Work on beads-d8h: Fix prefix mismatch false positive wit...

Work on beads-d8h: Fix prefix mismatch false positive with multi-hyphen prefixes like 'asianops-audit-' (GH#422). When done, submit MR (not PR) to integration branch for Refinery.


Run tests and verify lint passes.

Run tests and verify lint passes.

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

CI will run full lint, but fix any obvious issues first.

instantiated_from: bd-mol-xga
step: run-tests


Add tests for dependency management

Key dependency functions like mergeBidirectionalTrees, GetDependencyTree, and DetectCycles have low or no coverage. These are essential for maintaining data integrity in the dependency graph.


beads-release

Beads release workflow - from version bump to verified release.

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

## Usage

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

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


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.


Restart daemons

Restart bd daemons to pick up new version.

```bash
bd daemons killall
```

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

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


wish: list & ready show issues as hierarchy tree

`bd ready` and `bd list` just show a flat list, and it's up to the reader to parse which ones are dependent or sub-issues of others. It would be much easier to understand if they were shown in a tree format


Add timeout message for long-running git push operations

When git push hangs waiting for credential/browser auth, show a periodic message to the user instead of appearing frozen. Add timeout messaging after N seconds of inactivity during git operations.


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.


Refactor sync_test to use direct import logic

In cmd/bd/sync_test.go:444, there's a TODO to refactor the test to use direct import logic instead of subprocess calls. This would make the test more reliable and faster.

File: cmd/bd/sync_test.go:444


bd cook: Proto ID prefix should match project prefix

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

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

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

## Problem

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

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

## Options

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

## Current Workaround

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

## Related

gt-i6k1: Duplicate proto cleanup


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.


bd wisp list command

Add bd wisp list command to show ephemeral molecules.

## Usage
```bash
bd wisp list              # List all wisps in current context
bd wisp list --json       # JSON output
bd wisp list --all        # Include orphaned wisps
```

## Output
- Shows in-progress ephemeral molecules
- Columns: ID, Title, Started, Last Update, Status
- Warns about orphaned wisps (old updated_at)

## Implementation
- New 'wisp' command group
- Read from .beads-ephemeral/issues.jsonl
- Filter to ephemeral:true issues


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


Documentation for messaging and graph links

Document all new features.

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

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


gt mq list shows empty when MRs exist


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).


Implement await type handlers (gh:run, gh:pr, timer, human, mail)

Implement condition checking for each await type.

## Handlers Needed
- gh:run:<id> - Check GitHub Actions run status via gh CLI
- gh:pr:<id> - Check PR merged/closed status via gh CLI
- timer:<duration> - Simple elapsed time check
- human:<prompt> - Check for human approval (via mail?)
- mail:<pattern> - Check for mail matching pattern

## Implementation Location
This is Deacon logic, so likely in Gas Town (gt) not beads.

## Interface
```go
type AwaitHandler interface {
    Check(awaitID string) (completed bool, result string, err error)
}
```


Polymorphic bond command: bd mol bond A B

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

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

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

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

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

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


Update info.go versionChanges

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


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/`.


bd prime: AI context loading and Claude Code integration

Implement `bd prime` command and Claude Code hooks for context recovery. Hooks work with BOTH MCP server and CLI approaches - they solve the context memory problem (keeping bd workflow fresh after compaction) not the tool access problem (MCP vs CLI).


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


HANDOFF: Molecule bonding - spawn done, bond next

## Context

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

## Completed This Session

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

## Now Unblocked

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

## Key Files

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

## Next Step

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


Merge: bd-qioh

branch: polecat/Errata
target: main
source_issue: bd-qioh
rig: beads


Distinct prefixes for protos, molecules, wisps

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

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

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

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

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


Wait for GoReleaser

gh run list --workflow=release.yml - wait for success


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


Fix JSON errors in label.go (label commands)

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

Commands affected:
- labelAddCmd
- labelRemoveCmd
- labelListCmd
- labelListAllCmd


Test Thread

Initial message for threading test


gt polecat done should auto-stop running session

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


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


Merge: bd-l13p

branch: polecat/nux
target: main
source_issue: bd-l13p
rig: beads


Preflight: Pull latest

Ensure we're up to date with origin.

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

Resolve any conflicts before proceeding.


Test Agent


Merge: bd-n386

branch: polecat/immortan
target: main
source_issue: bd-n386
rig: beads


Fix JSON errors in show.go (update/close/edit commands)

Replace ~51 direct stderr writes with FatalErrorRespectJSON() in show.go.

Commands affected:
- updateCmd (~10 error handlers)
- closeCmd (~15 error handlers)
- editCmd (~10 error handlers)
- showCmd (already uses FatalErrorRespectJSON in some places)

Key error paths:
- ID resolution errors (lines 565, 570, 579)
- Validation errors (lines 474, 515, 524, 545)
- RPC/daemon errors (line 639+)
- Store operation errors


Release complete

Release v0.39.0 is complete!

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

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


Update local installation

Update local bd to the new version.

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

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

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

Should show 0.39.0.


bd mol reset: Reset molecule to initial state for looping

Implement bd mol reset for patrol loop behavior.

## Command

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

## Behavior

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

## Use Case: Deacon Patrol Loop

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

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

## State After Reset

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

## Files

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


Run the version bump script.

Run the version bump script.

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

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

instantiated_from: bd-mol-xga
step: bump-version


Release v0.30.4

## Version Bump Workflow

Coordinating release from 0.30.3 to 0.30.4.

