Fix TestRunSync_Timeout failing on macOS

The hooks timeout test fails because exec.CommandContext doesn't properly terminate child processes of shell scripts on macOS. The test creates a hook that runs 'sleep 60' with a 500ms timeout, but it waits the full 60 seconds.

Options to fix:
- Use SysProcAttr{Setpgid: true} to create process group and kill the group
- Skip test on darwin with build tag
- Use a different approach for timeout testing

Location: internal/hooks/hooks_test.go:220-253


Improve CheckStaleness error handling

## Problem

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

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

## Edge Cases That Return False

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

## Fix

Return errors for abnormal conditions:

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

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

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

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

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


Workaround for FastMCP outputSchema bug in Claude Code

The beads MCP server (v0.23.1) successfully connects to Claude Code, but all tools fail to load with a schema validation error due to a bug in FastMCP 2.13.1.

Error: "Invalid literal value, expected \"object\"" in outputSchema.

Root Cause: FastMCP generates outputSchema with $ref at root level without "type": "object" for self-referential models (Issue).

Workaround: Use slash commands (/beads:ready) or wait for FastMCP fix.


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

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

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

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

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


Fix daemon/direct mode inconsistency in relate and duplicate commands

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

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

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

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


Design contributor namespace isolation for beads pollution prevention

## Problem

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

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

## Possible Solutions to Explore

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

## Design Considerations

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

## Expansion Needed

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


Graph Link: duplicates for deduplication

Implement duplicates link type for marking issues as duplicates.

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

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

Storage:
- duplicates column pointing to canonical issue ID

Essential for large issue databases with many similar reports.


Update all code to use dependencies API for edges

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

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


Update CHANGELOG.md with release notes

Add release notes for 0.32.1: MCP output control params (#667), pin field fix


Run bd doctor at end of bd init to verify setup

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


Consider backwards compatibility for ready() and list() return type change

PR #481 changed the return types of `ready()` and `list()` from `list[Issue]` to `list[IssueMinimal] | CompactedResult`. This is a breaking change for MCP clients.

## Impact Assessment
Breaking change affects:
- Any MCP client expecting `list[Issue]` from ready()
- Any MCP client expecting `list[Issue]` from list()
- Client code that accesses full Issue fields (description, design, acceptance_criteria, timestamps, dependencies, dependents)

## Current Behavior
- ready() returns `list[IssueMinimal] | CompactedResult`
- list() returns `list[IssueMinimal] | CompactedResult`
- show() still returns full `Issue` (good)

## Considerations
**Pros of current approach:**
- Forces clients to use show() for full details (good for context efficiency)
- Simple mental model (always use show for full data)
- Documentation warns about this

**Cons:**
- Clients expecting list[Issue] will break
- No graceful degradation option
- No migration period

## Potential Solutions
1. Add optional parameter `full_details=false` to ready/list (would increase payload)
2. Create separate tools: ready_minimal/list_minimal + ready_full/list_full
3. Accept breaking change and document upgrade path (current approach)
4. Version the MCP server and document migration guide

## Recommendation
Current approach (solution 3) is reasonable if:
- Changelog clearly documents the breaking change
- Migration guide provided to clients
- Error handling is graceful for clients expecting specific fields


Wait for CI to pass

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


bd sync fails with orphaned issues and duplicate ID conflict

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Pinned field available in beads v0.37.0

Hey max,

Heads up on your mail overhaul work:

1. **Pinned field is available** - beads v0.37.0 (released by dave earlier) includes the pinned field on issues. You'll want to add this to BeadsMessage in types.go.

2. **Database migration** - Check if existing .beads databases need migration to support the pinned field. Run `bd doctor` to see if it flags anything.

3. **Sorting task** - Once you have the pinned field, gt-ngu1 (pinned beads first in mail inbox) needs implementing. Since messages now come from `bd list --type=message`, you'll need to either:
   - Sort in listBeads() after fetching, or
   - Ensure bd list returns pinned items first (may already do this?)

Check what version of bd you're building against.

-- Mayor


Prevent multiple daemons from running on the same repo

Multiple bd daemons running on the same repo clone causes race conditions and data corruption risks.

**Problem:**
- Nothing prevents spawning multiple daemons for the same repository
- Multiple daemons watching the same files can conflict during sync operations
- Observed: 4 daemons running simultaneously caused sync race condition

**Solution:**
Implement daemon singleton enforcement per repo:
1. Use a lock file (e.g., .beads/.daemon.lock) with PID
2. On daemon start, check if lock exists and process is alive
3. If stale lock (dead PID), clean up and acquire lock
4. If active daemon exists, either:
   - Exit with message 'daemon already running (PID xxx)'
   - Or offer --replace flag to kill existing and take over
5. Release lock on graceful shutdown

**Edge cases to handle:**
- Daemon crashes without releasing lock (stale PID detection)
- Multiple repos in same directory tree (each repo gets own lock)
- Race between two daemons starting simultaneously (atomic lock acquisition)


Update docs for import bug fix

Update AGENTS.md, README.md, TROUBLESHOOTING.md with import.orphan_handling config documentation. Document resurrection behavior, tombstones, config modes. Add troubleshooting section for import failures with deleted parents.


Update CHANGELOG.md for 0.30.4

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


Run tests and linting

go test -short ./... && golangci-lint run ./...


Install 0.30.4 MCP server locally

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

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

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


Consider consolidating config.yaml parsing into shared utility

Multiple places parse config.yaml with custom structs:

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

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

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

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

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

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


Schema: Add message type and new fields

Add to internal/storage/sqlite/schema.go and models:

New issue_type value:
- message

New optional fields on Issue struct:
- Sender string (who sent this)
- Ephemeral bool (can be bulk-deleted)
- RepliesTo string (issue ID for threading)
- RelatesTo []string (issue IDs for knowledge graph)
- Duplicates string (canonical issue ID)
- SupersededBy string (replacement issue ID)

Update:
- internal/storage/sqlite/schema.go - add columns
- internal/models/issue.go - add fields to struct
- internal/storage/sqlite/sqlite.go - CRUD operations
- Create migration from v0.30.1

Ensure backward compatibility - all new fields optional.


Push commit and tag to origin

```bash
git push origin main
git push origin v0.30.4
```

This triggers GitHub Actions:
- GoReleaser build
- PyPI publish
- npm publish

```verify
git ls-remote origin refs/tags/v0.30.4 | grep -q 'v0.30.4'
```


Update LINTING.md with current baseline

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


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)


Implement bd pin/unpin commands

Add 'bd pin <id>' and 'bd unpin <id>' commands to toggle the pinned status of issues. Should support multiple IDs like other bd commands.


