CLI: witness commands (start, stop, status)

Witness daemon CLI commands.

## Commands

### gt witness start
Start the witness daemon for a rig.
```
gt witness start <rig> [--interval <seconds>]
```
- Starts background daemon process
- Default heartbeat interval: 30s
- Logs to <rig>/witness/witness.log

### gt witness stop
Stop the witness daemon.
```
gt witness stop <rig>
```
- Graceful shutdown
- Completes current heartbeat cycle

### gt witness status
Show witness status.
```
gt witness status <rig> [--json]
```
Output:
- Running/stopped
- Last heartbeat time
- Polecats being monitored
- Recent nudges/escalations

### gt witness logs
View witness logs.
```
gt witness logs <rig> [--follow] [--lines <n>]
```
- --follow: Continuous output (like tail -f)
- --lines: Number of lines (default 50)

## Daemon Management

Witness runs as background process:
- PID stored in <rig>/witness/witness.pid
- Uses nohup for persistence
- Logs structured JSON events

## Implementation

```go
var witnessCmd = &cobra.Command{Use: "witness"}
witnessCmd.AddCommand(startCmd, stopCmd, statusCmd, logsCmd)
```

Start launches daemon via exec, status reads PID file and pings process.


Port Gas Town to Go

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

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

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


Preflight molecule: verify baseline health before work

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

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

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

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

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

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


Self-mail should suppress tmux notification

When sending mail to yourself (e.g., mayor sending to mayor/), the tmux notification shouldn't fire.

**Rationale:**
- Self-mail is intended for future-you (next session handoff)
- Present-you just sent it, so you already know about it
- The notification is redundant/confusing in this case

**Fix:**
Suppress tmux notification when sender == recipient address.


Check mail for MR submissions, escalations, messages.

```bash
gt mail inbox
# Process any urgent items
```

Handle shutdown requests, escalations, and status queries.

instantiated_from: mol-refinery-patrol
step: inbox-check


Merge: gt-unrd

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


Git wrapper: shell out to git

Wrapper for git operations via subprocess.

## Interface

```go
type Git struct {
    workDir string
}

func NewGit(workDir string) *Git

// Core operations
func (g *Git) Clone(url, dest string) error
func (g *Git) Checkout(ref string) error
func (g *Git) Fetch(remote string) error
func (g *Git) Pull(remote, branch string) error
func (g *Git) Push(remote, branch string, force bool) error

// Commit operations
func (g *Git) Add(paths ...string) error
func (g *Git) Commit(message string) error
func (g *Git) CommitAll(message string) error

// Query operations
func (g *Git) Status() (*GitStatus, error)
func (g *Git) CurrentBranch() (string, error)
func (g *Git) HasUncommittedChanges() (bool, error)
func (g *Git) RemoteURL(remote string) (string, error)

// Merge operations
func (g *Git) Merge(branch string) error
func (g *Git) Rebase(onto string) error
func (g *Git) AbortMerge() error
func (g *Git) AbortRebase() error
```

## Implementation

Shell out to git binary via exec.Command. Parse output where needed (Status, CurrentBranch).

## Error Handling

- Wrap git stderr in error messages
- Detect specific failures (merge conflict, auth failure, not a repo)
- Return structured errors for callers to handle

## Testing

- Use temp directories with real git repos
- Test both success and failure paths


gt sling --force: return displaced work to ready pool

When slinging with --force to an agent with occupied hook, the displaced molecule should be returned to the ready pool rather than silently orphaned.

Current behavior:
- --force overwrites the hook attachment
- Previous work becomes orphaned (still assigned but not pinned)

Desired behavior:
1. Unpin the displaced molecule (clear assignee, set pinned=false)
2. Print warning in tool output: 'Warning: displaced gt-xxx back to ready pool'
3. Proceed with new sling

This ensures:
- No silent data loss
- Agent sees the warning and can act on it
- Human caller sees what happened
- Displaced work is discoverable via 'bd ready'

Implementation location: checkHookCollision() or the sling handlers themselves (after the --force check passes)


Add witness plugin hook support

Implement plugin directories for witness patrol.

Structure:
  <rig>/plugins/witness/
  ├── pre-inspection/
  │   └── stale-branch-check/
  │       └── CLAUDE.md
  └── post-action/
      └── mq-health/
          └── CLAUDE.md

run-plugins step scans these directories and bonds mol-plugin-runner for each.


gt sling: nudge crew/mayor if session is running

When slinging to crew or mayor, if they have an active tmux session, send a nudge notification so they know work has landed on their hook.

Currently only slingToPolecat nudges (lines 514-521 in internal/cmd/sling.go).

Missing nudge in:
- slingToCrew (line ~669)
- slingToMayor (line ~876)

NOT applicable to patrol-based agents (witness, refinery, deacon) - they run on cycles and pick up work via hook check, not interactive nudge.

Implementation:
1. For crew: need to determine session name (e.g., gastown-crew-max)
2. Check if session running via tmux
3. If running, call t.NudgeSession() with appropriate message


Bubbletea TUI dashboard

Interactive TUI using Charm Bubbletea. Root model, view routing, Lipgloss theme. Includes: dashboard, rig explorer, polecat detail with live tail, mail view, beads view, spawn wizard.


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
    }
}
```


Merge: gt-99a

branch: polecat/Slit
target: main
source_issue: gt-99a
rig: gastown


Plugin: merge-oracle (merge queue analysis)

Example plugin that analyzes changesets before Refinery processes them. Builds overlap graph, classifies disjointness (parallel-safe vs needs-sequencing), uses LLM for semantic complexity, identifies high-risk patterns. Based on merge-orchestration proposal. See docs/architecture.md.


beads: Stop searching upward when .beads found

## Problem

When running bd commands in a nested directory structure with multiple .beads directories, bd shows a confusing warning:

```
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ WARNING: 2 beads databases detected in directory hierarchy              ║
╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ Multiple databases can cause confusion and database pollution.          ║
║                                                                          ║
║   /Users/stevey/gt/gastown/.beads (261 issues)                           ║
║   /Users/stevey/gt/.beads (21 issues)                                    ║
║                                                                          ║
║ WARNING: Not using the closest database! Check your BEADS_DB setting.   ║
║                                                                          ║
║ RECOMMENDED: Consolidate or remove unused databases to avoid confusion. ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
```

## Why This Is Wrong

In Gas Town, nested .beads directories are **intentional and necessary**:
- Town level: /Users/stevey/gt/.beads (mail, town-level issues)
- Rig level: /Users/stevey/gt/gastown/.beads (gastown project issues)
- Worker level: polecats have their own beads in worktrees

These are **unrelated** beads instances for different scopes. They should never be consolidated.

## Expected Behavior

When bd finds a .beads directory, it should:
1. Use that directory (closest ancestor wins)
2. **Stop searching upward** - do not look for parent .beads directories
3. **No warning** about multiple databases

## Current Behavior

bd searches all the way up to root, finds all .beads directories, and warns about "multiple databases" even though they are separate, intentional instances.

## Fix

In the database discovery code, stop the upward search as soon as a .beads directory is found. The first .beads found is the one to use, and parent directories are out of scope.

## Note

This is a beads issue, filed here for tracking. Should be implemented in the beads codebase.


Polecat Arm (arm-toast)

Single polecat inspection and action cycle.

This molecule is bonded dynamically by mol-witness-patrol's survey-workers step.
Each polecat being monitored gets one arm that runs in parallel with other arms.

## Variables

| Variable | Required | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| polecat_name | Yes | Name of the polecat to inspect |
| rig | Yes | Rig containing the polecat |

## Step: capture
Capture recent tmux output for toast.

