Refinery-Witness communication protocol

Define mail protocol between Refinery and Witness:

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

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

Implement as structured mail with parseable format.


Blocked issues: gt-um6q, gt-lz13, gt-5xph depend on missing beads features

Template/docs updates blocked on: bd-nurq (bd mol current), bd-29fb (bd close --continue). These gastown issues should be marked blocked on the beads issues once cross-rig deps work.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 17: All healthy


bd cook command: Formula to Proto

Implement the 'bd cook' command that transforms formulas into protos.

Usage: bd cook <formula-file> [options]
       bd cook .beads/formulas/*.formula.yaml

Process:
1. Parse formula YAML (uses formula parser)
2. Resolve extends (formula inheritance)
3. Expand macros (expansion rules)
4. Apply aspects (cross-cutting concerns)
5. Generate flat proto bead

Output:
- Creates proto bead in .beads/ with mol-prefix
- Proto has all steps pre-expanded
- Proto is ready for pour/wisp instantiation

**Beads issue: bd-wa2l**


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously, handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup. Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

P15: stable


mol-deacon-patrol

Deacon patrol molecule template. Label: template


gt mail inbox shows wrong identity when run from deacon directory

When running 'gt mail inbox' from ~/gt/deacon/, it shows 'Inbox: mayor/' instead of 'Inbox: deacon/'. The role detection works (deacon checks in correctly), but mail identity detection is broken.


execute-actions

Send nudges, process shutdowns, escalate as decided.

Needs: decide-actions


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol @ 2025-12-24 19:47

Patrol 16: All healthy


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously,
handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup.
Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.


mol-deacon-patrol


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 4: Routine


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 15: Quiet


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 3: All healthy


LocalConnection: Local file/exec/tmux operations

LocalConnection implementation for local machine operations.

## Implementation

```go
type LocalConnection struct {
    tmux *Tmux
}

func NewLocalConnection() *LocalConnection

func (c *LocalConnection) Name() string { return "local" }
func (c *LocalConnection) IsLocal() bool { return true }
```

## File Operations

Direct passthrough to os package:
```go
func (c *LocalConnection) ReadFile(path string) ([]byte, error) {
    return os.ReadFile(path)
}
// etc.
```

## Command Execution

Uses exec.Command:
```go
func (c *LocalConnection) Exec(cmd string, args ...string) ([]byte, error) {
    return exec.Command(cmd, args...).Output()
}
```

## Tmux

Delegates to Tmux wrapper:
```go
func (c *LocalConnection) TmuxNewSession(name, dir string) error {
    return c.tmux.NewSession(name, dir)
}
```

## Notes

Straightforward implementation - this is the "baseline" connection that SSHConnection will mirror remotely.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 1: All agents healthy, no lifecycle requests, cleaned 3 abandoned wisps


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 9: all clear


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol @ 2025-12-24 19:43

Patrol 3: All healthy


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

P9: stable


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 10: Midpoint, all healthy


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 10: All clear


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 13: All healthy


Day 2.1: Daemon reads agent bead state field

Daemon queries agent beads for state instead of inferring from PID/tmux.

Change getAgentState() to:
1. Look up agent bead by ID (gt-mayor, gt-witness, etc.)
2. Read state field (idle|running|stuck|stopped)
3. Trust the value

Parent: gt-d0jqp


mol-polecat-work

Full polecat lifecycle from assignment to decommission.

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

Variables:
- {{issue}} - The source issue ID being worked on


Add accounts.yaml config parsing to gt

Parse ~/gt/mayor/accounts.yaml with structure: accounts map (handle -> email, config_dir) and default field. This is the foundational config that other account features depend on. Location follows existing town-level config pattern in mayor/.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 18: All healthy


Design future federation model

Document how remote/federated refinery would work in the future.

## Options to document
1. Git bundles - portable patches, no branches on origin
2. Dedicated integration branch pattern (integration/*)
3. Hybrid - local for same-machine, bundles for remote

## Deliverable
Design doc in docs/federation-refinery.md or similar.
Not implementing now - just capturing the design for when needed.


bd list --parent: filter by parent issue

Add --parent flag to bd list to filter issues by parent.

Example:
```bash
bd list --parent=gt-h5n --status=open
```

Would show all open children of gt-h5n.

Useful for:
- Checking epic progress
- Finding swarmable work within an epic
- Molecule step listing


MR state transitions: validate open→in_progress→closed

Enforce valid state transitions for merge-requests:

Valid transitions:
- open → in_progress (Engineer claims MR)
- in_progress → closed (merge success or rejection)
- in_progress → open (failure, reassign to worker)
- open → closed (manual rejection)

Invalid:
- closed → anything (immutable once closed)

Implement validation in MR update operations.

Reference: docs/merge-queue-design.md#state-machine


inbox-check

Process witness mail: lifecycle requests, help requests.

```bash
gt mail inbox
```

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

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


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 17: All healthy, 2 mayor handoffs observed


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.


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-wewf
bonded_ref: arm-toast
bonded_at: 2025-12-23T10:00:00Z


Session cycling UX: smooth transitions via TUI wrapper

## Problem

Current CLI agent session cycling is painful:
- Shell → CC starts → priming → context loads → ready → work → exit/crash → repeat
- Each cycle is 30-60 seconds of cold boot
- No continuity between shell and agent's inner state
- Raw "session not running, starting..." loop is the baseline

## GGT Advantages (already have)

- Beads: Work state survives session death completely
- Mail: Handoff notes from past-self to future-self
- Prime commands: Structured context reload

## Gap: Transition Mechanics

Ideas to explore when actively using CLI:

1. **In-band cycling** - `/restart` or `/cycle` command, agent handles own restart without dropping to shell

2. **Hot standby** - TUI maintains pre-warmed session in background, switch to already-primed agent

3. **Persistent wrapper** - Bubbletea TUI stays running across session cycles, CC sessions come/go inside it

4. **Session pooling** - Keep 2-3 primed sessions ready, never wait for cold start

## Deferred

Deliberately P4 until we're actively using the simpler CLI and feel the pain firsthand.


Tmux status line: rig color themes and worker identity display

## Summary

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

## Current Problem

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

## Proposed Design

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

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

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

## Configuration

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

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


Unify tmux session lifecycle: prefer exec-over-shell pattern

## Context

When `gt crew at` is run from INSIDE the target session, it uses `execClaude()` which
replaces the shell with Claude directly. This is actually preferable behavior:
- Cleaner exit (no intermediate shell prompt)
- More reliable for programmatic worker recycling
- Better UX for humans

But currently this only happens accidentally when you run `gt crew at` while already
in the session at a shell prompt.

## Current behavior

1. Session created: `tmux new-session` starts with shell
2. Claude started via `send-keys` → shell spawns claude as child
3. Exit claude → return to shell → exit shell → session ends

With exec path (only if already in session):
1. `execClaude()` replaces shell with claude
2. Exit claude → session ends (no intermediate shell)

## Desired behavior

Consider making exec-the-shell the DEFAULT for all crew/persistent sessions:
- Spawn session with shell
- Wait for ready
- Use `respawn-pane -k` with claude command (kills shell, starts claude directly)

This gives the cleaner lifecycle without requiring the user to be inside the session.

## Related

Part of tmux control plane unification - ability to manage workers from any session.


mol-deacon-patrol


Test Patrol for Bonding

Parent issue for mol bond CLI test


Design: Work flow simulation and validation

Validate GGT designs through simulation before implementation.