Add tests for helper functions (GetDirtyIssueHash, GetAllDependencyRecords, export hashes)

Several utility functions have 0% coverage:
- GetDirtyIssueHash (dirty.go)
- GetAllDependencyRecords (dependencies.go)
- GetExportHash, SetExportHash, ClearAllExportHashes (hash.go)

These are lower priority but should have basic coverage.


Rebuild local binary

Build and verify: go build -o bd ./cmd/bd && ./bd version


Review PR #512: clarify bd ready docs

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


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

Wire up the reset command with Cobra CLI.

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

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

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

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

Continue? [y/N] y

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

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

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

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


Run check-versions.sh - all must pass

Run the version consistency check:
```bash
./scripts/check-versions.sh
```

All versions must match 0.30.4.

```verify
./scripts/check-versions.sh
```


Restart beads daemon

Kill any running daemons so they pick up the new version:
```bash
bd daemons killall
```

Start fresh daemon:
```bash
bd list  # triggers daemon start
```

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

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


Implement content-first idempotent import

**Summary:** Refactored issue import to be content-first and idempotent, ensuring consistent data synchronization across multiple import rounds by prioritizing content hash matching over ID-based updates.

**Key Decisions:**
- Implement content hash as primary matching mechanism
- Create global collision resolution algorithm
- Ensure importing same data multiple times results in no-op

**Resolution:** The new import strategy guarantees predictable convergence across distributed systems, solving rename detection and collision handling while maintaining data integrity during multi-stage imports.


Test suite hangs/never finishes

Running 'go test ./... -count=1' hangs indefinitely. The full test suite never completes, making it difficult to verify changes. Need to investigate which tests are hanging and fix or add timeouts.


getLocalSyncBranch silently ignores YAML parse errors

In autoimport.go:170-172, YAML parsing errors are silently ignored. If a user has malformed YAML in config.yaml, sync-branch will just silently be empty with no feedback.

Recommendation: Add debug logging since this function is only called during auto-import, and debugging silent failures is painful.

Add: debug.Logf("Warning: failed to parse config.yaml: %v", err)


Update cmd/bd/version.go to 0.30.4

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

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


Enhance bd doctor to suggest reset for broken states

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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


Update documentation for template system

Update AGENTS.md and help text to document the new template system:

- How to create a template (epic + template label + child issues)
- How to define variables (just use {{name}} placeholders)
- How to instantiate (bd template instantiate)
- Migration from YAML workflows (if any users had custom ones)


Test pinned issue


Simplify bd onboard to minimal AGENTS.md snippet pointing to bd prime

## Context
GH#604 raised concerns about bd onboard bloating AGENTS.md with ~100+ lines of static instructions that:
- Load every session whether beads is being used or not
- Get stale when bd upgrades
- Waste tokens

## Solution
Simplify `bd onboard` to output a minimal snippet (~2 lines) that points to `bd prime`:

```markdown
## Issue Tracking
This project uses beads (`bd`) for issue tracking.
Run `bd prime` for workflow context, or hooks auto-inject it.
```

## Rationale
- `bd prime` is dynamic, concise (~80 lines), and always matches installed bd version
- Hooks already auto-inject `bd prime` at session start when .beads/ detected
- AGENTS.md only needs to mention beads exists, not contain full instructions

## Implementation
1. Update `cmd/bd/onboard.go` to output minimal snippet
2. Keep `--output` flag for BD_GUIDE.md generation (may still be useful)
3. Update help text to explain the new approach


Version Bump: {{version}}

Release checklist for version {{version}}. This molecule ensures all release steps are completed properly.


bd preflight: PR readiness checks for contributors

## Vision

Encode project-specific institutional knowledge into executable checks. CONTRIBUTING.md is documentation that's read once and forgotten; `bd preflight` is documentation that runs at exactly the right moment.

## Problem Statement

Contributors face a "last mile" problem - they do the work but stumble on project-specific gotchas at PR time:
- Nix vendorHash gets stale when go.sum changes
- Beads artifacts leak into PRs (see bd-umbf for namespace solution)
- Version mismatches between version.go and default.nix
- Tests/lint not run locally before pushing
- Other project-specific checks that only surface when CI fails

These are too obscure to remember, exist in docs nobody reads end-to-end, and waste CI round-trips.

## Why beads?

Beads already has a foothold in the contributor workflow. It knows:
- Git state (staged files, branch, dirty status)
- Project structure
- The specific issue being worked on
- Project-specific configuration

## Proposed Interface

### Tier 1: Checklist Mode (v1)

    $ bd preflight
    PR Readiness Checklist:

    [ ] Tests pass: go test -short ./...
    [ ] Lint passes: golangci-lint run ./...
    [ ] No beads pollution: check .beads/issues.jsonl diff
    [ ] Nix hash current: go.sum unchanged or vendorHash updated
    [ ] Version sync: version.go matches default.nix

    Run 'bd preflight --check' to validate automatically.

### Tier 2: Check Mode (v2)

    $ bd preflight --check
    ✓ Tests pass
    ✓ Lint passes
    ⚠ Beads pollution: 3 issues in diff - are these project issues or personal?
    ✗ Nix hash stale: go.sum changed, vendorHash needs update
      Fix: sha256-KRR6dXzsSw8OmEHGBEVDBOoIgfoZ2p0541T9ayjGHlI=
    ✓ Version sync

    1 error, 1 warning. Run 'bd preflight --fix' to auto-fix where possible.

### Tier 3: Fix Mode (v3)

    $ bd preflight --fix
    ✓ Updated vendorHash in default.nix
    ⚠ Cannot auto-fix beads pollution - manual review needed

## Checks to Implement

| Check | Description | Auto-fixable |
|-------|-------------|--------------|
| tests | Run go test -short ./... | No |
| lint | Run golangci-lint | Partial (gofmt) |
| beads-pollution | Detect personal issues in diff | No (see bd-umbf) |
| nix-hash | Detect stale vendorHash | Yes (if nix available) |
| version-sync | version.go matches default.nix | Yes |
| no-debug | No TODO/FIXME/console.log | Warn only |
| clean-stage | No unintended files staged | Warn only |

## Future: Configuration

Make checks configurable per-project via .beads/preflight.yaml:

    preflight:
      checks:
        - name: tests
          run: go test -short ./...
          required: true
        - name: no-secrets
          pattern: "**/*.env"
          staged: deny
        - name: custom-check
          run: ./scripts/validate.sh

This lets any project using beads define their own preflight checks.

## Implementation Phases

### Phase 1: Static Checklist
- Implement bd preflight with hardcoded checklist for beads
- No execution, just prints what to check
- Update CONTRIBUTING.md to reference it

### Phase 2: Automated Checks
- Implement bd preflight --check
- Run tests, lint, detect stale hashes
- Clear pass/fail/warn output

### Phase 3: Auto-fix
- Implement bd preflight --fix
- Fix vendorHash, version sync
- Integrate with bd-umbf solution for pollution

### Phase 4: Configuration
- .beads/preflight.yaml support
- Make it useful for other projects using beads
- Plugin/hook system for custom checks

## Dependencies

- bd-umbf: Namespace isolation for beads pollution (blocking for full solution)

## Success Metrics

- Fewer CI failures on first PR push
- Reduced "fix nix hash" commits
- Contributors report preflight caught issues before CI


Work on beads-2nh: Fix gt spawn --issue to find issues in...