```bash
tmux capture-pane -t gt-gastown-toast -p | tail -50
```

Record:
- Last activity timestamp (when was last tool call?)
- Visible errors or stack traces
- Completion indicators ("Done", "Finished", etc.)

## Step: assess
Categorize polecat state based on captured output.

States:
- **working**: Recent tool calls, active processing
- **idle**: At prompt, no recent activity
- **error**: Showing errors or stack traces
- **requesting_shutdown**: Sent LIFECYCLE/Shutdown mail
- **done**: Showing completion indicators

Calculate: minutes since last activity.
Needs: capture

## Step: load-history
Read nudge history for toast from patrol state.

```
nudge_count = state.nudges[toast].count
last_nudge_time = state.nudges[toast].timestamp
```

This data was loaded by the parent patrol's load-state step and passed
to the arm via the bonding context.
Needs: assess

## Step: decide
Apply the nudge matrix to determine action for toast.

| State | Idle Time | Nudge Count | Action |
|-------|-----------|-------------|--------|
| working | any | any | none |
| idle | <10min | any | none |
| idle | 10-15min | 0 | nudge-1 (gentle) |
| idle | 15-20min | 1 | nudge-2 (direct) |
| idle | 20+min | 2 | nudge-3 (final) |
| idle | any | 3 | escalate |
| error | any | any | assess-severity |
| requesting_shutdown | any | any | pre-kill-verify |
| done | any | any | pre-kill-verify |

Nudge text:
1. "How's progress? Need any help?"
2. "Please wrap up soon. What's blocking you?"
3. "Final check. Will escalate in 5 min if no response."

Record decision and rationale.
Needs: load-history

## Step: execute
Take the decided action for toast.

**nudge-N**:
```bash
tmux send-keys -t gt-gastown-toast "{{nudge_text}}" Enter
```

**pre-kill-verify**:
```bash
cd polecats/toast
git status                    # Must be clean
git log origin/main..HEAD     # Check for unpushed
bd show <assigned-issue>      # Verify closed/deferred
```
If clean: kill session, remove worktree, delete branch
If dirty: record failure, retry next cycle

**escalate**:
```bash
gt mail send mayor/ -s "Escalation: toast stuck" -m "..."
```

**none**: No action needed.

Record: action taken, result, updated nudge count.
Needs: decide

## Output

The arm completes with:
- action_taken: none | nudge-1 | nudge-2 | nudge-3 | killed | escalated
- result: success | failed | pending
- updated_state: New nudge count and timestamp for toast

This data feeds back to the parent patrol's aggregate step.
---
bonded_from: mol-polecat-arm
bonded_to: gt-vhn1
bonded_ref: arm-toast
bonded_at: 2025-12-23T10:00:00Z


rebase-main

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

git fetch origin main
git rebase origin/main

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

Depends: self-review, verify-tests


gt crew status: Show workspace status

Implement 'gt crew status [<name>]' command:
- Show session state (running/stopped)
- Show git status (branch, uncommitted changes, unpushed)
- Show last commit info
- Show mail inbox status (unread count)
- If no name given, show all crew workers


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)


Pinned beads should appear first in mail inbox

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

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

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

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

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

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


survey-workers

List polecats and categorize by status.

```bash
gt polecat list <rig>
```

Needs: load-state


test with labels


mol-witness-patrol

Per-rig worker monitor patrol loop using the Christmas Ornament pattern.

The Witness is the Pit Boss for your rig. You watch polecats, nudge them toward
completion, verify clean git state before kills, and escalate stuck workers.

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

## The Christmas Ornament Shape

This molecule uses dynamic bonding to create inspection arms per-polecat:

```
                    ★ mol-witness-patrol (trunk)
                   /|\
            ┌─────┘ │ └─────┐
         PREFLIGHT DISCOVERY CLEANUP
            │       │        │
        ┌───┴───┐ ┌─┴─┐  ┌───┴───┐
        │inbox  │ │sur│  │aggreg │
        │refnry │ │vey│  │save   │
        │load   │ └─┬─┘  │summary│
        └───────┘   │    │contxt │
                    │    │loop   │
          ┌─────────┼─────────┐ └───────┘
          │         │         │
          ●         ●         ●     mol-polecat-arm (dynamic)
         ace       nux      toast
          │         │         │
       ┌──┴──┐   ┌──┴──┐   ┌──┴──┐
       │cap  │   │cap  │   │cap  │
       │ass  │   │ass  │   │ass  │
       │dec  │   │dec  │   │dec  │
       │exec │   │exec │   │exec │
       └──┬──┘   └──┬──┘   └──┬──┘
          │         │         │
          └─────────┴─────────┘
                    │
                 ⬣ base (cleanup)
```

## Phases

### PREFLIGHT (fixed steps)
1. inbox-check - Process lifecycle requests, help messages
2. check-refinery - Ensure MQ is alive and processing
3. load-state - Read persistent state (nudge counts, etc.)

### DISCOVERY (spawns dynamic arms)
4. survey-workers - List polecats, bond mol-polecat-arm per polecat
5. run-plugins - Bond mol-plugin-runner for each witness plugin

### CLEANUP (gate + fixed steps)
6. aggregate - GATE: WaitsFor all arms + plugins to complete
7. save-state - Persist nudge counts, action log
8. generate-summary - Create digest content
9. context-check - Check if context is high
10. burn-or-loop - Squash/burn wisp, then loop or exit

## Dynamic Arms

Each polecat gets mol-polecat-arm bonded as a wisp child:
- capture - Capture tmux output
- assess - Categorize state (working/idle/error/done)
- load-history - Get nudge counts for this polecat
- decide - Apply nudge matrix
- execute - Take action (nudge/kill/escalate/none)

Arms run in PARALLEL. The aggregate step waits for all to complete.

## Activity Feed

This design enables real-time visibility:

```
[14:32:08] + patrol-x7k.arm-ace bonded (5 steps)
[14:32:09] → patrol-x7k.arm-ace.capture in_progress
[14:32:10] ✓ patrol-x7k.arm-ace.capture completed
[14:32:14] ✓ patrol-x7k.arm-ace.decide completed (action: nudge-1)
[14:32:17] ✓ patrol-x7k.arm-ace COMPLETE
```

## Storage

- Wisp storage: .beads-wisp/ (ephemeral, gitignored)
- Persistent state: witness handoff bead (nudge counts, etc.)
- Digests: Squashed summaries in permanent beads

## Dependencies

- bd-xo1o: Dynamic Molecule Bonding epic (in beads rig)
  - bd mol bond with variable substitution
  - WaitsFor directive for fanout gates
  - Activity feed query

Labels: [template, christmas-ornament]


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


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.


Test Polecat Arm

Test child for bonding pattern


gt session restart/status: Complete session management

Add missing session subcommands:

- gt session restart <rig> <polecat> - Restart a session (stop + start)
- gt session status <rig> <polecat> - Show session status details

status should show:
- Running state
- Uptime
- Current activity
- Last output timestamp


Test Epic: GGT MVP Validation


Add 'wit' alias for witness command

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


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


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


gt nudge: support no-arg invocation with default message

Currently gt nudge requires a message argument:

```
gt nudge <rig/polecat> <message>
```

Would be nice to support:
```
gt nudge <rig/polecat>
```

With a sensible default message like 'nudge' or 'continue' or checking for pending work automatically.


gt crew list: List crew workspaces

Implement 'gt crew list [--rig <rig>]' command:
- List all crew workers in rig(s)
- Show status (session running, last activity)
- Show current branch and git status summary
- Support --json output


Merge to main and push immediately.

Merge to main and push immediately.

