@techgoblin/gobstack 0.4.4-beta.7 → 0.4.4-beta.8

package/README.md

@@ -50,14 +50,17 @@ After installing, in this order:
 
     cd <target> && git add -A && git commit   # the install is a change like any other
     gob verify                             # or .goblin/bin/goblin-verify, inside the target
-    hermes skills trust <target>              # one-time, Hermes users, so project-tier skills load
+    gob emit --platform <p>                   # optional, per platform: the agent skills are an opt-in
     gob audit                              # once, deliberately: the ONLY network step (SC-07)
 
-**A class-A install verifies green — `43 passed, 0 failed, 11 advisory, 28 skipped`, exit 0 — once
+**A default class-A install (no agent skills — those are `gob emit`'s job) verifies green —
+`38 passed, 0 failed, 11 advisory, 33 skipped`, exit 0 — once
 `HANDOFF.md` names a commit that exists. Before that edit the scaffold's `0000000` placeholder is
-the one expected red: `42 passed, 1 failed`, `HP-05`. Both numbers measured 2026-09-25; the run and
-the fix are step 2 of `docs/GUIDE.md`.**
-Twenty-eight rows skip (`HS-02` has no pinned pre-change commit yet, so the REPLAY is not provable;
+the one expected red: `37 passed, 1 failed`, `HP-05`. Both numbers measured at W6 (neutral-first);
+the run and the fix are step 2 of `docs/GUIDE.md`.**
+Thirty-three rows skip — the five skill rows (`SK-01`..`SK-04`, `AU-04`) skip on the `playbooks`
+opt-out a skills-free install records, then the not-yet rows (`HS-02` has no pinned pre-change
+commit yet, so the REPLAY is not provable;
 `AU-02` and `AU-03` have no report to audit; `SC-06`, `SC-07` and `SC-08` have no dependency
 manifest, no lockfile and no audit record to read; `PF-01` has no measured perf baseline;
 `BN-01`/`BN-02`/`BN-05` have no `src/` for a ban to read, and `BN-03` plus the four electron bans
@@ -83,7 +86,7 @@ The measurement and the vacuous-pass reading are in `docs/CONTRACTS.md`.
 | `gob verify` | run the rule matrix against the current repo — `PASS`/`FAIL`/`SKIP` per row, exit 0 pass · 1 a check failed · 2 could not run · 3 the manifest is broken |
 | `gob bans` | run the ban list (per-pattern red lines over the source tree) |
 | `gob audit` | check recorded dependency claims against live advisory feeds — the only command that touches the network |
-| `gob install` | install the manifest, skills and verifier into a target repo |
+| `gob install` | install the harness into a target repo: manifest, verifier, gates, HANDOFF — no agent skills (those are an opt-in: `gob emit --platform <p>`, or `--skills yes`) |
 | `gob uninstall` | remove everything an install wrote, byte-exactly (`gob install --target <dir> --uninstall` is the same job) |
 | `gob upgrade` | migrate a repo to the shared global engine at `~/.goblin/engine` — 8 steps, two commits, one report |
 | `gob doctor` | one run across the platforms below: DETECTED / NOT-DETECTED / DRIFT per platform |
@@ -111,6 +114,13 @@ One run of `gob emit --platform <p> --scope project` writes the skills and the c
 session of that platform reads; `--scope global` writes to the machine-level anchor. `--dry-run`
 prints the full write plan first.
 
+**Agent skills are opt-in.** A `gob install` writes the neutral harness only — `.goblin/`,
+`HANDOFF.md`, `AGENTS.md`, the checks and the `.gitignore` block; no skills directory, and no
+files belonging to any coding agent. The guided path is `gob init`'s emit screen; the one-shot
+path is `gob emit --platform <p>` after installing. Repos whose install predates the opt-in
+default keep their skills through `gob upgrade` (the install record names them; only an explicit
+`--skills no`, or `--uninstall`, removes them).
+
 ## What it is not
 
 Not a rules document (every rule carries a runnable check or is explicitly counted as

package/bin/goblin-init

@@ -375,29 +375,37 @@ if [ -n "$EMIT" ]; then
     [ -n "$ok" ] || { g_err "--emit: unknown platform '$w' — I ship $PLA, hermes, copilot, cursor, opencode, codex, $GEM"; exit 2; }
   done
 else
+  # neutral-first: a flags-only run with no --emit emits NOTHING. The detected rows are
+  # shown on the emit screen as pre-ticked SUGGESTIONS for the interactive path; in
+  # non-interactive mode silence means the neutral harness only.
   EMIT_SELECTED=""
-  while IFS=$'\t' read -r p _proj _glob _hit; do
-    [ -n "$p" ] || continue
-    EMIT_SELECTED="$EMIT_SELECTED $p"
-  done <<< "$DET_ROWS"
+  if [ "$YES" -eq 0 ] && [ "$TTY_IN" -eq 1 ]; then
+    while IFS=$'\t' read -r p _proj _glob _hit; do
+      [ -n "$p" ] || continue
+      EMIT_SELECTED="$EMIT_SELECTED $p"
+    done <<< "$DET_ROWS"
+  fi
 fi
 EMIT_N=$(printf '%s' "$EMIT_SELECTED" | awk 'NF' | wc -l | tr -d '[:space:]')
 
