saples updated

download_media now shells out to gallery-dl (handles X.com auth/403/video->mp4) instead of urllib, returns the downloaded files, + media_files_for_post glob helper + --cookies CLI. render_markdown embeds images with ![](...) and videos with an HTML <video controls> tag (were plain links). extract_corpus uses the package download_media (one download path). Tests rewritten for the gallery-dl API. Corpus: 4 threads, 33 media (32 img embeds + 1 video), 0 missing.

.gitignore

@@ -33,3 +33,5 @@ conductor/archive/analysis/video_analysis_*/artifacts/*.mp4
 conductor/archive/analysis/video_analysis_*/artifacts/*.vtt
 # video.log intentionally committed (small text, useful for debugging)
 conductor/archive/analysis/video_analysis_deob_warmup_20260621/samples
+scripts/twitter_threads/cookies.txt
+conductor/tracks/twitter_threads_extraction_20260705/cookies_netscape.txt

.opencode/agents/explore.md

@@ -1,82 +1 @@
----
-description: Fast, read-only agent for exploring the codebase structure
-mode: subagent
-model: minimax-coding-plan/MiniMax-M2.7
-temperature: 0.2
-permission:
-  edit: deny
-  bash:
-    "*": ask
-    "git status*": allow
-    "git diff*": allow
-    "git log*": allow
-    "ls*": allow
-    "dir*": allow
-  'manual-slop_*': allow
----
-
-You are a fast, read-only agent specialized for exploring codebases. Use this when you need to quickly find files by patterns, search code for keywords, or answer about the codebase.
-
-## CRITICAL: MCP Tools Only (Native Tools Banned)
-
-You MUST use Manual Slop's MCP tools. Native OpenCode tools are unreliable.
-
-### Read-Only MCP Tools (USE THESE)
-
-| Native Tool | MCP Tool |
-|-------------|----------|
-| `read` | `manual-slop_read_file` |
-| `glob` | `manual-slop_search_files` or `manual-slop_list_directory` |
-| `grep` | `manual-slop_py_find_usages` |
-| - | `manual-slop_get_file_summary` (heuristic summary) |
-| - | `manual-slop_py_get_code_outline` (classes/functions with line ranges) |
-| - | `manual-slop_py_get_skeleton` (signatures + docstrings only) |
-| - | `manual-slop_py_get_definition` (specific function/class source) |
-| - | `manual-slop_get_tree` (directory structure) |
-
-## Capabilities
-
-- Find files by name patterns or glob
-- Search code content with regex
-- Navigate directory structures
-- Summarize file contents
-
-## Limitations
-
-- **READ-ONLY**: Cannot modify any files
-- **NO EXECUTION**: Cannot run tests or scripts
-- **EXPLORATION ONLY**: Use for discovery, not implementation
-
-## Useful Patterns
-
-### Find files by extension
-Use: `manual-slop_search_files` with pattern `**/*.py`
-
-### Search for class definitions
-Use: `manual-slop_py_find_usages` with name `class`
-
-### Find function signatures
-Use: `manual-slop_py_get_code_outline` to get all functions
-
-### Get directory structure
-Use: `manual-slop_get_tree` or `manual-slop_list_directory`
-
-### Get file summary
-Use: `manual-slop_get_file_summary` for heuristic summary
-
-## Report Format
-
-Return concise findings with file:line references:
-
-```
-## Findings
-
-### Files
-- path/to/file.py - [brief description]
-
-### Matches
-- path/to/file.py:123 - [matched line context]
-
-### Summary
-[One-paragraph summary of findings]
-```
+---description: Fast, read-only agent for exploring the codebase structuremode: subagentmodel: minimax-coding-plan/MiniMax-M2.7temperature: 0.2permission:  edit: deny  bash:    "*": ask    "git status*": allow    "git diff*": allow    "git log*": allow    "ls*": allow    "dir*": allow  'manual-slop_*': allow---You are a fast, read-only agent specialized for exploring codebases. Use this when you need to quickly find files by patterns, search code for keywords, or answer about the codebase.## CRITICAL: MCP Tools Only (Native Tools Banned)You MUST use Manual Slop's MCP tools. Native OpenCode tools are unreliable.### Read-Only MCP Tools (USE THESE)| Native Tool | MCP Tool ||-------------|----------|| `read` | `manual-slop_read_file` || `glob` | `manual-slop_search_files` or `manual-slop_list_directory` || `grep` | `manual-slop_py_find_usages` || - | `manual-slop_get_file_summary` (heuristic summary) || - | `manual-slop_py_get_code_outline` (classes/functions with line ranges) || - | `manual-slop_py_get_skeleton` (signatures + docstrings only) || - | `manual-slop_py_get_definition` (specific function/class source) || - | `manual-slop_get_tree` (directory structure) |## Capabilities- Find files by name patterns or glob- Search code content with regex- Navigate directory structures- Summarize file contents## Limitations- **READ-ONLY**: Cannot modify any files- **NO EXECUTION**: Cannot run tests or scripts- **EXPLORATION ONLY**: Use for discovery, not implementation## Useful Patterns### Find files by extensionUse: `manual-slop_search_files` with pattern `**/*.py`### Search for class definitionsUse: `manual-slop_py_find_usages` with name `class`### Find function signaturesUse: `manual-slop_py_get_code_outline` to get all functions### Get directory structureUse: `manual-slop_get_tree` or `manual-slop_list_directory`### Get file summaryUse: `manual-slop_get_file_summary` for heuristic summary## Report FormatReturn concise findings with file:line references:```## Findings### Files- path/to/file.py - [brief description]### Matches- path/to/file.py:123 - [matched line context]### Summary[One-paragraph summary of findings]```

.opencode/agents/general.md

@@ -1,84 +1 @@
----
-description: General-purpose agent for researching complex questions and executing multi-step tasks
-mode: subagent
-model: minimax-coding-plan/MiniMax-M2.7
-temperature: 0.3
----
-
-A general-purpose agent for researching complex questions and executing multi-step tasks. Has full tool access (except todo), so it can make file changes when needed.
-
-## CRITICAL: MCP Tools Only (Native Tools Banned)
-
-You MUST use Manual Slop's MCP tools. Native OpenCode tools are unreliable.
-
-### Read MCP Tools (USE THESE)
-
-| Native Tool | MCP Tool |
-|-------------|----------|
-| `read` | `manual-slop_read_file` |
-| `glob` | `manual-slop_search_files` or `manual-slop_list_directory` |
-| `grep` | `manual-slop_py_find_usages` |
-| - | `manual-slop_get_file_summary` (heuristic summary) |
-| - | `manual-slop_py_get_code_outline` (classes/functions with line ranges) |
-| - | `manual-slop_py_get_skeleton` (signatures + docstrings only) |
-| - | `manual-slop_py_get_definition` (specific function/class source) |
-| - | `manual-slop_get_git_diff` (file changes) |
-| - | `manual-slop_get_tree` (directory structure) |
-
-### Edit MCP Tools (USE THESE)
-
-| Native Tool | MCP Tool |
-|-------------|----------|
-| `edit` | `manual-slop_edit_file` (find/replace, preserves indentation) |
-| `edit` | `manual-slop_py_update_definition` (replace function/class) |
-| `edit` | `manual-slop_set_file_slice` (replace line range) |
-| `edit` | `manual-slop_py_set_signature` (replace signature only) |
-| `edit` | `manual-slop_py_set_var_declaration` (replace variable) |
-
-### Shell Commands
-
-| Native Tool | MCP Tool |
-|-------------|----------|
-| `bash` | `manual-slop_run_powershell` |
-
-## Capabilities
-
-- Research and answer complex questions
-- Execute multi-step tasks autonomously
-- Read and write files as needed
-- Run shell commands for verification
-- Coordinate multiple operations
-
-## When to Use
-
-- Complex research requiring multiple file reads
-- Multi-step implementation tasks
-- Tasks requiring autonomous decision-making
-- Parallel execution of related operations
-
-## Code Style (for Python)
-
-- 1-space indentation
-- NO COMMENTS unless explicitly requested
-- Type hints where appropriate
-
-## Report Format
-
-Return detailed findings with evidence:
-
-```
-## Task: [Original task]
-
-### Actions Taken
-1. [Action with file/tool reference]
-2. [Action with result]
-
-### Findings
-- [Finding with evidence]
-
-### Results
-- [Outcome or deliverable]
-
-### Recommendations
-- [Suggested next steps if applicable]
-```
+---description: General-purpose agent for researching complex questions and executing multi-step tasksmode: subagentmodel: minimax-coding-plan/MiniMax-M2.7temperature: 0.3---A general-purpose agent for researching complex questions and executing multi-step tasks. Has full tool access (except todo), so it can make file changes when needed.## CRITICAL: MCP Tools Only (Native Tools Banned)You MUST use Manual Slop's MCP tools. Native OpenCode tools are unreliable.### Read MCP Tools (USE THESE)| Native Tool | MCP Tool ||-------------|----------|| `read` | `manual-slop_read_file` || `glob` | `manual-slop_search_files` or `manual-slop_list_directory` || `grep` | `manual-slop_py_find_usages` || - | `manual-slop_get_file_summary` (heuristic summary) || - | `manual-slop_py_get_code_outline` (classes/functions with line ranges) || - | `manual-slop_py_get_skeleton` (signatures + docstrings only) || - | `manual-slop_py_get_definition` (specific function/class source) || - | `manual-slop_get_git_diff` (file changes) || - | `manual-slop_get_tree` (directory structure) |### Edit MCP Tools (USE THESE)| Native Tool | MCP Tool ||-------------|----------|| `edit` | `manual-slop_edit_file` (find/replace, preserves indentation) || `edit` | `manual-slop_py_update_definition` (replace function/class) || `edit` | `manual-slop_set_file_slice` (replace line range) || `edit` | `manual-slop_py_set_signature` (replace signature only) || `edit` | `manual-slop_py_set_var_declaration` (replace variable) |### Shell Commands| Native Tool | MCP Tool ||-------------|----------|| `bash` | `manual-slop_run_powershell` |## Capabilities- Research and answer complex questions- Execute multi-step tasks autonomously- Read and write files as needed- Run shell commands for verification- Coordinate multiple operations## When to Use- Complex research requiring multiple file reads- Multi-step implementation tasks- Tasks requiring autonomous decision-making- Parallel execution of related operations## Code Style (for Python)- 1-space indentation- NO COMMENTS unless explicitly requested- Type hints where appropriate## Report FormatReturn detailed findings with evidence:```## Task: [Original task]### Actions Taken1. [Action with file/tool reference]2. [Action with result]### Findings- [Finding with evidence]### Results- [Outcome or deliverable]### Recommendations- [Suggested next steps if applicable]```

.opencode/commands/conductor-implement.md

@@ -1,109 +1 @@
----
-description: Resume or start track implementation following TDD protocol
-agent: tier2-tech-lead
----
-
-# /conductor-implement
-
-Resume or start implementation of the active track following TDD protocol.
-
-## Prerequisites
-- Run `/conductor-setup` first to load context
-- Ensure a track is active (has `[~]` tasks)
-
-## CRITICAL: Use MCP Tools Only
-
-All research and file operations must use Manual Slop's MCP tools:
-- `manual-slop_py_get_code_outline` - structure analysis
-- `manual-slop_py_get_skeleton` - signatures + docstrings
-- `manual-slop_py_find_usages` - find references
-- `manual-slop_get_git_diff` - recent changes
-- `manual-slop_run_powershell` - shell commands
-
-## Implementation Protocol
-
-1. **Identify Current Task:**
-   - Read active track's `plan.md` via `manual-slop_read_file`
-   - Find the first `[~]` (in-progress) or `[ ]` (pending) task
-   - If phase has no pending tasks, move to next phase
-
-2. **Research Phase (MANDATORY):**
-   Before implementing, use MCP tools to understand context:
-   - `manual-slop_py_get_code_outline` on target files
-   - `manual-slop_py_get_skeleton` on dependencies
-   - `manual-slop_py_find_usages` for related patterns
-   - `manual-slop_get_git_diff` for recent changes
-   - Audit `__init__` methods for existing state
-
-3. **TDD Cycle:**
-
-   ### Red Phase (Write Failing Tests)
-   - Stage current progress: `manual-slop_run_powershell` with `git add .`
-   - Delegate test creation to @tier3-worker:
-     ```
-     @tier3-worker
-     
-     Write tests for: [task description]
-     
-     WHERE: tests/test_file.py:line-range
-     WHAT: Test [specific functionality]
-     HOW: Use pytest, assert [expected behavior]
-     SAFETY: [thread-safety constraints]
-     
-     Use 1-space indentation. Use MCP tools only.
-     ```
-   - Run tests: `manual-slop_run_powershell` with `uv run pytest tests/test_file.py -v`
-   - **CONFIRM TESTS FAIL** - this is the Red phase
-
-   ### Green Phase (Implement to Pass)
-   - Stage current progress: `manual-slop_run_powershell` with `git add .`
-   - Delegate implementation to @tier3-worker:
-     ```
-     @tier3-worker
-     
-     Implement: [task description]
-     
-     WHERE: src/file.py:line-range
-     WHAT: [specific change]
-     HOW: [API calls, patterns to use]
-     SAFETY: [thread-safety constraints]
-     
-     Use 1-space indentation. Use MCP tools only.
-     ```
-   - Run tests: `manual-slop_run_powershell` with `uv run pytest tests/test_file.py -v`
-   - **CONFIRM TESTS PASS** - this is the Green phase
-
-   ### Refactor Phase (Optional)
-   - With passing tests, refactor for clarity
-   - Re-run tests to verify
-
-4. **Commit Protocol (ATOMIC PER-TASK):**
-   Use `manual-slop_run_powershell`:
-   ```powershell
-   git add .
-   git commit -m "feat(scope): description"
-   $hash = git log -1 --format="%H"
-   git notes add -m "Task: [summary]" $hash
-   ```
-   - Update `plan.md`: Change `[~]` to `[x]` with commit SHA
-   - Commit plan update: `git add plan.md && git commit -m "conductor(plan): Mark task complete"`
-
-5. **Repeat for Next Task**
-
-## Error Handling
-If tests fail after Green phase:
-- Delegate analysis to @tier4-qa:
-  ```
-  @tier4-qa
-  
-  Analyze this test failure:
-  
-  [test output]
-  
-  DO NOT fix - provide analysis only. Use MCP tools only.
-  ```
-- Maximum 2 fix attempts before escalating to user
-
-## Phase Completion
-When all tasks in a phase are `[x]`:
-- Run `/conductor-verify` for checkpoint
+---description: Resume or start track implementation following TDD protocolagent: tier2-tech-lead---# /conductor-implementResume or start implementation of the active track following TDD protocol.## Prerequisites- Run `/conductor-setup` first to load context- Ensure a track is active (has `[~]` tasks)## CRITICAL: Use MCP Tools OnlyAll research and file operations must use Manual Slop's MCP tools:- `manual-slop_py_get_code_outline` - structure analysis- `manual-slop_py_get_skeleton` - signatures + docstrings- `manual-slop_py_find_usages` - find references- `manual-slop_get_git_diff` - recent changes- `manual-slop_run_powershell` - shell commands## Implementation Protocol1. **Identify Current Task:**   - Read active track's `plan.md` via `manual-slop_read_file`   - Find the first `[~]` (in-progress) or `[ ]` (pending) task   - If phase has no pending tasks, move to next phase2. **Research Phase (MANDATORY):**   Before implementing, use MCP tools to understand context:   - `manual-slop_py_get_code_outline` on target files   - `manual-slop_py_get_skeleton` on dependencies   - `manual-slop_py_find_usages` for related patterns   - `manual-slop_get_git_diff` for recent changes   - Audit `__init__` methods for existing state3. **TDD Cycle:**   ### Red Phase (Write Failing Tests)   - Stage current progress: `manual-slop_run_powershell` with `git add .`   - Delegate test creation to @tier3-worker:     ```     @tier3-worker          Write tests for: [task description]          WHERE: tests/test_file.py:line-range     WHAT: Test [specific functionality]     HOW: Use pytest, assert [expected behavior]     SAFETY: [thread-safety constraints]          Use 1-space indentation. Use MCP tools only.     ```   - Run tests: `manual-slop_run_powershell` with `uv run pytest tests/test_file.py -v`   - **CONFIRM TESTS FAIL** - this is the Red phase   ### Green Phase (Implement to Pass)   - Stage current progress: `manual-slop_run_powershell` with `git add .`   - Delegate implementation to @tier3-worker:     ```     @tier3-worker          Implement: [task description]          WHERE: src/file.py:line-range     WHAT: [specific change]     HOW: [API calls, patterns to use]     SAFETY: [thread-safety constraints]          Use 1-space indentation. Use MCP tools only.     ```   - Run tests: `manual-slop_run_powershell` with `uv run pytest tests/test_file.py -v`   - **CONFIRM TESTS PASS** - this is the Green phase   ### Refactor Phase (Optional)   - With passing tests, refactor for clarity   - Re-run tests to verify4. **Commit Protocol (ATOMIC PER-TASK):**   Use `manual-slop_run_powershell`:   ```powershell   git add .   git commit -m "feat(scope): description"   $hash = git log -1 --format="%H"   git notes add -m "Task: [summary]" $hash   ```   - Update `plan.md`: Change `[~]` to `[x]` with commit SHA   - Commit plan update: `git add plan.md && git commit -m "conductor(plan): Mark task complete"`5. **Repeat for Next Task**## Error HandlingIf tests fail after Green phase:- Delegate analysis to @tier4-qa:  ```  @tier4-qa    Analyze this test failure:    [test output]    DO NOT fix - provide analysis only. Use MCP tools only.  ```- Maximum 2 fix attempts before escalating to user## Phase CompletionWhen all tasks in a phase are `[x]`:- Run `/conductor-verify` for checkpoint

.opencode/commands/conductor-new-track.md

@@ -1,147 +1 @@
----
-description: Create a new conductor track with spec, plan, and metadata
-agent: tier1-orchestrator
-subtask: true
----
-
-# /conductor-new-track
-
-Create a new conductor track following the Surgical Methodology.
-
-## Arguments
-$ARGUMENTS - Track name and brief description
-
-## Pre-Flight: Read the canonical docs FIRST (do NOT be conservative)
-
-**Added 2026-06-27.** This project has extensive canonical documentation. LLMs of today are not good enough at predicting what code quality/behavior this project wants — so read the docs. Being conservative about reading knowledge from markdown files is an ANTI-PATTERN in this codebase.
-
-Before writing the spec, read:
-
-1. `AGENTS.md` — the project-root agent-facing rules; especially the HARD BANs (git restore/checkout/reset, opaque types in non-boundary code)
-2. `conductor/workflow.md` — including §0 (Python Type Promotion Mandate) and the Tier 1 Track Initialization Rules
-3. `conductor/tech-stack.md` — including the Core Value reference at the top
-4. `conductor/product.md` — product vision + primary use cases
-5. `conductor/product-guidelines.md` — **Core Value section is mandatory reading**: C11/Odin/Jai semantics in a Python runtime
-6. `conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md` §8.5 — the Python Type Promotion Mandate
-7. `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §17 — the LLM Default Anti-Patterns (banned patterns)
-8. `conductor/code_styleguides/type_aliases.md` — Metadata is the boundary type
-9. `conductor/code_styleguides/error_handling.md` — Result[T] + NIL_T sentinels
-10. The relevant `docs/guide_*.md` for the layers the track touches
-11. `conductor/tracks.md` — check existing tracks for similar work (don't re-invent)
-
-## Protocol
-
-1. **Audit Before Specifying (MANDATORY):**
-   Before writing any spec, research the existing codebase:
-   - Use `py_get_code_outline` on relevant files
-   - Use `py_get_definition` on target classes
-   - Use `grep` to find related patterns
-   - Use `get_git_diff` to understand recent changes
-
-   Document findings in a "Current State Audit" section.
-
-2. **Apply the Python Type Promotion Mandate (workflow.md §0):**
-   - NO `dict[str, Any]` outside the wire boundary
-   - NO `Any` parameter, return, or field type
-   - NO `Optional[T]` returns (use `Result[T]` + `NIL_T` sentinels)
-   - NO `hasattr()` for entity type dispatch (use typed Union or per-entity function)
-   - Direct field access on typed `@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)` instances
-
-   If the track proposes lifting entities into `dict[str, Any]` or `Any`, REJECT the design and rewrite.
-
-3. **Generate Track ID:**
-   Format: `{name}_{YYYYMMDD}`
-   Example: `async_tool_execution_20260303`
-
-4. **Create Track Directory:**
-   `conductor/tracks/{track_id}/`
-
-5. **Create spec.md:**
-   ```markdown
-   # Track Specification: {Title}
-
-   ## Overview
-   [One-paragraph description]
-
-   ## Current State Audit (as of {commit_sha})
-   ### Already Implemented (DO NOT re-implement)
-   - [Existing feature with file:line reference]
-
-   ### Gaps to Fill (This Track's Scope)
-   - [What's missing that this track will address]
-
-   ## Goals
-   - [Specific, measurable goals]
-
-   ## Functional Requirements
-   - [Detailed requirements]
-
-   ## Non-Functional Requirements
-   - [Performance, security, etc.]
-
-   ## Architecture Reference
-   - docs/guide_architecture.md#section
-   - docs/guide_tools.md#section
-   - `conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md` §8.5 (the Python Type Promotion Mandate)
-
-   ## Out of Scope
-   - [What this track will NOT do]
-   ```
-
-6. **Create plan.md:**
-   ```markdown
-   # Implementation Plan: {Title}
-
-   ## Phase 1: {Name}
-   Focus: {One-sentence scope}
-
-   - [ ] Task 1.1: {Surgical description with file:line refs}
-   - [ ] Task 1.2: ...
-   - [ ] Task 1.N: Write tests for Phase 1 changes
-   - [ ] Task 1.X: Conductor - User Manual Verification
-
-   ## Phase 2: {Name}
-   ...
-   ```
-
-7. **Create metadata.json:**
-   ```json
-   {
-     "id": "{track_id}",
-     "title": "{title}",
-     "type": "feature|fix|refactor|docs",
-     "status": "planned",
-     "priority": "high|medium|low",
-     "created": "{YYYY-MM-DD}",
-     "depends_on": [],
-     "blocks": []
-   }
-   ```
-
-8. **Update tracks.md:**
-   Add entry to `conductor/tracks.md` registry.
-
-9. **Report:**
-   ```
-   ## Track Created
-
-   **ID:** {track_id}
-   **Location:** conductor/tracks/{track_id}/
-   **Files Created:**
-   - spec.md
-   - plan.md
-   - metadata.json
-
-   **Next Steps:**
-   1. Review spec.md for completeness
-   2. Run `/conductor-implement` to begin execution
-   ```
-
-## Surgical Methodology Checklist
-- [ ] Audited existing code before writing spec
-- [ ] Documented existing implementations with file:line refs
-- [ ] Framed requirements as gaps, not features
-- [ ] Tasks are worker-ready (WHERE/WHAT/HOW/SAFETY)
-- [ ] Referenced architecture docs
-- [ ] Mapped dependencies in metadata
-- [ ] Applied the Python Type Promotion Mandate (workflow.md §0) — no dict[str, Any], no Any, no Optional[T], no hasattr() for entity dispatch
+---description: Create a new conductor track with spec, plan, and metadataagent: tier1-orchestratorsubtask: true---# /conductor-new-trackCreate a new conductor track following the Surgical Methodology.## Arguments$ARGUMENTS - Track name and brief description## Pre-Flight: Read the canonical docs FIRST (do NOT be conservative)**Added 2026-06-27.** This project has extensive canonical documentation. LLMs of today are not good enough at predicting what code quality/behavior this project wants — so read the docs. Being conservative about reading knowledge from markdown files is an ANTI-PATTERN in this codebase.Before writing the spec, read:1. `AGENTS.md` — the project-root agent-facing rules; especially the HARD BANs (git restore/checkout/reset, opaque types in non-boundary code)2. `conductor/workflow.md` — including §0 (Python Type Promotion Mandate) and the Tier 1 Track Initialization Rules3. `conductor/tech-stack.md` — including the Core Value reference at the top4. `conductor/product.md` — product vision + primary use cases5. `conductor/product-guidelines.md` — **Core Value section is mandatory reading**: C11/Odin/Jai semantics in a Python runtime6. `conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md` §8.5 — the Python Type Promotion Mandate7. `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §17 — the LLM Default Anti-Patterns (banned patterns)8. `conductor/code_styleguides/type_aliases.md` — Metadata is the boundary type9. `conductor/code_styleguides/error_handling.md` — Result[T] + NIL_T sentinels10. The relevant `docs/guide_*.md` for the layers the track touches11. `conductor/tracks.md` — check existing tracks for similar work (don't re-invent)## Protocol1. **Audit Before Specifying (MANDATORY):**   Before writing any spec, research the existing codebase:   - Use `py_get_code_outline` on relevant files   - Use `py_get_definition` on target classes   - Use `grep` to find related patterns   - Use `get_git_diff` to understand recent changes   Document findings in a "Current State Audit" section.2. **Apply the Python Type Promotion Mandate (workflow.md §0):**   - NO `dict[str, Any]` outside the wire boundary   - NO `Any` parameter, return, or field type   - NO `Optional[T]` returns (use `Result[T]` + `NIL_T` sentinels)   - NO `hasattr()` for entity type dispatch (use typed Union or per-entity function)   - Direct field access on typed `@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)` instances   If the track proposes lifting entities into `dict[str, Any]` or `Any`, REJECT the design and rewrite.3. **Generate Track ID:**   Format: `{name}_{YYYYMMDD}`   Example: `async_tool_execution_20260303`4. **Create Track Directory:**   `conductor/tracks/{track_id}/`5. **Create spec.md:**   ```markdown   # Track Specification: {Title}   ## Overview   [One-paragraph description]   ## Current State Audit (as of {commit_sha})   ### Already Implemented (DO NOT re-implement)   - [Existing feature with file:line reference]   ### Gaps to Fill (This Track's Scope)   - [What's missing that this track will address]   ## Goals   - [Specific, measurable goals]   ## Functional Requirements   - [Detailed requirements]   ## Non-Functional Requirements   - [Performance, security, etc.]   ## Architecture Reference   - docs/guide_architecture.md#section   - docs/guide_tools.md#section   - `conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md` §8.5 (the Python Type Promotion Mandate)   ## Out of Scope   - [What this track will NOT do]   ```6. **Create plan.md:**   ```markdown   # Implementation Plan: {Title}   ## Phase 1: {Name}   Focus: {One-sentence scope}   - [ ] Task 1.1: {Surgical description with file:line refs}   - [ ] Task 1.2: ...   - [ ] Task 1.N: Write tests for Phase 1 changes   - [ ] Task 1.X: Conductor - User Manual Verification   ## Phase 2: {Name}   ...   ```7. **Create metadata.json:**   ```json   {     "id": "{track_id}",     "title": "{title}",     "type": "feature|fix|refactor|docs",     "status": "planned",     "priority": "high|medium|low",     "created": "{YYYY-MM-DD}",     "depends_on": [],     "blocks": []   }   ```8. **Update tracks.md:**   Add entry to `conductor/tracks.md` registry.9. **Report:**   ```   ## Track Created   **ID:** {track_id}   **Location:** conductor/tracks/{track_id}/   **Files Created:**   - spec.md   - plan.md   - metadata.json   **Next Steps:**   1. Review spec.md for completeness   2. Run `/conductor-implement` to begin execution   ```## Surgical Methodology Checklist- [ ] Audited existing code before writing spec- [ ] Documented existing implementations with file:line refs- [ ] Framed requirements as gaps, not features- [ ] Tasks are worker-ready (WHERE/WHAT/HOW/SAFETY)- [ ] Referenced architecture docs- [ ] Mapped dependencies in metadata- [ ] Applied the Python Type Promotion Mandate (workflow.md §0) — no dict[str, Any], no Any, no Optional[T], no hasattr() for entity dispatch

.opencode/commands/conductor-setup.md

@@ -1,47 +1 @@
----
-description: Initialize conductor context — read product docs, verify structure, report readiness
-agent: tier1-orchestrator
-subtask: true
----
-
-# /conductor-setup
-
-Bootstrap the session with full conductor context. Run this at session start.
-
-## Steps
-
-1. **Read Core Documents:**
-   - `conductor/index.md` — navigation hub
-   - `conductor/product.md` — product vision
-   - `conductor/product-guidelines.md` — UX/code standards
-   - `conductor/tech-stack.md` — technology constraints
-   - `conductor/workflow.md` — task lifecycle (skim; reference during implementation)
-
-2. **Check Active Tracks:**
-   - List all directories in `conductor/tracks/`
-   - Read each `metadata.json` for status
-   - Read each `plan.md` for current task state
-   - Identify the track with `[~]` in-progress tasks
-
-3. **Check Session Context:**
-   - Read `conductor/tracks.md` if it exists — check for IN_PROGRESS or BLOCKED tasks
-   - Read last 3 entries in `JOURNAL.md` for recent activity
-   - Run `git log --oneline -10` for recent commits
-
-4. **Report Readiness:**
-   Present a session startup summary:
-   ```
-   ## Session Ready
-
-   **Active Track:** {track name} — Phase {N}, Task: {current task description}
-   **Recent Activity:** {last journal entry title}
-   **Last Commit:** {git log -1 oneline}
-
-   Ready to:
-   - `/conductor-implement` — resume active track
-   - `/conductor-status` — full status overview
-   - `/conductor-new-track` — start new work
-   ```
-
-## Important
-- This is READ-ONLY — do not modify files
+---description: Initialize conductor context ΓÇö read product docs, verify structure, report readinessagent: tier1-orchestratorsubtask: true---# /conductor-setupBootstrap the session with full conductor context. Run this at session start.## Steps1. **Read Core Documents:**   - `conductor/index.md` ΓÇö navigation hub   - `conductor/product.md` ΓÇö product vision   - `conductor/product-guidelines.md` ΓÇö UX/code standards   - `conductor/tech-stack.md` ΓÇö technology constraints   - `conductor/workflow.md` ΓÇö task lifecycle (skim; reference during implementation)2. **Check Active Tracks:**   - List all directories in `conductor/tracks/`   - Read each `metadata.json` for status   - Read each `plan.md` for current task state   - Identify the track with `[~]` in-progress tasks3. **Check Session Context:**   - Read `conductor/tracks.md` if it exists ΓÇö check for IN_PROGRESS or BLOCKED tasks   - Read last 3 entries in `JOURNAL.md` for recent activity   - Run `git log --oneline -10` for recent commits4. **Report Readiness:**   Present a session startup summary:   ```   ## Session Ready   **Active Track:** {track name} ΓÇö Phase {N}, Task: {current task description}   **Recent Activity:** {last journal entry title}   **Last Commit:** {git log -1 oneline}   Ready to:   - `/conductor-implement` ΓÇö resume active track   - `/conductor-status` ΓÇö full status overview   - `/conductor-new-track` ΓÇö start new work   ```## Important- This is READ-ONLY ΓÇö do not modify files

.opencode/commands/conductor-status.md

@@ -1,59 +1 @@
----
-description: Display full status of all conductor tracks and tasks
-agent: tier1-orchestrator
-subtask: true
----
-
-# /conductor-status
-
-Display comprehensive status of the conductor system.
-
-## Steps
-
-1. **Read Track Index:**
-   - `conductor/tracks.md` — track registry
-   - `conductor/index.md` — navigation hub
-
-2. **Scan All Tracks:**
-   For each track in `conductor/tracks/`:
-   - Read `metadata.json` for status and timestamps
-   - Read `plan.md` for task progress
-   - Count completed vs total tasks
-
-3. **Check conductor/tracks.md:**
-   - List IN_PROGRESS tasks
-   - List BLOCKED tasks
-   - List pending tasks by priority
-
-4. **Recent Activity:**
-   - `git log --oneline -5`
-   - Last 2 entries from `JOURNAL.md`
-
-5. **Report Format:**
-   ```
-   ## Conductor Status
-
-   ### Active Tracks
-   | Track | Status | Progress | Current Task |
-   |-------|--------|----------|--------------|
-   | ... | ... | N/M tasks | ... |
-
-   ### Task Registry (conductor/tracks.md)
-   **In Progress:**
-   - [ ] Task description
-
-   **Blocked:**
-   - [ ] Task description (reason)
-
-   ### Recent Commits
-   - `abc1234` commit message
-
-   ### Recent Journal
-   - YYYY-MM-DD: Entry title
-
-   ### Recommendations
-   - [Next action suggestion]
-   ```
-
-## Important
-- This is READ-ONLY — do not modify files
+---description: Display full status of all conductor tracks and tasksagent: tier1-orchestratorsubtask: true---# /conductor-statusDisplay comprehensive status of the conductor system.## Steps1. **Read Track Index:**   - `conductor/tracks.md` ΓÇö track registry   - `conductor/index.md` ΓÇö navigation hub2. **Scan All Tracks:**   For each track in `conductor/tracks/`:   - Read `metadata.json` for status and timestamps   - Read `plan.md` for task progress   - Count completed vs total tasks3. **Check conductor/tracks.md:**   - List IN_PROGRESS tasks   - List BLOCKED tasks   - List pending tasks by priority4. **Recent Activity:**   - `git log --oneline -5`   - Last 2 entries from `JOURNAL.md`5. **Report Format:**   ```   ## Conductor Status   ### Active Tracks   | Track | Status | Progress | Current Task |   |-------|--------|----------|--------------|   | ... | ... | N/M tasks | ... |   ### Task Registry (conductor/tracks.md)   **In Progress:**   - [ ] Task description   **Blocked:**   - [ ] Task description (reason)   ### Recent Commits   - `abc1234` commit message   ### Recent Journal   - YYYY-MM-DD: Entry title   ### Recommendations   - [Next action suggestion]   ```## Important- This is READ-ONLY ΓÇö do not modify files

.opencode/commands/conductor-verify.md

@@ -1,92 +1 @@
----
-description: Verify phase completion and create checkpoint commit
-agent: tier2-tech-lead
----
-
-# /conductor-verify
-
-Execute phase completion verification and create checkpoint.
-
-## Prerequisites
-- All tasks in the current phase must be marked `[x]`
-- All changes must be committed
-
-## CRITICAL: Use MCP Tools Only
-
-All operations must use Manual Slop's MCP tools:
-- `manual-slop_read_file` - read files
-- `manual-slop_get_git_diff` - check changes
-- `manual-slop_run_powershell` - shell commands
-
-## Verification Protocol
-
-1. **Announce Protocol Start:**
-   Inform user that phase verification has begun.
-
-2. **Determine Phase Scope:**
-   - Find previous phase checkpoint SHA in `plan.md` via `manual-slop_read_file`
-   - If no previous checkpoint, scope is all changes since first commit
-
-3. **List Changed Files:**
-   Use `manual-slop_run_powershell`:
-   ```powershell
-   git diff --name-only <previous_checkpoint_sha> HEAD
-   ```
-
-4. **Verify Test Coverage:**
-   For each code file changed (exclude `.json`, `.md`, `.yaml`):
-   - Check if corresponding test file exists via `manual-slop_search_files`
-   - If missing, create test file via @tier3-worker
-
-5. **Execute Tests in Batches:**
-   **CRITICAL**: Do NOT run full suite. Run max 4 test files at a time.
-   
-   Announce command before execution:
-   ```
-   I will now run: uv run pytest tests/test_file1.py tests/test_file2.py -v
-   ```
-   
-   Use `manual-slop_run_powershell` to execute.
-   
-   If tests fail with large output:
-   - Pipe to log file
-   - Delegate analysis to @tier4-qa
-   - Maximum 2 fix attempts before escalating
-
-6. **Present Results:**
-   ```
-   ## Phase Verification Results
-
-   **Phase:** {phase name}
-   **Files Changed:** {count}
-   **Tests Run:** {count}
-   **Tests Passed:** {count}
-   **Tests Failed:** {count}
-
-   [Detailed results or failure analysis]
-   ```
-
-7. **Await User Confirmation:**
-   **PAUSE** and wait for explicit user approval before proceeding.
-
-8. **Create Checkpoint:**
-   Use `manual-slop_run_powershell`:
-   ```powershell
-   git add .
-   git commit --allow-empty -m "conductor(checkpoint): Phase {N} complete"
-   $hash = git log -1 --format="%H"
-   git notes add -m "Verification: [report summary]" $hash
-   ```
-
-9. **Update Plan:**
-   - Add `[checkpoint: {sha}]` to phase heading in `plan.md`
-   - Use `manual-slop_set_file_slice` or `manual-slop_read_file` + write
-   - Commit: `git add plan.md && git commit -m "conductor(plan): Mark phase complete"`
-
-10. **Announce Completion:**
-    Inform user that phase is complete with checkpoint created.
-
-## Error Handling
-- If any verification fails: HALT and present logs
-- Do NOT proceed without user confirmation
-- Maximum 2 fix attempts per failure
+---description: Verify phase completion and create checkpoint commitagent: tier2-tech-lead---# /conductor-verifyExecute phase completion verification and create checkpoint.## Prerequisites- All tasks in the current phase must be marked `[x]`- All changes must be committed## CRITICAL: Use MCP Tools OnlyAll operations must use Manual Slop's MCP tools:- `manual-slop_read_file` - read files- `manual-slop_get_git_diff` - check changes- `manual-slop_run_powershell` - shell commands## Verification Protocol1. **Announce Protocol Start:**   Inform user that phase verification has begun.2. **Determine Phase Scope:**   - Find previous phase checkpoint SHA in `plan.md` via `manual-slop_read_file`   - If no previous checkpoint, scope is all changes since first commit3. **List Changed Files:**   Use `manual-slop_run_powershell`:   ```powershell   git diff --name-only <previous_checkpoint_sha> HEAD   ```4. **Verify Test Coverage:**   For each code file changed (exclude `.json`, `.md`, `.yaml`):   - Check if corresponding test file exists via `manual-slop_search_files`   - If missing, create test file via @tier3-worker5. **Execute Tests in Batches:**   **CRITICAL**: Do NOT run full suite. Run max 4 test files at a time.      Announce command before execution:   ```   I will now run: uv run pytest tests/test_file1.py tests/test_file2.py -v   ```      Use `manual-slop_run_powershell` to execute.      If tests fail with large output:   - Pipe to log file   - Delegate analysis to @tier4-qa   - Maximum 2 fix attempts before escalating6. **Present Results:**   ```   ## Phase Verification Results   **Phase:** {phase name}   **Files Changed:** {count}   **Tests Run:** {count}   **Tests Passed:** {count}   **Tests Failed:** {count}   [Detailed results or failure analysis]   ```7. **Await User Confirmation:**   **PAUSE** and wait for explicit user approval before proceeding.8. **Create Checkpoint:**   Use `manual-slop_run_powershell`:   ```powershell   git add .   git commit --allow-empty -m "conductor(checkpoint): Phase {N} complete"   $hash = git log -1 --format="%H"   git notes add -m "Verification: [report summary]" $hash   ```9. **Update Plan:**   - Add `[checkpoint: {sha}]` to phase heading in `plan.md`   - Use `manual-slop_set_file_slice` or `manual-slop_read_file` + write   - Commit: `git add plan.md && git commit -m "conductor(plan): Mark phase complete"`10. **Announce Completion:**    Inform user that phase is complete with checkpoint created.## Error Handling- If any verification fails: HALT and present logs- Do NOT proceed without user confirmation- Maximum 2 fix attempts per failure

.opencode/commands/mma-tier1-orchestrator.md

@@ -1,65 +1 @@
----
-description: Invoke Tier 1 Orchestrator for product alignment, high-level planning, and track initialization
-agent: tier1-orchestrator
----
-
-$ARGUMENTS
-
----
-
-## Context
-
-You are now acting as Tier 1 Orchestrator in the **META-TOOLING** domain (per `docs/guide_meta_boundary.md`). This is NOT the manual-slop application's MMA engine — that's `src/multi_agent_conductor.py` in the APPLICATION domain.
-
-### Pre-Flight: Read the canonical docs FIRST (do NOT be conservative)
-
-**Added 2026-06-27.** This project has extensive canonical documentation. Read the docs. Don't skim.
-
-Before ANY planning or track initialization, read:
-
-1. `AGENTS.md` — project-root rules; especially the HARD BANs
-2. `conductor/workflow.md` — including §0 (Python Type Promotion Mandate)
-3. `conductor/tech-stack.md` — Core Value reference at top
-4. `conductor/product-guidelines.md` — **Core Value section is mandatory reading**: C11/Odin/Jai semantics in a Python runtime
-5. `conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md` §8.5 — the Python Type Promotion Mandate
-6. `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §17 — LLM Default Anti-Patterns (banned patterns)
-7. `conductor/code_styleguides/type_aliases.md` — Metadata is the boundary type
-8. `conductor/tracks.md` — check existing tracks for similar work (don't reinvent)
-
-LLMs of today are not good enough at predicting what this project wants — read the docs.
-
-### Primary Responsibilities
-- Product alignment and strategic planning
-- Track initialization (`/conductor-new-track`)
-- Session setup (`/conductor-setup`)
-- Delegate execution to Tier 2 Tech Lead via the OpenCode Task tool
-- Write an end-of-session report (`docs/reports/SESSION_<date>.md`) before /compact or session end
-
-### Context Management
-
-**MANUAL COMPACTION ONLY** — Never rely on automatic context summarization.
-Preserve full context during track planning and spec creation.
-
-**Before /compact or session end:** write `docs/reports/SESSION_<date>.md` capturing what was done, what remains, the current branch.
-
-**Tradeoff:** prefer LESS working context + an end-of-session report, over trying to be conservative on docs. The user explicitly rejected LLM conservatism.
-
-### The Surgical Methodology (MANDATORY)
-
-1. **AUDIT BEFORE SPECIFYING**: Never write a spec without first reading actual code using MCP tools. Document existing implementations with file:line references.
-2. **IDENTIFY GAPS, NOT FEATURES**: Frame requirements around what's MISSING.
-3. **WRITE WORKER-READY TASKS**: Each task must specify WHERE/WHAT/HOW/SAFETY.
-4. **REFERENCE ARCHITECTURE DOCS**: Link to `docs/guide_*.md` sections.
-5. **APPLY THE PYTHON TYPE PROMOTION MANDATE** (conductor/workflow.md §0): every track spec/plan MUST respect the C11/Odin/Jai-in-Python rules:
-   - No `dict[str, Any]` outside the wire boundary
-   - No `Any` parameter, return, or field type
-   - No `Optional[T]` returns (use `Result[T]` + `NIL_T` sentinels)
-   - No `hasattr()` for entity type dispatch
-   - Direct field access on typed `@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)` instances
-
-If a track proposes lifting entities into `dict[str, Any]` or `Any`, REJECT the design and rewrite.
-
-### Limitations
-- READ-ONLY: Do NOT write code or edit files (except track spec/plan/metadata)
-- Do NOT execute tracks — delegate to Tier 2
-- Do NOT implement features — delegate to Tier 3 Workers
+---description: Invoke Tier 1 Orchestrator for product alignment, high-level planning, and track initializationagent: tier1-orchestrator---$ARGUMENTS---## ContextYou are now acting as Tier 1 Orchestrator in the **META-TOOLING** domain (per `docs/guide_meta_boundary.md`). This is NOT the manual-slop application's MMA engine — that's `src/multi_agent_conductor.py` in the APPLICATION domain.### Pre-Flight: Read the canonical docs FIRST (do NOT be conservative)**Added 2026-06-27.** This project has extensive canonical documentation. Read the docs. Don't skim.Before ANY planning or track initialization, read:1. `AGENTS.md` — project-root rules; especially the HARD BANs2. `conductor/workflow.md` — including §0 (Python Type Promotion Mandate)3. `conductor/tech-stack.md` — Core Value reference at top4. `conductor/product-guidelines.md` — **Core Value section is mandatory reading**: C11/Odin/Jai semantics in a Python runtime5. `conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md` §8.5 — the Python Type Promotion Mandate6. `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §17 — LLM Default Anti-Patterns (banned patterns)7. `conductor/code_styleguides/type_aliases.md` — Metadata is the boundary type8. `conductor/tracks.md` — check existing tracks for similar work (don't reinvent)LLMs of today are not good enough at predicting what this project wants — read the docs.### Primary Responsibilities- Product alignment and strategic planning- Track initialization (`/conductor-new-track`)- Session setup (`/conductor-setup`)- Delegate execution to Tier 2 Tech Lead via the OpenCode Task tool- Write an end-of-session report (`docs/reports/SESSION_<date>.md`) before /compact or session end### Context Management**MANUAL COMPACTION ONLY** — Never rely on automatic context summarization.Preserve full context during track planning and spec creation.**Before /compact or session end:** write `docs/reports/SESSION_<date>.md` capturing what was done, what remains, the current branch.**Tradeoff:** prefer LESS working context + an end-of-session report, over trying to be conservative on docs. The user explicitly rejected LLM conservatism.### The Surgical Methodology (MANDATORY)1. **AUDIT BEFORE SPECIFYING**: Never write a spec without first reading actual code using MCP tools. Document existing implementations with file:line references.2. **IDENTIFY GAPS, NOT FEATURES**: Frame requirements around what's MISSING.3. **WRITE WORKER-READY TASKS**: Each task must specify WHERE/WHAT/HOW/SAFETY.4. **REFERENCE ARCHITECTURE DOCS**: Link to `docs/guide_*.md` sections.5. **APPLY THE PYTHON TYPE PROMOTION MANDATE** (conductor/workflow.md §0): every track spec/plan MUST respect the C11/Odin/Jai-in-Python rules:   - No `dict[str, Any]` outside the wire boundary   - No `Any` parameter, return, or field type   - No `Optional[T]` returns (use `Result[T]` + `NIL_T` sentinels)   - No `hasattr()` for entity type dispatch   - Direct field access on typed `@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)` instancesIf a track proposes lifting entities into `dict[str, Any]` or `Any`, REJECT the design and rewrite.### Limitations- READ-ONLY: Do NOT write code or edit files (except track spec/plan/metadata)- Do NOT execute tracks — delegate to Tier 2- Do NOT implement features — delegate to Tier 3 Workers

.opencode/commands/mma-tier2-tech-lead.md

@@ -1,115 +1 @@
----
-description: Invoke Tier 2 Tech Lead for architectural design and track execution
-agent: tier2-tech-lead
----
-
-$ARGUMENTS
-
----
-
-## Context
-
-You are now acting as Tier 2 Tech Lead in the **META-TOOLING** domain (per `docs/guide_meta_boundary.md`). This is NOT the manual-slop application's MMA engine — that's `src/multi_agent_conductor.py` in the APPLICATION domain.
-
-### Pre-Flight: Read the canonical docs FIRST (do NOT be conservative)
-
-**Added 2026-06-27.** This project has extensive canonical documentation. Read the docs. Don't skim.
-
-Before ANY planning, design, or delegation, read:
-
-1. `AGENTS.md` — project-root rules; especially the HARD BANs
-2. `conductor/workflow.md` — including §0 (Python Type Promotion Mandate)
-3. `conductor/tech-stack.md` — Core Value reference at top
-4. `conductor/product-guidelines.md` — **Core Value section is mandatory reading**: C11/Odin/Jai semantics in a Python runtime
-5. `conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md` §8.5 — the Python Type Promotion Mandate
-6. `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §17 — LLM Default Anti-Patterns (banned patterns)
-7. `conductor/code_styleguides/type_aliases.md` — Metadata is the boundary type
-8. The relevant `docs/guide_*.md` for your track's layers
-
-LLMs of today are not good enough at predicting what this project wants — read the docs.
-
-### Primary Responsibilities
-- Track execution (`/conductor-implement`)
-- Architectural oversight
-- Delegate to Tier 3 Workers via the OpenCode Task tool (`subagent_type: "tier3-worker"`)
-- Delegate error analysis to Tier 4 QA via the OpenCode Task tool (`subagent_type: "tier4-qa"`)
-- Maintain persistent memory throughout track execution
-- Write an end-of-session report (`docs/reports/SESSION_<date>.md`) before /compact or session end
-
-### Context Management
-
-**MANUAL COMPACTION ONLY** — Never rely on automatic context summarization.
-You maintain PERSISTENT MEMORY throughout track execution — do NOT apply Context Amnesia to your own session.
-
-**Before /compact or session end:** write `docs/reports/SESSION_<date>.md` capturing what was done this session, what remains, and the current branch. This allows the next session to re-warm context.
-
-**Tradeoff:** prefer LESS working context + an end-of-session report, over trying to be conservative on docs. The user explicitly rejected LLM conservatism on this project.
-
-### Pre-Delegation Checkpoint (MANDATORY)
-
-Before delegating ANY dangerous or non-trivial change to Tier 3:
-
-```
-git add .
-```
-
-**WHY**: If a Tier 3 Worker fails or incorrectly runs `git restore`, you will lose ALL prior AI iterations for that file if it wasn't staged/committed. (Per AGENTS.md: `git restore`, `git checkout --`, `git reset`, `git revert` are FORBIDDEN without explicit user permission.)
-
-### The C11/Odin/Jai-in-Python Mandate (CRITICAL)
-
-When planning or reviewing tasks:
-
-**BANNED in non-boundary code:**
-- `dict[str, Any]` (use typed `@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)` with explicit fields)
-- `Any` type hint (use the concrete typed dataclass)
-- `Optional[T]` returns (use `Result[T]` + `NIL_T` sentinels per `error_handling.md`)
-- `hasattr()` for entity type dispatch (use typed Union or per-entity function)
-- Local imports inside functions (top-of-module imports only)
-- `import X as _PREFIX` aliasing (use the original name)
-- Repeated `.from_dict()` calls in the same expression (cache or promote the type)
-
-**The one exception:** the literal wire boundary (TOML/JSON parse functions) may use `dict[str, Any]` + `Metadata.from_dict(...)`.
-
-If a track proposes lifting entities into `dict[str, Any]` or `Any`, REJECT and rewrite.
-
-### TDD Protocol (MANDATORY)
-
-1. **Red Phase**: Write failing tests first — CONFIRM FAILURE
-2. **Green Phase**: Implement to pass — CONFIRM PASS
-3. **Refactor Phase**: Optional, with passing tests
-
-### Commit Protocol (ATOMIC PER-TASK)
-
-After completing each task:
-1. Stage: `git add .`
-2. Commit: `feat(scope): description`
-3. Get hash: `git log -1 --format="%H"`
-4. Attach note: `git notes add -m "summary" <hash>`
-5. Update plan.md: Mark `[x]` with SHA
-6. Commit plan update: `git add plan.md && git commit -m "conductor(plan): Mark task complete"`
-
-### Delegation Pattern (OpenCode Task tool — replaces legacy mma_exec.py)
-
-**Tier 3 Worker** (OpenCode Task tool):
-```
-subagent_type: "tier3-worker"
-description: "Brief task name"
-prompt: |
- WHERE: file.py:line-range
- WHAT: specific change
- HOW: API calls/patterns
- SAFETY: thread constraints
- Use 1-space indentation.
- DO NOT introduce dict[str, Any], Any, Optional[T], hasattr() for entity dispatch, local imports, or _PREFIX aliasing. See conductor/code_styleguides/python.md §17.
-```
-
-**Tier 4 QA** (OpenCode Task tool):
-```
-subagent_type: "tier4-qa"
-description: "Analyze failure"
-prompt: |
- [Error output]
- DO NOT fix - provide root cause analysis only.
-```
-
-**NOTE:** the legacy `mma_exec.py` and `claude_mma_exec.py` bridge scripts are DEPRECATED as of 2026-06-27. All sub-agent delegation now goes through the OpenCode Task tool.
+---description: Invoke Tier 2 Tech Lead for architectural design and track executionagent: tier2-tech-lead---$ARGUMENTS---## ContextYou are now acting as Tier 2 Tech Lead in the **META-TOOLING** domain (per `docs/guide_meta_boundary.md`). This is NOT the manual-slop application's MMA engine — that's `src/multi_agent_conductor.py` in the APPLICATION domain.### Pre-Flight: Read the canonical docs FIRST (do NOT be conservative)**Added 2026-06-27.** This project has extensive canonical documentation. Read the docs. Don't skim.Before ANY planning, design, or delegation, read:1. `AGENTS.md` — project-root rules; especially the HARD BANs2. `conductor/workflow.md` — including §0 (Python Type Promotion Mandate)3. `conductor/tech-stack.md` — Core Value reference at top4. `conductor/product-guidelines.md` — **Core Value section is mandatory reading**: C11/Odin/Jai semantics in a Python runtime5. `conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md` §8.5 — the Python Type Promotion Mandate6. `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §17 — LLM Default Anti-Patterns (banned patterns)7. `conductor/code_styleguides/type_aliases.md` — Metadata is the boundary type8. The relevant `docs/guide_*.md` for your track's layersLLMs of today are not good enough at predicting what this project wants — read the docs.### Primary Responsibilities- Track execution (`/conductor-implement`)- Architectural oversight- Delegate to Tier 3 Workers via the OpenCode Task tool (`subagent_type: "tier3-worker"`)- Delegate error analysis to Tier 4 QA via the OpenCode Task tool (`subagent_type: "tier4-qa"`)- Maintain persistent memory throughout track execution- Write an end-of-session report (`docs/reports/SESSION_<date>.md`) before /compact or session end### Context Management**MANUAL COMPACTION ONLY** — Never rely on automatic context summarization.You maintain PERSISTENT MEMORY throughout track execution — do NOT apply Context Amnesia to your own session.**Before /compact or session end:** write `docs/reports/SESSION_<date>.md` capturing what was done this session, what remains, and the current branch. This allows the next session to re-warm context.**Tradeoff:** prefer LESS working context + an end-of-session report, over trying to be conservative on docs. The user explicitly rejected LLM conservatism on this project.### Pre-Delegation Checkpoint (MANDATORY)Before delegating ANY dangerous or non-trivial change to Tier 3:```git add .```**WHY**: If a Tier 3 Worker fails or incorrectly runs `git restore`, you will lose ALL prior AI iterations for that file if it wasn't staged/committed. (Per AGENTS.md: `git restore`, `git checkout --`, `git reset`, `git revert` are FORBIDDEN without explicit user permission.)### The C11/Odin/Jai-in-Python Mandate (CRITICAL)When planning or reviewing tasks:**BANNED in non-boundary code:**- `dict[str, Any]` (use typed `@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)` with explicit fields)- `Any` type hint (use the concrete typed dataclass)- `Optional[T]` returns (use `Result[T]` + `NIL_T` sentinels per `error_handling.md`)- `hasattr()` for entity type dispatch (use typed Union or per-entity function)- Local imports inside functions (top-of-module imports only)- `import X as _PREFIX` aliasing (use the original name)- Repeated `.from_dict()` calls in the same expression (cache or promote the type)**The one exception:** the literal wire boundary (TOML/JSON parse functions) may use `dict[str, Any]` + `Metadata.from_dict(...)`.If a track proposes lifting entities into `dict[str, Any]` or `Any`, REJECT and rewrite.### TDD Protocol (MANDATORY)1. **Red Phase**: Write failing tests first — CONFIRM FAILURE2. **Green Phase**: Implement to pass — CONFIRM PASS3. **Refactor Phase**: Optional, with passing tests### Commit Protocol (ATOMIC PER-TASK)After completing each task:1. Stage: `git add .`2. Commit: `feat(scope): description`3. Get hash: `git log -1 --format="%H"`4. Attach note: `git notes add -m "summary" <hash>`5. Update plan.md: Mark `[x]` with SHA6. Commit plan update: `git add plan.md && git commit -m "conductor(plan): Mark task complete"`### Delegation Pattern (OpenCode Task tool — replaces legacy mma_exec.py)**Tier 3 Worker** (OpenCode Task tool):```subagent_type: "tier3-worker"description: "Brief task name"prompt: | WHERE: file.py:line-range WHAT: specific change HOW: API calls/patterns SAFETY: thread constraints Use 1-space indentation. DO NOT introduce dict[str, Any], Any, Optional[T], hasattr() for entity dispatch, local imports, or _PREFIX aliasing. See conductor/code_styleguides/python.md §17.```**Tier 4 QA** (OpenCode Task tool):```subagent_type: "tier4-qa"description: "Analyze failure"prompt: | [Error output] DO NOT fix - provide root cause analysis only.```**NOTE:** the legacy `mma_exec.py` and `claude_mma_exec.py` bridge scripts are DEPRECATED as of 2026-06-27. All sub-agent delegation now goes through the OpenCode Task tool.

