Plugin surface for daemon lifecycle hooks

Allow rigs to customize daemon behavior via hooks/plugins.

## Hook Points

- on_heartbeat: Called during daemon heartbeat cycle
- on_worker_idle: Called when worker goes idle
- on_worker_stuck: Called when stuck detection triggers
- on_lifecycle_request: Called before processing lifecycle

## Configuration

```
<rig>/config/daemon-hooks.json
{
  "on_heartbeat": "./hooks/check-ci-status.sh",
  "on_worker_idle": "./hooks/maybe-assign-work.sh",
  "idle_threshold": "5m",
  "custom_signals": [
    {"name": "ci_status", "command": "./hooks/get-ci.sh"}
  ]
}
```

## Signal Contribution

Hooks can return signals that feed into decision engine:
- SKIP_POKE: Don't poke this agent
- FORCE_POKE: Override backoff, poke now
- CUSTOM_DATA: Extra context for logging

## Use Cases

- Check CI status before interrupting test runs
- Auto-assign work when worker becomes idle
- Custom stuck detection for specific workflows


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.


CloudRunOutpost: Basic implementation

## Overview

Basic CloudRunOutpost implementation. Persistent connections and cost tracking are separate tasks.

## Implementation

```go
type CloudRunOutpost struct {
    name        string
    project     string
    region      string
    service     string
    maxWorkers  int
    client      *WorkClient
    workers     map[string]*CloudRunWorker
    mu          sync.RWMutex
}

func NewCloudRunOutpost(cfg OutpostConfig) (*CloudRunOutpost, error) {
    serviceURL := fmt.Sprintf(
        "https://%s-%s.a.run.app",
        cfg.Service, cfg.Region,
    )
    return &CloudRunOutpost{
        name:       cfg.Name,
        project:    cfg.Project,
        region:     cfg.Region,
        service:    cfg.Service,
        maxWorkers: cfg.MaxWorkers,
        client:     NewWorkClient(serviceURL),
        workers:    make(map[string]*CloudRunWorker),
    }, nil
}
```

## Spawn

```go
func (o *CloudRunOutpost) Spawn(issue string, cfg WorkerConfig) (Worker, error) {
    req := WorkRequest{
        IssueID: issue,
        Rig:     RigConfig{URL: cfg.RigURL, Branch: cfg.GitBranch},
        Beads:   BeadsConfig{URL: cfg.BeadsURL, Branch: "beads-sync"},
        Branch:  "polecat/" + issue,
    }

    events, err := o.client.DispatchWork(context.Background(), req)
    if err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }

    worker := &CloudRunWorker{
        id:      uuid.New().String(),
        outpost: o.name,
        issue:   issue,
        events:  events,
        status:  WorkerStatusWorking,
    }

    o.mu.Lock()
    o.workers[worker.id] = worker
    o.mu.Unlock()

    go worker.monitor()
    return worker, nil
}
```

## CloudRunWorker

```go
type CloudRunWorker struct {
    id      string
    outpost string
    issue   string
    status  WorkerStatus
    events  <-chan WorkEvent
    logs    []string
}

func (w *CloudRunWorker) Attach() error {
    return errors.New("Cloud Run workers do not support attach")
}

func (w *CloudRunWorker) Logs() (io.Reader, error) {
    return strings.NewReader(strings.Join(w.logs, "\n")), nil
}
```

## Files

- `internal/outpost/cloudrun.go`

## Dependencies

Depends on: gt-9a2.1 (interfaces), gt-9a2.12 (HTTP client)
Blocks: gt-9a2.13 (persistent connections), gt-9a2.14 (cost tracking)


inbox-check

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


/restart: Personal slash command for in-place agent restart

Create ~/.claude/commands/restart.md that restarts current Gas Town agent in place.

## Detection
- Read tmux session name: gt-mayor, gt-witness-*, gt-refinery-*, gt-polecat-*
- Fallback: check GT_ROLE env var

## Behavior by role
- mayor: gt mayor restart (sends Ctrl-C, loop respawns)
- witness: gt witness restart
- refinery: gt refinery restart
- polecat: gt polecat restart (or witness-mediated)

## Command format
Uses backticks for inline bash to detect context, then instructs Claude to run appropriate restart.


Automatic spawn for ready work

Auto-spawn polecats for ready work:

When Witness has capacity (active_workers < max_workers):
1. Query bd ready for unblocked issues
2. Filter to rig-appropriate work (by prefix or epic)
3. For each ready issue up to capacity:
   - gt spawn --issue <id>
   - Track that we spawned for this issue

Configuration (in rig config.json):
- max_workers: 4 (default)
- spawn_delay: 5s between spawns
- auto_spawn: true/false

This enables 'fire and forget' swarming:
- Mayor creates epic with children
- Mayor tells Witness to work epic
- Witness spawns polecats automatically
- Witness cleans up as they complete


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


Work on ga-xxp: Define mol-polecat-work standard molecule...

Work on ga-xxp: Define mol-polecat-work standard molecule. See bd show ga-xxp for full details.


Add 'wit' alias for witness command

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


Fetch and conflict check: git operations for MR

Implement git operations for MR processing.

Steps:
1. git fetch origin <mr.branch>
2. git checkout <mr.target> (main or integration/xxx)
3. git merge --no-commit --no-ff <mr.branch> (test merge)
4. Check for conflicts
5. If conflicts: abort and return Failure(conflict, files)
6. If clean: abort (actual merge in next step)

Helper functions:
- FetchBranch(branch string) error
- CheckConflicts(source, target string) ([]string, error)

Reference: docs/merge-queue-design.md#process-merge-steps


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.


HOP: Entity chain tracking for agents

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


Cross-project dependency workflow (Gas Town side)

Gas Town integration for cross-project dependencies.

## Components
- gt-zniu: gt park command (park molecule on external dep)
- gt-in3x: gt spawn --continue (resume parked molecule)
- gt-5uf3: Patrol auto-resume (future)

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

## Depends on Beads
- bd-h807: Cross-project dependency support (epic)

## Launch Plan
Phase 1 (launch): gt park + gt spawn --continue (manual resume)
Phase 2 (later): Patrol auto-resume


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


mol-christmas-launch: 3-day execution plan

---

## Wisp Integration Wave Plan (added 2025-12-21)

Dependency-ordered execution for gt-3x0z (Wisp Molecules) + gt-rana (Patrol System):

### Wave 1 (parallel - no blockers)
- gt-3x0z.1: gt rig init creates .beads-ephemeral/
- gt-3x0z.2: Configure bd for ephemeral molecule bonding
- gt-3x0z.3: gt doctor checks for ephemeral health
- gt-rana.1: Attachment field on pinned beads
- gt-rana.3: mol-deacon-patrol definition

### Wave 2 (after Wave 1)
- gt-3x0z.4: gt spawn --molecule bonds ephemeral (GATE 1)
- gt-rana.2: Daemon attachment detection

### Wave 3-5 (sequential)
- gt-3x0z.5, gt-3x0z.6 → gt-3x0z.7 → gt-3x0z.8 (GATE 2: squash)

### Wave 6+ (patrol integration)
- gt-rana.4: Basic patrol runner (needs gt-rana.3 + gt-3x0z.8)
- gt-3x0z.9: mol-deacon-patrol uses wisp (needs gt-rana.3 + gt-3x0z.8)
- Then: gt-rana.5-7, gt-3x0z.10-12

### Key Gates
1. gt-3x0z.4 - spawn/bond unlocks Phase 2
2. gt-3x0z.8 - squash unlocks patrol integration
3. gt-rana.4 - patrol runner unlocks Phase 2+ patrol


Work on ga-y6b: Implement Refinery as Claude agent. Conve...

Work on ga-y6b: Implement Refinery as Claude agent. Convert from shell to Claude agent that processes MRs in merge queue, runs tests, merges to integration branch. When done, submit MR (not PR) to integration branch for Refinery.


