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.


Merge: bd-dxtc

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


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
)


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

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

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

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


Add daemon RPC support for gate commands.

## Current State
Gate commands require --no-daemon flag because they use direct SQLite access:
- Gate create needs to write await_type, await_id, timeout_ns, waiters fields
- Gate wait needs to update waiters JSON array
- Daemon RPC doesnt have methods for these operations

## Implementation

### 1. Add RPC methods to internal/rpc/protocol.go

```go
// Gate operations
type GateCreateArgs struct {
    Title     string        \`json:"title"\`
    AwaitType string        \`json:"await_type"\`
    AwaitID   string        \`json:"await_id"\`
    Timeout   time.Duration \`json:"timeout"\`
    Waiters   []string      \`json:"waiters"\`
}

type GateCreateResult struct {
    Issue *types.Issue \`json:"issue"\`
}

type GateListArgs struct {
    All bool \`json:"all"\` // Include closed gates
}

type GateListResult struct {
    Gates []*types.Issue \`json:"gates"\`
}

type GateWaitArgs struct {
    GateID  string   \`json:"gate_id"\`
    Waiters []string \`json:"waiters"\` // Additional waiters to add
}

type GateWaitResult struct {
    Gate        *types.Issue \`json:"gate"\`
    AddedCount  int          \`json:"added_count"\`
}
```

### 2. Add handler methods to internal/daemon/rpc_handler.go

```go
func (h *RPCHandler) GateCreate(ctx context.Context, args *rpc.GateCreateArgs) (*rpc.GateCreateResult, error) {
    now := time.Now()
    gate := &types.Issue{
        Title:     args.Title,
        IssueType: types.TypeGate,
        Status:    types.StatusOpen,
        Priority:  1,
        Assignee:  "deacon/",
        Wisp:      true,
        AwaitType: args.AwaitType,
        AwaitID:   args.AwaitID,
        Timeout:   args.Timeout,
        Waiters:   args.Waiters,
        CreatedAt: now,
        UpdatedAt: now,
    }
    gate.ContentHash = gate.ComputeContentHash()

    if err := h.store.CreateIssue(ctx, gate, h.actor); err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }

    return &rpc.GateCreateResult{Issue: gate}, nil
}

func (h *RPCHandler) GateList(ctx context.Context, args *rpc.GateListArgs) (*rpc.GateListResult, error) {
    gateType := types.TypeGate
    filter := types.IssueFilter{IssueType: &gateType}
    if !args.All {
        openStatus := types.StatusOpen
        filter.Status = &openStatus
    }

    gates, err := h.store.SearchIssues(ctx, "", filter)
    if err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }

    return &rpc.GateListResult{Gates: gates}, nil
}

func (h *RPCHandler) GateWait(ctx context.Context, args *rpc.GateWaitArgs) (*rpc.GateWaitResult, error) {
    gate, err := h.store.GetIssue(ctx, args.GateID)
    if err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }
    if gate.IssueType != types.TypeGate {
        return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s is not a gate", args.GateID)
    }

    // Merge waiters (dedupe)
    waiterSet := make(map[string]bool)
    for _, w := range gate.Waiters {
        waiterSet[w] = true
    }
    added := 0
    for _, w := range args.Waiters {
        if !waiterSet[w] {
            gate.Waiters = append(gate.Waiters, w)
            waiterSet[w] = true
            added++
        }
    }

    if added > 0 {
        // Update via store
        updates := map[string]interface{}{
            "waiters": gate.Waiters,
        }
        if err := h.store.UpdateIssue(ctx, args.GateID, updates, h.actor); err != nil {
            return nil, err
        }
    }

    return &rpc.GateWaitResult{Gate: gate, AddedCount: added}, nil
}
```

### 3. Register methods in daemon

In internal/daemon/server.go, register the new methods:
```go
rpc.RegisterMethod("gate.create", h.GateCreate)
rpc.RegisterMethod("gate.list", h.GateList)
rpc.RegisterMethod("gate.wait", h.GateWait)
```

### 4. Add client methods to internal/rpc/client.go

```go
func (c *Client) GateCreate(ctx context.Context, args *GateCreateArgs) (*GateCreateResult, error) {
    var result GateCreateResult
    err := c.Call(ctx, "gate.create", args, &result)
    return &result, err
}

func (c *Client) GateList(ctx context.Context, args *GateListArgs) (*GateListResult, error) {
    var result GateListResult
    err := c.Call(ctx, "gate.list", args, &result)
    return &result, err
}

func (c *Client) GateWait(ctx context.Context, args *GateWaitArgs) (*GateWaitResult, error) {
    var result GateWaitResult
    err := c.Call(ctx, "gate.wait", args, &result)
    return &result, err
}
```

### 5. Update cmd/bd/gate.go to use daemon

```go
// In gateCreateCmd Run:
if daemonClient != nil {
    result, err := daemonClient.GateCreate(ctx, &rpc.GateCreateArgs{
        Title:     title,
        AwaitType: awaitType,
        AwaitID:   awaitID,
        Timeout:   timeout,
        Waiters:   notifyAddrs,
    })
    if err != nil {
        FatalError("gate create: %v", err)
    }
    gate = result.Issue
} else {
    // Existing direct store code
}
```

## Files to Modify

1. **internal/rpc/protocol.go** - Add Gate*Args/Result types
2. **internal/daemon/rpc_handler.go** - Add handler methods
3. **internal/daemon/server.go** - Register methods
4. **internal/rpc/client.go** - Add client methods
5. **cmd/bd/gate.go** - Use daemon client when available

## Testing

```bash
# Start daemon
bd daemon start

# Test via daemon (should work without --no-daemon)
bd gate create --await timer:5m --notify beads/dave
bd gate list
bd gate wait <id> --notify beads/alice

# Verify daemon handled it
bd daemons logs . | grep gate
```

## Success Criteria
- All gate commands work without --no-daemon
- Same behavior in daemon vs direct mode
- Waiters array updates correctly via RPC
- Tests pass for RPC gate operations


Cross-rig external dependency support

Support dependencies on issues in other rigs/repos.