## Validation Approaches

### 1. Dry-Run Simulation (Recommended First)
Mayor walks through scenarios mentally/on paper:
- "If polecat Toast signals done with dirty git state, what happens?"
- "If Witness context fills mid-verification, what state is lost?"
- "If two polecats try to close same issue, what happens?"

Create beads for any gaps discovered.

### 2. Real Work in gastown-py
Use Python Gas Town to stress-test assumptions:
- Run actual batch work on test repos
- Observe edge cases in practice
- Document issues found

### 3. Edge Case Analysis
Systematic review of failure modes:
- Agent crashes mid-operation
- Network failures during sync
- Concurrent access to shared state
- Context limits hit at bad times

## Key Scenarios to Validate

- [ ] Witness session cycling (state preservation)
- [ ] Polecat decommission with dirty state
- [ ] Merge conflicts in queue
- [ ] Beads sync conflicts between workers
- [ ] Escalation path (stuck worker -> Mayor)
- [ ] Cross-rig communication
- [ ] Federation mail routing (future)

## Success Criteria

- No data loss scenarios identified
- Clear recovery paths for all failure modes
- Edge cases either handled or documented as limitations
- Design improves as model cognition improves

## Output

For each scenario validated:
1. Document in relevant bead if issue found
2. Create new beads for missing functionality
3. Update architecture.md if design changes


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 13: Nominal


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously, handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup. Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 11: Quiet


Wisp directory and format

Define and implement the .beads-wisp directory structure.

## Directory Structure

```
<clone>/.beads-wisp/
  hook-<agent>.wisp.yaml     # Slung work for this agent
  patrol-<id>.wisp.yaml      # Patrol cycle state (future)
```

## Wisp File Format

```yaml
type: slung-work | patrol-cycle
created_at: ISO timestamp
created_by: entity who created it

# For slung-work:
bead_id: gt-xxx
context: optional message

# For patrol-cycle (future):
formula: mol-deacon-patrol
current_step: inbox-check
step_states: {...}
```

## Key Properties

- NOT git tracked (.beads-wisp/ in .gitignore)
- Ephemeral - burned after use
- Local to each clone
- Fast writes (no sync needed)

## Implementation

- internal/wisp/dir.go - Directory creation/management
- internal/wisp/types.go - Wisp type definitions
- internal/wisp/io.go - Read/write operations


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 12: all quiet


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 20: Final cycle, all services healthy, handoff


Phase 3: Callbacks and plugins

Mail-based callback protocol and plugin surface.

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

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

Depends: Phase 2


Implement meta-formula generator in parser

Implement the generator that expands meta-formulas into concrete formulas.

## Implementation

1. Detect type: meta-formula in parser
2. Evaluate for-each values
3. For each value, instantiate the formula template
4. Substitute {var} placeholders with current value
5. Return list of generated Formula structs

## API

    func (p *Parser) ExpandMetaFormula(mf *MetaFormula) ([]*Formula, error)

## Edge Cases

- Empty values list: return empty slice
- Duplicate generated names: error
- Nested meta-formulas: error (not supported initially)


Daemon should auto-start as part of town bootstrap

The Go daemon should be started automatically when the town boots up (mol-gastown-boot). Currently it requires manual 'gt daemon start'.

The daemon is critical infrastructure - it monitors the Deacon and nudges it when naked. Without it, the Deacon patrol loop doesn't run.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 16: All healthy, mayor handoff observed (not for deacon)


Add mayor/config.json for town-level configuration

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


Rewrite role templates without step lists

Update:
- prompts/roles/deacon.md
- prompts/roles/refinery.md
- prompts/roles/witness.md

Templates should describe HOW to run patrols (propulsion principle, bd mol current, bd close --continue) not WHAT the steps are. Steps come from proto beads.


Condition evaluator for gates and loops

Implement mechanical condition evaluation:
- step.status == 'complete'
- step.output.field == value
- children(step).all(status == 'complete')
- file.exists(path), env.VAR

Keep decidable: no arbitrary code, bounded evaluation.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 8: Quiet


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously,
handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup.
Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.


mol-polecat-work

Full polecat lifecycle from assignment to decommission.

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

## Variables

| Variable | Required | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| issue | Yes | The source issue ID being worked on |


gt spawn should auto-start refinery/witness if not running

When spawning a polecat, the infrastructure (refinery, witness) should already be running.

## Current Behavior
spawn.go only:1. Assigns issue to polecat2. Sends work mail3. Starts polecat session

The refinery and witness must be started separately.

## Expected Behavior (per user feedback)
When spawning a polecat, if the rig's refinery or witness is not running, auto-start them.

## Options

### Option A: spawn auto-starts infrastructure
Check if refinery/witness running before spawn, start if not.

### Option B: gt swarm start <rig> command
Explicit command that:
1. Starts refinery
2. Starts witness
3. Optionally spawns polecats on bd ready issues

### Option C: gt rig start <rig>
Similar to Option B but as rig lifecycle command.

## Related
- gt-n7z7: refinery --foreground race condition bug
- gt-u1j.18: witness CLI commands


Schematic: Domain-Level Formula Composition

A Schematic is a coordinated set of formulas defining an entire workflow domain.

## Concept

Like an orchestra score to instrument parts - says how formulas fit together.

```toml
# shiny-engineering.schematic
[schematic]
name = "The Shiny Way"
description = "Full engineering workflow from issue to production"

[formulas]
planning = "@gastown/shiny"
development = "@gastown/polecat-work"
review = "@gastown/review"
release = "@gastown/release"

[flow]
default = "planning >> development >> review >> release"

[constraints]
all_code_reviewed = true
tests_before_deploy = true
```

## Relationship to Other Concepts

- **Schematic** (workflow dimension) = composition of Formulas
- **Campaign** (work dimension) = composition of Epics
- Schematic compiles to Campaign, like Formula compiles to Molecule

## Use Cases

1. Define "The Shiny Way" for a team/org
2. Encode compliance requirements
3. Standardize workflows across projects
4. Enable workflow reuse and sharing

## Open Questions

1. File format - TOML? YAML? Extend formula syntax?
2. Validation - how to verify schematic consistency?
3. Overrides - can project override org schematic?

## Related

- docs/formula_evolution.md
- gt-8tmz - molecule algebra


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

P13: stable


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

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


Test Polecat Arm

Test child for bonding pattern


mol-deacon-patrol


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 12


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 4: All healthy


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 9: All healthy


Federation: Wasteland architecture for cross-town coordination

## Overview

Federation enables Gas Town to scale across machines via **Outposts** - remote compute environments that can run workers.

**Design doc**: docs/federation-design.md

## Outpost Types

| Type | Description | Cost Model |
|------|-------------|------------|
| Local | Current model (tmux panes) | Free |
| SSH/VM | Full Gas Town clone on VM | Always-on |
| CloudRun | Container workers on GCP | Pay-per-use |

## Key Concepts

### Outpost Abstraction
```go
type Outpost interface {
    Name() string
    Type() OutpostType  // local, ssh, cloudrun
    MaxWorkers() int
    Spawn(issue string, config WorkerConfig) (Worker, error)
    Workers() []Worker
    Ping() error
}
```

### Cloud Run Workers
- Persistent HTTP/2 connections solve zero-to-one cold start
- Pay only when working (~$0.017 per 5-min session)
- Scale 0→N automatically
- Git clone via persistent volumes

### SSH/VM Outposts
- Full Gas Town clone on remote machine
- SSH for commands, git for sync
- Good for long-running autonomous work

## Design Principles

1. **Outpost abstraction** - support multiple backends
2. **Local-first** - remote is for overflow/burst
3. **Git as source of truth** - code and beads sync everywhere
4. **HTTP for Cloud Run** - dont force mail onto containers
5. **Graceful degradation** - works with any subset of outposts

## Related

- gt-f9x.7-10: Connection interface (lower-level abstraction)
- docs/federation-design.md: Full architectural analysis


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 8: All healthy


Fanout gate: waits-for children aggregation

Formalize the fanout gate pattern where a step waits for all dynamically-bonded children.