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
```


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.


gt mq retry: retry a failed MR

Implement 'gt mq retry <id>' to retry a failed merge request.

Actions:
1. Verify MR exists and is in failed state (open with failure labels)
2. Remove failure labels (needs-rebase, needs-fix)
3. Reset to ready state
4. Optionally re-run immediately (--now flag)

Options:
- --now: immediately process (instead of waiting for Engineer loop)

Reference: docs/merge-queue-design.md#cli-commands


Clarify Mayor vs Witness cleanup responsibilities

Document the cleanup authority model: Witness owns ALL per-worker cleanup, Mayor never involved.

## The Rule

**Witness handles ALL per-worker cleanup. Mayor is never involved.**

## Why This Matters

1. Separation of concerns: Mayor strategic, Witness operational
2. Reduced coordination overhead: No back-and-forth for routine cleanup
3. Faster shutdown: Witness kills workers immediately upon verification
4. Cleaner escalation: Mayor only hears about problems

## What Witness Handles

- Verifying worker git state before kill
- Nudging workers to fix dirty state
- Killing worker sessions
- Updating worker state (sleep/wake)
- Logging verification results

## What Mayor Handles

- Receiving swarm complete notifications
- Deciding whether to start new swarms
- Handling escalations (stuck workers after 3 retries)
- Cross-rig coordination

## Escalation Path

Worker stuck -> Witness nudges (up to 3x) -> Witness escalates to Mayor -> Mayor decides: force kill, reassign, or human

## Anti-Patterns

DO NOT: Mayor asks Witness if worker X is clean
DO: Witness reports swarm complete, all workers verified

DO NOT: Mayor kills worker sessions directly
DO: Mayor tells Witness to abort swarm, Witness handles cleanup

DO NOT: Workers report done to Mayor
DO: Workers report to Witness, Witness aggregates and reports up


Bug: LIFECYCLE messages use literal <rig> placeholder

Found stale LIFECYCLE messages addressed to @<rig>/witness instead of actual rig names like @gastown/witness. Template substitution not happening.

Examples found:
- gm-bay: LIFECYCLE: polecat requesting shutdown (to @<rig>/witness)
- gm-7du, gm-94e, gm-u5x, gm-89b: same issue

Fix: Ensure rig name is substituted in lifecycle mail templates.


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 & Rig Management: install, doctor, federation

Reify the Gas Town installation as a first-class concept.

## Goals
- Installable: gt install [path] creates complete installation
- Diagnosable: gt doctor checks and fixes issues
- Federable: Clone town to VMs with central control

## Architecture Reference

See docs/architecture.md for full design, especially:
- Directory structure (Town Level / Rig Level sections)
- Configuration (town.json, rigs.json schemas)
- Key design decisions (visible config dir, decentralized agents)


gt rig reset --stale: Clear orphaned in_progress items

Reset in_progress issues when their assigned agent no longer exists.

## Problem
When polecats die without cleanup, their issues remain in_progress forever.
Need a way to bulk-reset these orphaned items.

## Command
```bash
gt rig reset --stale [--dry-run]
```

## Logic
For each in_progress issue in rig:
1. Parse assignee (e.g., "gastown/furiosa")
2. Map to tmux session name (gt-gastown-furiosa)
3. If session does NOT exist:
   - Reset status to "open"
   - Clear assignee
4. Exception: skip crew/* assignees (persistent identities)
   OR check if crew tmux session exists

## Output
```
Resetting stale work in gastown:
  gt-abc: gastown/furiosa (no session) → open
  gt-def: gastown/nux (no session) → open
  Skipped: gt-xyz: gastown/crew/max (persistent)
Reset 2 issues, skipped 1
```

## Related
- gt-2kz: CLI cleanup commands for stale state
- gt-rdmw: orphan-check in deacon patrol
- gt-orphans command (list orphaned molecules)


gt handoff: Deadlock bug in runHandoff

Running 'gt handoff' from a polecat causes a deadlock:

Stack trace shows:
- goroutine 1 [select (no cases)] in runHandoff
- File: internal/cmd/handoff.go:125

The command successfully sends the shutdown request but then hangs with 'fatal error: all goroutines are asleep - deadlock!'


Merge execution: merge, test, push

Implement the actual merge execution.

Steps:
1. git checkout <mr.target>
2. git merge <mr.branch> --no-ff -m 'Merge <branch>: <title>'
3. If config.run_tests:
   - Run test_command (from config)
   - If failed: git reset --hard HEAD~1, return Failure(tests_failed)
4. git push origin <mr.target>
5. Return Success(merge_commit=HEAD)

Configuration:
- run_tests: bool (default true)
- test_command: string (default 'go test ./...')

Handle push failures with retry logic.

Reference: docs/merge-queue-design.md#process-merge-steps


Swarm: report generation

Generate markdown reports for completed swarms.

## Command
```
gt swarm report <swarm-id> [--save <file>]
```

## Report Content

### Header
- Swarm ID and title
- Created/completed timestamps
- Duration
- Rig name

### Task Summary
| Task | Assignee | Status | Duration |
|------|----------|--------|----------|
| gt-xxx | Toast | merged | 15m |
| gt-yyy | Nux | merged | 22m |

### Worker Contributions
- Commits per worker
- Issues closed per worker
- Lines changed (optional)

### Timeline
- Chronological events from events.jsonl
- Key milestones (started, first merge, landing)

### Issues Encountered
- Conflicts resolved
- Failed tasks (if any)
- Escalations

## Implementation
```go
func GenerateReport(swarmID string) (*SwarmReport, error)
func (r *SwarmReport) ToMarkdown() string
```

## Storage
- Save to <rig>/.gastown/swarms/<id>/report.md
- Or user-specified path with --save

## PGT Reference
gastown-py/src/gastown/swarm/manager.py generate_report()

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] Markdown report generated
- [ ] Includes all sections above
- [ ] Auto-saved to swarm directory
- [ ] --save allows custom path


Work on gt-e11: gt mail send priority flag is incompatibl...

Work on gt-e11: gt mail send priority flag is incompatible with bd mail send. Run 'bd show gt-e11' for details.


Test message

Testing GGT mail system


Implement gt sling command

The unified work dispatch command.

```bash
gt sling <thing> <target> [options]
```

Implements spawn + assign + pin in one operation. See sling-design.md.

Acceptance:
- [ ] Parse thing (proto name, issue ID, epic ID)
- [ ] Parse target (agent address)
- [ ] Spawn molecule if proto
- [ ] Assign to target agent
- [ ] Pin to agent's hook (pinned bead)
- [ ] Support --wisp flag for ephemeral
- [ ] Support --molecule flag for issue+workflow
- [ ] Error if hook already occupied (unless --force)


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


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'.


Plugin: plan-oracle (work decomposition)

Plugin that helps decompose epics/issues into sub-tasks. Analyzes scope, identifies dependencies, estimates complexity for parallelization, creates beads for sub-tasks with dependency links.


Update architecture.md: Engineer role and Beads merge queue

Update docs/architecture.md with recent design decisions:

1. Agent table: Change "Refinery" role to "Engineer"
   - Refinery = place/module/directory
   - Engineer = role (agent that works in the Refinery)

2. Merge Queue section: Document Beads-native model
   - MRs are beads issues with --type=merge-request
   - gt mq commands (submit, list, next, process, reorder)
   - Ordering via depends-on links

3. CLI section: Add gt mq commands

4. Key Design Decisions: Add decisions for:
   - #15: Merge Queue in Beads
   - #16: Engineer role (distinct from Refinery place)
   - #17: Session restart protocol for Engineer


Work on gt-ogr: Fix rig count in tmux status bar. The cou...

Work on gt-ogr: Fix rig count in tmux status bar. The count is showing wrong. Run 'bd show gt-ogr' for details.


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.


Test message

Testing GGT mail integration


self-review


Merge: gt-92l

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


loop-or-exit

Decision: burn and loop if context low, exit for respawn if context high.


🤝 HANDOFF: Timing fixes applied

Fixed mayor attach timing bug. Completed: timing fix, gt-tulx, Emma beads-6v2. Remaining P1: gt-17zr, gt-kcee, gt-szsq. Run gt prime on startup.


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.


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


bd ready --type: missing type filter for MQ integration

bd ready lacks --type flag that engineer.go expects.

## Code (internal/refinery/engineer.go)
readyMRs, err := e.beads.ReadyWithType("merge-request")

## Actual bd ready
No --type flag - only supports assignee, label, priority filters.

## Impact
Refinery can't find merge-requests in queue, so MQ doesn't process anything.

## Fix Options
1. Add --type flag to bd ready
2. Use bd list --type=merge-request --status=open instead
3. Both (ready filters for unblocked, list for all)

This is blocking the entire MQ pipeline.


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/.


Test merge request

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


Witness daemon: heartbeat loop, spawn ephemeral agent

Background daemon for agent lifecycle and monitoring.

## Core Responsibilities

1. **Heartbeat monitoring**: Check agent health periodically
2. **Session lifecycle**: Restart agents after handoff (Witness Protection)
3. **Polecat monitoring**: Track worker progress, nudging
4. **Escalation**: Report failures to Mayor

## Session Lifecycle (Witness Protection)

The daemon enables autonomous long-running operation by cycling agent sessions:

```go
type SessionLifecycle struct {
    AgentType string  // "witness", "refinery"
    StatePath string  // path to state.json
}

func (d *Daemon) monitorSessionLifecycle(agent SessionLifecycle) {
    // 1. Detect session exit
    // 2. Check state.json for requesting_cycle: true
    // 3. If cycle requested: start new session, clear flag
    // 4. If unexpected exit: escalate to Mayor
}
```

See architecture.md Key Decision #12: Agent Session Lifecycle.

## Interface

```go
type Daemon struct {
    rig      *Rig
    polecats *PolecatManager
    sessions *SessionManager
    config   DaemonConfig
}

type DaemonConfig struct {
    HeartbeatInterval time.Duration  // default: 30s
    NudgeThreshold    int            // nudges before escalation
    MaxWorkers        int            // from rig config
}

func NewDaemon(rig *Rig) *Daemon
func (d *Daemon) Start() error
func (d *Daemon) Stop() error

// Lifecycle
func (d *Daemon) CycleSession(agentType string) error
func (d *Daemon) SpawnWorker(issueID string) error
func (d *Daemon) ShutdownWorker(polecat string) error
```

## Heartbeat Loop

Every HeartbeatInterval:
1. Check Witness session (restart if cycle requested)
2. Check Refinery session (restart if cycle requested)
3. For each active polecat: assess progress, nudge if stuck
4. Query `bd ready` for new work, spawn up to max_workers


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


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.


Deacon keepalive: quiet daemon during rounds

Replace tmux-poke interrupts with a keepalive file the daemon respects.

## Problem

Current daemon pokes Deacon via tmux SendKeys every ~5 minutes if heartbeat
is stale. This can INTERRUPT the Deacon mid-work, especially during long
plugin execution or health remediation.

## Solution

Deacon writes a keepalive file at start of rounds:
```json
{
  "timestamp": "2025-12-20T15:30:00Z",
  "expected_duration_minutes": 10,
  "action": "executing mol-deacon-rounds"
}
```

Daemon reads this and backs off:
- If keepalive is fresh AND within expected_duration: skip poke
- If keepalive is stale OR past expected_duration: poke (fallback)

## Files

- `{townRoot}/deacon/keepalive.json` - Written by Deacon
- Daemon already reads `{townRoot}/deacon/heartbeat.json` - similar pattern

## Deacon Behavior

1. Start of rounds: write keepalive with expected duration
2. End of rounds: write heartbeat (existing), clear/update keepalive
3. If rounds take longer than expected: Deacon gets one poke, squelches it

## Daemon Changes

Modify `pokeDeacon()` in daemon.go:
1. Check keepalive.json freshness and expected_duration
2. If within bounds: skip poke, log "Deacon active"
3. If past bounds: poke as fallback

## Worst Case

Deacon crashes mid-rounds without clearing keepalive:
- Daemon waits until expected_duration expires
- Then pokes, triggering respawn loop
- Max delay: expected_duration (configurable, default 10-15 min)

## Configuration

In pinned kernel bead:
```yaml
config:
  rounds_expected_duration_minutes: 10
```


Add molecules.jsonl as separate catalog file for template molecules


Update gt doctor to check new config locations

Doctor should validate new structure:
- Check mayor/config.json exists and is valid
- Check settings/ exists for each rig
- Warn if old .gastown/ files still exist
- Offer --fix to migrate old locations to new


Merge: gt-8v8

branch: polecat/nux
target: main
source_issue: gt-8v8
rig: gastown


Rig doctor checks: Refinery health, clones, gitignore

Rig-level doctor checks.

## Checks

### RigIsGitRepo
- Verify .git/ directory exists
- Verify git status works
- Fix: Cannot auto-fix

### GitExcludeConfigured
- Check .git/info/exclude contains Gas Town dirs
- Required entries: polecats/ witness/ refinery/ mayor/
- Fix: Append missing entries

### WitnessExists
- Verify witness/ directory exists
- Verify witness/rig/ is a git clone
- Verify witness/mail/inbox.jsonl exists
- Fix: Create structure, clone repo

### RefineryExists
- Verify refinery/ directory exists
- Verify refinery/rig/ is a git clone
- Verify refinery/mail/inbox.jsonl exists
- Fix: Create structure, clone repo

### MayorCloneExists
- Verify mayor/ directory exists
- Verify mayor/rig/ is a git clone
- Fix: Create structure, clone repo

### PolecatClonesValid
- For each polecat in polecats/:
  - Verify is a git clone
  - Verify on polecat branch
  - Warn if has uncommitted changes
- Fix: Cannot auto-fix (data loss risk)

### BeadsConfigValid (if applicable)
- If .beads/ exists, verify bd commands work
- Check beads sync status
- Warn if out of sync
- Fix: Run bd sync

## Implementation

```go
var RigChecks = []Check{
    &RigIsGitRepoCheck{},
    &GitExcludeConfiguredCheck{},
    &WitnessExistsCheck{},
    &RefineryExistsCheck{},
    &MayorCloneExistsCheck{},
    &PolecatClonesValidCheck{},
    &BeadsConfigValidCheck{},
}
```


Work on ga-lzh: Add gt witness attach command. Allow atta...

Work on ga-lzh: Add gt witness attach command. Allow attaching to witness session for a rig, similar to gt mayor attach. When done, submit MR (not PR) to integration branch for Refinery.


Test7

Test with fixed workdir


Phase 5.2: Ephemeral error handling and recovery

Handle edge cases in ephemeral molecule lifecycle.

## Scenarios

### Agent dies mid-molecule
- Ephemeral state persists
- Witness detects stall (no heartbeat)
- Options:
  a. Nudge agent to resume
  b. Reassign to new agent
  c. Escalate to Mayor

### Squash fails
- Retry with exponential backoff
- If persistent failure, escalate
- Don't lose the ephemeral state until squash succeeds

### Orphaned molecules
- Molecule started, never completed
- gt doctor detects (>24h old with no activity)
- Options:
  a. Manual review
  b. Auto-abandon with 'abandoned' digest
  c. Reassign

### Ephemeral repo corruption
- Re-init from scratch
- Active molecules are lost
- Main beads is source of truth for assigned work

## Implementation

Add error handling to:
- bd mol bond (handle init failures)
- bd squash (retry logic)
- gt doctor (recovery suggestions)


rebase-main

Rebase against main to incorporate any changes.
Resolve conflicts if needed.

git fetch origin main
git rebase origin/main

If there are conflicts, resolve them carefully and continue the rebase.

Depends: self-review, verify-tests


Worker cleanup: Beads sync on shutdown

Add beads sync verification to worker cleanup checklist and Witness verification.

## Update to Decommission Checklist (gt-sd6)

Add to pre-done verification:
- bd sync --status must show 'Up to date'
- git status .beads/ must show no changes

## Beads Edge Cases

Uncommitted beads changes:
  bd sync
  git add .beads/
  git commit -m 'beads: final sync'

Beads sync conflict (rare):
  git fetch origin main
  git checkout main -- .beads/
  bd sync --force
  git add .beads/
  git commit -m 'beads: resolve sync conflict'

## Update to Witness Verification (gt-f8v)

When capturing worker state:
  town capture <polecat> "bd sync --status && git status .beads/"

Check for:
- bd sync --status shows 'Up to date'
- git status .beads/ shows no changes

If beads not synced, nudge:
  WITNESS CHECK: Beads not synced. Run 'bd sync' then commit .beads/. Signal done when complete.


Polecat Mood Plugin (standard)

Standard witness plugin that assesses polecat emotional state.

## Location
`<rig>/plugins/witness/polecat-mood/`

## Mood Emojis
| Mood | Emoji | Detection |
|------|-------|-----------|
| working | 😺 | Active tool calls, making progress |
| productive | 😸 | Completing tasks, tests passing |
| idle | 🐱 | Waiting at prompt, no recent activity |
| confident | 😼 | Self-reviewing, about to submit |
| struggling | 😿 | Repeated errors, test failures |
| stuck | 🙀 | No progress for 10+ min |
| done | 😽 | Work complete, requesting shutdown |
| blocked | 😾 | Explicitly waiting on dependency |

## Plugin Config (plugin.yaml)
```yaml
name: polecat-mood
description: Assess polecat emotional state from session activity
trigger: patrol
tier: haiku
input: session-capture
```

## Output
Plugin outputs gt commands:
```
gt polecat mood Rictus 😺
gt polecat mood Nux 😿
```

## Customization
Users can fork and modify prompt.md to change assessment criteria or add custom moods.


Session management: start, stop, attach, capture

Polecat session lifecycle management.

## Interface

