conductor(cruft_elimination): Phase 0 setup + baseline + styleguide ack

TIER-2 READ all 11 mandatory pre-flight files before <cruft_elimination_20260627>:
  1. AGENTS.md
  2. conductor/workflow.md
  3. conductor/edit_workflow.md
  4. conductor/tier2/githooks/forbidden-files.txt
  5. conductor/tracks/tier2_leak_prevention_20260620/spec.md
  6. conductor/product-guidelines.md (Core Value section)
  7. conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md (DOD + \u00a78.5)
  8. conductor/code_styleguides/python.md (\u00a717 Banned Patterns)
  9. conductor/code_styleguides/type_aliases.md
  10. conductor/code_styleguides/error_handling.md
  11. docs/guide_meta_boundary.md
Also read: agent_memory_dimensions.md, rag_integration_discipline.md,
cache_friendly_context.md, knowledge_artifacts.md, feature_flags.md,
workspace_paths.md, config_state_owner.md

Phase 0 baseline (measured 2026-06-27, master 88a1bdcb):
- Metadata: TypeAlias = dict[str, Any] at src/type_aliases.py:6 (Phase 1 target)
- hasattr(f, 'path') sites: 29 (gui_2.py:18, app_controller.py:10, aggregate.py:1)
- -> Optional[T] returns: 30 across 14 files
- Any params: 59
- dict[str, Any] params: 10
- Metadata params: 51
- All 7 audit gates pass --strict
- 17/18 per-aggregate dataclasses have from_dict() (NormalizedResponse is
  an output type, not wire-boundary; doesn't need from_dict)

Branch: tier2/cruft_elimination_20260627 (from origin/master @ 88a1bdcb)

conductor/tracks/cruft_elimination_20260627/metadata.json

@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+{
+  "track_id": "cruft_elimination_20260627",
+  "name": "C11/Python Type Promotion Mandate - Cruft Elimination",
+  "type": "refactor",
+  "scope": {
+    "new_files": [
+      "scripts/audit_boundary_layer.py",
+      "tests/test_boundary_layer.py",
+      "tests/test_metadata_fat_struct.py",
+      "tests/test_project_context.py",
+      "docs/reports/boundary_layer_20260628.md",
+      "docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_cruft_elimination_20260627.md"
+    ],
+    "modified_files": [
+      "src/type_aliases.py",
+      "src/models.py",
+      "src/app_controller.py",
+      "src/gui_2.py",
+      "src/aggregate.py",
+      "src/rag_engine.py",
+      "src/multi_agent_conductor.py",
+      "src/mcp_client.py",
+      "src/ai_client.py",
+      "src/project_manager.py"
+    ],
+    "deleted_files": []
+  },
+  "blocked_by": [
+    "type_alias_unfuck_20260626 (SHIPPED, merged to master @ 88a1bdcb)",
+    "metadata_promotion_20260624 (SHIPPED)"
+  ],
+  "blocks": [],
+  "pre_existing_failures_remaining": [],
+  "deferred_to_followup_tracks": [],
+  "verification_criteria": [
+    "VC1: Metadata is @dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True) (typed fat struct)",
+    "VC2: Zero TypeAlias = dict[str, Any] for Metadata",
+    "VC3: Zero dict[str, Any] parameter types in internal files",
+    "VC4: Zero Any parameter types in internal files",
+    "VC5: Zero Optional[T] return types",
+    "VC6: Zero hasattr(f, ...) entity dispatch checks",
+    "VC7: self.files is always List[FileItem]",
+    "VC8: flat_config returns typed ProjectContext",
+    "VC9: rag_engine.search() returns List[RAGChunk]",
+    "VC10: All 7 audit gates pass --strict",
+    "VC11: 10/11 batched test tiers PASS",
+    "VC12: Effective codepaths < 1e+18",
+    "VC13: Boundary layer audit written",
+    "VC14: The 12 per-aggregate dataclasses used at their specific paths"
+  ],
+  "estimated_effort": {
+    "method": "scope (per workflow.md Tier 1 Track Initialization Rules). NO day estimates.",
+    "scope": "9 phases, ~14 sites, 12-file scope, 5-7 atomic commits"
+  },
+  "risk_register": [
+    {
+      "id": "R1",
+      "likelihood": "medium",
+      "description": "Implementation may be larger than the spec suggests (defensive isinstance checks scattered throughout)"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "R2",
+      "likelihood": "low",
+      "description": "Test regressions from signature changes; FIX-IF-FAILS protocol applies"
+    }
+  ]
+}

conductor/tracks/cruft_elimination_20260627/state.toml

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+[meta]
+track_id = "cruft_elimination_20260627"
+name = "C11/Python Type Promotion Mandate - Cruft Elimination"
+status = "active"
+current_phase = 0
+last_updated = "2026-06-27"
+
+[blocked_by]
+# None - independent track; metadata_promotion_20260624 + type_alias_unfuck_20260626 are SHIPPED
+
+[phases]
+phase_0 = { status = "in_progress", checkpointsha = "", name = "Pre-flight baseline + audit verification" }
+phase_1 = { status = "pending", checkpointsha = "", name = "Promote Metadata from TypeAlias to typed fat struct" }
+phase_2 = { status = "pending", checkpointsha = "", name = "Add ProjectContext dataclass for flat_config" }
+phase_3 = { status = "pending", checkpointsha = "", name = "Fix self.files in app_controller.py" }
+phase_4 = { status = "pending", checkpointsha = "", name = "Fix _do_generate return type" }
+phase_5 = { status = "pending", checkpointsha = "", name = "Fix rag_engine.search() return type" }
+phase_6 = { status = "pending", checkpointsha = "", name = "Eliminate Optional[T] returns" }
+phase_7 = { status = "pending", checkpointsha = "", name = "Eliminate Any and dict[str, Any] from internal signatures" }
+phase_8 = { status = "pending", checkpointsha = "", name = "Re-measure + verification" }
+phase_9 = { status = "pending", checkpointsha = "", name = "Boundary layer audit + documentation" }
+
+[tasks]
+t0_1 = { status = "in_progress", commit_sha = "", description = "Pre-flight: capture baseline counts (hasattr, Optional, Metadata, Any, dict[str, Any])" }
+t0_2 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Pre-flight: verify 7 audit gates pass --strict" }
+t0_3 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Pre-flight: verify 12 per-aggregate dataclasses have from_dict()" }