Code review follow-up for bd-dvd and bd-ymj fixes

Track improvements and issues identified during code review of parent resurrection (bd-dvd) and export metadata (bd-ymj) bug fixes.

## Context
Code review identified several areas for improvement:
- Code duplication in metadata updates
- Missing multi-repo support
- Test coverage gaps
- Potential race conditions

## Related Issues
Original bugs fixed: bd-dvd, bd-ymj

## Goals
- Eliminate code duplication
- Add multi-repo support where needed
- Improve test coverage
- Address edge cases


Add security tests for file path validation in clean command

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

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

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

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

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

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


Document sandbox workarounds for GH #353

Add documentation for sandbox troubleshooting and new flags.

**Tasks:**
1. Create or update TROUBLESHOOTING.md with sandbox section
2. Document new flags in CLI reference
3. Add comment to GH #353 with immediate workarounds

**Content needed:**
- Symptoms of daemon lock issues in sandboxed environments
- Usage guide for --sandbox, --force, and --allow-stale flags
- Step-by-step troubleshooting for Codex users
- Examples of each escape hatch

**Files to update:**
- docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md (create if needed)
- docs/CLI_REFERENCE.md or README.md
- GitHub issue #353

**References:**
- docs/GH353_INVESTIGATION.md (lines 240-276)


bd sync --import-only doesn't update DB mtime causing bd doctor false warning


GH#524: Package for Windows (winget)

Request to publish beads on winget for easy Windows installation. See: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/issues/524


Add database maintenance commands section to QUICKSTART.md

**Problem:**
Users don't discover `bd compact` or `bd cleanup` commands until their database grows large. These maintenance commands aren't mentioned in quickstart documentation.

Related to issue #349 item #4.

**Current state:**
docs/QUICKSTART.md ends at line 217 with "See README.md for full documentation" but has no mention of maintenance operations.

**Proposed addition:**
Add a "Database Maintenance" section after line 140 (before "Advanced: Agent Mail" section) covering:
- When database grows (many closed issues)
- How to view compaction statistics
- How to compact old issues
- How to delete closed issues
- Warning about permanence

**Example content:**
```markdown
## Database Maintenance

As your project accumulates closed issues, the database grows. Use these commands to manage size:

```bash
# View compaction statistics
bd compact --stats

# Preview compaction candidates (30+ days closed)
bd compact --analyze --json

# Apply agent-generated summary
bd compact --apply --id bd-42 --summary summary.txt

# Immediately delete closed issues (use with caution!)
bd cleanup --force
```

**When to compact:**
- Database file > 10MB with many old closed issues
- After major project milestones
- Before archiving a project phase
```

**Files to modify:**
- docs/QUICKSTART.md (add section after line 140)


bd-hv01: No snapshot versioning or timestamps causes stale data usage

Problem: If sync is interrupted (crash, kill -9, power loss), stale snapshots persist indefinitely. Next sync uses stale data leading to incorrect deletions.

Fix: Add metadata to snapshots with timestamp, version, and commit SHA. Validate snapshots are recent (< 1 hour old), from compatible version, and from expected git commit.

Files: cmd/bd/deletion_tracking.go (all snapshot functions)


Add bd init --team wizard

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


Add tests for bd init --contributor wizard

Write integration tests for the contributor wizard:
- Test fork detection logic
- Test planning repo creation
- Test config setup
- Test with/without upstream remote
- Test with SSH vs HTTPS origins


Create npm package structure for bd-wasm

Set up npm package for distribution:
- Create package.json with bd-wasm name
- Bundle bd.wasm + wasm_exec.js
- Create CLI wrapper (bin/bd) that invokes WASM
- Add installation scripts if needed
- Configure package for Claude Code Web sandbox compatibility


Daemon gets stuck when auto-import blocked by git conflicts

CRITICAL: The daemon enters a corrupt state that breaks RPC commands when auto-import is triggered but git pull fails due to uncommitted changes.

Impact: This is a data integrity and usability issue that could cause users to lose trust in Beads. The daemon silently fails for certain commands while appearing healthy.

Reproduction:
1. Make local changes to issues (creates uncommitted .beads/beads.jsonl)
2. Remote has updates (JSONL newer, triggers auto-import)
3. Daemon tries to pull but fails: 'cannot pull with rebase: You have unstaged changes'
4. Daemon enters bad state - 'bd show' and other commands return EOF
5. 'bd list' still works, daemon process is running, no errors logged

Technical details:
- Auto-import check runs in handleRequest() before processing RPC commands
- When import is blocked, it appears to corrupt daemon state
- Likely: deadlock, unclosed transaction, or storage handle corruption
- Panic recovery (server_lifecycle_conn.go:183) didn't catch anything - not a panic

Required fix:
- Auto-import must not block RPC command execution
- Handle git pull failures gracefully without corrupting state
- Consider: skip auto-import if git is dirty, queue import for later, or use separate goroutine
- Add timeout/circuit breaker for import operations
- Log clear warnings when auto-import is skipped

Without this fix, users in collaborative environments will frequently encounter mysterious EOF errors that require daemon restarts.


Issue 1


Add close_reason field to CLI schema and documentation

PR #551 persists close_reason, but the CLI documentation may not mention this field as part of the issue schema.

## Current State
- close_reason is now persisted in database
- `bd show --json` will return close_reason in JSON output
- Documentation may not reflect this new field

## What's Missing
- CLI reference documentation for close_reason field
- Schema documentation showing close_reason is a top-level issue field
- Example output showing close_reason in bd show --json
- bd close command documentation should mention close_reason parameter is optional

## Suggested Action
1. Update README.md or CLI reference docs to list close_reason as an issue field
2. Add example to bd close documentation
3. Update any type definitions or schema specs
4. Consider adding close_reason to verbose list output (bd list --verbose)


Add monitoring and alerting

Observability for production Agent Mail server.

Acceptance Criteria:
- Health check endpoint (/health)
- Prometheus metrics export
- Grafana dashboard
- Alerts for server downtime
- Alerts for high error rate
- Log aggregation config

File: deployment/agent-mail/monitoring/


Audit and fix JSONL filename mismatches across all repo clones

## Problem

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

## Root Cause

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

## Task

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

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

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

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

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

### Step 3: Create audit report

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

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

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

### Step 5: Generate fix script

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

### Expected Output

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

### Edge Cases

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

### Success Criteria

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


Wire config to import pipeline

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


Fix compact --analyze/--apply error messages to clarify direct mode requirement

**Problem:**
When users run `bd compact --analyze` with daemon running, they get:
```
Error: compact requires SQLite storage
```

This is misleading because they ARE using SQLite (via daemon), but the command needs DIRECT SQLite access.

**Current behavior:**
- Error message suggests they don't have SQLite
- No hint about using --no-daemon flag
- Related to issue #349 item #1

**Proposed fix:**
1. Update error messages in cmd/bd/compact.go lines 106-114 (analyze) and 121-137 (apply)
2. Add explicit hint: "Use --no-daemon flag to bypass daemon"
3. Change SQLite check error from "requires SQLite storage" to "failed to open database in direct mode"

**Files to modify:**
- cmd/bd/compact.go (lines ~106-137)

**Testing:**
- Run with daemon: `bd compact --analyze` should show clear error + hint
- Run with --no-daemon: `bd compact --analyze --no-daemon` should work
- Verify error message is actionable


Test Epic

## Overview

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

## Success Criteria

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

## Background

[Provide context and motivation]

## Scope

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

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


Audit remaining cmd/bd files for error handling consistency

Extend ERROR_HANDLING_AUDIT.md to cover: daemon_sync.go, update.go, list.go, show.go, close.go, reopen.go, dep.go, label.go, comments.go, delete.go, compact.go, config.go, validate.go and other high-usage command files


Add circular dependency detection to bd doctor

Added cycle detection as Check #10 in bd doctor command. Uses same recursive CTE query as DetectCycles() to find circular dependencies. Reports error status with count and fix suggestion if cycles found.


Test simple issue


Implement bd migrate command

Add bd migrate command to move issues between repos with filtering. Should support: filtering by status/priority/labels, dry-run mode, preserving dependencies, handling source_repo field updates.