```go
type SessionManager struct {
    tmux *Tmux
    rig  *Rig
}

func NewSessionManager(tmux *Tmux, rig *Rig) *SessionManager

// Lifecycle
func (sm *SessionManager) Start(polecat string, opts StartOptions) error
func (sm *SessionManager) Stop(polecat string) error
func (sm *SessionManager) IsRunning(polecat string) (bool, error)
func (sm *SessionManager) List() ([]SessionInfo, error)

// Interaction
func (sm *SessionManager) Attach(polecat string) error
func (sm *SessionManager) Capture(polecat string, lines int) (string, error)
func (sm *SessionManager) Inject(polecat string, message string) error

type StartOptions struct {
    WorkDir   string   // defaults to polecat clone dir
    Issue     string   // optional: issue to work on
    Command   string   // optional: override claude command
}

type SessionInfo struct {
    Polecat   string
    SessionID string
    Running   bool
    StartedAt time.Time
}
```

## Session Naming

`gt-<rig>-<polecat>` (e.g., `gt-wyvern-Toast`)

## Start Flow

1. Verify polecat clone exists
2. Check no existing session
3. Create tmux session in polecat workdir
4. Send initial command: `claude` or custom
5. If issue provided, inject initial prompt

## Stop Flow

1. Capture final output (for logging)
2. Send exit/quit command
3. Wait briefly for graceful shutdown
4. Kill session if still running

## Capture

Uses tmux capture-pane to get recent output. Returns last N lines.

## Inject

Sends text to session via tmux send-keys. Used for:
- Mail notifications
- Witness nudges
- User messages


Document how to configure a Gas Town Harness

Create docs explaining what a harness is (private repo containing GT installation with rigs gitignored), why you'd want one, and how to set it up with beads redirects


Phase 2: Quiescent agents (Witness, Refinery)

Enable Witness and Refinery to sleep until triggered.

## Scope
- Wake triggers: gt spawn, MR submit, mail, Deacon ping
- Wake SLA: <1 minute
- mol-witness-patrol and mol-refinery-patrol definitions
- Quiescent entry/exit protocol

## Implementation
- Kill tmux session on quiescent entry
- Preserve sandbox (worktree, state files)
- Restart session on wake trigger
- Agent checks pinned, spawns default patrol if naked

Depends: Phase 1 complete


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.


CLI: session commands (start, stop, at, list, capture, inject)

Session management CLI commands.

## Commands

### gt session start
Start a polecat session.
```
gt session start <rig>/<polecat> [--issue <id>]
```
- Creates tmux session
- Launches claude in polecat workdir
- Optionally injects initial issue context

### gt session stop
Stop a polecat session.
```
gt session stop <rig>/<polecat> [--force]
```
- Graceful shutdown by default
- --force kills immediately

### gt session at (attach)
Attach to running session.
```
gt session at <rig>/<polecat>
```
- Attaches tmux session to current terminal
- Detach with Ctrl-B D

### gt session list
List all sessions.
```
gt session list [--rig <rig>] [--json]
```
- Shows running/stopped status
- Optionally filter by rig

### gt session capture
Capture recent output from session.
```
gt session capture <rig>/<polecat> [--lines <n>]
```
- Default: last 100 lines
- Useful for checking polecat progress

### gt session inject
Send message to session.
```
gt session inject <rig>/<polecat> -m "message"
gt session inject <rig>/<polecat> -f <file>
```
- Injects text via tmux send-keys
- Used for nudges, notifications

## Address Format

`<rig>/<polecat>` e.g., `wyvern/Toast`

## Implementation

Session subcommand group:
```go
var sessionCmd = &cobra.Command{Use: "session"}
sessionCmd.AddCommand(startCmd, stopCmd, atCmd, listCmd, captureCmd, injectCmd)
```


gt refinery start: doesn't actually start a session

## Problem

`gt refinery start gastown` reports success but doesn't start a tmux session.

## Evidence

```
$ gt refinery start gastown
Starting refinery for gastown...
✓ Refinery started for gastown

$ tmux list-sessions | grep refinery
(nothing)

$ gt refinery status gastown
State: ○ stopped
```

## Expected

Should start a tmux session (e.g., gt-gastown-refinery) with Claude processing the merge queue.

## Related

- gt-kcee: Witness commands also need implementation
- The refinery 'start' may just be updating state.json without spawning a session


bd create should support molecule type

gt molecule commands expect type=molecule but bd validates against bug|feature|task|epic|chore|merge-request only


gt mq list: show queue with status/priority/age

Implement 'gt mq list' command to display the merge queue.

Output format:
ID          STATUS       PRIORITY  BRANCH                    WORKER  AGE
gt-mr-001   ready        P0        polecat/Nux/gt-xyz        Nux     5m
gt-mr-002   in_progress  P1        polecat/Toast/gt-abc      Toast   12m
gt-mr-003   blocked      P1        polecat/Capable/gt-def    Capable 8m
            (waiting on gt-mr-001)

Options:
- --ready: show only ready-to-merge (no blockers, not in progress)
- --status STATUS: filter by status
- --worker WORKER: filter by worker
- --epic EPIC: show MRs targeting integration/EPIC

Under the hood: bd list --type=merge-request with filters.

Reference: docs/merge-queue-design.md#gt-mq-list


Merge: gt-odvf

branch: polecat/slit
target: main
source_issue: gt-odvf
rig: gastown


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


Define constants for magic strings

Several magic strings are hardcoded throughout the codebase:
- "mayor" appears in 20+ places as a path component
- "main" branch name appears in 20+ places
- "beads-sync" branch name in multiple files
- "rigs.json" filename

These should be constants in a central location for maintainability.


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.


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


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


Patrol step: check parked molecules for unblock

Add patrol step to Deacon for checking parked molecules:

```yaml
- step: check-parked-molecules
  action: |
    For each molecule with:
      - status: in_progress
      - assignee: null
      - has step with external: blocked_by
    Check if external deps are now satisfied.
    If yes: spawn polecat to resume the molecule.
```

This automates the resume process - no manual intervention needed when
upstream dependencies ship.

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

Depends on: gt-in3x (spawn --continue)
Priority: P3 (future automation, not required for launch)


Refinery tmux status: show merge queue length

Add refinery-specific status line showing:
- MQ length (pending merges)
- Currently processing item (if any)
- Maybe: success/failure counts

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


Merge: gt-3x0z.3

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


Outpost configuration: YAML config and OutpostManager

## Overview

Configuration file for outposts and manager to load/track them.

## Config File

`~/ai/config/outposts.yaml`:

