish --tag v1.2.0` creates tag

## Proto Version Tracking
Local proto should store:
```
source_repo: github.com/anthropics/mol-code-review
source_version: v1.2.0
installed_at: 2025-12-25T12:00:00Z
```

This enables `bd mol update` to check for newer versions.


Code review: bd mol bond implementation

Review the mol bond command implementation before shipping.

Focus areas:
1. runMolBond() - polymorphic dispatch logic correctness
2. bondProtoProto() - compound proto creation, dependency wiring
3. bondProtoMol() / bondMolProto() - spawn and attach logic
4. bondMolMol() - joining molecules, lineage tracking
5. BondRef usage - is lineage tracked correctly?
6. Error handling - are all failure modes covered?
7. Edge cases - what could go wrong?

File: cmd/bd/mol.go (lines 485-859)
Commit: 386b513e


test pin issue


bd repair: Limit verbose output for large orphan counts

When there are thousands of orphaned references, bd repair prints them all, flooding the terminal.

Fix: Add --verbose flag; default to summary only (e.g., 'Found 1,234 orphaned dependencies'). Only print individual items with --verbose or when count is small (<20).


Implement nix-hash staleness detection

## Summary
Detect when go.sum has changed but vendorHash in default.nix may be stale.

## Implementation Details

### Location
File: `cmd/bd/preflight.go`

### Detection Logic

**Tier 1 (Simple - implement this):**
Check if go.sum has uncommitted changes (staged or unstaged). If so, warn that vendorHash might need updating.

```go
func runNixHashCheck() CheckResult {
    // Check if go.sum has changes
    cmd := exec.Command("git", "diff", "--name-only", "HEAD", "--", "go.sum")
    output, _ := cmd.Output()

    // Also check staged changes
    stagedCmd := exec.Command("git", "diff", "--name-only", "--cached", "--", "go.sum")
    stagedOutput, _ := stagedCmd.Output()

    hasChanges := len(output) > 0 || len(stagedOutput) > 0

    if hasChanges {
        return CheckResult{
            Name:    "nix-hash",
            Passed:  false,
            Output:  "go.sum has changes - vendorHash in default.nix may need updating",
            Command: "git diff HEAD -- go.sum",
            Warning: true,  // Not a hard failure, just a warning
        }
    }

    return CheckResult{
        Name:    "nix-hash",
        Passed:  true,
        Output:  "go.sum unchanged",
        Command: "git diff HEAD -- go.sum",
    }
}
```

**Tier 2 (Future - auto-fix):**
If nix is available, compute the correct vendorHash:
```bash
nix-prefetch-url --unpack "https://..."
# or use nix build with --print-out-paths
```

### Key Files
- `go.sum` - Go module checksums
- `default.nix` - Contains vendorHash on line 12

### Output Format
```
$ bd preflight --check
✓ Nix hash current (go.sum unchanged)

# When go.sum changed:
⚠ Nix hash may be stale
  go.sum has uncommitted changes
  Hint: If you modified dependencies, run nix build to get new vendorHash

# When nix available (future):
✗ Nix hash stale
  Expected: sha256-KRR6dXzsSw8OmEHGBEVDBOoIgfoZ2p0541T9ayjGHlI=
  Current:  sha256-ovG0EWQFtifHF5leEQTFvTjGvc+yiAjpAaqaV0OklgE=
  Fix: bd preflight --fix
```

### Add Warning field to CheckResult
```go
type CheckResult struct {
    Name    string
    Passed  bool
    Output  string
    Command string
    Skipped bool
    Warning bool  // Yellow ⚠ instead of red ✗
}
```

### Testing
- Test with clean go.sum (no changes)
- Test with modified go.sum (stage a fake change, then reset)
- Test output format

### Acceptance Criteria
- [x] Detects when go.sum has uncommitted changes
- [x] Shows as warning (⚠) not error (✗)
- [x] Provides helpful hint about vendorHash
- [x] Works with --json flag
- [x] Does not require nix to be installed (just git)


Merge: bd-t4sb

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


Code smell: Duplicated IssueDetails struct in show.go (4 definitions)

The IssueDetails struct is defined 4 times within show.go at lines 109, 159, 190, and 372 with identical structure but slightly different JSON tag configurations.