Debug test 2


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)


User Diagnostics (bd doctor --perf)

Extend cmd/bd/doctor.go to add --perf flag for user performance diagnostics.

Functionality:
- Add --perf flag to existing bd doctor command
- Collect system info (OS, arch, Go version, SQLite version)
- Collect database stats (size, issue counts, dependency counts)
- Time key operations on user's actual database:
  * bd ready
  * bd list --status=open
  * bd show <random-issue>
  * bd create (with rollback)
  * Search with filters
- Generate CPU profile automatically (timestamped filename)
- Output simple report with platform info, timings, profile location

Output example:
  Beads Performance Diagnostics
  Platform: darwin/arm64
  Database: 8,234 issues (4,123 open)

  Operation Performance:
    bd ready                  42ms
    bd list --status=open     15ms

  Profile saved: beads-perf-2025-11-13.prof
  View: go tool pprof -http=:8080 beads-perf-2025-11-13.prof

Implementation:
- Extend cmd/bd/doctor.go (~100 lines)
- Use runtime/pprof for CPU profiling
- Use time.Now()/time.Since() for timing
- Rollback test operations (don't modify user's database)


Test dependency child


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

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

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

Current coverage: 26.2%
Target coverage: 50%


Week 1 task


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

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

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

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


CRDT-based architecture for guaranteed convergence (v2.0)

## Vision
Redesign beads around Conflict-Free Replicated Data Types (CRDTs) to provide mathematical guarantees for N-way collision resolution at arbitrary scale.

## Current Limitations
- Content-hash based collision resolution fails at 5+ clones
- Non-deterministic convergence in multi-round scenarios
- UNIQUE constraint violations during rename operations
- No formal proof of convergence properties

## CRDT Benefits
- Provably convergent (Strong Eventual Consistency)
- Commutative/Associative/Idempotent operations
- No coordination required between clones
- Scales to 100+ concurrent workers
- Well-understood mathematical foundations

## Proposed Architecture

### 1. UUID-Based IDs
Replace sequential IDs with UUIDs:
- Current: bd-1c63eb84, bd-9063acda, bd-4d80b7b1
- CRDT: bd-a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890
- Human aliases maintained separately: #42 maps to UUID

### 2. Last-Write-Wins (LWW) Elements
Each field becomes an LWW register:
- title: (timestamp, clone_id, value)
- status: (timestamp, clone_id, value)
- Deterministic conflict resolution via Lamport timestamp + clone_id tiebreaker

### 3. Operation Log
Track all operations as CRDT ops:
- CREATE(uuid, timestamp, clone_id, fields)
- UPDATE(uuid, field, timestamp, clone_id, value)
- DELETE(uuid, timestamp, clone_id) - tombstone, not hard delete

### 4. Sync as Merge
Syncing becomes merging two CRDT states:
- No merge conflicts possible
- Deterministic merge function
- Guaranteed convergence

## Implementation Phases

### Phase 1: Research & Design (4 weeks)
- Study existing CRDT implementations (Automerge, Yjs, Loro)
- Design schema for CRDT-based issue tracking
- Prototype LWW-based Issue CRDT
- Benchmark performance vs current system

### Phase 2: Parallel Implementation (6 weeks)
- Implement CRDT storage layer alongside SQLite
- Build conversion tools: SQLite ↔ CRDT
- Maintain backward compatibility with v1.x format
- Migration path for existing databases

### Phase 3: Testing & Validation (4 weeks)
- Formal verification of convergence properties
- Stress testing with 100+ clone scenario
- Performance profiling and optimization
- Documentation and examples

### Phase 4: Migration & Rollout (4 weeks)
- Release v2.0-beta with CRDT backend
- Gradual migration from v1.x
- Monitoring and bug fixes
- Final v2.0 release

## Risks & Mitigations

**Risk 1: Performance overhead**
- Mitigation: Benchmark early, optimize hot paths
- CRDTs can be slower than append-only logs
- May need compaction strategy

**Risk 2: Storage bloat**
- Mitigation: Implement operation log compaction
- Tombstone garbage collection for deleted issues
- Periodic snapshots to reduce log size

**Risk 3: Breaking changes**
- Mitigation: Maintain v1.x compatibility layer
- Gradual migration tools
- Dual-mode operation during transition

**Risk 4: Complexity**
- Mitigation: Use battle-tested CRDT libraries
- Comprehensive documentation
- Clear migration guide

## Success Criteria
- 100-clone collision test passes without failures
- Formal proof of convergence properties
- Performance within 2x of current system
- Zero manual conflict resolution required
- Backward compatible with v1.x databases

## Timeline
18-20 weeks total (4-5 months)

## References
- Automerge: https://automerge.org
- Yjs: https://docs.yjs.dev
- Loro: https://loro.dev
- CRDT theory: Shapiro et al, A comprehensive study of CRDTs
- Related issues: bd-e6d71828, bd-7a2b58fc,-1


File change test issue


bd doctor should check for multiple DBs, multiple JSONLs, daemon health


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Improve compact/daemon/merge documentation and UX

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

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


Publish @beads/bd package to npm registry

Publish the npm package to the public npm registry:

## Prerequisites
- npm account created
- Organization @beads created (or use different namespace)
- npm login completed locally
- Package tested locally (bd-f282 completed)

## Publishing steps
1. Verify package.json version matches current bd version
2. Run npm pack and inspect tarball contents
3. Test installation from tarball one more time
4. Run npm publish --access public
5. Verify package appears on https://www.npmjs.com/package/@beads/bd
6. Test installation from registry: npm install -g @beads/bd

## Post-publish
- Add npm badge to README.md
- Update CHANGELOG.md with npm package release
- Announce in release notes

## Note
- May need to choose different name if @beads namespace unavailable
- Alternative: beads-cli, bd-cli, or unscoped beads-issue-tracker


Fix import failure on missing parent issues

Import process fails atomically when JSONL references deleted parent issues. Implement hybrid solution: topological sorting + parent resurrection to handle deleted parents gracefully while maintaining referential integrity. See docs/import-bug-analysis-bd-3xq.md for full analysis.


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

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

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

Current coverage: 27.3%
Target coverage: 60%


Parent: bd-imj

Ensure deletions.jsonl is tracked in git (not ignored).

Update bd init and gitignore upgrade logic to:
1. NOT add deletions.jsonl to .gitignore
2. Ensure it is committed alongside beads.jsonl

The file must be in git for cross-clone propagation to work.

Acceptance criteria:
- bd init does not ignore deletions.jsonl
- Existing .gitignore files are not broken
- File appears in git status when modified


Fix TestListCommand duplicate dependency constraint violation


bd show --json doesn't include dependency type field

Fix GitHub issue #202. The JSON output from bd show and bd list commands should include the dependency type field (and optionally created_at, created_by) to match internal storage format and enable better tooling integration.

PR #203 updated with cleaner implementation: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/pull/203

## Final Implementation

Cleanest possible approach - no internal helper methods needed:

**Design:**
- `GetDependenciesWithMetadata()` / `GetDependentsWithMetadata()` - canonical implementations with full SQL query
- `GetDependencies()` / `GetDependents()` - thin wrappers that strip metadata for backward compat
- `scanIssuesWithDependencyType()` - shared helper for scanning rows with dependency type

**Benefits:**
- Single source of truth - the `...WithMetadata()` methods ARE the implementation
- Eliminated ~139 lines of duplicated SQL and scanning code
- All tests passing (14 dependency-related tests)
- Backward compatible
- dependency_type field appears correctly in JSON output

**Note on scan helpers:**
The duplication between `scanIssues()` and `scanIssuesWithDependencyType()` is necessary because they handle different SQL result shapes (16 vs 17 columns). This is justified as they serve fundamentally different purposes based on query structure.


Use external_ref as primary matching key for import updates

Enable re-syncing from external systems (Jira, GitHub, Linear) by using external_ref as the primary matching key during imports. Currently imports treat any content change as a collision, making it impossible to sync updates from external systems without creating duplicates.

See GH #142 for detailed proposal and implementation plan.

Key changes needed:
1. Add findByExternalRef() query function
2. Update DetectCollisions() to match by external_ref first
3. Update import_shared.go to update existing issues when external_ref matches
4. Add index on external_ref for performance
5. Preserve local issues (no external_ref) from being overwritten

This enables hybrid workflows: import external backlog, break down with local tasks, re-sync anytime.