### Components Updated
- Go CLI (cmd/bd/version.go)
- Claude Plugin (.claude-plugin/*.json)
- MCP Server (integrations/beads-mcp/)
- npm Package (npm-package/package.json)
- Git hooks (cmd/bd/templates/hooks/)

### Release Channels
- GitHub Releases (GoReleaser)
- PyPI (beads-mcp)
- npm (@beads/cli)
- Homebrew (homebrew-beads tap)


Merge: bd-d28c

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


Merge: bd-401h

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


Remove deprecated daemon logger function

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

File: cmd/bd/daemon_logger.go:131


Polecat sessions terminate unexpectedly during work

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

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

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

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

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

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


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.


Work on beads-tip: Fix broken Claude integration link in ...

Work on beads-tip: Fix broken Claude integration link in bd doctor (GH#623). Update URL that doesn't exist. When done, submit MR (not PR) to integration branch for Refinery.


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
```


Remove molecule.go (simple instantiation)

molecule.go uses is_template field for simple single-issue cloning. This is too simple for what molecules should be - full DAG orchestration. The use case is covered by bd mol bond with a single-issue molecule. Delete molecule.go and its commands.


Async Gates for Agent Coordination

Agents need an async primitive for waiting on external events (CI completion, API responses, human approval). Gates are wisp issues that block until external conditions are met, managed by the Deacon.

## Core Concepts

**Gate** = wisp issue that blocks until external condition is met
- Type: gate
- Phase: wisp (never synced, ephemeral)
- Assignee: deacon/ (Deacon monitors it)
- Fields: await_type, await_id, timeout, waiters[]

**Await Types:**
- gh:run:<id> - GitHub Actions run completion
- gh:pr:<id> - PR merged/closed
- timer:<duration> - Simple delay
- human:<prompt> - Human approval required
- mail:<pattern> - Wait for mail matching pattern

## Open Questions
- Should gates live in wisp storage or main storage with wisp flag?
- Do we need a gate catalog (like molecule catalog)?
- Should waits-for dep type work with gates?


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)


Auto-repair stale merge driver configs with invalid placeholders

Old bd versions (<0.24.0) installed merge driver with invalid placeholders %L %R instead of %A %B. Add detection to bd doctor --fix: check if git config merge.beads.driver contains %L or %R, auto-repair to 'bd merge %A %O %A %B'. One-time migration for users who initialized with old versions.


Merge: bd-tvu3

branch: polecat/Beader
target: main
source_issue: bd-tvu3
rig: beads


Push to main

Push the release commit to origin.

```bash
git push origin main
```

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


test hash length


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.


No logging/debugging for tombstone resurrection events

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


Test stdin body-file


bd mol bond --pour should set Wisp=false

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

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

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

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

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


Merge: bd-9usz

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


HOP-compatible schema additions

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

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

## P1 Changes (Must Have Before Launch)

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

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

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

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

## P2 Changes (Should Have)

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

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

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

## P3 Changes (Nice to Have)

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

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

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


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

## Problem

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

## Proposed Solution

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

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

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

## How it works

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

## Why elegant

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

## Alternative

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


Preflight: Check git status

Ensure working tree is clean before starting release.

```bash
git status
```

If there are uncommitted changes, either:
- Commit them first
- Stash them: `git stash`
- Abort and resolve


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.


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}}
```


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.


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.


Upgrade local Homebrew installation

Upgrade bd via Homebrew:

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

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

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

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


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 {


Merge: bd-phtv

branch: polecat/Pinner
target: main
source_issue: bd-phtv
rig: beads


Push release tag

Push the version tag to trigger CI release.

```bash
git push origin v0.39.0
```

This triggers GitHub Actions to build artifacts and publish.


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.


Merge: bd-c7y5

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


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.


Routing bypassed in daemon mode

## Bug

Prefix-based routing (routes.jsonl) only works in direct mode. When the daemon is running, it bypasses routing logic because:

1. Daemon mode resolves IDs via RPC (`daemonClient.ResolveID`)
2. Daemon uses its own store, which only knows about local beads
3. The routing logic in `resolveAndGetIssueWithRouting` is only called in direct mode

## Reproduction

```bash
# With daemon running:
cd ~/gt
bd show gt-1py3y  # Fails - daemon can't find it

# With daemon bypassed:
bd --no-daemon show gt-1py3y  # Works - uses routing
```

## Fix Options

### Option A: Client-side routing detection (Recommended)
Before calling daemon RPC, check if the ID prefix matches a route to a different beads dir. If so, use direct mode with routing for that ID.

```go
// In show.go, before daemon mode:
if daemonClient != nil && needsRouting(id) {
    // Fall back to direct mode for this ID
    result, err := resolveAndGetIssueWithRouting(ctx, store, id)
    ...
}
```

### Option B: Daemon-side routing
Add routing support to the daemon RPC server. More complex - daemon would need to:
- Load routes.jsonl on startup
- Open connections to multiple databases
- Route requests based on ID prefix

### Option C: Hybrid
Daemon returns "not found + prefix hint", client retries with routing.

## Recommendation

Option A is simplest. The client already has routing logic; just use it when we detect a routed prefix.