Work on beads-2nh: Fix gt spawn --issue to find issues in rig's beads database. When done, submit MR (not PR) to integration branch for Refinery.


Add .beads-backup-* pattern to gitignore template

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

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

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

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


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

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


Fix or remove TestFindJSONLPathDefault (issue #356)

Code health review found .test-skip permanently skips TestFindJSONLPathDefault.

The test references issue #356 about wrong JSONL filename expectations (issues.jsonl vs beads.jsonl).

Test file: internal/beads/beads_test.go

The underlying migration from beads.jsonl to issues.jsonl may be complete, so either:
1. Fix the test expectations
2. Remove the test if no longer needed
3. Document why it remains skipped


Split internal/storage/sqlite/queries.go (1586 lines)

Code health review found queries.go is too large at 1586 lines with:

- Issue scanning logic duplicated between transaction.go and queries.go
- Timestamp defensive fixes duplicated in CreateIssue, CreateIssues, batch_ops.go
- Multiple similar patterns that should be consolidated

Also: transaction.go at 1284 lines, dependencies.go at 893 lines

Recommendation:
1. Extract common scanning into shared function
2. Consolidate timestamp defensive fixes
3. Split queries.go by domain (CRUD, search, batch, events)


Add comprehensive filters to bd export

Enhance bd export with filtering options for selective exports.

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

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

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

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


Add 0.30.4 to info.go release notes

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


Auto-detect identity from directory context for bd mail

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

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

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

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

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


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

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


GH#405: Prefix parsing with hyphens treats first segment as prefix

Prefix me-py-toolkit gets parsed as just me- when detecting mismatches. Fix prefix parsing to handle multi-hyphen prefixes. See GitHub issue #405.


bd doctor should recommend bd prime migration for existing repos

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

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

## Desired behavior
bd doctor should detect and suggest:

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

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

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

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

## Example output

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

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

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


Verify release artifacts

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


Update go install bd to {{version}}

Rebuild and install bd to ~/go/bin:

```bash
go install ./cmd/bd
~/go/bin/bd version  # Verify shows {{version}}
```

Note: If ~/go/bin is in PATH before /opt/homebrew/bin, this is the version that runs by default.


Add bd update --parent flag to change issue parent

Allow changing an issue's parent with bd update --parent <new-parent-id>. Useful for reorganizing tasks under different epics or moving issues between hierarchies. Should update the parent-child dependency relationship.


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%


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

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

## Use Case

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

## Documentation Needed

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

## Current Support

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

Just needs documentation for the multi-agent workspace pattern.


Restart running daemons

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


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

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


Investigate TestRoutingIntegration failure

TestRoutingIntegration/maintainer_with_SSH_remote failed during pre-commit check with "expected role maintainer, got contributor".
This occurred while running `go test -short ./...` on darwin/arm64.
The failure appears unrelated to storage/sqlite changes.
Need to investigate if this is a flaky test or environmental issue.


Update integrations/beads-mcp/pyproject.toml to 0.30.4

Update version in pyproject.toml:
```toml
version = "0.30.4"
```

```verify
grep -q 'version = "0.30.4"' integrations/beads-mcp/pyproject.toml
```


Update CHANGELOG.md for {{version}}

In CHANGELOG.md:

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

Format:
```markdown
## [Unreleased]

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

### Added
- ...

### Changed
- ...

### Fixed
- ...
```


Rename 'template instantiate' to 'mol bond'

Rename the template instantiation command to match molecule metaphor.

Current: bd template instantiate <id> --var key=value
Target:  bd mol bond <id> --var key=value

Changes needed:
- Add 'mol' command group (or extend existing)
- Add 'bond' subcommand that wraps template instantiate logic
- Keep 'template instantiate' as deprecated alias for backward compat
- Update help text and docs to use molecule terminology

The 'bond' verb captures:
1. Chemistry metaphor (molecules bond to form structures)
2. Dependency linking (child issues bonded in a DAG)
3. Short and active

See also: molecule execution model in Gas Town


Split monolithic sqlite.go into focused files

internal/storage/sqlite/sqlite.go is 1050 lines containing initialization, 20+ CRUD methods, query building, and schema management.

Split into:
- store.go: Store struct & initialization (150 lines)
- bead_queries.go: Bead CRUD (300 lines)
- work_queries.go: Work queries (200 lines)
- stats_queries.go: Statistics (150 lines)
- schema.go: Schema & migrations (150 lines)
- helpers.go: Common utilities (100 lines)

Impact: Impossible to understand at a glance; hard to find specific functionality; high cognitive load

Effort: 6-8 hours


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

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


Improve bd doctor output formatting for better readability

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


Add MCP server functions for repair commands

**Summary:** Added MCP server repair functions for agent dependency management, system validation, and pollution detection. Implemented across BdClientBase, BdCliClient, and daemon clients to enhance system diagnostics and self-healing capabilities.

**Key Decisions:**
- Expose repair_deps(), detect_pollution(), validate() via MCP server
- Create abstract method stubs with fallback to CLI execution
- Use @mcp.tool decorators for function registration

**Resolution:** Successfully implemented comprehensive repair command infrastructure, enabling more robust system health monitoring and automated remediation with full CLI and daemon support.

Implemented all three MCP server functions:

1. **repair_deps(fix=False)** - Find/fix orphaned dependencies
2. **detect_pollution(clean=False)** - Detect/clean test issues
3. **validate(checks=None, fix_all=False)** - Run comprehensive health checks

Changes:
- Added abstract methods to BdClientBase
- Implemented in BdCliClient (CLI execution)
- Added NotImplementedError stubs in BdDaemonClient (falls back to CLI)
- Created wrapper functions in tools.py
- Registered @mcp.tool decorators in server.py

All commands tested and working with --no-daemon flag.


Fix TestFallbackToDirectModeEnablesFlush deadlock causing 10min test timeout

## Problem

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

## Root Cause

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

## Stack Trace Evidence

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

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

## Impact

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

## Related

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

## Fix Approaches

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

## Files

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

## Acceptance

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


Work on beads-7jl: Fix Windows installer file locking iss...

Work on beads-7jl: Fix Windows installer file locking issue (GH#652). Close file handle before extraction in postinstall.js. When done, submit MR (not PR) to integration branch for Refinery.


