Patrols: Cyclic molecules for autonomous maintenance

## Vision

Patrols are **cyclic molecules** - workflow loops that give Gas Town its autonomous nervous system. While regular molecules are DAGs that terminate, patrols loop forever, performing maintenance tasks at varying cadences.

This is the "steam engine" of Gas Town: converting episodic Claude sessions into continuous autonomous operation.

## Core Concepts

### 1. Cyclic Molecules

Regular molecule:     A -> B -> C -> done
Patrol molecule:      A -> B -> C --+
                      ^             |
                      +-------------+

Patrols have a loop_to field specifying where to restart.

### 2. Cooldown-Aware Steps (Atoms)

Steps encode their own cadence. When patrol reaches a step:
1. Check: now - last_run > cooldown?
2. If yes: execute, update last_run
3. If no: skip (immediately close)

The patrol runner is simple - steps self-skip. Complexity distributed into atoms.

### 3. The Beacon

The heartbeat that fires patrol triggers:
- Internal ticker in Deacon (goroutine)
- Or external cron firing gt deacon tick
- Or mail-based triggers

Without beacon, nothing proactive happens.

### 4. Session Reset as Patrol Step

Connects to auto-handoff (gt-bcwn). Session reset is a patrol step, not a separate mechanism.

### 5. Multi-Role Patrols

Each supervisor has its own patrol:

**Deacon patrol:** health-check (30s), session-gc (5m), beacon-tick (10s)
**Witness patrol:** orphan-scan (10m), stuck-check (2m), molecule-progress (1m)
**Refinery patrol:** queue-check (30s), pr-status (1m), merge-ready (30s)

### 6. Cadence Tiers

- Critical (10-30s): Health checks
- Active (1-5m): Progress, nudges
- Maintenance (10-30m): Orphans, GC
- Periodic (1h+): Reports

### 7. Best-Effort Scheduling

Not real-time - more like cron. No hard deadlines. Catch-up, dont pile-up.
Priority preemption (mail interrupts patrol). Graceful degradation under load.

## Open Questions

1. State persistence: Beads (self-describing) or file (faster)?
2. Interruption: How does urgent mail preempt patrol?
3. Error recovery: Backoff? Escalate? Circuit breaker?
4. Coordination: Can patrols send mail to trigger other patrols?

## Related

- gt-bcwn: Auto-handoff (session reset is a patrol step)
- Molecule system (patrols extend molecules with loops)
- Deacon lifecycle management

## Metaphor

Claude was fire. Claude Code was steam. Gas Town is the steam engine. Beads is the train tracks.

The steam engine converts episodic combustion into continuous rotary motion.
Gas Town converts episodic Claude sessions into continuous autonomous work.


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
```


Implement gt mol status command

Show what's on an agent's hook.

```bash
gt mol status [target]
```

Output:
- What's slung (molecule name, associated issue)
- Current phase and progress
- Whether it's a wisp
- Next action hint

If no target, shows current agent's status.

Acceptance:
- [ ] Read pinned bead attachment
- [ ] Display molecule/issue info
- [ ] Show phase progress
- [ ] Indicate wisp vs durable


SwarmManager: create, start, update, query operations

SwarmManager operations for creating and managing swarms.

## Interface

```go
type SwarmManager struct {
    rig    *Rig
    beads  *BeadsWrapper  // shells out to bd CLI
}

func NewSwarmManager(rig *Rig) *SwarmManager

// Lifecycle
func (m *SwarmManager) Create(epicID string, workers []string) (*Swarm, error)
func (m *SwarmManager) Start(swarmID string) error
func (m *SwarmManager) UpdateState(swarmID string, state SwarmState) error
func (m *SwarmManager) Cancel(swarmID string, reason string) error

// Queries (delegate to beads)
func (m *SwarmManager) GetSwarm(id string) (*Swarm, error)
func (m *SwarmManager) GetReadyTasks(swarmID string) ([]SwarmTask, error)
func (m *SwarmManager) GetActiveTasks(swarmID string) ([]SwarmTask, error)
func (m *SwarmManager) IsComplete(swarmID string) (bool, error)
```

## Implementation Notes

- `GetReadyTasks` wraps `bd ready --parent <epicID>`
- `IsComplete` checks if all child issues are closed
- State transitions update the epic's description or a tag field
- No separate manifest files - beads IS the source of truth


CLI: cleanup commands for stale state

Cleanup commands for recovering from stale state.

## Commands

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

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

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

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

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

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

## New File
internal/cmd/cleanup.go

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


Bug: refinery --foreground detects parent session as already running

When gt refinery start gastown runs:
1. Creates tmux session gt-gastown-refinery
2. Sends 'gt refinery start gastown --foreground' into the session
3. The foreground command checks HasSession() - finds the session it's inside
4. Returns 'already running' error

The foreground mode check should either:
- Skip the tmux session check (only check PID)
- Use a different indicator that the daemon loop is running
- Pass a flag to indicate we're being called from the background starter

Workaround: Manually run 'gt refinery start gastown --foreground' from a fresh session.


Merge: gt-pyqv

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


gt mail: Cross-level routing is broken

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

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

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

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

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

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


Architecture: Decentralized rig structure with per-rig agents

## Decision

Adopt decentralized architecture where each rig contains all its agents (mayor/, witness/, refinery/, polecats/) rather than centralizing mayor clones at town level.

## Town Level Structure

```
~/ai/                              # Town root
├── config/                        # Town config (VISIBLE, not hidden)
│   ├── town.json                  # {"type": "town"}
│   ├── rigs.json                  # Registry of managed rigs
│   └── federation.json            # Wasteland config (future)
│
├── mayor/                         # Mayor's HOME at town level
│   ├── CLAUDE.md
│   ├── mail/inbox.jsonl
│   └── state.json
│
└── <rigs>/                        # Managed projects
```

## Rig Level Structure (e.g., wyvern)

```
wyvern/                            # Rig = clone of project repo
├── .git/info/exclude              # Gas Town adds: polecats/ refinery/ witness/ mayor/
├── .beads/                        # Beads (if project uses it)
├── [project files]                # Clean project code on main
│
├── polecats/                      # Worker clones
│   └── <name>/                    # Each is a git clone
│
├── refinery/
│   ├── rig/                       # Refinery's clone
│   ├── state.json
│   └── mail/inbox.jsonl
│
├── witness/                       # NEW: Per-rig pit boss
│   ├── rig/                       # Witness's clone
│   ├── state.json
│   └── mail/inbox.jsonl
│
└── mayor/
    ├── rig/                       # Mayor's clone for this rig
    └── state.json
```

## Key Decisions

1. **Visible config dir**: `config/` not `.gastown/` (models don't find hidden dirs)
2. **Witness per-rig**: Each rig has its own Witness (pit boss) with its own clone
3. **Mayor decentralized**: Mayor's clones live IN each rig at `<rig>/mayor/rig/`
4. **Minimal invasiveness**: Only `.git/info/exclude` modified, no commits to project
5. **Clone subdir name**: Keep `rig/` for consistency (refinery/rig/, witness/rig/, mayor/rig/)

## Role Detection

- Town root or mayor/ → Mayor (town level)
- Rig root → Mayor (canonical main)
- <rig>/mayor/rig/ → Mayor (rig-specific)
- <rig>/refinery/rig/ → Refinery
- <rig>/witness/rig/ → Witness
- <rig>/polecats/<name>/ → Polecat

## Migration from PGT

- `mayor/rigs/<rig>/` → `<rig>/mayor/rig/`
- `<rig>/town/` → eliminated (rig root IS the clone)
- Add `witness/` to each rig


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.


Phase 2.3: Polecat CLAUDE.md molecule workflow protocol

Update polecat prompting for molecule-based work.

## CLAUDE.md Updates

Add section on molecule workflow:

```markdown
## Molecule Workflow

When assigned a molecule (check gt prime output):

1. Follow molecule steps in order
2. Mark steps complete: bd mol step complete <step-id>
3. Before signaling done:
   a. Generate summary of work performed
   b. Run: bd squash <molecule-root> --summary "<your summary>"
4. Then signal done as normal

### Summary Guidelines

Your summary should include:
- What was the task?
- What did you do?
- What was the outcome?
- Any issues or follow-ups?