```bash
git checkout main
git merge --ff-only temp
git push origin main
git branch -d temp
git push origin --delete <polecat-branch>
```

Main has moved. Any remaining branches need rebasing on new baseline.

instantiated_from: mol-refinery-patrol
step: merge-push


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
```


bd create should support molecule type

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


Deacon has no rig-level presence - only global gt-deacon

The Deacon patrol role exists only at the global level (~/gt/deacon) but doesn't have per-rig presence like Witness and Refinery.

Current structure:
```
~/gt/
├── deacon/           ← Global deacon only
├── beads/
│   ├── witness/      ← Per-rig witness
│   ├── refinery/     ← Per-rig refinery
│   └── (no deacon)   ← Missing
└── gastown/
    ├── witness/
    ├── refinery/
    └── (no deacon)   ← Missing
```

Question: Should Deacon be per-rig like Witness/Refinery, or is global-only intentional?

If per-rig is needed: Create beads/deacon and gastown/deacon with appropriate CLAUDE.md files.


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.


Silent error handling with _ = err patterns

Multiple locations intentionally ignore errors with comments like 'Ignore errors'. While some are valid (best-effort operations), others should be audited:

- witness/manager.go:542 - Ignores cmd.Run() error
- refinery/manager.go:411, 438, 509 - Ignores loadState and git pull errors
- swarm/manager.go:47 - Ignores getGitHead error
- polecat/manager.go:69, 284 - Ignores pool.Load and DeleteBranch errors
- swarm/integration.go:101, 137 - Ignores git pull and push errors

Each should be evaluated: log it, handle it, or confirm ignoring is intentional.


Polecat wisp architecture: Proto → Wisp → Mol pattern

Design the three-layer architecture for polecat lifecycle:

## The Insight

Polecats should run a ONE-SHOT WISP (not looping like patrols):

**Step 1: Onboard**
- Read full polecat protocol (polecat.md template)
- Learn Gas Town operation, exit strategies, molecule protocol
- This is the 'how to be a polecat' education

**Step 2: Execute Mol**
- Run the assigned molecule (the actual work item)
- Could span multiple sessions via session continuity
- The mol is pure work content (epic, issue, feature)

**Step 3: Cleanup**
- Run final step of the wisp
- Self-delete / request shutdown

## Three Layers

- **Proto**: polecat.md template (instructions for being a polecat)
- **Wisp**: One-shot harness instantiated from proto (wraps the mol)
- **Mol**: The work item (issue/epic being processed)

## Why This Matters

1. **Separation of concerns**: Protocol (how) vs Work (what)
2. **Reusability**: Same wisp harness wraps any mol
3. **Extensibility**: Plugin points for custom behavior
4. **Session continuity**: Wisp handles multi-session, not the mol
5. **Blurred control/data planes**: Intentional in Gas Town

## Design Questions

1. How does proto (polecat.md) become a wisp instance?
2. What are the plugin/extension points?
3. Should all 'engineer in a box' mols use proto → wisp → mol?
4. How does this relate to refinery/deacon patterns?


Add WaitsFor parsing to molecule steps

Add WaitsFor field to MoleculeStep struct and parse 'WaitsFor: all-children' (and future variants) from molecule descriptions.

This enables:
- mol progress to understand fanout patterns
- Validation that WaitsFor references valid constructs
- Future automated orchestration

Implementation:
1. Add WaitsFor []string to MoleculeStep struct
2. Add waitsForLineRegex to parse 'WaitsFor: ...' lines
3. Update ParseMoleculeSteps to extract WaitsFor
4. Update tests


Merge: beads-2nh

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


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol: read mayor handoff (gt-mzal boot design), all agents up, furiosa working gt-oiv0, note: gt-4eim orphaned (angharad gone)


Test message

Testing GGT mail system


Implement handoffs using pinned beads

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

## Current Problem

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

## Solution

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

## Implementation

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

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

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

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

## Dependencies

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


mol-deacon-patrol

Deacon patrol molecule template. Label: template


Merge: gt-70b3

type: merge-request
branch: polecat/Rictus
target: main
source_issue: gt-70b3
rig: gastown


Witness daemon: heartbeat loop, spawn ephemeral agent

Background daemon for agent lifecycle and monitoring.

## Core Responsibilities

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

## Session Lifecycle (Witness Protection)

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

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

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

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

## Interface

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

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

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

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

## Heartbeat Loop

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


Remove origin push from polecat workflow

Polecats should no longer push their branches to origin.

## Changes
- internal/cmd/done.go - remove 'git push origin HEAD'
- internal/cmd/mq_submit.go - remove branch push
- Molecule templates - remove push instructions
- Any hooks that push polecat branches

## Verification
- Polecat completes work without pushing
- Branch stays local
- Refinery can still see the branch (via shared .git)


Epic: Refinery Engineer Autonomy

Make Refinery Engineer fully autonomous:

## Goal
Refinery can run indefinitely, processing all polecat work through merge queue, cycling sessions as needed, without human intervention.

## Key Components
1. Role prompting (CLAUDE.md, templates)
2. Handoff mechanism (pinned beads)
3. Context detection (gt prime)
4. Communication protocol (Witness, Deacon)
5. Future: Merge orchestration plugins

## Success Criteria
- Refinery starts, reads handoff, knows what to do
- Processes merges sequentially with conflict resolution
- Cycles sessions cleanly via Deacon
- Communicates results to Witness
- No work left behind


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

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


mol-deacon-patrol

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

Original description:
Deacon patrol molecule template. Label: template


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


🤝 HANDOFF: Timing fixes applied

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


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


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol OK: 0 polecats, 6 core sessions up, town quiet


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{},
}
```


Zombie session detection for refinery/witness

A Claude session can crash or hang while still appearing as 'running' in tmux. The current IsRunning checks only verify tmux session exists, not that Claude is actually processing.

## Problem
- Refinery session might be hung (Claude crashed, infinite loop, etc.)
- tmux HasSession returns true, so auto-start doesn't trigger
- MRs pile up with no processing

## Solution Options
1. **Activity-based detection**: Check last output timestamp in tmux
2. **Heartbeat file**: Agents write timestamp to file, check staleness
3. **Prompt detection**: Look for Claude '>' prompt indicating idle/stuck

## Related
- gt-bjft (spawn auto-start) assumes IsRunning means healthy
- Witness patrol assumes running refinery is processing


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol: TRACER BULLET SUCCESS - gt-oiv0 merged to main, furiosa completed and exited cleanly, 0 polecats now, all agents up


plugin-run

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


Check own context usage.

Check own context usage.

If context is HIGH (>80%):
- Write handoff summary
- Prepare for burn/respawn

If context is LOW:
- Can continue processing

instantiated_from: mol-refinery-patrol
step: context-check


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.


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.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Test patrol cycle - first run, no actual work done


Remove daemon heartbeat staleness logic

**Files:** daemon/daemon.go (lines 272-325), daemon/backoff.go

**Current behavior:**
- Hardcoded 2min/5min thresholds classify agent health
- Exponential backoff decides nudge intervals
- Go decides "is this agent stuck?" based on timestamps

**Fix:**
- Remove staleness classification from Go
- Remove backoff algorithm
- Daemon becomes pure message router
- Deacon molecule step checks agent health instead

**Lines to remove/refactor:**
- daemon.go:272-274 (staleness thresholds)
- daemon.go:282-295 (poke decision logic)
- daemon.go:317-325 (conditional nudging)
- backoff.go:108-120 (backoff calculations)


Guardrail: Verify commits exist before closing polecat issues

## Updated Approach (ZFC)

The original proposal was for mechanical guardrails in bd close. This contradicts the ZFC principle: all decisions go to models, not code.

## Correct Solution

The verification should happen in **mol-polecat-arm** execute step, not bd close:

In the pre-kill-verify action:
```bash
# Current steps
git status                    # Must be clean
git log origin/main..HEAD     # Check for unpushed
bd show <assigned-issue>      # Verify closed/deferred