Update local installation

go build -o ~/.local/bin/bd ./cmd/bd && codesign -s - ~/.local/bin/bd


Implement backup functionality for reset

Add backup capability that can be used by reset command.

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

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

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

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


Improve test coverage for internal/export (37.1% → 60%)

The export package has only 37.1% test coverage. Export functionality needs good coverage to ensure data integrity.

Current coverage: 37.1%
Target coverage: 60%


Create and push git tag v{{version}}

Create the release tag and push it:

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

This triggers the GoReleaser GitHub Action to build release binaries.


Add comments to 30+ silently ignored errors or fix them

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

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

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

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


gt handoff deadlock at handoff.go:125

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


Import reports misleading '0 created, 0 updated' when actually importing all issues

When running 'bd import' on a fresh database (no existing issues), the command reports 'Import complete: 0 created, 0 updated' even though it successfully imported all issues from the JSONL file.

**Steps to reproduce:**
1. Delete .beads/beads.db
2. Run: bd import .beads/issues.jsonl
3. Observe output: 'Import complete: 0 created, 0 updated'
4. Run: bd list
5. Confirm: All issues are actually present in the database

**Expected behavior:**
Report the actual number of issues imported, e.g., 'Import complete: 523 created, 0 updated'

**Actual behavior:**
'Import complete: 0 created, 0 updated' (misleading - makes user think import failed)

**Impact:**
- Users think import failed when it succeeded
- Confusing during database sync operations (e.g., after git pull)
- Makes debugging harder (can't tell if import actually worked)

**Context:**
Discovered during VC session when syncing database after git pull. The misleading message caused confusion about whether the database was properly synced with the canonical JSONL file.


Merge3Way public API does not expose TTL parameter

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


Run tests and verify build

Run the test suite to verify nothing is broken:

```bash
./scripts/test.sh
```

Or manually:
```bash
go build ./cmd/bd/...
go test ./...
```

Fix any failures before proceeding.


Exclude pinned issues from bd ready

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


bd find-duplicates - AI-powered duplicate detection

Find semantically duplicate issues.

Approaches:
1. Mechanical: Exact title/description matching
2. Embeddings: Cosine similarity (cheap, scalable)
3. AI: LLM-based semantic comparison (expensive, accurate)

Uses embeddings by default for >100 issues.

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


Add bd reset command for clean slate restart

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

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

**Current workaround** (from maphew):
```bash
bd daemons killall
git rm .beads/*.jsonl
git commit -m 'remove old issues'
rm .beads/*
bd init
bd onboard
```

**Desired:** A proper `bd reset` command that handles this cleanly and safely.


Identity Configuration

Implement identity system for sender field.

Configuration sources (in priority order):
1. --identity flag on commands
2. BEADS_IDENTITY environment variable
3. .beads/config.json: {"identity": "worker-name"}
4. Default: git user.name or hostname

New config file support:
- .beads/config.json for per-repo settings
- identity field for messaging

Helper function:
- GetIdentity() string - resolves identity from sources

Update bd mail send to use GetIdentity() for sender field.


GH#540: Add silent quick-capture mode (bd q)

Add bd q alias for quick capture that outputs only issue ID. Useful for piping/scripting. See GitHub issue #540.


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

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

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

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

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

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

Requires: Identity configuration (bd-kwro.7)


Add bd daemon --stop-all command to kill all daemon processes

Currently there's no easy way to stop all running bd daemon processes. Users must resort to pkill -f 'bd daemon' or similar shell commands.

Add a --stop-all flag to bd daemon that:
1. Finds all running bd daemon processes (not just the current repo's daemon)
2. Gracefully stops them all
3. Reports how many were stopped

This is useful when:
- Multiple daemons are running and causing race conditions
- User wants a clean slate before running bd sync
- Debugging daemon-related issues


🤝 HANDOFF: v0.31.0 released, molecules discussion

Session completed 0.31.0 release and had important molecules discussion.

## Completed
- v0.31.0 released (deferred status, audit trail, directory labels, etc.)
- Fixed lint issues, hook version markers, codesigning
- All CI green, artifacts verified

## Filed Issues
- bd-usro: Rename template instantiate → bd mol bond
- bd-y8bj: Auto-detect identity for bd mail (P1 bug)
- gt-975: Molecule execution support for polecats/crew
- gt-976: Crew lifecycle support in Deacon

## Key Insight
Molecules are the future - TodoWrite is ephemeral, molecules are persistent institutional memory on the world chain. I tried to use TodoWrite for version bump and missed steps (codesigning, MCP verification). Molecules would have caught this.

## Next Steps
- bd mol bond implementation is priority
- Max has gt-976 for crew lifecycle (enables automated refresh mid-molecule)

Check bd ready and gt-975/976 status.


Make DetectCollisions read-only (separate detection from modification)

**Summary:** The project restructured the collision detection process in the database to separate read-only detection from state modification, eliminating race conditions and improving system reliability. This was achieved by introducing a two-phase approach: first detecting potential collisions, then applying resolution separately.

**Key Decisions:**
- Create read-only DetectCollisions method
- Add RenameDetail to track potential issue renames
- Implement atomic ApplyCollisionResolution function
- Separate detection logic from database modification

**Resolution:** The refactoring creates a more robust, composable collision handling mechanism that prevents partial failures and maintains database consistency during complex issue import scenarios.


Consider using types.Status in merge package for type safety

The merge package uses string for status comparison (e.g., result.Status == closed, issue.Status == StatusTombstone). The types package defines Status as a type alias with validation. While the merge package needs its own Issue struct for JSONL flexibility, it could import and use types.Status for constants to get compile-time type checking. Current code: if left == closed || right == closed. Could be: if left == string(types.StatusClosed). This is low priority since string comparison works correctly. Files: internal/merge/merge.go:44, 488, 501-521


Merge: bd-uqfn

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


Support redirect files in .beads/ directory

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

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

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

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

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


Push release v{{version}} to remote

Push the commit and tag:

```bash
git push && git push --tags
```

Verify on GitHub that the tag appears in releases.


False positive detection by Kaspersky Antivirus (Trojan)

Kaspersky Antivirus falsely detects beads (bd.exe v0.23.1) as a Trojan (PDM:Trojan.Win32.Generic) and removes it.
Event: Malicious object detected
Component: System Watcher
Object name: bd.exe


Remove unreachable RPC methods

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

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

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

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

Impact: Removes ~80 LOC of unused RPC code


Time-dependent tests may be flaky near TTL boundary

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


Add metadata and thread_id columns to dependencies table

Schema changes:
- ALTER TABLE dependencies ADD COLUMN metadata TEXT DEFAULT '{}'
- ALTER TABLE dependencies ADD COLUMN thread_id TEXT DEFAULT ''
- CREATE INDEX idx_dependencies_thread ON dependencies(thread_id) WHERE thread_id != ''


Audit and standardize JSON output across all commands

Ensure consistent JSON format and error handling when --json flag is used.

