Run go install

go install ./cmd/bd


Fix G104 errors unhandled in internal/storage/sqlite/queries.go:1186

Linting issue: G104: Errors unhandled (gosec) at internal/storage/sqlite/queries.go:1186:2. Error: rows.Close()


Rename 'wisp' back to 'ephemeral' in beads API

The beads API uses 'wisp' terminology (Wisp field, bd wisp command) but the underlying SQLite column is 'ephemeral'.

This creates cognitive overhead since wisp is a Gas Town concept.

Rename to use 'ephemeral' consistently:
- types.Issue.Wisp → types.Issue.Ephemeral
- JSON field: wisp → ephemeral
- CLI: bd wisp → bd ephemeral (or just use flags on existing commands)

The SQLite column already uses 'ephemeral' so no schema migration needed.


Test Agent


Code smell: Issue struct still has ~100 fields - consider composition

internal/types/types.go Issue struct (lines 14-100) still has approximately 100 fields across many categories despite prior cleanup:

- Core identification (ID, ContentHash)
- Content (Title, Description, Design)
- Status & Workflow
- Assignment, Timestamps
- External integration
- Compaction metadata
- Relational data (Labels, Dependencies, Comments)
- Tombstone, Messaging, Context markers
- Bonding, HOP, Gate, Source tracing, Agent identity fields

**Problem:**
- Very large struct is difficult to understand
- Hard to identify required vs optional fields
- High change risk

**Acceptance Criteria:**
- [ ] Group related fields into embedded structs (IssueMetadata, IssueCompaction, IssueAgent, etc.)
- [ ] Use composition instead of single flat struct
- [ ] Maintain backward compatibility for serialization
- [ ] Tests pass


Merge: bd-au0.5

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


Test pinned for stats


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.


Test prefix bd


gt mail send: support reading message body from stdin

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

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

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

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


Swarm: Code Review: Swarm commands consolidation

Swarm molecule orchestrating epic bd-2ubv.

Epic: bd-2ubv
Coordinator:


Implement backup functionality for reset

Add backup capability that can be used by reset command.

## Functionality
- Copy .beads/ to .beads-backup-{timestamp}/
- Timestamp format: YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS
- Preserve file permissions
- Return backup path for user feedback

## Location
`internal/reset/backup.go` - keep with reset package for now (YAGNI)

## Interface
```go
func CreateBackup(beadsDir string) (backupPath string, err error)
```

## Notes
- Simple recursive file copy, no compression needed
- Error if backup dir already exists (unlikely with timestamp)
- Backup directories SHOULD be gitignored
- Add `.beads-backup-*/` pattern to .beads/.gitignore template in doctor package
- Consider: ListBackups() for future `bd backup list` command (not for this PR)


Fix JSON errors in comments.go

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

Commands affected:
- commentsCmd (list)
- commentsAddCmd


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

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


HANDOFF: Molecule bonding - spawn done, bond next

## Context

Continuing work on bd-o5xe (Molecule bonding epic).

## Completed This Session

- bd-mh4w: Renamed bond to spawn in mol.go
- bd-rnnr: Added BondRef data model to types.go

## Now Unblocked

1. bd-o91r: Polymorphic bond command [P1]
2. bd-iw4z: Compound visualization [P2]
3. bd-iq19: Distill command [P2]

## Key Files

- cmd/bd/mol.go
- internal/types/types.go

## Next Step

Start with bd-o91r. Run bd show bd-o5xe for context.


Support external: prefix in blocked_by field

Allow blocked_by to include external project references:

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

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

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

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


Add warning when staleness check errors

## Problem

When ensureDatabaseFresh() calls CheckStaleness() and it errors (corrupted metadata, permission issues, etc.), we silently proceed with potentially stale data.

**Location:** cmd/bd/staleness.go:27-32

**Scenarios:**
- Corrupted metadata table
- Database locked by another process
- Permission issues reading JSONL file
- Invalid last_import_time format in DB

## Current Code

```go
isStale, err := autoimport.CheckStaleness(ctx, store, dbPath)
if err \!= nil {
    // If we can't determine staleness, allow operation to proceed
    // (better to show potentially stale data than block user)
    return nil
}
```

## Fix

```go
isStale, err := autoimport.CheckStaleness(ctx, store, dbPath)
if err \!= nil {
    fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Warning: Could not verify database freshness: %v\n", err)
    fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Proceeding anyway. Data may be stale.\n\n")
    return nil
}
```

## Impact
Medium - users should know when staleness check fails

## Effort
Easy - 5 minutes


Merge: bd-9usz

branch: polecat/slit
target: main
source_issue: bd-9usz
rig: beads


Merge: bd-4qfb

branch: polecat/Polish
target: main
source_issue: bd-4qfb
rig: beads


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

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


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.


bd distill: Extract formula from mol/epic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Consider FTS5 for text search at scale

SearchIssues uses LIKE patterns for text search which can't use indexes.

**Current query (queries.go:1475-1477):**
```sql
(title LIKE ? OR description LIKE ? OR id LIKE ?)
```

**Problem:** Full table scan on every text search. At 100K+ issues, this becomes slow.

**SQLite FTS5 solution:**
```sql
CREATE VIRTUAL TABLE issues_fts USING fts5(
  id, title, description, design, notes,
  content='issues',
  content_rowid='rowid'
);

-- Triggers to keep FTS in sync
CREATE TRIGGER issues_ai AFTER INSERT ON issues BEGIN
  INSERT INTO issues_fts(rowid, id, title, description, design, notes)
  VALUES (new.rowid, new.id, new.title, new.description, new.design, new.notes);
END;
-- (similar for UPDATE, DELETE)
```

**Trade-offs:**
- Database size increase (~30-50% for text content)
- Additional write overhead (trigger execution)
- Better search capabilities (ranking, phrase search)

**Decision needed:** Is full-text search a priority feature? Current LIKE search may be acceptable for most use cases.

**Benchmark first:** Measure SearchIssues at 100K scale before implementing.


Add date and priority filters to bd search for parity with bd list.

## Current State
bd search supports: --status, --type, --assignee, --label, --limit
bd list supports: all of the above PLUS date ranges and priority filters

## Filters to Add

### Priority Filters
```bash
bd search "query" --priority 1           # Exact priority
bd search "query" --priority-min 0       # P0 and above (higher priority)
bd search "query" --priority-max 2       # P2 and below (lower priority)
```

### Date Filters
```bash
bd search "query" --created-after 2025-01-01
bd search "query" --created-before 2025-12-31
bd search "query" --updated-after 2025-01-01
bd search "query" --closed-after 2025-01-01
```

### Content Filters
```bash
bd search "query" --desc-contains "bug"
bd search "query" --notes-contains "todo"
bd search "query" --empty-description    # Issues with no description
bd search "query" --no-assignee          # Unassigned issues
bd search "query" --no-labels            # Issues without labels
```

## Files to Modify

### 1. cmd/bd/search.go
Add flag definitions in init():
```go
searchCmd.Flags().IntP("priority", "p", -1, "Filter by exact priority (0-4)")
searchCmd.Flags().Int("priority-min", -1, "Filter by minimum priority")
searchCmd.Flags().Int("priority-max", -1, "Filter by maximum priority")
searchCmd.Flags().String("created-after", "", "Filter by creation date (YYYY-MM-DD)")
searchCmd.Flags().String("created-before", "", "Filter by creation date")
searchCmd.Flags().String("updated-after", "", "Filter by update date")
searchCmd.Flags().String("updated-before", "", "Filter by update date")
searchCmd.Flags().String("closed-after", "", "Filter by close date")
searchCmd.Flags().String("closed-before", "", "Filter by close date")
searchCmd.Flags().String("desc-contains", "", "Filter by description content")
searchCmd.Flags().String("notes-contains", "", "Filter by notes content")
searchCmd.Flags().Bool("empty-description", false, "Filter issues with empty description")
searchCmd.Flags().Bool("no-assignee", false, "Filter unassigned issues")
searchCmd.Flags().Bool("no-labels", false, "Filter issues without labels")
```

### 2. internal/rpc/protocol.go
Update SearchArgs struct:
```go
type SearchArgs struct {
    Query             string
    Filter            types.IssueFilter
    // Already has most fields via IssueFilter
}
```

Note: types.IssueFilter already has these fields - just need to wire them up!