**Problem:**
- Violates DRY principle
- Makes maintenance harder - changes must be applied to multiple locations
- Increases risk of inconsistency between definitions
- Takes up ~50 lines of duplicated code

**Acceptance Criteria:**
- [ ] Extract IssueDetails to a single package-level type
- [ ] Update all 4 locations to use the shared type
- [ ] Ensure JSON output remains consistent
- [ ] Tests pass


Verify GitHub release

Check the GitHub releases page.

https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/releases/tag/v0.99.0-test

Verify:
- Release created
- Binaries attached (linux, darwin, windows)
- Checksums present


Update cmd/bd/info.go with release notes for 0.37.0.

Add a new VersionChange entry at the top of versionChanges slice:
```go
{
    Version: "0.37.0",
    Date:    "YYYY-MM-DD",
    Changes: []string{
        "NEW: Feature description",
        "FIX: Bug fix description",
        "IMPROVED: Enhancement description",
    },
},
```

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

instantiated_from: bd-mol-xga
step: update-release-notes


Wait for CI to pass

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


sync branch not match config

./bd sync
→ Exporting pending changes to JSONL...
→ No changes to commit
→ Pulling from sync branch 'gh-386'...
Error pulling from sync branch: failed to create worktree: failed to create worktree parent directory: mkdir /var/home/matt/dev/beads/worktree-db-fail/.git: not a directory
matt@blufin-framation ~/d/b/worktree-db-fail (worktree-db-fail) [1]> bd config list

Configuration:
  auto_compact_enabled = false
  compact_batch_size = 50
  compact_model = claude-3-5-haiku-20241022
  compact_parallel_workers = 5
  compact_tier1_days = 30
  compact_tier1_dep_levels = 2
  compact_tier2_commits = 100
  compact_tier2_days = 90
  compact_tier2_dep_levels = 5
  compaction_enabled = false
  issue_prefix = worktree-db-fail
  sync.branch = worktree-db-fail


Add tests for import/export functionality

Import/export functions like ImportIssues, exportToJSONLWithStore, and AutoImportIfNewer have low coverage. These are critical for data integrity and multi-repo synchronization.


Deacon Patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop for handling callbacks, health checks, and cleanup.


Merge3Way public API does not expose TTL parameter

The public Merge3Way() function in merge.go does not allow callers to configure the tombstone TTL. It hard-codes the default via merge3WayWithTTL(). While merge3WayWithTTL() exists, it is unexported (lowercase). This means the CLI and tests cannot configure TTL at merge time. Use cases: testing with different TTL values, per-repository TTL configuration, debugging with short TTL, supporting --ttl flag in bd merge command (mentioned in design doc bd-zvg). Recommendation: Export Merge3WayWithTTL (rename to uppercase). Files: internal/merge/merge.go:77, 292-298


Merge: bd-u2sc.3

branch: polecat/Modular
target: main
source_issue: bd-u2sc.3
rig: beads


Code smell: Mixed daemon/direct mode logic throughout commands

Most commands duplicate logic for both daemon and direct modes:

```go
if daemonClient != nil {
    // Daemon implementation
} else {
    // Direct implementation
}
```

This pattern appears multiple times within the same function in show.go, list.go, and other commands.

**Problem:**
- Doubles the code paths to test
- Changes to data retrieval require updates in two places
- Difficult to reason about behavior

**Acceptance Criteria:**
- [ ] Create StorageAccessor interface for both modes
- [ ] Use strategy pattern for daemon vs direct operations
- [ ] Centralize dispatching logic
- [ ] Reduce code duplication
- [ ] Tests pass


Add EntityRef type for structured entity references

Create EntityRef struct with Name, Platform, Org, ID fields. This is the foundation for HOP entity tracking. Can render as entity://hop/<platform>/<org>/<id> when needed. Add to internal/types/types.go.


Preflight: Pull latest

Ensure we're up to date with origin.

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

Resolve any conflicts before proceeding.


Distinct prefixes for protos, molecules, wisps

Template/workflow entities should have visually distinct prefixes from regular issues.