# ADD: Verify productive work
git log --oneline --grep='<issue-id>' | head -1
# If no commits AND issue being closed as 'done' → flag for review
```

The agent (Witness) makes the decision. The mol gives it the verification step.

## Why Not Code Guardrails

Polecats have legitimate reasons to close issues without commits:
- Already done (someone else fixed it)
- Deferred (out of scope)
- Escalated (needs human decision)
- Duplicate (merged with another issue)

A code guardrail would block all these. The mol step lets the agent verify AND make the judgment call.

## Implementation

Update mol-polecat-arm execute step to include commit verification for 'done' closures.


Beads epic templates for batch work patterns

Optional: Define templates for common batch work patterns.

## Concept

A template encodes a workflow pattern that can be instantiated as beads:

```yaml
# templates/batch-basic.yaml
name: basic-batch
description: Simple batch work pattern
phases:
  - name: startup
    issues:
      - title: "Verify workers ready"
  - name: working
    # Actual work issues added separately
  - name: cleanup
    issues:
      - title: "Merge all branches"
      - title: "Clean up workers"
      - title: "Report to Mayor"
```

## Usage

```bash
gt spawn --template basic-batch --epic gt-u1j --workers 3
```

Creates beads epic with template phases + actual work from gt-u1j children.

## Decision Point

Templates are OPTIONAL. The core design (beads as state, multi-wave orchestration) works without templates. Templates are sugar for common patterns.

Consider deferring to P3 or dropping entirely if beads epics with dependencies suffice.

## Note

No "swarm IDs" involved - templates just pre-populate epic/issue structure.


Deacon primes pending workers instead of spawn nudge

## Problem

When gt spawn starts a polecat, it tries to send a nudge message immediately:
1. Starts tmux session with Claude Code
2. Waits 3 seconds (hardcoded)
3. Sends nudge via NudgeSession

But Claude Code takes 10-20+ seconds to be ready. The message arrives before
the prompt is ready, so it appears as part of the prompt string instead of
being executed.

## Solution

Move priming responsibility to the Deacon patrol cycle:

1. gt spawn: Mark polecat as pending_prime=true in state, return immediately
2. Deacon patrol: New step prime-pending-workers that:
   - Scans all rigs for workers with pending_prime=true
   - Uses WaitForClaudeReady() to poll for "> " prompt (already exists in tmux.go)
   - Once ready, sends gt prime + assignment nudge
   - Clears pending_prime flag

## Implementation

### spawn.go changes
- Remove the 3-second sleep (line 368)
- Remove the NudgeSession call (lines 375-383)
- Instead: Update polecat state with pending_prime=true

### Polecat state addition
status: assigned, pending_prime: true, issue: gt-xxx

### Deacon patrol addition
Add step between inbox-check and plugin-run:
prime-pending-workers: Check all rigs for workers marked pending_prime.
For each pending worker: WaitForClaudeReady(60s), then gt prime + nudge

### Benefits
- No race condition - we poll until actually ready
- Deacon already does health checks - priming is natural fit
- Works for polecats, witnesses, refineries, crew (unified approach)
- Timeout handling built in

## Depends on
- Existing WaitForClaudeReady() in tmux.go (lines 384-403)


gt shutdown should fully cleanup polecats (worktrees, branches, inboxes)

Current gt shutdown only kills tmux sessions but leaves:

1. Git worktrees in polecats/ directory
2. Polecat branches (polecat/<name>)
3. Inbox messages
4. Beads assignee state

This causes stale polecats to be reused on next startup.

## Expected Behavior

gt shutdown should:
1. Kill all polecat tmux sessions (current behavior)
2. For each polecat with StateIdle or StateDone:
   - Remove worktree
   - Delete branch
   - Clear inbox
3. For polecats with uncommitted work:
   - REFUSE to clean up
   - Report which polecats have uncommitted changes
   - Require --force or --nuclear to proceed

## Current Code

- start.go:runImmediateShutdown() only calls t.KillSession()
- Witness cleanupPolecat() does full cleanup but isn't called by shutdown

## Fix

Either:
1. Call Witness cleanup for each polecat during shutdown
2. OR add rig.ShutdownPolecats() that does the full cleanup


max Handoff

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


Direct formula-to-wisp instantiation (skip proto)

For massive ephemeral workflows (e.g., million-step Towers of Hanoi), allow:

bd wisp towers-of-hanoi --var disks=20

This would cook + wisp in one step, never materializing the proto. Useful when:
- The proto would be huge (1M+ steps)
- The work is ephemeral (wisp, not mol)
- You don't need the intermediate artifact

Implementation: streaming cook that emits directly to wisp storage.

Related: towers-of-hanoi.formula.yaml demonstrates the use case.


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.


mol-witness-patrol molecule definition

Create mol-witness-patrol in builtin_molecules.go.

## Steps (10 total)
1. inbox-check - Process witness mail (lifecycle, help requests)
2. load-state - Read handoff bead, get nudge counts
3. survey-workers - gt polecat list, categorize by status
4. inspect-workers - tmux capture-pane for each 'working' polecat
5. decide-actions - Apply nudge matrix, queue actions
6. execute-actions - Nudge, kill, or escalate as decided
7. save-state - Update handoff bead with new states
8. generate-summary - Summarize cycle for digest
9. context-check - Check own context usage
10. burn-or-loop - Squash wisp, then loop or cycle session

## Key Behaviors
- Uses wisp storage (.beads-wisp/)
- Reads/writes witness handoff bead for state persistence
- Progressive nudging (3 levels before escalate)
- Pre-kill verification before killing polecats

## Reference
- See prompts/roles/witness.md for protocol details
- See mol-refinery-patrol for similar structure
- Parent epic: gt-aqd8


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.


Merge: gt-g44u.3

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


Per-rig beads repo configuration

Add per-rig beads configuration to rig config schema.

## Config Schema

In each rig's config.json:

```json
{
  "version": 1,
  "name": "wyvern",
  "git_url": "https://github.com/steveyegge/wyvern",
  "beads": {
    "repo": "local",    // "local" | "<path>" | "<git-url>"
    "root": null,       // Override bd --root (optional)
    "prefix": "wyv"     // Issue prefix for this rig
  }
}
```

## Repo Options

| Value | Meaning | Use Case |
|-------|---------|----------|
| `"local"` | Use project's `.beads/` | Own projects, full commit access |
| `"<path>"` | Use beads at path | OSS contributions |
| `"<git-url>"` | Clone and use repo | Team shared beads |

## Environment Injection

When spawning polecats, Gas Town sets:
```bash
export BEADS_ROOT="<resolved-path>"
```

## Resolution Logic

