Prevent aspect self-matching (infinite recursion)

Aspects should only match original steps, not steps inserted by the same aspect application. Document this and implement guard during cooking. Without this, a pointcut like *.implement that inserts security-prescan could match its own insertion infinitely.


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.


mol-deacon-patrol

Deacon patrol molecule template. Label: template


inbox-check

Process witness mail: lifecycle requests, help requests.

```bash
gt mail inbox
```

Handle by message type:
- LIFECYCLE/Shutdown: Queue for pre-kill verification
- Blocked/Help: Assess if resolvable or escalate
- HANDOFF: Load predecessor state
- Work complete: Verify issue closed, proceed to pre-kill

Record any pending actions for later steps.
Mark messages as processed when complete.


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


Crew workers: design documentation and remaining work

## Summary

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

## Current Implementation

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

### Crew vs Polecat

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

## Known Bugs

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

## Potential Enhancements

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


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)


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


ensure-beads-refinery

Start the beads rig Refinery.

## Action
```bash
gt refinery start beads
```

## Verify
1. Session exists: `tmux has-session -t beads-refinery 2>/dev/null`
2. Not stalled: `gt peek beads/refinery` does NOT show "> Try" prompt
3. Queue processing: Refinery can receive merge requests

## OnStall
```bash
gt nudge beads/refinery "Start patrol."
sleep 30
# Re-verify
```

## OnFail
Log error. Completed polecat work will queue until Refinery recovers.


test message


gt doctor: Detect and clean up orphaned sessions/processes

## Problem
Orphaned tmux sessions and Claude processes accumulate over time, consuming memory.

## Discovered Orphans
- gt-deacon: Idle Claude session, not part of any rig

## Proposed Solution

### gt doctor --check (default)
Detect issues without fixing:
- Orphan sessions (not matching rig/polecat/crew/witness/refinery/mayor pattern)
- Claude processes without parent tmux session
- Tmux sessions without Claude (stuck at bash prompt)
- Polecats marked 'working' but session idle

### gt doctor --fix
Clean up detected issues:
- Kill orphan sessions
- Kill orphan Claude processes
- Optionally reset stuck polecat state

### gt gc (alternative name)
Short alias for cleanup operations.

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] Detects orphan sessions
- [ ] Detects orphan processes
- [ ] Safe cleanup (doesn't kill active work)
- [ ] Reports what was cleaned


load-context

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

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


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


CLI: all command for batch polecat operations

Batch operations across multiple polecats.

## Commands

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

## New File
internal/cmd/all.go

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

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


Design: Polecat Beads write access

Design for granting polecats direct beads write access.

## Background

With Beads v0.30.0 tombstone-based rearchitecture, we have solid multi-agent support. Reversing the original read-only decision.

## Benefits

- Simplifies architecture (no mail-based issue filing proxy)
- Empowers polecats to file discovered work
- Beads handles work-disavowal

## Complications

For OSS projects where you cannot commit to project .beads/, need per-rig beads repo configuration.

## Subtasks (implementation)

- gt-zx3: Per-rig beads configuration schema
- gt-e1y: Worker prompting updates for beads access
- gt-cjb: Witness proxy removal
- gt-082: Beads sync in decommission checklist

**Design complete.** Each subtask has full specification in its description.


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.


Summarize this patrol cycle.

Summarize this patrol cycle.

Include:
- Branches processed (count, names)
- Test results (pass/fail)
- Issues filed (if any)
- Branches skipped (with reasons)
- Any escalations sent

This becomes the digest when the patrol is squashed.

instantiated_from: mol-refinery-patrol
step: generate-summary


Beads as Universal Data Plane

## Vision

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

## New Bead Categories

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

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

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

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

## v1 Priority

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


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.


Merge: gt-oiv0

branch: polecat/furiosa
target: main
source_issue: gt-oiv0
rig: gastown


Update swarm terminology to streams

Gas Town moved from batch swarms to continuous streaming of polecats. Update:
- Docs and designs
- Code comments
- CLI flags (remove --swarm if present, or reframe)
- Variable/function names where appropriate

Streams reflect the reality: polecats flow continuously, not in discrete batches.


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)


Merge execution: merge, test, push

Implement the actual merge execution.

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

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

Handle push failures with retry logic.

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


Define constants for magic strings

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

These should be constants in a central location for maintainability.


Add handoff self-initiation protocol to role templates

Agents need clear protocol for self-initiated handoff:

1. Recognize: 'I should cycle now'
2. Prepare: Summarize current state, what's next
3. Send: gt mail send <self> -s '🤝 HANDOFF: ...' -m '...'
4. Exit: End session cleanly

This replaces external 'you should cycle now' nudging.
The agent owns its lifecycle.

Include examples for each role type.