### 3. cmd/bd/search.go Run function
Parse flags and populate filter:
```go
if priority, _ := cmd.Flags().GetInt("priority"); priority >= 0 {
    filter.Priority = &priority
}
if createdAfter, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("created-after"); createdAfter != "" {
    t, err := time.Parse("2006-01-02", createdAfter)
    if err != nil {
        FatalError("invalid date format for --created-after: %v", err)
    }
    filter.CreatedAfter = &t
}
// ... similar for other flags
```

## Implementation Steps

1. **Check types.IssueFilter** - verify all needed fields exist
2. **Add flags to search.go** init()
3. **Parse flags** in Run function
4. **Pass to SearchIssues** via filter
5. **Test all combinations**

## Testing
```bash
# Create test issues
bd create "Test P1" -p 1
bd create "Test P2" -p 2 --description "Has description"

# Test filters
bd search "" --priority 1
bd search "" --priority-min 0 --priority-max 1
bd search "" --empty-description
bd search "" --desc-contains "description"
```

## Success Criteria
- All filters work in both direct and daemon mode
- Date parsing handles YYYY-MM-DD format
- --json output includes filtered results
- Help text documents all new flags


Implement bd mol stale command

Add command to detect complete-but-unclosed molecules.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Investigate charmbracelet-based TUI for beads

Now that we've merged the create-form command (PR #603) which uses charmbracelet/huh, investigate whether beads should have a more comprehensive TUI.

Considerations:
- Should this be in core or a separate binary (bd-tui)?
- What functionality would benefit from a TUI? (list view, issue details, search, bulk operations)
- Plugin/extension architecture vs build tags vs separate binary
- Dependency cost vs user experience tradeoff
- Target audience: humans who want interactive workflows vs CLI/scripting users

Related: PR #603 added charmbracelet/huh dependency for create-form command.

Foundation is in place (lipgloss, huh), but not a priority right now


Update CHANGELOG.md with release notes

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


bd mol install: Install formula from GitHub

Download and cook a formula from a GitHub repository.

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

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

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

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

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

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


Remove legacy MCP Agent Mail integration

## Summary

Remove the legacy MCP Agent Mail system that requires an external HTTP server. Keep the native `bd mail` system which stores messages as git-synced issues.

## Background

Two mail systems exist in the codebase:
1. **Legacy Agent Mail** (`bd message`) - External server dependency, complex setup
2. **Native bd mail** (`bd mail`) - Built-in, git-synced, no dependencies

The legacy system causes confusion and is no longer needed. Gas Town's Town Mail will use the native `bd mail` system.

## Files to Delete

### CLI Command
- [ ] `cmd/bd/message.go` - The `bd message` command implementation

### MCP Integration
- [ ] `integrations/beads-mcp/src/beads_mcp/mail.py` - HTTP wrapper for Agent Mail server
- [ ] `integrations/beads-mcp/src/beads_mcp/mail_tools.py` - MCP tool definitions
- [ ] `integrations/beads-mcp/tests/test_mail.py` - Tests for legacy mail

### Documentation
- [ ] `docs/AGENT_MAIL.md`
- [ ] `docs/AGENT_MAIL_QUICKSTART.md`
- [ ] `docs/AGENT_MAIL_DEPLOYMENT.md`
- [ ] `docs/AGENT_MAIL_MULTI_WORKSPACE_SETUP.md`
- [ ] `docs/adr/002-agent-mail-integration.md`

## Code to Update

- [ ] Remove `message` command registration from `cmd/bd/main.go`
- [ ] Remove mail tool imports/registration from MCP server `__init__.py` or `server.py`
- [ ] Check for any other references to Agent Mail in the codebase

## Verification

- [ ] `bd message` command no longer exists
- [ ] `bd mail` command still works
- [ ] MCP server starts without errors
- [ ] Tests pass


Add GetWorkerStatus RPC endpoint

New RPC endpoint to get all workers and their current molecule/step in one call. Returns: assignee, moleculeID, moleculeTitle, currentStep, totalSteps, stepTitle, lastActivity, status. Enables activity feed TUI to show worker state without multiple round trips.


Merge: bd-14ie

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


bd dep tree doesn't display external dependencies

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

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

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

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


Full event test


Implement or remove ExpectExit/ExpectStdout verification fields

The Verification struct in internal/types/workflow.go has ExpectExit and ExpectStdout fields that are never used by workflowVerifyCmd. Either implement the functionality or remove the dead fields.


Merge: bd-gqxd

branch: polecat/furiosa
target: main
source_issue: bd-gqxd
rig: beads


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


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


Merge: bd-ot0w

branch: polecat/dementus
target: main
source_issue: bd-ot0w
rig: beads


Work on gt-8tmz.31: Formula validation specification. Wri...

Work on gt-8tmz.31: Formula validation specification. Write docs/formula-validation.md specifying all validation rules for formulas. When done: 1) bd close gt-8tmz.31, 2) bd sync, 3) git push, 4) gt mq submit


Merge: jasper-1767083473604

branch: polecat/jasper-1767083473604
target: main
source_issue: jasper-1767083473604
rig: beads


bd mol update: Check and update installed formulas

Check for newer versions of installed formulas and update them.

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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


Push release tag

Push the version tag to trigger CI release.

```bash
git push origin v0.41.0
```

This triggers GitHub Actions to build artifacts and publish.


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)


Restart running daemons

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


bd mol reset: Reset molecule to initial state for looping

Implement bd mol reset for patrol loop behavior.

## Command

```bash
bd mol reset <mol-id>
```

## Behavior

1. Load molecule state from .beads/molecules/<mol-id>.state.yaml
2. Reset all step states to pending
3. Clear current_step (or set to first step)
4. Preserve: bonded_at, bonded_by, variables
5. Update: reset_count++, last_reset_at

## Use Case: Deacon Patrol Loop

```
inbox-check → spawn-work → self-inspect → mol-reset → (loop)
```

The Deacon runs its patrol, then resets the molecule to start fresh.
No gt handoff needed unless context is high.

## State After Reset

```yaml
id: mol-deacon-patrol
status: running
current_step: inbox-check  # Back to first
reset_count: 5
last_reset_at: 2025-12-24T...
steps:
  inbox-check: pending      # All reset
  spawn-work: pending
  self-inspect: pending
```

## Files

- cmd/bd/mol_reset.go
- internal/mol/state.go (add Reset method)


Graph Link: duplicates for deduplication

Implement duplicates link type for marking issues as duplicates.

New command:
- bd duplicate <id> --of <canonical> - marks id as duplicate of canonical
- Auto-closes the duplicate issue

Query support:
- bd show <id> shows 'Duplicate of: <canonical>'
- bd list --duplicates shows all duplicate pairs

Storage:
- duplicates column pointing to canonical issue ID

Essential for large issue databases with many similar reports.


bd mol bond: Dynamic bond with variable substitution

Implement dynamic molecule bonding with runtime variable substitution.

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

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

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

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


bd formula add: Import formula to local catalog

Import a formula file to the local catalog (search path).

**Replaces**: "bd mol promote" (proto-to-proto concept is obsolete with ephemeral protos)

## Usage
```bash
# Add a formula file to project catalog
bd formula add my-workflow.formula.json

# Add to user-level catalog
bd formula add my-workflow.formula.json --scope user

# Add from URL
bd formula add https://example.com/workflow.formula.json
```

## Implementation
1. Parse the formula file (validate JSON structure)
2. Determine target directory based on scope:
   - project: .beads/formulas/
   - user: ~/.beads/formulas/
   - town: ~/gt/.beads/formulas/
3. Copy/download formula to target
4. Verify it is loadable: bd formula show <name>

## Flags
- `--scope <level>` - Where to add (project|user|town, default: project)
- `--name <name>` - Override formula name (default: from file)

## Note
This is for manually adding formulas. For GitHub-hosted formulas, use:
  bd mol install github.com/org/formula-name


beads-release

Beads release workflow - from version bump to verified release.

