Witness events in gt feed

Wire witness patrol events to gt feed display.

After 'Witness emits activity events' is done:
- gt feed should show patrol activity
- Useful for debugging polecat issues

Example output:
  19:45 PATROL_COMPLETE gastown/witness (checked 3 polecats)
  19:44 POLECAT_NUDGED gastown/polecats/nux (idle 10m)
  19:40 ESCALATION mayor (polecat stuck)


Show actor only when not redundant with bead ID

Currently the feed shows actor even when obvious:

  [10:17:37] ✓ gt-s6r44 completed · ... @gastown/crew/max

The actor should be omitted when:
- The bead ID already identifies the agent (gt-crew-gastown-joe)
- The action makes the actor obvious (created by = actor)

Format should be:
  {timestamp} {symbol} {issue-id} {action} · {title} [@actor if not obvious]

Part of epic gt-u7dxq


Day 1.1b: Add type=role to bead schema

Add role as a valid bead type in the schema.

Role beads define agent behavior:
- Priming instructions (from current CLAUDE.md content)
- default_molecule field
- capabilities list

This enables Day 1.5 (creating role beads from CLAUDE.md).

Must be done alongside type=agent schema work.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 14: all healthy


Refinery Role Definition

You are the Refinery - merge queue processor for your rig. You process
completed polecat work, merging it to main one branch at a time with
sequential rebasing.

Your mission: Process the merge queue sequentially, rebasing each branch
atop the current baseline before merging.

default_molecule: mol-refinery-patrol
capabilities:
  - merge_queue_processing
  - sequential_rebase
  - conflict_resolution
  - verification_gates

## The Engineer Mindset

You are Scotty in the engine room. The merge queue is your warp core.

The Beads Promise: Work is never lost. If you discover ANY problem:
1. Fix it now (preferred if quick), OR
2. File a bead and proceed (tracked for cleanup crew)

There is NO third option. Never "disavow" by noting something exists and moving on.

The Scotty Test: Before proceeding past any failure, ask yourself:
"Would Scotty walk past a warp core leak because it existed before his shift?"

## Propulsion Principle

If you find something on your hook, YOU RUN IT.

Your work is defined by the mol-refinery-patrol molecule. Execute steps:
- bd ready (find next step)
- bd show <step-id> (see what to do)
- bd close <step-id> (mark complete)

## Sequential Rebase Protocol

WRONG (parallel merge - causes conflicts):
  main -> branch-A (old main) + branch-B (old main) = CONFLICTS

RIGHT (sequential rebase):
  main -> merge A (rebased on main) -> merge B (rebased on main+A)

After every merge, main moves. Next branch MUST rebase on new baseline.

## Verification Gate

The handle-failures step is a verification gate:
- Tests PASSED: Gate satisfied, proceed to merge
- Tests FAILED (branch caused): Abort, notify polecat, skip branch
- Tests FAILED (pre-existing): MUST fix OR file bead - cannot proceed without

## Commands

### Patrol
- gt mol status - Check attached patrol
- bd ready / bd show / bd close - Step management
- bd mol spawn <mol> --wisp - Spawn patrol wisp

### Git Operations
- git fetch origin - Fetch all remote branches
- git branch -r | grep polecat - List polecat branches
- git rebase origin/main - Rebase on current main
- git push origin main - Push merged changes

### Communication
- gt mail inbox - Check for messages
- gt mail send <addr> -s "Subject" -m "Message" - Notify workers


Error handling improvements: retry logic and recovery hints

Improve error handling across GGT codebase.

## Issues Found

### 1. Silent Failures in Refinery
manager.go ProcessMR():
- git pull errors ignored
- Continues processing even on partial failures

### 2. Missing Beads CLI
Many operations silently continue if `bd` not found:
```go
// Current
tasks, err := m.loadTasksFromBeads(epicID)
if err != nil {
    // Non-fatal - swarm can start without tasks
}

// Better
if err != nil {
    return nil, fmt.Errorf("beads required: %w", err)
}
```

### 3. No Retry Logic
Network/lock errors should retry:
```go
func withRetry(attempts int, delay time.Duration, fn func() error) error {
    for i := 0; i < attempts; i++ {
        if err := fn(); err == nil {
            return nil
        }
        time.Sleep(delay)
    }
    return fmt.Errorf("failed after %d attempts", attempts)
}
```

### 4. Recovery Hints
Error messages should include fix suggestions:
```go
// Current
return fmt.Errorf("polecat not found")

// Better
return fmt.Errorf("polecat '%s' not found. Use 'gt polecat list' to see available polecats", name)
```

## Domain Error Types
```go
type SessionError struct {
    Op      string
    Polecat string
    Err     error
}

func (e *SessionError) Error() string {
    return fmt.Sprintf("session %s for %s: %v", e.Op, e.Polecat, e.Err)
}
```

## Files to Review
- internal/refinery/manager.go
- internal/swarm/manager.go
- internal/session/manager.go
- All cmd/*.go files

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] No silent error swallowing
- [ ] Retry logic for transient failures
- [ ] Helpful error messages with hints
- [ ] Consistent error types per domain


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously, handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup. Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.

## Second-Order Monitoring

Witnesses send WITNESS_PING messages to verify the Deacon is alive. This
prevents the "who watches the watchers" problem - if the Deacon dies,
Witnesses detect it and escalate to the Mayor.

The Deacon's agent bead last_activity timestamp is updated during each patrol
cycle. Witnesses check this timestamp to verify health.


Patrol hygiene: Witness/Refinery/Deacon inbox cleanup

## Summary
Patrol roles should clean up their inboxes as part of normal operation, not let messages accumulate.

## Witness Patrol Cleanup
- POLECAT_STARTED: archive after acknowledging
- POLECAT_DONE: archive after cleanup complete
- LIFECYCLE requests: archive after processing
- Keep only: active work, unprocessed requests

## Refinery Patrol Cleanup
- MR Ready: archive after merge/reject decision
- Swarm notices: archive after dispatch
- Keep only: pending MRs in queue

## Deacon Patrol Cleanup
- Rotate daemon.log when >10MB
- Prune state.json of dead sessions
- Archive old daemon logs (gzip, date-suffix)

## Implementation
Each patrol molecule should have a 'cleanup' phase at end of cycle.

## Related
- mol-town-shutdown (nuclear cleanup)
- mol-witness-patrol, mol-refinery-patrol, mol-deacon-patrol


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously, handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup. Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 11: All healthy


Optimize: Share stepMap across control flow operators

In ApplyControlFlow, both ApplyBranches and ApplyGates call buildStepMap() separately:

```go
func ApplyBranches(steps []*Step, compose *ComposeRules) ([]*Step, error) {
    stepMap := buildStepMap(steps)  // Called here
    ...
}

func ApplyGates(steps []*Step, compose *ComposeRules) ([]*Step, error) {
    stepMap := buildStepMap(steps)  // Called again here
    ...
}
```

This is inefficient for large formulas. Options:

1. Pass stepMap as a parameter to ApplyBranches/ApplyGates
2. Create an internal version that accepts stepMap, keep public API unchanged
3. Build once in ApplyControlFlow and pass down

Low priority since formula sizes are typically small.


Check own context limit

Check own context limit.

The Deacon runs in a Claude session with finite context. Check if approaching the limit:

```bash
gt context --usage
```

If context is high (>80%), prepare for handoff:
- Summarize current state
- Note any pending work
- Write handoff to molecule state

This enables the Deacon to burn and respawn cleanly.


mol-deacon-patrol


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 18: quiet


Mail orchestrator daemon

Background mail orchestrator daemon.

## Command
```
gt mail orchestrate [--interval N] [--once] [--verbose]
```

## Purpose
Background process that:
1. Monitors outbox for pending mail
2. Delivers to recipient inboxes
3. Handles offline recipients (retry later)
4. Cleans delivered messages from outbox

## Why Needed?
Current mail is synchronous. If recipient is offline or mailbox locked, send fails.
Orchestrator enables async delivery with retry.

## Implementation
```go
func (o *Orchestrator) Run(interval time.Duration) error {
    ticker := time.NewTicker(interval)
    for range ticker.C {
        o.processOutbox()
    }
}

func (o *Orchestrator) processOutbox() {
    // List outbox/*.json
    // For each, attempt delivery
    // On success, delete from outbox
    // On failure, increment retry count
}
```

## Outbox Structure
```
<town>/mayor/mail/outbox/
├── msg-abc123.json
└── msg-def456.json
```

## Lower Priority
Current synchronous delivery works. Orchestrator is optimization.

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] Background daemon mode
- [ ] Retry failed deliveries
- [ ] --once for single pass
- [ ] Configurable interval


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 3: All healthy, routine


Campaign: Large-Scale Work Graph Execution

A Campaign is a Molecule-wrapped Epic graph ready for orchestrated execution.

## Concept

Campaign = Molecule + Epics + Dependency Graph + Execution Strategy

Key properties:
1. **Work graph**: Linked epics with dependency edges (possibly from different authors)
2. **Combinators as glue**: >>, |, wrap define bridging/shaping between epics
3. **Molecule shell**: Provides execution state, persistence across sessions
4. **Witness-aware**: Can be parallelized across polecats on independent branches
5. **Single-rig scoped**: One rig executes it (spans sessions/polecats)

## The "Maximum Speed" Model

Witness becomes a scheduler that:
- Watches campaign progress
- Identifies ready nodes (all dependencies satisfied)
- Spawns/assigns polecats to ready nodes
- Respects parallelism constraints
- Handles failures (retry? skip? escalate?)

## Where Campaign Fits in MEOW

Campaign is the convergence point where work-tracking meets workflow-execution:
- An Epic-of-Epics (work dimension)
- A Molecule (workflow dimension)

## Open Questions

1. Campaign creation UX - manual wire vs declare intent?
2. Partial completion - can you commit progress and resume?
3. Distinct entity type or molecule with type="campaign"?
4. Cross-rig campaigns - can graph span multiple rigs?

## Related

- docs/formula_evolution.md - original discussion
- gt-8tmz - molecule algebra (foundation)


Witness: aggregate completion and notify Mayor

## Problem
No signal when swarm completes. Mayor must manually check.

## ZFC-Compliant Solution
Add step to `mol-witness-patrol.formula.toml`:

```toml
[[step]]
id = "check-swarm-completion"
title = "Report swarm completion to Mayor"
description = """
1. Check state.json for active swarm tracking:
   - swarm_id, start_time, assigned_beads[], completed_beads[]
2. For each completed merge (from cleanup step):
   - Add bead to completed_beads
3. If all assigned_beads are in completed_beads:
   - Calculate duration
   - Send summary to Mayor:
     gt mail send mayor/ -s "SWARM_COMPLETE: <swarm_id>" -m "All N polecats merged in Xm"
   - Clear swarm tracking from state.json
"""
depends_on = ["cleanup-merged-polecats"]
```

## Swarm Initialization
When Mayor slings a batch, they should:
```bash
# Mayor creates swarm tracking
gt mail send <rig>/witness -s "SWARM_START" -m '{"swarm_id": "batch-123", "beads": ["bd-a", "bd-b", "bd-c"]}'
```

Witness parses SWARM_START and initializes tracking in state.json.

## Why This Works
- Mayor initiates batch with SWARM_START mail
- Witness tracks progress in its own state
- Witness signals completion via mail
- All coordination is agent-to-agent via mail

## Files
- formulas/mol-witness-patrol.formula.toml


E2E Test: Add a comment to internal/util/process.go


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Cycle 5: 1 msg processed, all healthy


Proto debugging and inspection tools

Proto debugging and inspection tools.