## Use Case

Gas Town issues often depend on Beads issues (and vice versa). Currently we use labels like `external:beads/bd-xxx` as documentation, but:
- `bd blocked` doesn't recognize external deps
- `bd ready` doesn't filter them out
- No way to query cross-rig status

## Proposed UX

### Adding external deps
```bash
# New syntax for bd dep add
bd dep add gt-a07f external:beads:bd-kwjh

# Or maybe cleaner
bd dep add gt-a07f --external beads:bd-kwjh
```

### Showing blocked status
```bash
bd blocked
# → gt-a07f blocked by external:beads:bd-kwjh (unverified)

# With optional cross-rig query
bd blocked --resolve-external
# → gt-a07f blocked by external:beads:bd-kwjh (closed) ← unblocked!
```

### Storage
Could use:
- Special dependency type: `type: external`
- Label convention: `external:rig:id`
- New field: `external_deps: ["beads:bd-kwjh"]`

## Implementation Notes

Cross-rig queries would need:
- Known rig locations (config or discovery)
- Read-only beads access to external rigs
- Caching to avoid repeated queries

For MVP, just recognizing external deps and marking them as 'unverified' blockers would be valuable.


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


Verify PyPI package

Confirm PyPI package published.

```bash
pip index versions beads-mcp 2>/dev/null | head -3
```

Or check: https://pypi.org/project/beads-mcp/

Should show 0.99.0-test.


Work on gt-8tmz.36: Validate expanded step IDs are unique...

Work on gt-8tmz.36: Validate expanded step IDs are unique. After ApplyExpansions in internal/formula/expand.go, new steps can be created that might have duplicate IDs. Add validation in ApplyExpansions to check for duplicate step IDs after expansion. If duplicates found, return an error with the duplicate IDs. Add test in expand_test.go. When done, commit and push to main.


Merge: bd-4qfb

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


Add missing hook calls in mail reply and ack

The mail commands are missing hook calls:

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

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

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


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.


Fix wisp leak in nodb mode writeIssuesToJSONL

writeIssuesToJSONL in nodb.go calls writeJSONLAtomic without filtering wisps. This means any wisps created during a nodb session would be written to issues.jsonl, leaking ephemeral data into the git-tracked file.

Fix: Add the same wisp filter pattern used in sync_export.go, autoflush.go, and export.go:

```go
// Filter out wisps before writing
filtered := make([]*types.Issue, 0, len(issues))
for _, issue := range issues {
    if !issue.Wisp {
        filtered = append(filtered, issue)
    }
}
issues = filtered
```

Location: cmd/bd/nodb.go:writeIssuesToJSONL()


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.


Test prefix bd-


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


Run bump-version.sh test-squash

Run ./scripts/bump-version.sh test-squash to update version in all files


Document sync.branch 'always dirty' working tree behavior

## Context

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

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

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

## Documentation Needed

Update README.md sync.branch section with:

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

## Related

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


bd activity: Real-time molecule state feed

Implement activity feed command for watching molecule state transitions.

## Commands
```bash
bd activity --follow              # Real-time streaming
bd activity --mol <id>            # Activity for specific molecule
bd activity --since 5m            # Last 5 minutes
bd activity --type step           # Only step transitions
```

## Output Format
```
[14:32:01] ✓ patrol-x7k.inbox-check completed
[14:32:03] ✓ patrol-x7k.check-refinery completed
[14:32:08] + patrol-x7k.arm-ace bonded (5 steps)
[14:32:09] → patrol-x7k.arm-ace.capture in_progress
[14:32:10] ✓ patrol-x7k.arm-ace.capture completed
[14:32:14] ✓ patrol-x7k.arm-ace.decide completed (action: nudge-1)
[14:32:17] ✓ patrol-x7k.arm-ace COMPLETE
[14:32:23] ✓ patrol-x7k SQUASHED → digest-x7k
```

## Event Types
- `+` bonded - New molecule/step created
- `→` in_progress - Step started
- `✓` completed - Step/molecule finished
- `✗` failed - Step failed
- `⊘` burned - Wisp discarded
- `◉` squashed - Wisp condensed to digest

## Implementation
- Could use SQLite triggers or polling
- --follow uses OS file watching or polling
- Filter by mol ID, type, time range


bd repair: Limit verbose output for large orphan counts

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

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


CLI API Audit for OSS Launch

Comprehensive CLI API audit before OSS launch.

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

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


bd sync deleted non-.beads files (skills/beads/*)

On 2025-12-23, commit 7b671662 (bd sync) inadvertently deleted 5 files from skills/beads/ that were added by PR #722 (commit e432fcc8). These files are outside .beads/ and should never be touched by bd sync.

Files deleted:
- skills/beads/README.md
- skills/beads/references/INTEGRATION_PATTERNS.md
- skills/beads/references/MOLECULES.md
- skills/beads/references/PATTERNS.md
- skills/beads/references/TROUBLESHOOTING.md

Investigation needed:
1. How did bd sync stage/commit files outside .beads/?
2. Was this a one-time accident or is there a systematic bug?
3. Add safeguards to prevent bd sync from touching non-.beads paths

Reported via GH#738.


Update CHANGELOG.md with release notes

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


Merge: bd-t4sb

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


Thread Test 2

Testing direct mode


Verify PyPI package

Confirm PyPI package published.

```bash
pip index versions beads-mcp 2>/dev/null | head -3
```

Or check: https://pypi.org/project/beads-mcp/

Should show 0.39.0.


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).


bd validate - Comprehensive health check

Run all validation checks in one command.

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

Supports --fix-all for auto-repair.

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

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


Refactor long SQLite test files

The SQLite test files have grown unwieldy. Review and refactor.