## Current State

Formulas already use this pattern informally:

    step: aggregate
    waits_for: "all-children"

But it is not in the algebra spec or implemented in the cooker.

## Proposed Syntax

    step: aggregate
    needs: [survey-workers]
    waits-for: children-of(survey-workers)

Or simpler:

    step: aggregate
    needs: [survey-workers]
    waits-for: all-children

## Semantics

- Step cannot start until ALL children of the referenced step have completed
- Children are dynamically bonded via for-each (gt-8tmz.8)
- This is the "aggregation" half of the Christmas Ornament pattern
- If no children were bonded, the gate passes immediately

## Use Cases

**Witness Patrol:**
- survey-workers bonds N polecat-arms
- aggregate waits for all arms to complete
- Then proceeds to save-state

**Refinery Patrol:**
- Less common (sequential processing), but useful for parallel test runs

## Relationship to gate

This is a variant of gate where the condition is "all children complete" rather than
an arbitrary expression. Could be implemented as:

    gate:
      condition: "children-of(survey-workers).all(status == complete)"

But dedicated syntax is cleaner for this common pattern.

## Dependencies

- Depends on gt-8tmz.8 (for-each creates the children)
- Depends on gt-8tmz.4 (gate infrastructure)


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 6: all quiet


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously, handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup. Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 15: Routine


Witness swarm landing protocol

Witness responsibilities for swarm landing cleanup.

## Trigger

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

## Landing Protocol

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

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

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

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

## Code at Risk Handling

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

## Reference

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


Merge: gt-cp2s

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


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 11: All green


Merge: gt-rp0k

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


Witness Arm Bonding

# Witness Patrol Redesign

> **Status**: Design pivoted from Christmas Ornament to linear patrol (Dec 2024)

## Original Problem

Witness needs to monitor and intervene on multiple polecats. Original design proposed "Christmas Ornament" pattern with dynamic arms per polecat and fanout gates.

## Design Pivot: Why Christmas Ornament Was Wrong

The Christmas Ornament pattern (dynamic mol-polecat-arm per worker) felt un-Gas-Town:

1. **Explicit state tracking**: Nudge counts, timestamps, per-polecat state
2. **Complex machinery**: Dynamic bonding, fanout gates, aggregation
3. **Against philosophy**: Gas Town prefers discovery over tracking, events over state

**Key insight**: With step-based polecat sessions (`gt mol step done` restarts session each step), polecats are either working a step or starting a step. "Nudge counts across sessions" becomes less meaningful.

## New Design: Linear Patrol + Task Tool Parallelism + Cleanup Wisps

### Patrol Shape (Deacon-style)

```
inbox-check -> process-cleanups -> check-refinery -> survey-workers -> context-check -> loop
```

No dynamic arms. No fanout gates. Linear and simple.

### Key Changes

| Aspect | Old (Christmas Ornament) | New (Linear Patrol) |
|--------|--------------------------|---------------------|
| Per-polecat inspection | mol-polecat-arm bonded dynamically | Task tool subagents within survey-workers |
| State tracking | Persistent nudge counts in handoff bead | Fresh observation each cycle (discover from beads timestamps) |
| Cleanup queue | Explicit list in patrol state | Cleanup wisps (finalizer pattern) |
| Parallelism | Molecule arms (fanout gate) | Task tool subagents |
| Aggregation | waits_for: all-children | Task tool returns |

### The Finalizer Pattern (Cleanup Wisps)

When POLECAT_DONE arrives, Witness creates a cleanup wisp:
```bash
bd create --wisp --title "cleanup:ace" --labels cleanup,polecat:ace
```

The wisp's existence IS the pending cleanup. Witness processes these in `process-cleanups` step:
- Verify git clean, issue closed, commits exist
- Kill session, remove worktree
- Burn the wisp

Failed cleanups? Leave wisp, retry next cycle. GC-style finalization.

### Task Tool Parallelism

Instead of molecule arms, use Claude's Task tool for parallel polecat inspection:

```markdown
## survey-workers step

For each polecat, launch a Task tool subagent:
- Capture tmux state
- Assess working/idle/error/done
- Check beads for step progress
- Decide and execute action (nudge/escalate/none)

Task tool handles parallelism. No molecule machinery needed.
```

## Implementation

- [x] Draft mol-witness-patrol-v2.formula.toml (linear patrol)
- [ ] Test new patrol formula
- [ ] Deprecate mol-polecat-arm
- [ ] Remove fanout gate dependency

## Files

- `.beads/formulas/mol-witness-patrol-v2.formula.toml` - New linear patrol
- `.beads/formulas/mol-witness-patrol.formula.toml` - Old Christmas Ornament (to deprecate)

## Success Criteria

- Witness patrols work with 3+ polecats using Task tool parallelism
- Cleanup wisps correctly track pending cleanups
- No persistent nudge state - fresh observation each cycle
- Simpler, more Gas Town-y design


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 5: clear


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol #5: Stable


Simplify and reorganize molecular chemistry docs

The Gas Town molecular chemistry docs (molecules.md, molecular-chemistry.md, molecule-algebra.md) are too dramatic and verbose. They need a simplification pass to be more reference-manual style.

**Current problems:**
1. Too much metaphor and philosophy, not enough practical reference
2. Start with the chemistry abstraction instead of what users care about (patrols, workflows)
3. Layer cake is presented top-down (formulas → protos → molecules) instead of bottom-up (issues → dependencies → execution)

**Proposed structure (inverted pyramid):**

1. **Start with execution semantics:**
   - Work = issues with dependencies
   - Dependencies control execution (blocks = sequential, no dep = parallel)
   - Agents traverse dependency graphs until blocked
   - Multi-day workflows via compound bonding

2. **Move to molecules:**
   - Molecules are just epics with workflow intent
   - Bonding = creating dependencies between work graphs
   - No protos required for ad-hoc workflows

3. **Then templates (protos/wisps):**
   - Phase metaphor for storage locations
   - pour/wisp/squash/burn operations
   - When to use each phase

4. **Finally formulas (for advanced users):**
   - YAML compile-time composition
   - extends, compose, aspects
   - Only needed for complex reusable patterns

**Style guidelines:**
- Reference manual with quick examples
- Written like agent priming (context they need to execute)
- Less dramatic, more straightforward
- TL;DR at top of each doc

**See also:**
- beads/docs/MOLECULES.md has a simplified version to use as template
- The execution model section explains multi-day traversal clearly


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 17: all healthy


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-ksrt
bonded_ref: arm-toast
bonded_at: 2025-12-23T10:00:00Z


gt sling: support standalone formula slinging

## Summary
Enhance gt sling to support slinging standalone formulas (not just beads or formula-on-bead).

## Current Behavior
- `gt sling <bead> [target]` - works
- `gt sling <formula> --on <bead> [target]` - works (formula shapes bead)
- `gt sling <formula> [target]` - FAILS (tries to find bead named <formula>)

## Proposed Behavior
When first arg is not a bead but IS a formula, enter standalone formula mode:

```bash
gt sling mol-town-shutdown mayor/
gt sling towers-of-hanoi crew --var disks=3
```

Flow:
1. `verifyBeadExists()` fails
2. `verifyFormulaExists()` succeeds
3. Cook formula if needed (`bd cook`)
4. Create wisp instance (`bd wisp`)
5. Attach to target hook
6. Nudge to start

## Implementation
1. Add formula detection fallback in `runSling()`
2. Add `runSlingFormula()` helper
3. Add `--var` flag for formula variables

## Files
- internal/cmd/sling.go


gt spawn: Enter key needs debounce delay after paste

## Problem

When spawning polecats via `gt spawn`, instructions are pasted into tmux but workers often sit idle at prompt because the Enter key arrives before the paste is fully processed.