**Problem:**
- Protos (bd-7bs4) look like regular issues - invites squashing
- Molecules (poured instances) also use bd- prefix
- Wisps are in separate DB but still use bd- when referenced

**Proposed Prefixes:**
- `proto-` for templates (e.g., proto-release, proto-review)
- `mol-` for active molecules (poured from protos)
- `wisp-` for ephemeral wisps (vapor phase)

**Benefits:**
- Instant visual recognition of entity type
- Prevents accidental modification of templates
- Clear lifecycle: proto → mol → wisp → digest

**Implementation options:**
1. Separate databases with different prefixes
2. Issue type determines prefix generation
3. Naming convention enforced by bd pour/wisp commands


gt polecat done should auto-stop running session

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


Code smell: 262 uses of interface{} reduce type safety

Heavy use of interface{} across 92 files (262 occurrences) in:
- RPC update arguments: updatesFromArgs() returns map[string]interface{}
- JSON unmarshaling and formatting
- Storage query helpers

**Example in internal/rpc/server_issues_epics.go:45:**
```go
func updatesFromArgs(a UpdateArgs) map[string]interface{} {
    // Returns map with interface{} values - types must be asserted at use sites
}
```

**Problem:**
- Loss of type safety
- Runtime type assertions required
- Harder to catch errors at compile time

**Acceptance Criteria:**
- [ ] Define typed update structs for specific field groups
- [ ] Use generics where possible (Go 1.18+)
- [ ] Reduce interface{} count by at least 50%
- [ ] Document expected types where interface{} remains necessary
- [ ] Tests pass


Upgrade Homebrew bd

brew update && brew upgrade bd


Restart daemons

bd daemons killall


Install 0.30.4 Go binary locally

Rebuild and install the Go binary:
```bash
go install ./cmd/bd
# OR
make install
```

Verify:
```bash
bd --version
```

```verify
bd --version 2>&1 | grep -q '0.30.4'
```


bd delete --from-file should add deleted issues to deletions manifest

When using bd delete --from-file to bulk delete issues, the deleted issue IDs are not being added to the deletions.jsonl manifest.

This causes those issues to be resurrected during bd sync when git history scanning finds them in old commits.

Expected: All deleted issues should be added to deletions.jsonl so they wont be reimported from git history.

Workaround: Manually add deletion records to deletions.jsonl.


Add BD_AGENT_MODE for ultra-compact output

Optional agent-optimized output mode triggered by BD_AGENT_MODE=1 env var:

- Compact format: just ID and title per line
- Default to open/in_progress only
- No colors, no emojis
- Lower default limit (~20)
- One-line summaries

This is independent but benefits from TTY detection infrastructure.

Consider auto-detecting agent context via CLAUDE_CODE or similar env vars.

## Implementation Plan

### Trigger
```bash
BD_AGENT_MODE=1 bd list
```

Or auto-detect common agent environments:
```go
func IsAgentMode() bool {
    if os.Getenv("BD_AGENT_MODE") != "" {
        return true
    }
    // Auto-detect known agent contexts
    if os.Getenv("CLAUDE_CODE") != "" {
        return true
    }
    // Add other agent env vars as discovered
    return false
}
```

### Code Changes

1. **Add agent output format** (cmd/bd/list.go):
```go
if ui.IsAgentMode() {
    // Ultra-compact: just ID and title
    for _, issue := range issues {
        fmt.Printf("%s: %s\n", issue.ID, issue.Title)
    }
    return
}
```

2. **Agent mode defaults**:
```go
if ui.IsAgentMode() {
    if limit == 0 {
        limit = 20 // Lower default for agents
    }
    if status == "" {
        // Only actionable work
        filter.Status = []types.Status{"open", "in_progress"}
    }
}
```

### Output Format (Agent Mode)
```
bd-mypl: Default bd list to non-closed issues
bd-v5fn: Add default limit to bd list (50 issues)
bd-jdz3: Add pager support to bd list
```

No colors, no emojis, no brackets, no priority display.
Just ID + title for maximum context efficiency.

### Testing
- `BD_AGENT_MODE=1 bd list` outputs compact format
- Verify no ANSI codes in output
- Verify default limit is 20
- Verify only open/in_progress shown by default


Support redirect files in .beads/ directory

Gas Town creates polecat worktrees with .beads/redirect files that point to a shared beads database. The bd CLI should:

1. When finding a .beads/ directory, check if it contains a 'redirect' file
2. If redirect exists, read the relative path and use that as the beads directory
3. This allows multiple git worktrees to share a single beads database

Example:
- polecats/alpha/.beads/redirect contains '../../mayor/rig/.beads'
- bd commands from alpha should use mayor/rig/.beads

Currently bd ignores redirect files and either uses the local .beads/ or walks up to find a parent .beads/.

