Merge origin/master (v0.46.2.0) into garrytan/opencode-support

Trio kept at 0.46.4.0 (wave version, highest); CHANGELOG carries both
entries with 0.46.4.0 topmost; TODOS union-resolved (master's re-filed
pin-privacy candidate dropped — this branch ships it as DONE);
cli-flag-registry + template-repo regenerated; llms rebuilt.

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

.env.testing.example

@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@
 DATABASE_URL=postgresql://postgres:postgres@localhost:5433/gbrain_test
 # Option B: Real Supabase instance (tests the actual production path)
 # DATABASE_URL=postgresql://postgres.[project-ref]:[password]@aws-0-us-east-1.pooler.supabase.com:6543/postgres
+# NOTE (#3485): destructive tests enforce a database-name floor — the name must
+# carry "test" as a word segment (gbrain_test passes; Supabase's default
+# "postgres" does not). Use a dedicated test project/database, or opt the exact
+# name in one-shot: GBRAIN_E2E_ALLOW_DB=postgres bun run test:e2e
+# (never a shell-profile export — that would permanently disarm the floor).
 
 # Tier 2 (required for skill tests, optional for mechanical tests)
 OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...

.github/workflows/e2e.yml

@@ -61,10 +61,15 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run JSONB double-encode parity tests on real Postgres
         env:
           DATABASE_URL: postgresql://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/gbrain_test
+          # #3485 preload guard: this job intentionally tests against a DB.
+          GBRAIN_TEST_ALLOW_DATABASE_URL: '1'
         # --timeout also raises bun's 5s default hook budget (beforeAll/afterAll
         # do NOT inherit a test's third-arg timeout; verified on bun 1.3.x).
         # Every runner script in scripts/ passes it; bare invocations must too.
-        run: bun test --timeout=60000 test/e2e/op-checkpoint-jsonb-parity.test.ts test/e2e/jsonb-roundtrip.test.ts
+        # phantom-redirect rides this job: its Postgres arm is the other
+        # engine-parity backstop and no other CI lane carries DATABASE_URL to it
+        # (the unit wrappers strip the URL per #3485).
+        run: bun test --timeout=60000 test/e2e/op-checkpoint-jsonb-parity.test.ts test/e2e/jsonb-roundtrip.test.ts test/phantom-redirect-engine-parity.test.ts
 
   tier1:
     name: Tier 1 (Mechanical)
@@ -91,9 +96,13 @@ jobs:
           bun-version: 1.3.13
       - run: bun install
       - name: Run Tier 1 E2E tests
-        run: bun test --timeout=60000 test/e2e/mechanical.test.ts test/e2e/mcp.test.ts
+        # job-isolation rides tier1 deliberately: e2e.yml runs only explicitly
+        # NAMED files (no glob) — an unwired e2e file is silent coverage loss.
+        run: bun test --timeout=60000 test/e2e/mechanical.test.ts test/e2e/mcp.test.ts test/e2e/job-isolation.test.ts
         env:
           DATABASE_URL: postgresql://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/gbrain_test
+          # #3485 preload guard: this job intentionally tests against a DB.
+          GBRAIN_TEST_ALLOW_DATABASE_URL: '1'
 
   tier2:
     name: Tier 2 (LLM Skills)
@@ -161,6 +170,8 @@ jobs:
         run: bun test --timeout=60000 test/e2e/skills.test.ts test/e2e/zeroentropy-live.test.ts
         env:
           DATABASE_URL: postgresql://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/gbrain_test
+          # #3485 preload guard: this job intentionally tests against a DB.
+          GBRAIN_TEST_ALLOW_DATABASE_URL: '1'
           OPENAI_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.OPENAI_API_KEY }}
           ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
           # v0.33.3.0: ZE live API tests skip gracefully when this is unset,

.github/workflows/heavy-tests.yml

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 name: Heavy Tests
 
 # Heavy ops-shape tests under tests/heavy/. Cost minutes per run; NOT part
-# of default PR CI. Two triggers:
+# of default PR CI. Three triggers:
 #   - Nightly schedule (catches regressions within 24h of merge to master).
 #   - On-demand opt-in via PR label `heavy-tests` (slow loop kept off by default).
 #   - Manual workflow_dispatch for triage.
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@ on:
     # label so we don't fan out on unrelated label changes.
     types: [labeled, synchronize, reopened]
   workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      run_grok_door:
+        description: 'Run the grok-door job (pre-secret posture: label or this input only)'
+        type: boolean
+        default: false
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
@@ -64,8 +69,24 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run heavy tests
         env:
           DATABASE_URL: postgresql://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/gbrain_test
+          # #3485 preload guard: this job intentionally tests against a DB.
+          GBRAIN_TEST_ALLOW_DATABASE_URL: '1'
         run: bun run test:heavy
 
+      # Agent-bootstrap offline Docker e2e [A7] — placeholder registration.
+      # The networkless cold-machine container test (interview → render →
+      # verify with a fake gh) lands with the bootstrap doors task at
+      # tests/docker/bootstrap-e2e.sh. Gated on file existence so this stays
+      # a visible no-op until then. It runs at heavy cadence (nightly +
+      # `heavy-tests` label) by design — never in the PR shard matrix.
+      - name: Bootstrap offline Docker e2e (placeholder)
+        run: |
+          if [ -f tests/docker/bootstrap-e2e.sh ]; then
+            bash tests/docker/bootstrap-e2e.sh
+          else
+            echo "SKIP: tests/docker/bootstrap-e2e.sh not present yet — placeholder until the bootstrap doors task lands."
+          fi
+
       # The heavy runner writes per-script logs to ~/.gbrain/audit/ on every
       # run. Upload those + the rss workload JSON on failure for triage
       # without re-running locally.
@@ -87,3 +108,760 @@ jobs:
           path: heavy-artifacts/
           retention-days: 14
           if-no-files-found: ignore
+
+  # Real-agent door e2e: drives the ACTUAL `claude` + `codex` + `hermes` +
+  # `grok` + `opencode` binaries (no PATH shims) against a real gbrain over
+  # MCP. These pay real API
+  # cost and need the binaries installed + authed, which a stock GitHub runner
+  # does NOT have — so the tests self-SKIP (describe.skipIf on binary/auth) and
+  # the job is a clean no-op here. It exists so a self-hosted /
+  # manually-provisioned runner WITH authed claude/codex/hermes (and
+  # ANTHROPIC/OPENAI creds) actually exercises the real binaries. Heavy cadence
+  # only (nightly + `real-agent-e2e` label + dispatch); NEVER the PR shard
+  # matrix.
+  real-agent-e2e:
+    name: Real-agent door e2e (skips without authed binaries)
+    if: |
+      github.event_name != 'pull_request' ||
+      contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'real-agent-e2e') ||
+      contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'heavy-tests')
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 20
+    env:
+      # Open the hermes/grok opt-in doors here so binary/auth absence — not
+      # the opt-in var — is what skips (same posture as the claude/codex
+      # doors). The grok door's keyless tier additionally self-skips without
+      # a grok binary, which a stock runner does not have.
+      GBRAIN_REAL_HERMES_E2E: '1'
+      GBRAIN_REAL_GROK_E2E: '1'
+      GBRAIN_REAL_OPENCODE_E2E: '1'
+      # Pin so a provisioned runner's grok version-shape test asserts against
+      # the supported version (and a colliding community `grok` binary fails
+      # loud instead of running the keyless tier confusingly).
+      GROK_VERSION: "1.0.4"
+      # Same posture for opencode: a provisioned runner's version pin.
+      OPENCODE_VERSION: "1.18.18"
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@11d5960a326750d5838078e36cf38b85af677262  # v4
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+      - uses: oven-sh/setup-bun@0c5077e51419868618aeaa5fe8019c62421857d6  # v2
+        with:
+          bun-version: 1.3.13
+      - run: bun install
+
+      # Reference the door tests; run only the ones present (a door may land
+      # in a sibling PR). Missing binary/auth → the file self-skips, so a
+      # stock runner reports a green no-op rather than failing.
+      - name: Run real-agent door tests
+        run: |
+          files=()
+          for f in \
+            test/e2e/bootstrap-real-claude.serial.test.ts \
+            test/e2e/bootstrap-real-codex.serial.test.ts \
+            test/e2e/install-real-hermes.serial.test.ts \
+            test/e2e/install-real-grok.serial.test.ts \
+            test/e2e/install-real-opencode.serial.test.ts; do
+            [ -f "$f" ] && files+=("$f")
+          done
+          if [ "${#files[@]}" -eq 0 ]; then
+            echo "SKIP: no real-agent door test files present yet."
+            exit 0
+          fi
+          echo "Running: ${files[*]}"
+          # --timeout: real-agent turns are slow (live claude/codex); the door
+          # tests self-skip without authed binaries so this is a no-op elsewhere.
+          bun test --timeout=600000 "${files[@]}"
+
+  # Hermes door e2e: unlike real-agent-e2e above (best-effort, self-skipping),
+  # this job PROVISIONS the real hermes binary itself — pinned installer digest,
+  # non-interactive auth + model pin — and then requires the door tests to
+  # actually execute. It pays real API cost, so it stays label-gated at heavy
+  # cadence (nightly + `real-agent-e2e`/`heavy-tests` label + dispatch); NEVER
+  # the PR shard matrix. Loud-fail throughout: a runner that cannot install or
+  # auth hermes fails this job rather than skipping.
+  hermes-door:
+    name: Hermes door e2e (real binary, loud-fail)
+    if: |
+      github.event_name != 'pull_request' ||
+      contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'real-agent-e2e') ||
+      contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'heavy-tests')
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Four serial door tests at 600s each plus the installer budget cannot
+    # fit the sibling job's 20 minutes.
+    timeout-minutes: 40
+    env:
+      # Pin values documented in docs/mcp/HERMES-CLI-PIN.md — update them
+      # together, deliberately, after reviewing upstream changes. The digest
+      # pins the INSTALLER SCRIPT; the tag + commit pin the PAYLOAD it clones
+      # (without them, the installer pulls upstream main into the runner that
+      # later holds secrets). The commit is v2026.8.3's dereferenced SHA —
+      # immutable even if the tag moves.
+      HERMES_VERSION: "0.20.0"
+      HERMES_GIT_TAG: "v2026.8.3"
+      HERMES_GIT_COMMIT: "3c27eb6234bf91b8ceee9e9071591b31e9b148cb"
+      HERMES_INSTALL_SHA256: "868ed3a91e0fabbff6d7418b3ede82bf4833652ec4e77196a42852fb35a9e5b9"
+      GBRAIN_REAL_HERMES_E2E: '1'
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@11d5960a326750d5838078e36cf38b85af677262  # v4
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+      - uses: oven-sh/setup-bun@0c5077e51419868618aeaa5fe8019c62421857d6  # v2
+        with:
+          bun-version: 1.3.13
+      - run: bun install
+
+      # `runner.temp` is not an allowed context in job-level env, so the
+      # evidence dir is derived here and exported for every later step (the
+      # door test writes into it; the failure-path upload reads it — exporting
+      # early keeps that upload working even when an install/precondition step
+      # is what failed).
+      - name: Prepare evidence dir
+        run: |
+          echo "GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR=$RUNNER_TEMP/hermes-door-evidence" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          mkdir -p "$RUNNER_TEMP/hermes-door-evidence"
+
+      # NO secrets in this step's env: the installer is downloaded from the
+      # network and executed, so it must never see credentials. The digest pin
+      # turns an upstream installer change into a loud failure instead of
+      # unreviewed code running in CI. Bound + retry the install run itself
+      # (same posture as the e2e tier2 OpenClaw install): `timeout` kills a
+      # hung attempt, 3 attempts ride out transient flakes, step cap backstops.
+      - name: Install hermes (pinned installer digest)
+        timeout-minutes: 15
+        run: |
+          curl -fsSL --retry 3 -o hermes-install.sh https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh
+          if ! echo "$HERMES_INSTALL_SHA256  hermes-install.sh" | sha256sum -c -; then
+            echo "::error::hermes installer digest drift — re-pin deliberately: update HERMES_INSTALL_SHA256 + HERMES_VERSION in this workflow and docs/mcp/HERMES-CLI-PIN.md after reviewing upstream changes" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          for attempt in 1 2 3; do
+            if timeout 600 bash hermes-install.sh --skip-setup --non-interactive --branch "$HERMES_GIT_TAG" --commit "$HERMES_GIT_COMMIT"; then
+              # The branch/commit flags above are ASSERTED here, not trusted:
+              # a shell installer that silently ignores unknown flags would
+              # clone upstream main into a runner that later holds secrets.
+              # Verify the actual checkout before anything else runs it.
+              actual_commit=$(git -C "$HOME/.hermes/hermes-agent" rev-parse HEAD 2>/dev/null || echo "no-git-checkout")
+              if [ "$actual_commit" != "$HERMES_GIT_COMMIT" ]; then
+                echo "::error::hermes payload drift — installed checkout is $actual_commit, pinned $HERMES_GIT_COMMIT. Either the installer ignored its branch/commit flags or the layout moved from ~/.hermes/hermes-agent; re-pin deliberately (HERMES_GIT_TAG/HERMES_GIT_COMMIT + docs/mcp/HERMES-CLI-PIN.md) after reviewing upstream." >&2
+                exit 1
+              fi
+              echo "$HOME/.local/bin" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
+              exit 0
+            fi
+            echo "::warning::hermes install attempt $attempt failed or timed out; retrying in 10s" >&2
+            sleep 10
+          done
+          echo "::error::hermes install failed after 3 attempts" >&2
+          exit 1
+
+      - name: Preconditions (binary, secret, version pin)
+        env:
+          ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
+        run: |
+          if ! command -v hermes >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "::error::hermes did not resolve on PATH after install" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          if [ -z "$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" ]; then
+            echo "::error::ANTHROPIC_API_KEY secret is empty — fork PRs get no secrets from GitHub, and this labeled job cannot run without them" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          version_output=$(hermes --version)
+          echo "$version_output"
+          # Observed shape: `Hermes Agent v0.20.0 (2026.8.3)`.
+          if ! printf '%s' "$version_output" | grep -qF "v$HERMES_VERSION"; then
+            echo "::error::hermes version drift — expected v$HERMES_VERSION in: $version_output" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+      - name: Configure hermes (auth + model pin)
+        env:
+          ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p ~/.hermes
+          printf 'ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=%s\n' "$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" > ~/.hermes/.env
+          chmod 600 ~/.hermes/.env
+          # `hermes model` is interactive-only; `config set` is the observed
+          # non-interactive model pin.
+          hermes config set model.default anthropic/claude-haiku-4.5
+          # Global health check — informational only, never a gate here.
+          hermes doctor || true
+
+      - name: Run hermes door tests
+        env:
+          ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
+        run: |
+          # Redirect to a file, then tail — never pipe bun through tail (the
+          # pipe eats the real exit code and truncates failure details).
+          # `|| EXIT=$?` keeps the default `-e` shell from bailing before the
+          # tail runs.
+          EXIT=0
+          bun test --timeout=600000 test/e2e/install-real-hermes.serial.test.ts > door.txt 2>&1 || EXIT=$?
+          tail -40 door.txt
+          # Preserve the FULL bun output UNCONDITIONALLY (upload stays
+          # failure-gated): the zero-pass failure class below exits with the
+          # summary as its only trace, and bun prints failure details before
+          # the summary, so the 40-line tail can drop exactly the lines a
+          # paid-CI triage needs.
+          cp door.txt "$GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR/" 2>/dev/null || true
+          if [ "$EXIT" -ne 0 ]; then
+            exit "$EXIT"
+          fi
+          # This job provisions the binary + auth above, so the door must
+          # actually EXECUTE: a summary with zero passing tests means the
+          # suite ran nothing or self-skipped everything — never let that
+          # read as green.
+          pass_count=$(grep -Eo '[0-9]+ pass' door.txt | tail -1 | grep -Eo '^[0-9]+' || true)
+          if [ -z "$pass_count" ] || [ "$pass_count" -eq 0 ]; then
+            echo "::error::hermes door summary shows no passing tests (nothing ran or everything skipped) — refusing to go green while testing nothing" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+      # The door test copies its evidence into GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR; the
+      # workflow only uploads it. The test already excludes credential files —
+      # the scrub below is defensive belt-and-suspenders before upload. Both
+      # steps also require the evidence-dir env (a failure before the prepare
+      # step leaves it unset, and there is nothing to upload then anyway).
+      - name: Scrub credentials from evidence (defensive)
+        if: failure() && env.GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR != ''
+        env:
+          ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
+        run: |
+          # Three layers, because the evidence dir carries files WRITTEN BY
+          # THE THIRD-PARTY HERMES BINARY (logs/sessions) and upload-artifact
+          # follows symlinks:
+          # 1. filename scrub (env files),
+          # 2. symlink delete (an agent-dropped link could dereference to a
+          #    real credential file at upload time),
+          # 3. content scrub (any file that embeds the key — auth-error dumps
+          #    are most likely exactly on the failure path that uploads).
+          find "$GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR" -type f \( -name '.env' -o -name '*.env' \) -exec rm -f {} + 2>/dev/null || true
+          find "$GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR" -type l -delete 2>/dev/null || true
+          if [ -n "$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" ]; then
+            grep -rlF "$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" "$GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR" 2>/dev/null | while IFS= read -r f; do
+              echo "::warning::removing evidence file containing the API key: ${f#"$GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR"/}" >&2
+              rm -f "$f"
+            done
+          fi
+      - name: Upload hermes door evidence
+        if: failure() && env.GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR != ''
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@ea165f8d65b6e75b540449e92b4886f43607fa02  # v4
+        with:
+          name: hermes-door-evidence
+          path: ${{ env.GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR }}
+          retention-days: 14
+          if-no-files-found: ignore
+
+      # Hosted ubuntu-latest runners are ephemeral, but this must not depend
+      # on that: if the job ever moves to a self-hosted runner (the sibling
+      # real-agent-e2e job is designed for one), a key left in ~/.hermes/.env
+      # would persist for every later workload on that runner.
+      - name: Remove hermes credentials (unconditional)
+        if: always()
+        run: rm -f ~/.hermes/.env
+
+  # Grok door e2e (xAI Grok Build): PROVISIONS the real grok binary via the
+  # pinned npm package (registry integrity verified — stronger than the
+  # curl-installer path; both pins live in docs/mcp/GROK-CLI-PIN.md, enforced
+  # against this file by scripts/check-grok-pin.sh in `bun run verify`).
+  # KEYLESS-FIRST ordering (deliberate divergence from hermes-door): grok's
+  # mcp add/list/doctor run keyless, so the compat tier runs and banks its
+  # coverage BEFORE the secret precondition — a missing XAI_API_KEY still
+  # fails this job loudly, but only after the free tier proved the install
+  # surface, so pre-secret runs are diagnostic instead of pure red.
+  #
+  # PRE-SECRET GATING POSTURE: `real-agent-e2e` label or the run_grok_door
+  # dispatch input ONLY — deliberately NOT `schedule` and NOT the generic
+  # `heavy-tests` label, so an absent XAI_API_KEY secret cannot paint nightly
+  # heavy runs (or unrelated heavy-labeled PRs) red. The commit that lands
+  # AFTER an admin creates the XAI_API_KEY secret (an external prerequisite,
+  # not a code change) re-adds: the schedule leg, the heavy-tests label leg,
+  # a default-on dispatch, and a latest-version canary matrix leg
+  # (continue-on-error, schedule-scoped, own timeout) so the pinned lane
+  # stays deterministic while the canary tracks what users actually run.
+  grok-door:
+    name: Grok door e2e (real binary, keyless-first)
+    if: |
+      (github.event_name == 'pull_request' &&
+        contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'real-agent-e2e')) ||
+      (github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' &&
+        inputs.run_grok_door == true)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Measured local door wall-time: keyless tier ~29s + one-time compiled
+    # gbrain build (~2-4 min) + npm install (~10s); paid SMOKE turn budget
+    # 2 x 240s. 20 min = measured + >50% headroom (GROK-CLI-PIN.md).
+    timeout-minutes: 20
+    env:
+      # Pin values documented in docs/mcp/GROK-CLI-PIN.md — update them
+      # together, deliberately, after reviewing upstream changes
+      # (scripts/check-grok-pin.sh fails `bun run verify` on drift).
+      GROK_VERSION: "1.0.4"
+      GROK_NPM_PACKAGE: "@xai-official/grok"
+      GROK_NPM_INTEGRITY: "sha512-Nu3SFXTqwvCQr/LQFwrQYgngJhUQwX2h9ZSgzW4HowidjbPBWtMVO0xI88d2z6/zlDSNaT5YP/uk+2DthKQMsg=="
+      # Per-platform payload pins: the wrapper's integrity covers only the
+      # wrapper tarball; the binary that EXECUTES is the platform sub-package.
+      GROK_NPM_LINUX_X64_INTEGRITY: "sha512-Dan2LfKcFBiabuDGHaGgMT8Ndzibo2ljvSjh4MlpV5117JL+S/0KMbdyYpk+13d7t+4znniW1cm+rRwUGSAvtw=="
+      GROK_NPM_LINUX_ARM64_INTEGRITY: "sha512-zGK42Eq3ZmIa7cSVnl6CiJ4cxTCMsNLQCmCoLJhy5eZXfAvZ1DA3K3HXmKCj4OScX8SalYlp7mx8HWl9Y6gytw=="
+      GBRAIN_REAL_GROK_E2E: '1'
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@11d5960a326750d5838078e36cf38b85af677262  # v4
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+      - uses: oven-sh/setup-bun@0c5077e51419868618aeaa5fe8019c62421857d6  # v2
+        with:
+          bun-version: 1.3.13
+      - run: bun install
+
+      - name: Prepare evidence dir
+        run: |
+          echo "GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR=$RUNNER_TEMP/grok-door-evidence" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          mkdir -p "$RUNNER_TEMP/grok-door-evidence"
+
+      # Compile gbrain ONCE for both bun test invocations below —
+      # ensureCompiledGbrain's cache is per-process, so without this the
+      # keyless and paid runs each pay the 2-4 min compile.
+      - name: Build gbrain (compile once for both door runs)
+        run: |
+          bun build --compile --outfile "$RUNNER_TEMP/gbrain-door-bin" src/cli.ts
+          echo "GBRAIN_COMPILED_BIN=$RUNNER_TEMP/gbrain-door-bin" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+
+      # SECRETLESS provisioning: the npm registry verifies the per-platform
+      # payload against its integrity metadata; the pre-check pins that the
+      # registry still serves the SAME integrity we observed (a re-published
+      # 1.0.4 becomes a loud re-pin decision, not silently different code
+      # running next to secrets in later steps). Version assert lives here
+      # too — before any secret-bearing step.
+      - name: Install grok (pinned npm package)
+        timeout-minutes: 10
+        run: |
+          served=$(npm view "$GROK_NPM_PACKAGE@$GROK_VERSION" dist.integrity 2>/dev/null || true)
+          if [ "$served" != "$GROK_NPM_INTEGRITY" ]; then
+            echo "::error::grok npm integrity drift for $GROK_NPM_PACKAGE@$GROK_VERSION — registry serves '$served', pinned '$GROK_NPM_INTEGRITY'. Re-pin deliberately: update the stamps in docs/mcp/GROK-CLI-PIN.md + this workflow after reviewing upstream (see the pin doc's re-observation checklist)." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          # The platform sub-package is the binary that actually runs — pin it
+          # too (per-arch; ubuntu-latest is x64 today, arm64 pinned for a
+          # future runner switch).
+          arch=$(uname -m)
+          case "$arch" in
+            x86_64) plat_pkg="$GROK_NPM_PACKAGE-linux-x64"; plat_pin="$GROK_NPM_LINUX_X64_INTEGRITY" ;;
+            aarch64|arm64) plat_pkg="$GROK_NPM_PACKAGE-linux-arm64"; plat_pin="$GROK_NPM_LINUX_ARM64_INTEGRITY" ;;
+            *) echo "::error::unsupported runner arch for the grok payload pin: $arch" >&2; exit 1 ;;
+          esac
+          plat_served=$(npm view "$plat_pkg@$GROK_VERSION" dist.integrity 2>/dev/null || true)
+          if [ "$plat_served" != "$plat_pin" ]; then
+            echo "::error::grok platform payload integrity drift for $plat_pkg@$GROK_VERSION — registry serves '$plat_served', pinned '$plat_pin'. Re-pin deliberately (GROK-CLI-PIN.md stamps + this workflow)." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          npm install -g "$GROK_NPM_PACKAGE@$GROK_VERSION"
+          if ! command -v grok >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "::error::grok did not resolve on PATH after npm install" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          version_output=$(grok --version)
+          echo "$version_output"
+          # Observed shape: `grok 1.0.4 (buildhash)` (GROK-CLI-PIN.md).
+          if ! printf '%s' "$version_output" | grep -qF "grok $GROK_VERSION"; then
+            echo "::error::grok version drift — expected 'grok $GROK_VERSION' in: $version_output (see docs/mcp/GROK-CLI-PIN.md triage table)" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+      # KEYLESS TIER FIRST — banks the free compat coverage (documented-shape
+      # registration, TOML schema, doctor handshake proving the seven-verb
+      # surface) before anything needs the secret. XAI_API_KEY is absent from
+      # this step by construction, so the paid describe self-skips.
+      - name: Run grok door tests (keyless tier)
+        run: |
+          EXIT=0
+          bun test --timeout=600000 test/e2e/install-real-grok.serial.test.ts > door-keyless.txt 2>&1 || EXIT=$?
+          tail -40 door-keyless.txt
+          cp door-keyless.txt "$GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR/" 2>/dev/null || true
+          if [ "$EXIT" -ne 0 ]; then
+            exit "$EXIT"
+          fi
+          # Exact expected shape for this tier: 4 keyless tests pass, the
+          # 1 paid test skips. Zero-pass or partial-pass refuses green.
+          pass_count=$(grep -Eo '[0-9]+ pass' door-keyless.txt | tail -1 | grep -Eo '^[0-9]+' || true)
+          if [ -z "$pass_count" ] || [ "$pass_count" -lt 4 ]; then
+            echo "::error::grok door keyless tier expected 4 passing tests, summary shows '${pass_count:-none}' — refusing to go green (see docs/mcp/GROK-CLI-PIN.md triage table)" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+      - name: Preconditions (secret present)
+        env:
+          XAI_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.XAI_API_KEY }}
+        run: |
+          if [ -z "$XAI_API_KEY" ]; then
+            echo "::error::XAI_API_KEY secret is empty — the keyless tier above already ran (its coverage is banked); the paid SMOKE needs the secret. Admin: create the XAI_API_KEY repo/environment secret (console.x.ai), then re-run. Fork PRs get no secrets from GitHub." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+      # Named bad-key preflight: key-rot fails HERE, at a step named for it,
+      # instead of surfacing as a confusing SMOKE failure (GROK-CLI-PIN.md
+      # triage table). One minimal paid probe.
+      - name: Auth preflight (bad-key tripwire)
+        env:
+          XAI_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.XAI_API_KEY }}
+        run: |
+          export GROK_HOME="$RUNNER_TEMP/grok-preflight-home"
+          mkdir -p "$GROK_HOME"
+          # Verbatim kill-switch homes (update together): seedGrokConfig in
+          # test/helpers/agent-harness.ts and scenarioGrokInstall in
+          # scripts/dx-explore.ts.
+          printf '[cli]\nauto_update = false\n' > "$GROK_HOME/config.toml"
+          # This step runs the third-party agent binary directly: never hand
+          # it the WRITABLE step-metadata files (appending to GITHUB_ENV/PATH
+          # poisons the later secret-bearing steps — the same channel
+          # grokChildEnv scrubs for test-spawned children), and kill its web
+          # tools like the door SMOKE does.
+          out=$(env -u GITHUB_ENV -u GITHUB_PATH -u GITHUB_OUTPUT -u GITHUB_STATE -u GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY \
+            grok -p "reply with exactly: PREFLIGHT-OK" --output-format plain --disable-web-search 2>&1) || {
+            echo "::error::grok auth preflight failed — the XAI_API_KEY secret is present but rejected (rotate it at console.x.ai; see GROK-CLI-PIN.md triage table). Output: ${out:0:300}" >&2
+            exit 1
+          }
+          echo "auth preflight ok"
+
+      - name: Run grok door tests (full — paid SMOKE included)
+        env:
+          XAI_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.XAI_API_KEY }}
+        run: |
+          EXIT=0
+          bun test --timeout=600000 test/e2e/install-real-grok.serial.test.ts > door.txt 2>&1 || EXIT=$?
+          tail -40 door.txt
+          cp door.txt "$GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR/" 2>/dev/null || true
+          if [ "$EXIT" -ne 0 ]; then
+            exit "$EXIT"
+          fi
+          # PAID-SENTINEL: with the key present, a skipping paid tier must
+          # never read as green (the split-gating false-green class). The
+          # grep target is the suite's literal skip log — mirrored in
+          # test/e2e/install-real-grok.serial.test.ts (change together).
+          if grep -q 'SKIP paid tier' door.txt; then
+            echo "::error::grok door paid tier skipped despite a present XAI_API_KEY — hasGrokAuth() gate drift; refusing to go green" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          pass_count=$(grep -Eo '[0-9]+ pass' door.txt | tail -1 | grep -Eo '^[0-9]+' || true)
+          if [ -z "$pass_count" ] || [ "$pass_count" -lt 5 ]; then
+            echo "::error::grok door full run expected 5 passing tests (6 once the JSON tool-call test lands), summary shows '${pass_count:-none}'" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+      # Auto-update tripwire: the seeded [cli] auto_update=false is the whole
+      # kill-switch (no env form observed) — a version that MOVED mid-job
+      # means it failed and the pins above are no longer what just ran.
+      - name: Version re-check (mid-job drift tripwire)
+        if: always()
+        run: |
+          if command -v grok >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            version_output=$(grok --version || true)
+            if ! printf '%s' "$version_output" | grep -qF "grok $GROK_VERSION"; then
+              echo "::error::grok version moved mid-job — auto-update kill-switch failed (expected 'grok $GROK_VERSION', got: $version_output)" >&2
+              exit 1
+            fi
+          fi
+
+      - name: Scrub credentials from evidence (defensive)
+        if: failure() && env.GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR != ''
+        env:
+          XAI_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.XAI_API_KEY }}
+        run: |
+          # Same triple as hermes-door: filenames, symlinks, content. Auth is
+          # env-only here (the job never writes the key to disk — stronger
+          # than the hermes .env posture), so the content grep is the layer
+          # that matters for grok-written logs on the failure path.
+          find "$GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR" -type f \( -name '.env' -o -name '*.env' -o -name 'mcp_credentials.json' \) -exec rm -f {} + 2>/dev/null || true
+          find "$GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR" -type l -delete 2>/dev/null || true
+          if [ -n "$XAI_API_KEY" ]; then
+            grep -rlF "$XAI_API_KEY" "$GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR" 2>/dev/null | while IFS= read -r f; do
+              echo "::warning::removing evidence file containing the API key: ${f#"$GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR"/}" >&2
+              rm -f "$f"
+            done
+          fi
+      - name: Upload grok door evidence
+        if: failure() && env.GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR != ''
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@ea165f8d65b6e75b540449e92b4886f43607fa02  # v4
+        with:
+          name: grok-door-evidence
+          path: ${{ env.GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR }}
+          retention-days: 14
+          if-no-files-found: ignore
+
+      # Auth travels env-only, but grok MAY persist derived credentials after
+      # an authed turn (the inventory is pending — GROK-CLI-PIN.md); remove
+      # the known candidate unconditionally so nothing outlives the job even
+      # on a future self-hosted runner.
+      - name: Remove grok credentials (unconditional)
+        if: always()
+        run: |
+          rm -f ~/.grok/mcp_credentials.json
+          rm -rf "$RUNNER_TEMP/grok-preflight-home"
+          # Cancellation/timeout bypasses the suite's afterAll cleanup — the
+          # hermetic homes carry no key file (env-only auth) but may hold
+          # grok-derived credentials once the authed inventory lands.
+          rm -rf /tmp/gb-grok-* 2>/dev/null || true
+
+  # opencode door e2e (SST opencode): PROVISIONS the real opencode binary via
+  # the pinned npm package (wrapper + per-platform payload integrities
+  # verified — both pins live in docs/mcp/OPENCODE-CLI-PIN.md, enforced
+  # against this file by scripts/check-opencode-pin.sh in `bun run verify`).
+  #
+  # DAY-ONE FULL POSTURE (a step past grok's pre-secret gating, deliberate):
+  # opencode's anonymous free tier drives MCP tool calls keyless (observed,
+  # load-bearing — OPENCODE-CLI-PIN.md §One-shot), so the ENTIRE core door —
+  # including the nonce SMOKE — runs with no secret; and the paid anthropic
+  # leg rides the ANTHROPIC_API_KEY secret that already exists (hermes-door
+  # consumes it). So this job takes the hermes-door triggers (nightly +
+  # labels + dispatch, cadence policy: nightly for the NEWEST door agent)
+  # with grok-door's internals (keyless-first ordering, secretless pinned
+  # provisioning, sentinels, scrub triple, unconditional credential removal).
+  # No dedicated dispatch input: any workflow_dispatch already passes the
+  # non-PR arm, so an input would be dead yaml.
+  opencode-door:
+    name: opencode door e2e (real binary, keyless SMOKE)
+    if: |
+      github.event_name != 'pull_request' ||
+      contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'real-agent-e2e') ||
+      contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'heavy-tests')
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Measured local door wall-time: full 6-test run 35.8s + one-time
+    # compiled gbrain build (~2-4 min) + npm install (~15s); free-tier +
+    # paid turn budgets 2 x 240s each. 20 min = measured + >50% headroom.
+    timeout-minutes: 20
+    env:
+      # Pin values documented in docs/mcp/OPENCODE-CLI-PIN.md — update them
+      # together, deliberately, after reviewing upstream changes
+      # (scripts/check-opencode-pin.sh fails `bun run verify` on drift).
+      OPENCODE_VERSION: "1.18.18"
+      OPENCODE_NPM_PACKAGE: "opencode-ai"
+      OPENCODE_NPM_INTEGRITY: "sha512-J+5HFq8tf+wPBBpBpMPSNjSytF2/EkNWYfFZh4si1d9auFbQriqDyqZv+vFUsLWERfdMU32Eajwuiq3rKBvZLQ=="
+      # Per-platform payload pins: the wrapper's integrity covers only the
+      # wrapper tarball; the binary that EXECUTES is the platform sub-package.
+      OPENCODE_NPM_LINUX_X64_INTEGRITY: "sha512-WmeUnhljYJ252wywKTiW4bNDzsas2njpjPUEh0jM6HKNI4vFxJtREtzaWViY4AKEAcOkLWT8Ll17ixvcHz3AnA=="
+      OPENCODE_NPM_LINUX_ARM64_INTEGRITY: "sha512-e8D3g0qJEIzawEg2+ygW3vkZjAYL2ssyAx4GbihjwXwZFvlZZy5zRWWzdz5KLBoHSTl0FB73vNtnNeXONyHpVQ=="
+      GBRAIN_REAL_OPENCODE_E2E: '1'
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@11d5960a326750d5838078e36cf38b85af677262  # v4
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+      - uses: oven-sh/setup-bun@0c5077e51419868618aeaa5fe8019c62421857d6  # v2
+        with:
+          bun-version: 1.3.13
+      - run: bun install
+
+      - name: Prepare evidence dir
+        run: |
+          echo "GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR=$RUNNER_TEMP/opencode-door-evidence" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          mkdir -p "$RUNNER_TEMP/opencode-door-evidence"
+
+      # Compile gbrain ONCE for both bun test invocations below.
+      - name: Build gbrain (compile once for both door runs)
+        run: |
+          bun build --compile --outfile "$RUNNER_TEMP/gbrain-door-bin" src/cli.ts
+          echo "GBRAIN_COMPILED_BIN=$RUNNER_TEMP/gbrain-door-bin" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+
+      # SECRETLESS provisioning, pack-verify-install: `npm pack` DOWNLOADS
+      # each artifact and reports the integrity of the BYTES it wrote, so the
+      # asserts below cover the tarballs actually held — closing the
+      # view-then-install TOCTOU (two registry round-trips a payload-swapping
+      # registry could split). The wrapper then installs FROM the verified
+      # local tarball, not a fresh registry resolve of the name. Payload
+      # resolution, honestly: that install still fetches the platform
+      # sub-package (opencode-linux-*) over the network; after the pack step
+      # byte-confirms the registry's payload artifact matches its pin, npm
+      # validates the install-time fetch against the same packument
+      # integrity. No --ignore-scripts: opencode-ai's postinstall places the
+      # platform binary (verified locally — with the flag the CLI refuses to
+      # run). Version assert lives here too — before any secret-bearing step.
+      - name: Install opencode (pinned npm package, pack-verify-install)
+        timeout-minutes: 10
+        run: |
+          packdir=$(mktemp -d)
+          read_integrity() {
+            node -e 'let d;try{d=JSON.parse(require("fs").readFileSync(0,"utf8"))}catch{d=[]}process.stdout.write((Array.isArray(d)&&d[0]&&d[0].integrity)||"")'
+          }
+          pushd "$packdir" >/dev/null
+          served=$(npm pack "$OPENCODE_NPM_PACKAGE@$OPENCODE_VERSION" --json 2>/dev/null | read_integrity || true)
+          if [ "$served" != "$OPENCODE_NPM_INTEGRITY" ]; then
+            echo "::error::opencode npm integrity drift for $OPENCODE_NPM_PACKAGE@$OPENCODE_VERSION — packed tarball integrity '$served', pinned '$OPENCODE_NPM_INTEGRITY'. Re-pin deliberately: update the stamps in docs/mcp/OPENCODE-CLI-PIN.md + this workflow after reviewing upstream (see the pin doc's re-observation checklist)." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          arch=$(uname -m)
+          case "$arch" in
+            x86_64) plat_pkg="opencode-linux-x64"; plat_pin="$OPENCODE_NPM_LINUX_X64_INTEGRITY" ;;
+            aarch64|arm64) plat_pkg="opencode-linux-arm64"; plat_pin="$OPENCODE_NPM_LINUX_ARM64_INTEGRITY" ;;
+            *) echo "::error::unsupported runner arch for the opencode payload pin: $arch" >&2; exit 1 ;;
+          esac
+          plat_served=$(npm pack "$plat_pkg@$OPENCODE_VERSION" --json 2>/dev/null | read_integrity || true)
+          if [ "$plat_served" != "$plat_pin" ]; then
+            echo "::error::opencode platform payload integrity drift for $plat_pkg@$OPENCODE_VERSION — packed tarball integrity '$plat_served', pinned '$plat_pin'. Re-pin deliberately (OPENCODE-CLI-PIN.md stamps + this workflow)." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          npm install -g ./opencode-ai-*.tgz
+          popd >/dev/null
+          rm -rf "$packdir"
+          if ! command -v opencode >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "::error::opencode did not resolve on PATH after npm install" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          version_output=$(opencode --version)
+          echo "$version_output"
+          # Observed shape: BARE semver (`1.18.18` — no name, no hash); the
+          # SST-vs-claimant discriminator (OPENCODE-CLI-PIN.md §Pin).
+          if [ "$(printf '%s' "$version_output" | tr -d '[:space:]')" != "$OPENCODE_VERSION" ]; then
+            echo "::error::opencode version drift — expected bare '$OPENCODE_VERSION', got: $version_output (see docs/mcp/OPENCODE-CLI-PIN.md triage table)" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+      # KEYLESS TIER FIRST — and on opencode that includes the nonce SMOKE
+      # (free tier). ANTHROPIC_API_KEY is absent from this step by
+      # construction, so the paid describe self-skips.
+      - name: Run opencode door tests (keyless tier — SMOKE included)
+        run: |
+          EXIT=0
+          bun test --timeout=600000 test/e2e/install-real-opencode.serial.test.ts > door-keyless.txt 2>&1 || EXIT=$?
+          tail -40 door-keyless.txt
+          cp door-keyless.txt "$GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR/" 2>/dev/null || true
+          if [ "$EXIT" -ne 0 ]; then
+            exit "$EXIT"
+          fi
+          # Exact expected shape for this tier: 5 keyless tests pass (T1, T2,
+          # T2b, T3, T4-SMOKE), the 1 paid test skips. Zero/partial-pass
+          # refuses green.
+          pass_count=$(grep -Eo '[0-9]+ pass' door-keyless.txt | tail -1 | grep -Eo '^[0-9]+' || true)
+          if [ -z "$pass_count" ] || [ "$pass_count" -lt 5 ]; then
+            echo "::error::opencode door keyless tier expected 5 passing tests, summary shows '${pass_count:-none}' — refusing to go green (see docs/mcp/OPENCODE-CLI-PIN.md triage table)" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+      - name: Preconditions (secret present)
+        env:
+          ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
+        run: |
+          if [ -z "$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" ]; then
+            echo "::error::ANTHROPIC_API_KEY secret is empty — the keyless tier above already ran (its coverage, including the SMOKE, is banked); the paid anthropic leg needs the secret hermes-door already consumes. Fork PRs get no secrets from GitHub." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+      # Full run (paid anthropic leg included). The T5 models-gate inside the
+      # suite is the named bad-pin tripwire: it validates the pinned model id
+      # against the AUTHED `opencode models` list BEFORE any spend.
+      - name: Run opencode door tests (full — paid anthropic leg included)
+        env:
+          ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
+        run: |
+          EXIT=0
+          bun test --timeout=600000 test/e2e/install-real-opencode.serial.test.ts > door.txt 2>&1 || EXIT=$?
+          tail -40 door.txt
+          cp door.txt "$GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR/" 2>/dev/null || true
+          if [ "$EXIT" -ne 0 ]; then
+            exit "$EXIT"
+          fi
+          # PAID-SENTINEL: with the key present, a skipping paid tier must
+          # never read as green (the split-gating false-green class). The
+          # grep target is the suite's literal skip log — mirrored in
+          # test/e2e/install-real-opencode.serial.test.ts (change together).
+          if grep -q 'SKIP paid tier' door.txt; then
+            echo "::error::opencode door paid tier skipped despite a present ANTHROPIC_API_KEY — hasOpencodeAuth() gate drift; refusing to go green" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          pass_count=$(grep -Eo '[0-9]+ pass' door.txt | tail -1 | grep -Eo '^[0-9]+' || true)
+          if [ -z "$pass_count" ] || [ "$pass_count" -lt 6 ]; then
+            echo "::error::opencode door full run expected 6 passing tests, summary shows '${pass_count:-none}'" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+      # Auto-update tripwire: the DOUBLE kill (config seed + env var) is the
+      # whole defense — a version that MOVED mid-job means it failed and the
+      # pins above are no longer what just ran.
+      - name: Version re-check (mid-job drift tripwire)
+        if: always()
+        run: |
+          if command -v opencode >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            version_output=$(opencode --version || true)
+            if [ "$(printf '%s' "$version_output" | tr -d '[:space:]')" != "$OPENCODE_VERSION" ]; then
+              echo "::error::opencode version moved mid-job — auto-update kill failed (expected '$OPENCODE_VERSION', got: $version_output)" >&2
+              exit 1
+            fi
+          fi
+
+      - name: Scrub credentials from evidence (defensive)
+        if: failure() && env.GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR != ''
+        env:
+          ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
+        run: |
+          # Same triple as the sibling doors, RE-KEYED for this lane: the
+          # credential file candidate is opencode's auth.json and the content
+          # grep sweeps ANTHROPIC_API_KEY (not XAI). Auth is env-only here —
+          # the content grep is the layer that matters for opencode-written
+          # logs on the failure path.
+          find "$GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR" -type f \( -name '.env' -o -name '*.env' -o -name 'auth.json' \) -exec rm -f {} + 2>/dev/null || true
+          find "$GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR" -type l -delete 2>/dev/null || true
+          if [ -n "$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" ]; then
+            grep -rlF "$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" "$GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR" 2>/dev/null | while IFS= read -r f; do
+              echo "::warning::removing evidence file containing the API key: ${f#"$GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR"/}" >&2
+              rm -f "$f"
+            done
+          fi
+      - name: Upload opencode door evidence
+        if: failure() && env.GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR != ''
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@ea165f8d65b6e75b540449e92b4886f43607fa02  # v4
+        with:
+          name: opencode-door-evidence
+          path: ${{ env.GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR }}
+          retention-days: 14
+          if-no-files-found: ignore
+
+      # Auth travels env-only, but a future login flow would persist
+      # auth.json — remove the known candidate unconditionally so nothing
+      # outlives the job even on a future self-hosted runner.
+      - name: Remove opencode credentials (unconditional)
+        if: always()
+        run: |
+          rm -f ~/.local/share/opencode/auth.json
+          rm -rf /tmp/gb-opencode-* 2>/dev/null || true
+
+  # opencode canary: latest-version leg (schedule-scoped, continue-on-error,
+  # own timeout — landed IN-WAVE, reversing the grok-style deferral, because
+  # opencode ships near-continuously and a frozen pin goes stale in weeks;
+  # the pinned lane above stays the deterministic gate while this tracks
+  # what users actually run). Keyless tier only (incl. the free-tier SMOKE);
+  # no secret ever reaches this job. A red here is a PIN-REFRESH SIGNAL
+  # (OPENCODE-CLI-PIN.md §Pin-refresh cadence), never a gate.
+  opencode-door-canary:
+    name: opencode door canary (latest, keyless, non-gating)
+    if: github.event_name == 'schedule'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 20
+    continue-on-error: true
+    env:
+      GBRAIN_REAL_OPENCODE_E2E: '1'
+      # Deliberately NO OPENCODE_VERSION pin: T1 asserts the bare-semver
+      # SHAPE only, and the suite runs against whatever `latest` is today.
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@11d5960a326750d5838078e36cf38b85af677262  # v4
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+      - uses: oven-sh/setup-bun@0c5077e51419868618aeaa5fe8019c62421857d6  # v2
+        with:
+          bun-version: 1.3.13
+      - run: bun install
+      - name: Build gbrain
+        run: |
+          bun build --compile --outfile "$RUNNER_TEMP/gbrain-door-bin" src/cli.ts
+          echo "GBRAIN_COMPILED_BIN=$RUNNER_TEMP/gbrain-door-bin" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+      - name: Install opencode@latest (unpinned — the whole point)
+        timeout-minutes: 10
+        run: |
+          npm install -g opencode-ai@latest
+          command -v opencode >/dev/null 2>&1
+          echo "canary version: $(opencode --version)"
+      - name: Run opencode door tests (keyless tier against latest)
+        run: |
+          EXIT=0
+          bun test --timeout=600000 test/e2e/install-real-opencode.serial.test.ts > door-canary.txt 2>&1 || EXIT=$?
+          tail -40 door-canary.txt
+          if [ "$EXIT" -ne 0 ]; then
+            echo "::warning::opencode canary red against latest — pin-refresh signal (OPENCODE-CLI-PIN.md §Pin-refresh cadence); the pinned lane is the gate."
+            exit "$EXIT"
+          fi

.github/workflows/release.yml

@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ jobs:
     outputs:
       version: ${{ steps.v.outputs.version }}
       exists: ${{ steps.v.outputs.exists }}
+      template_tree_hash: ${{ steps.v.outputs.template_tree_hash }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@11d5960a326750d5838078e36cf38b85af677262  # v4
       - id: v
@@ -47,6 +48,13 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           version="$(tr -d '[:space:]' < VERSION)"
           echo "version=$version" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          # [C3] Record the vendored template tree's git hash alongside the
+          # asset completeness check. The publish-template job embeds it in
+          # the template repo's commit message, so template-repo HEAD can be
+          # audited back to the exact reviewed tree in THIS repo. Empty until
+          # templates/bootstrap/template-repo/ is vendored.
+          tree_hash="$(git rev-parse "HEAD:templates/bootstrap/template-repo" 2>/dev/null || true)"
+          echo "template_tree_hash=$tree_hash" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           # Complete = release exists AND carries every asset the self-updater
           # can request. A partial release must NOT short-circuit, so a re-run
           # can repair it.
@@ -137,3 +145,105 @@ jobs:
           files: |
             artifacts/gbrain-darwin-arm64/gbrain-darwin-arm64
             artifacts/gbrain-linux-x64/gbrain-linux-x64
+      # [C1 = D6-A] `latest-stable` is the single sanctioned distribution ref:
+      # the README paste block, the BOOTSTRAP_FOR_AGENTS.md fetch URL, and
+      # `bun install -g github:garrytan/gbrain#latest-stable` all reference it
+      # permanently, so paste blocks copied into the wild never rot and there
+      # is no 404 window between VERSION landing and assets publishing. It is
+      # a maintainer-controlled tag advanced ONLY here — the FINAL step of the
+      # release job, after binaries + provenance attestation have fully
+      # published — so a half-built release never moves it. The force-move
+      # (`+`) is intentional: latest-stable tracks the newest verified release;
+      # per-release history lives in the immutable v<VERSION> tags.
+      # scripts/check-bootstrap-tag.sh keeps the entry docs pinned to this ref.
+      #
+      # If this step ALONE fails, re-advance by hand (a full re-run would skip:
+      # the release already exists with all assets):
+      #   git push origin "+refs/tags/v<VERSION>^{commit}:refs/tags/latest-stable"
+      - name: Advance latest-stable to this release commit
+        run: git push origin "+${GITHUB_SHA}:refs/tags/latest-stable"
+
+  # [G7/S3#4] Publishes the rendered agent-workspace template repo (the
+  # GitHub "Use this template" door) from CI ONLY — no human pushes it by
+  # hand, so what adopters clone is exactly what this repo reviewed. Guarded
+  # three ways:
+  #   1. The release above fully published (needs: release + the exists gate).
+  #   2. The vendored tree templates/bootstrap/template-repo/ exists — the
+  #      generator/doors work may not have landed yet; skip, never fail.
+  #   3. The TEMPLATE_REPO_PAT secret is configured. Secrets are not readable
+  #      in job-level `if:` expressions, so the secret is bound to env (the
+  #      same env-indirection pattern as the release-notes step) and checked
+  #      by the gate step's shell.
+  #
+  # TEMPLATE_REPO_PAT scope: a fine-grained PAT with `contents: write` on the
+  # template repository ONLY — no other repositories, no other permissions.
+  # Documented in docs/RELEASING.md.
+  publish-template:
+    needs: [version, release]
+    if: needs.version.outputs.exists == 'false'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+    env:
+      TEMPLATE_REPO_PAT: ${{ secrets.TEMPLATE_REPO_PAT }}
+      # owner/name of the template repo; override via repository variable.
+      TEMPLATE_REPO: ${{ vars.TEMPLATE_REPO || 'garrytan/gbrain-agent-template' }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@11d5960a326750d5838078e36cf38b85af677262  # v4
+      - id: gate
+        name: Gate on PAT + vendored template tree
+        run: |
+          if [ -z "$TEMPLATE_REPO_PAT" ]; then
+            echo "publish=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "SKIP: TEMPLATE_REPO_PAT secret not configured — template-repo publishing disabled."
+          elif [ ! -d templates/bootstrap/template-repo ]; then
+            echo "publish=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "SKIP: templates/bootstrap/template-repo/ not vendored yet — nothing to publish."
+          else
+            echo "publish=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          fi
+      - if: steps.gate.outputs.publish == 'true'
+        uses: oven-sh/setup-bun@0c5077e51419868618aeaa5fe8019c62421857d6  # v2
+        with:
+          bun-version: 1.3.13
+      - if: steps.gate.outputs.publish == 'true'
+        run: bun install
+      - if: steps.gate.outputs.publish == 'true'
+        name: Generate template tree and byte-diff against the vendored copy
+        run: |
+          bun run scripts/generate-template-repo.ts --out /tmp/template-tree
+          # [A1] Publish gate: fresh generator output must equal the vendored
+          # tree byte-for-byte. A mismatch means the vendored tree is stale —
+          # regenerate + commit it (scripts/check-bootstrap-templates.sh runs
+          # this same diff offline in `bun run verify`).
+          diff -r /tmp/template-tree templates/bootstrap/template-repo
+      - if: steps.gate.outputs.publish == 'true'
+        name: Force-push the template repo
+        env:
+          RELEASE_VERSION: ${{ needs.version.outputs.version }}
+          TEMPLATE_TREE_HASH: ${{ needs.version.outputs.template_tree_hash }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          cd /tmp/template-tree
+          git init -q -b main
+          git config user.name "gbrain-release-bot"
+          git config user.email "41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+          git add -A
+          # History-less by design: each release force-publishes one commit
+          # whose message binds (gbrain version, vendored tree hash) [C3].
+          git commit -q -m "gbrain v${RELEASE_VERSION} template (tree ${TEMPLATE_TREE_HASH:-unvendored})"
+          # Out-of-band credential: a one-shot GIT_ASKPASS script reads the
+          # PAT from env at prompt time, so the token never rides argv (where
+          # `ps`, runner traces, and error messages echoing the remote URL
+          # could surface it).
+          ASKPASS="$(mktemp)"
+          # shellcheck disable=SC2016  # $1/$TEMPLATE_REPO_PAT are literal on
+          # purpose — they must expand when /bin/sh runs the askpass script at
+          # git's credential prompt, not when this outer shell writes the file.
+          printf '%s\n' '#!/bin/sh' \
+            'case "$1" in Username*) printf "x-access-token\n" ;; *) printf "%s\n" "$TEMPLATE_REPO_PAT" ;; esac' \
+            > "$ASKPASS"
+          chmod +x "$ASKPASS"
+          GIT_ASKPASS="$ASKPASS" GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0 \
+            git push --force "https://github.com/${TEMPLATE_REPO}.git" HEAD:main
+          rm -f "$ASKPASS"

.github/workflows/test.yml

@@ -87,9 +87,36 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@11d5960a326750d5838078e36cf38b85af677262  # v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
-      - uses: gitleaks/gitleaks-action@ff98106e4c7b2bc287b24eaf42907196329070c7  # v2
-        env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+      # Use the open-source gitleaks CLI, not gitleaks-action@v2: the v2 action
+      # now enforces a paid GITLEAKS_LICENSE (fails the job with "missing
+      # gitleaks license" for accounts it can't validate). The CLI is free, uses
+      # the committed .gitleaks.toml allowlist, and scans the same commit range.
+      - name: Install gitleaks (pinned + checksum-verified)
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          VER=8.30.1
+          BASE="gitleaks_${VER}_linux_x64.tar.gz"
+          URL="https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/download/v${VER}"
+          curl -fsSL -o "/tmp/${BASE}" "${URL}/${BASE}"
+          curl -fsSL -o /tmp/gitleaks_checksums.txt "${URL}/gitleaks_${VER}_checksums.txt"
+          ( cd /tmp && grep " ${BASE}\$" gitleaks_checksums.txt | sha256sum -c - )
+          tar -xzf "/tmp/${BASE}" -C /tmp gitleaks
+          install /tmp/gitleaks /usr/local/bin/gitleaks
+          gitleaks version
+      - name: Scan for secrets (gitleaks CLI, .gitleaks.toml)
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          if [ "${{ github.event_name }}" = "pull_request" ]; then
+            RANGE="${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }}..${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}"
+          else
+            BEFORE="${{ github.event.before }}"
+            case "$BEFORE" in
+              ""|0000000000000000000000000000000000000000) RANGE="${{ github.sha }}~1..${{ github.sha }}" ;;
+              *) RANGE="${BEFORE}..${{ github.sha }}" ;;
+            esac
+          fi
+          echo "Scanning commit range: $RANGE"
+          gitleaks detect --redact --no-banner --log-opts "$RANGE"
 
   verify:
     # Pre-test gates: privacy/jsonb/source-id/etc + typecheck + admin-build.
@@ -165,6 +192,40 @@ jobs:
       - run: bun install
       - run: bun test test/eval-longmemeval-e2e.slow.test.ts --timeout=60000
 
+  brainbench:
+    # BrainBench memory-conformance gate (Cathedral 2). Hermetic: in-memory
+    # PGLite, zero API keys, ~15s for the full 141-fixture × 3-harness run.
+    # Governance (decision 4): compares HEAD's run against MAIN's committed
+    # baseline via `git show origin/master:evals/brainbench/baselines/main.json`
+    # — a PR cannot rewrite the thing it's compared against. Exit 1 blocks the
+    # merge until the regression is fixed or blessed (justification in the
+    # updated baseline / fixture diff in corpus-bless mode).
+    needs: cache-check
+    if: needs.cache-check.outputs.hit != 'true'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 10  # ~15s hermetic run; matches the per-job-timeout hardening (#2254)
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@34e114876b0b11c390a56381ad16ebd13914f8d5  # v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0  # the gate needs origin/master's baseline
+      - uses: oven-sh/setup-bun@0c5077e51419868618aeaa5fe8019c62421857d6  # v2
+        with:
+          bun-version: 1.3.13
+      - uses: actions/cache@5a3ec84eff668545956fd18022155c47e93e2684  # v4.2.3
+        with:
+          path: ~/.bun/install/cache
+          key: bun-cache-${{ runner.os }}-${{ hashFiles('bun.lock') }}
+      - run: bun install
+      - run: bash scripts/ci-brainbench-gate.sh
+        env:
+          BRAINBENCH_OUT: ${{ runner.temp }}/brainbench-result.json
+      - name: BrainBench delta → step summary
+        if: always()
+        run: |
+          if [ -f "${{ runner.temp }}/brainbench-result.json" ]; then
+            bun scripts/render-brainbench-delta.ts "${{ runner.temp }}/brainbench-result.json" >> "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"
+          fi
+
   slow-entity-resolve-perf:
     # Dedicated runner for the entity-resolve perf test (~159s, single perf
     # describe with one test that builds 5000+ pages and asserts the NEW
@@ -255,7 +316,7 @@ jobs:
   # entry written when tests hadn't actually passed).
   # ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
   cache-write:
-    needs: [cache-check, gitleaks, verify, serial-tests, slow-eval-longmemeval, slow-entity-resolve-perf, test]
+    needs: [cache-check, gitleaks, verify, serial-tests, slow-eval-longmemeval, slow-entity-resolve-perf, brainbench, test]
     if: success() && needs.cache-check.outputs.hit != 'true'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 5
@@ -278,7 +339,7 @@ jobs:
   # Branch protection (when configured) gates on this single job name.
   # ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
   test-status:
-    needs: [cache-check, gitleaks, verify, serial-tests, slow-eval-longmemeval, slow-entity-resolve-perf, test]
+    needs: [cache-check, gitleaks, verify, serial-tests, slow-eval-longmemeval, slow-entity-resolve-perf, brainbench, test]
     if: always()
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 5
@@ -291,15 +352,16 @@ jobs:
           SERIAL="${{ needs.serial-tests.result }}"
           SLOW_EVAL="${{ needs.slow-eval-longmemeval.result }}"
           SLOW_PERF="${{ needs.slow-entity-resolve-perf.result }}"
+          BRAINBENCH="${{ needs.brainbench.result }}"
           TEST="${{ needs.test.result }}"
           echo "cache-check.hit=$HIT"
-          echo "gitleaks=$GITLEAKS  verify=$VERIFY  serial-tests=$SERIAL  slow-eval-longmemeval=$SLOW_EVAL  slow-entity-resolve-perf=$SLOW_PERF  test=$TEST"
+          echo "gitleaks=$GITLEAKS  verify=$VERIFY  serial-tests=$SERIAL  slow-eval-longmemeval=$SLOW_EVAL  slow-entity-resolve-perf=$SLOW_PERF  brainbench=$BRAINBENCH  test=$TEST"
           if [ "$HIT" = "true" ]; then
             echo "✓ cache HIT for hash ${{ needs.cache-check.outputs.hash }} — CI green"
             exit 0
           fi
           # Cache miss: every gated job must have succeeded.
-          for r in "$GITLEAKS" "$VERIFY" "$SERIAL" "$SLOW_EVAL" "$SLOW_PERF" "$TEST"; do
+          for r in "$GITLEAKS" "$VERIFY" "$SERIAL" "$SLOW_EVAL" "$SLOW_PERF" "$BRAINBENCH" "$TEST"; do
             if [ "$r" != "success" ]; then
               echo "✗ gated job did not succeed (got $r) — CI fail"
               exit 1

AGENTS.md

@@ -4,8 +4,16 @@ This is your install + operating protocol. Claude Code reads `./CLAUDE.md` autom
 Everyone else (Codex, Cursor, OpenClaw, Aider, Continue, or an LLM fetching via URL):
 start here.
 
+> **Becoming someone's persistent personal agent** (identity + memory + private repo)?
+> Follow [`BOOTSTRAP_FOR_AGENTS.md`](./BOOTSTRAP_FOR_AGENTS.md) — the `gbrain bootstrap`
+> flow — instead of the plain install below, then come back here for the operating
+> protocol. Connecting to an EXISTING remote brain from a laptop agent?
+> `gbrain connect https://your-host/mcp --token gbrain_xxx --install` (see the MCP
+> table in [`README.md`](./README.md)).
+
 ## Install (5 min)
 
+<!-- npm-trap + #218 recovery: canonical copy lives in README.md ("Install" warning) — sync edits. -->
 1. Install gbrain via Bun (the canonical path):
    ```bash
    curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash
@@ -26,8 +34,8 @@ start here.
    [`./INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md`](./INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md) Step 3.5 for the
    exact ask-the-user protocol. Same banner fires on `gbrain post-upgrade`
    for existing users (search modes were added in v0.32.3).
-4. Read [`./INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md`](./INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md) for the full 9-step flow
-   (API keys, identity, cron, verification).
+4. Read [`./INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md`](./INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md) for the full step-by-step
+   flow (API keys, identity, cron, verification).
 
 ## Read this order
 
@@ -69,10 +77,10 @@ writing or reviewing an operation, consult `src/core/operations.ts` for the cont
   `GBRAIN_CONTRIBUTOR_MODE=1`, then `gbrain eval export --since 7d > base.ndjson`
   and `gbrain eval replay --against base.ndjson`. For public benchmark
   coverage (LongMemEval, ground-truth scoring), `gbrain eval longmemeval
-  <dataset.jsonl>` (v0.28.8) runs against an isolated in-memory PGLite
+  <dataset.jsonl>` runs against an isolated in-memory PGLite
   per question — your `~/.gbrain` is never opened. Full guide:
   [`docs/eval-bench.md`](./docs/eval-bench.md).
-- **Drive the brain to a target health score (v0.36.4.0):** the one-command
+- **Drive the brain to a target health score:** the one-command
   loop. `gbrain doctor --remediation-plan --json` previews what would be
   fixed; `gbrain doctor --remediate --yes --target-score 90 --max-usd 5`
   walks a dependency-ordered plan (sync before extract, embed after
@@ -81,22 +89,20 @@ writing or reviewing an operation, consult `src/core/operations.ts` for the cont
   keys hit a `max_reachable_score` ceiling and bail with what's missing.
   Three phase handlers (synthesize / patterns / consolidate) are
   PROTECTED — only trusted local callers can submit them; MCP cannot.
-  Reference: [`docs/architecture/topologies.md`](./docs/architecture/topologies.md)
-  and the CHANGELOG entry for v0.36.4.0.
-- **Track a founder/company over time (v0.35.7):** when an entity has
+  Reference: [`docs/architecture/topologies.md`](./docs/architecture/topologies.md).
+- **Track a founder/company over time:** when an entity has
   typed metric claims in its `## Facts` fence (`metric: mrr`, `value: 50000`,
   `unit: USD`, `period: monthly` columns), run
   `gbrain eval trajectory <entity-slug>` for the chronological history
   with regressions auto-flagged, or `gbrain founder scorecard <entity-slug>`
   for a four-signal JSON rollup (claim_accuracy / consistency /
   growth_trajectory / red_flags). MCP op `find_trajectory` exposes the
-  same data — read scope, visibility-filtered for remote callers. **v0.40.2.0:**
-  `gbrain think` now uses this substrate automatically on temporal /
+  same data — read scope, visibility-filtered for remote callers.
+  `gbrain think` uses this substrate automatically on temporal /
   knowledge_update intent (default ON; flip `think.trajectory_enabled=false`
-  to opt out). Migration v82 added `facts.event_type` so non-metric event
-  rows (`meeting`, `job_change`, `location_change`) ride through the same
-  pipeline; pass `kind: 'event'` or `'all'` to `find_trajectory` to query
-  them.
+  to opt out). Non-metric event rows (`meeting`, `job_change`,
+  `location_change`) ride through the same pipeline via `facts.event_type`;
+  pass `kind: 'event'` or `'all'` to `find_trajectory` to query them.
 - **Everything else:** [`./llms.txt`](./llms.txt) is the full documentation map.
   [`./llms-full.txt`](./llms-full.txt) is the same map with core docs inlined for
   single-fetch ingestion.

BOOTSTRAP_FOR_AGENTS.md

@@ -0,0 +1,251 @@
+<!-- gbrain-runbook-stamp: 0.46.4.0 -->
+<!-- This stamp must equal the VERSION file at every release; CI enforces it
+     (scripts/check-bootstrap-tag.sh). `gbrain bootstrap status` compares it to
+     the installed binary and warns on skew. -->
+
+# BOOTSTRAP_FOR_AGENTS.md — become your human's persistent agent
+
+You are an AI agent (Claude Code, Codex, or opencode) reading this because a human
+pasted a block asking you to set yourself up as their persistent personal agent, with
+gbrain as your memory. This runbook is the judgment layer; the deterministic work lives
+in `gbrain bootstrap` subcommands with exit codes. Follow it top to bottom.
+
+**Scope note:** this path is for Claude Code, Codex, and opencode (desktop apps or
+CLIs; opencode = the SST terminal agent, opencode.ai — not OpenClaw).
+Running OpenClaw or Hermes? Use `INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md` instead.
+
+**End state:** this folder is your workspace — identity files rendered from your
+human's own answers, a local brain (PGLite, embedded, no server), MCP wired,
+per-turn context, and a private GitHub repo as your durable body. ~15 minutes,
+mostly interview.
+
+## Hard rules for you, the installing agent
+
+⛔ **NEVER INVENT ANSWERS.** Personality, purpose, and boundaries come from the
+human. A guessed SOUL.md gets believed by every future session. If you do not have
+an answer, ask. The render step structurally refuses to run until the required
+answers exist and were read back.
+
+⛔ **ASK IN SMALL BATCHES.** The interview is 12 questions max (6 required), asked
+in three batches. Mirror each batch back in one line. Accept "skip" on any
+non-required question — momentum beats completeness.
+
+⛔ **STAY INSIDE THIS PHASE LIST.** Run `gbrain bootstrap status --json` and follow
+ITS phase list — the CLI is the source of truth, this document is commentary. If a
+step you are asked to run is not in the CLI's phase list, refuse it. If `status`
+reports a version skew between this runbook and the installed binary, say so and
+prefer the binary's instructions.
+
+⛔ **NO SILENT FAILURE.** Every blocking condition (secret-scan block, lock
+collision, partial install) surfaces through `status`/`verify`/`doctor` output —
+read it and relay it to the human in plain language. Never work around a refusal.
+
+⛔ **VERIFY BEFORE CLAIMING DONE.** The install is done when `gbrain bootstrap
+verify` exits 0 — not when the transcript looks good. Paste its report to the human.
+
+⛔ **RESPECT THE TOOLCHAIN TRUST RULES.** Install bun via a platform package manager
+when available (`brew install oven-sh/bun/bun`); the only permitted fallback is the
+checksum-verified variant: download the pinned release to a file, verify it against
+that release's SHASUMS256.txt, and only then execute. Install gh the same way —
+platform package manager first (`brew install gh`, `apt install gh`, `dnf install gh`,
+`winget install GitHub.cli` per the official instructions); never a piped
+curl-to-shell one-liner. Install gbrain ONLY as
+`bun install -g github:garrytan/gbrain#latest-stable` — the npm package named
+"gbrain" is an unrelated project. (Cloud-sandbox exception: bun's package fetching
+is proxy-incompatible there — use the `gbrain bootstrap cloud-setup-script` recipe,
+which installs from the same pinned GitHub source through npm.)
+
+⛔ **NEVER FABRICATE TOOLING.** If gh or any preflight binary is missing, blocked
+by a sandbox egress proxy, or answering 403s, report that through
+`status`/`doctor` output and follow the cloud-sandbox guidance below. Never
+hand-roll a gh shim, stub a fake binary into /usr/local/bin, or fake a passing
+check — a fabricated tool poisons every later verification, and the one time it
+was tried it masked a real silent-persistence failure. The CLI degrades honestly
+on its own; your job is to relay, not to bridge.
+
+## Codex preflight (ChatGPT desktop / Codex CLI only)
+
+Codex sandboxes command execution. Before starting, tell the human: "I'll need
+approval to run install commands (bun, gh, gbrain) and to write in this folder —
+approve those prompts when they appear." If approvals are globally disabled, ask the
+human to enable workspace-write + network for this session. Count the approval taps
+you needed; report the count at the end (it feeds the install-time measurement).
+
+## Phase walkthrough (commentary — the CLI's list wins)
+
+1. **Preflight.** `git`, `bun`, `gh` present. Install what's missing per the trust
+   rules above: bun via a platform package manager or the checksum-verified download
+   — the checksum-verified install is the ONLY permitted non-package-manager
+   variant; gh via the platform package manager. (On a clean Mac, `git` may trigger
+   the Xcode tools dialog — that download does not count against the 15 minutes,
+   tell the human to let it run.)
+   `gh auth status` — if logged out, the human's ONE manual step:
+   `gh auth login -h github.com -p https -w` (you run it; they click Authorize).
+   Then `gbrain bootstrap status` — it is idempotent and resume-aware; after any
+   partial failure, re-run it and continue where it points.
+2. **Engine.** `gbrain init --pglite` (2 seconds, no server). Search mode is
+   auto-selected silently (conservative when keyless, tokenmax with an
+   expansion key) and printed with an `[AGENT]` cost matrix — surface that
+   matrix to the human and confirm before running high-volume queries (see
+   INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md Step 3.5); they can change it any time with
+   `gbrain search modes`. The one thing to raise here is the OPTIONAL provider
+   key — with no key you run keyless: keyword search plus memory you author
+   yourself through the write tools; everything works, one key upgrades search to
+   semantic and enables automatic fact extraction. Never pressure for a key. If the
+   human provides one, pass it to the CLI prompt — it goes to the 0600 config file,
+   never into the interview answers, never into chat logs you keep.
+3. **Interview.** `gbrain bootstrap interview --init`, then ask the questions from
+   the bank (the CLI prints them) in three batches, recording each answer verbatim
+   with `--set KEY "value"`. Push once on vague answers to the required questions.
+   Claude Code and opencode: with the final batch, also ask the ONE operational
+   consent — MCP scope. It is not one of the 12 interview questions; consents ride
+   alongside the bank. On Claude Code the choice: project (recommended — any other
+   repo you open cannot read your brain) vs user (your agent everywhere, but any
+   repo you open can reach it — read and write — and two open sessions contend for
+   the database). On opencode the recommendation INVERTS: user-global is the
+   default and the sharing-safe choice (opencode spawns project-config-defined
+   servers with NO trust prompt, so a committed project entry executes on every
+   collaborator's machine) — offer project only as a deliberate opt-in and state
+   that consequence. Record it with
+   `gbrain bootstrap interview --set MCP_SCOPE <project|user>` BEFORE the
+   read-back, so the confirmation covers it. On Codex, skip this question
+   entirely — the wiring step states the Codex reality instead.
+   After the last batch: read ALL answers back in one compact block, ask "Is this
+   the thing you want in the room?", and only then run
+   `gbrain bootstrap interview --confirm <hash>` with the hash `--status` printed
+   for the read-back set. The gate fails if you confirm a set the human never saw.
+4. **Render.** `gbrain bootstrap render` — identity files appear. Show the human
+   SOUL.md. Existing files are never overwritten (re-runs are safe; `--force`
+   backs up first).
+5. **Skills.** `gbrain skillpack scaffold --all` — the CLI scaffolds the skill
+   set. Nothing to judge here; relay the output.
+6. **Wire the harness + register the brain source.** `gbrain bootstrap hooks
+   --harness <detected>` creates `<workspace>/brain` and prints the exact
+   `gbrain sources add <source_id> --path <brain> --force` command for THIS
+   workspace — run it verbatim (don't guess a different id; a guessed id
+   only surfaces as an FK error at `verify` time, by which point a wrong
+   guess also blocks the correct id with an `overlapping_path` error). It
+   also:
+   - Claude Code: installs per-turn hooks ON by default — do NOT ask; loading the
+     brain every turn is the whole point of installing gbrain for your agent. Tell
+     the human it is on and how to turn it off (`GBRAIN_HOOKS=0`, or re-run with
+     `--no-hooks`, or `gbrain bootstrap uninstall`). MCP scope is NOT asked here —
+     `hooks` consumes the MCP_SCOPE answer recorded during the interview.
+   - Codex: registers MCP (`codex mcp add`) and relies on the AGENTS.md protocol —
+     say plainly that Codex gets pull-based context, not per-turn push.
+     Do NOT offer an MCP scope choice: `codex mcp add` has no scope flag, so
+     the registration is always user-global. State it as fact — any repo opened
+     on this machine can reach the brain (read and write) through its MCP
+     tools; the off-ramps are `codex mcp remove gbrain` (registration only) or
+     `gbrain bootstrap uninstall` (full teardown).
+   - opencode: writes the MCP entry directly into opencode's JSONC config (no
+     CLI exec needed) and relies on the AGENTS.md protocol, which opencode loads
+     natively — say plainly that opencode gets pull-based context, not per-turn
+     push. Scope follows the recorded MCP_SCOPE answer (user-global default; a
+     project answer writes the committed-candidate `opencode.json` and the CLI
+     prints the sharing warning). Restart opencode after wiring — it reads config
+     at session start. Off-ramps: the entry's `"enabled": false`, or
+     `gbrain bootstrap uninstall`.
+7. **Private repo.** `gbrain bootstrap repo` — creates a PRIVATE GitHub repo from
+   the workspace, verifies the privacy bit through the API, pushes. If the human
+   started from a repo they created themselves (create-repo-first: an EMPTY private
+   repo under their own account, cloned and opened here), this ADOPTS that repo
+   instead of creating one — verifies it is private and pushes the workspace. A
+   non-empty repo, or one owned by an org, is refused with a clear message (make an
+   empty personal repo, or run `gbrain bootstrap attach` for an existing agent
+   clone). Asks the background-persistence consent (a git post-commit auto-push
+   plus a 30-minute pull job for multi-machine freshness; declining still persists
+   via the per-turn and session-end pushes). If the human has no GitHub or declines:
+   local-only mode with an honest warning; `bootstrap repo` can run any time later.
+   Note: the per-turn/session push stays deferred until this phase records the
+   verified repo, so nothing is ever pushed to an unverified-privacy origin.
+8. **Verify.** `gbrain bootstrap verify` — the whole contract: brain round-trip
+   through the real write path, graph floor, token sweep, secret scan, repo
+   privacy, hooks smoke, capability report (keyless or keyed). Exit 0 or it is not
+   done. Paste the report. Then relay the first-run tour it prints (three prompts
+   the human should try, starting with restarting the session) AND the hand-off
+   block below it — the ownership line and the cold-start offer are the two
+   things the human must actually understand, not fine print.
+
+## Machine two
+
+If this workspace was cloned from an existing agent repo (agent.json says
+initialized), run `gbrain bootstrap attach` instead of the interview/render/repo
+phases — it wires this machine (source, hooks, MCP) and verifies. If agent.json
+says it is an uninitialized template, proceed with the normal flow from phase 1.
+
+## Cloud sandboxes (claude.ai/code and similar proxied environments)
+
+**How you know:** `gbrain bootstrap status --json` reports
+`execution_environment: "cloud-sandbox"` (the CLI detects the documented
+signals — the CLAUDE_CODE_REMOTE env var, the proxy-injected token
+placeholder). Trust the CLI's detection over your own guesses.
+
+**Expected degradations — these are facts to relay, not bugs to bridge:**
+
+- **No crontab, no surviving background processes.** The VM is reclaimed after
+  inactivity. The scheduled pull is skipped honestly; the per-turn (Stop hook)
+  and session-end pushes carry persistence. Decline nothing, fabricate nothing.
+- **GitHub GraphQL is always blocked** by the egress proxy, and **REST reaches
+  only repos attached to the session** — a repo created mid-session is NOT
+  attached, so `gbrain bootstrap repo` refuses fast in cloud with the flow
+  that works. Privacy verification falls back to pure git protocol on its own.
+- **`git push` works only against the session's working branch.** A user PAT
+  does not bypass any of this.
+- **Only repo-committed files carry into the next session.** `~/.gbrain`,
+  `~/.claude`, and the gitignored `.claude/settings.local.json` evaporate.
+  Hooks therefore live in the COMMITTED `.claude/settings.json` (the CLI
+  writes PATH-resolved, fail-open commands there in cloud); hook config is
+  snapshotted at session start, so hooks written mid-session activate on the
+  NEXT session — say so instead of debugging it.
+
+**The correct cloud flow:**
+
+1. The human creates the private repo from a normal machine (or github.com)
+   and opens the cloud session ON that repo.
+2. The environment's setup script installs the gbrain binary — print it with
+   `gbrain bootstrap cloud-setup-script` and have the human paste it into the
+   environment config (npm-based; bun's fetching is proxy-incompatible there).
+3. Inside the session: `gbrain bootstrap attach`, then
+   `gbrain bootstrap hooks --harness claude-code` (writes the committed
+   carrier), commit + push, and tell the human the hooks go live next session.
+
+## Failure modes, and what they actually mean
+
+| Symptom | Real cause | Fix |
+|---|---|---|
+| `interview --status` exits nonzero forever | A required answer is genuinely missing | Ask the human. Do not default it. |
+| Render refuses with unresolved tokens | Interview incomplete or a template edit broke a token | Finish the interview; `status` names the tokens. |
+| `verify` fails the magic-moment check | The fact never landed (keyless: the Facts fence was not written) | Re-run the write step it names; check `gbrain doctor`. |
+| Secret-scan block on push | A credential-shaped string in a tracked file | Fix or allowlist deliberately (`.gbrain-scan-allow`); never force. |
+| "bootstrap already running (pid N)" | A concurrent bootstrap holds the lock | Wait or investigate that pid; the lock self-clears when stale. |
+| Brain tools fail with a lock error | Another live session's serve owns the database | Close the other session; sequential use is the v1 contract. |
+| Hook reports "brain context unavailable" | serve not running or degraded | `gbrain doctor` names it; hooks fail open by design. |
+| gh answers 403 "not enabled for this session" | Cloud proxy scoping — the repo is not attached to the session | Expected in cloud; the visibility ladder falls back to git protocol. NEVER shim gh. |
+| "crontab: command not found" / cron skipped | Containers and cloud sandboxes ship without a scheduler | Expected; event-driven pushes cover it — the skip message says exactly this. |
+| A turn shows "workspace push is FAILING" | The background push is refusing (visibility, secret-scan, or network reasons) | Run `gbrain doctor`; the banner repeats every 30 min until fixed. |
+
+## Hand off
+
+Two things the human must UNDERSTAND before you finish — say them plainly, in
+this order, and confirm they landed:
+
+1. **They own the brain.** Every memory you keep is a markdown file in THEIR
+   private GitHub repo — name the URL. Owning it means: they can read it any
+   time, take it to a second machine (`gbrain bootstrap attach`), or delete the
+   repo and the brain is gone. If they went local-only, say that instead, with
+   `gbrain bootstrap repo` as the any-time upgrade.
+2. **The first skill to run is cold-start.** An empty brain is a database; a
+   filled one is a memory — and every flagship skill (book-mirror, briefings,
+   meeting prep) only becomes magical once the brain holds their real life.
+   OFFER to run the cold-start skill now: it imports Gmail, calendar, and
+   contacts through ClawVisor (clawvisor.com — an OAuth vault; you never hold
+   raw tokens), or offline archives (Google Takeout, a notes folder) if they
+   prefer no third-party gateway. Every phase is consent-gated and
+   independently valuable — they can stop after any one. If they say "later",
+   that is a complete install; they can say "fill my brain" any time.
+
+Then the routine facts: the capability mode (keyless vs keyed), and the three
+commands they will actually reuse (`gbrain doctor`, `gbrain bootstrap verify`,
+`gbrain sources push`). Then delete nothing — this runbook was fetched, not
+installed.