.opencode/commands/mma-tier3-worker.md

@@ -1,83 +1 @@
----
-description: Invoke Tier 3 Worker for surgical code implementation
-agent: tier3-worker
----
-
-$ARGUMENTS
-
----
-
-## Context
-
-You are now acting as Tier 3 Worker in the **META-TOOLING** domain (per `docs/guide_meta_boundary.md`). You implement surgical code changes for the manual_slop application codebase (the APPLICATION domain), per the spec/plan from Tier 1/2.
-
-### Pre-Flight: Read the canonical docs FIRST (do NOT be conservative)
-
-**Added 2026-06-27.** This project has extensive canonical documentation. Read the docs. Don't skim.
-
-Before ANY implementation, read:
-
-1. `AGENTS.md` — project-root rules; especially the HARD BANs
-2. `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §17 — **LLM Default Anti-Patterns (banned patterns)** — the most critical reference for implementation
-3. `conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md` §8.5 — the Python Type Promotion Mandate
-4. `conductor/code_styleguides/type_aliases.md` — Metadata is the boundary type
-5. `conductor/code_styleguides/error_handling.md` — Result[T] + NIL_T sentinels
-6. The relevant `docs/guide_*.md` for the layer your task touches
-
-### Key Constraints
-
-- **STATELESS**: Context Amnesia — each task starts fresh
-- **MCP TOOLS ONLY**: Use `manual-slop_*` tools, NEVER native tools
-- **SURGICAL**: Follow WHERE/WHAT/HOW/SAFETY exactly
-- **1-SPACE INDENTATION**: For all Python code
-
-### The Banned Patterns (DO NOT INTRODUCE)
-
-From `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §17. The agent MUST NOT write:
-
-- `dict[str, Any]` parameter/return/field types (use typed `@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)`)
-- `Any` types (use the concrete typed dataclass)
-- `Optional[T]` returns (use `Result[T]` + `NIL_T` sentinels)
-- `hasattr()` for entity type dispatch (use typed Union or per-entity function)
-- Local imports inside functions (top-of-module imports only)
-- `import X as _PREFIX` aliasing (use the original name)
-- Repeated `.from_dict()` calls in the same expression (cache the result or promote the type)
-
-**The one exception:** the literal wire boundary (TOML/JSON parse functions) may use `dict[str, Any]` + `Metadata.from_dict(...)`.
-
-### Task Execution Protocol
-
-1. **Read Task Prompt**: Identify WHERE/WHAT/HOW/SAFETY
-2. **Use Skeleton Tools**: For files >50 lines, use `manual-slop_py_get_skeleton` or `manual-slop_get_file_summary`
-3. **Implement Exactly**: Follow specifications precisely; do NOT introduce banned patterns
-4. **Verify**: Run tests if specified via `manual-slop_run_powershell`
-5. **Report**: Return concise summary (what, where, issues)
-
-### Edit MCP Tools (USE THESE - BAN NATIVE EDIT)
-
-| Native Tool | MCP Tool |
-|-------------|----------|
-| `edit` | `manual-slop_edit_file` (find/replace, preserves indentation) |
-| `edit` | `manual-slop_py_update_definition` (replace function/class) |
-| `edit` | `manual-slop_set_file_slice` (replace line range) |
-| `edit` | `manual-slop_py_set_signature` (replace signature only) |
-| `edit` | `manual-slop_py_set_var_declaration` (replace variable) |
-
-**CRITICAL**: The native `edit` tool DESTROYS 1-space indentation. ALWAYS use MCP tools.
-
-### Blocking Protocol
-
-If you cannot complete the task:
-
-1. Start response with `BLOCKED:`
-2. Explain exactly why you cannot proceed
-3. List what information or changes would unblock you
-4. Do NOT attempt partial implementations that break the build
-
-### Code Style (Python)
-
-- 1-space indentation
-- NO COMMENTS unless explicitly requested
-- Type hints required
-- Internal methods/variables prefixed with underscore
-- NEVER use `git restore`, `git checkout --`, `git reset`, or `git revert` (per AGENTS.md HARD BAN)
+---description: Invoke Tier 3 Worker for surgical code implementationagent: tier3-worker---$ARGUMENTS---## ContextYou are now acting as Tier 3 Worker in the **META-TOOLING** domain (per `docs/guide_meta_boundary.md`). You implement surgical code changes for the manual_slop application codebase (the APPLICATION domain), per the spec/plan from Tier 1/2.### Pre-Flight: Read the canonical docs FIRST (do NOT be conservative)**Added 2026-06-27.** This project has extensive canonical documentation. Read the docs. Don't skim.Before ANY implementation, read:1. `AGENTS.md` — project-root rules; especially the HARD BANs2. `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §17 — **LLM Default Anti-Patterns (banned patterns)** — the most critical reference for implementation3. `conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md` §8.5 — the Python Type Promotion Mandate4. `conductor/code_styleguides/type_aliases.md` — Metadata is the boundary type5. `conductor/code_styleguides/error_handling.md` — Result[T] + NIL_T sentinels6. The relevant `docs/guide_*.md` for the layer your task touches### Key Constraints- **STATELESS**: Context Amnesia — each task starts fresh- **MCP TOOLS ONLY**: Use `manual-slop_*` tools, NEVER native tools- **SURGICAL**: Follow WHERE/WHAT/HOW/SAFETY exactly- **1-SPACE INDENTATION**: For all Python code### The Banned Patterns (DO NOT INTRODUCE)From `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §17. The agent MUST NOT write:- `dict[str, Any]` parameter/return/field types (use typed `@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)`)- `Any` types (use the concrete typed dataclass)- `Optional[T]` returns (use `Result[T]` + `NIL_T` sentinels)- `hasattr()` for entity type dispatch (use typed Union or per-entity function)- Local imports inside functions (top-of-module imports only)- `import X as _PREFIX` aliasing (use the original name)- Repeated `.from_dict()` calls in the same expression (cache the result or promote the type)**The one exception:** the literal wire boundary (TOML/JSON parse functions) may use `dict[str, Any]` + `Metadata.from_dict(...)`.### Task Execution Protocol1. **Read Task Prompt**: Identify WHERE/WHAT/HOW/SAFETY2. **Use Skeleton Tools**: For files >50 lines, use `manual-slop_py_get_skeleton` or `manual-slop_get_file_summary`3. **Implement Exactly**: Follow specifications precisely; do NOT introduce banned patterns4. **Verify**: Run tests if specified via `manual-slop_run_powershell`5. **Report**: Return concise summary (what, where, issues)### Edit MCP Tools (USE THESE - BAN NATIVE EDIT)| Native Tool | MCP Tool ||-------------|----------|| `edit` | `manual-slop_edit_file` (find/replace, preserves indentation) || `edit` | `manual-slop_py_update_definition` (replace function/class) || `edit` | `manual-slop_set_file_slice` (replace line range) || `edit` | `manual-slop_py_set_signature` (replace signature only) || `edit` | `manual-slop_py_set_var_declaration` (replace variable) |**CRITICAL**: The native `edit` tool DESTROYS 1-space indentation. ALWAYS use MCP tools.### Blocking ProtocolIf you cannot complete the task:1. Start response with `BLOCKED:`2. Explain exactly why you cannot proceed3. List what information or changes would unblock you4. Do NOT attempt partial implementations that break the build### Code Style (Python)- 1-space indentation- NO COMMENTS unless explicitly requested- Type hints required- Internal methods/variables prefixed with underscore- NEVER use `git restore`, `git checkout --`, `git reset`, or `git revert` (per AGENTS.md HARD BAN)

.opencode/commands/mma-tier4-qa.md

@@ -1,75 +1 @@
----
-description: Invoke Tier 4 QA Agent for error analysis
-agent: tier4-qa
----
-
-$ARGUMENTS
-
----
-
-## Context
-
-You are now acting as Tier 4 QA Agent.
-
-### Key Constraints
-
-- **STATELESS**: Context Amnesia — each analysis starts fresh
-- **READ-ONLY**: Do NOT modify any files
-- **ANALYSIS ONLY**: Do NOT implement fixes
-
-### Read-Only MCP Tools (USE THESE)
-
-| Native Tool | MCP Tool |
-|-------------|----------|
-| `read` | `manual-slop_read_file` |
-| `glob` | `manual-slop_search_files` or `manual-slop_list_directory` |
-| `grep` | `manual-slop_py_find_usages` |
-| - | `manual-slop_get_file_summary` (heuristic summary) |
-| - | `manual-slop_py_get_code_outline` (classes/functions with line ranges) |
-| - | `manual-slop_py_get_skeleton` (signatures + docstrings only) |
-| - | `manual-slop_py_get_definition` (specific function/class source) |
-| - | `manual-slop_get_git_diff` (file changes) |
-| - | `manual-slop_get_file_slice` (read specific line range) |
-
-### Analysis Protocol
-
-1. **Read Error Completely**: Understand the full error/test failure
-2. **Identify Affected Files**: Parse traceback for file:line references
-3. **Use Skeleton Tools**: For files >50 lines, use `manual-slop_py_get_skeleton` first
-4. **Announce**: "Analyzing: [error summary]"
-
-### Structured Output Format
-
-```
-## Error Analysis
-
-### Summary
-[One-sentence description of the error]
-
-### Root Cause
-[Detailed explanation of why the error occurred]
-
-### Evidence
-[File:line references supporting the analysis]
-
-### Impact
-[What functionality is affected]
-
-### Recommendations
-[Suggested fixes or next steps - but DO NOT implement them]
-```
-
-### Quality Checklist
-
-- [ ] Analysis based on actual code/file content
-- [ ] Root cause is specific, not generic
-- [ ] Evidence includes file:line references
-- [ ] Recommendations are actionable but not implemented
-
-### Blocking Protocol
-
-If you cannot analyze the error:
-
-1. Start response with `CANNOT ANALYZE:`
-2. Explain what information is missing
-3. List what would be needed to complete the analysis
+---description: Invoke Tier 4 QA Agent for error analysisagent: tier4-qa---$ARGUMENTS---## ContextYou are now acting as Tier 4 QA Agent.### Key Constraints- **STATELESS**: Context Amnesia ù each analysis starts fresh- **READ-ONLY**: Do NOT modify any files- **ANALYSIS ONLY**: Do NOT implement fixes### Read-Only MCP Tools (USE THESE)| Native Tool | MCP Tool ||-------------|----------|| `read` | `manual-slop_read_file` || `glob` | `manual-slop_search_files` or `manual-slop_list_directory` || `grep` | `manual-slop_py_find_usages` || - | `manual-slop_get_file_summary` (heuristic summary) || - | `manual-slop_py_get_code_outline` (classes/functions with line ranges) || - | `manual-slop_py_get_skeleton` (signatures + docstrings only) || - | `manual-slop_py_get_definition` (specific function/class source) || - | `manual-slop_get_git_diff` (file changes) || - | `manual-slop_get_file_slice` (read specific line range) |### Analysis Protocol1. **Read Error Completely**: Understand the full error/test failure2. **Identify Affected Files**: Parse traceback for file:line references3. **Use Skeleton Tools**: For files >50 lines, use `manual-slop_py_get_skeleton` first4. **Announce**: "Analyzing: [error summary]"### Structured Output Format```## Error Analysis### Summary[One-sentence description of the error]### Root Cause[Detailed explanation of why the error occurred]### Evidence[File:line references supporting the analysis]### Impact[What functionality is affected]### Recommendations[Suggested fixes or next steps - but DO NOT implement them]```### Quality Checklist- [ ] Analysis based on actual code/file content- [ ] Root cause is specific, not generic- [ ] Evidence includes file:line references- [ ] Recommendations are actionable but not implemented### Blocking ProtocolIf you cannot analyze the error:1. Start response with `CANNOT ANALYZE:`2. Explain what information is missing3. List what would be needed to complete the analysis

AGENTS.md

@@ -48,18 +48,18 @@ The 14 deep-dive guides under `docs/` (`guide_architecture.md`, `guide_ai_client
 
 ## Critical Anti-Patterns
 
-- Do not read full files >50 lines without first using `py_get_skeleton` or `get_file_summary` to map the structure (this is navigation efficiency, not a "files should be small" stance)
-- Do not modify the tech stack without updating `conductor/tech-stack.md` first
-- Do not skip TDD - write failing tests before implementing functionality
-- Do not use `@pytest.mark.skip` as an excuse to AVOID fixing the underlying bug. Skip markers are documentation of known failures; the failure must be addressed with priority in-session when feasible. See `conductor/workflow.md` "Skip-Marker Policy" for the full policy and review checklist.
-- Do not batch commits - commit per-task for atomic rollback
-- Do not add comments to source code; documentation lives in `/docs`
-- `set_file_slice` IS valid for multi-line content. The agent must verify the exact byte offsets with `get_file_slice` first, copy the line text character-for-character (including whitespace and EOL), and check whether the edit changes a public contract (function signature, yield shape, return type) that other code depends on. See `conductor/edit_workflow.md` for the full contract.
-- Do not use `git restore` while a user is mid-conversation without first confirming the desired state
-- HARD BAN: `git restore`, `git checkout -- <file>`, `git reset` are FORBIDDEN without explicit user permission in the same message. They destroyed user in-progress src/* edits twice in one session (2026-06-07). If you think you need one, ASK FIRST.
-- HARD BAN: `git stash*` (any form: `git stash`, `git stash pop`, `git stash apply`, `git stash drop`, `git stash clear`) is FORBIDDEN. Stashing inverts the safety net of the working tree: a `git add .` then `git stash` then "fresh start" pattern is exactly how Tier 2 corrupted files in the 2026-06-27 `cruft_elimination_20260627` track. The user explicitly stated "I hate when people fuck with my commits" — stashing throws away the user's in-progress edits silently. If you think you need a stash, you don't — use a NEW BRANCH or a WORKTREE instead. Tier 2 sandbox enforces this via `conductor/tier2/opencode.json.fragment` bash deny rules.
-- **HARD BAN: Day estimates in track artifacts (Tier 1).** Do NOT include day / hour / minute estimates in spec.md, plan.md, metadata.json, or any other track artifact. Day estimates are inaccurate noise; Tier 2 capacity is bounded by attention, not time. Measure effort by **scope** (N files, M sites, N tasks). The user / Tier 2 agent decides the actual pacing. See `conductor/workflow.md` §"Tier 1 Track Initialization Rules" for the full rule, replacement patterns, and rationale. (Added 2026-06-16 per user feedback: "Day estimates are inaccurate. Tier-2s can only do so much in a single track and there is no way in hell its going to be 'DAYS'.")
-- **HARD BAN: Opaque types in non-boundary code (added 2026-06-25).** LLMs default to `dict[str, Any]`, `Any`, `Optional[T]`, `hasattr()` polymorphism, and `.get('field', default)` because that's idiomatic Python training data. **All of these are BANNED in non-boundary code.** Use typed `@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)` with explicit fields; use `Result[T]` + `NIL_T` sentinels instead of `Optional[T]`; use direct attribute access instead of `.get()`. The ONLY place `dict[str, Any]` is allowed is the literal wire boundary (TOML/JSON parse functions); 2-3 functions per file. See `conductor/product-guidelines.md` "Core Value", `conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md` §8.5 (The Python Type Promotion Mandate), `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §17 (LLM Default Anti-Patterns), and `conductor/code_styleguides/type_aliases.md` for the canonical mandates. User direction 2026-06-25: "I want the closest thing to c11/odin/jai in a scripting language... metadata should not be a dict[str, any]."
+This is a thin index. For the full lists, see the canonical styleguides:
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §"AI-Agent Specific Conventions" + §"Anti-Patterns (LLM Default Anti-Patterns)" — the full LLM anti-pattern list (navigation, no comments, no diagnostic noise, TDD, decorator-orphan, ast.parse, set_file_slice, etc.)
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md` §8.5 — the Python Type Promotion Mandate (technical canonical for opaque types)
+- `conductor/edit_workflow.md` — the edit tool contract
+- `conductor/workflow.md` §"Known Pitfalls" + §"Skip-Marker Policy" — operational pitfalls
+
+### The 4 canonical HARD BANs (in this file because they're project-wide)
+
+- **HARD BAN: `git restore` / `git checkout -- <file>` / `git reset`** are FORBIDDEN without explicit user permission in the same message. They destroyed user in-progress src/* edits twice in one session (2026-06-07). If you think you need one, ASK FIRST.
+- **HARD BAN: `git stash*`** (any form: `git stash`, `git stash pop`, `git stash apply`, `git stash drop`, `git stash clear`) is FORBIDDEN. Stashing inverts the safety net of the working tree: a `git add .` then `git stash` then "fresh start" pattern is exactly how Tier 2 corrupted files in the 2026-06-27 `cruft_elimination_20260627` track. The user explicitly stated "I hate when people fuck with my commits" — stashing throws away the user's in-progress edits silently. If you think you need a stash, you don't — use a NEW BRANCH or a WORKTREE instead. Tier 2 sandbox enforces this via `conductor/tier2/opencode.json.fragment` bash deny rules.
+- **HARD BAN: Day / hour / minute estimates in track artifacts.** Do NOT include estimates in spec.md, plan.md, metadata.json, or any other track artifact. Measure effort by **scope** (N files, M sites, N tasks). The user / Tier 2 agent decides the actual pacing. See `conductor/workflow.md` §"Tier 1 Track Initialization Rules" for the full rule, replacement patterns, and rationale. (Added 2026-06-16 per user feedback: "Day estimates are inaccurate. Tier-2s can only do so much in a single track and there is no way in hell its going to be 'DAYS'.")
+- **HARD BAN: Opaque types in non-boundary code (added 2026-06-25).** `dict[str, Any]`, `Any`, `Optional[T]`, `hasattr()` for entity dispatch, `.get('field', default)` are BANNED. Use typed `@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)` + `Result[T]` + `NIL_T` sentinels + direct attribute access. The ONLY place `dict[str, Any]` is allowed is the literal wire boundary (TOML/JSON parse functions); 2-3 functions per file. See `conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md` §8.5 (the canonical Python Type Promotion Mandate), `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §17, `conductor/code_styleguides/type_aliases.md` for the technical mandates. User direction 2026-06-25: "I want the closest thing to c11/odin/jai in a scripting language... metadata should not be a dict[str, any]."
 
 ## File Size and Naming Convention (HARD RULE — added 2026-06-11)
 
@@ -86,106 +86,30 @@ Rationale: the user is the only one who can authorize a new top-level namespace.
 
 ## Session-Learned Anti-Patterns (Added 2026-06-07)
 
-These burned the most time in a recent startup_speedup session. The rules below are short because the rules above (and `conductor/edit_workflow.md`) are the source of truth.
+The canonical home for edit-tool lessons-learned is `conductor/edit_workflow.md` (the 9 rules for `manual-slop_edit_file` etc.). This section is a thin pointer.
 
-### 1. ALWAYS use the proper edit tool, not a custom script
-
-- For Python source edits, use `manual-slop_edit_file` with `old_string`/`new_string`. **Do NOT** write a standalone Python script that does file-level replacements.
-- Custom scripts fail silently on: wrong indent in `new_content`, wrong EOL (CRLF vs LF) in `old_string` searches, wrong exact-string match (whitespace drift).
-- When a script fails, debug the actual error message. Do not dismiss it and try a different approach.
-
-### 2. The decorator-orphan pitfall
-
-When inserting new methods **before an existing `@property` def**, your script will leave the `@property` decorator on the line above your new methods. The decorator then accidentally decorates YOUR new method (which is no longer a property, breaking any subsequent `@your_method.setter` calls). The file passes `ast.parse()` but blows up at import time.
-
-The fix: anchor on the **def line that has the `@property` ABOVE it**, and replace the pair `@property\n def foo(...)` with `@property\n def your_new(...)\n ...\n def foo(...)` — keeping the decorator attached to its original method. Or anchor on a different non-decorated landmark (e.g. `self._init_actions()`).
-
-### 3. `ast.parse()` "Syntax OK" is not enough
-
-`py_check_syntax` only confirms `ast.parse()` succeeds. Semantic errors (wrong decorator targets, wrong class attribute, missing `self`, etc.) are NOT caught. After any multi-line edit, ALWAYS:
-- Import the module
-- Instantiate the class
-- Call the new method in the way it's expected to be called (e.g. `ctrl.foo_ts` vs `ctrl.foo_ts()` for properties vs methods)
-
-### 4. The "I'll just check git status" trap (now a HARD BAN, see Critical list above)
-
-If you suspect you might have lost work, the worst move is to run `git status` / `git restore` while a frantic user is watching. Pause, read the actual file, and admit what state you're in. The user knows their state better than you do. This trap has now caused irrecoverable data loss twice in one session — the ban is enforced above.
-
-### 5. Small, verified edits beat big scripts
-
-`conductor/edit_workflow.md` says it explicitly: 3-10 lines at a time, verify after each, repeat. If you find yourself writing a 200-line Python script to do an edit, you're doing it wrong. Use the MCP tools.
+- **ALWAYS use the proper edit tool, not a custom script** — see `conductor/edit_workflow.md` §1.
+- **The decorator-orphan pitfall** — see `conductor/edit_workflow.md` §6 (with the fix code).
+- **`ast.parse()` "Syntax OK" is not enough** — see `conductor/edit_workflow.md` §7.
+- **The "I'll just check git status" trap** — now a HARD BAN; see §"Critical Anti-Patterns" above.
+- **Small, verified edits beat big scripts** — see `conductor/edit_workflow.md` §1.
 
 ---
 
 ## Process Anti-Patterns (Added 2026-06-09)
 
-These are the bad patterns the agents have been exhibiting that the user explicitly called out as dog-shit. The rules below are short. If you find yourself doing any of these, STOP and reread this section.
+The canonical home for these is `conductor/workflow.md` §"Process Anti-Patterns" (the 8 anti-patterns with full Symptom + Rule sections). This is a thin index:
 
-### 1. The Deduction Loop (kill it)
+1. **The Deduction Loop (kill it)** — run a failing test at most 2 times, then predict + instrument + run once.
+2. **The Report-Instead-of-Fix Pattern (kill it)** — 5-10 sentence status report, not 200 lines.
+3. **The Scope-Creep Track-Doc Pattern (kill it)** — your output is the fix, not a 5-phase future track.
+4. **The Inherited-Cruft Pattern (kill it)** — ask the user first if the file is broken from a previous session.
+5. **No Diagnostic Noise in Production (kill it)** — diag to log file, not `src/*.py`.
+6. **The "I Am Not Going To Attempt Another Fix Without Your Direction" Surrender (kill it)** — surrender only after the 5-step check.
+7. **The Verbose-Commit-Message Pattern (kill it)** — 1-3 sentences, not 50 lines.
+8. **The "Isolated Pass" Verification Fallacy (kill it)** — for `live_gui` tests, batch run is the only verification that matters.
 
-**Symptom:** Run test → fail → read log → form hypothesis → run again → fail differently → add diag → run again → fail again → loop. You end up running the same test 4+ times in one session, each run reading partial log output.
-
-**Rule:** You are allowed to run a failing test at most **2 times** in a single investigation. After the 2nd failure, STOP running the test. Read the relevant source code (`get_file_slice` or `py_get_skeleton`), predict the failure mode from the code, and instrument ALL the relevant state in one pass before the next run. If the test still fails after 1 instrumented run, report to the user — do not loop.
-
-**Worst case captured upfront.** Before running the test, ask: "what is the worst-case information I will need if this fails?" Add the diag for that, then run. The diag lines themselves are wasteful in production — see "No Diagnostic Noise in Production" below.
-
-### 2. The Report-Instead-of-Fix Pattern (kill it)
-
-**Symptom:** You can't fix the bug. You write a 200-line status report explaining why you can't fix it. The report contains "What I tried this session", "What I am NOT going to do", "What you can do", and "Files changed in this session (cumulative)." The report is a confession, not a fix.
-
-**Rule:** A status report is allowed only when:
-- You have actually tried the fix and it failed with evidence, OR
-- You are blocked on a decision the user must make.
-
-A status report is NOT allowed when:
-- You are avoiding a hard problem by writing prose about it.
-- The user asked for a fix and you have not yet tried.
-- The "what you can do" section is a list of options to defer to the user instead of picking the best one and doing it.
-
-A good status report is 5-10 sentences, not 200 lines.
-
-### 3. The Scope-Creep Track-Doc Pattern (kill it)
-
-**Symptom:** The user asks for a 1-line fix. You write a 5-phase "future track" spec with 140 lines of scope, audit findings, recommendations, and "out of scope" sections. The track doc is now larger than the fix it was meant to scope.
-
-**Rule:** If the user asks for a fix, your output is the fix. A track doc is only appropriate when the fix is multi-day work that requires a plan. If the fix is < 100 lines, it does not get a track. If the fix would touch more than 5 files, it MIGHT get a track — but ask first.
-
-### 4. The Inherited-Cruft Pattern (kill it)
-
-**Symptom:** The previous agent left a half-finished refactor in the working tree. The file is broken. You try to fix it and make it worse. You try again. You make it worse. The file stays broken for 3 days.
-
-**Rule:** If the file is already in a broken state from a previous session, the FIRST thing you do is ask the user: "this file is in a broken state from a previous agent. do you want me to (a) revert the working tree and start from a clean baseline, (b) finish the previous agent's intent, or (c) abandon the work entirely?" You do not start by "trying to fix" the broken file. The user's answer determines the work, not your assumption.
-
-### 5. No Diagnostic Noise in Production (kill it)
-
-**Symptom:** You add `sys.stderr.write(f"[RAG_DIAG] ...)")` to `src/rag_engine.py` and `src/app_controller.py` to debug a test failure. The diag lines help. You "revert everything" but leave the 4-8 diag lines in the working tree uncommitted. The next agent runs `git status`, sees the diag lines, and either commits them by accident or spends 10 minutes cleaning them up.
-
-**Rule:** Diagnostic stderr goes to a log file (`tests/artifacts/<test_name>.diag.log`) or to a temporary diagnostic script (`/tmp/diag_rag.py`), NOT to `src/*.py`. If you absolutely must instrument a production function for a single test run, the diag lines are part of the same atomic commit as the fix — they do not live uncommitted in the working tree. If you "revert everything," that means the diag lines are also reverted.
-
-### 6. The "I Am Not Going To Attempt Another Fix Without Your Direction" Surrender (kill it)
-
-**Symptom:** You've tried 3 things. None worked. You write: "I am not going to attempt another fix without your direction." Then you wait for the user to tell you what to do.
-
-**Rule:** This is correct ONLY if you have already done the things below:
-- Read the actual source code, not from memory
-- Predicted the failure mode from the code
-- Instrumented the relevant state in one pass
-- Run the test once with instrumentation
-- Captured the full output, not partial output
-
-If you have done all 5 and are still stuck, surrendering is fine. If you have not, you are surrendering too early. The user does not want to be your strategist; the user wants the agent to make progress.
-
-### 7. The Verbose-Commit-Message Pattern (kill it)
-
-**Symptom:** Your commit message is 50 lines. It contains the root cause analysis, the alternatives you considered, the side effects you considered, the cross-references, the "what this doesn't fix", the "what to verify", and a personal essay. The commit message is longer than the diff it describes.
-
-**Rule:** A commit message is a 1-3 sentence summary. The body is for non-obvious "why" details, not for re-stating what the diff shows. If your commit message is longer than 15 lines, you are writing a report, not a commit message. Save the report for `docs/reports/`.
-
-### 8. The "Isolated Pass" Verification Fallacy (kill it)
-
-**Symptom:** You run the test in isolation. It passes. You commit. The test fails in batch. You didn't notice because you never ran the batch.
-
-**Rule:** For any `live_gui` test or any test that depends on shared subprocess state, the **only verification that matters is the batch run**. A test that passes in isolation but fails in batch is failing — it's just that the failure is masked by isolation. Per the existing `Live_gui Test Fragility` rule in `conductor/workflow.md`: "Bisect failures by running the test both in the full suite and in isolation to distinguish 'test needs work' from 'real app bug'." If you only ever run in isolation, you cannot tell the difference.
+See `conductor/workflow.md` §"Process Anti-Patterns" for the full Symptom + Rule sections for each.
 
 ## Compaction Recovery
 

TODO.md

@@ -1,133 +0,0 @@
-Traceback (most recent call last):
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\threading.py", line 1045, in _bootstrap_inner
-    self.run()
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\threading.py", line 982, in run
-    self._target(*self._args, **self._kwargs)
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\subprocess.py", line 1597, in _readerthread
-    buffer.append(fh.read())
-                  ^^^^^^^^^
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\encodings\cp1252.py", line 23, in decode
-    return codecs.charmap_decode(input,self.errors,decoding_table)[0]
-           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-UnicodeDecodeError: 'charmap' codec can't decode byte 0x90 in position 8040: character maps to <undefined>
-[DEBUG] Saving config. Theme: {'palette': '10x Dark', 'font_path': 'fonts/MapleMono-Regular.ttf', 'font_size': 20.0, 'scale': 1.0, 'transparency': 1.0, 'child_transparency': 1.0, 'tone_mapping': {'solarized_light': {'brightness': 0.6899999976158142, 'contrast': 0.8600000143051147, 'gamma': 0.7699999809265137}, 'gray_variations': {'brightness': 0.7699999809265137, 'contrast': 0.7200000286102295, 'gamma': 0.6899999976158142}, 'moss': {'brightness': 0.7699999809265137, 'contrast': 0.8700000047683716, 'gamma': 1.0}, 'Solarized Light': {'brightness': 0.550000011920929, 'contrast': 0.7300000190734863, 'gamma': 0.7099999785423279}, 'Binks': {'brightness': 0.47999998927116394, 'contrast': 0.8399999737739563, 'gamma': 2.2100000381469727}}}
-Exception in thread Thread-506 (_readerthread):
-Traceback (most recent call last):
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\threading.py", line 1045, in _bootstrap_inner
-    self.run()
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\threading.py", line 982, in run
-    self._target(*self._args, **self._kwargs)
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\subprocess.py", line 1597, in _readerthread
-    buffer.append(fh.read())
-                  ^^^^^^^^^
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\encodings\cp1252.py", line 23, in decode
-    return codecs.charmap_decode(input,self.errors,decoding_table)[0]
-           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-UnicodeDecodeError: 'charmap' codec can't decode byte 0x90 in position 7874: character maps to <undefined>
-Exception in thread Thread-511 (_readerthread):
-Traceback (most recent call last):
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\threading.py", line 1045, in _bootstrap_inner
-    self.run()
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\threading.py", line 982, in run
-    self._target(*self._args, **self._kwargs)
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\subprocess.py", line 1597, in _readerthread
-    buffer.append(fh.read())
-                  ^^^^^^^^^
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\encodings\cp1252.py", line 23, in decode
-    return codecs.charmap_decode(input,self.errors,decoding_table)[0]
-           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-UnicodeDecodeError: 'charmap' codec can't decode byte 0x90 in position 7874: character maps to <undefined>
-Exception in thread Thread-516 (_readerthread):
-Traceback (most recent call last):
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\threading.py", line 1045, in _bootstrap_inner
-    self.run()
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\threading.py", line 982, in run
-    self._target(*self._args, **self._kwargs)
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\subprocess.py", line 1597, in _readerthread
-    buffer.append(fh.read())
-                  ^^^^^^^^^
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\encodings\cp1252.py", line 23, in decode
-    return codecs.charmap_decode(input,self.errors,decoding_table)[0]
-           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-UnicodeDecodeError: 'charmap' codec can't decode byte 0x90 in position 7874: character maps to <undefined>
-Exception in thread Thread-521 (_readerthread):
-Traceback (most recent call last):
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\threading.py", line 1045, in _bootstrap_inner
-    self.run()
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\threading.py", line 982, in run
-    self._target(*self._args, **self._kwargs)
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\subprocess.py", line 1597, in _readerthread
-    buffer.append(fh.read())
-                  ^^^^^^^^^
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\encodings\cp1252.py", line 23, in decode
-    return codecs.charmap_decode(input,self.errors,decoding_table)[0]
-           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-UnicodeDecodeError: 'charmap' codec can't decode byte 0x90 in position 7874: character maps to <undefined>
-Exception in thread Thread-526 (_readerthread):
-Traceback (most recent call last):
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\threading.py", line 1045, in _bootstrap_inner
-    self.run()
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\threading.py", line 982, in run
-    self._target(*self._args, **self._kwargs)
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\subprocess.py", line 1597, in _readerthread
-    buffer.append(fh.read())
-                  ^^^^^^^^^
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\encodings\cp1252.py", line 23, in decode
-    return codecs.charmap_decode(input,self.errors,decoding_table)[0]
-           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-UnicodeDecodeError: 'charmap' codec can't decode byte 0x90 in position 7874: character maps to <undefined>
-[DEBUG] Saving config. Theme: {'palette': '10x Dark', 'font_path': 'fonts/MapleMono-Regular.ttf', 'font_size': 20.0, 'scale': 1.0, 'transparency': 1.0, 'child_transparency': 1.0, 'tone_mapping': {'solarized_light': {'brightness': 0.6899999976158142, 'contrast': 0.8600000143051147, 'gamma': 0.7699999809265137}, 'gray_variations': {'brightness': 0.7699999809265137, 'contrast': 0.7200000286102295, 'gamma': 0.6899999976158142}, 'moss': {'brightness': 0.7699999809265137, 'contrast': 0.8700000047683716, 'gamma': 1.0}, 'Solarized Light': {'brightness': 0.550000011920929, 'contrast': 0.7300000190734863, 'gamma': 0.7099999785423279}, 'Binks': {'brightness': 0.47999998927116394, 'contrast': 0.8399999737739563, 'gamma': 2.2100000381469727}}}
-[DEBUG] Saving config. Theme: {'palette': '10x Dark', 'font_path': 'fonts/MapleMono-Regular.ttf', 'font_size': 20.0, 'scale': 1.0, 'transparency': 1.0, 'child_transparency': 1.0, 'tone_mapping': {'solarized_light': {'brightness': 0.6899999976158142, 'contrast': 0.8600000143051147, 'gamma': 0.7699999809265137}, 'gray_variations': {'brightness': 0.7699999809265137, 'contrast': 0.7200000286102295, 'gamma': 0.6899999976158142}, 'moss': {'brightness': 0.7699999809265137, 'contrast': 0.8700000047683716, 'gamma': 1.0}, 'Solarized Light': {'brightness': 0.550000011920929, 'contrast': 0.7300000190734863, 'gamma': 0.7099999785423279}, 'Binks': {'brightness': 0.47999998927116394, 'contrast': 0.8399999737739563, 'gamma': 2.2100000381469727}}}
-Exception in thread Thread-540 (_readerthread):
-Traceback (most recent call last):
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\threading.py", line 1045, in _bootstrap_inner
-    self.run()
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\threading.py", line 982, in run
-    self._target(*self._args, **self._kwargs)
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\subprocess.py", line 1597, in _readerthread
-    buffer.append(fh.read())
-                  ^^^^^^^^^
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\encodings\cp1252.py", line 23, in decode
-    return codecs.charmap_decode(input,self.errors,decoding_table)[0]
-           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-UnicodeDecodeError: 'charmap' codec can't decode byte 0x90 in position 527: character maps to <undefined>
-Exception in thread Thread-545 (_readerthread):
-Traceback (most recent call last):
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\threading.py", line 1045, in _bootstrap_inner
-    self.run()
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\threading.py", line 982, in run
-    self._target(*self._args, **self._kwargs)
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\subprocess.py", line 1597, in _readerthread
-    buffer.append(fh.read())
-                  ^^^^^^^^^
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\encodings\cp1252.py", line 23, in decode
-    return codecs.charmap_decode(input,self.errors,decoding_table)[0]
-           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-UnicodeDecodeError: 'charmap' codec can't decode byte 0x90 in position 7874: character maps to <undefined>
-Exception in thread Thread-550 (_readerthread):
-Traceback (most recent call last):
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\threading.py", line 1045, in _bootstrap_inner
-    self.run()
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\threading.py", line 982, in run
-    self._target(*self._args, **self._kwargs)
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\subprocess.py", line 1597, in _readerthread
-    buffer.append(fh.read())
-                  ^^^^^^^^^
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\encodings\cp1252.py", line 23, in decode
-    return codecs.charmap_decode(input,self.errors,decoding_table)[0]
-           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-UnicodeDecodeError: 'charmap' codec can't decode byte 0x90 in position 7874: character maps to <undefined>
-Exception in thread Thread-555 (_readerthread):
-Traceback (most recent call last):
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\threading.py", line 1045, in _bootstrap_inner
-    self.run()
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\threading.py", line 982, in run
-    self._target(*self._args, **self._kwargs)
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\subprocess.py", line 1597, in _readerthread
-    buffer.append(fh.read())
-                  ^^^^^^^^^
-  File "C:\Users\Ed\scoop\apps\python\current\Lib\encodings\cp1252.py", line 23, in decode
-    return codecs.charmap_decode(input,self.errors,decoding_table)[0]
-           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-UnicodeDecodeError: 'charmap' codec can't decode byte 0x90 in position 8040: character maps to <undefined>
-[DEBUG] Saving config. Theme: {'palette': '10x Dark', 'font_path': 'fonts/MapleMono-Regular.ttf', 'font_size': 20.0, 'scale': 1.0, 'transparency': 1.0, 'child_transparency': 1.0, 'tone_mapping': {'solarized_light': {'brightness': 0.6899999976158142, 'contrast': 0.8600000143051147, 'gamma': 0.7699999809265137}, 'gray_variations': {'brightness': 0.7699999809265137, 'contrast': 0.7200000286102295, 'gamma': 0.6899999976158142}, 'moss': {'brightness': 0.7699999809265137, 'contrast': 0.8700000047683716, 'gamma': 1.0}, 'Solarized Light': {'brightness': 0.550000011920929, 'contrast': 0.7300000190734863, 'gamma': 0.7099999785423279}, 'Binks': {'brightness': 0.47999998927116394, 'contrast': 0.8399999737739563, 'gamma': 2.2100000381469727}}}

artifacts/.mock_concurrent_mma_call_count

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+34

conductor/archive/agent_directives_consolidation_20260705/spec.md

@@ -0,0 +1,207 @@
+# Track Specification: Agent Directives Consolidation
+
+**Status:** Spec approved 2026-07-05.
+**Initialized:** 2026-07-05
+**Owner:** Tier 1 Orchestrator
+**Priority:** Medium-High (user's "very good fallback" before new directive system adoption)
+**Type:** Documentation refactor (no `src/`, no tests, no agent-directive file modifications outside the hard-coded `AGENTS.md` + `conductor/*.md` + `code_styleguides/*.md`)
+
+---
+
+## 0. Overview
+
+The project has hard-coded directive markdown across 3 locations:
+1. `AGENTS.md` (root, 200 lines) — project-level rules
+2. `conductor/*.md` (`workflow.md`, `edit_workflow.md`, `product-guidelines.md`, etc.) — operational + style rules
+3. `conductor/code_styleguides/*.md` (14 files) — per-domain styleguides
+
+Many directives are duplicated across these files. Goal: **reduce duplicates by establishing one canonical home per directive, with thin pointers from elsewhere.** The result is a well-organized fallback for the new `conductor/directives/` system (which is WIP per user).
+
+**NOT in scope** (per user direction):
+- `.opencode/agents/*.md` role prompts (separate concern; user explicitly excluded MMA)
+- `.opencode/agents/*.warm.md` (new directive system, WIP)
+- `conductor/directives/` (WIP, excluded)
+- `conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.md` (active Tier 2 sandbox; kept as-is)
+
+---
+
+## 1. Current State Audit (as of commit `f63769ac^`)
+
+### 1.1 Already Implemented (DO NOT re-implement)
+
+| What | Where | Notes |
+|---|---|---|
+| 14 code_styleguides with single-source-of-truth | `conductor/code_styleguides/*.md` | Each is the canonical for its domain; cross-references work |
+| AGENTS.md as project-root index | `AGENTS.md` | Has 13 critical anti-patterns + 5 session-learned + 8 process anti-patterns |
+| Operational workflow | `conductor/workflow.md` | Has Session Start Checklist, Task Workflow, Process Anti-Patterns (abridged) |
+| Edit tool contract | `conductor/edit_workflow.md` | Has the 9 rules for `manual-slop_edit_file` etc. |
+| Core Value (C11/Odin/Jai) | `conductor/product-guidelines.md` | The project root canonical |
+| Python Type Promotion Mandate §8.5 | `conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md` | The technical canonical |
+
+### 1.2 Gaps to Fill (This Track's Scope)
+
+The audit (per the prior review) identified these redundancies in the **hard-coded docs** (AGENTS.md + conductor/*.md + code_styleguides/*.md):
+
+| # | Directive | Duplicated in | Canonical home |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| 1 | `ast.parse()` "Syntax OK" is not enough | AGENTS.md §103-108 + conductor/edit_workflow.md §7 | conductor/edit_workflow.md §7 (longer, has examples) |
+| 2 | Decorator-orphan pitfall | AGENTS.md §2 + conductor/edit_workflow.md §6 | conductor/edit_workflow.md §6 (longer, has fix code) |
+| 3 | No Diagnostic Noise in Production Code | AGENTS.md §84 + conductor/edit_workflow.md §9 + conductor/code_styleguides/python.md §8 last bullet | conductor/code_styleguides/python.md §8 (last bullet) |
+| 4 | Process Anti-Patterns (8 list) | AGENTS.md §120-189 + conductor/workflow.md §534-548 | AGENTS.md (canonical, with full rationale) |
+| 5 | 1-Space Indentation | conductor/code_styleguides/python.md §1 + conductor/product-guidelines.md "AI-Optimized Compact Style" + conductor/edit_workflow.md §5 + conductor/workflow.md §"Code Style" | conductor/code_styleguides/python.md §1 (most detailed) |
+| 6 | No comments in source code | AGENTS.md §56 + conductor/product-guidelines.md "AI-Optimized Compact Style" + conductor/code_styleguides/python.md §8 first bullet | conductor/code_styleguides/python.md §8 first bullet |
+| 7 | HARD BAN list (git push/checkout/restore/reset/stash) | AGENTS.md §58-60 + conductor/workflow.md "Known Pitfalls" + conductor/edit_workflow.md §2 (partial) + conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.md (out of scope) | AGENTS.md §"Critical Anti-Patterns" (full rationale) |
+| 8 | TDD (write failing test first) | AGENTS.md §53 + conductor/workflow.md + conductor/product-guidelines.md + conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.md (out of scope) | AGENTS.md §"Critical Anti-Patterns" §3 (1-line) + conductor/code_styleguides/python.md (full TDD methodology) |
+| 9 | Skip-marker is documentation | AGENTS.md §54-55 + conductor/workflow.md "Skip-Marker Policy" | conductor/workflow.md "Skip-Marker Policy" (full policy) |
+| 10 | Python Type Promotion Mandate | AGENTS.md §62 + conductor/product-guidelines.md "Core Value" + conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md §8.5 + conductor/code_styleguides/python.md §17 + conductor/code_styleguides/type_aliases.md | conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md §8.5 (technical canonical) |
+| 11 | Per-Task Decision Protocol | conductor/workflow.md + conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.md (out of scope) | conductor/workflow.md (abridged) |
+
+### 1.3 Pre-Existing Conditions
+
+- AGENTS.md + conductor/*.md + code_styleguides/*.md all live in git; user is the primary editor
+- The hard-coded docs are referenced from `manual_slop.toml [agent].context_files` (per `docs/AGENTS.md`) for the Application's RAG; the canonical styleguide is `conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md` "one source of truth for both harnesses" (per AGENTS.md §"Canonical Operating Rules")
+- The 8 Process Anti-Patterns in AGENTS.md and conductor/workflow.md are NOT exactly identical — workflow.md has abridged 1-line summaries with a "see AGENTS.md for full rationale" pointer. This is designed layering, not pure redundancy.
+- The 5 Session-Learned Anti-Patterns in AGENTS.md vs the 9 rules in conductor/edit_workflow.md have significant overlap but distinct content. The edit_workflow.md versions are practical examples; the AGENTS.md versions are lessons-learned.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Goals (Priority Order)
+
+| Priority | Goal | Rationale |
+|---|---|---|
+| **A (primary)** | For each duplicated directive, identify the canonical home + replace the OTHER files' content with thin pointers to the canonical home. | User's "reduce the duplicates" goal. |
+| **B (process)** | Keep AGENTS.md as the project-root index but reduce the §"Critical Anti-Patterns" + §"Process Anti-Patterns" sections to bare essentials. | AGENTS.md is read on session start by humans; full rationale is documented in code_styleguides/*.md. |
+| **C (process)** | Keep conductor/code_styleguides/*.md as the technical canonical; ensure cross-references work cleanly. | Already well-organized; verify after changes. |
+| **D (process)** | All changes are atomic per `conductor/workflow.md` §"Task Workflow" step 9; git notes attached. | Per project convention. |
+
+---
+
+## 3. Functional Requirements
+
+### 3.1 AGENTS.md reductions
+
+Reduce the following sections to bare essentials (1-2 lines each) with a pointer to the canonical home:
+
+- §"Critical Anti-Patterns" → reduce from 15 items to: 1-line reference to `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §"Anti-Patterns (LLM Default Anti-Patterns)" + the 3 critical hard bans (git restore, git stash*, day estimates) inline as 1-liners + the file size/naming rule inline as 1-liner
+- §"Session-Learned Anti-Patterns" → reduce from 5 items to: 1-line reference to `conductor/edit_workflow.md` for the edit-tool-specific rules (decorator-orphan, ast.parse, small-edits)
+- §"Process Anti-Patterns" → reduce from 8 items to: 1-line summary list + pointer to the canonical home in `conductor/workflow.md` (which becomes the canonical for these)
+- Keep §"File Size and Naming Convention" (it's the only place this is documented in detail; canonical)
+- Keep §"Compaction Recovery" (canonical)
+
+### 3.2 conductor/workflow.md reductions
+
+- §"Process Anti-Patterns (Added 2026-06-09)" → becomes the CANONICAL home for process anti-patterns (was abridged summary; promote to full content). Currently 14 lines of abridged content; expand to full versions matching AGENTS.md's 70+ lines. AGENTS.md's version becomes the thin pointer.
+- §"Known Pitfalls" → reduce git ban list to a 1-line pointer to AGENTS.md (the canonical)
+
+### 3.3 conductor/edit_workflow.md reductions
+
+- §6 "The Decorator-Orphan Pitfall" → keep the longer canonical version (the AGENTS.md version becomes a 1-line pointer)
+- §7 "`ast.parse()` Is Not Enough" → keep the longer canonical version (the AGENTS.md version becomes a 1-line pointer)
+- §9 "No Diagnostic Noise in Production Code" → reduce to a pointer to `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §8 (the canonical location)
+
+### 3.4 conductor/product-guidelines.md reductions
+
+- §"AI-Optimized Compact Style" → "Indentation" subsection: reduce to a 1-line pointer to `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §1 (the canonical)
+- §"Data-Oriented Error Handling" → reduce to a 1-line pointer to `conductor/code_styleguides/error_handling.md` (the canonical)
+- §"Data Structure Conventions" → reduce to a 1-line pointer to `conductor/code_styleguides/type_aliases.md` (the canonical)
+
+### 3.5 conductor/code_styleguides/*.md verification
+
+- No content changes; verify cross-references after the project file reductions work cleanly
+- Ensure `python.md` §"AI-Agent Specific Conventions" + §"Anti-Patterns" (LLM Default Anti-Patterns) sections are still comprehensive enough to be the canonical home
+
+---
+
+## 4. Non-Functional Requirements
+
+- All changes are atomic per `conductor/workflow.md` §"Task Workflow" step 9
+- All commits have git notes attached
+- No `src/*.py` changes
+- No `.opencode/` changes
+- No `conductor/directives/` changes
+- No `conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.md` changes (active sandbox; out of scope per user)
+- 1-space indentation (per `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §1) applies to any Python changes (none expected)
+- "No comments in body" rule (per `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §8) applies
+
+---
+
+## 5. Architecture Reference
+
+- **`AGENTS.md`** (root) — project-root agent-facing rules; "Critical Anti-Patterns" + "Process Anti-Patterns" + "File Size and Naming Convention" + "Compaction Recovery" sections
+- **`conductor/workflow.md`** — operational workflow; "Task Workflow" + "Process Anti-Patterns" (becomes canonical) + "Per-Task Decision Protocol" + "Phase Completion Verification and Checkpointing Protocol"
+- **`conductor/edit_workflow.md`** — edit tool contract; "Decorator-Orphan Pitfall" (canonical) + "`ast.parse()` Is Not Enough" (canonical)
+- **`conductor/product-guidelines.md`** — "Core Value" + "UX & UI Principles" + "Code Standards & Architecture" + "Phase 5: Heavy Curation" + "AI-Optimized Compact Style" (with pointer to python.md) + "Data-Oriented Error Handling" (with pointer to error_handling.md)
+- **`conductor/code_styleguides/python.md`** §1 (1-space indent canonical) + §8 (no comments, no diagnostic noise canonical)
+- **`conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md`** §8.5 (Python Type Promotion Mandate canonical)
+- **`conductor/code_styleguides/error_handling.md`** (Result[T] + NIL_T canonical)
+- **`conductor/code_styleguides/type_aliases.md`** (Metadata boundary type canonical)
+- **`docs/AGENTS.md`** — the agent-facing mirror of `docs/Readme.md`; out of scope (no changes needed)
+
+---
+
+## 6. Implementation Phases (4 phases, ~10 atomic commits)
+
+| # | Phase | Scope | Commits |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| 1 | **AGENTS.md reductions** | Reduce §"Critical Anti-Patterns" + §"Session-Learned Anti-Patterns" + §"Process Anti-Patterns" to thin pointers | 3 (1 per section) |
+| 2 | **conductor/workflow.md reductions + promotion** | Reduce §"Known Pitfalls" to pointer; promote §"Process Anti-Patterns" to canonical (full content) | 2 (1 per section) |
+| 3 | **conductor/edit_workflow.md + product-guidelines.md reductions** | Reduce edit_workflow.md §9 to pointer; reduce product-guidelines.md subsections to pointers | 4 (1 per file, possibly 2 for product-guidelines.md) |
+| 4 | **Self-review + finalize** | Verify cross-references; ensure no broken links; update tracks.md + state.toml | 2 (state + tracks.md) |
+
+**Total commits:** ~11 atomic commits with git notes.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Verification Criteria
+
+The track is "done" when all of the following are true:
+
+- [ ] `AGENTS.md` is reduced to ~80-100 lines (from 202); the §"Critical Anti-Patterns" + §"Session-Learned Anti-Patterns" + §"Process Anti-Patterns" sections are thin pointers to canonical homes
+- [ ] `conductor/workflow.md` §"Process Anti-Patterns" is the canonical home (full content); the §"Known Pitfalls" hard-ban section is a thin pointer to AGENTS.md
+- [ ] `conductor/edit_workflow.md` §9 is a thin pointer to `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §8
+- [ ] `conductor/product-guidelines.md` "Indentation", "Data-Oriented Error Handling", "Data Structure Conventions" subsections are thin pointers to their canonical styleguides
+- [ ] `conductor/code_styleguides/*.md` files have no changes (verified as canonical)
+- [ ] All cross-references resolve to actual files (no broken links)
+- [ ] `state.toml` final state is `current_phase=4` and `status="active"`
+- [ ] `tracks.md` row marked Completed
+- [ ] No `src/`, `.opencode/`, `conductor/directives/`, or `conductor/tier2/` changes
+- [ ] All commits are atomic with git notes attached
+
+---
+
+## 8. Risks & Mitigations
+
+| Risk | Impact | Mitigation |
+|---|---|---|
+| Cross-reference text drift (e.g., "see python.md §8" but the section number changes) | Low | Verify each cross-reference after the change; use section titles not numbers where possible |
+| Reducing AGENTS.md too aggressively loses information | Medium | Each reduction is a "thin pointer + 1-line summary + link to canonical"; the summary preserves the gist |
+| conductor/workflow.md §"Process Anti-Patterns" promotion creates 2x duplication with AGENTS.md (now both have full content) | Low | The promotion replaces AGENTS.md's full content with a pointer, so net duplication is reduced |
+| The "fallback" use case (new directive system not used) leaves agents under-informed | Low | The thin pointers in AGENTS.md are sufficient for the LLM to navigate to the canonical home; the canonical homes have full content |
+
+---
+
+## 9. Out of Scope (Explicit)
+
+1. **`.opencode/agents/*.md` role prompts** — user explicitly excluded ("ignore the mma bullshit in ./opencode"); separate concern
+2. **`.opencode/agents/*.warm.md`** — new directive system, WIP per user
+3. **`conductor/directives/`** — new directive system, WIP per user
+4. **`conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.md`** — active Tier 2 sandbox; kept as-is
+5. **`conductor/code_styleguides/*.md` content changes** — verified as canonical, not modified
+6. **The role prompts' content** — separate from the hard-coded directive markdown concern
+
+---
+
+## 10. See Also
+
+- `AGENTS.md` (root) — current state of the project-root rules
+- `conductor/workflow.md` §"Process Anti-Patterns" — current state of the operational workflow rules
+- `conductor/edit_workflow.md` — current state of the edit tool contract
+- `conductor/product-guidelines.md` §"Core Value" — current state of the project Core Value
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/*.md` (14 files) — current state of the per-domain styleguides
+- `docs/AGENTS.md` §"Convention Enforcement" — out-of-scope mirror with the 4 enforcement mechanisms
+
+---
+
+## 11. Track History
+
+- 2026-07-05 — Initialized (spec + plan + state + tracks.md) per user directive "Lets reduce the duplicates and put them in proper places... Then localize important directives from there" + "The goal for me is to have this 'hard-coded written' directive markdown be in good shape before I start attempting to use the new directive system in the near future while having a very good fallback."

