CLI: worker status reporting commands

Worker status reporting CLI for polecats to report progress.

## Commands

### gt worker started
```
gt worker started <issue-id> [-m MESSAGE]
```
Reports work started on issue.

### gt worker progress
```
gt worker progress <issue-id> <0-100> [-m MESSAGE]
```
Reports percentage complete.

### gt worker blocked
```
gt worker blocked <issue-id> <reason> [-m MESSAGE]
```
Reports blocked status with reason.

### gt worker completed
```
gt worker completed <issue-id> [-m MESSAGE]
```
Reports task completion.

### gt worker failed
```
gt worker failed <issue-id> <reason> [-m MESSAGE]
```
Reports task failure.

## Implementation
Each command sends mail to refinery with structured content:
```go
type WorkerStatusReport struct {
    IssueID    string
    Status     string  // started|progress|blocked|completed|failed
    Progress   int     // 0-100 for progress
    Reason     string  // for blocked/failed
    Message    string  // optional detail
    ReportedAt time.Time
}
```

## Message Format
Subject: "[STATUS] <issue-id>: <status>"
Body: JSON-encoded WorkerStatusReport

## Default Recipient
```go
// Determine from context
func getDefaultRecipient() string {
    rig := os.Getenv("GT_RIG")
    if rig != "" {
        return rig + "/refinery"
    }
    return "refinery/"
}
```

## New File
internal/cmd/worker.go

## PGT Reference
gastown-py/src/gastown/cli/worker_cmd.py

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] All 5 commands implemented
- [ ] Status sent as mail to refinery
- [ ] Structured JSON body for parsing
- [ ] Works from polecat session context


Tech Debt: Code Review December 2024

Tech debt identified during code review on 2024-12-21. Contains 11 issues ranging from P2-P4 covering:

- Code duplication (manager creation boilerplate)
- Test coverage gaps (cmd 6.8%, mail 3.6%)
- Magic strings needing constants
- Error handling inconsistencies
- Large files needing splitting
- Unused code removal

Work through these incrementally to improve codebase maintainability.


Polecat cleanup should refuse to lose uncommitted work

The system should stubbornly refuse to lose work from a polecat.

## Current Problem

- gt spawn --force bypasses safety checks
- gt shutdown doesn't check for uncommitted work
- Witness cleanup doesn't check git status

## Desired Behavior

Before any polecat cleanup, check:
1. git status - any uncommitted changes?
2. git stash list - any stashes?
3. Unpushed commits on branch?
4. Unsynced beads changes?

If ANY of these exist:
- REFUSE to clean up
- Print clear error message listing what would be lost
- Require explicit --nuclear flag to force (not just --force)

## Implementation

Add to cleanupPolecat() in witness/manager.go:
```go
func (m *Manager) checkUncommittedWork(polecatName string) error {
    dir := m.polecatDir(polecatName)

    // Check git status
    if hasUncommitted, _ := git.HasUncommittedChanges(dir); hasUncommitted {
        return fmt.Errorf("polecat %s has uncommitted changes", polecatName)
    }

    // Check stashes
    if stashCount, _ := git.StashCount(dir); stashCount > 0 {
        return fmt.Errorf("polecat %s has %d stashes", polecatName, stashCount)
    }

    // Check unpushed commits
    if unpushed, _ := git.UnpushedCommits(dir); unpushed > 0 {
        return fmt.Errorf("polecat %s has %d unpushed commits", polecatName, unpushed)
    }

    return nil
}
```

## Affected Commands

- gt shutdown
- gt rig shutdown
- Witness cleanup
- gt spawn --force (should warn if overwriting)


Create mol-gastown-polecat derived molecule

Create the standard Gas Town polecat workflow molecule.

## Molecule Definition
\`\`\`markdown
## Molecule: gastown-polecat
Full workflow for Gas Town polecats including binary installation.

Includes: mol-engineer-in-box

## Step: install-binary
After merge is submitted, rebuild and install the local gt binary.
This ensures the latest code is available to all local agents.

Run from the rig directory:
\`\`\`
go build -o gt ./cmd/gt
go install ./cmd/gt
\`\`\`

Needs: submit
\`\`\`

## Why This Molecule
Every polecat that pushes to main should also rebuild the binary.
This ensures the installed gt is always current with main.

## Implementation
1. Add to builtin_molecules.go (after Includes support lands)
2. Update SeedBuiltinMolecules
3. Run gt molecule seed

## Acceptance
- [ ] mol-gastown-polecat exists
- [ ] Includes all engineer-in-box steps
- [ ] Adds install-binary step after submit
- [ ] Can be used with gt spawn --molecule


Support numeric shortcuts in mail read (e.g., 'mail read 1')

When inbox shows numbered messages like:
* 1. gm-19b29031...  2025-12-16  mayor  Subject...
* 2. gm-19b26d51...  2025-12-16         Subject...

Users should be able to run 'gt mail read 1' instead of needing the full message ID 'gt mail read gm-19b29031f6a172206'.

Implementation:
- Track inbox message order in display
- Map numeric indices to actual message IDs
- Accept both numeric shortcuts and full IDs in 'mail read' command


Molecule CLI: bd molecule commands

Add molecule commands to bd:

## Commands

```bash
bd molecule list              # List molecules (type: molecule)
bd molecule show <id>         # Show molecule with parsed steps
bd molecule parse <id>        # Validate and show parsed structure
bd molecule instantiate <mol-id> --parent=<issue-id>  # Create steps
bd molecule instances <mol-id>  # Show all instantiations
```

## gt spawn integration

```bash
gt spawn --issue <id> --molecule <mol-id>
```

This should:
1. Call `bd molecule instantiate` (creates child beads atomically)
2. Spawn polecat on first ready step
3. Polecat grinds through via `bd ready`

## Output Examples

```
$ bd molecule show mol-abc

mol-abc: Engineer in a Box
Type: molecule

Steps (5):
  design      → (ready first)
  implement   → Needs: design
  review      → Needs: implement
  test        → Needs: implement
  submit      → Needs: review, test

Instances: 3
```

```
$ bd molecule instances mol-abc

Parent          Status    Created
gt-xyz          done      2025-12-15
gt-abc          active    2025-12-17 (3/5 complete)
gt-def          pending   2025-12-18
```


Simplify Go daemon to Deacon-watcher

Refactor internal/daemon to only: (1) check deacon/heartbeat.json every 60s, (2) poke gt-deacon if stale, (3) restart Deacon and mail for help if very stale. Remove all lifecycle processing and agent poking.


Merge: gt-frs

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


Daemon: verify requesting_cycle before kill

Per gt-gby spec, daemon should verify agent state shows requesting_cycle=true before killing session. Currently kills on any lifecycle request without verification.

Requires state.json in agent workspace with requesting_cycle field.


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.)


CLI: polecat commands (add, list, wake, sleep, decommission)

GGT is missing most polecat management commands that PGT has.

Missing Commands:
- gt polecat add <rig> <name> - Add polecat to rig (creates clone)
- gt polecat list [<rig>] - List polecats with state
- gt polecat info <polecat> - Show detailed info
- gt polecat wake <polecat> - Mark available
- gt polecat sleep <polecat> - Mark unavailable
- gt polecat decommission <polecat> - Remove polecat safely

PGT Reference: gastown-py/src/gastown/cli/polecat_cmd.py

Notes:
- spawn exists but doesn't cover management
- wake/sleep are in polecat manager but not CLI
- decommission should check for uncommitted work


TODO: Detect cycles in molecule dependency graph

molecule.go:302 has a TODO to detect cycles in the dependency graph. Currently, cyclical dependencies could cause issues.


Polecats should auto-cleanup after MR submission

Currently polecats must manually run 'gt handoff --shutdown' after completing work. This is error-prone and leaves stale polecats around.

## Desired Flow

1. Polecat completes work
2. Polecat runs 'gt mq submit' (or similar)
3. MR is added to integration queue
4. **Polecat automatically cleans up** (no manual handoff needed)

## Implementation Options

### Option A: mq submit triggers cleanup
In 'gt mq submit':
1. Submit MR to queue
2. Automatically run cleanup (same as gt handoff --shutdown)
3. Polecat session terminates

### Option B: Refinery triggers cleanup
When Refinery picks up MR:
1. Refinery processes MR
2. Sends message to Witness: 'CLEANUP: <polecat>'
3. Witness cleans up polecat

### Option C: Molecule-driven
Define cleanup as final phase of polecat-work molecule:
1. code → test → submit-mr → cleanup

## Note
This reinforces the ephemeral model: polecats exist only for the duration of a single task.


Witness tmux status: show polecat count under management

Add witness-specific status line showing:
- Number of polecats under management
- Active/idle status
- Maybe: last nudge time, blocked count

Implement in runWitnessStatusLine() in internal/cmd/statusline.go


Rename .beads-ephemeral to .beads-wisps in docs

The wisp storage directory should be named `.beads-wisps/` not `.beads-ephemeral/`.

Also fix the architecture: Witness and Refinery share mayor/rig's beads and wisps.
They don't have separate ephemeral stores.

## Files to update
- docs/wisp-architecture.md
- docs/architecture.md
- ~/gt/docs/patrol-system-design.md
- ~/gt/CLAUDE.md

## Changes
1. Rename `.beads-ephemeral/` → `.beads-wisps/` everywhere
2. Remove incorrect references to witness/.beads-ephemeral/ and refinery/rig/.beads-ephemeral/
3. Clarify that all rig-level patrols use mayor/rig/.beads-wisps/


Default polecat names: Mad Max theme instead of AdjectiveNoun

Current default naming for new polecats uses AdjectiveNoun convention.
Since rigs already provide namespacing, we can use more thematic names.

Suggestion: Use Mad Max / Fury Road character and vehicle names as defaults.
Examples: Furiosa, Nux, Slit, Morsov, Toast, Rictus, Warboy, etc.

Could also include:
- War Rig parts: Guzzler, Tanker, Pursuit
- Citadel roles: Imperator, Blackthumb, Organic
- Wasteland terms: Chrome, Witness, Shiny

Implementation:
- Add name generator in internal/polecat/ or similar
- Use when --create flag is used without explicit name
- Cycle through pool to avoid duplicates within a rig


Implement bd mol bond --ephemeral flag

Add --ephemeral flag to bd mol bond command to support ephemeral molecule bonding.

## Context
Phase 1.2 of Wisp Molecule Integration (gt-3x0z.2) discovered that this flag doesn't exist.

## Requirements

1. Add --ephemeral flag to mol bond command
2. When --ephemeral is set:
   - Mark spawned issues with wisp=true
   - Optionally write to separate .beads-ephemeral/ storage (Phase 2)

## Architecture Reference
See gastown architecture.md lines 487-491 for the full ephemeral storage design.

## Related
- gt-3x0z.2: Configure bd for ephemeral molecule bonding (closed - blocked on this)


Merge: gt-g44u.1

branch: polecat/Ace
target: main
source_issue: gt-g44u.1
rig: gastown


mol-polecat-work

Full polecat lifecycle from assignment to decommission.

This proto enables nondeterministic idempotence for polecat work.
A polecat that crashes after any step can restart, read its molecule state,
and continue from the last completed step. No work is lost.

Variables:
- gt-qwyu - The source issue ID being worked on


CloudRun cost tracking: Usage monitoring and limits

## Overview

Track Cloud Run usage costs and enforce spending limits.