Keep it to 2-4 sentences. This becomes the permanent record.
```


mol-outpost-assign: Intelligent work routing to outposts

The federation design shows outposts.yaml with a static policy section. Simple preference ordering is fine as config, but intelligent work routing should be a molecule.

Current static approach:
```yaml
policy:
  default_preference: [local, gce-burst, cloudrun-burst]
```

Cases requiring cognition:
- "This is a long-running research task, route to VM not CloudRun"
- "This touches sensitive code, keep local"
- "These 5 issues are related, batch them to same outpost"
- "CloudRun cost is high today, prefer local even if slower"

## Molecule: outpost-assign
Intelligent work-to-outpost routing.

## Step: classify-work
Analyze the issue/work item:
- Expected duration (quick fix vs multi-hour)
- Resource requirements
- Sensitivity/security tier
- Related work (same epic?)

## Step: check-capacity
Query outpost status:
- Current load on each
- Cost accrued today
- Health status

## Step: select-outpost
Choose optimal outpost based on:
- Work classification
- Capacity/cost
- Policy constraints
Needs: classify-work, check-capacity

## Step: emit-assignment
Record decision in beads for audit.
Needs: select-outpost

## Notes
- This molecule is invoked by Mayor/Witness when spawning
- Simple cases can short-circuit to static policy
- Full analysis only for ambiguous cases


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


Swarm learning: Spawn should auto-notify polecats

town spawn assigns issues but doesn't notify polecats. Required separate 'town session send' to inject prompts. This should be one atomic operation - spawn assigns AND pokes the polecat to start working.


gt polecat: add 'done' or 'finish' command to transition from working to idle

When a polecat finishes work but session wasn't properly cleaned up, there's no way to reset it from 'working' state back to 'idle'.

Tried:
```
gt polecat sleep gastown/Angharad
Error: sleeping polecat: polecat is not active (state: working)
```

The sleep command only works on 'active' polecats, not 'working' ones.

Had to manually edit state.json to reset:
```
jq '.state = "idle" | .issue = ""' state.json
```

Need a command like:
```
gt polecat done gastown/Angharad   # working -> idle
gt polecat finish gastown/Angharad # working -> idle
gt polecat reset gastown/Angharad  # any state -> idle (force)
```


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 Phase Terminology Documentation

Document the three-phase molecule lifecycle with consistent terminology:

## The Phases (States of Matter)

| Phase | State | Nature |
|-------|-------|--------|
| **Proto** | Solid/Crystal | Frozen template, static definition in catalog |
| **Mol** | Liquid | Reified instance, malleable, tracked in git (durable) |
| **Wisp** | Gas | Evaporates after squash, ephemeral orchestration |

## Documentation Gaps Identified

### High Priority
1. Update vision.md Steam Engine metaphor to use proto/mol/wisp terminology
2. Add lifecycle diagram: Proto → bond → Mol or Wisp → squash → Digest
3. Document Go types for phases (ProtoMolecule, etc.)
4. Document .beads-ephemeral/ structure and purpose

### Medium Priority
5. Update CLAUDE.md files (polecat, witness, refinery) with molecule workflow
6. Document bd mol bond/squash/burn CLI API with examples
7. Add polecat guide: Executing molecules and generating summaries

### Low Priority
8. Add terminology glossary to architecture.md
9. Create troubleshooting playbook for stuck molecules
10. Add reference diagrams for state transitions

## Current State
- architecture.md has good molecule basics but uses inconsistent terminology
- vision.md has Steam Engine metaphor (proto=fuel, wisp=steam, digest=distillate)
- molecules.md has detailed reference but needs phase clarity
- builtin_molecules.go has 8 molecules but no phase documentation in code


Phase 3: Callbacks and plugins

Mail-based callback protocol and plugin surface.

## Callbacks
- Polecat → Witness: shutdown requests
- Witness → Deacon: escalations, status
- Crew → Deacon: recycle requests
- Deacon → Mayor: escalations

## Plugins
- .beads/plugins.yaml registry
- Cooldown tracking
- Plugin runner in deacon patrol

Depends: Phase 2


Refinery semantic merge processing loop

Implement the Refinery semantic merge loop for processing polecat work.

## Overview

The Refinery is a fully empowered Claude Code agent that:
1. Fetches polecat branches
2. Merges to integration branch
3. Resolves conflicts semantically (re-implements if needed)
4. Runs tests
5. Escalates only when truly stuck

## Processing Loop

1. Check queue for completed tasks (polecat done, not yet merged)
2. For each task:
   - Fetch polecat branch
   - Attempt merge to integration/<swarm-id>
   - On conflict: semantic resolution (understand intent, re-implement)
   - Run tests if configured
   - On success: mark merged, file bead, notify witness
   - On failure: notify polecat (test fail) or escalate (stuck)
3. When all tasks merged: land integration to main

## Semantic Merge

When git merge fails, Refinery:
1. Reads polecat changes and beads issue
2. Understands intent
3. Re-implements on current integration branch
4. Only escalates if truly blocked

## Daemon Poking

Refinery is poked by:
- Daemon heartbeat (periodic)
- Witness notification (polecat done)
- Mayor request (check queue)

## Dependencies

Needs: gt-u1j.6 (mail), gt-u1j.3 (git), gt-u1j.14 (merge queue)

## Reference

See PGT ephemeral.py for branch operations.


Update Refinery to use Beads merge queue

Replace branch discovery with Beads queue in the Refinery module:

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

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

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


Test: Alpha to Beta

Sibling communication test


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


Add gt deacon start/stop/status commands

Add CLI commands: gt deacon start (spawn gt-deacon session), gt deacon stop (kill session), gt deacon status (show health state). Similar to gt mayor commands.


Update Mayor prompting in gastown-py

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


gt rig shutdown: Gracefully stop all rig agents

Add 'gt rig shutdown <rig>' command to gracefully stop all agents in a rig.

Should:
- Stop all polecat sessions
- Stop refinery
- Stop witness
- Optionally wait for graceful shutdown with timeout


Merge: gt-3x0z.2

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


LocalOutpost: Refactor current polecat spawning

## Overview

Refactor current local polecat spawning to implement the Outpost interface.

## Current State

Polecat spawning is ad-hoc. This task wraps it in LocalOutpost.

## Implementation

```go
type LocalOutpost struct {
    name       string
    maxWorkers int
    tmux       *Tmux
    workers    map[string]*LocalWorker
}

func NewLocalOutpost(config OutpostConfig) *LocalOutpost

func (o *LocalOutpost) Type() OutpostType { return OutpostLocal }

func (o *LocalOutpost) Spawn(issue string, cfg WorkerConfig) (Worker, error) {
    // Create tmux session
    // Start claude in pane
    // Return LocalWorker
}
```

## LocalWorker