**Scope:**
1. Verify all commands respect --json flag
2. Standardize success response format
3. Standardize error response format
4. Document JSON schemas

**Commands to audit:**
- Core CRUD: create, update, delete, show, list, search ✓
- Queries: ready, blocked, stale, count, stats, status
- Deps: dep add/remove/tree/cycles
- Labels: label commands
- Comments: comments add/list/delete
- Epics: epic status/close-eligible
- Export/import: already support --json ✓

**Testing:**
- Success cases return valid JSON
- Error cases return valid JSON (not plain text)
- Consistent field naming (snake_case vs camelCase)
- Array vs object wrapping consistency


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

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

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

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

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

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


Fix resolvePartialID stub in workflow.go

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


Remove dead test code in info_test.go

Code health review found cmd/bd/info_test.go has two tests permanently skipped:

- TestInfoCommand
- TestInfoCommandNoDaemon

Both skip with: 'Manual test - bd info command is working, see manual testing'

These are essentially dead code. Either automate them or remove them entirely.


Create migration script for edge field to dependency conversion

Migration must:
1. Read existing JSONL with old fields
2. Convert field values to dependency records
3. Write updated JSONL without old fields
4. Handle edge cases (missing refs, duplicates)

Run via: bd migrate or automatic on bd prime


Work on beads-2vn: Add simple built-in beads viewer (GH#6...

Work on beads-2vn: Add simple built-in beads viewer (GH#654). Add bd list --pretty with --watch flag, tree view with priority/status symbols. When done, submit MR (not PR) to integration branch for Refinery.


bd template commands fail with daemon mode

The `bd template show` and `bd template instantiate` commands fail with 'Error loading template: no database connection' when daemon is running.

**Reproduction:**
```bash
bd daemon --start
bd template show bd-qqc  # Error: no database connection
bd template show bd-qqc --no-daemon  # Works
```

**Expected:** Template commands should work with daemon like other commands.

**Workaround:** Use `--no-daemon` flag.

**Location:** Likely in cmd/bd/template.go - daemon RPC path not implemented for template operations.


Commit changes and create v0.30.4 tag

```bash
git add -A
git commit -m "chore: Bump version to 0.30.4"
git tag -a v0.30.4 -m "Release v0.30.4"
```

```verify
git describe --tags --exact-match HEAD 2>/dev/null | grep -q 'v0.30.4'
```


Re: Thread Test 2

Got your message. Testing reply feature.


Merge: bd-w193

branch: polecat/nux
target: main
source_issue: bd-w193
rig: beads


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

Code health review found these functions defined in multiple places:

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

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

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

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


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

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

Current coverage: 28.4%
Target coverage: 50%


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

## Problem

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

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

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

## Proposed Solution

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

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

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

## Implementation

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

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

### 2. Flag precedence

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

### 3. Error handling

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

## Benefits

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

## Related Commands

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

## Examples

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

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

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

## Testing

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


Update .claude-plugin/marketplace.json to 0.30.4

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

```verify
jq -e '.plugins[0].version == "0.30.4"' .claude-plugin/marketplace.json
```


Remove unreachable utility functions

Several small utility functions are unreachable:

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

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

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

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

Impact: Removes 50-100 LOC depending on decisions


No logging/debugging for tombstone resurrection events

Per the design document bd-zvg Open Question 1: Should resurrection log a warning? Recommendation was Yes. Currently, when an expired tombstone loses to a live issue (resurrection), there is no logging or debugging output. This makes it hard to understand why an issue reappeared. Recommendation: Add optional debug logging when resurrection occurs, e.g., Issue bd-abc resurrected (tombstone expired). Files: internal/merge/merge.go:359-366, 371-378, 400-405, 410-415


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


GH#483: Pre-commit hook fails unnecessarily when .beads removed

Pre-commit hook fails on bd sync when .beads directory exists but user is on branch without beads. Should exit gracefully. See GitHub issue #483.


Upgrade local Homebrew installation

Upgrade bd via Homebrew:

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


Fix checkExistingBeadsData to be worktree-aware

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


Remove Cache-Related Tests

Delete or update tests that assume multi-repo caching


Re: Thread Test 2

Great! Thread is working well.


Add empty tasks validation in workflow create

workflow.go:321 will panic if wf.Tasks is empty. Add validation that len(wf.Tasks) > 0 before accessing wf.Tasks[0].


Split large cmd/bd files: doctor.go (2948 lines), sync.go (2121 lines)

Code health review found several oversized files:

1. doctor.go - 2948 lines, 48 functions mixed together
   - Should split into doctor/checks/*.go for individual diagnostics
   - applyFixes() and previewFixes() are nearly identical

2. sync.go - 2121 lines
   - ZFC (Zero Flush Check) logic embedded inline (lines 213-247)
   - Multiple mode handlers should be extracted

3. init.go - 1732 lines
4. compact.go - 1097 lines
5. show.go - 1069 lines

Recommendation: Extract into focused sub-packages or split into logical files.


HANDOFF: Version 0.30.7 release in progress

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

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

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

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

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

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


Add unit tests for reset package

Comprehensive unit tests for internal/reset package.

## Test Cases

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Pinned issues: persistent context markers

Add ability to pin issues so they remain visible and are excluded from work-finding commands. Pinned issues serve as persistent context markers (handoffs, architectural notes, recovery instructions) that should not be claimed as work items.

Use Cases:
1. Handoff messages - Pin session handoffs so new agents always see them
2. Architecture decisions - Pin ADRs or design notes for reference
3. Recovery context - Pin amnesia-cure notes that help agents orient

Core commands: bd pin, bd unpin, bd list --pinned/--no-pinned


GH#409: bd init uses issues.jsonl but docs say beads.jsonl

bd init creates config referencing issues.jsonl but README/docs reference beads.jsonl as canonical. Standardize naming. See GitHub issue #409.


Implement global N-way collision resolution algorithm

**Summary:** Replaced pairwise collision resolution with a global N-way algorithm that deterministically resolves issue ID conflicts across multiple clones. The new approach groups collisions, deduplicates by content hash, and assigns sequential IDs to ensure consistent synchronization.

**Key Decisions:**
- Use content hash for global, stable sorting
- Group collisions by base ID
- Assign sequential IDs based on sorted unique versions
- Eliminate order-dependent remapping logic

**Resolution:** Implemented ResolveNWayCollisions function that guarantees deterministic issue ID assignment across multiple synchronization scenarios, solving the core challenge of maintaining consistency in distributed systems with potential conflicts.