CLAUDE.md

@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ mount, CEO-class with multiple team brains) and
 
 ## Architecture
 
-Contract-first: `src/core/operations.ts` defines ~110 shared operations (v0.29 adds `get_recent_salience`, `find_anomalies`, `get_recent_transcripts`; v0.42.43.0 adds `volunteer_context` — push-based context, see `docs/guides/push-context.md`; v0.43.0.0 adds the five frozen MEMORY_VERBS — `recall`, `remember`, `entity`, `synthesize`, `forget` — servable alone via `gbrain serve --surface verbs`, see `docs/protocol/MEMORY_VERBS_v1.md`). CLI and MCP
+Contract-first: `src/core/operations.ts` defines 100+ shared operations (including `volunteer_context` — push-based context, see `docs/guides/push-context.md` — and the seven frozen MEMORY_VERBS `recall`/`remember`/`entity`/`synthesize`/`forget`/`context_pack`/`delta` — the last two are v0.45.7 ambient-recall boundary verbs (budget-packed pack + "what changed since"), all seven stamp `protocol_version: 1`, servable alone via `gbrain serve --surface verbs`, see `docs/protocol/MEMORY_VERBS_v1.md` + `docs/guides/ambient-recall.md`). CLI and MCP
 server are both generated from this single source. Engine factory (`src/core/engine-factory.ts`)
 dynamically imports the configured engine (`'pglite'` or `'postgres'`). Skills are fat
 markdown files (tool-agnostic, work with both CLI and plugin contexts).
@@ -70,7 +70,11 @@ Per-file detail is in `docs/architecture/KEY_FILES.md`.
 - **Engine-live paths avoid runtime dynamic `import()` for helper dependencies.** In
   `src/core/pglite-engine.ts`, `src/core/postgres-engine.ts`, and
   `src/core/migrate.ts`, dependencies previously reached through runtime dynamic
-  imports use static top-level imports. The only current dynamic-`import()` exceptions
+  imports use static top-level imports. Besides the snapshot loader's lazy
+  `require()` cluster in `pglite-engine.ts:tryLoadSnapshot` (fs/crypto/
+  migrate/pglite-schema + one gateway shape lookup — lazy so production
+  builds without the test-fixture path don't eager-load; the guard now
+  matches `require()` calls too), the only dynamic-`import()` exceptions
   are the four `ai/gateway.ts` lookups in both engines'
   `initSchema()` and `_upsertChunksOnce()` methods; each remains lazy inside a
   local `try/catch` because the gateway has a large provider/config closure and,
@@ -126,6 +130,7 @@ detail on demand.)
 | eval methodology / metrics | `docs/eval/` |
 | brains vs sources / topology | `docs/architecture/brains-and-sources.md`, `topologies.md` |
 | skill routing | `skills/RESOLVER.md` |
+| agent bootstrap (paste-in install, hooks, `gbrain bootstrap`, sweep, keyless) | `docs/guides/bootstrap.md` + `docs/designs/AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_PLAN.md` + the KEY_FILES bootstrap cluster |
 | shipping a release / CHANGELOG / PR conventions | `docs/RELEASING.md` (ship IRON RULES stay inline below) |
 
 The per-file index (`## Key files`), the thin-client routing seam, and the testing
@@ -191,9 +196,10 @@ Mismatches (tokenmax+Haiku, conservative+Opus) waste capacity differently
 expensive one.
 
 tokenmax adds ~\$1.50 per 1K queries in Haiku expansion calls on top of
-the matrix (\$15/mo @ 10K). Cache hits cut all numbers ~50%. **The cost
-picker copy in `gbrain init` carries the same matrix verbatim** — update
-both when refreshing.
+the matrix (\$15/mo @ 10K). Cache hits cut all numbers ~50%. **The matrix
+has three verbatim homes: this section, the `gbrain init` picker copy
+(`src/commands/init-mode-picker.ts`), and `INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md` Step
+3.5** — update all three when refreshing.
 
 **Per-query math vs real-world spend.** The matrix above is what an
 isolated benchmark would measure. Real agent loops with disciplined
@@ -273,8 +279,9 @@ audit trail lives in the source repo's git history.
 
 ## Skills
 
-Read the skill files in `skills/` before doing brain operations. GBrain ships 52 skills
-organized by `skills/RESOLVER.md` (`AGENTS.md` is also accepted as of v0.19):
+Read the skill files in `skills/` before doing brain operations. GBrain ships 50+ skills
+(the current list lives in `skills/manifest.json`) organized by `skills/RESOLVER.md`
+(`AGENTS.md` is also accepted as of v0.19):
 
 **Original 8 (conformance-migrated):** ingest (thin router), query, maintain, enrich,
 briefing, migrate, setup, publish.
@@ -478,7 +485,7 @@ ms, max waiters) for `--json`; a one-line summary prints to stderr.
 
 ## Version locations (single source of truth: `VERSION` file)
 
-Every release advances the version in **five files at once**. Keep these in
+Every release advances the version in **six files at once**. Keep these in
 sync. `/ship` enforces this via Step 12's idempotency check (VERSION vs
 package.json drift), but the canonical list lives here so future runs and
 the auto-update agent know where to look.
@@ -494,7 +501,7 @@ four numeric segments are required first. Historical 3-segment versions
 (`0.31.3`, `0.22.1`) remain valid in `git log` and migration filenames
 (`skills/migrations/v0.21.0.md`); do NOT rewrite them. Going forward only.
 
-**Required (every release must update all five):**
+**Required (every release must update all six):**
 
 | File | What lives there | Format |
 |---|---|---|
@@ -503,6 +510,9 @@ four numeric segments are required first. Historical 3-segment versions
 | `CHANGELOG.md` | Top entry header `## [0.31.4.1] - YYYY-MM-DD` plus the "To take advantage of v0.31.4.1" block. | Standard Keep-a-Changelog header. |
 | `TODOS.md` | Any TODO entries that mention "follow-up from vX.Y.Z.W" use the version of the release that filed them. Update only when filing NEW follow-up TODOs. | Inline `vX.Y.Z.W` references in TODO bodies. |
 | `CLAUDE.md` | The Key Files section's per-file annotations carry `vX.Y.Z.W (#NNN)` tags noting which release introduced a behavior. Update whenever a wave's annotations get folded in. | Inline `vX.Y.Z.W (#NNN, contributed by @user)` references. |
+| `openclaw.plugin.json` | OpenClaw plugin manifest (v0.45.6.0, #4033). Hand-maintained; `test/openclaw-plugin-manifest.test.ts` fails the suite if it drifts from `package.json`. Merges from master auto-resolve it to master's version — re-bump it with the trio. | `"version": "0.45.12.0"` |
+| `BOOTSTRAP_FOR_AGENTS.md` | Runbook stamp on line 1. `scripts/check-bootstrap-tag.sh` (in `bun run verify` + CI) fails when it drifts from `VERSION`; refresh it in the same commit as the bump. | `<!-- gbrain-runbook-stamp: X.Y.Z.W -->` |
+| `templates/bootstrap/template-repo/` | Vendored template tree with an embedded version stamp. Auto-derived, but NOT by `bun install`: run `bun run scripts/generate-template-repo.ts --out templates/bootstrap/template-repo` after the bump; `scripts/check-bootstrap-templates.sh` fails CI on drift. | `<!-- gbrain-template-stamp: X.Y.Z.W -->` in generated files. |
 
 **Auto-derived (no manual edit; refreshed by their own commands):**
 

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -48,7 +48,9 @@ src/
   core/
     operations.ts         Contract-first operation definitions (the foundation)
     engine.ts             BrainEngine interface
-    postgres-engine.ts    Postgres implementation
+    engine-factory.ts     Engine factory (dynamic import of the configured engine)
+    postgres-engine.ts    Postgres + pgvector implementation
+    pglite-engine.ts      PGLite (embedded Postgres via WASM) implementation
     db.ts                 Connection management + schema loader
     import-file.ts        Import pipeline (chunk + embed + tags)
     types.ts              TypeScript types
@@ -59,12 +61,16 @@ src/
     supabase-admin.ts     Supabase admin API
     file-resolver.ts      MIME detection + content hashing
     migrate.ts            Migration helpers
+    bootstrap/            Agent-bootstrap flow (interview, hooks, repo, verify)
     yaml-lite.ts          Lightweight YAML parser
     chunkers/             3-tier chunking (recursive, semantic, llm)
     search/               Hybrid search (vector, keyword, hybrid, expansion, dedup)
-    embedding.ts          OpenAI embedding service
+    embedding.ts          Embedding service (provider-routed; ZeroEntropy default)
   mcp/
     server.ts             MCP stdio server (generated from operations)
+    http-transport.ts     HTTP MCP transport (OAuth, body caps)
+    dispatch.ts           Op dispatch + scope enforcement + param redaction
+    rate-limit.ts         Rate limiting
   schema.sql              Postgres DDL
 skills/                   Fat markdown skills for AI agents
 test/                     Unit tests (bun test, no DB required)
@@ -77,15 +83,21 @@ test/e2e/                 E2E tests (requires DATABASE_URL, real Postgres+pgvect
 docs/                     Architecture docs
 ```
 
+Per-file invariants live in `docs/architecture/KEY_FILES.md` — read a file's entry
+before editing it.
+
 ## Running tests
 
+The canonical reference for test tiers, isolation rules, timing, and the E2E
+lifecycle is [`docs/TESTING.md`](docs/TESTING.md). The short version:
+
 ```bash
-# Inner edit loop (~85s on a Mac dev box, 3700+ unit tests)
-bun run test                      # parallel 4-shard fan-out (memory-adaptive) + serial post-pass
+# Inner edit loop (~8min full suite on a Mac dev box; single files in seconds)
+bun run test                      # parallel 4-shard fan-out (memory-adaptive) + serial post-pass; PGLite snapshot default-on
 bun test test/markdown.test.ts    # specific unit test
 
-# Pre-push gate (matches what CI runs on shard 1 + typecheck)
-bun run verify                    # privacy + jsonb + progress + test-isolation + wasm + admin-build + resolver + typecheck
+# Pre-push gate (40+ parallel checks + typecheck)
+bun run verify
 
 # Pre-merge sanity (everything CI runs)
 bun run test:full                 # verify + parallel unit + slow + smart e2e
@@ -103,18 +115,37 @@ DATABASE_URL=postgresql://postgres:postgres@localhost:5434/gbrain_test bun run t
 DATABASE_URL=postgresql://... bun run test:e2e
 ```
 
-Use `bun run verify` before pushing. The guard chain catches: banned fork-name
-leaks (`scripts/check-privacy.sh`), `JSON.stringify(x)::jsonb` interpolation
+Heads-up: a bare `bun test` refuses to start while `DATABASE_URL` or
+`GBRAIN_DATABASE_URL` is set in your environment — some tests run destructive
+SQL against whatever those URLs point at. Unset the variable for unit runs
+(they need no database) or use the wrappers: the unit/slow runners strip the
+variables at their boundary, and `bun run test:e2e` opts in at its own. The
+refusal message walks you through it; details in
+[`docs/TESTING.md`](docs/TESTING.md) ("Database-URL run guard"). If you point
+`bun run test:e2e` at your own Postgres or Supabase, a second floor applies:
+the database name must carry "test" as a word segment (like `gbrain_test`
+above) or destructive tests refuse to run — opt a differently-named database
+in one-shot with `GBRAIN_E2E_ALLOW_DB=<name>`.
+
+Use `bun run verify` before pushing. It runs 19+ guard checks in parallel
+
+Use `bun run verify` before pushing. It runs 40+ guard checks in parallel
+(`scripts/run-verify-parallel.sh`), including: banned fork-name leaks
+(`scripts/check-privacy.sh`), `JSON.stringify(x)::jsonb` interpolation
 patterns (`scripts/check-jsonb-pattern.sh`), `\r` progress bleed to stdout
 (`scripts/check-progress-to-stdout.sh`), test-isolation rule violations
 (`scripts/check-test-isolation.sh` — see "Writing tests that survive the parallel
 loop" below), silent fallback to recursive chunking in the compiled binary
 (`scripts/check-wasm-embedded.sh`), stale admin-dashboard build artifacts
-(`scripts/check-admin-build.sh`), and resolver drift on bundled skills
-(`bun run check:resolver` — strict-mode `check-resolvable` that exit-1s on any
-warning, added in v0.41.14.0 to catch SKILL.md frontmatter ↔ RESOLVER.md drift
-before merge). `bun run check:all` runs the full historical sweep including the
-trailing-newline and exports-count checks.
+(`scripts/check-admin-build.sh`), resolver drift on bundled skills
+(`bun run check:resolver`), and typecheck. The guard REGISTRY is
+`scripts/guards-manifest.tsv`, and `scripts/guard-self-test.sh` (also in
+`verify`) proves each self-tested scanner guard (`selftest=yes` in the
+manifest; coverage ratchets up from the `todo` rows) can actually fail by
+running it against known-bad fixtures — a new `scripts/check-*` guard must be
+registered in the manifest or the build fails. There is no `check:all` script; the
+trailing-newline, exports-count, and no-legacy-getconnection checks run in
+`verify` with everything else.
 
 ### Writing tests that survive the parallel loop
 
@@ -123,75 +154,35 @@ capping total concurrency (shards × intra-shard files) to available memory and
 re-running OOM-killed or externally-killed files serially before calling them
 failures (see `docs/TESTING.md` for the rescue-pass details and knobs). Files
 in the same shard share a process, so process-global state leaks between them.
-Four lint rules (`scripts/check-test-isolation.sh`, R1-R4) enforce isolation:
+Four lint rules (`scripts/check-test-isolation.sh`, R1–R4) enforce isolation:
+no direct `process.env` mutation (use `withEnv()` from
+`test/helpers/with-env.ts`), no `mock.module(...)` outside `*.serial.test.ts`,
+and every `new PGLiteEngine(` goes inside the canonical `beforeAll` block with
+a paired `afterAll(disconnect)`.
 
-| Rule | What it bans | Fix |
-|---|---|---|
-| **R1** | Direct `process.env.X = ...` mutation | Use `withEnv()` from `test/helpers/with-env.ts`, or rename to `*.serial.test.ts` |
-| **R2** | `mock.module(...)` anywhere in the file | Rename to `*.serial.test.ts` |
-| **R3** | `new PGLiteEngine(` outside ~50 lines after `beforeAll(` | Use the canonical PGLite block (see below) |
-| **R4** | `new PGLiteEngine(` without paired `afterAll(disconnect)` | Add the `afterAll(() => engine.disconnect())` |
+**The full rules, the canonical PGLite block, the `withEnv` pattern, and the
+`*.serial.test.ts` quarantine policy live in
+[`docs/TESTING.md`](docs/TESTING.md#test-isolation-lint-and-helpers)
+— read that before writing a new test file.** Files that predate the rules are
+listed in `scripts/check-test-isolation.allowlist`; the allow-list MUST shrink
+over time — never add new entries.
 
-Canonical PGLite block (R3 + R4 compliant — paste this verbatim):
-
-```ts
-import { PGLiteEngine } from '../src/core/pglite-engine.ts';
-import { resetPgliteState } from './helpers/reset-pglite.ts';
-
-let engine: PGLiteEngine;
-
-beforeAll(async () => {
-  engine = new PGLiteEngine();
-  await engine.connect({});
-  await engine.initSchema();
-});
-afterAll(async () => { await engine.disconnect(); });
-beforeEach(async () => { await resetPgliteState(engine); });
-```
-
-Env-touching tests:
-
-```ts
-import { withEnv } from './helpers/with-env.ts';
-
-test('reads OPENAI_API_KEY', async () => {
-  await withEnv({ OPENAI_API_KEY: 'sk-test' }, async () => {
-    expect(loadConfig().openai_key).toBe('sk-test');
-  });
-});
-```
-
-`withEnv` saves and restores keys via try/finally including when the callback
-throws. Cross-test safe; **NOT** intra-file concurrent-safe (`process.env` is
-process-global). Files using `withEnv` stay outside the future
-`test.concurrent()` codemod's eligibility filter.
-
-When to quarantine instead of fix: rename to `*.serial.test.ts` if the file
-uses `mock.module(...)`, is genuinely env-coupled (module-load env readers +
-ESM caching defeat dynamic-import-after-env tricks), or intentionally shares
-state across `it()` boundaries. Quarantine count cap: 10 (informational).
-
-Files that violated these rules at the v0.26.7 baseline are listed in
-`scripts/check-test-isolation.allowlist`. **The allow-list MUST shrink over
-time** ... never add new entries. v0.26.8 (env sweep) and v0.26.9 (PGLite sweep
-+ codemod) remove entries as files get fixed.
-
-### Local CI gate (recommended before pushing, v0.23.1+)
+### Local CI gate (recommended before pushing)
 
 ```bash
-bun run ci:local         # full gate: gitleaks + unit + ALL 29 E2E files (sequential)
+bun run ci:local         # full gate: gitleaks + guards/typecheck + 4-shard parallel unit + E2E
 bun run ci:local:diff    # gate with diff-aware E2E selector
 bun run ci:select-e2e    # print which E2E files the selector would run
 ```
 
-`ci:local` spins up `pgvector/pgvector:pg16` + `oven/bun:1` via
-`docker-compose.ci.yml`, runs everything PR CI runs plus the full E2E suite, then
-tears down. Named volumes keep the install warm across runs (~16-20 min sequential
-E2E after the first cold pull). Requires Docker (Docker Desktop, OrbStack, or
-Colima) and `gitleaks` on host (`brew install gitleaks`). Override the postgres
-host port with `GBRAIN_CI_PG_PORT=5435 bun run ci:local` if 5434 collides.
+`ci:local` spins up four pgvector services plus a transaction-mode PgBouncer via
+`docker-compose.ci.yml`, runs everything PR CI runs plus the full E2E suite
+sharded 4 ways in parallel, then tears down. Named volumes keep the install warm
+across runs. Requires Docker (Docker Desktop, OrbStack, or Colima) and `gitleaks`
+on host (`brew install gitleaks`). Override the postgres host port with
+`GBRAIN_CI_PG_PORT=5435 bun run ci:local` if 5434 collides.
 
-Fail-closed selector: an unmapped `src/` change runs all 29 E2E files. Hand-tune
+Fail-closed selector: an unmapped `src/` change runs ALL E2E files. Hand-tune
 narrower mappings via `scripts/e2e-test-map.ts`.
 
 ### PR-side security checks
@@ -237,7 +228,7 @@ Parity tests (`test/parity.test.ts`) verify CLI/MCP/tools-json stay in sync.
 See `docs/ENGINES.md` for the full guide. In short:
 
 1. Create `src/core/myengine-engine.ts` implementing `BrainEngine`
-2. Add to engine factory in `src/core/engine.ts`
+2. Add to the engine factory in `src/core/engine-factory.ts`
 3. Run the test suite against your engine
 4. Document in `docs/`
 
@@ -322,7 +313,7 @@ NDJSON wire format is documented in
 [`docs/eval-capture.md`](./docs/eval-capture.md).
 
 For public benchmark coverage on top of replay, `gbrain eval longmemeval
-<dataset.jsonl>` (v0.28.1) runs LongMemEval against gbrain's hybrid
+<dataset.jsonl>` runs LongMemEval against gbrain's hybrid
 retrieval. One in-memory PGLite per question, runtime-enumerated
 `TRUNCATE` between questions, ground-truth scoring via LongMemEval's
 published `evaluate_qa.py`. Use it alongside replay when changes affect
@@ -331,9 +322,18 @@ regressions on YOUR queries, LongMemEval catches them on a public set the
 benchmark community already cites. See the "Public benchmarks: LongMemEval"
 section in [`docs/eval-bench.md`](./docs/eval-bench.md).
 
+## Shipping
+
+Releases go through the `/ship` skill, never hand-rolled. The full release +
+contributor process (CHANGELOG voice, version-locations sync, PR conventions,
+community-PR-wave workflow) lives in [`docs/RELEASING.md`](docs/RELEASING.md).
+Community PRs are batched into release waves rather than merged one-by-one;
+contributor attribution stays attached via `Co-Authored-By:` trailers and every
+accepted contribution is credited in `CHANGELOG.md`.
+
 ## Welcome PRs
 
-- SQLite engine implementation
+- Additional engine implementations (see [`docs/ENGINES.md`](docs/ENGINES.md))
 - Docker Compose for self-hosted Postgres
 - Additional migration sources
 - New enrichment API integrations

INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md

@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
 Read this entire file, then follow the steps. Ask the user for API keys when needed.
 Target: ~30 minutes to a fully working brain.
 
+> **Scope note:** this guide installs the BRAIN (for agent platforms like OpenClaw
+> and Hermes, or a standalone brain). If you are Claude Code or Codex and the human
+> asked you to become their persistent personal agent — identity + memory + private
+> repo — follow `BOOTSTRAP_FOR_AGENTS.md` instead.
+
 ## Step 0: If you are not Claude Code
 
 Read `AGENTS.md` at the repo root first. It's the non-Claude-agent operating
@@ -16,10 +21,13 @@ If you fetched this file by URL without cloning yet, the companion files live at
 
 ## Step 1: Install GBrain
 
+<!-- npm-trap + #218 recovery: canonical copy lives in README.md ("Install" warning) — sync edits. -->
 > **NEVER install from the npm registry.** GBrain is not distributed on npm; the npm
 > package named `gbrain` is an unrelated package. Do NOT run `npm install -g gbrain` or
 > `bun add -g gbrain` (note the missing `github:` prefix — that's the trap). The only
-> supported sources are `github:garrytan/gbrain` and a git clone, exactly as shown below.
+> supported sources are `github:garrytan/gbrain` (optionally pinned as
+> `github:garrytan/gbrain#latest-stable`, the form the bootstrap flow mandates) and a
+> git clone, exactly as shown below.
 > If an unrelated npm install is already present, remove it first
 > (`npm uninstall -g gbrain` / `bun remove -g gbrain`); `gbrain doctor` also detects this.
 
@@ -82,12 +90,14 @@ NOT inside ~/gbrain.
 ## Step 3.5: Confirm search mode with the user (DO NOT SKIP)
 
 `gbrain init` auto-applied a default search mode (`tokenmax` unless your subagent
-tier is Haiku-class or no OpenAI key is configured). The init output included the
-cost matrix below preceded by `[AGENT]` markers. You must NOT silently accept the
-default. Stop and ask the operator.
+tier is Haiku-class or no expansion-capable API key — Anthropic, OpenAI, or
+Google — is configured). The init output included the cost matrix below preceded
+by `[AGENT]` markers. You must NOT silently accept the default. Stop and ask the
+operator.
 
 **Present this matrix verbatim:**
 
+<!-- Cost matrix: three verbatim homes — CLAUDE.md "Search Mode", src/commands/init-mode-picker.ts, and this block. Sync all three when refreshing. -->
 ```
 Per-query cost @ 10K queries/mo (typical single-user volume):
 
@@ -198,15 +208,53 @@ scaffold the bundled skills into it:
 
 ```bash
 cd /path/to/agent/workspace
-gbrain skillpack scaffold --all       # copy 43 curated skills + RESOLVER.md
+gbrain skillpack scaffold --all       # copy the 50+ bundled skills + RESOLVER.md
 ```
 
 Scaffolded skills are first-class files in your repo. Edit freely; re-running scaffold
 refuses to overwrite anything that exists. Use `gbrain skillpack reference <name>` to
 diff against gbrain's bundle when you want upstream improvements. (The legacy
-`gbrain skillpack install` managed-block model was retired in v0.36.0.0 — run
+`gbrain skillpack install` managed-block model was removed in v0.33 — run
 `gbrain skillpack migrate-fence` once if upgrading from an older release.)
 
+**If you are Hermes:** register gbrain as your MCP server:
+
+```bash
+printf 'Y\n' | hermes mcp add gbrain --env GBRAIN_HOME=$HOME --connect-timeout 60 --command $(which gbrain) --args serve
+```
+
+Keep `--args` last (everything after it becomes server argv) and verify with
+`hermes mcp test gbrain` — the add exits 0 even on failure. Full reference:
+[docs/mcp/HERMES.md](docs/mcp/HERMES.md).
+
+**If you are Grok Build** (xAI's `grok` CLI): register gbrain as your MCP server:
+
+```bash
+grok mcp add gbrain -e "GBRAIN_HOME=$HOME" -- gbrain serve --surface verbs
+```
+
+The add is lazy (exit 0 without connecting) — verify with
+`grok mcp doctor gbrain`, which spawns the server and must report
+`7 tools discovered`. This is the brain-only install; the `gbrain bootstrap`
+personal-agent path does not support Grok yet (Claude Code, Codex, and opencode only).
+Verified against Grok Build v1.0.4. Full reference:
+[docs/mcp/GROK.md](docs/mcp/GROK.md).
+
+**If you are opencode** (the SST terminal agent, opencode.ai — not OpenClaw):
+you are a bootstrap-supported harness — for the full persistent-personal-agent
+install, follow `BOOTSTRAP_FOR_AGENTS.md` instead of this page. For the
+brain-only MCP registration:
+
+```bash
+opencode mcp add gbrain --env GBRAIN_HOME=$HOME -- gbrain serve --surface verbs
+```
+
+The add is lazy (exit 0 without connecting) — verify with `opencode mcp list`,
+which spawns the server and must show `✓ gbrain connected` (the exit code is 0
+even on failure; read the output). Restart opencode afterwards — it reads
+config at session start. Verified against opencode v1.18.18. Full reference:
+[docs/mcp/OPENCODE.md](docs/mcp/OPENCODE.md).
+
 Whether you scaffolded or not, read `skills/RESOLVER.md` (in your workspace, or the
 bundled copy at `~/gbrain/skills/RESOLVER.md` when running from the cloned repo). It's
 the skill dispatcher — tells you which skill to read for any task. Save this to your
@@ -242,7 +290,13 @@ Set up using your platform's scheduler (OpenClaw cron, Railway cron, crontab), o
 platform glue entirely with `gbrain autopilot --install` (built-in self-maintaining daemon):
 
 - **Live sync** (every 15 min): `gbrain sync --repo ~/brain && gbrain embed --stale`
-  — or `gbrain sync --watch` for a continuous loop.
+  — or `gbrain sync --watch` for a continuous loop. Safe on keyless brains:
+  a bare `gbrain embed --stale` exits 0 with a stderr note when embeddings
+  are disabled, so the chain doesn't break.
+- **Health gate** (daily): `gbrain autopilot --status` — exit 0 fresh (or
+  nothing installed), 1 needs attention (stale heartbeat, never ran, or
+  paused), 2 the daemon took itself out of rotation. Filesystem-only, so it
+  works during DB outages.
 - **Auto-update** (daily): `gbrain check-update --json` (tell user, never auto-install).
 - **Dream cycle** (nightly): `gbrain dream` runs the 8-phase overnight maintenance cycle.
   Entity sweep, citation fixes, memory consolidation, plus (v0.23+) overnight conversation
@@ -261,8 +315,17 @@ Verify: `gbrain integrations doctor` (after at least one is configured)
 
 ## Step 9: Verify
 
-Read `docs/GBRAIN_VERIFY.md` and run all 7 verification checks. Check #4 (live sync
-actually works) is the most important.
+Read `docs/GBRAIN_VERIFY.md` and run every verification check in it. Check #4
+(live sync actually works) is the most important.
+
+Once verification passes and the brain has content, run the activation probe:
+
+```bash
+gbrain onboard --check --json
+```
+
+See "The onboard surface" below for what the recommendations mean and the
+consent gates around unattended remediation.
 
 ## Upgrade
 
@@ -305,7 +368,7 @@ columns. PGLite brains no-op. If wiki-style imports were truncated by the old
 `splitBody` bug, run `gbrain sync --full` after upgrading to rebuild
 `compiled_truth` from source markdown.
 
-## v0.42.0+ onboard surface (NEW)
+## The onboard surface
 
 `gbrain onboard` is the activation surface gbrain did not have before.
 Once your brain has any content, run `gbrain onboard --check --json` to

README.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 **Search gives you raw pages. GBrain gives you the answer.** It's the brain layer your AI agent has been missing — the only one that does synthesis, graph traversal, and gap analysis in one box. Run a full autonomous agent on top of it, or just wire it into Claude Code or Codex as a supercharged retrieval layer in one command; either way your coding agent stops being amnesiac about everything that isn't code.
 
-I'm Garry Tan, President and CEO of Y Combinator. I built GBrain to run my own AI agents. It's the production brain behind my OpenClaw and Hermes deployments: **146,646 pages, 24,585 people, 5,339 companies**, 66 cron jobs running autonomously. My agent ingests meetings, emails, tweets, voice calls, and original ideas while I sleep. It enriches every person and company it encounters. It fixes its own citations and consolidates memory overnight. I wake up smarter than when I went to bed — and so will you.
+I'm Garry Tan, President and CEO of Y Combinator. I built GBrain to run my own AI agents. It's the production brain behind my OpenClaw and Hermes deployments: **155,795 pages, 24,589 people, 5,340 companies**, 66 cron jobs running autonomously. My agent ingests meetings, emails, tweets, voice calls, and original ideas while I sleep. It enriches every person and company it encounters. It fixes its own citations and consolidates memory overnight. I wake up smarter than when I went to bed — and so will you.
 
 **And now it works as a company brain too.** Each person on the team gets their own slice of the brain, scoped by login. When you query, you only see what you're allowed to see — never another person's notes, never another team's data. We fuzz-tested this across every way you can read the brain (search, list, lookup, multi-source reads) and got zero leaks. Drop GBrain in as your team's shared institutional memory — the [company-brain](https://www.ycombinator.com/rfs#company-brain) shape YC just put on its Request for Startups. If you're building in that space, you might as well build on this. **[Tutorial: set up GBrain as your company brain →](docs/tutorials/company-brain.md)**
 
@@ -11,11 +11,11 @@ Lots of personal-knowledge systems give you keyword matching and grep in a box.
 - **A synthesis layer that gives you the actual answer.** Synthesized, well-cited prose across people, companies, deals, and ideas. Not "here are 10 chunks that mention your query"; an actual answer with citations and an explicit note on what the brain doesn't know yet. The gap analysis is the part that changes how you use the brain.
 - **A self-wiring knowledge graph.** Every page write extracts entity refs and creates typed edges (`attended`, `works_at`, `invested_in`, `founded`, `advises`) with zero LLM calls. Ask "who works at Acme AI?" or "what did Bob invest in this quarter?" and get answers vector search alone can't reach. Benchmarked: **P@5 49.1%, R@5 97.9%** on a 240-page Opus-generated rich-prose corpus, **+31.4 points P@5** over its graph-disabled variant and over ripgrep-BM25 + vector-only RAG by a similar margin. Full BrainBench scorecards live in the sibling [gbrain-evals](https://github.com/garrytan/gbrain-evals) repo.
 
-The point of building a 100K-page brain is to use it as a strategic moat. To never lose context. To query what's in your own head without re-reading it. The brain layer is what makes the moat usable. The 24/7 dream cycle is what keeps it sharp. Both run on your hardware, your DB, your keys.
+The point of building a 150K-page brain is to use it as a strategic moat. To never lose context. To query what's in your own head without re-reading it. The brain layer is what makes the moat usable. The 24/7 dream cycle is what keeps it sharp. Both run on your hardware, your DB, your keys.
 
 It's easier to ship a daemon that runs 24/7 to ingest, enrich, and consolidate than it is to keep an agent in chat working hard. GBrain is that daemon, generalized. Install in 30 minutes. Your agent does the work. As my personal agent gets smarter, so does yours.
 
-> **~30 minutes to a fully working brain.** Database ready in 2 seconds (PGLite, no server). You just answer questions about API keys.
+> **~15 minutes to a working personal agent** on the recommended Codex / Claude Code path (mostly a short interview); ~30 minutes for the always-on OpenClaw / Hermes setup. Database ready in 2 seconds either way (PGLite, no server).
 
 > **LLMs:** fetch [`llms.txt`](llms.txt) for the documentation map, or [`llms-full.txt`](llms-full.txt) for the same map with core docs inlined in one fetch. **Agents:** start with [`AGENTS.md`](AGENTS.md) (or [`CLAUDE.md`](CLAUDE.md) if you're Claude Code).
 
@@ -75,11 +75,47 @@ This is the difference between a search engine and a brain. Search finds the pag
 > `bun remove -g gbrain`, then reinstall from GitHub. `gbrain doctor` detects a
 > shadowing npm install and prints the fix.
 
-GBrain is designed to be installed and operated by an AI agent. The fastest path is to have your agent do it for you. The CLI and MCP paths below are for people who want to wire it up themselves.
+GBrain is designed to be installed and operated by an AI agent. **New to GBrain? Start with Codex** — it runs on the ChatGPT subscription you already have, takes ~15 minutes, and deploys nothing. Already living in Claude Code? Its path is identical. Want GBrain running the way it was designed to run — always on, enriching your brain around the clock? That's OpenClaw or Hermes, at real server + API cost. Each path below is complete on its own. (Wiring it up by hand instead? Jump to [CLI standalone](#cli-standalone-no-agent) or the [MCP table](#connect-gbrain-to-your-ai-client-mcp).)
 
-### Have your agent install it (recommended)
+### For Codex — the recommended first step
 
-If you don't already have an AI agent platform running, start with one of these. Both are designed to read GBrain's install protocol and execute it:
+Turn Codex into your persistent personal agent. Works in the **ChatGPT desktop app** (open Codex on a folder) and in the **Codex CLI** (`codex` in a terminal) — same install, same result. Open Codex in a **new, empty folder** (not an existing code project) — that folder becomes your agent's own **private GitHub repo**, which bootstrap creates and privacy-verifies for you. Then paste:
+
+```
+Read and follow every step of:
+https://raw.githubusercontent.com/garrytan/gbrain/latest-stable/BOOTSTRAP_FOR_AGENTS.md
+Goal: set yourself up as my persistent personal agent in this folder, with gbrain
+as your memory. Interview me before writing any identity file — never invent
+answers. Ask before anything destructive. You are not done until
+`gbrain bootstrap verify` exits 0.
+```
+
+Codex will ask for command approvals during the install — approving them is the sandbox working as intended. What you get, in about 15 minutes: a short interview (6 required questions) → your agent's identity (SOUL.md, USER.md, MEMORY.md) rendered from your own answers, never invented → a local PGLite brain (2 seconds, no server, no Docker) → MCP wired so every session can search and write memory → a **private** GitHub repo, created and privacy-verified, as your agent's durable body. Works with **zero API keys** — keyword search plus memory your agent writes itself; one optional key upgrades capabilities (OpenAI: semantic search + automatic fact extraction; Voyage: semantic search; Anthropic: fact extraction). Codex reads brain context through its tools each turn (pull-based). The click moment: tell it one small thing to remember, restart Codex, then ask for it back — the answer comes from the brain, not from this chat's context (which the restart cleared). That cross-session round-trip is the whole product; "what's my name / my top jobs?" is answered from your identity files, which is nice but not the same trick.
+
+Two things worth understanding once it's running: **you own the brain** — every memory is a markdown file in that private repo (read it, clone it to a second machine, delete it and the brain is gone) — and **the first skill to run is `cold-start`**: say "fill my brain" and your agent imports your Gmail, calendar, and contacts (via [ClawVisor](https://clawvisor.com), an OAuth vault so the agent never holds raw tokens) or offline archives like Google Takeout, one consented step at a time. An empty brain is a database; a filled one is a memory.
+
+> **Prefer to make the repo yourself?** Create a new **empty** private repo **under your own GitHub account** (no README/.gitignore/license), clone it, open the clone in Codex, and paste the same block — bootstrap detects your empty repo and adopts it instead of creating one. The repo must be empty and personal-account-owned; org-owned repos are refused (create one under your account, or let bootstrap make it).
+
+### For Claude Code — turn it into your persistent personal agent
+
+Works in the **desktop app** and in the **CLI** (`claude` in a terminal) — identical harness, identical result. Open Claude Code in a **new, empty folder** (not an existing code project) — that folder becomes your agent's own **private GitHub repo**, created and privacy-verified for you. Then paste the same block:
+
+```
+Read and follow every step of:
+https://raw.githubusercontent.com/garrytan/gbrain/latest-stable/BOOTSTRAP_FOR_AGENTS.md
+Goal: set yourself up as my persistent personal agent in this folder, with gbrain
+as your memory. Interview me before writing any identity file — never invent
+answers. Ask before anything destructive. You are not done until
+`gbrain bootstrap verify` exits 0.
+```
+
+Everything from the Codex path applies — interview, identity from your own answers, local brain, private repo, keyless mode — plus Claude Code gets **per-turn context hooks** (on by default, with an opt-out): your brain loads automatically into every prompt, and your work persists to your private repo on a per-turn cadence (debounced ~5 min locally, every turn in a cloud sandbox — this covers the `/exit` case the harness never fires a session-end hook on), with a notice on your next turn if a push ever fails. This works in a **Claude Code cloud session** too, not just on your laptop: verification falls back to pure git protocol when the sandbox blocks the GitHub API, and `gbrain bootstrap cloud-setup-script` prints the environment setup recipe. The click moment: tell it one small thing to remember, restart the session, then ask for it back — a fresh session has no chat context, so the answer can only come from the brain. That cross-session round-trip is the whole product ("what's my name?" is answered from your identity files — nice, but not the same trick). Same two follow-ups as the Codex path: you own the brain (markdown in your private repo), and `cold-start` is the first skill to run — "fill my brain" imports your email, calendar, and contacts (ClawVisor) or offline archives, one consented step at a time. Full contract, security posture, cloud sandboxes, and uninstall: [docs/guides/bootstrap.md](docs/guides/bootstrap.md).
+
+> **Prefer to make the repo yourself?** Create a new **empty** private repo **under your own GitHub account** (no README/.gitignore/license), clone it, open the clone in Claude Code (CLI or the desktop app's open-a-repo flow), and paste the same block — bootstrap adopts your empty repo instead of creating one. The repo must be empty and personal-account-owned; org-owned repos are refused.
+
+### For OpenClaw or Hermes — GBrain as intended, always on
+
+This is GBrain used the way it was designed to be used: a server-hosted agent with 24/7 crons, continuous ingestion, and the overnight dream cycle that enriches your brain while you sleep — your agent works whether your laptop is open or not. It's also the highest-cost path: a deployed server (8GB+ RAM) plus raw API token usage that scales with how hard your agent runs, well beyond a chat subscription. Start here if you want the full experience from day one; start with Codex above if you want to feel it first. If you don't have a platform running yet, both deploy in one click:
 
 - **[OpenClaw](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw)** — deploy [AlphaClaw on Render](https://render.com/deploy?repo=https://github.com/chrysb/alphaclaw) (one click, 8GB+ RAM)
 - **[Hermes](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent)** — deploy on [Railway](https://github.com/praveen-ks-2001/hermes-agent-template) (one click)
@@ -91,15 +127,13 @@ Retrieve and follow the instructions at:
 https://raw.githubusercontent.com/garrytan/gbrain/master/INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md
 ```
 
-The agent installs GBrain, creates the brain, asks for your API keys, loads 52 skills, configures the dream cycle, and verifies the install end-to-end. ~30 minutes. You answer questions, it does the work.
+The agent installs GBrain, creates the brain, asks for your API keys, loads the 50+ bundled skills, configures the dream cycle, and verifies the install end-to-end. ~30 minutes. You answer questions, it does the work.
 
 > **Never set up an AI agent platform before?** The [personal-brain tutorial](docs/tutorials/personal-brain.md) walks the whole path end-to-end — picking OpenClaw vs Hermes, deploying it, pointing it at INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md, getting the API keys, and verifying the first query. Start there if any of the above is new.
 
-### Quick start: Claude Code or Codex
+### Lighter ways in
 
-Already running Claude Code or Codex? There are two ways to wire GBrain in, depending on what you want.
-
-**Just want a memory for your coding agent (recommended starting point).** Spin up a local brain and connect it in two commands — zero server, zero token, zero tunnel. `--surface verbs` gives your agent the five-verb memory protocol (`recall`, `remember`, `entity`, `synthesize`, `forget` — [MEMORY_VERBS v1](docs/protocol/MEMORY_VERBS_v1.md), frozen + additive-forever) instead of the full 110-tool wall; drop the flag for every operation:
+**Just want a memory for your coding agent — no identity, no repo.** Spin up a local brain and connect it in two commands — zero server, zero token, zero tunnel. `--surface verbs` gives your agent the seven-verb memory protocol (`recall`, `remember`, `entity`, `synthesize`, `forget`, plus `context_pack` + `delta` since v0.45.7 — [MEMORY_VERBS v1](docs/protocol/MEMORY_VERBS_v1.md), frozen + additive-forever) instead of the full tool wall; drop the flag for every operation:
 
 ```bash
 gbrain init --pglite                                    # 2-second local brain (no Docker)
@@ -115,18 +149,9 @@ gbrain connect https://your-host/mcp --token gbrain_xxx --install
 gbrain connect https://your-host/mcp --token gbrain_xxx --agent codex --install # Codex
 ```
 
-**[→ Full walkthrough: give your coding agent a memory](docs/tutorials/connect-coding-agent.md)** — both paths end to end, plus the brain-first protocol you paste into `CLAUDE.md` / `AGENTS.md` and the four habits that make it actually change how you work.
+**Brain-only install into another coding agent** (Cursor, Claude Cowork, or anything that can fetch a URL and run shell commands) — paste the OpenClaw/Hermes block above (`INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md`); it installs the brain, skills, and dream cycle without the personal-agent identity layer. Tested with Codex, Claude Code, Claude Cowork, Cursor, and AlphaClaw.
 
-### Install the full autonomous setup into your existing agent
-
-Want the whole thing — local brain, 52 skills, the overnight dream cycle that enriches while you sleep? Paste this into Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, or another coding agent:
-
-```
-Retrieve and follow the instructions at:
-https://raw.githubusercontent.com/garrytan/gbrain/master/INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md
-```
-
-This works in any agent that can read files over HTTPS and execute shell commands. Tested with Codex, Claude Code, Claude Cowork, Cursor, and AlphaClaw.
+**[→ Full walkthrough: give your coding agent a memory](docs/tutorials/connect-coding-agent.md)** — the memory-only paths end to end, plus the brain-first protocol you paste into `CLAUDE.md` / `AGENTS.md` and the four habits that make it actually change how you work.
 
 ### CLI standalone (no agent)
 
@@ -142,11 +167,15 @@ Postgres-at-scale, Supabase, and thin-client setup paths live in [`docs/INSTALL.
 
 ### Connect GBrain to your AI client (MCP)
 
-GBrain exposes 110 tools over MCP (stdio and HTTP) — or exactly the five memory verbs with `--surface verbs`. The specific snippet depends on which client you use:
+GBrain exposes nearly all of its 100+ operations as MCP tools (stdio and HTTP; a handful of local-only ops stay CLI-side) — or exactly the seven memory verbs with `--surface verbs`. The specific snippet depends on which client you use:
 
 - **[Claude Code](docs/mcp/CLAUDE_CODE.md)** — local: one command, `claude mcp add gbrain -- gbrain serve` (zero server, zero tunnel). Remote with just a bearer token: `gbrain connect https://your-host/mcp --token gbrain_xxx` prints a paste-ready block (or `--install` wires it up and smoke-tests the token).
 - **[Codex](docs/mcp/CODEX.md)** — `gbrain connect https://your-host/mcp --token gbrain_xxx --agent codex` (or `--install`). Codex reads the bearer from `$GBRAIN_REMOTE_TOKEN` at runtime, so the token never lands in Codex config.
 - **[Cursor / Windsurf / any stdio MCP client](docs/mcp/CLAUDE_CODE.md)** — same shape, add `{"command": "gbrain", "args": ["serve"]}` to your MCP config.
+- **[Hermes](docs/mcp/HERMES.md)** — `printf 'Y\n' | hermes mcp add gbrain --env GBRAIN_HOME=$HOME --connect-timeout 60 --command $(which gbrain) --args serve`. Keep `--args` last, and verify with `hermes mcp test gbrain` (the add exits 0 even on failure).
+- **[Grok Build](docs/mcp/GROK.md)** — `grok mcp add gbrain -e "GBRAIN_HOME=$HOME" -- gbrain serve --surface verbs`. The add is lazy (exit 0 without connecting) — verify with `grok mcp doctor gbrain`, which spawns the server and reports `7 tools discovered`. Verified against Grok Build v1.0.4.
+- **[opencode](docs/mcp/OPENCODE.md)** (opencode.ai / SST — not OpenClaw) — `opencode mcp add gbrain --env GBRAIN_HOME=$HOME -- gbrain serve --surface verbs`, or let `gbrain bootstrap hooks --harness opencode` write the config for you (opencode is a bootstrap-supported harness — it reads AGENTS.md natively). The add is lazy — verify with `opencode mcp list`, which spawns the server (`✓ gbrain connected`). Remote: `gbrain connect https://your-host/mcp --token gbrain_xxx --agent opencode [--install]` — the config stores only the `{env:GBRAIN_REMOTE_TOKEN}` interpolation. Verified against opencode v1.18.18.
+- **[OpenClaw](docs/mcp/OPENCLAW.md)** — the ClawHub bundle plugin registers gbrain automatically (`openclaw.plugin.json` ships in this repo), or add `{"command": "gbrain", "args": ["serve"]}` to `~/.openclaw/config.json`'s `mcpServers`.
 - **[Claude Desktop (Cowork)](docs/mcp/CLAUDE_DESKTOP.md)** — Settings → Integrations → add the URL of your HTTP server. Remote only; the local `claude_desktop_config.json` does not work for remote servers.
 - **[Claude Cowork (team plan)](docs/mcp/CLAUDE_COWORK.md)** — org Owner adds the connector under Organization Settings → Connectors.
 - **[Perplexity Computer](docs/mcp/PERPLEXITY.md)** — `gbrain connect https://your-host/mcp --agent perplexity --oauth --register` mints a least-privilege OAuth client and prints the Issuer/Client ID/Secret to paste into Settings → Connectors (OAuth is the right path for a cloud connector; a bearer token also works for local use). Pro subscription required.
@@ -178,7 +207,7 @@ gbrain think "who's working on AI agents at portfolio companies?"
 
 **`gbrain think`** runs the same retrieval, then composes a synthesized answer across the results with explicit citations to the source pages AND an honest note on what the brain doesn't know yet. The gap analysis is the differentiator: the answer tells you when a page is stale, when a claim is uncited, when two pages contradict each other, when there's a hole you should fill.
 
-**Why it compounds.** Pair the brain layer with `find_trajectory` and you get answers like *"how have the company's metrics changed AND what does the team look like right now AND what did they promise / share AND when did we last meet AND what's the value-add I can offer here"*: well-scored, well-cited, in one shot. That's the strategic moat. That's why building a 100K-page brain is worth the effort.
+**Why it compounds.** Pair the brain layer with `find_trajectory` and you get answers like *"how have the company's metrics changed AND what does the team look like right now AND what did they promise / share AND when did we last meet AND what's the value-add I can offer here"*: well-scored, well-cited, in one shot. That's the strategic moat. That's why building a 150K-page brain is worth the effort.
 
 `gbrain agent run "..."` exposes the same surface to a sub-agent through the Minions queue, with crash-safe two-phase persistence. Same answers, durable.
 
@@ -207,6 +236,21 @@ curl -X POST https://your-brain/ingest \
 For mobile capture, the inbox folder source picks up anything dropped into
 `~/.gbrain/inbox/` from iOS Shortcuts / AirDrop / Drafts / Finder.
 
+Your other agents' histories import in one command. `gbrain transcripts ingest`
+parses agent session logs (Claude Code, Codex, OpenClaw, Hermes) and extracted
+consumer chat exports (ChatGPT / Claude.ai `conversations.json`) into readable
+conversation pages with provenance back to the exact session file. Secrets are
+scrubbed from message bodies, titles, speakers, and session metadata before
+anything is written, embedding is off by default for bulk backfills, and
+re-runs are free — unchanged sessions skip on content hash:
+
+```bash
+gbrain transcripts ingest                    # discover importable session logs
+gbrain transcripts ingest --all              # import everything discovered
+gbrain transcripts ingest ~/Downloads/conversations.json  # consumer export (unzip first)
+gbrain transcripts status                    # found vs imported, per harness
+```
+
 Third-party skillpacks can ship custom ingestion sources (Granola, Linear,
 voice, OCR) against the versioned `IngestionSource` contract at
 `gbrain/ingestion`. See [`docs/skillpack-anatomy.md`](docs/skillpack-anatomy.md).
@@ -264,11 +308,11 @@ The whole loop is described in [`docs/architecture/topologies.md`](docs/architec
 
 ## Capabilities
 
-**Hybrid search.** Vector (HNSW on pgvector) + BM25 keyword + reciprocal-rank fusion + source-tier boost + intent-aware query rewriting. Three named search modes (`conservative`, `balanced`, `tokenmax`) bundle the cost/quality knobs into a single config key. Live cost/recall comparisons in [`docs/eval/SEARCH_MODE_METHODOLOGY.md`](docs/eval/SEARCH_MODE_METHODOLOGY.md). Default: `balanced` with ZeroEntropy reranker on. Per-query graph signals notice when a top result is a hub for THAT query (adjacency boost), is corroborated across team brains (cross-source boost), or is being crowded out by weak chunks from a chatty session (session demote). Run `gbrain search "<query>" --explain` to see per-stage attribution: base score, every boost that fired, what it multiplied. `gbrain doctor` ships a `graph_signals_coverage` check; `gbrain search stats` shows fire counts and failure breakdowns. Vector retrieval pools the best chunk per page, so a page surfaces on its strongest evidence instead of losing to a neighbor on one weak chunk. Queries that match a page's title phrase or a declared free-text alias (`gbrain reindex --aliases` backfills existing pages) get boosted to the page they name. Every result carries an `evidence` tag (why it matched) and a `create_safety` hint (`exists` / `probable` / `unknown`) so an agent decides whether a page already exists instead of guessing from a raw score. `gbrain search diagnose "<query>" --target <slug>` traces which retrieval layer surfaces (or misses) a page.
+**Hybrid search.** Vector (HNSW on pgvector) + BM25 keyword + reciprocal-rank fusion + source-tier boost + intent-aware query rewriting. Three named search modes (`conservative`, `balanced`, `tokenmax`) bundle the cost/quality knobs into a single config key. Live cost/recall comparisons in [`docs/eval/SEARCH_MODE_METHODOLOGY.md`](docs/eval/SEARCH_MODE_METHODOLOGY.md). The install picker default-applies `tokenmax` (it recommends `conservative` for Haiku-class subagent tiers or keyless setups); a brain with `search.mode` unset resolves to `balanced` at query time. The ZeroEntropy reranker is on in `balanced` and `tokenmax`, off in `conservative`. Per-query graph signals notice when a top result is a hub for THAT query (adjacency boost), is corroborated across team brains (cross-source boost), or is being crowded out by weak chunks from a chatty session (session demote). Run `gbrain search "<query>" --explain` to see per-stage attribution: base score, every boost that fired, what it multiplied. `gbrain doctor` ships a `graph_signals_coverage` check; `gbrain search stats` shows fire counts and failure breakdowns. Vector retrieval pools the best chunk per page, so a page surfaces on its strongest evidence instead of losing to a neighbor on one weak chunk. Queries that match a page's title phrase or a declared free-text alias (`gbrain reindex --aliases` backfills existing pages) get boosted to the page they name. Every result carries an `evidence` tag (why it matched) and a `create_safety` hint (`exists` / `probable` / `unknown`) so an agent decides whether a page already exists instead of guessing from a raw score. `gbrain search diagnose "<query>" --target <slug>` traces which retrieval layer surfaces (or misses) a page.
 
 **Self-wiring knowledge graph.** Every `put_page` extracts entity refs from markdown/wikilinks/typed-link syntax and writes edges with zero LLM calls. Typed edges (`attended`, `works_at`, `invested_in`, `founded`, `advises`, `mentions`, …). Multi-hop traversal via `gbrain graph-query`. The graph is what produces the +31.4 P@5 lift over vector-only RAG. **Obsidian-style vaults:** bare `[[note-name]]` wikilinks that point across folders — you wrote `[[struktura]]` but the page lives at `projects/struktura.md` — resolve by basename once you opt in with `gbrain config set link_resolution.global_basename true`. Off by default; `gbrain doctor` tells you how many edges you'd gain before you flip it. See [migrating an Obsidian vault](INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md#step-45-wire-the-knowledge-graph).
 
-**Job queue (Minions).** BullMQ-shaped, Postgres-native job queue. Durable subagents (LLM tool loops that survive crashes via two-phase pending→done persistence), shell jobs with audit, child jobs with cascading timeouts, rate leases for outbound providers, attachments via S3/Supabase storage. Replaces "spawn subagent as fire-and-forget Promise" with something that recovers from anything.
+**Job queue (Minions).** BullMQ-shaped, Postgres-native job queue. Durable subagents (LLM tool loops that survive crashes via two-phase pending→done persistence), shell jobs with audit, child jobs with cascading timeouts, rate leases for outbound providers, attachments via S3/Supabase storage. Opt-in per-job process isolation (`gbrain jobs work --job-isolation process`) runs each claimed job in its own SIGKILL-able child process, so a stuck handler dies for real and a crash takes one job instead of the whole worker; when the worker's DB health probe fails, it names the failing layer (`pool_starved` vs `server_unreachable`) instead of a blanket "DB unreachable". Sizing and rollout guidance in [`docs/guides/minions-deployment.md`](docs/guides/minions-deployment.md); probe-verdict triage in [`docs/guides/queue-operations-runbook.md`](docs/guides/queue-operations-runbook.md). Replaces "spawn subagent as fire-and-forget Promise" with something that recovers from anything.
 
 **Non-English brains (FTS language config).** The Postgres full-text search tokenizer is configurable via `GBRAIN_FTS_LANGUAGE`. Defaults to `english`. Set it to any text-search configuration that exists in your Postgres instance:
 
@@ -288,9 +332,9 @@ gbrain reindex-search-vector --yes        # recreate triggers + backfill
 
 The command is idempotent (re-running with the same language is a no-op for vector content) and uses the same recreate-and-backfill primitives as the migration. For accent-insensitive Portuguese (`pt_br`), see [docs/guides/multi-language-fts.md](docs/guides/multi-language-fts.md) for the `unaccent` + portuguese stemmer recipe.
 
-**43 curated skills.** Routing lives in [`skills/RESOLVER.md`](skills/RESOLVER.md). Covers signal capture, ingest (idea / media / meeting), enrichment, querying, brain ops, citation fixing, daily task management, cron scheduling, reports, voice, soul audit, skill creation, eval framework, and migrations. Skills are markdown files (tool-agnostic), packaged as a single skillpack the installer drops into your agent workspace.
+**50+ curated skills** (the current list lives in [`skills/manifest.json`](skills/manifest.json)). Routing lives in [`skills/RESOLVER.md`](skills/RESOLVER.md). Covers signal capture, ingest (idea / media / meeting), enrichment, querying, brain ops, citation fixing, daily task management, cron scheduling, reports, voice, soul audit, skill creation, eval framework, and migrations. Skills are markdown files (tool-agnostic), packaged as a single skillpack the installer drops into your agent workspace.
 
-**Eval framework.** `gbrain eval longmemeval` runs the public [LongMemEval](https://huggingface.co/datasets/xiaowu0162/longmemeval) benchmark against your hybrid retrieval. `gbrain eval export` + `gbrain eval replay` capture real queries and replay them against code changes (set `GBRAIN_CONTRIBUTOR_MODE=1`). `gbrain eval cross-modal` cross-checks an output against the task using three different-provider frontier models. `gbrain eval retrieval-quality` runs NamedThingBench, which hard-gates the named-thing retrieval families (title-substring, alias-synonym, generic-to-named, multi-chunk-dilution) so a regression in "find the page this query names" fails CI loudly. Full methodology in [`docs/eval/SEARCH_MODE_METHODOLOGY.md`](docs/eval/SEARCH_MODE_METHODOLOGY.md).
+**Eval framework.** `gbrain eval longmemeval` runs the public [LongMemEval](https://huggingface.co/datasets/xiaowu0162/longmemeval) benchmark against your hybrid retrieval. `gbrain eval export` + `gbrain eval replay` capture real queries and replay them against code changes (set `GBRAIN_CONTRIBUTOR_MODE=1`). `gbrain eval cross-modal` cross-checks an output against the task using three different-provider frontier models. `gbrain eval retrieval-quality` runs NamedThingBench, which hard-gates the named-thing retrieval families (title-substring, alias-synonym, generic-to-named, multi-chunk-dilution) so a regression in "find the page this query names" fails CI loudly. `gbrain eval brainbench` runs the cross-harness memory conformance suite: know-to-ask, push precision/recall, write-back fidelity, and cross-session continuity, scored per harness seam (your OpenClaw's production pipeline plus Claude Code and Codex injection contracts) against a committed 141-fixture synthetic corpus — hermetic by default (in-memory PGLite, no keys, seconds), and CI gates every PR against master's committed baseline. Methodology in [`docs/eval/BRAINBENCH.md`](docs/eval/BRAINBENCH.md); search-mode methodology in [`docs/eval/SEARCH_MODE_METHODOLOGY.md`](docs/eval/SEARCH_MODE_METHODOLOGY.md).
 
 **Brain consistency.** `gbrain eval suspected-contradictions` samples retrieval pairs, layered date pre-filter, query-conditioned LLM judge, persistent cache. Surfaces conflicts between takes + facts the agent has written. Wired into the daily dream cycle.
 
@@ -302,14 +346,14 @@ Data flowing into the brain. Each integration is a recipe — markdown + setup h
 
 - **Voice**: Phone calls create brain pages via Twilio + OpenAI Realtime (or DIY STT+LLM+TTS). Setup recipe: [`recipes/twilio-voice-brain.md`](recipes/twilio-voice-brain.md).
 - **Email + calendar**: webhook handlers that route to brain signals. [`docs/integrations/meeting-webhooks.md`](docs/integrations/meeting-webhooks.md).
-- **Embedding providers**: 16 recipes covering OpenAI (default fallback), OpenRouter, Voyage, ZeroEntropy (default), Google Gemini, Azure OpenAI, MiniMax, Alibaba DashScope, Zhipu, Ollama (local), llama.cpp llama-server (local), LiteLLM proxy. Pricing matrix + decision tree in [`docs/integrations/embedding-providers.md`](docs/integrations/embedding-providers.md).
-- **Rerankers**: ZeroEntropy `zerank-2` hosted (default in `tokenmax` mode) plus the v0.40.6.1 `llama-server-reranker` recipe for fully-local cross-encoder rerank via llama.cpp — runs Qwen3-Reranker or self-hosted ZeroEntropy weights against the same `gateway.rerank()` seam. Setup walkthrough in [`docs/ai-providers/llama-server-reranker.md`](docs/ai-providers/llama-server-reranker.md).
+- **Embedding providers**: a dozen providers covered — OpenAI (default fallback), OpenRouter, Voyage, ZeroEntropy (default), Google Gemini, Azure OpenAI, MiniMax, Alibaba DashScope, Zhipu, Ollama (local), llama.cpp llama-server (local), LiteLLM proxy. Pricing matrix + decision tree in [`docs/integrations/embedding-providers.md`](docs/integrations/embedding-providers.md).
+- **Rerankers**: ZeroEntropy `zerank-2` hosted (the default; on in `balanced` and `tokenmax` modes) plus the `llama-server-reranker` recipe for fully-local cross-encoder rerank via llama.cpp — runs Qwen3-Reranker or self-hosted ZeroEntropy weights against the same `gateway.rerank()` seam. Setup walkthrough in [`docs/ai-providers/llama-server-reranker.md`](docs/ai-providers/llama-server-reranker.md).
 - **Credential gateway**: vault-aware secret distribution. [`docs/integrations/credential-gateway.md`](docs/integrations/credential-gateway.md).
 - **MCP clients**: every major MCP client is supported. [`docs/mcp/`](docs/mcp/) per-client setup.
 
 ## Architecture
 
-**Two engines, one contract.** PGLite (Postgres 17 via WASM, zero-config, default) for personal brains up to ~50K pages. Postgres + pgvector (Supabase or self-hosted) for shared / large / multi-machine deployments. The contract-first `BrainEngine` interface in [`src/core/engine.ts`](src/core/engine.ts) defines ~47 operations both engines implement; CLI and MCP server are generated from one source.
+**Two engines, one contract.** PGLite (Postgres 17 via WASM, zero-config, default) for personal brains up to ~50K pages. Postgres + pgvector (Supabase or self-hosted) for shared / large / multi-machine deployments. The contract-first `BrainEngine` interface in [`src/core/engine.ts`](src/core/engine.ts) defines the 140+ methods both engines implement; CLI and MCP server are generated from one source.
 
 **Brain repo is the system of record.** Your knowledge lives in a regular git repo (your "brain repo") as markdown files. GBrain syncs the repo into Postgres for retrieval; deletes in git become soft-deletes in DB. You can publish public subsets, share team mounts, run thin-client setups pointing at a colleague's brain server. Topologies in [`docs/architecture/topologies.md`](docs/architecture/topologies.md).
 
@@ -323,10 +367,9 @@ Data flowing into the brain. Each integration is a recipe — markdown + setup h
 
 **`gbrain import` fails with `expected N dimensions, not M`?** Run `gbrain doctor`. It will print the exact `gbrain config set ...` or `gbrain retrieval-upgrade` command to repair the mismatch. You should not need to delete `~/.gbrain`. Fresh `gbrain init --pglite` auto-detects your embedding provider from API keys in your environment: set `OPENAI_API_KEY` (or `ZEROENTROPY_API_KEY` / `VOYAGE_API_KEY`) before running init, or pass `--embedding-model <provider>:<model>` explicitly. With multiple keys set, init fires an interactive picker. In non-TTY contexts (CI, Docker) with no keys, init exits 1 with a paste-ready setup hint; pass `--no-embedding` to defer setup until runtime. See [`docs/integrations/embedding-providers.md`](docs/integrations/embedding-providers.md) for the full provider matrix and [`docs/operations/headless-install.md`](docs/operations/headless-install.md) for Docker/CI sequencing.
 
-**Hourly cron sync keeps timing out on a federated brain?** v0.41.13.0 ships
-two flags + a recommended pattern. Switch your cron to a per-source loop
-with shell `timeout(1)` doing the OS-level kill and gbrain self-terminating
-gracefully half-a-minute earlier:
+**Hourly cron sync keeps timing out on a federated brain?** Switch your
+cron to a per-source loop with shell `timeout(1)` doing the OS-level kill
+and gbrain self-terminating gracefully half-a-minute earlier:
 
 ```bash
 gbrain sync --break-lock --all --max-age 1800
@@ -339,19 +382,17 @@ When `--timeout` fires mid-import, `gbrain sync` exits 0 with status
 `partial` and `last_commit` UNCHANGED — the next run re-walks the same
 diff and `content_hash` short-circuits already-imported files. The
 `--max-age 1800` first command self-heals any wedged-but-alive locks
-left by a hung previous run, using the v98 `last_refreshed_at` semantic
-(NOT `acquired_at`) so healthy long-running holders are safe by
-construction. See the v0.41.13.0 entry in [`CHANGELOG.md`](CHANGELOG.md)
-for the honest scope notes (extract + embed phases run to completion;
-30-min rollout window for `--max-age` post-migration v98; full-sync
-triggers deferred to v0.42+).
+left by a hung previous run, keyed on the lock's last refresh time
+(NOT when it was acquired) so healthy long-running holders are safe by
+construction. Scope note: the extract + embed phases still run to
+completion once started; `--timeout` interrupts the import walk only.
 
-**Dream cycle silently losing wiki links on Supabase?** v0.41.19.0 fixes
-the bug class structurally. The engine now self-retries every bulk batch
-write (`addLinksBatch` / `addTimelineEntriesBatch` / `upsertChunks`) on
-Supavisor pooler blips, with a 12s worst-case wait that covers the full
-5-10s circuit-breaker recovery window. `gbrain doctor` surfaces incidents
-via the new `batch_retry_health` check (reads the last 24h of
+**Dream cycle silently losing wiki links on Supabase?** The engine
+self-retries every bulk batch write (`addLinksBatch` /
+`addTimelineEntriesBatch` / `upsertChunks`) on Supavisor pooler blips,
+with a 12s worst-case wait that covers the full 5-10s circuit-breaker
+recovery window. `gbrain doctor` surfaces incidents via the
+`batch_retry_health` check (reads the last 24h of
 `~/.gbrain/audit/batch-retry-YYYY-Www.jsonl`). To tune for an unusually
 slow pooler:
 
@@ -369,34 +410,33 @@ retry wrap is engine-level, but PGLite has no pooler so retries never
 fire in practice.
 
 **Dream cycle losing ~150 link rows per run with `'No database
-connection: connect() has not been called'` errors in the log?** v0.41.27.0
-makes the retry layer self-heal on a nulled-out database singleton. A
-new `reconnect` callback on `withRetry` rebuilds the connection between
-attempts; `PostgresEngine.batchRetry` injects `() => this.reconnect()`
+connection: connect() has not been called'` errors in the log?** The
+retry layer self-heals on a nulled-out database singleton: a
+`reconnect` callback on `withRetry` rebuilds the connection between
+attempts, and `PostgresEngine.batchRetry` injects `() => this.reconnect()`
 so engine-level batch writes survive a mid-cycle disconnect by something
-else in the same process. Same release: `gbrain capture` no longer trails
-a `'No database connection'` stderr line from a background facts:absorb
-worker firing after CLI exit — the op-dispatch finally block awaits
+else in the same process. `gbrain capture` also no longer trails a
+`'No database connection'` stderr line from a background facts:absorb
+worker firing after CLI exit — op dispatch awaits
 `getFactsQueue().drainPending({timeout: 1000})` before
 `engine.disconnect()`. To find which code path is still calling
 disconnect mid-process, run `gbrain doctor --json | jq '.checks[] |
-select(.id=="batch_retry_health")'`; the extended check now surfaces
-24h disconnect-call count and the most-recent caller frame from a new
-`~/.gbrain/audit/db-disconnect-YYYY-Www.jsonl` audit. (Closes #1570.)
+select(.id=="batch_retry_health")'`; the check surfaces the
+24h disconnect-call count and the most-recent caller frame from the
+`~/.gbrain/audit/db-disconnect-YYYY-Www.jsonl` audit.
 
 **`gbrain brainstorm` returning `judge_failed: true` with 0 scored
-ideas?** v0.41.21.0 closes the two bugs that caused it. The judge
-hard-coded a 4K-token output cap; for any run past ~40 ideas the call
-truncated mid-JSON and the parser threw. Same release closes a slash-
-form pricing miss: `gbrain brainstorm --judge-model
-anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6 --max-cost 5` failed with
-`BudgetExhausted reason=no_pricing` because every pricing site only
-matched the colon form. Both shapes work now. No config change, no
-schema migration — `gbrain upgrade` is the whole fix.
+ideas?** Two historical bugs caused it, both fixed: the judge
+hard-coded a 4K-token output cap (any run past ~40 ideas truncated
+mid-JSON and the parser threw), and slash-form model ids
+(`gbrain brainstorm --judge-model anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6
+--max-cost 5`) failed with `BudgetExhausted reason=no_pricing` because
+pricing lookups only matched the colon form. Both shapes work now. No
+config change, no schema migration — `gbrain upgrade` is the whole fix.
 
 **`gbrain reindex --markdown` wiped your auto/dream/signal-detector
-tags?** v0.41.37.0 makes tag reconciliation add-only. Re-import and
-`reindex --markdown` now ADD current frontmatter tags and never delete,
+tags?** Upgrade — tag reconciliation is add-only now. Re-import and
+`reindex --markdown` ADD current frontmatter tags and never delete,
 so enrichment tags written to the DB (auto-tag, dream synthesize,
 signal-detector) survive a re-chunk. The reindex DB-only fallback also
 reconstructs the full markdown (frontmatter + body + timeline) before
@@ -404,10 +444,10 @@ re-chunking, so a page with no on-disk source keeps its frontmatter,
 title, and timeline instead of getting overwritten with empty
 frontmatter. Trade-off: removing a tag from a page's frontmatter no
 longer removes it from the DB on the next sync (frontmatter-tag removal
-needs a provenance column, deferred). (Closes #1621.)
+needs a provenance column, deferred).
 
 **`gbrain sync` wedges on a large brain (no progress, high CPU)?**
-v0.41.37.0 ships three things. First, name the stalling file:
+Three tools. First, name the stalling file:
 
 ```bash
 GBRAIN_SYNC_TRACE=1 gbrain sync --no-pull --no-embed --yes
@@ -422,28 +462,28 @@ the sync with the pack disabled and re-run extraction later:
 gbrain sync --no-schema-pack --no-pull --no-embed --yes
 ```
 
-`gbrain schema lint` now warns on the classic nested-quantifier ReDoS
+`gbrain schema lint` warns on the classic nested-quantifier ReDoS
 shapes (`(a+)+`, `(a*)*`, …) in pack regexes, and the runtime caps
 inference-regex input length (override via `GBRAIN_MAX_REGEX_INPUT_CHARS`).
 Third, on a PGLite brain, stop `gbrain serve` before a large sync —
 PGLite is single-writer and a live MCP server contends for the write
 lock. See [`docs/architecture/serve-sync-concurrency.md`](docs/architecture/serve-sync-concurrency.md)
-for the full triage. (Closes #1569.)
+for the full triage.
 
 **`gbrain init --migrate-only` / a schema migration fails on Windows
-with `getaddrinfo ENOTFOUND`?** v0.41.37.0 runs the 9 schema-bring-up
+with `getaddrinfo ENOTFOUND`?** Upgrade — schema bring-up now runs its
 phases in-process instead of spawning a child `gbrain init
 --migrate-only` per phase. The spawned child died on
 Windows + bun + Supabase pooler with a DNS-resolution failure even
 though the parent connected fine; running in-process removes the spawn
-entirely. The v0.13.1 grandfather migration that hung 70+ minutes on an
-82K-page PGLite brain is also fixed — it now runs as a chunked bulk SQL
-pass (keyed on the page PK, soft-delete-filtered, source-safe) that
-completes in ~1-2 seconds. (Closes #1605, #1581.)
+entirely. The grandfather migration that used to hang 70+ minutes on an
+80K-page PGLite brain also runs as a chunked bulk SQL pass now (keyed on
+the page PK, soft-delete-filtered, source-safe) and completes in seconds.
 
 ## Docs
 
 - [`docs/INSTALL.md`](docs/INSTALL.md) — every install path, end to end
+- [`docs/guides/bootstrap.md`](docs/guides/bootstrap.md) — the persistent-personal-agent bootstrap contract (interview, identity files, hooks, private repo, security posture, uninstall), plus local harness mode (`gbrain bootstrap harness`) for wiring framework-spawned Claude Code/Codex sessions to a running serve
 - [`docs/what-schemas-unlock.md`](docs/what-schemas-unlock.md) — why schemas matter: 7 killer use cases, the structural argument for typed page kinds, the agent-co-curates pattern (v0.40.7.0)
 - [`docs/schema-author-tutorial.md`](docs/schema-author-tutorial.md) — 5-minute walkthrough: fork the bundled pack, add a custom type, backfill existing pages, prove the wiring via `gbrain whoknows`
 - [`docs/architecture/`](docs/architecture/) — system design, topologies, retrieval theory

VERSION

@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.43.0.0
+0.46.4.0

bun.lock

@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
         "gray-matter": "^4.0.3",
         "heic-decode": "^2.1.0",
         "js-yaml": "^3.15.1",
+        "jsonc-parser": "^3.3.1",
         "marked": "^18.0.2",
         "openai": "^4.0.0",
         "pgvector": "^0.2.0",
@@ -163,7 +164,7 @@
 
     "@electric-sql/pglite": ["@electric-sql/pglite@0.4.3", "", {}, "sha512-ichuWTgtd4mOM1G4SpyGJa5trT03lWbMypDV0fUXUCXg5hiHqVAz/bZyV68NqmkLB7WcYmj1RMJVSp8HV/v/ZQ=="],
 
-    "@hono/node-server": ["@hono/node-server@2.0.11", "", { "peerDependencies": { "hono": "^4" } }, "sha512-bjD221KPLoJTWUwso1J6fGKiTXEUFedG/s0visavY4zakFPkeGURMRNly+FhBHs7T8Dz4qHaZIMX9ZoJHSJtKA=="],
+    "@hono/node-server": ["@hono/node-server@2.1.0", "", { "peerDependencies": { "hono": "^4" } }, "sha512-XovyyCCnBzW+zKu+z/zq8hwNs4KOR5rEMAOxo2f40Q5xoOI37IMm6MIg2COOUtUApo0i6850MTBKH2u4QLGIqg=="],
 
     "@jsquash/avif": ["@jsquash/avif@2.1.1", "", { "dependencies": { "wasm-feature-detect": "^1.2.11" } }, "sha512-LMRxd0fMgfCLtobDh0/sFYJMMiRJTNYSEEWvRDKXlAeZ08t3gI5V+1thIT0XjXJ+SVG7Zug9B0XPyx0Ti5VRNA=="],
 
@@ -469,6 +470,8 @@
 
     "json-schema-typed": ["json-schema-typed@8.0.2", "", {}, "sha512-fQhoXdcvc3V28x7C7BMs4P5+kNlgUURe2jmUT1T//oBRMDrqy1QPelJimwZGo7Hg9VPV3EQV5Bnq4hbFy2vetA=="],
 
+    "jsonc-parser": ["jsonc-parser@3.3.1", "", {}, "sha512-HUgH65KyejrUFPvHFPbqOY0rsFip3Bo5wb4ngvdi1EpCYWUQDC5V+Y7mZws+DLkr4M//zQJoanu1SP+87Dv1oQ=="],
+
     "kind-of": ["kind-of@6.0.3", "", {}, "sha512-dcS1ul+9tmeD95T+x28/ehLgd9mENa3LsvDTtzm3vyBEO7RPptvAD+t44WVXaUjTBRcrpFeFlC8WCruUR456hw=="],
 
     "libheif-js": ["libheif-js@1.19.8", "", {}, "sha512-vQJWusIxO7wavpON1dusciL8Go9jsIQ+EUrckauFYAiSTjcmLAsuJh3SszLpvkwPci3JcL41ek2n+LUZGFpPIQ=="],

bunfig.toml

@@ -18,4 +18,13 @@ timeout = 60_000
 # runs, so audit-emitting code paths (content-sanity, shell-audit, etc.)
 # can't leak fixture events into the operator's real ~/.gbrain/audit/. See
 # test/helpers/audit-dir-preload.ts for the full rationale.
-preload = ["./test/helpers/legacy-embedding-preload.ts", "./test/helpers/audit-dir-preload.ts"]
+#
+# Same treatment for the sync failure ledger: broken-fixture import/sync tests
+# were appending rows into the operator's real ~/.gbrain/sync-failures.jsonl,
+# which `gbrain doctor` reads and warns on. See
+# test/helpers/sync-failures-preload.ts.
+# #3485: database-url-guard-preload runs FIRST — it refuses to start the run
+# while DATABASE_URL/GBRAIN_DATABASE_URL is ambient without the explicit
+# GBRAIN_TEST_ALLOW_DATABASE_URL=1 opt-in that the e2e wrappers set at their
+# own subprocess boundary. See test/helpers/database-url-guard-preload.ts.
+preload = ["./test/helpers/database-url-guard-preload.ts", "./test/helpers/legacy-embedding-preload.ts", "./test/helpers/audit-dir-preload.ts", "./test/helpers/sync-failures-preload.ts"]

docs/ENGINES.md

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 Every GBrain operation goes through `BrainEngine`. The engine is the contract between "what the brain can do" and "how it's stored." Swap the engine, keep everything else.
 
-v0 shipped `PostgresEngine` backed by Supabase. v0.7 adds `PGLiteEngine` -- embedded Postgres 17.5 via WASM (@electric-sql/pglite), zero-config default. The interface is designed so a `DuckDBEngine`, `TursoEngine`, or any custom backend could slot in without touching the CLI, MCP server, skills, or any consumer code.
+Two engines ship today: `PGLiteEngine` — embedded Postgres via WASM (@electric-sql/pglite), the zero-config default — and `PostgresEngine`, backed by Supabase or any Postgres + pgvector. The interface is designed so a `DuckDBEngine`, `TursoEngine`, or any custom backend could slot in without touching the CLI, MCP server, skills, or any consumer code.
 
 ## Why this matters
 
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ Different users have different constraints:
 
 | User | Needs | Best engine |
 |------|-------|-------------|
-| Getting started | Zero-config, no accounts, no server | PGLiteEngine (default since v0.7) |
+| Getting started | Zero-config, no accounts, no server | PGLiteEngine (the default) |
 | Power user (you) | World-class search, 7K+ pages, zero-ops | PostgresEngine + Supabase |
 | Open source hacker | Single file, no server, git-friendly | PGLiteEngine |
 | Team/enterprise | Multi-user, RLS, audit trail | PostgresEngine + self-hosted |
@@ -23,72 +23,30 @@ The engine interface means we don't have to choose. PGLite is the zero-friction
 
 ## The interface
 
-```typescript
-// src/core/engine.ts
+**The single source of truth is `export interface BrainEngine` in
+`src/core/engine.ts`.** It is large (100+ methods) and grows with every
+feature wave — do NOT work from any snapshot of it, including an old copy of
+this doc. Read the interface itself, and let
+`test/e2e/engine-parity.test.ts` + `test/pglite-engine.test.ts` tell you
+whether both engines agree.
 
-export interface BrainEngine {
-  // Lifecycle
-  connect(config: EngineConfig): Promise<void>;
-  disconnect(): Promise<void>;
-  initSchema(): Promise<void>;
-  transaction<T>(fn: (engine: BrainEngine) => Promise<T>): Promise<T>;
+The method families, to orient you before opening the file:
 
-  // Pages CRUD
-  getPage(slug: string): Promise<Page | null>;
-  putPage(slug: string, page: PageInput): Promise<Page>;
-  deletePage(slug: string): Promise<void>;
-  listPages(filters: PageFilters): Promise<Page[]>;
-
-  // Search
-  searchKeyword(query: string, opts?: SearchOpts): Promise<SearchResult[]>;
-  searchVector(embedding: Float32Array, opts?: SearchOpts): Promise<SearchResult[]>;
-
-  // Chunks
-  upsertChunks(slug: string, chunks: ChunkInput[]): Promise<void>;
-  getChunks(slug: string): Promise<Chunk[]>;
-
-  // Links
-  addLink(from: string, to: string, context?: string, linkType?: string): Promise<void>;
-  removeLink(from: string, to: string): Promise<void>;
-  getLinks(slug: string): Promise<Link[]>;
-  getBacklinks(slug: string): Promise<Link[]>;
-  traverseGraph(slug: string, depth?: number): Promise<GraphNode[]>;
-
-  // Tags
-  addTag(slug: string, tag: string): Promise<void>;
-  removeTag(slug: string, tag: string): Promise<void>;
-  getTags(slug: string): Promise<string[]>;
-
-  // Timeline
-  addTimelineEntry(slug: string, entry: TimelineInput): Promise<void>;
-  getTimeline(slug: string, opts?: TimelineOpts): Promise<TimelineEntry[]>;
-
-  // Raw data
-  putRawData(slug: string, source: string, data: object): Promise<void>;
-  getRawData(slug: string, source?: string): Promise<RawData[]>;
-
-  // Versions
-  createVersion(slug: string): Promise<PageVersion>;
-  getVersions(slug: string): Promise<PageVersion[]>;
-  revertToVersion(slug: string, versionId: number): Promise<void>;
-
-  // Stats + health
-  getStats(): Promise<BrainStats>;
-  getHealth(): Promise<BrainHealth>;
-
-  // Ingest log
-  logIngest(entry: IngestLogInput): Promise<void>;
-  getIngestLog(opts?: IngestLogOpts): Promise<IngestLogEntry[]>;
-
-  // Config
-  getConfig(key: string): Promise<string | null>;
-  setConfig(key: string, value: string): Promise<void>;
-
-  // Migration + advanced (added v0.7)
-  runMigration(sql: string): Promise<void>;
-  getChunksWithEmbeddings(slug: string): Promise<ChunkWithEmbedding[]>;
-}
-```
+- **Lifecycle + identity** — `connect` / `disconnect` / `reconnect`,
+  `initSchema`, `transaction`, `withReservedConnection`, and the `kind`
+  discriminator (`'pglite' | 'postgres'`) for the rare engine-specific branch.
+- **Pages CRUD** — `getPage`, `putPage`, `deletePage`, `listPages`, slug
+  resolution.
+- **Search** — `searchKeyword`, `searchVector`, chunk-level variants, takes
+  search (keyword + vector), and `relationalFanout` (the typed-edge recall
+  arm).
+- **Chunks + embeddings** — upsert/get, embedding-bearing variants.
+- **Graph** — links (single + batch writers), backlinks, `traverseGraph`,
+  `traversePaths`.
+- **Tags, timeline (single + batch), raw data, versions.**
+- **Takes / facts / eval / salience** — the epistemological layer and the
+  instruments over it.
+- **Stats, health, ingest log, config, migrations.**
 
 ### Key design choices
 
@@ -131,7 +89,7 @@ export interface BrainEngine {
 
 RRF fusion, multi-query expansion, and 4-layer dedup are engine-agnostic. They operate on `SearchResult[]` arrays. Only the raw keyword and vector searches are engine-specific.
 
-## PostgresEngine (v0, ships)
+## PostgresEngine
 
 **Dependencies:** `postgres` (porsager/postgres), `pgvector`
 
@@ -144,9 +102,7 @@ RRF fusion, multi-query expansion, and 4-layer dedup are engine-agnostic. They o
 - JSONB for frontmatter with GIN index
 - Connection pooling via Supabase Supavisor (port 6543)
 
-**Hosting:** Supabase Pro ($25/mo). Zero-ops. Managed Postgres with pgvector built in.
-
-**Why not self-hosted for v0:** The brain should be infrastructure agents use, not something you maintain. Self-hosted Postgres with Docker is a welcome community PR, but v0 optimizes for zero ops.
+**Hosting:** Supabase Pro ($25/mo, zero-ops, pgvector built in) is the managed path; self-hosted Postgres + pgvector (Docker or Homebrew — recipe in the troubleshooting section below) works the same.
 
 ### Opt-in RLS source-scope binding (`GBRAIN_RLS_SCOPE_BINDING`)
 
@@ -193,17 +149,17 @@ run under the role default and are not backstopped per caller. This is layer 2;
 the app-layer source filters remain layer 1 and stay mandatory. Behavioral pins
 live in `test/postgres-engine-rls-scope.test.ts`.
 
-## PGLiteEngine (v0.7, ships)
+## PGLiteEngine
 
-**Dependencies:** `@electric-sql/pglite` (v0.4.4+)
+**Dependencies:** `@electric-sql/pglite`
 
-**What it is:** Embedded Postgres 17.5 compiled to WASM via ElectricSQL's PGLite. Runs in-process, no server, no Docker, no accounts. Same SQL as PostgresEngine -- not a separate dialect. All 37 BrainEngine methods implemented.
+**What it is:** Embedded Postgres compiled to WASM via ElectricSQL's PGLite. Runs in-process, no server, no Docker, no accounts. Same SQL as PostgresEngine -- not a separate dialect. Implements the full `BrainEngine` interface; `test/e2e/engine-parity.test.ts` pins that the two engines move in lockstep.
 