```go
type LocalWorker struct {
    id      string
    session string  // tmux session name
    issue   string
    status  WorkerStatus
}

func (w *LocalWorker) Attach() error {
    // tmux attach-session
}
```

## Notes

- This should be a refactor, not new functionality
- Existing polecat code becomes LocalOutpost internals
- Tests should pass before and after

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


Refinery-Witness communication protocol

Define mail protocol between Refinery and Witness:

FROM Witness → Refinery:
- 'Polecat ready': polecat X completed work, ready for merge
- 'Rework complete': polecat Y finished requested rework

FROM Refinery → Witness:
- 'Merge success': polecat X merged, can be cleaned up
- 'Merge failed': polecat X needs rework on <reason>
- 'Rework request': please have a polecat rebase X on current main

Implement as structured mail with parseable format.


Complete gt crew commands (list, attach, remove, refresh, status)

Add remaining crew subcommands to internal/cmd/crew.go:

1. gt crew list - List crew workspaces with status
2. gt crew at/attach - Start tmux session in crew workspace
3. gt crew remove - Remove crew workspace (with safety checks)
4. gt crew refresh - Context cycling with mail-to-self handoff
5. gt crew status - Show detailed workspace status

Build on existing crew add implementation in internal/cmd/crew.go.
Reference closed issues gt-cik.3-7 for original requirements.


Phase 3.1: Summary generation protocol

Define how agents generate summaries for squash.

## The Problem

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

## Summary Template

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

## Example

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

## Command

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


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


Design GGT prompt architecture

Audit PGT prompts and design canonical prompt system for GGT. Create docs/prompts.md with inventory, gap analysis, and Witness prompt design.


Implement gt mq CLI commands

Add gt mq subcommands as sugar over bd:

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

All commands should work with the Beads data plane.


Work on gt-o9j: Fix tmux status bar polecat count - exclu...

Work on gt-o9j: Fix tmux status bar polecat count - exclude static roles (mayor, deacon, witnesses, refineries, docs, hop). Run 'bd show gt-o9j' for details.


Default crew name should be something better than 'main'

When creating a new rig, the default crew worker name is 'main'. This is confusing since:

1. 'main' is also the git branch name
2. It doesn't convey that this is the user's personal workspace
3. Crew names should feel more personal/distinct

Consider alternatives like:
- 'home' - the user's home base
- 'desk' - their personal desk
- 'joe/max/etc' - actual name-based defaults
- Let user pick during rig init


Merge: gt-g44u.3

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


Use cmd.OutOrStdout instead of fmt.Print in refinery

refinery/manager.go and refinery/engineer.go use fmt.Print/Println directly for user output (30+ occurrences). This breaks testability and doesn't follow cobra best practices. Should use cmd.OutOrStdout() or pass an io.Writer.

Affected files:
- internal/refinery/manager.go (lines 222, 360-361, 369, 387-393, 519, 537, 672)
- internal/refinery/engineer.go (lines 190-211, 249, 294-297, 325-353, 362-366)


Worker prompting: Beads write access

Add beads write access section to polecat AGENTS.md.template.

## Beads Access Section for Prompting

```markdown
## Beads Access

You have **full beads access** - create, update, and close issues.

### Quick Reference

```bash
# View work
bd ready                    # Issues ready (no blockers)
bd list                     # All open issues
bd show <id>                # Issue details

# Create issues
bd create --title="Fix bug" --type=bug --priority=2
bd create --title="Add feature" --type=feature

# Update issues
bd update <id> --status=in_progress    # Claim work
bd close <id>                          # Mark complete

# Sync (required before merge!)
bd sync                     # Commit beads changes to git
```

### When to Create Issues

Create beads issues when you discover work that:
- Is outside your current task scope
- Would benefit from tracking
- Should be done by someone else

**Good examples**:
```bash
bd create --title="Race condition in auth" --type=bug --priority=1
bd create --title="Document API rate limits" --type=task --priority=3
```

**Don't create for**:
- Tiny fixes you can do in 2 minutes
- Vague "improvements" with no scope
- Work already tracked elsewhere

### Beads Sync Protocol

**CRITICAL**: Always sync beads before merging!

```bash
bd sync                    # Commits beads changes
git add .beads/
git commit -m "beads: sync"
```

If you forget to sync, beads changes are lost when session ends.
```

## Implementation

Add to AGENTS.md.template polecat section.


Slim down rig root config.json to identity only

Rig root config.json should only contain identity:
- type, version, name, git_url, beads.prefix, created_at
- Remove any behavioral config (move to settings/config.json)
- Update RigConfig type to separate identity from settings
- Ensure loader reads identity from root, settings from settings/


Extended addressing: Parse [machine:]rig/polecat

Extended addressing for cross-machine operations.

## Address Format

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

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

## Parser

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

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

## Validation

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

## Usage

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

## Backward Compatibility

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


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)


SSHOutpost: Full Gas Town clone on remote VM

## Overview

Implement SSHOutpost for running workers on remote VMs via SSH.

## Model

Remote VM has a full Gas Town clone. SSHOutpost:
- Connects via SSH
- Spawns tmux sessions on remote
- Uses remote git clone for code/beads
- Syncs via git push/pull

## Implementation

```go
type SSHOutpost struct {
    name       string
    host       string
    user       string
    keyPath    string
    townPath   string  // e.g., /home/steve/ai
    maxWorkers int
    conn       *ssh.Client
}

func NewSSHOutpost(config OutpostConfig) (*SSHOutpost, error)

func (o *SSHOutpost) Spawn(issue string, cfg WorkerConfig) (Worker, error) {
    // SSH: create tmux session on remote
    // SSH: start claude in session
    // Return SSHWorker
}

func (o *SSHOutpost) Ping() error {
    // Test SSH connectivity
}
```

## SSHWorker

```go
type SSHWorker struct {
    outpost *SSHOutpost
    id      string
    session string
    issue   string
}

func (w *SSHWorker) Attach() error {
    // SSH + tmux attach (opens terminal)
}

func (w *SSHWorker) Logs() (io.Reader, error) {
    // SSH: tmux capture-pane
}
```

## Prerequisites on Remote VM

1. Gas Town clone at townPath
2. Claude Code installed
3. Git credentials configured
4. SSH key access

## Integration with gt-f9x.7-8

This builds on the Connection interface from gt-f9x.7/8. SSHOutpost uses SSHConnection internally for remote operations.

Depends on: gt-9a2.1 (interfaces), gt-f9x.7 (Connection interface)


load-context

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

Read the assigned issue (gt-test123) and understand the requirements.
Identify any blockers or missing information.


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.


Merge: gt-72so

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


load-context

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

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


Tmux wrapper: session operations

Wrapper for tmux session operations via subprocess.

## Interface

```go
type Tmux struct{}

func NewTmux() *Tmux

// Session lifecycle
func (t *Tmux) NewSession(name, workDir string) error
func (t *Tmux) KillSession(name string) error
func (t *Tmux) HasSession(name string) (bool, error)
func (t *Tmux) ListSessions() ([]string, error)

// Session interaction
func (t *Tmux) SendKeys(session, keys string) error
func (t *Tmux) CapturePane(session string, lines int) (string, error)
func (t *Tmux) AttachSession(session string) error

