@bli-cockpit/cli 0.2.29 → 0.2.31

package/dist/commands/install-receipts.js

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
  */
 import os from "node:os";
 import { errorMessage, writeLine } from "./cli-io.js";
-import { maskLocalIdentifiers, redactedHealthDetail, } from "../health-detail.js";
+import { describeError, maskLocalIdentifiers, redactedHealthDetail, } from "../health-detail.js";
 import { getCollectorRuntimePaths, readLocalCollectorSessionFile, LOCAL_COLLECTOR_VERSION, } from "../local-state.js";
 import { redactSecretLikeContent } from "@bli-cockpit/telemetry-core";
 import { COLLECTION_ROOT_REQUIRED } from "../onboarding-roots.js";
@@ -74,7 +74,17 @@ export async function reportInstallEventsBestEffort(options) {
             })),
         });
     }
-    catch {
+    catch (error) {
+        // The existing operator line survives, and is `--json`-only. This one is
+        // unconditional and carries the reason: the machine has just dropped the
+        // health receipts for a whole command, and a `--json` gate meant the
+        // normal interactive run said nothing at all (BLI-3238).
+        console.error("[install-receipts] could not queue install events; the receipts are lost", JSON.stringify({
+            reason: "local_write_failed",
+            command: options.command,
+            event_count: options.events.length,
+            ...describeError(error),
+        }));
         if (options.json) {
             writeLine(options.io.stderr, "Install event outbox unavailable: local_write_failed");
         }
@@ -112,9 +122,18 @@ export async function reportInstallEventsBestEffort(options) {
                 if (!response.ok) {
                     throw new Error(`http_${response.status}`);
                 }
-                const receipt = (await response
-                    .json()
-                    .catch(() => null));
+                const receipt = (await response.json().catch((error) => {
+                    // This reply carries the server-published `min_cli_version` floor
+                    // (BLI-2678). A body that will not parse means the floor is not
+                    // observed on this tick and the forced-update path silently does
+                    // nothing — while the 2xx above says the receipt landed fine.
+                    console.error("[install-receipts] receipt body unreadable; no min_cli_version observed", JSON.stringify({
+                        reason: "receipt_body_unreadable",
+                        http_status: response.status,
+                        ...describeError(error),
+                    }));
+                    return null;
+                }));
                 if (typeof receipt?.min_cli_version === "string" &&
                     receipt.min_cli_version.trim()) {
                     observedMinCliVersion = receipt.min_cli_version.trim();
@@ -124,10 +143,28 @@ export async function reportInstallEventsBestEffort(options) {
             catch (error) {
                 const failureReason = classifyInstallTelemetryError(error);
                 failures.push(failureReason);
+                // The classified reason is the coarse bucket the outbox row keeps;
+                // beside it, what actually happened. `network_error` covers DNS,
+                // TLS, timeout and abort, and only one of those is worth waking up
+                // for (BLI-3238).
+                console.error("[install-receipts] install event delivery failed, entry kept for retry", JSON.stringify({
+                    reason: failureReason,
+                    outbox_id: entry.outbox_id,
+                    ...describeError(error),
+                }));
                 await recordInstallEventAttemptFailure(paths, entry, {
                     attemptedAt: new Date().toISOString(),
                     failureReason,
-                }).catch(() => undefined);
+                }).catch((writeError) => {
+                    // Double failure: delivery failed AND the retry bookkeeping did.
+                    // The entry stays queued, so nothing is lost, but the attempt
+                    // count stops advancing and the outbox looks stuck for no reason.
+                    console.error("[install-receipts] could not record the delivery failure against the entry", JSON.stringify({
+                        reason: "attempt_bookkeeping_failed",
+                        outbox_id: entry.outbox_id,
+                        ...describeError(writeError),
+                    }));
+                });
             }
             finally {
                 clearTimeout(timeout);

package/dist/commands/install-update.js

@@ -295,7 +295,9 @@ async function findPublicReleaseRoot(startDir) {
         }
         catch {
             // Keep walking: nested packages may be missing package.json or have one
-            // without the release script.
+            // without the release script. Deliberately silent (BLI-3238) — this is
+            // a search, every level that is not the answer fails here, and the
+            // caller reports `null` when the walk finds nothing.
         }
         const parent = path.dirname(current);
         if (parent === current)