Consolidate migrate-* commands into migrate subcommands

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


Merge: bd-ykd9

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


bd dep add: Auto-resolve cross-rig IDs using routes.jsonl

Currently, adding a dependency to an issue in another rig requires verbose external reference syntax:

```bash
# This fails - can't resolve bd-* from gastown context
bd dep add gt-xyz bd-abc

# This works but is verbose
bd dep add gt-xyz external:beads:bd-abc
```

The town-level routing (~/gt/.beads/routes.jsonl) already knows how to map prefixes to rigs:
```json
{"prefix": "gt-", "path": "gastown/mayor/rig"}
{"prefix": "bd-", "path": "beads/mayor/rig"}
```

Enhancement: When `bd dep add` encounters an ID with a foreign prefix, it should:
1. Check routes.jsonl for the prefix mapping
2. Auto-resolve to external:<project>:<id> internally
3. Allow the simpler `bd dep add gt-xyz bd-abc` syntax

This would make cross-rig dependencies much more ergonomic.


Run bump-version.sh

Update all component versions atomically.

```bash
./scripts/bump-version.sh 0.39.0
```

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


Wait for GitHub Actions to complete.

Wait for GitHub Actions to complete.

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

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

Wait until all jobs succeed (~5-10 min).

instantiated_from: bd-mol-xga
step: wait-for-ci


Add gate timeout tracking and notification

Implement timeout and notification logic for gates.

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

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

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


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


Distill: promote ad-hoc epic to proto

Extract a reusable proto from an existing ad-hoc epic.

COMMAND: bd mol distill <epic-id> [--as <proto-name>]

BEHAVIOR:
- Clone the epic and all children as a new proto
- Set is_template=true on all cloned issues
- Replace concrete values with {{variable}} placeholders (interactive or --var flags)
- Add to proto catalog

FLAGS:
- --as NAME: Custom proto ID (default: proto-<epic-id>)
- --var field=placeholder: Replace value with variable placeholder
- --interactive: Prompt for each field that looks parameterizable
- --dry-run: Preview the proto structure

EXAMPLE:
  bd mol distill bd-o5xe --as proto-feature-workflow \
    --var title=feature_name \
    --var assignee=worker

USE CASES:
- Team develops good workflow organically, wants to reuse it
- Capture tribal knowledge as executable templates
- Create starting point for similar future work

The reverse of spawn: instead of proto → molecule, it's molecule → proto.


Delete server_cache_storage.go

Remove the entire cache implementation file (~286 lines)


GH#405: Fix prefix parsing with hyphens - multi-hyphen prefixes parsed incorrectly

Fixed: ExtractIssuePrefix was falling back to first-hyphen for word-like suffixes, breaking multi-hyphen prefixes like 'hacker-news' and 'me-py-toolkit'.


Code smell: Duplicated issue type switch in cook.go

The same switch statement for mapping step type to IssueType appears twice in cook.go:

Location 1 (line 425):
```go
switch step.Type {
case "task":
    issueType = types.TypeTask
case "bug":
    issueType = types.TypeBug
// ...
}
```

Location 2 (line 764): Identical switch statement.

Should extract to a helper function:
```go
func stepTypeToIssueType(stepType string) types.IssueType {
    switch stepType {
    case "task": return types.TypeTask
    case "bug": return types.TypeBug
    // ...
    default: return types.TypeTask
    }
}
```

Location: cmd/bd/cook.go:425 and cmd/bd/cook.go:764


Merge: bd-ot0w

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


Phase 2.4: Git merge driver optimization for TOON format

Optimize git 3-way merge for TOON line-oriented format.

## Overview
TOON is line-oriented (unlike binary formats), enabling smarter git merge strategies. Implement custom merge driver to handle TOON-specific merge patterns.

## Required Work

### 2.4.1 TOON Merge Driver
- [ ] Create .git/info/attributes entry for *.toon files
- [ ] Implement custom merge driver script/command
- [ ] Handle tabular format row merges (line-based 3-way)
- [ ] Handle YAML-style format merges
- [ ] Conflict markers for unsolvable conflicts

### 2.4.2 Merge Patterns
- [ ] Row addition: both branches add different rows → union
- [ ] Row deletion: one branch deletes, other modifies → conflict (manual review)
- [ ] Row modification: concurrent field changes → intelligent merge or conflict
- [ ] Field ordering changes: ignore (TOON format resilient to order)

### 2.4.3 Testing & Documentation
- [ ] Unit tests for merge scenarios (3-way merge logic)
- [ ] Integration tests with actual git merges
- [ ] Conflict scenario testing
- [ ] Documentation of merge strategy

## Success Criteria
- Git merge handles TOON conflicts intelligently
- Fewer manual merge conflicts than JSONL
- Round-trip preserved through merges
- All 70+ tests still passing
- Git history stays clean (minimal conflict markers)


Run tests and linting

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


Add EntityRef type for structured entity references

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


Mol Mall: Formula marketplace using GitHub as backend

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

## Architecture Update (Dec 2025)

**Formulas are the sharing layer.** With ephemeral protos (bd-rciw), the architecture is:

```
Formulas ──cook──→ [ephemeral proto] ──pour/wisp──→ Mol/Wisp
    ↑                                                    │
    └────────────────── distill ─────────────────────────┘
```

- **Formulas**: JSON source files (.formula.json) - the thing you share
- **Protos**: Transient compilation artifacts - auto-deleted after use
- **Mols/Wisps**: Execution instances - not shared directly