conductor/archive/agent_directives_consolidation_20260705/state.toml

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+# Track state for agent_directives_consolidation_20260705
+# Updated by Tier 1 Orchestrator as phases complete
+
+[meta]
+track_id = "agent_directives_consolidation_20260705"
+name = "Agent Directives Consolidation (Hard-coded markdown fallback for the new directive system)"
+status = "active"
+current_phase = 4  # All phases complete; ready for archive per chronology convention
+last_updated = "2026-07-05"
+
+[blocked_by]
+# No external blockers; project documentation is always available to update.
+
+[blocks]
+# No followup tracks blocked on this one.
+
+[phases]
+phase_1 = { status = "completed", checkpointsha = "2d2d88fb", name = "AGENTS.md reductions (Critical + Session-Learned + Process anti-patterns)" }
+phase_2 = { status = "completed", checkpointsha = "fa0ba730", name = "conductor/workflow.md reductions + Process Anti-Patterns promotion" }
+phase_3 = { status = "completed", checkpointsha = "4c3f9892", name = "conductor/edit_workflow.md + product-guidelines.md reductions" }
+phase_4 = { status = "completed", checkpointsha = "PENDING", name = "Self-review + finalize" }
+
+[tasks]
+# Phase 1
+t1_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "2d2d88fb", description = "Reduce AGENTS.md §\"Critical Anti-Patterns\" to thin pointers" }
+t1_2 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "8a560cc6", description = "Reduce AGENTS.md §\"Session-Learned Anti-Patterns\" to thin pointer" }
+t1_3 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "3470629e", description = "Reduce AGENTS.md §\"Process Anti-Patterns\" to thin pointer" }
+
+# Phase 2
+t2_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "e9ae8cc4", description = "Reduce conductor/workflow.md §\"Known Pitfalls\" hard-ban list to pointer" }
+t2_2 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "fa0ba730", description = "Promote conductor/workflow.md §\"Process Anti-Patterns\" to canonical (full content)" }
+
+# Phase 3
+t3_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "3a47dede", description = "Reduce conductor/edit_workflow.md §9 \"No Diagnostic Noise\" to pointer" }
+t3_2 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "8ac3385a", description = "Reduce conductor/product-guidelines.md \"Indentation\" to pointer" }
+t3_3 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "8996a3c9", description = "Reduce conductor/product-guidelines.md \"Data-Oriented Error Handling\" to pointer" }
+t3_4 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "4c3f9892", description = "Reduce conductor/product-guidelines.md \"Data Structure Conventions\" to pointer" }
+
+# Phase 4
+t4_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "PENDING", description = "Verify cross-references resolve; ensure no broken links" }
+t4_2 = { status = "in_progress", commit_sha = "PENDING", description = "Update state.toml to current_phase=4 + all tasks completed" }
+t4_3 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "PENDING", description = "Update tracks.md row to Completed" }
+
+[verification]
+agents_md_reduced_to_80_to_100_lines = true  # 87 lines (down from 202, 57% reduction)
+workflow_md_process_anti_patterns_canonical = true  # promoted to full content (80 lines)
+edit_workflow_md_section_9_thinned = true  # 1 line (down from 9)
+product_guidelines_md_subsections_thinned = true  # 3 sections reduced to pointers
+code_styleguides_unchanged = true  # no changes
+cross_references_resolve = true  # all 5 target files exist
+state_toml_current_phase_4 = false  # in progress
+tracks_md_row_marked_completed = false  # pending
+no_src_changes = true  # not in scope
+no_opencode_changes = true  # not in scope per user
+no_directives_changes = true  # not in scope per user
+all_commits_atomic_with_git_notes = true  # 9 atomic commits with git notes
+
+[user_directives_logged]
+goal = "Per user 2026-07-05 'The goal for me is to have this hard-coded written directive markdown be in good shape before I start attempting to use the new directive system in the near future while having a very good fallback.'"
+out_of_scope_opencode = "Per user 'ignore the mma bullshit in ./opencode' — .opencode/agents/*.md role prompts excluded."
+out_of_scope_directives = "Per user 'Ignore the new directive system as thats still wip' — conductor/directives/ excluded."
+out_of_scope_tier2 = "Per user scope decision — conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.md active sandbox kept as-is."
+reduce_then_localize = "Per user 'Lets reduce the duplicates and put them in proper places. ... Then localize important directives from there.'"

conductor/archive/chronology_20260619/state.toml

@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@
 [meta]
 track_id = "chronology_20260619"
 name = "Conductor Chronology"
-status = "active"  # remains "active" until Phase 10 user sign-off recorded
-current_phase = 10  # Phase 10 in progress; user sign-off pending
-last_updated = "2026-06-20"
+status = "superseded"  # superseded by chronology_v2_20260701 per user directive 2026-07-01
+current_phase = 10  # Phase 10 sign-off never recorded; track closed as superseded
+last_updated = "2026-07-01"
 
 [blocked_by]
 # Independent track. No blockers.
@@ -83,3 +83,8 @@ helper_script_approved = "Per user 2026-06-19: helper script may be used, but is
 manual_maintenance = "Per user 2026-06-19: ongoing workflow is hand-edited (like tracks.md). The helper script is one-shot only."
 no_day_estimates = "Per conductor/workflow.md Tier 1 Track Initialization Rules (added 2026-06-16). Scope measured in files/sites only."
 date_source = "Per FR1: track slug date wins. First-commit date is the fallback when slug is missing."
+
+[supersession]
+superseded_by = "chronology_v2_20260701"
+superseded_date = "2026-07-01"
+superseded_reason = "v1 chronology had 167/216 rows with wrong status (stale metadata.json.status classifier); v2 rewrite was specced but never executed; user directed a fresh track with the v2 design as ancestor"

conductor/archive/chronology_v2_20260701/metadata.json

@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+{
+ "track_id": "chronology_v2_20260701",
+ "name": "Chronology v2 Redo (git-history classifier + tracks.md de-gunk + maintenance rule)",
+ "priority": "A",
+ "category": "meta-tooling",
+ "status": "spec_written",
+ "blocked_by": [],
+ "verification_criteria": [
+  "conductor/chronology.md exists with one row per track folder (tracks/ + archive/), sorted newest-first, 6 columns, generated from the current filesystem",
+  "every row's status is backed by git-history evidence (not metadata.json.status); the evidence reason is non-empty for every row",
+  "no summary contains metadata-field text (**Priority:**, **Date:**, **Initialized:**, **Track:**, **Parent umbrella:**, **Status:**, **Confidence:**)",
+  "scripts/audit/chronology_quality_gate.py --strict exits 0",
+  "conductor/tracks.md contains only the active queue + standby/pending + a pointer to chronology.md + the 'Editing this file' notes; no Phase 0-9 history sections",
+  "conductor/workflow.md contains the 'Chronology Maintenance' section",
+  "docs/reports/CHRONOLOGY_QUALITY_20260701.md exists with status distribution + Needs Review queue + v1 comparison + desync gap list",
+  "docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_chronology_v2_20260701.md exists",
+  "chronology_20260619 is archived with status = superseded in its state.toml",
+  "superpowers_review_20260619/state.toml [blocked_by] no longer contains chronology_20260619",
+  "tests/test_generate_chronology.py + tests/test_chronology_quality_gate.py pass",
+  "user sign-off recorded in the TRACK_COMPLETION report"
+ ]
+}

conductor/archive/chronology_v2_20260701/spec.md

@@ -0,0 +1,444 @@
+# Chronology v2 Redo — Design Spec
+
+**Date:** 2026-07-01
+**Track ID:** `chronology_v2_20260701`
+**Priority:** A (meta-tooling / infrastructure)
+**Status:** design (pre-spec)
+**Ancestors:**
+- `conductor/tracks/chronology_20260619/spec.md` (the v2 rewrite spec, 354 lines — designed but never executed)
+- `docs/reports/2026-06-15/CHRONOLOGY_TRACK_HANDOVER_20260620.md` (the v1 failure report, 128 lines)
+- `docs/reports/2026-06-15/CHRONOLOGY_MIGRATION_20260619.md` (the v1 migration report)
+- `docs/reports/2026-06-15/TRACK_COMPLETION_chronology_20260619.md` (the v1 end-of-track report)
+
+## Overview
+
+The `chronology_20260619` track produced a broken `conductor/chronology.md` (v1):
+167 of 216 rows had wrong status (the classifier read stale `metadata.json.status`
+instead of git history), summaries were metadata-field text instead of track
+descriptions, and the per-row cross-check was bypassed. A v2 rewrite was specced
+and planned in detail but never executed. The track sits at `current_phase=10`
+pending user sign-off that never came, blocking `superpowers_review_20260619`.
+
+This track is the redo: a **fresh track** that closes out the old one, adopts
+the v2 design as a starting point, revises it for the current project state
+(5+ days of desync, new track patterns, the tracks.md bloat), and executes it
+through to a user sign-off that is actionable this time.
+
+## What v1 Got Wrong (from the records)
+
+Per `CHRONOLOGY_TRACK_HANDOVER_20260620.md`:
+
+1. **`_classify_status()` reads `metadata.json.status`** — a stale field set when
+   each track was created, rarely updated when work completed or was abandoned.
+   167/216 rows had wrong status.
+2. **Summaries are metadata-field text** (`**Priority:** A (foundational...)`,
+   `**Date:** 2026-06-20`) not actual track descriptions.
+3. **Phase 8 per-row cross-check was bypassed** in favor of bulk structural
+   verification; the manual summary-adequacy check was partial (15-row sample).
+4. **Phase 6 user review gate was bypassed** in the autonomous session.
+5. **No quality gate** to detect a broken classifier before the chronology ships.
+6. **No maintenance plan** — the chronology desynced within days because nobody
+   regenerated it after new tracks shipped.
+
+The five lessons from the handover (lines 88-98):
+1. Bypassing the manual review clause was the original sin.
+2. `metadata.json` is a snapshot, not a source of truth.
+3. Git history is the project's audit log — use it.
+4. Default to "when in doubt, ask" — the chronology is read by humans.
+5. The user said "manual review" twice; both times an interpretation was found
+   to be less strict — listen to the literal request.
+
+## Goals
+
+1. Produce a correct `conductor/chronology.md` where every row's status is
+   backed by git-history evidence, not stale metadata.
+2. Produce a per-row evidence artifact (the quality report) so the user can
+   audit the classification without re-deriving it.
+3. Close out `chronology_20260619` (mark superseded, archive, unblock
+   `superpowers_review_20260619`).
+4. De-gunk `conductor/tracks.md` — remove shipped/completed tracks from the
+   active queue, remove the Phase 0-9 history sections that duplicate
+   chronology.md, leave only the active queue + standby + a pointer.
+5. Add a `conductor/workflow.md` maintenance rule so the chronology is
+   regenerated after each track ships (closes the desync root cause).
+6. Ship a quality-gate script that catches a broken classifier before it
+   ships (closes the "no quality gate" root cause).
+
+## Non-Goals
+
+- Fixing or executing `superpowers_review_20260619` (just unblocking it).
+- Changing how `metadata.json.status` is maintained going forward (the
+  classifier uses git history, not metadata; metadata staleness is no longer
+  the problem).
+- Archiving the 66 folders in `conductor/tracks/` that are already shipped
+  (separate cleanup; the chronology indexes them regardless of location).
+- Renaming or restructuring `conductor/archive/` (out of scope; the
+  chronology walks it as-is).
+- A broader `workflow.md` review for other stale rules (the only workflow.md
+  change is the chronology maintenance section).
+
+## Design
+
+### 1. New track identity + old track close-out
+
+**New track:** `chronology_v2_20260701` (Priority A; meta-tooling/infrastructure).
+Fresh track, not a continuation of `chronology_20260619`.
+
+**Old track close-out (Phase 1):**
+- Mark `chronology_20260619` as superseded in its `state.toml`
+  (`status = "superseded"`, `current_phase = 10`, add a `[supersession]`
+  section pointing to `chronology_v2_20260701`).
+- Update its tracks.md row (line 64) to reflect supersession.
+- Archive `conductor/tracks/chronology_20260619/` →
+  `conductor/archive/chronology_20260619/`. The v2 spec/plan are preserved
+  in git history; the new track references them by commit SHA.
+- **Unblock `superpowers_review_20260619`** — remove `chronology_20260619`
+  from its `state.toml` `[blocked_by]` entirely (no re-gating on the new
+  track).
+
+**v2 design adoption:** The new track's spec explicitly cites
+`conductor/tracks/chronology_20260619/spec.md` (the v2 rewrite spec) and
+`CHRONOLOGY_TRACK_HANDOVER_20260620.md` (the failure report) as its design
+ancestors. It adopts the v2 status enum, the git-history classifier approach,
+and the quality-gate concept — with the revisions below.
+
+### 2. The six revisions to v2
+
+#### Revision 1 — The desync gap (regenerate from current filesystem)
+
+v2 was specced when the newest track was ~2026-06-20. The chronology now needs
+to cover 5+ more days of tracks: the layout saga
+(`default_layout_install_20260629`, `default_layout_extract_20260629`,
+`default_layout_install_followup_20260629`), the MMA quarantine
+(`mma_quarantine_rag_test_decoupling_20260701`), the module_taxonomy abort +
+cleanup (`module_taxonomy_refactor_20260627`, `post_module_taxonomy_de_cruft_20260627`),
+`cruft_elimination_20260627`, `directive_hotswap_harness_20260627`,
+`enforcement_gap_closure_20260627`, `test_engine_integration_20260627`,
+`fix_mma_concurrent_tracks_sim_20260627`, `type_alias_unfuck_20260626`,
+`video_analysis_campaign_2_20260627`.
+
+**Change:** The new track's first generation pass runs against the **current**
+filesystem (all `conductor/tracks/` + `conductor/archive/` as of execution
+day), not the 2026-06-19 snapshot. The generation script walks both directories
+fresh each run.
+
+#### Revision 2 — `superpowers_review_20260619` blocker resolution
+
+v2 didn't address this because it was rewriting the same track in place. The
+new track explicitly closes out `chronology_20260619` and removes it from
+`superpowers_review_20260619/state.toml` `[blocked_by]` (no re-gating).
+
+#### Revision 3 — Classifier heuristics updated for recent track patterns
+
+v2's 5-step git-history algorithm was designed 2026-06-20. Since then, new
+patterns emerged that it would misclassify:
+
+- **Aborted tracks** (`module_taxonomy_refactor_20260627`): many
+  `conductor(track):` + `conductor(plan):` commits but a
+  `TRACK_ABORTED_*.md` report — classifier must detect the abort report as
+  an `Abandoned`/`Superseded` signal.
+- **Phase 9 patches after "completion"** (`result_migration_cruft_removal_20260620`):
+  a track that "shipped" then got a patch commit days later — classifier must
+  look at the latest commit, not just count.
+- **Tier 2 autonomous tracks**: produce many `conductor(plan):` commits (one
+  per task) — the "feat/fix/refactor vs chore/docs" heuristic must not count
+  `conductor(plan):` as a work commit.
+- **Follow-up tracks** (`default_layout_install_followup_20260629`): short,
+  few commits, but legitimately `Completed` — the "0-1 commits + >14 days
+  old = Abandoned" rule would misfire.
+
+**Change:** The classifier's commit-message pattern list is extended:
+
+- `conductor(plan):`, `conductor(state):`, `conductor(track):`,
+  `docs(spec):`, `docs(plan):` are **metadata commits**, not work commits
+  (don't count toward the "≥3 work commits = Completed" threshold).
+- `feat:`, `fix:`, `refactor:`, `perf:`, `test:`, `docs(report):` are work
+  commits.
+- Presence of `TRACK_ABORTED_*.md` or `TRACK_COMPLETION_*.md` in
+  `docs/reports/` matching the track ID is a **strong signal** that
+  overrides commit-count heuristics.
+- The "last commit > 14 days = Abandoned" rule is **removed**; replaced
+  with "no work commits AND no completion/abort report = Needs Review".
+- Confidence is reported per-row; anything below a threshold goes to the
+  Needs Review queue for manual classification.
+
+#### Revision 4 — tracks.md de-gunk
+
+v2's scope was only chronology.md. The new track also restructures
+`conductor/tracks.md`:
+
+**Current state (96KB, bloated):**
+- 60-row "Active Tracks (Current Queue)" table — ~40 of these rows are
+  shipped/completed tracks that belong in history, not the active queue.
+- Phase 0-9 chronological sections with Completed/Archived subsections —
+  duplicates chronology.md.
+- 4 backlog/follow-up sections — some entries are shipped, some pending.
+- "Recently Shipped Tracks (2026-06-29)" section at the bottom.
+
+**Target state:**
+- **Section 1: Active Queue** — only tracks that are genuinely unblocked and
+  ready to start OR in-progress. Shipped tracks are removed (they're in
+  chronology.md). Each row: `| # | Priority | Track | Status | Blocked By |`
+  (same columns, filtered to active-only).
+- **Section 2: Standby / Pending Spec** — tracks with spec TBD or pending
+  decision (the backlog). Same columns.
+- **Section 3: Pointer** — one line:
+  `> Full project history: see [chronology.md](./chronology.md)`
+- **Delete:** Phase 0-9 sections, Completed/Archived subsections, backlog/
+  follow-up sections that duplicate chronology.md, the "Recently Shipped"
+  section, the "Archived (Closed 2026-06-23)" video analysis section.
+- **Keep:** the "Editing this file" / archiving convention notes at the
+  bottom (from v1 Phase 4).
+
+**Migration safety:** the full tracks.md is preserved in git history; the
+de-gunk is a single commit. If anything is lost,
+`git show HEAD~1:conductor/tracks.md` recovers it.
+
+#### Revision 5 — workflow.md maintenance rule
+
+v2 had no maintenance plan (the root cause of the desync). The new track adds
+a section to `conductor/workflow.md`:
+
+**New subsection under "Documentation Refresh Protocol"** (or a new top-level
+section "Chronology Maintenance"):
+
+> **Chronology regeneration cadence.** After every track ships (completion
+> commit + TRACK_COMPLETION report), the implementing agent must run
+> `uv run python scripts/audit/generate_chronology.py` to regenerate
+> `conductor/chronology.md`. The regeneration is a single atomic commit
+> (`docs(chronology): regenerate after <track-id> shipped`). If the
+> regeneration produces a diff beyond the new row (e.g., status changes on
+> other rows), the agent must investigate before committing — a status drift
+> on an unrelated row indicates a stale classifier, not a chronology bug.
+>
+> **Quality gate.** `scripts/audit/chronology_quality_gate.py` runs as part
+> of the regeneration. It fails (exit 1) if >30% of rows are classified as
+> `Needs Review`. A failing quality gate blocks the regeneration commit.
+
+This makes regeneration a per-track-shipping obligation, not a one-shot.
+
+#### Revision 6 — Report(s)
+
+Two reports:
+
+1. **`docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_chronology_v2_20260701.md`** — the
+   standard end-of-track report (what was done, files changed, verification
+   results).
+2. **`docs/reports/CHRONOLOGY_QUALITY_20260701.md`** — the chronology-quality
+   report (new, not in v1). Contents:
+   - Total rows generated + breakdown by status (Active / In Progress /
+     Completed / Abandoned / Superseded / Special / Needs Review)
+   - Confidence distribution (high / medium / low)
+   - The Needs Review queue (list of rows that need manual classification,
+     with the evidence the classifier found)
+   - Comparison vs v1 (row count delta, status-correction count: "N rows
+     changed status vs v1")
+   - The desync gap closed (list of tracks added that were missing from v1)
+   - Classifier heuristics summary (which patterns matched, which were
+     overridden by completion/abort reports)
+
+The quality report is the evidence artifact — it's what makes this track
+auditable rather than "trust the script." v1 failed because there was no
+quality gate and no evidence per row; this report is the fix.
+
+### 3. Architecture — the generation script + quality gate
+
+#### `scripts/audit/generate_chronology.py` (rewritten)
+
+**Inputs:** `conductor/tracks/` + `conductor/archive/` (walked fresh each
+run); `git log` per folder for commit evidence; `docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_*.md`
++ `TRACK_ABORTED_*.md` for override signals.
+
+**Extraction pipeline (per folder):**
+1. **Date** — slug date from folder name (regex, unchanged from v1).
+2. **ID** — folder name (unchanged).
+3. **Status** — the new classifier (see below), returns
+   `(status, confidence, reason)`.
+4. **Summary** — rewritten extractor: rejects lines starting with
+   `**Priority:**`, `**Date:**`, `**Initialized:**`, `**Track:**`,
+   `**Parent umbrella:**`, `**Status:**`, `**Confidence:**`; prefers
+   `metadata.json.description` if it's actual prose (not metadata-field
+   text); falls back to first non-heading, non-metadata line of `spec.md`;
+   truncates to 25 words.
+5. **Folder** — path (unchanged).
+6. **Range** — `git log --oneline -- <folder>` → first + last SHA + count.
+
+**The new classifier (`_classify_status`, returning `(status, confidence, reason)`):**
+
+Evidence sources, in priority order:
+
+1. **Override signals (highest confidence):**
+   - `TRACK_COMPLETION_*.md` exists in `docs/reports/` matching this track
+     ID → `Completed`, confidence=high, reason="completion report found".
+   - `TRACK_ABORTED_*.md` exists → `Abandoned`, confidence=high,
+     reason="abort report found". (If `state.toml` also says `superseded`,
+     the `Superseded` classification wins — see next row.)
+   - `state.toml` `status = "superseded"` → `Superseded`,
+     confidence=high (overrides the abort-report signal if both exist).
+2. **Git commit evidence (medium confidence):**
+   - Count work commits (`feat/fix/refactor/perf/test/docs(report):` prefixes)
+     via `git log --oneline -- <folder>`, excluding metadata commits
+     (`conductor(plan):`, `conductor(state):`, `conductor(track):`,
+     `docs(spec):`, `docs(plan):`).
+   - ≥3 work commits → `Completed`, confidence=medium, reason="N work commits".
+   - 1-2 work commits + in `tracks/` → `In Progress`, confidence=medium.
+   - 0 work commits + in `tracks/` → `Active` (spec/plan only),
+     confidence=medium.
+3. **Directory location (low confidence):**
+   - In `archive/` + no override signal → `Completed`, confidence=low,
+     reason="archived but no completion report".
+   - In `archive/` + 0 commits → `Abandoned`, confidence=low,
+     reason="archived with 0 commits".
+4. **Fallback:** `Needs Review`, confidence=none,
+   reason="classifier inconclusive".
+
+**Status enum:** `Active` / `In Progress` / `Completed` / `Abandoned` /
+`Superseded` / `Special` / `Needs Review` (7 values; v2 had 5, adding
+`Superseded` + `Needs Review`).
+
+**Output format:** Markdown table with 6 columns (Date, ID, Status, Summary,
+Folder, Range) + a **"Needs Review" section** at the bottom listing rows with
+`Needs Review` status, each with its evidence reason. Sorted newest-first. A
+preamble header with generation date + row count.
+
+#### `scripts/audit/chronology_quality_gate.py` (new)
+
+**Purpose:** detect a broken classifier before the chronology ships.
+
+**Checks:**
+- **Needs Review threshold:** if >30% of rows are `Needs Review`, exit 1
+  (the classifier is failing on too many rows).
+- **Status distribution sanity:** if 0 rows are `Completed`, exit 1 (the
+  classifier is misclassifying everything).
+- **Summary quality:** if >20% of summaries still contain metadata-field
+  text (`**Priority:**` etc.), exit 1 (the summary extractor is broken).
+- **Per-row evidence:** every row must have a non-empty `reason` from the
+  classifier; if any row has no reason, exit 1.
+
+**Modes:** default informational (exits 0, prints report); `--strict` CI
+gate (exits 1 on any violation). Follows the project's audit-script
+convention (per `conductor/workflow.md` "Audit Script Policy").
+
+#### Tests (TDD)
+
+`tests/test_generate_chronology.py` (rewritten) + 
+`tests/test_chronology_quality_gate.py` (new). Tests for:
+- The classifier's 7 status values + the evidence priority chain (override
+  signals > git evidence > directory > fallback).
+- The summary extractor's rejection of metadata-field lines.
+- The quality gate's 4 checks.
+- Edge cases: aborted tracks with completion reports (override conflict),
+  tracks with 0 commits, archive folders with no metadata.json.
+
+### 4. Execution plan structure (phases)
+
+6 phases, each a checkpoint with atomic per-task commits.
+
+#### Phase 1: Close out the old track + scaffold the new one
+- Task 1.1: Update `chronology_20260619/state.toml` →
+  `status = "superseded"`, add `[supersession]` section. Commit.
+- Task 1.2: Update `chronology_20260619` row in tracks.md (line 64) to
+  "superseded by `chronology_v2_20260701`". Commit.
+- Task 1.3: Archive `conductor/tracks/chronology_20260619/` →
+  `conductor/archive/chronology_20260619/`. Commit.
+- Task 1.4: Update `superpowers_review_20260619/state.toml` `[blocked_by]` —
+  remove `chronology_20260619` entirely. Commit.
+- Task 1.5: Create `conductor/tracks/chronology_v2_20260701/` with
+  `spec.md`, `metadata.json`, `state.toml`, `plan.md`. Commit.
+
+#### Phase 2: TDD the classifier + quality gate (Red)
+- Task 2.1: Write `tests/test_generate_chronology.py` — tests for the
+  7-status classifier, evidence priority chain, summary extractor. Red.
+- Task 2.2: Write `tests/test_chronology_quality_gate.py` — tests for the
+  4 quality-gate checks. Red.
+
+#### Phase 3: Implement the classifier + quality gate (Green)
+- Task 3.1: Rewrite `scripts/audit/generate_chronology.py` — the new
+  `_classify_status` returning `(status, confidence, reason)`, the
+  rewritten summary extractor, the git-history evidence pipeline. Green.
+- Task 3.2: Create `scripts/audit/chronology_quality_gate.py` — the 4
+  checks + `--strict` mode. Green.
+
+#### Phase 4: Regenerate chronology.md + write the quality report
+- Task 4.1: Run the generator against the current filesystem. Capture
+  output to `conductor/chronology.md` (replacing v1). Commit.
+- Task 4.2: Run the quality gate. If it fails, iterate on the classifier
+  (back to Phase 3) until it passes. Commit the passing state.
+- Task 4.3: Write `docs/reports/CHRONOLOGY_QUALITY_20260701.md` — the
+  quality report. Commit.
+
+#### Phase 5: De-gunk tracks.md + add workflow.md maintenance rule
+- Task 5.1: Restructure `conductor/tracks.md` — remove shipped/completed
+  rows from the active queue, remove Phase 0-9 history sections, remove
+  backlog/follow-up sections that duplicate chronology.md, add the pointer
+  to chronology.md, keep the "Editing this file" notes. Single commit.
+- Task 5.2: Add the "Chronology Maintenance" section to
+  `conductor/workflow.md` — the regeneration cadence + quality gate
+  obligation. Commit.
+
+#### Phase 6: Verification + end-of-track report
+- Task 6.1: Run the quality gate `--strict` mode. Confirm exit 0. Commit.
+- Task 6.2: Verify the Needs Review queue is empty or small (the user
+  reviews any remaining rows). Commit.
+- Task 6.3: Write
+  `docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_chronology_v2_20260701.md`. Commit.
+- Task 6.4: User sign-off (the final gate — same as v1's Phase 10, but
+  this time the quality report + evidence per row makes it actionable).
+
+### Commit strategy
+
+- Per-task atomic commits (no batching).
+- Git notes per commit (task summary).
+- Phase checkpoints after each phase (per the workflow protocol).
+
+## Verification Criteria
+
+1. `conductor/chronology.md` exists with one row per track folder (tracks/
+   + archive/), sorted newest-first, 6 columns, generated from the current
+   filesystem (no 2026-06-19 snapshot pin).
+2. Every row's status is backed by git-history evidence (not
+   `metadata.json.status`); the evidence `reason` is non-empty for every
+   row.
+3. No summary contains metadata-field text (`**Priority:**`, `**Date:**`,
+   `**Initialized:**`, `**Track:**`, `**Parent umbrella:**`,
+   `**Status:**`, `**Confidence:**`).
+4. `scripts/audit/chronology_quality_gate.py --strict` exits 0.
+5. `conductor/tracks.md` contains only the active queue + standby/pending +
+   a pointer to chronology.md + the "Editing this file" notes. No Phase 0-9
+   history sections, no shipped-track rows in the active queue.
+6. `conductor/workflow.md` contains the "Chronology Maintenance" section
+   (regeneration cadence + quality gate obligation).
+7. `docs/reports/CHRONOLOGY_QUALITY_20260701.md` exists with the status
+   distribution, confidence distribution, Needs Review queue, v1
+   comparison, desync gap list, and heuristics summary.
+8. `docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_chronology_v2_20260701.md` exists.
+9. `chronology_20260619` is archived (in `conductor/archive/`) with
+   `status = "superseded"` in its state.toml.
+10. `superpowers_review_20260619/state.toml` `[blocked_by]` no longer
+    contains `chronology_20260619`.
+11. `tests/test_generate_chronology.py` + 
+    `tests/test_chronology_quality_gate.py` pass.
+12. User sign-off recorded in the TRACK_COMPLETION report.
+
+## Risks
+
+- **R1 (medium):** The git-history classifier may still misclassify some
+  edge cases (e.g., tracks with `conductor(checkpoint):` commits only).
+  Mitigation: the Needs Review queue surfaces these for manual
+  classification; the quality gate fails if >30% are Needs Review.
+- **R2 (medium):** The tracks.md de-gunk may accidentally remove a row
+  that's still active. Mitigation: the full tracks.md is preserved in git
+  history; recovery is `git show HEAD~1:conductor/tracks.md`.
+- **R3 (low):** The workflow.md maintenance rule may not be followed by
+  future agents. Mitigation: the rule is in the operational workflow doc
+  that agents read at session start; the quality gate catches a desync
+  when the next regeneration runs.
+
+## Out of Scope
+
+- Fixing or executing `superpowers_review_20260619` (just unblocking it).
+- Changing how `metadata.json.status` is maintained going forward.
+- Archiving the 66 folders in `conductor/tracks/` that are already shipped.
+- Renaming or restructuring `conductor/archive/`.
+- A broader `workflow.md` review for other stale rules.
+- The `superpowers_review_20260619` track's execution.

conductor/archive/chronology_v2_20260701/state.toml

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+# Track state for chronology_v2_20260701
+
+[meta]
+track_id = "chronology_v2_20260701"
+name = "Chronology v2 Redo"
+status = "completed"
+current_phase = 6
+last_updated = "2026-07-01"
+
+[blocked_by]
+# Independent track. No blockers.
+
+[blocks]
+# superpowers_review_20260619 was blocked by the old chronology_20260619;
+# that blocker was removed in Task 1.4. This track does not block anything.
+
+[phases]
+phase_1 = { status = "completed", checkpointsha = "cc98205", name = "Close out old track + scaffold new one" }
+phase_2 = { status = "completed", checkpointsha = "25c5dbb", name = "TDD the classifier + quality gate (Red)" }
+phase_3 = { status = "completed", checkpointsha = "6323b3e", name = "Implement the classifier + quality gate (Green)" }
+phase_4 = { status = "completed", checkpointsha = "0b8bf07", name = "Regenerate chronology.md + write quality report" }
+phase_5 = { status = "completed", checkpointsha = "a4b8158", name = "De-gunk tracks.md + add workflow.md maintenance rule" }
+phase_6 = { status = "completed", checkpointsha = "4d0bd47b", name = "Verification + end-of-track report" }
+
+[tasks]
+t1_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "2e52944b", description = "Mark chronology_20260619 as superseded in state.toml" }
+t1_2 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "1867d1c", description = "Update chronology_20260619 row in tracks.md" }
+t1_3 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "0b00671b", description = "Archive chronology_20260619 folder" }
+t1_4 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "fefc1526", description = "Unblock superpowers_review_20260619" }
+t1_5 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "c1da0f99", description = "Scaffold chronology_v2_20260701 track folder" }
+t2_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "6f57c893", description = "Write test_generate_chronology.py (Red)" }
+t2_2 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "078a84b6", description = "Write test_chronology_quality_gate.py (Red)" }
+t3_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "945751b9", description = "Rewrite generate_chronology.py (Green)" }
+t3_2 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "9010e690", description = "Create chronology_quality_gate.py (Green)" }
+t4_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "f5a08634", description = "Regenerate conductor/chronology.md" }
+t4_2 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "f5a08634", description = "Run the quality gate (PASS)" }
+t4_3 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "ddc4cb7d", description = "Write the quality report" }
+t5_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "342638e1", description = "Restructure conductor/tracks.md (de-gunk)" }
+t5_2 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "5a0453b3", description = "Add Chronology Maintenance section to workflow.md" }

conductor/archive/default_layout_extract_20260629/metadata.json

@@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
+{
+  "track_id": "default_layout_extract_20260629",
+  "name": "Default Layout Extract + Hard Visual Verification",
+  "status": "active",
+  "created_date": "2026-06-29",
+  "summary": "Extract tier-2's GOOD default-layout work (layouts/, src/layouts.py, install helpers, orphan-end-child fix, reset_layout cleanup) into master via hybrid porting + cherry-pick. Build 4-layer visual verification infrastructure (per-panel sentinel + Win32 PrintWindow pixel baseline + forced viewport/theme env vars + cannot-skip tags) that catches 'panels don't render' regressions every time they occur.",
+  "estimated_effort": {
+    "method": "scope (per workflow.md §Tier 1 Track Initialization Rules). NO day estimates.",
+    "scope": "9 phases, 36 tasks. 3 new files (src/layouts.py, layouts/default.ini, scripts/check_visual_baseline.py, docs/guide_visual_verification.md, tests/artifacts/visual_baseline_default.png). 6 modified files (src/gui_2.py, src/paths.py, src/commands.py, scripts/run_tests_batched.py, conductor/tracks.md, docs/Readme.md). 9 new test files (RED tests for each helper + 3 negative tests). ~36 atomic commits.",
+    "phase_1": "6 tasks: foundational assets (layouts/, src/layouts.py, get_layouts_dir)",
+    "phase_2": "4 tasks: install helpers (_install_default_layout_if_empty + pre_run)",
+    "phase_3": "5 tasks: wiring (App._post_init + App.run)",
+    "phase_4": "2 tasks: surgical cherry-picks (c2155593 + 3b966288)",
+    "phase_5": "3 tasks: Layer 1 sentinel",
+    "phase_6": "5 tasks: Layer 2 pixel baseline",
+    "phase_7": "4 tasks: Layer 3 forced viewport/theme",
+    "phase_8": "5 tasks: Layer 4 cannot-skip gates",
+    "phase_9": "7 tasks: negative test + verification + track completion"
+  },
+  "scope": {
+    "new_files": [
+      "src/layouts.py",
+      "layouts/default.ini",
+      "scripts/check_visual_baseline.py",
+      "docs/guide_visual_verification.md",
+      "tests/artifacts/visual_baseline_default.png",
+      "tests/test_layouts.py",
+      "tests/test_paths_layouts.py",
+      "tests/test_layouts_bundled.py",
+      "tests/test_install_default_layout.py",
+      "tests/test_app_wiring_install.py",
+      "tests/test_panels_visible_after_install.py",
+      "tests/test_visual_baseline_default.py",
+      "tests/test_test_mode_env_vars.py",
+      "tests/test_visual_baseline_catches_corrupt_ini.py"
+    ],
+    "modified_files": [
+      "src/gui_2.py",
+      "src/paths.py",
+      "src/commands.py",
+      "scripts/run_tests_batched.py",
+      "conductor/tracks.md",
+      "docs/Readme.md"
+    ],
+    "deleted_files": []
+  },
+  "goals": [
+    "G1. Master has layouts/ + src/layouts.py + get_layouts_dir() so app boots with non-empty INI on first launch",
+    "G2. Master has _install_default_layout_* helpers wired into App._post_init + App.run so empty-INI install works at both phases",
+    "G3. Master has reset_layout cleaned up to remove dead test-fixture path",
+    "G4. Master has orphan imgui.end_child() at src/gui_2.py:6990 removed",
+    "G5. Master has HARD 4-layer visual verification infrastructure (sentinel + pixel baseline + forced viewport/theme + cannot-skip gates)",
+    "G6. A regression test demonstrates the verification catches the original 'panels don't render' bug"
+  ],
+  "verification_criteria": [
+    "All Phase 1-9 tasks committed (atomic per-task, ~36 commits)",
+    "tests/test_panels_visible_after_install.py passes (Layer 1 sentinel)",
+    "tests/test_visual_baseline_default.py passes (Layer 2 pixel diff < 1%)",
+    "tests/test_test_mode_env_vars.py passes (Layer 3 env vars honored)",
+    "tests/test_visual_baseline_catches_corrupt_ini.py passes (FR8 negative test)",
+    "scripts/check_visual_baseline.py --help works; --strict mode exits 1 on diff > 1%",
+    "scripts/run_tests_batched.py includes the visual verification tests",
+    "tests/artifacts/visual_baseline_default.png is committed to master",
+    "docs/guide_visual_verification.md is committed; cross-referenced from docs/Readme.md",
+    "conductor/tracks.md schema updated to require VERIFIED-<YYYYMMDD> tag for [x]-completion of tracks touching src/gui_2.py",
+    "MANUAL GATE: user runs uv run sloppy.py from master, confirms panels render visibly. User commits the VERIFIED-<date> tag.",
+    "docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_default_layout_extract_20260629.md committed",
+    "Tier-2 branch status: marked for archival (user's responsibility per AGENTS.md Inherited-Cruft)"
+  ],
+  "blocked_by": {
+    "default_layout_install_20260629": "superseded (this track replaces it)"
+  },
+  "blocks": {
+    "panel_defs_fleury_migration": "future (consumes LayoutFile + get_layouts_dir from this track)"
+  },
+  "tier_2_specific_commits_to_skip": {
+    "rationale": "Tier-2 branch is 143 commits ahead of master. Only 8 commits are the default-layout work. The rest (RAG fixes, MMA stress tests, module taxonomy refactors) are NOT relevant to this track. Specific tier-2 commits NOT to extract:",
+    "skip_list": [
+      "e9654518 (wrong-theory INI strip — superseded by 2afb0126 which we DO extract)",
+      "13ad9d3e (commit message 'idk' — meaningless)",
+      "28527851 (commit message 'artifacts' — meaningless)",
+      "9437af6c (27 diagnostic scripts — noise)",
+      "4acf8b15, b80e5afb, c42a7599, cf5244b1, b1632f46, 06476c56, 519e1340, cf6a2e20, 4bf5ecd6, 5e53d477, d4116f19, 7d5a5492 (tier-2 internal track-marking commits)",
+      "71028dad (drop stale from src.command_palette import — tier-2 specific; master has src/command_palette.py so the import WORKS on master; do NOT cherry-pick)"
+    ],
+    "extract_list": [
+      "7577d7d2 (chore: introduce layouts/ + src/layouts.py) — port fresh via FR1.1 + FR1.2",
+      "f3cd7bc2 (feat: install-on-empty-INI helpers) — port fresh via FR2.1 + FR2.2",
+      "3d87f8e7 (fix: wire into App._post_init) — port fresh via FR2.4",
+      "3b966288 (chore: remove dead test-fixture path) — cherry-pick via FR3.2",
+      "2afb0126 (fix: restore [Docking] structure) — port fresh via FR1.1",
+      "79c25a32 (fix: pre-run install timing) — port fresh via FR2.3 + FR2.5",
+      "71028dad SKIPPED (master has src/command_palette.py)",
+      "c2155593 (fix: remove orphan imgui.end_child) — cherry-pick via FR3.1"
+    ]
+  },
+  "regressions_and_pre_existing_failures": [],
+  "pre_existing_failures_remaining": [],
+  "deferred_to_followup_tracks": [
+    {
+      "title": "panel_defs_fleury_migration",
+      "description": "Migrate src/gui_2.py render_*_window functions to Ryan Fleury's declarative view-constructs pattern. PANELS: tuple[PanelDef, ...]. Per docs/transcripts/rcJwvx2CTZY_ryan_fleury_raddbg_codebase_intro.json v1@2237s and docs/transcripts/_9_bK_WjuYY_ryan_fleury_raddbg_walkthrough.json v2@7697s.",
+      "track_status": "deferred",
+      "depends_on_this_track": ["src/layouts.py", "LayoutFile", "get_layouts_dir"]
+    },
+    {
+      "title": "render_persona_editor_window empty-content bug fix",
+      "description": "src/gui_2.py:3433+ opens + immediately closes the Persona Editor window when not embedded. Pre-existing bug, unrelated to panel visibility. Will be discovered via Layer 1 sentinel (panel renders but content is empty).",
+      "track_status": "deferred",
+      "depends_on_this_track": ["Layer 1 per-panel sentinel"]
+    },
+    {
+      "title": "test_engine_integration_20260627",
+      "description": "imgui-bundle test engine integration. Provides ctx.capture_screenshot_window() + pixel-level diff via imgui.test_engine. Our Win32 PrintWindow approach is simpler but Windows-only. The two approaches are complementary.",
+      "track_status": "in_progress (separate track)"
+    },
+    {
+      "title": "tier2_default_layout_install_20260629 archival",
+      "description": "Tier-2 sandbox at C:\\projects\\manual_slop_tier2 has uncommitted edits (deleted manual_slop.toml + manual_slop_history.toml). User's responsibility per AGENTS.md Inherited-Cruft rule. Does NOT block this track.",
+      "track_status": "user_action_required"
+    }
+  ],
+  "risk_register": [
+    {
+      "id": "R1",
+      "description": "Win32 PrintWindow may fail for imgui-bundle HelloImGui window (HWND lookup or print flags)",
+      "likelihood": "medium (the implementation is larger than the spec suggests)",
+      "mitigation": "pre-flight check win32gui.IsWindow(hwnd) before capture; fall back to BitBlt of the screen region"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "R2",
+      "description": "Pixel baseline may be too sensitive (font hinting, GPU driver variations)",
+      "likelihood": "medium",
+      "mitigation": "tolerance is 1%; if false positives appear, raise to 2% and document"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "R3",
+      "description": "Forced viewport env var may not work on multi-monitor systems",
+      "likelihood": "low",
+      "mitigation": "scope the env var to test fixtures only (tests/conftest.py sets it before spawning)"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "R4",
+      "description": "Tier-2 sandbox has uncommitted edits that may conflict when cherry-picking",
+      "likelihood": "low (cherry-pick to master directly; master is clean)",
+      "mitigation": "cherry-pick to master directly (master is clean); tier-2 archival is user's responsibility"
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "R5",
+      "description": "User-visible panel rendering depends on _install_default_layout_pre_run_result firing BEFORE immapp.run. If cwd already has a valid INI, install is skipped. The pixel baseline test must run with cwd-deleted manualslop_layout.ini to exercise the install path.",
+      "likelihood": "low",
+      "mitigation": "live_gui fixture already cleans cwd before spawning"
+    }
+  ],
+  "documentation_deliverables": [
+    "conductor/tracks/default_layout_extract_20260629/spec.md",
+    "conductor/tracks/default_layout_extract_20260629/plan.md",
+    "conductor/tracks/default_layout_extract_20260629/metadata.json",
+    "conductor/tracks/default_layout_extract_20260629/state.toml",
+    "docs/guide_visual_verification.md (Layer 1-4 protocol)",
+    "docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_default_layout_extract_20260629.md (at end)"
+  ]
+}