 **PGLite-specific details:**
 - Uses `pglite-schema.ts` for DDL (pgvector extension, pg_trgm, triggers, indexes)
 - Parameterized queries throughout (shared utilities in `src/core/utils.ts`)
 - `hybridSearch` keyword-only fallback when `OPENAI_API_KEY` is not set
-- Data stored at `~/.gbrain/brain.db` (configurable)
+- Data stored at `~/.gbrain/brain.pglite` (configurable)
 - pgvector HNSW index for cosine similarity vector search (same as Postgres)
 - tsvector + ts_rank for full-text search (same as Postgres)
 - pg_trgm for fuzzy slug resolution (same as Postgres)
@@ -221,6 +177,25 @@ live in `test/postgres-engine-rls-scope.test.ts`.
 
 **Migration:** `gbrain migrate --to supabase` exports everything (pages, chunks, embeddings, links, tags, timeline) and imports into Supabase. `gbrain migrate --to pglite` goes the other direction. Bidirectional, lossless.
 
+The migration and the autopilot daemon do not race: `migrate --to` claims a
+cooperative pause marker before touching the target. The marker doubles as a
+migration mutex — a second concurrent migrate refuses to run, and a marker
+that cannot be written refuses the migration outright. Background job workers
+stop picking up new work while it is parked, and the migration waits for
+in-flight sync/embed/cycle work and running jobs to actually drain (watching
+the DB lock table, capped by `GBRAIN_MIGRATE_QUIESCE_SECONDS` — default 300;
+`0` skips the wait). Cleanup registers the moment the claim lands, so the
+marker is released on failure and on catchable signals; a marker orphaned by
+an uncleanly killed run is adopted by a later migrate only after a
+pid-liveness check (a live migrate's marker is never stolen), and the daemon
+clears an orphan whose owning process died on its next poll. `gbrain
+autopilot --status` reports `paused` (exit 1) while the marker is parked and
+prints the marker path; on a host with no daemon running to self-heal,
+remove an orphan by hand only after confirming the pid it names is dead.
+After a clean flip the daemon detects the engine change on its next
+tick and relaunches onto the new engine, and the migration warns if an
+exported connection-string env var would override the new config.
+
 ### Troubleshooting: startup abort (`RuntimeError: Aborted()`)
 
 **Symptom:** every PGLite-touching command dies at startup with
@@ -319,16 +294,22 @@ and assert `jsonb_typeof` — the assertion PGLite cannot make.
 1. Create `src/core/<name>-engine.ts` implementing `BrainEngine`
 2. Add to engine factory in `src/core/engine-factory.ts`:
    ```typescript
-   export function createEngine(type: string): BrainEngine {
-     switch (type) {
-       case 'pglite': return new PGLiteEngine();
-       case 'postgres': return new PostgresEngine();
-       case 'myengine': return new MyEngine();
-       default: throw new Error(`Unknown engine: ${type}`);
+   export async function createEngine(config: EngineConfig): Promise<BrainEngine> {
+     switch (config.engine || 'postgres') {
+       case 'pglite': {
+         const { PGLiteEngine } = await import('./pglite-engine.ts');
+         return new PGLiteEngine();
+       }
+       case 'myengine': {
+         const { MyEngine } = await import('./my-engine.ts');
+         return new MyEngine();
+       }
+       // ...
      }
    }
    ```
-   The factory uses dynamic imports so engines are only loaded when selected.
+   The factory uses dynamic imports so an engine's dependencies (e.g. the
+   PGLite WASM blob) are only loaded when that engine is selected.
 3. Store engine type in `~/.gbrain/config.json`: `{ "engine": "myengine", ... }`
 4. Add tests. The test suite should be engine-agnostic where possible... same test cases, different engine constructor.
 5. Document in this file + add a design doc in `docs/`
@@ -359,7 +340,7 @@ Every method in `BrainEngine`. The full interface. No optional methods, no featu
 | JSONB queries | GIN index | GIN index | Identical |
 | Concurrent access | Connection pooling | Single process | PGLite limitation |
 | Hosting | Supabase, self-hosted, Docker | Local file | |
-| Migration methods | runMigration, getChunksWithEmbeddings | Same | Added v0.7 |
+| Migration methods | runMigration, getChunksWithEmbeddings | Same | Identical |
 
 ## Future engine ideas
 

docs/GBRAIN_RECOMMENDED_SCHEMA.md

@@ -6,6 +6,14 @@ A system prompt for any AI agent that wants to build and maintain a personal kno
 
 Drop this into your agent's workspace as a skill or system prompt. Your agent will build the rest.
 
+> **Relationship to schema packs:** this document is the prose, paste-in
+> version of the schema pattern. gbrain also ships a machine-enforced
+> counterpart — schema packs (`gbrain schema`, typed pages, extraction,
+> aliases, lint) — documented in `docs/architecture/schema-packs.md` and
+> `docs/schema-author-tutorial.md`. The prose schema here and the active
+> schema pack should describe the same brain; when you evolve one, evolve
+> the other.
+
 ---
 
 ## What this is

docs/GBRAIN_SKILLPACK.md

@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-<!-- skillpack-version: 0.7.0 -->
 <!-- source: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/garrytan/gbrain/master/docs/GBRAIN_SKILLPACK.md -->
 # GBrain Skillpack: Reference Architecture for AI Agents
 
 This is a reference architecture for how a production AI agent uses gbrain as its
 knowledge backbone. Based on patterns from a real deployment with 14,700+ brain
-files, 40+ skills, and 20+ cron jobs running continuously.
+files, the 50+ bundled skills (`skills/manifest.json`), and 20+ cron jobs running
+continuously.
 
 **The memex vision, realized.** Vannevar Bush imagined a device where an individual
 stores everything, mechanized so it may be consulted with exceeding speed. GBrain is
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ The foundational read-write loop and data model.
 | [Entity Detection](guides/entity-detection.md) | Run it on every message. Capture original thinking + entity mentions |
 | [The Originals Folder](guides/originals-folder.md) | Capturing WHAT YOU THINK, not just what you found |
 | [Brain-First Lookup](guides/brain-first-lookup.md) | Check the brain before calling any external API |
+| [Push-Based Context](guides/push-context.md) | volunteer_context: the brain volunteers relevant pages instead of waiting to be asked |
 | [Compiled Truth + Timeline](guides/compiled-truth.md) | Above the line: current synthesis. Below: append-only evidence |
 | [Source Attribution](guides/source-attribution.md) | Every fact needs a citation. Format and hierarchy |
 
@@ -99,6 +100,7 @@ Keeping it running and up to date.
 
 | Guide | What It Covers |
 |-------|---------------|
+| [Agent Bootstrap](guides/bootstrap.md) | The paste-in install: `gbrain bootstrap`, hooks, `bootstrap verify`, keyless mode |
 | [Upgrades & Auto-Update](guides/upgrades-auto-update.md) | check-update, agent notifications, migration files |
 | [Live Sync](guides/live-sync.md) | Keep the index current: cron, --watch, webhook approaches |
 

docs/GBRAIN_VERIFY.md

@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 # GBrain Installation Verification Runbook
 
+> **One-command equivalent:** `gbrain bootstrap verify` runs the whole install
+> contract (round-trip, graph floor, and more) automatically and exits non-zero
+> on failure — it is the modern first thing to run after any install. See
+> [docs/guides/bootstrap.md](guides/bootstrap.md). This runbook is the
+> **manual, deep-verification** companion: use it when `bootstrap verify` fails
+> and you need to isolate which layer broke, or when you want to understand
+> what "healthy" looks like check by check.
+
 Run these checks after install to confirm every part of GBrain is working.
 Each check includes the command, expected output, and what to do if it fails.
 
@@ -20,7 +28,8 @@ gbrain doctor --json
 **Expected:** All checks return `"ok"`:
 - `connection`: connected, N pages
 - `pgvector`: extension installed
-- `rls`: enabled on all tables
+- `rls`: enabled on all tables (Postgres/Supabase brains only — PGLite brains
+  skip this check; the embedded engine has no remote surface)
 - `schema_version`: current
 - `embeddings`: coverage percentage
 
@@ -33,12 +42,12 @@ check. See `skills/setup/SKILL.md` Error Recovery table.
 
 **Check:** Ask the agent: "What is the brain-agent loop?"
 
-**Expected:** The agent references GBRAIN_SKILLPACK.md Section 2 and describes
-the read-write cycle: detect entities, read brain, respond with context, write
-brain, sync.
+**Expected:** The agent describes the read-write cycle documented in
+[docs/guides/brain-agent-loop.md](guides/brain-agent-loop.md): detect entities,
+read brain, respond with context, write brain, sync.
 
-**If it fails:** The agent hasn't loaded the skillpack. Run step 6 from the
-install paste (read `docs/GBRAIN_SKILLPACK.md`).
+**If it fails:** The agent hasn't loaded the skillpack. Have it read
+`docs/GBRAIN_SKILLPACK.md` (the index) and follow the Core Patterns links.
 
 ---
 
@@ -53,8 +62,8 @@ gbrain check-update --json
 **Expected:** Returns JSON with `current_version`, `latest_version`,
 `update_available` (boolean). The cron `gbrain-update-check` is registered.
 
-**If it fails:** Run step 7 from the install paste. See GBRAIN_SKILLPACK.md
-Section 17.
+**If it fails:** See [docs/guides/upgrades-auto-update.md](guides/upgrades-auto-update.md)
+for how to register the update-check cron.
 
 ---
 
@@ -88,8 +97,9 @@ find /data/brain -name '*.md' \
 Some difference is normal (files added since last sync), but if page count is
 less than half the file count, sync is silently skipping pages.
 
-**If page count is way too low:** The #1 cause is an unreachable direct
-connection on an IPv4-only host. GBrain uses the Transaction pooler (port 6543)
+**If page count is way too low (Supabase/Postgres brains):** The #1 cause is an
+unreachable direct connection on an IPv4-only host. (PGLite brains have no
+network layer — for them, check that the sync cron/watch is actually running.) GBrain uses the Transaction pooler (port 6543)
 for reads, but routes migrations, DDL, and sync transactions to a derived direct
 connection (`db.<ref>.supabase.co:5432`), which is IPv6-only.
 - On an IPv4-only host, reads work but sync transactions fail and silently skip
@@ -122,7 +132,7 @@ This is the real test. Edit a brain page, push, wait, search.
 1. Edit a page in the brain repo (e.g., correct a fact on a person's page):
 
 ```bash
-# Example: fix a line in Gustaf's page
+# Example: fix a line in alice-example's page
 cd /data/brain
 # Make a small edit to any .md file
 git add -A && git commit -m "test: verify live sync" && git push
@@ -253,19 +263,23 @@ gbrain repair-jsonb
 
 Idempotent. PGLite brains always report 0 (unaffected by the original bug).
 
-**Bonus check** — frontmatter-keyed queries actually resolve:
+**Bonus check** — the doctor's dedicated JSONB scan agrees:
 
 ```bash
-gbrain call list_pages '{"frontmatterKey": "type", "frontmatterValue": "person"}'
+gbrain doctor --json | grep -o '"name":"jsonb_integrity"[^}]*'
 ```
 
-If this returns rows on a brain with person pages, the JSONB path is healthy.
+**Expected:** the fragment contains `"status":"ok"` ("All JSONB columns store
+objects/arrays"). If it reports double-encoded rows, run `gbrain repair-jsonb`.
 
 ---
 
 ## Quick Verification (all checks in one pass)
 
 ```bash
+# 0. The one-command contract check (exits non-zero on failure)
+gbrain bootstrap verify
+
 # 1. Schema
 gbrain doctor --json
 

docs/INSTALL.md

@@ -1,15 +1,24 @@
 # Install
 
-Three install paths. Pick one. Mix later if needed.
+**Recommended door: the agent bootstrap.** Open your agent (Codex, Claude Code,
+or any harness) in the folder that will become its home and paste the block
+from the [README's install section](../README.md) — the agent fetches
+`BOOTSTRAP_FOR_AGENTS.md` from the `latest-stable` tag, installs the CLI,
+initializes a local PGLite brain, wires MCP, and isn't done until
+`gbrain bootstrap verify` exits 0. Full contract, security posture, and
+uninstall: [docs/guides/bootstrap.md](guides/bootstrap.md).
 
-## 1. Run with an agent platform (recommended)
+The paths below are the manual equivalents and deep-dive detail. Pick one.
+Mix later if needed.
+
+## 1. Run with an agent platform
 
 Already running [OpenClaw](https://github.com/garrytan/openclaw) or [Hermes](https://github.com/garrytan/hermes)?
 
 ```bash
-bun install -g github:garrytan/gbrain
+bun install -g github:garrytan/gbrain#latest-stable
 gbrain init --pglite                  # 2 seconds; no server
-gbrain skillpack scaffold --all       # 52 skills scaffolded into your agent workspace
+gbrain skillpack scaffold --all       # scaffolds every bundled skill (skills/manifest.json) into your agent workspace
 gbrain doctor                         # green checks all the way down
 ```
 
@@ -24,7 +33,7 @@ To upgrade later: `gbrain upgrade` runs schema migrations + post-upgrade prompts
 No agent platform, just shell + MCP-aware editor.
 
 ```bash
-bun install -g github:garrytan/gbrain
+bun install -g github:garrytan/gbrain#latest-stable
 gbrain init --pglite
 ```
 
@@ -62,13 +71,13 @@ claude mcp add gbrain -- gbrain serve --surface verbs    # Claude Code
 codex  mcp add gbrain -- gbrain serve --surface verbs    # Codex
 ```
 
-The agent spawns `gbrain serve` as a stdio subprocess against your local brain. `--surface verbs` gives the agent the five-verb memory protocol (`recall`, `remember`, `entity`, `synthesize`, `forget` — [MEMORY_VERBS v1](protocol/MEMORY_VERBS_v1.md)) instead of the full tool catalog; drop the flag (default `full`) for every operation. Full walkthrough (both this local path and connecting to a remote brain), plus the brain-first protocol to paste into `CLAUDE.md` / `AGENTS.md`: **[Give your coding agent a memory](tutorials/connect-coding-agent.md)**.
+The agent spawns `gbrain serve` as a stdio subprocess against your local brain. `--surface verbs` gives the agent the seven-verb memory protocol (`recall`, `remember`, `entity`, `synthesize`, `forget`, `context_pack`, `delta` — [MEMORY_VERBS v1](protocol/MEMORY_VERBS_v1.md)) instead of the full tool catalog; `--surface starter` adds the daily-driver set on top of the verbs (~26 ops total); drop the flag (default `full`) for every operation. Full walkthrough (both this local path and connecting to a remote brain), plus the brain-first protocol to paste into `CLAUDE.md` / `AGENTS.md`: **[Give your coding agent a memory](tutorials/connect-coding-agent.md)**.
 
 ## 3. MCP server (any MCP client)
 
 ```bash
 gbrain serve                      # stdio MCP (Claude Desktop / Code / Cursor)
-gbrain serve --surface verbs      # stdio MCP, just the 5 memory verbs (quickstart)
+gbrain serve --surface verbs      # stdio MCP, just the 7 memory verbs (quickstart)
 gbrain serve --http               # HTTP MCP with OAuth 2.1 + admin dashboard
 ```
 
@@ -90,6 +99,11 @@ Per-client setup guides live in [`docs/mcp/`](mcp/):
 - [`docs/mcp/CLAUDE_DESKTOP.md`](mcp/CLAUDE_DESKTOP.md)
 - [`docs/mcp/CHATGPT.md`](mcp/CHATGPT.md)
 - [`docs/mcp/PERPLEXITY.md`](mcp/PERPLEXITY.md)
+- [`docs/mcp/HERMES.md`](mcp/HERMES.md) — Hermes (Nous Research CLI)
+- [`docs/mcp/GROK.md`](mcp/GROK.md) — Grok Build (xAI CLI)
+- [`docs/mcp/OPENCODE.md`](mcp/OPENCODE.md) — opencode (opencode.ai / SST terminal agent)
+- [`docs/mcp/OPENCLAW.md`](mcp/OPENCLAW.md) — OpenClaw (bundle plugin or stdio)
+- [`docs/mcp/CLAUDE_COWORK.md`](mcp/CLAUDE_COWORK.md) — Claude Cowork (team plan)
 - [`docs/mcp/DEPLOY.md`](mcp/DEPLOY.md) — production deploy patterns
 
 The HTTP server ships with an admin SPA at `/admin`, an SSE activity feed at `/admin/events`, DCR-style client registration, scope-gated `read`/`write`/`admin` access, and rate limiting.
@@ -107,55 +121,31 @@ Useful for: team mounts, brain-as-a-service deployments, dev machines without di
 ## Verifying the install
 
 ```bash
+gbrain bootstrap verify           # the whole install contract; exits non-zero on failure
 gbrain doctor --json              # full health check
 gbrain models                     # which AI models are configured for what
 gbrain models doctor              # 1-token probe per configured model
 ```
 
-If anything's yellow, `gbrain doctor` names the fix command in the message. Most issues are missing API keys or stale schema (`gbrain upgrade --force-schema`).
+If anything's yellow, `gbrain doctor` names the fix command in the message. Most issues are missing API keys or stale schema (`gbrain upgrade --force-schema`). For the manual check-by-check runbook, see [docs/GBRAIN_VERIFY.md](GBRAIN_VERIFY.md).
 
 ## Troubleshooting
 
-### PGLite crashes on macOS 26.x (Tahoe)
+### PGLite crashes at startup (`RuntimeError: Aborted()`)
 
-This crash (`RuntimeError: Aborted()` at engine startup, typically first seen
-after a macOS upgrade) is **not** a macOS/WASM incompatibility. The upgrade
-reboot kills gbrain mid-write and tears the data dir's write-ahead log; every
-subsequent open then fails WAL replay. Recovery ladder:
+This crash (typically first seen after a macOS upgrade) is **not** a
+macOS/WASM incompatibility — an unclean shutdown tore the data dir's
+write-ahead log, and every subsequent open fails WAL replay. The short
+version of the recovery ladder:
 
-1. **Auto-repair (default):** just run any gbrain command — gbrain detects the
-   abort, resets the WAL in place (data preserved; a backup of the pre-repair
-   state is kept next to the data dir), and continues. Then run `gbrain doctor`.
-2. **Manual repair:** `gbrain pglite-repair --dry-run` to diagnose,
-   `gbrain pglite-repair --yes` to repair in place.
-3. **Rebuild:** `gbrain reinit-pglite` (wipes and re-creates the brain from
-   your brain repo; embedding settings default from your config).
-4. **Switch engines** — if you prefer a server database anyway, native
-   Homebrew PostgreSQL works great and supports multiple concurrent agents:
+1. **Auto-repair (default):** run any gbrain command — gbrain detects the
+   abort, resets the WAL in place (data preserved, backup kept), and
+   continues. Then run `gbrain doctor`.
+2. **Manual repair:** `gbrain pglite-repair --dry-run`, then
+   `gbrain pglite-repair --yes`.
+3. **Rebuild:** `gbrain reinit-pglite`.
+4. **Switch engines:** Supabase or native Homebrew Postgres + pgvector.
 
-```bash
-# Install PostgreSQL + pgvector
-brew install postgresql@17
-brew services start postgresql@17
-createdb gbrain
-
-# Build pgvector from source (required for vector search)
-cd /tmp && git clone --branch v0.8.0 https://github.com/pgvector/pgvector.git
-cd pgvector && make && make install
-psql gbrain -c "CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS vector;"
-
-# Point gbrain at your local Postgres
-cat > ~/.gbrain/config.json << 'EOF'
-{
-  "engine": "postgres",
-  "database_url": "postgresql://localhost:5432/gbrain",
-  "schema_pack": "gbrain-base-v2"
-}
-EOF
-
-# Run migrations and verify
-gbrain apply-migrations --yes
-gbrain doctor
-```
-
-Once `gbrain doctor` shows green, the brain works identically to PGLite — same commands, same skills, same data model. The only difference is the storage backend (plus multi-connection support: several agents can share one Postgres brain, which PGLite's single-process lock doesn't allow).
+The full ladder — safety bounds, kill-switches, when WAL repair can't help,
+and the Homebrew Postgres recipe — lives in
+[docs/ENGINES.md](ENGINES.md#troubleshooting-startup-abort-runtimeerror-aborted).

docs/RELEASING.md

@@ -26,19 +26,21 @@ Two equivalent paths:
 
 **Path B — manual lifecycle (still supported):**
 - `bun test` — unit tests (no database required)
-- Follow the "E2E test DB lifecycle" steps above to spin up the test DB,
-  run `bun run test:e2e`, then tear it down.
+- Follow the "E2E test DB lifecycle" steps in
+  [docs/TESTING.md](TESTING.md) to spin up the test DB, run
+  `bun run test:e2e`, then tear it down.
 
 Both must pass. Do not ship with failing E2E tests. Do not skip E2E tests.
 
-**Always run typecheck before pushing.** `bun test` (the bun runner)
-skips TypeScript type checking — it only enforces runtime behavior.
+**Always run typecheck before pushing.** Neither `bun test` (the bun runner)
+nor `bun run test` gates on types — `bun run test` is just
+`bash scripts/run-unit-parallel.sh` (the sharded unit runner; no typecheck,
+no shell pre-checks — see the test-tier table in [docs/TESTING.md](TESTING.md)).
 Three ways to actually gate on types:
 
-1. `bun run test` (npm script in `package.json`) — includes `bun run typecheck`
-   plus the four shell pre-checks (`check-jsonb-pattern.sh`,
-   `check-progress-to-stdout.sh`, `check-trailing-newline.sh`,
-   `check-wasm-embedded.sh`) before the runner. Use this mid-branch.
+1. `bun run verify` — runs the shell guard checks (privacy, jsonb, source-id,
+   progress-to-stdout, …) plus `bun run typecheck` in parallel
+   (`scripts/run-verify-parallel.sh`). Use this mid-branch.
 2. `bun run typecheck` — `tsc --noEmit` standalone. Fast (~5s on this repo).
 3. `bun run ci:local` — the full local CI gate from Path A.
 
@@ -290,7 +292,8 @@ matter" with BrainBench-style before/after table, "what this means" closer, then
 
 Create a migration file at `skills/migrations/v[version].md` when a release
 includes changes that existing users need to act on. The auto-update agent
-reads these files post-upgrade (Section 17, Step 4) and executes them.
+reads these files post-upgrade (see `docs/guides/upgrades-auto-update.md`)
+and executes them.
 
 **You need a migration file when:**
 - New setup step that existing installs don't have (e.g., v0.5.0 added live sync,
@@ -343,8 +346,8 @@ canonical.
 ## Schema state tracking
 
 `~/.gbrain/update-state.json` tracks which recommended schema directories the user
-adopted, declined, or added custom. The auto-update agent (SKILLPACK Section 17)
-reads this during upgrades to suggest new schema additions without re-suggesting
+adopted, declined, or added custom. The auto-update agent
+(`docs/guides/upgrades-auto-update.md`) reads this during upgrades to suggest new schema additions without re-suggesting
 things the user already declined. The setup skill writes the initial state during
 Phase C/E. Never modify a user's custom directories or re-suggest declined ones.
 
@@ -373,6 +376,46 @@ the release the same, uses that version's `CHANGELOG.md` entry as the notes
 (`scripts/changelog-entry.sh`; falls back to a CHANGELOG link if the entry is
 missing), and attaches the compiled binaries.
 
+### The `latest-stable` tag
+
+The **final step of the release job** force-advances the `latest-stable` tag to
+the release commit (`git push origin "+${GITHUB_SHA}:refs/tags/latest-stable"`).
+`latest-stable` is the single sanctioned distribution ref: the README paste
+block, the `BOOTSTRAP_FOR_AGENTS.md` fetch URL, and
+`bun install -g github:garrytan/gbrain#latest-stable` all reference it
+permanently, so paste blocks copied into the wild never rot and there is no 404
+window between VERSION landing and assets publishing.
+`scripts/check-bootstrap-tag.sh` keeps the entry docs pinned to this ref.
+
+Because it moves ONLY after binaries + provenance attestation have fully
+published, a half-built release never advances it. If the tag-advance step
+alone fails, re-advance by hand (a full workflow re-run would skip — the
+release already exists with all assets):
+
+```bash
+git push origin "+refs/tags/v<VERSION>^{commit}:refs/tags/latest-stable"
+```
+
+### The `publish-template` job
+
+After the release job, a `publish-template` job force-pushes the rendered
+agent-workspace template repo (the GitHub "Use this template" door,
+`vars.TEMPLATE_REPO`, default `garrytan/gbrain-agent-template`) from CI only —
+no human pushes it by hand, so what adopters clone is exactly what this repo
+reviewed. It is guarded three ways: the release above fully published; the
+vendored tree `templates/bootstrap/template-repo/` exists (skip, never fail,
+if not); and the `TEMPLATE_REPO_PAT` secret is configured (skip if not).
+Before pushing, it regenerates the template tree
+(`bun run scripts/generate-template-repo.ts`) and byte-diffs it against the
+vendored copy — a mismatch fails the job; regenerate + commit the vendored
+tree (`scripts/check-bootstrap-templates.sh` runs the same diff offline in
+`bun run verify`).
+
+**`TEMPLATE_REPO_PAT` scope:** a fine-grained PAT with `contents: write` on
+the template repository ONLY — no other repositories, no other permissions.
+Configure it as a repo secret; when absent, template publishing is disabled
+and the job skips cleanly.
+
 Why every bump, not selective: `gbrain check-update` resolves the latest
 version from `VERSION` on master, while binary self-update
 (`src/core/binary-self-update.ts`) downloads assets from `releases/latest`.
@@ -395,6 +438,9 @@ Invariants:
   history; every new 4-segment `VERSION` mints a fresh tag.
 - **Permissions stay scoped.** `contents: write` lives on the release job
   only; everything else runs read-only.
+- **Never advance `latest-stable` on a partial release.** The tag moves only
+  as the final release-job step, after every asset has published. Manual
+  re-advances must point at a fully published `v<VERSION>` release.
 
 ## PR descriptions cover the whole branch
 

docs/TESTING.md

@@ -7,17 +7,76 @@ only.
 
 ### Test command tiers
 
-Seven test command tiers, each with a clear scope:
+Six test command tiers, each with a clear scope:
 
 | Command | What it runs | Wallclock | When to use |
 |---|---|---|---|
-| `bun run test` | Parallel unit-test fast loop. Up-to-4-shard fan-out via `scripts/run-unit-parallel.sh` (min(CPUs, 4)), then a serial pass over `*.serial.test.ts`. Excludes `*.slow.test.ts` and `test/e2e/*`. No pre-checks, no typecheck. Memory-safe by default: total concurrency (shards × intra-shard files) is capped to available memory at `GBRAIN_TEST_MEM_PER_FILE_MB` (default 1536 — a PGLite WASM instance) per concurrent file, and two phantom-failure classes are automatically re-run serially (the rescue pass): failures carrying the WASM out-of-memory signature, and shards killed externally (SIGTERM/SIGKILL well before the shard timeout — sibling workspaces' process cleanup, memory jetsam). Phantoms pass serially and the run goes green with an `oom_rescued` note; real failures fail again serially and stay red. Knobs: `GBRAIN_TEST_NO_MEM_ADAPT=1`, `GBRAIN_TEST_NO_OOM_FALLBACK=1`, `GBRAIN_TEST_MAX_CONCURRENCY` (intra-shard, default 4), `GBRAIN_TEST_SHARD_TIMEOUT` / `GBRAIN_TEST_SHARD_KILL_AFTER`, plus `--shards N` / `--max-concurrency N` / `--dry-run` script args. | ~85s on a Mac dev box (3700+ tests) | Inner edit loop. Default. |
-| `bun run verify` | CI's authoritative pre-test gate set, fanned out in parallel by `scripts/run-verify-parallel.sh`: the full `check:*` battery (~30 checks — privacy, jsonb, progress, source-id, test-isolation, wasm, …) plus `bun run typecheck`. The `CHECKS` array in that script is the single source of truth — CI literally calls `bun run verify` in a dedicated job. | ~16s (parallel; typecheck dominates) | Before pushing; before `/ship`. |
+| `bun run test` | Parallel unit-test fast loop. Sharded fan-out via `scripts/run-unit-parallel.sh` (default 4 shards — CPU-detected, clamped to a max of 8; 4 matches CI's fan-out and avoids PGLite WASM-init contention), then a serial pass over `*.serial.test.ts`. Excludes `*.slow.test.ts` and `test/e2e/*`. No pre-checks, no typecheck. Builds/refreshes the PGLite schema snapshot BEFORE the shard fan-out and exports `GBRAIN_PGLITE_SNAPSHOT` so PGLite-booting files restore a baked schema instead of replaying every migration (~10x wallclock on a full run; see "PGLite schema snapshot" below). Opt out: `GBRAIN_NO_SNAPSHOT=1`. Memory-safe by default: total concurrency (shards × intra-shard files) is capped to available memory at `GBRAIN_TEST_MEM_PER_FILE_MB` (default 1536 — a PGLite WASM instance) per concurrent file, and two phantom-failure classes are automatically re-run serially (the rescue pass): failures carrying the WASM out-of-memory signature, and shards killed externally (SIGTERM/SIGKILL well before the shard timeout — sibling workspaces' process cleanup, memory jetsam). Phantoms pass serially and the run goes green with an `oom_rescued` note; real failures fail again serially and stay red. Knobs: `GBRAIN_TEST_NO_MEM_ADAPT=1`, `GBRAIN_TEST_NO_OOM_FALLBACK=1`, `GBRAIN_TEST_MAX_CONCURRENCY` (intra-shard, default 4), `GBRAIN_TEST_SHARD_TIMEOUT` / `GBRAIN_TEST_SHARD_KILL_AFTER`, plus `--shards N` / `--max-concurrency N` / `--dry-run` script args. | a few minutes on a Mac dev box | Inner edit loop. Default. |
+| `bun run verify` | CI's authoritative pre-test gate set, fanned out in parallel by `scripts/run-verify-parallel.sh`: the full `check:*` battery (privacy, jsonb, progress, source-id, test-isolation, wasm, …) plus `bun run typecheck`. The `CHECKS` array in that script is the single source of truth — CI literally calls `bun run verify` in a dedicated job. | ~16s (parallel; typecheck dominates) | Before pushing; before `/ship`. |
 | `bun run test:full` | `verify && bun run test && bun run test:slow && [smart e2e]`. The local equivalent of "everything CI runs." Smart e2e: runs e2e only when `DATABASE_URL` is set; else loud skip notice to stderr. | ~3-5min depending on slow + e2e | Pre-merge sanity, before opening a PR. |
 | `bun run test:slow` | Just the `*.slow.test.ts` set (intentional cold-path correctness checks). | seconds-to-minutes | When touching slow-path code. |
 | `bun run test:serial` | Just the `*.serial.test.ts` set (cross-file-contention quarantine; one bun process per file for true module-registry isolation). | ~1s per quarantined file | Debugging a specific quarantined file. |
 | `bun run test:e2e` | Real Postgres E2E. Requires Docker + `DATABASE_URL`. Sequential. | ~5-10min | Pre-ship; nightly. |
-| `bun run check:all` | The historical pre-check scripts (22, chained sequentially in package.json). Overlaps `verify` heavily but is NOT a superset — `verify`'s `CHECKS` array in `scripts/run-verify-parallel.sh` (~30 entries incl. typecheck) is the authoritative gate; `check:all` keeps a few local-only extras (trailing-newline, exports-count, no-legacy-getconnection). | ~10s | Local-only sweep for the extras. |
+
+There is no `check:all` script anymore — it was a second, hand-synced guard
+registry that drifted from `verify` (three checks were reachable ONLY from it,
+i.e. never ran anywhere). The `CHECKS` array in `scripts/run-verify-parallel.sh`
+is the single execution list, and it now includes the former `check:all`-only
+extras (`check:newlines`, `check:exports-count`, `check:no-legacy-getconnection`).
+The guard REGISTRY is `scripts/guards-manifest.tsv` (see "Guard registry and
+self-test" below).
+
+### PGLite schema snapshot (default-on)
+
+`scripts/build-pglite-snapshot.ts` (`bun run build:pglite-snapshot`) bakes a
+post-`initSchema()` PGLite data dir into `test/fixtures/pglite-snapshot.tar`
+plus a version file; `PGLiteEngine.initSchema()` restores the tar instead of
+replaying the embedded schema + all migrations when the env var
+`GBRAIN_PGLITE_SNAPSHOT` points at it. Both `bun run test`
+(`scripts/run-unit-parallel.sh`, before the shard fan-out) and
+`scripts/ci-local.sh` call the builder unconditionally and export the env var.
+Measured effect: a full parallel suite run drops ~10x (PGLite-booting files go
+~1.63s → ~0.91s each). Properties:
+
+- **Idempotent.** A hash short-circuit exits in ~40ms when the snapshot is
+  fresh, and REBUILDS a stale one. The hash covers `PGLITE_SCHEMA_SQL`, every
+  migration's `sql` + `sqlFor.pglite`, AND each migration `handler`'s function
+  source (`Function.prototype.toString`) — 19+ migrations carry executable
+  handler code with empty `sql` that a sql-only hash cannot see.
+- **Concurrency-safe.** Parallel shard runners / sibling workspaces serialize
+  on an atomic `mkdir` lock (`test/fixtures/.pglite-snapshot.lock`) with
+  staleness-verified takeover of a crashed builder; the tar is written first
+  and the version file last, so a crash can never leave a fresh-looking torn
+  fixture. `GBRAIN_SNAPSHOT_LOCK_TIMEOUT_MS` (default 120000) bounds the
+  waiter; an exhausted waiter facing a still-live lock proceeds unlocked as a
+  last resort (the loader gate below validates the version file, not the tar
+  bytes).
+- **Never authoritative.** The loader (`tryLoadSnapshot` in
+  `src/core/pglite-engine.ts`) verifies the schema hash AND the embedding
+  shape the snapshot was baked with (`dims=` / `model=` lines in the version
+  file) against what this process would create; any mismatch — including a
+  version file without shape lines — warns once and falls through to normal
+  cold init. A wrong fixture can never poison the suite.
+- **Opt out.** `GBRAIN_NO_SNAPSHOT=1` skips the build + env export for a run;
+  the migration-replay canary tests clear the env themselves regardless.
+
+Pinned by `test/snapshot-shape-guard.test.ts` (hash + shape refusal matrix,
+handler-source hash sensitivity).
+
+### Guard registry and self-test
+
+`scripts/guards-manifest.tsv` is THE single registry of `scripts/check-*`
+guards (currently 45), each classified `scanner` (greps/parses repo sources —
+must eventually carry fixtures), `buildfresh`, or `repostate` (build/freshness
+guards are exempt-with-reason, not fixture-tested).
+`scripts/guard-self-test.sh` (`bun run check:guard-self-test`, wired into
+`bun run verify`) proves every `selftest=yes` scanner CAN fail: it runs each
+one against known-bad (must exit non-zero) and known-good (must pass) fixture
+trees under `test/fixtures/guards/<guard>/{bad,good}/` via the
+`GBRAIN_GUARD_ROOT` env seam, and enforces manifest completeness — a new
+`scripts/check-*` script that isn't registered in the manifest fails the
+build. A guard whose pattern rots into a permanently-green no-op now fails CI
+instead of masquerading as coverage.
 
 ### Shell dispatch and Windows
 
@@ -47,7 +106,7 @@ there even though they pass on Linux and macOS.
 
 ### CI vs local: intentionally divergent file sets
 
-- **CI matrix** (`.github/workflows/test.yml`) runs `scripts/test-shard.sh` across 10 matrix shards partitioned by weight-aware LPT bin-packing (`scripts/sharding.ts`) and INCLUDES `*.slow.test.ts` (the two outlier slow files run as dedicated jobs alongside the matrix). CI EXCLUDES `*.serial.test.ts` from the shards and runs them in a dedicated job via `bun run test:serial`, one bun process per file — keeping serial files out of the shard processes is what preserves the `mock.module` quarantine (a top-level mock in one file leaks into every other file sharing its process). `bun run verify` gets its own job too. CI is the ground truth for "did everything pass."
+- **CI matrix** (`.github/workflows/test.yml`) runs `scripts/test-shard.sh` across 10 matrix shards partitioned by weight-aware LPT bin-packing (`scripts/sharding.ts`) and INCLUDES `*.slow.test.ts` (the two outlier slow files run as dedicated jobs alongside the matrix). CI EXCLUDES `*.serial.test.ts` from the shards and runs them in a dedicated job via `bun run test:serial`, one bun process per file — keeping serial files out of the shard processes is what preserves the `mock.module` quarantine (a top-level mock in one file leaks into every other file sharing its process). `bun run verify` gets its own job too, as does the BrainBench memory-conformance gate (`brainbench` job → `scripts/ci-brainbench-gate.sh`, hermetic in-memory PGLite, ~15s), which compares HEAD's fresh run against master's committed baseline (`evals/brainbench/baselines/main.json`) — the `test-status` aggregate checks its result explicitly. CI is the ground truth for "did everything pass."
 - **Local fast loop** (`scripts/run-unit-shard.sh` via the parallel wrapper) uses round-robin-by-index sharding and EXCLUDES `*.slow.test.ts` AND `*.serial.test.ts`. Local trades coverage for inner-loop speed; CI catches what local skips.
 
 This divergence is intentional. Don't try to make them equal — the two scripts deliberately solve different problems. The regression test at `test/scripts/run-unit-shard.test.ts` pins what the local fast loop should and shouldn't include; `test/scripts/run-unit-parallel.test.ts` pins the wrapper's memory-adaptive concurrency and the OOM/external-kill serial rescue pass.
@@ -61,17 +120,44 @@ When `bun run test` finds any failure, the wrapper:
 3. Writes a one-line-per-shard summary to `.context/test-summary.txt` (`shard N/M: pass=X fail=Y skip=Z rc=W`).
 4. Exits non-zero. Empty failure log + non-zero exit = infrastructure problem (wedged shard, killed child); the banner says so.
 
-If a shard wedges (per-shard `GBRAIN_TEST_SHARD_TIMEOUT` cap, default 3000s; `GBRAIN_TEST_SHARD_KILL_AFTER` grace after TERM before KILL, default 30s), the wrapper writes `--- shard N: WEDGED after ${SHARD_TIMEOUT}s ---` to the failure log, includes the last 50 lines of the shard log, and proceeds with other shards' results.
+If a shard hits the per-shard `GBRAIN_TEST_SHARD_TIMEOUT` cap (default 3000s — sized so the heaviest count-balanced shard finishes under 4-way contention; `GBRAIN_TEST_SHARD_KILL_AFTER` sets the grace after TERM before KILL, default 30s), the wrapper classifies the kill one of two ways:
+
+- **EXIT-HANG → warn-pass.** If the shard's log had been silent for ≥300s at kill time AND shows zero `(fail)` markers, the shard finished all its work, leaked a handle, and never exited (a pre-existing, master-reproducible PGLite-adjacent leak — see TODOS.md "unit-shard exit hang"). The wrapper prints a `⚠️ shard N/M: EXIT-HANG ... Treating as pass-with-warning` banner, writes `EXIT-HANG (idle Ns, 0 fails) ... warn-pass` to the summary, and does NOT fail the run. Its pass counts are undercounted (bun never printed its final summary). Bun's per-test `--timeout` turns a genuinely hung TEST into a printed `(fail)` — new output — so this classification cannot mask a hung test; the residual maskable case is a file-level import hang in the very last file, which the banner keeps visible.
+- **WEDGED → hard failure.** Anything else (failures present, or the log was still growing) writes `--- shard N: WEDGED after ${SHARD_TIMEOUT}s ---` to the failure log with the last 50 lines of the shard log, marks the run failed, and proceeds with other shards' results.
+
+Triage rule: a `warn-pass` EXIT-HANG line in `.context/test-summary.txt` is NOT a test failure — don't burn time bisecting it; a `WEDGED` line is.
 
 ### File taxonomy
 
 - `*.test.ts` → fast loop (parallel up-to-4-shard fan-out, memory-adaptive).
 - `*.slow.test.ts` → run via `bun run test:slow` only (intentional cold-path tests; would dominate the fast loop's wallclock).
 - `*.serial.test.ts` → run via `bun run test:serial` after the parallel pass completes; one bun process per file (`--max-concurrency=1` within a shared process is not enough — the module registry still leaks `mock.module`). Quarantine for tests that share file-wide state and race when run alongside other files in the same `bun test` process. Several dozen files, discovered by the `*.serial.test.ts` glob — no list to maintain. Typical residents: `mock.module(...)` users (top-level mocks leak across files in a shard process, e.g. `test/embed.serial.test.ts`), env-coupled files (e.g. `test/brain-registry.serial.test.ts`), and process-lifecycle suites that assert on `process.exitCode` (e.g. `test/pglite-engine-disconnect.serial.test.ts`). **Do not put the parallelism back on a serial file unless you've fixed the contention root cause** (it just re-introduces the flake).
-- `test/e2e/*.test.ts` → real-Postgres E2E. Skipped when `DATABASE_URL` is unset.
+- `test/e2e/*.test.ts` → real-Postgres E2E. Skipped when `DATABASE_URL` is unset. One out-of-directory file rides this lane: `test/phantom-redirect-engine-parity.test.ts` (lives in `test/` for its PGLite arm, but its Postgres arm is only reachable through a DATABASE_URL-bearing lane — the unit wrappers strip the URL per #3485, so `run-e2e.sh`'s no-args list and CI's parity job carry it).
 - `tests/heavy/*.sh` → ops-shape shell scripts. Cost minutes per run; NOT in default `bun test`. Run via `bun run test:heavy` or scheduled nightly via `.github/workflows/heavy-tests.yml`. Examples: pg_upgrade matrix (boot legacy brain → walk to head), RSS budget gate (measure peak worker RSS vs committed baseline), read-latency-under-sync (p50/p95/p99 under concurrent writer load), sync lock regression (N concurrent syncs assert 1 winner + N-1 lock-busy + zero leaked `gbrain_cycle_locks` rows). See `tests/heavy/README.md` for when to add a script here vs `*.slow.test.ts`. Files prefixed with `_` (e.g. `tests/heavy/_build_legacy_fixtures.sh`) are helpers/libs invoked by sibling tests — the runner skips them.
 - `test/fuzz/*.test.ts` → property-based fuzz harness. Pure-validator targets in `pure-validators.test.ts` are guarded by `scripts/check-fuzz-purity.sh` (in `bun run verify`), which `bun build --target=bun` bundles each target and greps the resulting bundle for banned transitive imports (`node:fs`, `node:child_process`, engine modules). Anything that fails the guard moves to `mixed-validators.test.ts` (still property-tested, but no purity guarantee) or `filesystem-validators.test.ts` (fs-backed, uses temp dirs). Fuzz tests run in the default `bun test` loop because they're fast (~3s for ~12 properties × 1000 runs each).
 
+### TTY and interactive-CLI testing
+
+Four escalating tools; reach for the cheapest one that answers the question:
+
+| Question | Tool | Example |
+|---|---|---|
+| Does the TTY/non-TTY branch logic pick right? | Inject `isTTY` into the pure function — no subprocess | `test/init-provider-picker.test.ts`, `test/jobs-watch-mode.test.ts` |
+| Does the real CLI behave right when stdin is NOT a terminal? | Spawn the CLI with piped/ignored stdio | `test/cli-stdin-hang.test.ts` (fast loop); `test/e2e/init-fresh-pglite.test.ts` (manual `test:e2e` lane — see the TODOS e2e CI-lane entry) |
+| Does the real CLI render menus and read typed input under a REAL terminal? | `launchTty` from `test/helpers/tty-harness.ts` in a `*.serial.test.ts` file | `test/init-picker-pty.serial.test.ts` |
+| How does the install FEEL (stalls, copy, silence windows)? | `scripts/dx-explore.ts` — instrument, not a test; nothing asserts | transcripts under `.context/dx-runs/` (see `docs/guides/bootstrap.md`) |
+
+Real-PTY test rules: put the file in the serial lane (`*.serial.test.ts` — that
+lane runs in required CI; a new `test/e2e/*` file does NOT, since unit shards
+exclude the directory and the e2e workflow runs only explicitly named files,
+no glob);
+assert NON-default picker values (bare Enter and each prompt's 60s
+`readLineSafe` timeout both resolve to the default, so a defaults-asserting
+test passes with dead input); always `await session.close()` in a `finally`
+(only `close()` clears the harness wall timer); and point `HOME` plus
+`GBRAIN_HOME` at a temp root with pass-through auth keys stripped via
+`dropEnv` so picker state is machine-independent.
+
 ### Skills-manifest freshness guard
 
 `skills/skills.lock.json` is a committed sha256 inventory of every bundled file under
@@ -83,7 +169,9 @@ Any change under `skills/` must regenerate it: `bun run scripts/generate-skills-
 
 ### Test-isolation lint and helpers
 
-The cross-file flake class is enforced statically by `scripts/check-test-isolation.sh`, wired into `bun run verify` and `bun run check:all`. Rules (non-serial unit files only; `*.serial.test.ts` and `test/e2e/*` are skipped):
+**This section is the canonical home of the test-isolation discipline** — CONTRIBUTING.md and other docs link here rather than restating the rules.
+
+The cross-file flake class is enforced statically by `scripts/check-test-isolation.sh`, wired into `bun run verify`. Rules (non-serial unit files only; `*.serial.test.ts` and `test/e2e/*` are skipped):
 
 | Rule | What it bans | Fix |
 |---|---|---|
@@ -154,6 +242,35 @@ The quarantine has grown to dozens of files — treat it as debt: every addition
 
 `bun test` runs all tests without a database. E2E tests skip gracefully when `DATABASE_URL` is not set.
 
+**Database-URL run guard (#3485).** A `bun test` invocation REFUSES to start while
+`DATABASE_URL` or `GBRAIN_DATABASE_URL` is ambient in the environment, because some
+tests run destructive SQL against whatever those URLs point at (a bare `bun test`
+with `~/.gbrain/.env` sourced has wiped a real brain). The guard is a bunfig
+`[test]` preload (`test/helpers/database-url-guard-preload.ts`); it hard-fails with
+instructions rather than silently unsetting (a silent unset would turn
+DATABASE_URL-gated e2e tests into green skips). The e2e wrappers
+(`scripts/run-e2e.sh`, the e2e/heavy workflows) opt in at their own boundary via
+`GBRAIN_TEST_ALLOW_DATABASE_URL=1`; the unit/slow wrappers instead strip both
+URL vars at their boundary (unit tests need no database), which keeps
+`bun run test:full` working with DATABASE_URL exported. Caveat: bun loads
+`bunfig.toml` from the invocation cwd, so the preload layer only applies to
+runs started at the repo root — the per-file name floor below is the layer
+that doesn't care about cwd. Two more layers apply after the opt-in: every
+test that runs destructive SQL on the ambient URL must call
+`assertSafeE2eDatabaseUrl()` (`test/helpers/db-guard.ts` — name floor: the database
+name must contain "test" as a segment, or be opted in via `GBRAIN_E2E_ALLOW_DB`)
+or carry an inline name floor the coverage gate recognizes
+(`test/e2e/schema-drift.test.ts` keeps its own `looksLikeTestDb`, deliberately
+different because it also accepts `*_e2e`), and `test/db-guard-coverage.test.ts`
+statically scans the suite and fails when a file connects to `DATABASE_URL` and
+runs destructive SQL unguarded. The heavy shell lane gets the same floor outside
+bun: `tests/heavy/_db_floor.sh` (sourced by `scripts/run-heavy.sh` for the whole
+lane, and by each database-touching heavy script itself, since scripts are
+documented for direct invocation — the PGLite-based heavy scripts unset the URL
+instead) checks BOTH URL variables and strips query strings before extracting
+the database name, so a `?host=/tmp/test-sockets` parameter can't smuggle a
+test-shaped segment past it.
+
 Unit tests and what they cover:
 
 - `test/markdown.test.ts` — frontmatter parsing; `splitBody` sentinel precedence, horizontal-rule preservation, `inferType` wiki subtypes.
@@ -168,6 +285,11 @@ Unit tests and what they cover:
 - `test/volunteer-context.test.ts` — push-based context core (#2095), hermetic in-memory PGLite: `parseWindow` lenient `user:`/`assistant:` parsing, multi-turn window extraction, confidence-gated volunteering (arm confidences, multi-turn/newest-turn boosts, `min_confidence` gate, max-pages cap), slug-only suppression, privacy (rationales are deterministic templates; synopses pass the takes/facts fence), and the approximate usage-stats join.
 - `test/watch-command.test.ts` — `gbrain watch` push transport (#2095): streaming loop, rolling window, session dedupe, `--json` JSONL shape, `channel: 'watch'` event logging, clean EOF return. Hermetic PGLite + injected line/write deps (no subprocess, no real stdin).
 - `test/watch-sigint.serial.test.ts` — `gbrain watch` SIGINT lifecycle against a real spawned CLI subprocess with a tmpdir brain. SERIAL: parallel unit shards flake on concurrent subprocess spawns (same rationale as `apply-migrations-pglite-spawn.serial.test.ts`).
+- `test/init-picker-pty.serial.test.ts` — the interactive `gbrain init` pickers (embedding-provider + search-mode) driven under a REAL pseudo-terminal via `launchTty`: typed input lands (a NON-default mode choice verified by a follow-up non-TTY config read — bare Enter and the `readLineSafe` timeout both resolve to defaults, so a defaults-asserting test would pass with dead input), prompt-to-acknowledgement gaps bounded well under the fallback window, plus the Ctrl-D/EOF keyless fallback. On CI, missing PTY support fails loud instead of skipping. Hermetic: HOME + GBRAIN_HOME at a temp root, pass-through auth keys stripped via `dropEnv`; `session.close()` in `finally`. Serial: PTY spawn + full PGLite bootstrap, and the serial lane is what runs in required CI.
+- `test/tty-harness.test.ts` — the real-PTY harness's pure helpers (`stripAnsi`, `computeStalls`, `renderStallsReport`, `parseDriveCommand`, `buildClaudeTuiSeed`) with zero subprocesses; the file's live-PTY smokes are `describe.skipIf(!ptySupported())`-gated.
+- `test/autopilot-launchd-lifecycle.serial.test.ts` — autopilot lifecycle behavior, not generated-string assertions: the full install → self-disable → status → reinstall → uninstall arc with `launchctl` replaced by an argv recorder and the generated wrapper executed by a REAL bash against a genuinely deleted repo (every platform), plus a darwin-only fail-SKIP describe against the real launchd under a per-run unique label (`GBRAIN_AUTOPILOT_LABEL`) so it can never collide with — or tear down — a real install on the host. Serial: spawns subprocesses and pins HOME/GBRAIN_HOME for the whole file.
+- `test/autopilot-fanout.test.ts` — Autopilot fan-out and #4046 policy regression: targeted idempotency keys reopen per dispatch interval while stable doctor/remediate keys remain unchanged; the 60-minute full-cycle floor wins with a remaining small plan, and an all-fresh restart check advances the process-local clock without masking failed stale-source submissions.
+- `test/agent-scheduler-contract.serial.test.ts` — the documented external agent-scheduler shell chain (`gbrain sync --repo X && gbrain embed --stale`, live-sync.md / INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md Step 7) driven end-to-end through a real `/bin/sh` against a keyless PGLite brain: the `&&` short-circuit IS the contract (argv arrays can't exercise it), the keyless bare stale embed exits 0, and the pull-failure case that must break the chain does. Anti-vacuity: the fixture commits a real page and every read-back asserts pages >= 1. Serial: real spawned CLI + tmpdir HOME.
 - `test/cli-format-volunteer.test.ts` — `formatResult`'s `volunteer_context` human rendering: pointer lines with confidence/arm/rationale, the empty-result message, the approximate stats summary.
 - `test/config.test.ts` — config redaction.
 - `test/files.test.ts` — MIME/hash.
@@ -201,6 +323,8 @@ Unit tests and what they cover:
 - `test/dedup.test.ts` — source-aware dedup, compiled truth guarantee, layer interactions.
 - `test/intent.test.ts` — query intent classification: entity/temporal/event/general.
 - `test/eval.test.ts` — retrieval metrics: `precisionAtK`, `recallAtK`, `mrr`, `ndcgAtK`, `parseQrels`.
+- `test/brainbench-fixtures.test.ts` / `test/brainbench-generator.test.ts` / `test/brainbench-metrics.test.ts` / `test/brainbench-continuity.test.ts` / `test/brainbench-writeback.test.ts` / `test/brainbench-adapters.test.ts` / `test/brainbench-scoreboard.test.ts` — the BrainBench memory-conformance unit suites (`src/eval/brainbench/`): fixture loader/validator + the sealed-gold seal (a `gold` key inside a fixture must reject) and committed-corpus integrity; generator determinism (the committed corpus is exactly what `gen.ts` produces, holdout discipline, category counts); metric formulas over hand-built turn rows (zero should-retrieve turns, empty injections, acceptable-vs-gold asymmetry, micro-averaging); cross-harness continuity (writer's decision persists through the production write-back pipeline, reader recalls on the SAME brain); write-back grading the PRODUCTION conversation→facts pipeline via the injected gold extractor; adapter seam contracts over hermetic PGLite (budget caps, suppression modes); scoreboard + gate governance (baseline determinism, count-aware gating, corpus-bless modes, justification flow, isolation gates-at-zero).
+- `test/eval-brainbench-e2e.test.ts` — BrainBench CLI end-to-end via subprocess against a small tmp corpus: the literal exit codes (0 pass / 1 regression / 2 error-or-inconclusive — the CI product), `--out` artifact validity incl. `_meta.metric_glossary`, byte-deterministic `--update-baseline`, anti-vacuous-pass, and the `eval run-all` in-process wiring.
 - `test/check-resolvable.test.ts` — resolver reachability, MECE overlap, gap detection, proximity-based DRY detection, `extractDelegationTargets` coverage.
 - `test/dry-fix.test.ts` — auto-fix: three shape-aware expander pure-function tests; five guards (working-tree-dirty, no-git-backup, inside-code-fence, already-delegated within 40 lines, ambiguous-multi-match, block-is-callout).
 - `test/doctor-fix.test.ts` — `gbrain doctor --fix` CLI integration: dry-run preview, apply path, JSON output shape.
@@ -210,6 +334,18 @@ Unit tests and what they cover:
 - `test/enrichment-service.test.ts` — entity slugification, extraction, tier escalation.
 - `test/data-research.test.ts` — recipe validation, MRR/ARR extraction, dedup, tracker parsing, HTML stripping.
 - `test/minions.test.ts` — Minions job queue: CRUD, state machine, backoff, stall detection, dependencies, worker lifecycle, lock management, claim mechanics, depth/child-cap, timeouts, cascade kill, idempotency, `child_done` inbox, attachments, removeOnComplete/Fail, `max_stalled` clamp/default/plumbing coverage.
+- `test/minion-queue-renewlock-signal.test.ts` — `renewLock` forwards its optional AbortSignal to `executeRawDirect` (stub-engine capture); legacy 3-arg calls unchanged; token-fence miss returns false.
+- `test/cycle-drain-renewal.test.ts` — `runDrainRenewalTick` (cycle drain): per-call signal aborted on timeout (slot released), onLost once on a lost fence, throws swallowed, hung renewal resolves at the deadline.
+- `test/queue-probe-cancellation.test.ts` — `probeQueueState`/`queryWedgeSignals` signal threading: the 1500ms budget CANCELS the losing probe query; fast-path signals never abort; throw still collapses to `{probe_failed: true}`.
+- `test/db-pool-max-lifetime.test.ts` — `resolveMaxLifetimeSeconds`: env forms, 0-disables, 30–60min jitter bounds, warn-once on invalid, per-call jitter variance.
+- `test/pool-gauge.test.ts` — `CheckoutGauge` pure semantics + the PostgresEngine seams with fake pools: counted while in flight, released on resolve, on REJECTED queries, and on the SYNCHRONOUS pre-aborted-signal throw (leak guards); `getPoolDiagnostics` fail-open.
+- `test/db-probe.test.ts` — `runDbProbe` verdict matrix (pool_starved / server_unreachable / unknown), honest-disjunction + no-waiter-arithmetic wording pins, hung probes cancelled via their signals, diagnostics absent/throwing fail open.
+- `test/postgres-engine-reserved-routing.test.ts` — `withReservedConnection` routing: direct pool when dual-pool active, read pool when kill-switched/in-tx, semaphore cap (directPoolSize−1) with read-pool overflow, permit released on fn throw and reserve failure.
+- `test/job-isolation-protocol.test.ts` — outcome-file codec round-trip + every decode failure path (missing/malformed/oversize→UnrecoverableError; byte counts, never content), handler-error instanceof reconstruction, child-CLI invocation resolution, and REAL detached-process `killProcessGroup` tests incl. the grandchild-death guarantee (exercises the Bun negative-pid `/bin/kill` fallback for real under `bun test`).
+- `test/run-child-entry.test.ts` — `runChildJobEntry` on real in-memory PGLite with a REAL claim-minted token: success (fenced updateProgress lands), handler-failure outcome (exit 0), token-mismatch never runs the handler (exit 14), missing job/handler, parent-death watchdog aborts a live handler.
+- `test/child-job-runner.test.ts` — `runJobInChild` against real .mjs children: success + full env contract (incl. `GBRAIN_DIRECT_POOL_SIZE=1`), error/lease outcome reconstruction, crash, SIGTERM-ignorer → group SIGKILL at the injected grace, pre-aborted signal, spawn ENOENT → `ChildSpawnInfraError`, worker-shutdown drain (report-during-drain completes; non-reporting kill → `ChildWorkerShutdownError`).
+- `test/worker-job-isolation.test.ts` — full parent path on PGLite with the `fake-run-child.mjs` fixture: claim → child → fenced completeJob (real token over env), error outcome → failJob, crash burns the attempt, spawn failure RELEASES with zero attempts burned, and the codex-2 #8 serialization-parity pin (unreportable results fail in BOTH modes, never falsely complete).
+- `test/jobs-isolation-flag.test.ts` — `parseJobIsolationFlag`: space/= forms, env fallback + flag-wins, empty-env default, other flags untouched.
 - `test/extract.test.ts` — link extraction, timeline extraction, frontmatter parsing, directory type inference.
 - `test/extract-db.test.ts` — `gbrain extract --source db`: typed link inference, idempotency, `--type` filter, `--dry-run` JSON output.
 - `test/extract-fs.test.ts` — `gbrain extract --source fs`: first-run inserts + second-run reports zero, dry-run dedups candidates across files, second-run perf regression guard for the N+1 dedup bug.
@@ -252,10 +388,19 @@ Unit tests and what they cover:
 - `test/longmemeval-sanitize.test.ts` — sanitization parity pinning that `INJECTION_PATTERNS` from `src/core/think/sanitize.ts` is the single source of truth (adding a pattern there must cover both `<take>` framing and `<chat_session>` framing, no per-surface regex drift).
 - `test/openai-compat-multimodal.test.ts` — gateway's openai-compatible multimodal path: happy-path single + multi-input embedding, unauthenticated proxy mode, dimension-mismatch guard (throws `AIConfigError` with model id + observed + expected pre-storage), default-dim fallback when recipe declares `default_dims`, HTTP 401 / 400 / malformed-JSON / non-array error paths, regression that the existing Voyage `/multimodalembeddings` recipe still routes through its dedicated path. Hermetic via the `__setEmbedTransportForTests` seam.
 - `test/serve-stdio-lifecycle.test.ts` — `MCP_STDIO=1` env guard: stdin EOF does NOT trigger shutdown when the env is set, SIGTERM still does (guard scope is correct), unset env preserves the CLI lifecycle. Exercises the `ServeOptions.mcpStdio?: boolean` test seam directly so tests don't mutate `process.env`.
+- `test/db-lock-fencing.test.ts` — fenced lock identity: a `DbLockHandle` carries its acquisition fence, `refresh()` returns true while owned and false after a steal (0-row fenced UPDATE), a stolen-from handle's `release()` is a fenced no-op that leaves the successor's row intact, and `startCycleLockRefresher` aborts its controller with `LockStolenError` on a fenced miss while serializing ticks (a slow refresh never overlaps the next).
+- `test/cycle-lock-steal.serial.test.ts` — runCycle steal-abort arc end-to-end: a mid-run steal produces a structured partial report (`reason: 'lock_stolen'`), runs no further phases, and never touches the successor's lock row; a steal-free cycle completes and releases normally.
+- `test/cycle-any-abort-signal.test.ts` — `anyAbortSignal` combining: pre-aborted inputs, late aborts propagating their reason, duck-typed signal stubs (no `addEventListener`) observed via poll, and `dispose()` detaching the caller-signal listener + clearing the poll timer (the daemon leak class).
+- `test/queue-stall-parent-unblock.test.ts` — the shared `killJobs` tail: a stall-exhausted child lands `child_done(dead)` in its parent's inbox and unblocks the parent, a requeued child doesn't touch the parent, all three reapers route through the tail with their own outcome, and the idempotent stranded-parent sweep self-heals parents whose children were already dead (without unblocking parents that still have a live child).
+- `test/queue-started-at-retry.test.ts` — every automatic re-run path clears `started_at` (failJob delayed branch, stall requeue, lease release, promoteDelayed, parent re-claim) so a retried job's wall-clock budget measures execution, not backoff wait; end-to-end survival of the wall-clock sweep on a fresh attempt.
+- `test/embed-modality-preserved.test.ts` — `carryChunkMetadata` carries modality + all code-metadata fields through re-embed merges (an image chunk stays image), plus the write-side contract that omitting modality resets it to text (why the shared list is load-bearing).
+- `test/import-abort-error.test.ts` — `runImport` preflight/argv failures throw typed `ImportAbortError` instead of exiting the process; the calling process survives the abort.
+- `test/lint-fix-single-pass.test.ts` — `gbrain lint --fix` walks the tree once and `total_fixed` reports the fixes THIS run applied.
+- `test/snapshot-shape-guard.test.ts` — PGLite snapshot loader refusal matrix: shape-less version files, dims/model mismatches, and stale schema hashes are all refused; matching hash + shape loads; a migration-handler edit changes the hash.
 
 ### E2E test inventory
 
-E2E tests live in `test/e2e/` and run against real Postgres+pgvector (require `DATABASE_URL`), except where noted as PGLite in-memory (no `DATABASE_URL` needed).
+E2E tests live in `test/e2e/` and run against real Postgres+pgvector (require `DATABASE_URL`), except where noted as PGLite in-memory (no `DATABASE_URL` needed). One file outside the directory also rides the e2e lane: `test/phantom-redirect-engine-parity.test.ts` (Postgres arm; see the file taxonomy above).
 
 - `bun run test:e2e` runs Tier 1 (mechanical, all operations, no API keys). Includes dedicated cases for the postgres-engine `addLinksBatch` / `addTimelineEntriesBatch` bind path — postgres-js's JSONB bind (`jsonb_to_recordset(($1::jsonb)->'rows')`) differs from PGLite's and gets its own coverage.
 - `test/e2e/search-quality.test.ts` — search quality against PGLite (no API keys, in-memory).
@@ -267,10 +412,18 @@ E2E tests live in `test/e2e/` and run against real Postgres+pgvector (require `D
 - `test/e2e/sync.test.ts` — `--skip-failed` failure-loop test alongside happy-path tests: broken file → `performSync` returns `blocked_by_failures` with grouped breakdown → `performSync({skipFailed: true})` advances bookmark and returns `AcknowledgeResult` with code summary → second broken file → second cycle. Saves and restores the user's real `~/.gbrain/sync-failures.jsonl` so the test is hermetic. Asserts bookmark gating, JSONL state, dedup across paths, summary aggregation, and the literal doctor-rendering string format.
 - `test/e2e/upgrade.test.ts` — check-update against real GitHub API (network required).
 - `test/e2e/minions-shell-pglite.test.ts` — PGLite `--follow` inline shell-job path (in-memory, no `DATABASE_URL` required) — the path the minion-orchestrator skill documents for dev use.
+- `test/e2e/job-isolation.test.ts` — process isolation on real Postgres (DATABASE_URL-gated, wired EXPLICITLY into `.github/workflows/e2e.yml` tier1 — the workflow runs only named files): a concurrency-3 isolated drain through real child processes (the `fake-run-child.mjs` fixture — real spawns, no child DB pools), and the REAL `jobs run-child` CLI entrypoint end-to-end (engine bootstrap incl. the child's own pools, quiet handler registry, token validation, outcome protocol).
 - `test/e2e/pglite-cli-exit.serial.test.ts` — real spawned-CLI exit behavior on PGLite (in-memory, no `DATABASE_URL`): read commands (`search`/`get`/`query`) exit 0 promptly; CLI_ONLY `capture` exits clean and frees the single-writer lock; the `#2084` describes pin every swept disconnect site — a failed op exits 1 with the error on stderr, and the dashboard, read-only-timeout, doctor, and `dream --dry-run` paths all exit with no force-exit banner.
 - `test/e2e/pgbouncer-teardown.test.ts` — PgBouncer TRANSACTION-mode teardown (#2084 / the #1972→#2015→#2084 class). Pins the bug CLASS, not timings: a CLI op against a txn-mode pooled URL exits 0 with intact stdout and does NOT ride the 10s hard-deadline backstop (the `engine.disconnect() did not return` banner is the smoking gun — pre-#2084 it printed on 100% of query-shaped ops). Gated by `GBRAIN_PGBOUNCER_URL` + `GBRAIN_PGBOUNCER_DIRECT_URL` (NOT `DATABASE_URL`) — set automatically by `bun run ci:local`'s `pgbouncer` compose service; skips gracefully elsewhere. Uses a DEDICATED `gbrain_pgbouncer` database so it never races the `gbrain_test` TRUNCATE fixtures.
 - `test/e2e/volunteer-context-postgres.test.ts` — `volunteer_context` on REAL Postgres (#2095; engine parity beyond the hermetic PGLite unit suite): resolution arms through the actual op handler, the fire-and-forget volunteer-event sink landing rows, the stats join, and the RLS pin that `context_volunteer_events` has ROW LEVEL SECURITY enabled (keeps the v35 auto-RLS event trigger honest for migration-created tables). `DATABASE_URL`-gated.
-- `test/e2e/openclaw-reference-compat.test.ts` — `check-resolvable` + `skillpack install` against a minimal AGENTS.md workspace fixture (`test/fixtures/openclaw-reference-minimal/`), regression guard for the OpenClaw deployment shape.
+- `test/e2e/openclaw-reference-compat.test.ts` — `check-resolvable` + skillpack install-model against a minimal AGENTS.md workspace fixture (`test/fixtures/openclaw-reference-minimal/`), regression guard for the OpenClaw deployment shape.
+- `test/e2e/workspace-generic-compat.test.ts` — always-on (PGLite, no binary): pins the INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md "any repo with a workspace" contract against `test/fixtures/generic-agents-workspace/` (Hermes is the motivating consumer): `cwd_walk_up` detection, the `GBRAIN_SKILLS_DIR` override, `check-resolvable` on a root AGENTS.md, and scaffold additivity + refuse-overwrite. The real Hermes-behavior proof is the door suite below.
+- `test/e2e/install-real-hermes.serial.test.ts` — the hermes "door": real `hermes` binary + real `hermes mcp add` handshake (full-catalog tool discovery; the count tracks the op catalog, so the test asserts discovery happened, not a number) + a paid `hermes -z` recall turn against a seeded brain. Triple-gated: `GBRAIN_REAL_HERMES_E2E=1` (explicit opt-in — run-e2e.sh scrubs GBRAIN_*, so it can never fire under `bun run test:e2e`) + resolvable binary + non-empty ANTHROPIC key (anthropic-pinned on purpose: a second provider key flips hermes provider-auto into a mis-routed 401). Hermetic HOME + HERMES_HOME with a tripwire on the operator's real config; evidence copies to `GBRAIN_E2E_EVIDENCE_DIR` for CI upload. Venue: heavy-tests.yml (`real-agent-e2e` + `hermes-door` jobs).
+- `test/e2e/install-real-grok.serial.test.ts` — the grok "door" (xAI Grok Build; every asserted shape observed against the pin in `docs/mcp/GROK-CLI-PIN.md`). SPLIT-GATED, a deliberate divergence from the hermes door: grok's `mcp add/list/doctor` run keyless, so the compat tier (version-shape pin, documented-shape `grok mcp add gbrain -- gbrain serve --surface verbs` via a PATH-staged bin dir, saved-TOML asserts via `Bun.TOML.parse`, `mcp doctor` handshake proving the seven-verb surface, vendor-fallback provenance guard, direct-TOML surface) needs only `GBRAIN_REAL_GROK_E2E=1` + a resolvable binary; the paid SMOKE additionally needs a non-empty `XAI_API_KEY` and asserts a PER-RUN NONCE fact (grok has fs/shell tools — the committed fact is greppable, so recall of it proves nothing) with web search disabled. `mcp add` is lazy (exit 0 always) — `mcp doctor <name> --json` is the honest discriminator (exit 0/1 observed). Hermetic HOME + GROK_HOME + tmp cwd on every spawn (grok reads vendor MCP configs for trusted folders and loads `.envrc` from cwd); bounded tripwire over the operator's real `~/.grok` config/credential files (volatile paths excluded — grok rewrites logs/sessions/bin/docs every run) + a checkout guard that no `.grok/`/`.mcp.json` appeared in the repo root. Venue: heavy-tests.yml (`real-agent-e2e` + `grok-door` jobs); run directly via `GBRAIN_REAL_GROK_E2E=1 bun test test/e2e/install-real-grok.serial.test.ts`.
+- `test/e2e/install-real-opencode.serial.test.ts` — the opencode "door" (SST opencode; every asserted shape observed against the pin in `docs/mcp/OPENCODE-CLI-PIN.md`). SPLIT-GATED a step past the grok door: opencode's anonymous FREE TIER drives MCP tool calls keyless, so even the nonce SMOKE runs in the keyless tier — T1 bare-semver version pin (the SST-vs-claimant discriminator), T2 documented-shape `opencode mcp add gbrain --env … -- gbrain serve --surface verbs` + the honest `opencode mcp list` discriminator (it SPAWNS every server; `✓/✗` text is the assertion surface — exit code is 0 even on failure, and `mcp debug` is OAuth-only), T2b spawn-gate CANARY (a project-config decoy is spawn-attempted with NO trust prompt — if this ever gates, the bootstrap user-global scope default's rationale changed: re-observe), T3 writer parity (gbrain's `opencode-json.ts` output handshakes through the real binary; cross-tool preservation both ways), T4 keyless SMOKE (per-run nonce + STRUCTURAL `gbrain_*` tool_use proof via `parseOpencodeJsonl`, `--format json`). The paid T5 anthropic leg additionally needs a non-empty `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` and self-validates the pinned model id against the authed `opencode models` list BEFORE any spend. Hermetic HOME + both XDG dirs + tmp cwd on every spawn; `--pure` on every probe (`mcp list` autoloads plugins — a code-execution surface); bounded tripwire over the operator's real opencode configs/auth.json + a repo-root checkout guard. Venue: heavy-tests.yml (`real-agent-e2e` + `opencode-door` jobs, plus the schedule-only `opencode-door-canary` latest-version leg — continue-on-error, a pin-refresh signal, never a gate); run directly via `GBRAIN_REAL_OPENCODE_E2E=1 bun test test/e2e/install-real-opencode.serial.test.ts`.
+
+**Door cadence policy** (adopted with the 4th door agent): the NEWEST door agent runs at nightly/schedule cadence (currently opencode, whose canary leg also tracks `latest`); a door drops to label-only (`real-agent-e2e`) after 2 stable monthly cycles with unchanged pins. Rationale: churn concentrates in the newest integration; steady-state doors pay for themselves on demand, not nightly.
+- `test/helpers/tty-harness.ts` + `test/tty-harness.test.ts` — the DX real-PTY harness (`Bun.spawn({terminal:})`): pure text/timing helpers unit-tested with zero subprocesses, plus three live PTY smokes against `sh` guarded by `describe.skipIf(!ptySupported())`. The harness itself is a dev instrument surface — its consumer `scripts/dx-explore.ts` never runs in CI (transcripts land in gitignored `.context/dx-runs/`); see `docs/guides/bootstrap.md` for the scenario runbook.
 - `test/e2e/search-swamp.test.ts` — reproduces the source-swamp case. Seeds a curated `originals/talks/article-outline-fat-code` page against two `<fork>/chat/` pages stuffed with the same multi-word phrase. Asserts the article wins keyword AND vector ranking, that `detail=high` lets the chat swamp re-surface, and that `source_id` passes through the two-stage CTE intact. PGLite in-memory.
 - `test/e2e/search-exclude.test.ts` — `test/` + `archive/` pages hidden by default, `include_slug_prefixes` opts back in, caller-supplied `exclude_slug_prefixes` adds to defaults. Both keyword and vector search paths.
 - `test/e2e/engine-parity.test.ts` — Postgres ↔ PGLite top-result and result-set parity for `searchKeyword` + `searchVector` (Postgres ranks pages then picks best chunk while PGLite returns chunks directly, so the source-boost behavior needs parity coverage). Skips without `DATABASE_URL`.
@@ -285,6 +438,7 @@ E2E tests live in `test/e2e/` and run against real Postgres+pgvector (require `D
 - `test/e2e/think-source-isolation-pglite.test.ts` — PGLite in-memory suite pinning the `think` gather stage's source scope: seeds three sources with cross-source links and embedded takes, then asserts `runGather` under a federated `sourceIds` grant (and under a scalar `sourceId`) keeps every stream — hybrid retrieval, takes keyword + vector (`searchTakes`/`searchTakesVector`), and the `traversePaths` graph walk — inside the grant while still reaching authorized neighboring sources. No `DATABASE_URL` needed.
 - `test/e2e/skill-brain-first.test.ts` — doctor reports `skill_brain_first` check with structured issues; `--fix --dry-run` previews insertion without writing; `--fix` applies the canonical Convention callout idempotently; `brain_first: exempt` frontmatter resolves the warn; `brain_first_typo` surfaces a paste-ready hint; audit JSONL records `detected` / `resolved` / `fixed` transitions; stable brain emits 0 audit lines/run.
 - Tier 2 (`test/e2e/skills.test.ts`) requires OpenClaw + API keys, runs nightly in CI.
+- `test/e2e/claw-test.test.ts` also covers live mode token-free via shim agents (`OPENCLAW_BIN=<sh script>`): the success-oracle break path (a do-nothing agent now FAILS), the E0 child-friction merge surviving tempdir cleanup, and the upgrade staging + schema-version-probe regression.
 - If `.env.testing` doesn't exist in this directory, check sibling worktrees: `find ../ -maxdepth 2 -name .env.testing -print -quit` and copy it here if found.
 - **Run E2E tests without asking permission.** When you want to verify behavior, there's a relevant E2E test, or you're shipping anything covered by an E2E suite — spin up the test DB, run the tests, tear down. Don't ask, don't propose it, don't defer. The lifecycle is short (~2-30s startup, sub-minute tests, instant teardown) and the gate value is high. Skipping with "DATABASE_URL unset" is silent regression, not caution.
 

docs/TOOL_CATALOG.md

@@ -0,0 +1,222 @@
+# MCP tool catalog
+
+<!-- GENERATED FILE — do not edit by hand. -->
+<!-- Regenerate: bun run scripts/generate-tool-catalog.ts -->
+<!-- Freshness-guarded by scripts/check-tool-catalog-fresh.sh (bun run verify). -->
+
+Every non-localOnly operation on the MCP surface: 104 tools across 22 areas. **Starter** marks membership in the ~26-op `starter` surface (`src/mcp/surface.ts`); **Gate** names the config key that must be true before remote callers see/call the op (`gbrain config set <key> true`). What a given token actually sees is further filtered per request by scope, bound-client fence, publish gates, and the per-client surface — see `docs/operations/mcp-surface-runbook.md`. Area names are non-contractual groupings.
+
+## admin
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `get_health` | Brain health dashboard (embed coverage, stale pages, orphans) | admin |  |  |
+| `get_stats` | Brain statistics (page count, chunk count, etc.) | admin |  |  |
+| `get_status_snapshot` | Snapshot for `gbrain status` thin-client mode: sync freshness + last cycle + queue depths + worker liveness. | admin |  |  |
+| `run_doctor` | Run brain health checks and return a structured DoctorReport (thin-client doctor surface). | admin |  |  |
+| `run_onboard` | Probe brain health + optionally submit onboard remediations. | admin |  |  |
+| `run_skillopt` | Run SkillOpt against a single skill. | admin |  |  |
+
+## advisor
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `advisor` | Ranked, read-only "what to do next" for this brain: version drift, pending migrations, schema-pack issues, stalled jobs, usage-shape gaps, and setup smells. | read |  | `mcp.publish_advisor` |
+
+## chronicle
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `chronicle_day` | Life Chronicle: events + timeline entries on a given day (or its ISO week when week=true), ordered chronologically; each row backlinks to its depth page. | read |  |  |
+| `chronicle_last_seen` | Life Chronicle: when an entity was last seen — its own timeline rows OR an event's `who`. | read |  |  |
+| `chronicle_on_this_day` | Life Chronicle: events from the same calendar day in PRIOR years ("on this day"). | read |  |  |
+| `chronicle_since` | Life Chronicle: events + timeline entries on or after a date, optionally filtered by event kind. | read |  |  |
+| `volunteer_chronicle` | Life Chronicle agent-orientation: the recent timeline (last N days) + the current validity-resolved ontology for the named entities, in one zero-LLM payload, so an agent orients before acting. | read |  |  |
+
+## code
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `code_blast` | BEFORE editing any function, run code_blast with the symbol name to surface every transitive caller grouped by depth (direct → 2-hop → 3-hop). | read |  |  |
+| `code_callees` | When tracing how a function flows to its dependencies (DB calls, HTTP calls, file I/O), run code_callees from the entry point. | read |  |  |
+| `code_callers` | BEFORE editing any function, run code_callers with the symbol name to find every caller (the people who'd be affected by your change). | read |  |  |
+| `code_def` | Where is this symbol defined? | read |  |  |
+| `code_flow` | When tracing how a request flows through the codebase from entry point to side effect (DB write, HTTP call, file I/O), run code_flow from the entry point. | read |  |  |
+| `code_refs` | Find every reference to a symbol across the codebase (every file, every line). | read |  |  |
+
+## discovery
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `request_tools` | Discover this brain's tool catalog and optionally unlock a wider tool surface for your client. | read | yes |  |
+
+## entities
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `extract_entities` | Extract entity names (people, companies) from text and create/update their brain stub pages. | write |  |  |
+| `extraction_pending` | List unverified auto-extracted entity stubs awaiting owner review (the quarantine lane from extract_entities). | read |  |  |
+
+## identity
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `get_brain_identity` | Brain identity + counters for thin-client banner. | read |  |  |
+| `whoami` | Introspect the calling identity. | read | yes |  |
+
+## ingest
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `get_ingest_log` | Get recent ingestion log entries | read | yes |  |
+| `log_ingest` | Log an ingestion event | write |  |  |
+
+## insights
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `find_anomalies` | Returns statistical anomalies in recent page activity, grouped by cohort (tag or type). | read | yes |  |
+| `find_contradictions` | v0.32.6 — return suspected-contradiction findings from the most recent `gbrain eval suspected-contradictions` probe run, optionally filtered by slug and/or severity. | read |  |  |
+| `find_experts` | Answers 'who in my brain knows about <topic>'. | read |  |  |
+| `find_trajectory` | v0.35.4 — return the chronological claim trajectory for an entity (typed metric values over time, plus auto-detected regressions and narrative drift). | read |  |  |
+| `get_calibration_profile` | Read the active calibration profile for a holder. | read |  |  |
+| `get_recent_salience` | Returns pages recently touched and ranked by emotional + activity salience (deterministic 0..1 emotional_weight + take density + recency decay). | read | yes |  |
+| `volunteer_context` | Push-based context: volunteer brain pages relevant to a rolling conversation window WITHOUT being asked. | read |  |  |
+
+## jobs
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `cancel_job` | Cancel a waiting, active, or delayed job | admin |  |  |
+| `get_agent_job` | Poll an agent job submitted via submit_agent. | agent | yes |  |
+| `get_job` | Get job status and details by ID | admin |  |  |
+| `get_job_progress` | Get structured progress for a running job | admin |  |  |
+| `list_jobs` | List jobs with optional filters | admin |  |  |
+| `pause_job` | Pause a waiting, active, or delayed job | admin |  |  |
+| `replay_job` | Replay a completed/failed/dead job, optionally with modified data | admin |  |  |
+| `resume_job` | Resume a paused job back to waiting | admin |  |  |
+| `retry_job` | Re-queue a failed or dead job for retry | admin |  |  |
+| `send_job_message` | Send a sidechannel message to a running job's inbox | admin |  |  |
+| `submit_agent` | Submit an LLM agent job that the worker dispatches via the gateway-native tool loop. | agent | yes |  |
+| `submit_job` | Submit a background job to the Minions queue. | admin |  |  |
+
+## links
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `add_link` | Create link between pages | write |  |  |
+| `find_orphans` | Find pages with no inbound wikilinks. | read |  |  |
+| `get_backlinks` | List incoming links to a page | read | yes |  |
+| `get_links` | List outgoing links from a page | read |  |  |
+| `list_link_sources` | List distinct link_source provenances in the brain with edge counts (e.g. | read | yes |  |
+| `remove_link` | Remove link between pages | write |  |  |
+| `traverse_graph` | Traverse link graph from a page. | read | yes |  |
+
+## memory
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `extract_facts` | v0.31: extract personal-knowledge facts (events, preferences, commitments, beliefs) from a conversation turn into the per-source hot memory. | write |  |  |
+| `forget_fact` | v0.32.2: forget a fact. | write |  |  |
+
+## memory-verbs
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `context_pack` | MEMORY VERB (v1): budget-packed session-boundary bundle for a set of standing entities — entity cards + open threads + hot facts, zero-LLM, sub-second. | read | yes |  |
+| `delta` | MEMORY VERB (v1): "what changed since T" for heartbeats — pages updated after `since` + hot facts newer than `since` + open-thread events after `since`, zero-LLM. | read | yes |  |
+| `entity` | MEMORY VERB (v1): inspect ONE known person/company/project card — zero LLM calls, sub-100ms. | read | yes |  |
+| `forget` | MEMORY VERB (v1): expire a remembered fact by id — the protocol delete verb. | write | yes |  |
+| `recall` | MEMORY VERB (v1): retrieve saved facts/snippets — the protocol read verb. | read | yes |  |
+| `remember` | MEMORY VERB (v1): save one fact to durable agent memory — the protocol write verb. | write | yes |  |
+| `synthesize` | [EXPENSIVE / SLOW — makes LLM calls, seconds-to-minutes latency, costs money] MEMORY VERB (v1): answer a broad question using cross-page LLM reasoning with citations and gap analysis. | read | yes |  |
+
+## ontology
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `ontology_conflicts` | Life Chronicle: dimensions with ≥2 distinct current values from ≥2 provenances (genuine disagreement, not temporal supersession). | read |  |  |
+| `ontology_dimensions` | Life Chronicle meta-ontology: which dimensions the brain tracks across entities, with entity + observation counts. | read |  |  |
+| `ontology_get` | Life Chronicle: the current resolved per-entity ontology (dimension → value) at `asof` (default now), with provenance + confidence + validity. | read |  |  |
+| `ontology_propose` | Life Chronicle: record one ontology observation (entity has dimension=value), sourced + confidence-weighted + bi-temporal. | write |  |  |
+
+## pages
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `delete_page` | Soft-delete a page. | write |  |  |
+| `get_chunks` | Get content chunks for a page | read |  |  |
+| `get_page` | Read a page by slug (supports optional fuzzy matching). | read | yes |  |
+| `get_raw_data` | Retrieve raw data for a page | read |  |  |
+| `get_versions` | Page version history | read |  |  |
+| `list_pages` | List pages with optional filters. | read | yes |  |
+| `put_page` | Write/update a page (markdown with frontmatter). | write | yes |  |
+| `put_raw_data` | Store raw API response data for a page | write |  |  |
+| `resolve_slugs` | Fuzzy-resolve a partial slug to matching page slugs | read | yes |  |
+| `restore_page` | v0.26.5 — restore a soft-deleted page (clear deleted_at). | write |  |  |
+| `revert_version` | Revert page to a previous version | write |  |  |
+
+## schema
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `get_active_schema_pack` | v0.40.6.0: cheap identity packet for the active schema pack. | read |  |  |
+| `list_schema_packs` | v0.40.6.0: list installed schema packs (bundled + user-installed). | read |  |  |
+| `reload_schema_pack` | v0.40.6.0: flush the in-process schema pack cache so the next loadActivePack re-reads from disk. | admin |  |  |
+| `schema_apply_mutations` | v0.40.7.0: batched schema pack mutation. | admin |  |  |
+| `schema_explain_type` | v0.40.6.0: resolved settings for a single page_type in the active pack. | read |  |  |
+| `schema_graph` | v0.40.6.0: schema pack graph as JSON edges. | read |  |  |
+| `schema_lint` | v0.40.6.0: lint the active (or named) schema pack. | read |  |  |
+| `schema_review_orphans` | v0.40.6.0: list pages with no active-pack type match. | read |  |  |
+| `schema_stats` | v0.40.6.0: per-type page counts + typed-coverage from the DB. | read |  |  |
+
+## search
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `query` | Hybrid search with vector + keyword + multi-query expansion. | read | yes |  |
+| `search` | Cheap hybrid search (vector + keyword + RRF) with no LLM expansion. | read | yes |  |
+| `search_by_image` | v0.36 cross-modal Phase 2: image-as-query retrieval. | read |  |  |
+
+## skills
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `get_skill` | Fetch one skill's full instructions by name. | read |  | `mcp.publish_skills` |
+| `list_brain_skillpack` | List brain-resident skillpacks this brain ships (per-source). | read |  | `mcp.publish_skills` |
+| `list_skills` | List the skills this agent's brain publishes. | read |  | `mcp.publish_skills` |
+
+## sources
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `sources_add` | Register a new source. | sources_admin |  |  |
+| `sources_list` | List registered sources with page counts and remote_url. | read |  |  |
+| `sources_remove` | Hard-remove a source (cascades pages/chunks/embeddings). | sources_admin |  |  |
+| `sources_status` | Per-source diagnostic. | read |  |  |
+
+## tags
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `add_tag` | Add tag to page | write |  |  |
+| `get_tags` | List tags for a page | read |  |  |
+| `remove_tag` | Remove tag from page | write |  |  |
+
+## takes
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `takes_calibration` | Calibration curve: resolved correct/incorrect bets binned by stated weight; observed vs predicted per bucket. | read |  |  |
+| `takes_list` | List takes (typed/weighted/attributed claims) filtered by holder/kind/active/etc. | read |  |  |
+| `takes_scorecard` | Calibration scorecard for resolved bets: counts, accuracy, Brier (correct ∨ incorrect only), partial_rate. | read |  |  |
+| `takes_search` | Keyword search across takes (pg_trgm similarity over claim text) | read |  |  |
+| `think` | Multi-hop synthesis across pages + takes + graph. | read |  |  |
+
+## timeline
+
+| Tool | Description | Scope | Starter | Gate |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `add_timeline_entry` | Add timeline entry to a page | write | yes |  |
+| `get_timeline` | Get timeline entries for a page, optionally filtered by date window | read |  |  |
+

docs/UPGRADING_DOWNSTREAM_AGENTS.md

@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 # Upgrading Downstream Agents
 
+> **Currency note:** this file is an append-only historical log and stopped
+> receiving new sections after v0.36.5.0. **The canonical, maintained upgrade
+> channel is `skills/migrations/v*.md`** (the agent-executed migration files
+> that `gbrain upgrade` / `gbrain post-upgrade` route through), plus
+> `CHANGELOG.md` for what each release changed. Use this file only to catch a
+> long-diverged fork up through the versions it covers; for anything after
+> v0.36.5.0, walk the migration files and CHANGELOG instead.
+
 GBrain ships skills in `skills/`. Downstream agents (custom OpenClaw deployments,
 agent forks of any kind) often **copy** these skill files into their own workspace and
 diverge over time — adding agent-specific phases, removing irrelevant ones, tightening

docs/ai-providers/claude-cli.md

@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+# claude-cli — the `claude-cli` recipe (routes chat/toolLoop through the local `claude` CLI)
+
+This page documents the `claude-cli` recipe as it already ships (added in
+v0.42.66.0, PR #3310 — see `CHANGELOG.md`) — it is not proposing new
+behavior. The implementation lives at `src/core/ai/recipes/claude-cli.ts`
+and `src/core/ai/providers/claude-cli-language-model.ts`; neither
+`README.md` nor `docs/` mentioned this recipe before this page, so the only
+description of how it behaves lived in those source comments.
+
+`claude-cli` routes `gateway.chat()` and `gateway.toolLoop()` through the
+`claude` CLI binary as a subprocess (`claude --print ...`) instead of through
+the Anthropic SDK. It sits alongside the existing `anthropic` recipe as a
+second `Recipe` entry with the same touchpoint shape; which one a given
+model string resolves to is a per-call choice: `anthropic:claude-sonnet-5`
+resolves to the `native-anthropic` implementation (SDK + `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`),
+`claude-cli:claude-sonnet-5` resolves to `ClaudeCliLanguageModel` (subprocess,
+CLI-managed auth).
+
+**Chat-only — no embedding.** `gateway.embed()` throws immediately for
+`claude-cli` models (`claude-cli has no embedding model. Use openai or google
+for embeddings.`). Claude has no first-party embedding model regardless of
+transport; pair this recipe with `openai`, `google`, or `voyage` for
+embeddings the same way the `anthropic` recipe's docs already recommend.
+
+## Setup
+
+1. Install Claude Code (the `claude` CLI) and run `claude` once to log in.
+   If the binary is not on `PATH`, point the gateway at it explicitly:
+
+   ```bash
+   export GBRAIN_CLAUDE_CLI_BIN=/path/to/claude
+   ```
+
+2. Point a model tier (or any per-call model string) at `claude-cli:`:
+
+   ```bash
+   gbrain config set models.tier.subagent claude-cli:claude-sonnet-5
+   ```
+
+   Any of the models the recipe declares work the same way:
+   `claude-cli:claude-opus-5`, `claude-cli:claude-haiku-4-5-20251001`, etc.
+   Short aliases (`claude-cli:sonnet`, `claude-cli:haiku`, `claude-cli:opus`)
+   resolve the same way the `anthropic` recipe's aliases do.
+
+The recipe declares `auth_env: { required: [] }`, and neither the recipe
+nor the adapter code reads or passes any API-key-shaped config value to the
+subprocess — whatever the `claude` binary does for its own auth (see below)
+is between it and its own login state, not something gbrain's config layer
+participates in. There is also no `provider_base_urls` entry for this
+recipe — it has no base URL, only a subprocess binary path
+(`GBRAIN_CLAUDE_CLI_BIN`).
+
+## What actually happens on a call
+
+Each `doGenerate` call spawns `claude --print --output-format json --model
+<id> --disable-slash-commands --tools '' --strict-mcp-config` as a
+subprocess, with `cwd` set to a per-process directory under the OS tmpdir
+(`join(tmpdir(), 'gbrain-claude-cli-cwd-' + process.pid)`, created via
+`mkdirSync(..., { recursive: true })` if missing — code doesn't otherwise
+touch or inspect its contents), and pipes the rendered prompt to it on
+stdin:
+
+- `--tools ''` disables every built-in tool (Bash/Read/WebSearch/…) — the
+  subprocess must behave like a raw LLM, not a full agent.
+- `--strict-mcp-config` skips loading the user's MCP servers. Without it,
+  every call would boot the user's configured MCP servers — including
+  gbrain's own MCP, which would recurse and contend for the PGLite
+  single-writer lock.
+- The subprocess env is a copy of gbrain's own process env with exactly
+  three keys deleted before spawn: `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`, `ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN`,
+  `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL`. Everything else in gbrain's environment is inherited
+  as-is. The recipe's source comment states the intent (stop an
+  `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` present in gbrain's own env from being picked up by the
+  subprocess), scoped to those three variables specifically — the doc does
+  not claim this rules out every other way `claude` could end up billing
+  through a non-subscription path (e.g. other env-based auth switches the CLI
+  itself may support); that is between the installed `claude` binary and its
+  own configuration, not something this recipe's code inspects.
+- Beyond that env-scrub, auth resolution is entirely up to the installed
+  `claude` binary — the recipe does not manage or forward credentials
+  itself. Whatever `claude` is already logged in / authenticated with on
+  this machine is what it authenticates with here too (see the `claude` CLI's
+  own docs for how it stores and resolves that).
+
+`--bare` (which would skip loading the user-level `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md`
+entirely) is not among the flags passed, because it also forces
+`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` auth (per the recipe's source comment). One effect of
+not passing it: the user-level `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` still loads and gets
+cached tokens on every call.
+
+The adapter does not use `claude`'s own agentic tool-calling — it injects a
+fenced instruction block into the system prompt teaching the model a
+`<use_tools>[{id,name,input}, ...]</use_tools>` JSON emission format
+(`buildToolUseInstructions`), then parses that block back out of the plain
+text response into ai-sdk tool-call parts (`extractToolCalls`). This
+protocol-over-text approach is what lets `supports_subagent_loop: true`
+work through the `--print`, no-built-in-tools subprocess shape described
+above.
+
+## Constraints
+
+| Area | Behavior |
+|---|---|
+| Embedding | Not supported — `gateway.embed()` throws for `claude-cli` models. Pair with another provider for embeddings. |
+| Streaming | Not implemented. `doStream()` throws. `gateway.toolLoop()` (the main caller) is non-streaming already, so this is not a practical limitation for subagent dispatch, but any caller that expects a streaming chat surface cannot use `claude-cli`. |
+| Tool use | JSON emission via a system-prompt-injected protocol, not the CLI's native tool-call mechanism. Parallel tool calls in one turn round-trip correctly. |
+| Multimodal | Not supported over the subprocess path. File/image message parts are rendered as a `[file <mediaType>]` text stub, not sent as actual content. |
+| Prompt caching | The recipe declares `supports_prompt_cache: false`. The CLI manages its own caching internally but does not expose it through gbrain's `cache_control` control plane, so from the gateway's point of view this model does not support prompt caching. |
+| Usage / token counts | Reported `usage.input_tokens` / `usage.output_tokens` are read straight from the CLI's `--output-format json` envelope (`result.usage?.input_tokens` / `output_tokens`); gbrain does not independently count tokens for this path. |
+| Cost figures | The recipe declares `cost_per_1m_input_usd: 3.0` / `cost_per_1m_output_usd: 15.0` — the same Sonnet-class figures the `anthropic` recipe declares (`price_last_verified: 2026-06-17`) — purely so gbrain's budget ledger has a number to attribute per call. Neither the recipe nor the adapter code checks what you're actually billed; treat these as the ledger's nominal per-call number, not a verified charge. |
+| User-level CLAUDE.md | `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` still loads on every call (see above) — only the working directory changes (see "What actually happens on a call" for exactly what that directory is and isn't). |
+
+## Known doctor caveat: cold-start subprocess vs the fixed 5s probe timeout
+
+`gbrain models doctor`'s chat reachability probe (`probeModel` in
+`src/commands/models.ts`) wraps every chat call in a fixed 5-second
+`AbortController` timeout, independent of any per-recipe timeout the recipe
+itself declares (`claude-cli` does not declare a `default_timeout_ms`).
+Spawning the `claude` binary and letting it start up is generally fast, but
+is not instantaneous — a slow first invocation (cold process cache, slow
+disk, contended machine) can outrun that 5-second window.
+
+When that happens, the probe's `AbortController` fires, the subprocess is
+killed (`child.kill('SIGTERM')`), and the adapter's abort handler rejects
+with a fixed message (`claude-cli adapter aborted`). `classifyError` in
+`src/commands/models.ts` only maps a message to `status: network` if it
+matches `/timeout|network|econn|fetch failed|enotfound/`; `claude-cli
+adapter aborted` matches none of those, so it falls through to
+`status: unknown` — the classifier's catch-all — instead of `status:
+network`, which is what a plain slow/unreachable HTTP provider would map
+to on the same probe timeout. So a `status: unknown` result on a
+`claude-cli:` model is not necessarily a broken configuration on its own;
+a cold subprocess start outrunning the fixed 5s window is one thing that
+can produce it (the same class of first-call cold-start the embedding
+reachability probe's own code comment already calls out for local
+embedders), and re-running the probe is a reasonable first thing to try.
+`status: unknown` on its own doesn't distinguish that from any other
+unclassified failure, so if a re-run keeps producing it, treat it as an
+unclassified error worth investigating rather than assuming cold-start.
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+| Symptom | Where it comes from | Try |
+|---|---|---|
+| `claude-cli spawn failed: ...` / stdin write failure | `spawn()`'s `error` event or a failed `stdin.write` — commonly means the `claude` binary was not found on `PATH` | Install Claude Code, or set `GBRAIN_CLAUDE_CLI_BIN` to the binary's path |
+| `claude-cli exited <code>: ...` | Non-zero exit from the `claude` subprocess itself; the message is whatever the CLI wrote to stderr/stdout | Run `claude` interactively with the same model to see the underlying CLI error directly (e.g. not logged in, model unavailable) |
+| `claude-cli output not JSON: ...` | `JSON.parse(stdout)` threw (stdout wasn't valid JSON at all) | Confirm the installed `claude` CLI version still supports `--print --output-format json`; this adapter's JSON handling was verified against CLI 2.1.145 |
+| `claude-cli JSON event array had no "result" event` | stdout parsed as a JSON array (the `"verbose": true` event-stream shape in `~/.claude/settings.json`) but none of the events had `type: "result"` | Check `~/.claude/settings.json` for `"verbose": true`; the adapter tolerates the array shape but still needs a `result` event in it |
+| `gbrain models doctor` reports `chat` as `status: unknown` for a `claude-cli:` model | See "Known doctor caveat" above — `classifyError` falls through to `unknown` for the adapter's abort message | Re-run the probe; if it persists, treat it as an unclassified failure and investigate directly (e.g. run the same model via `gbrain models doctor --json` or call `claude` by hand) |
+| A call bills through the Anthropic API instead of the local session | The adapter deletes `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` / `ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN` / `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL` from the subprocess env — this covers gbrain's own env leaking into the call. It does not inspect any other auth/billing switch the installed `claude` CLI itself may support | If billing looks wrong, check the `claude` CLI's own auth/billing configuration on this machine, not just gbrain's env |

docs/ai-providers/zeroentropy.md

@@ -1,5 +1,23 @@
 # ZeroEntropy — zembed-1 + zerank-2
 
+> **Hosted API shutdown: 2026-09-04.** ZeroEntropy announced (2026-07-24)
+> that its hosted endpoints — `/models/embed` and `/models/rerank` — shut
+> down on that date. A brain still embedding through the hosted API loses
+> semantic retrieval entirely on that date: query embedding uses the same
+> endpoint, so **existing vectors become unqueryable**, not just new
+> content. Two fixes, either works:
+>
+> 1. **Self-host the same model** — zembed-1 weights are Apache-2.0. Serve
+>    them via `llama-server` or Ollama and point the config at the local
+>    endpoint. Keeps every existing vector; no re-embed at all.
+> 2. **Migrate to another provider** — `gbrain migrate embeddings --to
+>    <provider:model> --dim <N> --dry-run` (resumable; see
+>    [the migration guide](../guides/embedding-migration.md)). `gbrain
+>    doctor` (check `provider_sunset`) prints this command with your
+>    brain's actual `--dim` filled in.
+>
+> The hosted setup below remains accurate until the shutdown date.
+
 [ZeroEntropy](https://zeroentropy.dev) ships two specialized small models
 for retrieval pipelines:
 

docs/architecture/RETRIEVAL.md

@@ -4,14 +4,14 @@ Vector search alone underdelivers on real personal-knowledge queries. This doc e
 
 ## The four strategies in concert
 
-1. **Vector (HNSW on pgvector)** — semantic similarity. Catches "who works on retrieval quality at YC?" → pages mentioning "Garry Tan + retrieval" even when the user never typed "YC".
+1. **Vector (HNSW on pgvector)** — semantic similarity. Catches "who works on retrieval quality at acme-example?" → pages mentioning "alice-example + retrieval" even when the user never typed "acme".
 2. **BM25 keyword** — lexical match. Catches names, exact phrases, code identifiers, anything where the user remembers the literal token. Survives the cases where vector search drifts into thematic neighbors.
 3. **Reciprocal-rank fusion (RRF)** — merges vector + keyword rankings without weighting one over the other globally. Each strategy gets to vote.
 4. **Knowledge graph traversal** — follows typed edges. Catches "what did Bob invest in this quarter?" by walking `bob ── invested_in ──> company ── dated ──> Q1`. Vector search can't see causal chains; the graph can.
 
 ## Why each one alone fails
 
-**Vector only.** Returns chunks semantically close to the query. Misses any factual relationship not directly encoded in the embedding. "Companies in Garry's portfolio" returns essays about portfolios, not company pages.
+**Vector only.** Returns chunks semantically close to the query. Misses any factual relationship not directly encoded in the embedding. "Companies in alice-example's portfolio" returns essays about portfolios, not company pages.
 
 **Keyword only (ripgrep-style).** Brittle to phrasing. "Who works on retrieval?" misses pages that say "search ranking" instead of "retrieval." Garbage on synonyms, near-misses, or paraphrases.
 
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ Vector search alone underdelivers on real personal-knowledge queries. This doc e
 
 ## The benchmark
 
-BrainBench (corpus + harness in the sibling [gbrain-evals](https://github.com/garrytan/gbrain-evals) repo) measures retrieval P@5, R@5, MRR, nDCG@5 on a 240-page Opus-generated rich-prose corpus.
+BrainBench (corpus + harness in the sibling [gbrain-evals](https://github.com/garrytan/gbrain-evals) repo) measures retrieval P@5, R@5, MRR, nDCG@5 on a 240-page Opus-generated rich-prose corpus. (This is the retrieval-ranking benchmark; the in-repo `gbrain eval brainbench` suite — [`docs/eval/BRAINBENCH.md`](../eval/BRAINBENCH.md) — gates the memory behaviors *above* retrieval: unprompted context push, write-back fidelity, cross-session continuity.)
 
 | Strategy | P@5 | R@5 | Notes |
 |---|---|---|---|
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ BrainBench (corpus + harness in the sibling [gbrain-evals](https://github.com/ga
 
 Every `put_page` runs `extractEntityRefs` on the markdown body. It matches:
 
-- Standard markdown links: `[Garry Tan](wiki/people/garry-tan)`
-- Obsidian wikilinks: `[[wiki/people/garry-tan|Garry Tan]]`
+- Standard markdown links: `[Alice Example](wiki/people/alice-example)`
+- Obsidian wikilinks: `[[wiki/people/alice-example|Alice Example]]`
 - Typed-link blockquotes: `> **Convention:** see [path](path).`
 
 Three regexes, zero LLM tokens, single SQL `addLinksBatch` call with `INSERT ... SELECT FROM jsonb_to_recordset(($1::jsonb)->'rows') JOIN pages ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING RETURNING 1` (free-text-safe; the prior `unnest(${arr}::text[])` form crashed on calendar/Zoom context per gbrain#1861). The graph grows on every write at near-zero cost. On a 17K-page brain, full graph extract completes in seconds.
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ Heuristic link-type inference (`attended`, `works_at`, `invested_in`, `founded`,
 
 ## ZeroEntropy as reranker: 60% top-1 reshuffle
 
-v0.36.0.0 ships ZeroEntropy's `zerank-2` as the default reranker (on for the `balanced` mode bundle). On a real-corpus benchmark across 20 queries, zerank-2 reshuffles **60% of top-1 results** after the hybrid + RRF + graph stack. That's the headline number.
+ZeroEntropy's `zerank-2` is the default reranker (on for the `balanced` and `tokenmax` mode bundles, off for `conservative`). On a real-corpus benchmark across 20 queries, zerank-2 reshuffles **60% of top-1 results** after the hybrid + RRF + graph stack. That's the headline number.
 
 The mechanical reason: hybrid ranking is locally optimal per strategy but globally suboptimal. A cross-encoder reranker reads the query + each candidate document jointly, with full attention. It catches the cases where the vector + keyword + graph signals all agreed on a document that's semantically related but topically wrong.
 
@@ -62,8 +62,9 @@ The boost map is configurable via `GBRAIN_SOURCE_BOOST` env var or per-call `Sea
 
 ## Named-thing retrieval (per-page pool + title + alias + evidence)
 
-A brain organized around *chosen names* (Mingtang, Hall of Light) needs more than
-embedding proximity. Four layers, added after the incident in
+A brain organized around *chosen names* (project codenames, place nicknames —
+say a project named "Helios" whose page is also known as "the Sun Room") needs
+more than embedding proximity. Four layers, added after the incident in
 [`RETRIEVAL_MAXPOOL_INCIDENT.md`](./RETRIEVAL_MAXPOOL_INCIDENT.md):
 
 - **Per-page max-pool** — `searchVector` (both engines) collapses chunk-grain
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ embedding proximity. Four layers, added after the incident in
   `page_aliases` table (separate from the `slug_aliases` wikilink redirect) and
   consulted at query time: a full normalized-query match injects/boosts the
   canonical page (`applyAliasHop`). The only layer that bridges true synonyms
-  with zero surface overlap ("Hall of Light" → the Mingtang page). Backfill
+  with zero surface overlap ("the Sun Room" → the Helios page). Backfill
   existing pages with `gbrain reindex --aliases`.
 - **Evidence contract** — every result carries `evidence`
   (`alias_hit | exact_title_match | high_vector_match | keyword_exact |
@@ -107,7 +108,7 @@ specific miss with `gbrain search diagnose "<q>" --target <slug>`.
 
 ## Intent-aware query rewriting
 
-`src/core/search/intent.ts` classifies queries into `entity`, `temporal`, `event`, or `general`. Each routes through different ranking knobs:
+`src/core/search/query-intent.ts` classifies queries into `entity`, `temporal`, `event`, or `general`. Each routes through different ranking knobs:
 
 - **Entity** queries ("who works at X?") apply a higher graph-traversal weight.
 - **Temporal** queries ("what happened last week?") bypass source-boost so chat/daily pages surface.
@@ -127,35 +128,61 @@ Expansion is opt-in per mode bundle (`tokenmax` on by default; `balanced` + `con
 The full pipeline for a `query` op:
 