## Observed Behavior

- Instructions pasted via tmux send-keys
- Enter key sent immediately after
- Worker session shows prompt with no input (paste not submitted)
- Requires manual intervention to nudge workers

## Expected Behavior

- Paste completes fully
- Enter key submits the pasted instructions
- Worker begins executing immediately

## Root Cause

Likely a race condition between paste buffer processing and keypress handling. Need either:
1. Debounce delay before sending Enter
2. Longer delay (Tmax) to ensure paste completes
3. Alternative submission mechanism

## Impact

- Swarm of 10 workers had multiple stalls at startup
- Required manual tmux send-keys to unstick them
- Defeats purpose of automated spawning

## References

- Observed during Mad Max swarm (Dec 18, 2025)
- Affects gt spawn command in internal/cmd/spawn.go


mol-deacon-patrol


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 10: all quiet


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


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously,
handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup.
Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.


File locking for concurrent access

Add file locking for concurrent access safety.

## At-Risk Files
- .gastown/swarms.json (or per-swarm state.json)
- .gastown/refinery.json
- polecats/<name>/state.json
- inbox.jsonl files

## Go File Locking
Use syscall.Flock for advisory locking:
```go
type FileLock struct {
    file *os.File
}

func AcquireLock(path string, timeout time.Duration) (*FileLock, error) {
    f, err := os.OpenFile(path+".lock", os.O_CREATE|os.O_RDWR, 0644)
    if err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }
    // Use syscall.Flock with timeout
}

func (l *FileLock) Release() error
```

## Integration Pattern
```go
func (m *Manager) saveState(ref *Refinery) error {
    lock, err := AcquireLock(m.stateFile(), 5*time.Second)
    if err != nil {
        return fmt.Errorf("could not acquire lock: %w", err)
    }
    defer lock.Release()

    // Read-modify-write cycle
}
```

## New Package
internal/filelock/
├── lock.go     # FileLock, AcquireLock
└── lock_test.go

## Apply To
- internal/refinery/manager.go: loadState/saveState
- internal/cmd/swarm.go: SwarmStore
- internal/mail/mailbox.go: Append, rewrite
- internal/polecat/manager.go: state operations

## Timeout Handling
Default 5 second timeout. Return error if lock not acquired.

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] Lock files created (.lock extension)
- [ ] Timeout on lock contention
- [ ] All state files protected
- [ ] Locks released on error paths


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 6: all clear


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol: dave handoff (vision docs, 7 design gaps filed), furiosa tracer bullet on gt-oiv0, all agents up


Check own context limit

Check own context limit.

The Deacon runs in a Claude session with finite context. Check if approaching the limit:

```bash
gt context --usage
```

If context is high (>80%), prepare for handoff:
- Summarize current state
- Note any pending work
- Write handoff to molecule state

This enables the Deacon to burn and respawn cleanly.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 10: Routine


E2E Test: Verify mol-polecat-work spawn

Simple test task for Phase 5 E2E validation


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-f17b
bonded_ref: arm-toast
bonded_at: 2025-12-23T10:00:00Z


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 9: all healthy


Add Deacon heartbeat mechanism

Deacon writes deacon/heartbeat.json on each wake. Go daemon reads it to decide whether to poke. Add heartbeat read/write helpers.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 6: Quick cycle, all quiet


gt rig add / gt doctor: patrol awareness and wiring

## Problem

When a rig is installed or audited, we need to ensure all built-in patrols and role hooks are properly wired up.

## gt rig add Changes

When adding a rig, automatically:

1. **Create patrol molecules** for each role:
   - mol-deacon-patrol (town-level)
   - mol-witness-patrol (per-rig)
   - mol-refinery-patrol (per-rig)

2. **Set up hooks** that trigger patrols:
   - Deacon: daemon timer / heartbeat
   - Witness: daemon timer / polecat lifecycle events
   - Refinery: MR submission events / daemon timer

3. **Configure daemon** to manage these patrols:
   - Register patrol molecules in daemon config
   - Set up respawn behavior for each role

4. **Create plugin directories**:
   - ~/gt/plugins/ (town-level)
   - <rig>/plugins/ (rig-level, if needed)

## gt doctor Changes

Add patrol health checks:

### patrol-molecules-exist
- Verify mol-deacon-patrol, mol-witness-patrol, mol-refinery-patrol exist
- Check they parse correctly (valid steps, dependencies)

### patrol-hooks-wired
- Verify hooks trigger patrol execution
- Check daemon is configured to manage patrols

### patrol-not-stuck
- Detect wisps that have been in-progress too long
- Flag orphaned patrol molecules (no active session)

### patrol-plugins-accessible
- Verify plugin directories exist and are readable
- Check plugin frontmatter parses correctly

### patrol-roles-have-prompts
- Verify prompts/roles/*.md exist for each role
- Check they reference the correct patrol molecule

## Auto-fix

gt doctor --fix can:
- Create missing patrol molecules
- Wire up missing hooks
- Create plugin directories
- NOT restart stuck patrols (needs human decision)

## Related
- gt-7920 (mol-refinery-patrol)
- gt-7921 (await-work and plugin-run)
- docs/wisp-architecture.md


Fix golangci-lint errcheck warnings (~160 issues)

Running golangci-lint shows ~160 errcheck warnings for unchecked error returns.

Common patterns:
- t.SetEnvironment() return values
- os.WriteFile(), os.RemoveAll()
- MarkFlagRequired() on cobra commands
- Various manager methods

Run: golangci-lint run ./...

Could batch fix with:
1. Add explicit _ = for intentionally ignored errors
2. Handle errors properly where they matter
3. Consider adding //nolint:errcheck for cobra flag setup


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol @ 2025-12-24 19:45

Patrol 8: All healthy


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 7: Routine


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 3: stable


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 13


Test Patrol for Bonding

Parent issue for mol bond CLI test


Witness patrol: Add sibling-check for Refinery

Witness should check on Refinery health as part of patrol (village sibling watch).

## Implementation

1. Add `sibling-check` step to mol-witness-patrol
2. Use `gt peek <rig>/refinery 20` to check Refinery output
3. Check Refinery queue status: `gt mq list <rig>`
4. Look for:
   - Refinery session alive
   - Queue processing (if items present)
   - No stuck MRs (same MR in_progress for too long)
5. If Refinery seems stuck:
   - Send nudge or status request
   - Consider escalation to Deacon

## Acceptance
- Witness checks Refinery each patrol cycle
- Can detect stuck Refinery
- Provides backup oversight for merge queue


Phase 1.2: Configure bd for ephemeral molecule bonding

Ensure bd mol bond --ephemeral works with Gas Town setup.