This formula orchestrates a complete release cycle:
1. Preflight checks (clean git, up to date)
2. Documentation updates (CHANGELOG, info.go)
3. Version bump (all components)
4. Git operations (commit, tag, push)
5. CI verification (GitHub Actions)
6. Artifact verification (GitHub, npm, PyPI)
7. Local installation update
8. Daemon restart

## Usage

```bash
bd wisp create beads-release --var version=0.37.0
```

Or assign to a polecat:
```bash
gt sling beads/polecats/p1 --formula beads-release --var version=0.37.0
```


Code review: bd mol bond --ref and bd activity (bd-xo1o work)

Review dave's recent commits for bd-xo1o (Dynamic Molecule Bonding):

## Commits to Review
- ee04b1ea: feat: add dynamic molecule bonding with --ref flag (bd-xo1o.1)
- be520d90: feat: add bd activity command for real-time state feed (bd-xo1o.3)

## Review Focus
1. Code quality and correctness
2. Error handling
3. Edge cases
4. Test coverage
5. Documentation

## Deliverables
- File beads for any issues found
- Note any concerns or suggestions
- Verify the implementation matches the bd-xo1o epic requirements


Improve CheckStaleness error handling

## Problem

CheckStaleness returns 'false' (not stale) for multiple error conditions instead of returning errors. This masks problems.

**Location:** internal/autoimport/autoimport.go:253-285

## Edge Cases That Return False

1. **Invalid last_import_time format** (line 259-262)
2. **No JSONL file found** (line 267-277)
3. **JSONL stat fails** (line 279-282)

## Fix

Return errors for abnormal conditions:

```go
lastImportTime, err := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, lastImportStr)
if err != nil {
    return false, fmt.Errorf("corrupted last_import_time: %w", err)
}

if jsonlPath == "" {
    return false, fmt.Errorf("no JSONL file found")
}

stat, err := os.Stat(jsonlPath)
if err != nil {
    return false, fmt.Errorf("cannot stat JSONL: %w", err)
}
```

## Impact
Medium - edge cases are rare but should be handled

## Effort
30 minutes - requires updating callers in RPC server


Add bd reset command for clean slate restart

Implement a `bd reset` command to reset beads to a clean starting state.

## Context
GitHub issue #479 - users sometimes get beads into an invalid state after updates, and there's no clean way to start fresh. The git backup/restore mechanism that protects against accidental deletion also makes it hard to intentionally reset.

## Design

### Command Interface
```
bd reset [--hard] [--force] [--backup] [--dry-run] [--no-init]
```

| Flag | Effect |
|------|--------|
| `--hard` | Also remove from git index and commit |
| `--force` | Skip confirmation prompt |
| `--backup` | Create `.beads-backup-{timestamp}/` first |
| `--dry-run` | Preview what would happen |
| `--no-init` | Don't re-initialize after clearing |

### Reset Levels
1. **Soft Reset (default)** - Kill daemons, clear .beads/, re-init. Git history unchanged.
2. **Hard Reset (`--hard`)** - Also git rm and commit the removal, then commit fresh state.

### Implementation Flow
1. Validate .beads/ exists
2. If not --force: show impact summary, prompt confirmation
3. If --backup: copy .beads/ to .beads-backup-{timestamp}/
4. Kill daemons
5. If --hard: git rm + commit
6. rm -rf .beads/*
7. If not --no-init: bd init (and git add+commit if --hard)
8. Print summary

### Safety Mechanisms
- Confirmation prompt (skip with --force)
- Impact summary (issue/tombstone counts)
- Backup option
- Dry-run preview
- Git dirty check warning

### Code Structure
- `cmd/bd/reset.go` - CLI command
- `internal/reset/` - Core logic package


Add 'rm' as alias for 'remove' in bd dep subcommand

Cobra supports command aliases. Add 'rm' as a short alias for 'remove' in the dep subcommand for convenience.

Example: bd dep rm issue1 issue2 should work the same as bd dep remove issue1 issue2

Implementation: Add Aliases: []string{"rm"} to the depRemoveCmd definition.


WaitsFor directive: Fanout gate for dynamic children

Implement WaitsFor directive for molecules that spawn dynamic children.

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

## Behavior
1. Parse WaitsFor directive during molecule step parsing
2. Track which steps spawn dynamic children (the spawner)
3. Gate step waits until ALL children of the spawner complete
4. Works with bd ready - gate step not ready until children done

## Gate Types
- `WaitsFor: all-children` - Wait for all dynamic children
- `WaitsFor: any-children` - Proceed when first child completes (future)
- `WaitsFor: <step-ref>.children` - Wait for specific spawner's children

## Integration
- bd ready should skip gate steps until children complete
- bd show <mol> should display gate status and child count


Fix resolvePartialID stub in workflow.go

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


bd validate - Comprehensive health check

Run all validation checks in one command.

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

Supports --fix-all for auto-repair.

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

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


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.

instantiated_from: bd-mol-xga
step: update-changelog


Verify GitHub release

Check the GitHub releases page.

https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/releases/tag/v0.41.0

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


Test prefix bd-


Upgrade local Homebrew installation

Upgrade bd via Homebrew:

```bash
brew update
brew upgrade bd
/opt/homebrew/bin/bd version  # Verify shows {{version}}
```

**Note**: If `brew upgrade` fails with CLT (Command Line Tools) errors on bleeding-edge macOS versions (e.g., Tahoe 26.x):

```bash
# Reinstall CLT
sudo rm -rf /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools
xcode-select --install
# Wait for GUI installer to complete, then retry brew upgrade
```

Alternative: Skip Homebrew and use go install:
```bash
go install ./cmd/bd
~/go/bin/bd version  # Verify shows {{version}}
```


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


Add covering index (label, issue_id) for label queries

GetIssuesByLabel joins labels table but requires table lookup after using idx_labels_label.

**Query (labels.go:165):**
```sql
SELECT ... FROM issues i
JOIN labels l ON i.id = l.issue_id
WHERE l.label = ?
```

**Problem:** Current idx_labels_label index doesn't cover issue_id, requiring row lookup.

**Solution:** Add migration:
```sql
CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_labels_label_issue ON labels(label, issue_id);
```

This is a covering index - query can be satisfied entirely from the index without touching the labels table rows.


Phase 2.5: TOON-based daemon sync

Implement TOON-native daemon sync (replaces JSONL sync machinery).

## Overview
Daemon sync is the final integration point. Replace export/import/merge machinery with TOON-native sync, building on deletion tracking (2.3) and merge optimization (2.4).

## Required Work

### 2.5.1 TOON-based Daemon Sync
- [ ] Understand current JSONL sync machinery (export.go, import.go, merge.go)
- [ ] Replace export step with TOON encoding (EncodeTOON)
- [ ] Replace import step with TOON decoding (DecodeTOON)
- [ ] Replace merge step with TOON-aware 3-way merge
- [ ] Update daemon auto-sync to read/write TOON
- [ ] Verify 5-second debounce still works

### 2.5.2 Deletion Sync Integration
- [ ] Load deletions.toon during import phase
- [ ] Apply deletions after merging issues
- [ ] Ensure deletion TTL respects daemon schedule

### 2.5.3 Testing
- [ ] Unit tests for daemon sync with TOON
- [ ] Integration tests with actual daemon operations
- [ ] Multi-clone sync scenarios with concurrent edits
- [ ] Performance comparison with JSONL sync
- [ ] Long-running daemon stability tests

## Success Criteria
- Daemon reads/writes TOON format (not JSONL)
- Sync latency comparable to JSONL (<100ms)
- All 70+ tests passing
- bdt commands work seamlessly with daemon
- Multi-clone sync scenarios work correctly


bd cook: waits_for field not preserved in cooked protos

The `waits_for` field in formula steps is not preserved in the cooked proto.

## Formula

```yaml
- id: aggregate
  title: Aggregate arm results
  needs: [survey-workers]
  waits_for: all-children
  description: |
    This is a **fanout gate**...
```

## Expected

The cooked proto step should have metadata indicating it's a gate:
- Label: `gate:all-children` or
- Field in issue metadata indicating wait behavior

## Actual

The `waits_for` field is silently ignored. Only the description mentions 'fanout gate'.

## Impact

The execution engine cannot determine which steps are gates that need to wait
for dynamically-bonded children. This breaks the Christmas Ornament pattern
where aggregate steps must wait for all polecat-arm wisps to complete.

## Related

bd-hr39: needs field not converted to step dependencies


Create git tag v{{version}}

Create the release tag:

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

Verify: `git tag | grep {{version}}`


Add bd state and bd set-state helper commands

Convenience commands for the labels-as-state pattern documented in LABELS.md.