Related: gt-nriy (test message that can't be retrieved due to missing redirect support)


Consider consolidating config.yaml parsing into shared utility

Multiple places parse config.yaml with custom structs:

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

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

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

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

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

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


Formula parser: YAML schema for .formula.yaml files

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

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

Gas Town tracking: gt-8tmz.12


Spawn-time bonding: --attach flag

Add --attach flag to bd mol spawn for on-the-fly composition.

COMMAND: bd mol spawn proto-feature --attach proto-docs --attach proto-testing

BEHAVIOR:
- Spawn the primary proto as normal
- For each --attach: spawn that proto and wire to primary
- Attachments become children of primary's root epic
- Dependencies wired based on bond type (default: sequential)

FLAGS:
- --attach PROTO: Attach a proto (can repeat)
- --attach-type TYPE: sequential (default) or parallel for all attachments
- --after ISSUE: Attachment point for attached protos

VARIABLE HANDLING:
- All attached protos share variable namespace
- Warn on variable name conflicts
- All --var flags apply to all protos

DESIGN NOTE: This is syntactic sugar. Equivalent to:
  bd mol spawn proto-A
  bd mol bond $new_epic_id proto-B

Keeping as separate task because it's a common UX pattern worth optimizing.


Exclude pinned issues from bd blocked

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


Code smell: Repeated validation patterns could be centralized

Similar validation patterns appear in multiple commands (create.go, show.go, update.go, etc.):
- Check if resource exists
- Check if resource is in valid state
- Validate user input
- Check permissions

**Problem:**
- Duplicated validation logic
- Inconsistent validation between commands
- Hard to add new validation rules consistently

**Acceptance Criteria:**
- [ ] Create internal/validation package
- [ ] Centralize common validation logic
- [ ] Use composition for validation chains
- [ ] Update commands to use shared validators
- [ ] Tests pass


Fix bd sync race condition with daemon causing dirty working directory

After bd sync completes with sync.branch mode, subsequent bd commands or daemon file watcher would see a hash mismatch and trigger auto-import, which then schedules re-export, dirtying the working directory.

**Root cause:**
1. bd sync exports JSONL with NEW content (hash H1)
2. bd sync updates jsonl_content_hash = H1 in DB
3. bd sync restores JSONL from HEAD (OLD content, hash H0)
4. Now: file hash = H0, DB hash = H1 (MISMATCH)
5. Daemon or next CLI command sees mismatch, imports from OLD JSONL
6. Import triggers re-export → file is dirty

**Fix:**
After restoreBeadsDirFromBranch(), update jsonl_content_hash to match the restored file's hash. This ensures daemon and CLI see file hash = DB hash → no spurious import/export cycle.

Related: bd-c83r (multiple daemon prevention)


Update local installation

Update local bd to the new version.

Option 1 - Homebrew:
```bash
brew upgrade bd
```

Option 2 - Install script:
```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/steveyegge/beads/main/scripts/install.sh | bash
```

Verify:
```bash
bd --version
```

Should show 0.39.0.


Run tests

TMPDIR=/tmp go test -short ./...


Restart running daemons

Kill and restart any running bd daemons to pick up new version: pkill -f 'bd daemon' && bd daemon --start


bd create --rig flag for cross-rig issue filing

## Problem

To create an issue in a different rig, you must cd to that rig's directory. This is clunky when coordinating across rigs.

## Proposed Solution

Add a --rig flag to bd create that leverages existing routes.jsonl:

```bash
# From anywhere in town
bd create --rig beads --title="bug report" --type=bug

# Equivalent to:
cd ~/gt/beads/mayor/rig && bd create --title="..."
```

## How it works

1. Parse --rig flag (rig name, not prefix)
2. Look up rig in routes.jsonl to find beads location
3. Determine prefix from rig config
4. Create issue in that location with auto-generated ID

## Why elegant

- Leverages existing routing infrastructure
- Rig names are human-memorable (not cryptic prefixes)
- Works from anywhere in town
- Prefix auto-determined from rig config
- Reads naturally: "create in beads"

## Alternative

Also consider --prefix for power users who know prefixes:
```bash
bd create --prefix bd "Title here"
```


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

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


Run bump-version.sh

Update all component versions atomically.