```go
func ResolveBeadsRoot(rigConfig *RigConfig, rigPath string) (string, error) {
    beads := rigConfig.Beads
    switch {
    case beads.Root != "":
        return beads.Root, nil
    case beads.Repo == "local" || beads.Repo == "":
        return filepath.Join(rigPath, ".beads"), nil
    case strings.HasPrefix(beads.Repo, "/"):
        return beads.Repo, nil
    case strings.Contains(beads.Repo, "://"):
        return cloneAndResolve(beads.Repo)
    default:
        return filepath.Join(rigPath, beads.Repo), nil
    }
}
```

## Backwards Compatibility

If `beads` section missing, assume `"repo": "local"`.


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


Wire up --wisp flag for ephemeral molecules

The --wisp flag exists in gt sling but isn't wired through to bd mol.

Need:
1. bd mol run --wisp - spawn to .beads-wisp/ instead of .beads/
2. Automatic burn on molecule completion
3. Optional squash to digest for audit trail

Currently:
- sling.go sets thing.IsWisp but never uses it
- bd mol run has no --wisp flag
- .beads-wisp/ exists but nothing writes to it


🤝 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 crew at/attach: Start session in crew workspace

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


generate-summary

Summarize patrol cycle for digest.

Needs: save-state


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


Merge: gt-h6eq.3

branch: polecat/dag
target: main
source_issue: gt-h6eq.3
rig: gastown


Review dimensions as aspects

Refactor code-review molecule to use aspects for each review dimension (security, performance, accessibility). More flexible than current pluggable molecule approach - add/remove checks by composing aspects.


Molecules: Composable Workflow Beads

## Summary

Molecules are crystallized workflow patterns stored as Beads issues.
When instantiated, the molecule creates child beads forming a DAG.

## Key Insight: Molecules ARE Beads

Per HOP Decision 001: Beads IS the ledger. Molecules don't get a separate YAML format - they're issues with `type: molecule` containing prose-based step definitions.

Agents don't need rigid schemas. They parse natural language natively. A molecule is just instructions with enough structure for tooling.

## Example: Engineer in a Box

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

This workflow takes a task from design to merge.

## Step: design
Think carefully about architecture. Consider existing patterns,
trade-offs, testability.

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

## Step: review
Review for bugs, edge cases, style issues.
Needs: implement

## Step: test
Write and run tests. Cover happy path and edge cases.
Needs: implement

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

## Instantiation

```bash
# Attach molecule when spawning
gt spawn --issue gt-abc --molecule mol-xyz

# Creates child beads atomically:
gt-abc.design     ← ready first
gt-abc.implement  ← blocked by design
gt-abc.review     ← blocked by implement
gt-abc.test       ← blocked by implement
gt-abc.submit     ← blocked by review, test
```

Each step issue gets an `instantiated-from` edge to the molecule (with step metadata).

## Why This Matters

1. **Unified data plane**: Everything in Beads, no parallel YAML channel
2. **AI-native**: Prose instructions, not rigid schemas
3. **Error isolation**: Each step is a checkpoint - failure doesn't lose progress
4. **Scales with AI**: As agents get smarter, they handle more complex molecules

## Implementation Primitives

- `ParseMoleculeSteps()`: Extract steps from prose (convention-based)
- `InstantiateMolecule()`: Atomic transaction creating all steps + edges
- `instantiated-from` edge type: Track provenance
- Parameterization: `{{variable}}` substitution from context map


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol complete: 0 mail, Mayor+2 witnesses+2 refineries healthy, 3 polecats working (gastown), no orphans, gc N/A


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


Refinery background daemon mode

The refinery 'gt refinery start' command only works in foreground mode (--foreground). Need to implement background daemon mode for production use.

Options:
1. Use a separate tmux session for the refinery
2. Implement proper daemonization
3. Use Claude Code session for the refinery agent

For MVP, option 1 (tmux session) is probably simplest.


ensure-daemon

Verify the Gas Town daemon is running.

## Action
```bash
gt daemon status || gt daemon start
```

## Verify
1. Daemon PID file exists: `~/.gt/daemon.pid`
2. Process is alive: `kill -0 $(cat ~/.gt/daemon.pid)`
3. Daemon responds: `gt daemon status` returns success

## OnStall
Daemon startup failed. Try:
```bash
gt daemon stop
sleep 2
gt daemon start
```

## OnFail
Cannot start daemon. Log error and continue - some commands work without daemon.


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


Test issue for spawn molecule


done

Exit received. Ready for cleanup.

The polecat has completed its work and sent SHUTDOWN.
Perform cleanup:
```bash
gt session kill {{polecat}}
gt worktree prune {{polecat}}
```

Update beads state and close the lease.
Variables: {{polecat}}, {{issue}}


Update WitnessPatrolMolecule() with Christmas Ornament structure

Update builtin_molecules.go WitnessPatrolMolecule() to use dynamic bonding pattern.

Changes:
1. Add survey-workers step that documents dynamic bonding
2. Add run-plugins step for plugin hook support
3. Add aggregate step with WaitsFor: all-children
4. Update step dependencies for new structure

The molecule prose guides the Witness agent on how to use bd mol bond.


Test MR

test


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.


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.
```


Comprehensive help text and examples

Improve help text with examples and cross-references.

## Improvements

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Recreate beads rigs with fresh clones

## Problem

Beads rigs have schema mismatches (missing thread_id column, etc.) from development iteration.

## Tasks

1. Shut down any active polecats
2. Delete existing beads rigs: mayor/rig, refinery/rig, witness/rig, crew/*
3. Re-clone from beads repo
4. Run bd init in each new clone

## Rigs to recreate

- /Users/stevey/gt/beads/mayor/rig
- /Users/stevey/gt/beads/refinery/rig
- /Users/stevey/gt/beads/crew/* (if any)

## Source

Clone from beads repo (need to confirm remote URL)


Design: Collapse mail into beads

## Proposal

Replace the separate mail system (JSONL inboxes) with beads issues using a naming convention.

## Rationale

If all state should be in beads (work items, swarm state, dependencies), why have a separate system for messages? Mail is just:
- Handoffs (agent → self)
- Commands (Mayor → Refinery)
- Escalations (Witness → Mayor)

These can all be beads issues with a special prefix.

## Design

### Convention
- Messages use `@-` prefix: `@-witness-1734012345`
- Assignee = recipient
- Status: open = unread, closed = read/acknowledged
- Priority 0 = urgent

### Commands (thin wrappers)
```bash
gt mail send witness -s "Subject" -m "Body"
  → bd create --prefix=@ --title="Subject" --assignee=witness --description="Body"

gt mail inbox
  → bd list --prefix=@ --assignee=$(gt whoami) --status=open

gt mail read @-abc
  → bd show @-abc && bd close @-abc
```

### Notification
Daemon watches for new `@-` issues and pokes relevant sessions.
Or: agents poll on heartbeat (simpler).

## What We Remove
- `mail/inbox.jsonl` files
- Mail JSONL read/write code
- Separate delivery mechanism

## What We Keep
- `gt mail` CLI (as wrapper)
- Handoff semantics
- Notification (via daemon or polling)

## Benefits
- One system, one sync, one query interface
- All communication in git history
- Simpler architecture

## Risks
- Beads prefix filtering must be efficient
- Namespace collision with user prefixes
- Performance for high-frequency messages (probably fine for handoffs)

## Decision Point
Do we need first-class mail support in beads (`bd mail` commands) or is convention sufficient?


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.