## Code Review Complete ✅

**Overall Assessment**: EXCELLENT - Production ready

### Implementation Quality
- ✓ Clean architecture with proper interface extension
- ✓ Dual backend support (SQLite + Memory)
- ✓ Smart matching priority: external_ref → ID → content hash
- ✓ O(1) lookups with database index
- ✓ Timestamp-based conflict resolution
- ✓ Comprehensive test coverage (11 test cases)

### Follow-up Issues Filed
High Priority (P2):
- bd-897a: Add UNIQUE constraint on external_ref column
- bd-7315: Add validation for duplicate external_ref in batch imports

Medium Priority (P3):
- bd-f9a1: Add index usage verification test
- bd-3f6a: Add concurrent import race condition tests

Low Priority (P4):
- bd-e166: Improve timestamp comparison readability
- bd-9e23: Optimize Memory backend with index
- bd-537e: Add external_ref change tracking
- bd-df11: Add import metrics
- bd-9f4a: Document external_ref in content hash

### Key Features
✅ External systems (Jira, GitHub, Linear) can re-sync without duplicates
✅ Hybrid workflows: import external backlog, add local tasks, re-sync anytime
✅ Local issues protected from being overwritten
✅ Timestamp checking ensures only newer updates applied
✅ Performance optimized with database index

**Confidence Level**: 95% - Ship it! 🚀


GH#486: Claude forgets beads workflow mid-session

Claude progressively reverts to TodoWrite or skips tracking despite CLAUDE.md instructions. Happens after context resets or long sessions. Need stronger prompting or hooks. See: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/issues/486


Clean up merge conflict artifacts in .beads directory

After resolving merge conflicts in .beads/beads.jsonl, leftover artifacts remain as untracked files:
- .beads/beads.base.jsonl
- .beads/beads.left.jsonl

These appear to be temporary files created during merge conflict resolution.

Options to fix:
1. Add these patterns to .beads/.gitignore automatically
2. Clean up these files after successful merge resolution
3. Document that users should delete them manually
4. Add a check in 'bd sync' or 'bd doctor' to detect and remove stale merge artifacts

Preferred solution: Add *.base.jsonl and *.left.jsonl patterns to .beads/.gitignore during 'bd init', and optionally clean them up automatically after successful import.


GH#520: Daemon sync-branch commit fails with pre-commit hooks (needs --no-verify)

gitCommitInWorktree in daemon_sync_branch.go missing --no-verify flag, causing commit failures when pre-commit hooks installed. Library function in worktree.go:684 has correct impl. See: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/issues/520


Backend task


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

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

Current coverage: 23.9%
Target coverage: 50%


Use -short flag in CI for PR checks

Update CI configuration to use -short flag for PR checks, run full tests nightly.

The slow tests already support testing.Short() and will be skipped.

Expected savings: ~20 seconds for PR checks (fast tests only)

Implementation:
- Update .github/workflows/ci.yml to add -short flag for PR tests
- Create/update nightly workflow for full test runs
- Update README/docs about test strategy

File: .github/workflows/ci.yml:30


Fix Homebrew warning about Ruby file location

Homebrew warning: Found Ruby file outside steveyegge/beads tap formula directory.
Warning points to: /opt/homebrew/Library/Taps/steveyegge/homebrew-beads/bd.rb
It should likely be inside a Formula/ directory or similar structure expected by Homebrew taps.


Add WaitGroup tracking to FileWatcher goroutines

FileWatcher spawns goroutines without WaitGroup tracking, causing race condition on shutdown.

Location: cmd/bd/daemon_watcher.go:123-182, 215-291

Problem:
- Goroutines spawned without sync.WaitGroup
- Close() cancels context but doesn't wait for goroutines to exit
- Race condition: goroutine may access fw.debouncer during Close() cleanup
- No guarantee goroutine stopped before fw.watcher.Close() is called

Solution:
- Add sync.WaitGroup field to FileWatcher
- Track goroutines with wg.Add(1) and defer wg.Done()
- Call wg.Wait() in Close() before cleanup

Impact: Race condition on daemon shutdown; potential panic

Effort: 2 hours


bd validate - Comprehensive health check

Run all validation checks in one command.

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

Supports --fix-all for auto-repair.

Depends on bd-cbed9619.1, bd-0dcea000, bd-2752a7a2, bd-9826b69a.

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


Registry has cross-process race condition

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

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

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

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

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


Add TestNWayCollision for 5+ clones

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

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

## Implementation Tasks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    tmpDir := t.TempDir()

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

## Testing Strategy

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

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

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

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


Update AGENTS.md with event-driven mode

Document BEADS_DAEMON_MODE env var. Explain opt-in during Phase 1. Add troubleshooting for watcher failures.


Need --no-git-history flag to disable git history backfill during import

During JSONL migration (beads.jsonl → issues.jsonl), the git history backfill mechanism causes data loss by finding issues in the old beads.jsonl git history and incorrectly treating them as deleted.

A --no-git-history flag for 'bd import' and 'bd sync' would allow users to disable the git history fallback when it's causing problems.

Use cases:
- JSONL filename migrations
- Repos with complex git history
- Debugging import issues
- Performance (skip slow git scans)

Related: bd-0gh (migration causes spurious deletions)


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

## Merged PRs Summary

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

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

---

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

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

---

## Overall Assessment

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

No critical bugs or design issues found.

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


Replace BEADS_DB with BEADS_DIR environment variable

Implement BEADS_DIR as a replacement for BEADS_DB to point to the .beads directory instead of the database file directly.

Rationale:
- With --no-db mode, there's no .db file to point to
- The .beads directory is the logical unit (contains config.yaml, db files, jsonl files)
- More intuitive: point to the beads directory not the database file

Implementation:
1. Add BEADS_DIR environment variable support
2. Maintain backward compatibility with BEADS_DB
3. Priority order: BEADS_DIR > BEADS_DB > auto-discovery
4. If BEADS_DIR is set, look for config.yaml in that directory to find actual database path
5. Update documentation and migration guide

Files to modify:
- beads.go (FindDatabasePath function)
- cmd/bd/main.go (initialization)
- Documentation (CLI_REFERENCE.md, TROUBLESHOOTING.md, etc.)
- MCP integration (integrations/beads-mcp/src/beads_mcp/config.py)

Testing:
- Ensure BEADS_DB still works (backward compatibility)
- Test BEADS_DIR with both db and --no-db modes
- Test priority order when both are set
- Update integration tests

Related to GitHub issue #179


bd delete fails to find closed issues

## Steps to Reproduce
1. Close some issues with `bd close`
2. Try to delete them with `bd delete <ids> --force`
3. Get error "issues not found"

## Expected Behavior
Should delete the closed issues

## Actual Behavior
```
Error: issues not found: bd-74ee, bd-9b13, bd-72w, bd-149, bd-5iv, bd-78w
```

But `bd list --status closed --json` shows they exist.

## Root Cause
Likely the delete command is only looking for open issues, or there's a race condition with auto-import.


Extract daemon logger functions to daemon_logger.go


Q4 Platform Improvements

## Overview

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

## Success Criteria

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

## Background

[Provide context and motivation]

## Scope

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

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


Fix unparam unused parameter in cmd/bd/doctor.go:1879

Linting issue: checkGitHooks - path is unused (unparam) at cmd/bd/doctor.go:1879:20. Error: func checkGitHooks(path string) doctorCheck {


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Add date and priority filters to bd search

Add filter parity with bd list for consistent querying.

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

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

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


TestHooksCheckGitHooks failing - version mismatch (0.23.0 vs 0.23.1)

The test is checking embedded hook versions and expecting 0.23.1, but got 0.23.0. This appears to be a version consistency issue that needs investigation.

Test output:
```
Hook pre-commit version mismatch: got 0.23.0, want 0.23.1
Hook post-merge version mismatch: got 0.23.0, want 0.23.1
Hook pre-push version mismatch: got 0.23.0, want 0.23.1
```

This is blocking the landing of GH #274 fix.