package/dist/commands/local-args.js

@@ -739,6 +739,10 @@ function looksLikeServiceRoleSecret(value) {
         return serviceCredentialPayloadPattern().test(payload);
     }
     catch {
+        // Deliberately silent (BLI-3238), and it must stay silent: this is the
+        // "is this argument a service-role JWT?" test, so a value that will not
+        // decode is simply not one. Anything logged here would be a fragment of a
+        // credential.
         return false;
     }
 }

package/dist/commands/local-auth.js

@@ -185,6 +185,15 @@ async function readJsonResponse(response) {
         return JSON.parse(text);
     }
     catch {
+        // OTP path. The text is handed to the caller for the human-facing message
+        // but never logged — it is an unbounded page from whatever answered. The
+        // shape is what says "a proxy replied, not the dashboard" (BLI-3238).
+        console.error("[local-auth] auth reply was not JSON", JSON.stringify({
+            reason: "response_body_not_json",
+            http_status: response.status,
+            byte_size: text.length,
+            content_type: response.headers.get("content-type") ?? "none",
+        }));
         return text;
     }
 }
@@ -260,6 +269,11 @@ export async function readOnboardSessionReuseCandidate(homeDir) {
         return await readLocalCollectorSessionFile(paths);
     }
     catch {
+        // Deliberately silent (BLI-3238). This is the "can we reuse an existing
+        // login?" probe and the fallback below reads the same file through the
+        // looser schema — which reports its own reason when it also fails
+        // (`session_file_unusable` in local-state). Logging here would double
+        // every line for one read.
         return readLocalSessionReference(paths);
     }
 }

package/dist/commands/local-help.js

@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ function localSubcommandHelp(command) {
                 "Usage: cockpit onboard [--ticket <id>] [--email <owner@email>] [--device-name <name>] [--dashboard-url <url>] [--workspace <path>] [--allow-home-root] [--branch <name>] [--no-auth] [--max-depth <n>] [--max-repos <n>] [--json]",
                 "",
                 "Installs, pairs, starts work context(s), syncs once, completes all-history",
-                "Codex and Claude backfill for the saved roots, and then prints readiness proof.",
+                "Codex and Claude backfill for the saved roots, and then tells you it is working.",
                 "If --workspace is a parent folder, scans child git repos/worktrees and rolls them up by repo.",
                 "`--repo <path>` remains supported as a backward-compatible alias.",
                 `Omit --dashboard-url for normal production setup (${DEFAULT_DASHBOARD_URL}).`,
@@ -107,10 +107,10 @@ function localSubcommandHelp(command) {
             [
                 "Usage: cockpit do-everything [--workspace <path>] [--dashboard-url <url>] [--update-tag <tag>] [--dry-run] [--json]",
                 "",
-                "Converges a blank, existing, or reused intern machine: latest CLI, interactive auth and collection-root recovery when needed, saved roots, autostart, all-history backfill, raw-evidence GC, and sync freshness.",
+                "Gets this machine fully set up, whether it is brand new, already set up, or handed down: latest CLI, sign-in and collection-root recovery when needed, saved folders, background sync, catching up on old sessions, cleaning up old files, and one fresh upload.",
                 "`cockpit fix` is an alias.",
-                "Maintainer canary: use `--update-tag next` so self-update and re-exec stay on the prerelease candidate.",
-                "--dry-run prints the checks and would-fix steps without writing config, plists, cursors, or install telemetry.",
+                "Maintainers only: use `--update-tag next` so self-update and re-exec stay on the prerelease candidate.",
+                "--dry-run shows what it would do without changing anything.",
             ],
         ],
         [
@@ -144,9 +144,9 @@ function localSubcommandHelp(command) {
             [
                 "Usage: cockpit start [--ticket <id>|--clear-ticket] [--topic <label>] [--topic-summary <summary>] [--intent <intent>] [--phase <phase>] [--intent-confidence <0..1>] [--workspace <path>] [--branch <name>] [--json]",
                 "",
-                "Starts local ambient capture. Parent folders start each child git worktree.",
+                "Starts collecting your work in the background. If you point it at a parent folder it covers every repo inside.",
                 "Add --ticket only when the work already has a visible ticket; omit it to preserve an existing binding.",
-                "Use --clear-ticket to intentionally return the context to general ambient capture.",
+                "Use --clear-ticket to go back to collecting general work with no ticket attached.",
                 "Use --topic/--intent/--phase for planning, discovery, and learning work that has no ticket yet.",
                 "Supported intents: implementation, bug_fix, root_cause_analysis, planning, discovery, review, testing, documentation, release, learning, coordination, maintenance, analysis, unknown, other.",
                 "Supported phases: planning, discovery, implementation, debugging, review, testing, documentation, release, handoff, analysis, unknown, other.",
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ function localSubcommandHelp(command) {
             [
                 "Usage: cockpit sync [--workspace <path>] [--dashboard-url <url>] [--json]",
                 "",
-                "Uploads latest local ambient envelope(s), or spools safe retries if blocked.",
+                "Uploads your latest collected work. If it cannot reach Cockpit it saves a retry and tries again later.",
                 "Omit --dashboard-url for normal production sync; pass it only for staging/custom dashboards or forced re-pairing.",
                 "`--repo <path>` remains supported as a backward-compatible alias.",
                 "Parent folders sync each child git worktree; Codex AND Claude Code JSONL",
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ function localSubcommandHelp(command) {
                 "deterministically and ambiguous transcripts are retained as unattributed",
                 "instead of being duplicated across repos. Use `cockpit sessions` to see why",
                 "a session is or is not collected.",
-                "Newly discovered repos get a general ambient work context automatically.",
+                "New repos start being collected automatically, with no ticket attached.",
                 "Discovery scans 3 folder levels and up to 50 repos by default; tune with",
                 "--max-depth and --max-repos.",
                 "Also self-updates the CLI from npm latest once per day, strictly after",
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ function localSubcommandHelp(command) {
             [
                 "Usage: cockpit analyze [--workspace <path>] [--dashboard-url <url>] [--json]",
                 "",
-                "Uploads the latest local ambient evidence, then queues one analysis job.",
+                "Uploads your latest collected work, then asks Cockpit to analyse it.",
                 "The command returns after the batch is queued; view status and results in My Work.",
                 "Omit --dashboard-url for production; pass it only for staging/custom dashboards.",
                 "`--repo <path>` remains supported as a backward-compatible alias.",