Consolidate configuration architecture: three-tier model

Rationalize Gas Town's scattered configuration into a clean three-tier model:

## Current Problems
- Config split across mayor/, .gastown/, and rig/config.json
- Runtime state mixed with configuration
- Hidden directories (.gastown/) are missed by agents
- Category confusion: identity vs config vs runtime state

## Proposed Architecture

### Tier 1: Town Config (mayor/)
```
mayor/
├── town.json      # Town identity (unchanged)
├── rigs.json      # Rig registry (unchanged)
└── config.json    # NEW: Town-level configuration
    # theme defaults, daemon settings, etc.
```

### Tier 2: Town Runtime (.runtime/)
```
~/gt/.runtime/                    # NEW: Gitignored
├── daemon.json                   # {pid, started_at, heartbeat}
├── deacon.json                   # {cycle, last_action}
└── agent-requests.json           # Lifecycle requests
```

### Tier 3: Rig Config (settings/)
```
<rig>/
├── config.json                   # Rig identity only (type, git_url, beads.prefix)
├── settings/                     # NEW: Visible, git-tracked
│   ├── config.json               # theme, merge_queue, max_workers
│   ├── namepool.json             # pool settings (style, max)
│   └── roles/                    # Per-role overrides (optional)
└── .runtime/                     # NEW: Gitignored
    ├── witness.json              # {state, started_at, stats}
    ├── refinery.json             # {state, started_at, stats}
    └── namepool-state.json       # {in_use, overflow_next}
```

## Key Principles
1. **Visible > Hidden** for config agents need to find
2. **Git-tracked** for identity and config; **gitignored** for runtime
3. **Separation of concerns**: identity, config, runtime are distinct
4. **Locality**: town config at town root, rig config at rig root

## Migration
- Move .gastown/ contents to appropriate new locations
- Update all code that reads/writes these files
- Update .gitignore patterns
- Update documentation (architecture.md, CLAUDE.md)


Update Mayor startup protocol for bootstrap

Teach Mayor to respond to "boot up gas town" by slinging mol-gastown-boot.

## Current Protocol

1. Announce: "Mayor, checking in."
2. Check mail
3. If handoff, continue
4. Await user instruction

## Enhanced Protocol

1. Announce: "Mayor, checking in."
2. Check mail
3. If handoff, continue
4. **If user says "boot"/"startup"/"bootstrap":**
   - Sling mol-gastown-boot as wisp
   - Execute verification-gated steps
   - Report town status when complete
5. Otherwise await instruction

## Trigger Phrases

- "boot up gas town"
- "bootstrap the town"
- "start gas town"
- "bring up the town"

## Execution

Mayor runs the molecule manually (not via subagent):

```
1. Bond the proto: bd mol bond mol-gastown-boot --wisp
2. For each step:
   a. Run action command
   b. Loop verification with backoff
   c. On stall, run recovery
   d. Close step when verified
3. Squash wisp with summary
4. Report: "Gas Town is up. All agents healthy."
```

## CLAUDE.md Update

Add to Mayor CLAUDE.md:

```markdown
## Bootstrap Command

When user requests town bootstrap:
1. gt sling gastown-boot mayor/ --wisp
2. Execute molecule steps with verification
3. Keep trying until all agents healthy
4. No timeouts - you are the town engineer
```


CLI: rig commands (add, list, show, remove)

GGT needs rig management commands.

Missing Commands:
- gt rig add <git-url> [--name NAME] - Add rig to workspace
- gt rig list - List all rigs with status
- gt rig show <rig> - Show detailed rig info
- gt rig remove <rig> - Remove a rig

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

Current State:
- gt init creates rig structure but no ongoing management
- Rig discovery in internal/rig/manager.go but not exposed via CLI


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.


Work reconciliation module

Port reconcile.py work verification to Go.

## Purpose

Verify assigned issues are completed before landing.

## Interface

```go
type ReconcileResult struct {
    CompletedIssues  []IssueInfo
    IncompleteIssues []IssueInfo
    AllComplete      bool
    PolecatsChecked  []string
    Errors           []string
}

func ReconcileWork(rig string, polecats []string) *ReconcileResult
func GetAssignedIssues(assignee string) []IssueInfo
func UnassignIssue(issueID string, resetStatus bool) error
```

## Logic

1. Get list of polecats in swarm
2. For each polecat, query beads for assigned issues
3. Categorize as completed (closed) or incomplete (open/in_progress)
4. Return summary for landing decision

## Handling Incomplete Work

If issues incomplete:
- Abort landing (default)
- Or force landing (leaves work unfinished)
- Unassign incomplete issues for future work

## Reference

PGT: swarm/reconcile.py


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
```


Polecat beads not synced with rig beads

When gt spawn assigns an issue to a polecat, the polecat cannot find the issue because:

1. Rig beads at /gt/gastown/.beads contains gt-th7
2. Polecat beads at /gt/gastown/polecats/dementus/.beads does NOT have gt-th7
3. bd sync in polecat dir pulls from beads-sync branch which doesn't have the new issue
4. Rig bd sync uses 'main' branch, causing a branch mismatch

The polecat gets a work assignment for an issue it literally cannot see.

## Root Cause

- Rig beads and polecat beads are separate git-tracked copies
- No mechanism to propagate newly created issues from rig to polecats before assignment
- Sync branch configuration mismatch between rig and polecats

## Fix Options

1. gt spawn should sync rig beads before assigning work
2. gt spawn should sync polecat beads after assignment
3. Use shared beads (symlink or same DB) instead of copies
4. Push new issues immediately on create

Note: This sync mismatch is resolved by gt-9nf (fresh polecats). Rather than fixing sync between stale clones, we'll always create fresh worktrees. This issue documents the root cause for posterity.


implement

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

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

Depends: load-context


Merge: gt-3x0z.1

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


gt polecat add: should handle existing branch gracefully

## Problem

`gt polecat add gastown Nux` fails if the branch `polecat/Nux` already exists.

## Current Behavior