 if [ "$TTY_IN" -eq 1 ] && [ -z "$EMIT" ] && [ "$YES" -eq 0 ]; then
   rail_say ""
-  rail_say "      ${C_MUTED}emit now — the skills go into:$C_RESET"
+  rail_say "      ${C_MUTED}agent skills are opt-in, per platform — emit them into:$C_RESET"
   for p in $PLATFORMS; do
     hit=""
     while IFS=$'	' read -r dp _a _b _c; do [ "$dp" = "$p" ] && hit=1; done <<< "$DET_ROWS"
     [ -n "$hit" ] || continue
     rail_say "      ${C_GREEN}✔$C_RESET $C_TEXT$p$C_RESET"
   done
-  rail_say "      ${C_MUTED}Enter = these; or type platform names to override$C_RESET"
+  rail_say "      ${C_MUTED}the install itself writes none — the harness stays neutral$C_RESET"
+  rail_say "      ${C_MUTED}Enter = these; or type platform names to override (none: type x)$C_RESET"
   printf '      '
   read -r REPLY_EMIT
   ASKED_ANY=1
   rail_say ""
-  if [ -n "$REPLY_EMIT" ]; then
+  if [ "$REPLY_EMIT" = "x" ] || [ "$REPLY_EMIT" = "none" ]; then
+    EMIT_SELECTED=""
+  elif [ -n "$REPLY_EMIT" ]; then
     EMIT_SELECTED=""
     for w in $REPLY_EMIT; do
       ok=""
@@ -456,7 +464,7 @@ if [ "$TTY_OUT" -eq 1 ]; then
 else
   printf 'gob init [run] goblin-install --target %s --class %s\n' "$TARGET" "$CLASS"
 fi
-bash "$SRC/bin/goblin-install" --target "$TARGET" --class "$CLASS" --yes
+bash "$SRC/bin/goblin-install" --target "$TARGET" --class "$CLASS" --skills no --yes
 EXIT_INSTALL=$?
 if [ "$EXIT_INSTALL" -ne 0 ]; then
   g_err "install failed (exit $EXIT_INSTALL) — the refusals above name the path and the fix"
@@ -546,7 +554,11 @@ if [ "$DRYRUN" -eq 0 ]; then
   printf '    1. %sthe %s skipped checks ARE your checklist — gob verify names each one%s\n' "$C_TEXT" "$SKIPPED" "$C_RESET"
   printf '    2. %sreplace the placeholder gate in .goblin/goblin.yaml with your real commands (P8 step 3)%s\n' "$C_TEXT" "$C_RESET"
   printf '    3. %snot emitted here: gob emit --platform <p> --scope global%s\n' "$C_TEXT" "$C_RESET"
-  printf '    4. %shermes skills trust %s   # one-time, so the project-tier skills load%s\n' "$C_TEXT" "$TARGET" "$C_RESET"
+  if [ "$EMIT_N" -gt 0 ]; then
+    printf '    4. %shermes skills trust %s   # one-time, so the project-tier skills load%s\n' "$C_TEXT" "$TARGET" "$C_RESET"
+  else
+    printf '    4. %sagent skills are opt-in per platform: gob emit --platform <p>%s\n' "$C_TEXT" "$C_RESET"
+  fi
   printf '\n'
   if [ "$VERIFY_RC" -eq 0 ]; then
     printf '  %s▙ the goblin sees you. keep the gate green.%s\n' "$C_ACCENT" "$C_RESET"

package/bin/goblin-install

@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@
 #   --practice <path>     the referenced standard (default: $GOBLIN_PRACTICE -> ~/projects/PROJECT-PRACTICE.md); a named path that is absent is reported, never silently dropped
 #   --parts <list>        comma list to install; default = every part the class requires
 #   --archive             mark the project archive: verify requires no HANDOFF and no gates
-#   --skills yes|no       install .hermes/skills (default yes; needs the one-time skills trust step)
+#   --skills yes|no       install agent skills under .hermes/skills (default no; opt in per
+#                         platform with: gob emit --platform <p>)
 #   --dry-run             print the plan; write nothing
 #   --upgrade             re-install at the current version; report created/updated/unchanged/skipped
 #   --opt-out <part>      record the part in disabled: so its required checks are skipped
@@ -40,7 +41,16 @@ PRACTICE="${GOBLIN_PRACTICE:-$HOME/projects/PROJECT-PRACTICE.md}"
 PRACTICE_ARG=""
 PARTS=""
 ARCHIVE="false"
-SKILLS="yes"
+# W6 neutral-first: a default install is a NEUTRAL harness (manifest + verify + HANDOFF +
+# .goblin) with NO agent skills. Agent skills are an explicit opt-in (--skills yes, or the
+# per-platform gob emit path the wizard's emit screen drives). The old default (yes) was the
+# house's own setup, not a product default: a non-agent user got a dead .hermes/ tree, and a
+# user of another agent harness got nothing at all.
+SKILLS="no"
+# Whether --skills was named on the command line: an OMITTED flag on a re-install means
+# "whatever the record says" (the migration contract below); a NAMED --skills no is an
+# explicit opt-out and is honoured verbatim.
+SKILLS_NAMED=0
 DRY_RUN=0
 UPGRADE=0
 UNINSTALL=0
@@ -63,7 +73,7 @@ while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
     --practice)  PRACTICE="${2:-}"; PRACTICE_ARG="$PRACTICE"; shift 2 ;;
     --parts)     PARTS="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
     --archive)   ARCHIVE="true"; shift ;;
-    --skills)    SKILLS="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
+    --skills)    SKILLS="${2:-}"; SKILLS_NAMED=1; shift 2 ;;
     --dry-run)   DRY_RUN=1; shift ;;
     --upgrade)   UPGRADE=1; shift ;;
     --uninstall) UNINSTALL=1; shift ;;
@@ -233,6 +243,20 @@ fi
 case "$CLASS" in A|B|C|D|E|F) ;; *) g_err "--class must be one of A B C D E F, got '$CLASS'"; exit 2 ;; esac
 case "$SKILLS" in yes|no) ;; *) g_err "--skills must be yes or no"; exit 2 ;; esac
 