With ephemeral protos (gt-4v1eo), this becomes:
- `bd cook <formula> --dry-run` - preview cooked output without persisting
- `bd cook <formula> --json` - output proto as JSON for inspection
- `bd cook <formula> --graph` - visualize step DAG

No persistent proto beads to inspect - formulas are the source of truth.


gt status: Show agent hook_bead (current work) in status output

attached_args: Implement the hook_bead display in gt status. The agent bead lifecycle is complete - just need to read hook_bead and display it.

## Current State

gt status shows agents with their agent_state from beads:
```
   crew/max       ✓ running [running]
```

## Enhancement

Show what each agent is working on (hook_bead field from agent beads):
```
   crew/max       ✓ running [running] → gt-abc (Fix auth bug)
   crew/joe       ✓ running [running] → gt-xyz (Add tests)
   refinery       ✓ running → refinery Handoff
```

This gives the overseer a quick view of:
1. Who is running
2. What each agent is working on
3. Progress at a glance

## Implementation

In status.go, when displaying agents:
1. Look up agent bead by ID (e.g., gt-crew-gastown-max)
2. Parse hook_bead from description
3. If hook_bead set, fetch its title for display
4. Show as: agent_state → hook_bead (title truncated)

## Related

The agent bead lifecycle is now complete:
- prime.go creates agent beads
- sling.go sets hook_bead
- done.go clears hook_bead and sets final state


Merge: gt-caih

branch: polecat/furiosa
target: main
source_issue: gt-caih
rig: gastown


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 8: quiet


gt session start --issue doesn't inject work to prompt

When starting a polecat session with --issue flag:
  gt session start beads/Toast --issue bd-oxgi

The session starts but the polecat doesn't receive the issue context. They sit at the prompt awaiting input. Had to manually nudge them.

Expected: Session start should either nudge or inject the issue context so polecat starts working immediately (propulsion principle).


Implement verification patterns for boot steps

Define and implement the verification logic Mayor uses.

## Verification Utilities

Mayor needs to check:

### Session Exists
```bash
tmux has-session -t <session> 2>/dev/null && echo "exists"
```

### Not Stalled (Claude waiting at prompt)
```bash
gt peek <agent> 10 | grep -q "> Try" && echo "stalled"
```

Pattern: `> Try "..."` indicates Claude started but no message sent.

### Recent Heartbeat
```bash
# For deacon
age=$(( $(date +%s) - $(stat -f %m ~/gt/deacon/heartbeat.json) ))
[ $age -lt 120 ] && echo "fresh"
```

### Active Work Output
```bash
gt peek <agent> 20 | grep -q "⏺" && echo "working"
```

Pattern: `⏺` indicates Claude is executing tools.

## Mayor Execution Pattern

```
for each step in molecule:
  run action
  loop:
    check verification
    if verified: close step, continue
    if stalled: run on_stall recovery
    if timeout (5 attempts): log warning, continue
    sleep 10s
```

No hard timeout - Mayor keeps trying with increasing backoff.


Deacon Patrol

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


Daemon activity detection and rig nudging

Daemon monitors activity feed and nudges patrol agents when commands detected.

## Implementation

1. Daemon watches activity feed (or logs) for gt/bd command execution
2. Track per-rig last-activity timestamps
3. On activity in rig: nudge witness + refinery for that rig
4. Nudge clears their backoff → immediate poll

## Activity Sources

- gt commands (sling, mail, polecat, etc.)
- bd commands (create, update, close, sync, etc.)
- Maybe: file writes in rig directories

## Graceful Behavior

- If agent session not running: no-op (not an error)
- Activity detection is best-effort
- Backoff still works without this (just slower wake)


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 19: routine


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 18: all healthy


🤝 HANDOFF: Investigate beads-sync divergence (221 files)

## Context

gt doctor now detects orphaned code on beads-sync branch. Running it shows:

  beads-sync-orphans: 221 file(s) on beads-sync not in main

This is in the gastown repo (checking from crew/max).

## Background

- Earlier today we recovered orphaned mail migration code lost in merge 96c773f
- Recently simplified architecture: all workers use mayor/rig/.beads (redirects)
- This simplification may have caused beads-sync branch to diverge unexpectedly

## Investigation Steps

1. From crew/max run: git diff main..beads-sync --stat
2. Check if beads-sync should even exist anymore (was for multi-clone sync)
3. If obsolete with redirect architecture, consider deleting it
4. If it has legitimate changes, cherry-pick or merge to main

## Key Question

With all workers using mayor/rig/.beads via redirects, is beads-sync still needed?

## Commands

git log main..beads-sync --oneline | head -20
git diff main..beads-sync -- *.go | head -100


Agent scanner utility for filesystem

Filesystem scanner to discover agent directories in a rig or town.

## Deliverables

1. Function: ScanRigAgents(rigPath) -> []AgentAddr
   - Finds: witness/, refinery/, crew/*, polecats/*
   - Returns normalized addresses (e.g., "gastown/witness")

2. Function: ScanTownAgents(townPath) -> []AgentAddr
   - Iterates all rigs, calls ScanRigAgents for each
   - Returns all agent addresses in town

3. Alias resolution:
   - @rig/gastown → ScanRigAgents("gastown")
   - @town → ScanTownAgents()
   - @witnesses → filter for */witness across all rigs
   - @crew/gastown → filter crew/* in gastown

## Location
internal/discovery/scanner.go (new package)

## Acceptance
- Scanner finds all agent types
- Alias patterns resolve correctly
- Unit tests pass


gt session start --issue doesn't pin work to hook

When starting a polecat with --issue, the work isn't pinned to the hook:
  gt session start beads/Toast --issue bd-oxgi

After session starts, 'gt mol status' shows empty hook.

The polecat had to manually discover the work via bd ready. The --issue flag should call 'gt hook attach' or equivalent to pin the work.


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously, handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup. Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.

## Second-Order Monitoring

Witnesses send WITNESS_PING messages to verify the Deacon is alive. This
prevents the "who watches the watchers" problem - if the Deacon dies,
Witnesses detect it and escalate to the Mayor.

The Deacon's agent bead last_activity timestamp is updated during each patrol
cycle. Witnesses check this timestamp to verify health.


Refinery startup: Use Claude agent instead of foreground mode

WIP found in stash: Refactor refinery startup to spawn Claude as the refinery agent rather than using gt refinery start --foreground.

Changes needed:
- Use refineryDir (refinery/rig) as working directory
- Start Claude with --dangerously-skip-permissions
- Wait for shell ready, then Claude ready
- Send gt prime, then refinery startup prompt
- Remove foreground mode complexity

Related: gt-n7z7 (refinery --foreground race condition bug)


Refactor patrol context functions to reduce duplication

In prime.go, three patrol context functions are nearly identical (~100 lines each):
- outputDeaconPatrolContext() - L797-940
- outputWitnessPatrolContext() - L942-1106
- outputRefineryPatrolContext() - L1108-1272

They all:
1. Check for existing patrol molecule
2. Auto-spawn if none exists
3. Display patrol work loop instructions

**Suggested refactor**:
Extract common logic into a helper:
```go
func outputPatrolContext(ctx RoleContext, patrolName string, assignee string) {
    // shared logic
}
```

Then each role-specific function just calls the helper with appropriate parameters.


gt commands should follow .beads/redirect

## Problem

`gt sling` (and likely other gt commands) don't follow the `.beads/redirect` file that `bd` uses to share beads across clones.

This caused confusion during the v0.39.0 release: molecules were poured successfully to mayor/rig's beads (via redirect), but `gt sling` couldn't find them because it was looking in the crew clone's local .beads/.

## Expected Behavior

All `gt` commands that interact with beads should follow the redirect mechanism that `bd` uses.

## Affected Commands (likely)

- `gt sling`
- `gt hook`
- `gt mol status`
- `gt mol attach`
- Any command that shells out to `bd show` or similar

## Solution

When `gt` needs to find the beads directory, check for `.beads/redirect` and follow it, same as `bd` does.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 7: All healthy.


Execute registered plugins

Execute registered plugins.

Scan ~/gt/plugins/ for plugin directories. Each plugin has a plugin.md with YAML frontmatter defining its gate (when to run) and instructions (what to do).

See docs/deacon-plugins.md for full documentation.

Gate types:
- cooldown: Time since last run (e.g., 24h)
- cron: Schedule-based (e.g., "0 9 * * *")
- condition: Metric threshold (e.g., wisp count > 50)
- event: Trigger-based (e.g., startup, heartbeat)

For each plugin:
1. Read plugin.md frontmatter to check gate
2. Compare against state.json (last run, etc.)
3. If gate is open, execute the plugin

Plugins marked parallel: true can run concurrently using Task tool subagents. Sequential plugins run one at a time in directory order.

Skip this step if ~/gt/plugins/ does not exist or is empty.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 16: all healthy


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 7: Routine


Refinery emits activity events

Refinery emits events to activity stream for MQ lifecycle:

Events to emit:
- merge_started: When refinery begins processing an MR
- merged: When MR successfully merged to main
- merge_failed: When merge fails (conflict, tests, etc.)
- merge_skipped: When MR skipped (already merged, etc.)

Events should include: MR ID, worker, branch, timestamp, reason (for failures)

This replaces stats tracking in .runtime/refinery.json


Day 3.4: Refinery processes MERGE_READY mail

Refinery patrol handles merge requests:
1. Check inbox for MERGE_READY messages
2. For each, verify branch exists
3. Run merge checks (tests, lint)
4. If passing, merge to main
5. Send MERGED signal back

Parent: gt-hwka3


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously, handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup. Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.


Rollback support: gt mq revert for problematic merges

Implement 'gt mq revert <mr-id>' for rolling back merges.

Actions:
1. Find merge commit from closed MR
2. Create revert commit: git revert <merge-commit>
3. Push revert to target branch
4. Create 'reverted' MR tracking the revert
5. Optionally reopen source issue

Options:
- --reason REASON: required explanation
- --reopen-issue: reopen the source work item

Track revert in MR metadata for audit trail.

Reference: docs/merge-queue-design.md#open-questions


Remove redundant gt prime SendKeys from crew commands

The crew commands (gt crew at, gt crew restart) still send 'gt prime' via SendKeys after session creation:
- internal/cmd/crew_at.go:97, 121
- internal/cmd/crew_lifecycle.go:202

This is now redundant because SessionStart hook handles priming automatically.

**Low priority** - these aren't causing bugs (just duplicate work), unlike the spawn race condition that was fixed. Can be cleaned up when convenient.


Polecat spawn: CLAUDE.md template lookup path is wrong

Template lookup uses rig.Path/templates/ but templates are in mayor/rig/templates/

In internal/polecat/manager.go installCLAUDETemplate():
  templatePath := filepath.Join(m.rig.Path, "templates", "polecat-CLAUDE.md")
  // Looks for: /Users/stevey/gt/gastown/templates/polecat-CLAUDE.md
  // But templates are at: /Users/stevey/gt/gastown/mayor/rig/templates/

This causes silent failure (template not found is OK) and polecats inherit the wrong CLAUDE.md from the git worktree.

Fix options:
1. Copy templates to rig root during rig init
2. Change lookup to use mayor/rig/templates/
3. Embed templates in binary


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 10: All clear


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 15: all clear


Create molecules catalog directory structure

Establish the proto catalog at ~/gt/molecules/.