 ```
-intent classify
+intent classify (query-intent.ts — deterministic, no LLM)
        │
        ▼
-expansion (if enabled)
+expansion (if enabled — tokenmax only by default)
        │
        ▼
-hybrid search:
-   ├── vector  (HNSW on chunk embeddings)
+hybrid recall + fusion:
+   ├── vector  (HNSW on chunk embeddings, per-page max-pool)
    ├── keyword (BM25 via tsvector)
-   ├── relational (v0.42.34.0: typed-edge recall arm — relational queries only)
+   ├── title-phrase arm
+   ├── relational (typed-edge recall arm — relational queries only)
    ├── source-aware re-rank (CASE in SQL)
-   └── RRF fusion → top 30
+   └── RRF fusion → cosine re-score → post-fusion boosts
+       (backlink / salience / recency / graph signals / exact-match)
        │
        ▼
-graph augment (typed-edge traversal from any seed)
+graph augment (optional two-pass structural expansion — walkDepth > 0)
        │
        ▼
-reranker (zerank-2 cross-encoder, top 30 → reordered)
+deduplication (4-layer: per-page cap, Jaccard, type diversity)
        │
        ▼
-token-budget enforcement (per mode bundle)
+reranker (zerank-2 cross-encoder — balanced/tokenmax; fail-open)
        │
        ▼
-deduplication (same slug, different chunks → keep best)
+alias hop (exact alias match injects/boosts the canonical page)
+       │
+       ▼
+evidence stamp → adaptive return (opt-in) → autocut (reranked modes)
+       │
+       ▼
+limit slice → token-budget enforcement (per mode bundle)
        │
        ▼
 results
 ```
 
+The stage order is pinned by `hybridSearch` in `src/core/search/hybrid.ts`:
+dedup runs BEFORE the reranker (so the reranker sees a diverse candidate pool,
+capped by its own `topNIn`), the alias hop runs AFTER the reranker (so a query
+that is a page's declared name reliably surfaces that page regardless of how
+the reranker scored body chunks), and the token budget is enforced last, on
+the final slice.
+
+### Autocut: score-discontinuity result-sizing
+
+Default-on for `balanced` and `tokenmax` (off for `conservative`, which has no
+reranker and therefore no trustworthy cliff signal). `applyAutocut`
+(`src/core/search/autocut.ts`) cuts the ranked set at the largest
+cross-encoder rerank-score cliff, before the limit slice, first page only.
+Never-empty failsafe (`minKeep`), no-op when fewer than 2 results carry a
+finite rerank score (covers the fail-open reranker path), and alias-hop exact
+matches are preserved through the cut. Knobs: per-call `SearchOpts.autocut` →
+`search.autocut` / `search.autocut_jump` config → mode bundle.
+
 Each stage is testable in isolation. Each stage is replaceable. The whole pipeline is < 1ms of orchestration cost; the latency budget goes to the upstream HTTP calls (embedding, rerank) and the index scans.
 
 ## How to verify on your own brain

docs/architecture/brains-and-sources.md

@@ -19,18 +19,18 @@ need to understand both of them, or queries misroute silently.
 A **brain** is one database — PGLite file, self-hosted Postgres, or Supabase.
 Each brain has:
 - Its own `pages` table, `chunks` table, `embeddings`, etc.
-- Its own OAuth surface if served over HTTP MCP (v0.19+, PR 2).
+- Its own OAuth surface if served over HTTP MCP.
 - Its own separate lifecycle, backup, access control.
 
 Brains are enumerated by:
 - **host** — your default brain, configured in `~/.gbrain/config.json`.
 - **mounts** — additional brains registered in `~/.gbrain/mounts.json` via
-  `gbrain mounts add <id>` (v0.19+).
+  `gbrain mounts add <id>`.
 
 Routing: `--brain <id>`, `GBRAIN_BRAIN_ID`, `.gbrain-mount` dotfile, or
 longest-path match against registered mount paths. Falls back to `host`.
 
-### Sources (the repo axis, v0.18.0+)
+### Sources (the repo axis)
 
 A **source** is a named content repo *inside* one brain. Every `pages` row
 carries a `source_id`. Slugs are unique per source, not globally.
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ Use this topology when:
 
 You're senior enough to sit across multiple teams. You maintain your personal
 brain (with N sources inside) AND mount several work team brains. Each team
-brain is itself a multi-source brain in the v0.18.0 sense — organized
+brain is itself a multi-source brain — organized
 internally however the team owner chose.
 
 ```
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ Use this topology when:
 - You need latent-space federation (agent decides when to query across
   brains), not SQL federation.
 
-Cross-brain queries are **not deterministic** in v0.19. The agent sees the
+Cross-brain queries are **not deterministic**. The agent sees the
 brain list and re-queries as needed. That's the feature — it keeps debugging
 sane and access control clean.
 
@@ -202,6 +202,13 @@ WHICH BRAIN (DB)?                    WHICH SOURCE (repo in DB)?
 Both axes follow the same layered pattern on purpose. If you know one, you
 know the other.
 
+One addition on the source axis for remote (MCP/OAuth) callers: a client
+registered with federated reads carries `ctx.auth.allowedSources` — an
+ARRAY of readable sources that takes precedence over the scalar
+`ctx.sourceId` on every read path (`sourceScopeOpts(ctx)` in the
+operations layer). Local CLI callers never set it; the scalar chain above
+is the whole story for them.
+
 ---
 
 ## For agents reading this
@@ -236,7 +243,7 @@ know the other.
 
 ## Further reading
 
-- v0.18.0 CHANGELOG — introduced `sources` primitive.
-- v0.19.0 CHANGELOG (TBD after PR 0+1+2 ship) — introduces `mounts`.
-- `docs/mounts/publishing-a-team-brain.md` (PR 2) — how to be the brain
-  publisher, not just the subscriber.
+- [`topologies.md`](./topologies.md) — where the DB lives (operator recipes
+  for each deployment shape).
+- `skills/conventions/brain-routing.md` — the agent-facing decision table.
+- `CHANGELOG.md` — release history for the `sources` and `mounts` primitives.

docs/architecture/calibration-quality-gate-spec.md

@@ -10,14 +10,16 @@
 >   v0.36.1.0 historical comparison semantics). Migration renumbered v74→v79→v80
 >   during successive master merges — v0.37.0.0's autonomous-remediation wave
 >   claimed v68-v78, then v0.37.1.0 (brainstorm/lsd) claimed v79.
-> - **Follow-up minor** (forthcoming): falsifiability + category extraction at
->   `propose_takes`, SQL-side grade gate, per-category calibration scorecards,
->   pg_trgm-based proposal dedup. Wave-blocking on cat15 F1 re-validation
->   against the v0.36.1.0 fixtures.
+> - **Follow-up minor — NEVER IMPLEMENTED.** The falsifiability + category
+>   extraction at `propose_takes`, SQL-side grade gate, per-category
+>   calibration scorecards, and pg_trgm-based proposal dedup described in the
+>   sections below remain UNSHIPPED design. Do not read §§1–4 as current
+>   behavior; only the `unresolvable` hotfix above landed.
 >
 > Preserved here per the hotfix plan's PR #1191 close protocol so the
-> production context (96K-page brain, 6.8% falsifiability rate, category
-> breakdown) doesn't get lost in the CHANGELOG → release-notes condensation.
+> production context (falsifiability rate + category breakdown observed on a
+> large real brain) doesn't get lost in the CHANGELOG → release-notes
+> condensation.
 
 ## Problem
 

docs/architecture/frontmatter-scan-incremental.md

@@ -68,11 +68,13 @@ existing.
 ## Migration shape
 
 ```ts
-// src/core/migrate.ts — append after the v80 entry
+// src/core/migrate.ts — append after the CURRENT last entry in the
+// MIGRATIONS array (take the next unused version number at implementation
+// time; the numbers below are placeholders, not a reserved slot)
 const migrations = [
-  // ...existing v1-v80...
+  // ...existing entries...
   {
-    version: 81,
+    version: NEXT_VERSION, // next unused number in the MIGRATIONS array
     name: 'frontmatter_scan_state',
     sql: `
       CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS frontmatter_scan_state (...);
@@ -194,7 +196,7 @@ stale data as authoritative.
 ```
 - [ ] Implement Phase 2: DB-backed frontmatter scan state.
       Design lives at docs/architecture/frontmatter-scan-incremental.md.
-      Schema migration v81 + sync-side UPSERT + incremental scan command
+      New schema migration + sync-side UPSERT + incremental scan command
       + autopilot cycle phase + doctor reader. Two-phase rollout: ship
       table + writes first; flip the reader one release later.
 ```

docs/architecture/infra-layer.md

@@ -1,105 +1,33 @@
-# GBrain Infrastructure Layer
+# GBrain Infrastructure Layer (orientation pointer)
 
 The shared foundation that all skills, recipes, and integrations build on.
+This page is a router — the detailed, current-state references live in the
+docs below (this file once carried its own copies of the pipeline and schema;
+those rotted, so each concept now has exactly one home).
 
-## Data Pipeline
+## Where things live
 
-```
-INPUT (markdown files, git repo)
-  ↓
-FILE RESOLUTION (local → .redirect → .supabase → error)
-  ↓
-MARKDOWN PARSER (gray-matter frontmatter + body)
-  → compiled_truth + timeline separation
-  ↓
-CONTENT HASH (SHA-256 idempotency check — skip if unchanged)
-  ↓
-CHUNKING (3 strategies, configurable)
-  ├── Recursive: 300-word chunks, 50-word overlap, 5-level delimiter hierarchy
-  ├── Semantic: embed sentences, cosine similarity, Savitzky-Golay smoothing
-  └── LLM-guided: Claude Haiku identifies topic shifts in 128-word candidates
-  ↓
-EMBEDDING (OpenAI text-embedding-3-large, 1536 dimensions)
-  → batch 100, exponential backoff, non-fatal if fails
-  ↓
-DATABASE TRANSACTION (atomic: page + chunks + tags + version)
-  ↓
-SEARCH (hybrid, available immediately)
-```
-
-## Search Architecture
-
-GBrain uses Reciprocal Rank Fusion (RRF) to merge vector and keyword search:
-
-```
-User Query
-  ↓
-EXPANSION (optional: Claude Haiku generates 2 alternative phrasings)
-  ↓
-  ├── VECTOR SEARCH (pgvector HNSW, cosine distance)
-  │     → 2x limit results per query variant
-  │
-  └── KEYWORD SEARCH (PostgreSQL tsvector, ts_rank)
-        → 2x limit results
-  ↓
-RRF MERGE (score = Σ(1/(60 + rank)), balances both fairly)
-  ↓
-4-LAYER DEDUP
-  ├── Best 3 chunks per page (source dedup)
-  ├── Jaccard similarity > 0.85 (text dedup)
-  ├── No type exceeds 60% (diversity)
-  └── Max 2 chunks per page (page cap)
-  ↓
-TOP N RESULTS (default 20)
-```
-
-## Key Components
-
-| File | Purpose |
-|------|---------|
-| `src/core/engine.ts` | Pluggable engine interface (BrainEngine) |
-| `src/core/postgres-engine.ts` | Postgres + pgvector implementation |
-| `src/core/import-file.ts` | importFromFile + importFromContent pipeline |
-| `src/core/sync.ts` | Git-based incremental change detection |
-| `src/core/markdown.ts` | YAML frontmatter + compiled_truth/timeline parsing |
-| `src/core/embedding.ts` | OpenAI embedding with batch, retry, backoff |
-| `src/core/chunkers/recursive.ts` | Base chunker (300w, 5-level delimiters) |
-| `src/core/chunkers/semantic.ts` | Embedding-based topic boundary detection |
-| `src/core/chunkers/llm.ts` | Claude Haiku guided chunking |
-| `src/core/search/hybrid.ts` | RRF merge of vector + keyword |
-| `src/core/search/dedup.ts` | 4-layer result deduplication |
-| `src/core/search/expansion.ts` | Multi-query expansion via Claude Haiku |
-| `src/core/storage.ts` | Pluggable storage (S3, Supabase, local) |
-| `src/core/operations.ts` | Contract-first operation definitions (31 ops) |
-| `src/schema.sql` | Full DDL (10 tables, RLS, tsvector, HNSW) |
-
-## Schema Overview
-
-10 tables in Postgres:
-
-- **pages** — slug (unique), type, title, compiled_truth, timeline, frontmatter (JSONB)
-- **content_chunks** — pgvector 1536-dim embedding, chunk_source (compiled_truth|timeline)
-- **links** — typed edges (knows, works_at, invested_in, founded, etc.)
-- **tags** — many-to-many page tagging
-- **timeline_entries** — structured events (date, source, summary, detail)
-- **page_versions** — snapshot history for diff/revert
-- **raw_data** — sidecar JSON from external APIs (preserves provenance)
-- **files** — binary attachments in storage backend
-- **ingest_log** — audit trail of import operations
-- **config** — brain-level settings (version, embedding model, chunk strategy)
-
-Full-text search uses weighted tsvector: title (A), compiled_truth (B), timeline (C).
-Vector search uses HNSW index with cosine distance on content_chunks.embedding.
+| Topic | Home |
+|---|---|
+| Ingest pipeline (file resolution → frontmatter parse → content-hash idempotency → chunking → embedding → atomic write) | per-file entries in [`KEY_FILES.md`](./KEY_FILES.md): `src/core/import-file.ts`, `src/core/sync.ts`, `src/core/markdown.ts`, `src/core/embedding.ts`, `src/core/chunkers/*` |
+| Chunking strategies (recursive / semantic / LLM-guided) | `src/core/chunkers/{recursive,semantic,llm}.ts` entries in [`KEY_FILES.md`](./KEY_FILES.md) |
+| Search pipeline (hybrid RRF, graph, reranker, autocut, dedup, budgets) | [`RETRIEVAL.md`](./RETRIEVAL.md) |
+| Search modes + cost knobs | `docs/guides/search-modes.md` + the CLAUDE.md Search Mode table |
+| Per-file index of `src/` (what each file does + its invariants) | [`KEY_FILES.md`](./KEY_FILES.md) |
+| Schema DDL | the `MIGRATIONS` array in `src/core/migrate.ts` (source of truth) + `src/schema.sql`; per-table classification in [`system-of-record.md`](./system-of-record.md) |
+| Engines (PGLite vs Postgres, parity rules) | `docs/ENGINES.md` + the engine entries in [`KEY_FILES.md`](./KEY_FILES.md) |
+| Operations contract (CLI + MCP generated from one source) | `src/core/operations.ts` (100+ operations; run `gbrain --tools-json` for the live list) |
+| Brains vs sources (which database vs which repo inside it) | [`brains-and-sources.md`](./brains-and-sources.md) |
 
 ## The Thin Harness Principle
 
-GBrain is the deterministic layer. Skills and recipes are the latent space layer.
+GBrain is the deterministic layer. Skills and recipes are the latent-space layer.
 
 See [Thin Harness, Fat Skills](../ethos/THIN_HARNESS_FAT_SKILLS.md) for the full
 architecture philosophy.
 
 - **GBrain CLI** = thin harness (same input → same output)
-- **Skills** (ingest, query, maintain, enrich, briefing, migrate, setup) = fat skills
+- **Skills** (the bundled set routed by `skills/RESOLVER.md`) = fat skills
 - **Recipes** (voice-to-brain, email-to-brain) = fat skills that install infrastructure
 
 The agent reads the skill/recipe and uses GBrain's deterministic tools to do the work.

docs/architecture/lens-packs.md

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Lens packs (v0.41.2.0)
+# Lens packs
 
 Four bundled schema packs that turn the gbrain dream cycle into a multi-lens
 brain. Activate one with `gbrain config set schema_pack <name>` and the cycle
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ picks up the pack's declared phases on the next `gbrain dream` run.
 ## The four packs
 
 ```
-                gbrain-base (shipped v0.38)
+                gbrain-base
                        ▲
                        │ extends
         ┌──────────────┼──────────────────────┐
@@ -60,37 +60,33 @@ conviction so high-stakes misses cost more).
 
 ### gbrain-engineer
 Bridge-only pack. Declares `learning` page type + reuses base `code`.
-No new cycle phases — the daemon-side `gstack-learnings` IngestionSource
-(T8) watches `~/.gstack/projects/{repo}/learnings.jsonl` and emits
+No new cycle phases — the daemon-side `gstack-learnings` IngestionSource watches `~/.gstack/projects/{repo}/learnings.jsonl` and emits
 each JSONL line as a `learning` page when this pack is active. Three
 calibration domains: `architecture_calls` (scalar_brier),
 `effort_estimates` (weighted_brier), `risk_assessment` (scalar_brier).
 
-Speculative ADR/postmortem/refactor_thesis/tech_debt types deferred
-to v0.42+ — they'll ship when a real user authors the first one (D8).
+Speculative ADR/postmortem/refactor_thesis/tech_debt types are
+deferred — they'll ship when a real user authors the first one.
 
 ### gbrain-everything
-Meta-pack stacking creator + investor + engineer via the v0.38
+Meta-pack stacking creator + investor + engineer via the
 `extends` + `borrow_from` chain. Single-active-pack constraint
 preserved — this IS the active pack; the registry walks extends +
 borrow to materialize the merged view.
 
-**Merge contract (T20 / #1749).** `resolvePack` merges parent → child
-(child-wins) for the six ingest/query-shaping fields: `page_types`,
-`link_types`, `frontmatter_links`, `enrichable_types`, `filing_rules`,
-and `takes_kinds` (unioned — a child cannot narrow it). `phases` and
-`calibration_domains` are **NOT** inherited: they gate cycle execution,
-so each pack must declare its own participation explicitly. That is why
-`gbrain-everything` re-declares all its phases and all 7
-`calibration_domains` — inheritance does not carry them.
+**Merge contract.** The full `extends` + `borrow_from` merge rules live in
+[`schema-packs.md` § Merge contract](./schema-packs.md#merge-contract-extends--borrow_from).
+The one rule that matters here: `phases` and `calibration_domains` are
+**NOT** inherited (they gate cycle execution, so each pack must declare
+its own participation explicitly) — which is why `gbrain-everything`
+re-declares all its phases and all 7 `calibration_domains`.
 
 Activate via `gbrain config set schema_pack gbrain-everything` and
 calibration_profile produces all 7 domain scorecards in one JSONB.
 
-## Calibration profile widening (T10)
+## Calibration profile domains
 
-Before v0.41.2.0, `calibration_profiles.domain_scorecards` was a
-`JSON.stringify({})` placeholder. v0.41.2.0 widens it: each declared
+Each declared
 domain produces a `{n, brier, accuracy, aggregator, page_types,
 extras}` entry. Four aggregator algorithms (closed enum):
 
@@ -109,20 +105,20 @@ Domain names are OPEN (third-party packs can declare new domain labels
 without a gbrain release). Aggregator algorithms are CLOSED (safe SQL
 stays in code, validated at pack-load).
 
-## take_domain_assignments table (T1)
+## take_domain_assignments table
 
-New JOIN table (migration v94):
+JOIN table (migration v94):
 `take_domain_assignments(take_id BIGINT FK, domain TEXT, pack TEXT,
 source TEXT, confidence REAL, assigned_at TIMESTAMPTZ, PK(take_id,
-domain))`. Multi-domain assignment honest — a take about "Sequoia's
-investment in Anthropic" can land in BOTH `deal_success` AND
+domain))`. Multi-domain assignment honest — a take about "fund-a's
+investment in acme-example" can land in BOTH `deal_success` AND
 `market_call` rather than being force-bucketed.
 
 ## What this enables for the user
 
 - **Atoms + concepts ship in the binary.** Your OpenClaw's parallel
   atom-pipeline-coordinator + atom-backfill-coordinator + concept-
-  synthesis crons can retire (T12 follow-up). One `gbrain dream` cron
+  synthesis crons can retire. One `gbrain dream` cron
   covers everything.
 - **gstack learnings reach gbrain.** Engineer-pack-active brains
   surface every gstack-logged learning as a queryable page within
@@ -131,22 +127,22 @@ investment in Anthropic" can land in BOTH `deal_success` AND
   often you're wrong on deals AND market calls AND architecture
   AND effort estimates in one `gbrain calibration --json` call.
 - **Lossless OpenClaw migration.** The `markdown-greenfield`
-  importer (T7, mode='migration') re-ingests existing OpenClaw
+  importer (mode='migration') re-ingests existing OpenClaw
   pages with permanent slug-keyed idempotency + per-row JSONL audit
   + the `imported_from` marker so extract_atoms + synthesize_concepts
   don't re-extract already-atomized material.
 
-## v0.41.2.1 follow-ups (filed in plan)
+## Known gaps / deferred follow-ups
 
 - Per-page-type `frontmatter_validators` on PageTypeSchema so the
   atom_type enum (currently hardcoded in extract_atoms.ts) reads from
-  the active pack manifest at runtime per D11.
+  the active pack manifest at runtime.
 - 3-check quality gate (truism / punchline / entity-page reject) as
   a multi-pass extract_atoms refinement.
 - Embedding-similarity dedup in synthesize_concepts (currently
   exact-string concept ref match only).
-- Voice gate integration for T1 Canon narratives.
+- Voice gate integration for concept narratives.
 - op_checkpoint resumability for cross-cycle continuation in both
   phases.
-- Parity-baseline eval gates against your OpenClaw's existing 13K atoms
-  + 11K concepts on a 500-page sample subset.
+- Parity-baseline eval gates against a pre-existing downstream
+  atom/concept corpus on a sample subset.

docs/architecture/pack-upgrade-mechanism.md

@@ -127,10 +127,10 @@ candidate ≠ the active pack name, loads the manifest via
 migration_from.version)`. Returns matching packs sorted by version
 descending.
 
-v0.41.22 covers bundled packs only. v0.43+ TODO: enumerate user-installed
-packs at `~/.gbrain/schema-packs/*/pack.yaml` (defer to v0.43 since the
-filesystem-scan cost needs the cache invalidation strategy from
-`registry.ts`).
+Successor detection covers bundled packs only. Future work: enumerate
+user-installed packs at `~/.gbrain/schema-packs/*/pack.yaml` (deferred
+because the filesystem-scan cost needs the cache invalidation strategy
+from `registry.ts`).
 
 ## The manual_only apply policy
 
@@ -173,8 +173,8 @@ migration_from:
   version: "1.x"
 
 page_types:
-  # Inherit gbrain-base-v2's 15 types here (or use extends to merge
-  # automatically once v0.43+ extends-chain composition lands)
+  # Inherit gbrain-base-v2's 15 types here (or declare `extends:
+  # gbrain-base-v2` and let the merge contract in schema-packs.md merge them)
   - { name: person, primitive: entity, path_prefixes: [people/], expert_routing: true }
   - { name: company, primitive: entity, path_prefixes: [companies/], expert_routing: true }
   # ... all 13 other v2 canonicals ...
@@ -222,17 +222,17 @@ Every unify run writes to `~/.gbrain/audit/schema-unify-YYYY-Www.jsonl`
 identities (before + after), per-phase counts (would_apply + applied),
 warnings, completion timestamp. Privacy: page slugs are NOT logged in
 bulk (only the per-rule sample_slugs[≤10]); for forensic debugging
-add `GBRAIN_AUDIT_FULL=1` (v0.43+ TODO; not yet wired).
+a `GBRAIN_AUDIT_FULL=1` escape hatch has been proposed but is not yet wired.
 
 ## What's NOT yet supported
 
-- Subprocess sandbox for the publish-gate (v0.43+ TODO)
+- Subprocess sandbox for the publish-gate
 - Per-source pack-upgrade (the handler accepts `sourceId` but
   `findPackSuccessors` doesn't yet pass it through)
 - Cross-brain federated mounts that disagree on canonical packs
 - Automatic rollback (today: manual SQL or `gbrain restore`)
-- LLM-assisted mapping_rules codegen from production data (`gbrain
-  schema detect-mappings`; deferred to v0.43+)
+- LLM-assisted mapping_rules codegen from production data (a proposed
+  `gbrain schema detect-mappings`)
 
 ## Reference
 
@@ -242,6 +242,6 @@ add `GBRAIN_AUDIT_FULL=1` (v0.43+ TODO; not yet wired).
 - Onboard check: `src/core/onboard/checks.ts:checkPackUpgradeAvailable`
 - Render allowlist: `src/core/onboard/render.ts:MANUAL_ONLY_PROTECTED_JOBS`
 - Handler: `src/core/schema-pack/unify-types-handler.ts`
-- Migration: `src/core/migrate.ts:105` (slug_aliases table)
+- Migration: the `slug_aliases` entry in `src/core/migrate.ts`'s `MIGRATIONS` array
 - Type taxonomy doc: `docs/architecture/type-taxonomy.md`
 - Skill: `skills/schema-unify/SKILL.md`

docs/architecture/schema-packs.md

@@ -7,20 +7,25 @@ paths, and which link verbs connect what to what. The schema pack is the
 querying, or routing experts. It is the single source of truth for
 "what's in your brain."
 
-The v0.39.0.0 wave shipped a full schema-pack cathedral. This doc is the
-user-facing reference; for implementation details see
-`docs/designs/V038_SCHEMA_PACKS.md` (CEO plan) and the engine layer in
-`src/core/schema-pack/`.
+This doc is the user-facing reference; for implementation details see
+`docs/designs/V038_SCHEMA_PACKS.md` (the original design) and the engine
+layer in `src/core/schema-pack/`.
 
 ## What ships in the box
 
-Two bundled packs:
+Seven bundled packs (`src/core/schema-pack/base/`):
 
-- **`gbrain-base`** (default) — reproduces pre-v0.38 hardcoded behavior
-  byte-for-byte. Existing brains see zero behavior change after upgrade.
-  Covers: person, company, deal, meeting, project, place, concept, writing,
-  analysis, guide, hardware, architecture, etc. (the original
-  `ALL_PAGE_TYPES` list).
+- **`gbrain-base-v2`** — the 15-type canonical taxonomy. Fresh installs
+  (`gbrain init`) activate this by default. See
+  [`type-taxonomy.md`](./type-taxonomy.md) for the full type list and the
+  upgrade path from `gbrain-base`.
+
+- **`gbrain-base`** — the original hardcoded behavior, byte-for-byte
+  (person, company, deal, meeting, project, place, concept, writing,
+  analysis, guide, hardware, architecture, etc. — the original
+  `ALL_PAGE_TYPES` list). Still the resolution-chain fallback (tier 7)
+  for brains with no pack configured anywhere, so pre-existing brains see
+  zero behavior change until they opt in to something newer.
 
 - **`gbrain-recommended`** — extends `gbrain-base` with the 13 additional
   directories described in `docs/GBRAIN_RECOMMENDED_SCHEMA.md`: deal,
@@ -32,12 +37,17 @@ Two bundled packs:
   gbrain schema use gbrain-recommended
   ```
 
+- **`gbrain-creator`**, **`gbrain-investor`**, **`gbrain-engineer`**,
+  **`gbrain-everything`** — the lens packs, which add cycle phases and
+  calibration domains on top of the base taxonomy. See
+  [`lens-packs.md`](./lens-packs.md).
+
 Plus user-installed packs at `~/.gbrain/schema-packs/<name>/pack.yaml`
 that you author with `gbrain schema init` or `gbrain schema fork`.
 
 ## CLI surface
 
-Five inspection verbs (shipped in v0.38):
+Inspection verbs:
 
 ```bash
 gbrain schema active     # show resolved pack + which tier set it
@@ -47,7 +57,7 @@ gbrain schema validate   # validate a manifest's shape
 gbrain schema use <pack> # activate a pack (writes ~/.gbrain/config.json)
 ```
 
-Eight authoring + discovery verbs (shipped in v0.39):
+Authoring + discovery verbs:
 
 ```bash
 gbrain schema detect              # propose types matching brain shape
@@ -62,12 +72,12 @@ gbrain schema graph               # ASCII type listing      (experimental)
 gbrain schema lint                # flag duplicates + missing prefixes
 gbrain schema explain <type>      # plain-English type description (experimental)
 gbrain schema downgrade --to <p>  # restore previous pack (recovery)
-gbrain schema usage --since 30d   # per-verb invocation counts (D14 telemetry)
+gbrain schema usage --since 30d   # per-verb invocation counts (telemetry)
 ```
 
-The verbs marked `experimental` are demand-gated per D14: their usage is
-tracked via T15's schema-events audit, and v0.40+ retro decides whether
-to deprecate any that stay <5% usage.
+The verbs marked `experimental` are demand-gated: usage is tracked via the
+schema-events audit (`gbrain schema usage`), which informs whether
+rarely-used verbs get deprecated.
 
 ## Resolution chain (7 tiers)
 
@@ -78,10 +88,10 @@ this chain top-down. First match wins.
 |------|--------|-------|
 | 1 | Per-call `schema_pack` opt | CLI only (`ctx.remote === false`); MCP rejected. |
 | 2 | `GBRAIN_SCHEMA_PACK` env | Process-scope override. |
-| 3 | Per-source DB config key `schema_pack:source:<id>` | New in v0.38. |
+| 3 | Per-source DB config key `schema_pack:source:<id>` | |
 | 4 | Brain-wide DB config key `schema_pack` | |
 | 5 | `gbrain.yml schema:` section | Repo-checked. |
-| 6 | `~/.gbrain/config.json` `schema_pack` field | What `gbrain schema use` writes. |
+| 6 | `~/.gbrain/config.json` `schema_pack` field | What `gbrain schema use` (and `gbrain init`, which sets `gbrain-base-v2`) writes. |
 | 7 | Default: `gbrain-base` | Always present. |
 
 ## How the agent uses the active pack
@@ -97,18 +107,18 @@ Every read + write path consults the active pack at runtime:
 - **`extract_facts`** runs only on `extractable: true` types.
 - **`enrichment-service`** routes person/company enrichment based on the
   pack's primitive declarations.
-- **Search hybrid cache** (`knobsHash`) folds in pack name + version
-  (v0.39 T21). A cache row written under pack A is unreachable when pack
+- **Search hybrid cache** (`knobsHash`) folds in pack name + version.
+  A cache row written under pack A is unreachable when pack
   B is active. Cross-pack contamination is structurally impossible.
 
-## The magical moment (T2-T4 + T10)
+## The magical moment
 
 Persona A (Notion refugee) installs gbrain, imports her exports, and the
 brain looks unfamiliar — the default `gbrain-base` pack expects
 `people/`, `companies/`, etc., but her files live under `Projects/`,
 `Reading/`, `Daily Notes/`. The friction signal fires in two places:
 
-1. **Import warn (T7):** the end of `gbrain import` prints
+1. **Import warn:** the end of `gbrain import` prints
    `[schema] X of Y pages (Z%) have no type matching the active schema
    pack. Run gbrain schema detect to propose a pack matching your
    content shape.`
@@ -124,7 +134,7 @@ gbrain schema review-candidates   # human gate on promotion
 gbrain schema review-candidates --apply Projects/   # accept
 ```
 
-The agent (via the new EIIRP skill) automates phases 1-3 of this for any
+The agent (via the EIIRP skill, `skills/eiirp/SKILL.md`) automates phases 1-3 of this for any
 significant work session. The brain's schema becomes a living artifact
 the agent maintains, not a hardcoded ceremony the user authors.
 
@@ -172,9 +182,10 @@ filing_rules: []
 
 ## Merge contract (`extends` + `borrow_from`)
 
+This section is the single home for the merge rules (other docs link here).
 `resolvePack` composes a pack against its `extends` chain (and any
-`borrow_from` targets) into the `resolved.manifest` every consumer reads
-(T20 / #1749). The rules:
+`borrow_from` targets) into the `resolved.manifest` every consumer reads.
+The rules:
 
 - **Six fields inherit, child-wins:** `page_types`, `link_types`,
   `frontmatter_links`, `enrichable_types`, `filing_rules`, and `takes_kinds`.
@@ -200,9 +211,8 @@ filing_rules: []
 
 ## Recovery + revert
 
-The single-PR cathedral is hard to revert atomically. Per codex finding
-#4 from plan-eng-review, T20 ships `gbrain schema downgrade` to restore
-the active-pack config field:
+A pack activation is config, not code, so reverting code alone doesn't
+undo it. `gbrain schema downgrade` restores the active-pack config field:
 
 ```bash
 gbrain schema downgrade --to gbrain-base
@@ -214,19 +224,19 @@ gbrain schema downgrade
 
 1. `git revert <merge-commit>` — restores the code.
 2. `gbrain schema downgrade --to gbrain-base` — restores config.
-3. (Optional) `gbrain purge-deleted --older-than 0h` — drops
-   v0.39-typed pages that no longer have a matching type in the active
+3. (Optional) `gbrain pages purge-deleted --older-than 0h` — hard-deletes
+   soft-deleted pages that no longer have a matching type in the active
    pack.
 
 The cache + eval rows that pack-aware code wrote are isolated by the
-`knobsHash` pack-folding (T21) — they become unreachable under the
+`knobsHash` pack-folding — they become unreachable under the
 restored pack so no eviction is needed.
 
 ## Distribution
 
-`.gbrain-schema` tarballs ride the same v0.37 skillpack pipeline as
-`.gbrain-skillpack` tarballs (T14 artifact abstraction). The
-discriminator is `api_version` in the manifest:
+`.gbrain-schema` tarballs ride the same distribution pipeline as
+`.gbrain-skillpack` tarballs. The discriminator is `api_version` in the
+manifest:
 
 - `gbrain-schema-pack-v1` → schemapack
 - `gbrain-skillpack-v1` → skillpack
@@ -237,22 +247,17 @@ respectively.
 
 Publication to the public registries (`garrytan/gbrain-schema-registry`,
 `garrytan/gbrain-skillpack-registry`) follows the same publish-as-PR
-workflow as v0.37 skillpack publishing.
+workflow as skillpack publishing.
 
-## What's deferred to v0.40+
+## Known limits / deferred work
 
 - **Per-source pack federation across mounts.** A query crossing multiple
-  sources currently rejects with `permission_denied` when those sources
-  have divergent active packs (T19 + codex finding #2). The v0.40+ work
-  computes a true per-source closure via the existing
-  `buildSourceClosureCte` engine surface.
-- **`extends` chain semver compatibility checks** between pack versions.
-- **`skillpack ↔ schemapack` cross-reference declarations** — a skillpack
-  can declare "I work best with these primitives present in your pack."
-- **Live schema migration helpers** — when you add a type, auto-suggest
-  backfill of existing pages.
-- **Authoring vs derivation thesis reframe (D14).** v0.39.0.0 ships the
-  full 11-verb cathedral with 6 verbs marked experimental-tier. v0.40+
-  retro reads T23 usage telemetry to decide which to deprecate.
+  sources rejects with `permission_denied` when those sources have
+  divergent active packs (`src/core/schema-pack/op-trust-gate.ts`). A true
+  per-source closure via the existing `buildSourceClosureCte` engine
+  surface remains future work.
+- **Pack version upgrades** (e.g. `gbrain-base` → `gbrain-base-v2`) are
+  handled by the successor-detection + unify-types mechanism — see
+  [`pack-upgrade-mechanism.md`](./pack-upgrade-mechanism.md).
 
-See `TODOS.md` v0.40+ section for the full deferred list.
+The live deferred list is in `TODOS.md`.

docs/architecture/serve-sync-concurrency.md

@@ -52,3 +52,13 @@ gbrain sync --no-schema-pack --no-pull --no-embed --yes
 
 `gbrain schema lint` flags the classic nested-quantifier ReDoS shapes
 (`(a+)+`, `(a*)*`, …) in pack regexes as warnings.
+
+The manual diagnosis above has an automated cousin: the progress-aware stall
+watchdog. If the import drain makes no forward progress for
+`GBRAIN_SYNC_STALL_ABORT_SECONDS` (default 900; keyed on file-import
+progress, not the lock heartbeat), the run aborts with
+`reason: 'stall_timeout'` and releases the per-source lock so the next
+`gbrain sync` resumes from the checkpoint. It fires BETWEEN files — a hang
+inside one file's import runs until the wall-clock hard deadline. `0`
+disables it. The full sync-resumability knob table lives in CLAUDE.md
+("Sync resumability + lock tuning").

docs/architecture/system-of-record.md

@@ -86,8 +86,9 @@ the repo. The architectural rule still holds — these aren't
 | `mcp_request_log` | Audit trail. Volatile by design. |
 | `minion_jobs` / `minion_inbox` / `minion_attachments` | Job queue. Restarts re-enqueue or drop. |
 | `eval_candidates` / `eval_capture_failures` | Contributor-mode dev loop; opt-in capture. |
-| `dream_verdicts` | Cheap verdict cache. Rebuildable by re-running Haiku. |
+| `dream_verdicts` | Scored triage cache (salience score, quotes, entities, judging model + prompt version). Rebuildable via `gbrain dream retriage --force`. |
 | `gbrain_cycle_locks` / migration ledger | Infrastructure. |
+| `op_checkpoint_paths` | Sync-resume checkpoint. Append-only progress banking; a completed sync makes it irrelevant. |
 | `config` (some keys) | Site-local routing config (e.g. `sync.repo_path`). |
 
 A new derived table that holds user-knowledge MUST land FS-first.
@@ -189,9 +190,6 @@ reconciler / migration layer without the explicit allow-list comment.
 
 ## Related
 
-- `~/.claude/plans/system-instruction-you-are-working-expressive-pony.md`
-  — the v0.32.2 design plan (decisions D1-D22 + Q1-Q8, Codex round 1
-  and round 2 finds)
 - `skills/migrations/v0.32.2.md` — the agent-facing migration guide
 - `CHANGELOG.md` v0.32.2 entry — the release manifesto
 - `scripts/check-system-of-record.sh` — the CI gate that enforces

docs/architecture/thin-client.md

@@ -3,68 +3,73 @@
 On-demand reference (see CLAUDE.md Reference map). Current behavior + invariants
 only; release history lives in `CHANGELOG.md` + git.
 
-`gbrain init --mcp-only` (v0.29.2) sets up a thin-client install: no local
-brain content, just an OAuth client pointing at a remote `gbrain serve --http`.
-v0.29.2/v0.30.0 only refused 9 obvious local-only commands; the other ~25
-silently fell through to `connectEngine()` and opened the empty local PGLite,
-returning "No results." against a populated remote brain. v0.31.1 fixes the
-silent-empty-results bug class for every operation surface.
+`gbrain init --mcp-only` sets up a thin-client install: no local brain content,
+just an OAuth client pointing at a remote `gbrain serve --http`. Every operation
+surface routes through the remote brain — a thin-client install never opens the
+empty local PGLite, so a populated remote brain can't silently return
+"No results." Local-only commands refuse with a pinpoint hint instead of
+falling through.
 
-Key files:
+**Surface posture:** thin clients stay FULL-surface. The thin-client CLI routes
+arbitrary `gbrain <op>` invocations over MCP, so a narrowed per-client surface
+(`oauth_clients.surface`, WP4) would break commands the install legitimately
+owns — bootstrap pins `--surface full` on its serve registrations and operators
+should keep thin-client OAuth rows at `full` (or NULL). The stdio transport has
+no client row at all: it serves the server-resolved surface directly, and the
+per-client ceiling machinery (`effectiveSurfaceForClient`) applies only to the
+OAuth HTTP transport. The starter/verbs narrowing is for agent-harness clients,
+not for thin-client installs.
 
-- `src/cli.ts` — Routing seam INSIDE the existing op-dispatch path (CDX-1: no
+Key files (per-file detail lives in each file's `KEY_FILES.md` entry; this doc
+carries the routing-seam picture):
+
+- `src/cli.ts` — Routing seam INSIDE the existing op-dispatch path (no
   parallel `src/core/thin-client/` module; routing is a ~80-line conditional
   in `runThinClientRouted`). Detects `isThinClient(cfg)` BEFORE `connectEngine`
   so thin-client installs never open the empty PGLite. localOnly ops on
   thin-client refuse via `refuseThinClient` (with pinpoint hint table
-  `THIN_CLIENT_REFUSE_HINTS`). Banner via `printIdentityBannerBestEffort`
+  `THIN_CLIENT_REFUSE_HINTS`, which covers the full DB-bound command surface —
+  sync, embed, extract, migrate, enrich, dream, jobs, sources, pages, files,
+  eval, code-*, and more). Banner via `printIdentityBannerBestEffort`
   before each routed call (suppressed by `--quiet`, `GBRAIN_NO_BANNER=1`,
   non-TTY default). Exhaustive TS `never` switch on `RemoteMcpError.reason`
-  for canned, actionable error messages. ENG-2 renderer parity: local-engine
+  for canned, actionable error messages. Renderer parity: the local-engine
   path runs `JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(result))` so renderers see the same
-  shape on both paths (kills Date/bigint/Buffer drift class).
-- `src/core/mcp-client.ts` — `callRemoteTool(config, toolName, args, opts)`.
-  Hardened in v0.31.1 (CDX-4): all transport errors normalized to
-  `RemoteMcpError` via the `toRemoteMcpError` funnel. New `CallRemoteToolOptions
-  {timeoutMs, signal}`; `buildAbortController` composes external signal with
-  timeout. New `RemoteMcpErrorReason` stable union, `RemoteMcpErrorDetail.kind`
-  ('timeout' | 'aborted' | 'unreachable') sub-tag, `RemoteMcpErrorDetail.code`
-  field carrying server-supplied error codes (e.g. `missing_scope`).
-  `extractToolErrorCode` parses JSON envelopes first, falls back to substring
-  detection for legacy server messages. `unpackToolResult<T>(res)` unchanged
-  (parses tool-call JSON content). `_clearMcpClientTokenCache()` test escape.
-- `src/core/cli-options.ts` — `parseGlobalFlags` adds `--timeout=Ns` (accepts
-  `30s`, `2m`, `500ms`, plain ms). Default `null` = per-command default (30s
-  for most ops, 180s for `think`). `parseTimeout(s)` exported helper.
-- `src/core/doctor-remote.ts` — `gbrain remote doctor` adds the
-  `oauth_client_scopes_probe` check (CDX-5). Probes the read tier via
-  `get_brain_identity` and admin tier via `get_health`; reports per-tier
+  shape on both paths (kills the Date/bigint/Buffer drift class).
+- `src/core/mcp-client.ts` — `callRemoteTool(config, toolName, args, opts)`,
+  the transport under the routing seam. All transport errors normalize to
+  `RemoteMcpError` via the `toRemoteMcpError` funnel, with a stable
+  `RemoteMcpErrorReason` union the dispatcher's `never` switch keys off.
+  Full symbol-level detail: the `src/core/mcp-client.ts` entry in
+  [`KEY_FILES.md`](./KEY_FILES.md).
+- `src/core/cli-options.ts` — `parseGlobalFlags` supports `--timeout=Ns`
+  (accepts `30s`, `2m`, `500ms`, plain ms). Default `null` = per-command
+  default (30s for most ops, 180s for `think`). `parseTimeout(s)` exported
+  helper.
+- `src/core/doctor-remote.ts` — `gbrain remote doctor` includes the
+  `oauth_client_scopes_probe` check. Probes the read tier via
+  `get_brain_identity` and the admin tier via `get_health`; reports per-tier
   status with pinpoint remediation when admin is missing. `buildScopeCheck`
   + `ScopeProbeResult` exported for test access. Skippable via
   `GBRAIN_DOCTOR_SKIP_SCOPE_PROBE=1` for fixtures that mock /mcp at JSON-RPC
   initialize level only (MCP SDK Client hangs on shape mismatch).
-- `src/core/ssrf-validate.ts` (v0.36 Commit 0) — DNS-rebinding-defended URL validation. `validateAndResolveUrl(url)` resolves the hostname via `dns.lookup({all: true, family: 0})`, checks EVERY A AND AAAA record against the internal-IP deny list, returns the resolved IP so callers fetch by IP (defeats DNS rebinding: validation IP === fetch IP). `fetchWithSSRFGuard(url, opts)` does redirect-aware fetching with per-hop re-validation, max 3 hops by default. Reusable across all URL-fetching features. Test seam `__setDnsLookupForTests` for hermetic tests.
-- `src/core/search/query-intent.ts` extension (v0.36 cross-modal wave) — new `suggestedModality: 'text' | 'image' | 'both'` axis on `QuerySuggestions`. Module-scope `CROSS_MODAL_PATTERNS` regex array (compiles once at module load). `isAmbiguousModalityQuery(query)` heuristic gate fires when a visual noun + reference marker combination indicates genuinely ambiguous routing — used by the Commit 4 LLM tie-break to bound LLM calls to <1% of queries.
-- `src/core/search/mode.ts` extension (v0.36 cross-modal wave) — `ModeBundle` extended with 7 cross-modal knobs: `cross_modal_both_text_weight` / `cross_modal_both_image_weight` (D6 weighted RRF for `'both'` mode, defaults 0.6/0.4), `image_query_text_refinement_weight` / `image_query_image_refinement_weight` (D13 hybrid intersect for `searchByImage` query refinement, defaults 0.4/0.6), `unified_multimodal` + `unified_multimodal_only` (Phase 3 unified column routing flags), `cross_modal_llm_intent` (Commit 4 opt-in escalation). `SEARCH_MODE_CONFIG_KEYS` extended with 7 corresponding config keys. `KNOBS_HASH_VERSION` bumped 2→3 (D2 — closes the silent cache-hit class where a cached text-mode result could leak to an image-mode caller).
-- `src/core/search/hybrid.ts` extension (v0.36 cross-modal wave) — cross-modal routing branch at the embed step. Resolves `effectiveModality` from per-call `opts.crossModal` (normalized: literal `'auto'` → undefined per D22-1) → `suggestions.suggestedModality` → `'text'` default. Image route: `embedQueryMultimodal` + `searchVector({embeddingColumn: 'embedding_image'})`, skip expansion + keyword (D9 mode-bundle override). 'both' route: parallel text + image vector searches merged via `rrfFusionWeighted` with `effectiveRrfK(baseRrfK, weight)` from the configured cross-modal weights. Phase 3 unified routing fires when `cfg.search.unified_multimodal === true` — bypasses dual-column branching, runs `embedQueryMultimodal` + `searchVector({embeddingColumn: 'embedding_multimodal'})`, D8 fail-open on zero rows + not strict-mode falls through to dual-column. Commit 4 LLM escalation fires only when (no explicit per-call opt) AND (regex returned 'text') AND (`cfg.search.cross_modal.llm_intent` is true) AND (`isAmbiguousModalityQuery` returns true). Fail-open on every error.
-- `src/core/search/image-loader.ts` (v0.36 Phase 2) — `loadImageInput(input, opts)` accepts local path, `data:` URI, or `http(s)://` URL. Magic-byte sniff for PNG/JPEG/WebP. Hard size cap (default 10 MB, configurable via `search.image_query.max_bytes`). For URLs: routes through `fetchWithSSRFGuard` so DNS rebinding + redirect chains are defeated. Pre-flight Content-Length check + post-fetch size guard for lying servers. `ImageLoadError` with discriminated `code` (INVALID_FORMAT / OVERSIZED / INVALID_URL / FETCH_FAILED / TIMEOUT / SSRF_BLOCKED / NOT_FOUND).
-- `src/core/search/by-image.ts` (v0.36 Phase 2) — `searchByImage(engine, input, opts)`. Always runs image branch (`embedQueryMultimodalImage` + `searchVector(embedding_image)`). D13 hybrid intersect: when caller provides optional `query`, runs parallel text branch via `embedQueryMultimodal(query)` and merges via `rrfFusionWeighted` with weights from resolved mode. Phase 3 widens to unified column once `search.unified_multimodal=true` (transparently upgrades the retrieval quality post-reindex).
-- `src/core/spend-log.ts` (v0.36 Phase 2 D23-#6) — per-OAuth-client paid-API spend tracking against the `mcp_spend_log` table (migration v74). `checkBudget(engine, clientId, capCents)` is the pre-flight gate; throws `BudgetExceededError` when today's spend has hit the cap. `recordSpend(engine, entry)` is best-effort post-call. UTC day-aligned aggregation so caps roll over deterministically regardless of server timezone. Local CLI callers (no clientId) bypass the gate. Pre-v0.36 brains without the table fail open to spend=0. `VOYAGE_MULTIMODAL_3_PER_IMAGE_CENTS` = 0.12 cents per image embed.
-- `src/core/search/llm-intent.ts` (v0.36 Commit 4) — opt-in LLM tie-break. `classifyModalityWithLLM(query, fallback)` routes through `gateway.chat()` with a fixed single-word-output system prompt. 1s timeout via AbortController. `parseModality(raw, fallback)` is the pure parser — tolerates trailing punctuation + casing. Fail-open on every error (gateway unavailable, timeout, parse failure, unrecognized output) — returns fallback so a misbehaving LLM can never break search. Cost-bounded by the ambiguity heuristic in `query-intent.ts` (fires <1% of queries when on).
-- `src/commands/reindex-multimodal.ts` (v0.36 Phase 3) — `gbrain reindex --multimodal [--limit N] [--dry-run] [--cost-estimate] [--no-embed] [--yes] [--json]`. Walks `content_chunks WHERE embedding_multimodal IS NULL`, batches via `embedMultimodalSafe` (Commit 0 partial-failure-aware), persists. D7 lock acquisition via `tryAcquireDbLock('gbrain-reindex-multimodal', 360min)`. Cost prompt + 10s Ctrl-C grace window in TTY. `GBRAIN_NO_REEMBED=1` bypass. Checkpoint at `~/.gbrain/reindex-multimodal-checkpoint.json` for resume. D23-#2 auto-flip prompt at coverage=100% completion (TTY: interactive; non-TTY: stderr hint with paste-ready command).
-- `src/core/backfill-registry.ts` extension (v0.36) — new `modality` backfill kind. SQL filter requires `chunk_source='image_asset'` AND `embedding_image IS NOT NULL` AND `(modality IS NULL OR modality != 'image')`. D22-7 defensive guard: never flag a non-image chunk that happens to have `embedding_image` populated. Idempotent — second run finds zero rows.
-- `src/core/migrate.ts` v74 (`mcp_spend_log`) + v75 (`embedding_multimodal_column`) — Phase 2 spend-log table + Phase 3 unified column ALTER. v75 is column-only (no HNSW index — deferred to post-reindex per pgvector best practice). v74 uses BTREE on `(client_id, created_at)` + `(token_name, created_at)` — `date_trunc('day', TIMESTAMPTZ)` is NOT IMMUTABLE so can't appear in index expressions; range scan on created_at covers the per-day rollup query.
 - `src/core/operations.ts` — `get_brain_identity` op (read scope, no params,
   banner-only): cheap counter packet `{version, engine, page_count,
   chunk_count, last_sync_iso}` for the thin-client identity banner. Reuses
-  `engine.getStats()`; banner's 60s client-side TTL bounds frequency to
-  ≤1/60s per CLI process (well below the Fly.io health-check cadence that
-  motivated the original `getStats` cost warning).
+  `engine.getStats()`; the banner's 60s client-side TTL bounds frequency to
+  ≤1/60s per CLI process.
 - `src/commands/{salience,anomalies,graph-query,think}.ts` — Per-command
   thin-client routing branches. These commands bypass the operation-layer
   dispatch in cli.ts (call `engine.foo()` directly), so each gets its own
   `if (isThinClient(cfg)) { callRemoteTool(...) }` branch that maps CLI flags
   to op params. `think` is a special case: the server's `think` op is
   read-scoped for OAuth/MCP and intentionally disables `--save`/`--take` for
-  remote callers in its trust-boundary gate; thin-client `think` warns loudly
-  when those flags are set.
+  remote callers (the `safeSave`/`safeTake` trust-boundary gate in the `think`
+  handler in `operations.ts`); thin-client `think` warns loudly when those
+  flags are set.
+
+Cross-modal search files (image query, SSRF-guarded image loading, spend
+tracking, multimodal reindex) are indexed per-file in
+[`KEY_FILES.md`](./KEY_FILES.md) and described behaviorally in
+[`RETRIEVAL.md`](./RETRIEVAL.md) — they are not part of the thin-client
+routing seam.

docs/architecture/topologies.md

@@ -108,11 +108,13 @@ instead of a local DB connection:
 }
 ```
 
-The CLI dispatch guard refuses any DB-bound command (`sync`, `embed`,
-`extract`, `migrate`, `apply-migrations`, `repair-jsonb`, `orphans`,
-`integrity`, `serve`) on a thin-client install with a clear error pointing
-at the remote host. `gbrain doctor` runs a dedicated thin-client check set
-(OAuth discovery, token round-trip, MCP smoke).
+The CLI dispatch guard refuses every DB-bound command (`sync`, `embed`,
+`extract`, `migrate`, `serve`, `enrich`, `jobs`, `sources`, `pages`,
+`files`, `eval`, and the rest of the local-only surface — the full hint
+table is `THIN_CLIENT_REFUSE_HINTS` in `src/cli.ts`) on a thin-client
+install with a clear error pointing at the remote host. `gbrain doctor`
+runs a dedicated thin-client check set (OAuth discovery, token round-trip,
+MCP smoke). See [`thin-client.md`](./thin-client.md) for the routing seam.
 
 ### Setup
 
@@ -394,6 +396,9 @@ simultaneously — that's by design.
 
 ## See also
 
+- `docs/guides/bootstrap.md` — `gbrain bootstrap`, the paved-road paste-in
+  install for Topology 1 with a desktop coding agent (interview, hooks,
+  MCP registration, verify).
 - `docs/architecture/brains-and-sources.md` — in-brain organization (brains
   vs sources axes).
 - `docs/mcp/CLAUDE_DESKTOP.md` and siblings — per-client MCP setup.

docs/architecture/type-taxonomy.md

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-# Type Taxonomy (v0.41.22: gbrain-base-v2)
+# Type Taxonomy (gbrain-base-v2)
 
-> The 14-canonical-type DRY/MECE taxonomy shipped in v0.41.22. Predecessor
-> `gbrain-base` (24 types) stays bundled for back-compat; v0.42+ installs
+> The 14-canonical-type DRY/MECE taxonomy. Predecessor
+> `gbrain-base` (24 types) stays bundled for back-compat; fresh installs
 > default to `gbrain-base-v2`.
 
 ## Why
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ gbrain jobs submit unify-types \               # PROTECTED + manual_only
   --params '{"target_pack":"gbrain-base-v2","apply":true}'
                                                # omit "apply":true → dry-run (default)
         ↓
-Handler runs 4 phases:
+Handler runs 8 phases:
   ┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
   │ Phase 1: Preflight + lock           │ → gbrain-unify db-lock (60min TTL)
   ├─────────────────────────────────────┤
@@ -165,8 +165,10 @@ explicitly disambiguated this as canonical, so it should outrank fuzzy
 matches that hit aliases by accident."
 
 `SearchResult.alias_resolved_boost` is stamped on touched results for
-`--explain` formatter visibility. KNOBS_HASH_VERSION bumped 5→6 to
-invalidate pre-v0.42 cache rows that don't reflect the new stage.
+`--explain` formatter visibility. The stage participates in the search
+cache key (`KNOBS_HASH_VERSION` in `src/core/search/mode.ts` is the
+single source of truth for the current cache-key version), so cache rows
+written before the stage existed are unreachable.
 
 ## Reference
 
@@ -176,4 +178,3 @@ invalidate pre-v0.42 cache rows that don't reflect the new stage.
 - Migration handler: `src/core/schema-pack/unify-types-handler.ts`
 - Onboard checks: `src/core/onboard/checks.ts`
 - Skill: `skills/schema-unify/SKILL.md`
-- Plan + decisions: `~/.claude/plans/system-instruction-you-are-working-transient-elephant.md`

docs/contradictions.md

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# gbrain eval suspected-contradictions (v0.32.6)
+# gbrain eval suspected-contradictions
 
 The contradiction probe samples retrieval results, asks an LLM judge whether
 any pair contradicts on a factual claim relevant to the user's query, and
@@ -142,25 +142,27 @@ pay near-zero on re-runs (until you bump PROMPT_VERSION).
   gate makes accidental private-data commits hard, but the operator MUST
   inspect every redaction before commit.
 
