fix(autopilot): add --target to value-flag set so install targets survive positional translation

Review finding on #3103: --target is installDaemon's value flag
(macos | linux-systemd | ephemeral-container | linux-cron). The
translator only knew --repo/--interval, so `gbrain autopilot
--install --target linux-cron` misread the target value as an
unknown positional subcommand and exited 2 before installDaemon ran.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

.github/workflows/test.yml

@@ -206,11 +206,7 @@ jobs:
     needs: cache-check
     if: needs.cache-check.outputs.hit != 'true'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    # 20 (was 15): shard 4 runs ~14.5 min on master (dream.test.ts ~29s/test
-    # dominates it) and hits the 15-min ceiling on slower runners, cancelling
-    # mid-run with 0 test failures. Rebalancing via
-    # scripts/mine-shard-weights.ts is the real fix; this stops the bleeding.
-    timeout-minutes: 20
+    timeout-minutes: 15
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:

src/commands/autopilot.ts

@@ -151,6 +151,100 @@ export function shouldSpawnAutopilotWorker(args: string[]): boolean {
   return !args.includes('--no-worker');
 }
 
+/**
+ * #1525 — positional subcommand translation.
+ *
+ * Pre-fix, `gbrain autopilot status` silently fell through to "start daemon"
+ * because `runAutopilot()` only branched on flag forms (`--status`, etc.).
+ * `status` was treated as a stray positional and ignored.
+ *
+ * This translator maps known positional subcommands to their flag form so
+ * `autopilot status` is equivalent to `autopilot --status`, then rejects
+ * any unrecognized positional with a fail-loud error before any side
+ * effect (lockfile, daemon spawn, sync dispatch) runs.
+ *
+ * Scope decisions:
+ *   - Known aliases: `status` → `--status`, `install` → `--install`,
+ *     `uninstall` → `--uninstall`, `start` → (drop; default daemon launch).
+ *   - `stop` is intentionally NOT aliased here. Stopping a running daemon
+ *     is a new behavior (read PID from lock, SIGTERM, drain) that deserves
+ *     its own design and PR. Users typing `gbrain autopilot stop` today get
+ *     the unknown-positional error with the canonical alternatives.
+ *   - At most one positional allowed; multiple positionals fail loud.
+ */
+// Every flag that consumes the NEXT argv token. Missing one here makes the
+// translator misread the flag's value as a positional subcommand and exit 2
+// (e.g. `--install --target linux-cron`). Keep in sync with parseArg call sites.
+const AUTOPILOT_VALUE_FLAGS = new Set(['--repo', '--interval', '--target']);
+const AUTOPILOT_POSITIONAL_ALIASES: Record<string, string | null> = {
+  status: '--status',
+  install: '--install',
+  uninstall: '--uninstall',
+  start: null, // drop the positional; default behavior is daemon launch
+};
+
+export type PositionalTranslation =
+  | { ok: true; args: string[] }
+  | {
+      ok: false;
+      reason: 'unknown_subcommand' | 'multiple_subcommands';
+      message: string;
+    };
+
+export function translatePositionalSubcommands(args: string[]): PositionalTranslation {
+  const out: string[] = [];
+  let positionalSeen = false;
+  let i = 0;
+  while (i < args.length) {
+    const a = args[i];
+    if (AUTOPILOT_VALUE_FLAGS.has(a)) {
+      // Pass through the flag and its value untouched. If the value is
+      // missing at end-of-argv, fall through so the existing parseArg
+      // path can report the broken usage.
+      out.push(a);
+      if (i + 1 < args.length) {
+        out.push(args[i + 1]);
+        i += 2;
+      } else {
+        i += 1;
+      }
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (a.startsWith('-')) {
+      out.push(a);
+      i += 1;
+      continue;
+    }
+    // Positional subcommand.
+    if (positionalSeen) {
+      const known = Object.keys(AUTOPILOT_POSITIONAL_ALIASES).join(', ');
+      return {
+        ok: false,
+        reason: 'multiple_subcommands',
+        message: `Multiple subcommands given. Use only one of: ${known}.`,
+      };
+    }
+    positionalSeen = true;
+    if (a in AUTOPILOT_POSITIONAL_ALIASES) {
+      const alias = AUTOPILOT_POSITIONAL_ALIASES[a];
+      if (alias) out.push(alias);
+      i += 1;
+      continue;
+    }
+    const known = Object.keys(AUTOPILOT_POSITIONAL_ALIASES).join(', ');
+    return {
+      ok: false,
+      reason: 'unknown_subcommand',
+      message:
+        `Unknown subcommand: \`${a}\`.\n` +
+        `Allowed subcommands: ${known}.\n` +
+        `Or use the flag form: --status, --install, --uninstall.\n` +
+        `Run \`gbrain autopilot --help\` for full usage.`,
+    };
+  }
+  return { ok: true, args: out };
+}
+
 export function isPidAlive(pid: number): boolean {
   if (!Number.isFinite(pid) || pid <= 0) return false;
   try {
@@ -363,6 +457,11 @@ export async function runAutopilot(engine: BrainEngine, args: string[]) {
       '       gbrain autopilot --install [--repo <path>]\n' +
       '       gbrain autopilot --uninstall\n' +
       '       gbrain autopilot --status [--json]\n\n' +
+      'Subcommand aliases:\n' +
+      '       gbrain autopilot status     → --status\n' +
+      '       gbrain autopilot install    → --install\n' +
+      '       gbrain autopilot uninstall  → --uninstall\n' +
+      '       gbrain autopilot start      → (default daemon launch)\n\n' +
       'Self-maintaining brain daemon. Runs the full maintenance cycle\n' +
       '(lint + backlinks + sync + extract + embed + orphans) on an interval.\n\n' +
       'For a one-shot cron-triggered cycle, see `gbrain dream`.',
@@ -370,6 +469,16 @@ export async function runAutopilot(engine: BrainEngine, args: string[]) {
     return;
   }
 