## Goals
- Break up large test files into focused modules
- Improve test organization by feature area
- Reduce test duplication
- Make tests easier to maintain and extend

## Areas to Review
- main_test.go (likely the largest)
- Any test files over 500 lines
- Shared test fixtures and helpers
- Test coverage gaps

## Approach
- Group tests by feature (CRUD, sync, queries, transactions)
- Extract common fixtures to test helpers
- Consider table-driven tests where appropriate
- Ensure each test file has clear focus

## Reference
See docs/dev-notes/ for any existing test audit notes


Add type: event for state transitions

Events capture operational state changes as immutable records.

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

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

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


Merge: bd-9usz

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


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


bd dep tree doesn't display external dependencies

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

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

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

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


Cleanup: --ephemeral flag

Update bd cleanup to handle ephemeral issues.

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

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

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


Add 'bd where' command to show active beads location

## Problem

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

## Proposed Solution

Add `bd where` command:

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

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

## Alternatives Considered

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

## Desire Paths

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


Update local installations.

Update local installations.

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

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

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

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

Verify: `bd --version` shows 0.37.0

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


Verify GitHub release

Check the GitHub releases page.

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

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


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}}
```


Investigate JSONL hash mismatch warnings (bd-160)

During v0.39.1 release, saw repeated warnings:

WARNING: JSONL file hash mismatch detected (bd-160)
  This indicates JSONL and export_hashes are out of sync.
  Clearing export_hashes to force full re-export.

This appeared multiple times during wisp close operations. Questions:
1. What causes export_hashes to drift from actual JSONL content?
2. Is this expected during wisp operations (since wisps do not export)?
3. Should wisp operations skip the hash check entirely?
4. Is there actual data integrity risk or just noise?

The warning references bd-160 - may need to check that issue for context.


Add test coverage for external dep edge cases

During code review of bd-zmmy, identified missing test coverage:

1. RemoveDependency with external ref target (will fail - see bd-a3sj)
2. GetBlockedIssues with mix of local and external blockers
3. GetDependencyTree with external deps
4. AddDependency cycle detection with external refs (should be skipped?)
5. External dep resolution with WAL mode database
6. External dep resolution when target project has no .beads directory
7. External dep resolution with invalid external: format variations

Priority 2 because bd-a3sj is a real bug that tests would catch.


Consolidate daemon/daemons commands

Merge daemons functionality into daemon command with subcommands. Currently have both 'daemon' and 'daemons' at top level.


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


.beads-ephemeral/ storage backend

Implement ephemeral storage layer for wisps.

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

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

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


Add bd template list command

Add a convenience command to list available templates:

bd template list

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


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.


Code Review: Swarm commands consolidation

Code review of bd swarm commands (validate, status, create) identified several improvements.

**Summary:**
- Duplicated child-fetching logic between commands
- Missing duplicate swarm check in create
- Missing swarm list command
- Minor polish issues

Filed after implementing bd-fa1q (swarm create).


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


Add 0.30.4 to info.go release notes

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


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


Implement bd mol current command

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


bd mol burn should work on mols, not just wisps

Currently `bd mol burn` only works on wisps (Ephemeral=true):

```
$ bd mol burn bd-mol-p7i
Error: molecule bd-mol-p7i is not a wisp (Ephemeral=false)
Hint: mol burn only works with wisp molecules
      Use 'bd delete' to remove non-wisp issues
```

The name 'burn' implies destruction - it should work on any molecule, not just wisps. When called on a regular mol, it should convert to `bd delete --cascade`.

**Proposed behavior:**
- If wisp: current behavior (delete without tombstones)
- If mol: `bd delete <id> --cascade` (delete with tombstones)

This makes the metaphor consistent: burn = destroy a molecule, regardless of phase.


Create release tag

Create annotated git tag.

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

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


Verify npm package

Confirm npm package published.

```bash
npm show @beads/bd version
```

Should show 0.99.0-test.

Also check: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@beads/bd


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.


Fix update-homebrew.sh awk script corrupts formula

The awk script in scripts/update-homebrew.sh incorrectly removes platform conditionals (on_macos do, on_linux do, if Hardware::CPU.arm?, etc.) when updating SHA256 hashes. This corrupts the Homebrew formula.

The issue is the awk script uses 'next' to skip lines containing platform conditionals but never reconstructs them, resulting in a syntax-invalid formula.

Found during v0.34.0 release - had to manually fix the formula.

Fix options:
1. Rewrite awk script to properly preserve structure while updating sha256 lines only
2. Use sed instead with targeted sha256 replacements
3. Template approach - store formula template and fill in version/hashes


Audit Current Cache Usage

**Summary:** Comprehensive audit of storage cache usage revealed minimal dependency across server components, with most calls following a consistent pattern. Investigation confirmed cache was largely unnecessary in single-repository daemon architecture.

**Key Decisions:**
- Remove all cache-related environment variables
- Delete server struct cache management fields
- Eliminate cache-specific test files
- Deprecate req.Cwd routing logic

**Resolution:** Cache system will be completely removed, simplifying server storage access and reducing unnecessary complexity with negligible performance impact.

AUDIT COMPLETE

getStorageForRequest() callers: 17 production + 11 test
- server_issues_epics.go: 8 calls
- server_labels_deps_comments.go: 4 calls
- server_export_import_auto.go: 2 calls
- server_compact.go: 2 calls
- server_routing_validation_diagnostics.go: 1 call
- server_eviction_test.go: 11 calls (DELETE entire file)

Pattern everywhere: store, err := s.getStorageForRequest(req) → store := s.storage

req.Cwd usage: Only for multi-repo routing. Local daemon always serves 1 repo, so routing is unused.

MCP server: Uses separate daemons per repo (no req.Cwd usage found). NOT affected by cache removal.

Cache env vars to deprecate:
- BEADS_DAEMON_MAX_CACHE_SIZE (used in server_core.go:63)
- BEADS_DAEMON_CACHE_TTL (used in server_core.go:72)
- BEADS_DAEMON_MEMORY_THRESHOLD_MB (used in server_cache_storage.go:47)

Server struct fields to remove:
- storageCache, cacheMu, maxCacheSize, cacheTTL, cleanupTicker, cacheHits, cacheMisses

Tests to delete:
- server_eviction_test.go (entire file - 9 tests)
- limits_test.go cache assertions

Special consideration: ValidateDatabase endpoint uses findDatabaseForCwd() outside cache. Verify if used, then remove or inline.

Safe to proceed with removal - cache always had 1 entry in local daemon model.


Create bd admin parent command and nest cleanup/compact/reset

## Task
Create new `bd admin` parent command and move:
- `bd cleanup` → `bd admin cleanup`
- `bd compact` → `bd admin compact`
- `bd reset` → `bd admin reset`

## Implementation

### 1. Create admin.go
New file with parent command:
```go
var adminCmd = &cobra.Command{
    Use:   "admin",
    Short: "Administrative commands for database maintenance",
    Long: `Administrative commands for beads database maintenance.

