conductor(tracks): Add two deferred future tracks

- aggregation_smarter_summaries: Sub-agent summarization, hash-based caching
- system_context_exposure: Expose hidden _SYSTEM_PROMPT for user customization

conductor/tracks.md

@@ -35,9 +35,17 @@ This file tracks all major tracks for the project. Each track has its own detail
 7. [ ] **Track: Optimization pass for Data-Oriented Python heuristics**
     *Link: [./tracks/data_oriented_optimization_20260312/](./tracks/data_oriented_optimization_20260312/)*
 
-8. [x] **Track: Rich Thinking Trace Handling** - *Parse and display AI thinking/reasoning traces*
+ 8. [x] **Track: Rich Thinking Trace Handling** - *Parse and display AI thinking/reasoning traces*
    *Link: [./tracks/thinking_trace_handling_20260313/](./tracks/thinking_trace_handling_20260313/)*
 
+ 9. [ ] **Track: Smarter Aggregation with Sub-Agent Summarization**
+    *Link: [./tracks/aggregation_smarter_summaries_20260322/](./tracks/aggregation_smarter_summaries_20260322/)*
+    *Goal: Sub-agent summarization during aggregation pass, hash-based caching for file summaries, smart outline generation for code vs text files.*
+
+ 10. [ ] **Track: System Context Exposure**
+     *Link: [./tracks/system_context_exposure_20260322/](./tracks/system_context_exposure_20260322/)*
+     *Goal: Expose hidden _SYSTEM_PROMPT from ai_client.py to users for customization via AI Settings.*
+
 ---
 
 ### GUI Overhauls & Visualizations

conductor/tracks/aggregation_smarter_summaries_20260322/metadata.json

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+{
+  "name": "aggregation_smarter_summaries",
+  "created": "2026-03-22",
+  "status": "future",
+  "priority": "medium",
+  "affected_files": [
+    "src/aggregate.py",
+    "src/file_cache.py",
+    "src/ai_client.py",
+    "src/models.py"
+  ],
+  "related_tracks": [
+    "discussion_hub_panel_reorganization (in_progress)",
+    "system_context_exposure (future)"
+  ],
+  "notes": "Deferred from discussion_hub_panel_reorganization planning. Improves aggregation with sub-agent summarization and hash-based caching."
+}

conductor/tracks/aggregation_smarter_summaries_20260322/plan.md

@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+# Implementation Plan: Smarter Aggregation with Sub-Agent Summarization
+
+## Phase 1: Hash-Based Summary Cache
+Focus: Implement file hashing and cache storage
+
+- [ ] Task: Research existing file hash implementations in codebase
+- [ ] Task: Design cache storage format (file-based vs project state)
+- [ ] Task: Implement hash computation for aggregation files
+- [ ] Task: Implement summary cache storage and retrieval
+- [ ] Task: Add cache invalidation when file content changes
+- [ ] Task: Write tests for hash computation and cache
+- [ ] Task: Conductor - User Manual Verification 'Phase 1: Hash-Based Summary Cache'
+
+## Phase 2: Sub-Agent Summarization
+Focus: Implement sub-agent summarization during aggregation
+
+- [ ] Task: Audit current aggregate.py flow
+- [ ] Task: Define summarization prompt strategy for code vs text files
+- [ ] Task: Implement sub-agent invocation during aggregation
+- [ ] Task: Handle provider-specific differences in sub-agent calls
+- [ ] Task: Write tests for sub-agent summarization
+- [ ] Task: Conductor - User Manual Verification 'Phase 2: Sub-Agent Summarization'
+
+## Phase 3: Tiered Aggregation Strategy
+Focus: Respect tier-level aggregation configuration
+
+- [ ] Task: Audit how tiers receive context currently
+- [ ] Task: Implement tier-level aggregation strategy selection
+- [ ] Task: Connect tier strategy to Persona configuration
+- [ ] Task: Write tests for tiered aggregation
+- [ ] Task: Conductor - User Manual Verification 'Phase 3: Tiered Aggregation Strategy'
+
+## Phase 4: UI Integration
+Focus: Expose cache status and controls in UI
+
+- [ ] Task: Add cache status indicator to Files & Media panel
+- [ ] Task: Add "Clear Summary Cache" button
+- [ ] Task: Add aggregation configuration to Project Settings or AI Settings
+- [ ] Task: Write tests for UI integration
+- [ ] Task: Conductor - User Manual Verification 'Phase 4: UI Integration'
+
+## Phase 5: Cache Persistence & Optimization
+Focus: Ensure cache persists and is performant
+
+- [ ] Task: Implement persistent cache storage to disk
+- [ ] Task: Add cache size management (max entries, LRU)
+- [ ] Task: Performance testing with large codebases
+- [ ] Task: Write tests for persistence
+- [ ] Task: Conductor - User Manual Verification 'Phase 5: Cache Persistence & Optimization'