+  // #1525: translate positional subcommands to their flag form BEFORE any
+  // side effect (lockfile, daemon spawn, sync dispatch). Unknown positionals
+  // fail loud here rather than silently starting the daemon.
+  const translated = translatePositionalSubcommands(args);
+  if (!translated.ok) {
+    console.error(translated.message);
+    process.exit(2);
+  }
+  args = translated.args;
+
   if (args.includes('--install')) {
     await installDaemon(engine, args);
     return;

src/core/skill-manifest.ts

@@ -23,15 +23,6 @@
  * hold conventions and shared rule files, not skills. Files like
  * `_brain-filing-rules.md` live at the root and are not considered
  * skills by either loader.
- *
- * ClawHub-installed workspace skills (#1767): a skill dir carrying
- * `.clawhub/origin.json` is an externally-managed runtime integration
- * (e.g. an email or catalog skill), not a gbrain-routable skill. The
- * derive path SKIPS those so `gbrain doctor` resolver_health doesn't
- * hard-fail on them — UNLESS the skill's SKILL.md frontmatter declares
- * `triggers:`, which is the explicit opt-in to gbrain routing (and the
- * same surface that makes it reachable). An explicit manifest.json that
- * lists a ClawHub skill also keeps strict checking (verbatim path).
  */
 
 import { existsSync, readFileSync, readdirSync, statSync } from 'fs';
@@ -69,27 +60,9 @@ function parseSkillName(skillMdPath: string): string | null {
   }
 }
 
-/**
- * Does the SKILL.md frontmatter declare a `triggers:` key? A ClawHub-
- * installed skill that ships gbrain `triggers:` has explicitly opted in
- * to gbrain routing and gets full resolver checks (#1767).
- */
-function declaresTriggers(skillMdPath: string): boolean {
-  try {
-    const content = readFileSync(skillMdPath, 'utf-8');
-    const fmMatch = content.match(/^---\n([\s\S]*?)\n---/);
-    if (!fmMatch) return false;
-    return /^triggers:/m.test(fmMatch[1]);
-  } catch {
-    return false;
-  }
-}
-
 /**
  * Walk skillsDir, return every `<skillsDir>/<dir>/SKILL.md` as a
- * ManifestEntry. Dotfile and underscore-prefixed dirs are skipped, as
- * are ClawHub-installed external skills that haven't opted in to gbrain
- * routing via `triggers:` frontmatter (#1767).
+ * ManifestEntry. Dotfile and underscore-prefixed dirs are skipped.
  */
 function deriveManifest(skillsDir: string): ManifestEntry[] {
   const out: ManifestEntry[] = [];
@@ -120,12 +93,6 @@ function deriveManifest(skillsDir: string): ManifestEntry[] {
     const skillMd = join(subdirAbs, 'SKILL.md');
     if (!existsSync(skillMd)) continue;
 