`bd state <role> <dimension>` - Query the current value of a state dimension
Example: bd state witness-alpha patrol → outputs: active

`bd set-state <role> <dimension>=<value> [--reason "..."]` - Atomically creates an event bead and updates the label
Example: bd set-state witness-alpha patrol=muted --reason "Investigating stuck polecat"

This would combine the manual steps:
1. bd create "<reason>" -t event --parent <role>
2. bd label remove <role> <dimension>:<old-value>
3. bd label add <role> <dimension>:<new-value>

Into a single atomic operation.

Discovered from: bd-31ae


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


Migrate sort.Slice to slices.SortFunc

Go 1.21+ provides slices.SortFunc which is cleaner and slightly faster than sort.Slice.

Found 15+ instances of sort.Slice in:
- cmd/bd/autoflush.go
- cmd/bd/count.go
- cmd/bd/daemon_sync.go
- cmd/bd/doctor.go
- cmd/bd/export.go
- cmd/bd/import.go
- cmd/bd/integrity.go
- cmd/bd/jira.go
- cmd/bd/list.go
- cmd/bd/migrate_hash_ids.go
- cmd/bd/rename_prefix.go
- cmd/bd/show.go

Example migration:
```go
// Before
sort.Slice(issues, func(i, j int) bool {
    return issues[i].Priority < issues[j].Priority
})

// After
slices.SortFunc(issues, func(a, b *types.Issue) int {
    return cmp.Compare(a.Priority, b.Priority)
})
```

Benefits:
- Cleaner 3-way comparison
- Slightly better performance
- Modern idiomatic Go


Auto-recovery mode (bd sync --auto-recover)

Add bd sync --auto-recover flag that: detects problematic sync state, backs up .beads/issues.db with timestamp, rebuilds DB from JSONL atomically, verifies consistency, reports what was fixed. Provides safety valve when sync integrity fails.


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.


Update CHANGELOG.md with release notes

Add meaningful release notes to CHANGELOG.md describing what changed in 0.30.7


UI: Style 'hooked' status in bd list output

Add styling for 'hooked' status in bd list and bd show output.

## Semantic

'hooked' means actively being worked by an agent (GUPP). Should be visually prominent.

## Suggested Styling

- Color: Cyan or bright blue (active, in-flight)
- Distinct from 'in_progress' (which is more passive/cooperative)

## Files to Update

- internal/ui/styles.go - Add case for 'hooked' status


Restart daemons

Restart bd daemons to pick up new version.

```bash
bd daemons killall
```

Daemons will auto-restart with new version on next bd command.

Verify:
```bash
bd daemons list
```


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.


Add 0.30.4 to info.go release notes

Update cmd/bd/info.go versionChanges map with release notes for 0.30.4.
Include any workflow-impacting changes for --whats-new output.


Fix unparam unused parameter in cmd/bd/doctor.go:541

Linting issue: checkHooksQuick - path is unused (unparam) at cmd/bd/doctor.go:541:22. Error: func checkHooksQuick(path string) string {


Monitor npm publish

Watch the npm publish action:
https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/actions/workflows/npm-publish.yml

Verify at: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@anthropics/claude-code-beads-plugin/v/0.30.4

Check:
```bash
npm view @anthropics/claude-code-beads-plugin@0.30.4 version
```

```verify
npm view @anthropics/claude-code-beads-plugin@0.30.4 version 2>/dev/null | grep -q '0.30.4'
```


Performance Validation

Confirm no performance regression from cache removal


Add agent identity to commit metadata for forensics

## Problem

When agents (polecats, crew workers) make commits on behalf of a human, the commit only shows:
- **Author**: Human (e.g., Steve Yegge)
- **Co-Authored-By**: Claude Opus 4.5 (generic)

Missing from the audit trail:
- Which agent instance performed the work
- Whether it was a polecat (transient) or crew (persistent)
- What rig/workspace it ran in

Example from a recent release commit:
```
Author: Steve Yegge <steve.yegge@gmail.com>
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
```

No way to trace this back to the specific agent session that executed the release molecule.

## Proposal

Add git trailers to commits made by Gas Town agents:

```
Executed-By: beads/polecat/Nux-1766978911613
Rig: beads
Role: polecat
```

Or for crew workers:
```
Executed-By: beads/crew/emma
Rig: beads
Role: crew
```

## Benefits

1. **Forensics**: If a release goes wrong, trace back to the exact agent session
2. **Audit**: Query commits by agent type (`git log --grep="Role: polecat"`)
3. **Debugging**: Correlate commits with handoff mail and session logs
4. **Accountability**: Distinguish human-direct vs agent-mediated commits

## Implementation

Could be implemented via:
- Claude Code hooks (UserPromptSubmit or pre-commit)
- `gt` commit helper that injects trailers
- CLAUDE.md instructions for agents to include trailers

## Open Questions

- Should molecule ID be included if work was part of a molecule?
- Should session ID or other correlation data be included?
- Privacy considerations for commit metadata?


Re: Thread Test 2

Got your message. Testing reply feature.


Default bd list to non-closed issues

Change bd list default from showing all issues to showing only actionable issues (open, in_progress, blocked, deferred). This addresses GH#788 where agents get context blown out by closed issues.

Current: bd list shows everything including closed
Proposed: bd list shows non-closed by default

This is the core fix - other enhancements depend on this change.

## Implementation Plan

### Code Changes (cmd/bd/list.go)

1. **Add new filter logic in Run function** (~line 393-399):
```go
// Default to non-closed if no status filter specified
if status == "" && \!cmd.Flags().Changed("all") {
    // Show actionable issues by default (GH#788)
    filter.ExcludeStatus = []types.Status{"closed"}
}
```

2. **Need to add ExcludeStatus to IssueFilter** (internal/types/types.go):
```go
type IssueFilter struct {
    // ... existing fields ...
    ExcludeStatus []Status // Exclude these statuses
}
```

3. **Update SearchIssues query** (internal/storage/sqlite/issues.go):
```go
if len(filter.ExcludeStatus) > 0 {
    placeholders := make([]string, len(filter.ExcludeStatus))
    for i, s := range filter.ExcludeStatus {
        placeholders[i] = "?"
        args = append(args, string(s))
    }
    conditions = append(conditions,
        fmt.Sprintf("status NOT IN (%s)", strings.Join(placeholders, ",")))
}
```

### Testing
- Verify `bd list` shows open, in_progress, blocked, deferred (not closed)
- Verify `bd list --status=closed` still works
- Verify `bd list --all` shows everything (requires bd-34q1)

### Backwards Compatibility
- Scripts using `bd list | grep` may get fewer results
- Document in changelog: "bd list now defaults to non-closed issues"


beads-release

Beads release workflow - from version bump to verified release.

This formula orchestrates a complete release cycle:
1. Preflight checks (clean git, up to date)
2. Documentation updates (CHANGELOG, info.go)
3. Version bump (all components)
4. Git operations (commit, tag, push)
5. CI verification (GitHub Actions)
6. Artifact verification (GitHub, npm, PyPI)
7. Local installation update
8. Daemon restart

## Usage

```bash
bd wisp create beads-release --var version=0.37.0
```

Or assign to a polecat:
```bash
gt sling beads/polecats/p1 --formula beads-release --var version=0.37.0
```


bd cook: Compile formula to proto

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

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

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

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

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

Gas Town tracking: gt-8tmz.13


RemoveDependency fails on external deps - FK violation in dirty_issues

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

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

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


Run tests

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


Standardize error handling: replace direct fmt.Fprintf+os.Exit with FatalError

Standardize error handling in cmd/bd/ using FatalError pattern.

## Current State
~200+ instances of direct `fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, ...) + os.Exit(1)` pattern scattered across cmd/bd/*.go files.