// Window operations (if needed)
func (t *Tmux) SelectWindow(session string, index int) error
```

## Session Naming

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

## Implementation

- Shell out to tmux binary
- CapturePane uses `tmux capture-pane -p -t <session> -S -<lines>`
- SendKeys uses `tmux send-keys -t <session> '<keys>' Enter`

## Error Handling

- "no server running": tmux not started (not an error for HasSession)
- "session not found": session doesn't exist
- Wrap all tmux errors with context

## Environment

Requires TMUX_TMPDIR or uses default socket. Don't assume tmux is running.


gt mail: Cross-level routing is broken

When Mayor sends mail to rig worker, message lands in wrong beads database. Sender's beads vs recipient's.


gt spawn --continue for resuming parked molecules

Add `--continue` flag to gt spawn for resuming parked molecules:

```bash
gt spawn --continue gt-mol-root
```

This:
1. Finds molecule root
2. Verifies molecule is in "parked" state (in_progress, no assignee)
3. Checks external deps are now satisfied
4. Spawns polecat with molecule context
5. Polecat reads handoff mail and continues from blocked step

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

Depends on: gt-zniu (gt park)
Depends on Beads: bd-zmmy (bd ready resolution)


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)


Enhanced polecat decommission prompting

Add decommission checklist to polecat AGENTS.md.template. Make crystal clear: verify ALL before signaling done.

## Checklist for AGENTS.md.template

```markdown
## Decommission Checklist

**CRITICAL**: Before signaling done, you MUST complete this checklist.
The Witness will verify each item and bounce you back if dirty.

### Pre-Done Verification

```bash
# 1. Git status - must be clean
git status
# Expected: "nothing to commit, working tree clean"

# 2. Stash list - must be empty
git stash list
# Expected: (empty output)

# 3. Beads sync - must be up to date
bd sync --status
# Expected: "Up to date" or "Nothing to sync"

# 4. Branch merged - your work must be on main
git log main --oneline -1
git log HEAD --oneline -1
# Expected: Same commit
```

### If Any Check Fails

- **Uncommitted changes**: Commit them or discard if unnecessary
- **Stashes**: Pop and commit, or drop if obsolete
- **Beads out of sync**: Run `bd sync`
- **Branch not merged**: Complete the merge workflow

### Signaling Done

Only after ALL checks pass:

```bash
bd close <issue-id>
bd sync
town mail send <rig>/witness -s "Work Complete" -m "Issue <id> done."
```
```

## Implementation

Add to AGENTS.md.template in the polecat prompting section.


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 mq list: doesn't show submitted MRs

After submitting MRs with gt mq submit, gt mq list gastown shows empty queue.

## Reproduction
1. gt mq submit --issue gt-h5n.5 --branch polecat/Scabrous
2. gt mq list gastown → (empty)
3. bd list --type=merge-request → shows the MR

## Expected
gt mq list should show submitted MRs

## MR example
gt-ts4u has rig: gastown in description, type=merge-request, status=open


Batch work landing report generation

Generate reports on batch work completion.

## Trigger

When all children of an epic are closed, generate a completion report.

## Report Contents

- Epic metadata (ID, title, created by, duration)
- Task summary (completed counts, timing)
- Per-task details (issue, assignee, time taken)
- Git stats (commits merged, lines changed)
- Cleanup stats (branches deleted)

## Output Locations

1. Mail to Mayor - summary report
2. Optional: save to file with --save flag

## Command

```bash
gt report --epic <epic-id> [--save report.md]
```

## Format

Markdown with sections:
- Summary
- Tasks
- Workers
- Timeline

## Note

This replaces the swarm-based reporting (gt-662). Reports are generated from epic/issue data, not from separate swarm state files.

## Reference

PGT: swarm/report.py (for format ideas, ignore swarm ID patterns)


Default polecat names: Mad Max theme instead of AdjectiveNoun

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

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

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

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


mol-swarm-cleanup: Post-swarm debris cleanup molecule

After a 20+ worker swarm completed, found significant beads debris:
- 18 stale messages (work assignments, lifecycle requests, swarm instructions)
- 3 completed issues still open/in_progress
- Test messages accumulated

Need: Document a post-swarm checklist or create gt swarm cleanup command that:
1. Closes stale work assignment messages
2. Reviews in_progress issues for completion
3. Closes orphaned lifecycle messages
4. Optionally archives test messages


gt uninstall: Clean removal of Gas Town harness

Add 'gt uninstall' command to cleanly remove a Gas Town installation.

Should:
- Remove harness directory structure
- Optionally preserve rigs/data with --keep-data flag
- Warn about running sessions
- Clean up any global config references


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


Outpost integration tests: Mock and E2E testing

## Overview

Integration tests for the outpost system.

## Mock Outpost

```go
type MockOutpost struct {
    name        string
    maxWorkers  int
    spawnDelay  time.Duration
    spawnError  error
    workers     []*MockWorker
}

func (o *MockOutpost) Spawn(issue string, cfg WorkerConfig) (Worker, error) {
    if o.spawnError != nil {
        return nil, o.spawnError
    }
    time.Sleep(o.spawnDelay)
    worker := &MockWorker{id: uuid.New().String(), issue: issue}
    o.workers = append(o.workers, worker)
    return worker, nil
}
```

## Unit Tests

```go
func TestOutpostManager_SelectOutpost(t *testing.T) {
    // Test policy-based selection
}

func TestOutpostManager_SpawnWithRetry(t *testing.T) {
    // Test retry logic with transient failures
}

func TestCloudRunOutpost_CostTracking(t *testing.T) {
    // Test cost calculation and caps
}
```

## Integration Tests (with mocked Cloud Run)

```go
func TestCloudRunOutpost_Integration(t *testing.T) {
    // Start mock HTTP server
    server := httptest.NewServer(mockWorkHandler())
    defer server.Close()

    outpost := NewCloudRunOutpost(OutpostConfig{
        ServiceURL: server.URL,
    })

    worker, err := outpost.Spawn("test-issue", WorkerConfig{})
    // Assert worker created, events streamed
}
```

## E2E Tests (requires real Cloud Run)

```go
// +build e2e

func TestCloudRunOutpost_E2E(t *testing.T) {
    if os.Getenv("CLOUDRUN_SERVICE_URL") == "" {
        t.Skip("CLOUDRUN_SERVICE_URL not set")
    }
    // Test against real Cloud Run service
}
```

## Files

- `internal/outpost/mock_test.go`
- `internal/outpost/manager_test.go`
- `internal/outpost/cloudrun_test.go`
- `internal/cloudrun/integration_test.go`

## Dependencies

Depends on: gt-9a2.8 (CloudRunOutpost), gt-9a2.15 (error handling)
Lower priority - can be done after implementations work.


Refinery Engineer: Role prompting and CLAUDE.md

Create refinery/CLAUDE.md with Chief Merge Engineer role context. Include:
- Role identity and responsibilities
- Decision authority (merge order, test frequency, binary rebuilds)
- Communication patterns (Witness, Deacon)
- Session lifecycle (handoff bead protocol)
- Key commands reference


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

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

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

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

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

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


MR: gt-test (main)

branch: main
target: main
source_issue: gt-test


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

## Context

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

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

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

## Background

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

## Investigation Steps

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

## Key Question

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

## Commands

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


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

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

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

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

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

This should be standard Gas Town rig configuration.


Go scaffolding: cmd/gt, go.mod, Cobra setup

Set up Go project structure with CLI framework.

**Stack:**
- Cobra for command/flag handling
- Lipgloss for styled terminal output

**Deliverables:**
- cmd/gt/main.go with Cobra root command
- Basic subcommands: version, help
- Lipgloss styles for status output (success, warning, error)
- go.mod with dependencies


Integration branch management for swarms

Manage integration branches for swarm merging strategy.

## Branch Naming

- Integration branch: `integration/<swarm-id>` (e.g., integration/sw-1)
- Worker branches: `<swarm-id>/<polecat>` (e.g., sw-1/Toast)

## Operations