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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Optimize cmd/bd long-mode tests by switching to in-process testing

The long-mode CLI tests in cmd/bd are slow (1.4-4.4 seconds each) because they spawn full bd processes via exec.Command() for every operation.

Current approach:
- Each runBD() call spawns new bd process via exec.Command(testBD, args...)
- Each process initializes Go runtime, loads SQLite, parses CLI flags
- Tests run serially (create → update → show → close)
- Even with --no-daemon flag, there's significant process spawn overhead

Example timing from test run:
- TestCLI_PriorityFormats: 2.21s
- TestCLI_Show: 2.26s
- TestCLI_Ready: 2.29s
- TestCLI_Import: 4.42s

Optimization strategy:
1. Convert most tests to in-process testing (call bd functions directly)
2. Reuse test databases across related operations instead of fresh init each time
3. Keep a few exec.Command() tests that batch multiple operations to verify the CLI path works end-to-end

This should reduce test time from ~40s to ~5s for the affected tests.

Converted all CLI tests in cli_fast_test.go to use in-process testing via rootCmd.Execute(). Created runBDInProcess() helper that:
- Calls rootCmd.Execute() directly instead of spawning processes
- Uses mutex to serialize execution (rootCmd/viper not thread-safe)
- Properly cleans up global state (store, daemonClient)
- Returns only stdout to avoid JSON parsing issues with stderr warnings

Performance results:
- In-process tests: ~0.6s each (cached even faster)
- exec.Command tests: ~3.7s each
- Speedup: ~10x faster

Kept TestCLI_EndToEnd() that uses exec.Command for end-to-end validation of the actual binary.


CLI tests (cli_fast_test.go) are slow and should be integration tests

The TestCLI_* tests in cmd/bd/cli_fast_test.go are taking 4-5 seconds each (40+ seconds total), making them the slowest part of the fast test suite.

Current timings:
- TestCLI_Import: 4.73s
- TestCLI_Blocked: 4.33s
- TestCLI_DepTree: 4.15s
- TestCLI_Close: 3.59s
- TestCLI_DepAdd: 3.50s
- etc.

These tests compile the bd binary once in init(), but then execute it multiple times per test with filesystem operations. Despite being named "fast", they're actually end-to-end CLI integration tests.

Options:
1. Tag with //go:build integration (move to integration suite)
2. Optimize: Use in-memory databases, reduce exec calls, better parallelization
3. Keep as-is but understand they're the baseline for "fast" tests

Total test suite currently: 13.8s (cmd/bd alone is 12.8s, and most of that is these CLI tests)

Fixed by reusing existing bd binary from repo root instead of rebuilding.

Before: 15+ minutes (rebuilding binary for every test package)
After: ~12 seconds (reuses pre-built binary)

The init() function now checks for ../../bd first before falling back to building. This means `go build && go test` is now fast.


Add migration registry and simplify New()

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


Extract normalizeLabels to shared utility package

The `normalizeLabels` function appears in multiple locations with identical implementation. Extract to a shared utility package.

Current locations:
- `internal/rpc/server.go:37` (53 lines) - full implementation
- `cmd/bd/list.go:50-52` - uses the server version (needs to use new shared version)

Function purpose:
- Trims whitespace from labels
- Removes empty strings
- Deduplicates labels
- Preserves order

Target structure:
```
internal/util/
├── strings.go         # String utilities
    └── NormalizeLabels([]string) []string
```

Impact: DRY principle, single source of truth, easier to test


bd-hv01: Silent partial deletion failures cause DB inconsistency

Problem: deletion_tracking.go:76-77 logs deletion errors as warnings but continues. If deletion fails midway (database locked, disk full), some issues delete but others don't. System thinks all deletions succeeded.

Impact: Database diverges from JSONL, silent corruption, issues may resurrect on next sync.

Fix: Collect errors and fail the operation:
var deletionErrors []error
for _, id := range acceptedDeletions {
    if err := d.DeleteIssue(ctx, id); err != nil {
        deletionErrors = append(deletionErrors, fmt.Errorf("issue %s: %w", id, err))
    }
}
if len(deletionErrors) > 0 {
    return false, fmt.Errorf("deletion failures: %v", deletionErrors)
}

Files: cmd/bd/deletion_tracking.go:73-82


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

## Problem

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

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

## Current Behavior

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

## Expected Behavior

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

## Impact

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

## Fix

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

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

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


Fix failing integration tests in beads-mcp

The `beads-mcp` test suite has failures in `tests/test_bd_client_integration.py` (assertion error in `test_init_creates_beads_directory`) and errors in `tests/test_worktree_separate_dbs.py` (setup failures finding database). These need to be investigated and fixed to ensure a reliable CI baseline.


Add performance benchmarks for multi-repo hydration

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

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

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

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

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


Prevent test pollution in production database

The bd-vxdr cleanup revealed test issues were created during manual testing in the production workspace (Nov 2-4, template feature development).

**Root cause:** Manual testing with `./bd create "Test issue"` pollutes the production .beads database.

**Prevention strategies:**
1. Use TEST_DB environment variable for manual testing
2. Add warning when creating issues with "Test" prefix
3. Improve developer docs about testing workflow
4. Consider adding `bd test-mode` command for isolated testing

**Implementation completed:**

1. ✅ Added warning when creating issues with "Test" prefix in production database
   - Shows yellow warning with ⚠ symbol
   - Suggests using BEADS_DB for isolated testing
   - Warning appears in create.go after title validation

2. ✅ Documented BEADS_DB testing workflow in AGENTS.md
   - Added "Testing Workflow" section in Development Guidelines
   - Includes manual testing examples with BEADS_DB
   - Includes automated testing examples with t.TempDir()
   - Clear warning about not polluting production database

3. ⚠ Decided against bd test-mode command
   - BEADS_DB already provides simple, flexible isolation
   - Additional command would add complexity without much benefit
   - Current approach follows Unix philosophy (env vars for config)

**Files modified:**
- cmd/bd/create.go - Added Test prefix warning
- AGENTS.md - Added Testing Workflow section

**Testing:**
- Verified warning appears when creating "Test" prefix issues
- Verified BEADS_DB isolation works correctly
- Built successfully with `go build`


Sync should cleanup snapshot files after completion

## Problem
`bd sync` leaves orphaned merge artifact files (beads.base.jsonl, beads.left.jsonl) after completion, causing:
1. Doctor warnings about 'Multiple JSONL files found'
2. Confusion during debugging
3. Potential stale data issues on next sync

## Root Cause
`SnapshotManager` creates these files for 3-way merge deletion tracking but `Cleanup()` is never called after sync completes (success or failure).

## Fix
Call `SnapshotManager.Cleanup()` at end of successful sync:

```go
// sync.go after successful validation
sm := NewSnapshotManager(jsonlPath)
sm.Cleanup()
```

## Files
- cmd/bd/sync.go (add cleanup call)
- cmd/bd/snapshot_manager.go (Cleanup method exists at line 188)


Debug test


Debug MCP Agent Mail tool execution errors

**EXTERNAL WORK**: Debug the standalone MCP Agent Mail server (separate from beads integration).

The Agent Mail server runs as an independent service at ~/src/mcp_agent_mail. This is NOT beads code - it's a separate GitHub project we're evaluating for optional coordination features.

Current Issue:
- MCP API endpoint returns errors when calling ensure_project tool
- Error: "Server encountered an unexpected error while executing tool"
- Core HTTP server works, web UI functional, but tool wrapper layer fails

Server Details:
- Location: ~/src/mcp_agent_mail (separate repo)
- Repository: https://github.com/Dicklesworthstone/mcp_agent_mail
- Runs on: http://127.0.0.1:8765
- Bearer token: In .env file

Investigation Steps:
1. Check tool execution logs for full stack trace
2. Verify Git storage initialization at ~/.mcp_agent_mail_git_mailbox_repo
3. Review database setup (storage.sqlite3)
4. Test with simpler MCP tools if available
5. Compare with working test cases in tests/

Why This Matters:
- Blocks [deleted:bd-6hji] (testing file reservations)
- Need working MCP API to validate Agent Mail benefits
- Proof of concept for lightweight beads integration later

Note: The actual beads integration (bd-wfmw) will be lightweight HTTP client code only.