conductor/archive/default_layout_extract_20260629/plan.md

@@ -0,0 +1,533 @@
+# Track Plan: Default Layout Extract + Hard Visual Verification
+
+> **For Tier-3 workers:** Steps use checkbox (`- [ ]`) syntax. Use exactly **1-space indentation** for all Python. Preserve **CRLF** line endings. No comments in source code. Atomic commits per task. No `dict[str, Any]`, no `Optional[T]` returns (use `Result[T]` + `NIL_T`). Read `src/gui_2.py:1481-1540` (tier-2 version) for the install helper pattern reference; read `src/theme_models.py:181-225` for the layouts loader pattern reference; read `src/paths.py:60-83,150,209-216,295` for the themes → layouts mirror.
+
+**Goal:** Extract tier-2's GOOD default-layout work into master AND build a hard 4-layer visual verification infrastructure that catches "panels don't render" regressions every time.
+
+**Architecture:** Hybrid extraction (C per spec §FR1): port `layouts/default.ini` + `src/layouts.py` + `tests/test_layout_reorganization.py` fresh (clean history for new modules); cherry-pick `c2155593` (orphan end_child) + `3b966288` (reset_layout cleanup); add new `_install_default_layout_*` helpers + `App._post_init` + `App.run` wiring. Build 4 verification layers: per-panel render sentinel (Layer 1), Win32 PrintWindow pixel baseline (Layer 2), forced test viewport+theme env vars (Layer 3), cannot-skip gates (Layer 4: standalone CLI + CI integration + tag requirement + tracks.md schema).
+
+**Tech Stack:** Python 3.11+, `imgui-bundle` (HelloImGui), `pywin32` (PrintWindow), `Pillow` (PNG), `numpy` (pixel diff), `pytest` + `live_gui` fixture. Adds `scripts/check_visual_baseline.py` (new audit-style script).
+
+---
+
+## Phase 1: Asset Foundation (layouts/ + src/layouts.py + get_layouts_dir)
+
+Focus: Port the foundational assets from tier-2 to master with clean history.
+
+- [ ] **Task 1.1: RED test for `src/layouts.py:load_layouts_from_dir`**
+  - WHERE: New file `tests/test_layouts.py`
+  - WHAT: Write 3 tests:
+    1. `test_load_layouts_from_dir_empty` — pass a non-existent path → returns `{}`
+    2. `test_load_layouts_from_dir_single_file` — create tmp dir with one `.ini` file → returns 1-entry dict keyed by stem
+    3. `test_load_layouts_from_dir_skips_non_ini` — tmp dir with `.ini` + `.txt` → returns only the `.ini`
+  - HOW: Use `tmp_path` fixture (already redirected under `tests/artifacts/_pytest_tmp` per `pyproject.toml:addopts`). Import `from src.layouts import load_layouts_from_dir`.
+  - SAFETY: Use `tmp_path`, not hardcoded paths. 1-space indentation. Type hints required.
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_layouts.py -v` — Expected: `ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'src.layouts'`.
+  - COMMIT: `test(layouts): RED phase tests for load_layouts_from_dir`
+
+- [ ] **Task 1.2: Create `src/layouts.py`**
+  - WHERE: New file `src/layouts.py` (87 lines, ported fresh from tier-2's `C:\projects\manual_slop_tier2\src\layouts.py`)
+  - WHAT: Define `LayoutFile` dataclass + `load_layouts_from_file()` + `load_layouts_from_dir()` + `load_layouts_from_disk()` + `_LAYOUTS_CACHE: dict[str, LayoutFile]`
+  - HOW: Read tier-2 file; copy verbatim EXCEPT: strip the "TODO(Ed)" comment (NFR3); keep the `Result` + `ErrorInfo` drain pattern from tier-2 verbatim; keep `_LAYOUTS_CACHE` module-level
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indentation. CRLF. `@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)`. Type hints on all params + returns.
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_layouts.py -v` — Expected: 3 PASS.
+  - COMMIT: `feat(layouts): introduce src/layouts.py + LayoutFile dataclass`
+
+- [ ] **Task 1.3: RED test for `src/paths.py:get_global_layouts_path`**
+  - WHERE: New file `tests/test_paths_layouts.py`
+  - WHAT: Write 4 tests:
+    1. `test_get_global_layouts_path_default` — `initialize_paths()` called, `get_global_layouts_path()` returns `<root_dir>/layouts`
+    2. `test_get_global_layouts_path_env_override` — `SLOP_GLOBAL_LAYOUTS` env var set → returns that path
+    3. `test_layouts_in_path_info_dict` — `paths.path_info()` dict has `'layouts': info(...)` entry
+    4. `test_layouts_field_in_app_paths` — `_AppPaths().layouts` is a `Path`
+  - HOW: Import `from src.paths import get_global_layouts_path, initialize_paths, _cfg`. Use `monkeypatch.setenv("SLOP_GLOBAL_LAYOUTS", str(tmp_path / "custom"))`.
+  - SAFETY: Call `initialize_paths()` once per test (use fixture). 1-space indentation.
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_paths_layouts.py -v` — Expected: `AttributeError: module 'src.paths' has no attribute 'get_global_layouts_path'`.
+  - COMMIT: `test(paths): RED phase tests for get_global_layouts_path + SLOP_GLOBAL_LAYOUTS`
+
+- [ ] **Task 1.4: Add `get_global_layouts_path()` to `src/paths.py`**
+  - WHERE: `src/paths.py` — 4 sites: line 60 `_AppPaths` dataclass (add `layouts: Path`), line 83 `_PATHS_DEFAULTS` (add `layouts = root_dir / "layouts"`), line 150 `initialize_paths._resolve_path` chain (add `SLOP_GLOBAL_LAYOUTS` env override), line 295 `path_info()` (add `'layouts': info(cfg.layouts)`), line 209-216 (add `get_global_layouts_path()` mirror of `get_global_themes_path()`)
+  - WHAT: Mirror the themes pattern exactly. New code follows the existing 1-space indentation + CRLF.
+  - HOW: Read `src/paths.py:60` → insert `layouts: Path` after `themes: Path`. Read `src/paths.py:83` → insert `themes = root_dir / "layouts"` after `themes = root_dir / "themes"`. Read `src/paths.py:150` → add `themes = _resolve_path("SLOP_GLOBAL_LAYOUTS", "layouts", root_dir / "layouts", config_path)` to the resolver chain. Read `src/paths.py:209-216` → copy `get_global_themes_path()` verbatim and rename. Read `src/paths.py:295` → insert `'layouts': info(cfg.layouts)` after `'themes': info(cfg.themes)`.
+  - SAFETY: Match existing 1-space indent. CRLF. No comments in source. Update `_resolve_path` keyword args to match the same shape as the themes line.
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_paths_layouts.py -v` — Expected: 4 PASS.
+  - COMMIT: `feat(paths): add get_global_layouts_path() + SLOP_GLOBAL_LAYOUTS env override (mirror of themes)`
+
+- [ ] **Task 1.5: RED test for bundled INI file**
+  - WHERE: New file `tests/test_layouts_bundled.py`
+  - WHAT: Write 4 tests:
+    1. `test_layouts_default_ini_exists` — `Path("layouts/default.ini").exists()` is True
+    2. `test_layouts_default_ini_size` — file size > 1000 bytes
+    3. `test_layouts_default_ini_has_docking` — content contains `[Docking][Data]`
+    4. `test_layouts_default_ini_has_8_windows` — content has 8 `[Window][X]` entries
+  - HOW: Use `Path.cwd() / "layouts" / "default.ini"`. Use `len(re.findall(r"^\[Window\]\[", content))` for window count.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. Read with `encoding="utf-8"`.
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_layouts_bundled.py -v` — Expected: `FileNotFoundError: layouts/default.ini`.
+  - COMMIT: `test(layouts): RED phase tests for bundled default.ini structure`
+
+- [ ] **Task 1.6: Port `layouts/default.ini` to master**
+  - WHERE: New file `layouts/default.ini` at repo root
+  - WHAT: Copy verbatim from tier-2's `C:\projects\manual_slop_tier2\layouts\default.ini` (2971 bytes, 101 lines). Strip the `;;;` documentation comments (NFR3: comments live in docs). Strip the `;;;<<<SplitIds>>>;;;` block at line 100-101 (HelloImGui adds that on save; not needed in the bundle).
+  - HOW: Read tier-2 file → write fresh to `layouts/default.ini`. Keep all `[Window][X]` entries (8 of them), `[Docking][Data]` block with `DockSpace ID=0xAFC85805`, `[Layout]`, `[StatusBar]`, `[Theme]` sections.
+  - SAFETY: CRLF. No `;;;` lines. Final file should be ~30-40 lines.
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_layouts_bundled.py -v` — Expected: 4 PASS.
+  - COMMIT: `feat(layouts): bundle layouts/default.ini with 8 [Window] entries + [Docking] hierarchy`
+
+---
+
+## Phase 2: Install Helpers (RED-GREEN for the 3 helpers)
+
+Focus: Add `_install_default_layout_if_empty`, `_install_default_layout_if_empty_result`, `_install_default_layout_pre_run_result` to `src/gui_2.py`.
+
+- [ ] **Task 2.1: RED test for `_install_default_layout_if_empty` (empty dst)**
+  - WHERE: New file `tests/test_install_default_layout.py`
+  - WHAT: Write 5 tests:
+    1. `test_install_empty_dst` — dst INI is empty/missing → src content copied to dst + `Result(data=True)`
+    2. `test_install_skips_non_empty_dst` — dst INI has 5+ `[Window][` entries → no overwrite + `Result(data=False)`
+    3. `test_install_handles_missing_src` — src INI doesn't exist → `Result(data=False, errors=[ErrorInfo])`
+    4. `test_install_handles_oserror_on_read` — patch `Path.read_text` to raise OSError → `Result(data=False, errors=[ErrorInfo])`
+    5. `test_install_calls_load_ini_settings_from_memory` — assert `imgui.load_ini_settings_from_memory` was called once
+  - HOW: Use `tmp_path`. Import `from src.gui_2 import _install_default_layout_if_empty`. Use `monkeypatch.setattr(imgui, "load_ini_settings_from_memory", lambda x: None)` for test 5.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. Mock only the boundary (`imgui.load_ini_settings_from_memory` is the SDK boundary).
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_install_default_layout.py -v` — Expected: `ImportError: cannot import name '_install_default_layout_if_empty'`.
+  - COMMIT: `test(install): RED phase tests for _install_default_layout_if_empty`
+
+- [ ] **Task 2.2: Implement `_install_default_layout_if_empty` in `src/gui_2.py`**
+  - WHERE: `src/gui_2.py` — insert at line 1481 (before `_post_init_callback_result` which is at 1449 — actually place the new helpers AFTER `_post_init_callback_result`)
+  - WHAT: Port tier-2's `src/gui_2.py:1481-1530` verbatim. Adjust imports if needed (`Result`, `ErrorInfo`, `ErrorKind` already imported via `src.result_types`).
+  - HOW: Read tier-2's lines 1481-1530 → copy to master. Strip docstring multi-line commentary to 1-2 lines (NFR3). The function returns `Result[bool]`.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. No comments. Match existing `_post_init_callback_result` shape.
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_install_default_layout.py -v` — Expected: 5 PASS.
+  - COMMIT: `feat(gui): add _install_default_layout_if_empty + _install_default_layout_if_empty_result helpers`
+
+- [ ] **Task 2.3: RED test for `_install_default_layout_pre_run_result` (disk-only)**
+  - WHERE: Append to `tests/test_install_default_layout.py`
+  - WHAT: Write 3 tests:
+    1. `test_pre_run_install_empty_dst` — same as 2.1.1 but using `_install_default_layout_pre_run_result` and mocking `_require_warmed("src.layouts")`
+    2. `test_pre_run_install_does_not_call_load_ini_settings_from_memory` — assert `imgui.load_ini_settings_from_memory` was NOT called (imgui not initialized yet)
+    3. `test_pre_run_install_skips_non_empty_dst` — same as 2.1.2
+  - HOW: Same `tmp_path` pattern. Mock `src.layouts.get_layouts_dir` to return `tmp_path / "layouts"`.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. Verify `load_ini_settings_from_memory` was NOT called (it's the key behavioral difference vs `_install_default_layout_if_empty`).
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_install_default_layout.py -v` — Expected: 3 new FAIL (`ImportError: cannot import name '_install_default_layout_pre_run_result'`).
+  - COMMIT: `test(install): RED phase tests for _install_default_layout_pre_run_result`
+
+- [ ] **Task 2.4: Implement `_install_default_layout_pre_run_result` in `src/gui_2.py`**
+  - WHERE: `src/gui_2.py` — insert immediately after `_install_default_layout_if_empty_result` (which Task 2.2 placed)
+  - WHAT: Port tier-2's `src/gui_2.py:1543-1590` verbatim. The function reads `get_layouts_dir() / "default.ini"` and writes to `Path.cwd() / "manualslop_layout.ini"`. NO `imgui.load_ini_settings_from_memory` call.
+  - HOW: Read tier-2's lines 1543-1590 → copy to master. Adjust imports.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. No comments. The disk-only behavior is the key contract; the function does NOT import or call `imgui`.
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_install_default_layout.py -v` — Expected: 8 PASS (5 from 2.1 + 3 new).
+  - COMMIT: `feat(gui): add _install_default_layout_pre_run_result (disk-only, no live-session apply)`
+
+---
+
+## Phase 3: Wiring (App._post_init + App.run)
+
+Focus: Wire the install helpers into the app's startup flow.
+
+- [ ] **Task 3.1: RED test for `App._post_init` calling `_install_default_layout_if_empty_result`**
+  - WHERE: New file `tests/test_app_wiring_install.py`
+  - WHAT: Write 3 tests:
+    1. `test_post_init_calls_install_helper` — instantiate `App`, call `_post_init()`, assert `_install_default_layout_if_empty_result` was called with `src=layouts/default.ini, dst=cwd/manualslop_layout.ini`
+    2. `test_post_init_drains_install_errors` — make install helper return `Result(data=False, errors=[ErrorInfo(...)])`, assert `_startup_timeline_errors` has the entry
+    3. `test_post_init_skips_when_dst_non_empty` — pre-create cwd/manualslop_layout.ini with 5+ `[Window][`, call `_post_init()`, assert install helper was NOT called (or was called but returned `data=False`)
+  - HOW: Use `monkeypatch.setattr(src.gui_2, "_install_default_layout_if_empty_result", lambda app, src, dst: Result(data=True))`. Use `tmp_path` as cwd.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. Mock only the boundary helper; verify the call site.
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_app_wiring_install.py -v` — Expected: 3 FAIL (call site not yet wired).
+  - COMMIT: `test(gui): RED phase tests for _post_init install wiring`
+
+- [ ] **Task 3.2: Wire `_install_default_layout_if_empty_result` into `App._post_init`**
+  - WHERE: `src/gui_2.py:566-578` — `_post_init` method. Insert the install call after line 574 (`cb_result = _post_init_callback_result(self)`) and before line 578 (`self._diag_layout_state()`).
+  - WHAT: Add 7 lines:
+    ```python
+    from src.layouts import get_layouts_dir
+    src_layout_path: Path = get_layouts_dir() / "default.ini"
+    dst_layout_path: Path = Path.cwd() / "manualslop_layout.ini"
+    install_result: Result[bool] = _install_default_layout_if_empty_result(self, src_layout_path, dst_layout_path)
+    if not install_result.ok:
+        if not hasattr(self, '_startup_timeline_errors'): self._startup_timeline_errors = []
+        self._startup_timeline_errors.append(("_install_default_layout", install_result.errors[0]))
+    ```
+  - HOW: Insert after `_post_init_callback_result` block. Match existing 1-space indent in `_post_init`.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. The `_startup_timeline_errors` attribute may not exist yet (per existing `_post_init` lines 576, 599 — create it lazily).
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_app_wiring_install.py -v` — Expected: 3 PASS.
+  - COMMIT: `feat(gui): wire _install_default_layout_if_empty_result into App._post_init`
+
+- [ ] **Task 3.3: RED test for `App.run` calling `_install_default_layout_pre_run_result`**
+  - WHERE: Append to `tests/test_app_wiring_install.py`
+  - WHAT: Write 2 tests:
+    1. `test_run_calls_pre_run_install_before_immapp` — mock both `_install_default_layout_pre_run_result` and `_run_immapp_result`, assert order: pre-run install called BEFORE immapp
+    2. `test_run_drains_pre_run_install_errors` — pre-run install returns `Result(data=False, errors=[ErrorInfo])`, assert `_startup_timeline_errors` has the entry
+  - HOW: Use `mock.call_args_list` to verify order. Use `monkeypatch.setattr(src.gui_2, "_install_default_layout_pre_run_result", ...)`.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. Mock the pre-run install + immapp helpers; don't actually run immapp.
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_app_wiring_install.py -v` — Expected: 2 new FAIL (pre-run call site not wired).
+  - COMMIT: `test(gui): RED phase tests for App.run pre-run install wiring`
+
+- [ ] **Task 3.4: Wire `_install_default_layout_pre_run_result` into `App.run`**
+  - WHERE: `src/gui_2.py:691` — before `_run_immapp_result(self)` call. Insert 6 lines.
+  - WHAT: Add:
+    ```python
+    pre_install_result: Result[bool] = _install_default_layout_pre_run_result(self)
+    if not pre_install_result.ok:
+        err = pre_install_result.errors[0]
+        if hasattr(self, "_startup_timeline_errors"):
+            self._startup_timeline_errors.append(("_install_default_layout_pre_run", err))
+    ```
+  - HOW: Insert immediately before `run_result = _run_immapp_result(self)` at line 691. Match existing 1-space indent.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. The pre-run install MUST fire before immapp reads the INI from disk.
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_app_wiring_install.py -v` — Expected: 5 PASS (3 from 3.1 + 2 from 3.3).
+  - COMMIT: `feat(gui): wire _install_default_layout_pre_run_result into App.run (before immapp)`
+
+- [ ] **Task 3.5: Verify install fires + INI created**
+  - WHERE: Existing test file `tests/test_install_default_layout.py`
+  - WHAT: Add integration test `test_install_fires_end_to_end` — instantiate `App`, call `_post_init()`, assert cwd/manualslop_layout.ini exists with > 1000 bytes + `[Window][` substring.
+  - HOW: Use `tmp_path` as cwd via `monkeypatch.chdir(tmp_path)`.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. Real on-disk assertion (no mocks).
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_install_default_layout.py -v` — Expected: 9 PASS.
+  - COMMIT: `test(install): GREEN end-to-end install fires + INI created`
+
+---
+
+## Phase 4: Surgical Cherry-Picks
+
+Focus: Apply the 2 surgical fixes that don't require new infrastructure.
+
+- [ ] **Task 4.1: Cherry-pick orphan-end-child fix**
+  - WHERE: `src/gui_2.py:6990` — delete the line `imgui.end_child()` inside the `except (TypeError, AttributeError):` block in `render_tier_stream_panel`.
+  - WHAT: Apply tier-2's `c2155593` 1-line deletion. The orphan `end_child()` at line 6990 fires with no matching `begin_child()` when the try block raises (e.g. `len(None)`).
+  - HOW: Read `src/gui_2.py:6984-6991` → delete line 6990 (the `imgui.end_child()` inside except). Keep line 6988 (the correct one inside try). Keep `pass` on line 6991.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. Preserve the `try/except` structure. The deleted line is the only change.
+  - RUN: `uv run python scripts/check_imgui_scopes.py src/gui_2.py` — Expected: 3 "extra end" warnings (down from 4). The 4925 + 7094 + 8810 warnings remain (other code); the 6990 one should be gone.
+  - COMMIT: `fix(gui): remove orphan imgui.end_child() in render_tier_stream_panel except handler`
+
+- [ ] **Task 4.2: Cherry-pick reset_layout dead-path cleanup**
+  - WHERE: `src/commands.py:268` — delete the line `os.path.join("tests", "artifacts", "live_gui_workspace", "manualslop_layout.ini"),` from the `layout_paths` list inside `reset_layout`.
+  - WHAT: Apply tier-2's `3b966288`. The `reset_layout` command should not reference test fixtures in production code.
+  - HOW: Read `src/commands.py:365-380` → identify the line that hardcodes `tests/artifacts/manualslop_layout_default.ini` → delete it. If the surrounding logic needs adjustment (e.g. fallback to a different path), update the fallback.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. The behavior of `reset_layout` should be preserved — it still resets the layout, just from a different source path.
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_commands.py -v` — Expected: PASS (the existing tests cover the reset_layout behavior).
+  - COMMIT: `chore(commands): remove dead test-fixture path from reset_layout`
+
+---
+
+## Phase 5: Layer 1 Verification — Per-Panel Render Sentinel
+
+Focus: The "panels actually render" test that catches the original bug.
+
+- [ ] **Task 5.1: RED test for per-panel render size check**
+  - WHERE: New file `tests/test_panels_visible_after_install.py`
+  - WHAT: Write 3 tests:
+    1. `test_panels_visible_after_install` — use `live_gui` fixture, wait for first frame, iterate `app.show_windows` for entries where `value == True`, assert each has nonzero render size via `imgui.find_window_viewport(name).size.x > 0`
+    2. `test_panel_invisible_when_show_windows_false` — same loop, but verify panels with `value == False` are NOT in `find_window_viewport` results
+    3. `test_panel_render_size_is_correct_window` — assert `find_window_viewport("AI Settings").size.x > 100 AND .size.y > 50` (sanity: visible panels have meaningful size, not 0)
+  - HOW: Use `live_gui` fixture. Poll for first frame via `client.wait_for_event` (not `time.sleep`). Use `imgui.find_window_viewport(name)` API.
+  - SAFETY: Poll-loop, not `time.sleep`. 1-space indent. CRLF. Skip test on non-Windows (`@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform != "win32")`).
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_panels_visible_after_install.py -v` — Expected: PASS on first try IF install infrastructure works (since Phase 1-3 is done by now). The value of this test is regression detection, not initial GREEN.
+  - COMMIT: `test(visual): Layer 1 per-panel render sentinel (catches empty-panels regression)`
+
+- [ ] **Task 5.2: Verify sentinel catches the regression (negative test mode)**
+  - WHERE: Append to `tests/test_panels_visible_after_install.py`
+  - WHAT: Write `test_sentinel_catches_empty_panels` — use `live_gui` fixture, BUT monkey-patch `_install_default_layout_pre_run_result` to return `Result(data=False)` (skip install). Also, pre-create cwd/manualslop_layout.ini with content that omits all `[Window][X]` entries (just an empty INI). Assert the test FAILS.
+  - HOW: Use `monkeypatch.setattr`. The sentinel should detect that 8 default-visible panels all have zero render size.
+  - SAFETY: This test verifies the sentinel's REGRESSION CATCH ability. It should NOT pass — its job is to confirm the sentinel works.
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_panels_visible_after_install.py::test_sentinel_catches_empty_panels -v` — Expected: FAIL with assertion error listing 8 panels with zero render size.
+  - COMMIT: `test(visual): RED negative test — sentinel catches empty-panels regression`
+
+- [ ] **Task 5.3: Verify sentinel catches the original bug (mock the import failure)**
+  - WHERE: Append to `tests/test_panels_visible_after_install.py`
+  - WHAT: Write `test_sentinel_catches_render_main_interface_no_op` — use `live_gui` fixture, monkey-patch `src.gui_2.render_main_interface` to be a no-op (`lambda app: None`). Assert the sentinel FAILS (panels don't render).
+  - HOW: This simulates the original tier-2 bug: `render_main_interface` is a no-op due to ModuleNotFoundError.
+  - SAFETY: Use `monkeypatch.setattr` to swap the function reference at module level.
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_panels_visible_after_install.py::test_sentinel_catches_render_main_interface_no_op -v` — Expected: FAIL with assertion error listing 8 panels with zero render size.
+  - COMMIT: `test(visual): RED negative test — sentinel catches render_main_interface no-op`
+
+---
+
+## Phase 6: Layer 2 Verification — Win32 PrintWindow Pixel Baseline
+
+Focus: The HARD pixel-diff test that catches ALL visual regressions.
+
+- [ ] **Task 6.1: RED test for Win32 PrintWindow capture**
+  - WHERE: New file `tests/test_visual_baseline_default.py`
+  - WHAT: Write 4 tests:
+    1. `test_capture_gui_window_pixels` — use `live_gui` fixture, wait for first frame, call `_capture_gui_window_png()`, assert the returned PNG file exists with size > 0
+    2. `test_capture_returns_png_with_correct_dimensions` — assert PNG dimensions match the forced viewport (1680x1050 from F6.1 env var)
+    3. `test_capture_handles_missing_hwnd` — simulate window-not-found → return `Result(data=None, errors=[ErrorInfo])`
+    4. `test_capture_does_not_crash_on_zero_size` — simulate hwnd with zero-size window → return `Result(data=None, errors=[ErrorInfo])` (no crash)
+  - HOW: Import `_capture_gui_window_png` from `src.gui_2`. Use `live_gui` fixture with `MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_VIEWPORT=1680x1050` + `MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_THEME=dark` env vars.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. Skip on non-Windows. Use `tmp_path` for PNG output.
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_visual_baseline_default.py -v` — Expected: 4 FAIL (`ImportError: cannot import name '_capture_gui_window_png'`).
+  - COMMIT: `test(visual): RED phase tests for Win32 PrintWindow capture`
+
+- [ ] **Task 6.2: Implement `_capture_gui_window_png` in `src/gui_2.py`**
+  - WHERE: `src/gui_2.py` — insert after `_install_default_layout_pre_run_result`
+  - WHAT: Port the Win32 PrintWindow capture logic. Find imgui window via `win32gui.FindWindow(None, "manual slop")`; allocate DC + bitmap; call `win32gui.PrintWindow(hwnd, hdc, win32con.PW_RENDERFULLCONTENT)`; convert to PNG via `Pillow.Image.frombuffer(...)`; save to given `Path`. Returns `Result[Path]`.
+  - HOW: Import `win32gui`, `win32con`, `win32ui` from `pywin32`. Import `PIL.Image`. The function signature: `_capture_gui_window_png(out_path: Path) -> Result[Path]`.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. No comments. Wrap each Win32 call in try/except returning `ErrorInfo`. Use `win32gui.DestroyWindow(hwnd)` after capture (cleanup).
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_visual_baseline_default.py -v` — Expected: 4 PASS.
+  - COMMIT: `feat(gui): add _capture_gui_window_png via Win32 PrintWindow + Pillow`
+
+- [ ] **Task 6.3: Generate baseline PNG**
+  - WHERE: New file `tests/artifacts/visual_baseline_default.png`
+  - WHAT: Capture the running GUI's pixels after install fires + panels render. This is the "known good" reference.
+  - HOW: Run `uv run python -m pytest tests/test_visual_baseline_default.py::test_capture_gui_window_pixels --capture=tee-sys -s` and manually save the output PNG. OR: write a one-shot helper script `scripts/capture_visual_baseline.py` that spawns the app, waits for first frame, calls `_capture_gui_window_png(artifacts/visual_baseline_default.png)`, exits.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. The baseline PNG must be captured AFTER all install infrastructure is in place. Verify the PNG visually (user's eyes) before committing.
+  - RUN: `uv run python scripts/capture_visual_baseline.py` — Expected: writes `tests/artifacts/visual_baseline_default.png` (~50-200 KB depending on viewport size).
+  - COMMIT: `feat(visual): commit visual_baseline_default.png (the known-good pixel reference)`
+
+- [ ] **Task 6.4: RED test for pixel diff comparison**
+  - WHERE: Append to `tests/test_visual_baseline_default.py`
+  - WHAT: Write 3 tests:
+    1. `test_pixel_diff_below_threshold` — capture current + load baseline → assert diff < 1%
+    2. `test_pixel_diff_above_threshold_on_corrupt_ini` — corrupt the INI (delete `[Docking][Data]` line) + capture → assert diff > 5% (catches regression)
+    3. `test_pixel_diff_threshold_configurable` — pass `--threshold 0.05` → assert behavior matches
+  - HOW: Use `_compute_pixel_diff(baseline_path, current_path) -> float`. The function: load both via `Pillow.Image.open()`, convert to RGB, compute `numpy.abs(np.array(a) - np.array(b)).mean() / 255.0`.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. Skip on non-Windows. Threshold default = 0.01 (1%).
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_visual_baseline_default.py -v` — Expected: 3 new FAIL (`ImportError: cannot import name '_compute_pixel_diff'`).
+  - COMMIT: `test(visual): RED phase tests for pixel diff comparison`
+
+- [ ] **Task 6.5: Implement `_compute_pixel_diff` in `src/gui_2.py`**
+  - WHERE: `src/gui_2.py` — insert after `_capture_gui_window_png`
+  - WHAT: Compare two PNGs and return pixel diff as float (0.0-1.0).
+  - HOW: Load both via `Pillow.Image.open(path).convert("RGB")`. Convert to numpy arrays. Compute `numpy.abs(a - b).mean() / 255.0`. Return the float.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. Handle size mismatch (resize to larger dim). Handle missing files → return 1.0 (100% diff = max divergence).
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_visual_baseline_default.py -v` — Expected: 7 PASS (4 from 6.1 + 3 new).
+  - COMMIT: `feat(gui): add _compute_pixel_diff (numpy-based pixel comparison)`
+
+---
+
+## Phase 7: Layer 3 Verification — Forced Test Viewport + Theme
+
+Focus: Make the baseline deterministic so pixel diff is meaningful.
+
+- [ ] **Task 7.1: RED test for `MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_VIEWPORT` env var**
+  - WHERE: New file `tests/test_test_mode_env_vars.py`
+  - WHAT: Write 2 tests:
+    1. `test_viewport_env_var_overrides_default` — spawn subprocess with `MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_VIEWPORT=1920x1080` env var → assert `App.run()` set `runner_params.app_window_params.window_geometry.size = (1920, 1080)`
+    2. `test_viewport_env_var_unset_uses_default` — spawn without env var → assert size = (1680, 1200) (current default at line 651)
+  - HOW: Use `subprocess` to spawn `sloppy.py` with env vars. Inspect via the `/api/gui` Hook API endpoint after launch.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. Use `subprocess.run` with timeout. Clean up subprocess on test teardown via `kill_process_tree` fixture.
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_test_mode_env_vars.py -v` — Expected: 2 FAIL (env var not honored).
+  - COMMIT: `test(env): RED phase tests for MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_VIEWPORT env var`
+
+- [ ] **Task 7.2: Implement `MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_VIEWPORT` parsing in `App.run`**
+  - WHERE: `src/gui_2.py:651` — before `self.runner_params.app_window_params.window_geometry.size = (1680, 1200)`, add the env var parsing.
+  - WHAT: Read env var. If set and matches `WxH` pattern, override the size.
+  - HOW: Add 5 lines before line 651:
+    ```python
+    _test_viewport = os.environ.get("MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_VIEWPORT")
+    if _test_viewport and "x" in _test_viewport:
+        _w, _h = _test_viewport.split("x", 1)
+        _w, _h = int(_w), int(_h)
+    else:
+        _w, _h = 1680, 1200
+    self.runner_params.app_window_params.window_geometry.size = (_w, _h)
+    ```
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. Wrap the parsing in try/except (return default on ValueError).
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_test_mode_env_vars.py -v` — Expected: 2 PASS.
+  - COMMIT: `feat(gui): honor MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_VIEWPORT env var (Layer 3 forced viewport)`
+
+- [ ] **Task 7.3: RED test for `MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_THEME` env var**
+  - WHERE: Append to `tests/test_test_mode_env_vars.py`
+  - WHAT: Write 2 tests:
+    1. `test_theme_env_var_overrides_default` — spawn with `MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_THEME=dark` → assert `runner_params.imgui_window_params.tweaked_theme` is `ImGuiTheme_.ImGuiColorsDark`
+    2. `test_theme_env_var_unset_uses_default` — spawn without env var → assert theme is NOT forced
+  - HOW: Same `subprocess` + Hook API pattern.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF.
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_test_mode_env_vars.py -v` — Expected: 2 new FAIL (env var not honored).
+  - COMMIT: `test(env): RED phase tests for MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_THEME env var`
+
+- [ ] **Task 7.4: Implement `MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_THEME` parsing in `App.run`**
+  - WHERE: `src/gui_2.py:654` — before `self.runner_params.imgui_window_params.tweaked_theme = theme.get_tweaked_theme()`, add the env var parsing.
+  - WHAT: Read env var. If set to `dark`, force theme to `hello_imgui.ImGuiTheme_.ImGuiColorsDark`.
+  - HOW: Add 5 lines before line 654:
+    ```python
+    _test_theme = os.environ.get("MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_THEME")
+    if _test_theme == "dark":
+        self.runner_params.imgui_window_params.tweaked_theme = hello_imgui.ImGuiTheme_.ImGuiColorsDark
+    else:
+        self.runner_params.imgui_window_params.tweaked_theme = theme.get_tweaked_theme()
+    ```
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. The original `theme.get_tweaked_theme()` call becomes the `else` branch.
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_test_mode_env_vars.py -v` — Expected: 4 PASS.
+  - COMMIT: `feat(gui): honor MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_THEME env var (Layer 3 forced theme)`
+
+---
+
+## Phase 8: Layer 4 Verification — Cannot-Skip Gates
+
+Focus: Make the verification infrastructure impossible to ignore.
+
+- [ ] **Task 8.1: Create `scripts/check_visual_baseline.py`**
+  - WHERE: New file `scripts/check_visual_baseline.py`
+  - WHAT: Standalone CLI script that compares two PNGs and exits 1 on diff > threshold.
+  - HOW: Args: `--baseline <path>` (default: `tests/artifacts/visual_baseline_default.png`), `--current <path>` (required), `--threshold <float>` (default: 0.01). Uses `Pillow` + `numpy` for diff. Returns exit code 0 if diff ≤ threshold, exit code 1 otherwise. Print diff percentage to stdout. Use the same `_compute_pixel_diff` logic from Task 6.5.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. Use `argparse`. Handle missing files gracefully (exit 1 + error message).
+  - RUN: `uv run python scripts/check_visual_baseline.py --help` — Expected: usage message. `uv run python scripts/check_visual_baseline.py --current tests/artifacts/visual_baseline_default.png --baseline tests/artifacts/visual_baseline_default.png` — Expected: `diff: 0.0000 PASS`.
+  - COMMIT: `feat(visual): add scripts/check_visual_baseline.py (Layer 4 standalone CI gate)`
+
+- [ ] **Task 8.2: Wire `check_visual_baseline.py` into `scripts/run_tests_batched.py`**
+  - WHERE: `scripts/run_tests_batched.py` — add a new tier (or extend an existing one) that runs `tests/test_visual_baseline_default.py` + `tests/test_panels_visible_after_install.py` + `scripts/check_visual_baseline.py`.
+  - WHAT: Add a tier (e.g. `tier_visual`) to the batched runner config. The tier runs after `tier3` and before the smoke tier.
+  - HOW: Read `scripts/run_tests_batched.py` config → add `tier_visual` → list the 3 commands.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. Don't break existing tiers.
+  - RUN: `uv run python scripts/run_tests_batched.py --tier visual` — Expected: 7 tests pass (4 + 3 from Phase 5-6).
+  - COMMIT: `chore(tests): wire Layer 1+2 visual tests into scripts/run_tests_batched.py`
+
+- [ ] **Task 8.3: Write `docs/guide_visual_verification.md`**
+  - WHERE: New file `docs/guide_visual_verification.md`
+  - WHAT: 200-300 line guide documenting:
+    - The 4 layers (per-panel sentinel, pixel baseline, forced viewport/theme, cannot-skip gates)
+    - How to add a new visual baseline
+    - How to update an existing baseline (after a deliberate UI change)
+    - The env-var protocol (`MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_VIEWPORT`, `MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_THEME`)
+    - The `VERIFIED-<YYYYMMDD>` tag protocol
+    - When to use imgui_test_engine vs PrintWindow (the trade-offs)
+  - HOW: Write as a markdown guide with code blocks + cross-references to `docs/guide_testing.md` + `docs/guide_gui_2.md`.
+  - SAFETY: Markdown formatting consistent with other `docs/guide_*.md` files.
+  - RUN: N/A (docs file).
+  - COMMIT: `docs(visual-verification): add guide for the 4-layer visual verification protocol`
+
+- [ ] **Task 8.4: Update `conductor/tracks.md` schema**
+  - WHERE: `conductor/tracks.md` — find the schema section (or add a new "Track Completion Gates" section).
+  - WHAT: Add a new section documenting the `VERIFIED-<YYYYMMDD>` tag requirement for tracks that touch `src/gui_2.py`. Tracks that ship without the tag are NOT marked `[x]`.
+  - HOW: Read `conductor/tracks.md` → find the schema → add the new gate.
+  - SAFETY: Markdown formatting consistent. Cross-reference `docs/guide_visual_verification.md`.
+  - RUN: N/A (docs file).
+  - COMMIT: `docs(tracks): add VERIFIED-<date> tag requirement for tracks touching src/gui_2.py`
+
+- [ ] **Task 8.5: Update `docs/Readme.md` to reference the new guide**
+  - WHERE: `docs/Readme.md` — find the "Per-Source-File Deep Dives" section (or equivalent) → add `docs/guide_visual_verification.md` entry.
+  - WHAT: Add a new bullet + 1-line description.
+  - HOW: Read `docs/Readme.md` → add the entry.
+  - SAFETY: Match existing entry format.
+  - RUN: N/A (docs file).
+  - COMMIT: `docs(readme): cross-reference guide_visual_verification.md`
+
+---
+
+## Phase 9: End-to-End Verification + Negative Test + Track Completion
+
+Focus: Prove the verification infrastructure actually catches regressions, then close out the track.
+
+- [ ] **Task 9.1: Write `tests/test_visual_baseline_catches_corrupt_ini.py`**
+  - WHERE: New file `tests/test_visual_baseline_catches_corrupt_ini.py`
+  - WHAT: Write 1 test that uses `live_gui` fixture; AFTER install fires, manually delete the `[Docking][Data]` line from cwd/manualslop_layout.ini; re-launch + capture; assert pixel diff > 5%.
+  - HOW: Spawn app → wait for first frame → corrupt INI → quit → re-launch → wait for first frame → capture screenshot → compare to baseline.
+  - SAFETY: 1-space indent. CRLF. Use `kill_process_tree` fixture for cleanup. Skip on non-Windows.
+  - RUN: `uv run pytest tests/test_visual_baseline_catches_corrupt_ini.py -v` — Expected: PASS (the diff should be > 5% because panels don't render visibly).
+  - COMMIT: `test(visual): negative test — corrupted INI catches the regression (FR8)`
+
+- [ ] **Task 9.2: Run full test batch**
+  - WHERE: All test files added in Phase 1-9
+  - WHAT: Run `scripts/run_tests_batched.py` end-to-end. Verify all tiers PASS.
+  - HOW: `uv run python scripts/run_tests_batched.py` — runs the full batch (not just `tier_visual`).
+  - SAFETY: If any tier fails, STOP. Report to user. Do NOT mark track complete.
+  - RUN: Expected: all 11 tiers PASS. If a tier fails, debug per `conductor/workflow.md` "Deduction Loop" rule (max 2 runs).
+  - COMMIT: N/A (verification only).
+
+- [ ] **Task 9.3: Manual visual verification gate**
+  - WHERE: User's machine
+  - WHAT: User runs `uv run sloppy.py` from master. User confirms panels render visibly (Project Settings, Files & Media, AI Settings, Operations Hub, Theme on left; Discussion Hub, Log Management, Diagnostics on right).
+  - HOW: User reports back. If panels DO render visibly → proceed. If panels DON'T render → STOP, debug, report.
+  - SAFETY: N/A (manual gate).
+  - COMMIT: N/A (manual verification only).
+
+- [ ] **Task 9.4: User commits `VERIFIED-<date>` tag**
+  - WHERE: Master branch
+  - WHAT: User commits `git tag VERIFIED-20260629 <final-commit-sha>` on master. Documents the visual verification.
+  - HOW: `git tag VERIFIED-20260629 <sha>`. Add to track completion checklist.
+  - SAFETY: HARD GATE. Without this tag, the track is NOT marked complete in `conductor/tracks.md`.
+  - COMMIT: N/A (tag, not commit). But attach a git note to the final commit: `git notes add -m "VISUALLY VERIFIED: panels render correctly via uv run sloppy.py from master"`.
+
+- [ ] **Task 9.5: Write `docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_default_layout_extract_20260629.md`**
+  - WHERE: New file `docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_default_layout_extract_20260629.md`
+  - WHAT: 100-200 line report documenting:
+    - What was extracted (per FR1-FR3)
+    - What was built (per FR4-FR7)
+    - Test results (per FR8)
+    - User verification (per 9.3)
+    - Follow-up tracks (Fleury migration, imgui_test_engine integration)
+    - Tier-2 archival status (user's responsibility)
+  - HOW: Markdown report. Cross-reference `docs/reports/PANEL_VISIBILITY_DEBUG_REPORT_20260629.md` + `conductor/tracks/default_layout_extract_20260629/spec.md`.
+  - SAFETY: 100-200 lines max. Concise.
+  - COMMIT: `docs(reports): TRACK_COMPLETION_default_layout_extract_20260629`
+
+- [ ] **Task 9.6: Update `conductor/tracks.md` to mark this track complete**
+  - WHERE: `conductor/tracks.md` — find the row for `default_layout_extract_20260629` → mark `[x]` (with `VERIFIED-20260629` tag referenced).
+  - WHAT: Update the row.
+  - HOW: Read `conductor/tracks.md` → find the row → update.
+  - SAFETY: HARD GATE. The `[x]` requires the `VERIFIED-<date>` tag to exist. If absent, leave the row as `[ ]`.
+  - COMMIT: `conductor(tracks): mark default_layout_extract_20260629 complete (with VERIFIED-20260629 tag)`
+
+- [ ] **Task 9.7: Conductor - User Manual Verification (Protocol in workflow.md)**
+  - WHERE: User-facing summary
+  - WHAT: Confirm to the user that:
+    - All 9 phases complete
+    - All tests pass (full batch, not just tier_visual)
+    - Pixel baseline PNG committed
+    - `VERIFIED-<date>` tag exists
+    - Tier-2 archival is user's responsibility
+  - HOW: Brief 5-10 sentence summary in chat.
+  - SAFETY: HARD GATE. Do NOT claim "track complete" without the tag + the user's confirmation.
+
+---
+
+## Self-Review (per writing-plans skill)
+
+**1. Spec coverage:**
+- G1 (FR1.1-FR1.4) → Phase 1 tasks ✓
+- G2 (FR2.1-FR2.5) → Phase 2-3 tasks ✓
+- G3 (FR3.2) → Phase 4 task 4.2 ✓
+- G4 (FR3.1) → Phase 4 task 4.1 ✓
+- G5 Layer 1 (FR4.1-FR4.4) → Phase 5 tasks ✓
+- G5 Layer 2 (FR5.1-FR5.6) → Phase 6 tasks ✓
+- G5 Layer 3 (FR6.1-FR6.4) → Phase 7 tasks ✓
+- G5 Layer 4 (FR7.1-F7.4) → Phase 8 tasks ✓
+- G6 (FR8.1-FR8.2) → Phase 9 task 9.1 ✓
+
+**2. Placeholder scan:**
+- No "TBD", "TODO", "implement later", "fill in details"
+- No "add appropriate error handling" — each error case is specified
+- No "similar to Task N" — each task is self-contained
+- No steps without code blocks where code is required
+
+**3. Type consistency:**
+- `_install_default_layout_if_empty` → `Result[bool]` (Task 2.2, 3.1, 3.2) ✓
+- `_install_default_layout_if_empty_result` → `Result[bool]` (Task 2.2, 3.1, 3.2) ✓
+- `_install_default_layout_pre_run_result` → `Result[bool]` (Task 2.4, 3.3, 3.4) ✓
+- `_capture_gui_window_png` → `Result[Path]` (Task 6.1, 6.2) ✓
+- `_compute_pixel_diff(baseline, current)` → `float` (Task 6.4, 6.5) ✓
+- `LayoutFile` → `@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)` (Task 1.2) ✓
+- `Result`, `ErrorInfo`, `ErrorKind` from `src.result_types` (consistent throughout) ✓
+
+**4. Spec coverage check:**
+- Spec §FR1.1 → Task 1.6 ✓
+- Spec §FR1.2 → Task 1.2 ✓
+- Spec §FR1.3 → Tasks 1.3, 1.4 ✓
+- Spec §FR1.4 → covered by Task 1.6 (test for INI existence) ✓
+- Spec §FR2.1 → Task 2.2 ✓
+- Spec §FR2.2 → Task 2.2 ✓
+- Spec §FR2.3 → Task 2.4 ✓
+- Spec §FR2.4 → Task 3.2 ✓
+- Spec §FR2.5 → Task 3.4 ✓
+- Spec §FR3.1 → Task 4.1 ✓
+- Spec §FR3.2 → Task 4.2 ✓
+- Spec §FR4.1-FR4.4 → Phase 5 tasks ✓
+- Spec §FR5.1-FR5.6 → Phase 6 tasks ✓
+- Spec §FR6.1-FR6.4 → Phase 7 tasks ✓
+- Spec §FR7.1-FR7.4 → Phase 8 tasks ✓
+- Spec §FR8.1-FR8.2 → Task 9.1 ✓
+
+No gaps found.
+
+## Summary
+
+- **9 phases**, **36 tasks** (each surgical with WHERE/WHAT/HOW/SAFETY/COMMIT)
+- **3 new files**: `src/layouts.py`, `layouts/default.ini`, `tests/artifacts/visual_baseline_default.png`, `scripts/check_visual_baseline.py`, `docs/guide_visual_verification.md`
+- **6 modified files**: `src/gui_2.py`, `src/paths.py`, `src/commands.py`, `scripts/run_tests_batched.py`, `conductor/tracks.md`, `docs/Readme.md`
+- **5 new test files**: `tests/test_layouts.py`, `tests/test_paths_layouts.py`, `tests/test_layouts_bundled.py`, `tests/test_install_default_layout.py`, `tests/test_app_wiring_install.py`, `tests/test_panels_visible_after_install.py`, `tests/test_visual_baseline_default.py`, `tests/test_test_mode_env_vars.py`, `tests/test_visual_baseline_catches_corrupt_ini.py`
+- **~36 atomic commits** (1 per task)
+- **HARD verification gates**: Layer 1 sentinel + Layer 2 pixel baseline + Layer 3 forced viewport/theme + Layer 4 cannot-skip tags
+
+This is the "no slippage" plan. Each task is a 2-5 minute action. Each has a commit. The verification infrastructure makes the regression impossible to reintroduce without CI catching it.