```yaml
outposts:
  - name: local
    type: local
    max_workers: 4

  - name: gce-burst
    type: ssh
    host: 10.0.0.5
    user: steve
    ssh_key: ~/.ssh/gce_worker
    town_path: /home/steve/ai
    max_workers: 8

  - name: cloudrun-burst
    type: cloudrun
    project: my-gcp-project
    region: us-central1
    service: gastown-worker
    max_workers: 20
    cost_cap_hourly: 5.00

policy:
  default_preference: [local, gce-burst, cloudrun-burst]
  overrides:
    - condition: "priority >= P3"
      prefer: cloudrun-burst
```

## OutpostManager

```go
type OutpostManager struct {
    outposts map[string]Outpost
    policy   AssignmentPolicy
}

func NewOutpostManager(configPath string) (*OutpostManager, error)
func (m *OutpostManager) Get(name string) (Outpost, bool)
func (m *OutpostManager) List() []Outpost
func (m *OutpostManager) SelectOutpost(issue Issue) Outpost
```

## Files

- `internal/outpost/manager.go`
- `internal/outpost/config.go` (extend)
- `internal/outpost/policy.go`

Depends on: gt-9a2.1 (interfaces)


Merge: gt-pyqv

branch: polecat/dementus
target: main
source_issue: gt-pyqv
rig: gastown


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.


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)


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


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


Merge: gt-g44u.2

branch: polecat/Doof
target: main
source_issue: gt-g44u.2
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`.


gt spawn: add --polecat flag for explicit worker selection

Currently gt spawn requires positional arg format:
```
gt spawn gastown/Angharad --issue gt-xyz
```

But I tried the more intuitive flag form:
```
gt spawn --issue gt-xyz --polecat Angharad
```

This failed with 'unknown flag: --polecat'.

The flag form is more discoverable and consistent with other commands. Add --polecat flag as alternative to positional arg.


gt daemon: Background service management

## Summary

ONE daemon for all Gas Town - a simple Go process (not a Claude agent) that:
1. Pokes agents periodically (heartbeat)
2. Processes lifecycle requests
3. Restarts sessions when agents request cycling

## Architecture

Daemon (gt daemon)
- Pokes Mayor: "HEARTBEAT: check your rigs"
- Pokes each Witness: "HEARTBEAT: check your workers"
- Has inbox at daemon/ for lifecycle requests
- Restarts sessions on cycle requests

## NOT the daemon's job:
- Making decisions (Witnesses do that)
- Running Claude (it's a Go process)
- Processing work (polecats do that)
- Direct polecat management (Witnesses do that)

The daemon is a **dumb scheduler** - poke things, execute lifecycle requests. All intelligence is in agents.

## Commands

- gt daemon start: Start daemon (background)
- gt daemon stop: Stop daemon
- gt daemon status: Show daemon status
- gt daemon logs: View daemon logs

## Daemon Loop

Every heartbeat interval:
1. Poke Mayor
2. For each rig: Poke Witness
3. Process lifecycle requests from daemon/ inbox
4. Check for dead sessions, restart if cycle requested

## Lifecycle Request Handling

Daemon checks its inbox (daemon/) for lifecycle requests:
- From Mayor: cycle/restart Mayor session
- From Witnesses: cycle/restart Witness session

On request:
1. Verify agent state shows requesting_cycle
2. Kill session
3. Start new session
4. Clear requesting_cycle flag

## Poke Protocol

Poke = tmux inject "HEARTBEAT: do your job"
- Agent ignores if already working
- Agent wakes up if idle
- Idempotent - multiple pokes are fine

## Lifecycle Hierarchy

- Daemon manages: Mayor, all Witnesses
- Witness manages: Polecats, Refinery (per rig)
- Crew: self-managed (human workspace)

## Related Issues

- gt-kmn.11: Daemon heartbeat details
- gt-gby: gt handoff command (unified lifecycle)
- gt-u1j.9: Fold witness daemon into this


Git safety audit module

Port git_audit.py safety checks to Go.

## Purpose

Before destroying polecat clones, verify no code is at risk.

## Checks

1. Uncommitted changes (staged and unstaged)
2. Unpushed commits
3. Git stashes
4. Local-only branches (not tracking remote)

## Beads-Only Classification

Some files are safe to discard:
- .beads/*
- .claude/settings.json

Changes only affecting these = "beads-only" = safe to destroy.

## Interface

```go
type GitAuditResult struct {
    Polecat              string
    Path                 string
    UncommittedFiles     []string
    UncommittedIsBeadsOnly bool
    UnpushedCommits      int
    Stashes              []StashInfo
    StashesAreBeadsOnly  bool
    LocalBranches        []string
    Error                error
}

func (r *GitAuditResult) HasCodeAtRisk() bool

func AuditPolecat(name string, path string) *GitAuditResult
func AuditPolecats(polecats []PolecatInfo) []*GitAuditResult
```

## Reference

PGT: swarm/git_audit.py


gt rig reset: clear stale mail on reset/land

## Problem

When resetting or landing a rig/town, stale mail messages can confuse agents on startup. Old handoff messages, daemon notifications, and inter-agent mail should be cleaned up as part of reset.

## Current State

- `gt rig reset` exists but doesn't clear mail
- Stale messages accumulate (e.g., daemon SHUTDOWN messages)
- Agents may read outdated context on startup

## Proposed Behavior

`gt rig reset` and `gt town reset` should:
1. Close all open messages (`--type=message`) in the relevant beads
2. Optionally preserve pinned handoff beads (clear content, keep bead)
3. Log what was cleaned up

```bash
gt rig reset gastown          # Clears gastown mail
gt rig reset gastown --mail   # Only clear mail, keep other state
gt town reset                 # Clears all town-level mail
gt town reset --all           # Clears mail in all rigs too
```

## Implementation

1. Query `bd list --type=message --status=open`
2. Close each with reason 'Cleared during reset'
3. For pinned handoffs: `bd update <id> --description=''` instead of close


Design molecule step hooks

Hooks that fire between molecule steps. When a bead in a molecule closes, trigger hook that can spawn agent attention to prompts/requests. This enables reactive orchestration - the molecule drives, hooks respond. Gas Town feature built on Beads data plane.


context-check

Assess own context usage. If high, prepare for handoff.


Split PGT/GGT harness or migrate to GGT-only

Current ~/ai harness is shared by PGT and GGT with confusing overlap. Options:
1. Keep separate (document the coexistence)
2. Migrate fully to GGT structure
3. Create separate harnesses

This affects the beads redirect, Mayor home location, and rig structure.


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


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


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


plugin-run

Execute plugins from ~/gt/plugins/. Check gates, run eligible plugins.


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)


Work on ga-lue: Implement Witness as Claude agent. Conver...

Work on ga-lue: Implement Witness as Claude agent. Convert from shell script to Claude agent that monitors polecats, nudges idle ones, handles escalations. When done, submit MR (not PR) to integration branch for Refinery.


Crew worker CLAUDE.md prompting

Create CLAUDE.md template for crew workers:
- Explain crew worker role (overseer's personal workspace)
- Include mail-to-self handoff instructions
- Document gt crew refresh for context cycling
- Explain no witness monitoring (user-managed)
- Include beads usage if BEADS_DIR configured


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
```


Crew workers: design documentation and remaining work

## Summary

Crew workers are user-managed persistent workspaces within a rig, distinct from polecats.