These commands are for advanced users and should be used carefully:
  cleanup   Delete closed issues and prune expired tombstones
  compact   Compact old closed issues to save space
  reset     Remove all beads data and configuration

For routine operations, prefer 'bd doctor --fix'.`,
}

func init() {
    rootCmd.AddCommand(adminCmd)
    adminCmd.AddCommand(cleanupCmd)
    adminCmd.AddCommand(compactCmd)
    adminCmd.AddCommand(resetCmd)
}
```

### 2. Update cleanup.go, compact.go, reset.go
- Remove `rootCmd.AddCommand()` from each init()
- Keep all existing functionality

### 3. Create hidden aliases for backwards compatibility
Top-level hidden commands that forward to admin subcommands.

### 4. Update docs (major updates)
- docs/CLI_REFERENCE.md - cleanup, compact references
- docs/QUICKSTART.md - compact, cleanup references
- docs/FAQ.md - compact references
- docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md - compact references
- docs/DELETIONS.md - compact reference
- docs/CONFIG.md - compact reference
- skills/beads/SKILL.md - compact reference
- commands/compact.md - update all examples
- examples/compaction/README.md - update examples

## Files to create
- cmd/bd/admin.go

## Files to modify
- cmd/bd/cleanup.go
- cmd/bd/compact.go
- cmd/bd/reset.go
- cmd/bd/main.go (aliases)
- Multiple docs (see list above)


Phase 2.5: TOON-based daemon sync

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

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

## Required Work

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

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

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

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


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'.


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.


Run bump-version.sh

./scripts/bump-version.sh {{version}}


Add 'hooked' status for GUPP work assignment

## Summary

Separate the semantics of `pinned` (identity records) from work-on-hook (GUPP assignment).

**Current problem:** `pinned` is overloaded to mean both:
1. Agent identity beads (gt-mayor, gt-crew-gastown-max) - should never block
2. Work attached to an agent's hook - should block until closed

The blocking logic excludes `pinned` from blocking, which means work on hooks doesn't block its dependents.

## Semantic Split

| Status | Meaning | Blocks dependents? |
|--------|---------|-------------------|
| `pinned` | Domain table / identity record (agents, roles) | No |
| `hooked` | Work on an agent's hook (GUPP invoked) | Yes |

**Terminology:**
- **Pin** (verb): Establish a permanent identity record
- **Hook** (verb): Attach work to an agent's hook
- **Sling** (verb): The act of hooking work to an agent

## Lifecycles

**Molecule** (the work):
  open -> hooked -> closed

**Persistent agent** (Mayor, Witness, Crew):
  idle <-> working (cycles)
Agent bead stays pinned. Operational state derived from hook slot occupancy.

**Polecat** (ephemeral worker):
  spawned-with-work -> working -> despawning
Polecats never idle - spawned for one molecule, nuked after.

The `hooked` status belongs to the **molecule**, not the agent. Agent identity beads remain `pinned` throughout their existence.

## in_progress vs hooked

Both remain valid statuses with different semantics:
- `in_progress` = Soft claim, cooperative (humans juggling multiple issues)
- `hooked` = Hard claim, GUPP-driven (molecule on agent's hook)

Gas Town molecules use `hooked`. Humans/non-Gas Town workflows may use `in_progress`.

## Success Criteria

1. `hooked` is a valid status in beads schema
2. Blocking logic treats `hooked` as blocking (like `in_progress`)
3. gt sling sets status=hooked on the molecule (not pinned)
4. Existing pinned work items migrated to hooked where appropriate
5. Agent/role beads remain pinned and non-blocking


Update cmd/bd/version.go to 0.30.4

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

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


Add 'convoy' issue type with reactive completion

Add convoy as a new issue type with reactive completion semantics.

Behavior:
- Convoy has list of tracked issues (via 'tracks' relation)
- When all tracked issues close (including wontfix), convoy auto-closes
- Supports cross-prefix tracking (convoy in hq-* tracks gt-*, bd-*)

Implementation:
- New type: convoy
- Reactive completion trigger on tracked issue closure
- Query support: 'bd list --type=convoy'

Related: hq-7h8jx (Convoy System epic in town beads)


gt swarm dispatch command not working

The 'gt swarm dispatch' command shown in help doesn't appear to work as expected.

**Observed:**
```
$ gt swarm dispatch bd-784c
[prints help text instead of dispatching]
```

**Expected:**
Should dispatch the next ready task from the epic to an available worker.

**Workaround:**
Had to manually use 'gt sling <issue> <polecat>' for each task dispatch.

**Impact:**
- Manual task dispatch defeats swarm automation
- Coordinator has to track which tasks are ready and which polecats are free

**Suggestion:**
Implement or fix 'gt swarm dispatch' to:
1. Find next unassigned task in epic
2. Find idle polecat in swarm
3. Sling task to polecat automatically


Witness Patrol

Per-rig worker monitor patrol loop with progressive nudging.


Improve clean vs cleanup command naming/documentation

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

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

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

2. Keep names but improve help text and documentation

3. Add prominent warnings in help output

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

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


Merge: garnet-1767138539231

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


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.


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.


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


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)


Push commit and create release tag.

Push commit and create release tag.

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

This triggers GitHub Actions release workflow.

instantiated_from: bd-mol-xga
step: push-and-tag


bd sync fails with orphaned issues and duplicate ID conflict

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Create git tag v{{version}}

Create the release tag:

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

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


Deferred HOP schema additions (P2/P3)

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

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

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


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

Improve test coverage for internal/syncbranch package from 27% to 70%.

## Current State
- Coverage: 27.0%
- Files: syncbranch.go, worktree.go
- Tests: syncbranch_test.go (basic tests exist)

## Functions Needing Tests

### syncbranch.go (config management)
- [x] ValidateBranchName - has tests
- [ ] Get - needs store mock tests
- [ ] GetFromYAML - needs YAML parsing tests
- [ ] IsConfigured - needs file system tests
- [ ] IsConfiguredWithDB - needs DB path tests
- [ ] Set - needs store mock tests
- [ ] Unset - needs store mock tests

### worktree.go (git operations) - PRIORITY
- [ ] CommitToSyncBranch - needs git repo fixture tests
- [ ] PullFromSyncBranch - needs merge scenario tests
- [ ] CheckDivergence - needs ahead/behind tests
- [ ] ResetToRemote - needs reset scenario tests
- [ ] performContentMerge - needs 3-way merge tests
- [ ] extractJSONLFromCommit - needs git show tests
- [ ] hasChangesInWorktree - needs dirty state tests
- [ ] commitInWorktree - needs commit scenario tests

## Implementation Guide

1. **Use testutil fixtures:**
   ```go
   import "github.com/steveyegge/beads/internal/testutil/fixtures"