Add missing hook calls in mail reply and ack

The mail commands are missing hook calls:

1. runMailReply (mail.go:525-672) creates a message but doesn't call hookRunner.Run(hooks.EventMessage, ...) after creating the reply in direct mode (around line 640)

2. runMailAck (mail.go:432-523) closes messages but doesn't call hookRunner.Run(hooks.EventClose, ...) after closing each message (around line 487 for daemon mode, 493 for direct mode)

This means GGT hooks won't fire for replies or message acknowledgments.


Final release verification

Verify all release artifacts are accessible:

- [ ] `bd --version` shows 0.30.4
- [ ] `bd version --daemon` shows 0.30.4
- [ ] GitHub release exists: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/releases/tag/v0.30.4
- [ ] `brew upgrade beads && bd --version` shows 0.30.4 (if using Homebrew)
- [ ] `pip show beads-mcp` shows 0.30.4
- [ ] npm package available at 0.30.4
- [ ] `bd info --whats-new` shows 0.30.4 notes

Run final checks:
```bash
bd --version
bd version --daemon
pip show beads-mcp | grep Version
bd info --whats-new
```


Sync race: rebase-based divergence recovery resurrects tombstones

## Problem
When two repos sync simultaneously, tombstones can be resurrected:

1. Repo A deletes issue (creates tombstone), pushes to sync branch
2. Repo B (with 'closed' status) exports and tries to push
3. Push fails (non-fast-forward)
4. fetchAndRebaseInWorktree does git rebase
5. Git rebase applies B's 'closed' patch on top of A's 'tombstone'
6. TEXT-level rebase doesn't invoke beads merge driver
7. 'closed' overwrites 'tombstone' = resurrection

## Root Cause
CommitToSyncBranch uses git rebase for divergence recovery, but rebase is text-level, not content-level. The proper content-level merge in PullFromSyncBranch handles tombstones correctly, but it runs AFTER the problematic push.

## Proposed Fix
Option 1: Don't push in CommitToSyncBranch - let PullFromSyncBranch handle merge+push
Option 2: Replace git rebase with content-level merge in fetchAndRebaseInWorktree
Option 3: Reorder sync steps: Export → Pull/Merge → Commit → Push

## Workaround Applied
Excluded tombstones from orphan detection warnings (commit 1e97d9cc).

See also: bd-3852 (Add orphan detection migration)


Add 'bd status' command for issue database overview

Implement a bd status command that provides a quick snapshot of the issue database state, similar to how git status shows working tree state.

Expected output: Show summary including counts by state (open, in-progress, blocked, closed), recent activity (last 7 days), and quick overview without needing multiple queries.

Example output showing issue counts, recent activity stats, and pointer to bd list for details.

Proposed options: --all (show all issues), --assigned (show issues assigned to current user), --json (JSON format output)

Use cases: Quick project health check, onboarding for new contributors, integration with shell prompts or CI/CD, daily standup reference


Implement transaction retry logic for SQLITE_BUSY

BEGIN IMMEDIATE fails immediately on SQLITE_BUSY instead of retrying with exponential backoff.

Location: internal/storage/sqlite/sqlite.go:223-225

Problem:
- Under concurrent write load, BEGIN IMMEDIATE can fail with SQLITE_BUSY
- Current implementation fails immediately instead of retrying
- Results in spurious failures under normal concurrent usage

Solution: Implement exponential backoff retry:
- Retry up to N times (e.g., 5)
- Backoff: 10ms, 20ms, 40ms, 80ms, 160ms
- Check for context cancellation between retries
- Only retry on SQLITE_BUSY/database locked errors

Impact: Spurious failures under concurrent write load

Effort: 3 hours


Add bd template list command

Add a convenience command to list available templates:

bd template list

This is equivalent to 'bd list --label=template' but more discoverable.
Could also show variable placeholders found in each template.


Optimize GetReadyWork performance - 752ms on 10K database (target: <50ms)

# Performance Analysis (10K Issue Database)

Analyzed using CPU profiles from benchmark suite on Apple M2 Pro.

## Operation Performance

| Operation                        | Time    | Allocations | Memory |
|----------------------------------|---------|-------------|--------|
| bd ready (GetReadyWork)          | ~752ms  | 167,466     | 16MB   |
| bd list (SearchIssues no filter) | ~11.6ms | 89,214      | 5.8MB  |
| bd list (SearchIssues filtered)  | ~9.2ms  | 62,365      | 3.5MB  |
| bd create (CreateIssue)          | ~2.6ms  | 146         | 8.6KB  |
| bd update (UpdateIssue)          | ~0.32ms | 364         | 15KB   |
| bd close (UpdateIssue)           | ~0.32ms | 364         | 15KB   |

**Target: <50ms for all operations on 10K database**

**Current issue: GetReadyWork is 15x over target (752ms vs 50ms)**

## Root Cause

GetReadyWork (internal/storage/sqlite/ready.go:90-128) uses recursive CTE to propagate blocking:
- 65x slower than SearchIssues
- Recalculates entire blocked issue tree on every call
- Algorithm:
  1. Find directly blocked issues via 'blocks' dependencies
  2. Recursively propagate blockage to descendants (max depth: 50)
  3. Exclude all blocked issues from results

## CPU Profile Analysis

- Database syscalls (pthread_cond_signal, syscall6): ~75%
- SQLite engine overhead: inherent to recursive CTE
- Application code (query construction): <1%

**Bottleneck is the recursive CTE query execution, not application code.**

## Optimization Recommendations

### High Impact (Likely to achieve <50ms target)

1. **Cache blocked issue calculation**
   - Add `blocked_issues` table updated on dependency changes
   - Trade write complexity for read speed (ready called >> dependency changes)
   - Eliminates recursive CTE on every read

2. **Add/verify database indexes**
   ```sql
   CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_dependencies_blocked
     ON dependencies(issue_id, type, depends_on_id);
   CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_issues_status
     ON issues(status);
   ```

### Medium Impact

3. **Reduce allocations** (167K allocations for GetReadyWork)
   - Profile `scanIssues()` for object pooling opportunities
   - Reuse slice capacity for repeated calls

### Low Impact (Not recommended)
- Query optimization for CRUD operations (already <3ms)
- Connection pooling tuning (not showing in profiles)

## Verification

Run benchmarks to validate optimization:
```bash
make bench-quick
go tool pprof -http=:8080 internal/storage/sqlite/bench-cpu-*.prof
```

Profile files automatically generated in `internal/storage/sqlite/`.


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

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

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

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

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

## Potential Followups
See linked issues for suggestions.


Improve test coverage for internal/beads (48.1% → 70%)

The beads package is a core package with 48.1% coverage. As the primary package for issue management, it should have at least 70% coverage.

