fix(skillopt): emit proposed.md in no-mutate mode (#2635)

writeProposed now writes both best.md (optimizer's current-best pointer)
and proposed.md (the stable review artifact documented by --no-mutate);
the orchestrator returns the real proposed.md path instead of aliasing
best.md. Fix lands in the shared helper so both accept-branch call sites
are covered.

Takeover of #2719.

Co-authored-by: RerankerGuo <RerankerGuo@users.noreply.github.com>
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:

docs/tutorials/improving-skills-with-skillopt.md

@@ -233,13 +233,14 @@ keep it or `git checkout` to throw it away. Nothing is committed for you.
 
 **For a skill that ships with gbrain** (anything under the gbrain repo's own
 `skills/`): SkillOpt refuses to overwrite it by default and writes the winner to
-`skills/<name>/skillopt/best.md` instead, so an optimization pass can never
-silently mutate a skill other people depend on. Two ways to handle that:
+`skills/<name>/skillopt/proposed.md` instead (while keeping `best.md` as the
+optimizer's current-best pointer), so an optimization pass can never silently
+mutate a skill other people depend on. Two ways to handle that:
 
 ```bash
 # See the proposed improvement without touching SKILL.md (works for ANY skill):
 gbrain skillopt meeting-prep --split 1:1:1 --no-mutate
-# → writes skills/meeting-prep/skillopt/best.md (the proposed rewrite), prints its path. Copy what you want.
+# → writes skills/meeting-prep/skillopt/proposed.md, updates best.md, and prints the proposal path.
 
 # Actually rewrite a bundled skill (explicit opt-in + an independent held-out set):
 gbrain skillopt brain-ops --split 1:1:1 --allow-mutate-bundled \

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` });

src/core/skillopt/orchestrator.ts

@@ -93,7 +93,13 @@ import { resolveLrSchedule } from './lr-schedule.ts';
 import { preflight, formatPreflightReport } from './preflight.ts';
 import { isRejected, loadRejectedBuffer, makeRejectedEntry, saveRejectedBuffer } from './rejected-buffer.ts';
 import { runReflect, runOneShotRewrite, describeJudges } from './reflect.ts';
-import { acceptCandidate, bestPath, revertAllPending, skillPath, writeProposed } from './version-store.ts';
+import {
+  acceptCandidate,
+  proposedPath as proposedFilePath,
+  revertAllPending,
+  skillPath,
+  writeProposed,
+} from './version-store.ts';
 import { runValidationGate, scoreSkillOnTasks } from './validate-gate.ts';
 import { ROLLOUT_SUCCESS_THRESHOLD } from './types.ts';
 import type { SkillOptOpts, EditOp, RunReceipt, BenchmarkTask } from './types.ts';
@@ -702,9 +708,9 @@ async function runOptimizationLoop(
   // to the catch's assignment values only (it can't prove the async callback ran).
   const finalOutcome = outcome as 'accepted' | 'no_improvement' | 'aborted' | 'errored';
   if (!mutateDecision.mutate && finalOutcome === 'accepted') {
-    // best.md was written by writeProposed() in the accept branch (no-mutate
-    // path); it doubles as proposed.md for human review. SKILL.md untouched.
-    proposedPath = bestPath(skillsDir, skillName);
+    // writeProposed() emitted both the best pointer and the stable review
+    // artifact in the accept branch. SKILL.md remains untouched.
+    proposedPath = proposedFilePath(skillsDir, skillName);
   } else if (mutateDecision.mutate) {
     mutatedSkillFile = finalOutcome === 'accepted';
   }

src/core/skillopt/version-store.ts

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
  *
  *   history.json
  *   best.md
+ *   proposed.md
  *   versions/
  *     v0001_e1_s1.md
  *     v0002_e1_s2.md
@@ -52,6 +53,10 @@ export function bestPath(skillsDir: string, skillName: string): string {
   return path.join(skilloptDir(skillsDir, skillName), 'best.md');
 }
 
+export function proposedPath(skillsDir: string, skillName: string): string {
+  return path.join(skilloptDir(skillsDir, skillName), 'proposed.md');
+}
+
 export function skillPath(skillsDir: string, skillName: string): string {
   return path.join(skillsDir, skillName, 'SKILL.md');
 }
@@ -171,17 +176,18 @@ export function acceptCandidate(input: AcceptInput): AcceptResult {
 }
 
 /**
- * Write the candidate to `best.md` (which doubles as `proposed.md`) WITHOUT