```
fatal: a branch named 'polecat/Nux' already exists
```

## Expected Behavior

Should either:
1. Reuse the existing branch
2. Or prompt to delete/recreate
3. Or auto-suffix: polecat/Nux-2

## Context

Branch may exist from previous polecat that was removed but branch wasn't cleaned up.


gt sling --on flag for wisp scaffolding

Add --on flag to gt sling for applying forms to existing work:
  gt sling shiny gastown/Toast --on gt-abc123

When --on is specified, implies --wisp (scaffolding existing work).
The form shapes execution of the target bead.


gt witness: Witness management commands

Add 'gt witness' command group for witness lifecycle management.

Subcommands:
- gt witness start [rig] - Start witness for a rig
- gt witness stop [rig] - Stop witness
- gt witness status [rig] - Show witness status
- gt witness attach [rig] - Attach to witness session

Witness monitors polecats and handles:
- Idle detection and cleanup
- Session health checks
- Nudging stuck agents


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Test patrol cycle - first run, no actual work done


Deacon keepalive: quiet daemon during rounds

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

## Problem

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

## Solution

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

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

## Files

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

## Deacon Behavior

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

## Daemon Changes

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

## Worst Case

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

## Configuration

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


CLI: spawn command

High-level command to spawn a polecat with work assignment.

## Command

```
gt spawn <rig>/<polecat> --issue <id>
gt spawn <rig> --issue <id>  # auto-select available polecat
gt spawn <rig>/<polecat> -m "Work on X"  # free-form task
```

## What It Does

1. Select or create polecat
2. Ensure polecat is in idle/active state
3. Assign the issue (update beads, set polecat state)
4. Start session (gt session start)
5. Inject initial context

## Options

- `--issue <id>`: Beads issue to assign
- `-m "message"`: Free-form work description
- `--create`: Create polecat if it does not exist
- `--no-start`: Assign work but do not start session

## Auto-Select Logic

If polecat not specified:
1. Look for idle polecats in rig
2. Prefer ones that worked on similar issues before
3. If none available, fail (or create if --create)

## Initial Context

Injects into session:
```
[SPAWN] You have been assigned: <issue-title>
Issue: <id>
Priority: <priority>

<description>

Work on this issue. Signal DONE when complete.
```

## Implementation

Orchestrates PolecatManager + SessionManager + Beads:
```go
func Spawn(rig, polecat, issue string, opts SpawnOptions) error
```


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)


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

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

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

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


Add gate timeout tracking and notification

Implement timeout and notification logic for gates.

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

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

## Moved from beads
Originally bd-ykqu. Gate notifications are Deacon's job in gastown.


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

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


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Old test patrol cycle - cleanup


save-state

Update handoff bead with new state.

Persist nudge counts and pending actions.

Needs: execute-actions


gt mail reply/thread: Conversation support

Add mail conversation features:

- gt mail reply <id> -m 'message' - Reply to a message
- gt mail thread <id> - Show all messages in a thread

Enables back-and-forth communication between agents.


Rule of Five expansion template

Create rule-of-five as an expansion template:
- Jeffrey's discovery: agents converge in 4-5 iterations
- Template expands any step into 5-pass refinement
- draft → refine-1 → refine-2 → refine-3 → refine-4

First example of a macro-style expansion proto.


mol-gastown-boot: Mayor-driven town bootstrap

Mayor bootstraps Gas Town via a verification-gated lifecycle molecule.

## Vision

When user says "boot up gas town", Mayor slings `mol-gastown-boot` and executes it.
Each step has **action + verification** - steps stay open until outcome is confirmed.

## Key Principles

1. **No daemon-based timeouts** - Mayor keeps trying until verified
2. **Verification-gated steps** - Not "command ran" but "outcome confirmed"
3. **gt peek for verification** - Capture session output to detect stalls
4. **gt nudge for recovery** - Reliable message delivery to unstick agents
5. **Parallel where possible** - Witnesses can start in parallel
6. **Ephemeral execution** - Boot is a wisp, squashed to digest

## Proto Catalog

Town maintains a catalog of protos at `~/gt/molecules/`:

```
~/gt/molecules/
├── lifecycle/
│   ├── gastown-boot/       # Full town bootstrap
│   ├── rig-spinup/         # Add a rig at runtime
│   ├── rig-spindown/       # Remove a rig gracefully
│   └── agent-restart/      # Restart single agent
├── patrol/
│   ├── deacon-patrol/      # Deacon health loop
│   ├── witness-patrol/     # Witness polecat loop
│   └── refinery-patrol/    # Refinery merge loop
└── work/
    ├── polecat-work/       # Standard issue workflow
    ├── code-review/        # Pluggable review
    └── feature/            # Feature development
```

## mol-gastown-boot Structure

```
mol-gastown-boot (proto)
├── ensure-daemon       # Verify daemon running
├── ensure-deacon       # Start deacon, verify patrol active
├── ensure-witnesses    # Parallel: all rig witnesses
│   ├── ensure-gastown-witness
│   └── ensure-beads-witness
├── ensure-refineries   # Parallel: all rig refineries
│   ├── ensure-gastown-refinery
│   └── ensure-beads-refinery
└── verify-town-health  # Final gt status check
```

## Step Template

Each step in description includes action + verification:

```markdown
## Step: ensure-deacon

### Action
gt deacon start

### Verify
1. Session gt-deacon exists: `tmux has-session -t gt-deacon`
2. Not stalled: `gt peek deacon/` does NOT show "> Try"
3. Recent heartbeat: deacon/heartbeat.json < 2 min old

### On Stall
gt nudge deacon/ "Start patrol."
Wait 30s, re-verify.

### On Fail
Log error, continue to next step (town can run with degraded deacon)
```

## Event-Triggered Lifecycle

Beyond manual slinging, events can trigger lifecycle wisps:

| Event | Triggers |
|-------|----------|
| `gt town start` | mol-gastown-boot wisp |
| `gt rig add <name>` | mol-rig-spinup wisp |
| `gt rig remove <name>` | mol-rig-spindown wisp |
| Agent crash detected | mol-agent-restart wisp |

## Parameterization (Future)

For rig-spinup/spindown, need to pass rig name:

```bash
gt sling rig-spinup mayor/ --param rig=newproject
```

Molecule steps interpolate `${rig}` in their descriptions.

## Related Issues

- gt-lx3n: Witness startup bond
- gt-j6s8: Refinery startup bond
- gt-rana: Patrol System epic
- gt-sye: Mayor startup protocol


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


Design: Mayor session cycling and handoff

Design for Mayor session cycling and structured handoff.

## Overview

Mayor coordinates across all rigs and runs for extended periods. Needs session cycling pattern with structured handoff notes.

## Key Elements

1. Session cycling recognition (when to cycle)
2. Handoff note format (structured state capture)
3. Handoff delivery (mail to self)
4. Fresh session startup (reading and resuming)

## Subtasks (implementation)

- gt-g2d: Mayor session cycling prompting
- gt-sye: Mayor startup protocol prompting
- gt-vci: Mayor handoff mail template
- gt-1le: town handoff command (optional, P2)

**Design complete.** Each subtask has full specification in its description.


Run the test suite.

Run the test suite.

```bash
go test ./...
```

Track results: pass count, fail count, specific failures.

instantiated_from: mol-refinery-patrol
step: run-tests


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


inspect-workers

Capture output for each working polecat.

```bash
gt peek <rig>/<polecat>
```

Needs: survey-workers


request-shutdown

Send shutdown request to Witness.
Wait for termination.

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

Depends: generate-summary


Town Doctor molecule for harness health checks

Create a Town Doctor molecule that any Gas Town agent can run to diagnose and repair harness issues.

## Concept

Instead of just `gt doctor` as a CLI command with hardcoded checks, create a **molecule** (checklist workflow) that:
- Any agent (Mayor, Witness, Polecat) can instantiate
- Walks the agent through diagnostic steps
- Agent uses judgment to fix issues found
- Works as a structured troubleshooting guide

## Why a Molecule?

1. **Agent-driven**: The agent running it becomes "the doctor" temporarily
2. **Extensible**: Add new checks by updating the molecule, not code
3. **Contextual**: Agent can reason about issues, not just run scripts
4. **Self-healing**: Agent can fix problems it finds, not just report them

## Proposed Checks (molecule steps)

1. Verify harness structure (mayor/, .beads/, CLAUDE.md exist)
2. Validate config files (town.json, rigs.json parse correctly)
3. Check beads health (bd doctor, redirect validity)
4. Verify git state (clean working tree, proper remotes)
5. Check rig integrity (each registered rig exists, has config.json)
6. Validate agent clones (mayor/rig/, refinery/rig/ exist and are valid)
7. Check for orphaned worktrees/branches
8. Verify daemon state (if running)

## Integration

- `gt doctor` could instantiate the molecule for the current agent
- Or agent can run `bd ready` and pick up doctor tasks when prioritized
- Results logged to beads for audit trail

## Related

- gt-cr9: Harness Design & Documentation (completed)
- Molecules design in architecture.md


Implement shared beads architecture for rig

Implement redirect-based shared beads to eliminate git sync overhead within a rig.

## Background
Each polecat currently has its own .beads/ directory synced via git. This burns tokens on sync operations.

## Solution
Use bd's redirect feature:
1. Create single shared .beads/ at rig root
2. Polecats get redirect files pointing to shared location
3. All agents connect to same daemon
4. SQLite WAL + daemon serialization handles concurrency

## Implementation
1. Create shared .beads/ at rig root (e.g., ~/gt/gastown/.beads/)
2. Update gt spawn to create redirect files:
   mkdir -p polecats/nux/.beads
   echo ../../.beads > polecats/nux/.beads/redirect
3. Test that all polecats connect to same daemon
4. Remove git sync from intra-rig workflow
5. Keep JSONL export for backup/cross-rig only

## Reference
beads/polecats/rictus/internal/beads/beads.go:45 - followRedirect()


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


Add godoc comments to exported functions

Several exported functions lack godoc comments. While not critical, adding documentation would improve code maintainability. Focus on:

- Public API functions in each package
- Exported types and their methods
- Functions that have non-obvious behavior

Can be addressed incrementally as code is touched.


MR ID generation: prefix-mr-hash convention

Generate merge-request IDs following the convention: <prefix>-mr-<hash>

Example: gt-mr-abc123 for a gastown merge request.

This distinguishes MRs from regular issues while keeping them in the same namespace.
The hash should be derived from branch name + timestamp for uniqueness.

Implement: GenerateMRID(prefix, branch string) string

Reference: docs/merge-queue-design.md#id-convention


gt mail send should tmux-notify recipient

## Problem

When mail is sent via gt mail send, the recipient session does not get a tmux notification. In Python Gas Town (PGT), mail delivery triggers a tmux display-message or similar notification so the agent knows mail arrived.

## Expected Behavior

When gt mail send <addr> is called:
1. Mail is delivered to recipient inbox
2. If recipient has an active tmux session, send notification
3. Notification should be visible (display-message or bell)

## Current Behavior

Mail is delivered but no notification. Agent has to poll inbox to discover new mail.

## Impact

- Agents miss time-sensitive messages
- Heartbeat pokes from daemon will not wake agents
- Coordination is slower (polling vs push)

## Implementation Notes

After successful mail delivery, check if recipient has active session:
- gt session list can identify active sessions
- tmux display-message or send-keys can notify
- Could inject a visible prompt like "[MAIL] New message from <sender>"

## Reference

Check PGT implementation for how it handles this.


gt done: Command doesn't exist but documented in polecat CLAUDE.md

The polecat CLAUDE.md documents 'gt done' as the command to signal work is ready for merge queue, but running it gives 'unknown command'. Either implement the command or update the documentation.


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/


Verify architecture.md shows correct harness and rig structure

Review architecture.md diagrams:
- Verify town-level structure shows harness correctly
- Confirm rig-level mayor/rig/ is shown (it appears to be there at line 197)
- Check mermaid diagrams match ASCII diagrams
- Update if any inconsistencies found
- Cross-reference with new harness.md docs


Daemon heartbeat: worker and queue monitoring

Daemon periodic checks for work progress.

## Heartbeat Actions

Every N seconds (configurable):

1. Check Witness health per rig
   - Poke if witness needs to nudge workers

2. Check Refinery queue per rig
   - Poke if pending work in queue

3. Check work completion
   - If epic children all closed, notify Mayor

## Eventually Convergent

Multiple signals reinforce state:
- Polecat signals done → Witness notices → pokes Refinery
- Daemon heartbeat → checks queue → pokes Refinery
- Beads status → queryable by any agent

Even if one signal missed, system converges.

## Interface

