Resolves every spellbreaking finding (the blocker + all 13 majors) from
the 3.3.0 release-readiness audit
([docs/audits/release-readiness-3.3-2026-07-20.md](docs/audits/release-readiness-3.3-2026-07-20.md),
included in this PR).
## Finding → fix map
**CLI self-documentation (M1–M3)**
- **M1** `ao robot-docs` prescribed removed `ao inject` → line removed
from the canonical agent workflow; `inject` added to the removed-command
hint table **and** the MIGRATION.md map (drift test
`TestRemovedVerbsHaveMigrationRows` enforces the pair).
- **M2** `ao config --help` documented ~14 env vars for removed
subsystems (RPI/Dream/Council/tiers) → help text and the `--show` env
panel pruned to the 5 vars the binary consumes; mirrored list in
`internal/config` pruned identically.
- **M3** `ao flywheel status` read only legacy `.agents/<section>` while
`ao doctor fix` migrates learnings to canonical `.agents/ao/learnings` →
new `quality.KnowledgeSectionDirs` dual-roots every knowledge reader
(tier counts, new/stale artifacts, retros, health delta, utility, loop
metrics, retrievable-citation stats — plus the golden-signals readers
`ComputeResearchClosure`/`ComputeReuseConcentration` that the fresh
verification pass caught as missed). Sandbox-proven twice: a learning
existing only under `.agents/ao/learnings` appears in all metrics, and a
research file only under `.agents/ao/research` flips closure from
`starved/0` to `unmined/1 orphan`.
**Release story (M4–M6)**
- **M4** CHANGELOG `[3.3.0]` omitted post-07-17 surfaces → folded in `ao
eval` (#921), default-build `ao flywheel`, the PreToolUse policy engine,
and the #919 cleanup; date moved to 2026-07-20; `docs/CHANGELOG.md`
re-synced (changelog.sync gate green).
- **M5** MIGRATION.md attributed `ao eval` to a nonexistent "3.4" → now
"returned in 3.3".
- **M6** four release surfaces claimed a 50-skill corpus vs 48
everywhere real → all counts now 48 (CHANGELOG ×2, docs/3.3.md,
release-notes page ×2).
**Install story (M7 — product decision by Bo)**
npx first (universal — installs into all coding agents), **plugins for
Claude Code/Codex encouraged**, checkout + `ao skills link` as the
source-tracked/contributor path; curl installers stay tombstones.
Harmonized across README, UPGRADING, install-day2-ops, MIGRATION,
3.3.md, CHANGELOG, the release-notes page, all six installer tombstone
messages (`install.sh` + claude/codex/agy/opencode/`codex.ps1`), and the
site's CLI page. All "legacy migration-only / not the recommended path"
plugin branding removed.
**Docs site (B1, M8–M12)**
- **B1** generated site CLI page instructed a tombstoned curl installer,
nonexistent `ao rpi phased`, and wrong skills dir → `emit_index()`
rewritten to the real install menu + a quickstart of commands that
exist; semantic loop correctly attributed to skills.
- **M8** deploy workflow's `--strict` contradicted mkdocs.yml's declared
non-strict policy and aborted the build → flag dropped (lychee +
validate-links.sh own link checking).
- **M9** site banner said "AgentOps 2.x" → now 3.3.
- **M10** ~176 internal files (audits/plans/handoffs/… + TEMP scratch
doc) published and dominated search → `exclude_docs` extended; built
site verified free of them; search index 4,751 → 2,444 entries.
- **M11/M12** newcomer-guide skill links and all six SCHEMAS.md links
404'd on the site → absolute GitHub URLs (resolve on both GitHub and the
site). The fresh verification pass found the same class on
`docs/contracts/index.md` (nav-listed),
`docs/contracts/corpus-learning-seam.md`,
`docs/templates/slice-validation.md`, and five
`docs/architecture/gas-city-factory.md` links into now-excluded
`docs/audits/` — all repointed to absolute GitHub URLs.