   func TestCommitToSyncBranch(t *testing.T) {
       repo := fixtures.NewGitRepo(t)
       defer repo.Cleanup()
       // ... test scenarios
   }
   ```

2. **Test scenarios for worktree.go:**
   - Clean commit (no conflicts)
   - Non-fast-forward push (diverged)
   - Merge conflict resolution
   - Empty changes (nothing to commit)

3. **Mock storage for syncbranch.go:**
   ```go
   store := memory.New()
   // Set up test config
   syncbranch.Set(ctx, store, "beads-sync")
   ```

## Success Criteria
- Coverage ≥ 70%
- All public functions have at least one test
- Edge cases covered for git operations
- Tests pass with `go test -race ./internal/syncbranch`

## Run Tests
```bash
go test -v -cover ./internal/syncbranch
go test -race ./internal/syncbranch
```


Commit release

Stage and commit all version changes.

```bash
git add -A
git commit -m "chore: Bump version to 0.99.0-test"
```

Review the commit to ensure all expected files are included.


bd import reports success but writes nothing to empty database

## Problem

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

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

## Reproduction Steps

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

## Expected

Import should create 416 issues in the database.

## Root Cause Hypothesis

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

## Context

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


Add bd doctor --fix flag to automatically repair issues

Add bd doctor --fix flag to automatically repair detected issues.

## Current State
- Doctor checks return issues with "Fix" field containing fix instructions
- No automatic fix execution
- User must manually follow fix instructions

## Implementation

### 1. Add --fix flag to doctor.go
```go
// In cmd/bd/doctor.go init()
doctorCmd.Flags().Bool("fix", false, "Automatically fix detected issues")
doctorCmd.Flags().Bool("yes", false, "Skip confirmation prompts (use with --fix)")
```

### 2. Create fix registry (cmd/bd/doctor/fix/registry.go)
```go
package fix

// Fixer can automatically repair an issue
type Fixer interface {
    // CanFix returns true if this fixer handles the given check name
    CanFix(checkName string) bool
    // Fix attempts to repair the issue, returns error if failed
    Fix(ctx context.Context, issue *CheckResult) error
    // Description returns human-readable description of what will be fixed
    Description() string
}

var registry []Fixer

func Register(f Fixer) {
    registry = append(registry, f)
}

func GetFixer(checkName string) Fixer {
    for _, f := range registry {
        if f.CanFix(checkName) {
            return f
        }
    }
    return nil
}
```

### 3. Implement fixers (one per file)

**cmd/bd/doctor/fix/hooks.go**
```go
type HooksFixer struct{}

func (f *HooksFixer) CanFix(name string) bool {
    return name == "git-hooks" || name == "hooks-outdated"
}

func (f *HooksFixer) Fix(ctx context.Context, issue *CheckResult) error {
    return hooks.Install(".", true) // force reinstall
}

func (f *HooksFixer) Description() string {
    return "Reinstall git hooks"
}

func init() {
    Register(&HooksFixer{})
}
```

**cmd/bd/doctor/fix/sync_branch.go**
```go
type SyncBranchFixer struct{}

func (f *SyncBranchFixer) CanFix(name string) bool {
    return name == "sync-branch-missing" || name == "sync-branch-diverged"
}

func (f *SyncBranchFixer) Fix(ctx context.Context, issue *CheckResult) error {
    // Reset to remote or create branch
    return syncbranch.ResetToRemote(ctx, repoRoot, branch, jsonlPath)
}
```

**cmd/bd/doctor/fix/merge_driver.go**
```go
type MergeDriverFixer struct{}

func (f *MergeDriverFixer) CanFix(name string) bool {
    return name == "merge-driver-missing" || name == "merge-driver-outdated"
}

func (f *MergeDriverFixer) Fix(ctx context.Context, issue *CheckResult) error {
    return setupMergeDriver()
}
```

### 4. Update doctor run logic

```go
func runDoctor(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
    issues := runAllChecks()

    if \!fixFlag {
        // Existing behavior - just display issues
        displayIssues(issues)
        return
    }

    // Collect fixable issues
    var fixable []FixableIssue
    for _, issue := range issues {
        if fixer := fix.GetFixer(issue.CheckName); fixer \!= nil {
            fixable = append(fixable, FixableIssue{issue, fixer})
        }
    }

    if len(fixable) == 0 {
        fmt.Println("No automatically fixable issues found")
        return
    }