-    // ClawHub-installed external skill (#1767): skip unless it opts in
-    // to gbrain routing by declaring `triggers:` in its frontmatter.
-    if (existsSync(join(subdirAbs, '.clawhub', 'origin.json')) && !declaresTriggers(skillMd)) {
-      continue;
-    }
-
     const frontmatterName = parseSkillName(skillMd);
     const name = frontmatterName && frontmatterName !== '' ? frontmatterName : entry;
     out.push({ name, path: `${entry}/SKILL.md` });

test/autopilot-positional-subcommands.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,197 @@
+/**
+ * Tests for translatePositionalSubcommands() — the v0.41.x #1525 fix that
+ * prevents `gbrain autopilot status` from silently starting the daemon.
+ *
+ * IRON RULE regression guard: the exact ticket repro (`gbrain autopilot
+ * status`) MUST translate to `--status`, not fall through to the default
+ * daemon launch. Verified by the "ticket-exact repro" case below.
+ */
+
+import { describe, test, expect } from 'bun:test';
+import { translatePositionalSubcommands } from '../src/commands/autopilot.ts';
+
+describe('translatePositionalSubcommands — known aliases', () => {
+  test('IRON RULE — `autopilot status` translates to `--status` (ticket #1525 repro)', () => {
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['status']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (r.ok) expect(r.args).toEqual(['--status']);
+  });
+
+  test('`install` translates to `--install`', () => {
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['install']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (r.ok) expect(r.args).toEqual(['--install']);
+  });
+
+  test('`uninstall` translates to `--uninstall`', () => {
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['uninstall']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (r.ok) expect(r.args).toEqual(['--uninstall']);
+  });
+
+  test('`start` drops the positional (default daemon launch)', () => {
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['start']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (r.ok) expect(r.args).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  test('`start --json` drops only the positional, keeps the flag', () => {
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['start', '--json']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (r.ok) expect(r.args).toEqual(['--json']);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('translatePositionalSubcommands — flag/positional interleaving', () => {
+  test('`status --json` preserves the trailing flag', () => {
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['status', '--json']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (r.ok) expect(r.args).toEqual(['--status', '--json']);
+  });
+
+  test('`--json status` preserves the leading flag', () => {
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['--json', 'status']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (r.ok) expect(r.args).toEqual(['--json', '--status']);
+  });
+
+  test('`--repo /foo status` does not mis-classify the path as positional', () => {
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['--repo', '/foo', 'status']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (r.ok) expect(r.args).toEqual(['--repo', '/foo', '--status']);
+  });
+
+  test('`--interval 300 install` does not mis-classify the number as positional', () => {
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['--interval', '300', 'install']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (r.ok) expect(r.args).toEqual(['--interval', '300', '--install']);
+  });
+
+  test('`--install --target linux-cron` does not mis-classify the target as positional', () => {
+    // --target is installDaemon's value flag; its value must never be read
+    // as a positional subcommand (regression guard for the review fix).
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['--install', '--target', 'linux-cron']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (r.ok) expect(r.args).toEqual(['--install', '--target', 'linux-cron']);
+  });
+
+  test('`install --target macos` keeps the alias translation and the target value', () => {
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['install', '--target', 'macos']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (r.ok) expect(r.args).toEqual(['--install', '--target', 'macos']);
+  });
+
+  test('value-flag at end of argv with missing value passes through (so parseArg can report it)', () => {
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['--repo']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (r.ok) expect(r.args).toEqual(['--repo']);
+  });
+
+  test('value-flag whose value looks like an alias is NOT translated', () => {
+    // `--repo status` means "use repo path 'status'", not "show status".
+    // Translator must not destructure the value of --repo.