**Key operations:**
- `bd distill <mol-id>` → Extract formula from completed work
- `bd mol publish <formula>` → Share to GitHub
- `bd mol install <url>` → Fetch from GitHub
- `bd pour <formula>` → Cook and spawn (proto is ephemeral)

## Why GitHub?

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

## URL Scheme

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

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

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

## Architecture

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

## ID Namespace

| Entity | ID Format | Example |
|--------|-----------|---------|
| Formula (GitHub) | `github.com/org/repo` | `github.com/anthropics/mol-code-review` |
| Installed formula | `mol-name` | `mol-code-review` |
| Poured instance | `<db>-mol-xxx` | `bd-mol-b8c` |

Deferred - focusing on Christmas launch first


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


Technical debt: Multiple deprecated command aliases still exist

attached_args: Remove deprecated command aliases

Several deprecated command aliases are still present in the codebase:

1. cmd/bd/relate.go:51 - 'bd relate' deprecated for 'bd dep relate'
2. cmd/bd/relate.go:56 - 'bd unrelate' deprecated for 'bd dep unrelate'
3. cmd/bd/daemons.go:618 - 'bd daemons' deprecated for 'bd daemon <subcommand>'
4. cmd/bd/migrate_hash_ids.go:433 - alias for 'bd migrate hash-ids'
5. cmd/bd/migrate_tombstones.go:352 - alias for 'bd migrate tombstones'
6. cmd/bd/migrate_sync.go:68 - alias for 'bd migrate sync'
7. cmd/bd/migrate_issues.go:717 - alias for 'bd migrate issues'
8. cmd/bd/comments.go:214 - deprecated for 'bd comments add'
9. cmd/bd/template.go:64,82,147,226 - multiple template commands deprecated for 'bd mol'
10. cmd/bd/admin_aliases.go - multiple admin aliases deprecated
11. cmd/bd/detect_pollution.go:24 - deprecated for 'bd doctor --check=pollution'

Consider:
1. Setting a deprecation timeline (e.g., remove in v2.0)
2. Adding warnings when deprecated commands are used
3. Documenting migration path in CHANGELOG

Location: Various files in cmd/bd/


Code smell: Multiple CLI command files exceed 1000 lines

Several CLI command files are very large and could benefit from splitting:

| File | Lines | Notes |
|------|-------|-------|
| init.go | 1928 | Multiple init modes, contributor/team setup |
| show.go | 1592 | Display formatting, tree views, output modes |
| doctor.go | 1295 | Many health checks |
| sync.go | 1201 | Sync branch operations |
| compact.go | 1199 | Compaction logic |
| linear.go | 1190 | Linear integration |
| main.go | 1148 | Entry point and globals |

Consider:
1. Splitting init.go into init_core.go, init_contributor.go (already exists), init_team.go (already exists)
2. Moving show.go formatters to internal/ui package
3. Doctor checks could be individual files under doctor/ subpackage (already started)

Location: cmd/bd/*.go


JSON test issue

Line 1
Line 2
Line 3


Update CHANGELOG header

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


Make merge requests ephemeral wisps instead of permanent issues

## Problem

Merge requests (MRs) are currently created as regular beads issues (type: merge-request). This means they:
- Sync to JSONL and propagate via git
- Accumulate in the issue database indefinitely
- Clutter `bd list` output with closed MRs
- Create permanent records for inherently transient artifacts

MRs are process artifacts, not work products. They exist briefly while code awaits merge, then their purpose is fulfilled. The git merge commit and GitHub PR (if applicable) provide the permanent audit trail - the beads MR is redundant.

## Proposed Solution

Make MRs ephemeral wisps that exist only during the merge process:

1. **Create MRs as wisps**: When a polecat completes work and requests merge, create the MR in `.beads-wisp/` instead of `.beads/`

2. **Refinery visibility**: This works because all clones within a rig share the same database:
   ```
   beads/              ← Rig root
   ├── .beads/         ← Permanent issues (synced to JSONL)
   ├── .beads-wisp/    ← Ephemeral wisps (NOT synced)
   ├── crew/dave/      ← Uses rig's shared DB
   ├── polecats/*/     ← Uses rig's shared DB
   └── refinery/       ← Uses rig's shared DB
   ```
   The refinery can see wisp MRs immediately - same SQLite database.

3. **On merge completion**: Burn the wisp (delete without digest). The git merge commit IS the permanent record. No digest needed since:
   - Digest wouldn't be smaller than the MR itself (~200-300 bytes either way)
   - Git history provides complete audit trail
   - GitHub PR (if used) provides discussion/approval record

4. **On merge rejection/abandonment**: Burn the wisp. Optionally notify the source polecat via mail.

## Benefits

- **Clean JSONL**: MRs never pollute the permanent issue history
- **No accumulation**: Wisps are burned on completion, no cleanup needed
- **Correct semantics**: Wisps are for "operational ephemera" - MRs fit perfectly
- **Reduced sync churn**: Fewer JSONL updates, faster `bd sync`
- **Cleaner queries**: `bd list` shows work items, not process artifacts

## Implementation Notes

### Where MRs are created

Currently MRs are created by the witness or polecat when work is ready for merge. This code needs to:
- Set `wisp: true` on the MR issue
- Or use a dedicated wisp creation path

### Refinery changes

The refinery queries for pending MRs to process. It needs to:
- Query wisp storage as well as (or instead of) permanent storage
- Use `bd mol burn` or equivalent to delete processed MRs

### What about cross-rig MRs?

If an MR needs to be visible outside the rig (e.g., external collaborators):
- They would see the GitHub PR anyway
- Or we could create a permanent "merge completed" notification issue
- But this is likely unnecessary - MRs are internal coordination

### Migration

Existing MRs in permanent storage:
- Can be cleaned up with `bd cleanup` or manual deletion
- Or left to age out naturally
- No migration of open MRs needed (they'll complete under old system

## Alternatives Considered

1. **Auto-cleanup of closed MRs**: Keep MRs as permanent issues but auto-delete after 24h. Simpler but still creates sync churn and temporary JSONL pollution.