## Questions for Dave

1. Does bd automatically find .beads-ephemeral/ or need explicit path?
2. How does bd mol bond --ephemeral know which repo to use?
3. Is there a redirect mechanism for ephemeral like main beads?

## Integration

From polecat/crew working directory:
```bash
bd mol bond mol-polecat-work --ephemeral --assignee $(gt whoami)
```

Should create molecule in rig's .beads-ephemeral/, not main beads.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 7: Interrupted, routine


Clean up duplicate patrol protos (gt-qflq, gt-iep9)

There are duplicate protos for patrol molecules:

## Duplicates

| Old Proto | New Proto | Name |
|-----------|-----------|------|
| gt-qflq | mol-witness-patrol | mol-witness-patrol |
| gt-iep9 | mol-deacon-patrol | mol-deacon-patrol |

The old gt-* prefix protos were created before the formula cooking system.
The new mol-* prefix protos were created by `bd cook`.

## Action

1. Close or delete the old gt-* protos
2. Update any references to use the new mol-* protos
3. Verify `bd mol list` shows clean output

## Root Cause

The bd cook command uses the formula name as the proto ID (mol-*),
not the project prefix (gt-*). This is probably correct behavior,
but means we have legacy protos to clean up.


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

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


Polecat template cleanup

Collection of improvements to the polecat role template (polecat.md.tmpl). Focus: reduce prose redundancy, move behavior into molecules, fix terminology, improve clarity.


Burn and respawn or loop

Burn and let daemon respawn, or exit if context high.

Decision point at end of patrol cycle:

If context is LOW:
- Sleep briefly (avoid tight loop)
- Return to inbox-check step

If context is HIGH:
- Write state to persistent storage
- Exit cleanly
- Let the daemon orchestrator respawn a fresh Deacon

The daemon ensures Deacon is always running:
```bash
# Daemon respawns on exit
gt daemon status
```

This enables infinite patrol duration via context-aware respawning.


Polecats should auto-cleanup after MR submission

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

## Desired Flow

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

## Implementation Options

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

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

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

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


Day 1.1: Add type=agent to bead schema

Add agent as a valid bead type in the schema. This is the foundation for agent-as-bead.

Parent: gt-d0jqp

Re-opened: Close reason referenced non-existent commit 927e8374. Type=agent not yet implemented in bd CLI.


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

GGT needs rig management commands.

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

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

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


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 16: Routine


Molecule converge: iterate until AI says done

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

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

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

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

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

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


Verify witness patrol loop executes

Verify witnesses run their patrol formula:

1. Check witness session: `gt session status gastown/witness`
2. If not running: `gt session start gastown/witness`
3. Watch witness: `tmux attach -t gt-gastown-witness`
4. Verify it cycles through:
   - inbox-check
   - process-cleanups
   - check-refinery
   - survey-workers
   - context-check
   - loop-or-exit

Test for both rigs: gastown and beads.


Polecats should not push branches to remote

## Current Behavior

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

## Desired Behavior

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

## Benefits

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

## Trade-offs

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

## Implementation

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


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 11: Nominal


gt crew refresh: Context cycling with handoff

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


Witness tmux status: show polecat count under management

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

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


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 2: All healthy, routine


Remove hook code from cmd callers

Remove hook file calls from:
- resume.go:151 - WriteSlungWork → use bd update --status=pinned
- park.go:114 - ReadHook → query pinned beads
- spawn.go:407 - WriteSlungWork → use bd update --status=pinned
- molecule_step.go:293 - WriteSlungWork → use bd update --status=pinned
- molecule_step.go:368 - BurnHook → use bd update --status=open


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 19: Nominal


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously, handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup. Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 9: All healthy


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously,
handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup.
Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.


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.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 16: All clear


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 13: Quick cycle, all quiet


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol #8


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 14: all healthy


mol-deacon-patrol


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

P6 clear


Update docs to reflect molecule-first paradigm

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

## Issues Found

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

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

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

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

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

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


142 instances of error suppression with _ = pattern

Code has 142 instances of '_ = ' error suppression in non-test code.
Examples:
- internal/polecat/manager.go: _ = pool.Load() - ignores state loading
- internal/daemon/notification.go: _ = os.WriteFile() - ignores file write
- internal/mail/router.go: _ = r.notifyRecipient() - notification ignored

These create silent failures and hard-to-debug issues.

Options:
1. Document intentional suppressions with comments
2. Handle errors properly where appropriate
3. At minimum, log suppressed errors at debug level


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol complete: cleaned 2 orphaned processes, 3 stale locks, all agents healthy


Ephemeral rig support for ad-hoc batch work

Support for temporary worker rigs for ad-hoc batch work.

## Use Case

Ad-hoc batch work where you want temporary workers:
- gt spawn --epic <epic-id> --ephemeral --workers 3
- Creates temp rig with 3 clones
- Workers process epic children
- Work merges through queue
- Clones cleaned up when done

## Interface

```go
type EphemeralRig struct {
    ID               string
    GitURL           string
    BaseCommit       string
    Workers          []string
    IntegrationBranch string
    EpicID           string  // associated epic (for cleanup trigger)
    CreatedAt        time.Time
}

func InitEphemeralRig(gitURL string, numWorkers int) (*EphemeralRig, error)
func (r *EphemeralRig) AddWorker(name string) error
func (r *EphemeralRig) Destroy(force bool) error
```

## Directory Structure

```
<rig>/ephemeral/
└── rig-a3f7/
    ├── config.json
    ├── Alice/     # clone
    ├── Bob/       # clone
    └── Carol/     # clone
```

## Cleanup Trigger

When all issues in the associated epic are closed AND merged, the ephemeral rig can be destroyed.

## Note

No swarm ID needed - the epic ID provides the grouping. Ephemeral rig is just a convenience for temporary clones.

## Reference

PGT: ephemeral.py (for structure, ignore swarm ID coupling)


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 11: All agents healthy, cleaned 18 stale wisps


mol-polecat-work

Full polecat lifecycle from assignment to decommission.

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

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


gt done: Notify Witness with exit outcome

When polecat runs gt done, it should send mail to Witness:

```
gt mail send <rig>/witness -s 'POLECAT_DONE <name>' -m 'Exit: COMPLETED
Issue: <issue-id>
MR: <mr-id>
Branch: <branch>'
```

Exit types:
- COMPLETED: Work done, MR submitted
- ESCALATED: Hit blocker, needs human
- DEFERRED: Work paused, issue still open

This enables Witness patrol to:
1. See completion in inbox-check step
2. Verify git state is clean
3. Kill session and prune worktree
4. Close the polecat lease in its patrol wisp

Paired with gt-r6td (spawn notification) - together they bracket polecat lifecycle.


Mol Mall: Formula Package Registry

A package registry for sharing and discovering formulas, schematics, and protocols.