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['--repo', 'status']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (r.ok) expect(r.args).toEqual(['--repo', 'status']);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('translatePositionalSubcommands — pass-through cases', () => {
+  test('empty args returns empty args', () => {
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands([]);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (r.ok) expect(r.args).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  test('flag-only invocation passes through unchanged', () => {
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['--status', '--json']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (r.ok) expect(r.args).toEqual(['--status', '--json']);
+  });
+
+  test('short flag `-h` passes through unchanged', () => {
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['-h']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (r.ok) expect(r.args).toEqual(['-h']);
+  });
+
+  test('all known bare flags pass through unchanged', () => {
+    const flags = ['--help', '--install', '--uninstall', '--status', '--json', '--inline', '--no-worker'];
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(flags);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (r.ok) expect(r.args).toEqual(flags);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('translatePositionalSubcommands — rejection of unknown positionals', () => {
+  test('unknown positional `foo` fails with reason=unknown_subcommand + structured message', () => {
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['foo']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(false);
+    if (!r.ok) {
+      expect(r.reason).toBe('unknown_subcommand');
+      expect(r.message).toContain('Unknown subcommand: `foo`');
+      expect(r.message).toContain('status');
+      expect(r.message).toContain('install');
+      expect(r.message).toContain('uninstall');
+      expect(r.message).toContain('--help');
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('unknown positional `stop` fails with reason=unknown_subcommand (NOT silently aliased)', () => {
+    // Stop is mentioned in the ticket but deliberately NOT aliased in this
+    // PR — stopping a running daemon is a new behavior, not just an alias.
+    // Until that feature lands separately, `stop` must fail loud rather
+    // than starting the daemon (the bug we're fixing).
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['stop']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(false);
+    if (!r.ok) {
+      expect(r.reason).toBe('unknown_subcommand');
+      expect(r.message).toContain('Unknown subcommand: `stop`');
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('unknown positional `status-detail` (close-but-not-matching) fails', () => {
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['status-detail']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(false);
+    if (!r.ok) {
+      expect(r.reason).toBe('unknown_subcommand');
+      expect(r.message).toContain('Unknown subcommand: `status-detail`');
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('multiple positionals fail with reason=multiple_subcommands (`start install`)', () => {
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['start', 'install']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(false);
+    if (!r.ok) {
+      expect(r.reason).toBe('multiple_subcommands');
+      expect(r.message).toContain('Multiple subcommands');
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('multiple positionals fail even when both are known aliases (`status install`)', () => {
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['status', 'install']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(false);
+    if (!r.ok) {
+      expect(r.reason).toBe('multiple_subcommands');
+      expect(r.message).toContain('Multiple subcommands');
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('known-then-unknown rejects with multiple_subcommands (first-positional-wins)', () => {
+    // First positional is known, second is not. Rejection comes from the
+    // multiple-positional rule, which fires before the unknown check; the
+    // intent is "only one subcommand allowed."
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['status', 'garbage']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(false);
+    if (!r.ok) expect(r.reason).toBe('multiple_subcommands');
+  });
+
+  test('unknown-then-known rejects on the unknown (unknown fires before second-positional check)', () => {
+    const r = translatePositionalSubcommands(['garbage', 'status']);
+    expect(r.ok).toBe(false);
+    if (!r.ok) {
+      expect(r.reason).toBe('unknown_subcommand');
+      expect(r.message).toContain('garbage');
+    }
+  });
+});

test/check-resolvable.test.ts

@@ -382,35 +382,6 @@ describe("DRY detection — checkResolvable", () => {
   });
 });
 