+# W6 migration safety: on a --upgrade (or any re-install) of a repo whose record shows skills
+# were installed, an OMITTED --skills flag must READ that state, not silently strip it. The
+# idempotence contract (created/updated/unchanged) holds only if the effective skills choice
+# for a flag-less re-install is `the record's choice`, so previously-installed skills survive
+# every upgrade unchanged. An EXPLICIT --skills no is honoured verbatim (the switch stays
+# real), and --uninstall still removes exactly what the record lists.
+if [ -f "$INSTALLED" ] && [ "$SKILLS_NAMED" -eq 0 ]; then
+  PREV_SKILLS=$(g_installed_scalar_options "$INSTALLED" skills)
+  if [ "$PREV_SKILLS" = "yes" ]; then
+    SKILLS="yes"
+    g_info "skills: this repo's install record has agent skills installed - they are kept (remove them with an explicit --skills no, or --uninstall)"
+  fi
+fi
+
 PRESET=$(ls "$SRC"/presets/"$CLASS"-*.yaml 2>/dev/null | head -n 1)
 [ -n "$PRESET" ] || { g_err "no preset for class $CLASS"; exit 2; }
 
@@ -572,6 +596,30 @@ if [ "$SKILLS" = "yes" ] && part_wanted playbooks; then
   done
 fi
 
+# W6 neutral-first: an EXPLICIT --skills no re-install of a repo that HAS recorded skills
+# removes them — the switch stays real in both directions. The paths come from the previous
+# record, so exactly what was installed is what goes; a skill file the project edited by hand
+# is refused by put's own contract (never clobbered silently), reported in the summary.
+if [ "$SKILLS_NAMED" -eq 1 ] && [ "$SKILLS" = "no" ] && [ -n "$PREV_FILES" ]; then
+  while IFS= read -r rel; do
+    case "$rel" in .hermes/skills/*) ;; *) continue ;; esac
+    dst="$TARGET/$rel"
+    [ -f "$dst" ] || { rm -f "$TARGET/.goblin/$(basename "$rel")" 2>/dev/null; continue; }
+    if [ "$DRY_RUN" -eq 1 ]; then
+      g_info "plan: remove $rel (explicit --skills no)"
+    else
+      rm -f "$dst"
+      g_info "removed $rel (explicit --skills no)"
+    fi
+  done <<EOF
+$PREV_FILES
+EOF
+  # the emptied .hermes/skills/*/<name> and .hermes/ directories go too (deepest first)
+  if [ "$DRY_RUN" -eq 0 ]; then
+    find "$TARGET/.hermes" -depth -type d -exec rmdir {} + 2>/dev/null
+  fi
+fi
+
 # The automation producers. They land in the target so the target is self-contained and
 # IN-02/SK-02 hash them like every other installed file; the cron copy step then reads from
 # here (see the "next:" block and automations/README.md).
@@ -667,12 +715,20 @@ fi
 } > "$TMP/installed.json"
 
 PREV_VERSION=""
-if [ -f "$INSTALLED" ]; then PREV_VERSION=$(g_installed_scalar "$INSTALLED" version); fi
+RECORD_SKILLS_EFFECTIVE=""
+if [ -f "$INSTALLED" ]; then
+  PREV_VERSION=$(g_installed_scalar "$INSTALLED" version)
+  # The record's own skills choice (after the migration read above): a flip of the effective
+  # choice IS a change even when no file hash moved — the explicit --skills no re-install must
+  # rewrite the record (and drop the files), never report no-op over a state change.
+  RECORD_SKILLS_EFFECTIVE=$(g_installed_scalar_options "$INSTALLED" skills)
+fi
 