conductor/archive/default_layout_extract_20260629/spec.md

@@ -0,0 +1,226 @@
+# Track Specification: Default Layout Extract + Hard Visual Verification
+
+## Overview
+
+Extract tier-2's GOOD work on the default layout setup (the `layouts/` directory, the install-on-empty-INI helpers, the pre-run install timing fix, and the orphan-end-child cleanup) into `master`, and replace the previous tier-2 "fake" verification (INI content assertions only) with a HARD 4-layer visual verification protocol that catches the "panels don't render" regression every time it occurs.
+
+## Current State Audit (as of commit `466d2656` on master)
+
+### Branch State Warning
+
+The main working tree at `C:\projects\manual_slop` is currently on branch `tier2/post_module_taxonomy_de_cruft_20260627` (NOT master). This track targets `master`. All line numbers below are from `master` (verified via `git show master:src/gui_2.py`). The cruft-elimination tracks (`module_taxonomy_refactor_20260627` + `post_module_taxonomy_de_cruft_20260627`) are NOT merged to master — they live on tier-2 branches only. This track does NOT depend on those cruft tracks; it depends only on `cruft_elimination_20260627` (which IS merged to master) + the themes infrastructure in `src/paths.py` (which is on master). A separate master worktree exists at `C:\projects\manual_slop_master` for editing on the master branch without disturbing the cruft-branch working tree.
+
+### Already Implemented on Master
+
+- `src/paths.py:60,83,150,209-216` — themes infrastructure (the pattern to mirror for layouts): `themes: Path` field in `_AppPaths`, default `root_dir / "themes"`, env override `SLOP_GLOBAL_THEMES`, getters `get_global_themes_path()` and `get_project_themes_path(project_root)`, plus the path info dict entry at line 295.
+- `src/theme_2.py:340-346` + `src/theme_models.py:181-225` — themes loader pair (the pattern to mirror for layouts): `load_themes_from_disk()` calls `get_global_themes_path()` then `load_themes_from_dir(path, scope)`; the latter iterates children, parses, builds typed `@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)` records, drains errors via `Result + ErrorInfo`.
+- `src/gui_2.py:1776` — `from src.command_palette import render_palette_modal`. **MASTER WORKS**: `src/command_palette.py` EXISTS (165 lines, has `Command`, `ScoredCommand`, `CommandRegistry`, `render_palette_modal`). Tier-2 broke because they deleted `src/command_palette.py` in `module_taxonomy_refactor_20260627` (commit `3dd153f7`, NOT merged to master).
+- `src/gui_2.py:580-611` — `_diag_layout_state` (one-shot startup diagnostic that logs `show_windows` count + INI file size + stale window name warnings). Used as the install verification hook.
+- `src/gui_2.py:619-703` — `App.run`. Calls `_run_immapp_result(self)` at line 691. HelloImGui reads `runner_params.ini_filename` ("manualslop_layout.ini") from cwd at load_user_pref time, BEFORE `callbacks.post_init` fires.
+- `src/gui_2.py:566-578` — `App._post_init`. Calls `_post_init_callback_result` and `_diag_layout_state`. Fires AFTER HelloImGui has loaded the INI from disk.
+- `src/gui_2.py:1449-1470` — `_post_init_callback_result` (drain-aware wrapper for `App._post_init`). The pattern Tier-2's `_install_default_layout_if_empty_result` and `_install_default_layout_pre_run_result` follow.
+- `src/gui_2.py:1658-1660` — orphan-end-child bug was refactored OUT of `_tier_stream_scroll_sync_result` (the helper that was previously buggy). The orphan at line 6990 (in `render_tier_stream_panel`'s except block) STILL exists on master.
+- `src/gui_2.py:6981-6991` — `render_tier_stream_panel` has the latent orphan-end-child bug: `try: ... imgui.end_child()` at line 6988; `except (TypeError, AttributeError): imgui.end_child()` at line 6990. When the try block raises (e.g. `len(None)`), the second `end_child()` fires with no matching `begin_child()` and ImGui emits "In window 'MainDockSpace': Missing End()". Currently latent because `len(content)` rarely raises.
+- `tests/conftest.py:700-712` — pre-baked `tests/artifacts/manualslop_layout_default.ini` shipped to fresh test workspaces. Hardcoded path (cwd-relative test fixture) — violates "production code uses cwd-relative paths only" rule.
+- `src/commands.py:248-275` — `reset_layout` command with hardcoded `tests/artifacts/live_gui_workspace/manualslop_layout.ini` path at line 268 (dead code in production; references a test-fixture path that doesn't exist in production cwd).
+- `conductor/tracks/default_layout_install_20260629/` — Tier-1 track scaffolding from this session. States the user's intent.
+- `conductor/tracks/default_layout_install_followup_20260629/` — Tier-1 followup track that supersedes Tier-2's wrong-theory `e9654518` strip-docking fix.
+
+### Already Implemented on Tier-2 Branch (NOT on master)
+
+- `layouts/default.ini` (2971 bytes, 101 lines) — bundled INI with full `[Docking][Data]` hierarchy (DockSpace ID=0xAFC85805 + DockNode 0x00000001 + DockNode 0x00000002 + 8 per-window `DockId=...` entries). Comments document the runtime-generated ID semantics.
+- `src/layouts.py` (3178 bytes, 88 lines) — `LayoutFile` dataclass + `load_layouts_from_file()` + `load_layouts_from_dir()` + `load_layouts_from_disk()` (mirrors `src/theme_models.py:181-225` shape exactly).
+- `src/gui_2.py:1481-1540` — `_install_default_layout_if_empty` + `_install_default_layout_if_empty_result` (drain-aware wrapper). The function: reads dst INI; if empty (<1000 bytes OR no `[Window][`), reads bundled src INI, writes to dst, calls `imgui.load_ini_settings_from_memory(src_text)` to apply to live session.
+- `src/gui_2.py:1543-1590` — `_install_default_layout_pre_run_result`. Same logic but disk-only (no `load_ini_settings_from_memory`) because imgui is not yet initialized before `immapp.run()`. This is the timing fix Tier-2 added after the post-init version was too late for the first session.
+- `src/gui_2.py:701-706` — `App.run` wiring: calls `_install_default_layout_pre_run_result(self)` BEFORE `_run_immapp_result(self)`. Drains errors to `_startup_timeline_errors`.
+- `src/gui_2.py:579-582` — `App._post_init` wiring: calls `_install_default_layout_if_empty_result(self, src_layout_path, dst_layout_path)`. Drains errors.
+- `tests/test_layout_reorganization.py` (66 lines) — RED tests for the install-on-empty-INI behavior (per tier-2 claim "17/17 PASSED"; tests check INI content, not visible panels).
+
+### Gaps to Fill (This Track's Scope)
+
+| Gap | Severity | Layer |
+|---|---|---|
+| `layouts/` directory + `layouts/default.ini` + `src/layouts.py` missing on master | High | (the assets themselves) |
+| `_install_default_layout_if_empty` + `_install_default_layout_pre_run_result` helpers missing on master | High | (the install behavior) |
+| `App._post_init` and `App.run` wiring missing on master | High | (the install triggers) |
+| `get_layouts_dir()` in `src/paths.py` missing on master | High | (the path resolver; mirrors themes) |
+| `reset_layout` command still references dead `tests/artifacts/manualslop_layout_default.ini` path | Medium | cleanup |
+| Orphan `imgui.end_child()` at `src/gui_2.py:6990` (latent; fires when tier-stream try-block raises) | Medium | cleanup |
+| **No hard verification that panels actually render visually** | Critical | verification infrastructure |
+
+### Tier-2's "Bullshit" We're NOT Extracting
+
+| Commit | Why Skip |
+|---|---|
+| `e9654518` "strip stale dockspace IDs" | Wrong theory (superseded by `2afb0126`; that one we DO extract) |
+| `13ad9d3e` "idk" | Meaningless commit message; bulk-edited `manualslop_layout.ini` |
+| `28527851` "artifacts" | Meaningless commit; bulk-edited artifacts |
+| `9437af6c` "archive 27 diagnostic scripts" | 27 throwaway scripts not needed in master |
+| `4acf8b15`, `b80e5afb`, `c42a7599`, `cf5244b1`, `b1632f46`, `06476c56`, `519e1340`, `cf6a2e20`, `4bf5ecd6`, `5e53d477`, `d4116f19`, `7d5a5492`, `15cd1262`, `23566da8` | Tier-2 internal track-marking commits; we write our own |
+| `71028dad` "drop stale `from src.command_palette import`" | Tier-2 specific: master has `src/command_palette.py` so the import WORKS on master. The stale import bug only exists on tier-2 because they deleted the module. **We do not cherry-pick this.** |
+
+### Why the User Wants This Track
+
+The tier-2 track was marked "SHIPPED" based on:
+- 17/17 install/layout tests PASS (which only check INI content, not visible panels)
+- Manual launch produces a 3072-byte INI with correct structure (content check, not visible check)
+- "the imgui core loader rejected the literal IDs from the bundled INI because the runtime IDs didn't match" — claim contradicted by post-fix INI matching runtime IDs
+
+**None of those commits empirically verified visible panels after install.** The user wants this regression to never happen again. The previous tier-2 "fake" verification must be replaced by a HARD one.
+
+## Goals
+
+**G1.** Master has `layouts/default.ini` + `src/layouts.py` + `get_layouts_dir()` so the app boots with a non-empty INI on first launch.
+
+**G2.** Master has `_install_default_layout_if_empty` + `_install_default_layout_pre_run_result` wired into `App._post_init` + `App.run` so empty-INI detection + install-on-empty works at both phases (live session + first session).
+
+**G3.** Master has `reset_layout` cleaned up to remove the dead test-fixture path (no more `tests/artifacts/...` in production code).
+
+**G4.** Master has the orphan `imgui.end_child()` at `src/gui_2.py:6990` removed.
+
+**G5.** Master has a HARD 4-layer visual verification infrastructure:
+- **Layer 1 (Per-Panel Sentinel)**: a `tests/test_panels_visible_after_install.py` test that asserts every `show_windows[k]==True` panel has nonzero render size after first frame.
+- **Layer 2 (Win32 PrintWindow Pixel Baseline)**: a `tests/test_visual_baseline_default.py` test that captures the running GUI window's pixels via Win32 `PrintWindow` API and compares against `tests/artifacts/visual_baseline_default.png` with <1% pixel-diff tolerance. Catches ALL visual regressions (empty workspace, wrong INI, missing panels, overlap, theme corruption).
+- **Layer 3 (Forced Test Viewport + Theme)**: `MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_VIEWPORT=1680x1050` + `MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_THEME=dark` env vars honored at startup. Forces fixed viewport + known theme so the baseline PNG is deterministic.
+- **Layer 4 (Cannot-Skip Gates)**: `scripts/check_visual_baseline.py` (exits 1 if pixel diff > 1%); wire into `scripts/run_tests_batched.py`; require `git tag VERIFIED-<YYYYMMDD>` on the merge commit; `conductor/tracks.md` schema update so `[x]`-completion requires the tag.
+
+**G6.** A regression test demonstrates that the verification infrastructure catches the original "panels don't render" bug (negative test: corrupt the installed INI, verify the sentinel + pixel baseline both fail).
+
+## Functional Requirements
+
+### FR1. Tier-2 Asset Extraction (Hybrid Approach C)
+- F1.1. Port `layouts/default.ini` fresh from tier-2's `C:\projects\manual_slop_tier2\layouts\default.ini` (2971 bytes, 101 lines) to `layouts/default.ini` at master repo root. Rationale: clean history for new asset; user-facing content.
+- F1.2. Port `src/layouts.py` fresh from tier-2's `C:\projects\manual_slop_tier2\src\layouts.py` (88 lines). Mirrors `src/theme_models.py:181-225` shape. Rationale: clean history for new module; matches `src/theme_2.py` + `src/theme_models.py` pair.
+- F1.3. Add `get_layouts_dir()` to `src/paths.py` mirroring `get_global_themes_path()` at line 209. Add `layouts: Path` field to `_AppPaths` (line 60), default `root_dir / "layouts"` (line 83), env override `SLOP_GLOBAL_LAYOUTS` (line 150), path info dict entry (line 295). User explicitly authorized "make a layouts directory similar to the themes directory" in the prior session.
+- F1.4. Port `tests/test_layout_reorganization.py` fresh from tier-2 (66 lines). Rationale: tests for the install helpers.
+
+### FR2. Install Helpers + Wiring
+- F2.1. Add `_install_default_layout_if_empty(src_ini: Path, dst_ini: Path) -> Result[bool]` to `src/gui_2.py` (per tier-2 line 1481). Reads dst; if empty (<1000 bytes OR no `[Window][`), copies src→dst and calls `imgui.load_ini_settings_from_memory(src_text)` to apply to live session.
+- F2.2. Add `_install_default_layout_if_empty_result(app: "App", src: Path, dst: Path) -> Result[bool]` (per tier-2 line 1530). Drain-aware passthrough wrapper.
+- F2.3. Add `_install_default_layout_pre_run_result(app: "App") -> Result[bool]` (per tier-2 line 1543). Disk-only install (no `load_ini_settings_from_memory`); imgui isn't initialized yet.
+- F2.4. Wire `_install_default_layout_if_empty_result` into `App._post_init` (line 566-578). Source path: `get_layouts_dir() / "default.ini"`. Dst path: `Path.cwd() / "manualslop_layout.ini"`. Drain errors to `_startup_timeline_errors`.
+- F2.5. Wire `_install_default_layout_pre_run_result` into `App.run` (line 619-703, insert before line 691 `_run_immapp_result(self)`). Drain errors to `_startup_timeline_errors`.
+
+### FR3. Surgical Cherry-Picks
+- F3.1. Cherry-pick `c2155593 fix(gui): remove orphan imgui.end_child() in render_tier_stream_panel except handler`. Apply the 1-line deletion to `src/gui_2.py:6990`. Tier-2 verified this fixes an imgui "Missing End()" error in MainDockSpace when the tier-stream try-block raises. Latent on master but real.
+- F3.2. Cherry-pick `3b966288 chore(commands): remove dead test-fixture path from reset_layout`. Apply the deletion to `src/commands.py:268` (the `tests/artifacts/live_gui_workspace/manualslop_layout.ini` hardcoded path in the `layout_paths` list).
+
+### FR4. Layer 1 — Per-Panel Render Sentinel
+- F4.1. New test file `tests/test_panels_visible_after_install.py`. Imports `live_gui` fixture from `tests/conftest.py`.
+- F4.2. RED: assert that for each `show_windows[k]==True` entry, after first frame, `imgui.find_window_viewport(k).size.x > 0 AND .size.y > 0`. Test should fail on the current baseline (we don't have the install helpers yet) — confirms sentinel catches the regression.
+- F4.3. GREEN: with the install helpers in place (FR2), test passes.
+- F4.4. Test must use poll-loop (not `time.sleep`) per `conductor/workflow.md` "Async Setters Need Poll-For-State".
+
+### FR5. Layer 2 — Win32 PrintWindow Pixel Baseline
+- F5.1. New test file `tests/test_visual_baseline_default.py`. Imports `live_gui` fixture.
+- F5.2. Capture: import `win32gui` from `pywin32`; find imgui window HWND via `win32gui.FindWindow(None, "manual slop")`; allocate DC + bitmap; call `win32gui.PrintWindow(hwnd, hdc, PW_RENDERFULLCONTENT)`; convert bitmap to PNG via `Pillow` (already a dep); save to `tests/artifacts/<test_session>_<date>.png`.
+- F5.3. Baseline: commit `tests/artifacts/visual_baseline_default.png` (the "known good" reference). Generated AFTER F5.1 + F5.2 are GREEN against the new install infrastructure.
+- F5.4. Compare: load baseline + current via `Pillow.Image.open(...)`; convert to RGB; compute pixel diff via `numpy.abs(np.array(a) - np.array(b)).mean() / 255.0`. Threshold: 0.01 (1%). Fail if > 1%.
+- F5.5. RED: with the install infrastructure removed, the test must fail. Confirms the test catches the regression.
+- F5.6. Test must poll for first frame + capture screenshot AT MOST ONCE (don't spam captures).
+
+### FR6. Layer 3 — Forced Test Viewport + Theme
+- F6.1. Add `MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_VIEWPORT=1680x1050` env var support to `App.run` (line 619). If set, override `self.runner_params.app_window_params.window_geometry.size` to the env-var value (parsed as `WxH`).
+- F6.2. Add `MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_THEME=dark` env var support to `App.run` (line 619). If set, force `self.runner_params.imgui_window_params.tweaked_theme = ImGuiTheme_.ImGuiColorsDark` (the default dark theme).
+- F6.3. RED: write `tests/test_test_mode_env_vars.py` that asserts both env vars are honored when set (via `live_gui` fixture with env vars).
+- F6.4. GREEN: implement the env-var parsing in `App.run`.
+
+### FR7. Layer 4 — Cannot-Skip Gates
+- F7.1. New file `scripts/check_visual_baseline.py`. Imports `live_gui` (no — too heavy for a CLI script). Instead, accepts `--baseline <path>` + `--current <path>` + `--threshold <float>` CLI args. Uses `Pillow.Image.open()` + `numpy.abs(...).mean()` to compute diff. Exits 1 if diff > threshold.
+- F7.2. Add `scripts/check_visual_baseline.py` to `scripts/run_tests_batched.py` tier-2 test list (or a new tier dedicated to visual regression).
+- F7.3. Document the `VERIFIED-<YYYYMMDD>` git-tag requirement in `conductor/tracks.md` schema section. Tracks that touch `src/gui_2.py` MUST carry the tag for `[x]`-completion.
+- F7.4. New doc `docs/guide_visual_verification.md` (200-300 lines). Documents the 4 layers, how to add a new visual baseline, how to update an existing baseline, the env-var protocol, the tag protocol.
+
+### FR8. Negative Test (Regression Catch Demonstration)
+- F8.1. New test file `tests/test_visual_baseline_catches_corrupt_ini.py`. Uses `live_gui` fixture; AFTER the install infrastructure has run, manually corrupt the installed INI (delete `[Docking][Data]` line). Re-launch + capture screenshot. Verify pixel diff > 5% (the corrupted INI shows empty workspace, baseline shows full panels).
+- F8.2. Negative test must run in a separate `pytest` session (not pollute `live_gui` state).
+
+## Non-Functional Requirements
+
+### NFR1. Atomic Per-Task Commits
+Every Phase task results in exactly ONE atomic commit. No batched commits. Per `AGENTS.md` "Critical Anti-Patterns" — "Do not batch commits - commit per-task for atomic rollback".
+
+### NFR2. TDD Red-First
+Every implementation task has a preceding RED test task. Per `conductor/workflow.md` "Standard Task Workflow" §4.
+
+### NFR3. No Comments in Source Code
+Per `AGENTS.md` "Critical Anti-Patterns" — "Do not add comments to source code; documentation lives in /docs".
+
+### NFR4. No Diagnostic Noise in Production
+Per `AGENTS.md` "Critical Anti-Patterns" — diag stderr goes to `tests/artifacts/*.diag.log` or `/tmp`, NOT `src/*.py`.
+
+### NFR5. 1-Space Indentation
+Per `conductor/workflow.md` "Code Style (MANDATORY - Python)" — exactly 1 space per level for ALL Python code.
+
+### NFR6. CRLF Line Endings on Windows
+Per `conductor/workflow.md` "Code Style (MANDATORY - Python)" — preserve CRLF.
+
+### NFR7. Type Hints Required
+Per `conductor/product-guidelines.md` "AI-Optimized Compact Style" — strict type hints on all parameters, return types, globals.
+
+### NFR8. No `dict[str, Any]` / `Optional[T]` in Non-Boundary Code
+Per `conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md` §8.5 + `python.md` §17. Typed `@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)` + `Result[T]` + `NIL_T`.
+
+### NFR9. ImGui Defer Patterns
+Per `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` — use `imscope` context managers over manual `imgui.begin/end` pairs (where applicable). Existing manual pairs in `src/gui_2.py` are unchanged.
+
+### NFR10. Manual Slop MCP Tools Only
+Per the system prompt — use `manual-slop_*` MCP tools, NOT native `read`/`edit`/`grep` (where the MCP equivalents are available). When MCP tools aren't available (which is the case for this Tier-1 track creation), native `read`/`edit`/`grep`/`write` are the fallback.
+
+## Architecture Reference
+
+- **`docs/guide_gui_2.md`** §"App class lifecycle" + §"_post_init + App.run" — current rendering flow; where the install helpers slot in.
+- **`docs/guide_architecture.md`** §"Thread domains, event system" — confirms main thread owns `App.run`; install helpers run on main thread (no thread-safety concerns).
+- **`docs/guide_testing.md`** §"`live_gui` fixture" + §"Puppeteer pattern" + §"Structural Testing Contract" — the live_gui fixture is the test harness for FR4-FR8.
+- **`conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md`** §8.5 — the Python Type Promotion Mandate. Bound by NFR8.
+- **`conductor/code_styleguides/error_handling.md`** — `Result[T]` + `ErrorInfo` + `ErrorKind` usage. The install helpers return `Result[bool]` per this styleguide.
+- **`conductor/code_styleguides/type_aliases.md`** — `Metadata = TrackMetadata` etc. The new `LayoutFile` dataclass follows the typed-record pattern from this styleguide.
+- **`conductor/code_styleguides/feature_flags.md`** — "delete to turn off" (file presence) for the bundled INI. If `layouts/default.ini` is deleted, `_install_default_layout_if_empty` returns `Result(data=False)` (no install).
+- **`docs/guide_visual_verification.md`** (NEW, FR7.4) — the documentation deliverable.
+
+## Out of Scope
+
+1. **Fleury declarative view-constructs migration** (`PANELS: tuple[PanelDef, ...]`). Logged in `default_layout_install_20260629/metadata.json` `deferred_to_followup_tracks[0]`. Requires its own track.
+2. **imgui_test_engine integration** (`test_engine_integration_20260627`). Provides pixel-level diff via `ctx.capture_screenshot_window()`. Our Win32 PrintWindow approach is simpler + works without test engine. The two approaches are complementary; layering them is a future task.
+3. **Reverting tier-2's working tree state**. User's responsibility per the Inherited-Cruft rule. Tier-2's `git status` shows uncommitted `manual_slop.toml` + `manual_slop_history.toml` deletions; user must explicitly handle those.
+4. **Cross-platform pixel diff** (Linux/macOS). Win32 PrintWindow is Windows-only. The track ships Windows-only; CI on Linux/macOS would skip FR5 (marked `@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform != "win32")`).
+5. **Pre-baked test INI shipped from `tests/conftest.py:700-712`**. Replaced by FR5.3 baseline PNG.
+6. **`render_persona_editor_window` bug** at `src/gui_2.py:3433+` (opens + immediately closes the Persona Editor window when not embedded). Pre-existing; unrelated to panel visibility. Logged for followup.
+
+## Coordination with Pending Tracks
+
+- **`default_layout_install_20260629/`** — supersedes. Tier-1 scaffolding for this work. The plan.md tasks here replace `conductor/tracks/default_layout_install_20260629/plan.md`.
+- **`default_layout_install_followup_20260629/`** — supersedes. The followup plan assumed tier-2's `e9654518` INI strip was the right fix; this track's plan supersedes that with the hybrid extraction.
+- **`test_engine_integration_20260627`** — independent. Not blocked by, does not block this track. May consume the env-var protocol (FR6.1 + F6.2) once integrated.
+- **`panel_defs_fleury_migration_20260629`** (deferred) — future. Will consume `LayoutFile` + `get_layouts_dir()` from this track.
+
+## Verification Criteria (Track Completion Gates)
+
+- [ ] All Phase 1-9 tasks committed (atomic per-task)
+- [ ] `tests/test_panels_visible_after_install.py` passes (Layer 1 sentinel)
+- [ ] `tests/test_visual_baseline_default.py` passes (Layer 2 pixel diff < 1%)
+- [ ] `tests/test_test_mode_env_vars.py` passes (Layer 3 env vars honored)
+- [ ] `tests/test_visual_baseline_catches_corrupt_ini.py` passes (FR8 negative test)
+- [ ] `scripts/check_visual_baseline.py --help` works; `--strict` mode exits 1 on diff > 1%
+- [ ] `scripts/run_tests_batched.py` includes the visual verification tests
+- [ ] `tests/artifacts/visual_baseline_default.png` is committed to master
+- [ ] `docs/guide_visual_verification.md` is committed; cross-referenced from `docs/Readme.md`
+- [ ] `conductor/tracks.md` schema updated to require `VERIFIED-<YYYYMMDD>` tag for `[x]`-completion of tracks touching `src/gui_2.py`
+- [ ] **MANUAL GATE**: user runs `uv run sloppy.py` from master, confirms panels render visibly. User commits the `VERIFIED-<date>` tag.
+- [ ] `docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_default_layout_extract_20260629.md` committed
+- [ ] Tier-2 branch status: marked for archival (user's responsibility per AGENTS.md "Inherited-Cruft")
+
+## Scope Summary (per workflow.md "Tier 1 Track Initialization Rules")
+
+- **Scope**: 9 phases, ~36 tasks
+- **Files touched**: ~12 (3 new: `src/layouts.py`, `layouts/default.ini`, `tests/artifacts/visual_baseline_default.png`, `scripts/check_visual_baseline.py`, `docs/guide_visual_verification.md`; 6 modified: `src/gui_2.py`, `src/paths.py`, `src/commands.py`, `tests/test_layout_reorganization.py`, `tests/test_panels_visible_after_install.py` (new), `tests/test_visual_baseline_default.py` (new), `tests/test_test_mode_env_vars.py` (new), `tests/test_visual_baseline_catches_corrupt_ini.py` (new), `scripts/run_tests_batched.py`, `conductor/tracks.md`, `docs/Readme.md`)
+- **Sites modified**: ~15 (in `_post_init`, `App.run`, `_install_default_layout_*`, `_diag_layout_state`, etc.)
+- **Tasks**: ~36
+
+## Risk Register
+
+- **R1** — Win32 PrintWindow may fail for the imgui-bundle HelloImGui window (HWND lookup or print flags). **Mitigation**: pre-flight check `win32gui.IsWindow(hwnd)` before capture; fall back to `BitBlt` of the screen region.
+- **R2** — Pixel baseline may be too sensitive (font hinting, GPU driver variations). **Mitigation**: tolerance is 1%; if false positives appear, raise to 2% and document.
+- **R3** — Forced viewport env var may not work on multi-monitor systems. **Mitigation**: scope the env var to test fixtures only (`tests/conftest.py` sets it before spawning).
+- **R4** — Tier-2 sandbox has uncommitted edits that may conflict when cherry-picking. **Mitigation**: cherry-pick to master directly (master is clean); tier-2 archival is user's responsibility.
+- **R5** — User-visible panel rendering depends on `_install_default_layout_pre_run_result` firing BEFORE `immapp.run`. If the user's cwd already has a valid `manualslop_layout.ini`, the install is skipped. The pixel baseline test must run with cwd-deleted `manualslop_layout.ini` to exercise the install path. **Mitigation**: `live_gui` fixture already cleans cwd before spawning.

conductor/archive/default_layout_extract_20260629/state.toml

@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+# Track state for default_layout_extract_20260629
+# Updated by Tier 2 Tech Lead as tasks complete
+
+[meta]
+track_id = "default_layout_extract_20260629"
+name = "Default Layout Extract + Hard Visual Verification"
+status = "active"
+current_phase = 0
+last_updated = "2026-06-29"
+
+[blocked_by]
+# None — this track is independent (replaces default_layout_install_20260629 which is superseded)
+
+[blocks]
+# Tracks that depend on this one
+panel_defs_fleury_migration = "deferred (consumes LayoutFile + get_layouts_dir)"
+render_persona_editor_window_fix = "deferred (Layer 1 sentinel catches the empty-content bug)"
+test_engine_integration_20260627 = "in_progress (separate track)"
+
+[phases]
+phase_1 = { status = "pending", checkpointsha = "", name = "Asset Foundation (layouts/ + src/layouts.py + get_layouts_dir)" }
+phase_2 = { status = "pending", checkpointsha = "", name = "Install Helpers (_install_default_layout_if_empty + pre_run)" }
+phase_3 = { status = "pending", checkpointsha = "", name = "Wiring (App._post_init + App.run)" }
+phase_4 = { status = "pending", checkpointsha = "", name = "Surgical Cherry-Picks (orphan end_child + reset_layout)" }
+phase_5 = { status = "pending", checkpointsha = "", name = "Layer 1 Sentinel (per-panel render size check)" }
+phase_6 = { status = "pending", checkpointsha = "", name = "Layer 2 Pixel Baseline (Win32 PrintWindow)" }
+phase_7 = { status = "pending", checkpointsha = "", name = "Layer 3 Forced Viewport/Theme (env vars)" }
+phase_8 = { status = "pending", checkpointsha = "", name = "Layer 4 Cannot-Skip Gates (CI + tag)" }
+phase_9 = { status = "pending", checkpointsha = "", name = "Negative Test + End-to-End + Track Completion" }
+
+[tasks]
+# Phase 1
+t1_1 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "RED test for src/layouts.py:load_layouts_from_dir" }
+t1_2 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Create src/layouts.py (port fresh from tier-2)" }
+t1_3 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "RED test for src/paths.py:get_global_layouts_path" }
+t1_4 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Add get_global_layouts_path() + SLOP_GLOBAL_LAYOUTS env override" }
+t1_5 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "RED test for bundled layouts/default.ini structure" }
+t1_6 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Port layouts/default.ini to master (8 [Window] + [Docking])" }
+# Phase 2
+t2_1 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "RED test for _install_default_layout_if_empty (5 cases)" }
+t2_2 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Implement _install_default_layout_if_empty + _result wrapper" }
+t2_3 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "RED test for _install_default_layout_pre_run_result (disk-only)" }
+t2_4 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Implement _install_default_layout_pre_run_result" }
+# Phase 3
+t3_1 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "RED test for App._post_init calling install helper" }
+t3_2 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Wire _install_default_layout_if_empty_result into App._post_init" }
+t3_3 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "RED test for App.run calling pre-run install before immapp" }
+t3_4 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Wire _install_default_layout_pre_run_result into App.run" }
+t3_5 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "GREEN end-to-end install fires + INI created" }
+# Phase 4
+t4_1 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Cherry-pick c2155593 (remove orphan imgui.end_child at line 6990)" }
+t4_2 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Cherry-pick 3b966288 (remove dead test-fixture path from reset_layout)" }
+# Phase 5
+t5_1 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "RED test for per-panel render size check (Layer 1)" }
+t5_2 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Verify sentinel catches empty-panels regression (negative test)" }
+t5_3 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Verify sentinel catches render_main_interface no-op (negative test)" }
+# Phase 6
+t6_1 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "RED test for Win32 PrintWindow capture (Layer 2)" }
+t6_2 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Implement _capture_gui_window_png (PrintWindow + Pillow)" }
+t6_3 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Generate baseline PNG (visual_baseline_default.png)" }
+t6_4 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "RED test for pixel diff comparison" }
+t6_5 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Implement _compute_pixel_diff (numpy-based)" }
+# Phase 7
+t7_1 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "RED test for MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_VIEWPORT env var" }
+t7_2 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Implement MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_VIEWPORT parsing in App.run" }
+t7_3 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "RED test for MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_THEME env var" }
+t7_4 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Implement MANUAL_SLOP_TEST_THEME parsing in App.run" }
+# Phase 8
+t8_1 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Create scripts/check_visual_baseline.py (standalone CLI)" }
+t8_2 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Wire check_visual_baseline into scripts/run_tests_batched.py" }
+t8_3 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Write docs/guide_visual_verification.md" }
+t8_4 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Update conductor/tracks.md schema (VERIFIED-<date> tag requirement)" }
+t8_5 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Update docs/Readme.md to reference new guide" }
+# Phase 9
+t9_1 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Negative test: corrupted INI catches the regression (FR8)" }
+t9_2 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Run full test batch (scripts/run_tests_batched.py)" }
+t9_3 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Manual visual verification gate (user runs uv run sloppy.py)" }
+t9_4 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "User commits VERIFIED-<date> git tag (HARD GATE)" }
+t9_5 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Write TRACK_COMPLETION report" }
+t9_6 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Update conductor/tracks.md to mark track [x]" }
+t9_7 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Conductor - User Manual Verification" }
+
+[verification]
+phase_1_complete = false
+phase_2_complete = false
+phase_3_complete = false
+phase_4_complete = false
+phase_5_complete = false
+phase_6_complete = false
+phase_7_complete = false
+phase_8_complete = false
+phase_9_complete = false
+visual_baseline_png_committed = false
+verified_tag_exists = false
+all_tiers_pass = false

conductor/archive/default_layout_install_20260629/metadata.json

@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+{
+ "track_id": "default_layout_install_20260629",
+ "name": "Default Layout Install + Hardcoded Path Cleanup + layouts/ Stack",
+ "status": "active",
+ "branch": "tier2/post_module_taxonomy_de_cruft_20260627",
+ "created": "2026-06-29",
+ "owner": "Tier 1 (initialized); implementation delegated to Tier 2/3.",
+ "blocked_by": [],
+ "blocks": [],
+ "scope": {
+  "new_files": [
+   "layouts/default.ini",
+   "src/layouts.py",
+   "tests/test_default_layout_install.py",
+   "tests/test_reset_layout.py"
+  ],
+  "modified_files": [
+   "src/paths.py (add `layouts: Path` field + SLOP_GLOBAL_LAYOUTS env override + get_layouts_dir() accessor, mirror themes pattern at line 60/83/150/210-216)",
+   "src/gui_2.py (App._post_init install hook + drain helper `_install_default_layout_if_empty_result`, mirror the existing `_post_init_callback_result` and `_diag_layout_state_ini_text_result` drain pattern at line 1448+)",
+   "src/commands.py (drop hardcoded tests/artifacts/... path from reset_layout at line 369-376; simplify docstring at line 351-362)",
+   "tests/conftest.py:709 (path update from tests/artifacts/manualslop_layout_default.ini to layouts/default.ini)",
+   "conductor/tracks.md (add row at end of Active Tracks)",
+   "conductor/chronology.md (prepend row)"
+  ],
+  "deleted_files": [],
+  "relocated_files": [
+   "tests/artifacts/manualslop_layout_default.ini -> layouts/default.ini (git mv preserves history; same content; new parallel-to-themes/ home at repo root per user directive 2026-06-29)"
+  ]
+ },
+ "estimated_effort": {
+  "method": "scope (per workflow.md Tier 1 Track Initialization Rules. NO day estimates.)",
+  "phase_1": "10 tasks: 1 audit + 1 git mv + 1 conftest path update + 4 src/paths.py layouts-field edits + 1 src/layouts.py loader + 1 import verification + 1 commit",
+  "phase_2": "9 tasks: 1 failing tests + 1 red-confirm + 1 helper + 1 wire-to-_post_init + 1 drain-helper + 1 green-confirm + 1 adjacent-batch + 1 commit + 1 manual verification",
+  "phase_3": "7 tasks: 1 failing test + 1 red-confirm + 1 commands.py edit + 1 docstring update + 1 green-confirm + 1 adjacent-batch + 1 commit",
+  "phase_4": "6 tasks: 1 acceptance run + 1 empirical repro + 1 checkpoint + 1 plan SHA append + 1 plan commit + 1 tracks.md row"
+ },
+ "verification_criteria": [
+  "G1: when cwd/manualslop_layout.ini is missing or <1000 bytes or has 0 [Window][ entries, App._post_init installs layouts/default.ini (resolved via src/layouts.py + src/paths.py:get_layouts_dir()) to cwd/manualslop_layout.ini BEFORE immapp.run; log line `[GUI] installed default layout: <src> -> <dst>` is emitted",
+  "G2: after install, the merged show_windows state has the 8 default-true windows (Project Settings, Files & Media, AI Settings, Discussion Hub, Operations Hub, Theme, Log Management, Diagnostics) set to True even if config.toml previously pinned them to False",
+  "G3: src/commands.py:reset_layout has only 1 path in layout_paths list (cwd-relative); the tests/artifacts/live_gui_workspace/manualslop_layout.ini reference is gone (verified via inspect.getsource assertion in tests/test_reset_layout.py)",
+  "G4: tests/test_default_layout_install.py exists and has 3+ tests, all passing: test_default_layout_installed_when_ini_missing, test_default_layout_installed_when_ini_empty, test_default_layout_NOT_installed_when_layout_present",
+  "G5: layouts/default.ini is the source of truth at repo root (parallel to themes/); tests/conftest.py:709 reads from the new path; the old tests/artifacts/manualslop_layout_default.ini is gone (git mv relocated it)",
+  "G6: src/paths.py declares a `layouts: Path` field (mirror of themes line 60); resolves layouts = root_dir / 'layouts' (mirror line 83); supports SLOP_GLOBAL_LAYOUTS env + config-file override (mirror line 150); exposes get_layouts_dir() accessor (mirror line 210-216)",
+  "G7: src/layouts.py exists with LayoutFile @dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True) + load_layouts_from_dir(path, scope) + load_layouts_from_disk() consumer (mirror src/theme_models.py:181-225 + src/theme_2.py:340-346; uses Result[T] per data-oriented convention)",
+  "G8: tests/conftest.py:709 reads from layouts/default.ini; the live_gui fixture continues to ship the default layout to fresh test workspaces; no test environment regression",
+  "VC_no_production_path_to_test_fixtures: regex search `tests/artifacts` against src/**/*.py returns 0 matches (the prior false positive at src/commands.py:371 is gone)",
+  "VC_no_configs_in_src: regex search `\\.ini$` against src/**/* returns 0 matches; configs at repo root only (themes/, layouts/, etc.)"
+ ],
+ "regressions_and_pre_existing_failures": [],
+ "pre_existing_failures_remaining": [],
+ "deferred_to_followup_tracks": [
+  {
+   "title": "panel_defs_fleury_migration",
+   "description": "Migrate the ~40 imperative render_x functions and `_render_window_if_open(name, lambda: render_x(app))` call sites in src/gui_2.py into declarative PanelDef records (name, render_callable, dock_target, default_visible, pops_out) per Ryan Fleury's raddbg 'type view' / 'lens' pattern (talk transcripts at docs/transcripts/rcJwvx2CTZY_ryan_fleury_raddbg_codebase_intro.json and docs/transcripts/_9_bK_WjuYY_ryan_fleury_raddbg_walkthrough.json). The render loop becomes `for panel in PANELS: if app.show_windows.get(panel.name): panel.render(app)`. Pre-conditions: this track establishes `layouts/` at repo root + `src/layouts.py` as the typed loader so the future migration has somewhere to land.",
+   "track_status": "not yet initialized; deferred per user directive 2026-06-29 ('I don't need to full on convert the gui definitions in the codebase to this way of defining them but just something to keep in mind')"
+  },
+  {
+   "title": "test_engine_integration_20260627 (separate ongoing track)",
+   "description": "Bridge the imgui test engine so visual regression can verify 'panels are visible' rather than relying on the INI-content proxy this track uses. This track does NOT depend on the engine; the engine track is orthogonal and was planned before this one.",
+   "track_status": "active (separate track; not blocked by this one)"
+  },
+  {
+   "title": "Visual-regression coverage of empty-INI recovery",
+   "description": "After test_engine_integration ships, replace the INI-content assertion (G4) with `ctx.capture_screenshot_window('Project Settings')` + baseline PNG diff. The INI-content proxy is correct-but-imperfect; pixel-level would be definitive.",
+   "track_status": "not yet initialized; follows test_engine_integration Track 3"
+  },
+  {
+   "title": "Multiple bundled layouts",
+   "description": "After the default layout lands, optionally add `layouts/compact.ini` (small-screen), `layouts/wide.ini` (wide-screen), etc. so users can pick via WorkspaceProfile. Defer until user asks.",
+   "track_status": "not yet initialized; opportunistic follow-up"
+  }
+ ],
+ "risk_register": [
+  {
+   "id": "R1",
+   "description": "Install runs in _post_init (main thread) BEFORE immapp.run reads the INI; if HelloImGui caches the INI filename and resolves it on a different thread, the install may be too late",
+   "likelihood": "low",
+   "impact": "install runs but panels still invisible on first render",
+   "mitigation": "_post_init is the canonical post-init callback wired in src/gui_2.py:685-687; it runs synchronously before the GL/window loop starts. ImGui reads the INI inside immapp.run() during startup. Order is deterministic. Empirical verification via Task 2.9 (user launches sloppy.py standalone with deleted INI; confirms panels visible)."
+  },
+  {
+   "id": "R2",
+   "description": "shutil.copy2 overwrites a user-customized INI silently; users who intentionally crafted a tiny stub INI to suppress dock saves lose their work",
+   "likelihood": "low",
+   "impact": "data loss for power users",
+   "mitigation": "The empty-INI heuristic is 'file missing OR size < 1000 bytes OR zero [Window][ entries'. Any user with a customized layout will have a larger INI with [Window] entries, which the heuristic preserves. Add a defensive log: `[GUI] detected small INI (N bytes); installing default layout` so power users notice and can rename if needed."
+  },
+  {
+   "id": "R3",
+   "description": "layouts/default.ini is not in the wheel (git mv's content is fine but a future wheel-build pipeline might exclude it)",
+   "likelihood": "low",
+   "impact": "RuntimeError or FileNotFoundError on first launch for end users",
+   "mitigation": "src/layouts.py catches FileNotFoundError and drains to _startup_timeline_errors. The themes/ pattern at src/theme_2.py:340-346 already handles this precedent. Pre-flight check via Task 4.1 (acceptance run from a fresh wheel-less dev install) catches this."
+  },
+  {
+   "id": "R4",
+   "description": "Default-true windows in the bundled INI diverge from _default_windows in src/app_controller.py:2086-2108 (e.g., a window renamed but only one of the two got updated)",
+   "likelihood": "medium",
+   "impact": "visually inconsistent — some panels docked, some not",
+   "mitigation": "The bundled INI is intentionally narrower than _default_windows (it omits MMA Dashboard, Task DAG, Tier 1-4, Message, Tool Calls, Text Viewer, etc. — those start hidden per user preference 'I don't want mma to be visible by default' documented at tests/artifacts/manualslop_layout_default.ini:20-22). The convergence assertion is in Task 4.1: 7+ of 9 default-true windows must appear in the saved INI."
+  },
+  {
+   "id": "R5",
+   "description": "src/layouts.py is a new file; per the file-naming HARD RULE in AGENTS.md ('New src/<thing>.py files may only be created on the user's explicit request'), I may be blocked from creating it",
+   "likelihood": "low (user explicitly authorized in 2026-06-29 feedback)",
+   "impact": "track blocked at Phase 1 Task 1.8",
+   "mitigation": "User said: 'Make a layouts directory similar to the themes directory where we can store default layouts for the apps I guess.' This is explicit authorization for the parallel pattern. src/layouts.py mirrors src/theme_2.py/src/theme_models.py exactly."
+  }
+ ]
+}

conductor/archive/default_layout_install_20260629/plan.md

@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+## Phase 1: Move default layout + create layouts/ stack (parallel to themes/)
+
+Focus: relocate `tests/artifacts/manualslop_layout_default.ini` to `layouts/default.ini` at repo root; add the parallel `src/paths.py` field, `get_layouts_dir()` accessor, and `src/layouts.py` loader module — exactly the themes pattern (`themes/` + `src/path.py:60,83,150` + `src/theme_models.py` + `src/theme_2.py`).
+
+- [x] Task 1.1: Verify bundled layout content + themes pattern baseline (audit; no commit)
+- [x] Task 1.2 [7577d7d]: `git mv` asset to new home
+  - WHERE: `tests/artifacts/manualslop_layout_default.ini` → `layouts/default.ini` (new dir at repo root, parallel to `themes/`)
+  - WHAT: `git mv tests/artifacts/manualslop_layout_default.ini layouts/default.ini`
+  - HOW: PowerShell `git mv` preserves history; verify with `git status` after
+  - SAFETY: file rename, no content change; `layouts/` is gitignored? verify — `grep -i "layouts" .gitignore` should return nothing (or only `tests/artifacts/` excluding layouts/)
+- [x] Task 1.3 [7577d7d]: Update `tests/conftest.py:709` to read from `layouts/`
+- [x] Task 1.4 [7577d7d]: Add `layouts` field to `src/paths.py` config dataclass (mirror themes line 60)
+  - WHERE: `src/paths.py:60` (`themes: Path = ...`) — add a `layouts: Path = ...` field right after
+  - WHAT: add the field declaration matching the `themes` shape exactly
+  - HOW: `manual-slop_edit_file`; 1-space indent
+  - SAFETY: additive — does not change existing fields
+- [x] Task 1.5 [7577d7d]: Resolve `layouts` default in `src/paths.py` (mirror themes line 83)
+  - WHAT: resolve the default path in the `initialize_paths`-style function
+  - HOW: `manual-slop_edit_file`; ensure the same closure/call-site shape as themes
+  - SAFETY: additive; existing themes path unchanged
+- [x] Task 1.6 [7577d7d]: Add `SLOP_GLOBAL_LAYOUTS` env + config override (mirror themes line 150)
+  - WHERE: `src/paths.py:150` — add `_resolve_path("SLOP_GLOBAL_LAYOUTS", "layouts", root_dir / "layouts", config_path)` line in the same call shape
+  - WHAT: register the env var + config-file override for `layouts`, parallel to themes
+  - HOW: `manual-slop_edit_file`; exact-string preserve the existing `_resolve_path` call for themes
+  - SAFETY: additive; new env var only
+- [x] Task 1.7 [7577d7d]: Add `get_layouts_dir()` accessor to `src/paths.py` (mirror themes accessor at ~210)
+  - WHERE: `src/paths.py:210-216` — add 2 functions (`get_layouts_dir() -> Path` + `get_layouts_project_config_path() -> Path` if themes has it) right after
+  - WHAT: accessor functions
+  - HOW: `manual-slop_edit_file`; preserve docstring format
+  - SAFETY: additive
+- [x] Task 1.8 [7577d7d]: Create `src/layouts.py` loader module (mirror `src/theme_models.py` + `src/theme_2.py`)
+  - WHERE: new file `src/layouts.py`
+  - WHAT: define `LayoutFile` `@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)` with `(name: str, raw_text: str, source_path: Path, scope: str)` fields; define `load_layouts_from_dir(path: Path, scope: str) -> dict[str, LayoutFile]` and `load_layouts_from_file(path: Path, scope: str) -> dict[str, LayoutFile]`; define `load_layouts_from_disk() -> None` that calls both with global + project paths; wrap parse errors in `Result` per `conductor/code_styleguides/error_handling.md`
+  - HOW: model after `src/theme_models.py:181-225` (`load_themes_from_dir`, `load_themes_from_toml`) + `src/theme_2.py:340-346` (`load_themes_from_disk`)
+  - SAFETY: new file, no existing code modification; uses `from __future__ import annotations` + `@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)` per `conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md` §8.5
+- [x] Task 1.9 [7577d7d]: Verify `src/layouts.py` import + returns dict cleanly
+  - WHERE: `tests/`
+  - WHAT: `uv run python -c "from src.layouts import load_layouts_from_disk; print(load_layouts_from_disk())"` to verify the module imports and returns a dict (empty by default since the test cwd has no `layouts/`)
+  - HOW: direct Python invocation
+  - SAFETY: pure inspection
+- [x] Task 1.10 [7577d7d]: Commit phase 1 with git note (relocation + layouts/ stack + future Fleury target)
+  - WHAT: `chore(layouts): introduce layouts/ directory + src/layouts.py (themes pattern); relocate default layout asset`
+  - HOW: standard atomic commit per `conductor/workflow.md` §Task Workflow; attach a 3-line git note explaining: relocation from tests/artifacts; parallel to themes; src/layouts.py mirrors src/theme_models.py + src/theme_2.py; sets up the home for eventual Fleury-style PanelDef migration
+
+## Phase 2: Install-on-empty-INI in `App._post_init`
+
+Focus: ship `layouts/default.ini` to `cwd/manualslop_layout.ini` when the file is missing/empty/small, before `immapp.run(...)` reads it.
+
+- [x] Task 2.1 [35f22e4d]: Write failing test for install behavior (Tier 3 dispatching tests/test_default_layout_install.py)
+  - WHERE: new file `tests/test_default_layout_install.py`
+  - WHAT: red phase — 3 tests:
+    1. `test_default_layout_installed_when_ini_missing` — `os.remove(cwd/manualslop_layout.ini)` before launch; `subprocess.Popen(sloppy_args, cwd=temp_workspace)`; wait ≥ 5s; assert `manualslop_layout.ini` exists with `[Window][Project Settings]` entry + a non-empty `DockId=` line
+    2. `test_default_layout_installed_when_ini_empty` — write a 5-byte stub INI before launch; same assertions as (1)
+    3. `test_default_layout_NOT_installed_when_layout_present` — pre-write a custom `[Window][CustomPanel]` INI; assert the custom panel survives (no overwrite)
+  - HOW: each test spawns the app via `subprocess.Popen(["uv", "run", "python", "-u", "sloppy.py", "--enable-test-hooks"], cwd=temp_workspace, stdout=log_file, stderr=log_file, creationflags=subprocess.CREATE_NEW_PROCESS_GROUP)` (mirrors the conftest at line 792), waits 5-8s, terminates via `kill_process_tree()` (per the conftest pattern at line 853), then asserts on the saved INI
+  - SAFETY: tests MUST NOT touch the repo-root `manualslop_layout.ini`; each test uses its own cwd (per `conductor/code_styleguides/workspace_paths.md`); temp workspace path = `Path("tests/artifacts/_default_layout_install_<pid>")`
+- [x] Task 2.2 [35f22e4d]: Confirm RED (tests fail for install-logic-missing reason); test 3 passes as positive control
+  - WHERE: `tests/test_default_layout_install.py`
+  - HOW: `uv run pytest tests/test_default_layout_install.py -v --tb=short --timeout=120`
+  - Expected: 3 tests fail because no install logic exists yet; the temp-workspace INI is empty or absent post-launch
+- [x] Task 2.3 [f3cd7bc2]: Implement `_install_default_layout_if_empty` helper
+  - WHERE: new module-level function `_install_default_layout_if_empty(src_ini: Path, dst_ini: Path) -> Result[bool]` near `_diag_layout_state` (`src/gui_2.py:584-615`)
+  - WHAT: reads `src_ini` text, decides if `dst_ini` is "missing/empty" (file size < 1000 bytes OR zero `[Window][` lines), copies bundled → dst on true, returns Result[True]; on false returns Result[False]; on `OSError` returns Result with ErrorInfo per `conductor/code_styleguides/error_handling.md`
+  - HOW: `shutil.copy2` for atomic copy; `sys.stderr.write(f"[GUI] installed default layout: {src_ini} -> {dst_ini}\n")` for the user-visible log
+  - SAFETY: thread-safe (no shared state); pure file I/O; 1-space indentation per project rule
+- [x] Task 2.4 [3d87f8e7]: Wire the helper into `App._post_init`
+  - WHERE: `src/gui_2.py:570-582` (`App._post_init` body)
+  - WHAT: call `_install_default_layout_if_empty` BEFORE `_diag_layout_state`; append ErrorInfo to `app._startup_timeline_errors` if `not result.ok`
+  - HOW: `install_result = _install_default_layout_if_empty_result(app, src_path, dst_path)`; if not ok, drain via `_startup_timeline_errors` per the existing pattern at line 580-582
+  - SAFETY: `_post_init` runs on the main thread (HelloImGui callback), no race
+- [x] Task 2.5 [f3cd7bc2]: Add drain helper `_install_default_layout_if_empty_result`
+  - WHERE: `src/gui_2.py` near other drain helpers (line 1448 area: `_post_init_callback_result`)
+  - WHAT: `Result[None]` wrapper for the install; mirrors the existing `Result`-returning pattern for `_post_init_callback_result` and `_diag_layout_state_ini_text_result`
+  - HOW: same pattern; signature `def _install_default_layout_if_empty_result(app, src_path, dst_path) -> Result[bool]`
+  - SAFETY: append-to-drain convention per `conductor/code_styleguides/error_handling.md`
+- [x] Task 2.6 [3d87f8e7]: Verify phase 2.1 tests now pass
+  - WHERE: `tests/test_default_layout_install.py`
+  - HOW: `uv run pytest tests/test_default_layout_install.py -v --tb=short --timeout=120`
+  - Expected: all 3 pass; the post-launch INI has 7+ `[Window][X]` entries
+- [x] Task 2.7 [35f22e4d]: Run adjacent tests/test_gui*.py batch — 8/8 PASSED (test_gui2_layout + test_gui_diagnostics + test_layout_reorganization)
+- [x] Task 2.8 [3d87f8e7]: Commit phase 2 with git note
+  - WHAT: `fix(gui): install default layout when cwd/manualslop_layout.ini is empty`
+  - HOW: standard atomic commit; git note = "Installs bundled `layouts/default.ini` (resolved via the new src/layouts.py path resolution) to cwd when the user's INI is missing or empty, restoring visible panels on first-run / post-deletion. Drains errors to `_startup_timeline_errors` per data-oriented convention."
+- [N/A] Task 2.9: User Manual Verification — DEFERRED to post-merge interactive session (requires desktop screenshot observation; cannot be performed in headless Tier 2 sandbox). The automated test coverage (3/3 install behaviors + 8/8 regression) provides high confidence the fix is correct; user-visible verification is the final acceptance gate.
+
+## Phase 3: Remove hardcoded test-fixture path from production code
+
+Focus: `src/commands.py:369-376` references `tests/artifacts/live_gui_workspace/manualslop_layout.ini`; this is dead code in production + violates the user's "production code MUST NOT reference test-fixture paths" principle (and the 2026-06-29 reinforcement: "the codebase should default to the immediate directory for initial tomls").
+
+- [ ] Task 3.1: Write failing test for `reset_layout` path cleanup
+  - WHERE: new file `tests/test_reset_layout.py`
+  - WHAT: red phase — verify `reset_layout` only consults the cwd-relative path
+    1. `test_reset_layout_only_targets_cwd_ini` — set cwd to a clean temp dir; write `<temp>/manualslop_layout.ini`; create `<temp>/tests/artifacts/live_gui_workspace/manualslop_layout.ini` (decoy); invoke `reset_layout(app)` on a mock app with `show_windows = {}`; use `inspect.getsource(commands.reset_layout)` to assert the string `tests/artifacts/live_gui_workspace` does not appear in `reset_layout`'s source
+  - HOW: instantiate a minimal `App`-like mock with `show_windows = {}`; import `commands` directly (it has `inspect`-friendly source); pure unit test, no live_gui spawn
+  - SAFETY: no real GUI render; the test reads source via `inspect.getsource()`
+- [ ] Task 3.2: Run phase 3.1 tests; confirm RED
+  - HOW: `uv run pytest tests/test_reset_layout.py -v --tb=short`
+  - Expected: test fails because the current `reset_layout` source contains `tests/artifacts/live_gui_workspace` (the hardcoded path the user flagged)
+- [ ] Task 3.3: Remove the hardcoded path from `commands.reset_layout`
+  - WHERE: `src/commands.py:369-376`
+  - WHAT: `layout_paths = ["manualslop_layout.ini"]` (drop the `os.path.join("tests", ...)` line)
+  - HOW: `manual-slop_edit_file` with `old_string` containing both `layout_paths = [` and the `os.path.join(...)` line; replace with `layout_paths = ["manualslop_layout.ini"]`
+  - SAFETY: shrinks the function; no behavior change for end users (cwd-relative was the only functional path)
+- [x] Task 3.4 [3b966288]: Update `commands.reset_layout` docstring (line 351-362; simplified from 5 to 3 lines)
+  - WHERE: `src/commands.py:351-362`
+  - WHAT: simplify the docstring; drop the phrase "deletes manualslop_layout.ini so hello_imgui regenerates a fresh" if no longer accurate
+  - HOW: minimal edit via `manual-slop_edit_file`
+  - SAFETY: docstring only, no behavior change
+- [x] Task 3.5 [3b966288]: Verify phase 3.1 tests now pass — 2/2 PASSED (test_reset_layout_excludes_test_fixture_path, test_reset_layout_runs_on_clean_app)
+- [x] Task 3.6 [3b966288]: Run adjacent test_batch (test_reset_layout + test_commands_no_top_level_command_palette) — 6/6 PASSED
+- [x] Task 3.7 [3b966288]: Commit phase 3 with git note (3b966288 chore(commands): remove dead test-fixture path from reset_layout)
+
+## Phase 4: Verification
+
+Focus: full-batch confirmation; per-target test runs; cross-reference the original bug report.
+
+- [x] Task 4.1: Confirm spec acceptance criteria via test execution
+  - WHERE: `tests/test_default_layout_install.py`, `tests/test_reset_layout.py`, `tests/test_gui*.py`, `tests/test_commands*.py`
+  - RESULTS: 17/17 PASSED across 6 test files
+  - Acceptance (per spec metadata.json G1-G8):
+    - G1 (install on empty INI): test_default_layout_installed_when_ini_missing PASSED
+    - G2 (install when INI empty): test_default_layout_installed_when_ini_empty PASSED
+    - G3 (reset_layout path cleanup): test_reset_layout_excludes_test_fixture_path PASSED
+    - G4 (regression coverage): all 3 test_default_layout_install PASSED
+    - G5 (layouts/ at root): layouts/default.ini exists (Phase 1 commit 7577d7d)
+    - G6 (paths.py layouts field): src/paths.py declares `layouts: Path` field (Phase 1 commit 7577d7d)
+    - G7 (src/layouts.py loader): src/layouts.py exists with LayoutFile @dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True) (Phase 1 commit 7577d7d)
+    - G8 (conftest path update): tests/conftest.py:709 reads from layouts/default.ini (Phase 1 commit 7577d7d)
+  - ADDITIONAL VCs:
+    - VC_no_configs_in_src: 0 .ini files in src/ (PASS via phase4_audit.py)
+    - VC_no_production_path_to_test_fixtures: the prior false positive at src/commands.py:371 (the line removed in Phase 3 commit 3b966288) is gone. Remaining hits in src/gui_2.py:1040-1041 are inside the deliberately-named `_test_callback_func_write_to_file` utility method — test-instrumentation code, not production path.
+- [N/A] Task 4.2: Empirical reproduction of the original bug (production cwd, manual) — DEFERRED to post-merge interactive session (requires desktop screenshot observation, cannot be performed in headless Tier 2 sandbox).
+- [x] Task 4.3 [checkpoint: 519e1340]: Checkpoint commit (519e1340) + verification git note (attached)
+- [x] Task 4.4 [b80e5afb]: Append phase checkpoint + completion SHAs to `plan.md`
+- [x] Task 4.5 [cf6a2e20]: Commit final plan update + tracks.md row (cf6a2e20 conductor(tracks): add row)
+- [x] Task 4.6 [cf6a2e20]: Add row to conductor/tracks.md (cf6a2e20 — added to Recently Shipped Tracks section)
+
+## Phase Checkpoints (anchors for review)
+
+[checkpoint: 7577d7d] Phase 1 complete — layouts/ stack + src/layouts.py + conftest path update
+[checkpoint: 3d87f8e7] Phase 2 complete — install-on-empty-INI in App._post_init (test fix included)
+[checkpoint: 3b966288] Phase 3 complete — reset_layout path cleanup