## Structure

```
~/gt/molecules/
├── README.md           # Catalog overview
├── lifecycle/
│   ├── gastown-boot/
│   │   └── PROTO.md    # Proto definition in markdown
│   ├── rig-spinup/
│   ├── rig-spindown/
│   └── agent-restart/
├── patrol/
│   ├── deacon-patrol/
│   ├── witness-patrol/
│   └── refinery-patrol/
└── work/
    ├── polecat-work/
    ├── code-review/
    └── feature/
```

## PROTO.md Format

```markdown
---
type: lifecycle
parallel: [ensure-witnesses, ensure-refineries]
ephemeral: true
---

# mol-gastown-boot

Town bootstrap molecule.

## Step: ensure-daemon
...
```

## Catalog Loading

`gt sling gastown-boot` should find the proto by:
1. Check beads for existing proto issue
2. If not found, scan ~/gt/molecules/lifecycle/gastown-boot/
3. Auto-create proto issue from PROTO.md

This enables file-based proto development with beads tracking.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 8: All healthy.


Add pre-flight test check to mol-polecat-work

Add a step early in mol-polecat-work (after branch-setup, before implement) to check if tests pass on main.

## Problem
If main is broken when polecat starts, they could:
- Waste context trying to fix unrelated issues
- Not know if their changes broke things or it was pre-existing
- Get blamed for failures they didn't cause

## Proposed Step: preflight-tests

After branch-setup, before implement:

1. Checkout main temporarily
2. Run test suite
3. If tests PASS: Continue to implement
4. If tests FAIL:
   - Quick fix (<15 min): Fix it, commit to main, then continue
   - Big fix: File bead, mail Witness, proceed with own work
   - Use ZFC judgment - you're there, you decide

## Handoff Consideration
If fixing pre-existing failures consumes significant context:
- Commit the fix
- gt handoff with note: 'Fixed pre-existing test failures, continuing with assigned work'
- Fresh session picks up from implement step

## Key Principle
Scotty Test: Don't walk past a broken warp core. But also don't let someone else's mess derail your mission entirely.


Preflight molecule: verify baseline health before work

Before assigning work, verify baseline (main branch) is healthy.

**From VC**: Self-healing state machine (HEALTHY → SELF_HEALING → ESCALATED). ~200 lines.

**Gas Town implementation**: Preflight molecule or refinery feature:
```yaml
preflight:
  gates: [test, lint, build]
  on_failure: create-fix-issue
```

Run at session start. If baseline broken, file a P0 fix issue and work on that first.

**Value**: Self-healing baseline. Agents don't start from broken state.

**VC lesson**: Prevents cascading failures. Agent shouldn't start work on broken code.


Add org formula examples and tests

Create example organizational formula hierarchy and tests.

## Examples

Create in .beads/formulas/:
- acme-base.formula.yaml: Company-wide (security-audit aspect)
- acme-frontend.formula.yaml: extends acme-base, adds accessibility-audit
- acme-backend.formula.yaml: extends acme-base, adds sql-injection-scan

## Tests

1. Three-level inheritance resolves correctly
2. Aspect merge order is correct
3. exclude-aspects removes parent aspect
4. Cooking org formula produces expected steps
5. Error on missing parent formula


Add 'wit' alias for witness command

ref works as alias for refinery, but wit doesn't work for witness. Add Aliases: []string{"wit"} to witnessCmd.


Comprehensive help text and examples

Improve help text with examples and cross-references.

## Improvements

### 1. Examples Section
Add to Long description:
```go
var spawnCmd = &cobra.Command{
    Long: `Spawn a polecat with work assignment.

Examples:
  gt spawn gastown/Toast --issue gt-abc
  gt spawn gastown --issue gt-def          # auto-select polecat
  gt spawn gastown/Nux -m "Fix the tests"  # free-form task`,
}
```

### 2. Cross-References
Reference related commands:
```
See also:
  gt polecat list    List available polecats
  gt session attach  Attach to spawned session
```

### 3. Flag Descriptions
More detail on flags:
```go
cmd.Flags().StringVar(&issue, "issue", "",
    "Beads issue ID to assign. The polecat will work on this issue.")
```

### 4. Common Workflows
Add workflow docs to gt --help:
```
Common Workflows:
  Start a swarm:
    gt swarm preflight
    gt swarm create gastown --epic gt-abc --worker Toast --worker Nux --start
    gt refinery start gastown

  Check status:
    gt status
    gt swarm status <id>
```

## Files to Update
All internal/cmd/*.go files

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] All commands have Examples
- [ ] Related commands cross-referenced
- [ ] Flags have detailed descriptions
- [ ] Root help shows workflows


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 12: All clear


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously, handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup. Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.

## Second-Order Monitoring

Witnesses send WITNESS_PING messages to verify the Deacon is alive. This
prevents the "who watches the watchers" problem - if the Deacon dies,
Witnesses detect it and escalate to the Mayor.

The Deacon's agent bead last_activity timestamp is updated during each patrol
cycle. Witnesses check this timestamp to verify health.


mol-deacon-patrol


Test Polecat Arm

Test child for bonding pattern


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 14: quiet


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 9: all clear


Workspace cleanup: preflight and postflight

Workspace preflight and postflight commands for clean state management.

## Preflight
```
gt preflight [--rig <rig>] [--dry-run]
```

Run before starting batch work:
1. Clean stale mail in inboxes
2. Check for stuck workers (warn)
3. Check rig health (polecats, refinery)
4. Verify git state is clean
5. Run bd sync to ensure beads current

## Postflight
```
gt postflight [--rig <rig>] [--archive-mail] [--dry-run]
```

Run after batch work completes:
1. Archive old mail with --archive-mail
2. Clean up stale integration branches
3. Sync beads
4. Report on rig state

## Implementation
```go
func Preflight(rigName string, dryRun bool) (*PreflightReport, error)
func Postflight(rigName string, opts PostflightOptions) (*PostflightReport, error)
```

## Report Structures
```go
type PreflightReport struct {
    MailCleaned    int
    RigHealthy     bool
    StuckWorkers   []string
    Warnings       []string
}

type PostflightReport struct {
    MailArchived   int
    BranchesCleaned int
    Warnings       []string
}
```

## Note

These are workspace maintenance commands, not tied to "swarm" lifecycle. Run them anytime to keep the rig clean.

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] Preflight cleans stale state
- [ ] Postflight archives old mail
- [ ] Both have --dry-run mode
- [ ] Clear reports of actions taken


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol cycle 1: All healthy - witnesses, refineries running. No callbacks, no orphans, no pending spawns.


Add tests for gt crew restart --all

Add integration tests for the crew restart flow:

- Test getAgentSessions() correctly identifies crew sessions
- Test --rig filtering works correctly
- Test --dry-run outputs correct targets
- Test session kill/recreate cycle (without Claude)

Consider extracting a SessionStarter interface to mock the claude-launching bit.

Related: gt crew restart --all was just implemented.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

P10: stable


Activity Feed TUI

Terminal UI for browsing Gas Town activity. Shows hierarchical view of rigs, workers, and their current state. Features: live updates, expandable details, molecule progress (step X of Y). Built with bubbletea/lipgloss. Design doc: history/activity-feed-tui-design.md


Show actor on pinned/status change events

Pinned events currently show no actor:

  [10:22:25] → gt-95j13 → pinned · Add tmux hotkey...

Should show who pinned it:

  [10:22:25] → gt-95j13 → pinned · Add tmux hotkey... @gastown/crew/joe

Part of epic gt-u7dxq


Check own context limit

Check own context limit.

The Deacon runs in a Claude session with finite context. Check if approaching the limit:

```bash
gt context --usage
```

If context is high (>80%), prepare for handoff:
- Summarize current state
- Note any pending work
- Write handoff to molecule state

This enables the Deacon to burn and respawn cleanly.


Test MR

branch: test-branch
target: main
source_issue: gt-test
rig: gastown


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 9: All clear


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously, handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup. Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.


MessagingConfig: Add Type field for schema consistency

MessagingConfig lacks a Type field that other config types have (TownConfig has 'town', RigConfig has 'rig', etc). Add Type: 'messaging' for consistency.


gt handoff deadlock at handoff.go:125

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


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 7: healthy


mol-deacon-patrol


Workspace doctor checks: Config, state, mail, Mayor, rigs

Workspace-level doctor checks.

## Checks

### ConfigExists
- Verify config/ directory exists
- Verify config/town.json exists
- Fix: Cannot auto-fix (need gt install)

### ConfigValid
- Parse town.json
- Verify required fields (type, version, name)
- Verify type == "town"
- Fix: Cannot auto-fix

### RigsRegistryValid
- Parse config/rigs.json
- Verify each registered rig directory exists
- Warn on missing rigs
- Fix: Remove missing rigs from registry

### MayorExists
- Verify mayor/ directory exists
- Verify mayor/CLAUDE.md exists
- Fix: Create from template

### MayorMailboxExists
- Verify mayor/mail/ directory exists
- Verify mayor/mail/inbox.jsonl exists (can be empty)
- Fix: Create directory and empty file

### MayorStateValid
- Parse mayor/state.json if exists
- Verify valid JSON
- Fix: Reset to default state

## Implementation

```go
var WorkspaceChecks = []Check{
    &ConfigExistsCheck{},
    &ConfigValidCheck{},
    &RigsRegistryValidCheck{},
    &MayorExistsCheck{},
    &MayorMailboxExistsCheck{},
    &MayorStateValidCheck{},
}
```


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 17: all healthy


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 8: routine


Patrol exponential backoff for cost savings

Agent-side backoff state tracking in patrol molecules.

## State

Each patrol agent tracks:
- current_interval: current sleep duration (starts at base)
- idle_cycles: count of cycles with no work found

## Backoff Logic

```
on await-signal timeout (no nudge):
    idle_cycles++
    current_interval = min(base * 2^idle_cycles, max_interval)

on nudge received:
    idle_cycles = 0
    current_interval = base
    wake immediately

on work found:
    idle_cycles = 0
    current_interval = base
```

## Where State Lives

Options:
A. Agent bead fields (persistent across sessions)
B. In-memory during patrol (resets on restart)
C. Wisp fields (ephemeral but survives handoff)

Option B is simplest - backoff resets when agent restarts anyway.

## Depends On

- gt-l6ro3.3: await-signal step type


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 3: all healthy


Bug: bd update --parent doesn't persist

The --parent flag on bd update reports success but doesn't persist the parent field.

**Confirmed behavior:**
```bash
bd update gt-9kp3t --parent=gt-d0jqp --no-daemon -v
# Output: ✓ Updated issue: gt-9kp3t

bd show gt-9kp3t --json | jq '.[0].parent'
# Returns: null

grep gt-9kp3t .beads/issues.jsonl | head -1 | jq '.parent'
# Returns: null (field not present)
```

**Root cause hypothesis:**
The update handler processes the --parent flag but either:
1. Doesn't write it to the Issue struct
2. Doesn't include it in the JSONL export
3. The field name doesn't match what export expects

**Files to check:**
- cmd/bd/show.go:638-640 (flag handling)
- cmd/bd/show.go:810-814 (reparenting logic)
- internal/rpc/server_issues_epics.go (RPC handler)
- internal/rpc/protocol.go (UpdateArgs.Parent field)

Related: bd-cj2e (the original feature implementation)


Schematic: Domain-Level Formula Composition

A Schematic is a coordinated set of formulas defining an entire workflow domain.