```go
func (d *Daemon) HeartbeatLoop() {
    for {
        for _, rig := range d.rigs {
            d.CheckWitness(rig)
            d.CheckRefinery(rig)
            d.CheckWorkProgress(rig)
        }
        time.Sleep(d.config.HeartbeatInterval)
    }
}
```

## Notifications

Use mail with low priority for heartbeat pokes.
Agents can ignore if already processing.


Merge: gt-3x1.4

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


detectSender() doesn't recognize crew workers

## Problem

detectSender() in internal/cmd/mail.go only checks for /polecats/ directories. Crew workers in /crew/<name>/ fall through to the default 'mayor/', so:
- gt mail inbox shows mayor's inbox instead of the crew worker's
- gt mail send sets the wrong From address

## Fix

Add crew worker detection before the /polecats/ check:

if strings.Contains(cwd, "/crew/") {
    parts := strings.Split(cwd, "/crew/")
    ...
    return fmt.Sprintf("%s/crew/%s", rigName, crewMember)
}

## Affected
- Any crew worker running gt mail inbox without explicit address
- Crew worker handoffs (wrong sender)


Test molecule

Test


Tech Debt: Code Review December 2024

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

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

Work through these incrementally to improve codebase maintainability.


Polecat mood command and status line display

CLI and status line support for polecat mood.

## CLI Command
```
gt polecat mood <name> <emoji>   # Set mood
gt polecat mood <name>           # Get mood
```

Sets GT_MOOD environment variable in the polecat's tmux session.

## Status Line Integration
Update runWorkerStatusLine() to read mood:
```go
mood, _ := t.GetEnvironment(session, "GT_MOOD")
if mood != "" {
    icon = mood  // Use mood emoji instead of default
} else {
    icon = AgentTypeIcons[AgentPolecat]  // Fallback to 😺
}
```

## Storage
Mood stored in tmux session environment (ephemeral, per-session).
No persistence needed - mood is reassessed each patrol cycle.

Depends on: gt-u818 (plugin system)


Create activity aggregator

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

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


Design: Failure modes and recovery

Document failure modes and recovery strategies for Gas Town operations.

## Critical Failure Modes

### 1. Agent Crash Mid-Operation

**Scenario**: Polecat crashes while committing, Witness crashes while verifying

**Detection**:
- Session suddenly gone (tmux check fails)
- State shows 'working' but no session
- Heartbeat stops (for Witness)

**Recovery**:
- Doctor detects via ZombieSessionCheck
- Capture any recoverable state
- Reset agent state to 'idle'
- For Witness: auto-restart via supervisor or manual gt witness start

### 2. Git State Corruption

**Scenario**: Merge conflict, failed rebase, detached HEAD

**Detection**:
- Git commands fail
- Dirty state that won't commit
- Branch diverged from origin

**Recovery**:
- gt doctor reports git health issues
- Manual intervention recommended
- Severe cases: remove clone, re-clone

### 3. Beads Sync Conflict

**Scenario**: Two polecats modify same issue

**Detection**:
- bd sync fails with conflict
- Beads tombstone mechanism handles most cases

**Recovery**:
- Beads has last-write-wins semantics
- bd sync --force in extreme cases
- Issues may need manual dedup

### 4. Tmux Failure

**Scenario**: Tmux server crashes, socket issues

**Detection**:
- All sessions inaccessible
- "no server running" errors

**Recovery**:
- Kill any orphan processes
- tmux kill-server && tmux start-server
- All agent states reset to idle
- Re-spawn active work

### 5. Claude API Issues

**Scenario**: Rate limits, outages, context limits

**Detection**:
- Sessions hang or produce errors
- Repeated failure patterns

**Recovery**:
- Exponential backoff (handled by Claude Code)
- For context limits: session cycling (mail-to-self)
- For outages: wait and retry

### 6. Disk Full

**Scenario**: Clones, logs, or beads fill disk

**Detection**:
- Write operations fail
- git/bd commands error

**Recovery**:
- Clean up logs: rm ~/.gastown/logs/*
- Remove old polecat clones
- gt doctor --fix can clean some cruft

### 7. Network Failure

**Scenario**: Can't reach GitHub, API servers

**Detection**:
- git fetch/push fails
- Claude sessions hang

**Recovery**:
- Work continues locally
- Queue pushes for later
- Sync when connectivity restored

## Recovery Principles

1. **Fail safe**: Prefer stopping over corrupting
2. **State is recoverable**: Git and beads have recovery mechanisms
3. **Doctor heals**: gt doctor --fix handles common issues
4. **Emergency stop**: gt stop --all as last resort
5. **Human escalation**: Some failures need Overseer intervention

## Implementation

- Document each failure mode in architecture.md
- Ensure doctor checks cover detection
- Add recovery hints to error messages
- Log all failures for debugging


max Handoff

attached_molecule: gt-g2p7
attached_at: 2025-12-24T00:05:39Z


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

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

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

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

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

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


Mail inbox from witness/refinery dirs shows Mayor inbox

When running `gt mail inbox` from the witness or refinery directories, it shows the Mayor's inbox instead of the agent's own inbox.

Reproduction:
```
$ cd ~/gt/beads/witness && gt mail inbox
📬 Inbox: mayor/ (1 messages, 1 unread)
  ● 🤝 HANDOFF: Swarm session complete...
```

Expected: Should show beads/witness inbox

Likely cause: The cwd-based identity resolution isn't recognizing witness/refinery as valid mail identities, so it falls back to Mayor.


Formula parser and YAML schema

Implement formula parsing from YAML:
- Define YAML schema for .formula.yaml files
- Parse steps, compose rules, vars
- Support extends for formula inheritance
- Validate formula structure

Schema should support:
- formula: name
- description: text
- version: number
- type: workflow|expansion|aspect
- vars: variable definitions
- steps: step definitions
- compose: composition rules


Add live polling and updates

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


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


Auto-target: MRs for epic children target integration branch

Automatically target integration branches for epic children.

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

This ensures batch work automatically flows to integration branches.

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

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


generate-summary

Summarize patrol cycle for digest.

Needs: save-state


Remove pinned field workaround after beads fix

## Summary

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