2. **MRs as mail only**: Polecat sends mail to refinery with merge details, no MR issue at all. Loses queryability (bd-801b [P2] [merge-request] closed - Merge: bd-bqcc
bd-pvu0 [P2] [merge-request] closed - Merge: bd-4opy
bd-i0rx [P2] [merge-request] closed - Merge: bd-ao0s
bd-u0sb [P2] [merge-request] closed - Merge: bd-uqfn
bd-8e0q [P2] [merge-request] closed - Merge: beads-ocs
bd-hvng [P2] [merge-request] closed - Merge: bd-w193
bd-4sfl [P2] [merge-request] closed - Merge: bd-14ie
bd-sumr [P2] [merge-request] closed - Merge: bd-t4sb
bd-3x9o [P2] [merge-request] closed - Merge: bd-by0d
bd-whgv [P2] [merge-request] closed - Merge: bd-401h
bd-f3ll [P2] [merge-request] closed - Merge: bd-ot0w
bd-fmdy [P3] [merge-request] closed - Merge: bd-kzda).

3. **Separate merge queue**: Refinery maintains internal state for pending merges, not in beads at all. Clean but requires new infrastructure.

Wisps are the cleanest solution - they already exist, have the right semantics, and require minimal changes.

## Related

- Wisp architecture:
- Current MR creation: witness/refinery code paths
- bd-pvu0, bd-801b: Example MRs currently in permanent storage
EOF
)


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'
```


Consolidate maintenance commands into bd doctor --fix

Per rsnodgrass in GH#692:
> "The biggest improvement to beads from an ergonomics perspective would be to prune down commands. We have a lot of 'maintenance' commands that probably should just be folded into 'bd doctor --fix' automatically."

Current maintenance commands that could be consolidated:
- clean - Clean up temporary git merge artifacts
- cleanup - Delete closed issues and prune expired tombstones
- compact - Compact old closed issues
- detect-pollution - Detect and clean test issues
- migrate-* (5 commands) - Various migration utilities
- repair-deps - Fix orphaned dependency references
- validate - Database health checks

Proposal:
1. Make `bd doctor` the single entry point for health checks
2. Add `bd doctor --fix` to auto-fix common issues
3. Deprecate (but keep working) individual commands
4. Add `bd doctor --all` for comprehensive maintenance

This would reduce cognitive load for users - they just need to remember 'bd doctor'.

Note: This is higher impact but also higher risk - needs careful design to avoid breaking existing workflows.


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.


Clean up orphaned child issues (bd-cb64c226.*, bd-cbed9619.*)

## Problem

Every bd command shows warnings about 12 orphaned child issues:
- bd-cb64c226.1, .6, .8, .9, .10, .12, .13
- bd-cbed9619.1, .2, .3, .4, .5

These are hierarchical IDs (parent.child format) where the parent issues no longer exist.

## Impact

- Clutters output of every bd command
- Confusing for users
- Indicates incomplete cleanup of deleted parent issues

## Proposed Solution

1. Delete the orphaned issues since their parents no longer exist:
   ```bash
   bd delete bd-cb64c226.1 bd-cb64c226.6 bd-cb64c226.8 ...
   ```

2. Or convert them to top-level issues if they contain useful content

## Investigation Needed

- What were the parent issues bd-cb64c226 and bd-cbed9619?
- Why were they deleted without their children?
- Should bd delete cascade to children automatically?


Update info.go versionChanges

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

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

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

Focus on workflow-impacting changes agents need to know.


Work on beads-ldv: Fix bd graph crashes with nil pointer ...

Work on beads-ldv: Fix bd graph crashes with nil pointer dereference (GH#657). Fix nil pointer in computeDependencyCounts at graph.go:428. When done, submit MR (not PR) to integration branch for Refinery.


bd doctor --deep: validate full graph integrity

Add a deep validation mode to bd doctor that checks the entire issue graph.

Current doctor checks:
- Orphan sessions
- Orphan processes
- Wisp GC
- Sync status

Proposed --deep checks:
- **Parent consistency**: Every issue with parent field points to existing issue
- **Dependency symmetry**: If A depends on B, B should show A in blocks
- **Orphan issues**: Issues mentioned in commits but never closed
- **Circular dependencies**: Detect dependency cycles
- **Epic completeness**: Epics with all children closed should be closeable
- **Agent bead integrity**: Agent beads have required fields (role_bead, state)
- **Mail thread integrity**: Messages point to valid threads
- **Molecule state**: Molecules have valid current_step pointing to existing step

Use case: After complex operations (reparenting, migrations, bulk updates), run `bd doctor --deep` to catch graph inconsistencies before they cause problems.

Performance: May be slow on large databases - warn user and show progress.


Tier 5 (Future): JSONL archive rotation

Periodic rotation of issues.jsonl for long-running repos.

## Design

.beads/
├── issues.jsonl           # Current (hot)
├── archive/
│   ├── issues-2025-12.jsonl.gz  # Archived (cold)
│   └── ...
└── index.jsonl            # Merged index for queries

## Commands

bd archive rotate [flags]
  --older-than N    Archive issues closed > N days
  --compress        Gzip archives
  --dry-run         Preview

bd archive list           # Show archived periods
bd archive restore <period>  # Restore from archive

## Config

bd config set archive.enabled true
bd config set archive.rotate_days 90
bd config set archive.compress true
bd config set archive.path '.beads/archive'

## Considerations

- Archives can be gitignored (local only) or committed (shared)
- Query layer must check index, hydrate from archive
- Cold storage tiering (S3/GCS) for enterprise
- Merkle proofs preserved for audit

## Priority

This is post-1.0 work. Current focus is on squash (removes ephemeral).
Archive helps with long-term history but is less critical.


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


Update local binary

cp ./bd ~/.local/bin/bd


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
```