## Target Pattern

Use existing FatalError helper (or create if missing):

```go
// In cmd/bd/helpers.go or similar
func FatalError(format string, args ...interface{}) {
    fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Error: "+format+"\n", args...)
    os.Exit(1)
}

func FatalErrorf(err error, context string) {
    fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Error: %s: %v\n", context, err)
    os.Exit(1)
}
```

## Transformation

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

// After
FatalError("%v", err)

// Before
fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Error: invalid --since duration: %v\n", err)
os.Exit(1)

// After
FatalError("invalid --since duration: %v", err)
```

## Files to Update (by occurrence count)
Run: `grep -c "os.Exit(1)" cmd/bd/*.go | sort -t: -k2 -rn | head -20`

Priority files (highest occurrence):
- close.go
- show.go
- sync.go
- init.go
- list.go
- create.go
- update.go

## Implementation Steps

1. **Check if FatalError exists** in cmd/bd/helpers.go or create it
2. **Create migration script** or use sed:
   ```bash
   # Find patterns to replace
   grep -rn "fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr.*Error.*\n.*os.Exit(1)" cmd/bd/
   ```
3. **Replace systematically** file by file
4. **Run tests** after each file to verify behavior unchanged
5. **Run linter** to catch any missed patterns

## Verification
```bash
# Count remaining direct exits (should be near zero)
grep -c "os.Exit(1)" cmd/bd/*.go | awk -F: "{sum+=\$2} END {print sum}"

# Run tests
go test -short ./cmd/bd/...
```

## Success Criteria
- All error exits use FatalError/FatalErrorf
- Consistent "Error: " prefix on all error messages
- Tests pass
- No behavior changes (exit codes remain 1)

## Progress (Dec 2025)

Standardized error handling in 3 major files:
- compact.go: All 48 os.Exit(1) calls converted to FatalError
- sync.go: All error patterns converted (kept 1 valid summary exit)
- migrate.go: 4 patterns converted

## Remaining Work
~326 fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Error:") patterns remain across ~30 files.
High-count files remaining: show.go (16), dep.go (14), gate.go (28), init.go (11).

## Verification
- Build compiles successfully
- Tests pass


bd doctor --fix destroys child→parent dependencies without confirmation

GH#740: User reports that `bd doctor --fix` removed their intentional child→parent dependencies, calling them an 'anti-pattern'.

The fix in `cmd/bd/doctor/fix/validation.go` (ChildParentDependencies function) automatically deletes dependencies where a child issue depends on its parent epic.

**Problem**: This assumes all such dependencies are mistakes, but users may intentionally want children blocked by their parent (e.g., 'don't start subtasks until parent is fully scoped').

**Solution options**:
1. Remove this fix entirely (let users manage their own deps)
2. Require explicit opt-in flag like `--fix-child-parent`
3. Add confirmation prompt before destructive action
4. Add `--dry-run` to preview what would be removed
5. Only warn, never auto-fix

**Files involved**:
- `cmd/bd/doctor/validation.go:311-382` (check)
- `cmd/bd/doctor/fix/validation.go:165-227` (fix)


Phase 1.1: TOON Library Integration - Add gotoon dependency

Add gotoon (github.com/alpkeskin/gotoon) to go.mod and create internal/toon wrapper package for TOON encoding/decoding. This enables bdtoon to encode Issue structs to TOON format and decode TOON back to issues.

## Subtasks
1. Add gotoon dependency: go get github.com/alpkeskin/gotoon
2. Create internal/toon package with wrapper functions
3. Write encode tests for Issue struct round-trip conversion
4. Write decode tests for TOON to Issue conversion
5. Add gotoon API options to wrapper (indent, delimiter, length markers)

## Success Criteria
- go.mod includes gotoon dependency
- internal/toon/encode.go exports EncodeTOON(issues) ([]byte, error)
- internal/toon/decode.go exports DecodeTOON(data []byte) ([]Issue, error)
- Round-trip tests verify Issue → TOON → Issue produces identical data
- Tests pass with: go test ./internal/toon -v


Test comment display


Support ephemeral protos: cook inline for pour/wisp/bond

Gas Town moving to ephemeral protos (gt-4v1eo). Protos should be in-memory, not persisted beads. Changes: (1) bd cook outputs proto JSON to stdout by default, add --persist flag for old behavior. (2) bd pour/wisp cook inline from formula name. (3) bd mol bond accepts formula names, cooks inline. The low-level cookFormula() machinery stays for --persist use cases. See gt-4v1eo for full design. Related: bd-ia3g (rename ProtoID).


Test actor direct


Polecat sessions terminate unexpectedly during work

During swarm bd-784c, polecat sessions (Toast, Nux) terminated mid-task without completing their work.

**Observed:**
- Polecats were actively working (edits in progress, tests running)
- Sessions suddenly showed 'not running' in gt polecat status
- tmux sessions existed but were empty/reset
- Work was partially complete (some commits made, issue still open)

**Timeline example:**
1. Toast working on bd-1tkd, making edits
2. Check status 30s later - session empty, state shows 'idle'
3. Had to re-sling to restart

**Impact:**
- Lost work progress
- Required manual intervention to restart
- Unclear if work was saved/committed

**Possible causes:**
- Session timeout?
- Claude Code crash?
- Resource limit?

**Suggestion:**
- Add session health monitoring
- Auto-restart on unexpected termination
- Log session exit reasons


Sync branch integrity guards

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


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'


Merge: bd-au0.7

branch: polecat/dementus
target: main
source_issue: bd-au0.7
rig: beads


Merge: bd-d28c

branch: polecat/capable
target: main
source_issue: bd-d28c
rig: beads


bd repair: Check comments and events tables for orphans

bd repair currently checks dependencies and labels tables, but the schema also has comments and events tables with issue_id foreign keys that could be orphaned.

Add orphan detection and cleanup for:
- comments table (issue_id not in issues)
- events table (issue_id not in issues)


Remove deprecated daemon logger function

In cmd/bd/daemon_logger.go:131, there's a TODO to remove a deprecated function once all callers are updated to use the new signature. Need to audit callers and clean up.

File: cmd/bd/daemon_logger.go:131


Push to main

Push the release commit to origin.

```bash
git push origin main
```

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


Add gate timeout tracking and notification

Implement timeout and notification logic for gates.

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

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

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


GH#532: bd sync circular error (suggests running bd sync)

bd sync error message recommends running bd sync to fix the bd sync error. Fix error handling to provide useful guidance. See GitHub issue #532.


Fix: Empty coordinator shows blank in bd swarm create output

Line 992 prints 'Coordinator: ' even when coordinator is empty string.

Should either:
- Print 'Coordinator: (none)'
- Skip the line entirely when empty

Minor polish issue.


Release complete

Release v0.39.0 is complete!

Summary:
- All version files updated
- Git tag pushed
- CI artifacts built
- npm and PyPI packages published
- Local installation updated
- Daemons restarted

Optional next steps:
- Announce on social media
- Update documentation site
- Close related milestone


bd mol bond --pour should set Wisp=false

In mol_bond.go bondProtoMol(), opts.Wisp is hardcoded to true (line 392). This ignores the --pour flag. When user specifies --pour to make an issue persistent, the Wisp field should be false so the issue is not marked for bulk deletion.

Current behavior:
- --pour flag correctly selects regular storage (not wisp storage)
- But opts.Wisp=true means spawned issues are still marked for cleanup when closed

Expected behavior:
- --pour should set Wisp=false so persistent issues are not auto-cleaned

Comparison with mol_spawn.go (line 204):
  wisp := !pour  // Correctly respects --pour flag
  result, err := spawnMolecule(ctx, store, subgraph, vars, assignee, actor, wisp)

Fix: Pass pour flag to bondProtoMol and set opts.Wisp = !pour


Add computed .parent field to JSON output for convenience

Currently parent is only in dependencies[]. Add a top-level .parent field to JSON/JSONL output that extracts the parent-child dependency for easier querying.

Example:
```bash
# Current (works but verbose):
bd show <id> --json | jq '.[0].dependencies[] | select(.dependency_type == "parent-child") | .id'

# Desired:
bd show <id> --json | jq '.[0].parent'
```

Low priority enhancement.


Review PR #512: clarify bd ready docs

Review and merge PR #512 from aspiers. This PR clarifies what bd ready does after git pull in README.md. Simple 1-line change. URL: https://github.com/anthropics/beads/pull/512


Add close_reason to JSONL export format documentation

PR #551 now persists close_reason to the database, but there's a question about whether this field should be exported to JSONL format.

## Current State
- close_reason is stored in issues.close_reason column
- close_reason is also stored in events table (audit trail)
- The JSONL export format may or may not include close_reason

## Questions
1. Should close_reason be exported to JSONL format?
2. If yes, where should it go (root level or nested in events)?
3. Should there be any special handling to avoid duplication?
4. How should close_reason be handled during JSONL import?

## Why This Matters
- JSONL is the git-friendly sync format
- Other beads instances import from JSONL
- close_reason is meaningful data that should be preserved across clones

## Suggested Action
- Check if close_reason is currently exported in JSONL
- If not, add it to the export schema
- Document the field in JSONL format spec
- Add tests for round-trip (export -> import -> verify close_reason)


Add mol_type schema field to beads

Add mol_type field to distinguish molecule types (swarm/patrol/work).

## Context
Swarms need to be distinguishable from regular work molecules. The mol_type field enables:
- Filtering: bd list --type=swarm
- Queries: Find all active swarm molecules
- Coordinator logic: Different handling for different mol types

## Implementation
1. Add mol_type column to SQLite schema (nullable, default null = work)
2. Add mol_type to JSONL format
3. Update create command to accept --mol-type
4. Update list/ready commands to filter by mol_type
5. Values: 'swarm', 'patrol', 'work', null (null = work)

## Reference
~/gt/docs/swarm-architecture.md - 'Data Model' section

## Acceptance
- bd create --mol-type=swarm works
- bd list --mol-type=swarm filters correctly
- Existing molecules work unchanged (backward compatible)


Test event


Restart daemons

Restart bd daemons to pick up new version.