+## Temporal axis
+
+The judge distinguishes real contradictions from legitimate change-over-time.
+The verdict enum has six members (`no_contradiction | contradiction |
+temporal_supersession | temporal_regression | temporal_evolution |
+negation_artifact`), and `pages.effective_date` is threaded into the judge
+prompt so the probe doesn't cry wolf on facts that simply changed.
+
+The trajectory substrate builds on the same signal:
+`gbrain eval trajectory <entity>` shows the chronological typed-claim
+history with regressions flagged inline; `gbrain founder scorecard
+<entity>` rolls up four signals (accuracy, consistency, growth
+direction, red flags) into a stable JSON contract. MCP op
+`find_trajectory` (read scope, visibility-filtered for remote callers)
+exposes the same data to agents. The probe's `temporal_supersession`
+verdict and the consolidate phase's `valid_until` writeback both
+preserve the `auto-supersession.ts` "NEVER auto-applies" invariant
+— the probe only emits paste-ready commands; only `consolidate`
+writes `valid_until` (a grep guard pins this).
+
 ## See also
 
-- Plan: `~/.claude/plans/system-instruction-you-are-working-hashed-dewdrop.md`
-- CHANGELOG: `## [0.32.6]` entry covers the whole release.
 - Cost discipline: `docs/eval-bench.md` for the recommended nightly cadence
   + trend-tracking workflow.
-- **Temporal axis follow-on (v0.35.3.1 + v0.35.7):** v0.35.3.1 added a
-  six-member verdict enum (`no_contradiction | contradiction |
-  temporal_supersession | temporal_regression | temporal_evolution |
-  negation_artifact`) and threaded `pages.effective_date` into the judge
-  prompt so the probe stops crying wolf on legitimate change-over-time.
-  v0.35.7 lands the trajectory substrate the probe pointed at:
-  `gbrain eval trajectory <entity>` shows the chronological typed-claim
-  history with regressions flagged inline; `gbrain founder scorecard
-  <entity>` rolls up four signals (accuracy, consistency, growth
-  direction, red flags) into a stable JSON contract. MCP op
-  `find_trajectory` (read scope, visibility-filtered for remote callers)
-  exposes the same data to agents. The probe's `temporal_supersession`
-  verdict and the consolidate phase's `valid_until` writeback both
-  preserve the `auto-supersession.ts:4` "NEVER auto-applies" invariant
-  — the probe still emits paste-ready commands, only `consolidate`
-  writes `valid_until` (R1+R8 grep guard pins this).

docs/designs/AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_DESIGN.md

@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+# Agent Bootstrap — Product Design (normative for scope & sequencing)
+
+**Status:** APPROVED (product review, 3 adversarial rounds; CEO review; eng review —
+0 unresolved decisions). Implementation source of truth:
+[AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_PLAN.md](AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_PLAN.md).
+
+## Problem
+
+Agent platforms (OpenClaw, Hermes) deliver the full personal-agent experience —
+scheduled work, skill files, SOUL.md identity, persistent memory — but setting one up
+means deploying a server, wiring API keys, and paying raw token prices. Meanwhile
+nearly everyone already runs Claude Code or Codex, both subsidized by subscriptions,
+both capable of executing an install protocol themselves.
+
+**The feature:** a paste-in install that adds memory + skills + identity +
+session-triggered schedules + knowledge persistence to a private GitHub repo,
+mimicking the agent-platform experience on the desktop apps people already have.
+"Just use your local harness as your agent."
+
+## Target surfaces & order
+
+| Surface | In v1? | Order | Per-turn context seam | Persistence (write) seam |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| Codex in ChatGPT desktop | YES | 1st | spike exit question #2 | spike exit question #1 (blocking); fallback: mandated MCP writes + end-of-session sweep |
+| Codex CLI | YES | with 1st | AGENTS.md pull protocol + `volunteer_context` | mandated MCP write ops |
+| Claude Code desktop | YES | 2nd | hooks: SessionStart / UserPromptSubmit via serve IPC | SessionEnd hook: transcript ingest + scan-gated push |
+| Claude Code CLI | YES | with 2nd | same hooks | same hooks |
+
+The wedge is NOT platform feature-parity on day one. It is: paste → interview → an
+agent that knows who it is and who you are → recalls what you told it in the next
+session → visibly compounds during week one.
+
+## The repo format (the contract)
+
+A private GitHub repo is the product artifact — the agent's portable body:
+
+- **Manifest:** `agent.json` (`format_version: 1`, provisional; `initialized`
+  sentinel distinguishes a template clone from a bootstrapped workspace).
+- **Identity:** SOUL.md, USER.md, MEMORY.md, AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, HEARTBEAT.md,
+  ACCESS_POLICY.md, GITHUB.md — rendered ONLY from interview answers, never invented.
+- **Content:** `brain/` (the gbrain source), `memory/` (daily notes), `skills/`,
+  `state/` (committed: interview.json, portable mcp.json; local-only files gitignored).
+- **Compatibility promise:** hosted gbrain mounts `format_version: 1` repos natively;
+  compatibility is a test against this spec.
+
+## Premises (all settled)
+
+1. **Free desktop tier of the hosted ladder** — the desktop ceiling (laptop asleep =
+   agent asleep; data outgrows the disk) is the graduation mechanic to hosted gbrain.
+2. **One agent-body format, two doors.** Portability up the ladder is moat #1.
+3. **Awake-when-you-are is the honest desktop contract.** Session-triggered schedules
+   (jobs run at turn/session boundaries while the harness is open); true 24/7 crons
+   are hosted-tier, stated in-product.
+4. **Day-one-empty-brain is the #1 churn risk.** Magic moment with zero corpus
+   (interview → next-session recall) + fast ramp (file import; connector ingest v1.1).
+5. **Wire-level truth before build:** a clean-machine spike gates door 1 (write-seam
+   pass bar: 0 durable-write failures in 20 sessions over ≥3 days, else extend to 50).
+6. **The graph is moat #2:** v1 exercises entity extraction, backlinks, and
+   graph-aware recall; verify enforces a graph floor.
+7. **Keyless mode is first-class:** the harness agent IS the subsidized LLM — with
+   zero API keys, memory is agent-authored through write ops, search is keyword-only,
+   and the magic moment still passes. One optional key unlocks embeddings +
+   auto-extraction.
+
+## Build order (one cathedral PR; size trip-wire: split at build order 2 if PR is
+open >10 days from first code commit)
+
+0. **Spike + quota gate** (manual, gates door-1 ship; per-harness quota measured; a
+   p90 day must fit ≤10% of weekly subscription quota or schedule scope is cut).
+1. **Shared body + engine machinery:** `gbrain bootstrap` family, templates, format
+   spec, secret-scan-gated persistence, verify, uninstall (v1 via CEO-review
+   expansion; receipt-keyed scope per the PLAN's CX2-12).
+2. **Codex door ships first** (runbook variant + approvals preflight + capability
+   probe; CLI path not spike-gated).
+3. **Claude Code door:** hooks, IPC turn_context, transcript ingestion, greeting
+   digest, schedule mechanism.
+4. **Graduation seam, desktop half:** format spec + documented upgrade path (advisor
+   nudge ships with the hosted mount in v1.1).
+
+## Out of scope for v1
+
+| Deferred | Lands | Why |
+|---|---|---|
+| Connector-driven ingest (email/calendar) | v1.1 (keyed to probe) | unverified host capability |
+| Hosted mount + "outgrowing this laptop" nudge | v1.1 together | never point at a destination that can't accept the repo |
+| `serve --attach` (simultaneous multi-harness) | fast-follow | v1 documents one-live-serve politely |
+| Codex `notify` transcript sweeper | fast-follow | mandated MCP writes cover v1 |
+| Windows (named-pipe IPC) | deferred | v1 = macOS + Linux |
+| Networked Docker paste-flow e2e | fast-follow | offline container e2e covers 80% at 20% of the flake |
+| `gbrain quota` meter command | TODOS | measurement ships as script+doc; productize when per-harness token counting is proven |
+| True 24/7 crons on desktop | never | hosted-tier by design |
+
+## Success criteria
+
+- **TTFM ≤15 min** paste→verified install, excluding first-run toolchain downloads
+  (published separately); every human action counted.
+- **Magic moment, deterministically:** verify asserts an interview fact is retrievable
+  through the agent's own MCP path; fresh-session end-to-end is a scripted human
+  confirmation. Must pass keyless.
+- **Pilot tests:** a non-developer pilot completes the door-1 install unaided and
+  still uses it in week two; a developer completes the door-2 README install ≤10 min
+  with a week-two recall check.
+- **Graph floor:** ≥1 entity extracted, ≥1 backlink resolved, one edge-only query
+  answered — via the real MCP write path.
+- **Ladder proof:** a desktop-grown repo validates against `format_version: 1`.
+- **Honesty checks:** quota number published; desktop contract stated in-product;
+  door 1 demotes to documented-beta on its trigger rather than shipping flaky.
+
+## Distribution
+
+Paste block + tag-pinned runbook (`BOOTSTRAP_FOR_AGENTS.md`, fetched at the
+`latest-stable` ref — advanced by the release job only after assets publish, so
+published copies never rot); optional GitHub template repo (generated at release from
+the same renderer); binary via `bun install -g github:garrytan/gbrain#latest-stable`
+(never npm). The paste block lives in the README's `## Install` section, as
+per-harness subsections ordered "For Codex — the recommended first step" → "For
+Claude Code" → "For OpenClaw or Hermes" (the 2026-08-09 ordering decision, recorded
+in the PLAN's artifact table). `INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md` remains the paste path for
+agent platforms and lives inside the OpenClaw/Hermes subsection.
+
+## Threat model (v1 summary)
+
+Tag-pinned fetch + version-stamp skew check + runbook phase allowlist; secret-scan
+gates every commit AND corpus write (loud block, per-finding override); repo privacy
+verified via API after create; hooks in gitignored local settings with a kill switch;
+interview answers rendered as fenced data (never instructions) with escaping and
+caps; uninstall keyed to a machine-local receipt, never deletes a brain it didn't
+create; provider-policy drift acknowledged as residual risk — posture: measured
+sustainable load, no absent-user background burn, portable body as the exit plan.
+Full posture: `docs/guides/bootstrap.md`.

docs/designs/AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_PLAN.md

@@ -0,0 +1,820 @@
+# Agent Bootstrap — Implementation Plan (normative)
+
+The engineering source of truth for `gbrain bootstrap` — the paste-in install that
+turns Claude Code / Codex desktop apps into a persistent personal agent (identity +
+memory + skills + session-triggered schedules + private-repo persistence + local
+PGLite brain). Product scope/sequencing source of truth:
+[AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_DESIGN.md](AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_DESIGN.md). Where they disagree, the
+design doc wins on scope; this doc wins on implementation.
+
+Reviews absorbed: 3-designer panel + adversarial critique; product design review (3
+rounds); CEO review (SELECTIVE EXPANSION, ~55 findings); outside voice x2 (37
+findings, 35 accepted); eng review (32 findings). All accepted fixes are inlined
+below with their finding IDs. 0 unresolved decisions.
+
+---
+
+## As-shipped deltas (read this first — where the code moved after the plan froze)
+
+This plan is layered: later absorption sections (the post-design-review deltas, the
+CX2 series) override earlier prose, and THIS section overrides everything below it.
+The shipped implementation matches the plan except for these deltas:
+
+1. **Verify runs LAST, not before host registration.** [CX2-5]'s determinism goal
+   survived, but the shipped phase order (single TS source:
+   `src/core/bootstrap/status.ts` `PHASES`) is
+   preflight → engine → interview → render → skills → wire → repo → **verify**,
+   and verify runs in-process on the caller-held engine, calling
+   `runMaintenanceSweep` directly — no transient serve. It works pre-registration
+   AND as the weekly re-run (`src/core/bootstrap/verify.ts`).
+2. **Uninstall scope: [CX2-12] wins over the CEO-expansion bullet.** `~/.gbrain` is
+   NEVER deleted wholesale — only receipt-enumerated bootstrap-created state
+   (`src/core/bootstrap/uninstall.ts`).
+3. **Module naming/layout:** `private-repo.ts` shipped as `repo.ts`; additional
+   shipped modules the artifact table doesn't list: `attach.ts, assets.ts,
+   format.ts, host-specs.ts, hooks.ts, lock.ts, status.ts, template-repo.ts,
+   uninstall.ts`.
+4. **Templates layout:** all bootstrap templates live under `templates/bootstrap/`
+   (not at `templates/` root).
+5. **Test filenames:** `test/hook-command.serial.test.ts` and
+   `test/e2e/bootstrap-*.serial.test.ts` — the `.serial` variants the plan's own
+   [A7] mandated; the artifact table predates that.
+6. **README ordering:** the D5 placement was superseded by the 2026-08-09 user
+   decision — per-harness `## Install` sections ordered Codex → Claude Code →
+   OpenClaw/Hermes, with `INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md` living inside the OpenClaw/Hermes
+   section (annotated in the artifact table; the D5 prose at the bottom is stale).
+
+## Post-design-review deltas (2026-08-07, /office-hours APPROVED — these override below)
+
+Product: **"GBrain for Codex" + "GBrain for Claude Code"** (names contingent on
+trademark review) — the free desktop tier of the hosted-gbrain ladder (the hosted service is the
+graduation path; the desktop ceiling is the mechanic, not a bug). Target surfaces are
+the DESKTOP APPS; **Codex door ships first** (named pilot user is a non-developer
+ChatGPT-app user). CLIs come along via shared machinery.
+
+**Build order (replaces the PR1/FF phasing below where they conflict):**
+0. **Spike (gates door-1 ship; starts immediately, before build):** clean-machine
+   reproduction of Garry's working Codex-in-ChatGPT + gbrain prototype. Exit questions
+   with pass bars: (#1 blocking) reliable per-turn/per-session WRITE trigger — 0
+   durable-write failures in 20 sessions across ≥3 days on a non-founder machine, else
+   extend to 50; causes logged. (#2) per-turn READ seam — context block present at turn
+   start or degraded pull-mode documented. Also: folder access, MCP registration path,
+   approval-tap count, connector availability (yes/no/degraded). PLUS in parallel: the
+   **quota release gate** measured against Garry's production usage — pass: p90 day
+   ≤10% of weekly Max/Pro quota; failure = scope change to "session-agent, no schedules
+   by default" BEFORE schedule build effort. Codex CLI is NOT spike-gated.
+1. **Shared body + engine machinery (PR1):** everything in this plan's PR1 (bootstrap
+   family, gbrain hook + IPC turn_context, templates, question bank, secret scan,
+   sources push, skillpack scaffold wiring, doctor checks) PLUS: `agent.json` repo
+   manifest with `format_version: 1` (the ladder contract — the hosted gbrain service mounts this
+   format; compatibility is a test, not a hope); wire EXISTING import + entity
+   extraction + backlinks + graph-aware query into install/verify (funds design
+   Premises 4/6 — new verify check: ≥1 entity extracted, ≥1 backlink resolved, one
+   edge-only query answered); byte floors scaled to answered-question count (they catch
+   skipped interviews, NOT invention — never pressure padding); commit this plan to
+   docs/designs/AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_PLAN.md.
+2. **Codex door (ships first):** runbook variant for Codex desktop approvals/sandbox
+   (seam per spike; fallback = mandated MCP writes via AGENTS.md gates + end-of-session
+   sweep, shipped only with measured reliability) + Codex CLI path (AGENTS.md pull
+   protocol; session-start gate includes "run due jobs"). Connector-ingest capability
+   probe wired into install output; connector ingest itself is v1.1.
+3. **Claude Code door:** hooks per this plan (SessionStart/UserPromptSubmit/SessionEnd
+   via serve IPC), MCP project-scope default, transcript ingestion. Includes the v1
+   schedule mechanism: hook layer checks HEARTBEAT.md due-job list at session start +
+   turn boundaries. If the spike finds no turn-boundary trigger on ChatGPT desktop,
+   schedules are Claude-Code-only in v1 and per-surface copy says so.
+4. **Graduation seam, desktop half only:** format spec + documented upgrade path +
+   honest-contract copy. The "outgrowing this laptop" advisor nudge moves to v1.1
+   WITH the hosted mount (never point at a destination that can't accept the repo).
+
+**New v1 requirements from the design review (fold into implementation):**
+- Binary install is tag-pinned: `bun install -g github:garrytan/gbrain#<release-tag>`,
+  same stamp as the runbook, so `bootstrap status` skew check is meaningful.
+- Non-terminal-buyer error channel: every blocking condition (scan block, lock
+  collision, partial install, verify fail) surfaces through the agent's reply channel
+  (agent-readable status/verify/doctor output the runbook + AGENTS.md instruct the
+  agent to relay; hook failures write a status file surfaced at session start).
+- Both doors, one machine: shared brain, one live serve; installer detects + reuses
+  existing registration; simultaneous-session collision fails politely, doctor names
+  it, agent relays it. serve --attach lifts the limit later.
+- state/ boundary: interview.json + mcp.json COMMITTED (machine-2 re-render must not
+  hard-fail); *.local/caches/heartbeat files gitignored; DB never committed.
+- OS scope v1: macOS + Linux (unix-socket IPC). Windows deferred (named-pipe = spike
+  question if prioritized).
+- Success criteria additions: TTFM ≤15 min EXCLUDING first-run toolchain downloads
+  (published separately); door-2 developer test (README paste → ≤10 min install,
+  week-two recall check); graph floor verify check; magic moment = deterministic
+  retrieval assertion + scripted human confirmation (never fake-automated).
+- Provider-policy drift acknowledged as unmitigable external risk; posture = quota
+  gate + no absent-user background burn + portable body as exit plan.
+- README: bootstrap paste block is the "full agent" option INSIDE the existing "Quick
+  start: Claude Code or Codex" section; the 2-line memory-only quick start STAYS,
+  labeled "just memory, no agent"; INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md remains the platform headline.
+- Consolidated v1 non-goals (from design doc, amended by CEO review): connector ingest
+  (v1.1), hosted mount + advisor nudge (v1.1), serve --attach, notify sweeper, Windows,
+  networked-paste Docker e2e (fast-follows); 24/7 crons never on desktop.
+
+**CEO-review accepted expansions (2026-08-07, SELECTIVE EXPANSION — now v1 scope):**
+- **GitHub template repo** ("Use this template") as a second distribution artifact for
+  the ChatGPT door (resolves design OQ2 = yes). Same rendered file set, published;
+  kept in sync with templates/ by extending scripts/check-bootstrap-templates.sh to
+  diff the template repo content. Build order 2.
+- **`gbrain bootstrap uninstall`** in v1 (was fast-follow): removes MCP registration +
+  hooks + bootstrap-created state (confirm-gated), leaves the repo ("the body remains
+  yours"). [Scope superseded by CX2-12 + as-shipped delta 2: `~/.gbrain` is never
+  deleted wholesale — only receipt-enumerated bootstrap-created state.]
+- **Docker cold-machine e2e (offline parts) in CI** in v1: networkless read-only
+  container running interview → render → verify with fake gh (codex-as-agent
+  tests/docker shape). The full networked paste flow stays a fast-follow (flake).
+- **Hot-memory greeting digest in SessionStart**: top facts via IPC turn_context when
+  serve is up; file-plane MEMORY.md digest fallback when not (session start often
+  precedes serve spawn); fail-open. Claude door in v1; door 1 iff spike finds a read
+  seam.
+- **First-run tour**: `bootstrap verify` success output ends with three scripted magic
+  prompts (who am I to you / remember X then restart / what do you know about
+  <project>) — makes week-one compounding visible (design Premise 4).
+- **Deferred to TODOS.md in the PR** (must land as TODOS entries with the cathedral
+  PR): `gbrain quota` meter command (release-gate measurement ships as script+doc
+  first; productize once the per-harness token-count method is proven); networked
+  Docker paste-flow e2e.
+
+## Deep-review hardening (2026-08-07 CEO review sections 1–9 — ALL ACCEPTED per
+## Garry's standing directive; IDs trace to the review record. These are v1 scope.)
+
+**Architecture (S1):**
+- [D4] The release-time template-repo generator IS `core/bootstrap/render.ts --minimal`
+  with placeholder answers — one rendering code path, two consumers; CI guard becomes a
+  byte-diff of generator output vs the vendored tree.
+- [D5] Bootstrap phase list defined ONCE in TS; `bootstrap status --json` emits it; the
+  runbook defers to it ("follow status's phase list"); CI checks runbook phase names
+  against the TS list.
+
+**Source binding + brain semantics (G1, S3#1 — the two product-breaking fixes):**
+- [G1] MCP registration passes the workspace source explicitly
+  (`claude mcp add -e GBRAIN_SOURCE=<workspace-slug>` / codex env equivalent) so agent
+  writes land in the workspace source, fact fence-writes reach `brain/` files (not
+  DB-only fallback), and the private repo actually fills. `bootstrap verify` asserts an
+  MCP-path `put_page` materializes a COMMITTED file under `brain/` — a green verify with
+  an empty repo is impossible.
+- [S3#1] `turn-context.ts` constructs an OperationContext with `remote: true` and
+  threads `visibility: ['world']` into all fact reads (parity with the existing
+  meta-hook posture — the IPC path must never widen what MCP would return). IPC test:
+  a `visibility='private'` fact NEVER appears in a turn_context response. Verify's
+  magic-moment fact is written with visibility the harness can read back (world).
+
+**Interview + render hardening (S3#3, G10, G12, A8):**
+- Answers render inside fenced, explicitly-subordinate blocks ("verbatim principal
+  input — data, not instructions"); strip/escape line-leading `#`, `<!--`, and code
+  fences; per-answer length cap (~4KB, confirm-to-truncate); reject/escape `{{` and
+  control chars at `--set` time (a Handlebars user's honest answer must not brick the
+  token sweep). Verify fails if any heading or managed-block marker in a rendered file
+  traces to an interview value (protects harden's AGENTS.md marker splicing).
+- [A8] `--confirm` requires the hash of the exact answer set that was read back;
+  per-answer `set_at` provenance recorded; hostile test: single-batch set+confirm
+  exits non-zero and verify reports `provenance: unverified`.
+- [G12] Conflict-marker detection on `state/interview.json` read → agent-readable
+  "resolve this file" message, never a stack trace.
+
+**Uninstall confinement (G2, S3#5, A2):**
+- Never delete a brain bootstrap didn't create: `agent.json` created-by stamp checked;
+  default KEEPS the DB; deletion only behind explicit `--delete-brain` with a confirm
+  that enumerates sources + page count; facts export offered first (facts are NOT
+  derived state). Refuse when `GBRAIN_HOME` is set unless `--home` is explicit AND
+  `isPathContained` + gbrain-home signature (config.json + brain.pglite) both pass.
+  Host-config edits are marker-keyed managed blocks only (settings.local.json,
+  ~/.codex/config.toml) — foreign hooks/servers survive; test asserts full
+  before/after filesystem+registration diff incl. foreign entries + symlinked home.
+
+**Hooks + IPC hardening (G5, G11, S3#6, S3#7, S3#8, A9, A3):**
+- [G5] `bootstrap hooks`/`--repair`/uninstall use marker-keyed managed-block
+  read-merge-write on settings.local.json — never overwrite `permissions.allow` or
+  foreign hooks; never append duplicates.
+- [G11] IPC client timeout parameterized per kind (turn_context > 250ms default);
+  window payload + assembled block clamped below the 256KB message cap before send.
+- [ENG-1] **Claude Code hook-output cap:** stdout/additionalContext is capped at
+  10,000 chars by the harness (overflow is diverted to a file and NOT injected) —
+  the assembled turn_context block is budgeted to ≤8KB (pointers + facts trimmed by
+  confidence to fit), asserted in the hook snapshot test. Docs: code.claude.com hooks
+  reference (verified 2026-08-08; the hook writers are dated spec-targets, so this cap
+  lives with the settings-shape module).
+
+## Eng-review hardening (2026-08-08 /plan-eng-review — ALL ACCEPTED per standing
+## directive; seams verified against source with file:line quotes)
+
+- [ENG-2] (9/10) **cli.ts registration is THREE touchpoints, not one:** `CLI_ONLY` set
+  (cli.ts:58), the engine-free if-chain inside `handleCliOnly` (add before the
+  `connectEngine` terminator at cli.ts:1840), and `CLI_ONLY_SELF_HELP` (cli.ts:61 —
+  omit it and the subcommands' `--help` is dead code, the documented init.ts:117 trap).
+  `bootstrap`/`hook` must NOT enter `THIN_CLIENT_REFUSED_COMMANDS`. Membership test per
+  the #2035 precedent (test/cli-bigint-normalize.test.ts:46 shape).
+- [ENG-3] (9/10) **IPC widening = handler restructure, not a field add.** Correct path
+  is `src/core/context/resolve-ipc.ts` (constants at :26-28). `ResolveHandler` is a
+  single-function type (:42) and the server handler dispatches unconditionally
+  (:127-128) — turn_context needs a discriminated-union request + handler map
+  (restructuring the closure at src/mcp/server.ts:90-108), NAMED response types
+  (today's responses are inline literals), and per-kind MAX_MSG_BYTES/CLIENT_TIMEOUT.
+  Absent `kind` defaults to 'resolve'; old-serve grace confirmed (malformed → client
+  IPC_UNAVAILABLE fail-soft, resolve-ipc.ts:80-84).
+- [ENG-4] (8/10) **Postgres-hook silent degrade on unmigrated brains:** volunteer.ts
+  (:247-249) and retrieval-reflex.ts (:180-183) swallow missing-table errors
+  (pre-v110/v117), so a direct-engine hook returns empty, not an error. Fix: hook
+  heartbeat records `degraded_reason: 'schema_pre_vNNN'`; doctor pairs
+  hook-in-use + unmigrated-brain into a named warning.
+- [ENG-5] (8/10) **Sweep layer ownership decided:** startup sweep attaches in
+  src/mcp/server.ts immediately after `server.connect` (:77) in the same best-effort
+  try/catch shape as the resolve-IPC block (:85-112), with cleanup added to shutdown
+  (:122); the idle sweep lives in src/commands/serve.ts reusing the `armIdle` pattern
+  (:437-451) through the injectable `deps.setInterval` seam (:281,297), every timer
+  `unref()`d (the :424/:444 convention) so the sweep can never hold the process open.
+- [ENG-6] (9/10) **Compiled-binary asset rule:** `bin/gbrain` ships via
+  `bun build --compile`; `dirname(dirname(__dirname))` template resolution
+  (init.ts:1514 pattern) breaks in the binary. Templates + questions.json + runbook
+  stamps are STATICALLY IMPORTED (bundled) — same mechanism as the existing
+  `skills/_brain-filing-rules.json` static import in brain-repo-durability.ts. A
+  compiled-binary e2e asserts `bootstrap render` works with NO repo checkout present.
+- [ENG-7] (7/10) **Host-format module precedents named:** registration strings follow
+  connect.ts `AGENT_SPECS` + argv builders (:61-67, :262-267); file-writing hook/
+  settings writers follow the integrations.ts / frontmatter-install-hook.ts idiom
+  (backup + marker + restore). The dated-spec-target scaffold is imported from
+  codex-as-agent (greenfield here — docs/plans/ has n=1 file); it becomes
+  `src/core/bootstrap/host-specs.ts` with TARGETS entries carrying id/status/
+  verifiedAt/references.
+- [ENG-8] (9/10) **Facts visibility knob = ONE resolver helper.** The 'private'
+  default is duplicated at backstop.ts:185, :352, operations.ts:4468, :5812 — and the
+  :4468 ternary coerces any non-'world' to 'private', so a config default needs an
+  explicit caller-unset check. Implement `resolveDefaultVisibility(engine)` (reads
+  `facts.default_visibility` via the getConfig precedent, extract.ts:44) feeding
+  ctx.visibility at ALL FOUR sites; no schema change (CHECK already permits 'world',
+  migrate.ts:2319). Documented as security-relevant: it widens what remote/MCP
+  callers read via meta-hook.ts:66 — the intended effect, stated as such.
+- [ENG-9] (8/10) **Secret-scan module reuses residents:** seed exclusion list from
+  `.gitleaks.toml` allowlist paths (test/, skills/, .claude/skills/) so the scanner
+  doesn't fire on fixtures CI already ignores; findings render through
+  `redactSecretsInText` (shell-redact.ts:36) for consistent `<REDACTED:name>` output.
+- [ENG-10] (7/10) **Renderer must not eat intentional literals:** skillpack scaffolds
+  carry a literal `{{output-from-skill}}` token (init-scaffold.ts:269) that must
+  survive to disk — the renderer is never pointed at skillpack scaffold paths, pinned
+  by a negative test.
+- [ENG-11] (7/10) **turn_context reuses the existing hot-memory cache** (30s TTL keyed
+  on source+session, meta-hook.ts) instead of a fresh facts query per turn — the
+  per-turn cost profile is then identical to what every MCP tool call already pays.
+- [ENG-tests] New tests from this review: CLI_ONLY membership (bootstrap, hook);
+  compiled-binary render e2e (no repo checkout); Postgres-hook degraded_reason;
+  resolveDefaultVisibility across all 4 call sites (unset/world/private × config);
+  IPC handler-map dispatch (kind absent/resolve/turn_context/unknown); renderer
+  negative test on scaffold literals; 8KB block-budget snapshot assert.
+- [ENG-tests-2] Coverage-trace gaps (Section 3): **attach-mode e2e** (clone a
+  bootstrap-created fixture repo on "machine 2" → attach → hooks repair → verify);
+  **sweep tests** (bounded batch per idle tick, spend-gate off ⇒ no LLM calls,
+  unref/shutdown never held open, corpus file marked processed exactly once);
+  **keyless-mode e2e** (zero API keys: install → agent-authored fact via ops → BM25
+  recall → magic-moment passes → capability report says keyless);
+  **decline-everything e2e** (no gh, no keys, hooks declined: install completes
+  local-only with honest warnings, verify exits 0-with-warnings, nothing silently
+  broken).
+
+## Eng outside-voice absorption (Codex round 2, 2026-08-08 — 17/17 ACCEPTED,
+## all with file:line evidence; CX2 ids)
+
+- [CX2-1 P0] **Template-vs-attach discriminator:** agent.json presence cannot
+  discriminate a template clone from a machine-2 clone. The template ships
+  `agent.json` with `initialized: false`; `bootstrap render` flips it true atomically
+  AND writes a machine-local install receipt (`~/.gbrain/bootstrap/receipt.json`);
+  `attach` requires `initialized: true`. [pairs with CX2-12]
+- [CX2-2 P0] **One-live-serve wording clarified:** each door spawns its OWN stdio
+  serve via its MCP registration (process-bound transport, server.ts:76); "reuse
+  registration" means config, never process. v1 contract restated: one live serve at
+  a time per brain; sequential across doors works; simultaneous fails politely.
+- [CX2-3 P0] **Durability must be parent-repo-aware:** write-through targets
+  `repo/brain` but hardening asserts `.git` in that exact dir (sources-harden.ts:83,
+  brain-repo-durability.ts:621) — would fail on the workspace layout. Fix: durability
+  resolves the repo root via `git rev-parse --show-toplevel` (the sync.ts:1002
+  precedent); commit/push operate on the parent repo; integration test on the
+  workspace fixture.
+- [CX2-4 P0] **Keyless facts ingestion made deterministic:** put_page only queues
+  extraction (operations.ts:1337); facts-fence reconciliation lives in the cycle
+  extractor (extract-facts.ts:337). The serve sweep INCLUDES the zero-LLM facts-fence
+  reconciliation pass, so agent-authored `## Facts` fences populate the facts table
+  with no API key. Keyless e2e asserts it.
+- [CX2-5 P0] **Graph-floor verify made deterministic:** verify cannot command the
+  host's serve (stdio owned by the desktop app). Fix: the sweep gets a trusted
+  local-only CLI entry (`gbrain sweep --once`, CLI_ONLY, never over MCP), and
+  `bootstrap verify` runs BEFORE host registration on its own transient serve/engine:
+  write via op → `sweep --once` → edge query. No timing nondeterminism.
+  [Sequencing superseded by as-shipped delta 1: verify shipped as the LAST phase,
+  in-process on the caller-held engine; the determinism goal is unchanged.]
+- [CX2-6 P1] **Cross-platform lock replaces flock dependence:** flock(1) absent ⇒
+  locking silently disabled (brain-repo-durability.ts:137) — macOS is the v1 target.
+  One cross-platform lock (atomic mkdir/lockfile with PID+age+token semantics) spans
+  scan → stage → commit → pull → push, coordinated with the post-commit hook.
+  [As-shipped delta: a TOCTOU fix reordered the scanned phase to stage FIRST, then
+  secret-scan the STAGED index blobs (`git cat-file`), so scanned bytes == committed
+  bytes; unscannable staged blobs fail closed (`blocked_unscannable`). Lock span
+  otherwise unchanged.]
+- [CX2-7 P1] **Push ordering pinned:** commit FIRST, then divergenceSafePull, then
+  push (the existing durability ordering, brain-repo-durability.ts:200 —
+  divergenceSafePull returns skipped_dirty on a dirty tree, git-remote.ts:489); test:
+  dirty local + advanced remote.
+- [CX2-8 P1] **GBRAIN_HOME dual semantics normalized:** config appends `.gbrain`
+  (config.ts:1210) while durability uses the value directly
+  (brain-repo-durability.ts:95) — the S3#10 `ensureGbrainHome()` choke point is also
+  the single semantic resolver; the --isolated e2e asserts the credential store's
+  ACTUAL location is gitignored, not just the expected path.
+- [CX2-9 P1] **Provider-key resolution re-specified honestly:** env legitimately
+  overrides file config (config.ts:568) — the CX-P1.4 claim "never from shell env" is
+  wrong. Real contract: interview-provided keys go to the 0600 config file so
+  GUI-spawned serves (which lack shell env) find them; normal env>file precedence
+  stands; test = GUI-launch simulation with empty env + file key.
+- [CX2-10 P1] **IPC authorization, not just authentication:** turn_context binds
+  server-side to the registered GBRAIN_SOURCE and rejects caller-supplied cross-source
+  requests (existing handler accepts caller sourceId, server.ts:89); cross-source
+  rejection test.
+- [CX2-11 P1] **Hot-memory cache session key made real:** meta-hook reads an ad-hoc
+  `source_session` that dispatch never sets (meta-hook.ts:49, dispatch.ts:208) — all
+  callers collapse to the null-session cache key today. Session identity becomes
+  typed OperationContext state set from MCP `_meta.session_id`; two-session isolation
+  test.
+- [CX2-12 P1] **Uninstall ownership = machine-local receipt** (never the repo-carried
+  agent.json, which template/attach clones inherit); uninstall stops/refuses a live
+  serve before touching state; `~/.gbrain` global config/sources/clones are NEVER
+  deleted wholesale — only receipt-enumerated bootstrap-created state.
+- [CX2-13 P1] **Committed-state hygiene:** the optional interview API key bypasses
+  answers/hashes/provenance/logs entirely → written only to the 0600 config sink
+  (config.ts:1138); committed `state/mcp.json` is the PORTABLE snippet (no absolute
+  paths, no machine GBRAIN_HOME) — machine-specific wiring lives in local state and
+  is regenerated by attach/`hooks --repair`.
+- [CX2-14 P1] **Generator determinism:** template-repo renders use canonical
+  placeholder provenance (frozen timestamps), exclude runtime state; guard test =
+  two independent renders are byte-identical.
+- [CX2-15 P1] **Two scan policies, not one:** the `.gitleaks.toml` allowlist is a CI
+  fixture policy for a PUBLIC repo — importing it into the personal-repo runtime
+  scanner creates blind spots (skills/ trees). Runtime scanner ships its own minimal
+  allowlist + per-finding override; ENG-9 amended.
+- [CX2-16 P1] **Bootstrap lock done properly:** atomic acquisition + PID liveness +
+  age guard + ownership token (the pid-reuse learning applied); kill→immediate-rerun
+  recovery test; export `LiveServeLockError` (currently unexported, pglite-lock.ts:28)
+  so the planned class assertion can import it.
+- [CX2-17 P2] **Format-aware host-config writers:** JSON has no comment-marker
+  boundary — settings.local.json gets a structural JSON merger (gbrain entries keyed
+  by a `_gbrain` marker property, semantic dup detection surviving reordering);
+  config.toml gets a TOML-aware writer; both atomic write+backup; the
+  frontmatter-install-hook replace/backup idiom applies only to whole-file targets.
+  G5 amended.
+- [S3#6] Socket binds in a 0700 dir with mode set BEFORE exposure; turn_context
+  requires a shared secret from a 0600 file in the data dir; heartbeat counts
+  turn_context serves so doctor can flag unexplained callers.
+- [S3#7] Heartbeat JSONL schema pinned to counters + durations + error codes — NO
+  prompt/fact/slug text; dir 0700; line cap; CI test greps fixture for keys outside
+  the allowlist.
+- [S3#8] `transcript_path` confined: `isPathContained(path, ~/.claude/projects)`,
+  `.jsonl` + valid envelope on line 1, lstat-reject symlinks, byte cap.
+- [A9] IPC request carries `protocol: 2`; hook treats a response lacking the protocol
+  echo as "stale serve" and degrades LOUDLY (heartbeat entry + doctor warn); live test
+  against a v1-shaped server.
+- [A3] Session-start digest: explicit list of digest-eligible MEMORY.md sections
+  (respecting the template's own security-boundary note); three-case test (socket up /
+  socket absent / malformed MEMORY.md).
+
+**Persistence + sync (G4, G6, G8, G9, G13, G14/A5, G15, S3#2, S3#10):**
+- [G4] `hook session-start` checks for unpushed commits / dirty tree from crashed
+  sessions, pushes, and names it in the greeting digest (SessionEnd is not the only
+  persistence path anymore).
+- [G6] Verify + every push gate run `git ls-files` against a deny-glob list
+  (`*.pglite`, `.env*`, keys) — a truncated or pre-existing .gitignore can't leak.
+- [G8] `bootstrap repo` creates a dedicated repo, OR adopts a pre-existing `origin`
+  when the authed gh user owns it, no `repo_url` is recorded yet, and it is empty (or
+  already carries our history) — the create-repo-first path; a foreign-content or
+  org-owned origin is refused and pointed at attach. "couldn't verify visibility" is
+  refuse-and-name-the-reason, never fail-open; idempotency keys off the remote URL,
+  not the name probe.
+- [G9] Workspace lockfile (pid+timestamp) makes concurrent `bootstrap` runs impossible;
+  second run exits "bootstrap already running (pid N)".
+- [G13] Fixed verify probe slug; sweep any prior probe before writing; excluded from
+  retrieval; delete failure reported as a verify warning.
+- [G14/A5] The ENTIRE `sources push` (add+commit+push) runs under the existing
+  durability flock; single-flight test: N concurrent pushes → 1 winner, N-1 clean
+  "skipped, push in flight" exits, zero leftover locks.
+- [G15] Retention policy everywhere: MEMORY.md size cap in the template contract with
+  rotation into `memory/reference/`; corpus pruned via
+  `dream.synthesize.corpus_retention_days` (default 30); orphaned stop-hook buffers
+  GC'd; doctor warns on all three.
+- [S3#2] Secret scan runs at corpus-WRITE time (redact matched span + log redaction);
+  bootstrap adds one consent line naming the extraction/embedding provider that will
+  see session text.
+- [S3#10] One `ensureGbrainHome()` choke point creates ~/.gbrain 0700 (all callers);
+  brain-push.log 0600 + rotated; `--isolated` e2e asserts `git check-ignore
+  .gbrain/git-credentials` passes and push never stages it.
+
+**Transcripts (G3, A6):**
+- Parser registered as a dated spec-target (same pattern as host-format writers);
+  heartbeat logs parsed-turns/bytes; `bytes>0 && turns==0` raises a LOUD status-file
+  failure ("the agent stopped learning" is never silent); scrubbed
+  `claude-code.jsonl` fixture (tool_use/tool_result/thinking/image/sidechain/summary/
+  compact-boundary shapes) added to `test/fixtures/conversation-formats/` and wired
+  into `check:conversation-parser` + fixture-privacy guard; session-id-keyed corpus
+  filenames prevent double-ingest on resume.
+
+**Template repo (G7, S3#4, A1, C3):**
+- Published ONLY from a CI release job (branch-protected, no direct pushes) behind the
+  placeholder assertion + secret scan + privacy scripts run against the RENDERED
+  artifact; fine-grained PAT secret scoped `contents:write` to the template repo only,
+  documented in docs/RELEASING.md; version-job completeness check verifies template
+  repo HEAD tree hash == vendored tree. Vendored rendered tree lives at
+  `templates/bootstrap/template-repo/` — the CI guard diffs generator↔vendored OFFLINE
+  (network comparison happens only in the release workflow). Template's first runbook
+  step is `bootstrap status`, which hard-fails on a public `origin` before any
+  identity file lands (closes the no-privacy-gate-on-this-door hole).
+
+**Toolchain trust (S3#9):**
+- Prefer platform package managers for bun/gh; curl fallback downloads to a file,
+  verifies against the pinned bun release's SHASUMS256.txt, then executes; the
+  runbook's phase allowlist names the verified form as the only permitted variant.
+
+**Observability (B1–B5):**
+- [B1] Append-only `~/.gbrain/bootstrap/install.jsonl` ({ts, phase, outcome,
+  duration_ms, binary_version, harness, workspace}) written by every subcommand;
+  `status` renders the tail.
+- [B2] Every verify run persisted to `~/.gbrain/bootstrap/verify-<ts>.json` (keep 5);
+  doctor reports last verify timestamp/status/deltas.
+- [B3] Hook heartbeat records outcome + reason on EVERY invocation; trailing-20
+  failure rate over threshold → one visible line inside the injected context block
+  ("brain context unavailable for the last N turns — run `gbrain doctor`").
+- [B4] `~/.gbrain/bootstrap/push-status.json`; doctor fails when last successful push
+  >48h old with a dirty tree; surfaced in the SessionStart digest.
+- [B5] `bootstrap status --json` emits a support blob (workspace, binary version,
+  harness, engine, last verify, last push, hook failure rate); AGENTS.md instructs
+  the agent to relay it verbatim on any "something's broken" report.
+
+**Tests (A1–A9 not already covered above):**
+- [A4] First-run tour prompts pinned in the questions.json↔template bijection guard +
+  verify success-output snapshot test.
+- [A7] Flake pinning: hook deadline asserted against an injected slow-IPC stub (real
+  latency kept as non-gating benchmark); kill-mid-phase via deterministic
+  `GBRAIN_BOOTSTRAP_ABORT_AFTER=<phase>` injection; lock-contention asserts on
+  LiveServeLockError class; all subprocess tests named `*.serial.test.ts` with
+  explicit --timeout; offline Docker e2e runs from heavy-tests.yml (nightly + label),
+  not the PR shard matrix.
+
+**Release mechanics (C1 RESOLVED + C2, C4, C5, C6, C8):**
+- [C1 = D6-A, decided by Garry] **Distribution ref: single `latest-stable` ref.** The
+  release job force-updates `latest-stable` to the just-verified release commit as its
+  FINAL step (after binary assets publish + provenance attestation). README paste
+  block, runbook URL, and `bun install -g github:garrytan/gbrain#latest-stable` all
+  reference it permanently — no per-release tag pins, no 404 window, no per-ship
+  README edits. The fetched runbook embeds the concrete VERSION it was cut from;
+  `bootstrap status` compares that stamp to the installed binary (skew check intact).
+  New guard `scripts/check-bootstrap-tag.sh`: README/runbook reference ONLY the
+  sanctioned ref AND the runbook's embedded stamp equals VERSION. Modeled on
+  test/release-workflow.test.ts.
+- [C2] README.md + BOOTSTRAP_FOR_AGENTS.md re-admitted to `scripts/ci-cache-hash.sh`
+  ALLOW_PATTERNS (a README-only paste-block change must never skip CI green).
+- [C4/C5] `docs/designs/AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_PLAN.md` + a SCRUBBED
+  `docs/designs/AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_DESIGN.md` (banned names → capability-class phrasing,
+  founder quotes/pilot identifiers/pricing-funnel strategy removed) land in the SAME
+  commit; normativity paragraphs point in-repo; `bash scripts/check-privacy.sh` run
+  against the staged index before that commit.
+- [C6] CHANGELOG states capabilities functionally ("installs hooks that run on each
+  prompt; installs an opt-in background push job") linking to docs/guides/bootstrap.md
+  which owns the full security/consent posture together with the rendered
+  ACCESS_POLICY.md; zero plan IDs / review-round references.
+- [C7] Public product names ("GBrain for Codex"/"GBrain for Claude Code") are a
+  pre-merge checklist item owned by Garry (trademark review); all committed copy uses
+  the neutral `gbrain bootstrap` verb until sign-off.
+- [C8] Zero-migration release confirmed (facts/context_volunteer_events already
+  exist); ALL new bootstrap telemetry stays on the filesystem — the moment it moves
+  into a table it becomes migration v126 + bootstrap-coverage + engine-parity
+  obligations.
+- [G16] User-scope consent question names the project-scope tradeoff explicitly;
+  CLAUDE.md renders a one-line "this agent lives in <dir>" note.
+
+## Outside-voice absorption (Codex, 2026-08-07 — dispositions under Garry's
+## auto-accept directive; CX ids trace to the codex output)
+
+**ACCEPTED — product-critical (the two the whole review chain missed):**
+- [CX-P0.5 **Keyless mode is a first-class design requirement.**] The named pilot user
+  has ChatGPT Pro but NO API keys — and gbrain's embeddings + extract_facts (Haiku)
+  are API-metered. Bootstrap MUST work with zero API keys: the HARNESS AGENT is the
+  subsidized LLM, so AGENTS.md instructs it to author facts/timeline/links explicitly
+  through write ops (zero API cost); search degrades to BM25 keyword (no embeddings);
+  verify prints an honest capability report ("keyless mode: keyword search, agent-
+  authored memory; add ONE key to unlock embeddings + auto-extraction") and the
+  interview offers the optional key question. The magic-moment check must pass in
+  keyless mode (fact written by the agent via ops, recalled next session). Quota-gate
+  copy amended: API spend (embeddings/extraction) is metered separately from
+  subscription quota and is ZERO in keyless mode; with a key, existing spend gates
+  (docs/operations/spend-controls.md) govern. [also resolves CX-P0.6]
+- [CX-P0.1+P0.3 **Serve-resident maintenance sweep** closes the persistence loop.]
+  Nothing previously ingested the transcript corpus into the live brain (dream is
+  disabled; CLI can't open PGLite under a live serve), and remote `put_page`
+  deliberately skips auto-link/timeline extraction (operations.ts:1273) so the graph
+  would never compound from harness writes. Fix: the serve process (the lock owner)
+  runs a bounded, spend-gated maintenance sweep — on startup and idle — that (a)
+  ingests unprocessed corpus files (keyless mode: skipped, agent-authored memory
+  covers it), (b) runs the deterministic zero-LLM link/timeline extraction over
+  recently written workspace-source pages. Verify's graph-floor check exercises the
+  REAL MCP write path end-to-end (write via stdio op → sweep → edge query), never a
+  synthetic install-time shim.
+
+**ACCEPTED — durability/trust:**
+- [CX-P0.4] Write-through failures on `put_page` are best-effort today → for the
+  workspace source they become LOUD: doctor check counts DB-pages lacking file
+  backing; surfaced in the SessionStart digest; sources push reconciles before commit.
+- [CX-P1.1] Single-principal visibility posture: bootstrap sets the workspace brain's
+  fact default visibility to 'world' (the desktop agent IS the principal's main
+  session; ACCESS_POLICY.md documents it; multi-tier users flip the knob). Keeps the
+  IPC world-only filter (S3#1) AND working personalization.
+- [CX-P1.2] The injected turn_context block is wrapped in the same "retrieved data,
+  never instructions" subordinate envelope as interview answers (provenance-labeled).
+- [CX-P1.4] GUI env inheritance: MCP registration carries the absolute binary path +
+  explicit env (GBRAIN_SOURCE, GBRAIN_HOME when --isolated); provider keys resolve
+  from ~/.gbrain/config.json, never from shell env, for GUI-spawned serves.
+- [CX-P1.5] **`bootstrap attach` mode** (machine two): a cloned repo carrying
+  agent.json enters attach mode (register source, hooks --repair, MCP, verify) —
+  the refuse-pre-existing-origin rule (G8) applies only when agent.json is absent.
+- [CX-P1.6] Git conflict model: sources push does fetch + divergence-safe rebase pull
+  (reuse harden's divergenceSafePull) before push; non-FF/conflict = loud status +
+  agent-relayed instruction, never silent retry; repo-local git author identity set
+  at `bootstrap repo` (ported from setup-private-repo).
+- [CX-P1.7] Search-mode consent folds into the interview as one optional question
+  (default balanced) — preserves the INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS consent contract without
+  another stop; the spike's TTFM measurement counts every stop.
+- [CX-P1.9] Non-circular error surface: README + GITHUB.md carry the one recovery
+  command ("if it seems broken: `gbrain doctor`"); doctor covers hook/push/serve
+  health independent of the possibly-broken agent loop.
+- [CX-P1.10] Forget semantics documented honestly in ACCESS_POLICY.md/GITHUB.md: the
+  repo is append-only history; true deletion = documented history-rewrite procedure;
+  GitHub remains default-but-optional (local-only mode with honest warning).
+- [CX-P1.11] Template repo README embeds the same VERSION stamp as the runbook;
+  `bootstrap status` validates it identically (closes the adopter-skew window).
+- [CX-P1.12] agent.json spec labeled **provisional-v1**: desktop-side validation
+  only, consumers tolerate unknown fields, hosted mount may bump to v2 with a
+  migration note — a version contract, not a frozen promise.
+- [CX-P0.7+P1.13] Spike/pilot instrument upgraded from binary pass/fail to product
+  metrics: per-turn write-attempt vs durable-write precision, correct-recall rate,
+  false-memory incidents, correction round-trips — measured through the 2-week pilot
+  (the pilot IS the extended sample); the 0-failures-in-20 bar remains only the
+  minimum to START the pilot.
+
+**REJECTED (with reasons, recorded):**
+- [CX-P0.2] "Two desktop apps cannot share the brain" — TRUE for simultaneous
+  sessions and already the documented v1 limit (polite collision + doctor + attach
+  proxy fast-follow); sequential use works. No change beyond what's accepted.
+- [CX-P1.8] "Networked paste flow untested" — known; manual clean-machine acceptance
+  in v1 + networked Docker e2e deliberately deferred (D3.3b). Stands.
+
+**CROSS-MODEL TENSION (recorded, not re-litigated):** Codex's "fundamental
+simplification" (Codex-only, 3-question interview, no hooks/template/GitHub, 2-week
+manual pilot before building) is a REDUCTION-mode argument against the settled
+cathedral decision (D1-A) and accepted Approach B scope. Disposition: rejected as
+sequencing (Garry chose the cathedral 30 minutes prior, with the two-wave case
+recorded for revisit + a size trip-wire), but its measurement substance was absorbed
+via CX-P0.7/P1.13, and the spike + pilot ARE the "prove the loop" instrument, run
+before the doors ship rather than instead of building them.
+
+
+## Design (synthesized)
+
+Synthesis of three independent designs (DX lens, runtime-parity lens, architecture lens) +
+an adversarial critique that verified the load-bearing claims against both repos. Where the
+designs disagreed, the critique's evidence-checked winner is taken.
+
+### The experience (end state)
+
+One paste block (README + tweet) → the agent fetches `BOOTSTRAP_FOR_AGENTS.md` (raw GitHub
+URL **pinned to a release tag**, same mechanism as INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md) and drives:
+
+preflight → interview (chat, 12Q/6-required, hard gate) → render identity files → skills →
+MCP + hooks wiring → sources add/sync/embed → private GitHub repo (created, privacy-verified,
+pushed) → `gbrain bootstrap verify` (exit-code contract) → completion manifest.
+
+Human actions: paste, answer interview in chat, `gh auth login` if needed, ~2 consent
+questions. Target ≤15 min. Definition of done includes the magic moment: after restart, the
+agent recalls a fact the human said during the interview.
+
+Second session: SessionStart hook injects identity digest + "since last time"; every prompt
+gets Live Context + ≤3 volunteered brain pointers + hot memory injected via hook; the agent
+writes facts back same-turn through MCP ops; SessionEnd ingests the transcript into the dream
+corpus and fires a scan-gated commit+push. "Your local harness IS your agent."
+
+### Decisions (settled by panel + critique)
+
+- **D1 Topology: single private repo.** Workspace root = identity files (SOUL.md, USER.md,
+  MEMORY.md, AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, HEARTBEAT.md, GITHUB.md, ACCESS_POLICY.md) + `skills/` +
+  `memory/` (daily notes + README) + `state/` + **`brain/`** (people/ companies/ meetings/
+  concepts/ daily/). **Only `brain/` is registered as the gbrain source** (critique: indexing
+  the whole repo puts the contract files into the retrieval corpus — noise + self-referential
+  injection surface). `.gbrain-source` dotfile at root routes CLI calls. PGLite DB is NEVER
+  in the repo (`.gitignore` renders first: `*.pglite`, `.env*`, `state/*.local`, corpus paths,
+  keys/PEM). Two-repo model stays documented as the graduation path in GITHUB.md/docs.
+- **D2 Workspace = the cwd the user pasted in.** Guard: if cwd is an existing code project
+  (tracked files/remote), ask ONE relocation question. DB default: global `~/.gbrain` host
+  brain (workspace is a source); `--isolated` escape hatch per resolved D2.
+- **D3 Delivery: hybrid.** New `gbrain bootstrap` command family (deterministic, idempotent,
+  exit-coded) + fetched runbook (judgment: interview wording, read-backs, consent). Bootstrap
+  is **CLI-only like init/connect — NOT an operation**; zero new `ctx.remote` surface (a
+  remote-triggerable `gh repo create` + filesystem render is forbidden by the trust model).
+  Subcommands: `status` (resume entrypoint; also verifies runbook version stamp vs binary —
+  supply-chain skew check), `interview --init|--set K V|--skip K|--status|--confirm|--show`,
+  `render [--force] [--only F] [--minimal]`, `repo`, `hooks --harness claude-code|codex
+  [--repair]`, `verify [--json]`.
+- **D4 Interview: one question bank, two entry points.** Port codex-as-agent's
+  `questions.json` (scrubbed) to `templates/bootstrap/questions.json`: 12 asked / 6 required
+  (AGENT_NAME, PRINCIPAL_NAME, AGENT_PURPOSE, AGENT_TOP_JOBS, PRINCIPAL_CONTEXT,
+  VOICE_REGISTER — the wince question and vibe samples from soul-audit Phase 2 fold in as
+  optional keys). Answers → `<ws>/state/interview.json` (committed; identity source of truth,
+  same sensitivity as the rendered USER.md; makes re-render-on-new-machine work).
+  `--status` exits non-zero until required present; `render` additionally refuses until
+  `--confirm` (set only after the read-back "Is this the thing you want in the room?").
+  Hard rules verbatim in runbook: NEVER INVENT ANSWERS, accept "skip", quote literal words.
+  `skills/soul-audit/SKILL.md` becomes the re-run/deepen surface over the same bank
+  (`interview --set` + `render --only SOUL.md`) — one bank, CI-guarded against drift.
+- **D5 Per-turn context (critique-decided; the PGLite lock is the constraint).**
+  `gbrain serve` holds the PGLite single-writer lock for its lifetime (#2348: live holders
+  are never stolen) — so hooks must NEVER open the engine on PGLite. New engine-free
+  `gbrain hook <event>` command (no-engine dispatch branch in cli.ts) talks ONLY to serve's
+  existing resolve-IPC unix socket (`src/core/context/resolve-ipc.ts`), widened with
+  back-compat `kind: 'resolve' | 'turn_context'`. `turn_context` request carries
+  {window, priorContextText, sourceId}; serve assembles server-side (new
+  `src/core/context/turn-context.ts`): reflex pointers + volunteerContext pages (≤3) +
+  hot-memory facts (the same content `_meta.brain_hot_memory` carries — this ROUTES AROUND
+  the _meta invisibility rather than fixing the harness). Postgres fallback: hook opens the
+  engine directly (multi-connection safe) since the IPC socket only exists on PGLite.
+  - Claude Code hooks (written to **`.claude/settings.local.json`** — gitignored; committed
+    hooks with absolute paths are a portability trap + persistence-of-execution surface;
+    `bootstrap hooks --repair` re-renders on a new machine):
+    - SessionStart → `gbrain hook session-start`: zero-DB file reads (date/tz, MEMORY.md
+      open-commitments, ops/tasks.md if present) + best-effort socket warm probe. ≤1.5s.
+    - UserPromptSubmit → `gbrain hook user-prompt`: stdin hook JSON → tail last 4 turns from
+      transcript_path → socket turn_context → stdout additionalContext block.
+      **800ms hard self-deadline**, fail-open (exit 0, empty stdout), heartbeat JSONL at
+      `~/.gbrain/integrations/hooks/` for doctor.
+    - Stop → `gbrain hook stop`: append turn to live per-session buffer (pure file append).
+    - SessionEnd → `gbrain hook session-end`: parse full transcript .jsonl → corpus .txt in
+      `dream.synthesize.session_corpus_dir` (default `~/.gbrain/transcripts/corpus/`, 0700,
+      never in the repo) + fire scan-gated commit+push (D6). Closes the transcript gap in PR1.
+    - Absolute binary path everywhere; `GBRAIN_HOOKS=0` kill switch.
+  - Codex (no hooks): honest pull model. Rendered AGENTS.md carries adapted per-message
+    gates 0–7 (entity lookup = "call recall/volunteer_context with recent window";
+    receipts; WRITE IT DOWN same turn via extract_facts/put_page) +
+    `codex mcp add gbrain -- gbrain serve`. FF2: `notify` hook in ~/.codex/config.toml as
+    transcript sweeper (validate the event semantics first). Runbook/verify state the
+    degradation plainly: Claude Code = push-on-hook, Codex = pull-on-protocol.
+  - **Write-path rule rendered into AGENTS.md** (critique hole 2): on PGLite, durable
+    knowledge is written through MCP ops (put_page/extract_facts/add_timeline_entry), never
+    by editing brain/ files directly — file edits are invisible to retrieval until a sync
+    can run, and sync can't run while serve holds the lock. MEMORY.md/memory/ file edits are
+    fine (file-plane, loaded by path not retrieval).
+- **D6 Private repo + persistence.** `gbrain bootstrap repo` = TS port of
+  setup-private-repo.mjs: gh-auth exit-2 gate (only human step: `gh auth login`), slugified
+  `<agent-name>-workspace` collision probe, `gh repo create --private --source . --push`,
+  **privacy verified via `gh api ... --jq .private` (hard fail)**. Sync: extract secret scan
+  to `src/core/secret-scan.ts` (sk-/gh[pousr]_/github_pat_/xox[baprs]-/PEM; blocks commit);
+  new `gbrain sources push [<id>|--path]` = scan-gated add+commit+push, refuses public
+  remotes, pushes even on clean tree. `hardenBrainRepo` gains the scan as a step (its
+  existing post-commit hook + cron machinery is reused, NOT a parallel sync system).
+  Cadence per resolved D3: 15-min cron installed after an explicit consent question;
+  SessionEnd-hook push always on as the no-daemon backstop/fallback. GITHUB.md persistence
+  contract rendered.
+- **D7 Rendered files.** AGENTS.md (adapted gates + hard gates: WRITE IT DOWN, NO SILENT
+  FAILURE, VERIFY BEFORE CLAIMING DONE, RED LINES, PRIVATE REPO PERSISTENCE + brain-first
+  protocol from docs/tutorials/connect-coding-agent.md + brain filing contract rendered from
+  skills/_brain-filing-rules.md), CLAUDE.md (thin: @AGENTS.md @SOUL.md @USER.md @MEMORY.md +
+  hooks note), SOUL.md (codex-as-agent section skeleton: Identity/Mission/Worldview/The
+  Standard/Honesty/Voice+wince/Good vs bad output/High agency/Never — IDENTITY.md merged in),
+  USER.md ("their literal words are ground truth"), **MEMORY.md (new template**: hot state,
+  corrections format `- YYYY-MM-DD — rule (Bug: ...)`, open commitments, security-boundary
+  note), ACCESS_POLICY.md, HEARTBEAT.md (quiet hours, verify-time-first, silence contract,
+  jobs disabled), GITHUB.md, memory/README.md, brain/ dirs + READMEs, .gitignore,
+  state/interview.json, state/mcp.json (portable snippet). Skills via existing
+  `gbrain skillpack scaffold --all` (resolved D4) + inert-skill report (skillpack check
+  wired into verify AND into the completion manifest's next-steps block with the exact API
+  keys to add). ALL templates REWRITTEN generic (privacy IRON RULE —
+  never copy codex-as-agent prose verbatim; CI placeholder assertion). TOOLS.md deferred
+  (essential lines fold into AGENTS.md). `installDefaultTemplates` (init.ts:1513) finally
+  gets its caller via `render --minimal`.
+- **D8 Verify (union).** (1) doctor green; (2) DB round-trip: put_page → get → query-with-
+  score → DELETE probe page; (3) MCP registered (`claude|codex mcp list`) + probeBrainIdentity
+  smoke; (4) {{TOKEN}} sweep hard-fail; (5) byte floors (SOUL.md ≥3000B, USER.md ≥1000B);
+  (6) secret scan clean; (7) repo private via API; (8) **hooks smoke UNDER LIVE SERVE**
+  (spawn real serve, pipe fixture UserPromptSubmit stdin, assert non-empty block + <800ms +
+  never acquires the lock — bootstrap-time-only smoke is a false green); (9) one manual
+  sources push succeeded; (10) inert-skill report; (11) transcript parser dry-run on fixture.
+  Prints ranked completion manifest. Re-runnable weekly as the workspace rot self-check.
+- **D9 Scheduling: almost nothing on by default.** ON: SessionEnd push (event-driven, no
+  daemon). OPT-IN: 15-min harden cron. Autopilot NOT default on PGLite (verified: its
+  sync/embed children would contend with every live serve for the single-writer lock, and
+  nothing handles LiveServeLockError politely today) — recommended on Postgres; any future
+  scheduled job must treat lock-held as skip-silently-and-log. LLM crons (briefing, dream via
+  `claude -p`/`codex exec`) ship rendered-but-disabled with the enable-one-at-a-time ritual.
+- **D10 Phasing.**
+  - **PR1 (complete usable experience):** BOOTSTRAP_FOR_AGENTS.md + README paste block;
+    `gbrain bootstrap` family; `gbrain hook` + IPC v2 turn_context; new templates + question
+    bank; secret-scan + `sources push` + harden integration; SessionEnd transcript ingest
+    (Claude Code .jsonl parser); skillpack scaffold wiring; soul-audit re-run update; doctor
+    checks (hooks heartbeat, dual-serve report, sync check); docs; unit + e2e (incl.
+    hook-under-serve + lock-contention pins); CI guards.
+  - **FF2:** Codex notify sweeper + ~/.codex/sessions parser. **FF3:** `gbrain serve
+    --attach` stdio proxy (two harnesses fully concurrent on one PGLite brain). **FF4:**
+    cron fleet + cron-doctor port + heartbeat activation. **FF5:** Docker fresh-machine e2e
+    in CI, _meta surfacing experiments, per-turn-context BrainBench eval, upgrade re-render
+    nudge via runPostUpgrade (`bootstrap render --diff`).
+
+### Security/trust invariants (critique holes, addressed)
+
+1. Paste block pinned to release tag; runbook version-stamped; `bootstrap status` compares
+   stamp vs binary and warns; runbook instructs refusing steps outside its phase list.
+2. Write-through-ops rule in AGENTS.md (above).
+3. MCP scope: project scope default, user-scope opt-in (resolved D1); threat named in
+   ACCESS_POLICY.md either way.
+4. Codex sandbox reality: runbook carries a Codex-specific preflight (approval mode /
+   workspace-write + network consent) — the paste block warns the human they'll be asked.
+5. Hooks in settings.local.json (gitignored) + --repair.
+6. Upgrade story: FF5 re-render nudge; render never clobbers (backup on --force).
+7. Transcript corpus + answers privacy: corpus 0700 outside repo; interview.json committed
+   (same sensitivity as rendered USER.md, which is committed); responsible-disclosure
+   phrasing in CHANGELOG (functional, no attack-surface enumeration).
+8. Process invariants: CLAUDE.md dispatcher row edit → `bun run build:llms` same commit;
+   KEY_FILES.md entries current-state prose; version-first PR title; ship via /ship;
+   /document-release after.
+
+### New/changed artifacts (paths)
+
+| Path | New/changed |
+|---|---|
+| `BOOTSTRAP_FOR_AGENTS.md` | NEW root runbook (fetched by paste block) |
+| `README.md` | dedicated "For Codex" / "For Claude Code" paste-block sections, ordered Codex → Claude Code → OpenClaw/Hermes at equal weight (user decision 2026-08-09, supersedes D5's ordering; both platform paths preserved) |
+| `src/commands/bootstrap.ts` (+ `src/commands/bootstrap/*.ts`) | NEW dispatcher + subcommands |
+| `src/commands/hook.ts` | NEW `gbrain hook session-start|user-prompt|stop|session-end` |
+| `src/cli.ts` | CHANGED: `bootstrap`+`hook` in no-engine dispatch branch |
+| `src/core/bootstrap/{interview,render,private-repo,verify}.ts` | NEW (TS ports) |
+| `src/core/secret-scan.ts` | NEW (shared: sources push, harden, verify) |
+| `src/commands/sources.ts` + `src/core/brain-repo-durability.ts` | CHANGED: `sources push`, scan-gated hook/cron |
+| `src/core/context/resolve-ipc.ts` + `src/mcp/server.ts` | CHANGED: IPC v2 `turn_context` (back-compat) |
+| `src/core/context/turn-context.ts` | NEW server-side block assembly |
+| `src/core/transcripts/claude-code-jsonl.ts` | NEW parser + corpus writer |
+| `templates/{MEMORY,AGENTS,CLAUDE,GITHUB,memory-README}.md.template` + `gitignore.template` + enriched SOUL/USER/HEARTBEAT/ACCESS_POLICY | NEW/CHANGED (generic, scrubbed) |
+| `templates/bootstrap/questions.json` | NEW shared question bank |
+| `skills/soul-audit/SKILL.md` | CHANGED: re-run surface over the bank |
+| `src/commands/doctor.ts` | CHANGED: hooks heartbeat, dual-serve, sync checks |
+| `docs/guides/bootstrap.md` + docs/mcp/ + connect-coding-agent.md cross-links | NEW/CHANGED |
+| `scripts/check-bootstrap-templates.sh` | NEW CI guard (token↔bank bijection + placeholder-only assertion) |
+| `docs/architecture/KEY_FILES.md`, `CLAUDE.md` (+build:llms) | CHANGED |
+| `test/bootstrap-*.test.ts`, `test/hook-command.test.ts`, `test/secret-scan.test.ts`, `test/e2e/bootstrap-lifecycle.test.ts`, IPC back-compat tests | NEW |
+
+### Port map (codex-as-agent → gbrain)
+
+interview.mjs → core/bootstrap/interview.ts · render-templates.mjs → core/bootstrap/render.ts
+· setup-private-repo.mjs → core/bootstrap/private-repo.ts · verify-install.mjs (+
+install-gbrain.mjs round-trip) → core/bootstrap/verify.ts · git-sync.mjs → secret-scan.ts +
+sources push · questions.json → templates/bootstrap/questions.json (scrubbed) · AGENTS.md
+gates 0–7 / SOUL/USER/MEMORY/HEARTBEAT/GITHUB templates → REFERENCE structure, REWRITE
+content (privacy rule) · install-skills.mjs → REFERENCE (skillpack scaffold exists) ·
+cron fleet/cron-doctor → FF4 · codex-plugin-spec one-file-owns-format pattern → governs the
+settings.local.json + config.toml writers (single module owns each host format).
+
+### Verification (how we know it works end-to-end)
+
+- Unit: interview gate exit codes; render token hard-fail/no-clobber/backup; secret-scan
+  fixture corpus (positives + benign lookalikes); hook stdin→JSON contract; IPC v1↔v2
+  back-compat both directions; questions.json↔template token bijection.
+- E2E: full lifecycle in temp dir (sandboxed GBRAIN_HOME, PATH-shimmed fake gh/claude/codex
+  recording invocations): render → repo → verify exit 0; idempotency (second run no-op);
+  kill-mid-phase → `status` resumes. **hook-under-serve** and **lock-contention** pins
+  (permanent). Engine parity for turn-context on both engines.
+- Manual acceptance at ship: fresh macOS account, real paste, both harnesses, timed
+  (≤15 min, ≤3 human actions).
+
+### Resolved user decisions (Garry, 2026-08-07)
+
+- **D1 = A. MCP scope: project scope default, user-scope opt-in** (consent question during
+  bootstrap; threat named in ACCESS_POLICY.md).
+- **D2 = C. DB: global `~/.gbrain` default + documented `--isolated` escape hatch.**
+  `gbrain bootstrap --isolated` threads `GBRAIN_HOME=<workspace>/.gbrain` through init, MCP
+  registration env (`claude mcp add -e` / codex config env), and the hook commands in
+  settings.local.json. Port install-gbrain.mjs's guards: GBRAIN_HOME does NOT isolate
+  `sync.repo_path` (set it explicitly), strip ambient GBRAIN_DATABASE_URL/DATABASE_URL/
+  GBRAIN_BRAIN_ID, assert database_path is inside the workspace. `.gbrain/` already
+  gitignored by the rendered template.
+- **D3 = B with consent. 15-min scan-gated commit+push cron is the default posture, but the
+  runbook ASKS PERMISSION before installing it** ("Enable background persistence? Installs a
+  15-min launchd/cron job that commits + pushes this workspace, secret-scan-gated"). The
+  SessionEnd-hook push stays as the always-available, no-daemon backstop and is the fallback
+  when the cron is declined — persistence never silently disappears. Autopilot posture
+  unchanged: off on PGLite, recommended on Postgres.
+- **D4 = B. ALL bundled skills scaffold in** (`skillpack scaffold --all`). The onboarding
+  ENDS with a next-steps block in the completion manifest: the inert-skill report (which
+  installed skills are dormant for lack of which API key), the exact keys to add and where,
+  and pointers to soul-audit (deepen identity this week) + cold-start (fill the brain with
+  your data). The routing-table-size concern is mitigated by frontmatter-trigger routing
+  (authoritative since v0.36) and noted for a future curated-profile fast-follow if dispatch
+  accuracy suffers in practice.
+- **D5 = Codex/Claude-Code-scoped placement.** [Superseded by the 2026-08-09 user
+  decision — see as-shipped delta 6 and the artifact table's README row.] This is NOT the new headline install —
+  most users still use GBrain with OpenClaw/Hermes, so `INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md` remains the
+  primary paste path at the top of the README. The bootstrap paste block becomes the
+  flagship "For Codex" / "For Claude Code" README sections, ahead of the OpenClaw/Hermes path at equal weight (and
+  docs/tutorials/connect-coding-agent.md cross-links it). Command name stays
+  `gbrain bootstrap`; paste block is pinned to a release tag (supply-chain integrity).
+  BOOTSTRAP_FOR_AGENTS.md opens with a scope note: "For Claude Code / Codex. Running
+  OpenClaw or Hermes? Use INSTALL_FOR_AGENTS.md instead."
+

docs/designs/AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_SPIKE.md

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+# Agent Bootstrap — Spike Instrument (build order 0)
+
+Manual validation that gates door-1 (Codex/ChatGPT desktop) ship. Run on a machine
+the maintainer does not own, with fresh accounts. Owner: the maintainer. Timebox:
+~1 week wall-clock. Outcomes feed the design doc's gate
+([AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_DESIGN.md](AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_DESIGN.md)).
+
+## Exit questions and pass bars
+
+**#1 (blocking) — the write seam.** What reliably persists memory per turn/session
+on the ChatGPT-desktop surface?
+- Protocol: run 20 sessions across ≥3 days of ordinary use. Each session must
+  produce at least one durable write (a page/fact retrievable in the NEXT session).
+- Pass: 0 durable-write failures in 20 sessions; else extend to 50 and log every
+  failure's cause (crash, sleep, approval friction, format drift, model forgot).
+- Below the bar → door 1 demotes to documented beta (Codex CLI unaffected).
+
+**#2 — the read seam.** Is injected/pulled context demonstrably present at turn
+start? Pass: context block present (or the degraded pull-mode documented as
+door-1's v1 behavior). Pass expands the greeting digest to door 1.
+
+**#3 — capability surface.** Record, with screenshots: local folder access
+(yes/no/how), MCP registration path (config file? `codex mcp add`? UI?), approval
+taps for each toolchain step (count them), connector availability for
+email/calendar (yes/no/degraded).
+
+**#4 — quota.** Per harness the doors run on (Claude Code: Max plan; Codex: the
+ChatGPT plan): log each day's usage-meter readings during the pilot.
+- Load model: ordinary sessions + hooks + one session-triggered schedule.
+- Pass: a p90 day consumes ≤10% of the weekly allowance (per-door; one harness
+  failing cuts schedule scope for that door only).
+- Measurement: the harness's own usage UI (screenshot at day start/end) + a tally
+  of sessions/turns from the transcript dir. No telemetry — this is a manual
+  instrument by design.
+
+**#5 — TTFM baseline.** One full paste-to-verified install, timed. Count every
+human action (paste / auth click / interview answers / consents / approval taps).
+Toolchain download time recorded separately (excluded from the 15-minute target).
+
+## Pilot metrics (continue for 2 weeks after the spike)
+
+Per week, from session review (screen recordings + self-report — no telemetry):
+correct-write rate (things worth remembering that got written), correct-recall
+rate (recalls that were right), false-memory incidents (recalled things that were
+wrong), correction round-trips (corrections that stuck as standing rules). The
+0-failures-in-20 bar is the minimum to START the pilot, not the proof — the pilot
+is the sample.
+
+## Log template (one row per session)
+
+| # | date | door | duration | writes attempted | writes durable | recalls right/wrong | approvals | notes |
+|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
+
+## Deliverable
+
+A filled copy of this doc committed as `AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_SPIKE_RESULTS.md`
+(scrubbed: no real names beyond the maintainer, no account identifiers), plus the
+gate decision recorded in the design doc: door-1 ships full / ships as documented
+beta / schedule scope cut per quota.
+
+**Gate status:** not yet run — no `AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_SPIKE_RESULTS.md` is committed,
+so no gate decision is recorded and door 1 has not been promoted past the
+documented-beta bar by this instrument. Update this line when the results land.