    // Show what will be fixed
    fmt.Printf("Found %d fixable issues:\n", len(fixable))
    for i, f := range fixable {
        fmt.Printf("  %d. [%s] %s\n", i+1, f.Issue.CheckName, f.Fixer.Description())
    }

    // Confirm unless --yes
    if \!yesFlag {
        fmt.Print("\nProceed with fixes? [Y/n] ")
        // ... read confirmation
    }

    // Apply fixes
    for _, f := range fixable {
        fmt.Printf("Fixing %s... ", f.Issue.CheckName)
        if err := f.Fixer.Fix(ctx, f.Issue); err \!= nil {
            fmt.Printf("FAILED: %v\n", err)
        } else {
            fmt.Println("OK")
        }
    }
}
```

## Fixable Checks (Initial Set)

| Check | Fixer | Action |
|-------|-------|--------|
| git-hooks | HooksFixer | Reinstall hooks |
| hooks-outdated | HooksFixer | Update hooks |
| merge-driver-missing | MergeDriverFixer | Configure merge driver |
| sync-branch-diverged | SyncBranchFixer | Reset to remote |
| daemon-version-mismatch | DaemonFixer | Restart daemon |

## Testing
```bash
# Test with broken hooks
rm .git/hooks/pre-commit
bd doctor --fix --yes

# Verify fix applied
bd doctor  # Should pass now
```

## Success Criteria
- --fix flag triggers automatic repair
- User prompted for confirmation (unless --yes)
- Clear output showing what was fixed
- Graceful handling of fix failures
- At least 5 common issues auto-fixable


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.


Test Agent


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`.


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Add MCP server functions for repair commands

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

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

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

Implemented all three MCP server functions:

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

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

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


Add integration tests for RPC server and event loops

After adding basic unit tests for daemon utilities, the complex daemon functions still need integration tests:

Core daemon lifecycle:
- startRPCServer: Initializes and starts RPC server with proper error handling
- runEventLoop: Polling-based sync loop with parent monitoring and signal handling
- runDaemonLoop: Main daemon initialization and setup

Health checking:
- isDaemonHealthy: Checks daemon responsiveness and health metrics
- checkDaemonHealth: Periodic health verification

These require more complex test infrastructure (mock RPC, test contexts, signal handling) and should be tackled after the unit test foundation is in place.


Execute molecule bd-mol-xga: Release beads 0.37.0


BondRef data model for compound lineage

Add data model support for tracking compound molecule lineage.

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

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

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

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


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.


Code smell: Inconsistent error handling patterns

Commands use a mix of error handling patterns:
- FatalError()
- FatalErrorRespectJSON()
- fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, ...) + os.Exit(1)
- Silent continue
- Inconsistent resource cleanup (result.Close())

**Example in show.go lines 89-146:**
Different error paths use different patterns, some close resources, some don't.

**Acceptance Criteria:**
- [ ] Document error handling contract
- [ ] Standardize on consistent pattern
- [ ] Use defer for resource cleanup
- [ ] Create helper for common fetch-and-handle pattern
- [ ] Tests pass


Implement bd pin/unpin commands

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


bd distill: Extract formula from mol/epic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Verify GitHub release

Check the GitHub releases page.

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

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


Add pinned field to issue schema

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


Create release tag

Create annotated git tag.

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

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


Merge: bd-401h

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


Remove redundant edge fields from Issue struct

Remove from Issue struct:
- RepliesTo -> dependency with type replies-to
- RelatesTo -> dependencies with type relates-to
- DuplicateOf -> dependency with type duplicates
- SupersededBy -> dependency with type supersedes

Keep: Sender, Ephemeral (these are attributes, not relationships)


Create release tag

Create annotated git tag.

```bash
git tag -a v0.39.0 -m "Release v0.39.0"
```

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


Agent beads: structured labels for filtering

## Agent Beads Need Queryable Labels

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

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

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

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

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

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


Merge: jade-1767138549967

branch: polecat/jade-1767138549967
target: main
source_issue: jade-1767138549967
rig: beads


Test comment display


Implement global N-way collision resolution algorithm

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

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

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


Fix N+1 query pattern in swarm status blocked check

In getSwarmStatus, when checking if an issue is blocked, we query each dependency individually with GetIssue. With 100 issues and 5 deps each, thats 500 extra queries. Fix: Build a status map upfront from the already-fetched childIssues slice. File: cmd/bd/swarm.go:706-710


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

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

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

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

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


Consider caching external dep resolution results

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

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

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

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


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

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


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?


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


Test coordinator display


Refinery Patrol

Merge queue processor patrol loop with verification gates.


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
```


Restart daemons


Consider consolidating config.yaml parsing into shared utility

Multiple places parse config.yaml with custom structs:

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

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

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

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

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

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


Update .claude-plugin/plugin.json to 0.30.4

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

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


Update all code to use dependencies API for edges

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

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


Add gate timeout tracking and notification

Implement timeout and notification logic for gates.

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

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

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


GH#518: Document bd setup command

bd setup is undiscoverable. Add to README/docs. Currently only findable by grepping source. See GitHub issue #518.


Add tests for daemon functionality

Critical daemon functions have 0% test coverage including daemon lifecycle, health checks, and RPC server functionality. These are essential for system reliability and need comprehensive test coverage.


Update version to {{version}} in version.go

Edit cmd/bd/version.go line 17:

```go
Version = "{{version}}"
```

Verify with: `grep 'Version =' cmd/bd/version.go`


Add Windows code signing for bd.exe releases

## Context

Go binaries (including bd.exe) are commonly flagged by antivirus software as false positives due to heuristic detection. See docs/ANTIVIRUS.md for full details.

## Problem

Kaspersky and other AV software flag bd.exe as PDM:Trojan.Win32.Generic, causing it to be quarantined or deleted.