## Concept

Like npm/Maven/Go modules but for workflow definitions.

```
mol-mall.io/
├── @gastown/           # Official Gas Town formulas
│   ├── shiny
│   ├── polecat-work
│   └── release
├── @acme-corp/         # Enterprise org (private)
│   └── compliance-review
├── @linus/             # Individual publisher
│   └── kernel-review
└── community/          # Unscoped public formulas
    └── towers-of-hanoi
```

## Resolution Hierarchy

```
1. Project:  ./.beads/formulas/          # Project-specific
2. Rig:      ~/gt/<rig>/.formulas/       # Rig-wide
3. Town:     ~/gt/.formulas/             # Town-wide (mayor stdlib)
4. User:     ~/.gastown/formulas/        # Personal collection
5. Mall:     mol-mall.io/                # Published packages
```

## Package Manifest

```toml
[package]
name = "shiny"
version = "1.2.0"
description = "Engineer in a Box"
authors = ["Gas Town <gastown@example.com>"]
license = "MIT"

[dependencies]
"@gastown/review-patterns" = "^2.0"
```

## Distribution Scenarios

1. **Celebrity Formulas**: Expert-curated workflows (e.g., Linus kernel review)
2. **Enterprise Compliance**: Private company formulas
3. **Standard Library**: @gastown/* blessed defaults
4. **Community Ecosystem**: Varying quality, needs ratings/verification

## Open Questions

1. Versioning semantics - SemVer? Breaking change rules?
2. Security model - sandboxing? signing? permissions?
3. Private registries - self-hosted? authentication?
4. Lock files - formulas.lock format?

## Related

- docs/formula_evolution.md - package ecosystem parallel section
- gt-8ws7o - Schematic (can be published)
- gt-y3jb9 - Protocol (can be published)


Test7

Test with fixed workdir


gt refinery attach: Attach to refinery session

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

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


gt sling should accept raw issues, not just molecules

Currently gt sling only works with molecules. When you try to sling a raw issue:

  gt sling gt-9uy0 gastown/crew/max
  Error: invalid thing: issue not found

Options:
1. Auto-wrap issues in a simple work molecule (mol-issue-work?)
2. Create a minimal 'envelope' molecule on the fly
3. Just pin the issue directly without a molecule wrapper

The friction of needing a molecule for every piece of work discourages using the sling mechanism for ad-hoc tasks.

Related: crew workers often want to pick up an issue without formal molecule choreography.


Day 1.5: Create role beads from CLAUDE.md content

Create role beads from existing CLAUDE.md files:
- gt-mayor-role (from mayor CLAUDE.md)
- gt-witness-role (from witness CLAUDE.md)
- gt-refinery-role (from refinery CLAUDE.md)

Each role bead contains priming instructions and default_molecule.

Parent: gt-d0jqp


ApplyBranches/ApplyGates mutate steps in place

ApplyBranches and ApplyGates claim to return a modified steps slice, but they actually mutate the original steps via the pointer map from buildStepMap().

```go
// ApplyBranches docstring says:
// Returns the modified steps slice (steps are modified in place for dependencies).
```

This is technically documented but violates the pattern established by ApplyLoops and ApplyAdvice which return new step slices.

Options:
1. Document explicitly that these functions mutate in place (current behavior)
2. Clone steps before modification for true immutability
3. Accept this as intentional since it's an optimization

The current behavior is safe because cook.go doesn't reuse the input slice, but could cause subtle bugs if callers expect immutability.

Recommend option 1 (document) or 2 (clone) for consistency.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol @ 2025-12-24 19:47

Patrol 17: All healthy


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 8: all healthy


Test Task 1: Add comment to gt.go


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-md2rg
bonded_ref: arm-toast
bonded_at: 2025-12-23T10:00:00Z


mol-deacon-patrol


Update gastown to use 'ephemeral' instead of 'wisp' terminology

After beads renames 'wisp' to 'ephemeral' (bd-o18s), update gastown code:

- patrol_helpers.go: bd wisp create → bd ephemeral create (or new API)
- doctor/wisp_check.go: rename to ephemeral_check.go
- All references to Wisp field → Ephemeral

Depends on: bd-o18s


Test: Alpha to Beta

Sibling communication test


verify-tests

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

go test ./...

Fix any test failures before proceeding.

Depends: implement


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 7: All clear


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)


Add gt role command group with env-based role detection

# gt role Command Group

Make role detection less fragile by using env var injection instead of cwd detection.

## Env Vars
- `GT_ROLE` - authoritative role name (mayor, witness, refinery, polecat, crew)
- `GT_ROLE_HOME` - canonical home directory for the role

## Detection Precedence
1. `$GT_ROLE` env var (authoritative)
2. Fall back to cwd-based detection (legacy/manual)
3. Warn if they disagree

## Subcommands
- `gt role` / `gt role show` - show current role
- `gt role home [ROLE]` - show home dir for role
- `gt role detect` - force cwd-based detection (debugging)
- `gt role list` - list all known roles
- `gt role env` - print export statements

## Integration Points
- gt prime - show role, warn on mismatch
- gt mol status - use gt role instead of own detection
- gt handoff - preserve GT_ROLE, reset to home
- All spawners - inject GT_ROLE and GT_ROLE_HOME

## Background
Mayor wandered to refinery dir, handoff preserved it, role detection broke.
Env var injection makes role stable across cd operations.


Batch wisp squashing in Deacon maintenance

Add wisp squashing to Deacon's maintenance duties:
- Patrol plugin to find orphaned/completed wisps across all rigs
- Squash completed patrol wisps to digests
- Burn abandoned wisps that have no audit value
- Part of the hygiene/cleanup system

Also: Witness polecat shutdown should spawn its own short wisp for the cleanup protocol.


Execute registered plugins

Execute registered plugins.

Scan ~/gt/plugins/ for plugin directories. Each plugin has a plugin.md with YAML frontmatter defining its gate (when to run) and instructions (what to do).

See docs/deacon-plugins.md for full documentation.

Gate types:
- cooldown: Time since last run (e.g., 24h)
- cron: Schedule-based (e.g., "0 9 * * *")
- condition: Metric threshold (e.g., wisp count > 50)
- event: Trigger-based (e.g., startup, heartbeat)

For each plugin:
1. Read plugin.md frontmatter to check gate
2. Compare against state.json (last run, etc.)
3. If gate is open, execute the plugin

Plugins marked parallel: true can run concurrently using Task tool subagents. Sequential plugins run one at a time in directory order.

Skip this step if ~/gt/plugins/ does not exist or is empty.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 3: All healthy, routine


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 19: Quiet


Merge: gt-pyqv

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


Load context

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

Read the assigned issue (gt-8tmz.34) and understand the requirements.
Identify any blockers or missing information.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 16: all healthy


Molecule schema: YAML format for workflow definitions

Define the YAML schema for molecule definitions:

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

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

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


Add human escalation configuration

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


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 10: healthy


gt nudge should accept partial/fuzzy session names

Currently gt nudge requires the exact tmux session name (e.g., gt-gastown-crew-max). Should be more forgiving:

1. Accept partial matches when unambiguous (e.g., 'max' → gt-gastown-crew-max)
2. Accept shorthand like 'gastown/max' or 'crew/max'
3. Show helpful error with suggestions when ambiguous

Examples that should work:
- gt nudge max '...' → matches gt-gastown-crew-max
- gt nudge gastown/max '...' → matches gt-gastown-crew-max
- gt nudge beads-dave '...' → matches gt-beads-crew-dave


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol @ 2025-12-24 19:48

Patrol 18: All healthy


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol complete: inbox empty, all agents healthy (mayor, 2 witnesses, 2 refineries), no orphans


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 20: Final patrol, handing off


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


Handle callbacks from agents

Handle callbacks from agents.