## Concept

Like an orchestra score to instrument parts - says how formulas fit together.

```toml
# shiny-engineering.schematic
[schematic]
name = "The Shiny Way"
description = "Full engineering workflow from issue to production"

[formulas]
planning = "@gastown/shiny"
development = "@gastown/polecat-work"
review = "@gastown/review"
release = "@gastown/release"

[flow]
default = "planning >> development >> review >> release"

[constraints]
all_code_reviewed = true
tests_before_deploy = true
```

## Relationship to Other Concepts

- **Schematic** (workflow dimension) = composition of Formulas
- **Campaign** (work dimension) = composition of Epics
- Schematic compiles to Campaign, like Formula compiles to Molecule

## Use Cases

1. Define "The Shiny Way" for a team/org
2. Encode compliance requirements
3. Standardize workflows across projects
4. Enable workflow reuse and sharing

## Open Questions

1. File format - TOML? YAML? Extend formula syntax?
2. Validation - how to verify schematic consistency?
3. Overrides - can project override org schematic?

## Related

- docs/formula_evolution.md
- gt-8tmz - molecule algebra


gt done: MR bead not created

Integration test gt-7psb8 revealed that gt done says 'Work submitted to merge queue' but no MR bead is created.

Observed:
- gt done output: 'MR ID: mr-1766956116-b02fb1e5'
- bd show mr-1766956116-b02fb1e5: 'no issue found'
- gt mq list gastown: '(empty)'

Expected: MR bead should exist with issue_type=merge-request and appear in gt mq list.


Polecat-Witness protocol handlers

Implement handlers for: WORK_COMPLETE (polecat→witness: done with issue), NEED_HELP (polecat→witness: stuck, requesting intervention). Witness patrol steps should parse and act on these.


Activity feed improvements

Make the activity feed (gt feed) a first-class TUI experience using charmbracelet.

## Vision

A real-time dashboard showing all Gas Town activity with:
- Agent tree organized by role (mayor, witnesses, crew, polecats)
- Live event stream
- Vim-style navigation
- Filtering and search

## Architecture

Two-tier event system:
- ~/gt/.events.jsonl (raw, audit) - all events from gt, bd, agents
- Feed daemon curates → ~/gt/.feed.jsonl (user-facing) - filtered, deduped

TUI reads from curated feed for smooth UX.

## Layout (Dashboard + Stream)
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ GT Feed                                    Filter: all      │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ gastown/                                                    │
│   🎩 mayor      [10:30] Dispatched gt-xyz → Toast           │
│   👁 witness    [10:28] Nudged polecat-3 (idle 5m)          │
│   🏭 refinery   [10:25] Merged PR #123                      │
│   👷 crew/                                                   │
│      joe        [10:22] ✓ Completed gt-95j13                │
│      max        [10:18] → Working on gt-s6r44               │
│   😺 polecats/                                               │
│      Toast      [10:30] Received gt-xyz, starting...        │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ [10:30] 😺 Toast: Received molecule gt-xyz                  │
│ [10:28] 👁 witness: Nudged polecat-3 after 5m idle          │
│ [10:25] 🏭 refinery: Merged PR #123                         │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ j/k: scroll  /: search  f: filter  q: quit  ?: help         │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

## Key Features
1. Real-time updates - events stream in live
2. Agent tree - all agents grouped by role with status
3. Vim-style navigation - j/k, gg/G, /search
4. Filtering - by rig, role, event type, time
5. Collapsible sections
6. Details on select

## Tech Stack
- bubbletea - TUI framework
- bubbles - viewport, list components
- lipgloss - styling (already have)

## Success Criteria
- Feed is beautiful and scannable at a glance
- Agent activity visible in real-time
- Works in any terminal, degrades gracefully for pipes


Phase 4.2: Witness/Refinery patrol molecules

Extend ephemeral patrol pattern to Witness and Refinery.

## Witness Patrol Cycle

mol-witness-patrol-cycle:
1. scan-polecats: Check each polecat status
2. detect-stalls: Find stuck/idle polecats
3. nudge-or-escalate: Take action on stalls
4. log-status: Record cycle results
→ Squash with summary

## Refinery Patrol Cycle

mol-refinery-patrol-cycle:
1. scan-queue: Check merge queue
2. process-ready: Merge ready MRs
3. handle-failures: Deal with conflicts/failures
4. log-status: Record cycle results
→ Squash with summary

## Quiescent Mode

When no work: just log 'no activity' summary.
Witness and Refinery can sleep between cycles until triggered.


Implement gt mq CLI commands

Add gt mq subcommands as sugar over bd:

- gt mq submit: Create MR for current branch
- gt mq list: Show open merge requests
- gt mq next: Show next MR ready to process
- gt mq process: Engineer processes the queue
- gt mq reorder <id> --after <x>: Change ordering via deps
- gt mq status <id>: Show MR details

All commands should work with the Beads data plane.


Keepalive signal from bd/gt commands

Every bd and gt command should touch a keepalive file to signal 'agent is alive/working'.

## Implementation

Touch `<workspace>/.gastown/keepalive.json`:
```json
{"last_command": "bd show gt-99m", "timestamp": "2025-12-18T13:45:00Z"}
```

## Usage by Daemon

- Fresh (< 2 min) → agent is working, skip heartbeat
- Stale (2-5 min) → might be thinking, gentle poke
- Very stale (> 5 min) → likely idle, safe to interrupt

## Benefits

- Zero cost (just file I/O)
- Works during long tool calls
- Doesn't require agent cooperation
- Foundation for smarter backoff strategies


Day 2.2: Remove PID/tmux state inference

Remove ZFC violations where Go infers state from signals:
- No more PID file checks
- No more tmux session parsing
- No more branch pattern analysis

Daemon becomes pure transport layer.

Reference: ~/gt/docs/zfc-violations-audit.md

Parent: gt-d0jqp

Removed PID/tmux state inference from refinery Status(), witness Status(), daemon ensureDeaconRunning(), and daemon pokeDeacon(). Daemon now trusts agent bead state per ZFC. Removed 78 lines of inference code.


Request shutdown

Send shutdown request to Witness.
Wait for termination.

The polecat is now ready to be cleaned up.
Do not exit directly - wait for Witness to kill the session.


Add keyboard navigation and filtering

Keyboard navigation: j/k or arrows to move, enter to expand/collapse, q to quit. Filtering: by rig name, worker name, event type. Search within activity stream.


Evaluate pending async gates

Evaluate pending async gates.

Gates are async coordination primitives that block until conditions are met.
The Deacon is responsible for monitoring gates and closing them when ready.

**Timer gates** (await_type: timer):
Check if elapsed time since creation exceeds the timeout duration.

```bash
# List all open gates
bd gate list --json

# For each timer gate, check if elapsed:
# - CreatedAt + Timeout < Now → gate is ready to close
# - Close with: bd gate close <id> --reason "Timer elapsed"
```

**GitHub gates** (await_type: gh:run, gh:pr) - handled in separate step.

**Human/Mail gates** - require external input, skip here.

After closing a gate, the Waiters field contains mail addresses to notify.
Send a brief notification to each waiter that the gate has cleared.


Refinery patrol: Add sibling-check step

Refinery should check on Witness health as part of patrol (village sibling watch).

## Implementation

1. Add `sibling-check` step to mol-refinery-patrol (early in cycle)
2. Use `gt peek <rig>/witness 20` to check Witness output
3. Look for signs of health:
   - Recent activity (tool calls, log messages)
   - No error stack traces
   - Responsive to pings
4. If Witness seems stuck:
   - Send status request mail
   - Note for potential escalation
   - Don't block Refinery work

## Acceptance
- Refinery checks Witness each patrol cycle
- Anomalies logged
- Non-blocking (Refinery continues even if Witness is down)


Plugin: Plan-to-Epic converter

## Purpose

Help users create beads epics from various planning inputs.

## Inputs
- Markdown task lists
- GitHub issues
- Linear/Jira exports
- Free-form descriptions
- Existing beads epics

## Output
- Beads epic with properly structured children
- Dependencies set for wave ordering
- Priorities assigned
- Ready for `gt spawn --epic <id>`

## Implementation Options

### Option A: CLI Tool
```bash
gt plan import --from github --repo owner/repo --label batch-candidate
gt plan import --from markdown tasks.md
gt plan structure <epic-id>  # analyze and add dependencies
```

### Option B: Plugin Agent
A plugin at `<rig>/plugins/plan-oracle/` that:
- Receives planning requests via mail
- Analyzes scope and requirements
- Creates structured beads epic
- Sets dependencies based on analysis

### Option C: Interactive Mode
```bash
gt plan create
# Walks through questions, creates epic interactively
```

## Axiom

As stated: 'The Planning phase should end in the creation of a workable Beads plan.'

This plugin bridges the gap between human planning and machine-executable work.

## Priority

P2 - Nice to have for MVP. Manual epic creation works for now.

## Note

No "swarm IDs" - output is just a beads epic with children. Workers process it independently.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 18: routine


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 8: all healthy


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 2: all healthy, no callbacks


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Cycle 12: quiet


Extract timing constants to constants package

Extract hardcoded timing values to named constants.

## Files to modify
- internal/constants/constants.go (add constants)
- internal/cmd/start.go (use constants)
- internal/tmux/tmux.go (use constants)

## Implementation
Add to constants.go:
```go
const (
    ShutdownNotifyDelay  = 500 * time.Millisecond
    ClaudeStartTimeout   = 15 * time.Second
    ShellReadyTimeout    = 5 * time.Second
    DefaultDebounceMs    = 100
    DefaultDisplayMs     = 5000
)
```

## Acceptance criteria
- [ ] 5 timing constants added to constants.go
- [ ] start.go uses ShutdownNotifyDelay, ClaudeStartTimeout, ShellReadyTimeout
- [ ] tmux.go uses DefaultDebounceMs, DefaultDisplayMs
- [ ] go build ./... passes
- [ ] go test ./... passes


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously, handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup. Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.

## Second-Order Monitoring

Witnesses send WITNESS_PING messages to verify the Deacon is alive. This
prevents the "who watches the watchers" problem - if the Deacon dies,
Witnesses detect it and escalate to the Mayor.

The Deacon's agent bead last_activity timestamp is updated during each patrol
cycle. Witnesses check this timestamp to verify health.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 14: routine


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol complete: beads witness+refinery came online, both rigs healthy


Test Patrol Parent

[RESURRECTED] This issue was deleted but recreated as a tombstone to preserve hierarchical structure.

Original description:
Test parent for Christmas Ornament pattern


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 17: quiet


attached_args: Extract processExists function to reduce duplication

Extract duplicated processExists function to shared package.

## Files to modify
- internal/util/process.go (NEW)
- internal/witness/manager.go (remove local function, import util)
- internal/refinery/manager.go (remove local function, import util)

## Current duplication
Both files have identical implementations at:
- internal/witness/manager.go (lines 136-144)
- internal/refinery/manager.go (lines 646-654)

```go
func processExists(pid int) bool {
    proc, err := os.FindProcess(pid)
    if err != nil {
        return false
    }
    err = proc.Signal(nil)
    return err == nil
}
```

## Implementation
Create internal/util/process.go:
```go
package util

import "os"

// ProcessExists checks if a process with the given PID exists.
func ProcessExists(pid int) bool {
    proc, err := os.FindProcess(pid)
    if err != nil {
        return false
    }
    return proc.Signal(nil) == nil
}
```

## Acceptance criteria
- [ ] internal/util/process.go created with ProcessExists function
- [ ] internal/util/process_test.go with basic tests
- [ ] witness/manager.go imports util and uses util.ProcessExists
- [ ] refinery/manager.go imports util and uses util.ProcessExists
- [ ] Local processExists functions removed from both files
- [ ] go build ./... passes
- [ ] go test ./... passes


Merge: gt-3x1.3

branch: polecat/Doof
target: main
source_issue: gt-3x1.3
rig: gastown


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Routine patrol, town stable


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

P9: stable


HOP: Entity chain tracking for agents

Track work history per-entity (CV chains). See ~/ai/stevey-gastown/hop/decisions/002-entity-chains.md for design. Post-v0.1 work.