package/dist/commands/local.js

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import path from "node:path";
 import { bufferedWritable, defaultExec, defaultIo, errorMessage, parseCapturedJson, replayCaptured, writeLine, } from "./cli-io.js";
 import { isLocalHelpRequest, localCommandHelp } from "./local-help.js";
+import { describeError, isMissingFileFailure } from "../health-detail.js";
 import { addInstallEvent, classifySyncHealthError, redactedSyncErrorDetail, reportInstallEventsBestEffort, } from "./install-receipts.js";
 import { canReuseOnboardSession, pairLocalCollectorWithAuthFallback, readOnboardSessionReuseCandidate, requestPairingAccessToken, requestPairingAccessTokenDetailed, resolveInteractiveLoginEmail, resolveOnboardEmail, } from "./local-auth.js";
 import { collectionRootConsentAliases, persistOnboardingRootConfig, resolveOnboardingRootsForCommand, } from "./collection-roots.js";
@@ -306,9 +307,9 @@ function backgroundSyncLine(result) {
     return result.status;
 }
 function writeOnboardBanner(command, io) {
-    writeLine(io.stdout, "Cockpit harvest onboarding");
+    writeLine(io.stdout, "Setting up Cockpit");
     writeLine(io.stdout, `Dashboard: ${command.dashboardUrl}`);
-    writeLine(io.stdout, `Ticket: ${command.activeTicketId ?? "general ambient"}`);
+    writeLine(io.stdout, `Ticket: ${displayTicketId(command.activeTicketId)}`);
 }
 /**
  * Step 2 of onboarding: reuse the device session when it already belongs to
@@ -525,7 +526,7 @@ async function runOnboard(command, io) {
                 }, null, 2));
             }
             if (onboardOk && !command.json) {
-                writeLine(io.stdout, "PASS: Cockpit collector is ready for harvest.");
+                writeLine(io.stdout, "PASS: Cockpit is set up and collecting.");
                 writeOnboardLiveStatus(io, resolvedCommand, collectionRoots, {
                     pair,
                     status,
@@ -552,7 +553,7 @@ async function runOnboard(command, io) {
             writeLine(io.stdout, "3/5 Work context active.");
             writeLine(io.stdout, `Repo: ${context.repo}`);
             writeLine(io.stdout, `Branch: ${context.branch}`);
-            writeLine(io.stdout, `Ticket: ${context.active_ticket_id ?? "general ambient"}`);
+            writeLine(io.stdout, `Ticket: ${displayTicketId(context.active_ticket_id)}`);
             writeLine(io.stdout, `Context: ${context.work_context_id}`);
         }
         addInstallEvent(installEvents, "work_context", "ok");
@@ -638,9 +639,9 @@ async function runOnboard(command, io) {
             }, null, 2));
             return finish(onboardOk ? 0 : 1);
         }
-        writeLine(io.stdout, "4/5 Ambient metadata uploaded.");
+        writeLine(io.stdout, "4/5 Uploaded what you worked on.");
         writeLine(io.stdout, `HTTP: ${sync.http_status}`);
-        writeLine(io.stdout, `Facts: ${sync.event_count}`);
+        writeLine(io.stdout, `Things recorded: ${sync.event_count}`);
         writeLine(io.stdout, `Sources: ${sync.source_scan_count}`);
         writeLine(io.stdout, `Risk flags: ${sync.risk_flag_count}`);
         writeLine(io.stdout, `Raw evidence files: ${sync.raw_evidence_file_count}`);
@@ -656,7 +657,7 @@ async function runOnboard(command, io) {
             writeOnboardAutostartBlocker(io, autostart);
             return finish(1);
         }
-        writeLine(io.stdout, "PASS: Cockpit collector is ready for harvest.");
+        writeLine(io.stdout, "PASS: Cockpit is set up and collecting.");
         writeOnboardLiveStatus(io, resolvedCommand, collectionRoots, {
             pair,
             status,
@@ -839,7 +840,7 @@ function nextStepForOnboardBlocker(blocker, options = {}) {
         case "ticket_binding":
             return "Run `cockpit start --ticket <id>` when actual ticket work begins, then run `cockpit sync`.";
         case "device_pairing":
-            return "Approve from Ambient -> Collector approvals, or paste the pairing code there, then rerun `cockpit onboard`.";
+            return "Ask Edward to approve this machine in the dashboard under Ambient -> Collector approvals, then run `cockpit onboard` again.";
         case "network_or_ingest":
             return "Check dashboard URL/network, then run `cockpit sync --json` or rerun `cockpit onboard`.";