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

This updates:
- cmd/bd/version.go
- .claude-plugin/*.json
- integrations/beads-mcp/pyproject.toml
- integrations/beads-mcp/src/beads_mcp/__init__.py
- npm-package/package.json
- Hook templates
- README.md
- CHANGELOG.md (adds date)


bd import reports success but writes nothing to empty database

## Problem

In a fresh crew clone with no database, `bd import` and `bd sync --import-only` report:
```
Import complete: 0 created, 0 updated, 416 unchanged, 203 skipped
```

But the database remains empty:
```
sqlite3 .beads/beads.db 'SELECT COUNT(*) FROM issues'
0
```

## Reproduction Steps

1. Fresh clone (crew/dave) with .beads/issues.jsonl containing 619 issues
2. `bd init --skip-hooks` creates empty database
3. `bd import -i .beads/issues.jsonl` reports 416 unchanged
4. Database still has 0 issues

## Expected

Import should create 416 issues in the database.

## Root Cause Hypothesis

The 'unchanged' count suggests it's comparing against something (maybe in-memory state?) rather than the actual database. The daemon running from a different clone (mayor/rig) may be confusing the import logic.

## Context

Discovered during v0.39.0 release. Worked around by doing the release manually instead of using the beads-release molecule.


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

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

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

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

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

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


Add GetMoleculeProgress RPC endpoint

New RPC endpoint to get detailed progress for a specific molecule. Returns: moleculeID, title, assignee, and list of steps with their status (done/current/ready/blocked), start/close times. Used when user expands a worker in the activity feed TUI.


Fix JSON errors in epic.go

Replace direct stderr writes with FatalErrorRespectJSON() in epic.go.

Commands affected:
- epicStatusCmd
- epicCloseEligibleCmd


Update molecular chemistry docs with discoveries

Document recent discoveries about molecule/epic relationship and lifecycle:

**Layer Cake (corrected order):**
```
Formulas (YAML compile-time macros)
    ↓
Protos (template label, read-only)
    ↓
Molecules (pour, bond, squash, burn)
    ↓
Epics (parent-child, dependencies) ← DATA PLANE
    ↓
Issues (JSONL, git-backed) ← STORAGE
```

**Key insight:** Molecules work without protos - you can create ad-hoc molecules.
Protos are templates FOR molecules, not the other way around.

**New concepts to document:**
1. Orphan vs Stale matrix (blocking × assigned dimensions)
2. Graph pressure as staleness indicator (not time)
3. Parallelism via absence of depends_on (default parallel, opt-in sequential)
4. progress.Completed/Total are computed, not stored
5. WaitsFor: all-children for dynamic fanout gates

**Common pitfalls for agents:**
- Thinking phases/steps imply sequence (NO - deps do)
- Confusing protos with molecules
- Temporal language inverting dependencies
- Forgetting to squash/burn wisps

**Consider splitting docs:**
- molecules.md → conceptual overview
- formulas.md → YAML syntax reference
- lifecycle.md → pour/squash/burn/bond operations
- patterns.md → Christmas Ornament, factory assembly, etc.


Ephemeral patrol molecules leaking into beads

## Problem

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

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

## Examples found

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

## Investigation needed

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

## Expected behavior

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


Merge: bd-49kw

branch: polecat/nux
target: main
source_issue: bd-49kw
rig: beads


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

Code review finding from bd-7di fix.

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

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

File: internal/git/gitdir.go


bd pin: pinned field overwritten by subsequent bd commands

## Summary

The `bd pin` command correctly sets `pinned=1` in SQLite, but any subsequent `bd` command (including read-only commands like `bd show`) resets `pinned` to 0.

## Reproduction Steps

```bash
bd --no-daemon pin <issue-id> --for=max
sqlite3 .beads/beads.db "SELECT id, pinned FROM issues WHERE id=\"<issue-id>\""
# Shows pinned=1 ✓

bd --no-daemon show <issue-id> --json
sqlite3 .beads/beads.db "SELECT id, pinned FROM issues WHERE id=\"<issue-id>\""
# Shows pinned=0 ✗ WRONG
```

## Root Cause Investigation

### Prime Suspects

1. **JSONL import overwrites DB** - The `pinned` field has `omitempty` so false values arent in JSONL. When JSONL is imported, it overwrites the DB pinned=1 with default pinned=0.