## Current Workaround

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

## Changes After Beads Fix

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

## Blocked By

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

## Related

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

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


implement

Implement the solution for gt-qwyu. 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


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


Merge: gt-cp2s

branch: polecat/rictus
target: main
source_issue: gt-cp2s
rig: gastown


Add stale-attachments doctor check

Add gt doctor check for work stale on hook without progress.

Check: stale-attachments
Warning if: Attached molecule has no activity for >24h
Suggestion: Check agent status, consider nudge or reassignment


Add self-check context guidance to role CLAUDE.md files

Each role's CLAUDE.md needs guidance for context self-management:

- After each patrol cycle, self-assess context pressure
- Heuristics: feeling compressed, lots of tool calls, long session
- If triggered: initiate handoff before continuing

Roles to update:
- Mayor (~/gt/CLAUDE.md)
- Witness template
- Refinery template
- Polecat template
- Crew template
- Deacon template

This is the 'inversion of control' - agents decide when to cycle, not external monitoring.


Interrupt vs Queue mail semantics

Add priority/delivery semantics to mail messages.

## Semantics

| Type | Delivery | Use Case |
|------|----------|----------|
| Interrupt | tmux send-keys | Lifecycle, URGENT, stuck detection |
| Queue | Create message only | Normal mail, status, heartbeat |

## Implementation

- `bd mail send --interrupt` uses tmux send-keys notification
- Default is queue (agent checks with `gt mail check`)
- Urgent flag on messages for interrupt delivery

## Agent Side

- `gt mail check --quiet` - non-blocking check for queued mail
- `gt mail wait` - block until mail arrives (for idle agents)
- Heartbeats become queued, agent checks at natural breakpoints


Merge: gt-h6eq.7

branch: polecat/dag
target: main
source_issue: gt-h6eq.7
rig: gastown


Build rig/worker tree view component

Bubbletea component showing hierarchical rig list with workers. Each rig expandable to show workers. Each worker shows: status indicator, current molecule title, step progress (X/Y), time since last activity.


gt context --usage: estimate remaining context via tmux line count

## Summary

Implement `gt context --usage` to estimate remaining context capacity.

## Approach

Use tmux scrollback buffer line count as proxy for token usage:
- `tmux capture-pane -p | wc -l` gives current line count
- Heuristics (tunable per model):
  - Opus 4.5: ~1800 lines = warning threshold
  - ~2000+ lines = critical, need handoff

## Output Format
```
Context Usage: 1642 lines (~82%)
Status: WARNING - consider handoff soon
```

## Notes
- Heuristics are model-specific, need config
- Line count is proxy, not exact token count
- Good enough for autonomous patrol decisions


Per-epic config overrides: custom merge settings

Allow per-epic merge configuration overrides.

Epic can specify merge_config in its description:
  merge_config:
    run_tests: true
    test_command: 'go test -race ./...'
    on_conflict: assign_back

When processing MRs for an epic:
1. Load rig-level merge_queue config
2. Check if epic has merge_config
3. Merge epic config over rig config
4. Use merged config for processing

Use cases:
- Risky refactors: more thorough testing
- Urgent fixes: skip some checks
- Experimental work: different test suite

Reference: docs/merge-queue-design.md#per-epic-overrides


gt rig reset: clear stale mail on reset/land

## Problem

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

## Current State

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

## Proposed Behavior

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

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

## Implementation

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


Update architecture documentation

Update all documentation to reflect refinery-as-worktree model.

## Files to update
- docs/architecture.md (if exists)
- CLAUDE.md references to refinery
- mayor/rig/docs/*.md - any refinery docs
- wisp-architecture.md - add MR wisp details
- README files mentioning clone vs worktree

## Key messages
- Refinery is worktree, not clone
- Polecat branches stay local
- Only main pushed to origin
- MRs are wisps (ephemeral)


Enhance Mayor CLAUDE.md with GGT milestone tracking

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

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

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

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

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


gt doctor: add Claude settings.json validation

Add a new doctor check to validate Claude Code settings in worker directories:

**Check for:**
1. .claude/settings.json exists in polecats/*, crew/*, witness/rig, refinery/rig
2. SessionStart hook has 'gt prime' command
3. Autonomous roles (polecat, witness, refinery) have 'gt mail check --inject' in SessionStart
4. Interactive roles (crew, mayor) have mail check in UserPromptSubmit only

**Auto-fix capability:**
Use internal/claude.EnsureSettingsForRole() to create missing settings files.

Context: The spawn priming race condition fix (gt-6957) added embedded settings templates. Doctor should validate these are in place.


Implement pinned beads for handoff state

Add pinned bead support to beads:
- Pinned beads never close, only update
- Use for persistent state like Refinery handoffs
- bd create --pinned flag
- bd list --pinned to find them
- Update description to change state


Merge: gt-rp0k

branch: polecat/nux
target: main
source_issue: gt-rp0k
rig: gastown


Test issue 1 for displacement


bd pin command fails: invalid field for update: pinned

In beads v0.32.0, `bd pin <id>` fails with 'invalid field for update: pinned'. The pinned field exists in the schema but update logic doesn't handle it.

Repro:
```
bd create 'test issue'
bd pin <id>
# Error: invalid field for update: pinned
```

Expected: Issue should be pinned.

This blocks gt mail send --pinned from working.


plugin-run

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


Refinery startup: Use Claude agent instead of foreground mode

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

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

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


Patrol agent state.json not updated on activity

Witness and Refinery state.json files show last_active from Dec 19 even though sessions have been running. The state should update each patrol cycle.

Evidence:
```
$ cat beads/witness/state.json
{"role": "witness", "last_active": "2025-12-19T17:50:00Z"}