-describe("#1767 — ClawHub workspace skills are not resolver-required", () => {
-  let dir: string;
-  afterEachCleanup(() => dir && rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true }));
-
-  test("ClawHub skill without gbrain metadata produces no unreachable/mece_gap", () => {
-    dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "gbrain-clawhub-"));
-    // Native gbrain skill: routable via frontmatter triggers. No manifest.json
-    // (the OpenClaw derive path from the issue repro).
-    mkdirSync(join(dir, "query"), { recursive: true });
-    writeFileSync(
-      join(dir, "query", "SKILL.md"),
-      `---\nname: query\ndescription: test\ntriggers:\n  - "what do we know"\n---\n\n# query\n`
-    );
-    // ClawHub-installed integration: no triggers, no resolver row.
-    mkdirSync(join(dir, "agentmail", ".clawhub"), { recursive: true });
-    writeFileSync(
-      join(dir, "agentmail", ".clawhub", "origin.json"),
-      JSON.stringify({ registry: "https://clawhub.ai", slug: "agentmail" })
-    );
-    writeFileSync(join(dir, "agentmail", "SKILL.md"), `---\nname: agentmail\ndescription: email integration\n---\n\n# agentmail\n`);
-
-    const report = checkResolvable(dir);
-    const agentmailIssues = report.issues.filter(i => i.skill === "agentmail");
-    expect(agentmailIssues).toEqual([]);
-    expect(report.ok).toBe(true);
-    expect(report.summary.total_skills).toBe(1);
-  });
-});
-
 describe("v0.22.4 regression — actual repo skills/ has 0 errors", () => {
   test("repo skills/ pass check-resolvable cleanly (zero errors AND zero warnings)", () => {
     // The v0.22.4 (Part A) contract was zero warnings AND zero errors.

test/skill-manifest.test.ts

@@ -166,55 +166,6 @@ describe('loadOrDeriveManifest', () => {
     expect(r.skills.map(s => s.name)).toEqual(['apple', 'mango', 'zebra']);
   });
 
-  // #1767 — ClawHub-installed workspace skills are external integrations,
-  // not gbrain-routable skills. The derive path skips them unless they
-  // opt in via `triggers:` frontmatter.
-  it('skips ClawHub-origin skills without triggers frontmatter (#1767)', () => {
-    const dir = scratch();
-    writeSkill(dir, 'query', 'query');
-    writeSkill(dir, 'agentmail', 'agentmail');
-    mkdirSync(join(dir, 'agentmail', '.clawhub'), { recursive: true });
-    writeFileSync(
-      join(dir, 'agentmail', '.clawhub', 'origin.json'),
-      JSON.stringify({ registry: 'https://clawhub.ai', slug: 'agentmail' })
-    );
-    const r = loadOrDeriveManifest(dir);
-    expect(r.derived).toBe(true);
-    expect(r.skills.map(s => s.name)).toEqual(['query']);
-  });
-
-  it('includes ClawHub-origin skills that opt in via triggers frontmatter (#1767)', () => {
-    const dir = scratch();
-    writeSkill(dir, 'agentmail', 'agentmail');
-    mkdirSync(join(dir, 'agentmail', '.clawhub'), { recursive: true });
-    writeFileSync(
-      join(dir, 'agentmail', '.clawhub', 'origin.json'),
-      JSON.stringify({ registry: 'https://clawhub.ai', slug: 'agentmail' })
-    );
-    writeFileSync(
-      join(dir, 'agentmail', 'SKILL.md'),
-      `---\nname: agentmail\ndescription: test\ntriggers:\n  - "send email"\n---\n\n# agentmail\n`
-    );
-    const r = loadOrDeriveManifest(dir);
-    expect(r.derived).toBe(true);
-    expect(r.skills.map(s => s.name)).toEqual(['agentmail']);
-  });
-
-  it('keeps ClawHub-origin skills listed in an explicit manifest.json (#1767)', () => {
-    // Explicit manifest.json is a deliberate declaration — strict checking stays.
-    const dir = scratch();
-    writeSkill(dir, 'agentmail', 'agentmail');
-    mkdirSync(join(dir, 'agentmail', '.clawhub'), { recursive: true });
-    writeFileSync(
-      join(dir, 'agentmail', '.clawhub', 'origin.json'),
-      JSON.stringify({ registry: 'https://clawhub.ai', slug: 'agentmail' })
-    );
-    writeManifest(dir, { skills: [{ name: 'agentmail', path: 'agentmail/SKILL.md' }] });
-    const r = loadOrDeriveManifest(dir);
-    expect(r.derived).toBe(false);
-    expect(r.skills.map(s => s.name)).toEqual(['agentmail']);
-  });
-
   it('treats dirs without SKILL.md as not-a-skill', () => {
     const dir = scratch();
     writeSkill(dir, 'query', 'query');