2. **Files to check:**
   - `internal/importer/importer.go` - ImportIssue() may unconditionally set all fields
   - `internal/storage/sqlite/issues.go` - UpsertIssue() may not preserve pinned
   - `cmd/bd/main.go` - ensureStoreActive() may trigger import

### Debug Steps

```bash
# Add debug logging to track what is writing pinned=0
grep -rn "pinned" internal/storage/sqlite/*.go
grep -rn "Pinned" internal/importer/*.go
```

## Likely Fix

In `internal/importer/importer.go` or `internal/storage/sqlite/issues.go`:

```go
// When upserting from JSONL, preserve pinned field if already set
func (s *SQLiteStorage) UpsertIssue(ctx context.Context, issue *types.Issue) error {
    // Check if issue exists and is pinned
    existing, _ := s.GetIssue(ctx, issue.ID)
    if existing != nil && existing.Pinned && !issue.Pinned {
        // Preserve existing pinned status
        issue.Pinned = existing.Pinned
    }
    // ... rest of upsert
}
```

OR the import should skip fields that are omitempty and not present in JSONL:

```go
// In importer, only update fields that are explicitly set in JSONL
// Pinned with omitempty means absent = dont change, not absent = false
```

## Testing

```bash
# After fix:
bd --no-daemon pin <issue-id> --for=max
bd --no-daemon show <issue-id> --json  # Should not reset pinned
bd list --pinned  # Should show the pinned issue
bd hook --agent max  # Should show pinned work
```

## Files to Modify

1. **internal/importer/importer.go** - Preserve pinned on import
2. **internal/storage/sqlite/issues.go** - UpsertIssue preserve pinned
3. **Add test** in internal/importer/importer_test.go

## Success Criteria
- `bd pin` survives subsequent bd commands
- `bd list --pinned` shows pinned issues
- `bd hook --agent X` shows pinned work
- Existing tests still pass


(Optional) Manual publish if CI failed.

(Optional) Manual publish if CI failed.

```bash
# npm (requires npm login)
./scripts/bump-version.sh 0.37.0 --publish-npm

# PyPI (requires TWINE credentials)
./scripts/bump-version.sh 0.37.0 --publish-pypi

# Or both
./scripts/bump-version.sh 0.37.0 --publish-all
```

Only needed if CI publishing failed.

instantiated_from: bd-mol-xga
step: manual-publish


Update git hooks

Install the updated hooks:
```bash
bd hooks install
```

Verify hook version:
```bash
grep 'bd-hooks-version' .git/hooks/pre-commit
```

```verify
grep -q 'bd-hooks-version: 0.30.4' .git/hooks/pre-commit 2>/dev/null || echo 'Hooks may not be installed - verify manually'
```


Split large cmd/bd files into logical modules for maintainability.

## Current State
| File | Lines | Status |
|------|-------|--------|
| sync.go | 2203 | Too large |
| init.go | 1742 | Too large |
| show.go | 1419 | Too large |
| compact.go | 1190 | Borderline |

## Proposed Splits

### 1. sync.go (2203 lines) → 4 files

**sync.go** (~500 lines) - Main command and coordination
```go
var syncCmd = &cobra.Command{...}
func init() {...}
func doSync(...) {...}
```

**sync_export.go** (~400 lines) - Export operations
```go
func exportToJSONL(...)
func markDirtyAndScheduleFlush(...)
func flushPendingChanges(...)
```

**sync_import.go** (~500 lines) - Import operations
```go
func importFromJSONL(...)
func handleImportConflicts(...)
func mergeImportedIssues(...)
```

**sync_branch.go** (~400 lines) - Git branch operations
```go
func commitToSyncBranch(...)
func pullFromSyncBranch(...)
func handleSyncBranchDivergence(...)
```

### 2. init.go (1742 lines) → 3 files

**init.go** (~400 lines) - Main init command
```go
var initCmd = &cobra.Command{...}
func runInit(...)
func determinePrefix(...)
```

**init_wizard.go** (~500 lines) - Interactive setup
```go
func runContributorWizard(...)
func runTeamWizard(...)
func promptForConfig(...)
```

**init_hooks.go** (~400 lines) - Git hooks setup
```go
func installGitHooks(...)
func configureAutosync(...)
func setupMergeDriver(...)
```

### 3. show.go (1419 lines) → 3 files

**show.go** (~400 lines) - Main show command
```go
var showCmd = &cobra.Command{...}
func showIssue(...)
func showMultipleIssues(...)
```

**show_format.go** (~400 lines) - Output formatting
```go
func formatIssueText(...)
func formatIssueMarkdown(...)
func formatDependencyTree(...)
```

**show_threads.go** (~300 lines) - Thread/conversation display
```go
func showThread(...)
func formatThreadMessages(...)
```