 
 if [ "$DRY_RUN" -eq 0 ]; then
   mkdir -p "$TARGET/.goblin"
-  if [ "$CREATED" -eq 0 ] && [ "$UPDATED" -eq 0 ] && [ "$PREV_VERSION" = "$VERSION" ]; then
+  if [ "$CREATED" -eq 0 ] && [ "$UPDATED" -eq 0 ] && [ "$PREV_VERSION" = "$VERSION" ] \
+     && [ "$(printf '%s' "$RECORD_SKILLS_EFFECTIVE" )" = "$(printf '%s' "$SKILLS")" ]; then
     g_info "no-op: $UNCHANGED files unchanged (v$VERSION already installed)"
   else
     cp "$TMP/installed.json" "$INSTALLED"
@@ -699,6 +755,8 @@ if [ "$DRY_RUN" -eq 0 ]; then
   g_info "  3. edit .goblin/goblin.yaml: replace the default gate with your real commands (P8 step 3)"
   if [ "$SKILLS" = "yes" ]; then
     g_info "  4. hermes skills trust $TARGET   # one-time, so the project-tier skills load"
+  else
+    g_info "  4. agent skills are opt-in: gob emit --platform <p>   # run gob doctor for the platform list"
   fi
   g_info ""
   g_info "automations (optional; neither writes outside this repo, and A-02 has no agent in it):"

package/bin/goblin-lib.sh

@@ -216,6 +216,37 @@ g_installed_scalar() {
   sed -n "s/^[[:space:]]*\"$2\"[[:space:]]*:[[:space:]]*\"\{0,1\}\([^\",]*\)\"\{0,1\},\{0,1\}$/\1/p" "$1" | head -n 1
 }
 
+# g_installed_scalar_options <file> <key> — the value of one key inside the "options" object
+# of an install record (e.g. skills). The installer writes options on ONE line
+# (`"options": {"skills": "yes", ...}`), so the awk reads that line's shape directly; a
+# multi-line variant is read the same way the other installed_* readers read their block.
+g_installed_scalar_options() {
+  awk -v k="$2" '
+    /^[[:space:]]*"options"[[:space:]]*:[[:space:]]*\{/ && index($0, "\"" k "\"") {
+      # single-line form: pull the value out between the key and the next , or }
+      line = $0
+      sub(/^[^{]*\{/, "", line)          # everything up to and including the opening brace
+      n = split(line, pair, ",")
+      for (i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
+        p = pair[i]
+        sub(/^[[:space:]]*/, "", p); sub(/[[:space:]]*$/, "", p)
+        key = p; sub(/[[:space:]]*:.*/, "", key); gsub(/"/, "", key)
+        if (key == k) {
+          v = p; sub(/^[^:]*:[[:space:]]*/, "", v); gsub(/"/, "", v); sub(/\}[[:space:]]*$/, "", v)
+          print v; exit
+        }
+      }
+      exit
+    }
+    /^[[:space:]]*"options"[[:space:]]*:[[:space:]]*\{/ { inf = 1; next }
+    inf && /^[[:space:]]*\}/ { inf = 0 }
+    inf && index($0, "\"" k "\"") {
+      v = $0; sub(/^[^:]*:[[:space:]]*/, "", v); sub(/,?[[:space:]]*$/, "", v); gsub(/"/, "", v)
+      print v; exit
+    }
+  ' "$1"
+}
+
 # ------------------------------------------------------------- self-test -----
 # Proves the parser actually parses. Every assertion is a real comparison against a
 # value written to a temp file in this function — blank the awk in g_yaml_scalar and

package/bin/goblin-verify

@@ -536,6 +536,13 @@ check_in_02() {
           [ -e "$ROOT/$p" ] || continue ;;
       esac
     fi
+    # W6 neutral-first: an EXPLICIT --skills no re-install removes the recorded skill files
+    # by design (the record follows the switch). Their absence on a record whose options now
+    # say skills=no is the documented opt-out, not drift - the same clause W4a wrote for the
+    # global tier, scoped to the record's own declared choice.
+    case "$p" in
+      .hermes/skills/*) [ -e "$ROOT/$p" ] || [ "$(g_installed_scalar_options "$INSTALLED" skills)" = "yes" ] || continue ;;
+    esac
     n=$((n + 1))
     cur=$(g_sha256_file "$ROOT/$p")
     if [ "$cur" != "$h" ]; then
@@ -2661,6 +2668,21 @@ while IFS=$'\t' read -r id scope rule enforced_by artifact check why; do
   only_selected "$id" || continue
 
   part=$(row_part "$id")
+  # W6 neutral-first: in global engine mode AU-01's subject is the PRODUCER glob, which
+  # global mode reads from the engine dir — the row must run there even when the repo's
+  # skills opt-out (playbooks) is set, or the W1 control below it is skip-masked. This
+  # clause precedes the opt-out branch on purpose. SK-01/SK-02/SK-04 and AU-02..AU-04 keep
+  # their opt-out semantics.
+  if [ "$id" = "AU-01" ] && [ "$ENGINE_MODE" = "global" ]; then
+    out=$(check_au_01 2>&1); rc=$?
+    case "$rc" in
+      0) PASS=$((PASS + 1)); emit "$id" PASS "$out" ;;
+      1) FAIL=$((FAIL + 1)); emit "$id" FAIL "$out" ;;
+      2) ADV=$((ADV + 1));  emit "$id" ADV "$out" ;;
+      3) SKIP=$((SKIP + 1)); emit "$id" SKIP "$out" ;;
+    esac
+    continue
+  fi
   if [ -n "$part" ] && g_part_disabled "$CONFIG" "$part"; then
     SKIP=$((SKIP + 1)); emit "$id" SKIP "$rule (opt-out: $part)"; continue
   fi