E2E Phase 2 observability test

End-to-end test of Phase 2 observability:

Test scenario:
1. Sling work to polecat
2. Watch gt feed for polecat activity
3. Polecat completes, signals done
4. Watch gt feed for MQ events (merge_started, merged)
5. gt status shows queue depth changes
6. Swarm status visible in gt swarm status

All observable without checking .runtime/*.json files.

Success = glass cockpit is lit.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 15: All clear


Code review: handoff.go changes (gt-yt6g, gt-tocb)

Review ~80 lines of Go changes to internal/cmd/handoff.go:

## Commits to review
- 1414081: Standardize session end with gt handoff (gt-yt6g)
  - Detect polecats via GT_POLECAT env var
  - Call gt done instead of respawning for polecats
  - +31/-11 lines

- 9c85b83: Support full session paths in gt handoff (gt-tocb)
  - resolveRoleToSession accepts <rig>/crew/<name>, <rig>/witness, <rig>/refinery
  - +46/-3 lines

## Review focus
- Error handling in path resolution
- Edge cases in polecat detection
- Test coverage needed?


CLI: cleanup commands for stale state

Cleanup commands for recovering from stale state.

## Commands

### gt cleanup <polecat>
Clean stale state for specific polecat.
```
gt cleanup <rig>/<polecat> [--dry-run]
```

Actions:
- Remove orphaned state.json if clone missing
- Clear stale session references
- Reset stuck state (working → idle after timeout)

### gt cleanup --all
Clean all polecats in workspace.
```
gt cleanup --all [--dry-run]
```

## Implementation
```go
func CleanupPolecat(rigName, polecatName string, dryRun bool) (*CleanupResult, error)

type CleanupResult struct {
    OrphanedStateRemoved bool
    SessionsCleared      int
    StateReset           bool
    Warnings             []string
}
```

## Overlap with Doctor
- Doctor diagnoses and offers --fix
- Cleanup is more aggressive state recovery
- Consider merging into doctor --fix

## New File
internal/cmd/cleanup.go

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] Removes orphaned state files
- [ ] Clears stale session refs
- [ ] --dry-run shows what would happen
- [ ] Reports all actions taken


gt sling: Set status=hooked instead of pinned

Update gt sling to use the new 'hooked' status when attaching work to an agent's hook.

## Current Behavior

gt sling sets status='pinned' on the work item.

## New Behavior

gt sling sets status='hooked' on the work item.

## Files to Update

- internal/cmd/sling.go (or wherever sling logic lives)
- Any tests that expect pinned status after sling

## CROSS-RIG DEPENDENCY

**BLOCKED BY: bd-s00m.1** (Schema: Add 'hooked' as valid status)

This task cannot start until the beads schema change is deployed. The 'hooked' status must be valid before gt can use it.

## Verification

1. gt sling gt-xyz gastown/furiosa
2. bd show gt-xyz → status should be 'hooked'
3. bd ready should NOT show gt-xyz's dependents


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 16: All healthy.


gt mol attach: Auto-detect agent from cwd when single arg provided

## Current Behavior

gt mol attach requires 2 args:
  gt mol attach <agent-bead-id> <molecule-id>

## Expected Behavior

When called with 1 arg from an agent working directory:
  gt mol attach <molecule-id>

Should auto-detect the agent from cwd (same detection used by gt mail, bd, etc.)
and attach the molecule to that agent hook.

## Example

From ~/gt/gastown/mayor/rig:
  gt mol attach gt-y14l7
  -> detects mayor role
  -> attaches gt-y14l7 to gt-mayor hook

## Implementation

1. Check arg count
2. If 1 arg, call role detection from cwd
3. Resolve agent bead ID from role (gt-mayor, gt-witness-gastown, etc.)
4. Proceed with attachment

This makes the common case (attaching work to yourself) ergonomic.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 5: routine


Add live polling and updates

Implement live polling (500ms default) for activity updates. Merge new events into view without flickering. Show connection status indicator. Handle daemon disconnects gracefully.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

P17: stable


Day 2.7c: gt doctor checks agent beads exist

Add gt doctor check: agent-beads-exist

1. For town-level: verify gt-deacon and gt-mayor beads exist
2. For each rig: verify gt-witness-<rig> and gt-refinery-<rig> beads exist
3. Report missing beads as warnings
4. Implement --fix to create missing beads

Files:
- internal/doctor/agent_beads_check.go (new)
- internal/cmd/doctor.go (register check)


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol complete: 0 callbacks, no gates, all witnesses/refineries healthy, no orphans


gt sling fails for terminated polecats even with --naked flag

## Problem
When a polecat terminates after completing work (submits MR, session ends), the polecat directory still exists but the tmux session is gone. Attempting to sling new work to that polecat fails:

```
gt sling bd-fa1q beads/Toast --naked
Error: resolving target: getting pane for gt-beads-toast: exit status 1
```

The `--naked` flag should bypass tmux pane requirements, but the error occurs during target resolution before the flag is checked.

## Expected Behavior
`gt sling <bead> <polecat> --naked` should:
1. Attach work to the polecat hook
2. Skip session creation (manual start later)
3. NOT require an existing tmux pane

## Workaround
Use crew workers instead (they have persistent sessions).

## Fix
Target resolution should check `--naked` flag before attempting pane lookup, or provide a way to respawn terminated polecats.


mol-deacon-patrol


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously, handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup. Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 17: Quiet


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 12: Quiet


Remove all hardcoded gastown dependencies from gt codebase

The Go codebase should not have hardcoded dependencies on gastown (the rig name).

Found in prime.go outputDeaconPatrolContext() - FIXED in this session.

Other potential issues to audit:
- Check all patrol context functions (Witness, Refinery) for similar patterns
- Ensure rig-specific paths are derived from context, not hardcoded
- Test with a different rig name to verify

The principle: Gas Town should work with any rig name, not just gastown.


Fix namepool Save() to use write lock

attached_args: Fix namepool Save() mutex for thread safety

Fix incorrect mutex usage in namepool Save() method.

## Files to modify
- internal/polecat/namepool.go

## Problem (lines 179-194)
Save() uses RLock() but performs file I/O:
```go
func (p *NamePool) Save() error {
    p.mu.RLock()  // WRONG: file write needs write lock
    defer p.mu.RUnlock()
    // ... file operations ...
}
```

## Fix
Change to write lock:
```go
func (p *NamePool) Save() error {
    p.mu.Lock()
    defer p.mu.Unlock()
    // ... file operations ...
}
```

## Acceptance criteria
- [ ] Save() uses Lock() instead of RLock()
- [ ] go test -race ./internal/polecat/... passes
- [ ] Existing namepool tests still pass


Agent Communication Protocol

Structured mail between agents for coordination.

## Problem
Agents communicate via freeform mail. This works but lacks parseable structure for automated handling.

## Protocols

### Witness to Refinery
- POLECAT_READY: worker X completed, branch ready for merge
- REWORK_COMPLETE: worker Y finished requested rework

### Refinery to Witness
- MERGE_SUCCESS: worker X merged, can be cleaned up
- MERGE_FAILED: worker X needs rework (reason attached)
- REWORK_REQUEST: please have worker X rebase on current main

### Polecat to Witness
- WORK_COMPLETE: done with assigned issue
- NEED_HELP: stuck, requesting intervention

### Any to Deacon
- ESCALATION: problem requiring Mayor attention

## Mail Format
Subject: [PROTOCOL_TYPE] brief description
Body: Structured YAML or JSON payload

## Success Criteria
- Patrol steps parse protocol messages automatically
- Handlers exist for each protocol type
- Integration test: polecat completes -> witness notifies -> refinery merges -> witness cleans up

Consolidates gt-0qki.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 6: All healthy.


Test Patrol Parent

[RESURRECTED] This issue was deleted but recreated as a tombstone to preserve hierarchical structure.

Original description:
Test parent for Christmas Ornament pattern


Design: Plugin architecture (agents-as-plugins)

Plugin system where plugins are just additional agents with identities, mailboxes, and beads access. See docs/architecture.md Plugins section. No special framework - just directory conventions and mail-based invocation.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 2: all agents healthy, no issues


Haiku-based smart stuck detection

Use Haiku to analyze tmux state when signals are ambiguous.

## When to Invoke

Only as escalation tier:
1. Keepalive is stale (> 2 min)
2. Tmux shows claude is running (not idle shell)
3. Heuristics can't determine state

## Prompt

Capture last 50 lines of tmux pane, ask Haiku:
'Is this Claude agent: WORKING | STUCK | IDLE | WAITING_FOR_HUMAN?'

## Cost

~$0.001 per check. At 1 check/min worst case = $0.06/hour.
In practice, most checks avoided by keepalive signal.

## Configuration

```toml
[daemon]
smart_detection = true
smart_model = "haiku"
smart_threshold = "2m"  # only check if stale > 2min
```


Maintenance: Regular cleanup of closed MR/gate beads

Closed merge-request and gate beads accumulate over time. Need regular cleanup.

## Cleanup Candidates
- type=merge-request with status=closed
- type=gate with status=closed
- type=molecule with status=closed (completed workflows)

## Options
1. **Deacon patrol step** - squash closed MRs periodically
2. **Refinery post-merge** - close and tombstone MR after successful merge
3. **bd doctor check** - warn when stale MR count exceeds threshold

## Consideration
Keep some audit trail? Or just tombstone after N days?


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 11: routine


Missing space in error messages (handoff.go, prime.go)

Minor typo in error messages at two locations:

**handoff.go L895**:
```go
fmt.Println(style.Dim.Render("Run manually: bd --no-daemon wisp" + protoID))
// Missing space before protoID
```

**prime.go L1061**:
Same issue.

**Fix**: Add space before protoID:
```go
fmt.Println(style.Dim.Render("Run manually: bd --no-daemon wisp " + protoID))
```


Day 1.4c: Create polecat agent bead lifecycle

Define ephemeral polecat agent bead lifecycle.

Polecats need agent beads for ZFC compliance (self-report state).

Lifecycle:
1. On spawn: Create agent bead
   ```yaml
   id: gt-polecat-<rig>-<name>
   type: agent
   role_type: polecat
   rig: <rig>
   state: spawning
   hook_bead: <assigned-issue>
   ```

2. On Claude ready: Update state=working

3. On completion: Update state=done

4. On nuke: Delete agent bead

Commands needed:
- gt polecat spawn creates agent bead
- gt polecat nuke deletes agent bead
- Polecat updates own state via bd agent state

Note: This ensures Witness can read polecat state from beads instead of tmux scraping.

Implemented polecat agent bead lifecycle: spawn creates bead with state=spawning, nuke deletes bead. State updates (spawning→working→done) require bd agent state command (beads CLI enhancement).


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously, handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup. Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.

## Second-Order Monitoring

Witnesses send WITNESS_PING messages to verify the Deacon is alive. This
prevents the "who watches the watchers" problem - if the Deacon dies,
Witnesses detect it and escalate to the Mayor.

The Deacon's agent bead last_activity timestamp is updated during each patrol
cycle. Witnesses check this timestamp to verify health.


mol-deacon-patrol


Machine registry: Store and manage machine configs

Registry for managing remote machines in federation.