## Solution

Implement code signing for Windows releases using:
1. An EV (Extended Validation) code certificate
2. Integration with GoReleaser to sign Windows binaries during release

## Benefits

- Reduces false positive rates over time as the certificate builds reputation
- Provides tamper verification for users
- Improves SmartScreen trust rating on Windows
- Professional appearance for enterprise users

## Implementation Steps

1. Acquire EV code signing certificate (annual cost ~$300-500)
2. Set up signtool or osslsigncode in release pipeline
3. Update .goreleaser.yml to sign Windows binaries
4. Update checksums to include signed binary hashes
5. Document signing verification in ANTIVIRUS.md

## References

- docs/ANTIVIRUS.md - Current documentation
- bd-t4u1 - Original Kaspersky false positive report
- https://github.com/golang/go/issues/16292 - Go project discussion


Swarm: Test epic for duplicate swarm

Swarm molecule orchestrating epic bd-4d9d.

Epic: bd-4d9d
Coordinator:


bd find-duplicates - AI-powered duplicate detection

Find semantically duplicate issues.

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

Uses embeddings by default for >100 issues.

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


Wait for CI to pass

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


Deacon Patrol

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


Runtime bonding: bd mol attach

Attach a molecule to an already-running workflow.

COMMAND: bd mol attach <epic-id> <proto> [--after <issue-id>]

BEHAVIOR:
- Resolve running epic and proto
- Spawn proto as new subtree
- Wire to specified attachment point (or epic root)
- Handle in-progress issues: new work doesn't block completed work

USE CASES:
- Discovered need for docs while implementing feature
- Hotfix needs attaching to release workflow
- Additional testing scope identified mid-flight

FLAGS:
- --after ISSUE: Specific attachment point within epic
- --type: sequential (default) or parallel
- --var: Variables for the attached proto

CONSIDERATIONS:
- What if epic is already closed? Error or reopen?
- What if attachment point issue is closed? Attach as ready-to-work?


bd create -f crashes with nil pointer dereference

GitHub issue #674. The markdown import feature crashes at markdown.go:338 because global variables (store, ctx, actor) aren't initialized when createIssuesFromMarkdown is called. The function uses globals set by cobra command framework but is being called before they're ready. Need to either initialize globals at start of function or pass them as parameters.


bd swarm create command

Add bd swarm create to create a swarm molecule from an epic.

## Context
Swarms ARE persistent molecules - not separate JSON state. This command creates
a swarm molecule that:
- Links to the epic it orchestrates
- Has mol_type=swarm
- Specifies a coordinator
- Can be discovered by any agent

## Core Principle: Discovery Over Tracking
The swarm molecule doesn't track step-by-step state. Instead:
- Query bd ready --parent=<epic> to find the ready front
- Query bd list --parent=<epic> --status=closed to find completed
- Derive progress from children's statuses

## Implementation
1. New command: bd swarm create <epic-id> [--coordinator=<addr>]
2. Validate epic structure first (call bd swarm validate)
3. Create molecule bead:
   - mol_type: swarm
   - epic: <epic-id>
   - coordinator: <addr>
   - status: open
4. Return the swarm molecule ID

## Single-Issue Wrapping
If given a single issue (not epic), auto-wrap:
- Create an epic with that issue as child
- Then create swarm molecule

## Reference
~/gt/docs/swarm-architecture.md - 'Swarm Structure' section

## Acceptance
- bd swarm create <epic> creates a swarm molecule
- Molecule has mol_type=swarm
- Links to epic via epic field
- Validates structure before creation


Upgrade local Homebrew installation

Upgrade bd via Homebrew:

```bash
brew update
brew upgrade bd
/opt/homebrew/bin/bd version  # Verify shows 0.33.2
```


worktree: any bd command is slow

in a git worktree any bd command is slow, with a 2-3s pause before any results are shown. The identical command with `--no-daemon` is near instant.


Update npm-package/package.json to 0.30.4

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

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


Phase 2.2: Switch bdt storage to TOON format

Currently bdt stores issues in JSONL format in issues.toon file. Phase 2.2 must implement actual TOON format storage - this is the fundamental goal of the bdtoon project.

## Current State (Phase 2.1)
- issues.toon stores JSONL (intermediate format)
- --toon flag allows output in TOON format for LLM consumption
- Problem: We're not actually using TOON as the fundamental storage format

## Required Work (Phase 2.2)
1. Switch issue file I/O to write TOON format instead of JSONL
   - Update cmd/bdt/storage.go to use EncodeTOON for writing
   - Update cmd/bdt/storage.go to decode TOON (currently decodes JSON)
   - Ensure round-trip: write TOON → read TOON → write TOON is byte-identical

2. Update command implementations
   - cmd/bdt/create.go: Write newly created issues to TOON format
   - cmd/bdt/list.go: Read issues from TOON format
   - cmd/bdt/show.go: Read from TOON format
   - cmd/bdt/import.go: Convert imported JSONL to TOON
   - cmd/bdt/export.go: Export TOON to JSONL (for bd compatibility)

3. Implement TOON parser that handles gotoon's encoder-only limitation
   - Since gotoon doesn't decode TOON, need custom TOON→JSON decoder
   - OR continue storing TOON but decoding via intermediate JSON conversion

4. Git merge driver optimization
   - TOON is line-oriented, better for 3-way merges than binary formats
   - Configure git merge driver for .toon files

5. Comprehensive testing
   - Round-trip tests: Issue → TOON → storage → read → Issue
   - Merge conflict resolution tests with TOON format
   - Large issue set performance tests

## Success Criteria
- issues.toon stores actual TOON format (not JSONL)
- bdt list reads from TOON file
- bdt create writes to TOON file
- Round-trip: create issue → list → show returns identical data
- All 65+ tests still passing
- Performance comparable to JSONL storage


bd mol search: Find formulas using GitHub API

Search for formulas in the Mol Mall using GitHub's search API.