package/docs/ADOPTION.md

@@ -102,13 +102,16 @@ Each step is independently useful and the later ones build on the earlier:
 Then, in order:
 
     git add -A && git commit          # the install is a change like any other
-    .goblin/bin/goblin-verify         # 42 passed, 1 failed - HP-05, until HANDOFF names a commit
-    hermes skills trust <target>      # one-time, so the project-tier skills load
+    .goblin/bin/goblin-verify         # 37 passed, 1 failed - HP-05, until HANDOFF names a commit
+    gob emit --platform <p>           # optional, per platform: the agent skills are an opt-in
 
-A class-A install is **green** — `43 passed, 0 failed, 11 advisory, 28 skipped`, exit 0 — once
+A default class-A install (no agent skills) is **green** — `38 passed, 0 failed, 11 advisory,
+33 skipped`, exit 0 — once
 `HANDOFF.md` names a commit that exists; before that edit the scaffold's `0000000` placeholder is
-the one expected red (`42 passed, 1 failed`). Both numbers are measured, not assumed
-(`docs/CONTRACTS.md`; step 2 of `docs/GUIDE.md`). Twenty-eight rows skip with a reason: `HS-02` (no
+the one expected red (`37 passed, 1 failed`). Both numbers are measured, not assumed
+(`docs/CONTRACTS.md`; step 2 of `docs/GUIDE.md`). Thirty-three rows skip with a reason: the
+five skill rows (`SK-01`..`SK-04`, `AU-04`) skip on the `playbooks` opt-out a skills-free
+install records, plus the not-yet rows: `HS-02` (no
 pinned pre-change commit yet), `AU-02`/`AU-03` (no report has been filed, so there is nothing to
 dedup and no reporter run to audit), `SC-06`/`SC-07`/`SC-08` (no dependency manifest, no lockfile,
 no audit record), `PF-01` (no measured perf baseline), `BN-01`/`BN-02`/`BN-05` (no `src/` for a ban
@@ -160,7 +163,7 @@ The remedy is a reconciliation. The project's file stays the file of record; not
        git add -A && git commit
        .goblin/bin/goblin-verify        # HP-02, HP-03, HP-05 go green
 
-   Success is the class's full green path (`43 passed, 0 failed, 11 advisory, 28 skipped`, exit 0 for
+   Success is the class's full green path (`38 passed, 0 failed, 11 advisory, 33 skipped`, exit 0 for
    class A) with `git status --short` empty.
 
 The edit is additive and small — measured on the model repo (§1's exemplar, 2450 lines): three

package/docs/CONTRACTS.md

@@ -14,7 +14,10 @@ same way the fleet's own tool reads it. Everything else is line-oriented shell.
     --practice <path>     the referenced standard (default: $GOBLIN_PRACTICE -> ~/projects/PROJECT-PRACTICE.md)
     --parts <list>        comma list to install; default = every part the class requires
     --archive             mark the project archive: verify requires no HANDOFF and no gates
-    --skills yes|no       install .hermes/skills (default yes; needs the one-time trust step)
+    --skills yes|no       install agent skills under .hermes/skills (default no — the harness is
+                          neutral; opt in per platform with: gob emit --platform <p>). On a repo whose
+                          record already has skills installed, an OMITTED flag keeps them; an explicit
+                          --skills no removes them.
     --dry-run             print the plan; write nothing
     --upgrade             re-install at the current version; report created/updated/unchanged/skipped
     --opt-out <part>      record the part in disabled: so its required checks are skipped
@@ -37,7 +40,7 @@ files whose hash changed and prints `created C · updated U · unchanged N · sk
 
 | kind | recorded as | overwritten? | hash-checked? | removed by `--uninstall`? |
 |---|---|---|---|---|
-| installed artifact (bin, manifest, roles, skills, harness scaffold) | `files` | yes, on upgrade | yes — IN-02, SK-02 | yes |
+| installed artifact (bin, manifest, roles, opt-in skills, harness scaffold) | `files` | yes, on upgrade | yes — IN-02, SK-02 | yes |
 | created once, then yours (`.goblin/goblin.yaml`, `HANDOFF.md`, `AGENTS.md`, `*-SPEC.md`, `reviews/.gitkeep`) | `owned` | never | no — you are meant to edit them | no, except the config |
 | pre-existing, left alone | `refused` | never | no — IN-04 only proves it was not taken over | no |
 
@@ -112,9 +115,9 @@ Output is one line per executed row, in manifest order, plus a summary line at t
     ADV   MD-02  code lane and review lane both resolve to the same family
     SKIP  HS-02  no pinned pre-change commit yet - REPLAY not provable
 
-Those four lines are one row of each marking. The summary line of a green class-A run is:
+Those four lines are one row of each marking. The summary line of a green default class-A run is:
 
-          43 passed, 0 failed, 11 advisory, 28 skipped
+          38 passed, 0 failed, 11 advisory, 33 skipped
 
 **Exit codes:** `0` every executed check passed (advisories and skips do not fail the run) ·
 `1` at least one check FAILED · `2` verify could not run (not installed, a missing dependency,
@@ -135,8 +138,10 @@ settings that make a workflow a **gate** are written down.
 