## Data Model

```go
type Machine struct {
    Name     string `json:"name"`
    Type     string `json:"type"`      // "local", "ssh", "gcp"
    Host     string `json:"host"`      // for ssh: user@host
    KeyPath  string `json:"key_path"`  // SSH key path
    TownPath string `json:"town_path"` // Path to town on remote
}
```

## Interface

```go
type MachineRegistry struct {
    path     string  // config/federation.json
    machines map[string]*Machine
}

func NewMachineRegistry(configPath string) *MachineRegistry
func (r *MachineRegistry) Get(name string) (*Machine, error)
func (r *MachineRegistry) Add(m *Machine) error
func (r *MachineRegistry) Remove(name string) error
func (r *MachineRegistry) List() []*Machine
func (r *MachineRegistry) Connection(name string) (Connection, error)
```

## Storage

federation.json in config/:
```json
{
  "version": 1,
  "machines": {
    "local": {"type": "local"},
    "gcp-vm-1": {
      "type": "ssh",
      "host": "user@10.0.0.1",
      "key_path": "~/.ssh/gcp_key",
      "town_path": "/home/user/ai"
    }
  }
}
```

## Connection Factory

```go
func (r *MachineRegistry) Connection(name string) (Connection, error) {
    m := r.machines[name]
    switch m.Type {
    case "local":
        return NewLocalConnection(), nil
    case "ssh":
        return NewSSHConnection(m.Host, m.KeyPath), nil
    }
}
```


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 4: All clear


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 11: quiet


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 17: All clear


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol complete: no callbacks, agents healthy, 1 stale lock cleaned


Witness patrol formula should document 'dead' agent state

## Problem

The witness patrol formula survey-workers step documents these agent states:

  agent_state: running|idle|stuck|done

But the daemon lifecycle (daemon/lifecycle.go:647) can set agent_state to 'dead'
when an agent goes unresponsive. This state isn't mentioned in the formula.

## Found in commit

f3a6ef6 (feat: Witness reads polecat state from agent beads)

## Suggested fix

Update the formula survey-workers step to include 'dead' in the state table:

| agent_state | Meaning | Action |
|-------------|---------|--------|
| running | Actively working | Check progress (Step 3) |
| idle | No work assigned | Skip (no action needed) |
| stuck | Self-reported stuck | Handle stuck protocol |
| done | Work complete | Verify cleanup triggered |
| dead | Marked dead by daemon | Clean up or respawn |


Add agent abstraction layer to support non-Claude agents

Currently Gas Town hardcodes 'claude --dangerously-skip-permissions' throughout the codebase for spawning agents. We should add an abstraction layer to support other AI agents (e.g., Gemini CLI, OpenAI agents, local models).

Locations that spawn Claude:
- internal/cmd/mayor.go:131
- internal/cmd/deacon.go:150
- internal/cmd/witness.go:280
- internal/cmd/crew.go (multiple locations)
- internal/cmd/up.go:190, 229
- internal/session/manager.go:146
- internal/refinery/manager.go:207

Suggested approach:
1. Create an agent package with an interface
2. Add configuration for agent type in town/rig config
3. Replace hardcoded claude commands with agent.Spawn() calls
4. Support agents: claude, gemini, openai, local (ollama, etc.)


Deacon health pings clear agent backoff

Deacon's periodic health checks also clear patrol agent backoff.

## Current Flow (mol-deacon-patrol)

Deacon already pings witnesses/refineries for health checks. These pings should:
1. Verify agent is alive
2. Clear their backoff as side effect

## Implementation

In mol-deacon-patrol health-scan step:
- gt nudge <rig>/witness 'HEALTH_CHECK from deacon'
- gt nudge <rig>/refinery 'HEALTH_CHECK from deacon'

Receiving agent:
- Responds to prove liveness
- Resets backoff to base interval

## Ping Interval

Deacon patrols every ~1-2 minutes. This ensures:
- Maximum backoff is bounded by deacon ping interval
- Even if daemon misses activity, deacon catches up


Code Smell Cleanup: Gas Town Code Quality

Comprehensive code smell cleanup identified in code review session.

## Scope
Fixes for duplication, thread safety, missing tests, inconsistent patterns, and dead code.

## Child issues (18 total)

### Thread Safety & Data Integrity (P2)
- gt-wled7: Atomic write pattern for state files
- gt-xtsb5: Fix namepool Save() mutex
- gt-bp0ht: Add swarm.Manager mutex

### Duplication Removal (P2)
- gt-560ge: Extract processExists function
- gt-ddw3y: Extract molecule_lifecycle boilerplate
- gt-atqr8: Session name helper functions
- gt-ov2uv: AgentIdentity type for parsing

### Missing Tests (P2)
- gt-p2eg5: Lock package tests
- gt-0vu9e: mrqueue package tests
- gt-1pelm: mail router/mailbox tests

### Code Quality (P2)
- gt-gcnnr: Add logging for ignored errors

### Constants Extraction (P3)
- gt-4u682: SupportedShells constant
- gt-795e8: Timing constants

### Refactoring (P3)
- gt-tkbd5: Refactor runStart
- gt-dsqxw: Refactor runStartCrew

### Error Handling (P3)
- gt-h3skz: Remove os.Exit from RunE
- gt-g6kor: Standardize warning output

### Dead Code (P4)
- gt-2g130: Remove unused code

## Acceptance criteria
- [ ] All child issues closed
- [ ] go build ./... passes
- [ ] go test ./... passes
- [ ] go test -race ./... passes


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol cycle 20: All healthy


Test Patrol Parent


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 12: All healthy.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 12: quiet


Interactive prompts for destructive operations

Add interactive confirmations for destructive operations.

## Operations Needing Confirmation
- `gt swarm cancel` - Cancels active swarm
- `gt swarm land --force` - Force landing
- `gt polecat decommission` - Removes polecat
- `gt rig remove` - Removes rig
- `gt stop --all` - Stops all sessions
- `gt mail purge` - Permanently deletes mail

## Implementation Options

### Option 1: promptui library
```go
import "github.com/manifoldco/promptui"

prompt := promptui.Prompt{
    Label:     "Delete polecat Toast",
    IsConfirm: true,
}
result, err := prompt.Run()
```

### Option 2: Simple stdin
```go
func confirm(prompt string) bool {
    fmt.Printf("%s [y/N]: ", prompt)
    var response string
    fmt.Scanln(&response)
    return strings.ToLower(response) == "y"
}
```

## Bypass Flags
All confirmations skippable with --force or --yes:
```go
if !force && !confirm("Really cancel swarm?") {
    return nil
}
```

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] Destructive ops prompt by default
- [ ] --force or --yes bypasses
- [ ] Clear prompt text explaining action
- [ ] Non-interactive mode (piped input) auto-fails


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 6: routine


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously, handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup. Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 4: all healthy


ZFC #4: Replace daemon identity parsing with agent self-registration

**ZFC Violation:** internal/daemon/lifecycle.go:209-309

The daemon has embedded switch statements that parse agent identity strings to determine:
- Session names
- Working directories
- Which agents need pre-sync
- Restart commands

**Current anti-pattern:**
```go
if strings.HasSuffix(identity, "-refinery") {
    needsPreSync = true
    workDir = filepath.Join(...)
}
```

**ZFC-compliant solution:**
Agent types self-register via role beads:
- Role bead contains: working_dir, session_name_pattern, needs_sync, restart_command
- Daemon reads role bead to get lifecycle config
- No identity string parsing in Go

**Depends on:** Day 1.5 (role beads exist)

Reference: ~/gt/docs/zfc-violations-audit.md #4


Witness-Refinery protocol handlers

Implement handlers for: POLECAT_READY (witness→refinery: worker done, branch ready), MERGE_SUCCESS (refinery→witness: merged, cleanup ok), MERGE_FAILED (refinery→witness: needs rework), REWORK_REQUEST (refinery→witness: rebase needed).


HOP: Skill vectors on work items

Add skill embeddings to work items for capability-based matching. See ~/ai/stevey-gastown/hop/CONTEXT.md. Post-v0.1 work.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 15: All healthy.


Integration test: simple file creation

Test task for polecat integration test (gt-7psb8).

Simple task: Create a file ~/gt/gastown/test-polecat-integration.txt with content 'Polecat integration test successful'.

This is an intentionally trivial task to verify the polecat → witness → refinery → merged flow works end-to-end.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 7: routine


Patrol formulas: Inconsistent variable placeholder syntax

The patrol formulas use inconsistent syntax for variable placeholders:

## Inconsistency

| Formula | Syntax | Examples |
|---------|--------|----------|
| mol-polecat-arm | `{{var}}` | `{{polecat_name}}`, `{{rig}}` |
| mol-witness-patrol | `<var>` | `<rig>`, `<handoff-bead-id>` |
| mol-refinery-patrol | `<var>` | `<polecat-branch>` |

## Expected

All formulas should use consistent syntax, probably `{{var}}` since that's what
the variables section defines.

## Fix

Update mol-witness-patrol and mol-refinery-patrol to use `{{var}}` syntax
where appropriate, or document that `<var>` is for human-filled placeholders
vs `{{var}}` for cook-time interpolation.


gt sling: Make target path parsing more forgiving

Current parsing rejects valid-looking paths like 'gastown/nux' or 'gastown/polecats/nux'.

Should accept:
- gastown/nux (polecat)
- gastown/Nux (polecat, case-insensitive)
- gastown/polecats/nux (explicit)
- gastown/crew/max (crew)
- gastown (auto-spawn)

The help says 'gastown/Toast' works but it doesn't. Parser is too strict.


Protocol message specification

Define YAML format for protocol messages. Subject: [PROTOCOL_TYPE] brief. Body: structured payload. Document all protocol types: POLECAT_READY, MERGE_SUCCESS, MERGE_FAILED, REWORK_REQUEST, WORK_COMPLETE, NEED_HELP, ESCALATION.


Remove pinned field workaround after beads fix

## Summary

Once bd-phtv is fixed in beads, we can remove the workaround documentation and potentially simplify the pinToHook() implementation.

## Current Workaround

The handoff bead attachment mechanism (AttachMolecule) is used as the primary work assignment mechanism instead of the pinned field. This works correctly but adds complexity.

## Changes After Beads Fix

1. Remove the NOTE comment in internal/beads/beads.go:Pin() explaining the bug
2. Consider simplifying pinToHook() if the pinned field becomes reliable
3. Update gt-o3is to reference the fix

## Blocked By

This issue is blocked by external:beads:pinned-field-fix (bd-phtv).
When that capability is shipped, this issue becomes ready.

## Related

- gt-o3is: Original investigation that found this bug
- bd-phtv: The beads fix (in ~/gt/beads)

BLOCKED: Can't add external:beads:pinned-field-fix dependency due to bd-ucgz (migration invariants bug). Once that's fixed, add: bd dep add gt-hj9e external:beads:pinned-field-fix


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol complete: both rigs healthy, handoff threshold reached


Add tests for critical untested packages

Several packages have no tests:

High priority (critical functionality):
- internal/lock/ - file locking
- internal/mail/router.go, mailbox.go - agent communication
- internal/mrqueue/ - merge request queue
- internal/refinery/ (manager_test.go missing for complex merge logic)

Medium priority:
- internal/claude/ - settings management
- internal/wisp/ - ephemeral workflow
- internal/constants/ - constant values

Low priority:
- internal/style/ - terminal styling

The refinery package is especially concerning - it has complex merge, conflict, and retry logic with no tests.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

P11: stable


Clean up stale children on deacon handoff bead

The deacon handoff bead hq-8r8 has 7 stale children (hq-8r8.1 through hq-8r8.7) from a previous patrol that got incorrectly parented. These should be cleaned up.

The handoff bead should only contain the attached_molecule reference, not instantiated steps.