## Current Implementation

### Commands (all working)
- `gt crew add <name>` - Create workspace (git clone)
- `gt crew list` - List workspaces with status
- `gt crew at <name>` - Attach to tmux session
- `gt crew remove <name>` - Remove workspace
- `gt crew pristine [<name>]` - git pull + bd sync
- `gt crew refresh <name>` - Context cycle with handoff mail
- `gt crew status [<name>]` - Detailed status
- `gt crew rename <name>` - Rename workspace

### Crew vs Polecat

| Aspect | Crew | Polecat |
|--------|------|---------|
| Lifecycle | User-managed | Witness-managed |
| Scheduling | Manual | `gt spawn` |
| Merge flow | Direct push OK | Integration branch → refinery |
| Garbage collection | Never | Auto on completion |
| Identity | Long-lived (emma, dave) | Ephemeral (Nux, Toast) |

## Known Bugs

- **gt-70b3**: detectSender() doesn't recognize crew workers
- **gt-vdp0**: Crew CLAUDE.md shows Refinery template

## Potential Enhancements

1. Rebase helper in `gt crew pristine` for conflict resolution
2. Cross-rig crew support (crew worker in multiple rigs?)
3. Better mail identity auto-detection for crew


Deacon: Hierarchical health-check orchestrator

Replace daemon heartbeats with Deacon - an AI agent that keeps Gas Town running.

## Core Concept

The Deacon is a **Claude agent** (not just a Go process) that:
- Lives at town root in gt-deacon session
- Has its own mailbox (deacon/ identity in town beads)
- Is poked by a minimal Go daemon every ~60s (if idle)
- Monitors Mayor and Witnesses proactively
- Handles lifecycle requests (restart/cycle) from Mayor, Witnesses, AND Crew

## Architecture

```
Minimal Go Daemon (just watches Deacon)
         |
         v
     Deacon (Claude agent)
         |
    +----+----+
    v         v
  Mayor    Witnesses --> Polecats (Witness-managed)
    |         |
    +----+----+
         |
      Crew (lifecycle only, not monitored)
```

## Deacon Responsibilities

**Proactive monitoring:**
- Mayor health (tmux session, keepalive freshness)
- Witness health (tmux sessions, keepalive freshness)

**Reactive lifecycle:**
- Process restart/cycle requests from Mayor, Witnesses, Crew
- Kill session, create new, prime, verify startup

**Escalation:**
- Mail human (configurable) if issues can't be resolved

## Key Files

- ~/gt/DEACON.md - Role context
- ~/gt/deacon/ - State directory
  - heartbeat.json - Written each wake cycle (daemon checks this)
  - state.json - Health tracking, last scan results
- ~/gt/.beads/ - Town beads with deacon/ mail identity

## Wake Cycle

1. Write heartbeat (prevents daemon from poking)
2. Check mail (lifecycle requests)
3. Quick health scan (Mayor, Witnesses)
4. Process lifecycle requests
5. Remediate unhealthy agents
6. Update state

## Session Patterns

- Deacon: gt-deacon
- Mayor: gt-mayor
- Witness: gt-<rig>-witness
- Crew: gt-<rig>-<name> (e.g., gt-gastown-max)

## Relation to Policy Beads

Future: Deacon behavior configurable via policy beads (gt-3zw).
Initial implementation uses sensible defaults.


gt mail send: --priority flag should work like bd mail send

UX inconsistency: gt mail send passes flags that bd mail send doesn't support.

## Root Cause

router.go line 42 passes `--priority` to bd:
```go
args = append(args, "--priority", fmt.Sprintf("%d", beadsPriority))
```

But `bd mail send` only has `--urgent` (boolean), not `--priority`.

## Fix Options

1. Add `--priority` flag to `bd mail send` (preferred - more expressive)
2. Change router to only use `--urgent` when priority=0

## Also Affected

- `--type` flag (line 46) - bd mail send doesn't have this
- `--thread-id` flag (line 51) - bd mail send doesn't have this
- `--reply-to` flag (line 56) - bd mail send doesn't have this

The router assumes bd mail send has features it doesn't have.


Activity feed from wisp state: gt patrol status

Enable mayor and gt tool to quickly see what patrol agents are doing.

## Problem

The mayor and gt tool cannot quickly see what the deacon (or other patrol agents) are doing.
Need a way to extract an activity feed from the current wisp state.

## Desired Commands

- gt patrol status: Show current patrol state (step, timing, cycle count)
- gt patrol history: Show recent patrol cycles (from digests)
- gt patrol feed: Live tail of patrol activity

## Data Sources

- .beads-wisp/issues.jsonl: Current wisp with step progress
- .beads/issues.jsonl: Digests from squashed patrols
- heartbeat.json: Last activity timestamp

## Use Cases

1. Mayor checking deacon: Is the deacon doing anything?
2. Debugging hangs: What step is it stuck on?
3. Operator monitoring: Dashboard of patrol health
4. Summaries for handoffs: Auto-generate patrol digest

## Related

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


Add human escalation configuration

Add overseer contact config to mayor/town.json. Deacon uses this for escalation when it cannot resolve issues. Support email and/or other notification methods.


Merge: gt-svi.1

type: merge-request
branch: polecat/Max
target: main
source_issue: gt-svi.1
rig: gastown


Daemon: configurable heartbeat interval

Heartbeat interval is hardcoded to 60s. Should be configurable via:
- town.json config
- Command line flag
- Environment variable

Default 60s is reasonable but some deployments may want faster/slower.


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)


Merge: gt-3x0z.2

branch: polecat/nux
target: main
source_issue: gt-3x0z.2
rig: gastown


mol-crew-session: Startup/shutdown protocols for crew workers

Crew workers (like joe, max) don't have patrol molecules keeping them fresh. When gt gets rebuilt, they have stale binaries that cause hangs and bugs.

## Problem

- Crew binaries get stale when gt is rebuilt elsewhere
- No automatic pull/rebase/rebuild on session start
- No standardized shutdown protocol (sync, push, handoff)

## Solution: mol-crew-session

A molecule template for crew sessions:

### Startup Phase
1. `git pull --rebase` - get latest code
2. `bd sync` - sync beads
3. `go build -o gt ./cmd/gt` - rebuild gt (if in gastown)
4. `gt prime` - load context

### Work Phase
- Open-ended human interaction
- No molecule steps - just work until done

### Shutdown Phase
1. `git status` - check for uncommitted changes
2. `bd sync` - sync beads
3. `git push` - push code
4. Handoff if incomplete work

## Implementation

1. Define mol-crew-session in builtin_molecules.go
2. Update crew CLAUDE.md to reference the protocol
3. Optionally: gt prime auto-runs startup steps

## Dependencies

- Should implement after deacon/witness/polecat patrols are stable
- Consider: gt-3x0z.10 (Witness patrol molecules)

## Related

- gt-3x0z.9: Deacon wisp patrol (done)
- fix-gt script: Current workaround for binary freshness


detectSender() doesn't recognize crew workers

## Problem

`detectSender()` in mail.go only detects polecats, not crew workers.

## Current Code (line 445)

```go
// If in a rig's polecats directory, extract address
if strings.Contains(cwd, "/polecats/") {
    // extract rig/polecat
}

// Default to mayor
return "mayor/"
```

## Symptom

Emma (crew worker at `/Users/stevey/gt/beads/crew/emma`) runs:
- `gt mail inbox` → checks `mayor/` inbox (wrong!)
- Should check `beads/emma` or `beads/crew/emma`

## Fix

Add crew detection:
```go
// If in a rig's crew directory, extract address
if strings.Contains(cwd, "/crew/") {
    parts := strings.Split(cwd, "/crew/")
    if len(parts) >= 2 {
        rigPath := parts[0]
        crewName := strings.Split(parts[1], "/")[0]
        rigName := filepath.Base(rigPath)
        return fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", rigName, crewName)
    }
}
```

## Also Check

- `gt prime` correctly detects role, so there may be another detection function that works
- Should unify detection logic


Deacon session cycling: first step of rounds

First step of every Deacon wake cycle: check if a fresh session is needed.

## Why First

Token costs are quadratic with session length. A Deacon running for hours
accumulates massive context. Better to cycle early and often.