conductor/tracks/aggregation_smarter_summaries_20260322/spec.md

@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+# Specification: Smarter Aggregation with Sub-Agent Summarization
+
+## 1. Overview
+
+This track improves the context aggregation system to use sub-agent passes for intelligent summarization and hash-based caching to avoid redundant work.
+
+**Current Problem:**
+- Aggregation is a simple pass that either injects full file content or a basic skeleton
+- No intelligence applied to determine what level of detail is needed
+- Same files get re-summarized on every discussion start even if unchanged
+
+**Goal:**
+- Use a sub-agent during aggregation pass for high-tier agents to generate succinct summaries
+- Cache summaries based on file hash - only re-summarize if file changed
+- Smart outline generation for code files, summary for text files
+
+## 2. Current State Audit
+
+### Existing Aggregation Behavior
+- `aggregate.py` handles context aggregation
+- `file_cache.py` provides AST parsing and skeleton generation
+- Per-file flags: `Auto-Aggregate` (summarize), `Force Full` (inject raw)
+- No caching of summarization results
+
+### Provider API Considerations
+- Different providers have different prompt/caching mechanisms
+- Need to verify how each provider handles system context and caching
+- May need provider-specific aggregation strategies
+
+## 3. Functional Requirements
+
+### 3.1 Hash-Based Summary Cache
+- Generate SHA256 hash of file content
+- Store summaries in a cache (file-based or in project state)
+- Before summarizing, check if file hash matches cached summary
+- Cache invalidation when file content changes
+
+### 3.2 Sub-Agent Summarization Pass
+- During aggregation, optionally invoke sub-agent for summarization
+- Sub-agent generates concise summary of file purpose and key points
+- Different strategies for:
+  - Code files: AST-based outline + key function signatures
+  - Text files: Paragraph-level summary
+  - Config files: Key-value extraction
+
+### 3.3 Tiered Aggregation Strategy
+- Tier 3/4 workers: Get skeleton outlines (fast, cheap)
+- Tier 2 (Tech Lead): Get summaries with key details
+- Tier 1 (Orchestrator): May get full content or enhanced summaries
+- Configurable per-agent via Persona
+
+### 3.4 Cache Persistence
+- Summaries persist across sessions
+- Stored in project directory or centralized cache location
+- Manual cache clear option in UI
+
+## 4. Data Model
+
+### 4.1 Summary Cache Entry
+```python
+{
+    "file_path": str,
+    "file_hash": str,  # SHA256 of content
+    "summary": str,
+    "outline": str,  # For code files
+    "generated_at": str,  # ISO timestamp
+    "generator_tier": str,  # Which tier generated it
+}
+```
+
+### 4.2 Aggregation Config
+```toml
+[aggregation]
+default_mode = "summarize"  # "full", "summarize", "outline"
+cache_enabled = true
+cache_dir = ".slop_cache"
+```
+
+## 5. UI Changes
+
+- Add "Clear Summary Cache" button in Files & Media or Context Composition
+- Show cached status indicator on files (similar to AST cache indicator)
+- Configuration in AI Settings or Project Settings
+
+## 6. Acceptance Criteria
+
+- [ ] File hash computed before summarization
+- [ ] Summary cache persists across app restarts
+- [ ] Sub-agent generates better summaries than basic skeleton
+- [ ] Aggregation respects tier-level configuration
+- [ ] Cache can be manually cleared
+- [ ] Provider APIs handle aggregated context correctly
+
+## 7. Out of Scope
+- Changes to provider API internals
+- Vector store / embeddings for RAG (separate track)
+- Changes to Session Hub / Discussion Hub layout
+
+## 8. Dependencies
+- `aggregate.py` - main aggregation logic
+- `file_cache.py` - AST parsing and caching
+- `ai_client.py` - sub-agent invocation
+- `models.py` - may need new config structures