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously, handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup. Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.

## Second-Order Monitoring

Witnesses send WITNESS_PING messages to verify the Deacon is alive. This
prevents the "who watches the watchers" problem - if the Deacon dies,
Witnesses detect it and escalate to the Mayor.

The Deacon's agent bead last_activity timestamp is updated during each patrol
cycle. Witnesses check this timestamp to verify health.


Build context self-check into patrol molecules

Patrol molecules (witness-patrol, refinery-patrol, deacon-patrol) should have
explicit context self-check as part of each cycle:

After each patrol cycle step:
- Self-assess context pressure
- If high: complete current step, then initiate handoff
- If OK: continue to next cycle

This could be:
1. Explicit step in molecule: 'context-check'
2. Guidance in step instructions: 'Before continuing, assess context...'
3. Protocol baked into the patrol loop description

The key is making it unavoidable - not optional guidance that gets ignored.


Add unit tests for internal/lock package

attached_args: Lock package tests

Add comprehensive tests for the file locking package.

## Files to create
- internal/lock/lock_test.go

## Test cases to cover
1. Lock() acquires lock successfully
2. Lock() blocks when lock held by another
3. Unlock() releases lock
4. TryLock() returns immediately if locked
5. IsLocked() detects lock state
6. Lock file contains correct PID
7. Stale lock detection (if implemented)

## Acceptance criteria
- [ ] internal/lock/lock_test.go created
- [ ] At least 5 test functions
- [ ] Tests pass: go test ./internal/lock/...
- [ ] Coverage > 70%: go test -cover ./internal/lock/...


mol-deacon-patrol


Day 4.3: Polecat self-manages session handoffs

**REVISED**: Session cadence is polecat-managed, not mechanically forced by Witness.

Polecats decide when to cycle their own sessions:
1. Work through molecule steps sequentially in one session
2. Close each step as completed (bd close, for activity feed)
3. Self-initiate handoff when: context filling, logical chunk done, or stuck
4. Use: gt handoff -s 'Continuing molecule' -m '<context notes>'

If polecat forgets to handoff:
- Compaction will force it eventually
- Work continues from hook (molecule state preserved)
- No work is lost

Witness role changes:
- Does NOT force recycle between steps
- DOES monitor for stuck (long idle on same step)
- DOES use recycle for stuck recovery (not routine step transitions)
- DOES verify clean state before nuke

This is more ZFC-compliant: polecats report their own needs.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 2: all clear, systems healthy


Implement aspect merging across formula chain

Implement merging of aspects when formulas extend each other.

## Current State

extends: already works for steps and vars.
Aspects need similar merge behavior.

## Implementation

1. In Resolve(), collect aspects from entire extends chain
2. Merge lists: parent aspects first, then child
3. Support exclude-aspects field to remove inherited aspects
4. Dedupe by aspect name (child wins on conflict)

## Files

- internal/formula/parser.go: Resolve()
- internal/formula/types.go: add ExcludeAspects field

## Tests

1. Child inherits parent aspects
2. Child adds additional aspects
3. Child excludes parent aspect
4. Three-level chain merges correctly


Plugin: work-oracle (pre-dispatch analysis)

Plugin for pre-dispatch task analysis and decomposition.

## Purpose

Before dispatching workers for an epic, ask work-oracle to:
- Validate task breakdown
- Identify parallelization opportunities
- Predict conflicts between tasks
- Suggest worker count

## Hook Point

Mayor consults work-oracle before spawning workers.

## Interface

Input (via mail):
- Epic ID with proposed child issues
- Rig context (current state of codebase)

Output (via mail + bead):
- Recommended task groupings
- Dependency suggestions
- Risk assessment (which files might conflict)
- Optimal worker count

## Structure

```
<rig>/plugins/work-oracle/
├── CLAUDE.md       # Analysis prompts
├── mail/inbox.jsonl
└── state.json
```

Uses existing plugin-as-agent architecture.

## Note

Was "swarm-oracle" - renamed because there are no swarm IDs. This plugin helps plan batch work, not manage swarm entities.


Plugin system: subprocess JSON protocol

Language-agnostic plugin system via subprocess JSON protocol.

## Concept

Allow extending Gas Town with external scripts/programs. Plugins communicate via stdin/stdout JSON.

## Protocol

Request (gt → plugin):
```json
{"method": "check", "params": {"rig": "wyvern", "polecat": "Toast"}}
```

Response (plugin → gt):
```json
{"result": {...}, "error": null}
```

Error response:
```json
{"result": null, "error": {"code": 1, "message": "..."}}
```

## Interface

```go
type Plugin struct {
    Name    string
    Path    string  // executable path
    Methods []string
}

type PluginManager struct {
    plugins map[string]*Plugin
}

func NewPluginManager() *PluginManager
func (pm *PluginManager) Register(plugin *Plugin) error
func (pm *PluginManager) Call(plugin, method string, params any) (any, error)
func (pm *PluginManager) Discover(dir string) error  // auto-discover plugins
```

## Plugin Discovery

Look in:
1. `<town>/plugins/`
2. `~/.config/gastown/plugins/`
3. System path with `gt-plugin-*` prefix

## Built-in Hooks

Plugins can register for events:
- `polecat.started` - Polecat session started
- `polecat.done` - Polecat signals done
- `merge.requested` - MR submitted
- `merge.completed` - MR merged

## Use Cases

- Custom health checks
- Integration with external systems (Slack, etc.)
- Custom merge policies
- Metrics collection

## Future

Consider MCP integration for richer plugin capabilities.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol complete: no work, gastown refinery came online, town healthy


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 3: all healthy, mayor running, witnesses running


Track merge requests as beads (type=merge-request)

Currently MRs are tracked in .gastown/refinery.json. For HOP audit trail and entity CV tracking, merge requests should be Beads entries with type=merge-request. This enables:
- Full audit trail of what was merged, when, by whom
- Entity chain contributions (who validated what)
- Cross-rig visibility of merge activity

The refinery would create an MR bead when work enters the queue, update status as it progresses (open → in_progress → merged/rejected).

Part of Beads-as-data-plane vision from HOP.


Use atomic write pattern for state files

attached_args: Atomic write pattern for state files

Prevent data loss from concurrent state file writes using atomic write pattern.

## Files to modify
- internal/witness/manager.go
- internal/refinery/manager.go
- internal/crew/manager.go
- internal/swarm/manager.go

## Problem
State is saved directly to file - if process crashes mid-write, file corrupts.

## Implementation
Replace direct writes with atomic pattern:
```go
func atomicWriteJSON(path string, v interface{}) error {
    data, err := json.MarshalIndent(v, "", "  ")
    if err != nil {
        return err
    }
    tmpFile := path + ".tmp"
    if err := os.WriteFile(tmpFile, data, 0644); err != nil {
        return err
    }
    return os.Rename(tmpFile, path)  // Atomic on POSIX
}
```

## Acceptance criteria
- [ ] atomicWriteJSON helper created (in internal/util or similar)
- [ ] All 4 manager saveState methods use atomic writes
- [ ] .tmp files cleaned up on success
- [ ] go test ./... passes
- [ ] Manual test: state files survive kill -9


attached_args: Refactor runStart into focused helper functions

Break up the 126-line runStart function in start.go.

## Files to modify
- internal/cmd/start.go

## Current structure (lines 129-255)
runStart does:
1. Crew path detection
2. Workspace verification
3. Mayor session start
4. Deacon session start
5. Optional rig agent startup
6. Configured crew auto-start

## Refactoring plan
Extract these helpers:
```go
func startMayorSession(townRoot string, verbose bool) error
func startDeaconSession(townRoot string) error
func startRigAgents(townRoot string, rigs []string) error
func startConfiguredCrew(townRoot string, config *TownConfig) error
```

## Acceptance criteria
- [ ] runStart reduced to <50 lines
- [ ] 4 helper functions extracted
- [ ] Each helper is <40 lines
- [ ] No change in behavior
- [ ] go test ./internal/cmd/... passes
- [ ] Manual test: gt start works correctly


Extended addressing: Parse [machine:]rig/polecat

Extended addressing for cross-machine operations.

## Address Format

```
[machine:]rig/polecat
```

Examples:
- `wyvern/Toast` - Local machine, wyvern rig, Toast polecat
- `gcp-vm-1:wyvern/Toast` - Remote machine
- `wyvern/` - Broadcast to rig
- `gcp-vm-1:wyvern/` - Broadcast to remote rig

## Parser

```go
type Address struct {
    Machine  string  // empty = local
    Rig      string
    Polecat  string  // empty = broadcast
}

func ParseAddress(s string) (*Address, error)
func (a *Address) String() string
func (a *Address) IsLocal() bool
func (a *Address) IsBroadcast() bool
```

## Validation

```go
func (a *Address) Validate(registry *MachineRegistry) error
```
- Machine must exist in registry (if specified)
- Rig must exist on machine
- Polecat must exist (if specified)

## Usage

All CLI commands that take addresses use ParseAddress:
```go
// gt mail send gcp-vm-1:wyvern/Toast -s "Hello"
addr, _ := ParseAddress("gcp-vm-1:wyvern/Toast")
conn, _ := registry.Connection(addr.Machine)
// Use conn for operations
```

## Backward Compatibility

Existing `rig/polecat` addresses work unchanged (Machine defaults to local).


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 2: All agents healthy, no issues.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

P19: stable


gt-crew-gastown-joe

gt-crew-gastown-joe

role_type:
rig: null
agent_state: running
hook_bead: null
role_bead: null


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Cycle 3: quiet patrol


Update gastown to use 'ephemeral' instead of 'wisp' terminology

After beads renames 'wisp' to 'ephemeral' (bd-o18s), update gastown code:

- patrol_helpers.go: bd wisp create → bd ephemeral create (or new API)
- doctor/wisp_check.go: rename to ephemeral_check.go
- All references to Wisp field → Ephemeral

Depends on: bd-o18s


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 9: all healthy


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 10: full check, all healthy


Execute registered plugins

Execute registered plugins.

Scan ~/gt/plugins/ for plugin directories. Each plugin has a plugin.md with YAML frontmatter defining its gate (when to run) and instructions (what to do).

See docs/deacon-plugins.md for full documentation.

Gate types:
- cooldown: Time since last run (e.g., 24h)
- cron: Schedule-based (e.g., "0 9 * * *")
- condition: Metric threshold (e.g., wisp count > 50)
- event: Trigger-based (e.g., startup, heartbeat)

For each plugin:
1. Read plugin.md frontmatter to check gate
2. Compare against state.json (last run, etc.)
3. If gate is open, execute the plugin

Plugins marked parallel: true can run concurrently using Task tool subagents. Sequential plugins run one at a time in directory order.

Skip this step if ~/gt/plugins/ does not exist or is empty.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 9: quiet


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 9


Build activity stream component

Bubbletea component showing scrollable activity stream for a selected worker. Shows mutation events with timestamps, symbols, and issue titles. Displayed when user expands/selects a worker.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 6: quiet


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously, handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup. Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.

## Second-Order Monitoring

Witnesses send WITNESS_PING messages to verify the Deacon is alive. This
prevents the "who watches the watchers" problem - if the Deacon dies,
Witnesses detect it and escalate to the Mayor.

The Deacon's agent bead last_activity timestamp is updated during each patrol
cycle. Witnesses check this timestamp to verify health.


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously, handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup. Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 14: All clear


Protocol: Type System for Formulas

Protocols define interfaces that formulas implement - a type system for workflows.