Test prefix bd


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.


Add composite index (status, priority) for common list queries

SearchIssues and GetReadyWork frequently filter by status and sort by priority. Currently uses two separate indexes.

**Common query pattern (queries.go:1646-1647):**
```sql
WHERE status = ?
ORDER BY priority ASC, created_at DESC
```

**Problem:** Index merge or full scan when both columns are used.

**Solution:** Add migration:
```sql
CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_issues_status_priority ON issues(status, priority);
```

**Expected impact:** Faster bd list, bd ready with filters. Particularly noticeable at 10K+ issues.


rpc: Rich mutation events not emitted

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

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

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

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

Discovered during code review of bd-xo1o implementation.


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.


Add integration tests for bd reset command

End-to-end integration tests for the reset command.

## Test Scenarios

### Basic reset
1. Init beads, create some issues
2. Run bd reset --force
3. Verify .beads/ is fresh, issues gone

### Hard reset
1. Init beads, create issues, commit
2. Run bd reset --hard --force
3. Verify git history has reset commits

### Backup functionality
1. Init beads, create issues
2. Run bd reset --backup --force
3. Verify backup exists with correct contents
4. Verify main .beads/ is reset

### Dry run
1. Init beads, create issues
2. Run bd reset --dry-run
3. Verify nothing changed

### Confirmation prompt
1. Init beads
2. Run bd reset (no --force)
3. Verify prompts for confirmation
4. Test both y and n responses

## Location
tests/integration/reset_test.go or similar


Refinery Patrol

Merge queue processor patrol loop with verification gates.


Verify CI is green

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


Digest: Version Bump: test-squash

## Molecule Execution Summary

**Molecule**: Version Bump: test-squash
**Steps**: 8

**Completed**: 0/8

---

### Steps

1. **[open]** Verify release artifacts
   Check GitHub releases page - binaries for darwin/linux/windows should be available

2. **[open]** Commit and push release
   git add -A && git commit && git push to trigger CI

3. **[open]** Update CHANGELOG.md with release notes
   Add meaningful release notes to CHANGELOG.md describing what changed in test-squash

4. **[open]** Wait for CI to pass
   Monitor GitHub Actions - all checks must pass before release artifacts are built

5. **[open]** Restart running daemons
   Kill and restart any running bd daemons to pick up new version: pkill -f 'bd daemon' && bd daemon --start

6. **[open]** Update local installation
   Run install script or brew upgrade to get new version locally: curl -fsSL .../install.sh | bash

7. **[open]** Run bump-version.sh test-squash
   Run ./scripts/bump-version.sh test-squash to update version in all files

8. **[open]** Update info.go versionChanges
   Add entry to versionChanges in cmd/bd/info.go with agent-actionable changes for test-squash


Refactor duplicate JSONL-from-git parsing code

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

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

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

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


Fix JSON errors in comments.go

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

Commands affected:
- commentsCmd (list)
- commentsAddCmd


Add versionChanges to info.go

Add entry at TOP of versionChanges in cmd/bd/info.go


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

## Audit Complete (2025-12-25)

### Findings

**✓ All commands support --json flag**
- Query commands: ready, blocked, stale, count, stats, status
- Dep commands: add, remove, tree, cycles
- Label commands: add, remove, list, list-all
- Comments: list, add
- Epic: status, close-eligible

**✓ Field naming is consistent**
- All fields use snake_case: created_at, issue_type, dependency_count, etc.

**✗ Error output is INCONSISTENT**
- Only bd show uses FatalErrorRespectJSON (returns JSON errors)
- All other commands use fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, ...) (returns plain text)

### Files needing fixes

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

### Follow-up

Created epic bd-28sq to track fixing all error handlers.


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)


Cross-project dependency support

Enable tracking dependencies across project boundaries.