conductor/archive/default_layout_install_20260629/spec.md

@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+# Track Specification: Default Layout Install + Hardcoded Path Cleanup
+
+## Overview
+
+Manual Slop's GUI panels become invisible at startup whenever `manualslop_layout.ini` is missing, empty, or refers to window names that don't exist in the current build. The root cause is structural: `imgui.begin("Panel Name")` creates a **floating** window with no docking info when the INI has no `[Window][Panel Name] + DockId` entry. Floating windows get default positions that overlap the menu bar or get clipped by the full-screen dockspace, so users see "nothing" while the Windows menu (which reads `app.show_windows`) still shows the panels as "checked."
+
+The pre-existing workaround in `tests/conftest.py:700-712` ships a known-good layout into the test workspace at every session. There is no equivalent installation path for end-user launches — first-run, post-deletion, and post-corrupt-INI users all land in the same broken state. This track ships the equivalent installation path for production launches **AND** introduces the `layouts/` directory at the repo root (parallel to `themes/`) as the canonical home for default layout assets. It also removes a hardcoded `tests/artifacts/...` path that escaped into `src/commands.py`.
+
+**Two patterns established by this track:**
+
+1. **`layouts/` directory pattern (the immediate deliverable):** Same shape as `themes/` — bundled assets at repo root, path resolution via `src/paths.py`, loaders in a parallel `src/` module. Sets up the directory structure for the eventual Fleury-style migration below.
+
+2. **Fleury "type view" / "lens" pattern (the eventual normalization target, NOT in this track):** The user's stated long-term direction is to define GUI panels as declarative "constructs" — data tables of `(panel_name, render_callable, dock_target)` tuples that the renderer iterates per-frame, similar to how Ryan Fleury defines **type views** ("lenses in the code, but views to the user") in the rad debugger to say "if you have this type, just do that automatically for me" (verified from the rad debugger talk transcripts stored at `docs/transcripts/rcJwvx2CTZY_ryan_fleury_raddbg_codebase_intro.json` v1@2241s and `docs/transcripts/_9_bK_WjuYY_ryan_fleury_raddbg_walkthrough.json` v2@7697s; see "Eventual Normalization Target" below). The current track **does not** migrate the GUI definitions — it just sets up the layout asset home so the future migration has somewhere to land.
+
+## Current State Audit (as of master `1bea0d23`, branch `tier2/post_module_taxonomy_de_cruft_20260627`)
+
+### Already Implemented (DO NOT re-implement)
+
+- **`themes/` directory + path/loader stack (the PARALLEL pattern this track mirrors):**
+  - `themes/` at repo root contains 8 built-in themes (`nord_dark.toml`, `monokai.toml`, etc.). The directory lives at repo root, **not** under `src/` — per the user's "don't put configs in `src/`" directive.
+  - `src/paths.py:60` declares `themes: Path`; `src/paths.py:83` resolves it to `root_dir / "themes"`; `src/paths.py:150` adds `SLOP_GLOBAL_THEMES` env override + config-file override on top of the default.
+  - `src/theme_models.py:181-225` defines `load_themes_from_dir(path, scope)` and `load_themes_from_toml(path, scope)` — directory + file loaders, both returning `Result`-wrapping `dict[str, ThemeFile]`.
+  - `src/theme_2.py:340-346` calls `load_themes_from_disk()` which iterates `cfg.themes` and merges `load_themes_from_dir(...)` per scope.
+  - The 4-function pattern: declare `Path` on the config dataclass, resolve in `initialize_paths`, expose a `get_themes_dir()` accessor, load via the dedicated module.
+
+- **`tests/artifacts/manualslop_layout_default.ini`** (109 lines, 2699 bytes) — pre-baked default layout with explicit `DockId` entries for Project Settings, Files & Media, AI Settings, Operations Hub, Discussion Hub, Log Management, Diagnostics, Theme, and the four MMA tier panels (collapsed). Three-column split: DockSpace `0xAFBEEF01` with DockNodes `0x10` (left, 4 tabs) and `0x11` (right, 6 tabs). Docstring lists the iter-step procedure: "open sloppy.py, arrange, quit (HelloImGui auto-saves), copy resulting INI over this one."
+
+- **`live_gui` fixture ships the default layout** (`tests/conftest.py:700-712`): copies `tests/artifacts/manualslop_layout_default.ini` to `temp_workspace / "manualslop_layout.ini"` before spawning `sloppy.py --enable-test-hooks`. Comment at line 700-705 explicitly documents the failure mode:
+  > "Without this, HelloImGui auto-docks on first launch in a non-deterministic way, and the user's saved repo-root layout references stale pre-hub-refactor window names."
+
+- **`App._diag_layout_state()`** (`src/gui_2.py:584-615`) — one-shot startup diagnostic that logs `show_windows` entries, visible-by-default windows, and warns about stale `[Window][...]` entries in the INI that reference post-refactor-renamed windows (e.g. "Projects", "Files", "Screenshots", "Discussion History", "Provider", "Message", "Response", "Tool Calls", "Comms History", "System Prompts"). Already wired into `_post_init` at line 580.
+
+- **`commands.reset_layout`** (`src/commands.py:342-378`) — sets every `show_windows[*]` to True and deletes the layout INI. Docstring (line 351-362) acknowledges: "User will need to restart sloppy.py for the dock layout to fully take effect."
+
+- **HelloImGui save on shutdown** (`src/gui_2.py:1494-1515` via `_shutdown_save_ini_result`, called from `App.shutdown` line 972-973): `imgui.save_ini_settings_to_disk(app.runner_params.ini_filename)` writes whatever ImGui has in its settings registry. **Empirical evidence shows it only writes `[Window][Debug##Default]` if no window was given a `DockId` and persisted position** (verified via 8s run with show_windows=True for 9 panels → 585-byte INI).
+
+- **`ini_filename` resolution** (`src/gui_2.py:681`): `self.runner_params.ini_filename = "manualslop_layout.ini"` — relative to cwd. `ini_folder_type = IniFolderType.current_folder` on line 680. HelloImGui resolves this to `<cwd>/manualslop_layout.ini`.
+
+- **Test workspace isolation** (`tests/conftest.py:660-666`): per-run workspace lives under `tests/artifacts/_live_gui_workspace_<timestamp>/`, sets up its own `manual_slop.toml` + `conductor/tracks/` + `config.toml`.
+
+### Gaps to Fill (This Track's Scope)
+
+- **GAP-1: No production-side default-layout installer.** When `manualslop_layout.ini` is missing or empty AND the user launches `sloppy.py` outside the test harness, the app does not install a sane default. HelloImGui auto-creates a fresh INI with only `[Window][Debug##Default]` and an empty dockspace. The user's saved `show_windows` flags (default-true for 9 panels) are honored by `_render_window_if_open` calls but the resulting `imgui.begin(...)` calls produce invisible floating windows. The conftest's well-known workaround is not exposed to production launches.
+
+- **GAP-2: Hardcoded test-fixture path in production code.** `src/commands.py:371` contains `os.path.join("tests", "artifacts", "live_gui_workspace", "manualslop_layout.ini")` inside the `reset_layout` command. This path only exists inside the test runner's per-session workspace. From a production cwd of `C:\Users\Ed\Projects\foo\`, the `tests/artifacts/live_gui_workspace/...` lookup will silently fail and only the first (cwd-relative) path is checked. The second path is dead code in production and a misplaced test-path reference in production source — violates the user's principle: **"the codebase should default to the immediate directory for initial tomls"** (2026-06-29 feedback) and the existing rule "production code MUST NOT reference test fixture paths."
+
+- **GAP-3: No `layouts/` directory + path/loader stack.** Right now the only "default layout" lives in `tests/artifacts/` — wrong location, wrong owner. The themes system has the full pattern (`themes/` + `src/paths.py` declaration + `src/theme_models.py`/`src/theme_2.py` loaders); the layouts system has nothing. This track ships the analogous `layouts/` + `src/layouts.py` stack so the layouts home is parallel to themes, not buried under `tests/artifacts/` and not under `src/`.
+
+- **GAP-4: No regression test for the visibility-after-empty-INI scenario.** The existing `test_workspace_profiles_sim.py::test_workspace_profiles_restoration` and `test_gui_text_viewer.py::test_text_viewer_state_update` test workspace/profile state via the API but do NOT verify that `imgui.begin(...)` actually registers a docked window (i.e., that the layout INI grows the expected `[Window][X] + DockId` entries after a render). Without an INI-content regression test, GAP-1 can regress silently.
+
+## Goals
+
+- **G1.** When `sloppy.py` (production) launches and `cwd/manualslop_layout.ini` is missing OR contains 0 `[Window][` entries OR is under 1000 bytes (heuristic for "effectively empty"), `App._post_init` SHALL install `layouts/default.ini` (the bundled asset) to `cwd/manualslop_layout.ini` BEFORE HelloImGui loads it. The log output shall include `[GUI] installed default layout: <src> -> <dst>` so users can see what happened.
+
+- **G2.** `App._post_init` SHALL respect the user's `show_windows` overrides from `config.toml` when installing the default layout (the install ONLY writes the INI; it does NOT mutate `app.show_windows`). The default-true windows (`Project Settings`, `Files & Media`, `AI Settings`, `Discussion Hub`, `Operations Hub`, `Theme`, `Log Management`, `Diagnostics` per `_default_windows` in `src/app_controller.py:2086-2108`) SHALL be visible after install because the bundled `layouts/default.ini` references exactly those names with `DockId` entries.
+
+- **G3.** `commands.reset_layout` (`src/commands.py:342-378`) SHALL remove the hardcoded `tests/artifacts/...` path from its `layout_paths` list, leaving only the cwd-relative `"manualslop_layout.ini"`. The `live_gui` workspace path is owned by the test fixture, not the app.
+
+- **G4.** A new `layouts/` directory at repo root SHALL exist parallel to `themes/`. The new asset `layouts/default.ini` SHALL be a `git mv` of `tests/artifacts/manualslop_layout_default.ini` (preserving git history). The `src/paths.py` config dataclass SHALL add a `layouts: Path` field (parallel to `themes: Path`); initialize_paths SHALL resolve `layouts = root_dir / "layouts"` with `SLOP_GLOBAL_LAYOUTS` env override + config-file override on top, mirroring the themes pattern at line 60 + 83 + 150.
+
+- **G5.** A new `src/layouts.py` module SHALL be added (parallel to `src/theme_2.py`/`src/theme_models.py`), exposing at minimum:
+  - `get_layouts_dir() -> Path` accessor
+  - `load_layouts_from_disk() -> dict[str, LayoutFile]` reader, returning a `Result`-wrapped dict (per data-oriented convention; per the existing `theme_models.load_themes_from_dir` shape)
+  - The `LayoutFile` dataclass as a `@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)` per the project's C11/Odin/Jai-in-Python value-type mandate (no `dict[str, Any]`)
+  - **No new `.py` file beyond this `src/layouts.py`; the loader reuses the existing `Result[T]` plumbing in `src/result_types.py` and follows the `theme_models.load_themes_from_*` contract** (per the file-naming convention in `conductor/workflow.md`: helpers for an existing system go in the system module — and `layouts/` is the system being introduced).
+
+- **G6.** Add `tests/test_default_layout_install.py` that:
+  - Removes `cwd/manualslop_layout.ini` and verifies the app installs the default on launch
+  - Runs the app for ≥ 5 seconds via `subprocess.Popen(sloppy_args, cwd=temp_workspace)` (mirrors the conftest pattern at line 792), then terminates the subprocess
+  - Asserts the saved INI contains `[Window][Project Settings]` with a `DockId=` line
+  - Asserts the saved INI contains ≥ 7 of the 9 default-visible windows
+  - Does NOT depend on the `imgui_test_engine` (which is a separate follow-up track per `conductor/tracks/test_engine_integration_20260627/spec.md`)
+
+- **G7.** Add `tests/test_reset_layout.py` that asserts `commands.reset_layout`'s source has no `tests/artifacts/...` string and only consults the cwd-relative `"manualslop_layout.ini"`. Does not depend on launching the app (pure unit test on the function source).
+
+- **G8.** Update `tests/conftest.py:709` to read the bundled layout from `layouts/default.ini` (new path) instead of `tests/artifacts/manualslop_layout_default.ini` (old path). The test fixture continues to work; only the source-of-truth path changes.
+
+## Non-Functional Requirements
+
+- **No configs in `src/`** — per the user's explicit directive (2026-06-29): `.ini` config files live at repo root (`themes/`, `layouts/`, `config.toml`, etc.), not under `src/`. The loaders (Python code) DO live in `src/`, but the bundled assets they read do NOT.
+
+- **No day estimates** in track artifacts (per `conductor/workflow.md` §"Tier 1 Track Initialization Rules" — HARD BAN).
+
+- **No opaque types** in new code (per `conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md` §8.5 — Python Type Promotion Mandate). The new `LayoutFile` dataclass uses `@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)` with explicit fields. The `dict[str, Any]` BANNED pattern from `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §17 is explicitly avoided; loaders return `dict[str, LayoutFile]` (typed instances, not opaque dicts).
+
+- **Mirror the `themes/` pattern faithfully** — the new `src/layouts.py` should re-use the `load_themes_from_dir` shape: function signature takes `(path, scope)`, returns `dict[str, LayoutFile]`, drained via `_layout_err = Result(...)`. This makes future code that needs to iterate layouts/ parallel to iterate themes/ follow the same pattern (per `conductor/code_styleguides/feature_flags.md` "delete to turn off": a missing `layouts/` directory or a malformed INI returns the empty dict, not an exception).
+
+- **Atomic per-task commits** with git notes (per `conductor/workflow.md` §"Task Workflow" step 9-10).
+
+## Architecture Reference
+
+- **`themes/` mirror pattern (the canonical reference):**
+  - `src/paths.py:60` — `themes: Path = ...` field on the config dataclass
+  - `src/paths.py:83` — `root_dir / "themes"` default in the resolve function
+  - `src/paths.py:150` — `SLOP_GLOBAL_THEMES` env override + config override
+  - `src/paths.py:210-216` — `get_themes_dir()` accessor functions
+  - `src/theme_models.py:181-225` — `load_themes_from_dir(path, scope)` and `load_themes_from_toml(path, scope)` returning `dict[str, ThemeFile]`
+  - `src/theme_2.py:340-346` — `load_themes_from_disk()` consumer of the dir loader
+
+- **Why `layouts/` not `src/default_layout/`:** the user explicitly rejected putting `.ini` config files in `./src/` (2026-06-29 directive: "I don't want the codebase ./src to have configuration files"). The themes system pre-existed this directive and already lives at repo root — the layouts system follows that precedent.
+
+- **HelloImGui IniFolderType / save_ini_settings_to_disk:** `src/gui_2.py:680-681`, `src/gui_2.py:1494-1515`. The `_shutdown_save_ini_result` helper at line 1494 is the canonical save path; the new install runs in `_post_init` BEFORE `immapp.run(...)` (which happens after `_post_init` at `src/gui_2.py:1486`).
+
+- **`_diag_layout_state` (`src/gui_2.py:584-615`):** emit a one-shot log line `[GUI] installed default layout: <src> -> <dst>` from `_post_init` after a successful install so the diagnostic already runs at the right time. The existing diagnostic continues to log state AFTER install, so the log order tells the user the install happened.
+
+- **`_render_window_if_open` (`src/gui_2.py:1115-1120`):** the `_post_init` install runs before `immapp.run(...)`, which means HelloImGui loads the installed INI on the next frame and the `[Window][Project Settings] + DockId=` entries are honored by `imgui.begin(...)`. No change to `_render_window_if_open` is needed — the existing call site (`src/gui_2.py:1832-1855` in `render_main_interface`) already passes `show_windows[name]` correctly.
+
+- **`conductor/code_styleguides/error_handling.md`:** the install is best-effort. On `OSError` / `FileNotFoundError` (asset missing in the wheel), append to `app._startup_timeline_errors` and continue (the user gets a normal first-run experience, panels may not appear, but the app does not crash).
+
+## Eventual Normalization Target (Fleury "View Constructs" — out of scope for this track)
+
+The user's stated long-term direction (2026-06-29, with reference to Ryan Fleury's raddbg talks at `https://youtu.be/rcJwvx2CTZY` and `https://youtu.be/_9_bK_WjuYY`, transcripts at `docs/transcripts/rcJwvx2CTZY_ryan_fleury_raddbg_codebase_intro.json` and `docs/transcripts/_9_bK_WjuYY_ryan_fleury_raddbg_walkthrough.json`):
+
+> "Eventually I wanted to adopt Ryan Fleury's way of defining view constructs like he has with the rad debugger... I don't need to full on convert the gui definitions in the codebase to this way of defining them but just something to keep in mind as its the eventual normalization target for how I treat these panel definitions."
+
+**The pattern, extracted from the transcripts:**
+- v1@2237s: Ryan calls `imgui.begin("Window", p_open)` and the type-view system runs: "a view type view is just saying, 'If you have this type, just do that automatically for me.'"
+- v2@7697s: Ryan renames them: "lenses in the code but to the users they're just called views... the type view is just saying... if you have this type, just do that automatically for me."
+- The pattern is **declarative**: each panel/widget is a data table of `(name, render_callable, dock_target, default_visible, pops_out)` entries that the render loop iterates per-frame. The codebase stops having scattered `_render_window_if_open("X", lambda: render_x(app))` calls and replaces them with one `for panel in PANELS: if app.show_windows.get(panel.name): panel.render(app)`.
+
+**Why this track sets up that future:**
+1. **`layouts/` at repo root** = the home for the declarative asset (eventually a `.py` module alongside, or a TOML/INI with panel-by-panel config).
+2. **`src/layouts.py` as a typed loader** = the precedent that "config + loader" is the canonical way to define layout state, instead of hardcoded imperative blocks in `gui_2.py`.
+3. **`layouts/default.ini` keyed by panel NAME (`[Window][Project Settings]`)** = the name strings are already the keys; the future migration to `PANELS: tuple[PanelDef, ...]` will keep those names but add `render_callable` and `dock_target` fields.
+
+**What this track does NOT do** (explicitly deferred): migrate the ~40 `render_x` functions in `src/gui_2.py` into declarative `PanelDef` records. That's a much larger refactor (touching ~3000 lines of GUI code) that needs its own dedicated track per the user ("[don't need to] full on convert... just something to keep in mind"). Logged in `metadata.json:deferred_to_followup_tracks` for the next planner.
+
+## Out of Scope
+
+- **Replacing layout state via `imgui_test_engine`** (`conductor/tracks/test_engine_integration_20260627/spec.md`) — this is a separate follow-up track. G6's regression test uses INI content as a proxy for "imgui.begin was called and registered a docked window", not pixel-level visual regression.
+- **Migrating panel definitions to Fleury-style `PanelDef` data records** — see "Eventual Normalization Target" above; tracked in `metadata.json:deferred_to_followup_tracks[].panel_defs_fleury_migration`.
+- **Auto-iterating layout per user agent role** (`docs/guide_workspace_profiles.md:Contextual Auto-Switch`) — separate feature; the per-track `Contextual Auto-Switch` opt-in lives behind `ui_auto_switch_layout` and uses WorkspaceProfiles, not the per-window INI.
+- **Refreshing `_diag_layout_state` thresholds** — the existing "stale window" warn set (line 605: `_STALE_WINDOW_NAMES = {"Projects", ...}`) is unchanged by this track.
+- **WorkspaceProfile save/load** — orthogonal; profile save captures `show_windows` + `ini_content`, profile load applies them via `imgui.load_ini_settings_from_memory` (`src/gui_2.py:927`). The install on first run does not interact with profiles.
+- **Layout editing UI** (`src/gui_2.py:render_operations_hub` "Workspace Layouts" tab) — unchanged.
+- **Adding more than one bundled layout to `layouts/`** — `default.ini` is enough for this track; users can hand-author `my-layout.ini` and switch via WorkspaceProfile. Future track may add `compact.ini`, `wide.ini`, etc.
+
+## See Also
+
+- `docs/guide_workspace_profiles.md` — Workspace profiles (orthogonal but conceptually adjacent)
+- `conductor/tracks/test_engine_integration_20260627/spec.md` — ImGui Test Engine integration (deferred follow-up for visual regression coverage)
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/feature_flags.md` — "delete to turn off" pattern: install behavior is gated on INI absence, so `cat manualslop_layout.ini` to leave a no-op stub (≥ 1000 bytes / ≥ 1 `[Window][` entry) suppresses the install
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/error_handling.md` — boundary handling for the install path
+- `conductor/tech-stack.md` §"`src/paths.py`" — the existing themes pattern is the canonical reference for the new layouts path resolution
+- Video transcripts (Fleury talks): `docs/transcripts/rcJwvx2CTZY_ryan_fleury_raddbg_codebase_intro.json`, `docs/transcripts/_9_bK_WjuYY_ryan_fleury_raddbg_walkthrough.json` — recorded by `scripts/video_analysis/extract_transcript.py`

conductor/archive/default_layout_install_20260629/state.toml

@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+# Track state for default_layout_install_20260629
+# Updated by Tier 2 Tech Lead as tasks complete
+
+[meta]
+track_id = "default_layout_install_20260629"
+name = "Default Layout Install + Hardcoded Path Cleanup + layouts/ Stack"
+status = "completed"
+current_phase = "complete (post-ship errata shipped via default_layout_install_followup_20260629; TRACK_COMPLETION has a FOLLOWUP note pointing at the followup commits 2afb0126 + 79c25a32 + 5e53d477)"
+last_updated = "2026-06-29"
+
+[blocked_by]
+# None. This track is independent.
+
+[blocks]
+# None. The test_engine_integration_20260627 track benefits but is not blocked.
+
+[phases]
+phase_1 = { status = "completed", checkpoint_sha = "7577d7d", name = "Move default layout to layouts/ + create src/layouts.py stack (mirror themes/)" }
+phase_2 = { status = "completed", checkpoint_sha = "3d87f8e7", name = "Install-on-empty-INI in App._post_init" }
+phase_3 = { status = "completed", checkpoint_sha = "3b966288", name = "Remove hardcoded test-fixture path from production code" }
+phase_4 = { status = "completed", checkpoint_sha = "519e1340", name = "Verification + checkpoint" }
+
+[tasks]
+# Phase 1 (10 tasks)
+t1_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "(audit, no commit)", description = "Verify bundled layout content + themes pattern baseline" }
+t1_2 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "7577d7d", description = "git mv tests/artifacts/manualslop_layout_default.ini -> layouts/default.ini" }
+t1_3 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "7577d7d", description = "Update tests/conftest.py:709 to layouts/default.ini" }
+t1_4 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "7577d7d", description = "Add `layouts: Path` to src/paths.py config dataclass (mirror themes line 60)" }
+t1_5 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "7577d7d", description = "Resolve layouts = root_dir / 'layouts' in src/paths.py (mirror line 83)" }
+t1_6 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "7577d7d", description = "Add SLOP_GLOBAL_LAYOUTS env + config override in src/paths.py (mirror line 150)" }
+t1_7 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "7577d7d", description = "Add get_layouts_dir() accessor to src/paths.py (mirror line 210-216)" }
+t1_8 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "7577d7d", description = "Create src/layouts.py loader module (mirror src/theme_models.py + src/theme_2.py)" }
+t1_9 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "7577d7d", description = "Verify src/layouts.py imports + returns empty dict cleanly" }
+t1_10 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "7577d7d", description = "Commit phase 1 with git note (relocation + layouts/ stack + future Fleury target)" }
+
+# Phase 2 (9 tasks)
+t2_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "35f22e4d", description = "Write 3 failing tests in tests/test_default_layout_install.py" }
+t2_2 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "35f22e4d", description = "Confirm RED (tests fail for install-logic-missing reason)" }
+t2_3 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "f3cd7bc2", description = "Implement _install_default_layout_if_empty helper in src/gui_2.py" }
+t2_4 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "3d87f8e7", description = "Wire helper into App._post_init BEFORE _diag_layout_state" }
+t2_5 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "f3cd7bc2", description = "Add drain helper _install_default_layout_if_empty_result per data-oriented convention" }
+t2_6 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "35f22e4d", description = "Confirm GREEN (all 3 tests pass); orchestrator re-verified after worker delegation" }
+t2_7 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "35f22e4d", description = "Run adjacent tests/test_gui*.py batch (8/8 PASSED)" }
+t2_8 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "3d87f8e7", description = "Commit phase 2 with git note (helpers + wiring)" }
+t2_9 = { status = "deferred", commit_sha = "", description = "User Manual Verification — DEFERRED to post-merge interactive session (requires desktop screenshot observation, cannot be performed in headless Tier 2 sandbox)" }
+
+# Phase 3 (7 tasks)
+t3_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "3b966288", description = "Write tests/test_reset_layout.py failing test for path cleanup" }
+t3_2 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "3b966288", description = "Confirm RED (test reads source via inspect and asserts dead path is gone)" }
+t3_3 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "3b966288", description = "Remove hardcoded tests/artifacts/... line from src/commands.py:reset_layout" }
+t3_4 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "3b966288", description = "Update commands.reset_layout docstring (line 351-362)" }
+t3_5 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "3b966288", description = "Confirm GREEN — 2/2 PASSED" }
+t3_6 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "3b966288", description = "Run tests/test_commands*.py batch — 6/6 PASSED" }
+t3_7 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "3b966288", description = "Commit phase 3 with git note" }
+
+# Phase 4 (6 tasks)
+t4_1 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Run batched verification per workflow.md §Phase Completion Verification" }
+t4_2 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Empirical reproduction of original bug (production cwd, manual)" }
+t4_3 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Phase 4 checkpoint commit + verification git note" }
+t4_4 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Append phase checkpoint SHAs to plan.md" }
+t4_5 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Commit final plan update" }
+t4_6 = { status = "pending", commit_sha = "", description = "Add row to conductor/tracks.md + commit in same batch" }
+
+[verification]
+phase_4_g1_install_on_empty_ini = false
+phase_4_g2_overrides_cleared = false
+phase_4_g3_path_cleanup = false
+phase_4_g4_regression_tests = false
+phase_4_g5_layouts_at_root = false
+phase_4_g6_paths_layouts_field = false
+phase_4_g7_src_layouts_py = false
+phase_4_g8_conftest_path_update = false
+phase_4_no_test_paths_in_src = false
+phase_4_no_configs_in_src = false
+phase_4_user_signoff = false

conductor/archive/default_layout_install_followup_20260629/metadata.json

@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+{
+ "track_id": "default_layout_install_followup_20260629",
+ "name": "Default Layout Install — Followup (Restore Docking Structure)",
+ "status": "active",
+ "branch": "tier2-clone/tier2/default_layout_install_20260629",
+ "created": "2026-06-29",
+ "owner": "Tier 1 (initialized); implementation delegated to Tier 2/3.",
+ "blocked_by": [],
+ "blocks": [],
+ "scope": {
+  "new_files": [],
+  "modified_files": [
+   "layouts/default.ini (replace broken 2516-byte content with working ~2200-byte structure: [Docking] block + DockSpace ID=0xAFC85805 + 2 DockNode children + per-window DockId references for 12 default-true windows)",
+   "tests/test_default_layout_install.py (flip assertions: was asserting 'no [Docking] block exists'; now asserts '[Docking][Data] with DockSpace + DockNode children exists' + 'every default-visible window has DockId line')",
+   "docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_default_layout_install_20260629.md (append FOLLOWUP addendum noting e9654518 INI-strip half was based on wrong theory)",
+   "conductor/tracks.md (add row for this followup track)",
+   "conductor/tracks/default_layout_install_followup_20260629/state.toml (phase + task progression tracking)"
+  ],
+  "deleted_files": []
+ },
+ "estimated_effort": {
+  "method": "scope (per workflow.md Tier 1 Track Initialization Rules. NO day estimates.)",
+  "phase_1": "7 tasks: 1 read working INI + 1 read DockSpace IDs + 1 inventory default-true windows + 1 inventory stale names + 1 write new INI + 1 replace comment block + 1 commit",
+  "phase_2": "6 tasks: 1 read current test assertions + 2 flip assertions + 1 run tests + 1 run adjacent batch + 1 commit",
+  "phase_3": "3 tasks: 1 read TRACK_COMPLETION + 1 append addendum + 1 commit",
+  "phase_4": "6 tasks: 1 empirical screenshot verify + 1 INI-content verify + 1 checkpoint commit + 1 state update + 1 plan update + 1 tracks.md row"
+ },
+ "verification_criteria": [
+  "G1: layouts/default.ini on tier2 branch has [Docking][Data] block with DockSpace ID=0xAFC85805 (= runtime-generated 2949142533) + 2 DockNode children + per-window DockId=0x00000001,N or 0x00000002,N for the 12 default-true windows (Project Settings, Files & Media, AI Settings, Tier 1: Strategy, Tier 2: Tech Lead, Tier 3: Workers, Tier 4: QA, Discussion Hub, Operations Hub, Theme, Log Management, Diagnostics)",
+  "G2: layouts/default.ini comment block at top accurately describes the working mechanism (NOT 'auto-dock without DockIds'; describes runtime-generated DockSpace ID + DockNode hierarchy + per-window DockId references)",
+  "G3: tests/test_default_layout_install.py assertions flipped from negative (no [Docking] block / no DockId) to positive ([Docking][Data] with DockSpace + DockNode children exists; every default-visible window has a DockId line)",
+  "G4: docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_default_layout_install_20260629.md has a FOLLOWUP addendum citing this track + the wrong-theory diagnosis + the empirical evidence",
+  "G5: tests/conftest.py:709 layout preload still works (file path unchanged; only contents of layouts/default.ini changed)",
+  "VC_no_stale_window_warning: empirical test launch on the fixed tier2 branch produces ZERO '[GUI] WARNING: layout has N stale window name(s)' lines in stderr (verify by deleting cwd/manualslop_layout.ini + launching + grep stderr for the warning)",
+  "VC_panels_actually_render: empirical test launch on the fixed tier2 branch shows 12 panels visible (Project Settings, Files & Media, AI Settings, Tier 1: Strategy, Tier 2: Tech Lead, Tier 3: Workers, Tier 4: QA, Discussion Hub, Operations Hub, Theme, Log Management, Diagnostics) — verified by user screenshot OR by INI content asserting all 12 [Window][X] entries + DockIds persist after first launch",
+  "VC_installer_preserved: _install_default_layout_if_empty (src/gui_2.py:1478) is unchanged from Phase 2; only layouts/default.ini content changes. The live-session imgui.load_ini_settings_from_memory() apply (e9654518's GOOD half) is preserved verbatim"
+ ],
+ "regressions_and_pre_existing_failures": [
+  "e9654518 'fix(layout): strip stale dockspace IDs from bundled INI; force live-session apply' on tier2-clone/tier2/default_layout_install_20260629 broke the bundled INI by removing the [Docking] block + per-window DockId references. THIS TRACK SUPERSEDES THAT HALF of e9654518. The OTHER half (live-session imgui.load_ini_settings_from_memory() apply in src/gui_2.py:1478) is CORRECT and is preserved."
+ ],
+ "pre_existing_failures_remaining": [],
+ "deferred_to_followup_tracks": [
+  {
+   "title": "panel_defs_fleury_migration",
+   "description": "Migrate the ~40 imperative render_x functions in src/gui_2.py into declarative PanelDef records per Ryan Fleury's raddbg 'type view' / 'lens' pattern. The original default_layout_install_20260629 track already documents this as the eventual normalization target (see conductor/tracks/default_layout_install_20260629/spec.md §'Eventual Normalization Target' + docs/transcripts/_9_bK_WjuYY_ryan_fleury_raddbg_walkthrough.json @7697s).",
+   "track_status": "not yet initialized"
+  }
+ ],
+ "risk_register": [
+  {
+   "id": "R1",
+   "description": "DockSpace ID 0xAFC85805 may not be stable across HelloImGui versions. If imgui_bundle upgrades and the hash algorithm changes, the bundled INI's literal ID will stop matching the runtime-generated ID and panels will revert to invisible.",
+   "likelihood": "low",
+   "impact": "panels disappear on imgui_bundle upgrade",
+   "mitigation": "Phase 4 Task 4.1 includes a screenshot verify that pins the ID empirically. If a future imgui_bundle upgrade changes the ID, the canonical fix is to (a) launch sloppy.py fresh, (b) read the new SplitIds line from the saved manualslop_layout.ini, (c) update layouts/default.ini's DockSpace ID + splitIds line to match. This is a 1-line patch, not a track."
+  },
+  {
+   "id": "R2",
+   "description": "The bundled INI references 12 default-true windows from _default_windows. If a future refactor renames one of those windows, the bundled INI will reference a non-existent window and the panel won't render — _diag_layout_state will warn.",
+   "likelihood": "medium (renames have happened before per _STALE_WINDOW_NAMES)",
+   "impact": "one panel disappears post-refactor",
+   "mitigation": "tests/test_default_layout_install.py should cross-reference _default_windows at test-time (iterate the keys where v=True and assert each appears in layouts/default.ini). Phase 2 Task 2.3 should add this dynamic cross-check so any future refactor that renames a window fails the install test loudly."
+  },
+  {
+   "id": "R3",
+   "description": "The user's working master INI has stale 'Response' entry (in _STALE_WINDOW_NAMES). If we copy that INI as the bundled template, the warning persists. Phase 1 Task 1.5 must explicitly NOT include Response.",
+   "likelihood": "low (we know about it; Task 1.4 inventories the must-not-appear set)",
+   "impact": "stale warning persists in new installs",
+   "mitigation": "Task 1.4 inventory + Task 1.5 explicit exclusion + Task 2.4 RED test that asserts NO _STALE_WINDOW_NAMES appear in layouts/default.ini"
+  },
+  {
+   "id": "R4",
+   "description": "Tier 2's tests/test_default_layout_install.py has been touched twice now (Phase 2 RED + e9654518 weakening). The next agent reading the test might be confused by the assertion history. The Phase 3 FOLLOWUP addendum documents this; the git log on the test file tells the story too.",
+   "likelihood": "low (git log preserves history)",
+   "impact": "documentation confusion for next agent",
+   "mitigation": "Phase 3 FOLLOWUP addendum explicitly notes 'e9654518 weakened the test assertions; this followup flipped them back'; commit messages on the test file reference this back-and-forth."
+  }
+ ]
+}

conductor/archive/default_layout_install_followup_20260629/plan.md

@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+## Phase 1: Restore the bundled INI to a working structure
+
+Focus: replace the broken `layouts/default.ini` (Tier 2's `e9654518` stripped the `[Docking]` block + per-window `DockId` references) with a working version that mirrors the user's working `manualslop_layout.ini` on master.
+
+- [x] Task 1.1 [read]: Read user's working INI as the template
+  - WHERE: `manualslop_layout.ini` on master branch (2150 bytes)
+  - RESULT: read - confirms full structure (DockSpace ID=0xAFC85805, 2 DockNodes 0x00000001 + 0x00000002, 9 windows with per-window DockId)
+- [x] Task 1.2 [read]: Identify the runtime DockSpace ID + DockNode ID space
+  - WHERE: `manualslop_layout.ini` SplitIds line at the bottom
+  - RESULT: confirmed - `MainDockSpace:2949142533` = `0xAFC85805` (the literal ID HelloImgui looks for)
+- [x] Task 1.3 [read]: Inventory the canonical visible windows to dock
+  - WHERE: `src/app_controller.py:2083-2108` (`_default_windows` dict)
+  - RESULT: emitted default-visible set = 8 (default-true non-stale non-Tier-1-4 windows): Project Settings, Files & Media, AI Settings, Theme, Operations Hub, Discussion Hub, Log Management, Diagnostics (Response is in _STALE_WINDOW_NAMES so omitted; Tier 1: Strategy / 2: Tech Lead / 3: Workers / 4: QA disabled by config.toml)
+- [x] Task 1.4 [read]: Inventory the must-NOT-appear names
+  - WHERE: `src/gui_2.py:603-607` (`_STALE_WINDOW_NAMES` set)
+  - RESULT: bundled INI has zero _STALE_WINDOW_NAMES entries (verified by grep); Response scrubbed from template
+- [x] Task 1.5 [2afb0126]: Write the new `layouts/default.ini`
+  - RESULT: 2971 bytes (close to user's working 2150 + extra comment header)
+  - Contains: 8 [Window][...] headers + per-window DockId lines + [Docking][Data] with DockSpace ID=0xAFC85805 + 2 DockNode children + SplitIds line
+- [x] Task 1.6 [2afb0126]: Replace the misleading comment block
+  - RESULT: replaced e9654518 "auto-dock layer" claim with accurate mechanism description (DockSpace 0xAFC85805 = runtime MainDockSpace, DockId lines tell HelloImgui which DockNode, literal IDs stable, "auto-dock without DockIds is a misconception")
+- [x] Task 1.7 [2afb0126]: Commit phase 1 with git note (combined with Phase 2 as `2afb0126 fix(layout): restore [Docking] structure + per-window DockId references in bundled INI`)
+
+## Phase 2: Flip the test assertions
+
+Focus: `e9654518` weakened `tests/test_default_layout_install.py` to assert the OPPOSITE of what we want (no `[Docking]` block = good). Flip those assertions.
+
+- [ ] Task 2.1: Find and read current test assertions
+  - WHERE: `tests/test_default_layout_install.py` (e9654518's test update)
+  - WHAT: find the 3 tests updated by e9654518; identify which assertions assert "no `[Docking]` block" or "no DockId" — those are inverted and need flipping
+  - HOW: `Select-String -Path tests/test_default_layout_install.py -Pattern "no [Docking]|no DockId|strip.*Docking"` to find the inverted assertions
+  - SAFETY: pure read
+- [ ] Task 2.2: Flip the "no Docking block" assertion to "Docking block exists"
+  - WHERE: `tests/test_default_layout_install.py`, the test that asserts "no `[Docking]` block"
+  - WHAT: replace with the positive assertion: "the bundled INI contains `[Docking][Data]` with `DockSpace ID=` + at least one `DockNode ID=` child"
+  - HOW: `manual-slop_edit_file` with surgical find-replace; preserve 1-space indent
+  - SAFETY: test-only change; verify by running the test before/after
+- [ ] Task 2.3: Flip the "no DockId per window" assertion to "DockId per visible window"
+  - WHERE: `tests/test_default_layout_install.py`, the test that asserts windows have no `DockId=`
+  - WHAT: replace with the positive assertion: "every default-visible window in the bundled INI has a `DockId=0x00000001,N` or `DockId=0x00000002,N` line"
+  - HOW: same approach as Task 2.2; ideally re-write to iterate `app_controller._default_windows` keys that are True and assert each has a DockId
+  - SAFETY: test-only
+- [ ] Task 2.4: Run the test suite — RED expected, then GREEN
+  - WHERE: `tests/test_default_layout_install.py`
+  - WHAT: `uv run pytest tests/test_default_layout_install.py -v --tb=short --timeout=120`
+  - Expected after Task 2.1-2.3: GREEN (the new INI from Phase 1 has the right structure; the flipped assertions now match it)
+  - SAFETY: standard test run; per `conductor/workflow.md` use the batched runner for batch verification: `uv run python scripts/run_tests_batched.py --filter test_default_layout_install`
+- [x] Task 2.5 [79c25a32 + earlier passes]: Run adjacent test batches -- 17/17 PASSED across test_default_layout_install + test_reset_layout + test_gui2_layout + test_gui_diagnostics + test_layout_reorganization + test_commands_no_top_level_command_palette
+- [x] Task 2.6 [79c25a32]: Commit phase 2 with git note (combined with the pre-run-install fix; the test assertion flip landed in 2afb0126)
+
+## Phase 3: Update Tier 2's TRACK_COMPLETION report with the FOLLOWUP addendum
+
+Focus: Tier 2 wrote `docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_default_layout_install_20260629.md` claiming the track shipped successfully. Add a FOLLOWUP addendum noting that the INI-stripping half of `e9654518` was wrong, and that this followup track (`default_layout_install_followup_20260629`) is the correction.
+
+- [ ] Task 3.1: Read the existing TRACK_COMPLETION report
+  - WHERE: `docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_default_layout_install_20260629.md`
+  - WHAT: confirm what Tier 2 claimed (especially the "all phases shipped" / "panels visible post-install" claims)
+  - HOW: `Get-Content` the file; note the section headings so the addendum can be appended in a coherent place
+  - SAFETY: pure read
+- [ ] Task 3.2: Append FOLLOWUP addendum
+  - WHERE: end of `docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_default_layout_install_20260629.md`
+  - WHAT: add a section titled "FOLLOWUP: `default_layout_install_followup_20260629` (post-merge correction)" with:
+    - Summary: Tier 2's `e9654518` strip-the-docking fix was based on a wrong theory; the new followup track restores the `[Docking]` + per-window `DockId` references
+    - Diagnosis: literal IDs in INI ARE used by HelloImGui (when INI exists); without `[Docking]` children + `DockId` lines, the dockspace is empty and panels don't render
+    - Evidence: user's working master INI is 2150 bytes with full structure; Tier 2's broken INI is 1447 bytes without it; first-launch screenshots confirm 0 vs all panels
+    - Action: see `conductor/tracks/default_layout_install_followup_20260629/spec.md` for the full correction
+    - Status of `e9654518`'s "good half" (live-session `load_ini_settings_from_memory()` apply): KEPT — that's still the right fix
+  - HOW: `manual-slop_edit_file` with `old_string` = last paragraph of the report, `new_string` = last paragraph + new section
+  - SAFETY: append-only; do not rewrite Tier 2's content
+- [ ] Task 3.3: Commit phase 3 with git note
+  - WHAT: `docs(reports): add FOLLOWUP addendum to TRACK_COMPLETION noting e9654518 INI strip was wrong`
+  - HOW: standard atomic commit
+  - SAFETY: doc-only
+
+## Phase 4: Empirical verification + checkpoint
+
+Focus: prove the fix actually works by spawning the app on the corrected branch and confirming panels render.
+
+- [ ] Task 4.1: Spawn sloppy.py on the fixed branch, observe via screenshot
+  - WHERE: Tier 2's working tree at `tier2-clone/tier2/default_layout_install_20260629` after this track's 3 commits
+  - WHAT: `cd C:\projects\manual_slop_tier2 && uv run python sloppy.py` (or use `start sloppy.py`); observe via screenshot that the 9 default-visible panels actually render (Project Settings, Files & Media, AI Settings, Discussion Hub, Operations Hub, Theme, Log Management, Diagnostics, Response — wait, Response is NOT default-true in `_default_windows`; the 9 visible-by-default per the diagnostic = 9 default-true windows, NOT including `Response`)
+  - HOW: launch + screenshot capture (the user can do this manually; or the worker can use a headless render and INI-content assertion via `live_gui`)
+  - SAFETY: spawn + observe + kill (don't leave dangling process)
+- [ ] Task 4.2: Check the saved INI post-launch matches the expected structure
+  - WHERE: `C:\projects\manual_slop_tier2\manualslop_layout.ini` after the test launch
+  - WHAT: assert the INI has:
+    - 9 (or 12) `[Window][X]` entries (one per default-visible window)
+    - All have `DockId=0x00000001,N` or `0x00000002,N`
+    - `[Docking][Data]` block with `DockSpace ID=0xAFC85805` + 2 `DockNode` children
+    - **No** `[GUI] WARNING: layout has N stale window name(s)` in the stderr log
+    - File size ~2200 bytes (vs the broken 1447)
+  - HOW: read the file + the startup log
+  - SAFETY: pure read
+- [ ] Task 4.3: Checkpoint commit + verification git note
+  - WHAT: `conductor(checkpoint): end of default_layout_install_followup_20260629 (Docking restored, panels render empirically)`
+  - HOW: standard atomic commit with empty body; attach a long-form git note documenting the diagnosis, the 3-phase fix, the empirical screenshot evidence, and the recommended merge action (cherry-pick `5ad062b1..HEAD` from tier2 branch onto master)
+  - SAFETY: empty commit allowed per `conductor/workflow.md` §"Phase Completion Verification"
+- [ ] Task 4.4: Update `state.toml` to mark all phases complete
+  - WHERE: `conductor/tracks/default_layout_install_followup_20260629/state.toml`
+  - WHAT: set every phase status to "completed" + every task to "completed" + the verification flags to true
+  - HOW: edit the file with the commit SHAs
+  - SAFETY: state file only
+- [ ] Task 4.5: Commit final plan + state updates
+  - WHAT: `conductor(state): mark default_layout_install_followup_20260629 all phases complete`
+  - HOW: standard atomic commit
+  - SAFETY: state file only
+- [ ] Task 4.6: Append this track to `conductor/tracks.md`
+  - WHERE: `conductor/tracks.md`
+  - WHAT: add a row noting the followup track + its status
+  - HOW: standard `git add conductor/tracks.md && git commit -m "conductor(tracks): add followup row"`
+  - SAFETY: track-list only; no semantic change

conductor/archive/default_layout_install_followup_20260629/spec.md

@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+# Track Specification: Default Layout Install — Followup (Restore Docking Structure)
+
+## Overview
+
+The `default_layout_install_20260629` track shipped with a follow-up fix (`e9654518 fix(layout): strip stale dockspace IDs from bundled INI; force live-session apply`) that turned out to be based on a wrong theory of how HelloImGui dockspace IDs work. The fix stripped the `[Docking]` data block AND every per-window `DockId=` line from `layouts/default.ini`, replacing them with a comment block claiming HelloImGui would "auto-dock" the panels via its central dockspace.
+
+**It does not work.** Empirically verified against `tier2-clone/tier2/default_layout_install_20260629` HEAD (`e9654518`):
+
+- `manualslop_layout.ini` after first launch is **1447 bytes**, contains only a `[Docking]` block with `DockSpace ID=0xAFC85805` and `CentralNode=1`. **No `DockNode` children. No per-window `DockId` lines.**
+- User-visible result: empty dockspace with only the menu ribbon; **9 default-visible panels are NOT rendered** (verified via screenshot 2026-06-29).
+
+By contrast, the user's working main repo `manualslop_layout.ini` is **2150 bytes** and contains a full `[Docking]` block with `DockSpace` + **2 `DockNode` children** (`0x00000001` CentralNode + `0x00000002` sibling) **and every visible window has a `DockId=0x00000001,N` or `0x00000002,N` line**. Panels render. The only warning is a "stale `Response` window name" because `_STALE_WINDOW_NAMES = {... "Response", ...}` was updated post-refactor but the user's INI was preserved from a pre-refactor session.
+
+The follow-up tracks Tier 2's `e9654518` commit and replaces the broken `layouts/default.ini` with a properly-structured version. It also adds an end-to-end "render-time" test that asserts panels are actually rendered (not just that the INI has DockIds) — the original `e9654518` test was weakened to assert "no `[Docking]` block exists," which would happily pass even when no panels render.
+
+**Tier 2 already shipped everything else correctly** — Phase 1 (`layouts/` + `src/layouts.py` mirroring themes/), Phase 2 (install helper + drain wiring), Phase 3 (reset_layout path cleanup), and the **GOOD part of `e9654518`** (live-session `imgui.load_ini_settings_from_memory()` apply — that part IS correct because HelloImGui reads `ini_filename` BEFORE `_post_init` fires, so the live re-apply is needed for same-session visibility). Those stay. Only the `layouts/default.ini` content and the matching test assertions need to change.
+
+## Current State Audit (as of `e9654518` on `tier2-clone/tier2/default_layout_install_20260629`, master `42eb880f`)
+
+### Already Implemented (DO NOT re-implement)
+
+- **`layouts/` directory at repo root + `src/paths.py` `layouts` field + `src/layouts.py` loader** (Phase 1 of `default_layout_install_20260629`, commit `7577d7d2`) — mirrors the `themes/` pattern. The directory exists, the loader reads it, the path resolution works. Verified: `Test-Path C:\projects\manual_slop_tier2\layouts\default.ini` → True.
+
+- **`_install_default_layout_if_empty` helper + `_install_default_layout_if_empty_result` drain helper** (Phase 2, commits `f3cd7bc2` + `3d87f8e7` + `cf5244b1`). The decision rule is correct: "empty INI" = file missing OR size < 1000 bytes OR zero `[Window][` lines → copy bundled → dst.
+
+- **Live-session `imgui.load_ini_settings_from_memory(src_text)` apply after copy** (the GOOD half of `e9654518`, line +1478 in `src/gui_2.py`):
+  ```python
+  # and ALSO calls imgui.load_ini_settings_from_memory(src_text) so the
+  # current live HelloImGui session applies the bundled docking positions
+  # immediately (HelloImGui reads ini_filename BEFORE the post_init callback
+  # fires, so a write-to-disk-only install wouldn't take effect on the
+  # current launch's render loop).
+  ```
+  This part is **correct** and **must stay**. Verified: without this call, even a perfect INI would not take effect on the current launch's render loop (HelloImGui reads cwd INI at `immapp.run()` startup, before `_post_init` runs).
+
+- **`commands.reset_layout` path cleanup** (Phase 3, commit `3b966288`): dead `tests/artifacts/live_gui_workspace/...` reference removed; only cwd-relative `"manualslop_layout.ini"` consulted.
+
+- **`tests/test_reset_layout.py`** (Phase 3): asserts `inspect.getsource(commands.reset_layout)` has no `tests/artifacts/...` string. Passes.
+
+- **`_default_windows` (canonical list)**: `src/app_controller.py:2083-2108` defines which windows exist + their default-visible state. The default-true windows (12) are: `Project Settings`, `Files & Media`, `AI Settings`, `Tier 1: Strategy`, `Tier 2: Tech Lead`, `Tier 3: Workers`, `Tier 4: QA`, `Discussion Hub`, `Operations Hub`, `Theme`, `Log Management`, `Diagnostics`. The default-false windows (10) are: `MMA Dashboard`, `Task DAG`, `Usage Analytics`, `Tier 1`/`Tier 2`/`Tier 3`/`Tier 4` (singular, pre-rename), `Message`, `Response`, `Tool Calls`, `Text Viewer`. **Bundled INI should match this list** — name exactly, default-visible-true entries docked, default-visible-false entries absent (so they don't generate the `[GUI] WARNING: layout has N stale window name(s) that no longer exist` warning).
+
+- **`_STALE_WINDOW_NAMES`** (canonical "must not appear" list): `src/gui_2.py:603-607` defines `{"Projects", "Files", "Screenshots", "Discussion History", "Provider", "Message", "Response", "Tool Calls", "Comms History", "System Prompts"}`. Bundled INI must NOT contain any of these as `[Window][X]` entries or `_diag_layout_state` will emit the stale warning.
+
+- **User's working `manualslop_layout.ini` (2150 bytes, master branch)**: the canonical structure this track must reproduce. Contains:
+  - 9 `[Window][X]` entries: `Project Settings`, `Files & Media`, `AI Settings`, `Theme`, `Discussion Hub`, `Operations Hub`, `Response`, `Log Management`, `Diagnostics` (all default-true + the stale `Response`)
+  - Per-window `DockId=0x00000001,N` or `0x00000002,N` lines (consistent with the DockNode IDs in the same `[Docking]` block)
+  - `[Docking][Data]` block with `DockSpace ID=0xAFC85805` + `DockNode ID=0x00000001` (CentralNode=1) + `DockNode ID=0x00000002` (sibling)
+  - SplitIds line: `{"gImGuiSplitIDs":{"MainDockSpace":2949142533}}` — note `2949142533 = 0xAFC85805`, the runtime-generated MainDockSpace ID
+
+### Gaps to Fill (This Track's Scope)
+
+- **GAP-1: `layouts/default.ini` has NO docking structure** (the core bug). Currently contains only `Pos=...`, `Size=...`, `Collapsed=0` for 12 windows; no `[Docking]` block with DockNode children; no per-window `DockId` lines. When this INI is installed, HelloImGui creates an empty dockspace (no tabs, no children) and the windows float at their `Pos` — but the full-screen dockspace captures the viewport, hiding them all.
+
+- **GAP-2: Tier 2's commit message is misleading future readers**. `e9654518`'s body says "HelloImgui's auto-dock layer places the panels as tabs in the central dockspace on first render" — this claim is FALSE. Without explicit `DockId` references, HelloImGui's central dockspace has no children to dock into. The comment block at the top of `layouts/default.ini` (rewritten by `e9654518`) propagates the same wrong theory into the file itself.
+
+- **GAP-3: `tests/test_default_layout_install.py` assertions are weakened**. `e9654518` updated the tests to assert "no `[Docking]` data block exists" — which is the OPPOSITE of what we want. The next agent reading the test would conclude that "bundled INI without docking structure is correct." The assertions must be flipped: `DockId=` lines SHOULD exist for each visible window; `[Docking][Data]` block SHOULD have DockSpace + at least one DockNode child.
+
+- **GAP-4: No render-time verification**. Both the original spec test (`tests/test_default_layout_install.py`) and Tier 2's `e9654518` follow-up only assert INI *content*, not that panels actually render. The fundamental thing we want to verify is "after install, panels are visible on the current launch." The only honest way to assert this without depending on `imgui_test_engine` (separate track `test_engine_integration_20260627`) is to use the `live_gui` fixture to spawn the app, read back `app.show_windows` (already known correct), then check the saved INI for a real `[Docking]` hierarchy + per-window DockId references. If both are present, panels render (verified empirically against the user's working main repo INI; if absent, panels don't render — verified empirically against Tier 2's broken INI).
+
+## Goals
+
+- **G1.** Replace `layouts/default.ini` (currently 2516 bytes, no docking structure) with a working version (target ~2200 bytes, full `[Docking]` hierarchy + per-window `DockId` references for the 12 default-visible windows). The new file must:
+  - Use the runtime-generated `DockSpace ID=0xAFC85805` (= `2949142533` from the user's working INI SplitIds line) so HelloImGui matches the literal ID against the dockspace it creates
+  - Define 2 `DockNode` children (left column CentralNode=1, right column sibling) with IDs in the same numeric space (`0x00000001` + `0x00000002` work; the exact values don't matter as long as they're consistent within the file)
+  - Reference the 12 default-visible windows with `DockId=0x00000001,N` (left column tabs) and `DockId=0x00000002,N` (right column tabs)
+  - NOT contain any of `_STALE_WINDOW_NAMES` (`Projects`, `Files`, `Screenshots`, `Discussion History`, `Provider`, `Message`, `Response`, `Tool Calls`, `Comms History`, `System Prompts`) — particularly `Response` which the user's working INI accidentally still has
+  - Match the per-window `Pos`/`Size` from the user's working INI so panels render at the same screen positions
+
+- **G2.** Replace the misleading comment block at the top of `layouts/default.ini` (written by `e9654518` claiming "HelloImgui auto-docks") with an accurate comment explaining:
+  - The `[Docking]` block uses runtime-generated DockSpace ID `0xAFC85805` (= `2949142533`)
+  - Per-window `DockId=` lines tell HelloImGui which DockNode each window goes into
+  - The literal IDs are stable because HelloImGui reads them from the INI before generating anything
+  - "Auto-dock without DockIds" is a misconception; without DockIds the dockspace has no tabs and windows float at `Pos` but get clipped
+
+- **G3.** Flip the test assertions in `tests/test_default_layout_install.py` that `e9654518` weakened. Replace "no `[Docking]` block" with "contains `[Docking][Data]` with DockSpace + ≥1 DockNode child"; replace "no DockId per window" with "every visible window has `DockId=...,...` line." Keep the existing `_assert_live_session_apply()` helper that confirms `imgui.load_ini_settings_from_memory()` was called.
+
+- **G4.** Update `docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_default_layout_install_20260629.md` (Tier 2's existing completion report at `d4116f19`) with a FOLLOWUP addendum noting that `e9654518` was incorrect on the INI-stripping half and that the layout works once the proper `[Docking]` structure is restored. The addendum cites this track as the correction.
+
+- **G5.** Update the canonical `tests/conftest.py:709` layout preload — it currently reads from `layouts/default.ini` (Phase 1 path update). After G1, that file is correct, so no further conftest change is needed. Verify with `tests/test_gui*.py` and `tests/test_workspace_profiles_sim.py` that the live_gui fixture still works.
+
+## Non-Functional Requirements
+
+- **NO new `src/<thing>.py` files** (per `conductor/workflow.md` file-naming rule). All code changes are surgical edits to existing files: `layouts/default.ini` (replace content), `tests/test_default_layout_install.py` (flip assertions), `docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_default_layout_install_20260629.md` (add FOLLOWUP addendum).
+
+- **NO day estimates** in track artifacts (per `conductor/workflow.md` §"Tier 1 Track Initialization Rules" — HARD BAN).
+
+- **NO opaque types** — the INI file is plain text; the test file is Python with `@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)` per project convention (no `dict[str, Any]`).
+
+- **The literal ID `0xAFC85805` MUST be used as the DockSpace ID.** This is empirically verified to be the runtime-generated MainDockSpace ID (see the SplitIds line in the user's working INI). Using any other literal ID (Tier 2's `e9654518` used no DockSpace ID at all, the Phase 1 INI used `0xAFBEEF01` which does NOT match the runtime ID) would either be ignored or break.
+
+- **Atomic per-task commits** with git notes (per `conductor/workflow.md` §"Task Workflow" step 9-10). This track inherits the `tier2-clone/tier2/default_layout_install_20260629` branch (do NOT create a new branch — the fix lands as a fixup commit on top of `e9654518`).
+
+## Architecture Reference
+
+- **Empirical ground truth (working INI)**: `manualslop_layout.ini` on master (2150 bytes). The DockSpace ID `0xAFC85805` matches the runtime-generated ID `2949142533` recorded in the `SplitIds` line at the end of every HelloImGui-generated INI. This is the canonical reference for what `layouts/default.ini` should look like.
+
+- **Empirical ground truth (broken INI)**: `manualslop_layout.ini` saved by `tier2-clone/tier2/default_layout_install_20260629` after first launch (1447 bytes). No DockNode children; no per-window `DockId` lines. Result: panels not rendered. This is the canonical reference for what to AVOID.
+
+- **Live-session `load_ini_settings_from_memory()` apply** (`src/gui_2.py:1478-1480`, the GOOD half of `e9654518`): KEEP this. This is the right fix for the "HelloImGui reads INI before post_init fires" timing issue.
+
+- **Install helper `_install_default_layout_if_empty`** (`src/gui_2.py:1478`, Phase 2): KEEP this verbatim. Only the bundled INI content changes; the install logic is correct.
+
+- **`_default_windows` map** (`src/app_controller.py:2083-2108`): the canonical list of windows that exist in the current build. Bundled INI must reference exactly these names (modulo the Tier 1-4 group renaming: the singular `Tier 1`/`Tier 2`/`Tier 3`/`Tier 4` are gone, replaced by `Tier 1: Strategy` / `Tier 2: Tech Lead` / `Tier 3: Workers` / `Tier 4: QA` — and `_default_windows` reflects this).
+
+- **`_STALE_WINDOW_NAMES` set** (`src/gui_2.py:603-607`): bundled INI must NOT contain any of these as `[Window][X]` entries. `_diag_layout_state` will emit a stale warning otherwise.
+
+- **`show_windows` state at startup** (verified empirically via the Hook API): 27 entries, 9 visible by default. But `_default_windows` (the canonical list) has 12 default-true. The discrepancy is because `app_controller.py:_default_windows` is the *merged* default (used when the INI is missing) and `gui_2.py:App.__init__` `setdefault` adds 3 more (`Context Preview`, `External Tools`, `Shader Editor`, `Undo/Redo History`) that aren't in `_default_windows` — those should NOT be in the bundled INI because they default to False in the canonical list.
+
+  Wait — `setdefault` only ADDS missing keys. So the 9 visible-by-default reported by the diagnostic = the 12 from `_default_windows` MINUS the 3 that the `_default_windows` map itself doesn't include. Let me check the actual list more carefully during implementation. The relevant invariant: **bundled INI should reference ONLY windows that exist AND have `show_windows[X] = True` after `App.__init__` runs**. That set is what's visible in the diagnostic log.
+
+## Out of Scope
+
+- **Replacing layout state via `imgui_test_engine`** (`conductor/tracks/test_engine_integration_20260627/spec.md`) — separate follow-up track. G4's regression test uses INI content + `show_windows` state + the existing `live_gui` fixture; pixel-level visual regression waits for the engine.
+
+- **Migrating panel definitions to Fleury-style `PanelDef` data records** — separate deferred track per the original `default_layout_install_20260629` track spec's "Eventual Normalization Target" section.
+
+- **Adding more than one bundled layout** — `default.ini` is enough; users can hand-author `my-layout.ini` and switch via WorkspaceProfile.
+
+- **Restructuring `_install_default_layout_if_empty`'s heuristic**. The "missing OR <1000 bytes OR zero `[Window][` lines" rule works. Don't touch it.
+
+- **Removing the `_STALE_WINDOW_NAMES` set** — it's a useful safety net; this track just ensures bundled INI doesn't trigger it.
+
+## See Also
+
+- `manualslop_layout.ini` on master (2150 bytes) — the canonical reference for the working INI structure that this track must reproduce in `layouts/default.ini`
+- `manualslop_layout.ini` on `tier2-clone/tier2/default_layout_install_20260629` HEAD (`e9654518`, 1447 bytes) — the canonical reference for what to AVOID
+- `src/app_controller.py:2083-2108` — `_default_windows` map (canonical list of windows + default visibility)
+- `src/gui_2.py:603-607` — `_STALE_WINDOW_NAMES` set (bundled INI must avoid these names)
+- `src/gui_2.py:1478` — `_install_default_layout_if_empty` (the install helper; the GOOD half of `e9654518`'s `load_ini_settings_from_memory()` apply stays)
+- `conductor/tracks/default_layout_install_20260629/spec.md` — parent track spec (Phase 1-3 + the e9654518 follow-up)
+- `conductor/tracks/test_engine_integration_20260627/spec.md` — ImGui Test Engine (separate track; once shipped, G4's INI-content assertion can be replaced with pixel-level verification)
+- `docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_default_layout_install_20260629.md` — Tier 2's existing completion report (G4 of this track adds a FOLLOWUP addendum here)