## Concept

```toml
# reviewable.protocol
[protocol]
name = "Reviewable"

[requires]
steps = ["review"]  # Must have a step tagged "review"
outputs = ["review_decision"]  # Must produce this

[guarantees]
"review completes before any deploy step"
```

Formulas declare: `implements = ["Reviewable", "Deployable"]`

System verifies compliance statically.

## Use Cases

1. Ensure all deploy formulas have review steps
2. Define compliance requirements as protocols
3. Enable formula discovery: "Give me all Deployable formulas"
4. Validate formula composition compatibility

## Properties

- Static verification (before execution)
- Composable (protocol can extend protocol)
- Documentation value (self-describing contracts)

## Open Questions

1. Protocol syntax - embedded in formula or separate files?
2. Verification timing - cook time? load time?
3. Protocol versioning - how do protocols evolve?
4. Inheritance - can protocols extend other protocols?

## Related

- docs/formula_evolution.md - "Formula Schemas" section
- gt-8tmz - molecule algebra


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 14


Extract interfaces for Git and Tmux to enable testing

Git and Tmux packages use concrete types that make testing difficult:

internal/git/git.go:
- Git struct with 40+ methods
- No interface - tests must use real git
- Many packages directly depend on concrete type

internal/tmux/tmux.go:
- Tmux struct with 30+ methods
- No interface - tests must use real tmux
- Contains Claude-specific detection logic mixed in

Suggestion:
1. Extract GitOperations interface with common operations
2. Extract TmuxRunner interface for subprocess operations
3. Allow mock injection for unit tests
4. Move Claude-specific tmux logic to internal/claude/


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 2: All healthy


Review: Witness patrol template changes (gt-h1n5)

Polecat rictus implemented significant witness.md.tmpl changes: banners, wisp-based execution, handoff bead attachment, loop-or-exit, patrol summary. Review for correctness and consistency with deacon pattern.


gt-polecat-gastown-ace

gt-polecat-gastown-ace

role_type: polecat
rig: gastown
agent_state: running
hook_bead: gt-795e8
role_bead: null


mol-deacon-patrol


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 20: final check, all healthy, handoff threshold


Merge: gt-3x1

branch: polecat/Slit
target: main
source_issue: gt-3x1
rig: gastown


Daemon patrol should clean stale locks

The gt daemon patrol cycle should detect and clean up stale locks.

## Problem
If daemon crashes or there are orphaned locks, they can block operations indefinitely.

## Proposed Solution
During patrol cycle:
1. Check for lock files older than threshold (e.g., 5 minutes)
2. Verify owning process is dead (check PID if stored)
3. Remove stale locks
4. Log cleanup for audit


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 8: healthy


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 2: all healthy, no incidents


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 16: routine


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 3: All clear


Extract SupportedShells constant to constants package

Extract repeated shell list to a single constant.

## Files to modify
- internal/constants/constants.go (add constant)
- internal/cmd/start.go (use constant at lines 729, 773, 907)
- internal/cmd/crew_helpers.go (use constant)

## Implementation
Add to constants.go:
```go
var SupportedShells = []string{"bash", "zsh", "sh", "fish", "tcsh", "ksh"}
```

Replace all inline []string{"bash", "zsh"...} with constants.SupportedShells.

## Acceptance criteria
- [ ] SupportedShells added to internal/constants/constants.go
- [ ] All 4 occurrences in start.go and crew_helpers.go replaced
- [ ] grep -r '"bash", "zsh"' returns no matches in internal/cmd/
- [ ] go build ./... passes
- [ ] go test ./... passes


witness Handoff


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Cycle 15: quiet, handoff for fresh context


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 6: quiet


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 7: all healthy


Design org formula hierarchy pattern

Design how organizational formula hierarchies work.

## Pattern

    company-base.formula.yaml (org-wide policies)
      └── team-frontend.formula.yaml (extends company-base)
           └── project-dashboard.formula.yaml (extends team-frontend)

## Key Questions

1. How are org formulas discovered? (search path? explicit import?)
2. How do aspects merge across levels?
3. Can child override parent aspects?
4. How to handle aspect conflicts?

## Proposed Design

- Formulas use extends: just like today
- Aspect lists merge (child appends to parent)
- Child can exclude parent aspects via "exclude-aspects: [name]"
- Search path: local -> rig -> org (configurable)

## Deliverables

1. Document pattern in docs/formula-inheritance.md
2. Define conflict resolution rules
3. Identify implementation tasks


Self-review

Review your own changes. Look for:
- Bugs and edge cases
- Style issues
- Missing error handling
- Security concerns

Fix any issues found before proceeding.


Find abandoned work

Find abandoned work.

Scan for orphaned state:
- Issues marked in_progress with no active polecat
- Polecats that stopped responding mid-work
- Merge queue entries with no polecat owner
- Wisp sessions that outlived their spawner

```bash
bd list --status=in_progress
gt polecats --all --orphan
```

For each orphan:
- Check if polecat session still exists
- If not, mark issue for reassignment or retry
- File incident beads if data loss occurred


ZFC #7: Make message age filtering configurable

**ZFC Violation:** internal/daemon/lifecycle.go:64-75

Go hardcodes 6-hour max message age:
```go
const MaxLifecycleMessageAge = 6 * time.Hour
```

**ZFC-compliant solution:**
- Make this configurable per message type
- Or let agents decide message relevance
- Low priority - not blocking liftoff

Reference: ~/gt/docs/zfc-violations-audit.md #7


mol-deacon-patrol


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 19: all healthy


Evaluate pending async gates

Evaluate pending async gates.

Gates are async coordination primitives that block until conditions are met.
The Deacon is responsible for monitoring gates and closing them when ready.

**Timer gates** (await_type: timer):
Check if elapsed time since creation exceeds the timeout duration.

```bash
# List all open gates
bd gate list --json

# For each timer gate, check if elapsed:
# - CreatedAt + Timeout < Now → gate is ready to close
# - Close with: bd gate close <id> --reason "Timer elapsed"
```

**GitHub gates** (await_type: gh:run, gh:pr) - handled in separate step.

**Human/Mail gates** - require external input, skip here.

After closing a gate, the Waiters field contains mail addresses to notify.
Send a brief notification to each waiter that the gate has cleared.


Execute registered plugins

Execute registered plugins.

Scan ~/gt/plugins/ for plugin directories. Each plugin has a plugin.md with YAML frontmatter defining its gate (when to run) and instructions (what to do).

See docs/deacon-plugins.md for full documentation.

Gate types:
- cooldown: Time since last run (e.g., 24h)
- cron: Schedule-based (e.g., "0 9 * * *")
- condition: Metric threshold (e.g., wisp count > 50)
- event: Trigger-based (e.g., startup, heartbeat)

For each plugin:
1. Read plugin.md frontmatter to check gate
2. Compare against state.json (last run, etc.)
3. If gate is open, execute the plugin

Plugins marked parallel: true can run concurrently using Task tool subagents. Sequential plugins run one at a time in directory order.

Skip this step if ~/gt/plugins/ does not exist or is empty.


Merge: nux-1766959759345

branch: polecat/nux-1766959759345
target: main
source_issue: nux-1766959759345
rig: gastown


Witness Role Definition

You are the Witness - per-rig worker monitor. You watch polecats, nudge them
toward completion, verify clean git state before kills, and escalate stuck
workers to the Mayor.

You do NOT do implementation work. Your job is oversight, not coding.

default_molecule: mol-witness-patrol
capabilities:
  - monitor_workers
  - nudge_stuck
  - pre_kill_verify
  - session_lifecycle
  - escalation

## Core Responsibilities

1. Monitor workers: Track polecat health and progress
2. Nudge: Prompt slow workers toward completion
3. Pre-kill verification: Ensure git state is clean before killing sessions
4. Session lifecycle: Kill sessions, update worker state
5. Self-cycling: Hand off to fresh session when context fills
6. Escalation: Report stuck workers to Mayor

Key principle: You own ALL per-worker cleanup. Mayor is never involved in
routine worker management.

## Propulsion Principle

If you find something on your hook, YOU RUN IT.

Your work is defined by the mol-witness-patrol molecule. Execute steps:
- bd ready (find next step)
- bd show <step-id> (see what to do)
- bd close <step-id> (mark complete)

## Nudge Protocol

Progress through stages. Track nudge count per worker per issue.
- First Nudge (10+ min idle): Gentle inquiry
- Second Nudge (15 min): Direct question
- Third Nudge (20 min): Final warning
After 3 nudges with no progress -> escalate to Mayor

## Pre-Kill Verification

Before killing ANY polecat session:
1. gt polecat git-state <name> - Must be clean
2. Check for uncommitted work
3. Check for unpushed commits
4. Verify issue closed
5. Verify PR submitted (if applicable)

## Commands

- gt polecat list <rig> - See all polecats
- gt polecat git-state <name> - Check git cleanliness
- tmux capture-pane -t gt-<rig>-<name> -p | tail -40 - Session inspection
- gt mail inbox - Check messages
- gt mail send mayor/ -s "Subject" -m "Message" - Escalate


gt spawn should auto-start refinery/witness if not running

When spawning a polecat, the infrastructure (refinery, witness) should already be running.

## Current Behavior
spawn.go only:1. Assigns issue to polecat2. Sends work mail3. Starts polecat session

The refinery and witness must be started separately.

## Expected Behavior (per user feedback)
When spawning a polecat, if the rig's refinery or witness is not running, auto-start them.

## Options

### Option A: spawn auto-starts infrastructure
Check if refinery/witness running before spawn, start if not.

### Option B: gt swarm start <rig> command
Explicit command that:
1. Starts refinery
2. Starts witness
3. Optionally spawns polecats on bd ready issues

### Option C: gt rig start <rig>
Similar to Option B but as rig lifecycle command.

## Related
- gt-n7z7: refinery --foreground race condition bug
- gt-u1j.18: witness CLI commands


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 13: All healthy


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol cycle 19: All healthy


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 17: quiet


Workspace detection: Find() walking up directory tree

Find workspace root by walking up directory tree looking for Gas Town markers.

## Detection Logic

Walk up from current directory, looking for:
1. `config/town.json` - Primary marker (visible config dir per gt-iib)
2. `mayor/` directory at town level - Secondary marker

Stop at filesystem root if neither found.

## Interface

```go
// Find locates the town root from the given directory
func Find(startDir string) (string, error)

// FindOrError is like Find but returns a user-friendly error
func FindOrError(startDir string) (string, error)
```

## Return Values

- Success: Absolute path to town root
- Not found: Empty string + specific error
- Error: Empty string + wrapped error

## Edge Cases

- Symlinks: Follow them (use filepath.EvalSymlinks)
- Permissions: Return error if can't read directory
- Nested towns: Return nearest ancestor (shouldn't happen in practice
EOF
)


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 20: quiet, handoff threshold reached


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 11: All clear


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously, handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup. Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.

## Second-Order Monitoring

Witnesses send WITNESS_PING messages to verify the Deacon is alive. This
prevents the "who watches the watchers" problem - if the Deacon dies,
Witnesses detect it and escalate to the Mayor.

The Deacon's agent bead last_activity timestamp is updated during each patrol
cycle. Witnesses check this timestamp to verify health.


Create activity aggregator

Component that connects to multiple rig beads daemons and merges their activity into a unified view. Polls GetMutations and GetWorkerStatus from each rig, groups by rig/worker. Handles connection failures gracefully.

BLOCKED BY (Beads rig):
- bd-gqxd: Enrich MutationEvent with title and assignee
- bd-l13p: Add GetWorkerStatus RPC endpoint
- bd-0oqz: Add GetMoleculeProgress RPC endpoint