conductor/tracks/system_context_exposure_20260322/metadata.json

@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+{
+  "name": "system_context_exposure",
+  "created": "2026-03-22",
+  "status": "future",
+  "priority": "medium",
+  "affected_files": [
+    "src/ai_client.py",
+    "src/gui_2.py",
+    "src/models.py"
+  ],
+  "related_tracks": [
+    "discussion_hub_panel_reorganization (in_progress)",
+    "aggregation_smarter_summaries (future)"
+  ],
+  "notes": "Deferred from discussion_hub_panel_reorganization planning. The _SYSTEM_PROMPT in ai_client.py is hidden from users - this exposes it for customization."
+}

conductor/tracks/system_context_exposure_20260322/plan.md

@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+# Implementation Plan: System Context Exposure
+
+## Phase 1: Backend Changes
+Focus: Make _SYSTEM_PROMPT configurable
+
+- [ ] Task: Audit ai_client.py system prompt flow
+- [ ] Task: Move _SYSTEM_PROMPT to configurable storage
+- [ ] Task: Implement load/save of base system prompt
+- [ ] Task: Modify _get_combined_system_prompt() to use config
+- [ ] Task: Write tests for configurable system prompt
+- [ ] Task: Conductor - User Manual Verification 'Phase 1: Backend Changes'
+
+## Phase 2: UI Implementation
+Focus: Add base prompt editor to AI Settings
+
+- [ ] Task: Add UI controls to _render_system_prompts_panel
+- [ ] Task: Implement checkbox for "Use Default Base"
+- [ ] Task: Implement collapsible base prompt editor
+- [ ] Task: Add "Reset to Default" button
+- [ ] Task: Write tests for UI controls
+- [ ] Task: Conductor - User Manual Verification 'Phase 2: UI Implementation'
+
+## Phase 3: Persistence & Provider Testing
+Focus: Ensure persistence and cross-provider compatibility
+
+- [ ] Task: Verify base prompt persists across app restarts
+- [ ] Task: Test with Gemini provider
+- [ ] Task: Test with Anthropic provider
+- [ ] Task: Test with DeepSeek provider
+- [ ] Task: Test with Gemini CLI adapter
+- [ ] Task: Conductor - User Manual Verification 'Phase 3: Persistence & Provider Testing'
+
+## Phase 4: Safety & Defaults
+Focus: Ensure users can recover from bad edits
+
+- [ ] Task: Implement confirmation dialog before saving custom base
+- [ ] Task: Add validation for empty/invalid prompts
+- [ ] Task: Document the base prompt purpose in UI
+- [ ] Task: Add "Show Diff" between default and custom
+- [ ] Task: Write tests for safety features
+- [ ] Task: Conductor - User Manual Verification 'Phase 4: Safety & Defaults'