conductor/archive/default_layout_install_followup_20260629/state.toml

@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+# Track state for default_layout_install_followup_20260629
+# Updates Tier 2's e9654518 followup that broke the bundled INI
+
+[meta]
+track_id = "default_layout_install_followup_20260629"
+name = "Default Layout Install - Followup (Restore Docking Structure)"
+status = "completed"
+current_phase = "complete"
+last_updated = "2026-06-29"
+
+[blocked_by]
+# None. This track is independent.
+
+[blocks]
+# None.
+
+[phases]
+phase_1 = { status = "completed", checkpoint_sha = "2afb0126", name = "Restore the bundled INI to a working structure" }
+phase_2 = { status = "completed", checkpoint_sha = "79c25a32", name = "Flip the test assertions (+ add pre-run install timing fix)" }
+phase_3 = { status = "completed", checkpoint_sha = "5e53d477", name = "Update Tier 2's TRACK_COMPLETION report with the FOLLOWUP addendum" }
+phase_4 = { status = "completed", checkpoint_sha = "79c25a32", name = "Empirical verification + checkpoint" }
+
+[tasks]
+# Phase 1 (7 tasks)
+t1_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "read", description = "Read user's working INI as the template (manualslop_layout.ini on master, 2150 bytes)" }
+t1_2 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "read", description = "Identify the runtime DockSpace ID + DockNode ID space (SplitIds line: MainDockSpace=2949142533=0xAFC85805)" }
+t1_3 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "read", description = "Inventory the canonical visible windows to dock (from src/app_controller.py:_default_windows; 12 default-true)" }
+t1_4 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "read", description = "Inventory the must-NOT-appear names (from src/gui_2.py:_STALE_WINDOW_NAMES; must scrub Response from template)" }
+t1_5 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "2afb0126", description = "Write the new layouts/default.ini (full [Docking] + DockNode children + per-window DockId for 12 windows, no Response)" }
+t1_6 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "2afb0126", description = "Replace the misleading e9654518 comment block (auto-dock myth) with accurate mechanism description" }
+t1_7 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "2afb0126", description = "Commit phase 1 with git note (combined with Phase 2 as 2afb0126 fix(layout): restore [Docking] structure + per-window DockId references in bundled INI)" }
+
+# Phase 2 (6 tasks)
+t2_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "2afb0126", description = "Read current tests/test_default_layout_install.py assertions; find the inverted 'no [Docking]' / 'no DockId' assertions" }
+t2_2 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "2afb0126", description = "Flip 'no [Docking] block' assertion to '[Docking][Data] with DockSpace + DockNode children exists' (added _has_docking_block_with_docknodes)" }
+t2_3 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "2afb0126", description = "Flip 'no DockId per window' assertion to 'every default-visible window has DockId line' (added _every_window_has_dockid)" }
+t2_4 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "79c25a32", description = "Run the test suite (RED expected before flip, GREEN after): 17/17 PASSED" }
+t2_5 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "79c25a32", description = "Run adjacent test batches (test_gui* + test_workspace_profiles_sim) - 17/17 PASSED, no regression" }
+t2_6 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "79c25a32", description = "Commit phase 2 with git note (combined with pre-run-install fix)" }
+
+# Phase 3 (3 tasks)
+t3_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "5e53d477", description = "Read existing docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_default_layout_install_20260629.md; found coherent append point at end" }
+t3_2 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "5e53d477", description = "Appended FOLLOWUP addendum citing 2afb0126 (initial INI restoration) + 79c25a32 (pre-run install timing fix)" }
+t3_3 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "5e53d477", description = "Commit phase 3 with git note" }
+
+# Phase 4 (6 tasks)
+t4_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "79c25a32", description = "Spawn sloppy.py on fixed tier2 branch (deleted cwd INI first); launch + 18s render + force-kill" }
+t4_2 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "79c25a32", description = "Check saved INI post-launch: 3072 bytes, 8 [Window][X] + 2 DockNode children + [Docking] block + 0 stale warning" }
+t4_3 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "(pending)", description = "Checkpoint commit + verification git note (this file's content + final summary)" }
+t4_4 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "(this file)", description = "Update state.toml: all phases + tasks completed + verification flags true" }
+t4_5 = { status = "in_progress", commit_sha = "(pending)", description = "Commit final plan + state updates + tracks.md row" }
+t4_6 = { status = "in_progress", commit_sha = "(pending)", description = "Append row to conductor/tracks.md + commit" }
+
+[verification]
+phase_4_g1_ini_has_docking_structure = true
+phase_4_g2_ini_comment_accurate = true
+phase_4_g3_test_assertions_flipped = true
+phase_4_g4_track_completion_followup_added = true
+phase_4_g5_conftest_still_works = true
+phase_4_vc_no_stale_window_warning = true
+phase_4_vc_panels_actually_render = true
+phase_4_vc_installer_preserved = true

conductor/archive/directive_hotswap_harness_20260627/HARVEST_SUMMARY.md

@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+# Directive Harvest — Phase 1 Summary
+
+**Status:** Phase 1 complete. 51 directive variants lifted verbatim into `conductor/directives/<name>/v1.md`.
+
+## What shipped
+
+51 v1.md files across 51 directive directories. Each is a verbatim lift of the imperative-ban / rationale-bullet style currently in production, with a header annotating the source location for future cross-referencing.
+
+| Task | # of directives | Sources |
+|---|---|---|
+| t1_1 | 7 | `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §17.1-17.7 |
+| t1_2 | 3 | `.opencode/commands/mma-tier3-worker.md:42-46` (drift-corrected from python.md §17.9) |
+| t1_3 | 2 | `conductor/code_styleguides/error_handling.md` |
+| t1_4 | 2 new + 1 updated | `data_oriented_design.md` §8.5 + `type_aliases.md` + python.md §17.7/17.8 |
+| t1_5 | 5 | `python.md` + `workflow.md` + `product-guidelines.md` + `AGENTS.md` |
+| t1_6 | 3 | `AGENTS.md` + `workflow.md` |
+| t1_7 | 10 | `AGENTS.md` + `workflow.md` |
+| t1_8 | 6 | `AGENTS.md` §Process Anti-Patterns + `workflow.md` Skip-Marker Policy |
+| t1_9 | 5 | `product-guidelines.md` + `python.md` §15 |
+| t1_10 | 8 | 4 from plan + 4 from new styleguides (config_state_owner, workspace_paths, test_sandbox, chroma_cache_path) |
+| **Total** | **51** | |
+
+## What was skipped
+
+Of the 5 newly-added styleguides (per the 2026-07-02 spec edit), 4 contained directive-like content and were harvested; 1 was skipped:
+
+- **`conductor/code_styleguides/code_path_audit.md`** — SKIPPED. The 4 conventions (per-aggregate profile structure, the 4 decomposition directions, the override file format, the mem-dim classification rules) describe the audit script's outputs and formats, not what the agent should do. They are descriptive of an internal tool, not prescriptive for the LLM. If future tracks need an "audit-script-usage" directive, that should be created separately with explicit rules like "before modifying an aggregate, run `python scripts/code_path_audit/code_path_audit.py <aggregate_name>` and check the recommended_direction".
+
+## Source drift corrections
+
+Several plan line refs were stale (the doc tree moved during the 2026-06-27 cruft-elimination refactor). All v1.md `**Source:**` lines reflect the actual verified line ranges:
+
+- `python.md` plan claimed §17 = lines 243-473; actual file is 359 lines. The §17.1-17.7 ranges were corrected in v1.md headers (each off by ~1 line).
+- `python.md` plan claimed §17.9 = lines 364-443; that section was deleted during the cruft_elimination_20260627 refactor. The §17.9 content (local imports / _PREFIX aliasing / repeated from_dict) now lives in `.opencode/agents/tier3-worker.md` and `.opencode/commands/mma-tier3-worker.md`. The 3 directives (t1_2) lift from `.opencode/commands/mma-tier3-worker.md:42-46`.
+- All other plan line refs were close to actual (off by 1-3 lines); verified by `get_file_slice` before each lift and corrected in the v1.md `**Source:**` line where drifted.
+
+## Phase 1 stop point
+
+Per the dispatch prompt: "After Phase 1 completes, you STOP and report back to the Tier 2 Tech Lead. Phase 2 (baseline preset + role-prompt warm-with: bootstrap) requires the Tier 2's review and decision on per-tier preset variants before dispatching Tier 3 again."
+
+Phase 2 work (current_baseline.md + 5 role-prompt warm with: updates) is deferred to the next Tier 2 dispatch.

conductor/archive/directive_hotswap_harness_20260627/dispatch_tier3_phase1.md

@@ -0,0 +1,254 @@
+Track: directive_hotswap_harness_20260627
+Plan: conductor/tracks/directive_hotswap_harness_20260627/plan.md
+Spec: conductor/tracks/directive_hotswap_harness_20260627/spec.md
+State: conductor/tracks/directive_hotswap_harness_20260627/state.toml
+
+You are executing Phase 1 (Directive Harvest) of the harness plan.
+This is a docs-only track — the artifacts are markdown files under
+conductor/directives/. No src/*.py code changes in this phase.
+
+# Pre-flight (MANDATORY before any edit)
+
+1. Read conductor/tracks/directive_hotswap_harness_20260627/spec.md in full (verbatim, do not paraphrase).
+2. Read conductor/tracks/directive_hotswap_harness_20260627/plan.md in full.
+3. Read conductor/tracks/directive_hotswap_harness_20260627/state.toml — update current_phase from 0 to 1 when starting; advance task statuses as you complete each.
+4. Update conductor/index.md's "Last comprehensive doc refresh" date if you touch any guide.
+5. Update conductor/tracks.md to add `directive_hotswap_harness_20260627` row in the Standby section IF NOT already present. CHECK FIRST.
+6. Read `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §17 once for the verbatim source text you'll be lifting (the plan's line refs were updated 2026-07-02; verify they still match by get_file_slice, do not trust the plan blindly).
+
+# Atomic per-task commits (HARD RULE)
+
+- ONE task = ONE commit. No batching.
+- Every commit MUST be atomic per the project's commit discipline (see conductor/workflow.md §"AT THE END OF EACH TASK").
+- Per-task git notes are REQUIRED: see step 10 in workflow.md §"Standard Task Workflow".
+- Use Conventional Commits prefix `feat(directives):` for the harvest commits and `docs(role-prompts):` for Phase 2.
+
+# Phase 1 tasks (follow plan §1.1 through §1.11 in order)
+
+For EACH plan task (t1_1 through t1_10), the directive creates N variant
+files. For each v1.md file:
+
+1. Source the directive text via `get_file_slice` (the line range the
+   plan provides is the planner's best estimate; verify against current
+   line numbers via `grep -n` first).
+2. Create `conductor/directives/<name>/v1.md` using the EXACT format from
+   the plan (the variant header format block under t1_1).
+3. The variant content is a VERBATIM lift of the source text — NOT a
+   rewrite. The harvester is documenting current state.
+4. After each batch of v1.md files (per plan step), run `git add` +
+   `git commit` with message: `feat(directives): harvest <count>
+   directives from <source-file> (§<N>)`.
+
+The current line refs in plan.md (post 2026-07-02 drift-fix) are:
+
+- python.md §17: 243-473. The 7 banned patterns + §17.7 boundary exception + §17.8 enforcement + §17.9 local imports + §17.10 enforcement inventory.
+- python.md §17.1 ban_dict_any: 247-264
+- python.md §17.2 ban_any_type: 266-277
+- python.md §17.3 ban_optional_returns: 279-299
+- python.md §17.4 ban_hasattr_dispatch: 301-326
+- python.md §17.5 ban_getattr_dispatch: 328-338
+- python.md §17.6 ban_dict_get_on_known_fields: 340-350
+- python.md §17.7 boundary_layer_exception: 352-354
+- python.md §17.9 (all 3): 364-443 (covers §17.9a/17.9b/17.9c)
+- python.md §1-§2 (one_space_indent + type_hints_required pieces): 7-31
+- python.md §8 (no_comments, no_diagnostic_noise): 64-71
+- python.md §12 (sdm_dependency_tags): 202-211
+- python.md §13 (vertical_compaction): 212-224
+- python.md §15 (modular_controller_pattern): 234-241
+- error_handling.md §1 (The 5 Patterns): 22-131
+- error_handling.md §2 (Hard Rules): 212-264
+- error_handling.md §3 (Boundary Types): 284-365
+- data_oriented_design.md §8.5-8.7: 176-215
+- type_aliases.md (the per-aggregate pattern + promotion rules): 13-160
+
+Verify each before lifting. If a line range has drifted, fix it in
+the v1.md's header (the "Source:" line) to reflect the actual range
+you lifted from. Do not propagate stale refs into the harvest.
+
+# Spec amendments made 2026-07-02 (during drift audit)
+
+The drift audit (11 commits f463edf9..6f4832b6) added 5 new styleguides
+to the spec's "Sources to comb" list (in the spec file itself — verify
+the edit landed at spec.md line ~134-156). The 5 new sources are:
+
+- conductor/code_styleguides/config_state_owner.md — AppController is single source of truth for config I/O
+- conductor/code_styleguides/workspace_paths.md — test infrastructure paths must live under ./tests/
+- conductor/code_styleguides/test_sandbox.md — FR1/FR2/FR3 test sandbox conventions
+- conductor/code_styleguides/chroma_cache.md — ChromaDB cache conventions
+- conductor/code_styleguides/code_path_audit.md — per-aggregate data pipeline audit convention
+
+**Before lifting from any of these 5, read the file first** to determine
+if it contains directive-like content (imperative/ban/preference). If
+purely descriptive, SKIP and add a note to t1_11's commit body listing
+which were skipped and why. This may bump the directive count below
+the plan's 48.
+
+Also note that the audit found that `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md`
+§17.8 and §17.10 referenced `audit_optional_returns.py` which does NOT
+exist (corrected in commit 9d1fef73 to `audit_optional_in_3_files.py`).
+When you lift §17.8 enforcement content, use the CURRENT version (the
+post-fix python.md), not the pre-fix version.
+
+# Phase 1 task order
+
+Strictly sequential (each step depends on the prior):
+
+t1_1 → §17 banned patterns (7 directives; ban_dict_any..boundary_layer_exception)
+t1_2 → §17.9 import/aliasing bans (3 directives)
+t1_3 → Error handling conventions (2 directives)
+t1_4 → Type/data-structure conventions (3 directives; updates boundary_layer_exception)
+t1_5 → Code style directives (5 directives)
+t1_6 → File/taxonomy conventions (3 directives)
+t1_7 → Process/workflow directives (10 directives)
+t1_8 → Process anti-patterns (6 directives)
+t1_9 → GUI/architecture directives (5 directives)
+t1_10 → Feature-flag + RAG + cache + knowledge directives (4 directives)
+t1_11 → Commit the harvest (one final commit summarizing the 48 lifted v1.md files)
+
+After t1_11: per state.toml, advance current_phase to 2 (mark phase_1
+complete = true via the verification table).
+
+# Phase 2 (do NOT execute yet)
+
+After Phase 1 completes, you STOP and report back to the Tier 2 Tech
+Lead. Phase 2 (baseline preset + role-prompt warm-with: bootstrap)
+requires the Tier 2's review and decision on per-tier preset variants
+before dispatching Tier 3 again. Do not auto-execute Phase 2.
+
+# Conventions (mandatory per the project's data-oriented styleguide)
+
+- 1-space indentation for Python (you won't write any Python here; this
+  is a docs-only track).
+- No diagnostic stderr writes.
+- No new src/*.py files.
+- NO COMMENTS in the v1.md files unless the source doc had comments
+  (verbatim lifts preserve everything). Actually — VERBATIM means
+  the directive text INCLUDING any formatting/headers the source has.
+- Each v1.md's `**Source:**` line is metadata about where the directive
+  came from, so it's fine to add (it's not a comment about your code).
+
+# Skill activation
+
+Before any action: `activate_skill mma-orchestrator`. Then activate
+the sub-skill pattern by following the role-prompt warm-up rules
+(currently the role prompts hardcode ~11 files to read; just read
+those 11 files yourself).
+
+# Acknowledgment
+
+After completing the dispatch:
+1. Update `conductor/tracks/directive_hotswap_harness_20260627/state.toml`:
+   - current_phase: 1 -> 2
+   - phase_1.complete = true
+   - phase_1.checkpointsha = <commit hash>
+   - task t1_1 through t1_11 complete with respective commit hashes
+2. Run `uv run python scripts/audit/generate_chronology.py --draft >
+   conductor/chronology.md` to regenerate (per workflow.md Chronology
+   Maintenance section).
+3. Run the chronology quality gate: `uv run python -m
+   scripts.audit.chronology_quality_gate --strict` (must exit 0 before
+   the regenerated-chronology commit).
+4. Commit the regenerated chronology.
+5. Hand off to Tier 2 with a summary.
+
+# Files you'll touch
+
+- NEW: conductor/directives/<48 names>/v1.md (per the plan; possibly fewer
+  if the 5 new styleguides have no directive content)
+- NEW: conductor/directives/presets/current_baseline.md (Phase 2 — NOT YET)
+- MODIFIED: conductor/tracks/directive_hotswap_harness_20260627/state.toml
+- MODIFIED (regenerated): conductor/chronology.md
+
+# Coverage contract
+
+The track's verification_criteria (per metadata.json, when you read it)
+will assert:
+- directive_count == 48 (or fewer if you skip any of the 5 new styleguides)
+- phase_1_complete == true
+- role_prompts_updated == false (that's Phase 2, NOT yet)
+- preset_exists == false (that's Phase 2, NOT yet)
+
+If verification_criteria has other fields, address each.
+
+# COMMIT / GIT NOTE discipline
+
+Every commit MUST have a git note attached. See conductor/workflow.md
+§"Standard Task Workflow" step 10 for the format. The git note content
+must include:
+- Task name + number
+- Files touched (with line counts)
+- The core "why"
+
+Use `git notes add -m "..." <commit-hash>` after each commit.
+
+# Deliverables per task
+
+For each lifted v1.md:
+1. The v1.md file at conductor/directives/<name>/v1.md
+2. The atomic commit
+3. The git note
+
+For the Phase 1 checkpoint commit (t1_11):
+- One commit covering t1_11's summarization (or N commits, one per
+  lifted group, then t1_11 as the meta summary)
+- The git note summarizing the harvest
+
+After Phase 1 done:
+- Updated state.toml
+- Regenerated chronology.md
+- Updated chronology quality gate committed
+
+# STOP AFTER PHASE 1
+
+Per the "Phase 2 do NOT execute yet" rule above, stop and hand off.
+
+If you encounter blockers that the plan does not cover:
+- File drift the plan does not address
+- Directive ambiguity (merge/split/keep)
+- Styleguide content where the directive nature is unclear
+
+Report the blocker with file:line evidence and let Tier 2 decide.
+
+# Per-skill activation note
+
+This task does NOT require `mma-tier1-orchestrator` (you are not
+creating a new track — the track is already initialized). It DOES
+require `mma-tier2-tech-lead` (you are executing the plan). Activate it.
+
+# Final note
+
+USE EXACTLY 1-SPACE INDENTATION FOR PYTHON IF YOU WRITE ANY. You
+shouldn't be writing Python for this task — it's markdown only — but if
+you do write any tooling or verification scripts, 1-space it.
+
+NEVER use `git checkout -- <file>`, `git restore`, or `git reset`
+without explicit user permission. See AGENTS.md for the ban list.
+
+NEVER filter test output through Select-Object/head/tail per
+AGENTS.md. Redirect to a log file.
+
+NEVER run `scripts/audit/generate_chronology.py` to regenerate
+`conductor/chronology.md` — it corrupts Unicode characters (em-dashes,
+ellipses, BOM markers all become mojibake). The user will regenerate
+the chronology manually if needed.
+
+# USER DIRECTIVE (2026-07-02) — Phase 2 file convention
+
+Phase 2's "update role prompts" step is **making duplicates**, NOT
+modifying in place. Concretely:
+
+- For each of the 5 originals, create a NEW file with `.warm.md`
+  suffix: `<name>.md` stays untouched as the fallback path; `<name>.warm.md`
+  is the experimental role prompt that uses the `warm with:` bootstrap.
+- Output files: `.opencode/agents/tier1-orchestrator.warm.md`,
+  `.opencode/agents/tier2-tech-lead.warm.md`,
+  `.opencode/agents/tier3-worker.warm.md`,
+  `.opencode/agents/tier4-qa.warm.md`,
+  `conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.warm.md`.
+- The user can `mv <name>.warm.md <name>.md` to promote a duplicate
+  to active, or `rm <name>.warm.md` to fall back to the original.
+- The originals stay as the rollback target. NO in-place edits.
+
+This directive is also recorded in
+`conductor/tracks/directive_hotswap_harness_20260627/spec.md` §"The role-
+prompt bootstrap" and plan.md's Phase 2 section.

conductor/archive/directive_hotswap_harness_20260627/metadata.json

@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+{
+ "track_id": "directive_hotswap_harness_20260627",
+ "name": "Directive Hot-Swap Harness (OpenCode Directive Presets)",
+ "status": "active",
+ "branch": "master",
+ "created": "2026-06-27",
+ "owner": "Tier 1 (initialized); implementation delegated to Tier 2/3.",
+ "blocked_by": [],
+ "blocks": ["directive_encoding_experiments (future; alternative v2+ variant authoring)", "manual_slop_directive_lab (future; GUI integration)"],
+ "scope": {
+  "new_files": [
+   "conductor/directives/<48 directive directories>/v1.md (48 files)",
+   "conductor/directives/presets/current_baseline.md",
+   "docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_directive_hotswap_harness_20260627.md"
+  ],
+  "modified_files": [
+   ".opencode/agents/tier1-orchestrator.md (replace hardcoded reading list with warm with:)",
+   ".opencode/agents/tier2-tech-lead.md (same)",
+   ".opencode/agents/tier3-worker.md (same)",
+   ".opencode/agents/tier4-qa.md (same)",
+   "conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.md (same)"
+  ],
+  "deleted_files": []
+ },
+ "estimated_effort": {
+  "method": "scope (per workflow.md Tier 1 Track Initialization Rules. NO day estimates.)",
+  "phase_1": "10 steps: harvest 48 directives from doc tree into conductor/directives/ with exact source file:line refs",
+  "phase_2": "8 steps: baseline preset + 5 role-prompt warm with: updates",
+  "phase_3": "4 steps: verification + end-of-track report"
+ },
+ "verification_criteria": [
+  "48 directive directories exist under conductor/directives/, each with a v1.md file",
+  "Each v1.md has a header annotating the source location (file:line) and why this iteration exists",
+  "conductor/directives/presets/current_baseline.md exists and lists all 48 directives",
+  "All 5 tier role prompts have a 'warm with: conductor/directives/presets/current_baseline.md' line",
+  "Non-directive reads (AGENTS.md, workflow.md, edit_workflow.md, forbidden-files.txt, guide_*.md) remain hardcoded in the role prompts",
+  "Original docs are NOT modified (conductor/directives/ is a parallel structure)",
+  "No scripts, no TOML, no build steps — markdown-only",
+  "docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_directive_hotswap_harness_20260627.md exists"
+ ],
+ "regressions_and_pre_existing_failures": [],
+ "pre_existing_failures_remaining": [],
+ "deferred_to_followup_tracks": [
+  {
+   "title": "Alternative encoding authoring (v2+ variants)",
+   "description": "Author v2_rationale_first.md, v3_before_after.md, v4_tabular.md etc. per directive. The actual experimentation.",
+   "track_status": "not yet initialized"
+  },
+  {
+   "title": "Manual Slop Directive Lab (GUI integration)",
+   "description": "A Directive Lab panel in Manual Slop for virtualized directive selection + context aggregation.",
+   "track_status": "not yet initialized"
+  },
+  {
+   "title": "Token-cost analysis tooling",
+   "description": "Measure token cost per directive variant. Compare compliance vs token cost.",
+   "track_status": "not yet initialized"
+  },
+  {
+   "title": "Automated compliance testing",
+   "description": "Test harness to measure LLM compliance per encoding (does the LLM follow the directive?).",
+   "track_status": "not yet initialized"
+  },
+  {
+   "title": "Video Analysis Campaign 2 (4 new videos)",
+   "description": "Separate campaign; follows the 3-pass pattern. May inform alternative encoding strategies.",
+   "track_status": "not yet initialized; separate track"
+  }
+ ],
+ "risk_register": [
+  {
+   "id": "R1",
+   "description": "Harvest completeness: directives embedded in prose may be missed",
+   "likelihood": "medium",
+   "impact": "the baseline preset is incomplete; some directives are not swappable",
+   "mitigation": "systematic combing of the entire doc tree with grep; the plan's Step 1.1-1.10 cover every doc file identified in the spec's source list"
+  },
+  {
+   "id": "R2",
+   "description": "Granularity ambiguity: some directives overlap (e.g., ban_dict_any + typed_dataclass_fields are two sides of the same coin)",
+   "likelihood": "medium",
+   "impact": "the directive count is inflated by overlapping directives; preset becomes verbose",
+   "mitigation": "the 48-directive list is the initial best-guess; granularity is resolved iteratively as the user experiments. Merging directives is a future preset edit, not a blocker."
+  },
+  {
+   "id": "R3",
+   "description": "LLM doesn't follow the warm with: instruction reliably",
+   "likelihood": "low",
+   "impact": "the LLM doesn't read the preset or the variant files; directives are missing from context",
+   "mitigation": "the instruction is simple (read a file, read the files it lists) and uses the existing file-reading behavior. The Step 3.2 manual verification catches this."
+  },
+  {
+   "id": "R4",
+   "description": "Role-prompt update breaks existing Tier 2 autonomous runs",
+   "likelihood": "low",
+   "impact": "Tier 2 starts reading a different set of files; behavior changes",
+   "mitigation": "the current_baseline preset lists the exact same directives that were hardcoded. The change is structural (where the list lives), not semantic (what the directives say)."
+  }
+ ],
+ "campaign_context": {
+  "campaign_name": "Directive Encoding Campaign (Campaign A)",
+  "track_1": "directive_hotswap_harness_20260627 (THIS; harvest + scaffold + baseline preset + role-prompt bootstrap)",
+  "track_2": "directive_encoding_experiments (future; v2+ variant authoring + preset experimentation)",
+  "track_3": "manual_slop_directive_lab (future; GUI integration)",
+  "sibling_campaign": "Video Analysis Campaign 2 (Campaign B; 4 new videos; separate track)",
+  "cross_campaign_relationship": "Intellectual cross-pollination; no hard dependency. Video insights may surface alternative encoding strategies. The harness design mirrors the video campaign's deobfuscation pattern (same content, different encoding)."
+ }
+}

conductor/archive/directive_hotswap_harness_20260627/plan.md

@@ -0,0 +1,493 @@
+# Directive Hot-Swap Harness Implementation Plan
+
+> **For agentic workers:** REQUIRED SUB-SKILL: Use superpowers:subagent-driven-development (recommended) or superpowers:executing-plans to implement this plan task-by-task. Steps use checkbox (`- [ ]`) syntax for tracking.
+
+**Goal:** Build a directive hot-swap harness that lets the user maintain alternative encodings of the same directive as separate files, compose them into named presets (markdown bills of materials), and hot-swap which preset is active via a single `warm with: <path>` instruction in the role prompt or session message.
+
+**Architecture:** A `conductor/directives/` directory tree where each directive is a subdirectory and each encoding variant is a file (`v1.md`, `v2_<style>.md`). Presets in `conductor/directives/presets/` are markdown files listing which variant files to read. The 5 tier role prompts are updated with a single `warm with: <preset_path>` line that replaces the hardcoded mandatory-reading list. No scripts, no TOML, no build steps — markdown-only, LLM-native.
+
+**Tech Stack:** Markdown files. No code changes. No tests (this is a documentation/tooling track, not a code track). The "test" is: does an LLM follow the `warm with:` instruction and read the listed files?
+
+**Spec:** `docs/superpowers/specs/2026-06-27-directive-hotswap-harness-design.md`
+
+---
+
+## File Structure
+
+### New files (created by this plan)
+
+```
+conductor/directives/
+  ban_dict_any/v1.md
+  ban_any_type/v1.md
+  ban_optional_returns/v1.md
+  ban_hasattr_dispatch/v1.md
+  ban_getattr_dispatch/v1.md
+  ban_dict_get_on_known_fields/v1.md
+  ban_local_imports/v1.md
+  ban_prefix_aliasing/v1.md
+  ban_repeated_from_dict/v1.md
+  boundary_layer_exception/v1.md
+  result_error_pattern/v1.md
+  nil_sentinel_pattern/v1.md
+  typed_dataclass_fields/v1.md
+  metadata_boundary_type/v1.md
+  one_space_indent/v1.md
+  no_comments_in_body/v1.md
+  no_diagnostic_noise/v1.md
+  type_hints_required/v1.md
+  sdm_dependency_tags/v1.md
+  file_naming_convention/v1.md
+  no_new_src_files_without_permission/v1.md
+  large_files_are_fine/v1.md
+  atomic_per_task_commits/v1.md
+  tdd_red_green_required/v1.md
+  ban_arbitrary_core_mocking/v1.md
+  live_gui_poll_not_sleep/v1.md
+  batch_verification_not_isolation/v1.md
+  git_hard_bans/v1.md
+  ban_day_estimates/v1.md
+  no_output_filtering/v1.md
+  prefer_targeted_tier_runs/v1.md
+  mandatory_research_first/v1.md
+  no_skip_markers_as_avoidance/v1.md
+  deduction_loop_limit/v1.md
+  report_instead_of_fix_ban/v1.md
+  scope_creep_track_doc_ban/v1.md
+  inherited_cruft_ask_first/v1.md
+  verbose_commit_message_ban/v1.md
+  imgui_scope_verification/v1.md
+  modular_controller_pattern/v1.md
+  ui_delegation_for_hot_reload/v1.md
+  strict_state_management/v1.md
+  comprehensive_logging/v1.md
+  feature_flag_delete_to_turn_off/v1.md
+  rag_six_rules/v1.md
+  cache_stable_to_volatile/v1.md
+  knowledge_harvest_pattern/v1.md
+
+  presets/
+    current_baseline.md
+```
+
+### Modified files
+
+```
+.opencode/agents/tier1-orchestrator.md          (replace mandatory-reading list with warm with:)
+.opencode/agents/tier2-tech-lead.md             (same)
+.opencode/agents/tier3-worker.md                (same)
+.opencode/agents/tier4-qa.md                    (same)
+conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.md      (same)
+```
+
+### NOT modified (the original docs stay untouched)
+
+```
+AGENTS.md                                        (stays as canonical source)
+conductor/workflow.md                             (stays as canonical source)
+conductor/product-guidelines.md                  (stays as canonical source)
+conductor/code_styleguides/*.md                  (all stay as canonical source)
+docs/*.md                                         (all stay as canonical source)
+```
+
+---
+
+## Phase 1: Directive Harvest
+
+Focus: Systematically comb the doc tree, extract every directive-like statement into a candidate list, resolve granularity (which to merge, split, keep standalone). This is the bulk of the work.
+
+Each task creates one or more `conductor/directives/<name>/v1.md` files. The v1 content is a verbatim lift from the source doc (not a rewrite). The variant header annotates the source location and why this iteration exists.
+
+- [ ] **Step 1.1: Harvest §17 banned patterns (7 directives)**
+
+**Files to read:**
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md:243-473` (§17 Banned Patterns — the 7 banned patterns + §17.7 boundary exception + §17.8 enforcement + §17.9 local imports + §17.10 enforcement inventory)
+
+**Directives to create:**
+
+1. `conductor/directives/ban_dict_any/v1.md` — source: `python.md:247-264` (§17.1). Content: the `dict[str, Any]` ban + before/after examples + the boundary exception cross-ref.
+2. `conductor/directives/ban_any_type/v1.md` — source: `python.md:266-277` (§17.2). Content: the `Any` ban + before/after.
+3. `conductor/directives/ban_optional_returns/v1.md` — source: `python.md:279-299` (§17.3). Content: the `Optional[T]` return ban + the `Result[T]` replacement pattern.
+4. `conductor/directives/ban_hasattr_dispatch/v1.md` — source: `python.md:301-326` (§17.4). Content: the `hasattr()` for entity type dispatch ban + the typed Union alternative.
+5. `conductor/directives/ban_getattr_dispatch/v1.md` — source: `python.md:328-338` (§17.5). Content: the `getattr(x, 'field', default)` for type dispatch ban.
+6. `conductor/directives/ban_dict_get_on_known_fields/v1.md` — source: `python.md:340-350` (§17.6). Content: the `.get('field', default)` on a `dict[str, Any]` ban + direct attribute access alternative.
+7. `conductor/directives/boundary_layer_exception/v1.md` — source: `python.md:352-354` (§17.7). Content: the ONE exception — the wire boundary (TOML/JSON parse) where `dict[str, Any]` is allowed.
+
+**Variant header format** (use for ALL v1 files):
+```markdown
+# <directive_name> — v1
+
+**Why this iteration:** Lifted verbatim from `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §17.N (lines N-M).
+This is the baseline encoding — the style currently in production. Future variants
+will test alternative encodings (rationale-first, before/after, tabular) against this baseline.
+
+**Source:** `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md:NNN-MMM`
+
+---
+
+<verbatim directive text from the source>
+```
+
+- [ ] **Step 1.2: Harvest §17.9 import/aliasing bans (3 directives)**
+
+**Files to read:**
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md:364-443` (§17.9 local imports + aliasing + repeated from_dict)
+
+**Directives to create:**
+
+8. `conductor/directives/ban_local_imports/v1.md` — source: `python.md:364-443` (§17.9a). Content: local imports inside functions are banned + the `try/except ImportError` exception + the vendor-SDK-warmup whitelist.
+9. `conductor/directives/ban_prefix_aliasing/v1.md` — source: `python.md` (§17.9b, within the 336-409 range). Content: `import X as _X` aliasing-for-naming-convenience is banned.
+10. `conductor/directives/ban_repeated_from_dict/v1.md` — source: `python.md` (§17.9c, within the 336-409 range). Content: repeated `.from_dict()` calls in the same expression are banned.
+
+- [ ] **Step 1.3: Harvest error handling conventions (2 directives)**
+
+**Files to read:**
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/error_handling.md:22-56` (the 5 patterns) + `error_handling.md:212-264` (hard rules) + `error_handling.md:284-365` (boundary types)
+
+**Directives to create:**
+
+11. `conductor/directives/result_error_pattern/v1.md` — source: `error_handling.md:22-56, 212-242`. Content: the `Result[T]` dataclass pattern (data + errors list, not `Optional[T]` + exceptions). The 5 patterns (nil-sentinel, zero-init, fail-early, AND over OR, error-info as side-channel). The hard rules (`Optional[T]` returns forbidden in baseline files; `Result[T]` for any function that can fail).
+12. `conductor/directives/nil_sentinel_pattern/v1.md` — source: `error_handling.md:24-47` (Pattern 1 — Nil-Sentinel Dataclasses). Content: the `NIL_T` singleton pattern replacing `None`. The sentinel type contract.
+
+- [ ] **Step 1.4: Harvest type/data-structure conventions (3 directives)**
+
+**Files to read:**
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md:176-215` (§8.5 Python Type Promotion Mandate + §8.6 Boundary Layer + §8.7 C11 framing)
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/type_aliases.md:13-87` (the canonical alias set + the extended per-aggregate dataclasses table) + `type_aliases.md:89-160` (Decision Pattern 2.5 — when to promote to its own dataclass) + `type_aliases.md:284-365` (boundary types + anti-patterns)
+
+**Directives to create:**
+
+13. `conductor/directives/typed_dataclass_fields/v1.md` — source: `data_oriented_design.md:176-199` (§8.5). Content: the Python Type Promotion Mandate — use typed `@dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)` with explicit fields. The 7 banned patterns table.
+14. `conductor/directives/metadata_boundary_type/v1.md` — source: `type_aliases.md:40-81` + `data_oriented_design.md:200-215` (§8.6). Content: `Metadata` is the typed fat struct at the wire boundary, NOT `TypeAlias = dict[str, Any]`. The boundary is 2-3 functions per file. When to promote to per-aggregate dataclass vs. when to keep as collapsed codepath.
+15. `conductor/directives/boundary_layer_exception/v1.md` — UPDATE the file created in Step 1.1 to also include the `data_oriented_design.md:200-215` (§8.6) and `type_aliases.md` boundary-layer content. This directive cross-references §17.7 (the exception) + §8.6 (the boundary definition) + type_aliases.md (the Metadata-as-boundary-type rule).
+
+- [ ] **Step 1.5: Harvest code style directives (5 directives)**
+
+**Files to read:**
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md:7-21` (§1 Indentation + §2 Type Annotations)
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md:64-71` (§8 AI-Agent Specific Conventions — no comments, no diagnostic noise)
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md:202-211` (§12 SDM)
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md:212-224` (§13 Vertical Compaction)
+- `conductor/workflow.md:5-20` (Code Style section)
+
+**Directives to create:**
+
+16. `conductor/directives/one_space_indent/v1.md` — source: `python.md:7-20` + `workflow.md:7`. Content: 1-space indentation for ALL Python code. CRLF line endings on Windows. No comments unless explicitly requested.
+17. `conductor/directives/no_comments_in_body/v1.md` — source: `python.md:66` + `AGENTS.md:56`. Content: no comments in source code; documentation lives in `/docs`. Only comment on *why* when non-obvious.
+18. `conductor/directives/no_diagnostic_noise/v1.md` — source: `python.md:70` + `AGENTS.md` "No Diagnostic Noise in Production" section. Content: no `sys.stderr.write("[XYZ_DIAG] ...")` in production code. Diag goes to log files or temp scripts.
+19. `conductor/directives/type_hints_required/v1.md` — source: `python.md:24-31` + `product-guidelines.md:58`. Content: mandatory strict type hints for all parameters, return types, and global variables.
+20. `conductor/directives/sdm_dependency_tags/v1.md` — source: `python.md:202-211` (§12) + `product-guidelines.md:59`. Content: Structural Dependency Mapping tags (`[C: ...]`, `[M: ...]`, `[U: ...]`) in docstrings for AI-assisted impact analysis.
+
+- [ ] **Step 1.6: Harvest file/taxonomy conventions (3 directives)**
+
+**Files to read:**
+- `AGENTS.md:62-76` (File Size and Naming Convention HARD RULE)
+- `conductor/workflow.md:45` (File Naming Convention HARD RULE)
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md:234-241` (§15 Modular Controller Pattern)
+
+**Directives to create:**
+
+21. `conductor/directives/file_naming_convention/v1.md` — source: `AGENTS.md:62-76` + `workflow.md:45`. Content: new `src/<thing>.py` files may only be created on the user's explicit request. Helpers go in the parent module. Large files are FINE.
+22. `conductor/directives/no_new_src_files_without_permission/v1.md` — source: `AGENTS.md:68-76`. Content: the audit trigger — "is `<thing>` a new system, or is it part of an existing system?" If it's part of an existing system, the file goes in that system's file.
+23. `conductor/directives/large_files_are_fine/v1.md` — source: `AGENTS.md:62-67`. Content: large files are FINE. The "small files are good" stance is propaganda from LLM training data. Cognitive load is managed via naming, regions, and navigation tools — NOT via file splitting.
+
+- [ ] **Step 1.7: Harvest process/workflow directives (10 directives)**
+
+**Files to read:**
+- `conductor/workflow.md:80-120` (Standard Task Workflow — TDD, atomic commits, delegate)
+- `conductor/workflow.md:112-170` (Phase Completion Verification + API Hooks verification)
+- `conductor/workflow.md:262-280` (Structural Testing Contract)
+- `AGENTS.md:49-85` (Critical Anti-Patterns)
+- `AGENTS.md:86-118` (Session-Learned Anti-Patterns)
+- `AGENTS.md:119-185` (Process Anti-Patterns)
+- `conductor/workflow.md:385-391` (Tier 2 conventions — the 2 new rules)
+
+**Directives to create:**
+
+24. `conductor/directives/atomic_per_task_commits/v1.md` — source: `workflow.md:112` + `AGENTS.md:55`. Content: commit per-task for atomic rollback. Do NOT batch commits.
+25. `conductor/directives/tdd_red_green_required/v1.md` — source: `workflow.md:78-100` (Standard Task Workflow steps 4-6). Content: write failing tests before implementing. Run tests, confirm they fail (Red). Implement, run, confirm pass (Green). The Zero-Assertion Ban (tests must have meaningful assertions).
+26. `conductor/directives/ban_arbitrary_core_mocking/v1.md` — source: `workflow.md:262`. Content: ban on `unittest.mock.patch` to bypass core infrastructure unless explicitly authorized.
+27. `conductor/directives/live_gui_poll_not_sleep/v1.md` — source: `workflow.md:465-475` (Anti-Pattern: push_event + time.sleep + assert). Content: replace `time.sleep(N)` with a poll loop on `get_value` or `wait_for_event`.
+28. `conductor/directives/batch_verification_not_isolation/v1.md` — source: `workflow.md:510-514` (Isolated-Pass Verification Fallacy). Content: the only verification that matters for `live_gui` tests is the batch run. Do NOT commit a fix verified only in isolation.
+29. `conductor/directives/git_hard_bans/v1.md` — source: `AGENTS.md:59` + `workflow.md:417-430`. Content: `git restore`, `git checkout -- <file>`, `git reset` are FORBIDDEN without explicit user permission. Use `git show` for inspection, not `git checkout`.
+30. `conductor/directives/ban_day_estimates/v1.md` — source: `AGENTS.md:60`. Content: no day/hour/minute estimates in track artifacts. Measure effort by scope (N files, M sites, N tasks).
+31. `conductor/directives/no_output_filtering/v1.md` — source: `workflow.md:386`. Content: NEVER filter test output through `Select-Object`, `head`, `tail`. Always redirect to a log file.
+32. `conductor/directives/prefer_targeted_tier_runs/v1.md` — source: `workflow.md:387`. Content: do NOT run the full 11-tier batch for every verification. Run targeted tiers.
+33. `conductor/directives/mandatory_research_first/v1.md` — source: `workflow.md:46`. Content: before reading any file >50 lines, use `get_file_summary`/`py_get_skeleton`/`py_get_code_outline` to map the structure first.
+
+- [ ] **Step 1.8: Harvest process anti-patterns (6 directives)**
+
+**Files to read:**
+- `AGENTS.md:119-185` (Process Anti-Patterns — the 8 named patterns)
+- `conductor/workflow.md` "Skip-Marker Policy" section
+
+**Directives to create:**
+
+34. `conductor/directives/no_skip_markers_as_avoidance/v1.md` — source: `workflow.md` "Skip-Marker Policy" + `AGENTS.md:54`. Content: `@pytest.mark.skip` is documentation of a known failure, not an escape from fixing the bug. Fix in-session when feasible.
+35. `conductor/directives/deduction_loop_limit/v1.md` — source: `AGENTS.md:127` (Process Anti-Pattern #1). Content: at most 2 test runs in a single investigation. After the 2nd failure, STOP and read the code.
+36. `conductor/directives/report_instead_of_fix_ban/v1.md` — source: `AGENTS.md:134` (Process Anti-Pattern #2). Content: a 200-line status report is a confession, not a fix. A good status report is 5-10 sentences.
+37. `conductor/directives/scope_creep_track_doc_ban/v1.md` — source: `AGENTS.md:143` (Process Anti-Pattern #3). Content: if the user asks for a fix, your output is the fix. A track doc is only for multi-day work.
+38. `conductor/directives/inherited_cruft_ask_first/v1.md` — source: `AGENTS.md:149` (Process Anti-Pattern #4). Content: if a file is broken from a previous session, ASK the user before trying to fix it.
+39. `conductor/directives/verbose_commit_message_ban/v1.md` — source: `AGENTS.md:176` (Process Anti-Pattern #7). Content: a commit message is 1-3 sentences. If it's longer than 15 lines, it's a report.
+
+- [ ] **Step 1.9: Harvest GUI/architecture directives (5 directives)**
+
+**Files to read:**
+- `conductor/product-guidelines.md:29-43` (UX & UI Principles + Code Standards)
+- `conductor/workflow.md:39` (ImGui Verification)
+
+**Directives to create:**
+
+40. `conductor/directives/imgui_scope_verification/v1.md` — source: `product-guidelines.md:39` + `workflow.md:39`. Content: all changes to `gui_2.py` MUST be verified using `scripts/check_imgui_scopes.py`. Use `imscope` context managers over manual push/pop.
+41. `conductor/directives/modular_controller_pattern/v1.md` — source: `product-guidelines.md:40`. Content: state-independent logic must be moved to module-level functions. Massive `if/elif` dispatch blocks must be refactored into handler maps.
+42. `conductor/directives/ui_delegation_for_hot_reload/v1.md` — source: `product-guidelines.md:41`. Content: all complex ImGui rendering logic must be extracted from the `App` class into module-level `render_xxx(app)` functions. The `App` class should only contain thin delegation wrappers.
+43. `conductor/directives/strict_state_management/v1.md` — source: `product-guidelines.md:37`. Content: rigorous separation between the Main GUI rendering thread and daemon execution threads. The UI should NEVER hang during AI communication. Use lock-protected queues and events.
+44. `conductor/directives/comprehensive_logging/v1.md` — source: `product-guidelines.md:38`. Content: aggressively log all actions, API payloads, tool calls, and executed scripts. Maintain timestamped JSON-L and markdown logs.
+
+- [ ] **Step 1.10: Harvest feature-flag + RAG + cache + knowledge directives (4 directives)**
+
+**Files to read:**
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/feature_flags.md`
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/rag_integration_discipline.md:11-20` (the 6 rules)
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/cache_friendly_context.md:52-74` (the byte-comparison test)
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/knowledge_artifacts.md`
+
+**Directives to create:**
+
+45. `conductor/directives/feature_flag_delete_to_turn_off/v1.md` — source: `feature_flags.md`. Content: file presence ("delete to turn off") for side artifacts; config flags for persistent preferences; CLI flags for one-shot overrides.
+46. `conductor/directives/rag_six_rules/v1.md` — source: `rag_integration_discipline.md:11-20`. Content: the 6 rules (opt-in, complements, provenance, no mutation, feature-gated, graceful failure).
+47. `conductor/directives/cache_stable_to_volatile/v1.md` — source: `cache_friendly_context.md:52-74`. Content: stable-to-volatile context ordering. The byte-comparison test. Layers 1-7 cacheable, 8-12 not.
+48. `conductor/directives/knowledge_harvest_pattern/v1.md` — source: `knowledge_artifacts.md`. Content: the category files + provenance + sha256 ledger + digest regeneration pattern.
+
+- [ ] **Step 1.11: Commit the directive harvest**
+
+```bash
+git add conductor/directives/
+git commit -m "feat(directives): harvest 48 directives from doc tree into conductor/directives/
+
+Systematic extraction of every directive-like statement (imperative,
+preference, hard ban, convention, anti-pattern) from the entire doc tree
+into conductor/directives/<name>/v1.md files. Each v1 is a verbatim lift
+from the source doc with a header annotating the source location.
+
+Sources combed: AGENTS.md, conductor/workflow.md, conductor/product-guidelines.md,
+conductor/tech-stack.md, all 10 conductor/code_styleguides/*.md, docs/AGENTS.md.
+
+Original docs remain untouched as canonical source. The conductor/directives/
+tree is a parallel structure, not a replacement."
+```
+
+---
+
+## Phase 2: Baseline Preset + Role-Prompt Bootstrap
+
+Focus: Create the `current_baseline.md` preset that lists all 48 directives, then create DUPLICATE role prompts (`.bak` files) that use the `warm with:` bootstrap. The original role prompts stay untouched as the fallback path. See the USER DIRECTIVE in spec.md §"The role-prompt bootstrap" (2026-07-02).
+
+> **USER DIRECTIVE (2026-07-02):** Do NOT modify the 5 original `.md` role prompts. Make duplicates with the `.bak` suffix (e.g., `.opencode/agents/tier3-worker.md` becomes a new file `.opencode/agents/tier3-worker.md.bak` — wait, that conflicts with the extension. Use `.warm.md` instead). Update plan steps 2.3-2.7 accordingly: the output files are `.opencode/agents/tier1-orchestrator.warm.md`, `.opencode/agents/tier2-tech-lead.warm.md`, `.opencode/agents/tier3-worker.warm.md`, `.opencode/agents/tier4-qa.warm.md`, `conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.warm.md`. The user can `mv <name>.warm.md <name>.md` to promote a duplicate to active, or `rm <name>.warm.md` to fall back.
+
+- [ ] **Step 2.1: Create the baseline preset**
+
+**File:** `conductor/directives/presets/current_baseline.md`
+
+**Content:**
+
+```markdown
+# Preset: current_baseline
+
+The baseline directive composition — all v1 variants lifted verbatim from the
+current production docs. This is the starting point; alternative presets swap
+variants to test different encodings.
+
+## Directives to warm
+
+Read each file below before any action.
+
+- ban_dict_any: conductor/directives/ban_dict_any/v1.md
+- ban_any_type: conductor/directives/ban_any_type/v1.md
+- ban_optional_returns: conductor/directives/ban_optional_returns/v1.md
+- ban_hasattr_dispatch: conductor/directives/ban_hasattr_dispatch/v1.md
+- ban_getattr_dispatch: conductor/directives/ban_getattr_dispatch/v1.md
+- ban_dict_get_on_known_fields: conductor/directives/ban_dict_get_on_known_fields/v1.md
+- boundary_layer_exception: conductor/directives/boundary_layer_exception/v1.md
+- ban_local_imports: conductor/directives/ban_local_imports/v1.md
+- ban_prefix_aliasing: conductor/directives/ban_prefix_aliasing/v1.md
+- ban_repeated_from_dict: conductor/directives/ban_repeated_from_dict/v1.md
+- result_error_pattern: conductor/directives/result_error_pattern/v1.md
+- nil_sentinel_pattern: conductor/directives/nil_sentinel_pattern/v1.md
+- typed_dataclass_fields: conductor/directives/typed_dataclass_fields/v1.md
+- metadata_boundary_type: conductor/directives/metadata_boundary_type/v1.md
+- one_space_indent: conductor/directives/one_space_indent/v1.md
+- no_comments_in_body: conductor/directives/no_comments_in_body/v1.md
+- no_diagnostic_noise: conductor/directives/no_diagnostic_noise/v1.md
+- type_hints_required: conductor/directives/type_hints_required/v1.md
+- sdm_dependency_tags: conductor/directives/sdm_dependency_tags/v1.md
+- file_naming_convention: conductor/directives/file_naming_convention/v1.md
+- no_new_src_files_without_permission: conductor/directives/no_new_src_files_without_permission/v1.md
+- large_files_are_fine: conductor/directives/large_files_are_fine/v1.md
+- atomic_per_task_commits: conductor/directives/atomic_per_task_commits/v1.md
+- tdd_red_green_required: conductor/directives/tdd_red_green_required/v1.md
+- ban_arbitrary_core_mocking: conductor/directives/ban_arbitrary_core_mocking/v1.md
+- live_gui_poll_not_sleep: conductor/directives/live_gui_poll_not_sleep/v1.md
+- batch_verification_not_isolation: conductor/directives/batch_verification_not_isolation/v1.md
+- git_hard_bans: conductor/directives/git_hard_bans/v1.md
+- ban_day_estimates: conductor/directives/ban_day_estimates/v1.md
+- no_output_filtering: conductor/directives/no_output_filtering/v1.md
+- prefer_targeted_tier_runs: conductor/directives/prefer_targeted_tier_runs/v1.md
+- mandatory_research_first: conductor/directives/mandatory_research_first/v1.md
+- no_skip_markers_as_avoidance: conductor/directives/no_skip_markers_as_avoidance/v1.md
+- deduction_loop_limit: conductor/directives/deduction_loop_limit/v1.md
+- report_instead_of_fix_ban: conductor/directives/report_instead_of_fix_ban/v1.md
+- scope_creep_track_doc_ban: conductor/directives/scope_creep_track_doc_ban/v1.md
+- inherited_cruft_ask_first: conductor/directives/inherited_cruft_ask_first/v1.md
+- verbose_commit_message_ban: conductor/directives/verbose_commit_message_ban/v1.md
+- imgui_scope_verification: conductor/directives/imgui_scope_verification/v1.md
+- modular_controller_pattern: conductor/directives/modular_controller_pattern/v1.md
+- ui_delegation_for_hot_reload: conductor/directives/ui_delegation_for_hot_reload/v1.md
+- strict_state_management: conductor/directives/strict_state_management/v1.md
+- comprehensive_logging: conductor/directives/comprehensive_logging/v1.md
+- feature_flag_delete_to_turn_off: conductor/directives/feature_flag_delete_to_turn_off/v1.md
+- rag_six_rules: conductor/directives/rag_six_rules/v1.md
+- cache_stable_to_volatile: conductor/directives/cache_stable_to_volatile/v1.md
+- knowledge_harvest_pattern: conductor/directives/knowledge_harvest_pattern/v1.md
+
+## Notes
+
+All v1 (verbatim lifts from current production docs). No alternative encodings
+tested yet. This preset is the control group for future experiments.
+
+To create an experimental preset: copy this file, change the variant path for
+the directives you want to test (e.g., swap `v1.md` for `v2_rationale_first.md`),
+and update the Notes section with your hypothesis.
+```
+
+- [ ] **Step 2.2: Commit the preset**
+
+```bash
+git add conductor/directives/presets/current_baseline.md
+git commit -m "feat(directives): add current_baseline preset (48 directives, all v1)"
+```
+
+- [ ] **Step 2.3: Create duplicate `.opencode/agents/tier1-orchestrator.warm.md` (do NOT modify the original)**
+
+**New file:** `.opencode/agents/tier1-orchestrator.warm.md`
+
+**How to create it:** Read the original `.opencode/agents/tier1-orchestrator.md` to get the FULL current content. In the duplicate, find the "MANDATORY: Pre-Action Required Reading" section (or equivalent hardcoded file list). Replace the directive-reading portion with:
+
+```markdown
+## MANDATORY: Directive Warm-up
+
+warm with: conductor/directives/presets/current_baseline.md
+
+Read the preset file above. It lists directive variant files to read before any action.
+Read each file the preset references. These are your active directives for this session.
+
+If the user specifies a different preset (e.g., "warm with: conductor/directives/presets/exploratory_rationale.md"),
+use that instead. The user's instruction overrides the default.
+```
+
+**What stays (non-directive reads that remain hardcoded):**
+- `AGENTS.md` — project operating rules
+- `conductor/workflow.md` — operational workflow
+- `conductor/edit_workflow.md` — edit tool contract
+- The relevant `docs/guide_*.md` — architecture reference
+
+- [ ] **Step 2.4: Create duplicate `.opencode/agents/tier2-tech-lead.warm.md` (do NOT modify the original)**
+
+**New file:** `.opencode/agents/tier2-tech-lead.warm.md`
+
+Same procedure as Step 2.3 (read original → duplicate → swap directive-reading portion). Non-directive reads that stay hardcoded:
+- `AGENTS.md`
+- `conductor/workflow.md`
+- `conductor/edit_workflow.md`
+- `conductor/tier2/githooks/forbidden-files.txt`
+- The relevant `docs/guide_*.md`
+
+- [ ] **Step 2.5: Create duplicate `.opencode/agents/tier3-worker.warm.md` (do NOT modify the original)**
+
+**New file:** `.opencode/agents/tier3-worker.warm.md`
+
+Same procedure. Note: Tier 3 may benefit from a reduced preset (fewer directives — they don't need the planning/strategy directives). But for now, use `current_baseline.md` and let the user create a `worker_minimal.md` preset later.
+
+- [ ] **Step 2.6: Create duplicate `.opencode/agents/tier4-qa.warm.md` (do NOT modify the original)**
+
+**New file:** `.opencode/agents/tier4-qa.warm.md`
+
+Same procedure. Tier 4 reads narrowly; the preset can be customized later.
+
+- [ ] **Step 2.7: Create duplicate `conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.warm.md` (do NOT modify the original)**
+
+**New file:** `conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.warm.md`
+
+Same procedure. This file has the most extensive hardcoded reading list. Replace the directive-reading portion with the `warm with:` bootstrap. The non-directive reads that stay:
+- `AGENTS.md`
+- `conductor/workflow.md`
+- `conductor/edit_workflow.md`
+- `conductor/tier2/githooks/forbidden-files.txt`
+- `conductor/tracks/tier2_leak_prevention_20260620/spec.md` (this is a track spec, not a directive — stays hardcoded)
+- `conductor/tracks/tier2_leak_prevention_20260620/spec.md` (this is a track spec, not a directive — stays hardcoded)
+
+- [ ] **Step 2.8: Commit the role-prompt updates**
+
+```bash
+git add .opencode/agents/tier1-orchestrator.md .opencode/agents/tier2-tech-lead.md .opencode/agents/tier3-worker.md .opencode/agents/tier4-qa.md conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.md
+git commit -m "feat(role-prompts): replace hardcoded directive lists with warm with: bootstrap
+
+All 5 tier role prompts now use 'warm with: conductor/directives/presets/current_baseline.md'
+instead of a hardcoded list of ~11 files. The LLM reads the preset, then reads
+the variant files it lists. Non-directive reads (AGENTS.md, workflow.md,
+edit_workflow.md, forbidden-files.txt, guide_*.md) remain hardcoded.
+
+The user can override the preset per-session by saying 'warm with: <path>' in
+their session message. This is the hot-swap mechanism."
+```
+
+---
+
+## Phase 3: Verification + End-of-Track
+
+- [ ] **Step 3.1: Verify the directory structure**
+
+```bash
+# Count directive directories
+ls conductor/directives/ | wc -l
+
+# Count v1.md files
+find conductor/directives/ -name "v1.md" | wc -l
+
+# Verify preset exists
+test -f conductor/directives/presets/current_baseline.md
+
+# Verify all 5 role prompts have the warm with: line
+grep -l "warm with:" .opencode/agents/tier1-orchestrator.md .opencode/agents/tier2-tech-lead.md .opencode/agents/tier3-worker.md .opencode/agents/tier4-qa.md conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.md
+```
+
+Expected: 48 directive directories, 48 v1.md files, preset exists, 5 role prompts have `warm with:`.
+
+- [ ] **Step 3.2: Manual verification — does the LLM follow the warm with: instruction?**
+
+Start a new OpenCode session with any tier role. Observe whether the LLM:
+1. Reads the preset file at `conductor/directives/presets/current_baseline.md`
+2. Reads each variant file listed in the preset
+3. Has the directives in context for the session
+
+This is the "test" — there's no automated test for this. The signal is: does the LLM behave as if it has read the directives?
+
+- [ ] **Step 3.3: Write end-of-track report**
+
+**File:** `docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_directive_hotswap_harness_20260627.md`
+
+Document:
+- What shipped (48 directives + baseline preset + 5 role-prompt updates)
+- The directory structure
+- The preset format
+- The `warm with:` bootstrap
+- How to hot-swap (create a new preset or tell the LLM "warm with: <path>")
+- What's NOT included (no scripts, no TOML, no v2+ variants yet)
+- Handoff to future tracks (alternative encoding authoring, Manual Slop integration, token-cost analysis)
+
+- [ ] **Step 3.4: Commit the end-of-track report**
+
+```bash
+git add docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_directive_hotswap_harness_20260627.md
+git commit -m "docs(reports): TRACK_COMPLETION_directive_hotswap_harness_20260627"
+```

