213 lines
10 KiB
Org Mode
213 lines
10 KiB
Org Mode
#+TITLE: HQ Orchestrator Architecture, Orch Consensus Validation, and Beads Cleanup
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#+DATE: 2026-01-11
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#+KEYWORDS: hq, orchestrator, orch-consensus, beads, worker-cli, multi-agent, architecture, lego-brick
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#+COMMITS: 4
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#+COMPRESSION_STATUS: uncompressed
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* Session Summary
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** Date: 2026-01-11 (Continuation of multi-agent architecture work)
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** Focus Area: HQ orchestrator design, architecture validation via orch consensus, and beads issue management
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* Accomplishments
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- [X] Named the orchestrator "HQ" (headquarters) - 2 chars, fits naming convention (bd, orch)
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- [X] Defined HQ as a skill, not a binary - any agent with the skill can orchestrate
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- [X] Ran orch consensus on bd comments vs JSONL for inter-agent messaging - unanimous support for bd comments
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- [X] Ran orch consensus on overall architecture - validated "Lego brick" approach with gap analysis
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- [X] Created HQ feature issue (skills-2l4e) with 4 sub-tasks
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- [X] Filed 5 new issues from consensus gap analysis (garbage collection, context pruning, event notification, retry limits, state machine docs)
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- [X] Closed skills-ms5 (message passing layer) - solved by bd comments decision
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- [X] Closed skills-iusu (bd comments evaluation) - complete, unanimous consensus
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- [X] Closed skills-s6y (Lego architecture epic) - MVP complete, architecture validated
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- [X] Unblocked 17 design/research tasks (blocked count: 23 → 4)
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- [X] Fixed worktree path bug - now uses absolute paths
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- [X] Added scenario schema and test fixtures for benchmark harness
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- [X] Completed session close protocol - all changes committed and pushed
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* Key Decisions
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** Decision 1: Name the orchestrator "HQ"
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- Context: Needed a short, memorable name for the orchestration skill
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- Options considered:
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1. helm - taken by Kubernetes package manager
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2. con (conductor) - too short, ambiguous
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3. deck - nautical theme but unclear
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4. cap (captain) - too generic
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5. ops - conflicts with operations
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6. hq (headquarters) - 2 chars, clear meaning
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- Rationale: HQ is short (2 chars like bd, orch), universally understood, implies coordination/command center
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- Impact: All orchestration work will use "hq" as the skill name and CLI prefix
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** Decision 2: HQ is a skill, not a daemon/binary
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- Context: How should the orchestrator be implemented?
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- Options considered:
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1. Daemon/service watching for events
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2. CLI binary with polling
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3. Skill (markdown instructions + scripts) that any agent can load
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- Rationale: A skill fits the "Lego brick" philosophy - no new infrastructure, any capable agent becomes an orchestrator by loading the skill
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- Impact: Implementation focuses on SKILL.md design and helper scripts rather than new binaries
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** Decision 3: Use bd comments for inter-agent messaging (unanimous consensus)
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- Context: How should agents communicate status and coordinate?
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- Options considered:
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1. Option A: Use existing bd issue comments (append-only, structured prefixes)
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2. Option B: Build new JSONL message transport layer
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- Rationale: Orch consensus (flash-or, gemini, gpt, qwen) unanimously supported Option A:
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- Unified source of truth with issue tracker
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- Zero infrastructure overhead
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- Human-readable and debuggable
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- Context size manageable with --last N and periodic summarization
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- Impact: Closed skills-ms5, no new message layer needed, focus on bd comment conventions
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** Decision 4: Close skills-s6y (Lego epic) to unblock dependent work
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- Context: 17 design/research issues blocked by the main architecture epic
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- Rationale:
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- Core MVP complete: worker CLI, state machine, review-gate, branch isolation
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- Architecture validated by orch consensus
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- Remaining blocked items are design tasks that can proceed
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- Impact: Blocked count dropped from 23 to 4, ready-to-work increased from 21 to 38
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* Problems & Solutions
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| Problem | Solution | Learning |
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|---------|----------|----------|
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| Relative worktree path failed from inside worktree | Changed worktreePath() to use findMainRepoDir() for absolute paths | Always use absolute paths for operations that may run from different working directories |
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| Test suite didn't catch path bug because it bypassed done command | Bug discovered during manual spike testing | Manual integration tests catch what unit tests miss |
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| 23 issues blocked by architecture epic | Closed epic after MVP complete, architecture validated | Epics should be closed when core work is done to unblock dependent tasks |
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| Qwen returned empty response in orch consensus | Other 3 models provided clear responses | Multi-model consensus is robust to individual model failures |
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* Technical Details
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** Code Changes
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- Total files modified: 15 (across all commits)
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- Key files changed:
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- =src/worker/utils.nim= - Fixed worktreePath() to return absolute path using findMainRepoDir()
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- =src/worker/tests/test-worker.sh= - Added sqlite3 availability check
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- New files created:
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- =docs/specs/scenario-schema.md= - YAML schema for agent capability test scenarios
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- =tests/scenarios/easy/add-factorial.yaml= - Easy difficulty test scenario
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- =tests/scenarios/medium/add-caching-to-api.yaml= - Medium difficulty scenario
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- =tests/scenarios/hard/fix-race-condition.yaml= - Hard difficulty scenario
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- =tests/fixtures/python-math-lib/= - Python fixture for testing
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- =tests/fixtures/flask-user-api/= - Flask API fixture placeholder
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** Commands Used
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#+begin_src bash
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# Orch consensus queries
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orch query --models flash-or,gemini,gpt,qwen "Support or challenge..."