Outpost/Worker interfaces: Core abstractions for remote compute

## Overview

Define the core interfaces that all outpost types implement.

## Interfaces

```go
type OutpostType string
const (
    OutpostLocal    OutpostType = "local"
    OutpostSSH      OutpostType = "ssh"
    OutpostCloudRun OutpostType = "cloudrun"
)

type Outpost interface {
    Name() string
    Type() OutpostType
    MaxWorkers() int
    ActiveWorkers() int
    Spawn(issue string, config WorkerConfig) (Worker, error)
    Workers() []Worker
    Ping() error
    SendMail(worker string, msg Message) error  // optional
}

type Worker interface {
    ID() string
    Outpost() string
    Status() WorkerStatus  // idle, working, done, failed
    Issue() string
    Attach() error         // for interactive outposts
    Logs() (io.Reader, error)
    Stop() error
}

type WorkerConfig struct {
    RigPath    string
    BeadsDir   string
    GitBranch  string
    Context    map[string]string  // hints for worker
}
```

## Files

- `internal/outpost/outpost.go` - Outpost interface
- `internal/outpost/worker.go` - Worker interface
- `internal/outpost/config.go` - WorkerConfig, OutpostType

## Notes

This is the foundation for all federation work. Keep interfaces minimal - we can extend later.


Witness: instantiate mol-witness-patrol on start

When witness starts, create a mol-witness-patrol instance and pin it to the witness hook.

## Changes to witness/manager.go

In Start() or run():
1. Check if patrol instance exists on hook
2. If not, call beads.InstantiateMolecule(mol-witness-patrol, handoffBead)
3. Store instance ID for later reference

## Hook Structure

The witness handoff bead gets:
- attached_molecule: gt-patrol-xyz
- attached_at: timestamp

## Idempotency

If patrol already exists (from previous session), reuse it.
Don't create duplicate instances on restart.


Deacon patrol molecules stored in wrong beads location

outputDeaconPatrolContext in prime.go hardcodes 'gastown/mayor/rig' (line 691) to find patrol molecules. But Deacon is a town-level role, not a rig role. Deacon molecules should be in town root beads (~/gt/.beads/) not rig beads. This also affects gt mol status which uses findLocalBeadsDir() - from ~/gt/deacon/ it won't find the right beads location.


gt park command for parking molecules on external deps

Add `gt park` command for when polecat hits external dependency:

```bash
gt park --step=gt-mol.3 --waiting="beads:mol-run-assignee"
```

This command:
1. Adds blocked_by: external:beads:mol-run-assignee to the step
2. Clears assignee on the step
3. Clears assignee on molecule root
4. Sends handoff mail to self with context
5. Shuts down polecat session

The molecule enters "parked" state (derived: in_progress + no assignee + blocked step).

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

Depends on Beads: bd-om4a (external: blocked_by support)


Test Task 2: Add comment to version.go


Pinned beads architecture implementation

Implement the pinned beads architecture from docs/pinned-beads-design.md

Phases:
1. Doctor checks for hook validation
2. Dashboard visibility (gt hooks, gt dashboard)
3. Protocol enforcement (self-pin, audit trail)
4. Documentation updates


gt molecule seed: create built-in molecules as beads

The molecule infrastructure is complete but built-in molecules (engineer-in-box, quick-fix, research) need to be seeded into the beads database.

## Current State
- `gt molecule list` works but shows 0 molecules
- BuiltinMolecules() in internal/beads/builtin_molecules.go has 3 molecules defined
- No way to create them as beads

## Needed
Add `gt molecule seed` command that:
1. Reads BuiltinMolecules()
2. Creates each as a bead with type: molecule
3. Uses well-known IDs (mol-engineer-in-box, mol-quick-fix, mol-research)
4. Idempotent (skip if already exists)

## Acceptance Criteria
```
gt molecule seed
gt molecule list   # Shows 3 built-in molecules
```

## Parent
gt-4nn: Molecules epic


Mayor session cycling prompting

Add session cycling section to Mayor CLAUDE.md template.

## When to Cycle

Cycle proactively when:
- Running for several hours
- Context feels crowded (losing track of earlier state)
- Major phase completed
- About to start complex new work

## Composing Handoff Notes

1. Gather information:
   town status    # Overall health
   town rigs      # Each rig state
   town inbox     # Pending messages
   bd ready       # Work items

2. Compose note with this structure:

[HANDOFF_TYPE]: mayor_cycle
[TIMESTAMP]: <current time>
[SESSION_DURATION]: <how long running>

## Active Swarms
<per-rig swarm status>

## Rig Status
<table of rig health>

## Pending Escalations
<issues needing your decision>

## In-Flight Decisions
<decisions being made>

## Recent Actions
<last 5-10 things you did>

## Delegated Work
<work sent to refineries>

## User Requests
<pending user asks>

## Next Steps
<what next session should do>

## Warnings/Notes
<critical info for next session>

3. Send handoff:
   town mail send mayor/ -s "Session Handoff" -m "<note>"

4. End session - next instance picks up from handoff.


Merge: gt-rana.3

branch: polecat/dementus
target: main
source_issue: gt-rana.3
rig: gastown


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.


Maintenance: Regular cleanup of closed MR/gate beads

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

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

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

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


Conditional aspects (feature flags)

Apply aspects conditionally based on environment or config. Example: apply security-audit only when env.SECURITY_SCANNING == enabled. Adds 'when' clause to aspect composition.


Merge: gt-lnji

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


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.


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

Workspace-level doctor checks.

## Checks

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

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

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

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

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

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

## Implementation

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


Test: New Router

Testing bd create for mail


Test Polecat Arm

Test child for bonding pattern


gt sling: use mail queue for patrol roles (witness, refinery, deacon)

When slinging work to patrol agents, queue via mail instead of replacing hook.

**Rationale:**
Patrol agents run continuous loops. Replacing their hook with discrete work breaks patrol continuity - when the task completes, the patrol stops.

**New behavior for patrol roles (witness, refinery, deacon):**
1. Check if patrol is running (hook has patrol molecule attached)
2. If patrol running:
   - Don't touch hook (patrol stays pinned)
   - Send work assignment mail
   - Print 'Queued for next patrol cycle'
3. If patrol NOT running:
   - Start default patrol for that role (mol-witness-patrol, mol-refinery-patrol, mol-deacon-patrol)
   - Send work assignment mail
   - Print 'Started patrol and queued work'

**New flags:**
- --urgent: Interrupt current patrol cycle, process this work immediately
- --replace: Explicitly terminate patrol and pin discrete work (break-glass)

**No change for:**
- Polecat, Crew, Mayor (discrete task agents - current behavior)

**Dependencies:**
- Patrol templates must have 'check inbox' step (verify/add)
- Need to know default patrol molecule for each role


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
```


gt polecat done should auto-stop running session

Currently 'gt polecat done' fails if session is running, requiring a separate 'gt session stop' first. This is unnecessary friction - done should just stop the session automatically since that's always what you want.


Witness session cycling and handoff

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

## Session Cycling Protocol

```markdown
## Session Cycling

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

### Handoff Protocol

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

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

## Active Workers
<list workers and status>

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

## Recent Actions
<last 3-5 actions>

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

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

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

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

### On Fresh Session Start

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

## Implementation

Add to WITNESS_CLAUDE.md template.