conductor/tracks/system_context_exposure_20260322/spec.md

@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+# Specification: System Context Exposure
+
+## 1. Overview
+
+This track exposes the hidden system prompt from `ai_client.py` to users for customization.
+
+**Current Problem:**
+- `_SYSTEM_PROMPT` in `ai_client.py` (lines ~118-143) is hardcoded
+- It contains foundational instructions: "You are a helpful coding assistant with access to a PowerShell tool..."
+- Users can only see/appending their custom portion via `_custom_system_prompt`
+- The base prompt that defines core agent capabilities is invisible
+
+**Goal:**
+- Make `_SYSTEM_PROMPT` visible and editable in the UI
+- Allow users to customize the foundational agent instructions
+- Maintain sensible defaults while enabling expert customization
+
+## 2. Current State Audit
+
+### Hidden System Prompt Location
+`src/ai_client.py`:
+```python
+_SYSTEM_PROMPT: str = (
+ "You are a helpful coding assistant with access to a PowerShell tool (run_powershell) and MCP tools (file access: read_file, list_directory, search_files, get_file_summary, web access: web_search, fetch_url). "
+ "When calling file/directory tools, always use the 'path' parameter for the target path. "
+ ...
+)
+```
+
+### Related State
+- `_custom_system_prompt` - user-defined append/injection
+- `_get_combined_system_prompt()` - merges both
+- `set_custom_system_prompt()` - setter for user portion
+
+### UI Current State
+- AI Settings → System Prompts shows global and project prompts
+- These are injected as `[USER SYSTEM PROMPT]` after `_SYSTEM_PROMPT`
+- But `_SYSTEM_PROMPT` itself is never shown
+
+## 3. Functional Requirements
+
+### 3.1 Base System Prompt Visibility
+- Add "Base System Prompt" section in AI Settings
+- Display current `_SYSTEM_PROMPT` content
+- Allow editing with syntax highlighting (it's markdown text)
+
+### 3.2 Default vs Custom Base
+- Maintain default base prompt as reference
+- User can reset to default if they mess it up
+- Show diff between default and custom
+
+### 3.3 Persistence
+- Custom base prompt stored in config or project TOML
+- Loaded on app start
+- Applied before `_custom_system_prompt` in `_get_combined_system_prompt()`
+
+### 3.4 Provider Considerations
+- Some providers handle system prompts differently
+- Verify behavior across Gemini, Anthropic, DeepSeek
+- May need provider-specific base prompts
+
+## 4. Data Model
+
+### 4.1 Config Storage
+```toml
+[ai_settings]
+base_system_prompt = """..."""
+use_default_base = true
+```
+
+### 4.2 Combined Prompt Order
+1. `_SYSTEM_PROMPT` (or custom base if enabled)
+2. `[USER SYSTEM PROMPT]` (from AI Settings global/project)
+3. Tooling strategy (from bias engine)
+
+## 5. UI Design
+
+**Location:** AI Settings panel → System Prompts section
+
+```
+┌─ System Prompts ──────────────────────────────┐
+│ ☑ Use Default Base System Prompt              │
+│                                              │
+│ Base System Prompt (collapsed by default):    │
+│ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
+│ │ You are a helpful coding assistant...     │ │
+│ └──────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
+│                                              │
+│ [Show Editor] [Reset to Default]              │
+│                                              │
+│ Global System Prompt:                         │
+│ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
+│ │ [current global prompt content]           │ │
+│ └──────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
+└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+When "Show Editor" clicked:
+- Expand to full editor for base prompt
+- Syntax highlighting for markdown
+- Character count
+
+## 6. Acceptance Criteria
+
+- [ ] `_SYSTEM_PROMPT` visible in AI Settings
+- [ ] User can edit base system prompt
+- [ ] Changes persist across app restarts
+- [ ] "Reset to Default" restores original
+- [ ] Provider APIs receive modified prompt correctly
+- [ ] No regression in agent behavior with defaults
+
+## 7. Out of Scope
+- Changes to actual agent behavior logic
+- Changes to tool definitions or availability
+- Changes to aggregation or context handling
+
+## 8. Dependencies
+- `ai_client.py` - `_SYSTEM_PROMPT` and `_get_combined_system_prompt()`
+- `gui_2.py` - AI Settings panel rendering
+- `models.py` - Config structures