$ cat beads/refinery/state.json
{"role": "refinery", "last_active": "2025-12-19T17:50:00Z"}
```

Expected: last_active should update each time the agent runs a patrol cycle.

Impact: Can't tell if patrol agents are actually active vs just having an open tmux session.


Patrol System: Agent lifecycle loops with attachments

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

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

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

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

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


Add mayor/config.json for town-level configuration

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


Use Beads issue status as spawn source of truth

Currently witness tracks spawned issues in .gastown/witness.json to prevent re-spawning:

{"spawned_issues": ["gt-abc1", "gt-def2", ...]}

This is redundant with Beads issue status (in_progress). The witness could query:
  bd list --status=in_progress

The local list serves as a performance cache to avoid querying beads every cycle. Consider:
1. Use Beads as source of truth
2. Keep local cache with TTL
3. Sync cache on witness start

This simplifies state management and ensures consistency.


CloudRunOutpost: Basic implementation

## Overview

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

## Implementation

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

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

## Spawn

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

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

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

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

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

## CloudRunWorker

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

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

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

## Files

- `internal/outpost/cloudrun.go`

## Dependencies

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


Create handoff beads for Witness and Refinery roles

Each patrol role needs a pinned handoff bead to track attached molecules.

## Pattern (from Deacon)
- Title: '\<role\> Handoff' (e.g., 'witness Handoff', 'refinery Handoff')
- Status: pinned
- Description contains:
  ```
  attached_molecule: \<mol-id\>
  attached_at: \<timestamp\>
  ```

## Tasks
1. Create 'witness Handoff' bead in each rig's beads
2. Create 'refinery Handoff' bead in each rig's beads
3. Update Witness/Refinery startup to check handoff bead for attached work
4. Update templates to document handoff bead usage

## Note
These are rig-level beads (in gastown/.beads/, beads/.beads/), not town-level like deacon Handoff (in ~/gt/.beads/).


Define Engineer as the Refinery agent role

Clarify the distinction:

- **Refinery** = place/module/directory/workspace
  - `<rig>/refinery/` directory structure
  - `gt refinery start/stop/status` commands
  - tmux session name: `refinery` or `<rig>-refinery`

- **Engineer** = role/agent who works in the Refinery
  - CLAUDE.md prompting: "You are an Engineer..."
  - Documentation: "The Engineer processes merge requests..."
  - Mail address: `<rig>/engineer` (or `<rig>/refinery`?)

Updates needed:
- Add Engineer role description to docs
- Update CLAUDE.md templates for refinery agents
- Keep `gt refinery` commands as-is (they manage the place)
- Internal code stays `internal/refinery/` (the module)

Future consideration: Multiple Engineers in one Refinery for parallel merge processing.


mol-gastown-boot

Mayor bootstraps Gas Town via a verification-gated lifecycle molecule.

## Purpose
When Mayor executes "boot up gas town", this proto provides the workflow.
Each step has action + verification - steps stay open until outcome is confirmed.

## Key Principles
1. **Verification-gated steps** - Not "command ran" but "outcome confirmed"
2. **gt peek for verification** - Capture session output to detect stalls
3. **gt nudge for recovery** - Reliable message delivery to unstick agents
4. **Parallel where possible** - Witnesses and refineries can start in parallel
5. **Ephemeral execution** - Boot is a wisp, squashed to digest after completion

## Step Structure
Each step has Action/Verify/OnStall/OnFail sections.

## Execution
```bash
bd mol spawn mol-gastown-boot  # Create wisp
bd mol run <wisp-id>           # Execute
```


Merge Queue in Beads: Universal chit system for all work

**Design doc**: docs/merge-queue-design.md


Crew workers getting wrong CLAUDE.md (shows Refinery)

## Problem

Crew workers (emma, dave) have CLAUDE.md that says they're the Refinery.

## Evidence