```go
// Create integration branch at swarm start
func (m *SwarmManager) CreateIntegrationBranch(swarmID string) error
// - Creates from BaseCommit
// - Pushes to origin

// Merge worker branch to integration
func (r *Refinery) MergeToIntegration(swarmID, workerBranch string) error
// - Fetches worker branch
// - Merges to integration/<swarm-id>
// - Handles conflicts (semantic merge)

// Land integration to main
func (r *Refinery) LandToMain(swarmID string) error
// - Merges integration/<swarm-id> to main
// - Pushes to origin
// - Triggers cleanup

// Cleanup branches after landing
func (m *SwarmManager) CleanupBranches(swarmID string) error
// - Deletes integration/<swarm-id> (local + remote)
// - Deletes all <swarm-id>/<polecat> branches
```

## All Workers Same Base

When swarm starts:
1. Record current main HEAD as BaseCommit
2. All polecats branch from BaseCommit
3. Integration branch also starts at BaseCommit

This ensures clean merges within the swarm.

## Reference

PGT: ephemeral.py (create_integration_branch, merge_integration_to_main)


Test from Mayor

This is a test message via GGT mail


Update harness beads redirect for GGT

Change ~/ai/.beads/redirect from mayor/rigs/gastown/.beads to gastown/mayor/.beads for the GGT directory structure


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.


gt mq integration land: merge integration branch to main

Implement 'gt mq integration land <epic>' command.

Actions:
1. Verify all MRs targeting integration/<epic> are merged
2. Verify integration branch exists
3. Merge integration/<epic> to main (--no-ff)
4. Run tests on main
5. Push to origin
6. Delete integration branch
7. Update epic status

Options:
- --force: land even if some MRs still open
- --skip-tests: skip test run
- --dry-run: preview only

This creates a single merge commit for the entire epic's work.

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


Layered context onboarding pattern

Pattern from handoff discussion:

## Pattern: Layered Context Onboarding

Town CLAUDE.md (user/org) -> Rig CLAUDE.md (project) -> Role priming

## Ultra-compressed HOP for workers (no reveal)

- Permanent record: All work tracked. Outcomes matter.
- Quality gates: Molecule steps exist for a reason.
- Attribution: Completions build your track record.
- Handoff clean: Leave state any worker can continue.

## Recommendation

Create Town @AGENTS.md for shared worker context that all workers see.
This provides common behavioral guidance without revealing full HOP context.


Success handling: close MR, close source issue, cleanup

Handle successful merge completion.

Steps:
1. Update MR with merge_commit SHA:
   bd update <id> --body='...\nmerge_commit: <sha>'
2. Close MR with reason:
   bd close <id> --reason='merged'
3. Close source issue (the work item):
   bd close <source_issue> --reason='Merged in <mr_id>'
4. Delete source branch (if configured):
   git push origin --delete <mr.branch>
5. Log success

Configuration:
- delete_merged_branches: bool (default true)

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


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.


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


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.


gt spawn beads sync warning is misleading for redirect-based polecats

## Problem

When spawning a polecat, gt spawn shows a warning:
```
Warning: beads sync: exit status 1
```

This is misleading because polecats using the redirect architecture (`.beads/redirect`) share the canonical database at `mayor/rig/.beads/beads.db`. The 'stale beads' indicated by the warning is just git branch divergence (main vs beads-sync), not actual data staleness.

## Expected Behavior

gt spawn should either:
1. Skip the beads sync check for polecats using redirects (they share the canonical DB)
2. Or provide a clearer message like 'beads redirect active, using shared database'

## Reproduction

```bash
gt spawn --issue gt-xxx --rig gastown --create
# Shows 'Warning: beads sync: exit status 1' even though beads are current
```

## Root Cause

spawn.go calls beads sync and treats any non-zero exit as a warning. But with redirects, the polecat doesn't need its own beads - it uses the canonical source via the redirect chain:
```
polecat/.beads/redirect -> ../../.beads -> gastown/.beads/redirect -> mayor/rig/.beads
```

## Fix Options

1. Check for .beads/redirect before calling sync
2. Have bd sync return 0 when redirect is present
3. Suppress the warning in spawn when redirect exists


Add molecule to update local go binary on push to main

When pushing to main branch, automatically rebuild and install the gt binary on the local machine so changes are immediately available.


gt nudge should accept flexible session identifiers

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

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

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

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


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

## Problem

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

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

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

## Proposal

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

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

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

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

## Benefits

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

## Implementation

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

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

## Future Candidates

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


Polecat CLAUDE.md: configure auto-approve for bd and gt commands

Polecats get stuck waiting for bash command approval when running
bd and gt commands. Need to configure Claude Code to auto-approve these.

Options:
1. Add allowedTools to polecat CLAUDE.md
2. Configure .claude/settings.json in polecat directory
3. Use --dangerously-skip-permissions flag (not recommended)

Should auto-approve:
- bd (beads commands)
- gt (gastown commands)
- go build/test
- git status/add/commit/push

Should still require approval:
- rm -rf
- Arbitrary commands outside project

Related to polecat prompting (gt-e1y, gt-sd6).


Create mol-refinery-patrol with test failure gates

## Problem

The Refinery role lacks:
1. A formal patrol molecule (Deacon has mol-deacon-patrol)
2. Engineer identity/philosophy guidance
3. Structural enforcement of failure handling (not just documentation)

When tests fail during merge processing, the current guidance doesn't prevent 'disavowal' - noting a problem exists and proceeding without tracking it.

## The Structural Solution

Create `mol-refinery-patrol` with **verification gates** that make disavowal structurally impossible:

```markdown
## Molecule: mol-refinery-patrol

## Step: inbox-check
Check mail for MR submissions, escalations, messages.
Process any urgent items first.

## Step: queue-scan
Fetch remote, identify polecat branches waiting.
If queue empty, skip to context-check.
Track branch list for this cycle.
Needs: inbox-check

## Step: process-branch
Pick next branch. Rebase on current main.
If rebase conflicts: notify polecat, skip to next branch.
Needs: queue-scan

## Step: run-tests
Run go test ./...
Track results (pass/fail count).
Needs: process-branch

## Step: handle-failures
**GATE**: If tests passed, this step auto-completes.
If tests failed:
- Diagnose: branch regression or pre-existing?
- Branch regression → abort, notify polecat
- Pre-existing → EITHER fix OR \`bd create --type=bug\`
**VERIFY**: Fix committed OR bead filed before proceeding.
Needs: run-tests