         case "install":
@@ -1125,7 +1126,7 @@ async function runSyncWithHealthReceipt(command, io) {
             }, null, 2));
         }
         else {
-            writeLine(io.stdout, "live sync paused during backfill");
+            writeLine(io.stdout, "Pausing normal sync while it catches up on old sessions.");
         }
         return {
             exitCode: 0,
@@ -1300,11 +1301,11 @@ async function runSyncLocked(command, io) {
         return syncResult(run);
     }
     if (run.ok) {
-        writeLine(io.stdout, "Cockpit ambient envelope uploaded.");
+        writeLine(io.stdout, "Cockpit uploaded this session.");
         writeLine(io.stdout, `Ticket: ${displayTicketId(result.ticket_id)}`);
         writeLine(io.stdout, `Context: ${result.work_context_id}`);
         writeLine(io.stdout, `Head: ${shortSha(result.head_sha)}`);
-        writeLine(io.stdout, `Facts: ${result.event_count}`);
+        writeLine(io.stdout, `Things recorded: ${result.event_count}`);
         writeLine(io.stdout, `Risk flags: ${result.risk_flag_count}`);
         writeLine(io.stdout, `Raw evidence files: ${result.raw_evidence_file_count}`);
         writeLine(io.stdout, rawEvidenceSyncLine(result));
@@ -1315,11 +1316,11 @@ async function runSyncLocked(command, io) {
         return syncResult(run);
     }
     if (result.status === "uploaded") {
-        writeLine(io.stderr, "Cockpit ambient upload was accepted, but session collection is partial; retry `cockpit sync`.");
+        writeLine(io.stderr, "Cockpit uploaded, but some sessions did not make it. Run `cockpit sync` again.");
         writeAgentSessionSummary(io, run.summary);
         return syncResult(run);
     }
-    writeLine(io.stderr, "Cockpit ambient upload failed; safe retry metadata was spooled.");
+    writeLine(io.stderr, "Cockpit could not upload. It saved a note to retry and will try again on the next sync.");
     writeLine(io.stderr, `Ticket: ${displayTicketId(result.ticket_id)}`);
     writeLine(io.stderr, `Failure: ${result.failure_reason}`);
     writeLine(io.stderr, `Retry: ${result.retry_command}`);
@@ -1372,7 +1373,16 @@ async function runAnalyze(command, io) {
         return syncExitCode === 0 ? 1 : syncExitCode;
     }
     const paths = getCollectorRuntimePaths(command.homeDir);
-    const session = await readLocalCollectorSessionFile(paths).catch(() => {
+    const session = await readLocalCollectorSessionFile(paths).catch((error) => {
+        // "Not signed in" is the right sentence for an absent session file and the
+        // wrong one for a corrupt one, which `cockpit login` will not repair
+        // (BLI-3238).
+        if (!isMissingFileFailure(error)) {
+            console.error("[cockpit-analyze] session file present but unreadable, reporting as not signed in", JSON.stringify({
+                reason: "session_file_unusable",
+                ...describeError(error),
+            }));
+        }
         throw new Error("Cockpit is not signed in. Run `cockpit onboard` or `cockpit login` first.");
     });
     const dashboardUrl = normalizeUrl(command.dashboardUrl ?? session.dashboard_url ?? DEFAULT_DASHBOARD_URL);
@@ -1419,7 +1429,7 @@ async function runAnalyze(command, io) {
         return 0;
     }
     replayCaptured(io.stderr, syncStderr);
-    writeLine(io.stdout, "Cockpit latest evidence uploaded.");
+    writeLine(io.stdout, "Cockpit uploaded your latest work.");
     writeLine(io.stdout, "Cockpit analysis queued.");
     if (jobId)
         writeLine(io.stdout, `Job: ${jobId}`);
@@ -1436,6 +1446,15 @@ async function readAnalyzeApiResponse(response) {
         return value && typeof value === "object" ? value : {};
     }
     catch {
+        // `{}` erases whatever the analyze endpoint said, including its error, and
+        // the operator is left with a job id of `undefined` and no reason. The
+        // body is never logged; its shape is what identifies a proxy reply.
+        console.error("[cockpit-analyze] reply was not JSON", JSON.stringify({
+            reason: "response_body_not_json",
+            http_status: response.status,
+            byte_size: text.length,
+            content_type: response.headers.get("content-type") ?? "none",
+        }));
         return {};
     }
 }