Doctor check: Zombie session cleanup

Detect and clean up zombie tmux sessions via gt doctor.

## Problem

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

## Checks

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

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

## Output

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

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

## Auto-Fix (--fix flag)

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

## Safety

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


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.


gt swarm start: Does not spawn polecat sessions

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

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

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


mol-polecat-lease: Semaphore proto for tracking polecat lifecycle

Define a small proto for tracking a single polecat in the Witness patrol wisp:

```markdown
## Molecule: polecat-lease
Semaphore tracking a single polecat's lifecycle.
Vars: {{polecat}}, {{issue}}

## Step: boot
Spawned. Verify it starts working.
gt peek {{polecat}} - if idle, gt nudge.
Timeout: 60s before escalation.

## Step: working
Actively working. Monitor for stuck.
Wait for SHUTDOWN mail.
Needs: boot

## Step: done
Exit received. Ready for cleanup.
Kill session, prune worktree.
Needs: working
```

Used by Witness: bd mol bond mol-polecat-lease wisp-patrol --var polecat=X


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


Define mol-gastown-boot proto structure

Create the proto molecule definition with all steps.

## Proto Definition

Each step has:
- Title (step name)
- Description with Action/Verify/OnStall/OnFail sections
- Dependencies (Needs: directive)

## Steps

1. ensure-daemon
   - Action: gt daemon status || gt daemon start
   - Verify: daemon PID exists and responding

2. ensure-deacon
   - Action: gt deacon start
   - Verify: session exists, not stalled, heartbeat fresh
   - OnStall: gt nudge deacon/ "Start patrol."

3. ensure-witnesses (parallel container)
   - ensure-gastown-witness
   - ensure-beads-witness
   - Verify each: session exists, not stalled

4. ensure-refineries (parallel container)
   - ensure-gastown-refinery
   - ensure-beads-refinery
   - Verify each: session exists, not stalled

5. verify-town-health
   - Action: gt status
   - Verify: all expected agents shown

## Output

Proto stored in beads as molecule type issue.


Human escalation path design

Flesh out the human escalation mechanism for Gas Town errors. Currently: errors mail Mayor, Mayor startup prompts about escalations. Need: structured escalation channel, escalation severity levels, and clear documentation. All edge cases in molecular algebra can write warnings to this channel.


gt spawn --create should auto-add polecat if missing

## Problem

`gt spawn gastown --issue gt-xxx --create` fails if no polecats exist.

## Current Behavior

```
Error: auto-select polecat: no available polecats in rig 'gastown'
```

## Expected Behavior

`--create` should:
1. Create a new polecat if none exist
2. Or create the specified polecat if `gt spawn gastown/NewName --create`

## Workaround

Must manually run `gt polecat add gastown Name` first.

## Principle

Agent UX should be forgiving - if I say spawn with --create, make it work.


Activity Feed TUI

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


HOP: Skill vectors on work items

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


gt swarm: Not discovering tasks from epic dependents

gt swarm create/start shows '0 tasks loaded' even when epic has dependents.

Repro:
1. Create epic gt-hw6
2. Create tasks and add deps: bd dep add gt-xxx gt-hw6
3. gt swarm create gastown --epic gt-hw6 --worker Toast
4. Swarm shows 'Tasks: 0'

Expected: Swarm should discover tasks that depend on the epic.
Actual: Shows '(no tasks loaded)'


Add gate checking to Deacon patrol loop

Integrate gate checking into Deacon's patrol cycle.

## Patrol Integration
```go
func (d *Deacon) checkGates(ctx context.Context) {
    gates, _ := d.store.ListOpenGates(ctx)

    for _, gate := range gates {
        // Check timeout
        if time.Since(gate.CreatedAt) > gate.Timeout {
            d.notifyWaiters(gate, "timeout")
            d.closeGate(gate, "timed out")
            continue
        }

        // Check condition
        if d.checkCondition(gate.AwaitType, gate.AwaitID) {
            d.notifyWaiters(gate, "cleared")
            d.closeGate(gate, "condition met")
        }
    }
}
```

## Moved from beads
Originally bd-is6m. Deacon is in gastown, not beads.


Merge polecat/rictus: Add molecule phase lifecycle diagram

Branch: polecat/rictus

Adds molecule phase lifecycle diagram to architecture.md showing Proto → Mol/Wisp → Digest state transitions with the 'states of matter' metaphor. Also documents when to use Mol (durable) vs Wisp (ephemeral).

Closes: gt-c6zs


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.


mol-witness-patrol

Per-rig worker monitor patrol loop using the Christmas Ornament pattern.

The Witness is the Pit Boss for your rig. You watch polecats, nudge them toward
completion, verify clean git state before kills, and escalate stuck workers.

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

## The Christmas Ornament Shape

This molecule uses dynamic bonding to create inspection arms per-polecat:

```
                    ★ mol-witness-patrol (trunk)
                   /|\
            ┌─────┘ │ └─────┐
         PREFLIGHT DISCOVERY CLEANUP
            │       │        │
        ┌───┴───┐ ┌─┴─┐  ┌───┴───┐
        │inbox  │ │sur│  │aggreg │
        │refnry │ │vey│  │save   │
        │load   │ └─┬─┘  │summary│
        └───────┘   │    │contxt │
                    │    │loop   │
          ┌─────────┼─────────┐ └───────┘
          │         │         │
          ●         ●         ●     mol-polecat-arm (dynamic)
         ace       nux      toast
          │         │         │
       ┌──┴──┐   ┌──┴──┐   ┌──┴──┐
       │cap  │   │cap  │   │cap  │
       │ass  │   │ass  │   │ass  │
       │dec  │   │dec  │   │dec  │
       │exec │   │exec │   │exec │
       └──┬──┘   └──┬──┘   └──┬──┘
          │         │         │
          └─────────┴─────────┘
                    │
                 ⬣ base (cleanup)
```

## Phases

### PREFLIGHT (fixed steps)
1. inbox-check - Process lifecycle requests, help messages
2. check-refinery - Ensure MQ is alive and processing
3. load-state - Read persistent state (nudge counts, etc.)

### DISCOVERY (spawns dynamic arms)
4. survey-workers - List polecats, bond mol-polecat-arm per polecat
5. run-plugins - Bond mol-plugin-runner for each witness plugin

### CLEANUP (gate + fixed steps)
6. aggregate - GATE: WaitsFor all arms + plugins to complete
7. save-state - Persist nudge counts, action log
8. generate-summary - Create digest content
9. context-check - Check if context is high
10. burn-or-loop - Squash/burn wisp, then loop or exit

## Dynamic Arms

Each polecat gets mol-polecat-arm bonded as a wisp child:
- capture - Capture tmux output
- assess - Categorize state (working/idle/error/done)
- load-history - Get nudge counts for this polecat
- decide - Apply nudge matrix
- execute - Take action (nudge/kill/escalate/none)

Arms run in PARALLEL. The aggregate step waits for all to complete.

## Activity Feed

This design enables real-time visibility:

```
[14:32:08] + patrol-x7k.arm-ace bonded (5 steps)
[14:32:09] → patrol-x7k.arm-ace.capture in_progress
[14:32:10] ✓ patrol-x7k.arm-ace.capture completed
[14:32:14] ✓ patrol-x7k.arm-ace.decide completed (action: nudge-1)
[14:32:17] ✓ patrol-x7k.arm-ace COMPLETE
```

## Storage

- Wisp storage: .beads-wisp/ (ephemeral, gitignored)
- Persistent state: witness handoff bead (nudge counts, etc.)
- Digests: Squashed summaries in permanent beads

## Dependencies

- bd-xo1o: Dynamic Molecule Bonding epic (in beads rig)
  - bd mol bond with variable substitution
  - WaitsFor directive for fanout gates
  - Activity feed query

Labels: [template, christmas-ornament]


Review: Witness patrol template changes (gt-h1n5)

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


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.