## Cost Model

Cloud Run pricing (approximate):
- CPU: ~$0.000024/vCPU-second
- Memory: ~$0.0000025/GiB-second
- Requests: ~$0.40/million

For 5-minute worker (2 vCPU, 4GB):
- CPU: 300 × 2 × $0.000024 = $0.0144
- Memory: 300 × 4 × $0.0000025 = $0.003
- **Total: ~$0.017 per session**

## Implementation

```go
type CostTracker struct {
    cpuRate    float64  // per vCPU-second
    memRate    float64  // per GiB-second
    sessions   []SessionCost
    mu         sync.RWMutex
}

type SessionCost struct {
    WorkerID  string
    StartTime time.Time
    EndTime   time.Time
    CPUs      float64
    MemoryGiB float64
}

func (t *CostTracker) RecordSession(workerID string, start, end time.Time, cpus, mem float64) {
    t.mu.Lock()
    defer t.mu.Unlock()
    t.sessions = append(t.sessions, SessionCost{...})
}

func (t *CostTracker) CurrentCost() float64 {
    t.mu.RLock()
    defer t.mu.RUnlock()
    var total float64
    for _, s := range t.sessions {
        duration := s.EndTime.Sub(s.StartTime).Seconds()
        total += duration * s.CPUs * t.cpuRate
        total += duration * s.MemoryGiB * t.memRate
    }
    return total
}
```

## Cost Cap Enforcement

```go
func (o *CloudRunOutpost) Spawn(...) (Worker, error) {
    if o.costCap > 0 && o.costTracker.CurrentCost() >= o.costCap {
        return nil, ErrCostCapExceeded
    }
    // ... spawn worker
}
```

## Config

```yaml
outposts:
  - name: cloudrun-burst
    type: cloudrun
    cost_cap_hourly: 5.00   # Stop spawning if hourly cost exceeds $5
    cost_cap_daily: 50.00   # Daily limit
```

## CLI

```bash
gt outpost status cloudrun-burst
# Shows: Cost (today): $0.42 / $50.00 cap
```

## Files

- `internal/cloudrun/cost.go`

## Dependencies

Depends on: gt-9a2.8 (basic CloudRunOutpost)


Merge: gt-5wb7

branch: polecat/nux
target: main
source_issue: gt-5wb7
rig: gastown


Merge: gt-3x1.4

branch: polecat/Nux
target: main
source_issue: gt-3x1.4
rig: gastown


gt polecat remove --all: bulk polecat teardown

Currently gt polecat remove only accepts one polecat at a time. Need bulk operations:

## Requested
- `gt polecat remove gastown --all` - remove all polecats from a rig
- `gt polecat remove gastown/A gastown/B ...` - remove multiple by name

## Context
After a swarm completes, tearing down 20 polecats one at a time is tedious.
Ephemeral workers should be easy to create and destroy in bulk.

## Related
- gt-c92: CLI: all command for batch polecat operations


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Test patrol cycle - first run, no actual work done


CLI: gt refinery commands (start, stop, status, queue)

CLI commands for managing the Refinery agent.

## Commands

```bash
gt refinery start <rig>      # Start refinery for a rig
gt refinery stop <rig>       # Stop refinery
gt refinery status <rig>     # Show refinery status
gt refinery queue <rig>      # Show merge queue
```

## gt refinery start

Starts the Refinery daemon for the specified rig.

Options:
- --foreground: Run in foreground (default: background)
- --auto-merge: Enable auto-merge (default: from config)

## gt refinery stop

Stops a running Refinery. Gracefully finishes current MR if processing.

## gt refinery status

Shows:
- Running state (running/stopped)
- Current MR being processed (if any)
- Queue length
- Last merge time
- Recent activity

## gt refinery queue

Shows the merge queue:
```
Merge queue for 'wyvern':
  1. [pending] Toast/polecat-auth-fix (15m ago)
  2. [pending] Capable/polecat-new-feature (5m ago)

1 merged today, 0 rejected
```

## Implementation

Uses gt-ov2 (Refinery agent) for daemon functionality.


Implement handoffs using pinned beads

Replace the current mail-based handoff system with pinned beads.

## Current Problem

Handoff messages get closed before the successor can read them because:
1. `gt mail read` auto-acks (closes) messages
2. `bd mail inbox` only shows open messages
3. Successor sees empty inbox

## Solution

Use pinned beads for handoffs:
- One pinned bead per role: `mayor-handoff`, `<rig>-refinery-handoff`, etc.
- Predecessor updates the content before cycling
- Successor reads on startup via `gt prime`
- Never closes - always available

## Implementation

### 1. Create handoff beads on first cycle
- `bd create --title='Mayor Handoff' --type=task --status=pinned --assignee=mayor`
- Store ID in role config or use well-known naming convention

### 2. Update gt handoff command
- Instead of `bd mail send`, update the pinned handoff bead
- `bd update <handoff-id> --description='...handoff content...'`

### 3. Update gt prime
- Read the role's handoff bead
- Display content to successor

### 4. Compression/reset
- `gt rig reset` clears handoff content
- Or manual: `bd update <handoff-id> --description=''`

## Dependencies

Requires beads-6v2 (StatusPinned) to be implemented first.


Merge conflicts: Buzzard/mq-status, Dementus/harness-docs


Polecat name pooling: Bounded reusable names

Polecats reuse names from a bounded pool (50) with overflow to sequence numbers.

## Naming Scheme
- Pool: polecat-01 through polecat-50 (prefer low numbers)
- Overflow: <rigname>-<sequenceNumber> (e.g., beads-51, gastown-52)

## Design
- Witness tracks which pool names are in use
- On spawn: pick first available from pool
- If pool exhausted: use rigname-N format
- On completion: pool name returns, sequence numbers don't

## Why?
- User experience: tmux sessions survive polecat restarts
- Users stay attached, see new polecat start (like mayor respawn loop)
- Bounded resource usage for common case
- Scales beyond 50 when needed

## Implementation
- Witness maintains name allocation in beads or local state
- Tmux session runs respawn loop (like mayor)
- Name released on graceful exit or when witness detects dead session


Session pre-shutdown checks

Session stop should verify clean state before killing, like PGT.

## Pre-Shutdown Checks

### 1. Git Working Tree Clean
```go
func checkGitClean(clonePath string) error {
    // git status --porcelain
    // Fail if any output
}
```

### 2. All Commits Pushed
```go
func checkCommitsPushed(clonePath string) error {
    // git log origin/HEAD..HEAD
    // Fail if any unpushed commits
}
```

### 3. Assigned Issues Handled
```go
func checkIssuesHandled(polecat *Polecat) error {
    // If polecat.Issue != "", check if closed or reassigned
}
```

### 4. Beads Synced
```go
func checkBeadsSynced(clonePath string) error {
    // bd sync --status in clone directory
}
```

## Behavior on Failure
1. First attempt: Nudge worker to fix
2. Retry up to 3 times with delay
3. After retries: Escalate to Witness/Mayor

## Integration
Modify internal/session/manager.go Stop():
```go
func (m *Manager) Stop(polecat string, force bool) error {
    if !force {
        if err := m.runPreShutdownChecks(polecat); err != nil {
            return fmt.Errorf("pre-shutdown checks failed: %w", err)
        }
    }
    // existing stop logic
}
```

## Flags
- --force: Skip checks
- --grace-period N: Time to wait for fixes

## Dependencies
- Ties into gt-69l (hook system) - can be hook-based
- Ties into gt-f8v (Witness pre-kill verification)

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] Stop fails if uncommitted changes (without --force)
- [ ] Stop fails if unpushed commits
- [ ] Clear error messages with fix instructions
- [ ] --force bypasses all checks


Pinned bead naming convention for all roles

Establish consistent naming convention for pinned beads across all roles.

## Problem

Every role needs a pinned bead for molecule attachment, handoff state, and identity.
We need a consistent naming convention so gt tools can find the pinned bead for any role.

## Proposed Convention

  {role}.pinned                    - Singleton roles (deacon, mayor)
  {rig}-{role}.pinned              - Per-rig roles (witness, refinery)
  {rig}-{name}.pinned              - Named agents (polecats, crew)

Examples:
- deacon.pinned
- mayor.pinned
- gastown-witness.pinned
- gastown-refinery.pinned
- gastown-furiosa.pinned (polecat)
- gastown-max.pinned (crew)

## Storage Location

| Role | Pinned Bead Location |
|------|---------------------|
| Mayor | ~/gt/.beads/ (town level) |
| Deacon | ~/gt/.beads/ (town level) |
| Witness | {rig}/.beads/ (rig level) |
| Refinery | {rig}/.beads/ (rig level) |
| Polecat | {rig}/polecats/{name}/.beads/ |
| Crew | {rig}/crew/{name}/.beads/ |

## Why This Matters

1. Name recycling: Polecats reuse names so their pinned beads persist
2. Molecule attachment: gt mol bond needs to find the pinned bead
3. gt prime: Can show you are working on X from pinned bead
4. Crash recovery: Resume from pinned beads attached molecule

## Tasks

- Document naming convention in architecture.md
- Update gt prime to find pinned bead by convention
- Update gt mol bond to use conventional name
- Create pinned beads on role startup if missing
- Add gt pinned command to show/manage pinned beads

## Related

- gt-rana.1: Attachment field on pinned beads (closed)
- gt-id36.2: Deacon marching orders (pinned bead)


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.

Depends: implement


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.


Deacon tmux status bar: heartbeat timing and patrol state

## Problem

The deacon shows patrol output but lacks real-time observability:
- No indication of when last heartbeat occurred
- No indication of when next heartbeat is scheduled
- No visibility into current patrol step

## Desired Behavior

The tmux status bar for gt-deacon should show:

```
⛪ Deacon | ❤ 2m ago | ⏰ 3m | 📍 health-scan (3/7)
```

Components:
- **Role icon**: ⛪ (deacon identity)
- **Last heartbeat**: ❤ 2m ago (time since last heartbeat file update)
- **Next heartbeat**: ⏰ 3m (time until daemon would poke)
- **Current step**: 📍 health-scan (3/7) (current patrol atom, step N of M)

## Implementation

1. **Read heartbeat.json** for last update time
2. **Calculate next poke** based on daemon interval (default 5m)
3. **Read current wisp** from .beads-wisp/ to get patrol progress
4. **Update tmux status** periodically or on state change

Options:
- tmux status-right with shell script
- gt deacon status --tmux for formatted output
- Hook into patrol step completion

## Related

- gt-id36: Deacon Kernel epic
- gt-3x0z: Wisp Molecule Integration


mol-polecat-work

Full polecat lifecycle from assignment to decommission.

This proto enables nondeterministic idempotence for polecat work.
A polecat that crashes after any step can restart, read its molecule state,
and continue from the last completed step. No work is lost.

Variables:
- gt-test123 - The source issue ID being worked on


Pinned beads should appear first in mail inbox

Currently bd mail inbox sorts by priority then date, but pinned beads (handoff context) should always appear at the top.

**Current behavior:**
- Pinned beads mixed in with regular mail based on priority/date

**Expected behavior:**
- Pinned beads always first in inbox (before priority sorting)
- This enables handoff beads to be the default first item an agent sees

**Implementation:**
1. In mail.go runMailInbox(), after filtering, sort pinned beads to top
2. Within pinned and non-pinned groups, maintain priority/date sort

**Related:**
- gt-r8ej: Implement pinned beads for handoff state
- gt-8h4: Pinned Beads epic

**Acceptance criteria:**
- bd mail inbox shows pinned beads first
- Pinned beads still sorted by priority/date among themselves
- Non-pinned mail sorted normally after pinned section


Work on gt-role-template: Refine witness/CLAUDE.md role t...

Work on gt-role-template: Refine witness/CLAUDE.md role template. Add clearer heartbeat protocol, mail checking procedure, nudge decision criteria, escalation thresholds. Run 'bd show gt-role-template' for details.


Inconsistent error wrapping patterns

Error handling is inconsistent across the codebase:

1. Some functions use fmt.Errorf with %w for wrapping, others don't
2. return nil, nil patterns (40+ occurrences) sometimes represent 'not found' and sometimes 'error but continue' - should use sentinel errors
3. Some places return nil for errors when they should propagate them

Examples of nil,nil that might need review:
- internal/git/git.go:272, 308
- internal/crew/manager.go:227
- internal/witness/manager.go:517, 523, 530, 775
- internal/beads/beads.go:225, 492


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

Implement the solution for {{issue}}. Follow codebase conventions.
File discovered work as new issues with bd create.