- * touching SKILL.md or the history ledger. Used by the `--no-mutate` /
- * bundled-without-allow paths: the optimizer found a better candidate but the
- * caller opted out of in-place mutation, so we surface it for human review.
- * Returns the path written. Atomic (.tmp + rename).
+ * Write the candidate to both `best.md` and `proposed.md` WITHOUT touching
+ * SKILL.md or the history ledger. `best.md` remains the optimizer's current
+ * best pointer; `proposed.md` is the stable human-review artifact promised by
+ * `--no-mutate`. Returns the proposal path. Each write is atomic (.tmp + rename).
  */
 export function writeProposed(skillsDir: string, skillName: string, candidateText: string): string {
-  const p = bestPath(skillsDir, skillName);
-  fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(p), { recursive: true });
-  atomicWrite(p, candidateText);
-  return p;
+  const best = bestPath(skillsDir, skillName);
+  const proposed = proposedPath(skillsDir, skillName);
+  fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(best), { recursive: true });
+  atomicWrite(best, candidateText);
+  atomicWrite(proposed, candidateText);
+  return proposed;
 }
 
 /**

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/e2e/skillopt-loop.serial.test.ts

@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import { runSkillOpt } from '../../src/core/skillopt/orchestrator.ts';
 import {
   bestPath,
   loadHistory,
+  proposedPath,
   skillPath,
 } from '../../src/core/skillopt/version-store.ts';
 import { loadRejectedBuffer } from '../../src/core/skillopt/rejected-buffer.ts';
@@ -741,7 +742,7 @@ describe('skillopt T3 — F11 held-out gate, ablation opts, no-DB-pollution', ()
     } finally { fixture.cleanup(); }
   });
 
-  test('--no-mutate writes proposed.md (best.md), leaves SKILL.md untouched', async () => {
+  test('--no-mutate writes proposed.md and best.md, leaves SKILL.md untouched', async () => {
     const fixture = setupFixture(SKILL_PEOPLE_ONLY, CITATIONS_BENCHMARK);
     try {
       installStub({
@@ -753,10 +754,9 @@ describe('skillopt T3 — F11 held-out gate, ablation opts, no-DB-pollution', ()
           const result = await runOnce(fixture, { noMutate: true });
           expect(result.outcome).toBe('accepted');
           expect(result.mutatedSkillFile).toBe(false);
-          expect(result.proposedPath).toBeDefined();
-          // proposed.md (best.md) exists and carries the improvement.
-          expect(fs.existsSync(result.proposedPath!)).toBe(true);
+          expect(result.proposedPath).toBe(proposedPath(fixture.skillsDir, SKILL));
           expect(fs.readFileSync(result.proposedPath!, 'utf8')).toContain('## Citations');
+          expect(fs.readFileSync(bestPath(fixture.skillsDir, SKILL), 'utf8')).toContain('## Citations');
           // SKILL.md on disk is UNCHANGED (still People-only).
           const skill = fs.readFileSync(skillPath(fixture.skillsDir, SKILL), 'utf8');
           expect(skill).not.toContain('## Citations');

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');

test/skillopt/version-store.test.ts

@@ -12,9 +12,11 @@ import {
   bestPath,
   historyPath,
   loadHistory,
+  proposedPath,
   revertAllPending,
   skillPath,
   versionsDir,
+  writeProposed,
 } from '../../src/core/skillopt/version-store.ts';
 
 let tmpDir: string;
@@ -79,6 +81,19 @@ describe('acceptCandidate (D8 two-phase commit)', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('writeProposed', () => {
+  test('writes distinct best and proposed artifacts without mutating SKILL.md (#2635)', () => {
+    const candidate = '---\nname: test\n---\nproposed body\n';
+
+    const written = writeProposed(tmpDir, SKILL, candidate);
+
+    expect(written).toBe(proposedPath(tmpDir, SKILL));
+    expect(fs.readFileSync(bestPath(tmpDir, SKILL), 'utf8')).toBe(candidate);
+    expect(fs.readFileSync(proposedPath(tmpDir, SKILL), 'utf8')).toBe(candidate);
+    expect(fs.readFileSync(skillPath(tmpDir, SKILL), 'utf8')).toContain('baseline body');
+  });
+});
+
 describe('revertAllPending (D8 crash recovery)', () => {
   test('no-op when no pending rows', () => {
     const reverted = revertAllPending(tmpDir, SKILL);