Makefile Integration for Benchmarks

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

Target:
.PHONY: bench

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

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

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


Fix revive style issues (78 issues)

Style violations: unused parameters (many cmd/args in cobra commands), missing exported comments, stuttering names (SQLiteStorage), indent-error-flow issues.

Fixed 19 revive issues:
- 14 unused-parameter (renamed to _)
- 2 redefines-builtin-id (max→maxCount, min→minInt)
- 3 indent-error-flow (gofmt fixed 2, skipped 1 complex nested one)

Remaining issues are acceptable: 11 unused-params in deeper code, 2 empty-blocks with comments, 1 complex indent case, 1 superfluous-else in test.


bd validate - Comprehensive health check

Run all validation checks in one command.

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

Supports --fix-all for auto-repair.

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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


bd export should verify JSONL line count matches database count

After export completes, bd should verify that the JSONL file line count matches the number of issues exported. This would catch silent failures where the export appears to succeed but doesn't actually write all issues.

Real-world scenario from VC project:
- Ran direct SQL DELETE to remove 240 issues
- Ran 'bd export -o .beads/issues.jsonl'
- No error shown, appeared to succeed
- But JSONL file was not updated (still had old line count)
- Later session found all 240 issues still in JSONL
- Had to repeat the cleanup

If export had verified line count, it would have immediately shown:
  Error: Export verification failed
    Expected: 276 issues
    JSONL file: 516 lines
    Mismatch indicates export failed to write all issues

This is especially important because:
1. JSONL is source of truth in git
2. Silent export failures cause data inconsistency
3. Users assume export succeeded if no error shown
4. The verification is cheap (just count lines)

Implementation:
- After writing JSONL, count lines in file
- Compare to len(exportedIDs)
- If mismatch, remove temp file and return error
- Show clear error message with both counts


Investigate database pollution - issue count anomalies

Multiple repos showing inflated issue counts suggesting cross-repo pollution:
- ~/src/dave/beads: 895 issues (675 open) - clearly polluted
- ~/src/stevey/src/beads: 280 issues (expected ~209-220) - possibly polluted

Need to investigate:
1. Source of pollution (multi-repo sync issues?)
2. How many duplicate/foreign issues exist
3. Whether recent sync operations caused cross-contamination
4. How to clean up and prevent future pollution

Investigation findings:

**Root cause identified:**
- NOT cross-repo contamination
- NOT automated test leakage (tests properly use t.TempDir())
- Manual testing during template feature development (Nov 2-4)
- Commit ba325a2: "test issues were accidentally committed during template feature development"

**Database growth timeline:**
- Nov 3: 19 issues (baseline)
- Nov 2-5: +244 issues (massive development spike)
- Nov 6-7: +40 issues (continued growth)
- Current: 291 issues → 270 after cleanup

**Test pollution breakdown:**
- 21 issues matching "Test " prefix pattern
- Most created Nov 2-5 during feature development
- Pollution from manual `./bd create "Test issue"` commands in production workspace
- All automated tests properly isolated with t.TempDir()

**Cleanup completed:**
- Ran scripts/cleanup-test-pollution.sh successfully
- Removed 21 test issues
- Database reduced from 291 → 270 issues (7.2% cleanup)
- JSONL synced to git

**Prevention strategy:**
- Filed follow-up issue for prevention mechanisms
- Script can be deleted once prevention is in place
- Tests are already properly isolated - no code changes needed there


Optimize test suite performance - cut runtime by 50%+

## Problem
Test suite takes ~20.8 seconds, with 95% of time spent in just 2 tests:
- TestHashIDs_MultiCloneConverge: 11.08s (53%)
- TestHashIDs_IdenticalContentDedup: 8.78s (42%)

Both tests in beads_hash_multiclone_test.go perform extensive Git operations (bare repos, multiple clones, sync rounds).

## Goal
Cut total test time by at least 50% (to ~10 seconds or less).

## Analysis
Tests already have some optimizations:
- --shared --depth=1 --no-tags for fast cloning
- Disabled hooks, gc, fsync
- Support -short flag

## Impact
- Faster development feedback loop
- Reduced CI costs and time
- Better developer experience


Address gosec security warnings (102 issues)

Security linter warnings: file permissions (0755 should be 0750), G304 file inclusion via variable, G204 subprocess launches. Many are false positives but should be reviewed.


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

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


Performance Testing Documentation

Create docs/performance-testing.md documenting the performance testing framework.

Sections:
1. Overview - What the framework does, goals
2. Running Benchmarks
   - make bench command
   - Running specific benchmarks
   - Interpreting output (ns/op, allocs/op)
3. Profiling and Analysis
   - Viewing CPU profiles with pprof
   - Reading flamegraphs
   - Memory profiling
   - Finding hotspots
4. User Diagnostics
   - bd doctor --perf usage
   - Sharing profiles with bug reports
   - Understanding the report output
5. Comparing Performance
   - Using benchstat for before/after comparisons
   - Detecting regressions
6. Tips for Optimization
   - Common patterns
   - When to profile vs benchmark

Style:
- Concise, practical examples
- Screenshots/examples of pprof output
- Clear command-line examples
- Focus on workflow, not theory


bd init creates nested .beads directories

bd init sometimes creates .beads/.beads/ nested directories, which should never happen. This occurs fairly often and can cause confusion about which .beads directory is active. Need to add validation to detect if already inside a .beads directory and either error or use the parent .beads location.


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

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


DetectCycles SQL query has bug preventing cycle detection

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

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

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

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

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

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


Install and test MCP Agent Mail locally

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

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

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


Support --parent flag in daemon mode

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


Add comprehensive tests for sync branch daemon logic

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

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

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

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

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


Add MCP server functions for repair commands

Expose new repair commands via MCP server for agent access:

Functions to add:
- beads_repair_deps()
- beads_detect_pollution()
- beads_validate()
- beads_resolve_conflicts() (when implemented)

Update integrations/beads-mcp/src/beads_mcp/server.py

See repair_commands.md lines 803-884 for design.


Expand checkHooksQuick to verify all hook versions

Currently checkHooksQuick only checks post-merge hook version. Should also check pre-commit, pre-push, and post-checkout for completeness. Keep it lightweight but catch more outdated hooks.


Add 'bd message send' command for Agent Mail messaging

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

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

## Proposed Commands

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

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

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

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

## Example Usage

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

# Check inbox
bd message inbox --unread-only

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

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

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

## Implementation Summary

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

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

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

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

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

## Implementation Details

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

## Documentation

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

## Testing

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


Implement git worktree management

Create git worktree lifecycle management for separate beads branch.

Tasks:
- Create internal/git/worktree.go
- Implement CreateBeadsWorktree(branch, path)
- Implement RemoveBeadsWorktree(path)
- Implement CheckWorktreeHealth(path)
- Configure sparse checkout (only .beads/)
- Implement SyncJSONLToWorktree()
- Handle worktree errors gracefully
- Auto-cleanup on config change

Estimated effort: 3-4 days


Blocked issue


Improve internal/daemon test coverage (currently 22.5%)

Daemon functionality needs better coverage:
- Auto-start behavior
- Lock file management
- Discovery mechanisms
- Connection handling
- Error recovery

Current coverage: 58.3% (improved from 22.5% as of Nov 2025)


Migration and onboarding for multi-repo

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


Add test coverage for internal/validation package


Test database naming


Deletions pruning doesn't include results in JSON output

## Problem

When `bd compact --json` runs with deletions pruning, the prune results are silently discarded:

```go
// Only report if there were deletions to prune
if result.PrunedCount > 0 {
    if jsonOutput {
        // JSON output will be included in the main response
        return  // <-- BUG: results are NOT included anywhere
    }
    ...
}
```

## Location
`cmd/bd/compact.go:925-929`

## Impact
- JSON consumers don't know deletions were pruned
- No way to audit pruning via automation

## Fix
Return prune results and include in JSON output structure:

```json
{
  "success": true,
  "compacted": {...},
  "deletions_pruned": {
    "count": 5,
    "retention_days": 7
  }
}
```


Test dependency parent


Remove Daemon Storage Cache

The daemon's multi-repo storage cache is the root cause of stale data bugs. Since global daemon is deprecated, we only ever serve one repository, making the cache unnecessary complexity. This epic removes the cache entirely for simpler, more reliable direct storage access.