Make regular commits with clear messages.
Keep changes focused on the assigned issue.

Depends: load-context


Enhance Mayor CLAUDE.md with GGT milestone tracking

Update ~/ai/CLAUDE.md (Mayor startup context) with:

1. GGT Self-Hosting Milestone section
   - Track progress toward gt replacing town
   - Key blockers: gt-h5n (merge queue), gt-974 (daemon)
   - What "self-hosting" means (GGT working on itself)

2. Recent Architecture Decisions
   - Engineer = role, Refinery = place
   - Merge queue in Beads (not branch discovery)
   - Session restart protocol

3. Transition Plan
   - Current: use town commands (PGT)
   - Target: use gt commands (GGT)
   - Switch criteria: gt-b1g closed

Keep it concise - Mayor context should be quick to scan.


Add crew session pattern to lifecycle handling

Update identityToSession and restartSession to handle crew patterns: gastown/max -> gt-gastown-max. Crew workers can request lifecycle but are not proactively monitored.


Phase 1.1: gt rig init creates .beads-ephemeral/

Add ephemeral beads repo creation to rig initialization.

## Implementation

In `gt rig init` (or equivalent setup):
1. Create `<rig>/.beads-ephemeral/` directory
2. Initialize as git repo
3. Create minimal beads config (no sync-branch needed)
4. Add to .gitignore if not already

## Config

```yaml
# .beads-ephemeral/config.yaml
ephemeral: true
# No sync-branch - ephemeral is local only
```

## Verification

```bash
gt rig init gastown
ls gastown/.beads-ephemeral/  # Should exist
```


Built-in molecules: engineer-in-box, quick-fix, research

Create built-in molecules as Beads issues:

## engineer-in-box

```markdown
id: mol-engineer-in-box
type: molecule
title: Engineer in a Box

Full workflow from design to merge.

## Step: design
Think carefully about architecture. Consider:
- Existing patterns in the codebase
- Trade-offs between approaches
- Testability and maintainability

Write a brief design summary before proceeding.

## Step: implement
Write the code. Follow codebase conventions.
Needs: design

## Step: review
Self-review the changes. Look for:
- Bugs and edge cases
- Style issues
- Missing error handling
Needs: implement

## Step: test
Write and run tests. Cover happy path and edge cases.
Fix any failures before proceeding.
Needs: implement

## Step: submit
Submit for merge via refinery.
Needs: review, test
```

## quick-fix

```markdown
id: mol-quick-fix
type: molecule
title: Quick Fix

Fast path for small changes.

## Step: implement
Make the fix. Keep it focused.

## Step: test
Run relevant tests. Fix any regressions.
Needs: implement

## Step: submit
Submit for merge.
Needs: test
```

## research

```markdown
id: mol-research
type: molecule
title: Research

Investigation workflow.

## Step: investigate
Explore the question. Search code, read docs,
understand context. Take notes.

## Step: document
Write up findings. Include:
- What you learned
- Recommendations
- Open questions
Needs: investigate
```

## Storage

Built-in molecules live in `<town>/.beads/` as regular issues.
Created during `gt install` or `bd init`.


inbox-check

Handle callbacks from agents. Check gt mail inbox, process lifecycle requests.


Fix blocking bugs (gt-dsfi, gt-n7z7, gm-c6b)

Fix bugs blocking Witness functionality:

1. gt-dsfi: handoff deadlock
   - Polecats hang when trying to exit
   - Blocks shutdown request handler

2. gt-n7z7: refinery foreground race condition
   - Sometimes detects parent as already running
   - Blocks reliable Refinery startup

3. gm-c6b: mail coordination
   - Cross-rig mail should use town-level database
   - Affects Witness <-> Mayor communication

These should be fixed early as they'll block integration testing.

Fixed gt-dsfi and gt-n7z7. Issue gm-c6b not found in database.


Speed up test suite

Tests are running slow during MQ processing. Investigate and optimize:
- Profile test execution time
- Look for slow tests (network, file I/O, sleeps)
- Consider parallel test execution
- Cache expensive setup where possible


gt spawn/crew setup should create .beads/redirect for worktrees

Crew clones and polecats need a .beads/redirect file pointing to the shared beads database (../../mayor/rig/.beads). Currently:

- redirect files can get deleted by git clean
- not auto-created during gt spawn or worktree setup
- missing redirects cause 'no beads database found' errors

Found missing in: gastown/joe, beads/zoey (after git clean)

Fix options:
1. gt spawn creates redirect during worktree setup
2. gt prime regenerates missing redirects
3. bd commands auto-detect worktree and find shared beads

This should be standard Gas Town rig configuration.


Consider splitting large files (800+ lines)

Several files are getting large and may benefit from splitting:
- internal/beads/beads.go (990 lines)
- internal/cmd/molecule.go (981 lines)
- internal/refinery/manager.go (934 lines)
- internal/beads/beads_test.go (883 lines)
- internal/cmd/polecat.go (836 lines)
- internal/witness/manager.go (808 lines)
- internal/cmd/mail.go (804 lines)

For .go files, consider extracting logical subsystems. For test files, this is lower priority.


mol-deacon-patrol

Deacon patrol molecule template. Label: template


Auto-handoff: self-cycling with guaranteed work pickup

## Summary

A mechanism for agents to self-cycle: send handoff mail, request Deacon to kill the process, and automatically restart to pick up the work.

## Use Case

User says: `auto-handoff: gt-bug3`

The agent:
1. Sends handoff mail documenting current state
2. Requests Deacon to terminate the session
3. Deacon restarts the agent in background
4. New session picks up the handoff and continues working

When the user returns to terminal, the old session is gone but work continues in background. User can reattach.

## Key Requirements

- **Guaranteed pickup**: Something in the hook and/or handoff must ensure the new session picks up the work (not just a passive "check inbox")
- **Background execution**: Work continues without user presence
- **Reattachability**: User can reconnect to see progress

## Design Questions

1. Can molecules help coordinate this? (e.g., molecule binds the handoff + auto-restart)
2. What hook handles the pickup guarantee?
3. How does Deacon know to restart vs just kill?
4. How does user reattach to a background agent?

## Related

- Molecules system
- Deacon lifecycle management
- Handoff hooks


CLI: rig commands (list, show, add)

Rig management CLI commands.

## Commands

### gt rig list
List all registered rigs.
```
gt rig list [--json]
```
Output:
- Rig name
- Git URL
- Polecat count
- Witness/Refinery status

### gt rig show
Show details for a specific rig.
```
gt rig show <name> [--json]
```
Output:
- Full rig info
- Polecats with status
- Recent activity
- Beads summary (open issues)

### gt rig add
Add a new rig to the town.
```
gt rig add <name> <git-url>
gt rig add <name> --local <path>
```
Steps:
- Clone repo to town root (or link local)
- Register in rigs.json
- Create agent directories
- Configure git exclude

### gt rig remove
Remove a rig from the town.
```
gt rig remove <name> [--force]
```
- Warns if active polecats
- --force required if uncommitted changes

## Implementation

```go
var rigCmd = &cobra.Command{Use: "rig"}
rigCmd.AddCommand(rigListCmd, rigShowCmd, rigAddCmd, rigRemoveCmd)
```


Bug: parseLifecycleRequest always matches 'cycle' due to LIFECYCLE prefix

In lifecycle.go, parseLifecycleRequest checks strings.Contains(title, "cycle") first, but the prefix "LIFECYCLE:" contains the word "cycle". This means ALL lifecycle messages match the cycle action, making restart and shutdown unreachable. Fix: check for restart/shutdown before cycle, or use word boundaries.


gt nudge should accept flexible session identifiers

Currently `gt nudge` requires the exact tmux session name (e.g., `gt-gastown-furiosa`).

It should also accept:
- `gastown/furiosa` (rig/polecat format)
- `furiosa` (polecat name, infer rig from cwd or require if ambiguous)

The session list command shows `gastown/furiosa` format, but nudge rejects it:
```
gt session list → shows 'gastown/furiosa'
gt nudge gastown/furiosa 'msg' → 'session not found'
gt nudge gt-gastown-furiosa 'msg' → works
```

Should normalize all these formats to the tmux session name internally.


Document the Propulsion Principle

Write canonical documentation for the Universal Gas Town Propulsion Principle.

Location: gastown/mayor/rig/docs/propulsion-principle.md

Content:
- The One Rule (hook has work → work happens)
- Why it works (stateless agents, molecule-driven)
- The sling lifecycle diagram
- Agent startup protocol
- Examples and anti-patterns

This is foundational theory-of-operation documentation.


Deacon Kernel: event processing molecule architecture

Extend the Deacon from "health orchestrator" to "event processing kernel" that runs a
molecule (rounds) each wake cycle, like an OS kernel scheduler.

## Core Insight

The Deacon already has:
- Wake cycle (daemon poke, timer, lifecycle request)
- Mail as event queue
- Health scanning
- Lifecycle processing

But it is REACTIVE. This epic makes it PROACTIVE with a structured molecule:

```
Deacon Wake
├── Step 0: Session Check (should I cycle myself?)
├── Step 1: Health Scan (Mayor, Witnesses, Crew, Refineries)
├── Step 2: Lifecycle Processing (cycle/restart/shutdown requests)
├── Step 3: Plugin Execution (scheduled, event-triggered, human-requested)
├── Step 4: Event Callbacks (timers, subscriptions)
└── Step 5: Heartbeat + Wait
```

## Key Design Decisions

1. **Session cycling first** - Token costs are quadratic with session length.
   Deacon should aggressively cycle to fresh sessions. First step of every
   wake is "do I need a new session?" based on context budget.

2. **Pinned bead with marching orders** - A pinned bead (like gt prime for
   agents) defines the Deacon's rounds molecule. This is the Deacon's
   "kernel" - its operating loop.

3. **Keepalive file for daemon quieting** - Instead of daemon tmux-poking
   the Deacon (which interrupts work), Deacon writes a keepalive file.
   Daemon reads it and backs off. Worst case: Deacon forgets, gets one
   extra heartbeat it squelches.

4. **Molecule-based rounds** - The wake cycle becomes a molecule with steps.
   Each step can have plugins (inline attention). Steps can be added/modified
   by updating the pinned bead.

## Architecture

```
Go Daemon (minimal, dumb)
├── Reads {townRoot}/deacon/keepalive.json
├── If fresh: do nothing
├── If stale: poke Deacon (fallback)
└── Process lifecycle requests (still daemon's job)

Deacon (Claude agent, smart)
├── Wakes: poke, timer, mail event
├── Writes keepalive (quiets daemon for duration of rounds)
├── Runs rounds molecule:
│   ├── session-check: cycle if context budget low
│   ├── health-scan: check agents, remediate
│   ├── lifecycle: process requests
│   ├── plugins: run scheduled/triggered plugins
│   ├── events: process timer/event callbacks
│   └── complete: update heartbeat, wait
└── Reads marching orders from pinned bead
```

## Relation to Existing Work

- Extends gt-5af (Deacon infrastructure) - CLOSED
- Relates to gt-axz (Plugin architecture) - P3
- Fits into phase3-deacon of gt-ngpz (Christmas Plan)
- Enables gt-976 (Crew lifecycle) as part of health-scan step


Merge: gt-3x1

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


gt handoff: Deadlock in waitForRetirement


load-context

Run gt prime and bd prime. Verify issue assignment.
Check inbox for any relevant messages.

Read the assigned issue (gt-test) and understand the requirements.
Identify any blockers or missing information.


Phase 4.1: mol-deacon-patrol uses ephemeral

Deacon patrol cycles run as ephemeral molecules.