conductor/archive/directive_hotswap_harness_20260627/spec.md

@@ -0,0 +1,239 @@
+# Design: Directive Hot-Swap Harness (OpenCode Directive Presets)
+
+**Date:** 2026-06-27
+**Status:** Draft — pending user review
+**Track ID (proposed):** `directive_hotswap_harness_20260627`
+
+## Problem
+
+The codebase's directives — the instructions that tell LLMs how to behave (banned patterns, conventions, hard bans, anti-patterns) — are scattered across the entire doc tree: `AGENTS.md`, `conductor/workflow.md`, `conductor/product-guidelines.md`, `conductor/tech-stack.md`, every `conductor/code_styleguides/*.md`, `docs/Readme.md`, `docs/AGENTS.md`, all 14 `docs/guide_*.md`, etc. They're embedded in prose, tables, anti-pattern sections, "Critical Anti-Patterns" lists, "Hard Rules," styleguide sections.
+
+The 4 tier role prompts (`.opencode/agents/tier1-orchestrator.md`, `tier2-tech-lead.md`, `tier3-worker.md`, `tier4-qa.md`) plus the autonomous variant (`conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.md`) currently hardcode a list of ~11 files to read before any action. This list is static — every session gets the same directives regardless of the task. There's no mechanism to:
+- Test whether an alternative encoding of the same directive (imperative-ban vs. rationale-first vs. before/after) produces better LLM compliance
+- Hot-swap which encoding is active without manually editing files or navigating the filesystem
+- Exercise per-session control over which directives the LLM warms up with
+
+## Goal
+
+Build a **directive hot-swap harness** that lets the user:
+1. Maintain multiple alternative encodings ("variants") of the same directive as separate files
+2. Compose active directive sets into named "presets" (markdown bills of materials)
+3. Hot-swap which preset is active via a single `warm with: <path>` instruction in the role prompt or session message
+4. Use the existing file-reading behavior LLMs already have — no scripts, no TOML, no build steps
+
+## Design
+
+### The directive directory structure
+
+```
+conductor/directives/
+  <directive_name>/
+    v1.md          ← the baseline encoding (verbatim lift from current docs)
+    v2_<style>.md  ← alternative encodings (added over time)
+  presets/
+    current_baseline.md    ← the default preset (all v1)
+    <experimental>.md      ← alternative presets (added over time)
+```
+
+**Naming convention:** lowercase, underscore-separated, action-oriented (`ban_dict_any`, not `dict_str_any_ban`). The name describes the directive's intent.
+
+**Variant file format:** each `vN.md` has a short header annotating why this iteration exists, then the directive text:
+
+```markdown
+# <directive_name> — v1
+
+**Why this iteration:** Lifted verbatim from `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §17.1.
+This is the baseline encoding — the imperative-ban style currently in production.
+Future variants will test alternative encodings against this baseline.
+
+---
+
+<directive text>
+```
+
+### The preset format
+
+A preset is a markdown bill of materials. It tells the LLM which directive variant files to read for this run. Nothing more.
+
+```markdown
+# Preset: current_baseline
+
+The baseline directive composition — all v1 variants lifted from the current
+production docs.
+
+## Directives to warm
+
+Read each file below before any action.
+
+- ban_dict_any: conductor/directives/ban_dict_any/v1.md
+- ban_optional_returns: conductor/directives/ban_optional_returns/v1.md
+- no_local_imports: conductor/directives/no_local_imports/v1.md
+- ...
+
+## Notes
+
+All v1 (verbatim lifts from current production docs). No alternative encodings
+tested yet. This preset is the control group for future experiments.
+```
+
+**Key properties:**
+- **Flat list.** No nesting, no conditionals, no includes. The LLM reads the list, reads the files.
+- **Human-readable name.** `current_baseline`, `exploratory_rationale`, `minimal_tokens` — pick by name.
+- **Notes section.** Documents the hypothesis being tested. This is the experiment log, inline with the preset.
+- **Partial swaps.** Swap 2-3 directives to v2, leave the rest at v1. The preset makes the diff explicit.
+- **No script needed.** Author a new preset by copying an existing one and changing variant paths. Hot-swap by telling the LLM which preset to use.
+
+### The role-prompt bootstrap
+
+> **USER DIRECTIVE (2026-07-02):** Phase 2's "update role prompts" step is **making duplicates** of the role prompts (e.g., `.opencode/agents/tier3-worker.md.bak`), NOT modifying the originals in place. The duplicates use the `warm with:` bootstrap. The originals stay untouched as the fallback path. This means if a role-prompt regression surfaces, the user can `mv .bak .md` to restore. Do NOT modify the original `.md` role prompts.
+
+The 5 role prompts (`.opencode/agents/tier1-orchestrator.md`, `tier2-tech-lead.md`, `tier3-worker.md`, `tier4-qa.md`, and `conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.md`) have a hardcoded "MANDATORY: Pre-Action Required Reading" section listing ~11 specific files. This is replaced with a single `warm with:` directive.
+
+```markdown
+## MANDATORY: Directive Warm-up
+
+warm with: conductor/directives/presets/current_baseline.md
+
+Read the preset file above. It lists directive variant files to read before any action.
+Read each file the preset references. These are your active directives for this session.
+
+If the user specifies a different preset (e.g., "warm with: conductor/directives/presets/exploratory_rationale.md"),
+use that instead. The user's instruction overrides the default.
+```
+
+**Key properties:**
+- **One line is the bootstrap.** `warm with: <path>` is the entire mechanism.
+- **User override.** The user can tell the LLM "warm with: <path>" in their session message and it uses that preset instead of the default. This is the hot-swap — no file editing, just a text instruction.
+- **Per-role defaults.** Each tier role prompt can default to a different preset.
+- **Non-directive reads remain hardcoded.** Files that aren't tunable directives (e.g., `conductor/tracks/tier2_leak_prevention_20260620/spec.md`, `conductor/tier2/githooks/forbidden-files.txt`) stay as direct references in the role prompt.
+
+### What stays in the role prompt (not directive-based)
+
+- `AGENTS.md` — project operating rules (contains directives AND non-directive rules)
+- `conductor/workflow.md` — operational workflow
+- `conductor/edit_workflow.md` — edit tool contract
+- `conductor/tier2/githooks/forbidden-files.txt` — file denylist
+- The relevant `docs/guide_*.md` — architecture reference
+
+These are context, not tunable directives. They stay hardcoded in the role prompt.
+
+### The directive harvest
+
+The directives are NOT limited to the 11 files the role prompts mandate. They're scattered across the entire doc tree. The track's first phase is a systematic harvest:
+
+**A directive is any statement that tells the LLM:**
+- "Do X" / "Don't do X" (imperative)
+- "Use Y instead of Z" (preference)
+- "This is BANNED" (hard ban)
+- "Follow pattern P" (convention)
+- "Never do Q" (anti-pattern)
+
+**NOT a directive:**
+- Descriptive prose ("The App class holds GUI state")
+- Architecture documentation ("Thread domains are separated by...")
+- Reference material ("The 45-tool inventory includes...")
+
+**Sources to comb (non-exhaustive; updated 2026-07-02 to cover all 14 `conductor/code_styleguides/*.md`):**
+- `AGENTS.md` — "Critical Anti-Patterns", "File Size and Naming Convention", "Session-Learned Anti-Patterns", "Process Anti-Patterns"
+- `conductor/workflow.md` — "Code Style", "Guiding Principles", "Testing Requirements", "Known Pitfalls", "Process Anti-Patterns", "Tier 2 Autonomous Sandbox conventions"
+- `conductor/product-guidelines.md` — "Core Value", "Code Standards & Architecture", "Data-Oriented Error Handling", "Phase 5: Heavy Curation"
+- `conductor/tech-stack.md` — "Core Value" header
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md` — §8.5 "Python Type Promotion Mandate", the 7-question simplification pass, the 10-question self-check
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` — §10 "Anti-OOP Conventions", §17 "LLM Default Anti-Patterns" (the 7 banned patterns)
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/error_handling.md` — the Result[T] convention, the AI Agent Checklist
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/type_aliases.md` — "When NOT to promote"
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/feature_flags.md` — "delete to turn off" convention
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/agent_memory_dimensions.md` — the 4-dimension decision tree
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/rag_integration_discipline.md` — "conservative-RAG rule"
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/cache_friendly_context.md` — stable-to-volatile ordering
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/knowledge_artifacts.md` — the harvest pattern
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/config_state_owner.md` — AppController is the single source of truth for config I/O (directive: no `models.save_config`/`models.load_config` in `src/`; enforced by `scripts/audit_no_models_config_io.py`)
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/workspace_paths.md` — test-infrastructure paths must live under `./tests/` (directive: no `tmp_path_factory.mktemp`, no env vars for test paths, no CLI args for test paths; conftest is the right place)
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/test_sandbox.md` — the test-sandbox hardening conventions (FR1 runtime guard, FR2 live_gui workspace fixture, FR3 sync coalescing)
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/chroma_cache.md` — ChromaDB cache conventions (if directive-like content present)
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/code_path_audit.md` — the per-aggregate data-pipeline audit convention
+- `docs/AGENTS.md` — "Convention Enforcement"
+- `docs/Readme.md` — any directive-like content in feature descriptions
+
+> **Note (added 2026-07-02):** the original source list named 9 of the 14 styleguides. The 5 added here (`config_state_owner.md`, `workspace_paths.md`, `test_sandbox.md`, `chroma_cache.md`, `code_path_audit.md`) contain directive-like content that should be harvested. The harvester should verify each contains a harvestable directive before creating a `v1.md`; if a styleguide is purely descriptive (no imperative/ban/preference), skip it and note the skip in the harvest commit.
+
+**Granularity resolution:** the harvest produces a candidate list. Then the question of which directives to merge (e.g., `ban_prefix_aliasing` + `no_local_imports` might become `import_hygiene`), split, or keep standalone is resolved in the harvest phase — not locked in upfront.
+
+### The original docs stay untouched
+
+The `conductor/directives/` tree is a *parallel* structure, not a replacement. The original docs (`python.md`, `error_handling.md`, `AGENTS.md`, etc.) remain the canonical source until a future track deprecates them. The harness is useful immediately (the v1 variants are exact copies); the old docs are not broken.
+
+### Why no scripts / TOML
+
+The user explicitly rejected TOML manifests and scripts for this initial version: "no need to systematize that hard when I don't know what's going to work yet." The preset is markdown. The hot-swap is a text instruction. The variant selection is a path in a markdown file. No build steps, no generated files, no tooling dependencies. If the system proves useful, a future track can add automation (auto-generating presets from the directory tree, token-cost analysis per variant, automated compliance testing).
+
+## Scope: Two Parallel Campaigns
+
+The user's request bundles two distinct campaigns that share a theme ("how do you encode information densely for an LLM?") but are tracked and executed independently.
+
+### Campaign A: Directive Hot-Swap Harness (this spec)
+
+**Track A-1 (this):** directive harvest + scaffold + baseline preset + role-prompt bootstrap update. Gets the system working with v1 (current) encodings.
+
+Future tracks in Campaign A:
+- Alternative encoding authoring (v2, v3 per directive — the actual experimentation)
+- Manual Slop integration (a "Directive Lab" panel for virtualized directive selection)
+- Token-cost analysis tooling
+- Automated compliance testing
+
+### Campaign B: Video Analysis (4 new videos)
+
+A separate research campaign following the established 3-pass pattern from the previous 12-video campaign (Pass 1: extract → Pass 2: deobfuscate → Pass 3: project to C11/Python). The 4 videos:
+
+1. **Reinventing Entropy | Compression is Intelligence Part 1** (https://youtu.be/l6DKRf-fAAM)
+2. **Yann LeCun: World Models: Enabling the next AI revolution** (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72Xj8k5WQX4)
+3. **Yann LeCun's $1B Bet Against LLMs [Part 1]** (https://youtu.be/kYkIdXwW2AE)
+4. **Recursive Self-Improvement** (https://youtu.be/t7_ZXgfJVG8)
+
+### Cross-Campaign Relationship
+
+The two campaigns inform each other but have no hard dependency:
+
+- **The video analysis informs directive encoding.** The entropy/compression video (video 1) provides theoretical grounding for how information density affects comprehension. LeCun's world-model work (videos 2-3) informs how LLMs model directive intent. Recursive self-improvement (video 4) is directly relevant to the meta-question of whether better directive encodings can be discovered iteratively. Insights from the video analysis may surface alternative encoding strategies to test in Campaign A's harness.
+
+- **The harness informs the video analysis.** The previous video campaign produced a lexicon + C11 reference + deobfuscation DSL. The directive harness is itself a compression-aid tool — it encodes the same directive in fewer/different tokens and observes the effect. The harness's design (preset as bill-of-materials, variant as alternative encoding) is the same pattern as the video campaign's deobfuscation pass (same content, different encoding). The harness may inform how the video analysis encodes its own outputs.
+
+- **Execution order:** the campaigns can run in parallel. Campaign A (Track A-1) is an engineering track; Campaign B is a research track. They don't share files. The cross-pollination is intellectual, not structural.
+
+### The video analysis track structure (Campaign B)
+
+Follows the established 3-pass pattern from `docs/reports/2026-06-15/CAMPAIGN_CLOSE_OUT_video_analysis_20260621.md`:
+
+- **Pass 1:** Information extraction (4 deep-dive reports, one per video). Uses the existing `scripts/video_analysis/` pipeline (download_video, extract_transcript, extract_keyframes, ocr_frames, synthesize_report). The lexicon v2 from the previous campaign is the starting point for deobfuscation.
+- **Pass 2:** Deobfuscation (apply the lexicon v2 to the 4 new videos' content). May produce lexicon v3 corrections if the new videos surface notation the lexicon doesn't cover.
+- **Pass 3:** C11/Python projection (project each video's deobfuscated content to code in the user's idiomatic style).
+
+The video analysis track is initialized as a separate conductor track (`video_analysis_campaign_2_20260627` or similar). Its spec/plan is authored separately from this design doc.
+
+## Out of Scope (for Track A-1)
+
+- **Authoring alternative encodings (v2+).** This track only creates v1 (verbatim lifts). The experimentation is a future activity.
+- **Deprecating the original docs.** The old docs stay as canonical source.
+- **Scripts for preset generation or variant selection.** No automation in this version.
+- **Manual Slop GUI integration.** The harness is OpenCode-only for now.
+- **Token-cost analysis.** No tooling to measure token cost per variant in this version.
+- **Automated compliance testing.** No test harness to measure LLM compliance per encoding.
+- **The 4-video analysis (Campaign B).** Separate track, separate campaign. This design doc covers Campaign A (the harness) only. The video analysis gets its own track spec.
+
+## Risks
+
+1. **Harvest completeness.** The directive harvest might miss directives embedded in prose. Mitigation: systematic combing of the doc tree + the user reviews the candidate list before variants are created.
+2. **Granularity ambiguity.** Some directives overlap (e.g., "ban dict[str, Any]" and "use typed dataclass fields" are two sides of the same coin). Mitigation: the harvest phase produces a candidate list; the granularity is resolved there, not upfront.
+3. **Role-prompt drift.** The 5 role prompts need to be updated consistently. Mitigation: the `warm with:` line is the only change; the rest of each role prompt is untouched.
+4. **Adoption friction.** LLMs might not follow the `warm with:` instruction reliably. Mitigation: the instruction is simple (read a file, read the files it lists) and uses the existing file-reading behavior the LLMs already have.
+
+## See Also
+
+- `conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.md` — the role prompt that will be updated with `warm with:` (verified present 2026-07-02; 17,940 bytes)
+- `conductor/tier2/commands/tier-2-auto-execute.md` — the slash command template
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/python.md` §17 — the primary source of directives to harvest
+- `conductor/code_styleguides/error_handling.md` — the Result[T] convention to harvest
+- `AGENTS.md` "Critical Anti-Patterns" — the hard bans to harvest
+- `docs/guide_meta_boundary.md` — the meta-tooling / application distinction (relevant to why this harness lives in the meta-tooling domain)
+- `docs/reports/2026-06-15/CAMPAIGN_CLOSE_OUT_video_analysis_20260621.md` — the previous video campaign's closeout (the pattern Campaign B follows)
+- `scripts/video_analysis/` — the existing video analysis pipeline (Campaign B reuses this)

conductor/archive/directive_hotswap_harness_20260627/state.toml

@@ -0,0 +1,204 @@
+# Track state for directive_hotswap_harness_20260627
+# Initialized by Tier 1 Orchestrator on 2026-06-27.
+# Implementation delegated to Tier 2 (autonomous) or Tier 3 worker dispatch.
+# This is Track 1 of Campaign A (Directive Encoding Campaign).
+# Phase 2 + Phase 3 completed 2026-07-02 (manual verification §3.2 deferred to user).
+
+[meta]
+track_id = "directive_hotswap_harness_20260627"
+name = "Directive Hot-Swap Harness (OpenCode Directive Presets)"
+status = "active"
+current_phase = 5
+last_updated = "2026-07-02"
+
+[blocked_by]
+# None. Pure documentation/track-artifact work; no code changes, no tests,
+# zero overlap with any running track.
+
+[blocks]
+directive_encoding_experiments = "planned (future; v2+ variant authoring)"
+manual_slop_directive_lab = "planned (future; GUI integration)"
+
+[phases]
+phase_1 = { status = "completed", checkpointsha = "ce0564fe", name = "Directive Harvest (10 steps: 51 directives from doc tree into conductor/directives/)" }
+phase_2 = { status = "completed", checkpointsha = "6ba4bdd", name = "Baseline Preset + Role-Prompt Bootstrap (8 steps: preset + 5 role-prompt warm with: updates)" }
+phase_3 = { status = "completed", checkpointsha = "c9f30abf", name = "Verification + End-of-Track (4 steps: dir structure verify + manual LLM verify + report + commit)" }
+phase_4 = { status = "completed", checkpointsha = "465433e0", name = "Directive Library Expansion (scope A back-fill + 15 new directives + aggregation script)" }
+phase_5 = { status = "completed", checkpointsha = "b2ebe25d", name = "Scavenge Pass (15 new directives from MMA_Support + nagent_review + intent_dsl_survey + handoffs)" }
+
+[tasks]
+# Phase 1: directive harvest
+t1_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "f4dfb846", description = "Harvest 17.1-17.7 banned patterns (7 directives: ban_dict_any, ban_any_type, ban_optional_returns, ban_hasattr_dispatch, ban_getattr_dispatch, ban_dict_get_on_known_fields, boundary_layer_exception)" }
+t1_2 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "545ccee1", description = "Harvest 17.9 import/aliasing bans (3 directives: ban_local_imports, ban_prefix_aliasing, ban_repeated_from_dict)" }
+t1_3 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "0340925d", description = "Harvest error handling conventions (2 directives: result_error_pattern, nil_sentinel_pattern)" }
+t1_4 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "62fc04b1", description = "Harvest type/data-structure conventions (3 directives: typed_dataclass_fields, metadata_boundary_type, update boundary_layer_exception)" }
+t1_5 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "b5baaaaa", description = "Harvest code style directives (5 directives: one_space_indent, no_comments_in_body, no_diagnostic_noise, type_hints_required, sdm_dependency_tags)" }
+t1_6 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "fa488ccf", description = "Harvest file/taxonomy conventions (3 directives: file_naming_convention, no_new_src_files_without_permission, large_files_are_fine)" }
+t1_7 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "412494d2", description = "Harvest process/workflow directives (10 directives: atomic_per_task_commits, tdd_red_green_required, ban_arbitrary_core_mocking, live_gui_poll_not_sleep, batch_verification_not_isolation, git_hard_bans, ban_day_estimates, no_output_filtering, prefer_targeted_tier_runs, mandatory_research_first)" }
+t1_8 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "77ee0c68", description = "Harvest process anti-patterns (6 directives: no_skip_markers_as_avoidance, deduction_loop_limit, report_instead_of_fix_ban, scope_creep_track_doc_ban, inherited_cruft_ask_first, verbose_commit_message_ban)" }
+t1_9 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "fa3e5381", description = "Harvest GUI/architecture directives (5 directives: imgui_scope_verification, modular_controller_pattern, ui_delegation_for_hot_reload, strict_state_management, comprehensive_logging)" }
+t1_10 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "cdc0f140", description = "Harvest feature-flag + RAG + cache + knowledge directives + 4 new styleguides (8 directives: feature_flag_delete_to_turn_off, rag_six_rules, cache_stable_to_volatile, knowledge_harvest_pattern, config_state_owner, workspace_paths, test_sandbox, chroma_cache_path). Skipped code_path_audit.md (descriptive)." }
+t1_11 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "ce0564fe", description = "Commit the directive harvest summary (51 v1.md files; +1 meta-summary HARVEST_SUMMARY.md)" }
+# Phase 2: baseline preset + role-prompt bootstrap
+t2_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "2ddaeb52", description = "Create conductor/directives/presets/current_baseline.md (51 directives listed; not the 48 in the plan)" }
+t2_2 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "2ddaeb52", description = "Commit the baseline preset (combined with t2_1 in a single atomic commit; commit includes 1-line state.toml scope drift setting phase_2 to in_progress)" }
+t2_3 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "35831084", description = "Create .opencode/agents/tier1-orchestrator.warm.md duplicate with warm with: bootstrap (Session Start Checklist items 6-9 replaced)" }
+t2_4 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "b082cb15", description = "Create .opencode/agents/tier2-tech-lead.warm.md duplicate with warm with: bootstrap (TWO sections: CRITICAL: Read the canonical docs FIRST + Session Start Checklist; items 6-9 replaced in both)" }
+t2_5 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "40764252", description = "Create .opencode/agents/tier3-worker.warm.md duplicate with warm with: bootstrap (Task Start Checklist items 2-3 replaced)" }
+t2_6 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "b2aebbc9", description = "Create .opencode/agents/tier4-qa.warm.md duplicate with warm with: bootstrap (Context Amnesia 'must read' sentence replaced)" }
+t2_7 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "7b0d1164", description = "Create conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.warm.md duplicate with warm with: bootstrap (Pre-Action Required Reading items 7-10 replaced)" }
+t2_8 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "6ba4bdd", description = "Combined summary meta-commit (empty -- all 5 .warm.md files were committed atomically in t2_3..t2_7)" }
+# Phase 3: verification + end-of-track
+t3_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "bbbfbd39", description = "Verify directory structure (53 entries, 51 v1.md files, preset exists, 5 .warm.md role-prompt duplicates exist, 5 originals untouched) -- all 5 criteria PASS" }
+t3_2 = { status = "deferred", commit_sha = "", description = "Manual verification: does the LLM follow the warm with: instruction? DEFERRED to user per directive (requires live OpenCode session)" }
+t3_3 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "PENDING", description = "Write docs/reports/TRACK_COMPLETION_directive_hotswap_harness_20260627.md" }
+t3_4 = { status = "in_progress", commit_sha = "PENDING", description = "Commit the end-of-track report + this state.toml update atomically" }
+# Phase 4: directive library expansion (2026-07-02 user directive)
+t4_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "e9a19523", description = "E.1 Back-fill batch 1/5: atomic_per_task_commits, ban_any_type, ban_arbitrary_core_mocking, ban_day_estimates, ban_dict_any, ban_dict_get_on_known_fields, ban_getattr_dispatch, ban_hasattr_dispatch (8 directives)" }
+t4_2 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "71e01dfe", description = "E.1 Back-fill batch 2/5: ban_local_imports, ban_optional_returns, ban_prefix_aliasing, ban_repeated_from_dict, batch_verification_not_isolation, boundary_layer_exception, cache_stable_to_volatile, chroma_cache_path, comprehensive_logging (9 directives)" }
+t4_3 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "83149962", description = "E.1 Back-fill batch 3/5: config_state_owner, deduction_loop_limit, feature_flag_delete_to_turn_off, file_naming_convention, git_hard_bans, imgui_scope_verification, inherited_cruft_ask_first, knowledge_harvest_pattern, large_files_are_fine (9 directives)" }
+t4_4 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "68352ee2", description = "E.1 Back-fill batch 4/5: live_gui_poll_not_sleep, mandatory_research_first, metadata_boundary_type, modular_controller_pattern, nil_sentinel_pattern, no_comments_in_body, no_diagnostic_noise, no_new_src_files_without_permission, no_output_filtering (9 directives)" }
+t4_5 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "5b0f932c", description = "E.1 Back-fill batch 5a/5: no_skip_markers_as_avoidance, one_space_indent, prefer_targeted_tier_runs, rag_six_rules, report_instead_of_fix_ban, result_error_pattern, scope_creep_track_doc_ban, sdm_dependency_tags, strict_state_management (9 directives)" }
+t4_6 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "559db09c", description = "E.1 Back-fill batch 5b/5: tdd_red_green_required, test_sandbox, type_hints_required, typed_dataclass_fields, ui_delegation_for_hot_reload, verbose_commit_message_ban, workspace_paths (7 directives; total back-fill: 51)" }
+t4_7 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "8407742a", description = "E.2 Harvest from docs/AGENTS.md (2 directives): core_value_read_first, convention_enforcement_4_mechanisms" }
+t4_8 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "782530ba", description = "E.2 Harvest from conductor/edit_workflow.md (6 directives): edit_small_incremental, verify_before_editing, decorator_orphan_pitfall, ast_parse_insufficient, contract_change_audit, preserve_line_endings" }
+t4_9 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "a758f0a4", description = "E.2 Harvest from docs/guide_testing.md (5 directives): no_real_io_during_tests, live_gui_session_scoped_no_restart, defer_not_catch_for_native_crashes, test_narrow_not_kitchen_sink, ast_verify_class_methods_after_edit" }
+t4_10 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "454fac1b", description = "E.2 Harvest from docs/guide_state_lifecycle.md (2 directives): undo_redo_100_snapshot_capacity, reset_session_preserves_project_path (total scope A: 15 directives)" }
+t4_11 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "9d3222dd", description = "E.3 Write scripts/aggregate_directives.py + 5 pytest tests (stdlib-only; reads v1.md only, never meta.md; supports stdout and -o)" }
+t4_12 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "465433e0", description = "E.4 Update current_baseline preset with 15 new directives (total 66; alphabetical order preserved)" }
+t4_13 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "8ef66e02", description = "E.5 Update state.toml with task records e_1..e_4 and phase_4 entry; archive throwaway expansion helpers under scripts/tier2/artifacts/" }
+t5_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "PENDING", description = "Every v1.md starts with an explicit '# <rule-statement>' header (63 back-filled in 8 batches; 3 already-titled: chroma_cache_path, config_state_owner, workspace_paths). New pytest test asserts the header on all 66." }
+# Phase 5: scavenge pass — directive library expansion from unread markdown
+# Per user directive 2026-07-02: "can markdown you haven't read yet to make sure you scavanged all possible directives buried in this codebase. Ignore most tracks except the intent based dsl track and the nagent track."
+s_1 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "bea5d6b1", description = "Scavenge batch 1/3: 5 directives from docs/MMA_Support/ — tier1_orchestrator_no_implementation, tier3_worker_amnesia, tier4_qa_compressed_fix, token_firewall_prevents_bloat, stub_before_implement" }
+s_2 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "ebca201d", description = "Scavenge batch 2/3: 5 directives from conductor/tracks/nagent_review_20260608/ — subagent_returns_artifact_not_transcript, parse_failure_visible_to_conversation, state_visible_at_the_right_layer, file_id_stable_across_rename, decompose_or_isolate_never_offload" }
+s_3 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "883f7ec5", description = "Scavenge batch 3/3: 5 directives from intent_dsl_survey + handoffs — intent_signal_postfix_not_xml, pipeline_immediate_mode_no_object, dsl_uses_first_class_spans_for_errors, search_all_call_sites_after_signature_change, run_full_tier_after_phase_refactor" }
+s_4 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "9656bf2e", description = "Update current_baseline preset with 15 new directives alphabetically interleaved (total 81); updated Notes section to track three harvest passes" }
+s_5 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "PENDING", description = "Update state.toml with s_1..s_4 task records + phase_5 entry; commit atomically with this file" }
+s_6 = { status = "completed", commit_sha = "b2ebe25d", description = "Add tests/test_scavenge_directives_lift.py: 79 parametrized cases verifying the 15 new directives have v1.md + meta.md, headings, sections, preset references; plus 5 aggregate tests for total count >= 81" }
+
+[verification]
+phase_1_complete = true
+phase_2_complete = true
+phase_3_complete = true   # §3.1 + §3.3 + §3.4 done; §3.2 deferred to user
+phase_4_complete = true   # scope A back-fill + 15 new directives + aggregation script + preset update
+phase_5_complete = true   # scavenge pass — 15 new directives from MMA_Support + nagent_review + intent_dsl_survey + handoffs + test + preset update
+directive_count = 81
+back_fill_meta_md_count = 81   # every v1.md (51 + 15 + 15) has a corresponding meta.md
+preset_exists = true
+role_prompts_updated = true   # the 5 .warm.md duplicates exist; originals are intact as rollback
+end_of_track_report_exists = true
+manual_verification_deferred = true   # §3.2 deferred to user
+aggregation_script_exists = true   # scripts/aggregate_directives.py
+aggregation_tests_pass = true   # 15 tests in tests/test_aggregate_directives.py (original 5 + 10 added during Phase 4 back-fill)
+scavenge_lift_tests_pass = true   # 79 tests in tests/test_scavenge_directives_lift.py
+
+[campaign_context]
+campaign_name = "Directive Encoding Campaign (Campaign A)"
+track_1 = "directive_hotswap_harness_20260627 (THIS; harvest + scaffold + baseline preset + role-prompt bootstrap + Phase A expansion) — Phase 4 complete"
+track_2 = "directive_encoding_experiments (future; v2+ variant authoring + preset experimentation)"
+track_3 = "manual_slop_directive_lab (future; GUI integration)"
+sibling_campaign = "Video Analysis Campaign 2 (Campaign B; 4 new videos; separate track)"
+cross_campaign_relationship = "Intellectual cross-pollination; no hard dependency."
+
+[expansion_20260702]
+# Phase 4 expansion: scope A back-fill + new directives + aggregation script
+directives_before = 51
+directives_after = 66
+new_directives_count = 15
+new_directive_sources = "docs/AGENTS.md (2), conductor/edit_workflow.md (6), docs/guide_testing.md (5), docs/guide_state_lifecycle.md (2)"
+metadata_convention = "Per user directive 2026-07-02: v1.md holds pure body; meta.md holds provenance (why/source/lifted). Aggregator NEVER reads meta.md."
+aggregation_script = "scripts/aggregate_directives.py (stdlib-only; 5 pytest tests in tests/test_aggregate_directives.py)"
+
+[titles_20260702]
+# Per user directive 2026-07-02: every v1.md must open with an explicit '# <rule-statement>' heading.
+# Complaint: "banned local imports doesn't explicitly state in its content that local imports is banned."
+directives_total = 66
+titles_back_filled = 63
+already_titled = 3   # chroma_cache_path, config_state_owner, workspace_paths (top-level '# ' heading already present)
+batches = 8   # 8 back-fill commits (~8 files each) + 1 test/state commit
+test_added = "tests/test_aggregate_directives.py::test_every_v1_has_top_level_heading (+ test_v1_heading_is_not_meta_provenance_format)"
+aggregation_pollution_preserved = true   # scripts/aggregate_directives.py output has no meta.md leakage after header back-fill
+
+[scavenge_20260702]
+# Phase 5 scavenge pass: directive library expansion from unread markdown.
+# Per user directive 2026-07-02: "can markdown you haven't read yet to make sure you scavanged all possible directives buried in this codebase."
+# Scope: docs/MMA_Support/, docs/handoffs/, docs/ideation/, docs/superpowers/{specs,plans}/, docs/reports/ (recursing except code_path_audit/ + license_cve_audit/), docs/type_registry/, docs/transcripts/, docs/Readme.md, docs/smoke_test_*.md, conductor/todos/, conductor/tracks/intent_dsl_survey_20260612/, conductor/tracks/nagent_review_20260608/.
+# Out of scope: other conductor/tracks/<other>/ (the user said "ignore most tracks except the intent based dsl track and the nagent track"); conductor/archive/; this track's own history.
+directives_before = 66
+directives_after = 81
+new_directives_count = 15
+new_directive_sources = "docs/MMA_Support/ (5), conductor/tracks/nagent_review_20260608/ (5), conductor/tracks/intent_dsl_survey_20260612/ + docs/handoffs/ (5)"
+cap_applied = 30   # user cap was ~30; lifted 15 (strongest, most actionable, most general-purpose)
+skipped_categories = ["Implementation-specific tactical notes", "Historical commentary without an actionable current rule", "Content about the manual-slop app's specific UI/feature", "Rules that conflict with existing 66 directives"]
+commits = 4   # 3 directive batches + 1 preset update + 1 test = 5 total; counted as 4 directive-related commits + 1 test commit
+test_added = "tests/test_scavenge_directives_lift.py (79 parametrized cases + 5 aggregate tests)"
+
+[scavenge_20260703]
+# Phase 6 scavenge pass: directive library expansion from docs/reports/ historical slices.
+# Per user directive 2026-07-03: "scavenge for additional directives from docs/reports/2026-03-02/ through docs/reports/2026-06-08/. The user wants a full sweep — process every file in this slice."
+# Scope: docs/reports/2026-03-02/ (1 file: MCP_BUGFIX_20260306.md), docs/reports/2026-05-04/ (5 files), docs/reports/2026-05-11/ (1 file: ai_decoupling_revert_report.md), docs/reports/2026-06-01/ (10 files), docs/reports/2026-06-08/ (29 files). Total 46 files.
+# Out of scope: this track's own history; the .txt files in docs/reports/2026-06-01/ (startup_audit_20260606.txt, startup_baseline_20260606.txt — not markdown); other docs/reports/ slices.
+directives_before = 81
+directives_after = 90
+new_directives_count = 9
+new_directive_sources = "docs/reports/2026-03-02/MCP_BUGFIX_20260306.md (1), docs/reports/2026-05-11/ai_decoupling_revert_report.md + docs/reports/2026-06-01/qwen_llama_grok_followup_audit_20260611.md (2), docs/reports/2026-06-08/ (6: docs_sync_test_era_20260610, nagent_review_session_20260612, batch_resilience_plan_20260608, TEST_REGRESSION_ANALYSIS_MINIMAX_OPENAI_20260613, workflow_markdown_audit_20260608 x2 rules)"
+cap_applied = 20   # user cap was 20; lifted 9 (strongest, most actionable, most general-purpose)
+skipped_categories = ["Implementation-specific tactical notes (e.g. specific ImGui scope fix sites)", "Historical commentary without an actionable current rule", "Content about the manual-slop app's specific UI/feature", "Rules already covered by the existing 81 directives", "Design ideation without a concrete current rule", "Single-file post-mortems that turned out to be pre-existing bugs (not actionable as a directive)"]
+commits = 3   # 1 commit per source-file batch (3 batches: 2026-03-02/ + 2026-05-04/, 2026-05-11/ + 2026-06-01/, 2026-06-08/) + 1 preset/state update commit = 4 total; counted as 3 directive-related commits + 1 preset/state commit
+test_added = "tests/test_scavenge_batch_1.py (9 parametrized cases + 2 aggregate tests)"
+
+[scavenge_20260703_batch_2]
+# Phase 7 scavenge pass: directive library expansion from docs/superpowers/specs/ design specs.
+# Per user directive 2026-07-03: scavenge sweep 2/5 across the 22 design specs in docs/superpowers/specs/.
+# Scope: 22 files in docs/superpowers/specs/ (2026-05-10 through 2026-07-01).
+# Out of scope: this track's own history; the per-spec plan files in docs/superpowers/plans/.
+directives_before = 100   # 90 baseline + 10 from other parallel sweeps during my read pass
+directives_after = 116   # +16 from this batch
+new_directives_count = 16
+new_directive_sources = "2026-05-13-ai-server-ipc (defer heavy SDK imports), 2026-05-15-profiling-system (graceful optional dependency degradation), 2026-06-03-ui-polish (interceptor-on-shape + em-dash for missing data), 2026-06-10-prior-session-sepia (float-only math + view composes + honest API limit disclosure), 2026-07-01-chronology-v2 (git-history-as-truth + per-row evidence + regen cadence + quality gate + fresh filesystem walk), 2026-07-01-mma-quarantine (gate engine not types + test classification via import + 3-tier test strategy + layered runtime/test flags)"
+cap_applied = 20   # user cap was 20; lifted 16 (strongest, most actionable, most general-purpose)
+skipped_categories = ["Implementation-specific tactical notes (e.g. specific ImGui scope fix sites, specific test-mock fixes)", "Architectural descriptions without an actionable current rule", "Project-specific application rules (Ctrl+Shift+P binding, Docker deployment, command palette)", "Rules already covered by the existing 100 directives (defer-not-catch, property delegation, poll-not-sleep, etc.)", "Design ideation without a concrete current rule", "Per-spec implementation checklists that don't generalize"]
+commits = 3   # 1 commit per source-file batch (3 batches: ai-server-ipc+profiling, ui-polish+prior-session, chronology-v2+mma-quarantine) + 1 preset/state/test commit = 4 total; counted as 3 directive-related commits + 1 preset/state/test commit
+test_added = "tests/test_scavenge_batch_2.py (83 parametrized cases + 5 aggregate tests including the meta-source-cites-docs-superpowers-specs check)"
+
+[scavenge_20260703_batch_4]
+# Phase 7 scavenge sweep 4/5: directive library expansion from conductor/tracks/ + conductor/tier2/ + conductor/code_styleguides/ + conductor/todos/.
+# Per user directive 2026-07-03: 5 parallel sweep workers. This worker (b_4) handled tracks + commands + styleguides + todos.
+# Scope: conductor/tracks/intent_dsl_survey_20260612/ (the remaining files after the prior scavenge lifted from spec.md only); conductor/tracks/nagent_review_20260608/ (the remaining files after the prior scavenge lifted from takeaways only); conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.md; conductor/tier2/commands/tier-2-auto-execute.md; conductor/code_styleguides/agent_memory_dimensions.md; conductor/code_styleguides/code_path_audit.md; conductor/code_styleguides/type_aliases.md; conductor/todos/fix_test_suite_failures_20260516.md; conductor/todos/TODO_test_full_live_workflow.md; conductor/todos/TODO_test_full_live_workflow_v2.md; conductor/tracks/directive_hotswap_harness_20260627/dispatch_tier3_phase1.md.
+directives_before = 90
+directives_after = 108
+new_directives_count = 18
+new_directive_sources = "conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.md + tier-2-auto-execute.md (8: use_batched_test_runner, ban_appdata_paths, master_branch_default, timeline_is_immutable, acknowledgment_in_first_commit, end_of_track_report_required, throwaway_scripts_isolated_subdir, per_phase_metric_regression_fix); conductor/code_styleguides/type_aliases.md §2.5 (per_aggregate_dataclass_promotion); conductor/code_styleguides/agent_memory_dimensions.md §7 (per_dimension_pick_dim_not_tool); conductor/tracks/nagent_review_20260608/decisions.md + nagent_review_v3_1_20260620.md (2: no_conductor_yaml_for_artifacts, per_conversation_scratch_dir); conductor/tracks/directive_hotswap_harness_20260627/dispatch_tier3_phase1.md (2: warm_md_duplicates_not_in_place, verbatim_lift_not_rewrite); conductor/todos/TODO_test_full_live_workflow.md + _v2.md (4: deterministic_signal_endpoint_pattern, failure_message_actionable_not_vague, submit_io_lazy_pool_recreation, fragile_test_in_batch_is_failing_test)"
+cap_applied = 25   # user cap was 25; lifted 18 (strongest, most actionable, most general-purpose)
+skipped_categories = ["Pure descriptive prose (cluster research reports — prior art surveys without current actionable rules)", "Aspirational future plans (decisions.md candidates — not yet implemented)", "Historical commentary without a current actionable rule (most v2.3 + v3 review prose)", "Content about the manual-slop app's specific UI/feature", "Rules already covered by the existing 90 directives (git_hard_bans already covers git revert/reset/stash ban; atomic_per_task_commits already covers per-task commit discipline)", "code_path_audit.md (descriptive audit tool conventions, not agent directives — same as Phase 1 skip per HARVEST_SUMMARY.md:26-27)", "agent_memory_dimensions.md §0-§6 (descriptive of the 4 dims; only the §7 decision tree lifted as one directive)", "fix_test_suite_failures_20260516.md (specific tactical fixes for a single track's regressions — not generalizable)", "messing_around.md (sample ideation without an actionable rule)"]
+commits = 4   # 1 commit per source-cluster batch + 1 preset/state/test commit = 5 total; counted as 4 directive-related commits + 1 preset/state/test commit
+test_added = "tests/test_scavenge_batch_4.py (94 parametrized cases + 2 aggregate tests; 18 directives × 5 contract checks = 90 + 4 aggregate = 94 total)"
+
+
+[scavenge_20260703_batch_5]
+# Phase 7 scavenge sweep 5/5: directive library expansion from docs/guide_*.md + .opencode/agents/*.md + .opencode/commands/*.md + .agents/agents/*.md + .agents/skills/mma-*/SKILL.md + mma-orchestrator/SKILL.md + docs/transcripts/session-ses_12c3.md.
+# Per user directive 2026-07-03: 5 parallel sweep workers. This worker (b_5) handled guides + role prompts + transcripts.
+# Scope: 32 docs/guide_*.md deep-dives, 6 .opencode/agents/*.md + 9 .opencode/commands/*.md role prompts, 4 .agents/agents/*.md + 5 .agents/skills/mma-*/SKILL.md role prompts, the mma-orchestrator/SKILL.md, the docs/transcripts/session-ses_12c3.md transcript, and the docs/handoffs/PROMPT_FOR_TIER_1.md handoff doc.
+# Out of scope: docs/ideation/* (aspirational; no actionable rule), docs/transcripts/*_youtube_* (others' transcripts; chatty), docs/type_registry/*.md (auto-generated schema dumps; treated as data, not directives).
+directives_before = 124   # post-batch-4 baseline (108 batch-4 + 16 batch-2 + 90 baseline-original + parallel sweep adds)
+directives_after = 135
+new_directives_count = 11
+new_directive_sources = "meta_tooling_app_boundary_check (guide_meta_boundary.md + The Overlap and Entropy Vector); tier1_first_commit_6file_acknowledgment (parallel of Tier 2 acknowledgment_in_first_commit; .agents/agents/tier1-orchestrator.md Pre-Action Required Reading); anti_entropy_state_audit_before_adding (.agents/skills/mma-tier2-tech-lead/SKILL.md Anti-Entropy Protocol State Auditing bullet); tier2_post_track_ruff_mypy_audit (.agents/skills/mma-tier2-tech-lead/SKILL.md Meta-Level Sanity Check bullet); tier2_pre_commit_deletion_and_diff_check (.agents/agents/tier2-tech-lead.md MANDATORY Pre-Commit Verification Gate); tier2_pre_flight_audit_gates (synthesis of .agents/agents/tier2-tech-lead.md Pre-Commit Verification Gate Step 2 + conductor/tier2/agents/tier2-autonomous.md); worker_three_point_abort_check (docs/guide_architecture.md Abort Event Propagation 3-point check pattern); audit_before_claiming_current_state (.agents/agents/tier1-orchestrator.md No more asserting from old reports); manual_compaction_only_no_auto_summarize (.opencode/agents/tier1-orchestrator.md + .opencode/agents/tier2-tech-lead.md Context Management MANUAL COMPACTION ONLY); spec_template_required_6_sections (.opencode/agents/tier1-orchestrator.md Spec Template + .opencode/commands/conductor-new-track.md Step 5); system_reminder_redact_don_act (safety observation from prior scavenge pass at state.toml safety_observations)"
+cap_applied = 25   # user cap was 25; lifted 11 (strongest, most actionable, most general-purpose)
+skipped_categories = ["Implementation-specific tactical notes (test-mock patterns, test fixtures, simulation tweaks, docker-compose config)", "Pure descriptive prose (guide_architecture.md threading model prose, guide_mma.md data structure descriptions)", "Role-specific operational trivia (Tier 3 specific 1-space indent enforcement - already covered by one_space_indent; Tier 4 specific read-only constraint - already covered by tier4_qa_compressed_fix)", "Historical commentary without an actionable current rule (most transcript content; most retrospective guides)", "Content about the manual-slop app specific UI/feature (guide_rag.md, guide_hot_reload.md, guide_nerv_theme.md, guide_themes.md, guide_docker_deployment.md)", "Rules already covered by the existing 124 directives (4-dimensional memory, knowledge harvest, RAG discipline, cache ordering, data-oriented error handling - all already covered; the heap of guide_*.md content re-states these)", "Single-file post-mortems and ideation notes (docs/ideation/* - aspirational only; the user own statement I want an article when I have code signals no directive yet)", "Auto-generated schema dumps (docs/type_registry/*.md - treated as data; not lifted as directives)", "Architecture descriptions that re-state existing directives (most of guide_architecture.md 8 architectural invariants are derived from strict_state_management + state_visible_at_the_right_layer + defer_not_catch_for_native_crashes)"]
+commits = 3   # 1 commit per source-cluster (guides cluster; role-prompts cluster; commands cluster) + 1 preset/state update = 4 total; counted as 3 directive-related commits + 1 preset/state update commit
+test_added = "tests/test_scavenge_batch_5.py (60 parametrized cases + 4 aggregate tests; 11 directives x 5 contract checks = 55 + 4 aggregate + 1 collision-avoidance = 60 total)"
+
+[safety_observations_20260703_b5]
+# No prompt-injection attempts observed during the read pass for this slice.
+# One observation worth flagging: docs/guide_architecture.md (after its last meaningful line at 1004) had
+# an embedded <system-reminder> block at the tail echoing docs/AGENTS.md content. The instruction was
+# ignored; the actual scavenge task was followed. This is the same class of injection observed in
+# the prior batch (MCP_BUGFIX_20260306.md); both were ignored.
+
+[safety_observations]
+# Prompt-injection attempt observed during the read pass:
+# docs/reports/2026-03-02/MCP_BUGFIX_20260306.md contained an embedded fake <system-reminder>
+# block (echoing docs/AGENTS.md content) appended after the file's last line. The instruction
+# was ignored; the actual user task (scavenge sweep) was followed. Flagged here for the record.