```bash
bd daemons killall
```

Daemons will auto-restart with new version on next bd command.

Verify:
```bash
bd daemons list
```


Move pour/ephemeral under bd mol subcommand

For consistency, bd pour and bd ephemeral should become bd mol pour and bd mol ephemeral:

Current:
  bd mol list                  # Available protos
  bd mol show <id>             # Proto details
  bd pour <proto>              # Create mol ← sticks out
  bd ephemeral <proto>         # Create ephemeral ← sticks out
  bd mol bond <proto> <parent> # Attach to existing mol
  bd mol squash <id>           # Condense to digest
  bd mol burn <id>             # Discard

Proposed:
  bd mol list
  bd mol show <id>
  bd mol pour <proto>          # Moved under mol
  bd mol ephemeral <proto>     # Moved under mol
  bd mol bond <proto> <parent>
  bd mol squash <id>
  bd mol burn <id>

All molecule operations should be under bd mol for discoverability and consistency.


Update documentation for CLI consolidation

## Task
Update all documentation to reflect CLI consolidation changes.

## Files requiring updates

### Primary docs
- docs/CLI_REFERENCE.md - Major updates
  - Add admin section (cleanup, compact, reset)
  - Update migrate section (subcommands)
  - Update formula section (add cook)
  - Remove/update standalone command references

### Secondary docs
- docs/DELETIONS.md - migrate-tombstones → migrate tombstones, compact → admin compact
- docs/FAQ.md - compact → admin compact
- docs/QUICKSTART.md - compact, cleanup → admin compact, admin cleanup
- docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md - compact → admin compact
- docs/CONFIG.md - compact → admin compact
- docs/INSTALLING.md - quickstart reference
- docs/EXTENDING.md - quickstart reference

### Skills docs
- skills/beads/SKILL.md - compact, quickstart references
- skills/beads/references/CLI_REFERENCE.md - mirror main CLI_REFERENCE.md

### Other docs
- commands/quickstart.md - update or remove
- commands/compact.md - update to admin compact
- examples/compaction/README.md - update examples
- README.md - quickstart reference
- CHANGELOG.md - add consolidation changes section

## Implementation notes
- Keep backwards compatibility notices where aliases exist
- Update command examples to use new paths
- Consider adding deprecation warnings section


Test Child Task


Add 0.33.2 to versionChanges in info.go

Add new entry at the TOP of versionChanges array in cmd/bd/info.go:

```go
{
    Version: "0.33.2",
    Date:    "2025-12-21",
    Changes: []string{
        // Add notable changes here
    },
},
```

Copy changes from CHANGELOG.md [Unreleased] section.


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.


Fix JSON error output consistency across all commands

## Problem

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

## Audit Findings (bd-au0.7)

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

## Solution

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

## Pattern

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

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

## Success Criteria

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


Verify version consistency

Confirm all versions match 0.39.0.

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

All should show 0.39.0.


Merge: opal-1767142018955

branch: polecat/opal-1767142018955
target: main
source_issue: opal-1767142018955
rig: beads


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


GetBlockedIssues shows external deps as blocking even when satisfied

GetBlockedIssues (ready.go:385-493) shows external:* refs in the blocked_by list but doesn't check if they're actually satisfied using CheckExternalDep.

This can be confusing - an issue shows as blocked by external:project:capability even if that capability has been shipped (closed issue with provides: label exists).

Options:
1. Call CheckExternalDep for each external ref and filter satisfied ones from blocked_by
2. Add a note in output indicating external deps need lazy resolution
3. Document this is expected behavior (bd blocked shows all deps, bd ready shows resolved state)

Related: GetReadyWork correctly filters by external deps, but GetBlockedIssues doesn't.


refinery Handoff


Monitor PyPI publish

Watch the PyPI publish action:
https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/actions/workflows/pypi-publish.yml

Verify at: https://pypi.org/project/beads-mcp/0.30.4/

Check:
```bash
pip index versions beads-mcp 2>/dev/null | grep -q '0.30.4'
```

```verify
pip index versions beads-mcp 2>/dev/null | grep -q '0.30.4' || curl -s https://pypi.org/pypi/beads-mcp/json | jq -e '.releases["0.30.4"]'
```


Add default limit to bd list (50 issues)

Add a sensible default limit of 50 issues to bd list output, matching patterns from gh cli (30) and jira-cli (50).

- Default to 50 when no --limit specified
- --limit 0 means unlimited (explicit override)
- Protects both agents and humans from overwhelming output

This is independent of the filter change but complementary.

## Implementation Plan

### Code Changes (cmd/bd/list.go)

1. **Change default limit** (init function, ~line 887):
```go
// Currently: listCmd.Flags().IntP("limit", "n", 0, "Limit results")
// Change to:
listCmd.Flags().IntP("limit", "n", 50, "Limit results (0 for unlimited)")
```

2. **Update help text**:
```go
"Limit results (default: 50, use 0 for unlimited)"
```

3. **Handle explicit 0** in Run function:
```go
// --limit 0 means unlimited
if cmd.Flags().Changed("limit") && limit == 0 {
    filter.Limit = 0 // No limit applied
} else if limit > 0 {
    filter.Limit = limit
} else {
    filter.Limit = 50 // Default
}
```

### Testing
- `bd list` shows max 50 issues
- `bd list --limit 10` shows max 10
- `bd list --limit 0` shows unlimited
- Verify output indicates truncation: "Showing 50 of 499 issues (use --limit 0 for all)"

### Documentation
- Note in help: default changed from unlimited to 50


Merge: bd-d28c

branch: polecat/testcat
target: main
source_issue: bd-d28c
rig: beads


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.


Test agent bead

Testing new agent type


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.


Enhance bd doctor to suggest reset for broken states

Update bd doctor to detect severely broken states and suggest reset.

## Detection Criteria
Suggest reset when:
- Multiple unfixable errors detected
- Corrupted JSONL that can't be repaired
- Schema version mismatch that can't be migrated
- Daemon state inconsistent and unkillable

## Implementation
Add to doctor's check/fix flow:
```go
if unfixableErrors > threshold {
    suggest('State may be too broken to fix. Consider: bd reset')
}
```

## Output Example
```
✗ Found 5 unfixable errors

  Your beads state may be too corrupted to repair.
  Consider running 'bd reset' to start fresh.
  (Use 'bd reset --backup' to save current state first)
```

## Notes
- Don't auto-run reset, just suggest
- This is lower priority, can be done in parallel with main work


Test Thread

Initial message for threading test


Refinery Patrol

Merge queue processor patrol loop with verification gates.


Add unit tests for reset package

Comprehensive unit tests for internal/reset package.

## Test Cases

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Add comments to 30+ silently ignored errors or fix them

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

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

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

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


Test cross-rig issue creation

Testing --rig flag from town root


Test stdin body-file


Wait for CI

Monitor GitHub Actions for release completion.

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

Expected time: 5-10 minutes

Watch for:
- Build artifacts (all platforms)
- Test suite pass
- npm publish
- PyPI publish


Wait for CI to pass

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


Test agent with fields


Merge: bd-indn

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


Update cmd/bd/version.go to 0.30.4

Update the Version constant in cmd/bd/version.go:
```go
Version = "0.30.4"
```

```verify
grep -q 'Version = "0.30.4"' cmd/bd/version.go
```


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"
```


Update Homebrew formula

Update the Homebrew tap with new version:

```bash
./scripts/update-homebrew.sh {{version}}
```

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

After running, verify the formula with:

```bash
brew info steveyegge/beads/bd
```


Merge: bd-dtl8

branch: polecat/dag
target: main
source_issue: bd-dtl8
rig: beads


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

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

Current coverage: 28.4%
Target coverage: 50%


Execute molecule bd-mol-xga: Release beads 0.37.0


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.


gt spawn/crew setup should create .beads/redirect for worktrees

Crew clones and polecats need a .beads/redirect file pointing to the shared beads database (../../mayor/rig/.beads). Currently:

- redirect files can get deleted by git clean
- not auto-created during gt spawn or worktree setup
- missing redirects cause 'no beads database found' errors

Found missing in: gastown/joe, beads/zoey (after git clean)

Fix options:
1. gt spawn creates redirect during worktree setup
2. gt prime regenerates missing redirects
3. bd commands auto-detect worktree and find shared beads

This should be standard Gas Town rig configuration.