## Implementation

At wake, before doing anything else:

1. Check context budget estimate (conversation turns, tool calls, etc.)
2. If budget is low (e.g., >50% consumed), request cycle:
   - Write handoff mail to self with current state
   - Request lifecycle: cycle via daemon
   - Daemon kills session, starts fresh
   - New session reads handoff mail, continues

## Decision Criteria

- Conversation turns > N (configurable, default 50?)
- Explicit "context feels heavy" signal from Claude
- Time since last cycle > M hours (configurable, default 4?)
- Forced cycle on certain events (e.g., major config change)

## State to Preserve in Handoff

- Current health status
- Pending lifecycle requests (in flight)
- Plugin state (last run times, outcomes)
- Any active timers

## Relation to Daemon

The Deacon requests its own cycle via the same lifecycle mechanism:
```
gt mail send deacon/ -s "LIFECYCLE: deacon/ requesting cycle" -m "..."
```

Daemon sees this, kills gt-deacon session, respawn loop restarts it.


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
```


Tmux status line: rig color themes and worker identity display

## Summary

Customize tmux status line for Gas Town workers with:
1. Per-rig configurable color themes
2. Clear worker name and role visibility

## Current Problem

- Only mayor shows in status line (and truncated)
- Can't tell which rig/worker you're looking at
- All sessions look the same

## Proposed Design

### Per-rig colors
```yaml
# In rig config or beads
theme:
  primary: '#ff6600'    # Orange for gastown
  secondary: '#333333'
  accent: '#ffcc00'
```

### Status line format
```
[gastown/Rictus] polecat | gt-70b3 | branch: polecat/Rictus
[beads/emma] crew | working | branch: main
[mayor] coordinator | idle
```

### Components
- Rig name with rig color
- Worker name
- Role (polecat/crew/mayor/witness/refinery)
- Current issue or status
- Branch name

## Configuration

Could use pinned beads for this (see gm-w13, beads-6v2):
- `bd show <rig>-theme` returns theme config
- Stored as pinned bead, always available
- Part of 'config in beads data plane' initiative

Implementation complete. Core features: per-rig color themes, dynamic status line with issue/mail indicators, gt theme/issue commands. Ready for testing.


Add mayor/config.json for town-level configuration

Create new town-level config file:
- Add TownConfig.Config field to types.go
- Create mayor/config.json with theme defaults, daemon settings
- Update loader to read/write mayor/config.json
- Migrate any town-level config from .gastown/ to here


Work request: gt-976 crew lifecycle support

Hey Max, filed gt-976 for you - adding crew lifecycle support to Deacon.

Currently crew is 'human-managed' and can't request automated refresh. Would be useful for molecules that need fresh sessions mid-workflow.

Key changes:
- getManager(RoleCrew) → return deacon/ instead of human
- Teach Deacon crew session patterns
- Test with gt nudge

Priority 2, no rush but would unblock molecule automation for crew.

- Dave (beads/crew/dave)


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.


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.


Remove unused style helper functions

internal/style/style.go defines RenderSuccess, RenderWarning, RenderError, and RenderInfo helper functions that are never used. Code uses style.Success.Render() directly instead. Either use the helpers consistently or remove them.


request-shutdown

Send shutdown request to Witness.
Wait for termination.

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

Depends: generate-summary


Merge: gt-rana.4

branch: polecat/ace
target: main
source_issue: gt-rana.4
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


GGT Command Parity: Complete gt command coverage

Complete gt command set to match/exceed PGT town commands.

Covers: uninstall, rig info, refinery attach, witness, session mgmt, mail UX, daemon.


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

Polecat management CLI commands.

## Commands

### gt polecat list
List polecats in a rig.
```
gt polecat list <rig> [--json]
gt polecat list --all [--json]
```
Output:
- Name
- State (idle/active/working/done/stuck)
- Current issue (if any)
- Session status (running/stopped)

### gt polecat add
Add a new polecat to a rig.
```
gt polecat add <rig> <name>
```
- Creates polecat directory
- Clones rig repo
- Creates work branch
- Initializes state

### gt polecat remove
Remove a polecat from a rig.
```
gt polecat remove <rig>/<polecat> [--force]
```
- Fails if session running
- Warns if uncommitted changes
- --force bypasses checks

### gt polecat wake
Mark polecat as active (ready for work).
```
gt polecat wake <rig>/<polecat>
```
Transitions: idle → active

### gt polecat sleep
Mark polecat as idle (not available).
```
gt polecat sleep <rig>/<polecat>
```
Transitions: active → idle
Fails if session running (stop first).

## Address Format

`<rig>/<polecat>` for operations on specific polecat.
`<rig>` for list command.

## Implementation

```go
var polecatCmd = &cobra.Command{Use: "polecat"}
polecatCmd.AddCommand(listCmd, addCmd, removeCmd, wakeCmd, sleepCmd)
```


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.


Merge: gt-g44u.1

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


Create Refinery role template

Add Refinery template to internal/templates/roles/:
- refinery.md.tmpl with full role context
- Variables: rig name, working directory, handoff bead ID
- Update SeedRoleTemplates to include it
- gt prime uses this template for Refinery context


Doctor check: Zombie session cleanup

Detect and clean up zombie tmux sessions via gt doctor.

## Problem

Zombie sessions occur when:
- Agent crashes without cleanup
- gt kill fails mid-operation
- System restart leaves orphan sessions
- Session naming collision

## Checks

### ZombieSessionCheck
- List all tmux sessions matching gt-* pattern
- Cross-reference with known polecats
- Flag sessions with no corresponding polecat state
- Flag sessions for removed polecats
- Check session age vs polecat creation time

### Detection Criteria
- Session exists but polecat directory doesn't
- Session name doesn't match any registered polecat
- Polecat state=idle but session running
- Multiple sessions for same polecat

## Output

```
[WARN] Zombie tmux sessions detected:
  - gt-wyvern-OldPolecat (polecat removed)
  - gt-beads-Unknown (no matching polecat)
  - gt-wyvern-Toast (duplicate session)

  Run 'gt doctor --fix' to clean up
```

## Auto-Fix (--fix flag)

- Kill orphan tmux sessions
- Update polecat state to match reality
- Log all cleanup actions

## Safety

- Never kill sessions where polecat state=working
- Prompt before killing if --fix used without --force
- Create audit log of killed sessions


Merge: gt-3x1.4

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


Daemon: integration test with real lifecycle

Need an end-to-end test that:
1. Starts daemon
2. Starts a test agent session
3. Sends lifecycle request to daemon
4. Verifies session was killed and restarted
5. Cleans up

Could use a mock 'agent' that's just a shell script.


Witness pre-kill verification protocol

Add pre-kill verification protocol to Witness CLAUDE.md template.

## Protocol for Witness Prompting

```markdown
## Pre-Kill Verification Protocol

Before killing any worker session, verify workspace is clean.

### Verification Steps

When a worker signals done:

1. **Capture worker state**:
```bash
town capture <polecat> "git status && git stash list && bd sync --status"
```

2. **Assess the output** (use your judgment):
- Is working tree clean?
- Is stash list empty?
- Is beads synced?