```
$ head -5 /Users/stevey/gt/beads/crew/emma/CLAUDE.md
# Claude: Beads Refinery
You are the **Refinery** for the **beads** rig...
```

## Expected

Should use crew.md.tmpl which correctly says:
```
# Crew Worker Context
You are a **crew worker** - the overseer's (human's) personal workspace...
```

## Impact

- Crew workers have wrong identity in static context
- `gt prime` correctly outputs crew context, but CLAUDE.md conflicts
- Confusing role information

## Fix

Check `gt crew create` or whatever populates CLAUDE.md for crew workers.


Swarm package: Swarm, SwarmTask, SwarmState types

Define core swarm types.

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

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

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

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

## Note

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


Test MR

test


CLI: gt stop --all (emergency swarm kill)

Emergency kill command for swarm operations.

## Commands

```bash
gt stop --all              # Kill ALL sessions across all rigs
gt stop --rig <name>       # Kill all sessions in one rig
gt stop --rig <name> --graceful  # Try graceful first, then force
```

## Implementation

### --all flag
1. List all tmux sessions matching gt-*
2. For each: capture final output, kill session
3. Update all polecat states to idle
4. Log all killed sessions
5. Send mail to Mayor: "Emergency stop executed"

### --rig flag
1. List sessions for specific rig
2. Same as above but scoped

### --graceful flag
1. First, try to inject "exit" command
2. Wait 5 seconds
3. If still running, force kill

## Output

```
Stopping all Gas Town sessions...
  [wyvern] Toast: captured output, killed
  [wyvern] Capable: captured output, killed
  [beads] Nux: captured output, killed

3 sessions stopped.
All polecat states set to 'idle'.
Mail sent to mayor/.
```

## Safety

- Always capture output before killing
- Update state files to reflect reality
- Log all operations to gt.log
- Warn if uncommitted changes detected (but still kill)

## Dependencies

Needs: Tmux wrapper, Session management, Polecat management


Convert MR queue to wisp storage

MR queue should use wisp storage (.beads-wisp/) instead of durable beads.

## Design (Simplified)

With refinery as worktree, polecats and refinery share the same machine. No cross-machine MR coordination needed. Wisps are the natural fit.

### Storage
- Location: `.beads-wisp/mq/<mr-id>.json`
- Format: Same MRFields structure (branch, target, source_issue, worker, rig)
- Lifecycle: Create on submit, delete after merge

### Code Changes

1. **MR Creation** (done.go, mq_submit.go)
   - Write to `.beads-wisp/mq/` instead of `bd create --type=merge-request`
   - Generate ID: `mr-<timestamp>-<random>` or similar

2. **Refinery Query** (refinery/manager.go, engineer.go)
   - Read from `.beads-wisp/mq/` directory
   - List files, parse JSON, process in order

3. **Cleanup**
   - Delete MR file after successful merge
   - On failure, leave file (refinery retries)

### What Stays in Beads
- Source issues (the work being merged) - still tracked in beads
- Merge commits reference source issue ID
- `bd close <issue>` still happens on merge

### Benefits
- No sync overhead for transient MR state
- Simpler model (file per MR, delete when done)
- Consistent with wisp philosophy (ephemeral operational state)

### Not Needed
- Digest squashing (MRs are deleted, not accumulated)
- Cross-machine visibility (single-machine architecture)