Update python-agent example with Agent Mail integration

Modify examples/python-agent/agent.py to use Agent Mail adapter at 4 integration points.

Acceptance Criteria:
- Import and initialize adapter
- Check inbox before find_ready_work()
- Reserve issue before claim_task()
- Notify on status changes
- Release reservation on complete_task()
- Works identically when Agent Mail disabled
- No changes required to core Beads CLI

File: examples/python-agent/agent.py


Test RPC mutation event


Add validation for duplicate external_ref in batch imports

Currently, if a batch import contains multiple issues with the same external_ref, the behavior is undefined. We should detect and handle this case.

Current behavior:
- No validation for duplicate external_ref within a batch
- Last-write-wins or non-deterministic behavior

Proposed solution:
- Detect duplicate external_ref values in incoming batch
- Fail with clear error message OR
- Merge duplicates intelligently (use newest timestamp)
- Add test case for this scenario

Related: bd-1022


CRDT-based architecture for guaranteed convergence (v2.0)

## Vision
Redesign beads around Conflict-Free Replicated Data Types (CRDTs) to provide mathematical guarantees for N-way collision resolution at arbitrary scale.

## Current Limitations
- Content-hash based collision resolution fails at 5+ clones
- Non-deterministic convergence in multi-round scenarios
- UNIQUE constraint violations during rename operations
- No formal proof of convergence properties

## CRDT Benefits
- Provably convergent (Strong Eventual Consistency)
- Commutative/Associative/Idempotent operations
- No coordination required between clones
- Scales to 100+ concurrent workers
- Well-understood mathematical foundations

## Proposed Architecture

### 1. UUID-Based IDs
Replace sequential IDs with UUIDs:
- Current: bd-1c63eb84, bd-9063acda, bd-4d80b7b1
- CRDT: bd-a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890
- Human aliases maintained separately: #42 maps to UUID

### 2. Last-Write-Wins (LWW) Elements
Each field becomes an LWW register:
- title: (timestamp, clone_id, value)
- status: (timestamp, clone_id, value)
- Deterministic conflict resolution via Lamport timestamp + clone_id tiebreaker

### 3. Operation Log
Track all operations as CRDT ops:
- CREATE(uuid, timestamp, clone_id, fields)
- UPDATE(uuid, field, timestamp, clone_id, value)
- DELETE(uuid, timestamp, clone_id) - tombstone, not hard delete

### 4. Sync as Merge
Syncing becomes merging two CRDT states:
- No merge conflicts possible
- Deterministic merge function
- Guaranteed convergence

## Implementation Phases

### Phase 1: Research & Design (4 weeks)
- Study existing CRDT implementations (Automerge, Yjs, Loro)
- Design schema for CRDT-based issue tracking
- Prototype LWW-based Issue CRDT
- Benchmark performance vs current system

### Phase 2: Parallel Implementation (6 weeks)
- Implement CRDT storage layer alongside SQLite
- Build conversion tools: SQLite ↔ CRDT
- Maintain backward compatibility with v1.x format
- Migration path for existing databases

### Phase 3: Testing & Validation (4 weeks)
- Formal verification of convergence properties
- Stress testing with 100+ clone scenario
- Performance profiling and optimization
- Documentation and examples

### Phase 4: Migration & Rollout (4 weeks)
- Release v2.0-beta with CRDT backend
- Gradual migration from v1.x
- Monitoring and bug fixes
- Final v2.0 release

## Risks & Mitigations

**Risk 1: Performance overhead**
- Mitigation: Benchmark early, optimize hot paths
- CRDTs can be slower than append-only logs
- May need compaction strategy

**Risk 2: Storage bloat**
- Mitigation: Implement operation log compaction
- Tombstone garbage collection for deleted issues
- Periodic snapshots to reduce log size

**Risk 3: Breaking changes**
- Mitigation: Maintain v1.x compatibility layer
- Gradual migration tools
- Dual-mode operation during transition

**Risk 4: Complexity**
- Mitigation: Use battle-tested CRDT libraries
- Comprehensive documentation
- Clear migration guide

## Success Criteria
- 100-clone collision test passes without failures
- Formal proof of convergence properties
- Performance within 2x of current system
- Zero manual conflict resolution required
- Backward compatible with v1.x databases

## Timeline
18-20 weeks total (4-5 months)

## References
- Automerge: https://automerge.org
- Yjs: https://docs.yjs.dev
- Loro: https://loro.dev
- CRDT theory: Shapiro et al, A comprehensive study of CRDTs
- Related issues: bd-0dcea000, bd-4d7fca8a, bd-6221bdcd


Test reservation expiration and renewal

Verify TTL-based reservation expiration works correctly.

Acceptance Criteria:
- Reserve with short TTL (30s)
- Verify other agents can't claim
- Wait for expiration
- Verify reservation auto-released
- Other agent can now claim
- Test renewal/heartbeat mechanism

File: tests/integration/test_reservation_ttl.py

Implemented comprehensive TTL/expiration test suite in tests/integration/test_reservation_ttl.py

Test Coverage:
✅ Short TTL reservations (30s) - verifies TTL is properly set
✅ Reservation blocking - confirms agent2 cannot claim while agent1 holds reservation
✅ Auto-release after expiration - validates expired reservations are auto-cleaned and become available
✅ Renewal/heartbeat - tests that re-reserving extends expiration time

All 4 tests passing in 56.9s total (including 30s+ wait time for expiration tests).

Mock server implements full TTL management:
- Reservation class with expiration tracking
- Auto-cleanup of expired reservations on each request
- Renewal support (same agent re-reserving)
- 409 conflict for cross-agent reservation attempts


Refactor path canonicalization into helper function

The path canonicalization logic (filepath.Abs + EvalSymlinks) is duplicated in 3 places:
- beads.go:131-137 (BEADS_DIR handling)
- cmd/bd/main.go:446-451 (--no-db cleanup)
- cmd/bd/nodb.go:26-31 (--no-db initialization)

Refactoring suggestion:
Extract to a helper function like:
  func canonicalizePath(path string) string

This would:
- Reduce code duplication
- Make the logic easier to maintain
- Ensure consistent behavior across all path handling

Related to bd-e16b implementation.


Auto-import runs during --no-auto-import operations via stats/ready commands

Even when using --no-auto-import flag, certain commands like 'bd stats' and 'bd ready' still trigger auto-import internally, which can cause the git history backfill bug to corrupt data.

Example:
  bd stats --no-auto-import
  # Still prints 'Purged bd-xxx (recovered from git history...)'

The flag should completely disable auto-import for the command, but it appears some code paths still trigger it.

Workaround: Use --allow-stale instead, or --sandbox mode.


Use in-memory filesystem for test git operations

Use tmpfs/ramdisk for git operations in tests to reduce I/O overhead.

Options:
1. Mount /tmp as tmpfs in CI (GitHub Actions supports this)
2. Use Go's testing.TB.TempDir() which may already use tmpfs on some systems
3. Explicitly create ramdisk for tests on macOS

Expected savings: 20-30% reduction in git operation time


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

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

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

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

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


bd hooks install fails in git worktrees

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

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

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


Investigation & Proof of Concept

Validate that MCP Agent Mail works as expected and delivers promised benefits before committing to full integration.

POC completed successfully:
✅ bd-muls: Server installed and tested
✅ bd-27xm: MCP tool execution issues resolved
✅ [deleted:bd-6hji]: File reservation collision prevention validated
✅ bd-htfk: Latency benchmarking shows 20-50x improvement
✅ bd-pmuu: ADR 002 created documenting integration decision

Results validate Agent Mail benefits:
- Collision prevention works (exclusive file reservations)
- Latency: <100ms (vs 2000-5000ms git sync)
- Lightweight deployment (<50MB memory)
- Optional/non-intrusive integration approach validated

Next: bd-wfmw (Integration Layer Implementation)


Add programmatic tip injection API

Allow tips to be programmatically injected at runtime based on detected conditions. This enables dynamic tips (not just pre-defined ones) to be shown with custom priority and frequency.


Extract SQLite migrations into separate files

The file `internal/storage/sqlite/sqlite.go` is 2,136 lines and contains 11 sequential migrations alongside core storage logic. Extract migrations into a versioned system.