docs/designs/BRAIN_CURRENCY.md

@@ -0,0 +1,406 @@
+# Brain currency — fix the incident, then build the ladder
+Generated by /plan-ceo-review on 2026-08-10
+Rev 3, after two adversarial spec-review rounds (6/10 → 7/10) and an independent outside voice.
+Branch: garrytan/gbrain-commit-indexing | Mode: SELECTIVE EXPANSION
+Repo: garrytan/gbrain
+
+**Citation convention:** repo-relative paths. `src/core/sync.ts` (540 lines) and
+`src/commands/sync.ts` (5804 lines) are different files; both are cited.
+
+## Origin
+
+An investigation into "how does gbrain pick up new commits from GitHub" found it never
+talks to GitHub. It diffs `git diff last_commit..HEAD` against a **local checkout**
+(`src/core/sync-delta.ts:113`). Getting remote commits into that checkout is a separate,
+opt-in concern.
+
+It then found worse: on the founder's machine `gbrain autopilot` was installed, died
+2026-05-31, and stayed dead **71 days** while three surfaces reported healthy.
+
+**1. `autopilot --status` is an artifact-presence check.**
+`src/commands/autopilot.ts:1775-1786` — plist `existsSync` on darwin, crontab grep
+elsewhere. Never asks whether the job is loaded, the process alive, the baked `--repo`
+present, or the log fresh. Always exits 0.
+
+**2. `doctor`'s `sync_freshness` computes the 71-day number and throws it away.**
+`src/core/source-health.ts:182-194`:
+
+```ts
+const wallClockSeconds = Math.floor((nowMs - lastSyncMs) / 1000);   // ← the 71 days
+if (wallClockSeconds < 0) return wallClockSeconds;
+if (contentMs !== null && Number.isFinite(contentMs)) {
+  return contentMs <= lastSyncMs ? 0 : wallClockSeconds;            // ← discarded
+}
+```
+
+When the clone is unreachable, `src/commands/doctor.ts:4306-4344` routes the verdict here.
+The function measures *drain completeness*, not *staleness*. "We caught up when we last
+looked" and "we have not looked in 71 days" both return 0.
+
+**3. `gbrain status` inherits it.** `src/commands/sync.ts:5440-5453` → `'fresh'` beside a
+71-day-old date, exit 0. (`gbrain sources status` does report the real lag in its LAG
+column, but has no warn line for it and no exit contract.)
+
+**Root cause of the death:** `src/commands/migrate-engine.ts` (22,733 bytes) contains
+**zero** autopilot references. The Supabase-to-PGLite migration rewrote
+`~/.gbrain/config.json` while a daemon built on the old config kept running and died on
+`config.database_url`.
+
+## The key insight the reviews converged on
+
+The content comparison in #2 is not a bug someone forgot. `src/commands/doctor.ts:4288-4305`
+documents why it exists:
+
+> a container restart wipes `local_path` ... **and since a no-op sync doesn't advance
+> `last_sync_at`**, every QUIET source read as stale/FAIL after a restart (score-sinking
+> alert storm; observed live: 16-source brain, 12 clones gone after a config-update
+> restart, doctor 70→30).
+
+**The premise in bold was invalidated after that code was written.** v0.42.52.0 added a
+heartbeat at `src/commands/sync.ts:2287-2298`:
+
+```ts
+// bump last_sync_at as a heartbeat on every successful 0-changes sync...
+if (opts.sourceId) {
+  await engine.executeRaw(`UPDATE sources SET last_sync_at = now() WHERE id = $1`, [opts.sourceId]);
+}
+```
+
+A no-op sync **does** advance `last_sync_at` now. So a quiet source that is being checked
+has a recent `last_sync_at` and survives a wall-clock ceiling; the 71-day case has an old
+one because **no sync ran at all**. The two cases are now distinguishable, and the
+fallback's justification has expired.
+
+That is the whole incident: a wall-clock ceiling on the discard branch, in one pure
+function that `doctor`, `gbrain status`, and `sources status` all call. It fixes all three
+by construction, with no new table, no new command, and no migration.
+
+It also means **the heartbeat this plan originally proposed to build already ships.** A
+separate `live_ticks` table would be a fourth status surface on a fifth data source,
+curing "three surfaces disagreed" by adding one more that can disagree.
+
+## Base branch
+
+The whole wave (PR-A, PR-B, PR-C) is based on
+`garrytan/codex-as-agent-default-install`, not `master`. That branch carries the
+bootstrap surface (`src/core/bootstrap/{host-specs,hooks}.ts`, `detectHarness()`) that
+PR-B's harness tier needs, so **PR-B is not blocked** — an earlier revision of this doc
+assumed it was.
+
+That branch moves frequently; re-fetch before comparing anything against it. A stale
+remote-tracking ref is an easy way to reach a confidently wrong conclusion here.
+
+## Sequencing (decided)
+
+Three PRs. Nothing is cut; the order changed.
+
+### PR-A — close the incident (ships first)
+
+1. **Wall-clock ceiling** in `lagFromContentMs` (`src/core/source-health.ts:189`): return
+   `wallClockSeconds` once it exceeds an absolute bound regardless of the content
+   comparison. Bound is a named env knob per repo convention
+   (`GBRAIN_STALENESS_CEILING_HOURS`, default 72, matching the existing
+   `GBRAIN_SYNC_FRESHNESS_FAIL_HOURS`).
+2. **Regression test** (acceptance criterion 1 below).
+3. **E3** — `src/commands/migrate-engine.ts` reconciles the running daemon.
+4. **Wrapper self-disable** — `src/commands/autopilot.ts:1314-1359`. Adapted from
+   `src/core/brain-repo-durability.ts:509-512`, NOT copied: two corrections the
+   engineering review established.
+   - Predicate is `[ ! -d "$repo" ]`, not `[ ! -d "$repo/.git" ]`. `--repo` may be a
+     subdirectory of the checkout (sync resolves the root itself by walking up), and
+     `.git` is a FILE in worktrees and submodules — either shape would self-disable a
+     healthy install.
+   - `exit 0` is correct for the durability wrapper because launchd fires it on
+     `StartInterval` (one shot). Autopilot runs under `KeepAlive=true` +
+     `ThrottleInterval=60` and systemd `Restart=always`, where exiting disables nothing
+     and instead produces a silent respawn-every-60s loop. The wrapper must
+     `launchctl bootout` / `systemctl --user disable --now` itself on those targets and
+     drop a marker that `--status` surfaces.
+5. **Reconnect classifier** — `src/commands/autopilot.ts:58-78`; a JS `TypeError` must not
+   substring-match as a config verdict.
+6. **`autopilot --status` reads the heartbeat** instead of `existsSync`, and exits nonzero
+   when stale.
+7. **E8 hygiene** — test-run pollution of `~/.gbrain/sync-failures.jsonl`;
+   `buildSyncManifest` (`src/core/sync.ts:105-140`) dropping git **`T`** (typechange).
+   Narrowed: `src/core/sync-delta.ts:130` passes `-M` only, so `C` is unreachable without
+   `--find-copies` and `U` needs a conflicted worktree. `C`/`U` handled defensively.
+
+**Not in PR-A:** the lockfile-leak fix. Removing the leaked `~/.gbrain/autopilot.lock`
+deletes the signal that distinguishes *crashed* from *never installed*
+(`src/commands/status.ts:595-598`) before its replacement exists. It lands in PR-C
+alongside `live status`.
+
+### PR-B — the `harness` tier alone
+
+The harness tier is the only tier the modal gbrain user can actually run (PGLite default,
+desktop harness, behind NAT), so it ships alone and early rather than buried inside the
+cathedral. Reuses `src/core/bootstrap/{host-specs,hooks}.ts`, which the base branch
+already provides.
+
+### PR-C — the ladder
+
+`live` command family, `live.mode` bundle, shape detection, `cron`/`daemon`/`webhook`
+tiers, advisor collector, `init` offer, watch tier, shared `os-scheduler.ts`, and the
+lockfile-leak fix. **`live_ticks` is re-examined here against the shipped
+`last_sync_at` heartbeat rather than assumed** — the burden is on the new table to justify
+itself.
+
+## The constraint being satisfied (quoted so it can be checked)
+
+`docs/designs/AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_PLAN.md` on `origin/garrytan/codex-as-agent-default-install`,
+decision **D9**:
+
+> **D9 Scheduling: almost nothing on by default.** ON: SessionEnd push (event-driven, no
+> daemon). OPT-IN: 15-min harden cron. **Autopilot NOT default on PGLite** (verified: its
+> sync/embed children would contend with every live serve for the single-writer lock, and
+> nothing handles `LiveServeLockError` politely today) — **recommended on Postgres**; any
+> future scheduled job must treat lock-held as skip-silently-and-log.
+
+*Reconciliation:* D9 says "15-min harden cron"; the shipped default is **1800s / 30 min**
+(`src/core/brain-repo-durability.ts:76`, `:659`). D9's figure is stale. This plan uses 30.
+
+This plan's decisions are labelled **L1..L14** to avoid collision with that document.
+
+## PR-C design (carried forward, not yet committed to a diff)
+
+### Tiers — five active plus `off`
+
+| tier | mechanism | expected cadence | engine gate |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| `off` | nothing | n/a — `live status` exits **0** | — |
+| `harness` | agent hook / session boundary | event-driven, **age-exempt** | any (incl. Windows, containers) |
+| `webhook` | HMAC push from GitHub | event-driven, **age-exempt**; paired keepalive `cron` supplies the age signal | any + reachable `serve --http` |
+| `cron` | OS scheduler | declared `expected_cadence_seconds` | any; **PGLite floor 1800s + lock-aware skip** |
+| `daemon` | resident autopilot, `runCycle` | 300s | **Postgres only** (D9) |
+| `watch` | daemon + chokidar | **floor 300s for freshness purposes**, not the ~1s event latency | **Postgres only** (D9) |
+
+Event-driven tiers are exempt from age-based failure; a webhook repo with no pushes for
+three days is healthy, not failed. `watch`'s freshness cadence is decoupled from its event
+latency so a GC pause is not a FAIL.
+
+`off` is a first-class bundle member with `enabled: false`, copied from
+`src/core/pace-mode.ts:65-71`.
+
+### L1 — Shape detection predicate
+
+| Signal | Source | Meaning |
+|---|---|---|
+| engine | `config.engine` | `postgres` required for `daemon`/`watch` |
+| interactive desktop harness | `CLAUDECODE`, `CLAUDE_CODE_ENTRYPOINT`, `CODEX_HOME`, `CODEX_SANDBOX`, `CODEX_CI` (**env only**) | any present → cap at `harness` |
+| long-lived host | `detectInstallTarget()` ∈ {`macos`, `linux-systemd`, `ephemeral-container`+injection point} | a reboot-surviving scheduler exists |
+| server posture | `serve --http` configured, or `minion_mode != 'off'` | corroborating, never sufficient alone |
+
+`macos` is in the long-lived row deliberately: `detectInstallTarget()` returns `'macos'`
+unconditionally on darwin (`src/commands/autopilot.ts:1277`), and darwin is the platform
+of the origin incident. Omitting it would make the incident host permanently
+shape-ineligible.
+
+**No filesystem probes for harness identity.** The `~/.claude/hooks/...` class of probe
+(`src/commands/autopilot.ts:1304`) is what false-positives today. Env vars only.
+
+Any inconclusive read falls to `harness`, never `daemon`.
+
+### L2 — `live status` exit codes
+
+| Condition | Exit |
+|---|---|
+| fresh, or `live.mode == off` | 0 |
+| PGLite lock held by a live `serve` (`blocked_by_serve`) | 0 |
+| tier enabled + heartbeat missing or stale | 1 |
+| drifted install, or DB **connect failure** | 2 |
+
+`live.mode == off` exiting 0 is load-bearing: otherwise every fresh install exits nonzero,
+which is the `cycle_freshness` #2540 lesson (never-configured must not turn the surface
+red). And lock-held is **not** an outage: `src/core/pglite-engine.ts:444` acquires the file
+lock on every `connect()` and throws if it fails, so on the default engine with a resident
+`serve`, treating that as exit 2 would make FAIL the steady state.
+
+### L3 — `skipped_locked` semantics
+
+A tick that cannot acquire the PGLite lock **does not satisfy freshness and does not
+degrade it**. It is neutral: logged, not recorded as work-done, and not counted toward
+staleness for a grace window of 3 consecutive skips, after which the surface reports
+`blocked_by_serve` with the remediation inline. Treating it as work-done rebuilds the
+71-day false-green; treating it as failure makes the default engine permanently red.
+
+### L4 — Scheduler ownership
+
+Ownership lives in a sidecar `~/.gbrain/live-ownership.json`, **not** in an entry comment.
+On darwin both harden and autopilot install launchd **plists** (files, not comment-bearing
+crontab lines), so the `# gbrain:autopilot v0.11.0` marker convention does not generalize.
+The sidecar covers all install targets uniformly.
+
+Three enumerated cases:
+
+1. **Harden cron exists + pull opted in** → rewrite through `os-scheduler.ts`,
+   `ownership=live-adopted`.
+2. **Harden cron exists + pull declined** → leave it entirely alone; install a separately
+   labelled `live` entry. **This is the default and lands first**, so PR-C's `live on`
+   never meets an existing harden cron without a rule.
+3. **Neither exists** → install a `live` entry, `ownership=live`.
+
+`live off` removes only entries `live` created and reverts adopted ones to harden.
+
+Pre-existing `gbrain autopilot` installs are **migrated, not orphaned**: first `live
+status` after upgrade reports `tier: daemon (legacy autopilot)` and offers one-time
+adoption.
+
+### L5 — Op scopes
+
+| Op | scope | localOnly | remote |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| `live_status` | `read` | no | allowed; omits `local_path`, scheduler artifact paths, and log tail |
+| `live_tick` | `write` | **yes** | reject |
+| `live_on` / `live_off` | `admin` | **yes** | reject |
+| `live_self_heal` | `admin` | **yes** | reject |
+
+Self-heal walks a **DB-supplied** `local_path` and then writes a scheduler entry.
+`src/commands/doctor.ts` already gates its git short-circuit on `localOnly === true`
+(*"a remote-callable code path must NOT walk DB-supplied `local_path` values with
+subprocess calls"*). Self-heal honors that and additionally requires a realpath match
+against the anchor via `isAnchorOwnedSyncPath` (`src/commands/sync.ts:1296`).
+
+**Bootstrap paradox, acknowledged:** if the broken thing is the scheduler entry, a
+scheduled self-heal never runs. Non-scheduled triggers are the `harness` tier (PR-B) and
+an explicit `gbrain live doctor`. PR-C ships self-heal with both, not with a scheduled
+trigger alone.
+
+### L6 — Revert
+
+A code revert leaves plists, crontab lines, systemd units, and (E1) a GitHub webhook
+installed and unowned. Therefore:
+
+- **Revert requires `gbrain live off` first** on any enabled host. Stated in the PR body.
+- The generated wrapper self-disables on a **marker file** written by `live on` and removed
+  by `live off`. Not a `gbrain live --help` probe: that adds a process spawn per tick and
+  assumes an exit code the CLI does not guarantee.
+- The migration, if `live_ticks` survives PR-C's re-examination, is additive and uses the
+  **next free version at implementation time** (125 is the current max; two waves may land
+  first).
+
+### L7 — E5 must not use `nag-state.ts`
+
+`src/core/skillpack/nag-state.ts` is skillpack-scoped (schema `gbrain-skillpack-nag-v1`,
+entries keyed on `pack_version`, `DEFAULT_NAG_CEILING = 3`, suppressed thereafter). Wiring
+a dead-sync alarm through it means a genuinely broken brain goes silent after three
+notices, which is a suppression mechanism for the exact failure mode whose defining
+property was 71 days of silence.
+
+E5 instead uses a **rate limit, not a ceiling**: at most once per session, never
+suppressed permanently, escalating in terseness rather than disappearing.
+
+### L8 — E1 webhook dependencies (previously unpriced)
+
+Creating a GitHub webhook programmatically needs an `admin:repo_hook` token. No
+acquisition, storage, scope, or rotation story existed. Therefore E1 ships in **manual
+mode only**: `live on --tier webhook` generates the secret, resolves and prints the payload
+URL, and the user pastes it into GitHub, matching what `gbrain sources webhook set`
+(`src/commands/sources.ts:909-916`) already does. No token, no remote hook creation, no
+`live off` remote deletion problem.
+
+The "verified test ping" must originate **from GitHub**, not locally. A local ping proves
+nothing through NAT and would be an artifact-presence check, the precise anti-pattern in
+the Origin section.
+
+### L9 — `live_ticks` retention
+
+If the table survives PR-C, the sweep runs **inside `live tick`** (bounded best-effort
+DELETE on a TTL), not only in the cycle's `purge` phase. `purge` is a `runCycle` phase
+(`src/core/cycle.ts:1434`), and `runCycle` runs only on `daemon`/`watch` — the `cron`,
+`webhook`, and `harness` tiers would accumulate forever.
+
+## Scope decisions (all accepted; PR assignment added)
+
+| # | Item | PR | Note |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| L10 | Approach C: full ladder | A/B/C | user chose the cathedral; resequenced, not cut |
+| L11 | Tier default keys on deployment shape, not vendor | C | Hermes has zero detectable signal |
+| E1 | Webhook tier, **manual mode** (L8) | C | |
+| E2 | Self-heal with `.tmp`+rename+`.bak` rollback | C | bootstrap paradox handled per L5 |
+| E3 | `migrate-engine` reconciles the daemon | **A** | the literal root cause |
+| E4 | Pull cron adoption per L4, separate opt-in per L12 | C | |
+| E5 | Agent-facing staleness, rate-limited not nag-ceilinged (L7) | C | |
+| E6 | Windows hard error naming `--tier harness` | C | `detectInstallTarget()` has no win32 branch |
+| E7 | `live_ticks` — **re-examined, not assumed** | C | the shipped `last_sync_at` heartbeat may suffice |
+| E8 | Hygiene, narrowed to git `T` | **A** | |
+
+### L12 — E4's pull cron is an autonomy question
+
+`docs/guides/upgrades-auto-update.md:41-43` states *"`auto` is deliberately NOT a default
+anywhere — it's an explicit autonomy grant, because applying code from GitHub unattended
+is, by design, remote code execution."* This plan does **not** flip `self_upgrade.mode`.
+
+E4 schedules `git pull` every 30 minutes. That is content, not code, and durability keeps
+gbrain's hooks local and untracked so a pulled commit cannot rewrite executable hook code.
+But it is still unattended network fetch into a directory gbrain runs tooling against.
+Therefore the pull cron is a **separate opt-in from the tier**, proposed and explained by
+`live on`, never silently bundled.
+
+### L13 — The directive's internal tension, stated
+
+"OpenClaw and Hermes default to always-up-to-date" sits against L1's "shape detection
+recommends, never installs" and D9's "almost nothing on by default." These are reconciled
+by scope: shape detection sets the **recommended tier** and pre-selects it in the `init`
+consent prompt, so a shape-matching host is one keystroke from always-on rather than
+silently converted. Whether that consent is required on **upgrade** as well as fresh
+install is **open decision F1** below.
+
+## L14 — Acceptance criteria
+
+1. **Three-surface honesty.** A source whose `local_path` is deleted, whose `last_sync_at`
+   is 71 days old, whose `newest_content_at` is **non-NULL**, and whose `chunker_version`
+   **matches** must report stale/fail from `doctor` and `gbrain status`, and must surface
+   the lag in `sources status`. Both fixture preconditions are required: a NULL
+   `newest_content_at` already falls through to wall-clock
+   (`src/commands/doctor.ts:4335-4342`) and a chunker mismatch already disables the
+   fallback (`:4318`), so a naive fixture passes against unfixed code.
+   *`sources status` is held to output, not exit code — it has no exit contract today and
+   adding one is an undeclared breaking change to a read-only dashboard.*
+2. **Quiet-source non-regression.** A source with a recent `last_sync_at`, an unreachable
+   clone, and no new content must still report **OK**. This is the 16-source / doctor
+   70→30 incident; the ceiling must not re-light it.
+3. **Install honesty** (PR-C). `live on --tier cron` verifies the job loaded and exits
+   nonzero if not; deleting the repo makes `live status` exit nonzero and name the path;
+   `live off` leaves nothing.
+4. **Concurrency** (PR-C, **Postgres only**). Two tiers ticking produce one import and one
+   neutral skip record. On PGLite the second process cannot open the DB at all, so the
+   defined outcome is a log line and no row.
+5. **Watch tier** (PR-C). E2E expects **queued-job-failure**, not synchronous rejection —
+   `ingest_capture` enqueues and returns.
+6. **Engine parity** (PR-C, if `live_ticks` survives). DDL identical in both engines,
+   pinned by `test/e2e/engine-parity.test.ts`; bootstrap probe-set entry pinned by
+   `test/schema-bootstrap-coverage.test.ts`.
+
+## Open decisions (unanswered — do not silently default)
+
+- **F1.** Does shape-detected always-on apply on **upgrade** as well as fresh install?
+  Codebase precedent (`src/commands/upgrade.ts:513-516`, `mcp.publish_skills`) is
+  new-installs-only with a one-time prompt for existing. Gates PR-C only.
+- **F2.** Command noun and config key: `gbrain live` + `live.mode` (requires renaming the
+  existing `liveSyncStatus` helper at `src/core/db-lock.ts:749` to `syncInProgress`, two
+  call sites) vs `gbrain sync live` + `sync.live.mode`. Gates PR-C only.
+
+## Deferred to TODOS.md
+
+- Full Windows `schtasks` tier — no test machine; `harness` covers it
+- Per-tier cost meter for `daemon` / `watch`
+- Cross-OS scheduler probing as a `live status` diagnostic (TODO-V19-D stays open; the
+  heartbeat makes it optional rather than load-bearing)
+- Centralize the three freshness call sites onto one `freshnessVerdict()` helper
+  (existing filed P3, now partially satisfied by PR-A's single-function fix)
+
+## Dream state delta
+
+PR-A leaves brain currency *honest*. PR-B leaves it *workable for the modal user*. PR-C
+leaves it *a product feature*. Remaining gap to the 12-month ideal: currency is still
+something the user turns on, not something simply true of a configured brain. F1 is the
+decision that closes or preserves that gap.
+
+## Reviewer concerns (unresolved after 3 iterations)
+
+- **Scope, from both reviewers:** PR-C remains large (command family, mode bundle, shape
+  detector, three tiers, advisor collector, init prompt, webhook, watch tier, scheduler
+  extraction). The PR-A/B/C split answers the sequencing objection but not the size of C
+  itself. Revisit at PR-C planning with the incident already fixed.
+- **`live_ticks` necessity** is explicitly unresolved and assigned to PR-C rather than
+  decided here.

docs/eval-bench.md

@@ -8,11 +8,19 @@ For the **NDJSON wire format** consumed by gbrain-evals, see
 [`eval-capture.md`](./eval-capture.md). This doc is the human dev loop
 that lives on top of that format.
 
-## v0.41 update — the LOOP is now real
+If you're touching **memory behavior** rather than retrieval ranking — the
+Retrieval Reflex push path, conversation→facts write-back, cross-session
+continuity, source isolation — the gate for that layer is **BrainBench**
+(`gbrain eval brainbench`): see [`eval/BRAINBENCH.md`](./eval/BRAINBENCH.md).
+The two stack: this doc's capture→baseline→replay loop gates query-level
+result sets; BrainBench gates the memory behaviors above them, with its own
+committed baseline (`evals/brainbench/baselines/main.json`) compared against
+MAIN's copy in CI so a PR can't self-approve a regression.
 
-Before v0.41, you could capture eval rows and replay them but nothing
-stitched them into a gate. `gbrain bench publish` + `gbrain eval gate`
-close the loop. Two gates:
+## The eval gate loop
+
+`gbrain bench publish` + `gbrain eval gate` stitch captured eval rows into
+a pass/fail gate. Two gates:
 
 - **Regression gate** (`--baseline X.baseline.ndjson`): replays a baseline
   you captured against your current brain. Catches: "did my refactor break
@@ -39,7 +47,7 @@ gbrain bench publish --from /tmp/captured.ndjson --to ~/.gbrain/baselines/person
 gbrain eval gate --baseline ~/.gbrain/baselines/personal.baseline.ndjson
 ```
 
-### Privacy posture (D9)
+### Privacy posture
 
 **Public baselines in `gbrain-evals` are hermetic-synthetic ONLY.** Real
 user captures stay local in `~/.gbrain/baselines/`. The boundary is
@@ -131,14 +139,9 @@ gbrain query "anything" >/dev/null
 psql $DATABASE_URL -c 'SELECT count(*) FROM eval_candidates'   # should be > 0
 ```
 
-To override (force on/off regardless of env var), edit `~/.gbrain/config.json`:
-
-```json
-{"eval": {"capture": true}}    // force on
-{"eval": {"capture": false}}   // force off
-```
-
-Explicit config beats the env var both directions.
+The full on/off resolution order (config beats env var, both directions) is
+documented once in [`eval-capture.md`](./eval-capture.md) — that file is the
+capture contract.
 
 ## The 4-command loop
 
@@ -205,7 +208,7 @@ retrieval, and which queries did it move most?"
 
 For a third evaluation axis — public benchmark, ground-truth labels, full
 question-answer pipeline (not just retrieval) — `gbrain eval longmemeval
-<dataset.jsonl>` (v0.28.8) runs the LongMemEval benchmark against gbrain's
+<dataset.jsonl>` runs the LongMemEval benchmark against gbrain's
 hybrid retrieval. Each question gets a clean in-memory PGLite, its haystack
 imported, the question asked, the hypothesis emitted as JSONL — exactly the
 shape LongMemEval's `evaluate_qa.py` consumes. Your `~/.gbrain` brain is
@@ -337,7 +340,7 @@ Existing `eval_candidates` rows stay until you `gbrain eval prune
 | `rows_errored > 0` | One or more queries threw. Inspect first 3 in human output, or `--json` to see all `error_message` fields |
 | Many `skipped: empty query` | Capture ran on rows where someone passed empty `query` — check why those were captured |
 
-## Public benchmarks: LongMemEval (v0.28.8)
+## Public benchmarks: LongMemEval
 
 `gbrain eval longmemeval` runs the public [LongMemEval](https://huggingface.co/datasets/xiaowu0162/longmemeval)
 benchmark directly against gbrain's hybrid retrieval. Different evaluation
@@ -398,7 +401,7 @@ p50 25.9ms / p99 30.3ms warm reset+import+search on Apple Silicon (per the
 500ms speed gate. 500 questions = ~13s of overhead plus your retrieval and
 LLM latency.
 
-## Measuring brain consistency over time (v0.32.6)
+## Measuring brain consistency over time
 
 `gbrain eval suspected-contradictions` is a complementary measurement
 instrument: it samples retrieval results for unmarked semantic
@@ -435,20 +438,19 @@ commands per high-severity finding.
 - CHANGELOG `## [0.32.6]` — full release notes including the bigger-swing
   decision criteria gated on Wilson CI lower-bound.
 
-## v0.40.1.0 Track D — Eval infrastructure
+## Eval infrastructure: by-type breakdowns, the hermetic gate, batch scoring
 
-Three eval surfaces grew non-trivial capabilities in v0.40.1.0. This section
-covers the dev loop that uses them and the gates they enforce.
+Three further eval surfaces, and the dev loop that uses them.
 
 ### `gbrain eval longmemeval --by-type` — per-question-type R@k breakdown
 
-LongMemEval has always computed per-question-type recall internally; v0.40.1.0
-surfaces it in machine-readable form. Two additive changes:
+LongMemEval computes per-question-type recall internally, and surfaces it in
+machine-readable form:
 
-1. Every per-question JSONL row now includes a `question: string` field so the
+1. Every per-question JSONL row includes a `question: string` field so the
    `gbrain eval cross-modal --batch` consumer (below) can read it without
    joining back against the source dataset.
-2. New `--by-type` flag emits a final aggregate line keyed by `question_type`:
+2. The `--by-type` flag emits a final aggregate line keyed by `question_type`:
 
 ```json
 {"schema_version": 1, "kind": "by_type_summary",
@@ -480,11 +482,11 @@ echo "exit=$?"  # 1 if any type fell below 0.80
 
 ### Hermetic retrieval gate — `test/eval-replay-gate.test.ts`
 
-The v0.40.1.0 Track D structural fix for "PRs touching `src/core/search/`
-silently regress retrieval." Replaces the original "replay against captured
-eval_candidates" design (which Codex caught as non-functional in CI — see
-the `v0.41+: contributor-mode CI capture` TODO in `TODOS.md` for the deferred
-real-query version).
+The structural fix for "PRs touching `src/core/search/` silently regress
+retrieval." A "replay against captured eval_candidates" design can't work in
+CI (CI has no captured production queries), so the gate is hermetic; see the
+`contributor-mode CI capture` TODO in `TODOS.md` for the deferred
+real-query version.
 
 How it works:
 - Hand-curated qrels fixture at `test/fixtures/eval-baselines/qrels-search.json`
@@ -499,7 +501,7 @@ How it works:
 - Lives in the unit-shard test matrix (`.github/workflows/test.yml`) so it
   runs on every PR via `bun test`, NOT in the E2E fixed-file workflow.
 
-#### Refreshing the qrels fixture (the `Why:` discipline, D4)
+#### Refreshing the qrels fixture (the `Why:` discipline)
 
 When CI fails because a legitimate ranking change moved expected slugs, the
 fix is to edit `qrels-search.json` directly. **Always include a `Why:` line

docs/eval-takes-quality.md

@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ receipt file from disk and re-renders it. The other modes need the brain.
 |---|---|---|
 | `--limit N` | 100 | Random sample of N takes from the brain. |
 | `--cycles N` | 3 (TTY) / 1 (non-TTY) | Up to N panel calls before giving up; early-stop on PASS or INCONCLUSIVE. |
-| `--budget-usd N` | unset | Abort before next call's projected cost would exceed cap. Models without a `pricing.ts` entry fail loud (codex #4). |
+| `--budget-usd N` | unset | Abort before next call's projected cost would exceed cap. Models without a `pricing.ts` entry fail loud rather than silently blowing the budget. |
 | `--source db|fs` | `db` | `fs` is reserved for v0.33+. |
 | `--slug-prefix P` | unset | Filter takes to pages whose slug starts with P. |
 | `--models a,b,c` | `openai:gpt-5.2,anthropic:claude-opus-4-7,google:gemini-2.0-flash` | Comma-separated panel. |
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ receipt file from disk and re-renders it. The other modes need the brain.
 
 - `schema_version` — locks the contract. Adding optional fields is additive
   and compatible. Renaming, removing, or changing semantics bumps the version.
-- `rubric_version` + `rubric_sha8` — segregate trend rows by rubric epoch
-  (codex review #3). When the rubric definition changes, both fields update,
+- `rubric_version` + `rubric_sha8` — segregate trend rows by rubric epoch.
+  When the rubric definition changes, both fields update,
   and trend mode groups runs accordingly so a stricter rubric doesn't
   silently look like a quality drop.
 - `corpus.corpus_sha8` — fingerprint over the joined takes-text the judge
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ receipt file from disk and re-renders it. The other modes need the brain.
   models in `--models` doesn't change the sha (sort is stable).
 - `successes_per_cycle` — count of contributing models per cycle. A model
   contributes when (a) its JSON parsed AND (b) every declared rubric dim
-  has a finite score (codex review #5 — missing-dim drops the contribution).
+  has a finite score (a missing dim drops the whole contribution).
 - `verdict` — `pass` if every dim mean >= 7 AND every dim min across
   contributing models >= 5; `fail` otherwise; `inconclusive` if fewer than
   2/3 models contributed complete scores.
@@ -93,11 +93,11 @@ receipt file from disk and re-renders it. The other modes need the brain.
 
 ## Receipt persistence
 
-Receipts persist to **`eval_takes_quality_runs`** (DB-authoritative per
-codex review #6) AND to disk at `~/.gbrain/eval-receipts/takes-quality-<corpus>-<prompt>-<models>-<rubric>.json`
+Receipts persist to **`eval_takes_quality_runs`** (the DB is authoritative)
+AND to disk at `~/.gbrain/eval-receipts/takes-quality-<corpus>-<prompt>-<models>-<rubric>.json`
 as a best-effort artifact. The DB row carries the full receipt JSON in the
 `receipt_json` JSONB column, so when the disk artifact is gone, `replay`
-can still reconstruct via `loadReceiptFromDb` (v0.33+ flag wiring).
+can still reconstruct via `loadReceiptFromDb`.
 
 The 4-sha primary key is unique (`UNIQUE` constraint) so re-running an
 identical eval is `INSERT ... ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING` — idempotent.

docs/eval/BRAINBENCH.md

@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+# BrainBench — cross-harness memory conformance methodology
+
+BrainBench generalizes gbrain's internal eval surface into a reproducible,
+cross-harness benchmark for agent memory. It operationalizes the four failure
+modes of the agent-memory thesis: **know-to-ask** (nobody has a push path),
+**push precision/recall** (the intrusion budget must be enforced),
+**write-back fidelity** (memory write is even less solved than read), and
+**cross-session continuity** (continuity that survives the harness hop).
+Every subsequent memory PR must move — or hold, with a recorded justification —
+a BrainBench number to merge.
+
+Operator quickstart, corpus layout, and fixture-authoring rules live in
+[`evals/brainbench/README.md`](../../evals/brainbench/README.md). This document
+is the methodology: what the numbers mean, what they deliberately do not mean,
+and how the gate governs change.
+
+## Seam disclosure (read this before comparing rows)
+
+Every scoreboard row carries a `seam` column:
+
+| Harness | Seam | What the row actually measures |
+|---|---|---|
+| `openclaw` | **production** | The shipped OpenClaw context-engine pipeline, byte-for-byte (`extractCandidates` → `resolveEntitiesToPointers`, 3-pointer budget, prior-context suppression, markdown pointer block). |
+| `claude-code` | **contract** | gbrain's memory primitives driven through the UserPromptSubmit hook wire contract (`{prompt, session_id, cwd}` in → `{hookSpecificOutput.additionalContext}` out, exported from `src/eval/brainbench/adapters/claude-code.ts`). 2-pointer budget; NO conversation memory — this row deliberately models the memoryless wire contract (suppression off), so the re-injection cost is visible as `false_fire_rate`; the shipped `gbrain hook user-prompt` layers transcript-based cross-turn dedupe on top of this same contract. |
+| `codex` | **contract** | The fragments model: a static entity-index preamble (computed once, slugs not counted as injections) + at most ONE per-turn fragment. Measures how much push quality degrades when injection is mostly static. |
+
+**Contract rows do NOT measure third-party harness behavior.** They measure
+gbrain's primitives under each harness's injection-shape constraints. The rows
+are comparable because fixtures, brain, and gold are identical — only the seam
+contract varies. The real Claude Code integration has landed (`gbrain hook
+user-prompt`, registered by `gbrain bootstrap`); flipping this adapter to exec
+the real hook and report `production` numbers is a filed follow-up (TODOS.md —
+"Flip contract adapters to production"). Same for codex fragments when that
+integration lands. Also not graded, by design: the production orchestrator's
+config gate, integration heartbeat, and 1500 ms timeout wrapper.
+
+All three adapters drive ONE shared pipeline (`adapters/shared.ts`) with
+declarative configs — comparability is structural, not disciplined.
+
+## Metrics (formulas)
+
+All micro-averaged per (harness × suite) cell; registered in
+`src/core/eval/metric-glossary.ts` (plain-English in
+[`METRIC_GLOSSARY.md`](METRIC_GLOSSARY.md)); JSON output carries one
+`_meta.metric_glossary` block.
+
+- `know_to_ask_failure_rate` = |should-retrieve turns where injected ∩ (gold ∪ acceptable) = ∅| / |should-retrieve turns|. Lower better.
+- `false_fire_rate` = |stay-silent turns with any injection| / |stay-silent turns|. Lower better. Anti-gaming companion: "always inject" cannot win both.
+- `push_precision` = Σ|injected ∩ (gold ∪ acceptable)| / Σ|injected| over turns with injection. `acceptable_slugs` count for precision, not recall.
+- `push_recall` = Σ|injected ∩ gold| / Σ|gold| over should-retrieve turns. Pointer budgets cap this by design.
+- `write_back_fidelity` = |gold facts that survive the PRODUCTION conversation→memory pipeline and are keyword-findable with correct entity attribution| / |gold facts|. The deterministic mode injects a gold extractor at the pipeline's extractor seam so segmentation, batching, dedup, and provenance stamping execute shipped code with zero LLM calls.
+- `provenance_accuracy` = |surviving facts with correct {source, source_session, source_markdown_slug}| / |surviving facts|.
+- `continuity_rate` = |decision probes recalled by the reader| / |probes|, per READER harness. The writer fixture's decisions persist through the production write-back pipeline — which is harness-INDEPENDENT in v1 — so each pair preps once and every harness replays the read-only reader against the same persisted state (an ordered writer×reader sweep would rebuild byte-identical brains for identical scores). A probe succeeds via pointer injection or stored-fact keyword lookup. The per-writer axis activates when harness-specific write paths land.
+- `source_isolation_violations` = count of injected slugs from a non-active source. **Gates at zero**, every run, regardless of baseline — cross-source leakage is the data-leak invariant. Granularity disclosure: detection is slug-keyed, so it catches injection of slugs seeded ONLY in a foreign source; a same-slug cross-source CONTENT leak would require the engine's source-scoped SQL itself to fail, which the engine-layer source-isolation fuzz (gbrain-evals Cat 22) covers directly.
+- `avg_injected_tokens` = mean estimated tokens (chars/4) of injected context per replayed turn. Intrusion-budget diagnostic; reported, NOT gated (gating awaits calibration data — filed TODO).
+- `extraction_recall` / `extraction_precision` — `--llm` runs only: the real extractor's output vs gold keyword probes.
+
+### What know-to-ask deliberately means in v1
+
+It grades the **deterministic injection decision** — the Reflex pipeline that
+ships at the seam. The agent never "knows to ask"; the reflex pushes. An
+agent-LLM-in-the-loop replay (did the *model* issue a retrieval call when the
+reflex stayed silent?) is **pre-registered as the `--live` extension**:
+fixture-compatible, seeded, N-repeat methodology — and unimplemented. No LLM
+grading is faked in v1.
+
+### Difficulty is stratified on purpose
+
+Several know-to-ask variants exercise documented v1 reflex limits (lowercase
+mentions, surname-only references — `src/core/context/entity-salience.ts`).
+Gold records what SHOULD happen; the committed baseline records what the
+current system does (`know_to_ask_failure_rate` ≈ 0.15 at v1). The gap is the
+measured roadmap, not a bug in the bench.
+
+## Pre-registered expectations (v1, recorded before the first published run)
+
+1. The production seam (openclaw) leads `push_recall` strictly: 3-pointer > 2-pointer > 1-fragment budgets. *(Observed at landing: 0.81 / 0.65 / 0.45.)*
+2. The no-suppression contract (claude-code) is the only seam with `false_fire_rate` > 0. *(Observed: 0.02–0.03.)*
+3. `write_back_fidelity` = 1.0 and `provenance_accuracy` = 1.0 in deterministic mode — the production pipeline must not lose or mis-attribute gold facts it was handed. Anything below 1.0 is a pipeline bug, not benchmark noise.
+4. `source_isolation_violations` = 0 everywhere.
+5. `push_precision` = 1.0 at v1 (exact-match resolution arms cannot inject an irrelevant page on this corpus); expected to dip below 1.0 when fuzzy/semantic resolution lands — that dip is the precision/recall trade made visible.
+
+## Determinism & statistical posture
+
+The harness is deterministic end-to-end: regex extraction + SQL resolution
+(zero LLM, zero embeddings — facts seed with NULL embeddings; keyword/alias
+arms carry retrieval), seeded PRNG corpus, one in-memory PGLite reset between
+fixtures. Two runs produce identical metrics, so N-repeat error bars are
+meaningless here (stddev = 0 by construction, the gbrain-evals "deterministic
+adapters" convention) and the gate can be exact: **any flipped gold item is a
+real behavior change.** Bootstrap/CI discipline applies to the future `--live`
+and `--llm` published runs, which are model-stochastic.
+
+## Gate governance (decision 4 — why a PR can't self-approve)
+
+CI (`.github/workflows/test.yml` `brainbench` job, local parity
+`scripts/ci-brainbench-gate.sh`) fetches the baseline **from main**
+(`git show origin/master:evals/brainbench/baselines/main.json`) and compares
+HEAD's fresh run against it:
+
+- **Same `fixtures_hash`** → count-aware gate: any newly-failed gold item, any
+  adverse gated-metric move, or any isolation violation fails (exit 1).
+- **Different hash** (the PR changed fixtures) → **corpus-bless mode**: the
+  PR's committed baseline must EXACTLY match HEAD's actual run (the file
+  cannot lie; exit 2 until `--update-baseline` is re-run), and any adverse
+  move vs main's baseline requires a `justification` string in the committed
+  baseline — visible in the PR diff, judged by the reviewer.
+- `--allow-regression "reason"` is the local one-off escape hatch; the reason
+  is recorded in the run output. It is not available to CI.
+
+The committed baseline is diff-stable by construction (metrics rounded to 4
+decimals, keys sorted, receipts excluded; the run CONFIG — holdout/llm/
+harness/suite sets — is bound into it, and comparisons across mismatched
+configs are inconclusive). Same-hash hardening: any committed-baseline edit
+without a fixture change must byte-match the actual run (receipts-backed), a
+regressing receipts-backed update still needs a `justification`, gold_total
+may not move at all under an unchanged corpus, and the CI script refuses a
+working-tree baseline deletion. Holdout fixtures (~15%) are excluded from the
+gate and scored only in published runs (`--include-holdout`).
+
+Accepted residuals (review-enforced, by design): a `justification` string is
+judged by the human reviewer, not parsed; count-preserving corpus dilution
+(replacing hard fixtures with easy ones at equal gold_total) is visible only
+in the fixture diff; and the ratchet does not auto-tighten — improvements
+aren't banked into main's baseline until a PR updates it (a regression back
+to the stale baseline level passes; periodic re-baselining is the operator's
+job, filed as a TODO).
+
+## Gold methodology
+
+Gold derives from the corpus generator (the same PRNG step that authors a turn
+authors its annotation, so gold-vs-text drift is structurally impossible for
+generated fixtures), plus hand-authored spike fixtures that froze the schema.
+A 10% double-label validation pass (independent agent review of fixture text vs
+gold, blind to the generator's intent) is run at corpus-change time; its
+receipt is recorded in the corpus `_ledger.json` and any disagreement is a
+fixture bug to fix, not a tolerance to average over.
+
+## Interop
+
+- **Foreign runners (gbrain-evals):** the subprocess contract is
+  `gbrain eval brainbench --fixtures DIR --gold DIR --json --out FILE`;
+  schemas in `evals/brainbench/schema/`. The sibling gbrain-evals repo wires
+  this as `eval/runner/brainbench-memory.ts` with a published scorecard.
+- **Memory-verbs conformance kit (Cathedral 1):** conformance scenarios
+  convert to BrainBench fixtures via the published fixture schema
+  (`schema_version` 1) once that wave lands — the conversion path is the
+  schema itself; no bespoke importer is required.
+- **Naming note:** "BrainBench" historically also names the in-house
+  retrieval corpus in the sibling gbrain-evals repo (the 145-query relational
+  suite, Cat taxonomy) and `test/cathedral-ii-brainbench.test.ts` (v0.20.0
+  code-graph recall pins). This suite — the cross-harness memory conformance
+  bench — is the generalization the name now primarily refers to; the older
+  references stand unchanged.
+
+## Extends docs/eval-bench.md
+
+The capture → baseline → replay loop in [`eval-bench.md`](../eval-bench.md)
+gates *retrieval result sets* at the query level. BrainBench gates the
+*memory behaviors* above them. The two share the receipts discipline and the
+.gbrain-evals run ledger (`EvalRunRecord` v3; brainbench records once per
+sweep under `mode: 'n/a'`).

docs/eval/FIX_WAVE_BASELINES.md

@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+# Fix-wave series baselines (W0 → W9)
+
+Recorded per wave so the series' "10x better for 2x effort" claim is measured,
+not vibed (fix-wave plan D4.13). Update this file in each wave's PR; keep the
+prior rows — the deltas ARE the receipt.
+
+## How to refresh
+
+```bash
+wc -l src/commands/doctor.ts src/core/pglite-engine.ts src/core/postgres-engine.ts \
+  src/core/operations.ts src/core/migrate.ts src/commands/sync.ts \
+  src/core/ai/gateway.ts src/cli.ts src/core/engine.ts \
+  src/core/search/hybrid.ts src/core/search/mode.ts src/core/cycle.ts
+ls scripts/check-* | wc -l                  # guard count
+bash scripts/guard-self-test.sh             # self-tested count + harness runtime
+bun run test > /tmp/suite.txt 2>&1; echo $? # wall-clock from the run banner
+```
+
+Retrieval-quality canary (MANDATORY before W1, and after W1/W3/W9): run
+`gbrain eval gate` against a NON-PRODUCTION brain (the production PGLite brain
+is single-writer and usually held by a live `gbrain serve`; eval runs never
+touch `~/.gbrain` per the eval discipline — results land in
+`<repo>/.gbrain-evals/eval-results.jsonl`). Record the gate verdict + headline
+metrics here per run.
+
+## W0 (2026-08-14, branch garrytan/code-smell-fix-wave @ post-hotfix)
+
+God-file line counts (the audit's structural targets, BEFORE the registry waves):
+
+| File | Lines |
+|---|---|
+| src/commands/doctor.ts | 10,057 |
+| src/core/operations.ts | 7,459 |
+| src/core/pglite-engine.ts | 6,874 |
+| src/core/postgres-engine.ts | 6,847 |
+| src/core/migrate.ts | 6,201 |
+| src/commands/sync.ts | 5,991 |
+| src/core/ai/gateway.ts | 4,049 |
+| src/cli.ts | 3,301 |
+| src/core/cycle.ts | 2,933 |
+| src/core/search/hybrid.ts | 2,453 |
+| src/core/engine.ts | 2,320 |
+| src/core/search/mode.ts | 1,232 |
+
+Guards: 47 scripts/check-* files; 3 self-tested (harness <1s, budget 30s);
+single registry established (guards-manifest.tsv; `check:all` deleted; 3
+previously-unreachable guards wired into verify).
+
+Test infra: PGLite snapshot default-on for `bun run test`. Per-PGLite-file:
+1.63s cold → 0.91s snapshotted (measured on test/db-lock-fencing.test.ts).
+Full-suite wall-clock (post-snapshot): recorded in the W0 ship notes — see
+the run banner of the W0 PR's `bun run test` evidence.
+
+Retrieval canary: NOT RUN at W0 (production brain locked by live serve; W0
+touches no search paths). REQUIRED before W1 lands.
+
+Verified-bug status at W0 ship: cycle-lock refresh + fencing (TODO-OPS-2
+closed), stall-death parent unblock, started_at ×4, modality carry, import
+typed aborts, lint single-pass, prompt EOF safety, guard self-test harness,
+snapshot default-on. W0a superseded by master's WP1/D7 (port-ledger in the
+plan file).

docs/eval/METRIC_GLOSSARY.md

@@ -168,6 +168,96 @@ Every metric `gbrain eval *` and `gbrain search stats` reports has a plain-Engli
 
 **Range:** 0..1, higher = a sharper cliff (more confident cut). Below the autocut_jump threshold → no cut.
 
+## BrainBench — Cross-Harness Memory Conformance
+
+### Know-to-ask failure rate (BrainBench)
+
+**Key:** `know_to_ask_failure_rate`
+
+**Plain English:** Of the conversation turns where memory SHOULD have surfaced something unprompted, the fraction where nothing relevant was injected. This is the thesis failure mode every agent harness shares: the agent can't ask for what it doesn't know it forgot — the memory layer has to volunteer it.
+
+**Range:** 0..1, LOWER is better. 0.15 means memory stayed silent on 15% of the turns where it had the answer.
+
+### False-fire rate (BrainBench)
+
+**Key:** `false_fire_rate`
+
+**Plain English:** Of the turns where memory should have stayed SILENT, the fraction where it injected anyway. The anti-gaming companion to the know-to-ask rate — "always inject" would ace one and bomb the other. Silence beats noise.
+
+**Range:** 0..1, LOWER is better.
+
+### Push precision (BrainBench)
+
+**Key:** `push_precision`
+
+**Plain English:** Of everything the memory layer volunteered into context, what fraction was actually relevant to the turn? Micro-averaged over injected pointers, so a 3-pointer turn weighs three times a 1-pointer turn — the way a token budget experiences it.
+
+**Range:** 0..1, higher is better.
+
+### Push recall (BrainBench)
+
+**Key:** `push_recall`
+
+**Plain English:** Of everything that SHOULD have been volunteered (the gold pointers), what fraction actually was? Pointer budgets cap this by design: a seam that may inject only 1 fragment cannot reach full recall on a 3-entity turn — that constraint is what the per-harness rows measure.
+
+**Range:** 0..1, higher is better.
+
+### Write-back fidelity (BrainBench)
+
+**Key:** `write_back_fidelity`
+
+**Plain English:** Of the facts stated in a conversation, what fraction survived the PRODUCTION conversation→memory pipeline (segmentation, insertion, dedup) and are findable afterward with the right entity attached? Measures the write path users actually run, not a test-only insert.
+
+**Range:** 0..1, higher is better.
+
+### Provenance accuracy (BrainBench)
+
+**Key:** `provenance_accuracy`
+
+**Plain English:** Of the facts that survived write-back, what fraction carry correct provenance — the right source tag, session id, and origin page? A fact you can't trace is a fact you can't trust, audit, or expire.
+
+**Range:** 0..1, higher is better.
+
+### Cross-session continuity rate (BrainBench)
+
+**Key:** `continuity_rate`
+
+**Plain English:** A decision is recorded in one session and persisted through the production write path; a different harness asks about it later on the same brain. What fraction of those decision probes were recalled — by pointer injection or stored-fact lookup? This is the continuity-that-survives-the-harness-hop moat, measured.
+
+**Range:** 0..1, higher is better. Scored per reader harness (the v1 write path is harness-independent, disclosed in docs/eval/BRAINBENCH.md).
+
+### Source-isolation violations (BrainBench)
+
+**Key:** `source_isolation_violations`
+
+**Plain English:** Count of injected pointers that belong to a source other than the active one. Cross-source leakage is gbrain's must-never-violate invariant (a missed source filter is a data leak), so this gates at ZERO — any baseline, any run.
+
+**Range:** 0..n, count. MUST be 0; any value above 0 fails the gate.
+
+### Average injected tokens per turn (BrainBench)
+
+**Key:** `avg_injected_tokens`
+
+**Plain English:** Estimated tokens of volunteered context per replayed turn (chars/4 heuristic). The intrusion-budget diagnostic: two seams with equal precision can differ 3x in how much context they spend to get it. Reported, not gated, until calibration data exists.
+
+**Range:** 0..n tokens, judgment call — lower is cheaper, but starving the agent has its own cost. Non-gating.
+
+### Extraction recall (BrainBench --llm)
+
+**Key:** `extraction_recall`
+
+**Plain English:** With the real LLM extractor running (instead of the deterministic gold extractor), what fraction of the gold facts did it actually extract and persist? Only scored in --llm runs — the hermetic CI gate never calls a model.
+
+**Range:** 0..1, higher is better. Absent in deterministic runs.
+
+### Extraction precision (BrainBench --llm)
+
+**Key:** `extraction_precision`
+
+**Plain English:** Of everything the real LLM extractor persisted, what fraction matches a gold fact? Low precision means the extractor invents or over-extracts — junk memory that pollutes future recall.
+
+**Range:** 0..1, higher is better. Absent in deterministic runs.
+
 ---
 
 ## Coverage

docs/eval/SEARCH_MODE_METHODOLOGY.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Search Mode Evaluation Methodology
 
-_How v0.32.3 measures the difference between `conservative`, `balanced`, and `tokenmax`. Written haters-immune: every claim is reproducible from the committed dataset + raw outputs._
+_How gbrain measures the difference between `conservative`, `balanced`, and `tokenmax`. Written haters-immune: every claim is reproducible — pinned datasets, recorded seeds, and the exact run commands below._
 
 ## 1. What this measures and what it doesn't
 
@@ -21,14 +21,15 @@ If you want to know how a mode behaves on YOUR brain, run `gbrain search stats -
 - **Replay captures** — NDJSON from the sibling `gbrain-evals` repo, `n=200` queries. Each query carries a `retrieved_slugs` baseline + a `latency_ms` measurement from the original production run.
 - **BrainBench v1** — `n=1240` documents / `n=350` qrels (binary relevance judgments). Lives in the sibling [`gbrain-evals`](https://github.com/garrytan/gbrain-evals) repo, SHA-pinned at every run.
 
-No private brain content is used in any reported result. The committed NDJSON dumps under `<repo>/.gbrain-evals/` contain only the LongMemEval question IDs + the rank-ordered retrieved session IDs.
+No private brain content is used in any reported result. The NDJSON run records under `<repo>/.gbrain-evals/` contain only the LongMemEval question IDs + the rank-ordered retrieved session IDs.
 
 ## 3. Sample selection
 
 - **Random seed:** `42` throughout. Set via `--seed N` on `gbrain eval run-all`; recorded in every per-run record.
 - **No per-question curation.** Splits are taken whole; no question is filtered for reporting.
-- **No mode-specific tuning.** The same dataset + same seed feeds every mode. The mode is the only independent variable.
-- **Stability across re-runs:** with `--seed 42` and the same dataset SHA, two runs of the same (mode, suite) produce identical retrieval orderings (modulo the optional Haiku expansion call, which is non-deterministic). Persisted in `eval_results` so anyone can re-score from the committed dumps.
+- **No mode-specific tuning.** The same dataset + same seed feeds every mode. The mode bundle is the only independent variable. A mode Δ therefore measures the joint effect of every knob the bundles differ on — today that's `tokenBudget`, `expansion`, `relationalRetrieval` (the typed-edge fourth recall arm, ON for balanced/tokenmax, OFF for conservative), and `searchLimit`; the canonical diff is `MODE_BUNDLES` in `src/core/search/mode.ts`.
+- **Cache comparability across upgrades.** The query cache keys on a versioned knobs hash (`KNOBS_HASH_VERSION` in `mode.ts`) that folds in the active knob set + embedding column/provider, so one mode's cached results can't be served to another mode's queries — and a version bump makes prior rows unreachable (one-time miss spike). Cross-run comparisons that straddle a knobs-hash bump see a cold cache on the first re-run.
+- **Stability across re-runs:** with `--seed 42` and the same dataset SHA, two runs of the same (mode, suite) produce identical retrieval orderings (modulo the optional Haiku expansion call, which is non-deterministic). Persisted in `eval_results` so anyone can re-score from a run's `--output` dumps.
 
 ## 4. Run procedure
 
@@ -46,14 +47,14 @@ gbrain eval run-all \
   --limit 500 \
   --budget-usd-retrieval 5 \
   --budget-usd-answer 20 \
-  --output docs/eval/results/v0.32.3/
+  --output docs/eval/results/<version>/
 
 # Render the comparison.
-gbrain eval compare --md > docs/eval/results/v0.32.3/README.md
-gbrain eval compare --json > docs/eval/results/v0.32.3/comparison.json
+gbrain eval compare --md > docs/eval/results/<version>/README.md
+gbrain eval compare --json > docs/eval/results/<version>/comparison.json
 ```
 
-The orchestrator writes per-run records to `<repo>/.gbrain-evals/eval-results.jsonl`. Every record carries: `run_id`, `ran_at`, `suite`, `mode`, `commit`, `seed`, `limit`, `params`, `status`, `duration_ms`. The dumps under `docs/eval/results/v0.32.3/` carry the raw question-level outputs so a reviewer can re-score with their own metric implementation.
+The orchestrator writes per-run records to `<repo>/.gbrain-evals/eval-results.jsonl`. Every record carries: `run_id`, `ran_at`, `suite`, `mode`, `commit`, `seed`, `limit`, `params`, `status`, `duration_ms`. When a release publishes eval numbers, the `--output` dumps under `docs/eval/results/<version>/` carry the raw question-level outputs so a reviewer can re-score with their own metric implementation. **No dumps are committed in the repo right now** — reproduce by running the commands above; determinism (§3) means your re-run matches the reported orderings.
 
 ## 5. Threats to validity
 
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ Honest list. We name what would let a critic dismiss the numbers.
 
 ## 6. Per-question raw outputs
 
-Every reported metric is reproducible from the NDJSON dumps committed at `docs/eval/results/v0.32.3/`. The commit SHA in the methodology footer pins the code version.
+Every reported metric is reproducible from the NDJSON dumps a run writes to its `--output` directory (`docs/eval/results/<version>/` when a release publishes numbers; none are committed right now — see §4). The commit SHA in the methodology footer pins the code version.
 
 **Examples per mode:** the auto-generated `README.md` next to the dumps includes both winning and losing examples per mode, chosen by the deterministic rule:
 

docs/guides/agent-to-gbrain.md

@@ -12,13 +12,13 @@ surfaces**, and which one you pick depends on the operation.
                        │                gbrain process                │
                        │                                              │
    Agent (hermes,      │  ┌──────────────────┐    ┌────────────────┐ │
-   openclaw, fork) ────┼──▶  MCP ops surface  │    │   localOnly    │ │
-                       │  │ (HTTP + OAuth)    │    │   admin ops    │ │
+   openclaw, fork) ────┼──▶  MCP ops surface  │    │  local-only    │ │
+                       │  │ (HTTP + OAuth)    │    │  commands      │ │
                        │  │                   │    │                │ │
                        │  │  search, query,   │    │  sync, embed,  │ │
-                       │  │  put_page,        │    │  dream, doctor,│ │
-                       │  │  get_page,        │    │  autopilot,    │ │
-                       │  │  find_experts,    │    │  init, secrets │ │
+                       │  │  put_page,        │    │  extract,      │ │
+                       │  │  get_page,        │    │  dream,        │ │
+                       │  │  find_experts,    │    │  enrich, ...   │ │
                        │  │  ...              │    │                │ │
                        │  └──────────────────┘    └────────────────┘ │
                        │           ▲                       ▲          │
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ surfaces**, and which one you pick depends on the operation.
                        │           │                       │          │
                        │     thin-client OAuth      shell-job `inherit:`│
                        │     (preferred for          (only path for   │
-                       │      MCP-equivalent ops)    localOnly ops)   │
+                       │      MCP-equivalent ops)    local-only work) │
                        └─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
 ```
 
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ the set of ops in `src/core/operations.ts` whose `localOnly` flag is unset
 The host runs gbrain as a long-lived HTTP server:
 
 ```bash
-GBRAIN_ALLOW_SHELL_JOBS=1 gbrain serve --http --port 3131
+gbrain serve --http --port 3131
 ```
 
 The agent registers as an OAuth client (one-time):
@@ -75,22 +75,27 @@ commands through the configured remote MCP. The agent can call
   agent to a specific source within a federated brain.
 - One audit surface (`mcp_request_log`) covers every op call uniformly.
 
-## Surface 2 — localOnly admin ops via shell-job `inherit:`
+## Surface 2 — local-only work via shell-job `inherit:`
 
-Some operations are flagged `localOnly: true` in `src/core/operations.ts` and
-are **refused** in thin-client mode at `src/cli.ts:isThinClient`. The full
-list (as of v0.36.5.0) includes:
+Two mechanisms keep local-only work off the remote surface, and they operate
+at different layers:
 
-- `sync` (filesystem walks need local FS access)
-- `embed` (orchestrates the embed pipeline)
-- `extract` (walks markdown files)
-- `dream` (synthesis cycle)
-- `doctor` (filesystem hygiene checks)
-- `autopilot` (background daemon orchestration)
-- `init` (creates `~/.gbrain/`)
-- `secrets` (config management)
+- **Op layer:** operations flagged `localOnly: true` in
+  `src/core/operations.ts` are filtered out of the HTTP MCP surface entirely
+  — a remote caller never sees them.
+- **CLI layer:** on a thin-client install (remote MCP configured, no local
+  engine), commands that require a local engine or the local filesystem are
+  refused at dispatch with a pinpoint hint naming the closest alternative.
+  The authoritative set is `THIN_CLIENT_REFUSED_COMMANDS` in `src/cli.ts` —
+  read it there rather than trusting any list copied into a doc; it covers
+  `sync`, `embed`, `extract`, `dream`, `enrich`, `serve`, `config`, and a
+  couple dozen more.
 
-For these, the agent cannot route through HTTP MCP. The only path is to run
+Notable non-members: `doctor` is NOT refused on a thin client — it reroutes
+to an outbound-HTTP probe set (`src/core/doctor-remote.ts`); `bootstrap` and
+`hook` are engine-free and work on any install shape.
+
+For refused commands, the agent cannot route through HTTP MCP. The path is to run
 `gbrain` as a CLI subprocess. The recommended pattern is to submit the
 subprocess as a shell job to the gbrain Minions worker so retry / backoff /
 DLQ / audit trail all come for free.
@@ -114,12 +119,11 @@ full validation rules and error catalog.
 
 ### Why this is preferred over writing secrets into `env:` per-job
 
-- Pre-v0.36.5.0 callers passed `env: { GBRAIN_DATABASE_URL: "postgresql://..." }`
-  per job. The URL landed plaintext in `minion_jobs.data` and the shell-audit
-  JSONL. Anyone with brain-DB read access (or a brain dump, or a shared brain
-  via mounts) saw the URL. As of v0.36.5.0, this is rejected at pre-enqueue
-  validation. The error message names `inherit: ["database_url"]` as the
-  replacement.
+- Passing `env: { GBRAIN_DATABASE_URL: "postgresql://..." }` per job would
+  land the URL plaintext in `minion_jobs.data` and the shell-audit JSONL —
+  visible to anyone with brain-DB read access (or a brain dump, or a shared
+  brain via mounts). Pre-enqueue validation rejects it; the error message
+  names `inherit: ["database_url"]` as the replacement.
 
 ### Worker setup (one-time, per host)
 
@@ -146,11 +150,11 @@ proxy for worker env.
 | `get_page` / `list_pages` | HTTP MCP | Same. |
 | `put_page` | HTTP MCP | Same; respects subagent allow-list when applicable. |
 | `find_experts` / `find_orphans` | HTTP MCP | Same. |
-| `sync` / `embed` / `extract` | Shell job + `inherit:` | `localOnly: true`. |
-| `dream` | Shell job + `inherit:` | `localOnly: true`. |
-| `doctor` | Shell job + `inherit:` (or no inherit if no DB) | `localOnly: true`. |
+| `sync` / `embed` / `extract` | Shell job + `inherit:` | Thin-client refused; needs local engine + FS. |
+| `dream` | Shell job + `inherit:` | Thin-client refused; synthesis runs on the host. |
+| `doctor` | Run directly (any install) | Not refused: thin clients get the remote probe set. |
 | `autopilot` | Run as a daemon directly on the host | Long-lived, not job-shaped. |
-| `init` / `secrets` | One-time host setup | Operator action, not agent action. |
+| `init` / `config` | One-time host setup | Operator action, not agent action. |
 
 ## Recommended patterns
 
@@ -166,16 +170,19 @@ proxy for worker env.
 - **`env:` still works** for non-secret values, or for cases where you
   WANT the value in the row (e.g. an opaque correlation token your audit
   flow needs to read back later). The validator doesn't second-guess you.
-- **Never try to route a `localOnly` op through thin-client MCP.** It will
-  fail with `localOnly op refused in thin-client mode`. Use shell-job +
-  `inherit:` (for secrets) or `env:` (for non-secrets).
+- **Never try to route a refused command through a thin client.** The CLI
+  refuses it at dispatch with a hint. Use shell-job + `inherit:` (for
+  secrets) or `env:` (for non-secrets) on the host instead.
+- **Push-based context.** Beyond request/response ops, MCP clients can
+  receive volunteered context via the `volunteer_context` op — see
+  [push-context.md](./push-context.md).
 
-## Migration: from pre-v0.36.5.0
+## Migration: from `env:`-passed secrets
 
 If your agent submits shell jobs that pass secrets via `env:`:
 
 ```jsonc
-// Pre-v0.36.5.0: works but URL persists in minion_jobs.data plaintext.
+// Rejected at submit: the URL would persist in minion_jobs.data plaintext.
 {
   "cmd": "gbrain sync --skip-failed",
   "cwd": "/data/gbrain",
@@ -186,7 +193,7 @@ If your agent submits shell jobs that pass secrets via `env:`:
 Switch to (recommended):
 
 ```jsonc
-// v0.36.5.0+: name in row, value resolved at child-spawn from worker config.
+// Name in row, value resolved at child-spawn from worker config.
 {
   "cmd": "gbrain sync --skip-failed",
   "cwd": "/data/gbrain",

docs/guides/ambient-recall.md

@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+# Ambient recall — placing retrieval at session boundaries
+
+Long-lived agent harnesses (your OpenClaw, Hermes, Codex, Claude Code) get the
+most value from the brain not on every message, but at the moments where a fresh
+question rarely fires on its own: **session start, right after compaction, and
+on heartbeats.** This guide is the Pareto frontier of where to place each verb.
+
+The bottleneck for a long-lived agent is not retrieval quality — the corpus
+answers well when asked. It is **placement**: the misses come from moments when
+no question fires. Two frozen verbs close that gap with 2-3 deterministic calls
+per session instead of per-message overhead.
+
+## The frontier — which verb goes where
+
+| Moment | Call | Why | Cost |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| Any entity-bearing message | `entity(name)` | Zero-LLM, p99 < 100ms. Safe to run synchronously almost anywhere. | negligible |
+| **Session start** | `context_pack(entities, budget_tokens)` | Warm the thread's 1-3 standing entities before the first message. | zero-LLM, sub-second |
+| **After compaction** | `context_pack(entities, budget_tokens)` | Rehydrate the verbatim detail the summary dropped. | zero-LLM, sub-second |
+| **Heartbeat / periodic wake** | `delta(session_id, budget_tokens)` | "What changed since my last wake" in O(changes), deduped. | zero-LLM, sub-second |
+| Explicit memory question | `recall(query \| entity, budget_tokens)` | The budget-packed read for "what do we know that we SAVED about X". | sub-second (+1 embedding if `query`) |
+| Answer needs cross-page reasoning | `synthesize(question)` | LLM-backed. **Never** on a hot or ambient path. | seconds-to-minutes, $$ |
+
+Observed shape: per-message retrieval beyond `entity` cards adds latency faster
+than insight; session-start packs and post-compaction rehydration are nearly
+pure win. See the per-verb latency table in
+[`docs/protocol/MEMORY_VERBS_v1.md`](../protocol/MEMORY_VERBS_v1.md#latency-classes-per-verb).
+
+## Two integration surfaces
+
+- **Pull (works everywhere, including Codex + Postgres/Supabase):** the harness
+  calls `context_pack` / `delta` over MCP (they are on `--surface verbs`) or the
+  CLI (`gbrain context-pack`, `gbrain delta`) at the boundary and injects the
+  returned `text` (or renders the structured arms). This is the portable path —
+  no hooks required. It is the primary path for Codex and opencode (no wired hooks) and
+  for Postgres brains (which have no local IPC socket).
+- **Push (PGLite + Claude Code):** the bundled hook framework fires
+  automatically at `SessionStart` (injects a warm pack — including the
+  post-compaction re-entry, `source=compact`) and `PreCompact` (banks the
+  window's standing entities for that rehydration pack). Heartbeat deltas are
+  the PULL path — there is deliberately no push heartbeat; call `delta` per
+  the HEARTBEAT cadence table.
+
+## Visibility — world-only by default
+
+A pack is injected into an agent context window that may be logged or synced to a
+cloud model, so **every arm is world-visibility by default.** To pull private
+facts in, pass `include_private` — and it is honored ONLY for trusted-local
+callers (`remote === false`, i.e. the CLI/hook path). A remote MCP caller never
+widens, even if it asks (fail-closed). When it does widen, all arms widen
+together, so a pack is never a mix of private facts beside world-stripped
+synopses.
+
+## Budgets
+
+Every pack/delta call takes `budget_tokens`. The server packs highest-priority
+arms first (cards → facts for packs; pages → facts for deltas) and reports
+`budget_used` + `dropped_count`; the injectable `text` field is rendered from
+the packed sets, so it honors the same budget the structured arrays report. It
+never trims client-side — you always know what was left out (`dropped_count`,
+and `has_more` on deltas). Pick a budget to fit the boundary: a session-start
+pack can afford more than a heartbeat delta.
+
+## Heartbeat cursor + dedup
+
+Pass a stable `session_id` to `delta` and the brain keeps a per-session cursor:
+the first wake establishes it, each wake advances it. Dedup is **cursor-based**
+— a delivered page reappears only if it changes again after delivery (and then
+it should). Delivery is **at-least-once**: pages arrive oldest-first, and when
+a budget or the fetch limit drops some, the response sets `has_more: true` and
+the cursor advances only to the newest *delivered* page, so the tail surfaces
+on the next wake — nothing is silently lost. With no `session_id` you can still
+pass an explicit `since` for a stateless delta. The cursor is namespaced per
+caller (`(source_id, client_id, session_id)`; authenticated remotes use their
+client id, auth-less remotes share a `remote` namespace, and `local` is
+reserved for the trusted CLI/hook lane), so a remote harness can never read or
+advance the local lane's cursor. Idle session cursors are garbage-collected
+after **7 days** — a wake on an expired session re-establishes the cursor at
+now and returns an empty delta, so a harness returning from a long sleep
+should run one stateless `since`-based catch-up first.
+
+## Example — a cold session start (pull)
+
+```bash
+gbrain context-pack --entities "acme-example,alice-example" --budget-tokens 4000
+```
+
+Returns entity cards + open threads + hot facts, budget-packed, world-only. Inject
+the `text` field into the model's context before the first user message.

docs/guides/bootstrap.md

@@ -0,0 +1,342 @@
+# GBrain Bootstrap — your harness as your agent
+
+`gbrain bootstrap` turns a Claude Code, Codex, or opencode session into a
+persistent personal agent: identity files rendered from your own answers, a local PGLite brain,
+per-turn context, session-triggered schedules, and a private GitHub repo as the
+agent's durable, portable body. This guide is the full contract — what gets
+installed, what runs when, what it can and cannot do, and how to undo all of it.
+
+Normative design docs: [AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_DESIGN.md](../designs/AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_DESIGN.md)
+(scope) and [AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_PLAN.md](../designs/AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_PLAN.md)
+(implementation). The paste block lives in the README; the runbook your agent
+follows is `BOOTSTRAP_FOR_AGENTS.md` at the repo root, fetched at the
+`latest-stable` ref.
+
+## What gets installed, exactly
+
+| Piece | Where | Runs when |
+|---|---|---|
+| Identity files (SOUL/USER/MEMORY/AGENTS/CLAUDE/HEARTBEAT/ACCESS_POLICY/GITHUB) | your workspace folder | loaded at session start |
+| `agent.json` manifest + `brain/`, `memory/`, `skills/`, `state/` | workspace | — |
+| Local brain (PGLite) | `~/.gbrain/` (never in the repo) | while a session's MCP serve is open |
+| MCP registration (`gbrain serve`) | Claude Code: project scope by default; Codex: user-global (no scope flag); opencode: user-global by default (project scope is an explicit opt-in — see the degradation matrix) | spawned by your harness per session |
+| Hooks (Claude Code, ON by default) | local installs: `.claude/settings.local.json` (gitignored); cloud sandboxes: the COMMITTED `.claude/settings.json` (PATH-resolved, fail-open commands) | each prompt; fail-open; `--no-hooks` opts out at install, `GBRAIN_HOOKS=0` disables at runtime |
+| Per-turn persistence | Stop hook → debounced, detached scan-gated push (per workspace; 5 min default, every turn in cloud sandboxes) | after each assistant turn; `GBRAIN_STOP_PUSH=0` disables; `GBRAIN_STOP_PUSH_DEBOUNCE_MIN` / config `hooks.stop_push_debounce_min` tune it |
+| Session persistence | SessionEnd hook → scan-gated commit+push | at session end (note: the harness never fires SessionEnd on `/exit` — the per-turn push is what covers that) |
+| Push-failure visibility | next turn's context + a user-visible notice; re-announces every 30 min while failing | whenever a background push fails |
+| Optional background job (consent-gated) | git post-commit auto-push + launchd/cron 30-min pull (pull job skipped honestly on hosts without a scheduler) | while logged in |
+| Private GitHub repo | your account, created by `bootstrap repo` (or an empty repo you made yourself, adopted) | privacy verified via API |
+| Machine receipt | `~/.gbrain/bootstrap/receipt.json` | uninstall is keyed to it |
+
+**What does NOT run:** anything while the harness is closed. Session-triggered
+schedules fire at turn/session boundaries only. True 24/7 operation is what a
+hosted brain provides — this is the honest desktop contract.
+
+## Cloud sandboxes (claude.ai/code and similar)
+
+Cloud sessions run in a reclaimed-after-inactivity VM behind a
+credential-injecting egress proxy. `gbrain bootstrap status --json` reports
+`execution_environment: "cloud-sandbox"` there, and the install adapts:
+
+- **Hooks live in the committed `.claude/settings.json`** with PATH-resolved,
+  fail-open commands (no machine paths). The gitignored local settings file
+  never survives into the next session's fresh clone, and hook config is
+  snapshotted at session start — so hooks written mid-session go live on the
+  NEXT session. Commit and push the file.
+- **The per-turn push runs every turn** (debounce 0) — a reclaimed VM's tail
+  loss is permanent, so each turn banks to the private repo.
+- **Repo-privacy verification falls back to pure git protocol** when the proxy
+  blocks the GitHub API (GraphQL is always pinned there; REST reaches only
+  session-attached repos). Confirmed-public origins still always refuse.
+- **Repo creation is refused in cloud** with the flow that works: create the
+  private repo from a normal machine or github.com, open the cloud session ON
+  that repo, run `gbrain bootstrap attach`.
+- **The gbrain binary installs via the environment setup script** — print it
+  with `gbrain bootstrap cloud-setup-script` and paste it into the environment
+  config (npm-based; bun's package fetching is proxy-incompatible there).
+- **No scheduler exists** — the consent-gated pull job is skipped with an
+  honest message; event-driven pushes cover persistence.
+
+Escape hatch for self-hosted git you trust (every use warns loudly):
+the CLI flag on `sources push`, `GBRAIN_ALLOW_UNVERIFIED_REMOTE=1`, or
+`gbrain config set push.allow_unverified_remote true` (file-plane — the only
+form that reaches detached hook children inside a sandbox).
+
+## Bring your own repo (create-repo-first)
+
+By default bootstrap creates the private GitHub repo for you. If you prefer to own
+that step — pick the name/org-under-your-account, or just work the familiar way —
+create a new **empty** private repo **under your own GitHub account** (no
+README/.gitignore/license), clone it, open the clone in your harness, and run the
+bootstrap block. `gbrain bootstrap repo` detects the empty repo you created and
+**adopts** it: it verifies the repo is private, sets a repo-local git identity, and
+pushes your workspace. Two constraints, both enforced with a clear message rather
+than a silent failure:
+
+- **Empty.** A repo that already has commits (a README, a license, an existing
+  project) is refused — create it empty, or run `gbrain bootstrap attach` if it is
+  an existing agent workspace. (A repo already carrying *this* workspace's history,
+  e.g. from an interrupted run, is recognized as yours and resumed.)
+- **Personal account.** The repo must be owned by your authenticated GitHub user.
+  Org-owned repos are refused today; create one under your own account, or let
+  bootstrap make it.
+
+Until the repo phase verifies the repo, the per-turn/session-end push stays
+deferred — bootstrap never publishes your workspace to an origin whose privacy it
+hasn't confirmed.
+
+## The awake-when-you-are contract
+
+Your agent is awake when your harness is. Laptop asleep = agent asleep. What this
+buys you: no daemon fleet, no background token burn while you're away, and a load
+profile that fits inside a subscription plan. The measured sustainable load and the
+per-harness numbers are published with each release; if a provider changes quota or
+policy, the portable body (your repo) is the exit plan — it mounts anywhere gbrain
+runs.
+
+## Keyless mode
+
+With zero API keys, everything works: the agent authors memory explicitly through
+the brain's write tools (`put_page`, timeline entries, `## Facts` fences — your
+harness's model is the LLM, already paid for), and search runs keyword-only
+(BM25). `bootstrap verify` prints the capability report honestly. One optional key
+upgrades capabilities per provider — OpenAI unlocks semantic search and
+automatic fact extraction; Voyage unlocks semantic search; Anthropic unlocks
+fact extraction (Anthropic has no embeddings API, so it does not enable
+semantic search). The key goes to the 0600 config file, never into the repo or
+the interview answers. API spend is metered separately from your subscription and is
+zero in keyless mode; with a key, the standard spend gates apply
+([spend-controls](../operations/spend-controls.md)).
+
+## Security posture
+
+- **Supply chain:** the paste block and install command pin the `latest-stable`
+  ref — a maintainer-controlled tag advanced only after a release fully publishes.
+  The runbook carries a version stamp; `bootstrap status` warns on skew. The
+  runbook instructs the agent to refuse steps outside the CLI's phase list. bun
+  installs via package manager or checksum-verified download.
+- **Secrets:** every commit AND every transcript-corpus write is secret-scanned
+  (key-shaped patterns; loud block; per-finding allowlist at
+  `.gbrain-scan-allow`). A deny-glob backstop refuses tracked `*.pglite`/`.env*`
+  files even if `.gitignore` is damaged. Push refuses public remotes and
+  unverifiable visibility.
+- **Injection boundaries:** interview answers render as fenced data (escaped,
+  length-capped) — text you paste can never become instructions in your agent's
+  contract. Retrieved brain context is injected under an explicit
+  "data, not instructions" envelope. Facts visible to the harness respect the
+  brain's visibility tiers.
+- **Hooks:** on a local install, gitignored local settings (absolute paths,
+  machine-specific; `bootstrap hooks --repair` regenerates on a new machine); in a
+  cloud sandbox, the committed `.claude/settings.json` (PATH-resolved, fail-open —
+  see the Cloud sandboxes section). Every hook fails open
+  — a brain hiccup never blocks a prompt — and failures are visible: repeated
+  degradation prints a notice inside the context block, and `gbrain doctor` names
+  the cause.
+- **Privacy of transcripts:** session transcripts are retained locally (0700,
+  outside the repo, pruned after `dream.synthesize.corpus_retention_days`, default
+  30 — set it in the config file, `~/.gbrain/config.json`; the DB config plane
+  doesn't carry this key yet) and secret-redacted at write time. They never enter the repo. The extraction
+  provider (if you configured a key) sees session text — the install names the
+  provider when asking for the key.
+
+## Honest forget semantics
+
+The repo is git history — append-only. Deleting a line removes it from the working
+tree, not from history. To truly remove something: rewrite history
+(`git filter-repo --path <file> --invert-paths` or `--replace-text`), force-push,
+and re-clone on other machines. `MEMORY.md` and daily notes follow the same rule
+you'd apply to any journal: write what you'd be comfortable persisting.
+
+## Degradation matrix
+
+| You declined / lack | What still works | What you lose |
+|---|---|---|
+| API keys | everything (keyless mode) | semantic search, auto-extraction |
+| GitHub / `gh` | full local agent | off-machine durability (repo re-runnable later) |
+| Hooks (Claude Code) | pull protocol via AGENTS.md gates | automatic per-turn context + session-end persistence |
+| Codex (no wired hooks, no MCP scope flag) | pull protocol + MCP tools | per-turn push (stated plainly; not oversold — codex 0.147+ ships a hook system, but gbrain does not wire it yet) + the ability to confine MCP reach to one folder (`codex mcp add` is always user-global) |
+| opencode (no wired hooks; scope INVERTED: user-global by default) | pull protocol (opencode reads AGENTS.md natively) + MCP tools; project scope available as an explicit opt-in | per-turn push (opencode ships a plugin/event system, but gbrain does not wire it yet). The project-scope default is deliberately NOT offered: opencode spawns project-config servers with no trust prompt, so a committed entry would auto-execute on every collaborator machine |
+| Second simultaneous session | first session unaffected | second session's brain tools fail politely (one live serve per brain — v1 contract) |
+| Postgres brain (incl. harness mode) | MCP tools every session + pull protocol | per-turn hook injection (`no_pglite_path`: the hook IPC socket is PGLite-only today; hooks stay pre-wired and light up when the engine-uniform listener lands) |
+
+## Local harness mode (`gbrain bootstrap harness`, #4043)
+
+The workspace install above is built for a human's laptop. A box run by an
+agent framework (your OpenClaw, or anything that shells out to `claude -p` /
+codex exec) already hosts a brain and a running `gbrain serve --http` — and
+those framework-spawned sessions get zero brain access by default. Harness
+mode wires them in one command, with no `agent.json` and no interview:
+
+    gbrain bootstrap harness --yes
+
+- Mints a **least-privilege** bearer token (scopes `read+write`, stored in the
+  `access_tokens.scopes` column; reads span the brain's federated sources).
+  Re-runs rotate mint-first: the previous token is revoked by id only after
+  the new one is wired and smoke-tested, so clients are never dead mid-swap.
+  The smoke sends a deliberately invalid credential first — an endpoint that
+  accepts anything is not this brain's serve — and a failed smoke rolls the
+  wiring back (fresh registrations removed, replaced ones restored, the
+  headless pre-approval stripped) and retires the fresh mint immediately, so
+  nothing live is ever left pointed at an unverified endpoint. Prior wiring
+  is only cleaned up after the replacement verifies.
+- Claude Code: user-scope HTTP MCP registration, `mcp__gbrain` pre-approved in
+  user-scope `permissions.allow` (headless `claude -p` blocks MCP tools
+  without it), and the five lifecycle hooks — user scope by default, or
+  exactly the dirs you pass with repeatable `--project` (never both; the two
+  would double-fire every event). `--no-capture` wires context injection only
+  and skips the transcript-capture events.
+- Codex: one managed `[mcp_servers.gbrain]` block with the bearer token
+  INLINE in the codex config (0600) — framework-spawned codex inherits no
+  shell profile, so the env-var lane the `connect` path uses would never
+  reach it.
+- opencode: one managed `mcp.gbrain` remote entry with the bearer header
+  INLINE in the user-global JSONC config (0600), written by the same
+  comment-preserving editor the workspace lane uses — the `{env:…}`
+  interpolation the `connect` path prefers would resolve empty under a
+  framework-spawned opencode for the same no-shell-profile reason.
+  Note: downgrading gbrain below the release that introduced opencode support
+  after wiring it leaves the opencode entry in place for manual removal —
+  edit the opencode config by hand, or re-upgrade and run
+  `gbrain bootstrap harness --remove`.
+- Honesty on Postgres brains: per-turn injection is degraded (the matrix row
+  above); MCP is the active seam and the summary says so.
+- `--status [--json]` probes the live truth (serve health, token validity via
+  host-config recovery — the Claude Code lane only recovers a bearer from a
+  registration whose URL matches the receipt; the codex managed block is read
+  from the exact path the receipt records — and per-target states) with a
+  cron-honest exit contract: 0 only when the serve, token, and every target
+  verify and the rotation has converged (honest degrades count as OK); 1 on
+  an unreachable serve, a failed token verify, failed or pending targets, an
+  unconverged rotation, or a half-removed install whose token still awaits
+  revocation. With no install at all it says so and exits 0 (2 under
+  `--json`, so machine callers can tell absence apart). `gbrain doctor`
+  carries a matching `bootstrap_harness_health` check. `--json` on the
+  install itself emits a single machine-readable document on stdout (prose
+  goes to stderr).
+- The full flag surface lives in `gbrain bootstrap --help`: `--url`/`--port`
+  point at a non-default serve (a non-loopback `--url` is refused unless you
+  also pass `--token`, which flips into registrar mode — MCP wiring only, no
+  hooks, nothing minted), `--force` replaces a foreign same-name MCP
+  registration, `--name` renames the server, `--harness` picks the hosts,
+  and `--no-hooks` skips hook wiring entirely.
+- `--remove` tears down exactly what the machine-level receipt
+  (`<home>/bootstrap/harness.json`) records — host removals are engine-free
+  and run even while a serve is live; the token revoke defers with exact
+  instructions if a live PGLite serve holds the brain. `gbrain bootstrap
+  uninstall` removes harness wiring first, automatically.
+- Everything is stated before it happens; non-interactive runs require
+  `--yes`. Close active Claude Code sessions for the cleanest user-scope
+  settings writes (the host also writes that file).
+
+PGLite note: minting needs the single-writer lock, so on a PGLite brain
+either pre-mint (`gbrain auth create bootstrap-harness --scopes read,write`
+while the serve is stopped) and pass `--token`, or stop/re-run/restart.
+Postgres brains mint fine while the serve runs. A token you supply is never
+revoked by `--remove` or rotation (it is not the harness's to revoke) —
+retire it yourself with `gbrain auth revoke` when you're done with it.
+
+Binary-downgrade note: token scoping is data-only (no migration), so a gbrain
+binary OLDER than the release that shipped it verifies every scoped token as
+FULL-ACCESS — the old verify path never reads the scopes column. If you
+downgrade after a harness install, revoke the scoped tokens first
+(`gbrain auth revoke` with the id flag) and re-mint once you upgrade again.
+
+## Multi-device
+
+Clone your agent repo on machine two and run `gbrain bootstrap attach` — it
+validates the manifest, wires this machine (source registration, hooks repair,
+MCP), and verifies. The brain database is derived state, rebuilt from `brain/` +
+re-ingestion; hot facts extracted only on machine one arrive via the repo's pages
+and fences. Simultaneous editing from two machines is ordinary git conflict
+territory — `sources push` pulls divergence-safely (commit first, rebase pull,
+loud on conflicts).
+
+## Uninstall
+
+`gbrain bootstrap uninstall` removes exactly what this machine's install receipt
+records: hook wiring, MCP registrations (surgically — foreign servers and hooks
+survive), and bootstrap-created state. Your repo is never touched — the body
+remains yours. The brain database is KEPT by default; `--delete-brain` is offered
+only when bootstrap created the brain, offers a facts export first, and enumerates
+what it is about to remove. It refuses to run while a session's serve is live.
+
+## If something seems broken
+
+One command: `gbrain doctor`. It covers hook health, push staleness, serve/lock
+collisions, schema state, and prints fixes. `gbrain bootstrap status --json` emits
+a support blob (versions, harness, last verify/push, hook failure rate) your agent
+can relay verbatim when you report a problem.
+
+## Real-agent e2e
+
+Most bootstrap tests drive the dispatcher with PATH-shimmed `claude`/`codex`
+recorders — fast, hermetic, no API cost. Two additional "door" tests drive the
+ACTUAL binaries end to end so we catch real-world drift (a `codex mcp add` flag
+that changed shape, a harness that stopped calling our MCP server):
+
+- `test/e2e/bootstrap-real-claude.serial.test.ts` — real `claude -p` over MCP.
+- `test/e2e/bootstrap-real-codex.serial.test.ts` — real `codex exec`. It runs the
+  keyless-`init` → interview → render → `gbrain bootstrap hooks --harness codex`
+  path (executing the real `codex mcp add` into a hermetic `~/.codex/config.toml`),
+  asserts the rendered `AGENTS.md` carries the Gate-3 brain-first pull protocol
+  (gbrain does not wire Codex hooks yet, so the pull protocol is its per-turn seam), then
+  spends one live `codex exec` turn to prove real codex → gbrain MCP → brain →
+  a seeded, brain-only fact (falling back to a shell `gbrain query` if headless
+  stdio-MCP is unavailable).
+
+opencode's real-binary door lives in
+`test/e2e/install-real-opencode.serial.test.ts` (its writer-parity leg
+handshakes gbrain's direct JSONC registration through the actual binary);
+`docs/TESTING.md` carries the full door inventory and cadence policy.
+
+These pay real API cost and take 30s–2min per turn, so they are NOT in the PR
+shard. Everything is hermetic (temp `HOME` / `CODEX_HOME` / `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR` /
+`GBRAIN_HOME` per test — the operator's real `~/.claude`, `~/.gbrain`, `~/.codex`
+are never touched; auth is copied read-only). Each file self-SKIPS via
+`describe.skipIf` when its binary or auth is absent, so on a machine without the
+tool it is a clean no-op that never fails. CI wires them into the `real-agent-e2e`
+job in `.github/workflows/heavy-tests.yml` (nightly + the `real-agent-e2e` /
+`heavy-tests` label); on a stock runner they self-skip. To actually exercise the
+binaries you need a runner with authed `claude`/`codex` and the provider creds
+(`GSTACK_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`/`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`, `VOYAGE_API_KEY`) exported.
+
+Run locally (where both are installed + authed):
+
+```bash
+bun test test/e2e/bootstrap-real-codex.serial.test.ts
+```
+
+## DX exploration harness (developer instrument, not a test)
+
+The door tests prove the install WORKS; they say nothing about how it FEELS.
+`test/helpers/tty-harness.ts` spawns any CLI (gbrain, `claude`, `codex`, `grok`, `opencode`) under a
+real pseudo-terminal (Bun's `terminal:` spawn option) and records every output
+burst with a millisecond timestamp, so unnecessary pauses become a measurable
+artifact (`computeStalls` → `stalls.md`) instead of a vibe. Same hermetic env as
+`agent-harness.ts`; pure helpers are unit-tested in `test/tty-harness.test.ts`
+(zero subprocesses, PTY smokes self-skip where `terminal:` is unavailable).
+The harness itself also backs one required-CI test: `test/init-picker-pty.serial.test.ts`
+asserts the interactive `gbrain init` pickers under a real PTY (see the
+TTY decision table in `docs/TESTING.md`). The DX-exploration layer below stays
+an instrument — nothing in it asserts.
+
+`scripts/dx-explore.ts` drives it to capture the fresh-user funnel as timestamped
+transcripts under `.context/dx-runs/` (gitignored — nothing asserts, no CI):
+
+```bash
+bun run scripts/dx-explore.ts help              # comprehension surfaces (no keys)
+bun run scripts/dx-explore.ts init [--keyless]  # interactive init, naive-user autopilot
+bun run scripts/dx-explore.ts claude-install    # REAL claude running the paste-in bootstrap
+bun run scripts/dx-explore.ts codex-install     # REAL codex, same
+bun run scripts/dx-explore.ts opencode-install  # REAL opencode running the paste-in bootstrap
+bun run scripts/dx-explore.ts grok-install      # REAL grok, brain-only GROK.md install (no bootstrap path)
+bun run scripts/dx-explore.ts drive -- gbrain init   # manual: steer a live TUI via a file channel
+```
+
+`drive` mode is how an agent in a Conductor workspace explores a live TUI across
+separate tool calls: `cat <dir>/session/screen.txt` to watch, append
+`{"line":"..."}` / `{"key":"Down"}` / `{"stop":true}` to `<dir>/session/input.jsonl`
+to steer. Each run writes `meta.json`, `visible.txt`, `frames.jsonl`, and
+`stalls.md`. `--keyless` strips provider keys so the true no-key first-touch path
+is exercised (a Conductor session's ambient `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` would otherwise
+leak in). Install scenarios pay real API cost — launch them as background tasks.

docs/guides/brain-agent-loop.md

@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ READ: check brain FIRST (before responding)
   │  → gbrain search "{entity name}"
   │  → gbrain get {slug} (if you know it)
   │  → gbrain query "what do we know about {topic}"
+  │  → full protocol: brain-first-lookup.md
   │
   ▼
 RESPOND with brain context (every answer is better with context)
@@ -100,12 +101,14 @@ on_message(text):
    Write immediately after the conversation, while the context is fresh.
 
 3. **Sync after every write batch.** Without sync, the brain search index is
-   stale. The next query won't find what you just wrote.
+   stale. The next query won't find what you just wrote. On installs set up
+   via `gbrain bootstrap`, per-turn context injection and session-end
+   persistence hooks automate parts of this loop — see
+   [bootstrap.md](bootstrap.md) and [push-context.md](push-context.md).
 
-4. **External APIs are fallback, not primary.** `gbrain search` before
-   Brave Search. `gbrain get` before Crustdata. The brain has relationship
-   history, your own assessments, meeting transcripts, cross-references.
-   No external API can provide that.
+4. **External APIs are fallback, not primary.** `gbrain search` before any
+   web or enrichment API. The full brain-before-external protocol (and why)
+   lives in [brain-first-lookup.md](brain-first-lookup.md).
 
 ## How to Verify It Works
 

docs/guides/brain-first-lookup.md

@@ -51,22 +51,25 @@ The brain has context no external API can provide:
 - Timeline (what changed recently, what's trending)
 
 A LinkedIn scrape gives you their job title. The brain gives you: "co-founded
-Brex, you had coffee with him 3 times, last discussed the payments infrastructure
-thesis, he's interested in your take on AI agents."
+widget-co, you had coffee with her 3 times, last discussed the payments
+infrastructure thesis, she's interested in your take on AI agents."
 
 ## Tricky Spots
 
 1. **Try keyword first, then hybrid.** Keyword search works without embeddings
-   (day one). Hybrid search needs embeddings but finds semantic matches. Try
-   both in sequence.
+   (day one — and it's ALL you get in keyless mode, see
+   [bootstrap.md](bootstrap.md)). Hybrid search needs embeddings but finds
+   semantic matches. Try both in sequence.
 
-2. **Fuzzy slug matching.** `gbrain get` supports fuzzy matching. If the exact
-   slug doesn't exist, it suggests alternatives. Use this for name variants
-   ("Pedro" → "pedro-franceschi").
+2. **Fuzzy slug matching is opt-in.** Pass `--fuzzy` (the `fuzzy: true` param
+   on `get_page`) and a near-miss slug resolves to the unique candidate, or
+   returns an `ambiguous_slug` error listing the candidates. WITHOUT the flag
+   a miss just throws `page_not_found` (with a hint to retry with
+   `fuzzy: true`). Use it for name variants ("Alice" → "alice-example").
 
 3. **Don't skip for "simple" questions.** Even "what's Acme Corp's address?"
-   should check the brain first. The brain might have it, and the lookup adds
-   no latency (< 100ms for keyword search).
+   should check the brain first. The brain might have it, and a keyword
+   lookup is fast enough to be effectively free.
 
 4. **Load compiled truth + recent timeline.** The compiled truth gives you the
    state of play in 30 seconds. The timeline gives you what changed recently.

docs/guides/brain-vs-memory.md

@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ on new_information(info):
         # This is world knowledge -- facts about entities external to the agent
         gbrain put <slug> --content "..."
         # Examples:
-        #   "Pedro is CEO of Brex"           -> gbrain (person page)
-        #   "Brex raised Series D at $12B"   -> gbrain (company page)
+        #   "alice-example is CEO of widget-co"    -> gbrain (person page)
+        #   "widget-co raised Series D at $12B"    -> gbrain (company page)
         #   "Tuesday's meeting covered Q2"   -> gbrain (meeting page)
         #   "The meatsuit maintenance tax"   -> gbrain (originals page)
 
@@ -57,15 +57,16 @@ on user_asks(question):
 
 ## Tricky Spots
 
-1. **Don't store people in agent memory.** "Pedro prefers email over Slack" feels like a preference, but it's a fact about Pedro -- it goes in GBrain on Pedro's page. Agent memory is for the agent's own operational state, not facts about people in the world.
+1. **Don't store people in agent memory.** "alice-example prefers email over Slack" feels like a preference, but it's a fact about Alice -- it goes in GBrain on her page. Agent memory is for the agent's own operational state, not facts about people in the world.
 2. **Don't store user preferences in GBrain.** "User likes bullet points over paragraphs" is about how the agent should behave, not about the world. It goes in agent memory. GBrain pages are for entities, not for agent configuration.
 3. **Synthesis of external ideas goes in GBrain.** "User's take on Peter Thiel's zero-to-one framework" is the user's original thinking -- it goes in GBrain under originals/, not in agent memory.
 4. **Agent memory doesn't survive agent resets on some platforms.** Critical world knowledge MUST be in GBrain, which is durable. If the agent loses memory, the brain still has everything.
+   On installs set up via `gbrain bootstrap`, "agent memory" has a concrete file form: MEMORY.md and the other identity files in the agent repo (see [bootstrap.md](bootstrap.md)). The routing rule is unchanged -- those files hold operational state and identity, not world knowledge.
 5. **When in doubt, ask: is this about the world or about how to operate?** World -> GBrain. Operations -> agent memory. Current conversation -> session.
 
 ## How to Verify
 
-1. Ask the agent "Who is Pedro?" -- confirm it runs `gbrain search` or `gbrain get`, not `memory_search`. Person lookup should hit GBrain.
+1. Ask the agent "Who is alice-example?" -- confirm it runs `gbrain search` or `gbrain get`, not `memory_search`. Person lookup should hit GBrain.
 2. Ask the agent "How should I format responses?" -- confirm it checks agent memory, not GBrain. Preferences are operational state.
 3. Check that no person or company pages exist in agent memory storage. Run `memory_search "person"` -- it should return preferences, not dossiers.
 4. Check that GBrain doesn't contain pages about agent behavior. Run `gbrain search "user prefers"` -- it should return nothing (preferences belong in agent memory).

docs/guides/compiled-truth.md

@@ -44,12 +44,12 @@ Sharp technical leader. Under-appreciated internally. Watch for signs of burnout
 Ascending. Likely CTO track if the migration succeeds.
 
 ## Relationship
-Met through Pedro. Had coffee 3x. Last: discussed API architecture thesis.
+Met through alice-example. Had coffee 3x. Last: discussed API architecture thesis.
 
 ## Contact
 sarah@acmecorp.com | @sarahchen | linkedin.com/in/sarahchen
 
----
+<!-- timeline -->
 
 ## Timeline
 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ sarah@acmecorp.com | @sarahchen | linkedin.com/in/sarahchen
   [Source: Meeting notes, 2026-04-07 2:00 PM PT]
 - **2026-04-03** | Mentioned in email re Q2 planning. Taking lead on ops.
   [Source: Gmail, sarah@acmecorp.com, 2026-04-03 10:30 AM PT]
-- **2026-03-15** | First meeting. Intro from Pedro. Strong technical background.
+- **2026-03-15** | First meeting. Intro from alice-example. Strong technical background.
   [Source: User, direct conversation, 2026-03-15 3:00 PM PT]
 ```
 
@@ -113,9 +113,19 @@ support that claim.
    truth chunks with higher relevance than timeline chunks. This means the freshest
    synthesis surfaces first in search results.
 