## Step: merge-push
Merge to main (ff-only preferred).
Push immediately.
Delete polecat branch.
Needs: handle-failures

## Step: loop-check
More branches? Return to process-branch.
Otherwise continue to summary.
Needs: merge-push

## Step: generate-summary
Summarize cycle: branches processed, tests results, issues filed.
Needs: loop-check

## Step: context-check
Check context usage.
If high: write handoff, prepare for burn/respawn.
Needs: generate-summary

## Step: burn-or-loop
If context LOW and queue non-empty: loop (return to queue-scan)
If context HIGH or queue empty: burn and exit
Needs: context-check
```

## Implementation Tasks

### 1. Add RefineryPatrolMolecule() to builtin_molecules.go
- Copy pattern from DeaconPatrolMolecule
- Include all steps with proper `Needs:` dependencies
- Emphasize handle-failures gate in description

### 2. Update Refinery CLAUDE.md
Add sections:
- **The Engineer Mindset** (identity/philosophy)
- **The Scotty Test** (Would Scotty walk past this?)
- **Patrol Molecule** reference (mol-refinery-patrol)
- **Test Failure Protocol** (explicit decision tree)

### 3. Create prompts/roles/refinery.md
- Follow pattern of deacon.md
- Include patrol execution loop diagram
- Reference the molecule

### 4. Consider mol-witness-patrol
- Witness has detailed heartbeat protocol but no formal molecule
- Similar pattern could apply

## Why This Matters

GUPP: 'If you have work on your hook, you have to run it.'
The patrol molecule puts failure handling ON THE HOOK as a mandatory step.
You can't skip handle-failures to get to merge-push.
The structure enforces good behavior.

## Related
- gt-7919: Fix failing beads tests (discovered during this session)
- mol-deacon-patrol (existing pattern to follow)
- docs/molecular-chemistry.md (chemistry concepts)
- docs/wisp-architecture.md (wisp vs mol decision)


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


Crew directory structure and config

Add crew/ directory support to rig structure. Include:
- crew/ as peer to polecats/, refinery/, witness/
- Crew worker subdirectories with full git clones
- Optional BEADS_DIR configuration for beads integration
- Crew state tracking (separate from polecat state)


Error handling improvements: retry logic and recovery hints

Improve error handling across GGT codebase.

## Issues Found

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Plugin: Plan-to-Epic converter

## Purpose

Help users create beads epics from various planning inputs.

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

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

## Implementation Options

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

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

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

## Axiom

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

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

## Priority

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

## Note

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


TIDY UP: Your previous work (patrol runner) was already m...

TIDY UP: Your previous work (patrol runner) was already merged to main. Check your git status is clean, sync beads, and if nothing to do, just run 'gt done'.


Work on ga-p6r: Add handoff protocol to spawn priming. En...

Work on ga-p6r: Add handoff protocol to spawn priming. Ensure polecats receive handoff context when spawned. When done, submit MR (not PR) to integration branch for Refinery.


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

Work on gt-role-template: Refine witness/CLAUDE.md role template. See issue for details. Run 'bd show gt-role-template' to see the full issue.


Phase 1.3: mol-deacon-patrol definition

Define the Deacon patrol molecule in builtin_molecules.go.

## Steps
1. inbox-check - Handle callbacks from agents
2. health-scan - Ping Witnesses and Refineries
3. plugin-run - Execute registered plugins
4. orphan-check - Find abandoned work
5. session-gc - Clean dead sessions
6. context-check - Check own context limit
7. loop-or-exit - Burn and let daemon respawn, or exit if context high

## Implementation
- Add DeaconPatrolMolecule() to builtin_molecules.go
- Add to BuiltinMolecules() list
- Test with bd mol show mol-deacon-patrol


submit-merge

Submit to merge queue. Create branch if needed.
Verify CI passes.

gt done  # Signal work ready for merge queue

If there are CI failures, fix them before proceeding.

Depends: rebase-main


Update lifecycle mail targets to deacon/

Update Mayor, Witness, and Crew handoff code to send lifecycle requests to deacon/ instead of daemon/. Update internal/cmd/handoff.go and related code.


Refinery background daemon mode

Refinery currently only works in foreground mode. Background daemon is stubbed.

## Current State
manager.go line 128-129:
```go
// Background mode: spawn a new process
// For MVP, we just mark as running - actual daemon implementation in gt-ov2
return nil
```

## Requirements

### 1. Background Process Spawning
```go
func (m *Manager) Start(foreground bool) error {
    if !foreground {
        // Spawn gt refinery start --foreground as subprocess
        cmd := exec.Command(os.Args[0], "refinery", "start", m.rig.Name, "--foreground")
        cmd.Start()  // Don't wait
        // Record PID
    }
}
```

### 2. PID File Management
- Write PID to .gastown/refinery.pid
- Check PID validity on status
- Clean up stale PID files

### 3. Log Output
- Redirect stdout/stderr to .gastown/refinery.log
- Log rotation (optional for MVP)

### 4. Graceful Shutdown
- Handle SIGTERM/SIGINT
- Complete current merge before exit
- Update state to stopped

### 5. Health Check
- Process existence check via kill -0
- Optional: heartbeat file with timestamp

## Files to Modify
- internal/refinery/manager.go: Start(), Status(), process spawning

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] gt refinery start <rig> spawns background process
- [ ] gt refinery status shows running with PID
- [ ] gt refinery stop sends SIGTERM and waits
- [ ] Logs written to .gastown/refinery.log
- [ ] Survives terminal close


Merge: gt-y5o

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


Add bulk session stop command (gt session stop --all)

When decommissioning a rig, need to stop multiple sessions one at a time. A --all or --rig flag would allow: gt session stop --rig gastown


CloudRun persistent connections: HTTP/2 keepalive

## Overview

Implement persistent HTTP/2 connections to keep Cloud Run containers warm.

## Problem

Cloud Run has cold start latency when scaling from 0. Persistent connections keep containers warm.

## Implementation

```go
type PersistentConnectionManager struct {
    serviceURL string
    conn       net.Conn
    client     *http2.ClientConn
    mu         sync.Mutex
    lastUsed   time.Time
    keepAlive  time.Duration
}

func (m *PersistentConnectionManager) GetConnection() (*http2.ClientConn, error) {
    m.mu.Lock()
    defer m.mu.Unlock()

    // Reuse existing connection if healthy
    if m.client != nil && m.client.CanTakeNewRequest() {
        m.lastUsed = time.Now()
        return m.client, nil
    }

    // Create new connection
    return m.dial()
}

func (m *PersistentConnectionManager) keepAliveLoop() {
    ticker := time.NewTicker(m.keepAlive / 2)
    for range ticker.C {
        m.mu.Lock()
        if time.Since(m.lastUsed) > m.keepAlive {
            // Connection idle too long, close it
            m.close()
        } else {
            // Send ping to keep alive
            m.ping()
        }
        m.mu.Unlock()
    }
}
```

## Integration with CloudRunOutpost

```go
type CloudRunOutpost struct {
    // ...existing fields...
    connMgr *PersistentConnectionManager
}

func (o *CloudRunOutpost) Spawn(...) {
    conn, err := o.connMgr.GetConnection()
    // Use connection for work dispatch
}
```

## Config