## Mechanism
- Producer: `bd ship <capability>` adds `provides:<capability>` label
- Consumer: `blocked_by: external:<project>:<capability>`
- Resolution: `bd ready` checks external deps via config

## Design Doc
See: gastown/docs/cross-project-deps.md

## Children
- bd-eijl: bd ship command
- bd-om4a: external: prefix in blocked_by
- bd-66w1: external_projects config
- bd-zmmy: bd ready resolution


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
```


Add covering index (label, issue_id) for label queries

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

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

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

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

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


Re: Thread Test 2

Got your message. Testing reply feature.


Merge: bd-dtl8

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


bd mol install: Install formula from GitHub

Download and cook a formula from a GitHub repository.

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

## Problem

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

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

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

## Impact

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

## Root Cause

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

## Fix

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

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

## Action Items

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


Refinery Patrol


Merge: bd-g4b4

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


Graph Link: relates_to for knowledge graph

Implement relates_to link type for loose associations.

New command:
- bd relate <id1> <id2> - creates bidirectional relates_to link

Query support:
- bd show <id> --related shows related issues
- bd list --related-to <id>

Storage:
- relates_to stored as JSON array of issue IDs
- Consider: separate junction table for efficiency at scale?

This enables 'see also' connections without blocking or hierarchy.


Merge: bd-dxtc

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


Sling reports 'already pinned' but mol status shows empty hook

During swarm operations, gt sling reported beads were 'already pinned' but gt mol status showed nothing on the hook.

**Observed:**
```
$ gt sling bd-9btu beads/Nux
Error: bead bd-9btu is already pinned to gt-beads-nux

$ gt mol status beads/Nux
Nothing on hook - no work slung
```

**Expected:**
If a bead is pinned, mol status should show it. If mol status shows empty, sling should work.

**Workaround:**
Used --force flag to re-sling, which worked.

**Root cause hypothesis:**
Agent bead state may be stored in town beads but polecat's local view doesn't see it, or the pin record exists but session state is stale.


Commit and push release

git add -A && git commit -m 'chore: bump version to 0.32.1' && git push


Merge: bd-u2sc.3

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


Phase 1.1: TOON Library Integration - Add gotoon dependency

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

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

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


activity --follow: Silent error handling

In activity.go:175-179, when the daemon is down or errors occur during polling in --follow mode, errors are silently ignored:

```go
newEvents, err := fetchMutations(lastPoll)
if err != nil {
    // Daemon might be down, continue trying
    continue
}
```

This means:
- Users won't know if the daemon is unreachable
- Could appear frozen when actually failing
- No indication of lost events

Should at least show a warning after N consecutive failures, or show '...' indicator to show polling status.

Discovered during code review of bd-xo1o implementation.


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


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'
```


Ephemeral patrol molecules leaking into beads

## Problem

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

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

## Examples found

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

## Investigation needed

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

## Expected behavior

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


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.


mol-christmas-launch: 3-day execution plan

Christmas Launch Molecule - execute phases in order, survive restarts.

PIN THIS BEAD. Check progress each session start.

## Step: phase0-beads-foundation
Fix blocking issues before swarming:
1. Verify gastown beads schema works: bd list --status=open
2. Ensure bd mol bond exists (check bd-usro)
3. Verify bd-2vh3 (squash) is filed

## Step: phase1-polecat-loop
Serial work on polecat execution:
1. gt-9nf: Fresh polecats only
2. gt-975: Molecule execution support
3. gt-8v8: Refuse uncommitted work
Then swarm: gt-e1y, gt-f8v, gt-eu9
Needs: phase0-beads-foundation

## Step: phase2-refinery
Serial work on refinery autonomy:
1. gt-5gkd: Refinery CLAUDE.md
2. gt-bj6f: Refinery context in gt prime
3. gt-0qki: Refinery-Witness protocol
Needs: phase1-polecat-loop

## Step: phase3-deacon
Health monitoring infrastructure:
1. gt-5af.4: Simplify daemon
2. gt-5af.7: Crew session patterns
3. gt-976: Crew lifecycle
Needs: phase2-refinery

## Step: phase4-code-review
Self-improvement flywheel:
1. Define mol-code-review (gt-fjvo)
2. Test on open MRs
3. Integrate with Refinery
Needs: phase3-deacon

## Step: phase5-polish
Demo readiness:
1. gt-b2hj: Find orphaned work
2. Doctor checks
3. Clean up open MRs
Needs: phase4-code-review

## Step: verify-flywheel
Success criteria:
- gt spawn works with molecules
- Refinery processes MRs autonomously
- mol-code-review runs on a PR
- bd cleanup --ephemeral works
Needs: phase5-polish


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.


Relocate thanks command to bd info --thanks

## Task
Move `bd thanks` → `bd info --thanks`

## Implementation

### 1. Update info.go
- Add `--thanks` flag
- Import thanks.go display logic
- When --thanks flag set, call thanks display function

### 2. Update thanks.go
- Export the display function (rename to public)
- Remove rootCmd.AddCommand()
- Optionally keep as hidden alias

### 3. Update docs
- README.md if mentioned
- CHANGELOG.md - deprecation notice

## Files to modify
- cmd/bd/info.go
- cmd/bd/thanks.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


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

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


Review PR #513: fix hooks install docs

Review and merge PR #513 from aspiers. This PR fixes incorrect docs for how to install git hooks - updates README to use bd hooks install instead of removed install.sh. Simple 1-line change. URL: https://github.com/anthropics/beads/pull/513


GH#692: Code quality and refactoring improvements

Epic for implementing refactoring suggestions from GitHub issue #692 (rsnodgrass). These are code quality improvements that don't change functionality but improve maintainability, type safety, and performance.

Original issue: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/issues/692

High priority items:
1. Replace map[string]interface{} with typed structs for JSON output
2. Adopt slices.SortFunc instead of sort.Slice (Go 1.21+)
3. Split large files (sync.go, init.go, show.go)
4. Introduce slog for structured logging in daemon

Lower priority:
5. Further CLI helper extraction
6. Preallocate slices in hot paths
7. Polish items (error wrapping, table-driven parsing)


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


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


Phase 2.3: TOON deletion tracking

Implement deletion tracking in TOON format.