Current issues:
- 11 migration functions mixed with core logic
- Hard to see migration history
- Sequential migrations slow database open
- No clear migration versioning

Migration functions to extract:
- `migrateDirtyIssuesTable()`
- `migrateIssueCountersTable()`
- `migrateExternalRefColumn()`
- `migrateCompositeIndexes()`
- `migrateClosedAtConstraint()`
- `migrateCompactionColumns()`
- `migrateSnapshotsTable()`
- `migrateCompactionConfig()`
- `migrateCompactedAtCommitColumn()`
- `migrateExportHashesTable()`
- Plus 1 more (11 total)

Target structure:
```
internal/storage/sqlite/
├── sqlite.go          # Core storage (~800 lines)
├── schema.go          # Table definitions (~200 lines)
├── migrations.go      # Migration orchestration (~200 lines)
└── migrations/        # Individual migrations
    ├── 001_initial_schema.go
    ├── 002_dirty_issues.go
    ├── 003_issue_counters.go
    [... through 011_export_hashes.go]
```

Benefits:
- Clear migration history
- Each migration self-contained
- Easier to review migration changes in PRs
- Future migrations easier to add


Implement hash ID generation in CreateIssue

Replace sequential ID generation with hash-based IDs in CreateIssue function.

## Current Behavior (internal/storage/sqlite/sqlite.go)
```go
func (s *SQLiteStorage) CreateIssue(ctx context.Context, issue *types.Issue) error {
    // ID comes from auto-increment counter
    // Collisions possible across clones
}
```

## New Behavior
```go
func (s *SQLiteStorage) CreateIssue(ctx context.Context, issue *types.Issue) error {
    // Generate hash ID if not provided
    if issue.ID == "" {
        issue.ID = idgen.GenerateHashID(
            issue.Title,
            issue.Description,
            time.Now(),
            s.workspaceID,
        )
    }

    // Assign next alias
    issue.Alias = s.getNextAlias()

    // Insert with hash ID + alias
    // ...
}
```

## Workspace ID Generation
Add to database initialization:
```go
// Generate stable workspace ID (persisted in .beads/workspace_id)
workspaceID := getOrCreateWorkspaceID()
```

Options for workspace ID:
1. Hostname + random suffix
2. UUID (random)
3. Git remote URL hash (deterministic per repo)

Recommended: Option 3 (git remote hash) for reproducibility

## Hash Collision Detection
```go
// On insert, check for collision (unlikely but possible)
existing, err := s.GetIssue(ctx, issue.ID)
if err == nil {
    // Hash collision! Add random suffix and retry
    issue.ID = issue.ID + "-" + randomSuffix(4)
}
```

## Files to Create/Modify
- internal/types/id_generator.go (new)
- internal/storage/sqlite/sqlite.go (CreateIssue)
- internal/storage/sqlite/workspace.go (new - workspace ID management)
- .beads/workspace_id (new file, git-ignored)

## Testing
- Test hash ID generation is deterministic
- Test collision detection and retry
- Test workspace ID persistence
- Benchmark: hash generation performance (<1μs)


Integration Testing

Verify cache removal doesn't break any workflows


Create examples for common workflows

Add examples/ subdirectories: OSS contributor workflow, team branch workflow, multi-phase development, multiple personas (architect/implementer). Each with README and sample configs.


bd message: Add input validation for --importance flag

The --importance flag accepts any string without validation, leading to confusing server errors.

**Location:** cmd/bd/message.go:256-258

**Fix:**
- Add flag validation for: low, normal, high, urgent
- Add shell completion support
- Validate in runMessageSend before sending

**Impact:** Better UX, prevents confusing errors


Fix FindBeadsDir to prioritize main repo .beads for worktrees

The FindBeadsDir function should prioritize finding .beads in the main repository root when accessed from a worktree, rather than finding worktree-local .beads directories. This ensures proper sharing of the database across all worktrees.


Implement bd stale command to find abandoned/forgotten issues

Add bd stale command to surface issues that haven't been updated recently and may need attention.

Use cases:
- In-progress issues with no recent activity (may be abandoned)
- Open issues that have been forgotten
- Issues that might be outdated or no longer relevant

Query logic should find non-closed issues where updated_at exceeds a time threshold.

Should support:
- --days N flag (default 30-90 days)
- --status filter (e.g., only in_progress)
- --json output for automation

References GitHub issue #184 where user expected this command to exist.


Improve clean vs cleanup command naming/documentation

Clarify the difference between bd clean and bd cleanup to reduce user confusion.

**Current state:**
- bd clean: Remove temporary artifacts (.beads/bd.sock, logs, etc.)
- bd cleanup: Delete old closed issues from database

**Options:**
1. Rename for clarity:
   - bd clean → bd clean-temp
   - bd cleanup → bd cleanup-issues

2. Keep names but improve help text and documentation

3. Add prominent warnings in help output

**Preferred approach:** Option 2 (improve documentation)
- Update short/long descriptions in commands
- Add examples to help text
- Update README.md
- Add cross-references in help output

**Files to modify:**
- cmd/bd/clean.go
- cmd/bd/cleanup.go
- README.md or ADVANCED.md


bd cleanup fails with CHECK constraint on status/closed_at mismatch

## Problem

Running bd cleanup --force fails with:

Error: failed to create tombstone for bd-okh: sqlite3: constraint failed: CHECK constraint failed: (status = 'closed') = (closed_at IS NOT NULL)

## Root Cause

The database has a CHECK constraint ensuring closed issues have closed_at set and non-closed issues do not. When bd cleanup tries to convert a closed issue to a tombstone, this constraint fails.

## Impact

- bd cleanup --force cannot complete
- 722 closed issues cannot be cleaned up
- Blocks routine maintenance

## Investigation Needed

1. Check the bd-okh record in the database
2. Determine if this is data corruption or a bug in tombstone creation

## Proposed Solutions

1. If data corruption: Add a bd doctor --fix check that repairs status/closed_at mismatches
2. If code bug: Fix the tombstone creation to properly handle the constraint

## Files to Investigate

- internal/storage/sqlite/sqlite.go - DeleteIssue / tombstone creation
- Schema CHECK constraint definition

## Acceptance Criteria

- Identify root cause (data vs code bug)
- bd cleanup --force completes successfully
- bd doctor detects status/closed_at mismatches


Latency test


bd-hv01: Add comprehensive edge case tests for deletion tracking

Need to add tests for: corrupted snapshot file, stale snapshot (> 1 hour), concurrent sync operations (daemon + manual), partial deletion failure, empty remote JSONL, multi-repo mode with deletions, git worktree scenario.

Also refine TestDeletionWithLocalModification to check for specific conflict error instead of accepting any error.

Files: cmd/bd/deletion_tracking_test.go


bd resolve-conflicts - Git merge conflict resolver

Automatically resolve JSONL merge conflicts.

Modes:
- Mechanical: ID remapping (no AI)
- AI-assisted: Smart merge/keep decisions
- Interactive: Review each conflict

Handles <<<<<<< conflict markers in .beads/beads.jsonl

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


bd repair-deps - Orphaned dependency cleaner

Find and fix orphaned dependency references.