package/dist/commands/public-root.js

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ export async function runCockpitCli(argv, io) {
   }
 
   if (command === "--version" || command === "-V" || command === "version") {
-    writeLine(io?.stdout ?? process.stdout, "0.2.29");
+    writeLine(io?.stdout ?? process.stdout, "0.2.31");
     return 0;
   }
 

package/dist/commands/session-sync.js

@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
 import os from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
 import { getCollectorRuntimePaths, readLocalCollectorConfig, startLocalWorkContext, startLocalWorkContextForAttributedTarget, } from "../local-state.js";
-import { CODEX_SESSION_ATTRIBUTION_STATE_RANK, NO_UPLOAD_ATTEMPT_RECORDED, } from "@bli-cockpit/telemetry-core";
+import { describeError } from "../health-detail.js";
+import { CODEX_SESSION_ATTRIBUTION_STATE_RANK, NO_UPLOAD_ATTEMPT_RECORDED, notUploadableAttributionStateReason, } from "@bli-cockpit/telemetry-core";
 import { flushPendingCodexSessionReports, LocalUploadBlockedError, queueCodexSessionReport, syncLocalAmbientEnvelope, } from "../upload.js";
 import { CODEX_ATTRIBUTION_SCAN_WINDOW_SESSION_LIMIT, CODEX_ATTRIBUTION_SCAN_WINDOW_MINUTES, defaultCodexSessionDirs, scanAndAttributeCodexSessions, } from "../adapters/codex-attribution.js";
 import { scanAndAttributeClaudeSessions } from "../adapters/claude-attribution.js";
@@ -376,8 +377,17 @@ export async function runAttributedWorktreeSync(options) {
         codexCursor.updated_at = now.toISOString();
         await writeRawEvidenceCursor(paths, codexCursor);
     }
-    catch {
-        // Best-effort: stale counts read 0 and observations re-record next sync.
+    catch (error) {
+        // Best-effort: stale counts read 0 and observations re-record next sync —
+        // which is fine ONCE. A cursor write that keeps failing means the sessions
+        // cursor never advances, every sync re-does the same work, and the only
+        // symptom is a stale count that is permanently zero (BLI-3238).
+        console.error("[session-sync] Codex session observations were not recorded", JSON.stringify({
+            reason: "session_cursor_update_failed",
+            source: "codex",
+            session_count: sessions.length,
+            ...describeError(error),
+        }));
     }
     if (claudeEnabled) {
         try {
@@ -398,8 +408,16 @@ export async function runAttributedWorktreeSync(options) {
                 sessionsOnly: true,
             });
         }
-        catch {
-            // Best-effort: a broken Claude cursor must not fail the sync.
+        catch (error) {
+            // Best-effort: a broken Claude cursor must not fail the sync. It must
+            // still say it is broken — otherwise the Claude half of collection
+            // quietly repeats itself forever.
+            console.error("[session-sync] Claude session observations were not recorded", JSON.stringify({
+                reason: "session_cursor_update_failed",
+                source: "claude_code",
+                session_count: sessions.length,
+                ...describeError(error),
+            }));
         }
     }
     const report = hadPendingSessionReports || queuedCurrentSessionReport
@@ -639,7 +657,18 @@ export function buildAgentSessionReport(options) {
                                     ? "sync_incomplete_this_pass"
                                     : NO_UPLOAD_ATTEMPT_RECORDED),
                         }
-                        : {}),
+                        : {
+                            // BLI-3272: the upload policy refused this session's
+                            // attribution state. That refusal used to spread `{}` here, so
+                            // the row landed with upload_state NULL and upload_reason NULL
+                            // — a withhold that named nothing, on 1,256 production
+                            // sessions. It is a decision like any other and it says so.
+                            // Any reason the pipeline did record still wins: it is the more
+                            // specific answer.
+                            upload_state: "not_uploaded",
+                            upload_reason: noUploadReasonByKey.get(key) ??
+                                notUploadableAttributionStateReason(result.reason),
+                        }),
         };
     });
 }