## Current Deacon Loop

```
while running:
    check_heartbeat()
    check_mail()
    sleep(interval)
```

## Molecule-Based Loop

```
while running:
    mol = bd mol bond mol-deacon-patrol-cycle --ephemeral
    execute_cycle(mol):
        check_heartbeat()
        check_mail()
        log_status()
    summary = generate_cycle_summary()
    bd squash mol --summary summary
    sleep(interval)
```

## Benefits

- Each cycle is tracked
- Digests show daemon health over time
- Can query: 'show me patrol cycles from last hour'
- Crash mid-cycle → ephemeral shows where we were


Auto-target: MRs for epic children target integration branch

Automatically target integration branches for epic children.

When 'gt mq submit' is called:
1. Parse source issue from branch
2. Check if issue has a parent epic
3. Check if integration/<epic> branch exists
4. If yes: set target=integration/<epic>
5. If no: set target=main

This ensures batch work automatically flows to integration branches.

Also update 'gt mq submit --epic' to explicitly target an epic's integration branch.

Reference: docs/merge-queue-design.md#integration-branches


Refinery agent: merge queue processing loop

The Refinery agent processes the merge queue, merging polecat work to main.

## Interface

```go
type Refinery struct {
    rig    *Rig
    queue  *MergeQueue
    git    *Git
    mail   *Mailbox
    config RefineryConfig
}

type RefineryConfig struct {
    AutoMerge     bool          // Auto-merge passing MRs
    RunTests      bool          // Run tests before merge
    TestCommand   string        // Command to run tests
    RequireReview bool          // Require review before merge (future)
}

func NewRefinery(rig *Rig, ...) *Refinery

// Lifecycle
func (r *Refinery) Start() error
func (r *Refinery) Stop() error
func (r *Refinery) IsRunning() bool

// Processing
func (r *Refinery) ProcessQueue() error
func (r *Refinery) ProcessMR(mr *MergeRequest) error
```

## Processing Loop

1. Check queue for pending MRs
2. For each pending MR:
   a. Fetch polecat branch
   b. Attempt merge to refinery/rig (local main)
   c. Run tests if configured
   d. If pass: push to origin, mark merged
   e. If fail: mark rejected, notify polecat
3. Sleep, repeat

## Merge Strategy

- Fast-forward when possible
- Merge commit when not
- On conflict: reject MR, polecat must rebase

## Test Integration

If tests configured:
```bash
cd refinery/rig
git merge polecat/branch
<test_command>  # e.g., go test ./...
```
Result determines merge/reject.

## Notifications

On merge success:
- Mail to polecat: "Your work merged"
- Update bead if issue tracked

On merge failure:
- Mail to polecat: "Merge failed: <reason>"
- Include conflict details if applicable

## Dependencies

Needs: Rig management, Git wrapper, Mail system, Merge queue


VC Pattern Integration: Bring validated ideas to Gas Town

Analysis of ~/src/vc identified 6 validated patterns from the 2nd orchestrator attempt that map cleanly to Gas Town primitives. VC achieved 254 issues closed, 90.9% gate pass rate, and 24 successful missions.

Key insight: VC built ~4300 lines of Go for features that become ~65 lines of YAML + CLI flags in Gas Town's architecture.

Child tasks track each pattern to integrate.


Witness Plugin System

Plugin infrastructure for witness patrol customization.

## Plugin Location
`<rig>/plugins/witness/<plugin-name>/`

## Plugin Structure
```
plugin.yaml   # Config: name, description, trigger, tier
prompt.md     # The prompt to run
```

## plugin.yaml Schema
```yaml
name: plugin-name
description: What it does
trigger: patrol          # When to run (patrol, on-nudge, on-shutdown)
tier: haiku              # Model tier (haiku, sonnet, opus)
input: polecat-list      # What context to gather (polecat-list, session-capture, etc)
```

## Execution
1. Witness reads plugins from directory
2. For each plugin matching current trigger:
   - Gather specified input context
   - Run prompt.md against specified tier
   - Parse output for gt commands
   - Execute commands

## CLI
- `gt plugin list <rig>` - List installed plugins
- `gt plugin run <rig> <plugin>` - Manual run


Document merge queue architecture

Update docs/architecture.md with:

- Merge Queue section explaining Beads-native approach
- Engineer role (renamed from Refinery)
- Session restart protocol
- gt mq command reference
- Federation considerations for queue

Also update any references to .gastown/ → config/.


Test issue for spawn molecule


Witness session cycling and handoff

Add session cycling and handoff protocol to Witness CLAUDE.md template.

## Session Cycling Protocol

```markdown
## Session Cycling

Your context will fill over long swarms. Proactively cycle when:
- Running for many hours
- Losing track of which workers you've checked
- Responses getting slower
- About to start complex operation

### Handoff Protocol

1. **Capture current state**:
```bash
town list .           # Worker states
town all beads        # Pending verifications
town inbox            # Unprocessed messages
```

2. **Compose handoff note**:
```
[HANDOFF_TYPE]: witness_cycle
[TIMESTAMP]: <now>
[RIG]: <rig>

## Active Workers
<list workers and status>

## Pending Verifications
<workers signaled done but not verified>

## Recent Actions
<last 3-5 actions>

## Warnings/Notes
<anything next session should know>

## Next Steps
<what should happen next>
```

3. **Send handoff**:
```bash
town mail send <rig>/witness -s "Session Handoff" -m "<note>"
```

4. **Exit cleanly**: End session, daemon spawns fresh one.

### On Fresh Session Start

1. Check for handoff: `town inbox | grep "Session Handoff"`
2. If found, read it and resume from handoff state
3. If not found, do full status check
```

## Implementation

Add to WITNESS_CLAUDE.md template.


Phase 5.1: Document ephemeral architecture

Update docs with ephemeral molecule architecture.

## Files to Update

### docs/architecture.md
- Add Ephemeral Molecules section
- Diagram: Proto → Ephemeral → Digest flow
- Explain inversion of control for summaries

### docs/molecules.md (new or update)
- Proto molecule catalog
- Ephemeral vs main beads
- Molecule lifecycle
- Summary generation guidelines

### Agent CLAUDE.md files
- Polecat: molecule workflow protocol
- Deacon: patrol cycle pattern
- Witness: patrol cycle pattern
- Refinery: patrol cycle pattern

## Key Concepts to Document

1. Everything is a molecule
2. Orchestration molecules are ephemeral
3. Only digests reach main beads
4. Agents generate their own summaries
5. Crash recovery via ephemeral persistence


CLI: all command for batch polecat operations

Batch operations across multiple polecats.

## Commands

### gt all start
```
gt all start [--awake-only] [<specs>...]
```
Start sessions for multiple polecats.
- --awake-only: Only start awake polecats
- specs: Polecat names, rig/polecat patterns

### gt all stop
```
gt all stop [<specs>...] [--force]
```
Stop sessions for multiple polecats.

### gt all status
```
gt all status [<specs>...] [--json]
```
Show status of multiple polecats.

### gt all attach
```
gt all attach [<specs>...]
```
Attach to multiple sessions in tmux panes/windows.

### gt all run
```
gt all run <command> [<specs>...]
```
Run command in multiple polecat sessions.

## Spec Patterns
- `Toast`: Specific polecat (in default/current rig)
- `gastown/Toast`: Specific rig/polecat
- `gastown/*`: All polecats in rig
- `*`: All polecats everywhere

## Implementation
```go
func expandSpecs(specs []string, awakeOnly bool) ([]*polecat.Polecat, error) {
    // Expand patterns to list of polecats
}

func runForAll(polecats []*polecat.Polecat, action func(*polecat.Polecat) error) error {
    // Run action for each, collect errors
}
```

## New File
internal/cmd/all.go

## PGT Reference
gastown-py/src/gastown/cli/all_cmd.py

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] Pattern expansion works
- [ ] Parallel execution where safe
- [ ] Aggregate error reporting
- [ ] --awake-only filter works


Timed Beads: Scheduled recurring work

## Summary

Timed beads wake up periodically and get injected into the ready queue by the daemon.

## Schema Extension

```yaml
id: gt-weekly-sync
type: task  # or sentinel
schedule: "0 9 * * 1"  # cron: Monday 9am
# OR
interval: 24h          # every 24 hours
tier: haiku            # cheap model for routine checks
next_run: 2025-12-20T09:00:00Z
```

## Daemon Integration

Daemon heartbeat loop:
1. Check timed beads where `next_run <= now`
2. For each due bead:
   - Inject into ready queue (set status to open if needed)
   - Update `next_run` based on schedule/interval
3. Witnesses pick up work via `bd ready`

## Use Cases

- Weekly team sync reminders
- Daily health checks
- Periodic cleanup tasks
- Scheduled reports

## Interaction with Pinned Beads

A pinned bead can be timed - it wakes up periodically but never closes.
This is how you model "background services" in Gas Town.


Document harness concept in docs/harness.md

Create comprehensive harness documentation:
- What is a harness (installation directory)
- Recommended structure and naming
- .beads/redirect for default project
- config/ contents (rigs.json, town.json)
- Mayor home vs rig-level mayor/
- Example configurations
- Relationship to rigs


Polecat management: add, remove, list, state

Polecat lifecycle: add, remove, list, state tracking.

## Data Model

```go
type Polecat struct {
    Name      string          `json:"name"`
    Rig       string          `json:"rig"`
    State     PolecatState    `json:"state"`
    ClonePath string          `json:"clone_path"`
    Branch    string          `json:"branch"`
    Issue     string          `json:"issue,omitempty"`
    CreatedAt time.Time       `json:"created_at"`
    UpdatedAt time.Time       `json:"updated_at"`
}

type PolecatState string
const (
    StateIdle       PolecatState = "idle"
    StateActive     PolecatState = "active"
    StateWorking    PolecatState = "working"
    StateDone       PolecatState = "done"
    StateStuck      PolecatState = "stuck"
)
```

## Interface

```go
type PolecatManager struct {
    rig *Rig
    git *Git
}

func NewPolecatManager(rig *Rig, git *Git) *PolecatManager

// Lifecycle
func (pm *PolecatManager) Add(name string) (*Polecat, error)
func (pm *PolecatManager) Remove(name string) error
func (pm *PolecatManager) List() ([]*Polecat, error)
func (pm *PolecatManager) Get(name string) (*Polecat, error)

// State
func (pm *PolecatManager) SetState(name string, state PolecatState) error
func (pm *PolecatManager) AssignIssue(name, issue string) error
func (pm *PolecatManager) ClearIssue(name string) error

// Convenience
func (pm *PolecatManager) Wake(name string) error   // idle → active
func (pm *PolecatManager) Sleep(name string) error  // active → idle
```

## Add Flow

1. Create directory: `<rig>/polecats/<name>/`
2. Clone rig repo into it (or copy from rig root)
3. Create new branch: `polecat/<name>`
4. Initialize polecat state file
5. Create mail inbox

## Remove Flow

1. Verify session not running
2. Check for uncommitted changes (warn/error)
3. Remove directory
4. Clean up state

## State Persistence

Store in `<rig>/polecats/<name>/state.json`


bd mail send: pinned column missing from schema

gt mail send fails with: sqlite3: SQL logic error: table issues has no column named pinned

Likely a schema migration issue - bd schema has 'pinned' field but SQLite table doesn't.

## Reproduction
gt mail send gastown/Immortan -s 'test' -m 'test'

## Error
table issues has no column named pinned

## Fix
Either:
1. Add migration to add pinned column
2. Remove pinned from insert if not present
3. Regenerate DB from JSONL


Merge: gt-3x0z.1

branch: polecat/furiosa
target: main
source_issue: gt-3x0z.1
rig: gastown


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.

Depends: implement


town handoff command (optional)

CLI commands for session handoff workflow (optional convenience).