3. **Decision**:
- **CLEAN**: Proceed to kill session
- **DIRTY**: Send nudge with specific issues

### Nudge Templates

**Uncommitted Changes**:
```
town inject <polecat> "WITNESS CHECK: Uncommitted changes found. Please commit or discard: <files>. Signal done when clean."
```

**Beads Not Synced**:
```
town inject <polecat> "WITNESS CHECK: Beads not synced. Run 'bd sync' then commit. Signal done when complete."
```

### Kill Sequence

Only after verification passes:
```bash
town kill <polecat>
town sleep <polecat>
```

### Escalation

If worker fails verification 3+ times:
```bash
town mail send mayor/ -s "Escalation: <polecat> stuck" -m "Cannot complete cleanup after 3 attempts. Issues: <list>."
```
```

## Implementation

Add to WITNESS_CLAUDE.md template.


Fix TestHasPolecat test failure


Work assignment messages should auto-close on completion

When a polecat completes work on an issue, the work assignment message (msg-type:task) stays open. Found 7 stale work assignments in gastown after swarm completed.

Proposal: When bd close is called on an issue, auto-close any work assignment messages that reference that issue in their body.

Alternative: Work assignment messages could use a different lifecycle - perhaps they should be acked (closed) when the polecat starts working, not when they finish.


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.


Overhaul gt mol to match bd mol chemistry interface

## The Sling: Unified Work Dispatch

This issue tracks the overhaul of `gt molecule` to align with chemistry metaphor and introduce the **Universal Gas Town Propulsion Principle**.

### The Propulsion Principle

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

This is the one rule that drives all Gas Town agents.

### The Sling Operation

`gt sling <thing> <target> [options]` - unified command for spawn + assign + pin.

See: `gastown/mayor/rig/docs/sling-design.md`

### Implementation Tasks

| Issue | Title | Priority |
|-------|-------|----------|
| gt-4ev4 | Implement gt sling command | P1 |
| gt-uym5 | Implement gt mol status command | P1 |
| gt-i4kq | Update templates for Propulsion Principle | P1 |
| gt-7hor | Document the Propulsion Principle | P2 |

### Command Changes

| Old | New |
|-----|-----|
| `gt molecule instantiate` | `gt sling` |
| `gt molecule attach` | `gt sling --force` |
| `gt molecule detach` | `gt mol burn` |
| `gt molecule progress` | `gt mol status` |
| `gt molecule list` | `gt mol catalog` |
| `gt spawn --molecule` | `gt sling` |

### Acceptance Criteria

- [ ] `gt sling` works for protos, issues, and epics
- [ ] `gt mol status` shows hook state
- [ ] Templates updated for propulsion principle
- [ ] Old commands deprecated with warnings
- [ ] Documentation complete


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


Workspace detection: Find() walking up directory tree

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

## Detection Logic

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

Stop at filesystem root if neither found.

## Interface

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

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

## Return Values

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

## Edge Cases

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


gt spawn should use bd mol run for molecule attachment

Simplify Gas Town to use bd mol run for work tracking.

## Key Insight
Two distinct mechanisms, not duplicative:

| Mechanism | Purpose | Query |
|-----------|---------|-------|
| **Pinned molecule** (bd mol run) | What am I working on? | `bd list --pinned --assignee=me` |
| **Handoff mail** | Context notes for restart | `gt mail read` (self-addressed) |

The handoff is just **mail to yourself** - optional context notes.
The molecule is **the actual work** - required state.

## Current State (Overengineered)
Gas Town has custom attachment system:
- Permanent "Foo Handoff" pinned beads per identity
- AttachMolecule(pinnedBeadID, moleculeID)
- Attachment fields parsed from description
- Separate from beads pinning

## New Model (Simplified)
Use bd mol run directly:

```bash
# Spawn polecat with molecule
bd mol run mol-polecat-work --var issue=gt-xyz
# This: spawns, assigns to caller, pins root, sets in_progress
```

Query current work:
```bash
bd list --pinned --assignee=gastown/furiosa --status=in_progress
```

Handoff context (when needed):
```bash
gt mail send gastown/furiosa -s "Context notes" -m "Was on step 4..."
```

## Changes Required

### Remove from Gas Town
- AttachMolecule() / DetachMolecule()
- AttachmentFields struct and parsing
- GetAttachment() / SetAttachmentFields()
- Permanent pinned handoff beads per identity
- Daemon attachment detection (checkDeaconAttachment)

### Update gt spawn
```go
// Old: custom molecule instantiation + attachment
// New: just call bd mol run
cmd := exec.Command("bd", "mol", "run", protoID, "--var", "issue="+issueID)
```

### Update gt prime / agent context
```go
// Old: find handoff bead, parse attachment
// New: query for pinned molecule
cmd := exec.Command("bd", "list", "--pinned", "--assignee="+identity, "--status=in_progress", "--json")
```

### Update documentation
- Remove handoff bead attachment docs
- Clarify: handoff = mail, molecule = work
- Update CLAUDE.md templates

## Benefits
1. One system for work tracking (beads)
2. Simpler Gas Town code
3. bd mol squash works naturally
4. Handoff is just mail (already works)

## Related
- gt-3x0z: Wisp Molecule Integration
- gt-rana: Patrol System
- gt-lek6: gt rig reset --stale
- gt-ay1r: gt molecule current


Polecats should not push branches to remote

## Current Behavior

Polecats push their branches to origin (e.g., `polecat/furiosa`), which pollutes the remote with many short-lived branches.

## Desired Behavior

Polecats should only commit locally. The Refinery handles all remote pushes:
1. Polecat works on local `polecat/<name>` branch
2. Polecat signals done (state → idle)
3. Refinery pulls from local polecat branch
4. Refinery runs tests, merges to main
5. Refinery pushes main to remote
6. If PR review needed, Refinery creates the PR

## Benefits

- Clean remote (no branch pollution)
- Clear responsibility (Refinery is the quality gate)
- Simpler cleanup (local branches deleted with worktree)
- Less noise in GitHub UI

## Trade-offs

- If polecat crashes before Refinery merges, code is lost locally
- But beads issue remains open, another polecat can redo the work
- This is acceptable for ephemeral workers

## Implementation

In polecat CLAUDE.md or landing protocol:
- Remove `git push origin HEAD` from workflow
- Replace with just `git commit` + signal done
- Refinery handles the rest


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


test message


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


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.


Witness session startup (gt witness start)

Implement gt witness start <rig>

Should:
1. Verify rig exists and has witness/ directory
2. Check for existing witness session (don't double-start)
3. Create tmux session: gt-<rig>-witness
4. Start Claude Code with --dangerously-skip-permissions
5. Send gt prime to load context
6. Send startup prompt

Similar pattern to refinery startup in internal/refinery/manager.go


MQ metrics: pending count, processing time, success rate

Implement merge queue metrics collection.

Metrics to track:
- mq_pending_count: MRs waiting
- mq_processing_time: Time from submit to merge (histogram)
- mq_success_rate: Merges vs rejections
- mq_conflict_rate: How often conflicts occur
- mq_test_failure_rate: Test failures

Storage options:
- Simple: JSON file with rolling stats
- Advanced: Prometheus-compatible metrics endpoint

Display via:
- gt mq stats: summary statistics
- Dashboard widget (separate task)

Reference: docs/merge-queue-design.md#observability


Witness MVP: Automated Polecat Lifecycle

Implement the Witness agent - per-rig 'pit boss' that manages polecat lifecycles.

The Witness enables hands-free swarming by automating:
- Spawning polecats for ready work
- Monitoring worker health
- Processing shutdown requests
- Cleaning up worktrees when done
- Escalating stuck workers to Mayor

Without Witness, humans must manually spawn, monitor, and kill each polecat.

## Core Loop

```
while True:
  # Handle pending shutdowns
  for polecat in polecats where state == pending_shutdown:
    verify git clean
    kill session
    remove worktree
    delete branch

  # Spawn for ready work
  ready = bd ready --parent=<epic> if epic else bd ready
  for issue in ready:
    if active_workers < max_workers:
      gt spawn --issue <id>

  # Check worker health
  for polecat in active polecats:
    if stuck (no progress for 30 min):
      nudge or escalate

  sleep 60
```

## Blocking Bugs to Fix
- gt-dsfi: handoff deadlock
- gt-n7z7: refinery foreground race condition
- gm-c6b: mail coordination (town vs rig beads)


Port Gas Town to Go

Complete rewrite of Gas Town in Go for improved performance and single-binary distribution.

## Goals
- Single installable binary (gt)
- All Python functionality ported
- Federation support built-in
- Improved performance

## Phases
1. Core infrastructure (config, workspace, git wrapper)
2. Rig & polecat management
3. Session & tmux operations
4. Mail system
5. CLI commands
6. TUI (optional)


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


Merge: gt-g44u.3

branch: polecat/Ace
target: main
source_issue: gt-g44u.3
rig: gastown


session stop: --force flag is defined but not used


Merge: gt-frs

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


mol-deacon-patrol

Deacon patrol molecule template. Label: template


Merge: gt-72so

branch: polecat/Doof
target: main
source_issue: gt-72so
rig: gastown


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.