- Also from the verification pass: robot-docs exit-code table no longer
says "bead claimed" (removed concept), and the docs.yml comment now
cites the link checker that actually runs
(`tests/docs/validate-links.sh` via doc-release checks) instead of
lychee.
**Skills corpus (M13)**
- rch skill instructed 5 nonexistent scripts + 8 nonexistent reference
files as recovery steps → pruned to the 7 real references; the
wire-level `printf | rch` probe replaces the phantom `protocol_test.sh`;
codex twin regenerated (parity gates green).
## Verification
- `go vet` clean; **full test suite 60/60 packages pass** (includes the
new-shape flywheel/quality/config tests and the inject↔MIGRATION drift
test).
- **`ao gate check --full --scope worktree`: 67/67 pass, 0 warnings**
over this exact change set (changelog sync, shellcheck on the edited
installer, skill mesh + codex parity, manifests/schema/triggers,
provenance chain).
- `scripts/regen-all.sh --check`: all generated projections current.
- Rebuilt binary re-exercised: `robot-docs` clean, `ao inject` tombstone
live, config help clean, flywheel sandbox proof above.
- `mkdocs build` exit 0; warnings 84 → 46 (remainder is the accepted
out-of-tree-link class per mkdocs.yml's declared policy).
- Fresh-context adversarial verification workflow over all four fix
groups (results in session log).
## Known residuals (deliberately out of scope)
- `ao config models` subcommand still renders tier config (its two env
vars ARE consumed; `COUNCIL_CLAUDE_MODEL` in its display list is not —
follow-up).
- Same-class single-rooted readers off the flywheel path:
`learning.coherence` gate glob (`.agents/learnings/**` only),
`quality.CountConstraints`, config `Paths` defaults feeding eval sandbox
deny-lists.
- `scripts/docs-build.sh` still uses `--strict` with its own allowlist
(not wired into any workflow or gate).
- Audit minors 1–8 (rc fallback version string, `config --show`
legacy-fallback display, `ao init` vs doctor layout, doctor's `ao beads
dir` hint, dead `tracker:` key in the example config, doc-skill phantom
scripts, ROADMAP dead links, documentation-index root links).
Ship the Cathedral Cut on the 3.x line with the intentional semver deviation documented for v3.3.0. Includes the complete release rebadge, release-gate artifacts, removed-command tombstones, and a legacy config read fallback that preserves existing settings when saving the new canonical path.\n\nValidated by the full local Go/release suite and all required GitHub checks on head 78027b009c.
Retire the 3.x plugin curl/PowerShell installers as tombstones, delete the
plugin-cache helpers, and rewire CI/doctor/conformance onto the canonical
checkout + ao skills link path. Keep install-bd and the opt-in operator scripts.
Co-authored-by: Cursor <cursoragent@cursor.com>
The sync script overwrites manual edits to skills-codex/. Since codex
skills are now manually maintained, this script is a footgun.
Changes:
- sync-codex-native-skills.sh: exits with error + deprecation message
- validate-codex-generated-artifacts.sh: removed parity drift enforcement
(lines 138-186 that required source+codex to change together)
- install-codex.sh: skip sync call (skills-codex/ pre-built in bundle)
- install-codex-native-skills.sh: skip sync by default
Audit for drift manually: bash scripts/audit-codex-parity.sh
Swarm: 8 tasks across 2 waves, TDD on all Go changes.
HIGH fixes:
- rpi serve --run-id now matches 12-hex IDs (was misclassifying as goals)
- cherry-pick-wave.sh: pattern validation + prefix-scoped rm fallback
- -o flag contract: rename local --output to --output-dir/--output-file
on defrag, memory, context_assemble (stops shadowing root format flag)
MEDIUM fixes:
- defrag --json now emits JSON (was printing text unconditionally)
- Remove dead promote-anti-patterns from doctor suggestions
- Pin install scripts to tagged releases instead of mutable main
- Add ao doctor + skill-lint CI jobs to validate.yml
- Add learning coherence quality gate script
Process:
- Drain 7 unconsumed next-work.jsonl entries (0% → 100% resolution)
- 192 lines of new tests (TDD: test-first across all Go changes)
Bo