## Commands

### gt handoff
Generate handoff interactively.
```
gt handoff [--send]
```
- Collects current state (status, inbox, beads)
- Prompts for additional notes
- --send: Mail to self and exit

### gt resume
Check for and display pending handoff.
```
gt resume
```
- Checks inbox for handoff message
- Displays formatted handoff if found
- Suggests next actions

## Implementation

These are convenience wrappers. The same workflow can be done manually:
```bash
# Manual handoff
town status > /tmp/handoff
town inbox >> /tmp/handoff
bd ready >> /tmp/handoff
# Edit and send
town mail send mayor/ -s "Session Handoff" -f /tmp/handoff
```

## Priority

P2 - Optional. Manual workflow works fine. Nice to have for UX.

## Notes

Part of session cycling workflow designed in gt-u82.


Engineer session restart protocol

Implement session restart flow for when the Engineer needs to split work:

1. Engineer creates subtask(s) in Beads assigned to self
2. Engineer sends handoff mail to self (🤝 HANDOFF)
3. Engineer sends restart request to Witness
4. Witness verifies:
   - Handoff mail exists in Engineer outbox/sent
   - Subtasks filed in Beads
5. Witness restarts the Refinery session (new Engineer context)

This enables "occasionally consistent, eventually convergent" work patterns.
The Refinery continues; the Engineer gets fresh context.


Work on gt-fix-bugs: Fix blocking infrastructure bugs. Se...

Work on gt-fix-bugs: Fix blocking infrastructure bugs. See issue for details. Run 'bd show gt-fix-bugs' to see the full issue.


Merge: gt-y5o

branch: polecat/Doof
target: main
source_issue: gt-y5o
rig: gastown


Test infrastructure: fixtures, mocks, integration tests

Test infrastructure for Gas Town.

## Test Categories

### Unit Tests
- Config parsing
- Mail operations
- Merge queue operations
- Template rendering

### Integration Tests
- Git operations (uses real git in temp dirs)
- Full workflows (spawn → work → merge)
- CLI command tests

## Fixtures

```go
package testutil

// Creates temp town with minimal structure
func NewTestTown(t *testing.T) *TestTown

// Creates temp rig with git repo
func NewTestRig(t *testing.T, town *TestTown, name string) *TestRig

// Creates test polecat
func NewTestPolecat(t *testing.T, rig *TestRig, name string) *TestPolecat
```

## Mocks

```go
// Mock tmux for session tests (avoid actual tmux)
type MockTmux struct {
    Sessions map[string][]string  // captured send-keys
}

func (m *MockTmux) NewSession(name, dir string) error
func (m *MockTmux) SendKeys(session, keys string) error
func (m *MockTmux) CapturePane(session string, lines int) (string, error)
```

## Test Helpers

```go
// Run test in temp directory
func InTempDir(t *testing.T, fn func(dir string))

// Initialize git repo for testing
func InitGitRepo(t *testing.T, dir string)

// Assert file exists with content
func AssertFileContains(t *testing.T, path, substr string)

// Assert JSON file has field
func AssertJSONField(t *testing.T, path, field string, expected any)
```

## CI Integration

- go test ./... runs all tests
- Integration tests skip with -short flag
- Coverage report generation

## Test Data

Embedded test fixtures:
```go
//go:embed testdata/*
var testdataFS embed.FS
```


Add --fart as easter egg alias for bd mol bond

Add a hidden alias for the bond command:

```bash
bd mol fart mol-polecat-work --wisp
# equivalent to:
bd mol bond mol-polecat-work --wisp
```

## Context
The fart joke: instantiating a proto can produce either:
- A Mol (solid/substantial output)
- A Wisp (gas/ephemeral output)

## Implementation
- Add 'fart' as an alias in the mol subcommand
- No documentation needed (easter egg)
- Maybe a fun message: 'Bonding molecule...' or similar

Low priority, just for fun.


Heartbeat convention: simple liveness signal for agents

Lightweight liveness signal extracted from Deacon epic (gt-5af).

**Implementation**: Each agent writes a timestamp file on activity:
```bash
echo '{"ts":"'$(date -Iseconds)'"}' > ~/gt/<role>/heartbeat.json
```

**Integration points**:
- SessionStart hook writes heartbeat
- Periodic activity (mail check, work completion) refreshes it
- `gt status` shows staleness (e.g., 'mayor: 5m ago')

**Weight**: ~5 lines per agent
**Value**: Quick debugging - see which agents are active at a glance

No monitoring daemon needed - human checks `gt status` when curious.


Test Epic: GGT MVP Validation


Test Task 2: Add comment to version.go


Update Refinery to use Beads merge queue

Replace branch discovery with Beads queue in the Refinery module:

Current (internal/refinery/manager.go):
- Scans for polecat/* branches
- Creates MR objects on-the-fly

New:
- Pull from Beads: bd ready --type=merge-request
- Process each MR
- Close with merge commit: bd close <id> --reason="Merged at <sha>"
- Handle failures: bd update <id> --status=blocked --reason="..."

The Engineer (agent) becomes Beads-native.
The Refinery (module) provides the infrastructure.


CLI: mayor commands (start, attach, stop, status)

Mayor management CLI commands.

## Commands

### gt mayor start
```
gt mayor start [--continue] [--agent AGENT]
```
- --continue: Resume from previous session (check for handoff mail)
- --agent: claude (default) or other agent type

### gt mayor attach
```
gt mayor attach
```
Attach to running Mayor session.

### gt mayor stop
```
gt mayor stop [--grace-period N]
```
Stop Mayor session with optional grace period.

### gt mayor status
```
gt mayor status [--json]
```
Show Mayor running status.

## Session Management
Session name: `gt-mayor`
Working directory: `<town>/mayor/rig/` or `<town>/mayor/`

## Implementation
Similar to session commands but for special Mayor context.

```go
func getMayorPath(townRoot string) string {
    return filepath.Join(townRoot, "mayor")
}

func getMayorSessionName() string {
    return "gt-mayor"
}
```

## New File
internal/cmd/mayor.go

## PGT Reference
gastown-py/src/gastown/cli/mayor_cmd.py

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] gt mayor start launches Mayor session
- [ ] gt mayor attach works
- [ ] gt mayor stop with grace period
- [ ] gt mayor status shows running state


implement

Implement the solution for gt-test. Follow codebase conventions.
File discovered work as new issues with bd create.

Make regular commits with clear messages.
Keep changes focused on the assigned issue.

Depends: load-context


gt swarm start: Does not spawn polecat sessions

gt swarm start marks swarm as 'active' but doesn't start any polecat sessions.

Repro:
1. gt swarm create gastown --epic gt-hw6 --worker Toast --worker Nux
2. gt swarm start gt-hw6
3. gt session list - shows no new sessions

Expected: Polecat sessions should start for each worker.
Actual: No sessions started, workers sit idle.


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


Doctor framework: Check interface, Result types, Report

Framework for gt doctor health checks.

## Check Interface

```go
type Check interface {
    Name() string
    Description() string
    Run(ctx *CheckContext) *CheckResult
    Fix(ctx *CheckContext) error  // optional auto-fix
    CanFix() bool
}

type CheckContext struct {
    TownRoot string
    RigName  string  // empty for town-level checks
    Verbose  bool
}

type CheckResult struct {
    Status  CheckStatus
    Message string
    Details []string  // additional info
    FixHint string    // suggestion if not auto-fixable
}

type CheckStatus int
const (
    StatusOK CheckStatus = iota
    StatusWarning
    StatusError
)
```

## Report

```go
type Report struct {
    Timestamp time.Time
    Checks    []CheckResult
    Summary   ReportSummary
}

type ReportSummary struct {
    Total    int
    OK       int
    Warnings int
    Errors   int
}

func (r *Report) Print(w io.Writer, verbose bool)
```

## Doctor Runner

```go
type Doctor struct {
    checks []Check
}

func NewDoctor() *Doctor
func (d *Doctor) Register(check Check)
func (d *Doctor) Run(ctx *CheckContext) *Report
func (d *Doctor) Fix(ctx *CheckContext) *Report  // run with auto-fix
```

## Built-in Checks

Town-level (gt-f9x.5):
- ConfigExists, ConfigValid
- StateExists, StateValid
- MayorMailboxExists
- RigsRegistryValid

Rig-level (gt-f9x.6):
- RigCloneExists
- GitExcludeConfigured
- WitnessExists, RefineryExists
- PolecatClonesValid


Create rig settings/ directory for rig configuration

Replace .gastown/ with visible settings/ at rig level:
- Create <rig>/settings/ directory
- Move .gastown/config.json → settings/config.json (theme, merge_queue, max_workers)
- Create settings/namepool.json for pool settings (style, max - not state)
- Create settings/roles/ for per-role overrides (optional)
- Update RigConfig type to reference settings/
- Update loader to read from settings/


generate-summary

Generate a summary for molecule squash.
File any remaining work as issues.

Document any important context for the squash digest.

Depends: submit-merge


Beads as Universal Data Plane

## Vision

Beads is the data plane for all Gas Town operations. Everything flows through beads:
- Work items (issues, tasks, epics)
- Mail (messages between agents)
- Merge requests (queue entries)
- Workflows (composable execution patterns)
- Resources (leases, locks, quotas)
- Schedules (timed activities)

## New Bead Categories

### Molecules (Composable Workflows)
Crystallized workflow patterns that can be attached to work items.

### Timed Beads (Scheduled Work)
Beads that wake up periodically via daemon.

### Pinned Beads (Ongoing Concerns)
Beads representing persistent concerns, not discrete tasks.

### Resource Beads (Leases/Locks)
Beads representing reserved resources.

## v1 Priority

- **P0**: Molecules (enables engineer-in-box)
- **P2**: Timed, Pinned, Resource beads (post-v1)


Fix gt prime to give crew workers crew context

gt prime currently gives Mayor context to all agents. Crew workers should get crew-specific context. Also extract shared theory of operation from mayor priming into shared context for all roles.


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
```


Deacon event/timer callbacks: reactive triggers

Implement event-triggered and timer-based callbacks in the Deacon.

## Timer Callbacks

Agents can schedule future wakes by mailing the Deacon:
```
Subject: TIMER: gastown/witness wake at 2025-12-20T16:00:00Z
Body: Please nudge me - I'm waiting for external dependency
```

Deacon processing:
1. Parse timer mail
2. Check if time has passed
3. If yes: mail the agent "WAKE: Timer fired"
4. Close the timer mail

## Event Subscriptions

Plugins/agents can subscribe to events:
```yaml
# In kernel bead or plugin config
event_triggers:
  - event: "issue.created"
    action: mail
    target: "plugins/work-oracle"

  - event: "mr.submitted"
    action: run
    plugin: "review-oracle"