 ### A fresh install verifies green
 
-Measured on a fresh class-A install, committed with no hand edit: **`43 passed, 0 failed,
-11 advisory, 28 skipped`, exit 0.** Twenty-eight rows skip with a reason: `HS-02` — no pre-change commit
+Measured on a fresh DEFAULT class-A install (skills opt-in, W6 neutral-first), committed with no
+hand edit: **`38 passed, 0 failed, 11 advisory, 33 skipped`, exit 0.** Thirty-three rows skip with
+a reason — the same not-yet rows as before, plus the five skill rows (`SK-01`..`SK-04`,
+`AU-04`) that skip on the `playbooks` opt-out a skills-free install records: `HS-02` — no pre-change commit
 is pinned yet, so the REPLAY is not provable (`docs/LIMITS.md` #11) — `AU-02` and `AU-03`, which
 have no report to audit in a repo where no reporter has run — `SC-06`, `SC-07` and `SC-08`, which
 have no dependency manifest, no lockfile and no audit record to read yet — `PF-01`, which has
@@ -173,13 +178,20 @@ verifier is reporting FAILs.
 - **Per part:** `--opt-out <part>` records the part in `disabled:`. `goblin-verify` then reports
   the part's rows as `SKIP (opt-out)` in the summary, so the opt-out is **visible rather than
   absent**. The same mechanism is what makes a class's `-` (off) real.
-- **The opt-out numbers are pinned (V3-3).** A fresh class-A install with `--skills no` verifies
-  `39 passed, 0 failed, 11 advisory, 28 skipped`, exit 0, and `tests/t-install-off-switch.sh`
-  asserts that line: a silent drift in the opt-out path is caught rather than left as a number
-  nobody wrote down (the `--skills no` count moved from `37/0/9/11` at v0.2 to here when the ban
-  rows landed, and no file recorded the shift; **the skipped count moved 15 → 18 on 2026-09-25
-  (G1)** — the three new feature-map rows skip on the same path for the same reason, measured;
-  **and 18 → 24 on 2026-09-25 (W3)** — the six judge/loop rows skip there too, measured).
+- **The opt-out numbers are pinned (V3-3).** A class-A install with an explicit `--skills no`
+  verifies `38 passed, 0 failed, 11 advisory, 33 skipped`, exit 0, and
+  `tests/t-install-off-switch.sh` asserts that line: a silent drift in the opt-out path is caught
+  rather than left as a number nobody wrote down (the `--skills no` count moved from `37/0/9/11`
+  at v0.2 when the ban rows landed, **15 → 18 on 2026-09-25 (G1)** — the feature-map rows,
+  **18 → 24 on 2026-09-25 (W3)** — the judge/loop rows, and **to `38/0/11/33` at W6
+  (neutral-first)**, when this opt-out shape BECAME the default and the two lines converged:
+  the old default install measured `43/0/11/28`).
+- **Skills, W6 neutral-first.** A default install ships no agent skills. A repo whose record has
+  `skills: yes` keeps them through every flag-less re-install and `--upgrade` (the installer
+  reads the record's choice and says so out loud); an explicit `--skills no` removes exactly the
+  recorded skill files; `--uninstall` removes everything recorded, as always.
+  `tests/t-install-off-switch.sh` walks that migration: install `--skills yes`, upgrade flag-less,
+  the skills survive byte-identical; uninstall, and they are all gone.
 - **Whole harness:** `--uninstall` deletes the `files` list plus `.goblin/goblin.yaml`, removes
   every directory that leaves empty (deepest first, after `installed.json` itself is gone — the
   order that used to leave `.goblin/` and the sixteen `.hermes/skills/*` directories behind),

package/docs/GUIDE.md

@@ -106,18 +106,20 @@ or the plain installer this wizard drives, if you prefer the one-shot shape:
 
 Expected output (this is a real transcript, trimmed):
 
-    created 50 · updated 0 · unchanged 0 · skipped 0
+    created 25 · updated 0 · unchanged 0 · skipped 0
 
     next:
       1. cd /tmp/gs-try && git add -A && git commit   # the install is a change like any other
       2. .goblin/bin/goblin-verify   # or add .goblin/bin to PATH
       3. edit .goblin/goblin.yaml: replace the default gate with your real commands (P8 step 3)
-      4. hermes skills trust /tmp/gs-try   # one-time, so the project-tier skills load
+      4. agent skills are opt-in: gob emit --platform <p>   # hermes, claude, copilot, cursor, opencode, codex, gemini
 
-**`created 50`** is the installer's count of the files it **tracks** — the 41 in its `files` map,
-the 8 it `owns`, and `.gitignore`. It writes **51**: the 51st is `.goblin/installed.json`, the
-record it keeps for itself, which it writes but does not count. It has written nothing outside this
-directory.
+**`created 25`** is the installer's count of the files it **tracks** — the 16 in its `files`
+map, the 8 it `owns`, and `.gitignore`. It writes **26**: the 26th is `.goblin/installed.json`,
+the record it keeps for itself, which it writes but does not count. It has written nothing
+outside this directory. The default install ships **no agent skills** — the harness is neutral,
+and `gob emit --platform <p>` is the per-platform opt-in (the old `--skills yes` default is
+still there for repos that want the Hermes project tier vendored).
 