package/dist/commands/status.js

@@ -3,9 +3,11 @@
  * active work, upload state, retry backlog, and how far historical backfill
  * has got.
  *
- * Read-only. Split out of commands/local.ts (BLI-3104); moved verbatim, since
- * every line here is what an intern pastes into Slack when something looks
- * wrong.
+ * Read-only. Split out of commands/local.ts (BLI-3104). BLI-3194 rewrote the
+ * human block into plain English, because these lines are what an intern
+ * pastes into Slack when something looks wrong. The `--json` payload is the
+ * machine contract and is byte-for-byte unchanged — `status-json-shape.test.ts`
+ * holds it to that.
  */
 import { readdir, stat } from "node:fs/promises";
 import os from "node:os";
@@ -14,6 +16,7 @@ import { writeLine } from "./cli-io.js";
 import { displayTicketId, displayWorkLabel, shortSha, stuckEvidenceLine, } from "./collection-report.js";
 import { discoverCommandWorktrees } from "./local-discovery.js";
 import { defaultCodexSessionDirs } from "../adapters/codex-attribution.js";
+import { describeError } from "../health-detail.js";
 import { backfillCompletionCovers, emptyBackfillCursorState, prepareBackfillCursorForScope, readBackfillCompletionMarker, readBackfillCursor, } from "../cursors/backfill-cursor.js";
 import { getCollectorRuntimePaths, inspectLocalCollectorStatus, readLocalCollectorConfig, } from "../local-state.js";
 import { normalizeCollectionRoots } from "../root-normalization.js";
@@ -32,8 +35,8 @@ export async function runStatus(command, io) {
             writeLine(io.stdout, JSON.stringify({ mode: "multi_repo", statuses, backfill_cursor: backfillCursor }, null, 2));
             return 0;
         }
-        writeLine(io.stdout, "Cockpit parent status");
-        writeLine(io.stdout, `backfill: ${backfillCursorLine(backfillCursor)}`);
+        writeLine(io.stdout, "Cockpit status — every repo below this folder");
+        writeLine(io.stdout, `Old sessions: ${backfillCursorLine(backfillCursor)}`);
         for (const status of statuses) {
             writeLine(io.stdout, `- ${status.repo_label ?? status.repo}/${status.worktree_label ?? "worktree"} · ${status.branch} · head:${shortSha(status.head_sha)} · ${status.upload_state}`);
         }
@@ -44,24 +47,26 @@ export async function runStatus(command, io) {
         writeLine(io.stdout, JSON.stringify({ ...status, backfill_cursor: backfillCursor }, null, 2));
         return 0;
     }
-    writeLine(io.stdout, "Cockpit local status");
-    writeLine(io.stdout, `installed: ${status.installed}`);
-    writeLine(io.stdout, `session_state: ${status.session_state}`);
-    writeLine(io.stdout, `repo: ${status.repo}`);
-    writeLine(io.stdout, `branch: ${status.branch}`);
-    writeLine(io.stdout, `ticket: ${displayTicketId(status.active_ticket_id)}`);
-    writeLine(io.stdout, `work: ${displayWorkLabel(status)}`);
-    writeLine(io.stdout, `collector_freshness: ${status.collector_freshness}`);
-    writeLine(io.stdout, `collector_version: ${status.collector_version}`);
-    writeLine(io.stdout, `upload_state: ${status.upload_state}`);
-    writeLine(io.stdout, `last_upload_attempt: ${status.last_upload_attempt_at ?? "never"}`);
-    writeLine(io.stdout, `last_upload_success: ${status.last_upload_success_at ?? "never"}`);
-    writeLine(io.stdout, `last_upload_failure: ${status.last_upload_failure_reason ?? "none"}`);
-    writeLine(io.stdout, `pending_uploads: ${status.pending_upload_count}`);
-    writeLine(io.stdout, `pending_health_receipts: ${status.pending_health_receipt_count}`);
-    writeLine(io.stdout, `last_health_receipt_failure: ${status.last_health_receipt_failure_reason ?? "none"}`);
-    writeLine(io.stdout, `backfill: ${backfillCursorLine(backfillCursor)}`);
-    writeLine(io.stdout, `stuck_evidence: ${stuckEvidenceLine(status)}`);
+    writeLine(io.stdout, "Cockpit status");
+    writeLine(io.stdout, `Installed: ${status.installed ? "yes" : "no"}`);
+    writeLine(io.stdout, `Signed in: ${signedInLine(status.session_state)}`);
+    writeLine(io.stdout, `Repo: ${status.repo}`);
+    writeLine(io.stdout, `Branch: ${status.branch}`);
+    writeLine(io.stdout, `Ticket: ${displayTicketId(status.active_ticket_id)}`);
+    writeLine(io.stdout, `Work: ${displayWorkLabel(status)}`);
+    writeLine(io.stdout, `Last collected: ${lastCollectedLine(status.collector_freshness)}`);