  - event: "agent.stuck"
    action: escalate
    target: human
```

## Event Sources

Events come through mail to deacon/:
```
Subject: EVENT: issue.created gt-abc123
Body: New issue created in gastown rig
```

## Event Types

Initial event types:
- `issue.created` - New bead created
- `issue.closed` - Bead closed
- `mr.submitted` - Merge request submitted
- `mr.merged` - Merge request merged
- `agent.stuck` - Agent appears stuck (from health scan)
- `agent.failed` - Agent remediation failed

## Event Processing

During events step:
1. Read event mail from inbox
2. Match against subscriptions
3. Execute actions:
   - `mail`: Send mail to target
   - `run`: Execute plugin inline
   - `spawn`: Spawn subagent for plugin
   - `escalate`: Mail human

## Relation to Mail

Mail IS the event bus. No separate event system.
Events are just specially-formatted mail to deacon/.


Track operational stats as entity/audit beads

Witness and refinery track operational stats in JSON files:
- total_merged, today_merged, total_failed (refinery)
- total_checks, total_nudges, total_escalations (witness)

For HOP entity CV tracking, these could become:
- type=audit beads (daily roll-ups of operational metrics)
- Entity chain entries showing validator activity

This provides observability and contributes to entity reputation tracking (e.g., refinery X has merged 500 PRs with 2% failure rate).

Not critical for launch but aligns with HOP Platform of Platforms vision.


gt crew refresh: Context cycling with handoff

Implement 'gt crew refresh <name>' command:
- Send handoff mail to self (context summary)
- Kill current session cleanly
- Start new session
- New session reads handoff mail and resumes
- Support --message to add custom handoff notes


gt mail read: Support numeric indices for message ID

Allow 'gt mail read 1' to read the first message in inbox.

Current behavior requires full message ID like 'msg-abc123'.
Should support:
- Numeric index: 'gt mail read 1' reads first/newest message
- Partial ID match: 'gt mail read abc' matches 'msg-abc123'

This is a UX improvement - agents frequently type 'gt mail read 1'.


Patrol System: Agent lifecycle loops with attachments

Enable Gas Town agents to run continuous patrols, survive crashes, and hand off work across sessions.

## Core Concepts
- **Attachments**: Molecules bound to agent's pinned bead until complete
- **Patrols**: Cyclic molecules that loop (deacon, witness, refinery)
- **Quiescent**: Agents that sleep until triggered (witness, refinery)

## Design Doc
See docs/patrol-system-design.md

## Phases
Phase 1: Foundation (attachment field, daemon detection, mol-deacon-patrol)
Phase 2: Quiescent Agents (wake triggers, witness/refinery patrols)
Phase 3: Callbacks and Plugins (mail protocol, plugin runner)
Phase 4: Polish (gt patrol status, metrics, tuning)

## Key Decisions
- Attachment as field on pinned bead (not edge type, for now)
- Mail-based orchestration for all callbacks
- Queue replacement for heartbeat delivery (not pile-up)
- Burn and respawn for patrol loops (not in-place reset)


Beads CLI wrapper: shell out to bd

Wrapper for bd (beads CLI) commands.

## Interface

```go
type Beads struct {
    workDir string
}

func NewBeads(workDir string) *Beads

// Query
func (b *Beads) List(opts ListOptions) ([]*Issue, error)
func (b *Beads) Ready() ([]*Issue, error)
func (b *Beads) Show(id string) (*Issue, error)
func (b *Beads) Blocked() ([]*Issue, error)

// Mutations
func (b *Beads) Create(opts CreateOptions) (*Issue, error)
func (b *Beads) Update(id string, opts UpdateOptions) error
func (b *Beads) Close(ids ...string) error

// Sync
func (b *Beads) Sync() error
func (b *Beads) SyncStatus() (*SyncStatus, error)
```

## Data Types

```go
type Issue struct {
    ID          string
    Title       string
    Status      string
    Priority    int
    Type        string
    Description string
    Parent      string
    Children    []string
    DependsOn   []string
    Blocks      []string
}

type ListOptions struct {
    Status   string  // "open", "closed", "all"
    Type     string
    Priority int
}

type CreateOptions struct {
    Title       string
    Type        string
    Priority    int
    Description string
    Parent      string
}
```

## Implementation

Shell out to bd binary, parse JSON output where available.
```go
func (b *Beads) runBd(args ...string) ([]byte, error) {
    cmd := exec.Command("bd", args...)
    cmd.Dir = b.workDir
    return cmd.Output()
}
```

## Error Handling

- bd not installed: Clear error with install instructions
- Not a beads repo: Detect and report
- Sync conflicts: Parse and report


Add molecule phase lifecycle diagram to architecture.md

Create a clear lifecycle diagram showing molecule phases:

```
                    ┌─────────────┐
                    │   Proto     │
                    │  (crystal)  │
                    └──────┬──────┘
                           │
                      bd mol bond
                           │
              ┌────────────┴────────────┐
              │                         │
              ▼                         ▼
      ┌───────────────┐        ┌───────────────┐
      │     Mol       │        │    Wisp       │
      │   (liquid)    │        │    (gas)      │
      │   durable     │        │  ephemeral    │
      │  main beads   │        │ .beads-eph/   │
      └───────┬───────┘        └───────┬───────┘
              │                        │
         bd mol squash            bd mol squash
              │                        │
              ▼                        ▼
      ┌───────────────┐        ┌───────────────┐
      │    Digest     │        │   (nothing)   │
      │ (distillate)  │        │  evaporates   │
      │  in git hist  │        └───────────────┘
      └───────────────┘
```

Also document:
- When to use Mol vs Wisp
- Mol: code review waves, epic implementation, feature work
- Wisp: orchestration, polecat work sessions, patrol loops


Witness patrol: cleanup idle orphan polecats

Add patrol step to find and cleanup polecats that are idle with no assigned issue. These orphans occur when polecats crash before sending DONE or Witness misses the message. Patrol should verify git is clean before removing worktree. Part of gt-rana.


Test merge request

branch: polecat/Test/gt-test
target: main
source_issue: gt-test
worker: TestWorker
rig: gastown


gt crew at/attach: Start session in crew workspace

Implement 'gt crew at <rig>/<name>' and 'gt crew attach <name>' commands:
- Start tmux session (optional - could just print cd instructions)
- Launch claude code in the workspace
- Deliver any pending mail
- Support --no-tmux to just print directory path
- 'attach' infers rig from cwd


Update documentation for new config architecture

Update docs to reflect new structure:
- docs/architecture.md: Directory structure section
- CLAUDE.md files: Config references
- Add docs/configuration.md with full reference


Test message

Testing GGT mail integration


Merge: gt-92l

branch: polecat/Ace
target: main
source_issue: gt-92l
rig: gastown


Add role-specific subcommands that delegate to core commands (agent UX)

## Problem

Agents naturally guess command patterns like:
- `gt witness nudge <polecat>`
- `gt polecat nudge <name>`
- `gt crew restart <member>`

But these don't exist - the actual commands are:
- `gt nudge <session> <message>`
- `gt polecat reset <name>`

This creates friction in agent UX. Agents shouldn't have to memorize the 'correct' command structure.

## Proposal

Add subcommands to each role that delegate to core commands with argument reordering:

```
gt witness nudge furiosa "Start working"
  → gt nudge gt-gastown-furiosa "Start working"

gt polecat nudge gastown/furiosa "Check mail"
  → gt nudge gt-gastown-furiosa "Check mail"

gt crew nudge gastown/max "Wake up"
  → gt nudge gt-crew-gastown-max "Wake up"
```

## Benefits

1. **Discoverable**: Agents explore `gt witness --help` and find nudge
2. **Lenient**: Multiple valid ways to express the same intent
3. **Role-contextual**: Commands under the role namespace feel natural
4. **Extensible**: Pattern works for future subcommands (status, reset, etc.)

## Implementation

Each role command (witness, polecat, crew, refinery) gets thin wrapper subcommands:

```go
// In witness.go
witnessCmd.AddCommand(&cobra.Command{
    Use:   "nudge <polecat> <message>",
    Short: "Nudge a polecat (delegates to gt nudge)",
    RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
        session := formatSession(rig, args[0])
        return runNudge(session, args[1])
    },
})
```

## Future Candidates

Other subcommands to add as role-specific aliases:
- `gt polecat status <name>` (already exists, good pattern)
- `gt witness check <polecat>` → trigger a manual check
- `gt refinery merge <mr-id>` → process specific MR
- `gt crew send <member> <message>` → mail to crew member


Swarm package: Swarm, SwarmTask, SwarmState types

Define core swarm types.

## Types (in `internal/swarm/`)

```go
// SwarmState represents swarm lifecycle
type SwarmState string
const (
    SwarmCreated   SwarmState = "created"
    SwarmActive    SwarmState = "active"
    SwarmMerging   SwarmState = "merging"
    SwarmLanded    SwarmState = "landed"
    SwarmFailed    SwarmState = "failed"
    SwarmCancelled SwarmState = "cancelled"
)

// Swarm references a beads epic that tracks swarm work
type Swarm struct {
    ID          string      // matches beads epic ID
    RigName     string
    EpicID      string      // beads epic tracking this swarm
    BaseCommit  string      // git SHA all workers branch from
    Integration string      // integration branch name
    State       SwarmState
    CreatedAt   time.Time
    Workers     []string    // polecat names assigned
}

// SwarmTask represents a single task in the swarm (maps to beads issue)
type SwarmTask struct {
    IssueID   string  // beads issue ID
    Assignee  string  // polecat name
    Branch    string  // worker branch name
    State     string  // mirrors beads status
}
```

## Note

Swarm state is primarily stored IN beads. These types are in-memory representations for the SwarmManager to work with. No separate manifest.json files.


gt orphans: Find lost polecat work

Add a command to find orphaned commits that were never merged to main.

## Problem
Polecat work can get lost when:
- Session killed before merge
- Refinery fails to process
- Network issues during push

## Solution
Add `gt orphans` command that:
1. Uses `git fsck --unreachable` to find dangling commits
2. Filters to recent commits (default: 7 days, configurable)
3. Excludes stash/index entries (WIP on, index on)
4. Shows commit details and suggests recovery

## Usage
```
gt orphans              # Last 7 days
gt orphans --days=14    # Last 2 weeks
gt orphans --recover    # Interactive cherry-pick
```

## Found orphans (Dec 16-20, 2025)
- 3b146c11: Fix mail read auto-ack and add Mayor startup directive
- b6fdc561: Add persistent theme config and fix crew session theming
- 97aba756: Unify gt prime to call bd prime and mail check
- ce769ca5: Add mol-bootstrap molecule for Gas Town installation
- b2219de7: Add bootstrap documentation for new Gas Town installations
- bc82348: feat: Add gt done command (already recovered)


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.


gt refinery attach: Attach to refinery session

Add 'gt refinery attach [rig]' command to attach to refinery tmux session.

Mirrors 'gt mayor attach' pattern. If rig not specified, use current rig context.


Phase 3.1: Summary generation protocol

Define how agents generate summaries for squash.

## The Problem

Beads doesn't make AI calls (inversion of control). Gas Town agents must:
1. Generate their own summary before calling squash
2. Pass summary to bd squash command

## Summary Template

```
Task: <source issue title>
Action: <what was done - fix/implement/refactor/etc>
Outcome: <result - tests pass, committed, needs follow-up, etc>
Details: <1-2 sentences of specifics if needed>
```

## Example

```
Task: Fix lifecycle parser matching bug (gt-rixa)
Action: Reordered conditional checks in parseLifecycleRequest
Outcome: Tests passing, committed to polecat/furiosa
Details: The 'cycle' keyword was matching 'lifecycle:' prefix. Now checks restart/shutdown first, uses word boundary for cycle.
```

## Command