Implementation:
- Scan all issues for dependencies pointing to non-existent issues
- Report orphaned refs
- Auto-fix with --fix flag
- Interactive mode with --interactive

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


Fix auto-import creating duplicates instead of updating issues

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

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

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

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

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


bd migrate --update-repo-id triggers auto-import that resurrects deleted issues

**Bug:** Running `bd migrate --update-repo-id` can resurrect previously deleted issues from git history.

## What Happened

User deleted 490 closed issues:
- Deletion committed successfully (06d655a) with JSONL at 48 lines
- Database had 48 issues after deletion
- User ran `bd migrate --update-repo-id` to fix legacy database
- Migration triggered daemon auto-import
- JSONL had been restored to 538 issues (from commit 6cd3a32 - before deletion)
- Auto-import loaded the old JSONL over the cleaned database
- Result: 490 deleted issues resurrected

## Root Cause

The auto-import logic in `cmd/bd/sync.go:130-136`:
```go
if isJSONLNewer(jsonlPath) {
    fmt.Println("→ JSONL is newer than database, importing first...")
    if err := importFromJSONL(ctx, jsonlPath, renameOnImport); err != nil {
```

This checks if JSONL mtime is newer than database and auto-imports. The problem:
1. Git operations (pull, merge, checkout) can restore old JSONL files
2. Restored file has recent mtime (time of git operation)
3. Auto-import sees "newer" JSONL and imports it
4. Old data overwrites current database state

## Timeline

- 19:59: Commit 6cd3a32 restored JSONL to 538 issues from d99222d
- 20:22: Commit 3520321 (bd sync)
- 20:23: Commit 06d655a deleted 490 issues → JSONL now 48 lines
- 20:23: User ran `bd migrate --update-repo-id`
- Migration completed, daemon started
- Daemon saw JSONL (restored earlier to 538) was "newer" than database
- Auto-import resurrected 490 deleted issues

## Impact

- **Critical data loss bug** - user deletions can be undone silently
- Affects any workflow that uses git branches, merges, or checkouts
- Auto-import has no safety checks against importing older data
- Users have no warning that old data will overwrite current state

## Fix Options

1. **Content-based staleness** (not mtime-based)
   - Compare JSONL content hash vs database content hash
   - Only import if content actually changed
   - Prevents re-importing old data with new mtime

2. **Database timestamp check**
   - Store "last export timestamp" in database metadata
   - Only import JSONL if it's newer than last export
   - Prevents importing old JSONL after git operations

3. **User confirmation**
   - Before auto-import, show diff of what will change
   - Require confirmation for large changes (>10% issues affected)
   - Safety valve for destructive imports

4. **Explicit sync mode**
   - Disable auto-import entirely
   - Require explicit `bd sync` or `bd import` commands
   - Trade convenience for safety

## Recommended Solution

Combination of #1 and #2:
- Add `last_export_timestamp` to database metadata
- Check JSONL mtime > last_export_timestamp before importing
- Add content hash check as additional safety
- Show warning if importing would delete >10 issues

This preserves auto-import convenience while preventing data loss.

## Files Involved

- `cmd/bd/sync.go:130-136` - Auto-import logic
- `cmd/bd/daemon_sync.go` - Daemon export/import cycle
- `internal/autoimport/autoimport.go` - Staleness detection

## Reproduction Steps

1. Create and delete some issues, commit to git
2. Checkout an earlier commit (before deletion)
3. Checkout back to current commit
4. JSONL file now has recent mtime but old content
5. Run any bd command that triggers auto-import
6. Deleted issues are resurrected


Add tests for daemon config module


Code Review Sweep: thorough

Perform thorough code review sweep based on accumulated activity.

**AI Reasoning:**
Significant code volume added (150,273 lines) across multiple critical areas, including cmd/bd, internal/storage/sqlite, and internal/rpc. High file change count (616) indicates substantial refactoring or new functionality. The metrics suggest potential for subtle architectural or implementation issues that warrant review.

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

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

File discovered issues with detailed reasoning and suggestions.


Test update


Integration Layer Implementation

Build the adapter layer that makes Agent Mail optional and non-intrusive.

Progress: bd-m9th (Python adapter library) completed with full test coverage. Next: bd-fzbg (update python-agent example with Agent Mail integration).


Remove misleading placeholder 'bd merge' command from duplicates output

**Problem:**
The `bd duplicates` command suggests running a command that doesn't exist:
```
bd merge <source-ids> --into <target-id>
```

This is confusing because:
1. `bd merge` is actually a git 3-way JSONL merge driver (takes 4 file paths)
2. The suggested syntax for merging duplicate issues is not implemented
3. Line 75 in duplicates.go even has: `// TODO: performMerge implementation pending`

**Current behavior:**
- Users see suggested command that doesn't work
- No indication that feature is unimplemented
- Related to issue #349 item #2

**Proposed fix:**
Replace line 77 in cmd/bd/duplicates.go with either:

Option A (conservative):
```go
cmd := fmt.Sprintf("# TODO: Merge %s into %s (merge command not yet implemented)",
    strings.Join(sources, " "), target.ID)
```

Option B (actionable):
```go
cmd := fmt.Sprintf("# Duplicate found: %s\n# Manual merge: Close duplicates with 'bd close %s' and link to %s as 'related'",
    strings.Join(sources, " "), strings.Join(sources, " "), target.ID)
```

**Files to modify:**
- cmd/bd/duplicates.go (line ~77)


Create deployment scripts for GCP

Automated provisioning scripts for GCP Compute Engine deployment.

Acceptance Criteria:
- Terraform/gcloud scripts
- Static IP allocation
- Firewall rules
- NGINX reverse proxy config
- TLS setup (Let's Encrypt)
- Systemd service file

File: deployment/agent-mail/gcp/


Add Claude setup tip with dynamic priority

Add a predefined tip that suggests running `bd setup claude` when Claude Code is detected but not configured. This tip should have higher priority (shown more frequently) until the setup is complete.


Add external_ref change tracking and auditing

Currently we don't track when external_ref is added, removed, or changed. This would be useful for debugging and auditing.

Proposed features:
- Log event when external_ref changes
- Track in events table with old/new values
- Add query to find issues where external_ref changed
- Add metrics: issues with external_ref vs without

Use cases:
- Debugging import issues
- Understanding which issues are externally managed
- Auditing external system linkage

Related: bd-1022


Add 'When to use daemon mode' decision tree to daemon.md

**Problem:**
Users (especially local-only developers) see daemon-related messages but don't understand:
- What daemon mode does (git sync automation)
- Whether they need it
- Why they see "daemon_unsupported" messages

Related to issue #349 item #3.

**Current state:**
commands/daemon.md explains WHAT daemon does but not WHEN to use it.

**Proposed addition:**
Add a "When to Use Daemon Mode" section after line 20 in commands/daemon.md with clear decision criteria:

**✅ You SHOULD use daemon mode if:**
- Working in a team with git remote sync
- Want automatic commit/push of issue changes
- Need background auto-sync (5-second debounce)
- Making frequent bd commands (performance benefit)

**❌ You DON'T need daemon mode if:**
- Solo developer with local-only tracking
- Working in git worktrees (use --no-daemon)
- Running one-off commands/scripts
- Debugging database issues

**Local-only users:** Direct mode is perfectly fine. Daemon mainly helps with git sync automation. You can use `bd sync` manually when needed.

**Files to modify:**
- commands/daemon.md (add section after line 20)


show commit hash in 'bd version' when built from source'


Rapid 4


Vendor beads-merge Go code into internal/merge/

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

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

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


Hash-based IDs with aliasing system

Replace sequential auto-increment IDs (bd-1c63eb84, bd-9063acda) with content-hash based IDs (bd-af78e9a2) plus human-friendly aliases (#1, #2).

## Motivation
Current sequential IDs cause collision problems when multiple clones work offline:
- Non-deterministic convergence in N-way scenarios (bd-cbed9619.1, bd-e6d71828)
- Complex collision resolution logic (~2,100 LOC)
- UNIQUE constraint violations during import
- Requires coordination between workers

Hash-based IDs eliminate collisions entirely while aliases preserve human readability.

## Benefits
- ✅ Collision-free distributed ID generation
- ✅ Eliminates ~2,100 LOC of collision handling code
- ✅ Better git merge behavior (different IDs = different JSONL lines)
- ✅ True offline-first workflows
- ✅ Simpler auto-import (no remapping needed)
- ✅ Enables parallel CI/CD workers without coordination

## Design
- Canonical ID: bd-af78e9a2 (8-char SHA256 prefix of title+desc+timestamp+creator)
- Alias: #42 (auto-increment per workspace, mutable, display-only)
- CLI accepts both: bd show bd-af78e9a2 OR bd show #42
- JSONL stores hash IDs only (aliases reconstructed on import)
- Alias conflicts resolved via content-hash ordering (deterministic)

## Breaking Change
This is a v2.0 feature requiring migration. Provide bd migrate --hash-ids tool.

## Timeline
~9 weeks (Phase 1: Hash IDs 4w, Phase 2: Aliases 3w, Phase 3: Testing 2w)

## Dependencies
Should complete after bd-7c5915ae (cleanup validation) and before bd-710a4916 (CRDT).