-4. **The --- separator matters.** GBrain uses the first standalone `---` after
-   frontmatter to split compiled_truth from timeline. Everything above is compiled
-   truth, everything below is timeline.
+4. **The timeline sentinel matters — and a bare `---` is NOT one.** GBrain
+   splits compiled_truth from timeline at the first recognized sentinel, in
+   order of precedence:
+   1. `<!-- timeline -->` — preferred; unambiguous, and what GBrain itself
+      emits when it writes a page.
+   2. `--- timeline ---` — decorated separator.
+   3. `---` ONLY when the next non-empty line is `## Timeline` or
+      `## History` (backward-compat for older gbrain-written files).
+
+   A plain `---` line anywhere else is a markdown horizontal rule, not a
+   separator. Author new pages with `<!-- timeline -->` (as in the example
+   above); everything above it is compiled truth, everything below is
+   timeline.
 
 5. **Don't skip the Assessment section.** The assessment is the value. "Strong
    technical leader" is something no API can provide. It's YOUR read on this

docs/guides/content-media.md

@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@ Without this: media links are bookmarks that decay -- you remember watching a vi
 
 ## Implementation
 
+gbrain's own media surfaces complement this pattern: the bundled
+`media-ingest` skill (`skills/media-ingest/`) ships the ingestion workflow,
+and `gbrain files` handles binary/file upload for attachments that should
+live alongside pages. For meeting recordings specifically, see
+[meeting-ingestion.md](meeting-ingestion.md).
+
 ```
 on user_shares_media(url_or_file):
 
@@ -119,7 +125,7 @@ on user_shares_media(url_or_file):
 ## Tricky Spots
 
 1. **Always FULL transcript, never AI summary.** YouTube's auto-summary and AI-generated summaries lose the texture: who said what, exact phrasing, tone, what was left unsaid. The full diarized transcript is the evidence base. The agent's analysis goes above it.
-2. **The agent's OWN analysis is the value, not regurgitation.** "The video discussed AI safety" is worthless. "Dario made a specific claim about compute scaling that contradicts what Ilya said in the NeurIPS talk -- see media/youtube/ilya-neurips-2025" is useful. The analysis connects the new media to the existing brain.
+2. **The agent's OWN analysis is the value, not regurgitation.** "The video discussed AI safety" is worthless. "The speaker made a specific claim about compute scaling that contradicts what another researcher said in their NeurIPS talk -- see media/youtube/a-researcher-neurips-2025" is useful. The analysis connects the new media to the existing brain.
 3. **Social media is a bundle, not a single tweet.** A tweet without its thread, quoted tweets, linked articles, and engagement context is a fragment. Reconstruct the full context before creating the brain page.
 4. **Cross-references make media pages alive.** A YouTube page without back-links to the people and companies mentioned is a dead archive. Every mentioned entity gets a link and a timeline entry.
 5. **Over time, `media/` becomes a searchable archive.** Every video, podcast, talk, interview, article, and tweet the user has consumed, with the agent's commentary layered on top. This is the memex at full power.

docs/guides/cron-schedule.md

@@ -26,6 +26,27 @@ fixed. You wake up and the brain is smarter than when you went to sleep.
 | Weekly | Brain maintenance | `gbrain doctor`, embed stale, orphan detection | [maintain skill](../../skills/maintain/SKILL.md) |
 | Nightly | Dream cycle | Entity sweep, enrich thin spots, fix citations | See below |
 
+### Prefer gbrain's native schedulers where they fit
+
+System cron is the lowest common denominator, but gbrain ships its own
+scheduling surfaces — reach for these first:
+
+- **`gbrain dream`** — the shipped nightly maintenance cycle (lint,
+  backlinks, extract, sync, embed, synthesize). Schedule THIS instead of
+  hand-rolling the dream cycle below.
+- **`gbrain jobs` / minions** — queue shell jobs or LLM subagents with retry,
+  backoff, and an audit trail. See the `minion-orchestrator` skill.
+- **`gbrain autopilot`** — the long-lived background daemon that runs cycles
+  on its own cadence.
+- **`cron-scheduler` skill** (`skills/cron-scheduler/`) — teaches an agent to
+  manage its harness's scheduler.
+- **Bootstrap session-triggered schedules** — `gbrain bootstrap` installs
+  HEARTBEAT.md-driven schedules that fire on session activity; see
+  [bootstrap.md](bootstrap.md).
+
+For scheduling `sync` + `embed --stale` specifically, the home doc is
+[live-sync.md](live-sync.md).
+
 ## Implementation: Setting Up Cron Jobs
 
 ```bash
@@ -44,24 +65,24 @@ fixed. You wake up and the brain is smarter than when you went to sleep.
 # Brain health — weekly Mondays at 6 AM
 0 6 * * 1 gbrain doctor --json >> /tmp/gbrain-health.log 2>&1 && gbrain embed --stale
 
+# Autopilot health gate — daily at 7 AM. The exit code is the signal:
+# 0 fresh (or nothing installed), 1 needs attention (stale heartbeat,
+# never ran, or paused), 2 the daemon took itself out of rotation.
+# Status is filesystem-only, so it works even during a DB outage.
+0 7 * * * gbrain autopilot --status >> /tmp/gbrain-autopilot-health.log 2>&1 || your-notify "gbrain autopilot needs attention"
+
 # Dream cycle — nightly at 2 AM
 0 2 * * * /path/to/dream-cycle.sh
 ```
 
 ### Quiet Hours Gate (MANDATORY)
 
-Every cron job that sends notifications MUST check quiet hours first.
-See [Quiet Hours](quiet-hours.md) for the full pattern.
-
-```bash
-# In every cron script:
-if ! bash scripts/quiet-hours-gate.sh; then
-  mkdir -p /tmp/cron-held
-  echo "$OUTPUT" > /tmp/cron-held/$(basename "$0" .sh).md
-  exit 0
-fi
-# Not quiet hours — send normally
-```
+Every cron job that sends notifications MUST check quiet hours first. The
+gate is a small script YOU create (it doesn't ship with gbrain) and call at
+the top of every notification-sending cron script; held output goes to a
+holding directory that the morning briefing drains. See
+[Quiet Hours](quiet-hours.md) for the gate script and the full pattern —
+don't copy a snippet from here, that page is the single home.
 
 ### Travel-Aware Timezone Handling
 
@@ -88,6 +109,55 @@ morning briefing. Zero config change needed.
 
 The most important cron job. Runs while you sleep.
 
+**gbrain ships this**: `gbrain dream` runs the maintenance half of the cycle
+(lint, backlinks, extract, sync, embed, synthesize) as one command — schedule
+it nightly and Phase 4 below (plus most of Phase 2's hygiene checks) is
+covered. The pseudocode that follows is the harness-side variant for agents
+that also do LLM-driven entity sweeps and memory consolidation on top.
+
+### Synthesis cost control: the triage cascade
+
+The synthesize phase is a two-stage cascade: a cheap scored triage
+(utility-tier model, one call per new transcript) gates the expensive
+per-transcript synthesis subagents. The dials:
+
+- `dream.triage.threshold` (default 0.5) — the gate. Scores are cached, so
+  retuning it re-gates instantly with **zero** new LLM calls. Raise it if too
+  much routine content synthesizes; lower it if real signal is being skipped.
+- `models.dream.triage` — the triage model (default: utility tier / Haiku).
+- `dream.triage.max_chars` (default 24000, floor 1000) — per-transcript
+  sample window (head/middle/tail) sent to the judge. Not part of cache
+  validity — after changing it, `gbrain dream retriage --force` re-judges
+  under the new sampling.
+- `dream.triage.max_tokens` (default 2048, floor 256) — judge output budget.
+- `dream.triage.concurrency` (default 4, clamped 1–16) — concurrent judge
+  calls.
+- `dream.synthesize.max_turns` (default 16) — synthesis turn budget. The
+  triage map hands the subagent pre-extracted segments, so the mid-tier
+  default model (`models.dream.synthesize`, tier `reasoning`) with a 16-turn
+  budget is the intended pairing — frontier-model overrides are unnecessary
+  and slow the queue. Completeness comes from triage coverage (every file
+  scored, minus files deferred under the `max_ms` budget below) plus
+  segment-guided prompts, not model size. If written-page counts
+  drop after upgrading, set it back to 30 and check
+  `details.synthesis.avg_turns` for cap pressure.
+- `dream.triage.max_ms` (default 5 min) — per-cycle wall-clock budget for
+  judging NEW files; a big cold corpus triages across a few cycles (cached
+  files are free). Deferred files are labeled "not yet triaged", never
+  silently rejected.
+- `dream.synthesize.max_submissions_per_source_per_day` (default 0 = off) —
+  opt-in backstop cap on synthesis jobs per source; 200/day is a sane value
+  for busy deployments.
+
+Maintenance recipe — after changing the threshold, upgrading through a
+`TRIAGE_VERSION` bump, or to drain a queued synthesis backlog:
+
+```bash
+gbrain dream retriage --dry-run          # what would change (zero LLM calls)
+gbrain dream retriage --reconcile-queue  # re-score + cancel below-threshold queued jobs
+gbrain dream retriage --audit-rejects 20 # synthesis-model second opinion on 20 rejects
+```
+
 ### What It Does
 
 ```
@@ -150,11 +220,11 @@ echo "Dream cycle starting at $(date)"
 # Phase 1: Entity sweep (spawn sub-agent)
 # Read today's conversation logs, extract entities, update brain
 
-# Phase 2: Citation hygiene
-gbrain doctor --json | jq '.checks[] | select(.status=="warn")'
+# Phase 2: Shipped maintenance cycle (lint, backlinks, extract, sync, embed, synthesize)
+gbrain dream
 
-# Phase 3: Embed any stale content
-gbrain embed --stale
+# Phase 3: Surface anything the cycle flagged
+gbrain doctor --json | jq '.checks[] | select(.status=="warn")'
 
 echo "Dream cycle complete at $(date)"
 ```

docs/guides/deterministic-collectors.md

@@ -143,4 +143,7 @@ the same pass.
 
 ---
 
-*Part of the [GBrain Skillpack](../GBRAIN_SKILLPACK.md).*
+*Part of the [GBrain Skillpack](../GBRAIN_SKILLPACK.md). The
+[email-to-brain recipe](../../recipes/email-to-brain.md) implements this
+collector pattern end-to-end; [cron-schedule.md](cron-schedule.md) covers
+scheduling it.*

docs/guides/diligence-ingestion.md

@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ Write extracted content to `brain/diligence/{company}/{doc-name}.md`:
 **Step 5: Save Raw Files.**
 Copy original PDFs/files to `brain/diligence/{company}/.raw/`
 Preserve originals for reference. The diarized version is for search.
+This is safe by design: `.raw/` directories are excluded from sync, so the
+originals never enter the search index — only your extracted markdown does.
 
 **Step 6: Create or Update index.md.**
 Every diligence directory needs an `index.md`:
@@ -103,7 +105,8 @@ cd brain/ && git add -A && git commit -m "diligence: {Company} — {doc type} in
 
 **Step 9: Publish (if asked).**
 When the user wants a shareable brief, create a password-protected
-published version. Strip internal notes and raw assessment language.
+published version via the `publish` skill (`skills/publish/`). Strip
+internal notes and raw assessment language.
 
 ### Quality Bar
 

docs/guides/embedding-migration.md

@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ sunsetting provider (for example ZeroEntropy's hosted API, which shuts down
 but it is provider-agnostic: any configured `provider:model` works as a
 target.
 
-Also reachable as `gbrain retrieval-upgrade` (the name `doctor` and the
-README reference).
+Also reachable as `gbrain retrieval-upgrade` — the alias that `gbrain doctor`
+repair hints and the README point at.
 
 ## Quick start
 
@@ -27,6 +27,37 @@ gbrain migrate embeddings --to voyage:voyage-3-large --yes
 declared width and is required for recipes that don't declare one (litellm,
 llama-server, and other bring-your-own-model providers).
 
+**Pick `--dim` = your brain's current column width when the target supports
+it.** A different width triggers the destructive schema transition (column +
+index rebuild across all three dim-pinned tables); the same width skips it
+entirely. `gbrain doctor` (check `provider_sunset`, for providers with an
+announced shutdown) prints the paste-ready command with your actual width
+already filled in — it reads the real `vector(N)` column, not the config
+value, which can drift.
+
+## How affected brains find out (provider sunsets)
+
+Two surfaces flag a brain whose embedding model (or reranker) is on a
+provider with an announced hosted-API shutdown, such as ZeroEntropy
+(2026-09-04):
+
+- **`gbrain doctor`** — the `provider_sunset` check warns on every run until
+  the brain is off the provider. After the shutdown date it escalates to
+  `fail` only when embedded vectors actually exist on the dead provider
+  (retrieval is genuinely down); a zero-vector brain whose config merely
+  resolves to the dead default stays `warn`, so doctor-as-CI-gate setups
+  don't start exiting 1 on the date. The reranker side resolves through the
+  same plane search actually reranks with (the mode bundle +
+  `search.reranker.*` overrides). The message carries the paste-ready
+  migration command with the brain's actual `--dim`. Accepted the risk?
+  `gbrain config set doctor.suppress_provider_sunset true` silences it.
+- **`gbrain upgrade`** — a one-shot banner (gated by
+  `ze_sunset_notice_shown`) with the same two fixes.
+
+Both state the full consequence: after the shutdown, **existing vectors
+become unqueryable** — query embedding uses the same endpoint as ingestion —
+not just new content.
+
 ## What it does, in order
 
 1. **Plan.** Counts every chunk not already in the target embedding space —
@@ -88,6 +119,12 @@ continues where it stopped. An in-flight marker (`embedding_migration.state`
 in DB config) records the target; it is cleared only when the backlog drains
 to zero.
 
+One caveat after a HARD kill (SIGKILL, crash, power loss — not Ctrl-C): the
+run's per-source single-flight embed lock is left behind, and an immediate
+re-run skips the re-embed and reports the migration as paused. The command
+says so explicitly (`lock_skipped` in `--json`); the lock expires on its own
+after at most 60 minutes, then the same re-run resumes normally.
+
 A page whose chunks straddle two stale batches is embedded correctly but not
 stamped by the embed loop (which only stamps all-or-nothing per batch), so the
 migration runs one reconcile pass after the drain that stamps every

docs/guides/enrichment-pipeline.md

@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ Without this: brain pages are thin shells with only what the user manually typed
 
 ## Implementation
 
+gbrain ships both halves of this: `gbrain enrich` is the batch enrichment
+primitive (finds thin pages and enriches at scale), and the `enrich` skill
+(`skills/enrich/`) is the agent-driven page-at-a-time workflow. The pipeline
+below is the pattern they implement — use it to customize or extend.
+
 ```
 on enrich(entity, trigger):
     # trigger: meeting mention, email thread, social interaction, user request
@@ -68,9 +73,10 @@ on enrich(entity, trigger):
     gbrain link <person_slug> <deal_slug>          # person -> deal
     # Every entity page links to every other entity page that references it
 
-# People page sections (not a LinkedIn profile -- a living portrait):
-#   Executive Summary, State, What They Believe, What They're Building,
-#   What Motivates Them, Assessment, Trajectory, Relationship, Contact, Timeline
+# People page sections: use the person-page structure from compiled-truth.md
+# (Executive Summary, State, What They Believe, ... Timeline) -- that doc is
+# the single home for the section taxonomy. Enrichment can add texture
+# sections on top (What Motivates Them, Hobby Horses, Open Threads).
 # Facts are table stakes. TEXTURE is the value.
 
 # Extract texture, not just facts:
@@ -100,4 +106,4 @@ on enrich(entity, trigger):
 5. Try to re-enrich the same person. Confirm the system checks the `fetched_at` timestamp and skips if less than a week old.
 
 ---
-*Part of the [GBrain Skillpack](../GBRAIN_SKILLPACK.md).*
+*Part of the [GBrain Skillpack](../GBRAIN_SKILLPACK.md). See also: [Compiled Truth](compiled-truth.md) for the person-page section taxonomy, [Spend Controls](../operations/spend-controls.md) for gbrain's own embedding/LLM spend gates.*

docs/guides/entity-detection.md

@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@ Every inbound message gets scanned for original thinking AND entity mentions so
 ## What the User Gets
 
 Without this: the agent answers questions but forgets everything. You mention
-Pedro in a meeting, and next week the agent doesn't know who Pedro is.
+Alice in a meeting, and next week the agent doesn't know who Alice is.
 
 With this: every person, company, and idea mentioned in conversation gets a
-brain page. Next time Pedro comes up, the agent already has context. The
+brain page. Next time Alice comes up, the agent already has context. The
 brain compounds.
 
 ## Implementation
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@ brain compounds.
 Spawn a lightweight sub-agent on EVERY inbound message. Do NOT wait for it
 to finish before responding. It runs in parallel.
 
+This pattern is harness-side by design, but gbrain ships help on both ends:
+the `signal-detector` skill (`skills/signal-detector/`) is the bundled
+version of this detection loop, and `gbrain extract` runs gbrain's own
+extraction machinery (entities, facts) over already-synced content.
+
 ```
 on_every_message(message_text, source_context):
 
@@ -109,6 +114,7 @@ is_notable(entity):
 | Pattern recognition ("I keep seeing X in every Y") | Acknowledgments and reactions |
 | Hot takes with reasoning | Routine operational messages |
 | Metaphors that reveal new angles | Requests without embedded insight |
+| Emotional/psychological insights about self or others | |
 
 ### Filing Rules
 
@@ -116,11 +122,17 @@ is_notable(entity):
 |--------|-------------|
 | User generated the idea | `brain/originals/{slug}.md` |
 | User's synthesis of others' ideas | `brain/originals/` (the synthesis is original) |
+| User's ghostwritten book/essay | `brain/originals/` (note ghostwriter in metadata) |
 | World concept someone else coined | `brain/concepts/{slug}.md` |
 | Product or business idea | `brain/ideas/{slug}.md` |
 | Person mentioned | `brain/people/{slug}.md` |
 | Company mentioned | `brain/companies/{slug}.md` |
 | Media referenced | `brain/media/{type}/{slug}.md` |
+| Article ABOUT the user | `brain/media/writings/{slug}.md` |
+
+This table is the single home for the capture/filing taxonomy. Other guides
+([idea-capture](idea-capture.md) especially) link here rather than carrying
+their own copy.
 
 ### The Iron Law of Back-Linking
 
@@ -128,21 +140,21 @@ Every entity mention MUST create a back-link FROM the entity page TO the
 source. This is not optional.
 
 ```
-// When message mentions "Pedro" and creates a meeting page:
+// When message mentions "Alice" and creates a meeting page:
 
 // 1. Update the meeting page (normal)
 brain/meetings/2026-04-10-board-sync.md:
-  - Pedro presented Q1 numbers
+  - Alice presented Q1 numbers
 
-// 2. ALSO update Pedro's page (back-link)
-brain/people/pedro-franceschi.md:
+// 2. ALSO update Alice's page (back-link)
+brain/people/alice-example.md:
   ## Timeline
   - **2026-04-10** | Presented Q1 numbers at board sync
     [Source: User, board meeting, 2026-04-10]
 ```
 
 Without back-links, you can't traverse the graph. "Show me everything related
-to Pedro" only works if Pedro's page links back to every mention.
+to Alice" only works if Alice's page links back to every mention.
 
 ## Tricky Spots
 
@@ -163,7 +175,7 @@ to Pedro" only works if Pedro's page links back to every mention.
 
 5. **Dedup before creating.** Always `gbrain search` before creating a page.
    Variant spellings, nicknames, and company abbreviations cause duplicates.
-   "Pedro Franceschi" and "Pedro" might be the same person.
+   "Alice Example" and "Alice" might be the same person.
 
 ## How to Verify
 
@@ -182,7 +194,7 @@ to Pedro" only works if Pedro's page links back to every mention.
 4. **Send a boring message.** Say "ok sounds good." Verify: nothing was
    created. The detector should report "No signals detected."
 
-5. **Check for duplicates.** Mention "Pedro" then later "Pedro Franceschi."
+5. **Check for duplicates.** Mention "Alice" then later "Alice Example."
    Verify: one page, not two.
 
 ---

docs/guides/executive-assistant.md

@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ Without this: the agent triages email mechanically ("you have 12 unread"), preps
 
 ## Implementation
 
+Before hand-rolling these: gbrain bundles the morning-briefing half of this
+pattern as the `briefing` skill (`skills/briefing/`) and the task-prep half
+as `daily-task-prep` (`skills/daily-task-prep/`). Use the workflows below to
+extend or customize what those skills already ship.
+
 ```
 # WORKFLOW 1: Email Triage
 on email_batch(emails):
@@ -59,8 +64,8 @@ on upcoming_meeting(meeting):
             briefing[attendee] = "No brain page -- consider enriching"
 
     # Surface: shared history, what to follow up on, what to watch for
-    # "Last time you discussed the Series B timeline. Pedro was concerned
-    #  about burn rate. Here's the latest from his company page."
+    # "Last time you discussed the Series B timeline. alice-example was
+    #  concerned about burn rate. Here's the latest from her company page."
 
 # WORKFLOW 3: Post-Inbox Brain Updates
 on inbox_cleared():
@@ -93,9 +98,9 @@ on schedule_request(meeting):
 
 1. **Search sender BEFORE reading the email.** This is counterintuitive but critical. Loading brain context first means you know who they are, what you're working on together, and what they care about -- before you even see the subject line. The triage is informed, not mechanical.
 2. **Unknown senders with no brain page are almost always noise.** If `gbrain search` returns nothing for a sender, they're probably not important. Classify as low priority unless the email content signals otherwise.
-3. **Meeting prep is the highest-leverage EA workflow.** The user walks into every meeting already briefed on each attendee: last interaction, open threads, relationship history. This is the difference between "you have a meeting at 3" and "you have a meeting at 3 with Pedro -- last time you discussed the Series B, he was concerned about burn rate."
+3. **Meeting prep is the highest-leverage EA workflow.** The user walks into every meeting already briefed on each attendee: last interaction, open threads, relationship history. This is the difference between "you have a meeting at 3" and "you have a meeting at 3 with alice-example -- last time you discussed the Series B, she was concerned about burn rate."
 4. **Post-inbox brain updates are where the brain compounds.** Every email is signal. If you clear the inbox without updating brain pages, the information is lost. This is the step most agents skip.
-5. **Scheduling nudges require timeline data.** "You haven't met with Diana in 6 weeks" only works if meeting pages have been ingested with proper entity propagation (see meeting-ingestion guide).
+5. **Scheduling nudges require timeline data.** "You haven't met with charlie-example in 6 weeks" only works if meeting pages have been ingested with proper entity propagation (see meeting-ingestion guide).
 
 ## How to Verify
 

docs/guides/idea-capture.md

@@ -61,14 +61,13 @@ capture_idea(message_text, source_context):
 
 ### The Authorship Test
 
-| Signal | Destination |
-|--------|-------------|
-| User generated the idea | `brain/originals/{slug}.md` |
-| User's unique synthesis of others' ideas | `brain/originals/` (the synthesis is original) |
-| World concept someone else coined | `brain/concepts/{slug}.md` |
-| Product or business idea | `brain/ideas/{slug}.md` |
-| User's ghostwritten book/essay | `brain/originals/` (note ghostwriter in metadata) |
-| Article ABOUT user | `brain/media/writings/` |
+Who authored the idea determines where it files: user-generated ideas,
+syntheses, and ghostwritten work go to `brain/originals/`; borrowed world
+concepts to `brain/concepts/`; product ideas to `brain/ideas/`; articles
+ABOUT the user to `brain/media/writings/`. The full filing-rules table (and
+the what-counts-as-original-thinking criteria) lives in
+[entity-detection.md](entity-detection.md) — the single home for the capture
+taxonomy.
 
 ### Capture Standards
 
@@ -78,21 +77,6 @@ capture_idea(message_text, source_context):
 "tension between ambition and mortality" doesn't. Don't clean it up. Don't paraphrase.
 The vivid version is the real version.
 
-**What counts as worth capturing:**
-- Original observations about how the world works
-- Novel connections between disparate things
-- Frameworks and mental models
-- Pattern recognition moments ("I keep seeing X in every Y")
-- Hot takes with reasoning behind them
-- Metaphors that reveal new angles
-- Emotional/psychological insights about self or others
-
-**What does NOT count:**
-- Routine operational messages ("ok", "do it")
-- Pure questions without embedded observations
-- Echoing back something the agent said
-- Acknowledgments and reactions
-
 ### The Depth Test
 
 **Could someone unfamiliar with the user read this page and understand not
@@ -137,21 +121,9 @@ Every original MUST link to:
 
 ### Notability Filtering
 
-Before creating any entity page, check notability:
-
-**Create a page for:**
-- People you know or discuss with specificity
-- Companies you're evaluating, working with, or investing in
-- Media you mention with personal reaction
-- Anyone you've explicitly engaged with
-
-**Don't create pages for:**
-- Generic references or passing examples
-- Low-engagement accounts who mentioned you once
-- Pure metaphors ("like the Roman Empire...")
-- One-off encounters with no follow-up
-
-**Decision:** If notable AND no page exists, create a full page with web
+Before creating any entity page, check notability — the full create/skip
+criteria live in [entity-detection.md](entity-detection.md#notability-filtering).
+The decision rule: if notable AND no page exists, create a FULL page with web
 search enrichment. No stubs. If you make a page, make it good.
 
 ## Tricky Spots
@@ -187,4 +159,6 @@ search enrichment. No stubs. If you make a page, make it good.
 
 ---
 
-*Part of the [GBrain Skillpack](../GBRAIN_SKILLPACK.md).*
+*Part of the [GBrain Skillpack](../GBRAIN_SKILLPACK.md). The bundled
+`idea-ingest` skill (`skills/idea-ingest/`) ships this workflow. See also:
+[Entity Detection](entity-detection.md).*

docs/guides/live-sync.md

@@ -43,9 +43,18 @@ gbrain sync --repo /path/to/brain && gbrain embed --stale
 
 - `gbrain sync --repo <path>` -- one-shot incremental sync. Detects changes via
   `git diff`, imports only what changed. For small changesets (<= 100 files),
-  embeddings are generated inline during import.
+  embeddings are generated inline during import — unless the inline cost gate
+  intervenes: when the estimated embedding spend crosses the configured floor
+  in a non-interactive session (cron, `--json`), sync auto-defers embeds to a
+  capped `embed-backfill` job instead of spending silently. Either way the
+  chunks get embedded; a deferred run just finishes asynchronously. See
+  [spend controls](../operations/spend-controls.md).
 - `gbrain embed --stale` -- backfill embeddings for any chunks that don't have
   them. Safety net for large syncs (>100 files) or prior `--no-embed` runs.
+  On a keyless brain (installed with `--no-embedding`), a bare stale embed
+  refuses cleanly — exit 0 with a stderr note — so this chain is safe to
+  schedule on keyless installs; keyword search keeps working. Explicit embed
+  requests (a slug, `--slugs`, `--all`) still exit 1 on a keyless brain.
 - `gbrain sync --watch --repo <path>` -- foreground polling loop, every 60s
   (configurable with `--interval N`). Embeds inline for small changesets. Exits
   after 5 consecutive failures, so run under a process manager or pair with a
@@ -97,15 +106,27 @@ Triggers sync on push events for instant sync (<5s).
 ### What Gets Synced
 
 Sync only indexes "syncable" markdown files. These are excluded by design:
-- Hidden paths (`.git/`, `.raw/`, etc.)
-- The `ops/` directory
-- Meta files: `README.md`, `index.md`, `schema.md`, `log.md`
+- Hidden paths (`.git/`, `.raw/`, etc.) and vendored/generated trees
+  (`node_modules/`, `dist/`, `build/`, `venv/`)
+- Meta files: `README.md`, `index.md`, `schema.md`, `log.md`, `RESOLVER.md`
 
-### Sync is Idempotent
+Everything else is ordinary synced content — including `ops/` (the bundled
+daily-task-manager skill files its canonical page under `ops/tasks`).
+
+### Sync is Idempotent — and Resumable
 
 Concurrent runs are safe. Two syncs on the same commit no-op because content
 hashes match. If both a cron and `--watch` fire simultaneously, no conflict.
 
+Long syncs also survive being killed: progress checkpoints into the database
+as files drain, so a killed or aborted run resumes from where it stopped, and
+the sync bookmark only advances on true completion. A progress-aware stall
+watchdog (`GBRAIN_SYNC_STALL_ABORT_SECONDS`, default 900, `0` disables) aborts
+a run that stops making forward progress and releases the per-source lock so
+the next `gbrain sync` picks up from the checkpoint. The checkpoint cadence
+and lock-steal grace are tunable via `GBRAIN_SYNC_*` / `GBRAIN_LOCK_*` env
+vars — incident-time escape hatches, not everyday knobs.
+
 ## Tricky Spots
 
 1. **Always chain sync + embed.** Running `gbrain sync` without
@@ -134,7 +155,17 @@ hashes match. If both a cron and `--watch` fire simultaneously, no conflict.
    history rewrite still hard-blocks even with `--skip-failed`. Run
    `gbrain sync --skip-failed` to acknowledge a known-bad set yourself.
 
-5. **Import checkpoints name the import target, not the caller's CWD.**
+5. **Staleness can't read "fresh" forever.** A source whose content stopped
+   moving (or whose local clone vanished) used to report fresh indefinitely
+   off the stored content timestamp. Content-relative staleness now ramps
+   toward stale once wall-clock time since the last sync passes a ceiling
+   (default 72h; `GBRAIN_STALENESS_CEILING_HOURS` to tune — it tracks
+   `GBRAIN_SYNC_FRESHNESS_FAIL_HOURS` unless set). The ramp is gradual, so
+   the warn tier still fires before the fail tier. `gbrain status` source
+   rows carry `hours_since_last_sync` (raw wall-clock truth) alongside the
+   threshold-relative `staleness_hours` that drives the fresh/stale class.
+
+6. **Import checkpoints name the import target, not the caller's CWD.**
    Interrupted `gbrain import <dir>` runs may leave
    `~/.gbrain/import-checkpoint.json` so the next import can resume. The
    checkpoint `dir` is the absolute, resolved import target captured when
@@ -161,6 +192,15 @@ hashes match. If both a cron and `--watch` fire simultaneously, no conflict.
    `gbrain embed --stale` isn't running after sync, leaving chunks invisible
    to vector search.
 
+4. **Gate on the daemon's heartbeat.** If the built-in daemon runs your sync
+   (`gbrain autopilot --install`), wire your scheduler's health check to
+   `gbrain autopilot --status`. The exit code is the signal: 0 fresh (or
+   nothing installed), 1 needs attention (stale heartbeat, never ran, or
+   paused by a migration), 2 the daemon took itself out of rotation.
+   `--json` emits the full report, including `heartbeat_age_seconds`. Status
+   reads only the filesystem — no database connection — so it keeps working
+   during the exact outages it exists to diagnose.
+
 ---
 
 *Part of the [GBrain Skillpack](../GBRAIN_SKILLPACK.md).*

docs/guides/meeting-ingestion.md

@@ -58,15 +58,20 @@ on new_meeting_transcript(meeting):
 # Schedule: cron 3x/day (10 AM, 4 PM, 9 PM) to catch new meetings
 # Source: Circleback (https://circleback.ai) or any service with
 #         speaker diarization + API/webhook access
+
+# Automation: the built-in `extract-timeline-from-meetings` Minion job
+# automates step 3 (entity timeline propagation) for already-ingested
+# meeting pages: gbrain jobs submit extract-timeline-from-meetings --follow
 ```
 
 ## Tricky Spots
 
 1. **Always pull the COMPLETE transcript, never the AI summary.** AI summaries hallucinate framing -- they editorialize what was "agreed" or "decided" when no such agreement happened. The diarized transcript is ground truth.
 2. **Entity propagation is the step most agents skip.** A meeting is NOT fully ingested until every attendee's page, every mentioned person's page, and every company's page has a new timeline entry. The meeting page alone is useless without propagation.
-3. **Mentioned people are not just attendees.** If the meeting discussed "Sarah's team at Brex," then Sarah's page AND Brex's page need updates -- even though Sarah wasn't in the room.
-4. **The agent's analysis is the value, not a summary.** "They discussed Q2 targets" is worthless. "Pedro pushed back on the burn rate, Diana didn't commit to the timeline, and nobody addressed the pricing gap" is useful.
+3. **Mentioned people are not just attendees.** If the meeting discussed "Alice's team at widget-co," then Alice's page AND widget-co's page need updates -- even though Alice wasn't in the room.
+4. **The agent's analysis is the value, not a summary.** "They discussed Q2 targets" is worthless. "Alice pushed back on the burn rate, Charlie didn't commit to the timeline, and nobody addressed the pricing gap" is useful.
 5. **Back-links must be bidirectional.** The meeting page links to attendee pages AND attendee pages link back to the meeting. The graph is bidirectional. Always.
+6. **`--source` on `timeline-add` is the citation text, not source routing.** Because the op declares its own `source` parameter, the CLI binds `--source` to it. To write into a different registered source, use the `.gbrain-source` dotfile or `GBRAIN_SOURCE` env for routing instead.
 
 ## How to Verify
 
@@ -76,5 +81,11 @@ on new_meeting_transcript(meeting):
 4. Run `gbrain call get_links '{"slug": "meetings/{date}-{slug}"}'`. Verify back-links exist to all attendee and entity pages.
 5. Run `gbrain search "{meeting_topic}"`. Confirm the meeting page appears in search results (verifies sync ran).
 
+## Related
+
+- `skills/meeting-ingestion/SKILL.md` — the bundled, agent-executable skill
+  for this workflow (the canonical step-by-step home; this guide is the
+  pattern overview).
+
 ---
 *Part of the [GBrain Skillpack](../GBRAIN_SKILLPACK.md).*

docs/guides/minions-deployment.md

@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ gbrain jobs supervisor status --json
 
 # Graceful stop (SIGTERM + drain wait + SIGKILL fallback).
 gbrain jobs supervisor stop
+
+# Optional: cap worker memory in MB (--max-rss). Without the flag the RSS
+# watchdog is still on, at a RAM-relative auto-sized cap.
+gbrain jobs supervisor --concurrency 4 --max-rss 4096
 ```
 
 **Exit codes:**
@@ -50,9 +54,11 @@ gbrain jobs supervisor stop
 | 1 | Max crashes exceeded (worker kept dying) |
 | 2 | Another supervisor holds the PID lock |
 | 3 | PID file unwritable (permission / path error) |
+| 4 | Queue-scoped DB lock lost mid-run (`LOCK_LOST` — exited rather than risk a split-brain) |
 
 An agent seeing exit=2 can safely treat it as "one is already running";
-exit=1 should page a human.
+exit=4 as "restart me — the DB lock refresh failed"; exit=1 should page
+a human.
 
 ### Lowering scheduling priority (`--nice`)
 
@@ -81,6 +87,69 @@ check warns if what you asked for isn't what's actually running (e.g. a
 negative value denied without privilege, or an OS `RLIMIT_NICE` clamp). This
 is distinct from the concurrency / inflight cap and composes with it.
 
+### Per-job process isolation (`--job-isolation process`)
+
+By default all concurrency slots execute inside one worker process. A
+handler that ignores its abort signal can only be force-evicted — the
+promise is abandoned, still running, still holding connections and memory —
+and any worker exit destroys every in-flight job at once. With isolation on,
+each claimed job runs in its own child process: a stuck handler is
+group-SIGKILLed for real (group signaling under Bun falls back to POSIX
+`/bin/kill`; if that's unavailable the worker logs that isolation is
+degraded), a crash or OOM in a child takes that one job instead of all N,
+and the OS reclaims every leaked resource when the child dies:
+
+```bash
+# Recommended for long-running LLM-bound handlers (subagent):
+gbrain jobs supervisor --concurrency 4 --job-isolation process
+
+# Bare worker, or durably via env:
+GBRAIN_JOB_ISOLATION=process gbrain jobs work --concurrency 4
+```
+
+How it works: the worker keeps claim, lock renewal, and all result
+recording; the child (an internal `run-child` entrypoint of the same gbrain
+binary) re-validates the claim, runs the handler with its own small engine
+pool, and reports one atomic outcome file. Handler-error semantics are
+preserved across the boundary (unrecoverable → dead, rate-lease → no attempt
+burned, everything else → normal backoff). On worker shutdown children get
+the drain window to finish and report; a child killed before reporting is
+released with no attempt burned. If the worker dies hard, the orphaned child
+self-terminates via a parent-liveness watchdog and the stall sweeper
+requeues the job after lock expiry — the lock token fences the orphan's
+queue writes (result recording, progress, state transitions) into no-ops.
+The handler's own side effects (page writes through its engine) can still
+land until the watchdog stops the child; that window is the watchdog's
+poll + grace, not unbounded.
+
+Sizing notes:
+
+- **Connections:** each child opens its own small pools (read 3 by default,
+  override via `GBRAIN_JOB_CHILD_POOL_SIZE`; direct 1). Worked example at
+  concurrency 15: 15×(3+1) + the worker's 10+3 ≈ **73 client connections**
+  total — 55 ride the transaction-pooler lane (multiplexed, no extra server
+  backends) and 18 are lazy direct session-lane connections, each holding a
+  real server backend while open. Budget the pooler-lane count against your
+  pooler's client limit and the session-lane count against
+  `max_connections`.
+- **Memory:** `--max-rss` covers the WORKER process only in this mode
+  (handler memory lives in the children; the worker prints a note when both
+  are set). There is no per-child RSS cap yet — a runaway child is contained
+  only by host/container limits. Size host memory for concurrency × handler
+  footprint.
+- **Spawn cost:** ~0.3–1s per job (engine connect included) — noise for
+  long-running handlers, meaningful for sub-second ones (`lint`,
+  `backlinks`). Keep those inline or on a separate inline worker.
+- **Security note:** the child receives the job's lock token via env. It is
+  a *fencing* token (split-brain protection), not a secret — same-user env
+  already contains the database URL.
+- **Child CLI resolution:** the worker fail-fast validates the child CLI at
+  startup (compiled `gbrain` binary, bun-dev fallback, or the
+  `GBRAIN_JOB_CHILD_CLI` env override — the ops/test escape hatch). Three
+  consecutive child spawn/bootstrap failures self-exit the worker as
+  unhealthy (a deterministically broken child CLI) for process-manager
+  restart instead of burning attempts across the queue.
+
 ### Which supervisor when?
 
 The supervisor solves in-process crash recovery. Platform-level
@@ -134,7 +203,7 @@ Three-command pattern an agent can drive without shell archaeology:
 ```bash
 # Start (returns PIDs + pid_file on stdout as JSON, then detaches)
 gbrain jobs supervisor start --detach --json
-# → {"event":"started","supervisor_pid":1234,"worker_pid":1235,"pid_file":"/Users/you/.gbrain/supervisor.pid"}
+# → {"event":"started","supervisor_pid":1234,"pid_file":"/Users/you/.gbrain/supervisor-<brain-id>.pid","detached":true}
 
 # Check health (machine-parseable JSON, no log scraping)
 gbrain jobs supervisor status --json
@@ -233,7 +302,7 @@ use a dedicated queue name like `nightly-enrich` above.
 
 ## Upgrading from an older deployment
 
-### From `minion-watchdog.sh` (pre-v0.20)
+### From `minion-watchdog.sh`
 
 Earlier versions of this guide shipped a 68-line bash watchdog
 (`minion-watchdog.sh`). It's been replaced by `gbrain jobs supervisor`
@@ -270,10 +339,10 @@ Regardless of which deployment path you're upgrading from:
    in-flight job landing partial schema.
 2. **Run `gbrain upgrade`**. Then `gbrain apply-migrations --yes` if
    `gbrain doctor` reports any migration as `partial` or `pending`.
-3. **If you run shell jobs:** from v0.14 onward, pass
-   `--allow-shell-jobs` to the supervisor (or keep
-   `GBRAIN_ALLOW_SHELL_JOBS=1` in `/etc/gbrain.env`). Submitters don't
-   need the flag; only the worker does.
+3. **If you run shell jobs:** pass `--allow-shell-jobs` to the
+   supervisor (or keep `GBRAIN_ALLOW_SHELL_JOBS=1` in
+   `/etc/gbrain.env`). Submitters don't need the flag; only the worker
+   does.
 4. **Verify.** `gbrain doctor` should report zero `pending` or `partial`
    migrations plus a healthy `supervisor` check. `gbrain jobs stats`
    should show no unexplained growth in `dead` between pre- and
@@ -283,29 +352,30 @@ Regardless of which deployment path you're upgrading from:
 
 ### Supabase connection drops
 
-The worker uses a single Postgres connection. If Supabase drops it
-(maintenance, connection limits, network blip), lock renewal fails
-silently. The stall detector then dead-letters the job after
-`max_stalled` misses.
+If Supabase drops the worker's Postgres connection (maintenance,
+connection limits, network blip), this now self-heals under the
+supervisor: the worker's DB-liveness probe self-exits (`db_dead`) on a
+dead pool and the supervisor respawns it with a fresh pool, and the
+supervisor also restarts a worker that stops making progress while
+claimable work waits. The escalation commands and thresholds live in the
+[queue operations runbook](queue-operations-runbook.md) — that's the
+canonical home for wedge recovery.
 
-**Current defaults that make this worse:**
+What can still bite: a *brief* blip during a long-running job can make
+lock renewal miss, and the stall detector dead-letters the job after
+`max_stalled` misses (schema column default 5; lock duration and stall
+check interval are both 30 s).
 
-- `lockDuration: 30000` (30 s) — too short for long jobs during
-  connection blips.
-- `max_stalled: 5` (schema column default — see `src/schema.sql` and
-  `src/core/pglite-schema.ts`). Five missed heartbeats before dead-letter.
-- `stalledInterval: 30000` (30 s) — checks too aggressively.
-
-**Tune per-job today.** `gbrain jobs submit` accepts `--max-stalled N`,
+**Tune per-job.** `gbrain jobs submit` accepts `--max-stalled N`,
 `--backoff-type fixed|exponential`, `--backoff-delay <ms>`,
-`--backoff-jitter 0..1`, and `--timeout-ms N` as first-class flags
-(since v0.13.1). These write onto the job row at submit time — which is
-what `handleStalled()` reads — so per-job tuning is the real knob today.
+`--backoff-jitter 0..1`, and `--timeout-ms N` as first-class flags.
+These write onto the job row at submit time — which is what
+`handleStalled()` reads — so per-job tuning is the real knob.
 
 ### DO NOT pass `maxStalledCount` to `MinionWorker`
 
 It's a no-op. The stall detector reads the row's `max_stalled` column
-(set at submit time), not the worker opt in `src/core/minions/worker.ts:74`.
+(set at submit time), not the worker opt in `src/core/minions/worker.ts`.
 Use `gbrain jobs submit --max-stalled N` per-job instead.
 
 ### Zombie shell children

docs/guides/minions-fix.md

@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Minions fix — repairing a half-migrated install
 
+> **Historical repair guide** for the v0.11.0 → v0.11.1 migration. If you're
+> on any recent release, the canonical fix below (`gbrain apply-migrations
+> --yes`) is all you need; the stopgap sections exist for archaeology.
+
 **tl;dr:** on v0.11.1+ everything should self-heal. If Minions is partially
 set up (no `~/.gbrain/preferences.json`, autopilot still inline, cron jobs
 still on `agentTurn`), run:
@@ -34,17 +38,16 @@ stopgap for pre-v0.11.1 binaries that don't have `apply-migrations`.
 gbrain doctor
 ```
 
-If the install is half-migrated, you'll see:
+If the install is half-migrated, you'll see the `minions_migration` check
+fail:
 
 ```
 [FAIL] minions_migration: MINIONS HALF-INSTALLED (partial migration: 0.11.0). Run: gbrain apply-migrations --yes
 ```
 
-or
-
-```
-[FAIL] minions_config: MINIONS HALF-INSTALLED (schema v7+ but no ~/.gbrain/preferences.json). Run: gbrain apply-migrations --yes
-```
+(Missing `~/.gbrain/preferences.json` on a fresh install is a valid
+pre-`apply-migrations` state — doctor deliberately does NOT fail on that
+alone; the partial-migration record is the canonical half-migration signal.)
 
 For a machine-readable report (cron-friendly):
 
@@ -118,6 +121,9 @@ cat ~/.gbrain/preferences.json
 cat ~/.gbrain/migrations/completed.jsonl
 
 # 3. Autopilot is supervising a Minions worker child
+# (v0.46+: the exit code is the verdict — 0 fresh, 1 needs attention,
+#  2 self-disabled — so a nonzero exit here IS the finding, not a
+#  broken verify step. Under `set -e`, append `|| true` to keep going.)
 gbrain autopilot --status
 ps aux | grep 'jobs work'
 

docs/guides/minions-shell-jobs.md

@@ -129,11 +129,10 @@ JSONL records the same. Pre-enqueue validation rejects the submission if the
 worker can't resolve the requested key, with a paste-ready
 `gbrain config set database_url <value>` hint.
 
-**Why not just write the URL into `env:` directly?** Pre-v0.36.5.0 callers
-wrote things like:
+**Why not just write the URL into `env:` directly?** You *can*:
 
 ```jsonc
-// ❌ Deprecated as of v0.36.5.0 — REJECTED at submit time.
+// ❌ Works, but plants the secret in the job row. Prefer inherit:.
 {
   "cmd": "gbrain stats",
   "cwd": "/data/gbrain",
@@ -141,14 +140,14 @@ wrote things like:
 }
 ```
 
-This planted plaintext secrets in `minion_jobs.data` (DB row) and in the
+This plants plaintext secrets in `minion_jobs.data` (DB row) and in the
 shell-audit JSONL. Anyone with read access to the brain DB (or a brain dump,
-or a shared brain via the mounts feature) saw the URL. v0.36.5.0 doesn't
-forbid that pattern — the validator trusts the agent — but **prefer
+or a shared brain via the mounts feature) sees the URL. The validator
+doesn't forbid the pattern — it trusts the agent — but **prefer
 `inherit:`** for any secret you want kept out of the row. Names land in the
 row; values resolve at child-spawn from the worker's config.
 
-**Scope:** v0.36.5.0 `inherit:` is **free-form**. Pass any snake_case
+**Scope:** `inherit:` is **free-form**. Pass any snake_case
 config-key name and the worker resolves the value from `loadConfig()` at
 child-spawn time:
 

docs/guides/multi-language-fts.md

@@ -53,6 +53,11 @@ gbrain reindex-search-vector --dry-run    # preview: language + row counts
 gbrain reindex-search-vector --yes        # recreate triggers + backfill
 ```
 
+The stamp survives later schema work: `initSchema()` — including the replay
+behind `gbrain init --migrate-only` on every upgrade — applies the schema
+template under the configured language, so it re-creates the trigger
+functions as they already are instead of reverting them to `english`.
+
 The command recreates both trigger functions under the new language and
 backfills every existing `pages` and `content_chunks` row in batches,
 streaming progress to stderr. It is idempotent: re-running with the same

docs/guides/multi-source-brains.md

@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@ is a `source`: a logical brain-within-the-brain with its own slug
 namespace, its own sync state, and its own federation policy. The rest
 of this guide walks the three canonical scenarios.
 
+(Sources are the *within-one-database* axis. If you want to connect a
+whole separate database — a team-published brain with its own access
+policy — that's the *brain* axis: `gbrain mounts add`. See
+`docs/architecture/brains-and-sources.md` for the two-axis topology.)
+
 ## The three scenarios
 
 ### 1. Unified knowledge recall (wiki + gstack)
@@ -66,14 +71,14 @@ gbrain search "tech layoffs" --source yc-media,garrys-list
 ### 3. Mixed (wiki federated + sessions isolated)
 
 Your main wiki is federated with a few trusted sources. Your session
-transcripts (coming in v0.18) land in a separate isolated source so
-they don't dominate every search result.
+transcripts (`gbrain transcripts` ingests them) land in a separate
+isolated source so they don't dominate every search result.
 
 ```bash
 # Federated sources
 gbrain sources add gstack --path ~/.gstack --federated
 
-# Isolated source (future v0.18 — sessions use this shape today for ingest)
+# Isolated source for session transcripts
 gbrain sources add sessions --path ~/.claude/sessions --no-federated
 ```
 
@@ -104,14 +109,16 @@ Every source row stores `config.federated: boolean` in its JSONB config.
 | `true` | Source participates in unqualified `gbrain search "X"` results. |
 | `false` (default for new sources) | Source only searched when explicitly named via `--source <id>` or qualified citation. |
 
-The seeded `default` source is `federated=true` so pre-v0.17 brains
-behave exactly as before — every page appears in search.
+The seeded `default` source is `federated=true` so single-source brains
+behave as you'd expect — every page appears in search.
 
 Flip later with `gbrain sources federate <id>` / `unfederate <id>`.
 
 ## Commands
 
-Full subcommand reference:
+The most-used subcommands (run `gbrain sources --help` for the full,
+always-current reference — it also covers `status`, `current`,
+`set-cr-mode`, and the `push`/`pull` durability surface):
 
 ```
 gbrain sources add <id> --path <p> [--name <n>] [--federated|--no-federated] [--force]
@@ -119,9 +126,17 @@ gbrain sources add <id> --path <p> [--name <n>] [--federated|--no-federated] [--
                                --path must be a git repo (or a subdirectory of one) — see
                                "The git requirement for --path sources" below. --force
                                skips that check to register before git-init exists.
+gbrain sources add <id> --url <git-url> [--pat-file <p>] [--clone-dir <path>] [--no-harden]
+                               Clone + register a remote repo in one step; auto-hardens
+                               for durability when a PAT is provided (see "Durability" below).
 gbrain sources list [--json]   List all sources with page counts + federation state.
-gbrain sources remove <id> [--yes] [--dry-run] [--keep-storage]
-                               Cascade-delete a source (pages, chunks, timeline).
+gbrain sources archive <id>    Soft-delete: hide from search, keep data for a TTL
+                               grace window. Prefer this over `remove`.
+gbrain sources restore <id>    Un-archive. `gbrain sources archived` lists expiries;
+                               `gbrain sources purge` permanently deletes expired archives.
+gbrain sources remove <id> [--confirm-destructive] [--dry-run]
+                               Permanently cascade-delete a source (pages, chunks,
+                               timeline). Shows an impact preview first.
 gbrain sources rename <id> <new-name>
                                Change display name only; id is immutable.
 gbrain sources default <id>    Set the brain-level default.
@@ -253,8 +268,8 @@ reachable only over a filesystem path, set `GBRAIN_GIT_ALLOW_FILE_TRANSPORT=1`
 
 ## Upgrading an existing brain
 
-`gbrain upgrade` runs the v16 + v17 migrations automatically. Your
-existing pages all move under `source_id='default'`. Behavior is
+`gbrain upgrade` runs the needed schema migrations automatically. Your
+existing pages all live under `source_id='default'`. Behavior is
 unchanged until you add a second source.
 
 To add one:
@@ -266,13 +281,13 @@ cd ~/.gstack && gbrain sources attach gstack && gbrain sync
 
 Two commands. The existing default source is untouched.
 
-## Not in v0.18.0
+## Related features that build on sources
 
-- Session transcript ingest (`.jsonl`, raised size cap, session
-  PageType) — v0.18.
-- Per-source retention/TTL (`gbrain sources prune`) — v0.18.
-- ACL enforcement via caller-identity — v0.17.1.
-- `gbrain sources import-from-github <url>` one-shot bootstrap — patch
-  release after the core plumbing stabilizes.
-
-All of these build on the `sources` primitive shipped here.
+- **Session transcript ingest** — `gbrain transcripts` (server-private:
+  raw chat exports stay on the host machine).
+- **Per-source retention** — `gbrain sources archive` / `archived` /
+  `purge` (soft-delete with a TTL grace window).
+- **One-shot remote bootstrap** — `gbrain sources add <id> --url <git-url>`
+  (clone + register + auto-harden).
+- **Access control across brains** — the *brain* axis (`gbrain mounts`);
+  see `docs/architecture/brains-and-sources.md`.

docs/guides/operational-disciplines.md

@@ -43,13 +43,14 @@ on information_needed(topic):
     # An agent that reaches for the web before checking its own brain
     # is wasting money and giving worse answers.
 
-# DISCIPLINE 3: Sync After Every Write (MANDATORY)
-on brain_write_complete():
+# DISCIPLINE 3: Sync After Every Repo Write (MANDATORY)
+on brain_repo_files_changed():
     gbrain sync
-    # Without this, search results are stale.
-    # The page you just wrote won't appear in gbrain search or gbrain query
-    # until sync runs. Skipping this means the next lookup misses the
-    # most recent data.
+    # `gbrain put` indexes immediately -- pages written through the CLI/MCP
+    # are searchable the moment the command returns. No sync needed there.
+    # But files written DIRECTLY to the brain repo (an editor, a script,
+    # another agent committing markdown) are invisible to search until
+    # `gbrain sync` imports them. If anything touched repo files, sync.
 
 # DISCIPLINE 4: Daily Heartbeat Check
 on daily_schedule("09:00"):
@@ -62,6 +63,8 @@ on daily_schedule("09:00"):
 on nightly_schedule("02:00"):
     # The dream cycle is the most important discipline.
     # The brain COMPOUNDS overnight.
+    # gbrain ships this as a first-class command: `gbrain dream`.
+    # The pseudocode below is the shape of the work it does.
 
     # 5a: Entity sweep -- find unlinked mentions
     pages = gbrain list
@@ -103,16 +106,16 @@ on nightly_schedule("02:00"):
 ## Tricky Spots
 
 1. **The dream cycle is the most important discipline.** Brains compound overnight. Entity sweeps fix broken graphs, citation audits catch sourceless facts, and memory consolidation keeps compiled truth current. Skip the dream cycle and the brain slowly rots.
-2. **Skipping Discipline 3 (sync after write) means stale search results.** You write a page, then immediately search for it -- and get nothing back. The page exists but isn't indexed. Always sync after writes.
-3. **Signal detection must fire on EVERY message.** Not just messages that look important. The user says "I talked to Pedro yesterday about the board seat" in passing -- that's a timeline entry on Pedro's page, a potential update to his State section, and a signal about the board. If the agent doesn't catch it, the system is broken.
-4. **Brain-first saves money AND gives better answers.** The brain has context that external APIs don't: relationship history, meeting notes, the user's own assessment. An API lookup for "Pedro Franceschi" returns a LinkedIn profile. The brain returns the full picture including private context.
+2. **Skipping Discipline 3 (sync after repo writes) means stale search results.** A file lands in the brain repo, then you search for it -- and get nothing back. The file exists but isn't imported. Always sync after repo-file writes. (`gbrain put` is exempt: it indexes on write.)
+3. **Signal detection must fire on EVERY message.** Not just messages that look important. The user says "I talked to Alice yesterday about the board seat" in passing -- that's a timeline entry on Alice's page, a potential update to her State section, and a signal about the board. If the agent doesn't catch it, the system is broken.
+4. **Brain-first saves money AND gives better answers.** The brain has context that external APIs don't: relationship history, meeting notes, the user's own assessment. An API lookup for "Alice Example" returns a LinkedIn profile. The brain returns the full picture including private context.
 5. **`gbrain doctor` catches silent failures.** Embedding pipelines can stall, sync can fail silently, database connections can drop. The daily heartbeat catches these before they compound into data loss.
 
 ## How to Verify
 
 1. Send a message mentioning a person with a brain page. Confirm the agent detects the entity and adds a timeline entry to their page (`gbrain timeline <slug>`).
 2. Ask the agent about someone in the brain. Confirm it runs `gbrain search` or `gbrain get` BEFORE reaching for external APIs (check the tool call order).
-3. Write a new page with `gbrain put`, then immediately run `gbrain search` for it. Confirm it appears in results (verifies sync ran).
+3. Write a markdown file directly into the brain repo (not via `gbrain put`), run `gbrain sync`, then `gbrain search` for it. Confirm it appears in results (verifies the sync discipline). A `gbrain put` page should appear in search immediately, with no sync.
 4. Run `gbrain doctor`. Confirm it returns a health report with database status, page count, and any flagged issues.
 5. After a dream cycle runs, check a page that had unlinked entity mentions. Confirm new links were added (`gbrain call get_links '{"slug": "<slug>"}'`).
 

docs/guides/plugin-authors.md

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Plugin authors guide (v0.15)
+# Plugin authors guide — subagent definitions
 
 `gbrain` discovers subagent definitions from outside this repo via
 `GBRAIN_PLUGIN_PATH`. If you maintain a downstream agent (your OpenClaw
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ subagents alongside it, drop a plugin directory on that env path.
 
 This guide is for plugin authors. The CLI user doesn't need to read it.
 
+> **Two plugin systems.** This doc covers *subagent definitions*
+> (markdown prompts the `subagent` job handler runs). Custom *job
+> handlers* (code the Minion worker executes) are a separate system —
+> see [plugin-handlers.md](plugin-handlers.md).
+
 ## Minimum viable plugin
 
 ```
@@ -65,7 +70,7 @@ You control where your plugin lives on disk; `gbrain` doesn't guess.
 the one listed FIRST in `GBRAIN_PLUGIN_PATH` wins. The other is dropped
 with a warning naming both sources.
 
-**Trust policy.** Plugins ship subagent definitions ONLY in v0.15:
+**Trust policy.** Plugins ship subagent definitions ONLY:
 
 - You **cannot** declare new tools.
 - You **cannot** extend the brain tool allow-list.
@@ -76,8 +81,8 @@ with a warning naming both sources.
   your plugin gives you a loud startup error, not a silent "tool never
   fires" at 3am.
 
-v0.16+ may open up plugin-declared tools with a separate contract. Don't
-expect it.
+Plugin-declared tools would require a new `plugin_version` contract;
+nothing under `gbrain-plugin-v1` opens that up.
 
 ## `gbrain.plugin.json`
 
@@ -85,9 +90,9 @@ expect it.
 |------------------|--------|----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
 | `name`           | string | yes      | Human-readable plugin id. Shows up in warnings and collision logs. |
 | `version`        | string | yes      | Your plugin's semver. Informational.                               |
-| `plugin_version` | string | yes      | Contract lock. Must equal `"gbrain-plugin-v1"` for v0.15.          |
+| `plugin_version` | string | yes      | Contract lock. Must equal `"gbrain-plugin-v1"`.                    |
 | `subagents`      | string | no       | Subdir name (default `subagents`). Escape-attempts are rejected.   |
-| `description`    | string | no       | Shown in a future plugin-listing command.                          |
+| `description`    | string | no       | Informational; appears in load/collision warnings.                 |
 
 ## Subagent definition files
 
@@ -103,8 +108,7 @@ Recognized frontmatter fields:
 | `max_turns`     | number   | no       | Cap on assistant turns. Defaults to 20.                                                 |
 | `allowed_tools` | string[] | no       | Whitelist of tool names. Must subset the derived brain registry. Rejected on mismatch.  |
 
-Unknown frontmatter fields are preserved but ignored by the handler. v0.16
-may consume more of them.
+Unknown frontmatter fields are preserved but ignored by the handler.
 
 ## Caveats that will bite you
 
@@ -115,8 +119,8 @@ may consume more of them.
 
 2. **`~/.gbrain/audit/subagent-jobs-*.jsonl` is local only.** If your
    worker runs on a different host than the `gbrain agent logs` caller,
-   the CLI won't see heartbeats from that worker. v0.16 will unify this;
-   for now assume worker + CLI share a filesystem.
+   the CLI won't see heartbeats from that worker. Assume worker + CLI
+   share a filesystem.
 
 3. **Tool calls always run with `ctx.remote = true`.** Even on local CLI
    invocation. Tools that gate on `remote=true` (file_upload's strict

docs/guides/plugin-handlers.md

@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 # Plugin handlers — registering host-specific Minion handlers
 
-GBrain's Minion worker ships with seven built-in handlers: `sync`,
-`embed`, `lint`, `import`, `extract`, `backlinks`, `autopilot-cycle`.
+GBrain's Minion worker ships with a full set of built-in handlers,
+registered by `registerBuiltinHandlers` in `src/commands/jobs.ts` —
+that registry is the source of truth. Examples: `sync`, `embed`,
+`lint`, `import`, `extract`, `backlinks`, `autopilot-cycle`, `shell`,
+`subagent`, `orphans`, `integrity`, plus dream-cycle phases and other
+maintenance jobs. Submitting an unknown job name with
+`gbrain jobs submit <name> --follow` prints the full registered list.
 These cover every background operation the gbrain CLI itself performs.
 
 Host platforms (OpenClaw deployments, future hosts) register their own
@@ -10,6 +15,11 @@ handlers via a plugin bootstrap that imports
 code, loaded by the worker, with the same trust model as any other
 code in the host's repo.
 
+> **Two plugin systems.** This doc covers *job handlers* (code the Minion
+> worker runs). Custom *subagent definitions* (markdown prompts loaded via
+> `GBRAIN_PLUGIN_PATH`) are a separate system — see
+> [plugin-authors.md](plugin-authors.md).
+
 ## Why code, not data
 
 An earlier design draft shipped `~/.claude/gbrain-handlers.json` where
@@ -64,14 +74,23 @@ auto-loads on startup (configurable via a host-provided entry point).
 
 ## Handler contract
 
-Every handler receives a `MinionJobContext`:
+Every handler receives a `MinionJobContext` (canonical definition:
+`src/core/minions/types.ts`). The load-bearing fields:
 
 ```ts
 interface MinionJobContext {
-  data: Record<string, unknown>;   // job params (whatever the cron submit passed)
-  job: MinionJob;                   // full job row (id, queue, attempts, etc.)
-  signal: AbortSignal;              // set to aborted when the worker is shutting down
-  inbox: MinionInbox;               // read messages sent to this job while it runs
+  id: number;                       // job id
+  name: string;                     // job type
+  data: Record<string, unknown>;    // job params (whatever the cron submit passed)
+  attempts_made: number;
+  signal: AbortSignal;              // fires on timeout, cancel, pause, or lock loss
+  shutdownSignal: AbortSignal;      // fires only on worker SIGTERM/SIGINT
+  deadlineAtMs: number | null;      // wall-clock deadline from timeout_at, if set
+  updateProgress(progress: unknown): Promise<void>;
+  updateTokens(tokens: TokenUpdate): Promise<void>;
+  log(message: string | TranscriptEntry): Promise<void>;
+  isActive(): Promise<boolean>;     // is the job lock still held?
+  readInbox(): Promise<InboxMessage[]>;  // unread messages sent to this job
 }
 ```
 

docs/guides/push-context.md

@@ -5,13 +5,14 @@ contributed anything. Push-based context inverts that — the brain volunteers
 relevant pages from the recent conversation, confidence-gated so push noise
 never becomes worse than pull silence.
 
-Three channels share one zero-LLM core (`src/core/context/volunteer.ts`):
+The push channels share one zero-LLM core (`src/core/context/volunteer.ts`):
 
 | Channel | Surface | When to use |
 |---|---|---|
 | `reflex` | automatic, inside the context engine | default-on for plugin hosts; nothing to call |
 | `op` | `gbrain volunteer-context` / MCP `volunteer_context` | agents without the plugin; one call per turn |
 | `watch` | `gbrain watch` | stream a transcript in, volunteered pages stream out |
+| `claude-code` / `codex` / `opencode` | `gbrain hook user-prompt` (registered by `gbrain bootstrap`) | per-prompt injection inside a harness; see "Harness hooks" below |
 
 ## How it decides
 
@@ -53,6 +54,42 @@ through a running serve's resolve socket rather than taking the lock. Routing
 watch through that same socket is a filed follow-up (TODOS.md). Postgres
 brains are unaffected.
 
+## Harness hooks (the prompt-time channel)
+
+`gbrain bootstrap` registers `gbrain hook user-prompt` as a Claude Code
+`UserPromptSubmit` hook: every prompt is assembled into a per-turn context
+block (reflex pointers + volunteered pages + hot facts) through a running
+serve's IPC socket and injected as `additionalContext`. Two properties make
+this channel production-grade rather than spammy-and-invisible:
+
+- **Cross-turn dedupe.** The hook reads its OWN previous injections back out
+  of the session transcript (Claude Code records them as structured
+  `hook_additional_context` attachments; only gbrain-marked blocks count) and
+  passes them as prior context — so a page is volunteered once per session,
+  not once per mention. The dedupe horizon is bounded (the recent transcript
+  window, byte-capped), so a marathon session can eventually re-volunteer its
+  oldest injections. The extraction is structural, never substring matching
+  over raw turn text, so a short slug appearing in a tool payload can't
+  over-suppress.
+- **The feedback loop.** The serve logs each DELIVERED block's volunteered
+  pages and pointers to `context_volunteer_events` under the hook's channel
+  (`claude-code` by default; a codex hook registration passes
+  `--harness codex` / `--harness opencode`). `gbrain volunteer-context --stats` then shows
+  per-harness precision, and `gbrain doctor`'s `volunteer_channels` check
+  shows which channels actually fire, with guidance for the two quiet cases:
+  "hook installed but never registered (restart the session)" and "registered
+  but quiet". Logging happens at the delivery point only — a block abandoned
+  before the serve responded is never counted — and because a delivered
+  response still isn't proof of injection (the hook can trim or drop it
+  client-side), the doctor check reconciles the counts against the hook's own
+  heartbeat and cautions when they diverge.
+
+The hook lane rides the PGLite serve's IPC socket: on a Postgres brain or a
+thin-client install the hook stays quiet by design (pull-mode retrieval covers
+those; extending the lane is a filed follow-up in TODOS.md).
+
+Kill switch: `GBRAIN_HOOKS=0`. Install/uninstall: `docs/guides/bootstrap.md`.
+
 ## Config
 
 | Key | Default | What it does |

docs/guides/queue-operations-runbook.md

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 # Queue operations runbook
 
 "My queue looks wedged — what do I run?" The commands below are in the order
-you probably want them. Shipped with v0.19.1 after a production incident
-where the queue held for 90+ minutes before the operator noticed.
+you probably want them. Born from a production incident where the queue held
+for 90+ minutes before the operator noticed.
 
 ## First signal: jobs aren't running
 
@@ -23,16 +23,18 @@ container health), but its DB connection died (common behind a transaction
 pooler) and never came back, so it claims no jobs and finishes nothing. Jobs
 pile up with **0 active**. Liveness checks all pass; nothing crashes.
 
-As of v0.42.22.0 this self-heals — you usually won't have to do anything:
+This self-heals — you usually won't have to do anything:
 
 - **The worker exits on its own dead pool.** Under a supervisor, the worker's
   DB-liveness probe runs and self-exits (`db_dead`) after ~3 minutes; the
   supervisor respawns it with a fresh pool.
 - **The supervisor restarts a worker that stops making progress.** If a queue
   has claimable work, **0 live-lock active jobs**, and no completions for 15
-  minutes while the child is alive, the supervisor restarts it (covers stuck
-  handlers too, not just dead pools). Tune with `--wedge-restart-minutes` /
-  `--wedge-restart-checks` on `gbrain jobs supervisor` (0 disables).
+  minutes across 3 consecutive health checks while the child is alive, the
+  supervisor restarts it (covers stuck handlers too, not just dead pools).
+  These thresholds are built in — there are no CLI flags to tune them. A
+  restart-loop breaker caps wedge restarts at 3 per 30-minute window, then
+  switches to a one-shot `wedge_restart_loop` alert in the audit log.
 
 The signal is loud now — check either:
 
@@ -45,8 +47,12 @@ gbrain doctor --json | jq '.checks[] | select(.name == "wedged_queue")'
 stale completions). Manual fix if you ever need it:
 
 ```bash
-gbrain jobs supervisor stop && gbrain jobs supervisor start   # fresh pool
-gbrain jobs retry <id>                                        # dead-lettered jobs
+# Restart the supervisor with a fresh pool. `start` alone runs in the
+# FOREGROUND (blocks); use --detach to get your shell back.
+gbrain jobs supervisor stop && gbrain jobs supervisor start --detach --json
+
+# Re-queue any jobs that were dead-lettered during the wedge.
+gbrain jobs retry <id>
 ```
 
 ## Triage commands
@@ -65,7 +71,10 @@ gbrain jobs get <id>
 ## Rescue actions (in order of escalation)
 
 ```bash
-# Force-kill a single stuck job:
+# Cancel a single stuck job (inline mode: cooperative — the handler must
+# observe its abort signal, and after 30s it is force-evicted from tracking
+# but the promise keeps running; with --job-isolation process the child is
+# actually SIGTERM→SIGKILLed once cancellation is detected):
 gbrain jobs cancel <id>
 
 # Clear a specific job entirely (last resort):
@@ -79,8 +88,20 @@ gbrain jobs smoke --wedge-rescue
 
 - **stalled-forever** — A worker claimed a job, started executing, and has
   held the row for over an hour. The wall-clock sweep evicts jobs past
-  2× `timeout_ms`; if one's still active, either no `timeout_ms` was set
-  or the sweep is newly deployed and this job predates it. Cancel it.
+  2× `timeout_ms`. Long-lane handlers (subagent, autopilot-cycle,
+  embed-backfill, …) always have a budget now: it stamps at submit, is
+  COALESCEd from `HANDLER_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS` at claim for legacy NULL rows,
+  and migration v128 backfilled rows that predate both. `gbrain jobs get <id>`
+  prints the effective budget and which kill path applies. If a short-lane
+  job is still active with no budget, the null-default sweep
+  (2 × lock-duration × max_stalled) evicts it within minutes. Cancel it if
+  you can't wait.
+- **duplicate cycles** — Historic brains could accumulate byte-identical
+  waiting `autopilot-cycle` rows when a job stalled in `active`. v128
+  cancelled that backlog (newest ticker-keyed row per source survives), and
+  the `maxPending` dispatch guard prevents new accumulation. Suppressed
+  dispatches are visible in `jobs stats` (Backpressure line) and the
+  backpressure audit JSONL.
 - **waiting-depth** — Submitters are piling up jobs faster than workers
   drain them. Set `--max-waiting N` on the submission or on the programmatic
   `queue.add()` call. If you want a taller pile, raise the threshold via
@@ -101,9 +122,32 @@ claiming. Start one:
 GBRAIN_ALLOW_SHELL_JOBS=1 gbrain jobs work --concurrency 4
 ```
 
-## Follow-ups tracked for v0.20+
+## Reading the DB-probe verdicts (pool starved vs server unreachable)
 
-- B7 — `minion_workers` heartbeat table for ground-truth liveness (the
-  `--no-worker` probe and the dropped `queue_health` worker-heartbeat
-  subcheck both need this).
-- B3 — `gbrain doctor --fix` learns to rescue queue wedges.
+When the worker's health probe fails repeatedly, the terminal
+`[health] DB probe failed N consecutive times (verdict: ...)` line — and the
+`unhealthy` payload the supervisor sees — carries a verdict that names the
+failing LAYER (the intermediate `(N/3)` lines log only the failure detail).
+Read it before touching anything — the historical failure mode here was
+hours spent evaluating a database instance upgrade while the server sat at
+10% of max_connections.
+
+| Verdict | What it means | What to do |
+|---|---|---|
+| `pool_starved` | The read-pool probe failed but the DIRECT-lane probe succeeded — the database server is reachable; the fault is in the transaction-pooler path (client pool exhaustion or a pooler-layer fault; the probe deliberately does not distinguish the two). | Look at client-side load: long-running handler queries holding slots, `GBRAIN_POOL_SIZE` too small for the workload, or a pooler-layer incident. Do NOT resize the database. The worker exit is correct recovery — it frees every client-held slot. |
+| `server_unreachable` | Both the pooler lane and the direct lane failed. | Check connectivity/capacity first: network, DNS, the database itself. Both-lanes-failed is the evidence — credential/config errors or a saturated direct lane can also land here, so glance at the probe detail text before concluding the server is down. |
+| `unknown` | The read probe failed and no direct lane exists to disambiguate (single-pool mode: non-Supabase, kill switch active, or no derivable direct URL). | Check the startup log for the single-pool warning; consider `GBRAIN_DIRECT_DATABASE_URL` so future incidents self-diagnose. |
+
+The `gbrain-tracked in flight` counts in the message are a tracked SUBSET
+(raw/direct/reserved/transaction seams only) — most template-path queries are
+untracked, so `0 in flight` next to a `pool_starved` verdict means the
+saturation lives in that untracked traffic or at the pooler layer itself,
+not that the pool is idle. The verdict, not the counts, is the
+authoritative signal.
+
+## Related
+
+- [Minions worker deployment](minions-deployment.md) — supervisor lifecycle,
+  exit codes, and per-platform deployment (systemd / Fly / Render).
+- [Minions shell jobs](minions-shell-jobs.md) — the `shell` job type's
+  security model and error table.

docs/guides/quiet-hours.md

@@ -113,6 +113,22 @@ fi
 send_notification "$OUTPUT"
 ```
 
+### GBrain-native hooks
+
+Two places gbrain already understands quiet hours natively — use these
+before rolling your own gate for the same job:
+
+- **Self-upgrade** — `auto` mode only applies upgrades during quiet hours,
+  configured via `gbrain config set self_upgrade.quiet_hours
+  '{"start":23,"end":8,"tz":"US/Pacific"}'`. See
+  [upgrades-auto-update.md](upgrades-auto-update.md).
+- **Cron prompts** — schedule-driven notification jobs should carry the
+  gate described in this doc; [cron-schedule.md](cron-schedule.md) covers
+  the scheduling side.
+
+The shell pattern below is for everything else: your own cron jobs,
+collectors, and notification paths that gbrain doesn't gate for you.
+
 ### Configurable Hours
 
 Some users want different quiet hours. Store the config:
@@ -140,7 +156,11 @@ Set `enabled: false` to disable quiet hours entirely (e.g., for 24/7 monitoring)
    skill reads and clears the held directory. Orphaned held files mean the
    pickup integration is broken.
 
-3. **Timezone auto-detection is fragile.** Calendar-based timezone detection
+3. **`/tmp` doesn't survive reboots (or, on macOS, periodic cleanup).** If a
+   held message must not be lost across a restart, use a durable held
+   directory (e.g. `~/.local/state/cron-held/`) instead of `/tmp/cron-held/`.
+
+4. **Timezone auto-detection is fragile.** Calendar-based timezone detection
    relies on the user having airline/hotel events with location data. If the
    user books travel without calendar entries, the system won't detect the
    move. Fall back to activity-hour analysis (responding at 3 AM PT = probably

docs/guides/repo-architecture.md

@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@ Separate agent behavior (replaceable) from world knowledge (permanent) into two
 Without this: agent config and world knowledge are mixed together. Switch agents
 and you lose your knowledge. Switch knowledge tools and you lose your agent setup.
 