+    writeLine(io.stdout, `Version: ${status.collector_version}`);
+    writeLine(io.stdout, `Uploads: ${uploadsLine(status.upload_state)}`);
+    writeLine(io.stdout, `Last upload tried: ${status.last_upload_attempt_at ?? "never"}`);
+    writeLine(io.stdout, `Last upload worked: ${status.last_upload_success_at ?? "never"}`);
+    // The failure reason itself is a machine label and prints verbatim: a status
+    // that hides why the last upload failed is the silent-success failure mode.
+    writeLine(io.stdout, `Last upload problem: ${status.last_upload_failure_reason ?? "none"}`);
+    writeLine(io.stdout, `Waiting to upload: ${status.pending_upload_count}`);
+    writeLine(io.stdout, `Health notes waiting to send: ${status.pending_health_receipt_count}`);
+    writeLine(io.stdout, `Last health note problem: ${status.last_health_receipt_failure_reason ?? "none"}`);
+    writeLine(io.stdout, `Old sessions: ${backfillCursorLine(backfillCursor)}`);
+    writeLine(io.stdout, `Stuck files: ${stuckEvidenceLine(status)}`);
     for (const detail of status.details)
         writeLine(io.stdout, `- ${detail}`);
     return 0;
@@ -122,11 +127,46 @@ function summarizeBackfillSource(source) {
 function backfillCursorLine(status) {
     switch (status.state) {
         case "done":
-            return `done (${status.completed_at ?? "completion marker present"})`;
+            return `done (${status.completed_at ?? "finished, no date recorded"})`;
         case "never_run":
-            return "never run";
+            return "not started yet";
         case "remaining":
-            return `${status.remaining_count} remaining`;
+            return `${status.remaining_count} still to catch up on`;
+    }
+}
+/** Plain words for the four session states; `--json` still gets the raw value. */
+function signedInLine(sessionState) {
+    switch (sessionState) {
+        case "valid":
+            return "yes";
+        case "expired":
+            return "no — the sign-in expired, run `cockpit login`";
+        case "missing":
+            return "no — run `cockpit login`";
+        case "unknown":
+            return "cannot tell";
+    }
+}
+function lastCollectedLine(freshness) {
+    switch (freshness) {
+        case "fresh":
+            return "recently";
+        case "stale":
+            return "a while ago";
+        case "missing":
+            return "never";
+    }
+}
+function uploadsLine(uploadState) {
+    switch (uploadState) {
+        case "ready":
+            return "ready";
+        case "retry_pending":
+            return "waiting to retry";
+        case "local_only_missing_auth":
+            return "staying on this machine — not signed in";
+        case "not_installed":
+            return "not set up yet — run `cockpit onboard`";
     }
 }
 async function countRemainingBackfillSessionFiles(homeDir, cursor) {
@@ -165,6 +205,12 @@ async function countClaudeMainFilesBeforeCursor(projectsDir, oldestProcessedMs)
 /** Unreadable folders are skipped rather than failing the walk. */
 async function walkFiles(roots, onFile, shouldStop = () => false) {
     const stack = [...roots];
+    // Counted, then reported once at the end: `cockpit status` is what an
+    // operator reads to decide whether collection is healthy, and a walk that
+    // silently skipped half the store would answer that question wrong
+    // (BLI-3238).
+    let unreadableDirCount = 0;
+    let firstFailure = null;
     while (stack.length > 0 && !shouldStop()) {
         const current = stack.pop();
         if (!current)
@@ -173,7 +219,9 @@ async function walkFiles(roots, onFile, shouldStop = () => false) {
         try {
             entries = await readdir(current, { withFileTypes: true });
         }
-        catch {
+        catch (error) {
+            unreadableDirCount += 1;
+            firstFailure ??= describeError(error);
             continue;
         }
         for (const entry of entries) {
@@ -188,4 +236,11 @@ async function walkFiles(roots, onFile, shouldStop = () => false) {
             }
         }
     }
+    if (unreadableDirCount > 0) {
+        console.error("[cockpit-status] folders skipped while counting", JSON.stringify({
+            reason: "status_walk_dir_unreadable",
+            unreadable_dir_count: unreadableDirCount,
+            ...firstFailure,
+        }));
+    }
 }