Current coverage: 48.1%
Target coverage: 70%


Update beads_mcp/__init__.py to 0.30.4

Update __version__ in integrations/beads-mcp/src/beads_mcp/__init__.py:
```python
__version__ = "0.30.4"
```

```verify
grep -q '__version__ = "0.30.4"' integrations/beads-mcp/src/beads_mcp/__init__.py
```


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


Run tests and linting

Run the full test suite and linter:

```bash
TMPDIR=/tmp go test -short ./...
golangci-lint run ./...
```

Fix any failures. Linting warnings acceptable (see LINTING.md).


Work on beads-rs0: Namepool configuration for themed pole...

Work on beads-rs0: Namepool configuration for themed polecat names. See bd show beads-rs0 for full details.


Add bd reset command for clean slate restart

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

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

## Design

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

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

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

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

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

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


Implement subgraph cloning with variable substitution

Core implementation of template instantiation:

1. Add `bd template instantiate <template-id> [--var key=value]...` command
2. Implement subgraph loading:
   - Load template epic
   - Recursively load all children (and their children)
   - Load all dependencies between issues in the subgraph
3. Implement variable substitution:
   - Scan titles and descriptions for `{{name}}` patterns
   - Replace with provided values
   - Error on missing required variables (or prompt interactively)
4. Implement cloning:
   - Generate new IDs for all issues
   - Create cloned issues with substituted text
   - Remap and create dependencies
5. Return the new epic ID

Consider adding `--dry-run` flag to preview what would be created.


Ephemeral issue cleanup and history compaction

## Problem

Beads history grows without bound. Every message, handoff, work assignment
stays in issues.jsonl forever. Enterprise users will balk at "git as database."

## Solution: Two-Tier Cleanup

### Tier 1: Ephemeral Cleanup (v1)

bd cleanup --ephemeral --closed

- Deletes closed issues where ephemeral=true from issues.jsonl
- Safe: only removes explicitly marked ephemeral + closed
- Preserves git history (commits still exist)
- Run after swarm completion

### Tier 2: History Compaction (v2)

bd compact --squash

- Rewrites issues.jsonl to remove tombstones
- Optionally squashes git history (interactive rebase equivalent)
- Preserves Merkle proofs for deleted items
- Advanced: cold storage tiering

## HOP Context

| Layer | HOP Role | Persistence |
|-------|----------|-------------|
| Execution trace | None | Ephemeral |
| Work scaffolding | None | Summarizable |
| Work outcome | CV entry | Permanent |
| Validation record | Stake proof | Permanent |

"Execution is ephemeral. Outcomes are permanent. You can't squash your CV."

## Success Criteria

- After cleanup --ephemeral: issues.jsonl only contains persistent work
- Work outcomes preserved (CV entries)
- Validation records preserved (stake proofs)
- Execution scaffolding removed (transient coordination)


Add warning when staleness check errors

## Problem

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

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

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

## Current Code

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

## Fix

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

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

## Effort
Easy - 5 minutes


Warn on invalid depends_on references in workflow templates

workflow.go:780-781 silently skips invalid dependency names. Should log a warning when a depends_on reference doesn't match any task ID in the template.


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

Code health review found inconsistent error handling patterns:

Pattern A (preferred): FatalError() from errors.go:21-24
Pattern B (inconsistent): Direct fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr) + os.Exit(1)

Affected files:
- delete.go:35-49 uses direct pattern
- create.go:213 ignores error silently
- Various other commands

Fix: Standardize on FatalError() wrapper for consistent error messages and testability.


bd sync tries to create worktree for sync.branch even when already on that branch. Should commit directly instead. See GitHub issue #519.


Graph Link: supersedes for version chains

Implement supersedes link type for version tracking.

New command:
- bd supersede <id> --with <new> - marks id as superseded by new
- Auto-closes the superseded issue

Query support:
- bd show <id> shows 'Superseded by: <new>'
- bd show <new> shows 'Supersedes: <id>'
- bd list --superseded shows version chains

Storage:
- superseded_by column pointing to replacement issue

Useful for design docs, specs, and evolving artifacts.


Improve test coverage for internal/syncbranch (33.0% → 70%)

The syncbranch package has only 33.0% test coverage. This package handles git sync operations and is critical for data integrity.

Current coverage: 33.0%
Target coverage: 70%


Respond to GitHub issue #479 with solution

Once bd reset is implemented and released, respond to GitHub issue #479.

## Response should include
- Announce the new bd reset command
- Show basic usage examples
- Link to any documentation
- Thank the user for the feedback

## Example response
```
Thanks for raising this! We've added a `bd reset` command to handle this case.

Usage:
- `bd reset` - Reset to clean state (prompts for confirmation)
- `bd reset --backup` - Create backup first
- `bd reset --hard` - Also clean up git history

This is available in version X.Y.Z.
```

## Notes
- Wait until feature is merged and released
- Consider if issue should be closed or left for user confirmation


Update Homebrew formula

Update the Homebrew tap with new version:

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

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


Add test files for internal/storage

The internal/storage package has no test files at all. This package provides the storage interface abstraction.

Current coverage: N/A (no test files)
Target: Add basic interface tests


Update hook templates to 0.30.4

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

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

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


Work on beads-399: Add omitempty to JSONL fields for smal...

Work on beads-399: Add omitempty to JSONL fields for smaller notifications. When done, submit MR (not PR) to integration branch for Refinery.


Deleted issues resurrect during bd sync (tombstones not propagating)

## Problem

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

## Reproduction

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

## Root Cause Hypothesis

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

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

## Related

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

## Files to Investigate

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


Add content-addressable identity to Issue type

**Summary:** Added content-addressable identity to Issue type by implementing a ContentHash field that generates a unique SHA256 fingerprint based on semantic issue content. This resolves issue identification challenges when multiple system instances create issues with identical IDs but different contents.

**Key Decisions:**
- Use SHA256 for content hashing
- Hash excludes ID and timestamps
- Compute hash automatically at creation/import time
- Add database column for hash storage

**Resolution:** Successfully implemented a deterministic content hashing mechanism that enables reliable issue identification across distributed systems, improving data integrity and collision detection.


Add {{version}} to versionChanges in info.go

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

```go
{
    Version: "{{version}}",
    Date:    "{{date}}",
    Changes: []string{
        // Add notable changes here
    },
},
```

Copy changes from CHANGELOG.md [Unreleased] section.


Command Set Standardization & Flag Consistency

Comprehensive improvements to bd command set based on 2025 audit findings.

## Background
See docs/command-audit-2025.md for detailed analysis.

## Goals
1. Standardize flag naming and behavior across all commands
2. Add missing flags for feature parity
3. Fix naming confusion
4. Improve consistency in JSON output

## Success Criteria
- All mutating commands support --dry-run (no --preview variants)
- bd update supports label operations
- bd search has filter parity with bd list
- Priority flags accept both int and P0-P4 format everywhere
- JSON output is consistent across all commands


Add close_reason to JSONL export format documentation

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

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

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

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

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


Test stdin body-file


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


Sync branch integrity guards

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


Test stdin 2

Description from stdin test


Merge: bd-ot0w

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


Test issue 2


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

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

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

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

Workaround: Manually add deletion records to deletions.jsonl.