 ### Why `git init -b main` matters
 
@@ -141,14 +143,14 @@ branch** (unless you want to).
 You will see one line per rule. The shape:
 
     PASS  IN-01  (test -s .goblin/installed.json && grep -q '"version"' .goblin/installed.json)
-    PASS  IN-02  40 installed files hashed | practice pin ok
+    PASS  IN-02  16 installed files hashed | practice pin ok
     FAIL  HP-05  HANDOFF.md names no commit that exists in this repo
     SKIP  HS-02  no pinned pre-change commit yet - the REPLAY is not provable
     ADV   HP-04  A stale sentence is corrected in place... (advisory)
 
 and a summary line at the bottom:
 
-    42 passed, 1 failed, 11 advisory, 28 skipped     # the one FAIL is HP-05, below
+    37 passed, 1 failed, 11 advisory, 33 skipped     # the one FAIL is HP-05, below
 
 ### How to read that output
 
@@ -185,7 +187,7 @@ against a declared expectation. That is exactly what you want it to do.
 `HEAD when this file was written: `0000000``, and `HP-05` **rejects that placeholder on purpose**.
 A file that names a commit which does not exist is worse than one that names none — it looks like a
 record. Commit first, then write the real short SHA in. Measured: with the placeholder left in,
-verify reports `42 passed, 1 failed`; with the real SHA, `43 passed, 0 failed`.
+verify reports `37 passed, 1 failed`; with the real SHA, `38 passed, 0 failed`.
 
 ---
 
@@ -305,9 +307,9 @@ honest entry, and the harness treats it as one.
 > **Prove it was broken first.**
 
 Before you trust a check, break the thing it checks and watch it go red — then put it back and watch
-it go green. Break it on a row this walkthrough can actually break: `IN-02` hashes the **41 files it
+it go green. Break it on a row this walkthrough can actually break: `IN-02` hashes the **16 files it
 tracks** — not the 8 it `owns` (including `.goblin/goblin.yaml`, which §5 has you editing) and not
-`.goblin/installed.json`; edit one of the 41 — the exercise below uses `.goblin/bans/README.md`.
+`.goblin/installed.json`; edit one of the 16 — the exercise below uses `.goblin/bans/README.md`.
 
     # REPLAY-BEGIN (this exact block is run by tests/t-doc-guide.sh - keep the two copies identical)
     .goblin/bin/goblin-verify --only IN-02                 # expect PASS
@@ -393,13 +395,13 @@ the next session.
 A class-A install lands on a specific shape. The scaffold ships one deliberate red — `HP-05`, the
 `0000000` placeholder in `HANDOFF.md` (§4) — so a literal first run prints:
 
-    42 passed, 1 failed, 11 advisory, 28 skipped     (the one FAIL is HP-05)
+    37 passed, 1 failed, 11 advisory, 33 skipped     (the one FAIL is HP-05)
 
 Name a real commit in `HANDOFF.md` and commit, and it is green:
 
-    43 passed, 0 failed, 11 advisory, 28 skipped     (on a real project; your numbers will differ)
+    38 passed, 0 failed, 11 advisory, 33 skipped     (on a real project; your numbers will differ)
 
-**Twenty-eight rows skipping is correct**, and each skip prints its reason. In plain terms: the
+**Thirty-three rows skipping is correct**, and each skip prints its reason. In plain terms: the
 harness is telling you which of its rules have nothing to read yet. It is a checklist, not a
 scolding.
 
@@ -579,7 +581,7 @@ with *"prove it was broken first"* — it is the one practice that survives cont
     # 1. try it somewhere disposable
     mkdir -p /tmp/gs-try && cd /tmp/gs-try
     git init -b main
-    gob install --target . --class A                     # expect: created 50
+    gob install --target . --class A                     # expect: created 25 (no skills — those are gob emit)
 