Implement bd mol current command

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


Refactor duplicate JSONL-from-git parsing code

Both readFirstIssueFromGit() in init.go and importFromGit() in autoimport.go have similar code patterns for:
1. Running git show <ref>:<path>
2. Scanning the output with bufio.Scanner
3. Parsing JSON lines

Could be refactored to share a helper like:
- readJSONLFromGit(gitRef, path string) ([]byte, error)
- Or a streaming version: streamJSONLFromGit(gitRef, path string) (io.Reader, error)

Files:
- cmd/bd/autoimport.go:225-256 (importFromGit)
- cmd/bd/init.go:1212-1243 (readFirstIssueFromGit)

Priority is low since code duplication is minimal and both functions work correctly.


Merge: bd-t4sb

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


HANDOFF: Version 0.30.7 release in progress

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

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

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

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

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

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


Exclude pinned issues from bd ready

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


Deferred HOP schema additions (P2/P3)

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

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

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


Hooks System

Implement hook system for extensibility.

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

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

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

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


Cleanup: --ephemeral flag

Update bd cleanup to handle ephemeral issues.

New flag:
- bd cleanup --ephemeral - deletes all CLOSED issues with ephemeral=true

Behavior:
- Only deletes if status=closed AND ephemeral=true
- Respects --dry-run flag
- Reports count of deleted ephemeral issues

This allows swarm cleanup to remove transient messages without affecting permanent issues.


Install 0.30.4 MCP server locally

Upgrade the MCP server (after PyPI publish):
```bash
pip install --upgrade beads-mcp
# OR if using uv:
uv tool upgrade beads-mcp
```

Verify:
```bash
pip show beads-mcp | grep Version
```

```verify
pip show beads-mcp 2>/dev/null | grep -q 'Version: 0.30.4'
```


bd cook: Proto ID prefix should match project prefix

When `bd cook` creates a proto, it uses the formula name as the proto ID:

```yaml
formula: mol-deacon-patrol
```

Creates proto with ID `mol-deacon-patrol`.

## Problem

If the project uses a different prefix (e.g., `gt-`), the cooked protos have
a different prefix (`mol-`), causing:

1. `bd sync` import warnings about prefix mismatch
2. Mixed prefix lists in `bd mol list`
3. Confusion about naming conventions

## Options

1. **Use project prefix**: Cook as `gt-mol-deacon-patrol`
2. **Allow mol- as special prefix**: Recognize mol-* as valid for protos
3. **Make prefix configurable**: `bd cook --prefix gt-`
4. **Keep current behavior**: Document that formulas use their own namespace

## Current Workaround

The prefix mismatch warning can be ignored, but `bd sync` fails the import step.

## Related

gt-i6k1: Duplicate proto cleanup


Documentation for messaging and graph links

Document all new features.

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

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


Update local installation

Run install script or brew upgrade to get new version locally: curl -fsSL .../install.sh | bash


Tier 1: Ephemeral repo routing

Add routing.ephemeral config option to route ephemeral=true issues to separate location.

## Changes Required

1. Add `routing.ephemeral` config option (default: empty = disabled)
2. Update routing logic in `determineRepo()` to check ephemeral flag
3. Update `bd create` to respect ephemeral routing
4. Update import/export for multi-location support
5. Ephemeral repo can be:
   - Separate git repo (~/.beads-ephemeral)
   - Non-git directory (just filesystem)
   - Same repo, different branch (future)

## Config

```bash
bd config set routing.ephemeral "~/.beads-ephemeral"
```

## Acceptance Criteria

- `bd create "test" --ephemeral` creates in ephemeral repo when configured
- `bd list` shows issues from both repos
- Ephemeral repo never synced to remote


Update CHANGELOG.md for {{version}}

In CHANGELOG.md:

1. Change `## [Unreleased]` section header to `## [{{version}}] - {{date}}`
2. Add new empty `## [Unreleased]` section above it
3. Review and clean up the changes list

Format:
```markdown
## [Unreleased]

## [{{version}}] - {{date}}

### Added
- ...

### Changed
- ...

### Fixed
- ...
```


Issue lifecycle hooks (on-close, on-complete)

Add hooks that fire on issue state transitions, enabling automation like closing linked GitHub issues.

## Problem

We have `external_ref` to link beads issues to external systems (GitHub, Linear, Jira), but no mechanism to trigger actions when issues close. Currently:

```
bd-u2sc (external_ref: gh-692) closes → nothing happens
```

## Proposed Solution

### Phase 1: Shell Hooks

Add `.beads-hooks/on-close.sh` (and similar lifecycle hooks):

```bash
# .beads-hooks/on-close.sh
# Called by bd close with issue JSON on stdin
#\!/bin/bash
issue=$(cat)
external_ref=$(echo "$issue" | jq -r '.external_ref // empty')
if [[ "$external_ref" == gh-* ]]; then
    number="${external_ref#gh-}"
    gh issue close "$number" --repo steveyegge/beads \
      --comment "Completed via beads epic $(echo $issue | jq -r .id)"
fi
```

### Lifecycle Events

| Event | Trigger | Use Cases |
|-------|---------|-----------|
| `on-close` | Issue closed | Close external refs, notify, archive |
| `on-complete` | Epic children all done | Roll-up completion, close parent refs |
| `on-status-change` | Any status transition | Sync to external systems |

### Phase 2: Molecule Completion Handlers

Molecules could define completion actions:

```yaml
name: github-issue-tracker
on_complete:
  - action: shell
    command: gh issue close {{external_ref}} --repo {{repo}}
  - action: mail
    to: mayor/
    subject: "Epic {{id}} completed"
```

### Phase 3: Gas Town Integration

For full Gas Town deployments:
- Witness observes closures via beads events
- Routes to integration agents via mail
- Agents handle external system interactions

## Implementation Notes

- Hooks should be async (don't block bd close)
- Pass full issue JSON to hook via stdin
- Support hook timeout and failure handling
- Consider `--no-hooks` flag for bulk operations

## Related

- `external_ref` field already exists (GH#142)
- Cross-project deps: bd-h807, bd-d9mu
- Git hooks: .beads-hooks/ pattern established

## Use Cases

1. **GitHub integration**: Close GH issues when beads epic completes
2. **Linear sync**: Update Linear status when beads status changes
3. **Notifications**: Send mail/Slack when high-priority issues close
4. **Audit**: Log all closures to external system


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)


Update all code to use dependencies API for edges

Find and update all code that reads/writes:
- replies_to field -> use dependency API
- relates_to field -> use dependency API
- duplicate_of field -> use dependency API
- superseded_by field -> use dependency API

Commands affected: bd mail, bd relate, bd duplicate, bd supersede, bd show, etc.


Fix checkExistingBeadsData to be worktree-aware

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


Edge Schema Consolidation: Unify all edges in dependencies table

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

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

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


Update info.go versionChanges

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

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

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

Focus on workflow-impacting changes agents need to know.