Merge: bd-401h

branch: polecat/rictus
target: main
source_issue: bd-401h
rig: beads


Timer beads for scheduled agent callbacks

## Problem

Agents frequently need to wait for external events (CI completion, PR reviews, artifact builds) but have no good mechanism:
- `sleep N` blocks and is unreliable (often times out at 8+ minutes)
- Polling wastes context and is easy to forget
- No way to survive session restarts

## Proposal: Timer Beads

A new bead type or field that represents a scheduled callback:

### Creating timers
```bash
bd timer create --in 30s --callback "Check CI run 12345" --issue bd-xyz
bd timer create --at "2025-12-20T08:00:00" --callback "Morning standup"
bd timer create --in 5m --on-expire "tmux send-keys -t dave 'bd show bd-xyz'"
```

### Timer storage
- Store in beads (survives restarts)
- Fields: `expires_at`, `callback_description`, `on_expire_command`, `linked_issue`
- Status: pending, fired, cancelled

### Deacon integration
The Deacon daemon monitors timer beads:
1. Wakes on next timer expiry
2. Executes `on_expire` command (e.g., tmux send-keys to interrupt agent)
3. Marks timer as fired
4. Optionally updates linked issue

### Use cases
- CI monitoring: "ping me when build completes"
- PR reviews: "check back in 1 hour"
- Scheduled tasks: "remind me at EOD to sync"
- Blocking waits: agent registers callback instead of sleeping

## Acceptance criteria
- [ ] Timer bead type or field design
- [ ] `bd timer create/list/cancel` commands
- [ ] Deacon timer monitoring loop
- [ ] tmux integration for agent interrupts
- [ ] Survives daemon restarts


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%


Merge: bd-t4sb

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


Update git hooks

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

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

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


Implement `bd setup cursor` for Cursor IDE integration

Create a `bd setup cursor` command that integrates Beads workflow into Cursor IDE via .cursorrules file. Unlike Claude Code (which has hooks), Cursor uses a static rules file to provide context to its AI.


Test message

This is a test message body


Improve test coverage for internal/rpc (47.5% → 60%)

The RPC package has only 47.5% test coverage. RPC is the communication layer for daemon operations.

Current coverage: 47.5%
Target coverage: 60%


Bump version in all files

Run ./scripts/bump-version.sh {{version}} to update 10 version files. Then run with --commit after info.go is updated.


Create git tag v{{version}}

Create the release tag:

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

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


Add pinned field to issue schema

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


Remove Storage Cache from Server Struct

Eliminate cache fields and use s.storage directly


Monitor PyPI publish

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

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

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

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


Commit and push release

git add -A && git commit && git push to trigger CI


bd sync --from-main fails: unknown flag --no-git-history


Fix update-hooks verification in version-bump.yaml

The update-hooks task verification command at version-bump.yaml:358 always succeeds due to '|| echo ...' fallback. Remove the fallback so verification actually fails when hooks aren't installed.


Merge: bd-14ie

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


Investigate charmbracelet-based TUI for beads

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

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

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


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.


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

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


Update Metrics and Health Endpoints

Remove cache-related metrics from health/metrics endpoints


Add orphan detection migration

Create migration to detect orphaned children in existing databases. Query: SELECT id FROM issues WHERE id LIKE '%.%' AND substr(id, 1, instr(id || '.', '.') - 1) NOT IN (SELECT id FROM issues). Log results, let user decide action (delete orphans or convert to top-level).


Remove legacy MCP Agent Mail integration

## Summary

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

## Background

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

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

## Files to Delete

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

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

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

## Code to Update

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

## Verification

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


Restart daemon with {{version}}

Restart the bd daemon to pick up new version:

```bash
bd daemon --stop
bd daemon --start
bd daemon --health  # Verify Version: {{version}}
```


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

Add --type flag to bd update for changing issue type (task/epic/bug/feature). Storage layer already supports it. See GitHub issue #522.


Performance Validation

Confirm no performance regression from cache removal


Tests for messaging and graph links

Comprehensive test coverage for all new features.

Test files:
- cmd/bd/mail_test.go - mail command tests
- internal/storage/sqlite/graph_links_test.go - graph link tests
- internal/hooks/hooks_test.go - hook execution tests

Test cases:
- Mail send/inbox/read/ack lifecycle
- Thread creation and traversal (replies_to)
- Bidirectional relates_to
- Duplicate marking and queries
- Supersedes chains
- Ephemeral cleanup
- Identity resolution priority
- Hook execution (mock hooks)
- Schema migration preserves data

Target: >80% coverage on new code


Hooks System

Implement hook system for extensibility.

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

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

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

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


Update npm-package/package.json to 0.30.4

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

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


Redesign workflow system: templates as native Beads

## Problem

The current workflow system (YAML templates in cmd/bd/templates/workflows/) is architecturally flawed:

1. **Out-of-band data plane** - YAML files are a parallel system outside Beads itself
2. **Heavyweight DSL** - YAML is gross; even TOML would have been better, but neither is ideal
3. **Not graph-native** - Beads IS already a dependency graph with priorities, so why reinvent it?
4. **Can't use bd commands on templates** - They're opaque YAML, not viewable/editable Beads

## The Right Design

**Templates should be Beads themselves.**

A "workflow template" should be:
- An epic marked as a template (via label, type, or prefix like `tpl-`)
- Child issues with dependencies between them (using normal bd dep)
- Titles and descriptions containing `{{variable}}` placeholders
- Normal priorities that control serialization order

"Instantiation" becomes:
1. Clone the template subgraph (epic + children + dependencies)
2. Substitute variables in titles/descriptions
3. Generate new IDs for all cloned issues
4. Return the new epic ID

## Benefits

- **No YAML** - Templates are just Beads
- **Use existing tools** - `bd show`, `bd edit`, `bd dep` work on templates
- **Graph-native** - Dependencies are real Beads dependencies
- **Simpler codebase** - Remove all the YAML parsing/workflow code
- **Composable** - Templates can reference other templates

## Tasks

1. Delete the YAML workflow system code (revert recent push + remove existing workflow code)
2. Design template marking convention (label? type? id prefix?)
3. Implement `bd template create` or `bd clone --as-template`
4. Implement `bd template instantiate <template-id> --var key=value`
5. Migrate version-bump workflow to native Beads template
6. Update documentation


wish: a 'continue' or similar cmd/flag which means alter last issue

so many time I create an issue and then have another thought: 'oh, before I did X and it crashed there was ZZZ happening' or 'actually that is P4 not P2'. It would be nice if when `bd {cmd}` is used without a {title} or {id} it just adds or updates the most recently touched issue.