### 4. compact.go (1190 lines) → 2 files

**compact.go** (~600 lines) - Main compact command
```go
var compactCmd = &cobra.Command{...}
func runCompact(...)
```

**compact_tiers.go** (~400 lines) - Tier-specific logic
```go
func compactTier1(...)
func compactTier2(...)
func squashWisps(...)
```

## Implementation Steps

1. **Start with sync.go** (largest file)
2. **Create new files** with same package declaration
3. **Move functions** maintaining related code together
4. **Update any file-local variables** that need to be shared
5. **Run tests** after each split:
   ```bash
   go test -short ./cmd/bd/...
   ```

## File Organization After Split
```
cmd/bd/
├── sync.go           (~500 lines)
├── sync_export.go    (~400 lines)
├── sync_import.go    (~500 lines)
├── sync_branch.go    (~400 lines)
├── init.go           (~400 lines)
├── init_wizard.go    (~500 lines)
├── init_hooks.go     (~400 lines)
├── show.go           (~400 lines)
├── show_format.go    (~400 lines)
├── show_threads.go   (~300 lines)
├── compact.go        (~600 lines)
└── compact_tiers.go  (~400 lines)
```

## Success Criteria
- No file > 600 lines
- All tests pass
- Related code stays together
- Clear file naming indicates purpose


mol-beads-release

Release checklist for beads version 0.37.0.

This molecule ensures all release steps are completed properly.
Variable: 0.37.0 - target version (e.g., 0.35.0)

## Step: update-release-notes
Update cmd/bd/info.go with release notes for 0.37.0.

Add a new VersionChange entry at the top of versionChanges slice:
```go
{
    Version: "0.37.0",
    Date:    "YYYY-MM-DD",
    Changes: []string{
        "NEW: Feature description",
        "FIX: Bug fix description",
        "IMPROVED: Enhancement description",
    },
},
```

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

```bash
./scripts/bump-version.sh 0.37.0
```

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

Needs: update-changelog

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

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

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

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

```bash
git add -A
git commit -m "chore: bump version to v0.37.0"
```

Needs: run-tests

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

```bash
git push origin main
git tag v0.37.0
git push origin v0.37.0
```

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

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

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

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

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

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

```bash
# Check GitHub release
gh release view v0.37.0

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

# Check npm
npm view @beads/bd version

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

Needs: wait-for-ci

## Step: update-local
Update local installations.

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

# Or install from source
./scripts/bump-version.sh 0.37.0 --install

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

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

Verify: `bd --version` shows 0.37.0
Needs: verify-release

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

```bash
# npm (requires npm login)
./scripts/bump-version.sh 0.37.0 --publish-npm

# PyPI (requires TWINE credentials)
./scripts/bump-version.sh 0.37.0 --publish-pypi

# Or both
./scripts/bump-version.sh 0.37.0 --publish-all
```

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


Restart daemon with 0.33.2

Restart the bd daemon to pick up new version:

```bash
bd daemon --stop
bd daemon --start
bd daemon --health  # Verify Version: 0.33.2
```


Add pinned field to issue schema

Add boolean 'pinned' field to the issue schema. When true, the issue is marked as a persistent context marker that should not be treated as a work item.


Add gate checking to Deacon patrol loop

Integrate gate checking into Deacon's patrol cycle.

## Patrol Integration
```go
func (d *Deacon) checkGates(ctx context.Context) {
    gates, _ := d.store.ListOpenGates(ctx)

    for _, gate := range gates {
        // Check timeout
        if time.Since(gate.CreatedAt) > gate.Timeout {
            d.notifyWaiters(gate, "timeout")
            d.closeGate(gate, "timed out")
            continue
        }