## Usage
```bash
bd mol search "code review"           # Free text search
bd mol search --topic molecule         # By GitHub topic
bd mol search --org anthropics         # By organization
bd mol search --stars ">10"            # By popularity
```

## Implementation
1. Use GitHub Search API: `/search/repositories`
2. Filter by topic:mol-formula or naming convention
3. Parse results, show name/description/stars/version
4. Support pagination for large result sets

## Output
```
NAME                              STARS  DESCRIPTION
github.com/anthropics/mol-code-review  42  AI-assisted code review workflow
github.com/gastown/mol-polecat-work    12  Standard polecat work lifecycle
```

## Discovery Convention
Repos should have:
- Topic: `mol-formula` or `beads-molecule`
- Name starting with `mol-`
- formula.json in root


Gate eval: Add error visibility for gh CLI failures

Currently evalGHRunGate and evalGHPRGate silently swallow errors when the gh CLI fails (lines 738-741, 780-783 in gate.go).

This makes debugging difficult - if gh isn't installed, auth fails, or network issues occur, gates silently stall forever with no indication of why.

Options:
1. Add debug logging when gh fails
2. Return error info in the skipped list for aggregate reporting
3. Add a --verbose flag to gate eval that shows failures

Low priority since the fail-safe behavior (don't close gate on error) is correct.


Review changes since last release

Understand what's being released.

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

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


Improve version bump molecule with missing steps

During v0.32.1 release, discovered missing steps in the release molecule:

**Missing from molecule:**
1. Rebuild ~/go/bin/bd (only did ~/.local/bin/bd)
2. Install beads-mcp from local source: `uv tool install --reinstall ./integrations/beads-mcp`
3. Restart daemons with `bd daemons killall`
4. (Optional) Publish beads-mcp to PyPI

**Current molecule steps (bd-6s61):**
1. Update CHANGELOG.md
2. Update info.go versionChanges
3. Run bump-version.sh
4. Run tests and linting
5. Update local installation
6. Commit and push release
7. Wait for CI
8. Verify release artifacts

**Proposed additions:**
- After "Update local installation": rebuild BOTH ~/.local/bin/bd AND ~/go/bin/bd
- Add: "Install beads-mcp from source" step
- Add: "Restart daemons" step
- Add: "Verify all versions match" step that checks all artifacts

**Also learned:**
- Must run from mayor/rig to avoid git conflicts with bd sync (already documented in bump-version.sh)

CORRECTION: npm publishing IS automated and working!

**Package naming:**
- OLD: `beads` (npm) - deprecated, stuck at 0.2.1
- CURRENT: `@beads/bd` (npm) - scoped package, auto-published by CI

**How it works:**
- CI uses OIDC trusted publishing (no token needed)
- Workflow: .github/workflows/release.yml → publish-npm job
- Permissions: `id-token: write` enables GitHub OIDC
- To install: `npm install -g @beads/bd` (not `npm install beads`)

**All publishing is automated on tag push:**
1. GitHub Release - goreleaser ✓
2. PyPI - publish-pypi job ✓
3. Homebrew - update-homebrew job ✓
4. npm (@beads/bd) - publish-npm job ✓

**Remaining molecule improvements (local steps only):**
- Rebuild BOTH ~/.local/bin/bd AND ~/go/bin/bd
- Install beads-mcp from source: `uv tool install --reinstall ./integrations/beads-mcp`
- Restart daemons: `bd daemons killall`
- Run from mayor/rig to avoid git conflicts with bd sync
- Final verification step to check all local versions match


Graph Link: duplicates for deduplication

Implement duplicates link type for marking issues as duplicates.

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

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

Storage:
- duplicates column pointing to canonical issue ID

Essential for large issue databases with many similar reports.


Merge: jasper-1767138512869

branch: polecat/jasper-1767138512869
target: main
source_issue: jasper-1767138512869
rig: beads


test hook pin


Version Bump: {{version}}

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


Update molecular chemistry docs with discoveries

Document recent discoveries about molecule/epic relationship and lifecycle:

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

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

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

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

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


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

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


Add tests for mol spawn --attach

Code review (bd-obep) found no tests for the spawn --attach functionality.

**Test cases needed:**
1. Basic attach - spawn proto with one --attach
2. Multiple attachments - spawn with --attach A --attach B
3. Attach types - verify sequential vs parallel bonding
4. Error case: attaching non-proto (missing template label)
5. Variable aggregation - vars from primary + attachments combined
6. Dry-run output includes attachment info

**Implementation notes:**
- Tests should use in-memory storage
- Create test protos, spawn with attachments, verify dependency structure
- Check that sequential uses 'blocks' type, parallel uses 'parent-child'


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

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


Work on beads-ocs: Thin shim hooks to eliminate version d...

Work on beads-ocs: Thin shim hooks to eliminate version drift (GH#615). Replace full hook scripts with thin shims that call bd hooks run. When done, submit MR (not PR) to integration branch for Refinery.


Merge: topaz-1767083484329

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


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 bd state and bd set-state helper commands

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

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

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

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

Into a single atomic operation.

Discovered from: bd-31ae


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

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


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.


Spawn-time bonding: --attach flag

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Commit and push release

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


Wait for CI

Monitor GitHub Actions for release completion.

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

Expected time: 5-10 minutes

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


Investigate Claude Code crash logging improvements

## Problem

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

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

## What we found

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

## Desired improvements

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

## Investigation paths

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

## Related

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


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.


Default to YES for git hooks and merge driver installation

Currently bd init prompts user to install git hooks and merge driver, but setup is incomplete if user declines. Change to install by default unless --skip-hooks or --skip-merge-driver flags are passed. Better safe defaults. If installation fails, warn user and suggest bd doctor --fix.


Edge Schema Consolidation: Unify all edges in dependencies table

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

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

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


Unify template.go and mol.go under bd mol

Consolidate the two DAG-template systems into one under the mol command. mol.go (on rictus branch) has the right UX (catalog/show/bond), template.go has the mechanics. Merge them, deprecate bd template commands.


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.


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)