package/dist/cursors/backfill-cursor.js

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import crypto from "node:crypto";
 import fs from "node:fs/promises";
 import path from "node:path";
+import { describeError, isMissingFileFailure } from "../health-detail.js";
 export const BACKFILL_CURSOR_FILENAME = "backfill.json";
 export const BACKFILL_COMPLETION_MARKER_FILENAME = "backfill-complete.json";
 export const BACKFILL_COVERAGE_VERSION = "redacted-session-backfill.v3";
@@ -20,7 +21,17 @@ export async function readBackfillCursor(paths) {
         const raw = JSON.parse(await fs.readFile(backfillCursorPath(paths), "utf8"));
         return parseBackfillCursor(raw);
     }
-    catch {
+    catch (error) {
+        // Missing is the normal pre-backfill state. Present-but-unreadable means
+        // the historical sweep is about to restart from scratch, which looks
+        // identical from the outside and costs a full re-walk (BLI-3238).
+        if (!isMissingFileFailure(error)) {
+            console.error("[backfill-cursor] cursor unreadable, restarting the sweep from empty", JSON.stringify({
+                reason: "backfill_cursor_unreadable",
+                cursor_file: BACKFILL_CURSOR_FILENAME,
+                ...describeError(error),
+            }));
+        }
         return emptyBackfillCursorState();
     }
 }
@@ -36,7 +47,17 @@ export async function readBackfillCompletionMarker(paths) {
         const raw = JSON.parse(await fs.readFile(backfillCompletionMarkerPath(paths), "utf8"));
         return parseBackfillCompletionMarker(raw);
     }
-    catch {
+    catch (error) {
+        // No marker means backfill has not finished, which is the ordinary state.
+        // A marker that cannot be read means a finished backfill will be re-run,
+        // and the machine should say so rather than quietly redo a day of work.
+        if (!isMissingFileFailure(error)) {
+            console.error("[backfill-cursor] completion marker unreadable, treating backfill as unfinished", JSON.stringify({
+                reason: "backfill_marker_unreadable",
+                marker_file: BACKFILL_COMPLETION_MARKER_FILENAME,
+                ...describeError(error),
+            }));
+        }
         return null;
     }
 }