Merge: gt-ay1r

branch: polecat/dementus
target: main
source_issue: gt-ay1r
rig: gastown


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 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


Phase 2.1: gt spawn --molecule bonds in ephemeral

Make gt spawn molecule-aware with ephemeral bonding.

## New Flag

```bash
gt spawn --issue gt-xxx --molecule mol-polecat-work
```

## Behavior

1. Create polecat with fresh worktree (existing)
2. Bond molecule in ephemeral: `bd mol bond mol-polecat-work --ephemeral`
3. Link molecule root to source issue
4. Include molecule context in work assignment mail
5. Start session

## Work Assignment Mail

```
Subject: Work Assignment: Fix lifecycle bug [MOLECULE]

You are working on gt-rixa as part of molecule mol-polecat-work.

Molecule instance: eph-abc123
Current step: read-assignment (1/8)

Follow the molecule workflow. When complete, generate summary and squash.
```


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


Workspace cleanup: preflight and postflight

Workspace preflight and postflight commands for clean state management.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

## Note

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

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


Engineer session restart protocol

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

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

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


Merge: gt-5wb7

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


Deacon trigger-pending-spawns: Auto-nudge polecats when ready

The Deacon's mol-deacon-patrol defines a trigger-pending-spawns step, but it's not implemented.

## Problem
After gt spawn creates a polecat session, Claude initializes for 10-20s. Nobody sends the initial 'Begin.' message to start work, so polecats sit at prompts forever.

## Current Workaround
Manual: gt nudge gt-<rig>-<polecat> 'Begin.'

## Required Implementation
1. Track pending spawns (polecats spawned but not triggered)
2. In Deacon patrol, poll WaitForClaudeReady for each pending spawn
3. When ready, send 'Begin.' via NudgeSession
4. Mark as triggered

## Evidence
Tracer bullet 2025-12-23: Had to manually nudge polecat/tracer to start work.


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


gt sling: patrol spawning must use wisp storage, not main DB

**P0 Launch Blocker**

gt sling to patrol roles (witness/refinery/deacon) currently spawns patrols into the main beads database instead of wisp storage. This will pollute the permanent database with ephemeral patrol cycles.

**Root cause:**
spawnMoleculeFromProto() with IsWisp=true uses `--db .beads-wisp/beads.db`, but the patrol TEMPLATE (e.g., gt-qp2w for mol-witness-patrol) only exists in the main database. So bd mol run fails with 'no issue found'.

**The fix:**
bd mol run needs to support reading the template from the main DB while writing the spawned instance to wisp storage. This is a cross-database spawn operation.

Options:
1. Add `--template-db` flag to bd mol run (read template from here, write instance to --db)
2. Copy template to wisp DB before spawning
3. Make bd mol run automatically check main DB for templates when using wisp storage

**Workaround applied (MUST REVERT):**
Set IsWisp=false in slingToWitness/slingToRefinery/slingToDeacon patrol spawning.

**Files:**
- internal/cmd/sling.go: lines 680, 883, 1050 (IsWisp: false)
- Needs fix in bd mol run (beads repo)


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


Work on ga-yp3: Polecat inbox system for reliable work as...

Work on ga-yp3: Polecat inbox system for reliable work assignment. This is P1 priority. See bd show ga-yp3 for full design spec.


Work request: gt-976 crew lifecycle support

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

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

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

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

- Dave (beads/crew/dave)


Clean up ~/gt root directory cruft

The town root has accumulated various directories and files that need review:

**To evaluate:**
- daemon/ - old daemon code? move or delete?
- deacon/ - WIP deacon work? consolidate with gastown?
- mayor/ - old mayor structure?
- AGENTS.md - is this still used?
- gt binary at root - should be gitignored

**Already correct:**
- .beads/, .claude/, .gastown/, .runtime/ - runtime dirs
- beads/, gastown/ - rig directories
- docs/hop/ - strategic docs
- CLAUDE.md - mayor context

Clean up, consolidate, update .gitignore as needed.


Add hook-singleton doctor check

Add gt doctor check to ensure each agent has at most one handoff bead.

Check: hook-singleton
Error if: Multiple pinned beads with same '{role} Handoff' title
Fix suggestion: Delete duplicate(s) with bd close


GGT vs PGT Gap Analysis Summary

Summary of gaps comparing GGT (~4,500 LOC) to PGT (~27,700 LOC).

## Critical Gaps (P1) - Existing Issues
- gt-u1j.17: Polecat CLI (add, list, wake, sleep) - DETAILED
- gt-u1j.16: Rig CLI (add, list, show, remove) - DETAILED
- gt-u1j.18: Witness CLI (start, stop, status) - DETAILED
- gt-f9x.4: Doctor framework - DETAILED
- gt-f9x.5: Workspace doctor checks - DETAILED
- gt-f9x.6: Rig doctor checks - DETAILED

## Critical Gaps (P1) - New Issues
- gt-a95: Refinery background daemon mode - ENHANCED
- gt-hgk: Mail message types and threading - ENHANCED

## Significant Gaps (P2) - New Issues
- gt-d46: Mail CLI archive/purge/search - ENHANCED
- gt-e9k: Swarm preflight/postflight - ENHANCED
- gt-662: Swarm report generation - ENHANCED
- gt-69l: Hook system - ENHANCED
- gt-3yj: Agent monitoring - ENHANCED
- gt-1ky: Workspace CLI (may overlap f9x.3) - ENHANCED
- gt-9j9: Worker status reporting - ENHANCED
- gt-qao: Mayor CLI - ENHANCED
- gt-7o7: Session pre-shutdown checks - ENHANCED
- gt-c92: Batch all command - ENHANCED
- gt-lno: Swarm state persistence - ENHANCED
- gt-a9y: File locking - ENHANCED
- gt-30o: Error handling improvements - ENHANCED

## Significant Gaps (P2) - Existing Issues
- gt-kmn.12: Ephemeral rig support - DETAILED

## Lower Priority (P3) - New Issues
- gt-3fm: Mail orchestrator daemon - ENHANCED
- gt-2kz: Cleanup commands - ENHANCED
- gt-ebl: Names commands - ENHANCED
- gt-1u9: Interactive prompts - ENHANCED
- gt-8lz: Help text improvements - ENHANCED

## Closed as Duplicates
- gt-3tz → gt-u1j.17 (polecat CLI)
- gt-e1r → gt-u1j.16 (rig CLI)
- gt-86w → gt-f9x.4/5/6 (doctor)
- gt-alx → gt-kmn.12 (ephemeral rigs)

## Execution Order Recommendation
1. P1 CLI commands (existing detailed issues ready to implement)
2. gt-a95: Refinery daemon (blocks autonomous operation)
3. gt-7o7: Pre-shutdown checks (prevents data loss)
4. gt-a9y: File locking (prevents corruption)
5. gt-hgk + gt-d46: Mail improvements
6. gt-69l: Hook system (enables extensibility)
7. Remaining P2s in any order
8. P3s as time permits


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


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


GGT Command Parity: Complete gt command coverage

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

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