     # 2. commit and check
     git add -A && git commit -m "chore: install gobstack"

package/docs/LIMITS.md

@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ deliberate trade or an unfilled gap.
     drift check — `IN-02`, `SK-02`, and `HS-01`'s hash of the harness dir — reads its expected
     hash out of that one file, and that file is the one file no check protects. Measured: append a
     byte to `.goblin/bin/goblin-verify`, rewrite its recorded hash in `installed.json`, commit, and
-    the run is **fully GREEN** (`43 passed, 0 failed`, exit 0). One edit defeats three rows at
+    the run is **fully GREEN** (`38 passed, 0 failed`, exit 0). One edit defeats three rows at
     once, and it is the cheapest way to fake a green run. Doing better needs an anchor the target
     cannot edit — a signature, or a hash held outside the repo — and goblin-stack has no such
     trust root: the source checkout is not guaranteed to exist at verify time, and any value

package/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@techgoblin/gobstack",
-  "version": "0.4.4-beta.7",
+  "version": "0.4.4-beta.8",
   "description": "Agent-discipline toolkit: one verify command, an enforcement matrix, and LIMITS. bash engine, npm shim.",
   "bin": {
     "goblin": "bin/goblin.js",

package/skills/goblin-bootstrap/SKILL.md

@@ -9,11 +9,16 @@ Use when adopting goblin-stack in a repo, or starting one.
 
 1. **Classify the project A-F.** The class selects which parts are required, optional or off;
    it is not a stringency level. F is a desktop shell: it adds the electron bans and a host gate.
-2. **`goblin-install --target <dir> --class <x>`**
-3. **`goblin-verify`** — a class-A install verifies green: `43 passed, 0 failed, 11
-   advisory, 28 skipped`, exit 0, once `HANDOFF.md` names a commit that exists; before that edit the
-   scaffold's `0000000` placeholder is `HP-05`'s one expected day-one red (`42 passed, 1 failed`).
-   Twenty-eight rows skip with a reason, and the reason matters: `HS-02`
+2. **`goblin-install --target <dir> --class <x>`** — the default install is a NEUTRAL harness:
+   no agent skills. Opt in per platform afterwards with `gob emit --platform <p>` (or vendor the
+   Hermes project tier with `--skills yes`).
+3. **`goblin-verify`** — a default class-A install (no agent skills) verifies green:
+   `38 passed, 0 failed, 11 advisory, 33 skipped`, exit 0, once `HANDOFF.md` names a commit that
+   exists; before that edit the
+   scaffold's `0000000` placeholder is `HP-05`'s one expected day-one red (`37 passed, 1 failed`).
+   Thirty-three rows skip with a reason, and the reason matters: the five skill rows
+   (`SK-01`..`SK-04`, `AU-04`) skip on the `playbooks` opt-out a skills-free install records,
+   then `HS-02`
    (no pinned pre-change commit yet, so the REPLAY is not provable), `AU-02`/`AU-03` (no report
    has been filed in this repo), `SC-06`/`SC-07`/`SC-08` (no dependency manifest, no lockfile, no
    audit record), `PF-01` (no perf baseline measured yet), `BN-01`/`BN-02`/`BN-05` (the ban table is

package/templates/AGENTS.md.tmpl

@@ -1,23 +1,32 @@
 # AGENTS.md
 
-This repository uses **goblin-stack** (class `{{CLASS}}`, installed {{DATE}}). It is a pointer,
+This repository uses **gobstack** (class `{{CLASS}}`, installed {{DATE}}). It is a pointer,
 not a rule dump — the rules live in one executable place, and facts beat requirements.
 
+- **Harness entry point:** `.goblin/bin/goblin-verify` — exit 0 pass, 1 a check failed,
+  2 could not run, 3 the manifest is broken. Run it before you commit; the gate is the
+  same run.
 - **Rules and their checks:** `.goblin/manifest/enforcement.tsv` (one row per rule; every row
   carries a runnable check or the literal `advisory`).
 - **Forbidden code (the ban list):** `.goblin/bin/goblin-bans` runs the bans named by `bans:` in
   `.goblin/goblin.yaml`; each ban's mechanism lives in `.goblin/manifest/bans.tsv`. Run it before
   you write the line, not after — a ban is a gate, and `goblin-verify` only reports it once the
   code exists.
-- **Verify:** `.goblin/bin/goblin-verify` — exit 0 pass, 1 a check failed, 2 could not run,
-  3 the manifest is broken.
-- **Procedures:** the skills installed at `.hermes/skills/` (Hermes project tier — highest
-  precedence, repo-owned). Start with `goblin-mode`, which routes a request to a playbook.
 - **Session state:** `HANDOFF.md` at the repo root. Read it before touching anything.
 - **Project config:** `.goblin/goblin.yaml` (class, branch, gates, ratchet, runtime data,
   replay, opt-outs). Edit it in place; the installer never overwrites it.
 - **The referenced standard**, if configured, is named by `practice:` in `.goblin/goblin.yaml`.
   Read it before starting work; this repo carries no copy of it.
 
+**Agent skills are opt-in, per platform.** A default install ships none — this is a neutral
+harness on purpose, so nothing here assumes which coding agent you use. To install the
+procedure skills for your tool:
+
+    gob emit --platform <p>
+
+(`--scope project` writes them inside this repo; `--scope global` writes them for your user.)
+Run `gob emit` with no platform to see the list. If skills were installed here, they live
+under the platform's own directory, and `gob verify` hashes them.
+
 Two things this repo does not do: it does not choose models (a role resolves through the
 mapping file named by `models_file:`), and it does not write outside its own tree.