```bash
bd squash eph-abc123 --summary "Task: Fix lifecycle parser..."
```


gt handoff: Unified agent lifecycle command

## Summary

Unified `gt handoff` command for ALL agent types to request lifecycle actions.

## Usage

gt handoff              # Context-aware default
gt handoff --shutdown   # Terminate, cleanup, don't restart
gt handoff --cycle      # Restart with handoff mail
gt handoff --restart    # Fresh restart, no handoff

## Context-Aware Defaults

| Agent Type | Default | Reason |
|------------|---------|--------|
| Polecat | --shutdown | Ephemeral, work is done |
| Witness | --cycle | Long-running, context full |
| Refinery | --cycle | Long-running, context full |
| Mayor | --cycle | Long-running, context full |
| Crew | (sends mail only) | Human-managed |

## What gt handoff Does

1. **Verify safe to stop**
   - Git state clean (no uncommitted changes)
   - Work handed off (PR exists for polecats)

2. **Send handoff mail to self** (for cycle/restart)
   - Captures current state
   - New session will read this

3. **Send lifecycle request to manager**
   - Polecats/Refinery → Witness
   - Witness/Mayor → Daemon
   - Format: mail to <manager> with action type

4. **Set state: requesting_<action>**
   - Lifecycle manager checks this before acting

5. **Wait for termination**
   - Don't self-exit - let manager kill session
   - Ensures clean handoff

## Lifecycle Request Flow

Agent                           Lifecycle Manager
  |                                    |
  | 1. gt handoff --cycle              |
  |    a. Verify git clean             |
  |    b. Send handoff mail to self    |
  |    c. Set requesting_cycle=true    |
  |    d. Send lifecycle request       |
  |------------------------------------→|
  |                                    |
  |                   2. Receive request
  |                   3. Verify state  |
  |                   4. Kill session  |
  |                   5. Start new     |
  |                      (for cycle)   |
  |                                    |
  |         New session reads handoff  |
  |         Resumes work               |

## Who Manages Whom

| Agent | Sends lifecycle request to |
|-------|---------------------------|
| Polecat | <rig>/witness |
| Refinery | <rig>/witness |
| Witness | daemon/ |
| Mayor | daemon/ |

## Implementation

1. Detect current role (polecat, witness, refinery, mayor, crew)
2. Apply context-aware default if no flag specified
3. Run pre-flight checks (git clean, work handed off)
4. Send handoff mail to self (if cycling)
5. Send lifecycle request to appropriate manager
6. Set requesting_<action> in state.json
7. Wait (manager will kill us)

## For Polecats (--shutdown)

Additional cleanup after kill:
- Witness removes worktree
- Witness deletes polecat branch
- Polecat ceases to exist

## Related Issues

- gt-99m: Daemon (handles Mayor/Witness lifecycle)
- gt-7ik: Ephemeral polecats (polecat cleanup)
- gt-eu9: Witness session cycling


gt mail: Cross-level routing is broken

**Problem:**
When Mayor (at ~/gt) sends mail to a rig worker (gastown/crew/max), the message lands in town-level beads (~/.beads/) but the recipient checks rig-level beads (crew/max/.beads/).

**Reproduction:**
```bash
cd ~/gt
gt mail send gastown/crew/max -s 'Test' -m 'body'
# Message goes to ~/gt/.beads/ with prefix hq-*

cd ~/gt/gastown/crew/max
gt mail inbox
# Does NOT see the message - it's looking in crew/max/.beads/
```

**Root cause:**
`findBeadsWorkDir()` walks up from CWD to find .beads. `Router.Send()` runs `bd create` in that directory. This means messages always go to the sender's beads, not the recipient's.

**Fix options:**
1. Route based on recipient address - if sending to rig/*, use that rig's .beads
2. Use a single shared beads database for all mail (simpler but less isolated)
3. Teach agents to check both levels (workaround, not fix)

**Related:**
- gt-ngu1: Pinned beads sorting (done but pointless if mail doesn't route)
- This blocks all cross-level mail functionality


Update Mayor prompting in gastown-py

The Mayor CLAUDE.md and related prompting in gastown-py (still in production use) needs to reflect current design decisions: session cycling, handoff protocol, cleanup responsibilities, beads access model. Sync prompting with GGT design work.


Hook system for event extensibility

GGT needs hook system for extensibility like PGT.

## Event Types
```go
type Event string
const (
    EventPreSessionStart  Event = "pre-session-start"
    EventPostSessionStart Event = "post-session-start"
    EventPreShutdown      Event = "pre-shutdown"
    EventPostShutdown     Event = "post-shutdown"
    EventOnPaneOutput     Event = "on-pane-output"
    EventSessionIdle      Event = "session-idle"
    EventMailReceived     Event = "mail-received"
    EventWorkAssigned     Event = "work-assigned"
)
```

## Hook Configuration
File: .claude/hooks.json or .gastown/hooks.json
```json
{
  "hooks": {
    "pre-shutdown": [
      {"type": "command", "cmd": "./scripts/pre-shutdown.sh"}
    ],
    "on-pane-output": [
      {"type": "command", "cmd": "./scripts/activity-monitor.sh"}
    ]
  }
}
```

## Hook Types
1. **Command**: Execute external script
2. **Built-in**: Internal Go functions (pre-shutdown checks)

## Hook Interface
```go
type HookRunner struct {
    config *HookConfig
}

type HookResult struct {
    Success bool
    Message string
    Block   bool  // For pre-* hooks: should operation be blocked?
}

func (r *HookRunner) Fire(event Event, ctx *HookContext) []HookResult
```

## CLI Commands
```
gt hooks list [<event>]    # List registered hooks
gt hooks fire <event>      # Manually fire for testing
gt hooks test [--all]      # Validate hook config
```

## Integration Points
- internal/session/manager.go: Fire pre/post session hooks
- internal/mail/router.go: Fire mail-received hook

## New Package
internal/hooks/
├── types.go    # Event, HookConfig, HookResult
├── runner.go   # HookRunner, Fire()
└── builtin.go  # Built-in hooks (pre-shutdown checks)

## PGT Reference
gastown-py/src/gastown/hooks/

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] Hook config loading from JSON
- [ ] Command hooks execute subprocess
- [ ] Pre-shutdown hook integration with session stop
- [ ] CLI for listing and testing hooks


verify-tests

Run existing tests. Add new tests for new functionality.
Ensure adequate coverage.

go test ./...

Fix any test failures before proceeding.

Depends: implement


Add no-PR instructions to mol-polecat-work at two points

Update mol-polecat-work in builtin_molecules.go to explicitly forbid GitHub PRs.

## Two Points to Add Instructions

### 1. submit-work step
When polecat is ready to submit:
- Push branch to origin
- Create beads merge-request issue
- DO NOT use gh pr create or GitHub PRs

### 2. CLAUDE.md polecat context
Add to polecat role instructions:
- Never use gh pr create
- Never create GitHub pull requests
- The Refinery processes merges via beads MR issues

## Why Two Points
- Molecule step description guides the workflow
- CLAUDE.md reinforces at context level
- Belt and suspenders approach

## Implementation
1. Update PolecatWorkMolecule() submit-work step description
2. Update prompts/roles/polecat.md with explicit prohibition

Related: gt-44wh (general no-PR bug)


Rig management: discover, load, create rigs

Rig discovery, loading, and creation.

## Interface

```go
type Rig struct {
    Name      string
    Path      string
    GitURL    string
    Config    RigConfig
    Polecats  []string
    HasWitness bool
    HasRefinery bool
}

type RigManager struct {
    townRoot string
    config   *Config
    git      *Git
}

func NewRigManager(townRoot string, config *Config, git *Git) *RigManager

// Discovery
func (rm *RigManager) DiscoverRigs() ([]*Rig, error)
func (rm *RigManager) GetRig(name string) (*Rig, error)
func (rm *RigManager) RigExists(name string) bool

// Creation
func (rm *RigManager) AddRig(name, gitURL string) (*Rig, error)
func (rm *RigManager) RemoveRig(name string) error

// Rig state
func (rm *RigManager) LoadRigConfig(rig *Rig) error
func (rm *RigManager) SaveRigConfig(rig *Rig) error
```

## Discovery Logic

1. Read rigs.json from config/
2. For each registered rig, verify directory exists
3. Load rig-level config if present
4. Scan for polecats/ subdirectory
5. Check for witness/, refinery/ directories

## Rig Creation

1. Clone repo to town root
2. Add entry to rigs.json
3. Create agent directories (polecats/, witness/, refinery/, mayor/)
4. Update .git/info/exclude to ignore agent dirs
5. Initialize rig config

## Rig Structure

Per docs/architecture.md:
```
<rig>/
├── polecats/
├── refinery/rig/
├── witness/rig/
└── mayor/rig/
```


Update docs to reflect molecule-first paradigm

Gas Town is fundamentally a molecule execution engine. Documentation should reflect this more clearly.

## Issues Found

### 1. gt spawn examples show molecule as optional
README.md line 116: `gt spawn --issue <id> # Start polecat on issue`
Should emphasize: polecats execute molecules, not just issues.

### 2. Architecture.md spawn examples inconsistent
Line 344 shows molecule: `gt spawn --issue gt-xyz --molecule mol-engineer-in-box`
Line 1434 shows without: `gt spawn --issue <id>`

### 3. Config vs molecule distinction not clear
outposts.yaml shows static policy - should note when molecules apply.

### 4. Operational molecules section is good but buried
Lines 430-566 cover operational molecules well. Should be more prominent.

## Updates Needed
- [ ] README: Update spawn examples to show molecule usage
- [ ] architecture.md: Ensure all spawn examples include molecules
- [ ] architecture.md: Add section on "when config vs molecule"
- [ ] architecture.md: Move operational molecules higher in document
- [ ] Add principle: "If it requires cognition, it's a molecule"
- [ ] federation-design.md: Note that policy can escalate to mol-outpost-assign

## Key Message
Gas Town doesn't spawn workers on issues. It spawns workers on molecules.
The issue is just the seed data for the molecule execution.


Molecule converge: iterate until AI says done

Work isn't 'done' until AI is confident it's done. Fixes the 85% problem.

**From VC**: internal/iterative/converge.go - 3-7 iterations with AI convergence detection. ~600 lines.
Target: 20%+ more issues discovered. Observed: ~25% average improvement.

**Gas Town implementation**: Molecule converge config:
```yaml
converge:
  strategy: ai
  min_iterations: 3
  max_iterations: 7
  confidence: 0.85
```

Polecat iterates, AI checks convergence. Stop when AI is confident or max reached.

**Value**: Raw agents get to ~85% and stop. Iteration catches the remaining 15%.

**VC metrics**: Convergence rate >70%, mean 4-5 iterations for complex work.


Swarm learning: Witness needs automated context cycling

Furiosa hit 2% context during swarm work. Witness role needs automated detection of low context and should trigger session cycling before agents get stuck. Add to Witness responsibilities in prompts.md.


CLI: plugin commands (list, status)

Add gt plugins <rig> to list plugins and gt plugin status <name> to check plugin state. Simple directory scan of <rig>/plugins/.


Policy beads: config in data plane

Use sentinel/policy beads for configuration instead of external config. Examples: daemon notifications on/off, heartbeat intervals. Config lives in the bead graph, can be toggled by closing/opening policy beads.


Mayor restart loop: auto-prime and mail check on attach

When mayor session cycles (after /exit, gt mayor attach reconnects), the new session lacks context.

## Current Behavior
- Mayor exits, shell script loop restarts claude
- New session starts cold - no gt prime, no mail check
- Mayor is disoriented, doesn't know prior context
- Strong 'antimemetic properties' - we discuss fixing it, then forget

## Expected Behavior
After restart, mayor should automatically:
1. Run gt prime (load role context)
2. Check gt mail inbox (find handoff messages)
3. Look for 🤝 HANDOFF messages from predecessor

## Possible Fixes
1. Startup hook in Claude Code settings that runs gt prime
2. CLAUDE.md instructions that say 'FIRST THING: run gt prime'
3. Shell script wrapper that injects context before attach
4. Modify gt mayor attach to inject prime command

## Related
- gt-vci: Mayor handoff mail template
- gt-sye: Mayor startup protocol prompting


Test message

Testing GGT mail via beads


gt spawn: Not injecting work instructions to session

gt spawn starts session but doesn't inject the issue assignment.

Repro:
1. gt spawn gastown/Toast --issue gt-2ux
2. Session starts but polecat just sees Claude prompt
3. No issue context injected

Expected: Polecat should receive issue details automatically.
Actual: Polecat sits at blank prompt, needs manual injection.


gt mail inbox doesn't find crew worker mail - identity mismatch

## Problem

Crew workers don't see their handoff messages when running `gt mail inbox` from their working directory.

## Root Cause

gt derives identity from cwd path, but crew workers have a different path structure:
- **cwd**: `/Users/stevey/gt/beads/crew/dave`
- **gt derives**: `beads/crew/dave` (wrong)
- **should be**: `beads/dave` (crew workers use `rig/name` format)

Messages sent to `beads/dave` don't show up because gt is looking for `beads/crew/dave`.

## Workaround

Use explicit identity flag:
```bash
gt mail inbox --identity "beads/dave"
```

## Fix

Identity detection in gt should handle crew/ subdirectory:
- Path `<rig>/crew/<name>` should derive identity as `<rig>/<name>`
- This matches how polecats work: `<rig>/polecats/<name>` → `<rig>/<name>`

## Affected

All crew workers in all rigs.


Merge: gt-92l

branch: polecat/Ace
target: main
source_issue: gt-92l
rig: gastown


Built-in molecules: engineer-in-box, quick-fix, research

Create built-in molecules as Beads issues:

## engineer-in-box

```markdown
id: mol-engineer-in-box
type: molecule
title: Engineer in a Box

Full workflow from design to merge.