Check the Mayor's inbox for messages from:
- Witnesses reporting polecat status
- Refineries reporting merge results
- Polecats requesting help or escalation
- External triggers (webhooks, timers)

```bash
gt mail inbox
# For each message:
gt mail read <id>
# Handle based on message type
```

Callbacks may spawn new polecats, update issue state, or trigger other actions.


Load context

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

Read the assigned issue (gt-8tmz.10) and understand the requirements.
Identify any blockers or missing information.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 8: clear


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 17: healthy


Witness: auto-nuke polecats after merge

## Problem
Polecats linger after merge. Manual cleanup required.

## ZFC-Compliant Solution
Add step to `mol-witness-patrol.formula.toml`:

```toml
[[step]]
id = "cleanup-merged-polecats"
title = "Remove polecats after merge"
description = """
1. Check inbox for MERGED messages from refinery: gt mail inbox
2. For each MERGED notification:
   - Extract polecat name from message
   - Verify branch is actually gone: git branch -r | grep polecat/<name>
   - Kill session if running: tmux kill-session -t gt-<rig>-<polecat>
   - Remove worktree: gt polecat remove <rig>/<polecat> --force
   - Delete the MERGED mail
3. Log cleanup in state.json
"""
depends_on = ["check-ready-branches"]
```

## Why This Works
- Witness agent receives MERGED signal from refinery (mail)
- Agent verifies before acting (checks branch really gone)
- Agent runs gt/tmux commands
- No daemon code

## Files
- formulas/mol-witness-patrol.formula.toml


mol-gastown-boot

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

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

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

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

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


Refactor builtin_molecules.go (1620 lines)

## Summary

builtin_molecules.go is 1620 lines and growing. Should be split into:
- builtin_molecules.go - registration and common helpers
- molecules_patrol.go - patrol molecules (deacon, witness, refinery)
- molecules_work.go - work molecules (polecat-work, ready-work, engineer-in-box)
- molecules_session.go - session wrappers (crew-session, polecat-session)

## Benefits
- Easier to find/edit specific molecules
- Smaller diffs on changes
- Clear categorization


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 20: Mayor OK, 11 sessions


Extended addressing: Parse [machine:]rig/polecat

Extended addressing for cross-machine operations.

## Address Format

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

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

## Parser

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

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

## Validation

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

## Usage

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

## Backward Compatibility

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


Slim down rig root config.json to identity only

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


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.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 18: All clear


Day 3.3: Witness sends MERGE_READY to refinery

When polecat completes work:
1. Witness detects completion (hook_bead closed, state=stopped)
2. Witness sends mail to refinery: MERGE_READY
3. Mail includes branch name and work bead ID

Parent: gt-hwka3


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.


EXTERNAL: Beads Messaging & Knowledge Graph (bd-kwro)

Tracking issue for external dependency on Beads v0.30.2 messaging features.

Beads epic: bd-kwro in ~/src/beads (steveyegge/beads repo)

This blocks GGT work that depends on:
- bd mail send/inbox/read/ack commands
- message issue type
- replies_to threading
- Hooks system for notifications
- Identity configuration

GGT mail commands will be thin wrappers around bd mail once available.

When bd-kwro ships in Beads v0.30.2, close this and unblock dependent work.


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

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


bd mol search: Find formulas using GitHub API

Search for formulas across GitHub.

Usage: bd mol search <query>

Should:
- Use GitHub API to search repos with formula.json
- Filter by topics (e.g., beads-formula)
- Display results with descriptions and stars
- Support pagination


Remove legacy .beads-wisp/ infrastructure

The wisp simplification (gt-fgms + bd-bkul) changed wisps to be just a flag on issues in the main .beads/ database. JSONL export filters Wisp=true issues. No separate directory needed.

But legacy .beads-wisp/ infrastructure still exists and should be removed:

## Gas Town (gt) cleanup:
- `internal/rig/manager.go`: Remove `initWispBeads()` call from `AddRig()`
- `internal/wisp/io.go`: Delete entire file (old abstraction layer)
- `internal/cmd/install.go`: Remove any .beads-wisp setup
- `docs/wisp-architecture.md`: Update to reflect 'just a flag' model

## Beads (bd) cleanup:
- `cmd/bd/doctor/wisp_check.go`: Remove WispExistsCheck, WispGitCheck, WispSizeCheck (check .beads-wisp dirs)
- Keep WispOrphansCheck and WispStaleCheck but rewrite to query main DB for Wisp=true issues

## Filesystem cleanup:
- Delete ~/gt/.beads-wisp/
- Delete ~/gt/gastown/.beads-wisp/
- Delete all per-rig .beads-wisp/ directories
- Remove .beads-wisp from .gitignore entries

## Verify:
- `gt mail send --wisp` still works (creates issue with Wisp=true in main DB)
- `bd sync` still filters wisps from JSONL
- `bd mol squash/burn` still work on Wisp=true issues


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 20: OK - Handoff threshold reached


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 12: clear


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously, handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup. Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 5: all healthy


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 14


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously,
handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup.
Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.


mol-deacon-patrol


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 19


Test Patrol Parent

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

Original description:
Test parent for Christmas Ornament pattern


generate-summary

Summarize patrol cycle for digest.

Needs: save-state


Patrol lifecycle integration test

Verify patrol runs 3+ cycles without wisp accumulation. bd wisp list should show <5 wisps. Context cycles cleanly produce handoff mail. Test with Deacon patrol.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 19: all healthy


Merge: gt-h6eq.7

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


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 16: all clear


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


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 20: All healthy - final patrol


Evaluate pending async gates

Evaluate pending async gates.

Gates are async coordination primitives that block until conditions are met.
The Deacon is responsible for monitoring gates and closing them when ready.

**Timer gates** (await_type: timer):
Check if elapsed time since creation exceeds the timeout duration.

```bash
# List all open gates
bd gate list --json

# For each timer gate, check if elapsed:
# - CreatedAt + Timeout < Now → gate is ready to close
# - Close with: bd gate close <id> --reason "Timer elapsed"
```

**GitHub gates** (await_type: gh:run, gh:pr) - handled in separate step.

**Human/Mail gates** - require external input, skip here.

After closing a gate, the Waiters field contains mail addresses to notify.
Send a brief notification to each waiter that the gate has cleared.


self-review

Review your own changes. Look for:
- Bugs and edge cases
- Style issues
- Missing error handling
- Security concerns

Fix any issues found before proceeding.

Depends: implement


Test polecat lifecycle end-to-end

Test the full polecat lifecycle:

1. **Spawn**: Sling a test issue to a polecat
```bash
bd create --title="Test issue for polecat" --type=task
gt sling gt-<id> gastown
```

2. **Execute**: Watch polecat work
```bash
tmux attach -t gt-gastown-<name>
```

3. **Complete**: Polecat should:
   - Close the issue: `bd close gt-<id>`
   - Commit work: `git commit && git push`
   - Send POLECAT_DONE mail to witness

4. **Cleanup**: Witness should:
   - Receive POLECAT_DONE
   - Verify git state clean
   - Kill session and remove worktree

Success: Issue closed, PR merged, polecat cleaned up.