-With this: your brain (14,700+ files of people, companies, meetings, ideas)
-survives any agent swap. Your agent config survives any knowledge tool swap.
+With this: your brain (thousands of files of people, companies, meetings,
+ideas) survives any agent swap. Your agent config survives any knowledge
+tool swap.
 
 ## Implementation
 
@@ -119,7 +120,15 @@ without losing your agent setup.
 notes). The agent repo contains operational config. Different access controls.
 
 **GBrain indexes the brain repo.** Run `gbrain sync --repo ~/brain/` to keep
-the search index current. The agent repo is never indexed by GBrain.
+the search index current. The agent repo is not indexed by default.
+
+**Multi-source nuance.** With multi-source brains
+([multi-source-brains.md](multi-source-brains.md)), "the brain repo" means
+"each registered source." You CAN deliberately register a non-brain repo
+(e.g. `~/.gstack`) as its own isolated or federated source — that's a
+conscious registration with its own slug namespace, not a violation of the
+boundary. The rule below is about *unregistered, accidental* indexing of
+agent config.
 
 ## Tricky Spots
 
@@ -133,9 +142,12 @@ the search index current. The agent repo is never indexed by GBrain.
    belongs in the brain. Agent configs, skills, cron jobs, and operational
    state are replaceable. People, companies, ideas, and meetings are not.
 
-3. **Don't index the agent repo.** GBrain indexes the brain repo only.
-   Running `gbrain sync` against the agent repo pollutes search results
-   with operational config instead of world knowledge.
+3. **Don't casually index the agent repo.** Running `gbrain sync` against
+   the agent repo pollutes search results with operational config instead
+   of world knowledge. (Registering it deliberately as an isolated source
+   is different — see the multi-source nuance above. Pin the working
+   directory to the right source with a `.gbrain-source` dotfile via
+   `gbrain sources attach <id>`.)
 
 ## How to Verify
 

docs/guides/rls-and-you.md

@@ -34,35 +34,35 @@ docs/guides/rls-and-you.md for the GBRAIN:RLS_EXEMPT comment escape hatch.
 
 99% of the time, you want the fix. Run the SQL. Re-run `gbrain doctor`. Done.
 
-## v0.26.7 — auto-RLS event trigger and one-time backfill
+## Auto-RLS: the event trigger and the one-time backfill
 
-Starting in v0.26.7 (migration v35), gbrain ships two changes that close the
-gap where a table could exist in your `public` schema without RLS for any
-amount of time at all.
+gbrain ships two mechanisms (schema migration v35) that close the gap where a
+table could exist in your `public` schema without RLS for any amount of time
+at all.
 
 **1. The event trigger.** A Postgres DDL event trigger named
 `auto_rls_on_create_table` runs `ALTER TABLE … ENABLE ROW LEVEL SECURITY`
 on every newly created `public.*` table. It covers `CREATE TABLE`,
 `CREATE TABLE AS … SELECT`, and `SELECT … INTO` — every syntax Postgres
 reports as a table-creation command. Tables created by gbrain itself, by
-your other apps sharing the same Supabase project (Baku, Hermes, anything),
-or by a human running raw SQL all get RLS enabled the moment they exist.
+any other app sharing the same Supabase project, or by a human running raw
+SQL all get RLS enabled the moment they exist.
 Non-`public` schemas (`auth`, `storage`, `realtime`, etc.) are explicitly
 ignored — Supabase manages those, and we should not touch them.
 
-**2. The one-time backfill.** When you upgrade to v0.26.7, the migration
+**2. The one-time backfill.** The first upgrade that applies migration v35
 walks every existing `public.*` base table whose RLS is off and whose comment
 doesn't carry the `GBRAIN:RLS_EXEMPT` exemption (see below) and enables RLS
 on each. After the upgrade, `gbrain doctor`'s `rls` check should be a no-op
 on every brain.
 
-### Breaking change: read this before upgrading
+### Read this before upgrading a pre-auto-RLS brain
 
 If you have public tables that are intentionally RLS-off and you want them
 to stay that way, you MUST add the `GBRAIN:RLS_EXEMPT` comment **before**
-running `gbrain upgrade` to v0.26.7. The backfill flips RLS on for any public
-table that doesn't carry the exact comment contract documented below. There
-is no `--dry-run` flag on the migration.
+the upgrade that applies migration v35. The backfill flips RLS on for any
+public table that doesn't carry the exact comment contract documented below.
+There is no `--dry-run` flag on the migration.
 
 The minimum cost of getting this wrong is one round-trip: the operator runs
 the SQL to enable RLS on a table that should have been exempt, then
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ prevent a re-flip on a later doctor run. No data is lost.
 
 ### Cross-app implications
 
-If a non-gbrain app (Baku, Hermes, a script you wrote, anything) creates
+If a non-gbrain app (a side project, a script you wrote, anything) creates
 tables in the same Supabase project, the trigger will enable RLS on those
 tables too. Two ways to handle that:
 
@@ -90,17 +90,40 @@ ship a policy.
 
 ### What if the trigger gets dropped?
 
-`gbrain doctor` includes a new `rls_event_trigger` check that verifies the
+`gbrain doctor` includes an `rls_event_trigger` check that verifies the
 trigger is installed and enabled. If you drop it manually for any reason
-(debugging, migration testing, anything), doctor warns and gives you the
-recovery command:
+(debugging, migration testing, anything), doctor warns and points you here.
 
-```
-gbrain apply-migrations --force-retry 35
+Recreate it by re-running the trigger DDL from migration v35 — idempotent
+(`CREATE OR REPLACE` + `DROP EVENT TRIGGER IF EXISTS`), safe to paste into
+psql as a BYPASSRLS role (e.g. `postgres`):
+
+```sql
+CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION auto_enable_rls()
+RETURNS event_trigger AS $$
+DECLARE
+  obj record;
+BEGIN
+  FOR obj IN SELECT * FROM pg_event_trigger_ddl_commands()
+    WHERE object_type = 'table'
+    AND schema_name = 'public'
+  LOOP
+    EXECUTE format('ALTER TABLE %s ENABLE ROW LEVEL SECURITY', obj.object_identity);
+  END LOOP;
+END;
+$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
+
+DROP EVENT TRIGGER IF EXISTS auto_rls_on_create_table;
+CREATE EVENT TRIGGER auto_rls_on_create_table
+  ON ddl_command_end
+  WHEN TAG IN ('CREATE TABLE', 'CREATE TABLE AS', 'SELECT INTO')
+  EXECUTE FUNCTION auto_enable_rls();
 ```
 
-Re-running migration v35 is idempotent — it `DROP EVENT TRIGGER IF EXISTS`
-and recreates cleanly.
+(This is the same DDL migration v35 runs — the canonical copy lives in the
+`MIGRATIONS` array in `src/core/migrate.ts`. There's no CLI shortcut:
+`gbrain apply-migrations --force-retry` targets the vX.Y.Z orchestrator
+registry, not numeric schema migrations like v35.)
 
 ### Why no FORCE ROW LEVEL SECURITY?
 
@@ -147,7 +170,7 @@ Rules:
 ```sql
 ALTER TABLE public.expenses_ramp DISABLE ROW LEVEL SECURITY;
 COMMENT ON TABLE public.expenses_ramp IS
-  'GBRAIN:RLS_EXEMPT reason=analytics-only, anon-readable ok, owner=garry, 2026-04-22';
+  'GBRAIN:RLS_EXEMPT reason=analytics-only, anon-readable ok, owner=you, 2026-04-22';
 ```
 
 After that, `gbrain doctor` reports:

docs/guides/scaling-skills.md

@@ -127,9 +127,9 @@ you can use as a reference shape. The skillpack story for distributing
 your own resolvers across machines is covered in
 [skillpacks as scaffolding](skillpacks-as-scaffolding.md).
 
-## The compact list format (v0.41.7.0)
+## The compact list format
 
-GBrain's resolver parser used to require markdown tables:
+GBrain's resolver parser originally required markdown tables:
 
 ```markdown
 | Trigger | Skill |
@@ -146,14 +146,14 @@ format that scales better:
 - **flight-tracker**: track my flight | flight status | when does my flight land
 ```
 
-Before v0.41.7.0, `gbrain doctor` only spoke the table dialect. On a
-306-skill compact-format resolver, the doctor reported every skill as
-unreachable: **238 FAIL errors on every doctor run**. The parser was
-silently treating the compact dialect as zero skills.
+When `gbrain doctor` only spoke the table dialect, a 306-skill
+compact-format resolver reported every skill as unreachable: **238 FAIL
+errors on every doctor run**. The parser was silently treating the compact
+dialect as zero skills.
 
-v0.41.7.0 ships dual-format support. The same `parseResolverEntries`
-function reads both table rows and list rows in the same file, with the
-v0.31.7 multi-resolver merge (skillpack `skills/RESOLVER.md` + workspace
+Today the parser supports both. The same `parseResolverEntries`
+function reads table rows and list rows in the same file, with the
+multi-resolver merge (skillpack `skills/RESOLVER.md` + workspace
 `../AGENTS.md`) folding everything into one unified view. Run `gbrain doctor`
 and the 238 FAILs collapse to 0.
 
@@ -267,8 +267,7 @@ I initially converted my resolver from a clean list format to a table
 format because the validator only spoke tables. That was wrong. When a
 tool fails against valid data, the right move is to fix the tool, not
 reshape the data. The list format was correct, compact, readable, easy
-to maintain. The parser needed to support both shapes. v0.41.7.0 is
-that fix.
+to maintain. The parser needed to support both shapes — and now it does.
 
 The same principle applies everywhere in agent systems. Your SKILL.md is
 the source of truth. Your AGENTS.md is the source of truth. Your resolver
@@ -295,6 +294,40 @@ architecture that gets you from 10 to 50. That's normal. Systems that
 scale change shape. The important thing is that each tier preserves full
 capability. You're organizing, not deleting.
 
+## Plugin bundling is a curation decision
+
+Not every skill in `skills/` reaches downstream installs. The plugin
+manifest (`openclaw.plugin.json`) is the bundled set; everything else is a
+recorded exclusion in `skills/plugin-exclusions.json`, each with a reason.
+The two are test-pinned in both directions: every manifest skill is either
+bundled or a recorded exclusion, and no skill is both. Adding a skill to
+the tree does NOT ship it — bundling is an explicit decision, and an
+unbundled skill never reaches a downstream install. When you write a new
+skill, decide (and record) which side of that line it lives on.
+
+`bun run gate:skills` (`scripts/skills-commit-gate.sh`) is the per-commit gate
+for any change under `skills/`. It runs the conformance + resolver +
+plugin-manifest tests, `check-resolvable --strict`, the `skills.lock.json`
+regen + freshness check, and `check-skill-refs` in seconds — run it before
+committing a skills change so the membership/closure and `plugin.version`
+assertions fail locally instead of in CI.
+
+## When a skill misroutes
+
+Treat a misroute like a failing test, because it becomes one. First
+reproduce it as a fixture in the skill's `routing-eval.jsonl` — the utterance
+that misrouted, with the expected skill (or `null`). Rewrite the misrouted
+utterance onto placeholder entities (`alice-example`, `acme-example`) before
+committing the fixture — same rule as skill-autobench; a routing fixture is a
+public artifact and must not carry a real contact or company name. Only then
+fix the cause:
+usually a trigger in the skill's frontmatter or its row in
+`skills/RESOLVER.md`. Regenerate the lock (`bun run
+scripts/generate-skills-manifest.ts`) and the llms bundles (`bun run
+build:llms`), verify with `gbrain check-resolvable --strict`, and ship it as
+a MICRO release. Downstream installs heal on their next upgrade — the fix
+travels with the skillpack, not with a support thread.
+
 ## Related
 
 - [Skill development cycle](skill-development.md) — the 5-step loop for

docs/guides/search-modes.md

@@ -1,19 +1,109 @@
 # Search Modes
 
-## Goal
-Know which search command to use and when -- keyword, hybrid, or direct -- so every lookup is fast and returns the right result.
+Two decisions shape every gbrain lookup, and this guide covers both:
 
-## What the User Gets
-Without this: the agent fumbles between search commands, returns chunks when full pages are needed, runs expensive semantic searches when a direct get would do, or misses results entirely. With this: every lookup uses the optimal mode, token budgets are respected, and the user gets the right information in the fewest calls.
+1. **Which mode bundle** your brain runs — `conservative` / `balanced` /
+   `tokenmax`, the named cost-knob presets that control cache, token budget,
+   query expansion, and result count. This is the config-level decision you
+   make once (at `gbrain init` or via `gbrain config set search.mode`).
+2. **Which lookup verb** to use per call — `gbrain search` (keyword),
+   `gbrain query` (hybrid), or `gbrain get` (direct). This is the
+   per-lookup decision an agent makes on every question.
 
-## Implementation
+## The three mode bundles
+
+A search mode is a named preset that sets every search-cost knob at once.
+The bundles are frozen in `src/core/search/mode.ts` (`MODE_BUNDLES`):
+
+| Knob                          | `conservative` | `balanced` | `tokenmax`     |
+|-------------------------------|----------------|------------|----------------|
+| `cache.enabled`               | true           | true       | true           |
+| `cache.similarity_threshold`  | 0.92           | 0.92       | 0.92           |
+| `cache.ttl_seconds`           | 3600           | 3600       | 3600           |
+| `intentWeighting`             | true           | true       | true           |
+| `tokenBudget`                 | **4000**       | **12000**  | **off**        |
+| `expansion` (LLM multi-query) | false          | false      | **true**       |
+| `relationalRetrieval`         | false          | **true**   | **true**       |
+| `searchLimit` default         | 10             | 25         | 50             |
+
+- **`conservative`** — smallest payloads. Pairs naturally with a cheap
+  downstream model (Haiku-class) or a high query volume.
+- **`balanced`** — the default and the fallback when no mode is set.
+- **`tokenmax`** — no token budget, LLM query expansion on, 50 results.
+  Pairs with an expensive downstream model you want fully fed.
+
+Two of the knobs deserve a sentence:
+
+- **`expansion`** rewrites your query into multiple variants via a cheap
+  LLM call per search (adds roughly $1.50 per 1K queries) — better recall,
+  small extra cost.
+- **`relationalRetrieval`** adds a graph-walk recall arm for relational
+  questions ("who invested in X", "what connects A and B"); it's a pure
+  no-op for non-relational queries. The `query` op's `relational` flag
+  forces it on/off per call.
+
+### Setting and resolving the mode
+
+```bash
+gbrain config set search.mode tokenmax
+```
+
+Per-knob resolution (highest first):
+
+    per-call SearchOpts → per-key config override (search.cache.enabled, …) →
+      MODE_BUNDLES[search.mode] → MODE_BUNDLES.balanced (fallback)
+
+Mode resolution lives in bare `hybridSearch`, not just the cached wrapper,
+so eval replays test the same mode-affected behavior as the production
+`query` op. The query cache folds the active knobs into its key
+(`knobs_hash`), so switching modes never serves you a stale result set
+from a different configuration.
+
+### Cost intuition
+
+gbrain's own cost is rounding error; what the mode really controls is how
+many tokens your *downstream agent* pays to read per query. The
+corner-to-corner spread is ~25x once you pair mode with downstream model.
+Rough anchors at 10K queries/month, full payload, no cache savings:
+
+| Mode \ Downstream | Haiku-class (\$1/M in) | Sonnet-class (\$3/M in) | Opus-class (\$5/M in) |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| conservative (~4K tok) | **\$40/mo** | \$120/mo | \$200/mo |
+| balanced (~10K tok) | \$100/mo | \$300/mo | \$500/mo |
+| tokenmax (~20K tok) | \$200/mo | \$600/mo | **\$1,000/mo** |
+
+Scales linearly with volume. Cache hits cut all numbers ~50%; disciplined
+prompt caching in the agent loop cuts further. Mismatched pairings waste
+capacity in both directions — a tokenmax payload overwhelms a cheap model,
+a conservative payload starves an expensive one. The full methodology and
+realistic-scale walkthrough live in
+[`docs/eval/SEARCH_MODE_METHODOLOGY.md`](../eval/SEARCH_MODE_METHODOLOGY.md).
+
+### CLI surfaces
+
+```bash
+gbrain search modes              # what is running, with per-knob attribution
+gbrain search modes --reset      # clear search.* overrides (mode bundle wins)
+gbrain search stats [--days N]   # cache hit rate, intent mix, budget drops
+gbrain search tune [--apply]     # data-driven recommendations
+gbrain search diagnose "<query>" --target <slug>
+                                 # trace where a page surfaces (or fails to)
+                                 # across the keyword/vector/alias/hybrid layers
+```
+
+The mode picker runs inside `gbrain init` (non-TTY auto-selects `balanced`).
+
+## Choosing a lookup verb (search vs query vs get)
+
+Independent of which bundle is active, every individual lookup should use
+the cheapest verb that answers the question.
 
 ```
 on user_asks_about(topic):
-    # Decision tree: pick the right search mode
+    # Decision tree: pick the right lookup verb
 
     if know_exact_slug(topic):
-        # MODE 3: Direct get -- instant, no search overhead
+        # Direct get -- instant, no search overhead
         result = gbrain get <slug>
         # e.g., "Tell me about Alice" -> gbrain get alice-example
         # Returns the FULL page -- compiled truth + timeline
@@ -66,7 +156,7 @@ on user_asks_about(topic):
 #   4. External sources (web search, APIs)
 ```
 
-## Tricky Spots
+### Tricky Spots
 
 1. **Search returns chunks, not full pages.** After `gbrain search` or `gbrain query`, you get excerpts. Always run `gbrain get <slug>` to load the full page when the chunk confirms relevance. Don't answer questions from chunks alone when the full context matters.
 2. **Search works without embeddings.** On day one before any embedding run, `gbrain search` still works (the keyword arm carries it; the vector arm joins once embeddings exist). Don't tell the user "search isn't available yet" -- search is always available.
@@ -75,13 +165,14 @@ on user_asks_about(topic):
 5. **Full hybrid needs embeddings to have been run.** If `gbrain query` returns nothing but `gbrain search` finds results, the embeddings haven't been generated yet. Run the embedding pipeline first.
 6. **A populated `gbrain search` result set is not proof you found everything.** Search runs without query expansion, so synonym- and outcome-phrased matches can be missed even when it returns plenty of hits. For "find every / all / the landscape of" questions, use `gbrain query`; for literal exhaustive enumeration ("list every page of type X"), use `list_pages` pagination. A nonzero count is not a completeness signal.
 
-## How to Verify
+### How to Verify
 
 1. Run `gbrain search "Alice"` -- confirm it returns chunks with matching text and slug references.
 2. Run `gbrain query "who works at fintech companies"` -- confirm it returns semantically relevant results (not just keyword matches on "fintech").
 3. Run `gbrain get alice-example` -- confirm it returns the full page with compiled truth and timeline.
 4. Compare: search for the same entity using all three modes. Keyword should be fastest, hybrid should surface conceptual matches, direct should return the complete page.
 5. After a search returns a chunk, run `gbrain get` on the slug from that chunk. Confirm the full page contains more context than the chunk alone.
+6. Run `gbrain search modes` -- confirm the active mode bundle and any per-key overrides are what you expect.
 
 ---
 *Part of the [GBrain Skillpack](../GBRAIN_SKILLPACK.md).*

docs/guides/skill-development.md

@@ -40,7 +40,9 @@ Show the user the results. Get feedback.
 - Revise the process based on what you learned.
 
 **Step 4: Codify into a Skill.**
-Write the SKILL.md. Either:
+Write the SKILL.md (`gbrain skillify scaffold <name>` scaffolds the tree for
+you; `gbrain skillopt` optimizes an existing skill against a benchmark).
+Either:
 - **New skill** -- genuinely new capability
 - **Add to existing skill** -- variation of something that exists (parameterize it)
 
@@ -63,7 +65,8 @@ Skills should be **Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive**:
 - Each signal source has exactly ONE owner skill
 - Two skills creating the same brain page = MECE violation
 
-**Example ownership (no overlap):**
+**Example ownership (no overlap — illustrative; your skill roster will
+differ):**
 
 | Signal Source | Owner Skill | Creates |
 |--------------|-------------|---------|

docs/guides/skillopt.md

@@ -65,14 +65,14 @@ For each step:
    more than 0.05.
 6. **Commit.** D8 history-intent-first 5-step atomic write — crash-safe.
 
-After each epoch with no improvement: D6 slow-update fires one meta-edit
-proposal (this lives in v0.42 follow-up; v1 emits the audit event).
+After each epoch with no improvement: D6 slow-update fires. Today it emits
+the audit event only; the full meta-edit proposal is a tracked follow-up.
 
 ## Flags
 
 | Flag | Default | Purpose |
 |---|---|---|
-| `--benchmark <path>` | `skills/<n>/skillopt-benchmark.jsonl` | Path to benchmark JSONL |
+| `--benchmark <path>` | `skills/<name>/skillopt-benchmark.jsonl` | Path to benchmark JSONL |
 | `--bootstrap-from-skill` | off | Generate a starter benchmark from SKILL.md (recommended; no routing-eval needed) |
 | `--bootstrap-tasks N` | 15 | How many starter tasks `--bootstrap-from-skill` generates (max 50) |
 | `--bootstrap-from-routing` | off | Auto-build benchmark from routing-eval.jsonl |
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ refuses to start when the estimate exceeds `--max-cost-usd`.
 
 - **No benchmark.** Optimizing against guesses is worse than not optimizing.
 - **Write-flavored skills.** Skills whose job is to `put_page` heavily can't
-  use the v1 read-only sandbox; mocked-write capture is a v0.42 follow-up.
+  use the read-only sandbox; mocked-write capture is a tracked follow-up.
 - **Tiny benchmarks (<10 tasks).** D_sel < 5 refuses by default; meaningful
   validation needs ≥20 tasks total per the paper.
 

docs/guides/skillpacks-as-scaffolding.md

@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
 # Skillpacks as scaffolding, not amber
 
-GBrain v0.33 reshapes `gbrain skillpack` from a package manager into a
-scaffold + reference library. This guide explains the model and the
-workflow.
+`gbrain skillpack` is a scaffold + reference library, not a package
+manager. This guide explains the model and the workflow.
 
-## Why we changed it
+## Why it works this way
 
-Pre-v0.33 (the "amber" model):
+An earlier design (the "amber" model):
 
 - `gbrain skillpack install <name>` copied bundled skills into your
   workspace AND wrote a managed-block fence into your `RESOLVER.md` /
@@ -26,7 +25,16 @@ repo. You scaffold once, you own them, you fork and edit freely. When
 gbrain ships a new version, you ask "what changed?" — the agent reads
 the diff and decides what (if anything) to integrate.
 
-## The five commands
+## The core workflow commands
+
+The five commands below are the scaffold-and-own workflow. The full
+`gbrain skillpack` surface is larger (`list`, `diff`, `check`, `search`,
+`info`, `registry`, `doctor`, `init`, `pack`, `endorse`, …) — run
+`gbrain skillpack --help` for the always-current list. One worth calling
+out here: **`gbrain skillpack init-brain-pack <name>`** scaffolds a
+*brain-resident* pack inside a brain/source repo (`brain_resident: true`
+plus a machine-parseable README) that connecting harnesses discover on
+`gbrain sources add`.
 
 ### `gbrain skillpack scaffold <name> [--workspace PATH]`
 
@@ -77,15 +85,15 @@ gbrain skillpack reference book-mirror
 `reference <name> --apply-clean-hunks` is the auto-apply path. It
 parses the diff between gbrain's bundle and your local copy, applies
 every hunk whose pre-change context matches uniquely. **Two-way merge
-limitation**: without scaffold-time base tracking (intentionally
-out-of-scope for v0.33), this cannot distinguish "gbrain changed X"
+limitation**: without scaffold-time base tracking (intentionally out of
+scope), this cannot distinguish "gbrain changed X"
 from "you changed X." Applied hunks align everything to gbrain. Use
 `--dry-run` first to preview, or run plain `reference` to inspect the
 diff before letting auto-apply touch anything.
 
 ### `gbrain skillpack migrate-fence [--workspace PATH] [--dry-run]`
 
-One-shot conversion for workspaces on the pre-v0.33 managed-block
+One-shot conversion for workspaces still on the legacy managed-block
 model. Strips the `<!-- gbrain:skillpack:begin -->` / `end -->`
 markers and the manifest receipt comment from your resolver file.
 
@@ -157,7 +165,7 @@ Your agent's job at runtime is to walk `skills/*/SKILL.md`, parse the
 frontmatter, and match the user's intent against every skill's
 `triggers:` array. When a match scores high enough, invoke that skill.
 
-This replaces the v0.32 model where `gbrain skillpack install` wrote
+This replaces the legacy model where `gbrain skillpack install` wrote
 table rows into your `RESOLVER.md`. Rows are gone (or, for users
 migrating from the old model, preserved transitionally by
 `migrate-fence` until they run `scrub-legacy-fence-rows`).
@@ -173,7 +181,7 @@ If you're a downstream agent author updating to this model:
 
 ## Removing a scaffolded skill
 
-There's no `gbrain skillpack uninstall` command in v0.33. The files
+There's no `gbrain skillpack uninstall` command. The files
 in your `skills/<slug>/` are first-class members of your repo —
 delete them like any other code:
 
@@ -195,16 +203,17 @@ You own the files. There's no manifest to update, no fence to rebuild.
 ## When to use which command (quick decision tree)
 
 - **New host repo, want a gbrain skill** → `scaffold`
+- **Shipping a pack from inside a brain/source repo** → `init-brain-pack`
 - **gbrain shipped a new version, want to see what's changed**
   → `reference` (read-only) or `reference --apply-clean-hunks` (auto)
-- **Upgrading from v0.32 or earlier** → `migrate-fence` (one-shot)
+- **Upgrading from the legacy managed-block model** → `migrate-fence` (one-shot)
 - **Cleanup after `migrate-fence`** → `scrub-legacy-fence-rows`
 - **Lift your fork's skill back into gbrain** → `harvest` + the
   `skillpack-harvest` editorial skill
 
 ## What about `install` and `uninstall`?
 
-Both are removed in v0.33. Running either prints an error pointing at
-the replacement command. No deprecated alias — this is a clean break.
+Both are removed. Running either prints an error pointing at the
+replacement command. No deprecated alias — this is a clean break.
 If you have existing scripts referencing the old names, update them
 once and move on.

docs/guides/source-attribution.md

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 Every fact in the brain traces to where it came from -- who said it, in what context, and when.
 
 ## What the User Gets
-Without this: six months from now, someone reads a brain page and has no idea if "Pedro co-founded Brex" came from Pedro himself, a LinkedIn scrape, or a hallucination. With this: every claim is auditable, conflicts are surfaced, and the brain is a court-admissible record of reality.
+Without this: six months from now, someone reads a brain page and has no idea if "Alice co-founded widget-co" came from Alice herself, a LinkedIn scrape, or a hallucination. With this: every claim is auditable, conflicts are surfaced, and the brain is a court-admissible record of reality.
 
 ## Implementation
 
@@ -23,11 +23,11 @@ on brain_write(page, fact):
         # [Source: Crustdata LinkedIn enrichment, 2026-04-07 12:35 PM PT]
     elif source.type == "social_media":
         # MUST include full URL -- not just @handle
-        # [Source: X/@pedroh96 tweet, product launch, 2026-04-07](https://x.com/pedroh96/status/...)
+        # [Source: X/@alice_example tweet, product launch, 2026-04-07](https://x.com/alice_example/status/...)
     elif source.type == "email":
-        # [Source: email from Sarah Chen re Q2 board deck, 2026-04-05 2:30 PM PT]
+        # [Source: email from Alice Example re Q2 board deck, 2026-04-05 2:30 PM PT]
     elif source.type == "workspace":
-        # [Source: Slack #engineering, Keith re deploy schedule, 2026-04-06 11:45 AM PT]
+        # [Source: Slack #engineering, Charlie re deploy schedule, 2026-04-06 11:45 AM PT]
     elif source.type == "web":
         # [Source: Happenstance research, 2026-04-07 12:35 PM PT]
     elif source.type == "published":
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ SOURCE_PRIORITY = [
 
 ## Tricky Spots
 
-1. **Compiled truth is NOT exempt from citations.** "Pedro co-founded Brex" in the synthesis section needs `[Source: ...]` just as much as a timeline entry does. Most agents skip citations above the bar.
+1. **Compiled truth is NOT exempt from citations.** "Alice co-founded widget-co" in the synthesis section needs `[Source: ...]` just as much as a timeline entry does. Most agents skip citations above the bar.
 2. **Tweet URLs are mandatory.** `[Source: X/@handle tweet, topic, date]` without a URL is a broken citation. Hundreds of brain pages end up with unreachable tweet references when the URL is omitted. Always: `[Source: X/@handle tweet, topic, date](https://x.com/handle/status/ID)`.
 3. **"User said it" isn't enough.** WHERE, ABOUT WHAT, WHEN. `[Source: User, direct message, 2026-04-07 12:33 PM PT]` -- not just `[Source: User]`.
 4. **Don't silently resolve conflicts.** When the user says one thing and an API says another, note the contradiction in compiled truth with both citations. Let the reader decide.
@@ -71,5 +71,13 @@ SOURCE_PRIORITY = [
 4. Check timeline entries on 3 random pages. Each entry should have a source citation with date and context.
 5. Look for a page where the user stated something that contradicts an API result. Confirm the contradiction is noted, not silently resolved.
 
+## Related
+
+- `skills/_brain-filing-rules.md` — the canonical citation-format rules every
+  brain write follows (this guide is the narrative walkthrough of the same
+  contract).
+- `skills/citation-fixer/SKILL.md` — audits and repairs existing pages
+  against that format.
+
 ---
 *Part of the [GBrain Skillpack](../GBRAIN_SKILLPACK.md).*

docs/guides/sub-agent-routing.md

@@ -2,19 +2,42 @@
 
 ## Goal
 
-Route sub-agents to the cheapest model that can do the job, saving 10-40x on costs without sacrificing quality.
+Route sub-agents to the cheapest model that can do the job, saving large
+multiples on cost without sacrificing quality.
 
 ## What the User Gets
 
-Without this: every sub-agent runs on Opus ($15/MTok). Entity detection on
-every message costs $3-5/day. Research tasks cost $10+ each.
+Without this: every sub-agent runs on your most expensive model. Entity
+detection fires on every message at top-tier rates; research tasks cost
+several dollars each.
 
-With this: entity detection runs on Sonnet ($3/MTok, 5x cheaper). Research
-runs on DeepSeek ($0.50/MTok, 30x cheaper). Main session stays on Opus for
-quality. Total cost drops 70-80%.
+With this: entity detection runs on a cheap fast model, research execution
+runs on a budget model, and only planning/synthesis touch the expensive
+model. Total cost drops 70-80%.
+
+(Illustrative input-token anchors from gbrain's canonical pricing table,
+`src/core/model-pricing.ts`: Opus-class $5/MTok, Sonnet-class $3/MTok,
+Haiku-class $1/MTok. Budget providers run well under $1/MTok. Prices
+drift — the pricing table is the source of truth, not this doc.)
 
 ## Implementation
 
+### GBrain's native mechanism: model tiers
+
+Before hardcoding vendors, use gbrain's tier routing. Every gbrain
+subagent/LLM call resolves through a named tier
+(`utility` / `reasoning` / `deep` / `subagent`), and you point each tier
+at whatever model you want once:
+
+```bash
+gbrain config set models.tier.subagent anthropic:claude-haiku-4-5
+gbrain config set models.tier.deep anthropic:claude-opus-4-7
+```
+
+Per-call override: `gbrain agent run --model <provider:model>`. The
+conventions file `skills/conventions/model-routing.md` is the canonical
+routing policy; this guide is the cost rationale behind it.
+
 ### Routing Table
 
 | Task Type | Recommended Model | Why |
@@ -44,14 +67,16 @@ on_every_message(text):
     3. FACTS: New info about existing entities -> update timeline
     4. CITATIONS: Every fact needs [Source: ...] attribution
     5. Sync changes to brain repo`,
-    model: "sonnet-class",  // fast + cheap
+    model: "sonnet-class",  // fast + cheap; haiku-class is cheaper still
     timeout: 120s
   })
 ```
 
-**Why Sonnet-class for detection:** Entity detection is pattern matching, not
-deep reasoning. Sonnet is 5-10x cheaper than Opus and fast enough for async
-detection. The main session continues on Opus while detection runs in parallel.
+**Why a cheaper class for detection:** Entity detection is pattern matching,
+not deep reasoning. Sonnet-class runs at a fraction of Opus-class cost, and
+Haiku-class at a fraction of that — both fast enough for async detection.
+The main session continues on your best model while detection runs in
+parallel.
 
 ### Research Pipeline Pattern
 
@@ -64,9 +89,9 @@ For research-heavy tasks, use a multi-model pipeline:
 ```
 
 **Why this works:** The planning and synthesis steps need taste and judgment
-(Opus). The execution step is mechanical data gathering (DeepSeek at 25-40x
-lower cost). You get Opus-quality output at DeepSeek-level cost for 80% of
-the work.
+(Opus-class). The execution step is mechanical data gathering (a budget
+model at a small fraction of the cost). You get top-tier output at
+budget-model cost for 80% of the work.
 
 ### When to Spawn Sub-Agents
 
@@ -82,15 +107,16 @@ the work.
 
 The main session runs on your best model. Everything else runs on the
 cheapest model that can do the job. In practice, 60-70% of sub-agent
-work is entity detection (Sonnet) and research execution (DeepSeek),
-which are 10-40x cheaper than the main session model.
+work is entity detection and research execution, which run at a small
+fraction of the main session model's cost.
 
 ## Tricky Spots
 
-1. **Sonnet, not Opus, for detection.** The most common mistake is running
-   entity detection on Opus. Detection is pattern matching, not deep reasoning.
-   Sonnet is 5-10x cheaper and fast enough. Reserve Opus for the main session
-   where reasoning quality matters.
+1. **A cheap class, not Opus, for detection.** The most common mistake is
+   running entity detection on Opus-class. Detection is pattern matching, not
+   deep reasoning. Sonnet- or Haiku-class is several times cheaper and fast
+   enough. Reserve Opus-class for the main session where reasoning quality
+   matters.
 
 2. **Don't block the main thread.** Sub-agents must run asynchronously. If the
    signal detector runs synchronously, the user waits 30-120 seconds for every
@@ -98,10 +124,11 @@ which are 10-40x cheaper than the main session model.
    a response immediately.
 
 3. **Cost optimization is multiplicative.** Entity detection runs on every
-   single message. If you use Opus at $15/MTok for detection across 50
-   messages/day, that's $3-5/day just for detection. Sonnet at $3/MTok brings
-   that to $0.60-1.00/day. Over a month, the wrong model choice costs $100+
-   more than necessary.
+   single message, so the per-call price difference compounds across 50+
+   messages/day. Routing detection from Opus-class ($5/MTok in) to
+   Haiku-class ($1/MTok in) is a flat 5x cut on your highest-frequency LLM
+   call — over a month, the wrong model choice for detection alone costs
+   real money. (Current per-model rates: `src/core/model-pricing.ts`.)
 
 ## How to Verify
 

docs/guides/upgrades-auto-update.md

@@ -16,11 +16,16 @@ benefit-focused bullets, waits for explicit permission, then runs the full
 upgrade flow including re-reading skills, running migrations, and syncing
 schema. The user gets new capabilities automatically.
 
-## Self-upgrade modes (v0.42)
+## Self-upgrade modes
 
-gbrain now stays current the way gstack does: it rides invocation frequency. A
+gbrain stays current the way gstack does: it rides invocation frequency. A
 throttled, cache-read-only check runs at the start of every `gbrain` invocation
-(CLI and MCP) and emits an `UPGRADE_AVAILABLE <old> <new>` marker on stderr. No
+(CLI and MCP) and emits an `UPGRADE_AVAILABLE <old> <new>` marker on stderr. The
+raw marker line is suppressed when stderr is an interactive TTY (a human sees
+only the plain `gbrain X -> Y available` sentence, not the machine token); set
+`GBRAIN_FORCE_UPGRADE_MARKER=1` if an agent harness parses the token but runs
+under a PTY. `<old>` is always the RUNNING binary's version, so a stale or
+foreign-written cache never nags about an upgrade this binary already has. No
 host cron required — every agent kind (Claude Code, Codex, OpenClaw, Hermes, the
 `gbrain serve` host behind a Perplexity thin client) converges to current by
 construction. The behavior is governed by one file-plane config key,
@@ -44,6 +49,14 @@ execution. The trust model is TLS + GitHub (same as `gbrain upgrade`);
 signature verification is a tracked follow-up. Apply manually any time with
 `gbrain self-upgrade`.
 
+The `auto` quiet-hours window is configured via the
+`self_upgrade.quiet_hours` config key
+(`gbrain config set self_upgrade.quiet_hours '{"start":23,"end":8,"tz":"US/Pacific"}'`).
+The quiet-hours *pattern* itself — gating any notification or background
+action on the user's local sleep window — is owned by
+[quiet-hours.md](quiet-hours.md); this doc only covers the self-upgrade
+hook into it.
+
 ## Implementation
 
 ### The Check (cron-initiated)
@@ -163,15 +176,18 @@ Also persist in `~/.gbrain/update-state.json` so it survives agent context reset
 
 If you loaded this SKILLPACK directly (copied or read from GitHub) without
 installing gbrain, you can still stay current. Both GBRAIN_SKILLPACK.md and
-GBRAIN_RECOMMENDED_SCHEMA.md have version markers:
+GBRAIN_RECOMMENDED_SCHEMA.md carry a `<!-- source: ... -->` header pointing
+at their canonical copies, and GBRAIN_RECOMMENDED_SCHEMA.md also carries a
+version marker:
 
 ```bash
-curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/garrytan/gbrain/master/docs/GBRAIN_SKILLPACK.md | head -1
-# Returns: <!-- skillpack-version: X.Y.Z -->
+curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/garrytan/gbrain/master/docs/GBRAIN_RECOMMENDED_SCHEMA.md | head -1
+# Returns: <!-- schema-version: X.Y.Z -->
 ```
 
-If the remote version is newer, fetch the full file and replace your local
-copy. Set up a weekly cron to check automatically.
+If the remote version is newer (or the remote SKILLPACK content differs from
+your local copy), fetch the full file and replace your local copy. Set up a
+weekly cron to check automatically.
 
 ## Tricky Spots
 

docs/integrations/embedding-providers.md

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ The resolved provider + dimensions get persisted to `~/.gbrain/config.json` atom
 
 | Provider | env vars | default dims | cost ($/1M tokens) | local? | multimodal? |
 |---|---|---|---|---|---|
-| `zeroentropyai` | `ZEROENTROPY_API_KEY` | 2560 (Matryoshka to 1280/640/320/...) | 0.05 | no | no |
+| `zeroentropyai` (hosted API **shuts down 2026-09-04** — see note below) | `ZEROENTROPY_API_KEY` | 2560 (Matryoshka to 1280/640/320/...) | 0.05 | no | no |
 | `openai` | `OPENAI_API_KEY` | 1536 | 0.13 | no | no |
 | `openrouter` | `OPENROUTER_API_KEY` | 1536 | 0.02 | no | model-dependent |
 | `voyage` | `VOYAGE_API_KEY` | 1024 | 0.18 | no | yes (`voyage-multimodal-3`) |
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ The resolved provider + dimensions get persisted to `~/.gbrain/config.json` atom
 
 **Note on local providers.** Ollama and llama-server have no required API key, so they don't show up in env-detection auto-pick. Pick them explicitly with `--embedding-model ollama:<model>` to avoid silently routing to a daemon that may not be running.
 
+**Note on the ZeroEntropy hosted API.** ZeroEntropy announced (2026-07-24) that its hosted endpoints shut down on **2026-09-04**. A brain still embedding through the hosted API loses semantic retrieval entirely on that date — query embedding uses the same endpoint, so existing vectors become unqueryable, not just new content. Either self-host the Apache-2.0 zembed-1 weights via llama-server/Ollama (keeps every existing vector, no re-embed), or migrate with `gbrain migrate embeddings` — see [the migration guide](../guides/embedding-migration.md). `gbrain doctor` (check `provider_sunset`) flags affected brains and prints the paste-ready command with the brain's actual `--dim` filled in.
+
 ## If first import fails
 
 If `gbrain import` fails with `expected N dimensions, not M`, run `gbrain doctor`. The output will print the exact `gbrain config set ...` or `gbrain retrieval-upgrade` command to repair the mismatch. **You should not need to delete `~/.gbrain`.** The bug-class that historically forced `rm -rf` recoveries is closed as of v0.37.

docs/mcp/ALTERNATIVES.md

@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@
 
 GBrain's MCP server runs via `gbrain serve` (stdio transport). To make it
 accessible from other devices and AI clients, run `gbrain serve --http`
-(built-in HTTP transport with bearer auth, Postgres-only ... see
-[DEPLOY.md](DEPLOY.md)) behind a public tunnel. Here are your tunnel options.
+(built-in HTTP transport with OAuth 2.1 + bearer auth, works on both PGLite
+and Postgres brains — see [DEPLOY.md](DEPLOY.md)) behind a public tunnel.
+Here are your tunnel options.
 
 ## ngrok (recommended)
 
@@ -58,10 +59,11 @@ Both run Bun natively. No bundling, no Deno, no cold start, no timeout limits.
 | Works when laptop is off | No | No | Yes |
 | Cold start | None | None | None |
 | Timeout limits | None | None | None |
-| All 30 operations | Yes | Yes | Yes |
+| Full remote operation surface (100+ ops, minus `localOnly`) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 | Setup time | 5 min | 10 min | 15 min |
 
-**Note:** `gbrain serve --http` is the built-in HTTP transport (v0.22.7+). Bearer auth
-against the `access_tokens` table, default-deny CORS, two-bucket rate limit, body cap,
-per-request audit log. Postgres-only by design (PGLite is local-only). See
-[DEPLOY.md](DEPLOY.md) and [SECURITY.md](../../SECURITY.md) for env vars and tunables.
+**Note:** `gbrain serve --http` is the built-in HTTP transport. OAuth 2.1 plus
+bearer auth against the `access_tokens` table, default-deny CORS, two-bucket rate
+limit, body cap, per-request audit log. Works on both PGLite and Postgres brains.
+See [DEPLOY.md](DEPLOY.md) and [SECURITY.md](../../SECURITY.md) for env vars and
+tunables.

docs/mcp/CHATGPT.md

@@ -1,35 +1,39 @@
 # Connect GBrain to ChatGPT
 
-**Status (v0.26.0):** Unblocked. GBrain's `gbrain serve --http` ships OAuth 2.1
-with PKCE, which is the ChatGPT MCP connector's hard requirement. Before v1.0,
-this was a P0 TODO — the only major AI client that could not connect.
+ChatGPT's MCP connector requires OAuth 2.1 with PKCE — it does not support
+bearer-token MCP servers. GBrain's `gbrain serve --http` speaks exactly that,
+so ChatGPT connects natively.
 
-ChatGPT does not support bearer-token MCP servers. You must use the OAuth 2.1
-HTTP server.
+This page covers only the ChatGPT-specific parts. The full server setup —
+starting `gbrain serve --http`, the admin bootstrap token, the `/admin`
+dashboard, tunnels, and `--bind` / `--public-url` — lives in
+[DEPLOY.md](DEPLOY.md). Do steps 1 (start the server) and 3 (expose it)
+from there, then come back for the ChatGPT client.
 
 ## Setup
 
-### 1. Start the HTTP server
+### 1. Start and expose the server (DEPLOY.md steps 1 + 3)
 
-```bash
-gbrain serve --http --port 3131
-```
-
-Save the admin bootstrap token printed on stderr. Open
-`http://localhost:3131/admin` and paste it to access the dashboard.
+Follow [DEPLOY.md — OAuth 2.1 Setup](DEPLOY.md#oauth-21-setup) to start
+`gbrain serve --http`, save the admin bootstrap token, and expose the server
+at a public HTTPS URL (e.g. `https://your-brain.ngrok.app`). ChatGPT's
+connector auto-discovers the spec-compliant endpoint at
+`/.well-known/oauth-authorization-server`.
 
 ### 2. Register a ChatGPT client
 
-ChatGPT uses the authorization code flow with PKCE (browser-based OAuth).
-Register from the `/admin` dashboard:
+The ChatGPT-specific delta: ChatGPT uses the **authorization code flow with
+PKCE** (browser-based OAuth), so the client needs the `authorization_code`
+grant type and a redirect URI. Register from the `/admin` dashboard:
 
 1. Click **Register client**.
 2. Name: `chatgpt`.
 3. Grant type: `authorization_code`.
 4. Scopes: `read`, `write` (leave `admin` unchecked for ChatGPT).
-5. Redirect URI: ChatGPT's OAuth redirect (copy it from the ChatGPT
-   connector setup screen — something like
-   `https://chat.openai.com/connector_platform_oauth_redirect`).
+5. Redirect URI: ChatGPT's OAuth redirect — **always copy the exact value
+   from the ChatGPT connector setup screen** (it looks like
+   `https://chatgpt.com/connector_platform_oauth_redirect`, but the domain
+   has changed before; trust the setup screen, not this doc).
 6. Hit **Register**. The credential-reveal modal shows the `client_id` once
    with Copy and Download JSON buttons. There is no client secret for
    PKCE-based public clients.
@@ -41,22 +45,11 @@ await oauthProvider.registerClientManual(
   'chatgpt',
   ['authorization_code'],
   'read write',
-  ['https://chat.openai.com/connector_platform_oauth_redirect'],
+  ['<ChatGPT redirect URI from the connector setup screen>'],
 );
 ```
 
-### 3. Expose the server publicly
-
-```bash
-brew install ngrok
-ngrok http 3131 --url your-brain.ngrok.app
-```
-
-Your OAuth issuer URL becomes `https://your-brain.ngrok.app`. ChatGPT's
-connector auto-discovers the spec-compliant endpoint at
-`/.well-known/oauth-authorization-server`.
-
-### 4. Add the connector in ChatGPT
+### 3. Add the connector in ChatGPT
 
 1. Open ChatGPT > Settings > Connectors.
 2. Click **Add connector**.
@@ -71,10 +64,11 @@ calls show up in the admin dashboard's live SSE feed in real time.
 ## Scopes
 
 ChatGPT clients can request any combination of `read`, `write`, `admin`. The
-scopes granted at consent time are enforced on every tool call. Four
-operations are `localOnly` and rejected over HTTP regardless of scope:
-`sync_brain`, `file_upload`, `file_list`, `file_url`. The HTTP server fails
-closed for any attempt to reach local filesystem surface area.
+scopes granted at consent time are enforced on every tool call. Operations
+flagged `localOnly: true` in `src/core/operations.ts` (10 today — `sync_brain`
+and the `file_*` ops among them) are rejected over HTTP regardless of scope.
+The HTTP server fails closed for any attempt to reach local filesystem
+surface area.
 
 Recommended ChatGPT scope: `read write`. Leave `admin` for your local CLI
 and the admin dashboard.

docs/mcp/CLAUDE_CODE.md

@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@
 > tutorial walks both paths (local-from-nothing and connect-to-an-existing-brain)
 > end to end, plus the brain-first protocol that makes it worth it. This page is
 > the connection reference.
+>
+> Want the **full agent** — identity, per-turn context, schedules, and a private
+> repo as its durable body — not just a memory? That's `gbrain bootstrap`:
+> see the paste block in the README and [docs/guides/bootstrap.md](../guides/bootstrap.md).
+> Open a new empty folder (bootstrap creates the private repo for you), or make an
+> empty private repo under your own account and open the clone — bootstrap adopts it.
 
 ## Option 1: Local (recommended, zero server needed)
 
@@ -14,9 +20,11 @@ claude mcp add gbrain -- gbrain serve --surface verbs
 That's it. Claude Code spawns `gbrain serve` as a stdio subprocess. No server, no
 tunnel, no token needed. Works with both PGLite and Supabase engines.
 
-`--surface verbs` exposes the five-verb memory protocol (`recall`, `remember`,
-`entity`, `synthesize`, `forget` — [MEMORY_VERBS v1](../protocol/MEMORY_VERBS_v1.md)),
-the surface built for agents and quickstarts. Drop the flag for the full
+`--surface verbs` exposes the seven-verb memory protocol (`recall`, `remember`,
+`entity`, `synthesize`, `forget`, `context_pack`, `delta` —
+[MEMORY_VERBS v1](../protocol/MEMORY_VERBS_v1.md)),
+the surface built for agents and quickstarts. `--surface starter` adds the
+daily-driver set on top (~26 ops total). Drop the flag for the full
 operation catalog (`get_page`, `put_page`, `search`, graph ops, …) — `full` is
 the default and what existing installs already run.
 
@@ -87,9 +95,28 @@ You should see results from your GBrain knowledge base.
 > older release stay OFF until you opt in. Enable it on the host with
 > `gbrain config set mcp.publish_skills true`. Skill discovery and the core tools
 > named here (search, query, get_page, put_page, think, find_experts) are
-> full-surface — on `--surface verbs` the agent sees only the five memory verbs,
+> full-surface — on `--surface verbs` the agent sees only the seven memory verbs,
 > and `list_skills` isn't on the surface at all. Note: `capture` is a
 > CLI-only command, not an MCP tool — the agent writes over MCP with `put_page`.
+> Why brains differ on the default: [tutorial A1](../tutorials/connect-coding-agent.md#a1-on-the-host-serve-over-http).
+
+## Ambient recall at session boundaries (v0.45.7)
+
+Two frozen verbs close the "no question fired" gap for long-lived sessions:
+`context_pack` (session-start warm-up + post-compaction rehydration) and
+`delta` ("what changed since my last wake" for heartbeats). Both are zero-LLM,
+sub-second, world-visibility by default, and available on `--surface verbs`.
+
+- **Automatic (PGLite brains via `gbrain bootstrap`):** the bootstrap hook
+  installer wires `SessionStart` (injects a warm pack; also fires on
+  post-compaction re-entry, `source=compact`) and `PreCompact` (banks the
+  window's standing entities so that rehydration pack is warm) into
+  `.claude/settings.local.json`. Nothing to call; `GBRAIN_HOOKS=0` disables.
+- **Manual (any brain, incl. remote/Postgres):** call the verbs yourself at
+  boundaries — `context_pack(entities, budget_tokens)` at session start /
+  after compaction, `delta(session_id, budget_tokens)` on wakes. See
+  [ambient recall](../guides/ambient-recall.md) for the placement frontier
+  and the per-verb latency table.
 
 ## Remove
 

docs/mcp/CLAUDE_COWORK.md

@@ -27,6 +27,19 @@ Desktop bridges local MCP servers into Cowork via its SDK layer.
 This means: if `gbrain serve` is running and configured in Claude Desktop,
 you don't need a separate server for Cowork.
 
+## Verify
+
+In a Cowork session, try:
+
+```
+Call get_brain_identity, then search my brain for [any topic]
+```
+
+You should get pages from your brain back. If `list_skills` returns nothing,
+skill publishing is off on the host — enable it with
+`gbrain config set mcp.publish_skills true` (see
+[CLAUDE_CODE.md](CLAUDE_CODE.md) for the full gotcha).
+
 ## Which to use?
 
 - **Remote server:** works even when your laptop is closed, available to all org members

docs/mcp/CLAUDE_DESKTOP.md

@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 # Connect GBrain to Claude Desktop
 
+This page covers connecting Claude Desktop to a **remote** brain. For a brain
+on the same machine as Claude Desktop, a local stdio entry in
+`claude_desktop_config.json` with `"command": "gbrain", "args": ["serve"]`
+works too — but only against a full local install, never a thin-client one.
+
 **Important:** Claude Desktop does NOT connect to remote MCP servers via
 `claude_desktop_config.json`. That file only works for local stdio servers.
 Remote HTTP servers must be added through the GUI.

docs/mcp/CODEX.md

@@ -4,10 +4,19 @@
 > tutorial walks both paths (local-from-nothing and connect-to-an-existing-brain)
 > end to end, plus the brain-first protocol that makes it worth it. This page is
 > the connection reference.
+>
+> Want the **full agent** — identity, memory, schedules, and a private repo as its
+> durable body — not just a connection? That's `gbrain bootstrap`: see the paste
+> block in the README and [docs/guides/bootstrap.md](../guides/bootstrap.md).
 
-Codex CLI (`@openai/codex`, v0.130+) supports remote streamable-HTTP MCP servers
-with a bearer token read from an environment variable. The token lives in your
-shell env, not in Codex's config file.
+Recent versions of the Codex CLI (`@openai/codex`) support remote
+streamable-HTTP MCP servers with a bearer token read from an environment
+variable. On THIS page's `gbrain connect` path the token lives in your shell
+env, not in Codex's config file. The exception is `gbrain bootstrap harness`
+(local agent-framework boxes): framework-spawned codex inherits no shell
+profile, so that lane writes the token INLINE into a managed, 0600
+`[mcp_servers.gbrain]` block in the codex config — stated in its consent
+block, removable with `gbrain bootstrap harness --remove`.
 
 ## Fastest path: `gbrain connect`
 
@@ -51,11 +60,11 @@ Call get_brain_identity, then search my brain for [topic].
 `get_brain_identity` confirms whose brain you're connected to; `list_skills` shows
 everything it can do.
 
-> **`list_skills` empty?** It's gated by `mcp.publish_skills` on the host (default
-> ON for `gbrain init` brains, OFF for brains upgraded from older releases). Enable
-> it on the host: `gbrain config set mcp.publish_skills true`. The core tools
-> (search, query, get_page, put_page, think, find_experts) work regardless.
-> `capture` is CLI-only, not an MCP tool — write over MCP with `put_page`.
+> **`list_skills` empty?** It's gated by `mcp.publish_skills` on the host — enable
+> it with `gbrain config set mcp.publish_skills true`. The core tools (search,
+> query, get_page, put_page, think, find_experts) work regardless; `capture` is
+> CLI-only, so write over MCP with `put_page`. Why brains differ on the default:
+> [tutorial A1](../tutorials/connect-coding-agent.md#a1-on-the-host-serve-over-http).
 
 ## Remove
 
@@ -68,6 +77,13 @@ codex mcp remove gbrain
 - The token is a long-lived, full-access secret. Keep `GBRAIN_REMOTE_TOKEN` out of
   version control and prefer a scoped token if your host supports one.
 - Local stdio also works if you run the brain on the same machine:
-  `codex mcp add gbrain -- gbrain serve --surface verbs` — the five-verb memory
+  `codex mcp add gbrain -- gbrain serve --surface verbs` — the memory-verb
   protocol ([MEMORY_VERBS v1](../protocol/MEMORY_VERBS_v1.md)); drop the flag
   for the full operation catalog.
+- **Ambient recall (Codex has no lifecycle hooks — use the pull path).** At the
+  start of a topical thread and after a compaction, call
+  `context_pack(entities, budget_tokens)` to warm the standing entities; on a
+  periodic wake call `delta(session_id, budget_tokens)` for "what changed since
+  my last wake" (deduped per session). Both are zero-LLM, sub-second, world-only
+  by default, and on `--surface verbs`. See
+  [ambient recall](../guides/ambient-recall.md) for the placement frontier.

docs/mcp/DEPLOY.md

@@ -1,17 +1,19 @@
 # Deploy GBrain Remote MCP Server
 
-> **v0.26.0+:** `gbrain serve --http` ships full OAuth 2.1 (client credentials,
-> auth code + PKCE, refresh rotation, optional DCR), an embedded React admin
-> dashboard at `/admin`, scoped operations, and a live SSE activity feed.
-> Pre-v0.26 legacy bearer tokens still work — `verifyAccessToken` falls back
-> to the `access_tokens` table and grandfathers tokens to `read+write+admin`.
+> `gbrain serve --http` ships full OAuth 2.1 (client credentials, auth code +
+> PKCE, refresh rotation, optional DCR), an embedded React admin dashboard at
+> `/admin`, scoped operations, and a live SSE activity feed. Legacy bearer
+> tokens still work — `verifyAccessToken` falls back to the `access_tokens`
+> table; tokens with no `scopes` grant are grandfathered to `read+write+admin`,
+> while tokens minted with `gbrain auth create --scopes …` (or by
+> `gbrain bootstrap harness`) are honored at exactly their granted scopes.
 > Both the legacy fallback and the OAuth tables work on PGLite and Postgres
-> (both engine schemas carry `access_tokens`). See [SECURITY.md](../../SECURITY.md)
-> for env vars and tunable defaults.
+> (both engine schemas carry `access_tokens`). See [SECURITY.md](../../SECURITY.md) for env vars and
+> tunable defaults.
 
 Access your brain from any device, any AI client. GBrain ships two transports:
-`gbrain serve` (stdio) for local agents, and `gbrain serve --http` (v0.26.0+)
-for remote clients over OAuth 2.1.
+`gbrain serve` (stdio) for local agents, and `gbrain serve --http` for remote
+clients over OAuth 2.1.
 
 ## Three Paths
 
@@ -19,17 +21,18 @@ for remote clients over OAuth 2.1.
 
 ```bash
 gbrain serve                  # full operation catalog (default)
-gbrain serve --surface verbs  # just the 5 memory verbs (quickstart surface)
+gbrain serve --surface verbs  # just the 7 memory verbs (quickstart surface)
 ```
 
 Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and any MCP client that supports stdio.
 No server, no tunnel, no token needed. Works on both PGLite and Postgres engines.
-`--surface verbs` exposes exactly the five-verb memory protocol (`recall`,
-`remember`, `entity`, `synthesize`, `forget` —
+`--surface verbs` exposes exactly the seven-verb memory protocol (`recall`,
+`remember`, `entity`, `synthesize`, `forget`, `context_pack`, `delta` —
 [MEMORY_VERBS v1](../protocol/MEMORY_VERBS_v1.md)) instead of the full catalog;
+`--surface starter` sits between (~26 ops: the verbs plus the daily-driver set);
 omit the flag (default `full`) for every operation.
 
-### Remote over OAuth 2.1 (recommended, v0.26.0+)
+### Remote over OAuth 2.1 (recommended)
 
 ```bash
 gbrain serve --http --port 3131
@@ -50,28 +53,28 @@ Supported clients:
 - **Perplexity** — OAuth 2.1 client credentials grant.
 - **Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf** — can use OAuth or legacy bearer.
 
-See the [OAuth 2.1 setup](#oauth-21-setup-v100) section below.
+See the [OAuth 2.1 setup](#oauth-21-setup) section below.
 
-### Remote with legacy bearer tokens (pre-v0.26 deployments) — Postgres only
+### Remote with legacy bearer tokens (simplest)
 
 ```
 Your AI client (Claude Desktop, Perplexity, etc.)
   → ngrok tunnel (https://YOUR-DOMAIN.ngrok.app)
   → gbrain serve --http  (built-in transport with bearer auth)
-  → Postgres (pooler connection or self-hosted)
+  → Postgres or PGLite
 ```
 
 This requires:
-1. A Postgres-backed brain (the `access_tokens` table only exists on Postgres;
-   running `gbrain serve --http` against a PGLite install fails fast at startup)
-2. A machine running `gbrain serve --http`
-3. A public tunnel (ngrok, Tailscale, or cloud host)
-4. A bearer token created via `gbrain auth create <name>`
+1. A machine running `gbrain serve --http` (works on both PGLite and Postgres
+   brains)
+2. A public tunnel (ngrok, Tailscale, or cloud host)
+3. A bearer token created via `gbrain auth create <name>`
 
-Pre-v1.0 tokens are grandfathered as `read+write+admin` scopes when you upgrade
-to the HTTP server, so no migration is required.
+Existing bearer tokens (no `scopes` grant) are grandfathered as
+`read+write+admin` on the OAuth-capable HTTP server, so no migration is
+required; `gbrain auth create --scopes read,write` mints narrowed tokens.
 
-## OAuth 2.1 Setup (v0.26.0+)
+## OAuth 2.1 Setup
 
 ### 1. Start the HTTP server
 
@@ -97,8 +100,8 @@ Save this token. Open `http://localhost:3131/admin` and paste it to access the
 dashboard. The dashboard shows live activity, registered clients, request logs,
 and per-client config export.
 
-> **v0.26.9+:** `mcp_request_log.params` and the live SSE activity feed default
-> to a redacted summary `{redacted, kind, declared_keys, unknown_key_count, approx_bytes}`.
+> `mcp_request_log.params` and the live SSE activity feed default to a redacted
+> summary `{redacted, kind, declared_keys, unknown_key_count, approx_bytes}`.
 > Declared param keys are kept (intersected against the operation's spec); unknown
 > keys are counted but never named, and byte sizes round up to 1KB so size-probe
 > attacks can't binary-search secret content. Operators on a personal laptop who
@@ -129,9 +132,9 @@ gbrain auth register-client perplexity \
   --scopes "read write"
 ```
 
-**v0.34 — source-scoped clients.** Multi-source brains can scope a client's
-write authority to one source and its read scope to a curated set with the
-new `--source` and `--federated-read` flags:
+**Source-scoped clients.** Multi-source brains can scope a client's write
+authority to one source and its read scope to a curated set with the
+`--source` and `--federated-read` flags:
 
 ```bash
 gbrain auth register-client dept-x-agent \
@@ -143,9 +146,12 @@ gbrain auth register-client dept-x-agent \
 
 `--source` controls the write authority — `put_page` / `add_link` / etc only
 land in `dept-x`. `--federated-read` controls the read axis independently;
-queries return rows from any of the listed sources. Omit both flags for the
-v0.33-compatible super-client shape. Pre-v0.34 clients are backfilled to
-`source_id='default'` on `gbrain upgrade`.
+queries return rows from any of the listed sources. Omit both flags for an
+unscoped super-client. Clients registered before source scoping existed are
+backfilled to `source_id='default'` on `gbrain upgrade`. Within a source,
+slug-level write fencing is also available: `--bound-slug-prefixes p1/,p2/`
+rejects slug-mutating writes outside the listed prefixes (update later with
+`gbrain auth rescope-client <id> --bound-slug-prefixes <p1,p2|none>`).
 
 Host-repo wrappers can register programmatically:
 
@@ -161,9 +167,25 @@ await oauthProvider.registerClientManual(
 For self-service client registration (Dynamic Client Registration, RFC 7591),
 start the server with `--enable-dcr`. DCR is off by default.
 
+DCR requests may include an optional `token_ttl_seconds` field (integer,
+seconds) to request a per-client access-token lifetime. The server clamps the
+request into an admin-configured window — never rejects over it — persists the
+effective value as the client's TTL override, and echoes it back as
+`token_ttl_seconds` in the registration response. Subsequent `/token` responses
+for that client carry the matching `expires_in`. Clients that omit the field
+keep the server default (`--token-ttl`). The window defaults fail-closed: min
+300 seconds, max bounded by your `--token-ttl` — a self-registering client
+cannot request a longer-lived token than the server default unless you
+explicitly widen the window:
+
+```bash
+gbrain config set oauth.dcr_ttl_min_seconds 600
+gbrain config set oauth.dcr_ttl_max_seconds 86400
+```
+
 ### 3. Expose the server
 
-**v0.34 — bind explicitly.** `gbrain serve --http` defaults to `127.0.0.1`.
+**Bind explicitly.** `gbrain serve --http` defaults to `127.0.0.1`.
 To accept connections from the ngrok tunnel (or any non-loopback source),
 restart with `--bind`:
 
@@ -187,10 +209,10 @@ router exposes the spec-compliant discovery endpoint at
 
 ### 4. Scopes and localOnly
 
-Every operation is tagged `read | write | admin`. Four operations are
-`localOnly` and rejected over HTTP regardless of scope: `sync_brain`,
-`file_upload`, `file_list`, `file_url`. Remote agents cannot reach local
-filesystem surface area.
+Every operation is tagged `read | write | admin`. Operations flagged
+`localOnly: true` in `src/core/operations.ts` (10 today — `sync_brain` and
+the `file_*` ops among them) are rejected over HTTP regardless of scope.
+Remote agents cannot reach local filesystem surface area.
 
 | Scope | What it allows |
 |-------|---------------|
@@ -198,10 +220,14 @@ filesystem surface area.
 | `write` | `put_page`, `delete_page`, `add_link`, `add_timeline_entry` |
 | `admin` | Client management, token revocation, sweep, local-only ops |
 
+Write ops can additionally be fenced per client with `--bound-slug-prefixes`
+(see [Register OAuth clients](#2-register-oauth-clients) above).
+
 ## Legacy Bearer Token Setup
 
-Keep using pre-v0.26 bearer tokens if you aren't ready to migrate. They
-grandfather to `read+write+admin` scopes on the HTTP server.
+Bearer tokens are the simple path when you don't need per-client scoping.
+Without a `--scopes` grant they grandfather to `read+write+admin` on the
+HTTP server; pass `--scopes read,write` at creation to narrow one.
 
 ### 1. Set up the tunnel
 
@@ -227,8 +253,11 @@ gbrain auth list
 gbrain auth revoke "claude-desktop"
 ```
 
-Tokens are per-client. Create one for each device/app. Revoke individually
-if compromised. Tokens are stored SHA-256 hashed in your database.
+Tokens are per-client. Create one for each device/app. Names are not
+unique: `gbrain auth revoke "<name>"` revokes EVERY active token carrying
+that name — use `gbrain auth list` (shows each token's id and scopes) and
+`gbrain auth revoke --id <uuid>` to revoke exactly one. Tokens are stored
+SHA-256 hashed in your database.
 
 ### 3. Connect your AI client
 
@@ -248,15 +277,20 @@ gbrain auth test \
 
 ## Operations
 
-All 30 GBrain operations are available remotely, including `sync_brain` and
-`file_upload` (no timeout limits with self-hosted server).
+GBrain's full operation catalog (100+ operations in `src/core/operations.ts`)
+is available remotely, with no timeout limits on a self-hosted server. The
+only exceptions are the operations flagged `localOnly: true` — `sync_brain`
+and the `file_*` ops among them — which are rejected over HTTP regardless of
+scope (see [Scopes and localOnly](#4-scopes-and-localonly) above).
 
-**Security note on `file_upload`:** remote MCP callers are confined to the working
-directory where `gbrain serve` was launched. Symlinks, `..` traversal, and absolute
-paths outside cwd are rejected. Page slugs and filenames are allowlist-validated
-(alphanumeric + hyphens; no control chars, RTL overrides, or backslashes). Local
-CLI callers (`gbrain files upload ...`) keep unrestricted filesystem access since
-the user owns the machine.
+**Security note on file access:** the `file_*` operations being localOnly is
+the first line of defense; as defense-in-depth, `file_upload` also confines
+any caller that isn't verifiably the trusted local CLI to the working
+directory where `gbrain serve` was launched. Symlinks, `..` traversal, and
+absolute paths outside cwd are rejected, and page slugs and filenames are
+allowlist-validated (alphanumeric + hyphens; no control chars, RTL overrides,
+or backslashes). Local CLI callers (`gbrain files upload ...`) keep
+unrestricted filesystem access since the user owns the machine.
 
 ## Deployment Options
 
@@ -326,8 +360,8 @@ Remote servers must be added via Settings > Integrations, NOT
 | put_page | 100-500ms | Write + trigger search_vector update |
 | get_stats | < 100ms | Aggregate query |
 
-**Note:** `gbrain serve --http` shipped in v0.26.0 with OAuth 2.1 + admin
-dashboard baked into the binary. The custom HTTP wrapper pattern (see
+**Note:** `gbrain serve --http` has OAuth 2.1 + the admin dashboard baked
+into the binary. The custom HTTP wrapper pattern (see
 [voice recipe](../../recipes/twilio-voice-brain.md)) is still supported for
 teams that need bespoke middleware, but for most remote deployments the
 built-in server is the recommended path.

docs/mcp/GROK-CLI-PIN.md

@@ -0,0 +1,190 @@
+# Grok Build CLI pin — observed behavior notes (v1.0.4)
+
+Dev-facing companion to [GROK.md](GROK.md): every fact below was OBSERVED against a
+real install (2026-08-14), not researched from docs. The claw-test GrokRunner, the
+install door e2e, and the heavy-tests grok-door CI job assert exactly these shapes —
+when Grok Build releases change them, update this file, the workflow pins, and the
+affected assertions together (`scripts/check-grok-pin.sh` in `bun run verify` enforces
+the workflow-side match).
+
+Naming note: **grok** (xAI Grok Build CLI, `XAI_API_KEY`) is not **groq** (Groq Inc.
+inference, `src/core/ai/recipes/groq.ts`, `GROQ_API_KEY`) and not **ngrok** (tunnels).
+
+<!-- grok-pin: distribution_kind=npm -->
+<!-- grok-pin: npm_package=@xai-official/grok -->
+<!-- grok-pin: npm_version=1.0.4 -->
+<!-- grok-pin: npm_integrity=sha512-Nu3SFXTqwvCQr/LQFwrQYgngJhUQwX2h9ZSgzW4HowidjbPBWtMVO0xI88d2z6/zlDSNaT5YP/uk+2DthKQMsg== -->
+<!-- grok-pin: npm_linux_x64_integrity=sha512-Dan2LfKcFBiabuDGHaGgMT8Ndzibo2ljvSjh4MlpV5117JL+S/0KMbdyYpk+13d7t+4znniW1cm+rRwUGSAvtw== -->
+<!-- grok-pin: npm_linux_arm64_integrity=sha512-zGK42Eq3ZmIa7cSVnl6CiJ4cxTCMsNLQCmCoLJhy5eZXfAvZ1DA3K3HXmKCj4OScX8SalYlp7mx8HWl9Y6gytw== -->
+<!-- grok-pin: grok_version=1.0.4 -->
+<!-- grok-pin: installer_sha256=43d0943123edade1383a476a4f778674877acee7c1f98a00f094c4a0f7349321 -->
+<!-- grok-pin: observed_date=2026-08-14 -->
+
+## Pin
+- **Grok Build v1.0.4**, `grok --version` output shape: `grok 1.0.4 (d846eb93d94d)`
+  (version + build hash; the door's shape assert is `/^grok \d+\.\d+\.\d+ \([0-9a-f]+\)$/`).
+- **Provisioning (CI + local): pinned npm install** — `@xai-official/grok@1.0.4`,
+  registry integrity `sha512-Nu3SFX…`. The package fans out to
+  `@xai-official/grok-{darwin,linux,win32}-{arm64,x64}` optional deps at the same
+  version; the CI job pins the LINUX payload integrities too (stamps above) because
+  the wrapper's integrity covers only the wrapper tarball — the platform sub-package
+  is the binary that executes. Load-bearing assumption, stated explicitly: npm
+  version-immutability (a published version cannot be replaced on npmjs; only a new
+  version or an unpublish, both of which fail the pinned install loudly).
+- Installer path (fallback only): `https://x.ai/cli/install.sh`, sha256
+  `43d0943123edade1383a476a4f778674877acee7c1f98a00f094c4a0f7349321` (17,686 bytes).
+  It SUPPORTS version pinning (`bash -s <X.Y.Z>`) and downloads versioned artifacts
+  `grok-<version>-<os>-<arch>` from `https://x.ai/cli` (fallback GCS bucket
+  `grok-build-public-artifacts`), self-checks `--version` post-download. Platform
+  string from `uname -s`/`uname -m` with a Rosetta correction on Apple Silicon.
+- Verified against macOS arm64; npm `os`/`cpu` matrix covers linux x64/arm64 for CI.
+
+## GROK_HOME — HONORED (verified)
+`GROK_HOME=<tmp> HOME=<tmp> grok mcp list|add|doctor` read+write `<tmp>/config.toml`
+and do NOT touch `~/.grok`. Belt-and-suspenders (HOME + GROK_HOME both to tmp) stays
+in the door anyway. NOTE what grok writes into `$GROK_HOME` on EVERY run (tripwire
+exclusions — these are VOLATILE): `active_sessions.lock`, `active_sessions.json`,
+`bin/grok-<version>` (it copies its own binary in), `logs/unified.jsonl`,
+`docs/user-guide/*.md` (it ships its user guide into the home), `leader.sock` (a
+leader daemon socket; `--leader-socket <PATH>` overrides). The tripwire hashes ONLY
+`config.toml` + credential-class files, never the volatile set.
+
+## One-shot (`-p`)
+- `grok -p "<prompt>"` (`-p, --single`) prints the response to stdout and exits.
+- `--output-format plain|json|streaming-json|streaming-messages-json` (default plain;
+  `streaming-json` = NDJSON of native ACP session updates; `streaming-messages-json` =
+  Anthropic Messages wire format; `--include-partial-messages` adds deltas).
+- **Keyless one-shot: exit 1**, message (verbatim, both stdout and stderr):
+  `Not signed in. To authenticate without a browser, run:\n  grok login --device-code\n\nAlternatively, set the XAI_API_KEY environment variable or run `grok login` on a machine with a browser.`
+  → `hasGrokAuth()` = non-empty `XAI_API_KEY`; the TTY scenario's keyless early-stop
+  matcher is `Not signed in`.
+- Cost/toolset flags that EXIST (observed in --help): `--always-approve`,
+  `--permission-mode default|acceptEdits|auto|dontAsk|bypassPermissions|plan`,
+  `--tools <LIST>`, `--disallowed-tools <LIST>`, `--allow/--deny <RULE>`,
+  `--disable-web-search` (dedicated kill for web search + fetch — the door SMOKE uses
+  THIS, not a tools list), `--max-turns <N>`, `-m/--model`, `--reasoning-effort`
+  (alias `--effort`), `--cwd <PATH>`, `--rules`, `--prompt-file`, `--prompt-json`,
+  `--json-schema` (implies json output), `--verbatim`, `--sandbox <PROFILE>`
+  (env `GROK_SANDBOX`), `--no-memory`, `--no-plan`, `--no-subagents`.
+- There is NO auto-update CLI flag. Auto-update is config: `[cli] auto_update = true`
+  is the DEFAULT — hermetic homes MUST seed `[cli] auto_update = false`. Manual
+  updater: `grok update [--check --json --version <V> --force-reinstall --alpha]`.
+- `.envrc` gotcha: `load_envrc = true` by default — grok loads `.envrc` from the
+  working directory. Door/live spawns pin `cwd` to tmp workspaces partly for this.
+
+## Auth + model pin (non-interactive)
+- Keyless error pinned above; `grok login --device-code` exists for headless
+  interactive auth; `XAI_API_KEY` env is the documented headless path (its end-to-end
+  smoke is **pending auth** — no key was available at observation time; the door's
+  paid tier stays skip-gated until then, per plan D0).
+- `grok models` works KEYLESS (exit 0): prints `You are not authenticated.`, then
+  `Default model: grok-4.6` and the visible list (`grok-4.6 (default)`, `grok-4.5`).
+  Authenticated list may be larger; per-turn cost pins are **pending auth**.
+- Model pin mechanism: per-call `-m <model>` (authoritative in tests — immune to
+  config rewrites) and `[models] default = "<model>"` in config.toml.
+
+## `grok mcp add` — THE big observed facts
+- Shape: `grok mcp add <name> [-e KEY=value]... [-s user|project] [-t stdio|http|sse] -- <command> [args...]`
+  — everything after `--` is the server argv. **`-e/--env` is REPEATABLE, one
+  KEY=value per flag** (their docs pin this as a breaking change from earlier
+  releases: `use -e A=1 -e B=2, not --env A=1 B=2` — the hermes replace-bug class is
+  fixed upstream). Server names: letters, numbers, hyphens, underscores only.
+- **Add is LAZY: exit 0 always, NO handshake at add time, no interactive prompt**
+  (`Added stdio MCP server 'gbrain' … to user config` / `File modified:
+  $GROK_HOME/config.toml`). Adding a NONEXISTENT command also exits 0. Never assert
+  add's exit code; never treat `enabled = true` in the saved TOML as a handshake
+  proof (it is written unconditionally).
+- Scope: `-s user` (default) → `~/.grok/config.toml`; `-s project` →
+  `./.grok/config.toml` (committable; reference secrets as `${VAR}`).
+- **Bare command names resolve via the CALLER'S PATH** (verified): registering
+  `-- gbrain serve --surface verbs` with a PATH-prefixed bin dir works — doctor
+  resolved bare `gbrain` to the staged wrapper and completed the handshake. The
+  bun-run wrapper shim (`#!/bin/sh\nexec bun run <abs>/src/cli.ts "$@"`) works as the
+  staged binary (the fallback lane when a compiled binary is unavailable).
+- Startup timeout: per-server `startup_timeout_sec` (default 30) or global env
+  `GROK_MCP_STARTUP_TIMEOUT_SECS` (seconds) / `MCP_TIMEOUT` (ms, Claude-compatible).
+  The bun-run wrapper cold-transpiles slowly — the door sets 60+.
+
+## Saved config schema (verbatim, from a real add)
+```toml
+[mcp_servers.gbrain]
+command = "/tmp/<staged-bin>/gbrain"
+args = [
+    "serve",
+    "--surface",
+    "verbs",
+]
+enabled = true
+
+[mcp_servers.gbrain.env]
+GBRAIN_SOURCE = "workspace"
+GBRAIN_HOME = "/tmp/<brain-home>"
+```
+Full schema keys (from grok's own shipped user guide, `$GROK_HOME/docs/user-guide/`):
+`command`, `args`, `env`, `enabled` (default true), `startup_timeout_sec` (default
+30), `tool_timeout_sec` (default 6000), `tool_timeouts`.
+
+## Probes — the HONEST discriminator exists
+- **`grok mcp doctor <name> --json`**: SPAWNS the server for real. Good server →
+  **exit 0** with checks `command found` / `server started` / `handshake OK`
+  (`"detail": "protocol 2025-11-25"`) / **`7 tools discovered`** (the verbs surface's
+  seven verbs, proven keyless end-to-end). Broken server (nonexistent command) →
+  **exit 1**, check `command not found`, `passed: false`, plus a `hint`. THE door's
+  hard discriminator; the T4 doctor pre-flight gates the paid loop (plan M6 resolves
+  to the honest branch).
+- Doctor `--json` also enumerates config **sources** with per-source status —
+  `~/.grok/config.toml`, `~/.claude.json`, `.mcp.json` — and each server carries a
+  `"source"` field (`"config"`, `".mcp.json"`, …): the T2b provenance assertion reads
+  this directly.
+- `grok mcp list --json` → exit 0, array of `{command, args, env, enabled, name,
+  scope}`.
+- `grok inspect` (keyless, exit 0) shows version, CWD, `Project trusted: yes/no`,
+  instructions, permissions, skills, agents — the config-discovery audit surface.
+
+## Vendor-config fallback — TRUST-GATED (verified)
+A project `.mcp.json` in the cwd is SEEN by doctor (source `found`, server listed
+with `source: ".mcp.json"`) but the server check reports **`folder untrusted`** and
+`mcp list` shows nothing until the folder is trusted (first-run trust flow). So:
+fresh tmp HOME + fresh cwd ⇒ vendor entries structurally cannot activate (door
+provenance guarantee), and on an operator's machine the fallback only engages for
+folders they already trusted — the live-lane warning (operator `~/.claude.json`
+carrying `mcpServers.gbrain`) still applies for trusted folders.
+
+## When the door goes red (triage)
+| Failure class | Signature | Remediation |
+|---|---|---|
+| npm pin drift | install step: version/integrity mismatch | Re-pin deliberately: bump `npm_version`+`npm_integrity` stamps here, re-run the re-observation checklist below, update workflow env pins (check-grok-pin.sh enforces the pair) |
+| installer digest drift (fallback path) | `sha256sum -c` fails on install.sh | Diff the new installer, re-pin `installer_sha256` after review |
+| version drift mid-run | `grok --version` re-check ≠ pinned | Auto-update engaged — verify `[cli] auto_update = false` seeding; re-pin if a deliberate bump |
+| blank XAI_API_KEY secret | named precondition/paid-sentinel failure | Admin adds/rotates the repo Actions secret (console.x.ai origin); keyless tier still ran |
+| invalid/expired key | bad-key preflight fails (pin its message after first authed run) | Rotate the secret; no code change |
+| tripwire fired | manifest mismatch on config/credential files only | True isolation breach — stop, inspect which file changed; volatile-path drift alone must NOT fire (bug in exclusions if it does) |
+| real door regression | doctor checks or recall assert fail with pins intact | Bisect against the pinned version; file upstream if grok-side |
+
+Re-observation checklist on a version bump: re-run the npm/installer pin captures
+(§Pin), the help-surface diff (`--help`, `mcp --help`, `mcp add --help`), and the
+mcp add → saved-TOML → doctor sequence (§add/§probes). The one-shot/auth/model
+sections only need re-observation if their assertions start failing.
+
+## Keyless TUI behavior (observed via the dx-explore PTY instrument)
+Under a real PTY with no credentials, interactive `grok` plays a Braille-
+pattern intro animation (U+2800-range glyphs) for a few seconds, then settles
+(~6s) onto a SIGN-IN screen: "Approve in your browser to finish signing in"
+plus a device code (and a ctrl+c hint). There is no unattended path past it.
+Two hazards for PTY automation, both observed: the animation frames carry
+zero word-like text (3+-letter runs) — a text-presence heuristic must count
+letter runs, not enumerate glyphs; and pasting into the sign-in screen leaves
+a persistent full-screen spinner redrawing at ~5 frames/sec, which starves
+quiet-based settling and makes full-buffer ANSI stripping the hot loop
+(strip bounded raw tails instead). Headless keyless is the clean
+`Not signed in` error above. The `grok-install` dx scenario early-stops at
+the sign-in copy (or a persistently textless screen) with the friction
+recorded — that IS the keyless measurement.
+
+## Supported-version policy
+gbrain's grok integration is verified against **Grok Build v1.0.4** (this pin). The
+canary CI leg (enabled with the secret) tracks latest and is continue-on-error; the
+pinned lane is the deterministic gate. **Pending auth** (requires `XAI_API_KEY`):
+paid one-shot smoke, authed model list + per-turn cost pins, credential-file
+inventory after login (feeds evidence exclusions + TTY secretPaths), AUTHED
+first-run TUI dialog copy (the keyless TUI + headless copies are pinned above).