```yaml
outposts:
  - name: cloudrun-burst
    type: cloudrun
    # ...
    keep_alive: 5m  # Keep connection warm for 5 minutes
```

## Files

- `internal/cloudrun/connection.go`

## Dependencies

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


Polecats should not bd sync on startup

Polecats all share the same beads database at the rig level. The refinery and mayor/witness manage syncing beads.

## Current Behavior
Polecat startup runs bd sync, causing:
- Contention when multiple polecats spawn simultaneously
- Unnecessary sync operations
- Potential race conditions

## Desired Behavior
- Polecats should NOT run bd sync on startup
- They read from the shared beads database
- Only refinery/witness/mayor sync beads

## Implementation
Remove bd sync from polecat spawn/startup sequence.


gt crew restart command

Add a 'gt crew restart' command that kills the tmux session and restarts fresh. Useful when a crew member gets confused or needs a clean slate.

Should:
- Kill existing tmux session if running
- Start fresh session with claude
- Run gt prime to reinitialize context

Alias: gt crew rs


Machine registry: Store and manage machine configs

Registry for managing remote machines in federation.

## Data Model

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

## Interface

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

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

## Storage

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

## Connection Factory

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


Harness Design & Documentation

The harness (Gas Town installation directory) needs design cleanup, documentation, and tooling.

## Current Problems

1. **Shared harness confusion**: ~/ai is shared by PGT and GGT with overlapping structures
   - PGT uses ~/ai/mayor/ as town-level Mayor home
   - GGT Mayor works in ~/ai/mayor/rigs/gastown/
   - ~/ai/gastown/ has both .gastown/ (PGT) and mayor/ (git clone)

2. **Beads redirect**: ~/ai/.beads/redirect → mayor/rigs/gastown/.beads
   - This is specific to GGT's decentralized structure
   - Should be documented as an example

3. **architecture.md**: Verify rig-level mayor/rig/ is shown correctly

4. **No harness creation tooling**: Users must manually set up

## Proposed Work

- Document what a harness IS (installation directory)
- Create harness creation command or template repo
- Update architecture.md if needed
- Create example harness configuration for docs
- Resolve PGT/GGT sharing issue


Outpost error handling: Retry logic and resilience

## Overview

Error handling and retry logic for outpost operations.

## Error Types

```go
var (
    ErrOutpostUnreachable = errors.New("outpost unreachable")
    ErrWorkerSpawnFailed  = errors.New("worker spawn failed")
    ErrWorkerTimeout      = errors.New("worker timed out")
    ErrCostCapExceeded    = errors.New("cost cap exceeded")
    ErrAllOutpostsBusy    = errors.New("all outposts at capacity")
)
```

## Retry Policy

```go
type RetryPolicy struct {
    MaxAttempts     int
    InitialBackoff  time.Duration
    MaxBackoff      time.Duration
    BackoffFactor   float64
    RetryableErrors []error
}

func DefaultRetryPolicy() *RetryPolicy {
    return &RetryPolicy{
        MaxAttempts:    3,
        InitialBackoff: 1 * time.Second,
        MaxBackoff:     30 * time.Second,
        BackoffFactor:  2.0,
        RetryableErrors: []error{
            ErrOutpostUnreachable,
            ErrWorkerSpawnFailed,
        },
    }
}
```

## Retry Implementation

```go
func (m *OutpostManager) SpawnWithRetry(issue string, cfg WorkerConfig) (Worker, error) {
    var lastErr error
    backoff := m.retryPolicy.InitialBackoff

    for attempt := 0; attempt < m.retryPolicy.MaxAttempts; attempt++ {
        outpost := m.policy.SelectOutpost(issue, m.outposts)
        if outpost == nil {
            return nil, ErrAllOutpostsBusy
        }

        worker, err := outpost.Spawn(issue, cfg)
        if err == nil {
            return worker, nil
        }

        if !m.isRetryable(err) {
            return nil, err
        }

        lastErr = err
        time.Sleep(backoff)
        backoff = min(backoff * m.retryPolicy.BackoffFactor, m.retryPolicy.MaxBackoff)
    }

    return nil, fmt.Errorf("spawn failed after %d attempts: %w",
        m.retryPolicy.MaxAttempts, lastErr)
}
```

## Outpost Health Tracking

```go
type OutpostHealth struct {
    LastPing      time.Time
    LastError     error
    FailureCount  int
    CircuitBreaker bool  // If true, skip this outpost
}

func (m *OutpostManager) updateHealth(name string, err error) {
    // Track failures, open circuit breaker after N failures
    // Auto-reset after successful ping
}
```

## Config

```yaml
policy:
  retry:
    max_attempts: 3
    initial_backoff: 1s
    max_backoff: 30s