## Step: design
Think carefully about architecture. Consider:
- Existing patterns in the codebase
- Trade-offs between approaches
- Testability and maintainability

Write a brief design summary before proceeding.

## Step: implement
Write the code. Follow codebase conventions.
Needs: design

## Step: review
Self-review the changes. Look for:
- Bugs and edge cases
- Style issues
- Missing error handling
Needs: implement

## Step: test
Write and run tests. Cover happy path and edge cases.
Fix any failures before proceeding.
Needs: implement

## Step: submit
Submit for merge via refinery.
Needs: review, test
```

## quick-fix

```markdown
id: mol-quick-fix
type: molecule
title: Quick Fix

Fast path for small changes.

## Step: implement
Make the fix. Keep it focused.

## Step: test
Run relevant tests. Fix any regressions.
Needs: implement

## Step: submit
Submit for merge.
Needs: test
```

## research

```markdown
id: mol-research
type: molecule
title: Research

Investigation workflow.

## Step: investigate
Explore the question. Search code, read docs,
understand context. Take notes.

## Step: document
Write up findings. Include:
- What you learned
- Recommendations
- Open questions
Needs: investigate
```

## Storage

Built-in molecules live in `<town>/.beads/` as regular issues.
Created during `gt install` or `bd init`.


test message


Update config location: .gastown/ → config/

Move rig configuration from hidden .gastown/ to visible config/:
- config/rig.json: Rig configuration
- config/engineer.json: Engineer settings (test command, etc.)
- config/witness.json: Witness settings (heartbeat interval, etc.)

Hidden directories are poorly discovered by AI agents.


Immediate daemon notification on lifecycle request

When gt handoff sends a lifecycle request to the daemon (via bd mail send deacon/), the daemon only discovers it on its next heartbeat poll (every 5 min). Workers wait unnecessarily for retirement.

## Current Behavior
1. Worker runs gt handoff
2. Lifecycle mail sent to deacon/ via beads
3. Worker blocks waiting for retirement
4. Daemon heartbeat runs (up to 5 min later)
5. Daemon processes lifecycle request and kills session

## Expected Behavior
Lifecycle requests should be processed immediately, not on poll interval.

## Proposed Solutions

### Option A: SIGUSR1 Signal (simplest)
1. Add SIGUSR1 handler in daemon that calls ProcessLifecycleRequests()
2. gt handoff reads daemon.pid and sends SIGUSR1 after mail send

### Option B: Unix Socket
1. Daemon listens on ~/gt/daemon/lifecycle.sock
2. gt handoff connects and sends 'process' message

### Option C: Watchfile + fsnotify
1. gt handoff touches ~/gt/daemon/lifecycle.trigger
2. Daemon uses fsnotify to detect and process

Recommend Option A for simplicity.

## Affected Files
- internal/daemon/daemon.go - add signal handler
- internal/cmd/handoff.go - send signal after mail


Timed Beads: Scheduled recurring work

## Summary

Timed beads wake up periodically and get injected into the ready queue by the daemon.

## Schema Extension

```yaml
id: gt-weekly-sync
type: task  # or sentinel
schedule: "0 9 * * 1"  # cron: Monday 9am
# OR
interval: 24h          # every 24 hours
tier: haiku            # cheap model for routine checks
next_run: 2025-12-20T09:00:00Z
```

## Daemon Integration

Daemon heartbeat loop:
1. Check timed beads where `next_run <= now`
2. For each due bead:
   - Inject into ready queue (set status to open if needed)
   - Update `next_run` based on schedule/interval
3. Witnesses pick up work via `bd ready`

## Use Cases

- Weekly team sync reminders
- Daily health checks
- Periodic cleanup tasks
- Scheduled reports

## Interaction with Pinned Beads

A pinned bead can be timed - it wakes up periodically but never closes.
This is how you model "background services" in Gas Town.


Create rig .runtime/ for rig runtime state

Move ephemeral rig state to .runtime/:
- Create <rig>/.runtime/ directory
- Move .gastown/witness.json → .runtime/witness.json
- Move .gastown/refinery.json → .runtime/refinery.json
- Move .gastown/namepool.json (state portion) → .runtime/namepool-state.json
- Update .gitignore to ignore .runtime/
- Update all code references


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.

Depends: implement


CLI: core commands (status, prime, version, init)

Essential CLI commands for Gas Town operation.

## Commands

### gt status
Show overall town status.
```
gt status [--json]
```
Output:
- Town name and location
- Number of rigs
- Active polecats across all rigs
- Witness status per rig
- Recent activity summary

### gt prime
Output role context for current directory.
```
gt prime
```
Detects role from directory:
- Town root or mayor/ → Mayor context
- <rig>/witness/rig/ → Witness context
- <rig>/refinery/rig/ → Refinery context
- <rig>/polecats/<name>/ → Polecat context

### gt version
Show version information.
```
gt version [--short]
```
Output: version, git commit, build date.

### gt init
Initialize current rig for Gas Town (alternative to gt install for existing repos).
```
gt init [--force]
```
Creates Gas Town structure in existing git repo.

## Implementation

Each command is a Cobra subcommand under root:
```go
var statusCmd = &cobra.Command{...}
var primeCmd = &cobra.Command{...}
var versionCmd = &cobra.Command{...}
var initCmd = &cobra.Command{...}
```

Register in cmd/gt/main.go.


gt polecat remove --all: bulk polecat teardown

Currently gt polecat remove only accepts one polecat at a time. Need bulk operations:

## Requested
- `gt polecat remove gastown --all` - remove all polecats from a rig
- `gt polecat remove gastown/A gastown/B ...` - remove multiple by name

## Context
After a swarm completes, tearing down 20 polecats one at a time is tedious.
Ephemeral workers should be easy to create and destroy in bulk.

## Related
- gt-c92: CLI: all command for batch polecat operations


gt swarm start: Does not spawn polecat sessions

gt swarm start marks swarm as 'active' but doesn't start any polecat sessions.

Repro:
1. gt swarm create gastown --epic gt-hw6 --worker Toast --worker Nux
2. gt swarm start gt-hw6
3. gt session list - shows no new sessions

Expected: Polecat sessions should start for each worker.
Actual: No sessions started, workers sit idle.


Merge: gt-5af.2

branch: polecat/Doof
target: main
source_issue: gt-5af.2
rig: gastown


Molecule execution support for polecats and crew

Enable agents to run bonded molecules through the full lifecycle.

## The Model
1. BOND - bd mol bond <template> --assignee <identity>
   Creates concrete issues, assigns root to agent

2. DISCOVER - Agent finds assigned molecules via bd ready
   DAG structure shows unblocked steps

3. WORK - Agent works through DAG, closing steps as done
   Can delegate children to lower-tier agents (haiku)

4. SURVIVE - Agent dies → beads persist
   Any agent resumes from DAG state

5. SUPERVISE - Witness monitors for stalled molecules
   Nudges owner or reassigns if dead

## Questions to Resolve
- Seed node terminology: seed vs root vs pole vs nucleus
- Assignee inheritance: single owner vs delegation model
- Stall detection: heartbeat vs activity timeout vs session monitoring

## Implementation
- Polecat startup: check for assigned molecules
- Polecat work loop: follow molecule DAG
- Witness: monitor molecule progress, detect stalls
- Mayor: can assign molecules, handle escalations

## Depends On
- beads: bd mol bond command (bd-usro in beads repo)


Create mol-install-go-binary molecule

Create a single-step molecule for building and installing the gt binary.

## Molecule Definition
\`\`\`markdown
## Molecule: install-go-binary
Single step to rebuild and install the gt binary after code changes.

## Step: install
Build and install the gt binary locally.

Run from the rig directory:
\`\`\`
go build -o gt ./cmd/gt
go install ./cmd/gt
\`\`\`

Verify the installed binary is updated:
\`\`\`
which gt
gt --version  # if we have version command
\`\`\`
\`\`\`

## Implementation
1. Add to builtin_molecules.go
2. Update SeedBuiltinMolecules to include it
3. Run gt molecule seed

## Acceptance
- [ ] mol-install-go-binary exists in beads
- [ ] Can be instantiated standalone
- [ ] Can be included by other molecules


gt molecule current: Show what agent should be working on

Query what an agent identity is supposed to be working on via breadcrumb trail.

## Command
```bash
gt molecule current <identity>
gt molecule current gastown/furiosa
gt molecule current deacon
```

## Logic
1. Find handoff bead for identity (pinned bead titled "<role> Handoff")
2. Parse attachment field → molecule ID
3. If no attachment → "naked" (no active molecule)
4. If attached → load molecule, find current step:
   - bd ready --parent=<mol-id> → next unblocked step
   - Or first in_progress step

## Output
```
Identity: gastown/furiosa
Handoff:  gt-8v2 (Furiosa Handoff)
Molecule: gt-mol-abc (mol-polecat-work)
Progress: 3/8 steps complete
Current:  gt-mol-abc.4 - verify-tests
```

Or if naked:
```
Identity: gastown/angharad
Handoff:  gt-9x1 (Angharad Handoff)
Molecule: (none attached)
Status:   naked - awaiting work assignment
```

## Use Cases
- Mayor checking what polecats are doing
- Witness verifying polecat progress
- Debug: "why isnt this polecat working?"
- Deacon patrol: track all agent states


load-context

Run gt prime and bd prime. Verify issue assignment.
Check inbox for any relevant messages.

Read the assigned issue (gt-qwyu) and understand the requirements.
Identify any blockers or missing information.


Swarm learning: Refinery merge queue automation

Manually merging 15 polecat branches was painful and error-prone. Refinery should automate: detect completed work, run tests, merge to main, handle conflicts. This is core Refinery value prop.


Molecule schema: YAML format for workflow definitions

Define the YAML schema for molecule definitions:

```yaml
molecule: <name>
version: 1
description: "Human description"
steps:
  - id: <step-id>
    title: "Step title"
    prompt: "Instructions for agent"
    depends: [<other-step-ids>]  # optional
    tier: haiku|sonnet|opus      # optional, default from config
    timeout: 30m                 # optional
```

Store molecules in:
- `<rig>/molecules/<name>.yaml` for rig-specific
- `<town>/molecules/<name>.yaml` for town-wide

Built-in molecules to ship:
- engineer-in-box: design→code→review→test→submit
- quick-fix: implement→test→submit
- research: investigate→document


MR field parsing: extract structured fields from description

Parse merge-request beads to extract structured fields:
- branch: source branch name
- target: target branch (main or integration/xxx)
- source_issue: the work item being merged
- worker: who did the work
- rig: which rig
- merge_commit: (set on close)
- close_reason: (set on close)

Fields stored in description as YAML block or key: value lines.
Provide helper functions: ParseMRFields(issue) and SetMRFields(issue, fields).

Reference: docs/merge-queue-design.md#merge-request-schema


Merge: gt-3x0z.3

branch: polecat/rictus
target: main
source_issue: gt-3x0z.3
rig: gastown