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

## Required Work

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

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

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

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


Beads commands operate on stale database without warning

All beads read operations should validate database is in sync with JSONL before proceeding.

**Current Behavior:**
- Commands can query/read from stale database
- Only mutation operations (like 'bd sync') check if JSONL is newer
- User gets incorrect results without realizing database is out of sync

**Expected Behavior:**
- All beads commands should have pre-flight check for database freshness
- If JSONL is newer than database, refuse to operate with error: "Database out of sync. Run 'bd import' first."
- Same safety check that exists for 'bd sync' should apply to ALL operations

**Impact:**
- Users make decisions based on incomplete/outdated data
- Silent failures lead to confusion (e.g., thinking issues don't exist when they do)
- Similar to running git commands on stale repo without being warned to pull

**Example:**
- Searched for bd-g9eu issue file: not found
- Issue exists in .beads/issues.jsonl (in git)
- Database was stale, but no warning was given
- Led to incorrect conclusion that issue was already closed/deleted

## Implementation Complete

**Phase 1: Created staleness check (cmd/bd/staleness.go)**
- ensureDatabaseFresh() function checks JSONL mtime vs last_import_time
- Returns error with helpful message when database is stale
- Auto-skips in daemon mode (daemon has auto-import)

**Phase 2: Added to all read commands**
- list, show, ready, status, stale, info, duplicates, validate
- Check runs before database queries in direct mode
- Daemon mode already protected via checkAndAutoImportIfStale()

**Phase 3: Code Review Findings**
See follow-up issues:
- bd-XXXX: Add warning when staleness check errors
- bd-YYYY: Improve CheckStaleness error handling
- bd-ZZZZ: Refactor redundant daemon checks (low priority)

**Testing:**
- Build successful: go build ./cmd/bd
- Binary works: ./bd --version
- Ready for manual testing

**Next Steps:**
1. Test with stale database scenario
2. Implement review improvements
3. Close issue when tests pass


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

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

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

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

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


Remove all deletions.jsonl code except migration

There's deletions manifest code spread across the entire codebase that should have been removed after tombstone migration:

Files with deletions code (non-migration):
- internal/deletions/ - entire package
- cmd/bd/sync.go - 25+ references, auto-compact, sanitize
- cmd/bd/delete.go - dual-writes to deletions.jsonl
- internal/importer/importer.go - checks deletions manifest
- internal/syncbranch/worktree.go - merges deletions.jsonl
- cmd/bd/doctor/fix/sync.go - cleanupDeletionsManifest
- cmd/bd/doctor/fix/deletions.go - HydrateDeletionsManifest
- cmd/bd/integrity.go - checks deletions for data loss
- cmd/bd/deleted.go - entire command
- cmd/bd/compact.go - pruneDeletionsManifest
- cmd/bd/doctor.go - checkDeletionsManifest
- Plus many more

Action: Aggressively remove all non-migration deletions code. Tombstones are the only deletion mechanism now.


Merge: bd-kzda

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


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

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


Add gate checking to Deacon patrol loop

Integrate gate checking into Deacon's patrol cycle.

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

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

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

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


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


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

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

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

## Target Pattern

Use existing FatalError helper (or create if missing):

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

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

## Transformation

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

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

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

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

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

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

## Implementation Steps

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

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

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

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

## Progress (Dec 2025)

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

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

## Verification
- Build compiles successfully
- Tests pass


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


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


Verify version consistency

Confirm all versions match 0.39.0.

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

All should show 0.39.0.


bd update --parent: allow reparenting issues

**Request:** Add `--parent` flag to `bd update` command.

**Use case:** When renaming/migrating an epic (e.g., gt-oki8p → gt-liftoff), need to reparent child issues to the new epic.

**Current workaround:** None clean - must delete and recreate children, or manually edit JSONL.

**Proposed:**
```bash
bd update gt-j0gx2 --parent=gt-liftoff
```

**Note:** `bd create` already has `--parent` flag, so the semantics are established.


Systematic bd sync stability investigation

## Context

bd sync has chronic instability issues that have persisted since inception:
- issues.jsonl is always dirty after push
- bd sync often creates messes requiring manual cleanup
- Problems escalating despite accumulated bug fixes
- Workarounds are getting increasingly draconian

## Goal

Systematically observe and diagnose bd sync failures rather than applying band-aid fixes.

## Approach

1. Start fresh session with latest binary (all fixes applied)
2. Run bd sync and carefully observe what happens
3. Document exact sequence of events when things go wrong
4. File specific issues for each discrete problem identified
5. Track the root causes, not just symptoms

## Test Environment

- Fresh clone or clean state
- Latest bd binary with all bug fixes
- Monitor both local and remote JSONL state
- Check for timing issues, race conditions, merge conflicts

## Success Criteria

- Identify root causes of sync instability
- Create actionable issues for each problem
- Eventually achieve stable bd sync (no manual intervention needed)


Work on beads-eub: Consolidated context tool for MCP serv...

Work on beads-eub: Consolidated context tool for MCP server (GH#636). Merge set_context, where_am_i, init into single 'context' tool. When done, submit MR (not PR) to integration branch for Refinery.


bd ready resolves external dependencies

Extend bd ready to check external blocked_by references:

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

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

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

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


gt mail send: support reading message body from stdin

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

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

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

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