  circuit_breaker:
    failure_threshold: 5
    reset_timeout: 1m
```

## Files

- `internal/outpost/retry.go`
- `internal/outpost/health.go`

## Dependencies

Depends on: gt-9a2.3 (OutpostManager)
Can be done after basic outpost implementations work.


implement

Implement the solution for gt-test123. 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


Merge: gt-3x0z.4

branch: polecat/rictus
target: main
source_issue: gt-3x0z.4
rig: gastown


Molecule format bridge: convert embedded markdown to child issues

## Problem

Two molecule formats exist:
1. **Old (gastown builtin)**: Steps embedded as markdown in Description field, parsed by ParseMoleculeSteps()
2. **New (bd mol)**: Steps as child issues in proper beads DAG

The daemon's InstantiateMolecule() uses the old format. bd mol spawn uses the new format.

## Options

### Option A: Require child issues (new format)
- Update daemon to use bd mol spawn instead of InstantiateMolecule
- Deprecate embedded markdown format
- Pro: One format, simpler
- Con: Breaking change for existing molecules

### Option B: Build a bridge
- In InstantiateMolecule, detect format:
  - If Description has ## Step: markers → parse to child issues
  - If issue has children with template label → use directly
- Convert old format to new format on instantiation
- Pro: Backward compatible
- Con: More complexity

## Recommendation

Option B - build the bridge. On instantiation, convert markdown steps to child issues. This unifies execution while preserving authoring flexibility.


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


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)


Rig management: discover, load, create rigs

Rig discovery, loading, and creation.

## Interface

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

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

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

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

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

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

## Discovery Logic

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

## Rig Creation

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

## Rig Structure

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


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


Update polecat CLAUDE.md with molecule workflow

Add molecule execution guidance to polecat context:

## What to Add

### Molecule Awareness
- Polecats execute Wisps (ephemeral molecule instances)
- The work assignment mail includes molecule context
- Current step is tracked in the wisp

### Workflow Protocol
1. Read assignment (includes molecule ID and current step)
2. Execute current step
3. Update step status via bd mol step
4. Generate summary when all steps complete
5. Run bd mol squash to compress wisp into digest

### Key Commands
- bd mol show <wisp-id> - view current molecule state
- bd mol step <wisp-id> --status=complete - mark step done
- bd mol squash <wisp-id> --summary='...' - complete molecule

### Summary Generation
When completing work, generate a summary that:
- Lists what was accomplished
- Notes any deviations from the plan
- Captures key decisions made
- This becomes the permanent digest


Polecat health check loop

Implement the Witness health check loop:

Every 60 seconds:
1. List active polecats (gt polecats <rig>)
2. For each polecat, check:
   - Is tmux session still alive?
   - Is there a state.json with recent update?
   - Has there been git activity recently?
3. If stuck (no activity for configurable threshold):
   - First: nudge (send message asking for status)
   - Second: escalate to Mayor
   - Third: force kill after human confirmation

This is the 'health monitor' part of Witness.


Merge: gt-h5n.5

branch: polecat/Scabrous
target: main
source_issue: gt-h5n.5
rig: gastown


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.


Plugin: work-oracle (pre-dispatch analysis)

Plugin for pre-dispatch task analysis and decomposition.

## Purpose

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

## Hook Point

Mayor consults work-oracle before spawning workers.

## Interface

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

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

## Structure

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

Uses existing plugin-as-agent architecture.

## Note

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


gt mq submit: create MR from current branch

Implement 'gt mq submit' command that creates a merge-request bead.

Auto-detection logic:
1. Branch: current git branch
2. Issue: parse from branch name (polecat/Nux/gt-xyz → gt-xyz)
3. Target: main (or integration branch if --epic specified)
4. Worker: parse from branch name
5. Rig: current rig

Options:
- --branch BRANCH: explicit source branch
- --issue ISSUE: explicit source issue
- --epic EPIC: target integration/EPIC instead of main
- --priority P: override priority (default: inherit from source issue)

Creates merge-request bead and prints MR ID.

Reference: docs/merge-queue-design.md#creating-merge-requests


Update prompts.md: Engineer role and templates

Update docs/prompts.md with Engineer role:

1. Role Prompts table: Change Refinery to Engineer
2. Add Engineer-specific prompts:
   - Session restart request template
   - Subtask filing template
   - Handoff mail template
3. Update refinery.md template name to engineer.md
4. Ensure consistency with architecture.md


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


Mail orchestrator daemon

Background mail orchestrator daemon.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


gt molecule current: Show what agent should be working on

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

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

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

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

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

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


Town-level beads: Real DB for coordination mail

Implement Option A from mail redesign: Town gets real beads DB for coordination.

## Background

Mail is now Beads. But currently:
- Town .beads/redirect points to rig beads
- mayor/mail/ has legacy JSONL files
- Cross-rig coordination has no clear home

## Design

Town beads = coordination, cross-rig mail, mayor inbox, handoffs
Rig beads = project issues, work items

Matches HOP hierarchy: platform > project > worker

## Structure

~/gt/
  .beads/           # REAL beads DB (prefix: gm-)
  mayor/
    town.json
    state.json      # NO mail/ directory
  gastown/
    .beads/         # Rig beads (prefix: ga-)

## Tasks

1. Delete ~/gt/.beads/redirect
2. Run bd init --prefix gm at ~/gt/ (town beads)
3. Delete ~/gt/mayor/mail/ directory
4. Update gt mail to use beads not JSONL
5. Add mail fields (thread_id, reply_to, msg_type)
6. Update gt prime for two-tier model
7. Update docs/architecture.md

## Addressing

- mayor/ -> town beads
- rig/agent -> rig beads
- Cross-rig -> town beads


Step recovery: timeout and release

Implement recovery mechanism for stuck molecule steps.

## Problem
When a worker dies mid-step, the step stays in_progress forever.
Need timeout/release mechanism for nondeterministic idempotence.

## Solution
1. Track step start time (claimed_at timestamp)
2. Timeout: After 30 min in_progress, step returns to pending
3. Manual release: bd release <step-id>

## Implementation Options

### Option A: Beads-level timeout
- Add claimed_at field to issues
- bd ready excludes items in_progress < 30 min
- bd ready includes items in_progress > 30 min (auto-recovery)

### Option B: Daemon-level timeout
- Daemon watches in_progress items
- Moves back to pending after timeout

### Option C: Manual only (MVP)
- bd release <id> manually moves in_progress → pending
- Document recovery procedure
- Witness can automate for polecats

## Recommendation
Start with Option C (manual) for Christmas. Add Option A later.

## Acceptance
- [ ] bd release command works
- [ ] Stuck steps can be recovered
- [ ] Documented recovery procedure


Spawn --molecule integration

Implement gt spawn --molecule flag for molecule-based polecat workflows.

Usage: gt spawn --issue gt-xyz --molecule mol-gastown-polecat

Behavior:
1. Validate molecule exists and is well-formed
2. Create molecule instance (child beads) under the issue
3. Find first ready step(s) in the instance
4. Spawn polecat with first ready step as initial work

Implementation:
1. Add --molecule flag to spawn command
2. Call molecule.Instantiate()
3. Query ready steps from instance
4. Pass first ready step to polecat context

Files: internal/cmd/spawn.go

Acceptance:
- --molecule flag works
- Creates proper molecule instance
- Polecat starts on first ready step
- End-to-end test with actual polecat


Self-test

Testing gt mail works


test message


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


verify-tests

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

go test ./...

Fix any test failures before proceeding.

Depends: implement


Merge: beads-2nh

branch: fix/spawn-beads-path
target: main
source_issue: beads-2nh
rig: gastown


context-check

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


Add gt hook command (wrapper for bd hook)

Add a thin wrapper command `gt hook` that calls `bd hook` to inspect what's pinned to an agent's hook.

## Usage

```bash
gt hook                    # Show what's on current agent's hook
gt hook --agent deacon     # Show Deacon's hook
gt hook --agent gastown/furiosa  # Show polecat's hook
```

## Implementation

Thin wrapper in gt that:
1. Determines current agent identity
2. Calls `bd hook [--agent <name>]`
3. Formats output for gt context

## Why gt wrapper?

- Consistent with gt ecosystem (gt mail, gt status, etc.)
- Can add gt-specific context (session status, etc.)
- Easier discovery for gt users

## Related

- bd hook command (implemented by Dave)
- Chemistry UX design: gastown/mayor/rig/docs/chemistry-design-changes.md


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
```


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

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


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


test-after-fix

test


gt polecat remove --all: bulk polecat teardown

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

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

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

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


Test Task 2: Add comment to version.go


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

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


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{},
}
```


Tech Debt: Code Review December 2024

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

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

Work through these incrementally to improve codebase maintainability.


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.


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


Witness swarm landing protocol

Witness responsibilities for swarm landing cleanup.

## Trigger

Witness receives "swarm-landed" mail from Refinery containing:
- swarm_id
- merge_commit
- action: "cleanup"

## Landing Protocol

### Phase 1: Preflight
Verify all polecat sessions stopped:
- Check tmux for active sessions
- Kill any remaining sessions
- Wait for graceful shutdown

### Phase 2: Git Audit
For each polecat in swarm:
- Check for uncommitted changes
- Check for unpushed commits
- Check for stashes
- Classify as "beads-only" (safe) or "code at risk"
- If code at risk: escalate, abort landing

### Phase 3: Cleanup
For each polecat:
- Clear state entry (mark as idle)
- Delete inbox (or archive)
- Delete worker branch (local + remote)

### Phase 4: Final Report
- Update swarm state to "landed"
- File landing report bead
- Mail Mayor with summary

## Code at Risk Handling

If git audit finds code at risk:
1. Abort cleanup for that polecat
2. Mail Mayor with details
3. Human intervention required

## Reference

PGT: swarm/landing.py (6-phase protocol), swarm/git_audit.py


Phase 3.2: mol-polecat-work squash step

Add summary+squash as final steps in mol-polecat-work.

## Current Steps

1. read-assignment
2. understand-task
3. implement-solution
4. verify-tests
5. commit-work
6. signal-done

## Updated Steps

1. read-assignment
2. understand-task
3. implement-solution
4. verify-tests
5. commit-work
6. **generate-summary** ← NEW
7. **squash-molecule** ← NEW
8. signal-done

## Step Definitions

### generate-summary
Agent writes a concise summary following the template.
Save to a local variable or temp file.

### squash-molecule
Run: bd squash $MOLECULE_ROOT --summary "$SUMMARY"
This creates digest in main beads, cleans ephemeral.

## Update Location

This requires updating the mol-polecat-work definition in beads molecule catalog.


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.


Human escalation: notify overseer when self-heal fails

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

**Implementation**: Config in town.json or similar:
```yaml
escalation:
  contact: steve@example.com  # or slack webhook
  triggers:
    - daemon_cant_restart
    - session_missing_5min
```

**Trigger points**:
- Go daemon can't restart a session after N attempts
- Agent detects it's stuck and can't recover
- Witness can't reach polecat

**Mechanism**:
- Simple: `gt mail send --human` already exists
- Enhanced: email/slack via external script

**Weight**: Small config + one code path in daemon
**Value**: High for unattended operation - human gets notified instead of silent failure