Merge: onyx-1767138516448

branch: polecat/onyx-1767138516448
target: main
source_issue: onyx-1767138516448
rig: beads


Update npm-package/package.json to 0.30.4

Update version field in npm-package/package.json:
```json
"version": "0.30.4"
```

```verify
jq -e '.version == "0.30.4"' npm-package/package.json
```


Remove Cache-Related Tests

Delete or update tests that assume multi-repo caching


Merge: topaz-1767083484329

branch: polecat/topaz-1767083484329
target: main
source_issue: topaz-1767083484329
rig: beads


Consolidate migrate-* commands into migrate subcommands

Move migrate-hash-ids, migrate-issues, migrate-sync, migrate-tombstones under 'migrate' as subcommands. Reduces 5 top-level commands to 1.


Refinery Patrol

Merge queue processor patrol loop with verification gates.


Update info.go versionChanges

Add entry to versionChanges in cmd/bd/info.go with agent-actionable changes for 0.30.7


Add 'bd where' command to show active beads location

## Problem

When using redirects, it's unclear which beads database is actually being used. This caused debugging confusion during the v0.39.0 release.

## Proposed Solution

Add `bd where` command:

```bash
bd where
# → /Users/stevey/gt/beads/mayor/rig/.beads (via redirect from crew/dave/.beads)

bd where --json
# → {"path": "...", "redirected_from": "...", "prefix": "bd"}
```

## Alternatives Considered

- `bd info --beads-path` - but `bd where` is more discoverable
- Just fix the UX so it's never confusing - defense in depth is better

## Desire Paths

This supports the 'desire paths' design principle: make the system's behavior visible so agents can debug and understand it.


bd mol advance: Step through molecule execution

Implement bd mol advance for stepping through molecules.

## Command

```bash
bd mol advance <mol-id>
```

## Behavior

1. Load molecule state from .beads/molecules/<mol-id>.state.yaml
2. Find current step
3. Mark current step completed
4. Find next available step (respecting needs/deps)
5. Update state file
6. Output next step info (or COMPLETE if done)

## Step State Machine

```
pending → in_progress → completed
```

When advancing:
- Current step: in_progress → completed
- Next step: pending → in_progress

## Output

```bash
$ bd mol advance mol-deacon-patrol
✓ Step inbox-check completed
→ Next step: spawn-work

Title: Spawn polecat for ready work
Description: ...
```

Or if complete:
```bash
$ bd mol advance mol-deacon-patrol
✓ Step self-inspect completed
✓ Molecule COMPLETE

Run bd mol reset to loop, or gt handoff to cycle.
```

## Files

- cmd/bd/mol_advance.go
- internal/mol/state.go


bd repair command: fix orphaned foreign key refs


Document sync.branch 'always dirty' working tree behavior

## Context

When sync.branch is configured, the .beads/issues.jsonl file in main's working tree is ALWAYS dirty. This is by design:

1. bd sync commits to beads-sync branch (via worktree)
2. bd sync copies JSONL to main's working tree (so CLI commands work)
3. This copy is NOT committed to main (to reduce commit noise)

Contributors who watch main branch history pushed for sync.branch to avoid constant beads commit noise. But users need to understand the trade-off.

## Documentation Needed

Update README.md sync.branch section with:

1. **Clear explanation** of why .beads/ is always dirty on main
2. **"Be Zen about it"** - this is expected, not a bug
3. **Workflow options:**
   - Accept dirty state, use `bd sync --merge` periodically to snapshot to main
   - Or disable sync.branch if clean working tree is more important
4. **Shell alias tip** to hide beads from git status:
   ```bash
   alias gs='git status -- ":!.beads/"'
   ```
5. **When to merge**: releases, milestones, or periodic snapshots

## Related

- bd-7b7h: Fix that allows bd sync --merge to work with dirty .beads/
- bd-elqd: Investigation that identified this as expected behavior


Consolidate duplicate path-finding utilities (findJSONLPath, findBeadsDir, findGitRoot)

Code health review found these functions defined in multiple places:

- findJSONLPath() in autoflush.go:45-73 and doctor/fix/migrate.go
- findBeadsDir() in autoimport.go:197-239 (with git worktree handling)
- findGitRoot() in autoimport.go:242-269 (Windows path conversion)

The beads package has public FindBeadsDir() and FindJSONLPath() APIs that should be used consistently.

Impact: Bug fixes need to be applied in multiple places. Git worktree handling may not be replicated everywhere.

Fix: Consolidate all implementations to use the beads package APIs. Remove duplicates.


Add refs field for cross-references with relationship type

The refs field enables rich relationships beyond parent/child and depends-on.

Structure:
  refs: [{id: string, rel: string}]

Relationship types:
- until: active until target closes
- caused_by: triggered by target
- relates_to: general association
- supersedes: replaces target
- validates: approval relationship

Example:
  refs:
    - id: gt-abc1
      rel: until
    - id: hq-xyz9
      rel: caused_by

Enables:
- bd show gt-abc1 --refs (what references this?)
- Conditional state (muted UNTIL issue closes)
- Audit trails (this event CAUSED_BY that issue)


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.


Verify release artifacts

Check GitHub releases page - binaries for darwin/linux/windows should be available


BondRef data model for compound lineage

Add data model support for tracking compound molecule lineage.

NEW FIELDS on Issue:
  bonded_from: []BondRef  // For compounds: constituent protos

NEW TYPE:
  type BondRef struct {
      ProtoID   string  // Source proto ID
      BondType  string  // sequential, parallel, conditional
      BondPoint string  // Attachment site (issue ID or empty for root)
  }

JSONL SERIALIZATION:
  {
    "id": "proto-feature-tested",
    "title": "Feature with tests",
    "bonded_from": [
      {"proto_id": "proto-feature", "bond_type": "root"},
      {"proto_id": "proto-testing", "bond_type": "sequential"}
    ],
    ...
  }

QUERIES:
- GetCompoundConstituents(id) → []BondRef
- IsCompound(id) → bool
- GetCompoundsUsing(protoID) → []Issue  // Reverse lookup


Merge: bd-ykd9

branch: polecat/Doctor
target: main
source_issue: bd-ykd9
rig: beads


bd admin compact --older-than=0 ignores the flag, uses default 30 days

When running bd admin compact --prune --older-than=0, the output says 'No expired tombstones to prune (TTL: 30 days)' - the flag value is ignored.

Root cause: In runCompactPrune() in compact_tombstone.go:180, the check 'if compactOlderThan > 0' means that --older-than=0 is treated the same as not passing the flag, defaulting to 30 days.

Fix: Change the default flag value in compact.go:785 to -1 (sentinel for 'use default'), and treat 0 as 'expire all tombstones' by passing a negative TTL to pruneExpiredTombstones().

Moved from gt-65gwa (gastown) - was filed in wrong rig.


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.


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

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

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

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

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

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


CLI API Audit for OSS Launch

Comprehensive CLI API audit before OSS launch.

## Tasks
1. Review gt command groupings - propose consolidation
2. Review bd command groupings
3. Document gt vs bd ownership boundaries
4. Identify naming inconsistencies
5. Document flag vs subcommand criteria

## Context
- Pre-OSS launch cleanup
- Goal: clean, consistent, discoverable CLI surface


Update info.go versionChanges

Add entry to versionChanges in cmd/bd/info.go with agent-actionable changes for test-squash


Merge: garnet-1767138539231

branch: polecat/garnet-1767138539231
target: main
source_issue: garnet-1767138539231
rig: beads


Swarm: Test epic for duplicate swarm

Swarm molecule orchestrating epic bd-4d9d.

Epic: bd-4d9d
Coordinator:


Design contributor namespace isolation for beads pollution prevention

## Problem

When contributors work on beads-the-project using beads-the-tool, their personal work-tracking issues leak into PRs. The .beads/issues.jsonl is intentionally tracked (it's the project's issue database), but contributors' local issues pollute the diff.

This is a recursion problem unique to self-hosting projects.

## Possible Solutions to Explore

1. **Contributor namespaces** - Each contributor gets a private prefix (e.g., `bd-steve-xxxx`) that's gitignored or filtered
2. **Separate database** - Contributors use BEADS_DIR pointing elsewhere for personal tracking
3. **Issue ownership/visibility flags** - Mark issues as "local-only" vs "project"
4. **Prefix-based filtering** - Configure which prefixes are committed vs ignored

## Design Considerations

- Should be zero-friction for contributors (no manual setup)
- Must not break existing workflows
- Needs to work with sync/collaboration features
- Consider: what if a "personal" issue graduates to "project" issue?

## Expansion Needed

This is a placeholder. Needs detailed design exploration before implementation.