Test Patrol Parent

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

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

Original description:
Test parent for Christmas Ornament pattern


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol @ 2025-12-24 19:28

Patrol 17


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 5: all quiet


Polecat auto-start: Claude doesn't process initial nudge

After gt sling spawns a polecat, the 'Work slung' message is sent to tmux but Claude sits idle at the prompt. The SessionStart hook doesn't fire because no user input was received.

Observed:
- gt sling successfully spawns polecat, creates worktree, starts Claude
- Sends 'Work slung: gt-xxx. Start working on it now...' to the pane
- Claude shows idle prompt 'Try refactor...' and doesn't process the message

Expected:
- Polecat should auto-start working on the slung issue

Root cause hypothesis:
- The nudge is sent as tmux send-keys which goes to the input line
- Claude needs Enter to be pressed to submit the prompt
- SessionStart hook only fires after first user message

Workaround:
- Send extra Enter after the nudge message
- Or use daemon's triggerPendingSpawns to send Enter after Claude is ready


gt install command: Create workspace structure

Create Gas Town workspace structure.

## Command

```
gt install [path]
```

If path omitted, uses current directory.

## Created Structure

```
<path>/
├── config/
│   ├── town.json      # {"type": "town", "version": 1, ...}
│   └── rigs.json      # {"version": 1, "rigs": {}}
│
└── mayor/
    ├── CLAUDE.md      # Mayor role prompting (from template)
    ├── mail/
    │   └── inbox.jsonl  # Empty inbox
    └── state.json     # Initial mayor state
```

## Implementation

```go
func Install(path string, opts InstallOptions) error

type InstallOptions struct {
    TownName string  // defaults to directory name
    Force    bool    // overwrite existing
}
```

## Steps

1. Validate path (exists, writable)
2. Check not already a town (unless --force)
3. Create config/ directory
4. Write town.json with name and timestamp
5. Write empty rigs.json
6. Create mayor/ directory structure
7. Write CLAUDE.md from template
8. Create empty inbox.jsonl
9. Write initial state.json

## Error Cases

- Path does not exist: Create it (like mkdir -p)
- Already a town: Error unless --force
- Permission denied: Clear error message
- Inside existing town: Warn (nested towns not recommended)

## Templates

Mayor CLAUDE.md comes from embedded template (see gt-u1j.20).


Add gate timeout tracking and notification

Implement timeout and notification logic for gates.

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

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

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


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


gt uninstall: Clean removal of Gas Town harness

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

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


Git safety audit module

Port git_audit.py safety checks to Go.

## Purpose

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

## Checks

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

## Beads-Only Classification

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

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

## Interface

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

func (r *GitAuditResult) HasCodeAtRisk() bool

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

## Reference

PGT: swarm/git_audit.py


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 17


Campaign: Large-Scale Work Graph Execution

A Campaign is a Molecule-wrapped Epic graph ready for orchestrated execution.

## Concept

Campaign = Molecule + Epics + Dependency Graph + Execution Strategy

Key properties:
1. **Work graph**: Linked epics with dependency edges (possibly from different authors)
2. **Combinators as glue**: >>, |, wrap define bridging/shaping between epics
3. **Molecule shell**: Provides execution state, persistence across sessions
4. **Witness-aware**: Can be parallelized across polecats on independent branches
5. **Single-rig scoped**: One rig executes it (spans sessions/polecats)

## The "Maximum Speed" Model

Witness becomes a scheduler that:
- Watches campaign progress
- Identifies ready nodes (all dependencies satisfied)
- Spawns/assigns polecats to ready nodes
- Respects parallelism constraints
- Handles failures (retry? skip? escalate?)

## Where Campaign Fits in MEOW

Campaign is the convergence point where work-tracking meets workflow-execution:
- An Epic-of-Epics (work dimension)
- A Molecule (workflow dimension)

## Open Questions

1. Campaign creation UX - manual wire vs declare intent?
2. Partial completion - can you commit progress and resume?
3. Distinct entity type or molecule with type="campaign"?
4. Cross-rig campaigns - can graph span multiple rigs?

## Related

- docs/formula_evolution.md - original discussion
- gt-8tmz - molecule algebra (foundation)


Role templates: rename 'Dependency Trap' to 'Gotchas when Filing Beads'

The 'Dependency Trap' heading is too specific. Rename to something like 'Gotchas when Filing Beads' or 'Beads Filing Tips'. Applies to all role templates (polecat, crew, mayor, witness, refinery, deacon).


Test from Mayor

This is a test message via GGT mail


Merge: gt-3x1

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


Implement shared beads architecture for rig

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

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

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

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

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


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 5: nominal


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

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


gt spawn: pasted work assignment needs manual Enter to start

## Problem

After `gt spawn` pastes the work assignment into Claude, the session waits for Enter.

## Current Behavior

1. `gt spawn gastown/Rictus --issue gt-xxx`
2. Session starts, work is pasted
3. Claude shows 'Pasted text #1 +53 lines' but doesn't start
4. Must manually send Enter or attach and press Enter

## Expected

The spawn should send Enter after pasting to kick off the work.

## Related

Same debounce issue as tmux notifications (gt-vnp9).


Test Polecat Arm

Test child for bonding pattern


mol-deacon-patrol

Mayor's daemon patrol loop.

The Deacon is the Mayor's background process that runs continuously,
handling callbacks, monitoring rig health, and performing cleanup.
Each patrol cycle runs these steps in sequence, then loops or exits.


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.


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol @ 2025-12-24 19:24

Patrol 9: quiet


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol cycle 15: routine


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 19: All healthy


mol-deacon-patrol


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 14: healthy


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 13: routine


ensure-gastown-refinery

Start the gastown rig Refinery.

## Action
```bash
gt refinery start gastown
```

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

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

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


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 4: Routine, all healthy


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

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


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 4: gastown+beads witnesses/refineries healthy


load-context

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

Read the assigned issue (gt-u2vg) and understand the requirements.
Identify any blockers or missing information.


Test

Body


Molecule instantiation: create child beads from template

When instantiating a molecule on a work bead:

## Transaction Flow

1. Parse molecule's `## Step:` sections from description
2. Begin SQLite transaction
3. For each step, create child issue:
   - ID: `{parent-id}.{step-ref}` or generated
   - Title: step title (from header or first line)
   - Description: step prose instructions
   - Type: task
   - Priority: inherit from parent
4. Add `instantiated-from` edge from each step to molecule:
   ```sql
   INSERT INTO dependencies (issue_id, depends_on_id, type, metadata)
   VALUES (step_id, mol_id, 'instantiated-from', '{"step": "implement"}');
   ```
5. Wire inter-step dependencies from `Needs:` lines
6. Commit transaction (atomic - all or nothing)

## Parsing Conventions

```markdown
## Step: <ref>
<prose instructions>
Needs: <step>, <step>  # optional
Tier: haiku|sonnet|opus  # optional hint
```

## Parameterization

Steps can have `{{variable}}` placeholders:
```markdown
## Step: implement
Implement {{feature_name}} in {{target_file}}.
```

Context map provided at instantiation time.

## API

```go
func (s *Store) InstantiateMolecule(mol *Issue, parent *Issue, ctx map[string]string) ([]*Issue, error)
func ParseMoleculeSteps(description string) ([]MoleculeStep, error)
```

Implementation lives in `internal/beads/molecule.go`.


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-on0i
bonded_ref: arm-toast
bonded_at: 2025-12-23T10:00:00Z


Digest: mol-deacon-patrol

Patrol 3: all healthy


Refinery Patrol

Merge queue processor patrol loop with verification gates.