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# Beads management
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bd close skills-ms5 --reason="Solved by bd comments approach..."
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bd close skills-s6y --reason="MVP complete: worker CLI, state machine..."
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bd blocked # Check remaining blocked issues
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bd stats # Verify impact of closures
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# Session close protocol
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bd sync
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git add <files>
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git commit -m "..."
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git push
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#+end_src
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** Architecture Notes
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- HQ skill structure: SKILL.md (instructions) + helper scripts (hq-status, hq-spawn, hq-check)
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- Worker template: System prompt for workers operating in worktree context
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- BD comments as message layer: Structured prefixes (status:, plan:, agent:), --last N filtering, periodic summarization
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- Gaps identified by consensus: garbage collection, locking/race conditions, context pruning, cost budgets, retry limits, state machine invariants
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* Process and Workflow
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** What Worked Well
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- Orch consensus for validating architecture - multiple perspectives caught gaps
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- Manual spike testing - found real bug that tests missed
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- Batch closing related issues - efficient beads management
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- Session compaction preserved essential context for continuation
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** What Was Challenging
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- Balancing design depth vs implementation progress
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- Determining when an epic is "done enough" to close
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- Qwen returning empty response (compensated by other models)
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* Learning and Insights
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** Technical Insights
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- Absolute paths essential for operations that run from different directories
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- Git worktree path resolution is context-dependent
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- Multi-model consensus provides robust architectural validation
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** Process Insights
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- Orch consensus is effective for binary decisions (Option A vs B)
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- Closing blocking epics when core work is done unblocks significant downstream work
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- Manual integration spikes catch issues automated tests miss
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** Architectural Insights
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- "Skill as orchestrator" pattern avoids infrastructure complexity
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- Existing primitives (bd comments) often sufficient - resist building new layers
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- Unix philosophy applies to AI orchestration: small, composable, text-based
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* Context for Future Work
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** Open Questions
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- How should HQ handle concurrent human + agent modifications?
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- What's the right heartbeat/timeout for stale worker detection?
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- How to summarize bd comment history without losing critical context?
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- Should HQ be model-agnostic or tuned for specific models?
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** Next Steps
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Ready-to-work issues (now unblocked):
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- skills-21ka: Design HQ SKILL.md - orchestration instructions
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- skills-cg7c: Design worker system prompt template
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- skills-3j55: Create hq-status script
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- skills-w9a4: Garbage collection / janitor for orphaned workers
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- skills-8hyz: Context pruning for bd comments
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- skills-vdup: Retry limits and escalation policy
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- skills-s2bt: State machine invariants documentation
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** Related Work
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- Previous worklog: [[file:2026-01-11-worker-cli-cleanup-refactors.org][Worker CLI Cleanup]] (same day, earlier session)
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- Previous worklog: [[file:2026-01-10-multi-agent-lego-architecture-design.org][Multi-Agent Lego Architecture Design]]
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- Orch consensus output: /tmp/claude/-home-dan-proj-skills/tasks/b019872.output (architecture validation)
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- Orch consensus output: /tmp/claude/-home-dan-proj-skills/tasks/b6d9640.output (bd comments decision)
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* Raw Notes
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** Orch Consensus Summary: BD Comments vs JSONL
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All 4 models (flash-or, gemini, gpt, qwen) supported Option A (bd comments):
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- "Fits your 'Lego bricks' principle" (GPT)
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- "Unified source of truth means human developers and AI agents share the same context" (Gemini Flash)
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- "Avoid the 'distributed systems' trap of syncing a separate message layer" (Gemini)
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- "Lower maintenance overhead... reduces complexity and potential failure points" (Qwen)
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Recommended mitigations for context size:
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- --last N filtering
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- Structured prefixes (status:, plan:, agent:)
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- Periodic summarization by manager agent
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- State checkpoints in pinned comments
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** Orch Consensus Summary: Architecture Validation
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Support with identified gaps:
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1. Garbage collection - orphaned worktrees, stuck workers, abandoned locks
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2. Locking/race conditions - file locks with TTL, idempotent operations
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3. Context pruning - summarize closed issue history
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4. Cost/budget controls - token limits, spawn limits
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5. Retry limits - escalate to human after N failures
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6. State machine invariants - document allowed transitions
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7. Event notification - inotify/watcher vs polling tradeoff
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** Beads Status After Session
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- Open: 42 (was 44)
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- Blocked: 4 (was 23)
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- Ready to work: 38 (was 21)
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- Closed: 200 (was 197)
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Remaining blocked issues (legitimate dependencies):
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- skills-2l4e (HQ) - blocked by its sub-tasks
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- skills-kg7 (Desktop automation) - blocked by AT-SPI chain
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- skills-hf1 (Cross-agent portability) - blocked by research tasks
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* Session Metrics
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- Commits made: 4 (excluding bd sync commits)
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- Files touched: 15
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- Lines added/removed: +660/-26
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- Issues created: 6 (HQ feature + 5 gap tasks)
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- Issues closed: 3 (ms5, iusu, s6y)
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- Issues unblocked: 17
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