        // Check condition
        if d.checkCondition(gate.AwaitType, gate.AwaitID) {
            d.notifyWaiters(gate, "cleared")
            d.closeGate(gate, "condition met")
        }
    }
}
```

## Note
This task is in Gas Town (gt), not beads. May need to be moved there.


bd mol run: Only creates partial children from proto

When running `bd mol run gt-lwuu --var issue=gt-xxx`, only 2 of 4 proto children are created.

## Expected
Proto gt-lwuu has 4 children:
- gt-lwuu.1: load-context
- gt-lwuu.2: implement
- gt-lwuu.3: self-review
- gt-lwuu.8: request-shutdown

All 4 should be instantiated.

## Actual
Only 2 children created:
- load-context
- implement

self-review and request-shutdown are missing.

## Repro
```bash
bd --no-daemon mol run gt-lwuu --var issue=gt-xxx --json
bd list --parent=<created-id>  # Only shows 2 children
```

## Impact
Polecats spawned with mol-polecat-work get incomplete workflow.


Work on gt-8tmz.34: Expansion var overrides not implement...

Work on gt-8tmz.34: Expansion var overrides not implemented. The ExpandRule.Vars field exists in internal/formula/types.go but is ignored during expansion in internal/formula/expand.go. Implement: 1) Pass rule.Vars to expandStep in ApplyExpansions, 2) Merge vars with formula defaults (rule.Vars wins), 3) Substitute vars in template placeholders, 4) Add test in expand_test.go. When done, commit and push to main.


Test stdin 2

Description from stdin test


Merge: onyx-1767083477016

branch: polecat/onyx-1767083477016
target: main
source_issue: onyx-1767083477016
rig: beads


Push to main

Push the release commit to origin.

```bash
git push origin main
```

If rejected, someone else pushed. Pull, rebase, try again.


Agent beads: structured labels for filtering

## Agent Beads Need Queryable Labels

Currently agent beads have role_type/rig in description text, not as labels. This breaks @group resolution in gt mail.

## Current State
```json
{
  "id": "gt-gastown-witness",
  "issue_type": "agent",
  "description": "...\\nrole_type: witness\\nrig: gastown\\n..."
}
```

Cannot query: `bd list --type=agent --label=role_type:witness` returns nothing.

## Required
Agent bead creation should add labels:
- `role_type:<type>` (witness, refinery, crew, polecat, dog, mayor, deacon)
- `rig:<rig>` (gastown, beads, or "town" for town-level)

## Where to Fix
gt polecat/crew/agent creation commands should add labels.

## Acceptance
- New agent beads created with role_type/rig labels
- @group patterns work in gt mail router


bd close --continue: auto-advance to next molecule step

Add --continue flag to bd close for seamless molecule step transitions.

## Usage

bd close <step-id> --continue [--no-auto]

## Behavior

1. Closes the specified step
2. Finds next ready step in same molecule (sibling/child)
3. By default, marks it in_progress (--no-auto to skip)
4. Outputs the transition

## Output

[done] Closed gt-abc.3: Implement feature

Next ready in molecule:
  gt-abc.4: Write tests

[arrow] Marked in_progress (use --no-auto to skip)

## If no next step

[done] Closed gt-abc.6: Exit decision

Molecule gt-abc complete! All steps closed.
Consider: bd mol squash gt-abc --summary '...'

## Key behaviors
- Detects parent molecule from closed step
- Finds next unblocked sibling
- Auto-claims by default (propulsion principle)
- Graceful handling when molecule is complete

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


Merge: bd-u2sc.4

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


Create git tag v0.33.2

Create the release tag:

```bash
git tag v0.33.2
```

Verify: `git tag | grep 0.33.2`


Auto-detect identity from directory context for bd mail

Currently bd mail inbox defaults to git user name, requiring --identity flag with exact format.

## Problem
- Mail sent to `gastown/crew/max`
- Max runs `bd mail inbox` → defaults to 'Steve Yegge' (git user)
- Max must know to use `--identity 'gastown/crew/max'` with exact slashes

## Proposed Fix
Auto-detect identity from directory context when in a Gas Town workspace:
- In `/Users/stevey/gt/gastown/crew/max`, infer identity = `gastown/crew/max`
- Pattern: `<town>/<rig>/<role>/<name>` → `<rig>/<role>/<name>`

## Additional Improvements
1. Support GT_IDENTITY env var (set by gt crew at / session spawning)
2. Support identity in .beads/config.yaml
3. Normalize format: accept both slashes and dashes as equivalent

## Context
Discovered during crew-to-crew work assignment. Max couldn't see mail despite correct nudge because identity defaulted wrong.


Time-dependent tests may be flaky near TTL boundary

Several tombstone merge tests use time.Now() to create test data: time.Now().Add(-24 * time.Hour), time.Now().Add(-60 * 24 * time.Hour), etc. While these work reliably in practice (24h vs 30d TTL has large margin), they could theoretically be flaky if: 1) Tests run slowly, 2) System clock changes during test, 3) TTL constants change. Recommendation: Consider using a fixed reference time or time injection for deterministic tests. Lower priority since current margin is large. Files: internal/merge/merge_test.go:1337-1338, 1352-1353, 1548-1549, 1590-1591