ai-consultants 5.0.0 → 5.1.1

package/.env.example

@@ -130,8 +130,8 @@ GEMINI_API_MODEL=gemini-3.1-pro-preview
 # GEMINI_REASONING_EFFORT=
 
 # Codex - The Pragmatist
-CODEX_MODEL=gpt-5.6-sol
-CODEX_API_MAX_TOKENS=4096
+CODEX_MODEL=gpt-6-astra
+CODEX_API_MAX_TOKENS=16384
 CODEX_TIMEOUT=180
 CODEX_CMD=codex
 # Reasoning effort for the codex CLI (and API mode). Passed as
@@ -158,9 +158,9 @@ KIMI_TIMEOUT=180
 KIMI_CMD=kimi
 
 # Claude - The Synthesizer
-CLAUDE_MODEL=claude-opus-5 # ai-consultants:default
-# Fable 5 is catalogued and priced but remains an explicit CLAUDE_MODEL opt-in
-# after its local smoke timed out.
+CLAUDE_MODEL=claude-fable-5-1 # ai-consultants:default
+# For the lower-cost standard/medium Claude tier, set CLAUDE_MODEL to
+# claude-opus-5 (or apply_model_tier standard for a single run).
 CLAUDE_TIMEOUT=240
 CLAUDE_CMD=claude
 CLAUDE_API_MAX_TOKENS=16384
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ GROK_API_URL=https://api.x.ai/v1/chat/completions
 # GROK_REASONING_EFFORT= # max_quality sets xhigh (Grok Build maximum)
 
 # DeepSeek - The Code Specialist
-DEEPSEEK_MODEL=deepseek-v4-pro
+DEEPSEEK_MODEL=deepseek-flash
 DEEPSEEK_TIMEOUT=180
 DEEPSEEK_MAX_QUALITY_TIMEOUT=600
 DEEPSEEK_API_MAX_TOKENS=16384

package/CLAUDE.md

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ AI Consultants is a multi-model coverage system that queries up to 10 AI consult
 
 **Self-Exclusion**: The invoking agent is automatically excluded from both the panel and synthesis. Claude Code won't query or synthesize with Claude, Codex CLI won't query or synthesize with Codex, etc.
 
-**Version**: 5.0.0
+**Version**: 5.1.1
 
 ## Distribution
 
@@ -349,9 +349,9 @@ Three normal tiers plus a `maximum` tier are configurable via `apply_model_tier(
 
 | Tier | Description | Example Models |
 |------|-------------|----------------|
-| **premium** | Latest flagship models | claude-opus-5, Gemini 3.7 Flash (High), gpt-5.6-sol |
-| **maximum** | All 10 consultants; maximum targets and highest provider effort | K3-256k, Qwen3.8-Max, MiniMax M3; Grok xhigh, GLM/DeepSeek max |
-| **standard** | Good quality at reasonable cost | claude-sonnet-5, Gemini 3.7 Flash (High), gpt-5.6-terra |
+| **premium** | Latest flagship models | claude-fable-5-1, Gemini 3.7 Flash (High), gpt-6-astra |
+| **maximum** | All 10 consultants; maximum targets and highest provider effort | claude-fable-5-1, K3-256k, Qwen3.8-Max, MiniMax M3; Grok xhigh, GLM/DeepSeek max |
+| **standard** | Good quality at reasonable cost | claude-opus-5, Gemini 3.7 Flash (High), gpt-5.6-terra |
 | **economy** | Optimized for speed and low cost | claude-haiku-4-5, Gemini 3.7 Flash (Low), gpt-5.6-luna |
 
 **Default models are now premium tier** for maximum quality.
@@ -383,16 +383,16 @@ Three new presets leverage the model tiers:
 ./scripts/consult_all.sh --preset fast "quick syntax question"
 ```
 
-### Premium Model Defaults (August 2026)
+### Premium Model Defaults (September 2026)
 All consultants now use premium models by default:
 
 | Consultant | Default Model |
 |------------|---------------|
-| Claude | claude-opus-5 |
+| Claude | claude-fable-5-1 |
 | Gemini | Gemini 3.7 Flash (High) (via agy CLI); API: gemini-3.1-pro-preview |
-| Codex | gpt-5.6-sol |
+| Codex | gpt-6-astra |
 | Mistral | CLI: mistral-medium-3.5; API: mistral-large-3 |
-| DeepSeek | deepseek-v4-pro |
+| DeepSeek | deepseek-flash (DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash) |
 | GLM | glm-5.3-flash |
 | Grok | grok-4.6 |
 | Qwen3 | qwen3.7-max |
@@ -586,11 +586,11 @@ for f in scripts/*.sh scripts/lib/*.sh; do bash -n "$f" && echo "OK: $f"; done
 | `ENABLE_SMART_ROUTING` | false | Intelligent routing by category |
 | `ENABLE_COST_TRACKING` | true | Track costs |
 | `MAX_SESSION_COST` | 1.00 | Max budget ($) |
-| `CLAUDE_MODEL` | claude-opus-5 | Claude model (v2.5) |
+| `CLAUDE_MODEL` | claude-fable-5-1 | Claude model (use claude-opus-5 for lower-cost standard) |
 | `CLAUDE_API_MAX_TOKENS` | 16384 | Claude API thinking + visible-output budget |
 | `GEMINI_MODEL` | Gemini 3.7 Flash (High) | Gemini agy CLI model |
 | `GEMINI_API_MODEL` | gemini-3.1-pro-preview | Gemini API-mode model ID (v2.15) |
-| `CODEX_MODEL` | gpt-5.6-sol | Codex model (v2.5) |
+| `CODEX_MODEL` | gpt-6-astra | Codex model (v2.5) |
 | `MISTRAL_MODEL` | mistral-large-3 | Mistral model (v2.5) |
 | `MISTRAL_CLI_MODEL` | mistral-medium-3.5 | Vibe CLI model alias |
 | `SYNTHESIS_STRATEGY` | coverage | Synthesis strategy (coverage=union of distinct points) |
@@ -760,6 +760,22 @@ curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/matteoscurati/ai-consultants/main/s
 
 ## Changelog
 
+### v5.1.1 (2026-09-10)
+
+- **DeepSeek V4.1 Flash policy.** `scripts/config.sh` selects `deepseek-flash` for the default and every tier. `scripts/configure.sh` migrates only the two exact historical unpinned defaults; durable pins and explicit overrides remain intact. No credentials are imported or personal configuration rewritten by the upgrade.
+- **Conservative cost accounting.** `docs/cost_rates.json` and the catalog-independent fallbacks use $0.30/M input and $1.20/M output for Flash, including retired Flash aliases now served by the new model. `format_cost_caveats` discloses the peak/cache-miss assumption and excluded discounts; estimates are not provider invoices. Other legacy rates are retained as historical estimates.
+- **Verification and scope.** PR #27 passed all 32 CI suites, plus local API 101, configure 138 and core 451 checks. One authorized API request on `96816b5` returned HTTP 200 and a correct structured expiry-boundary answer, with `deepseek-flash` provider-reported, max effort, 119 input / 602 output measured tokens. The shared transport is unchanged; provider identity is not rewritten into a version label. No frozen P1.6 input or live benchmark claim changes.
+
+
+### v5.1.0 (2026-09-09)
+
+- **Fable and Astra model policy.** `scripts/config.sh` and `scripts/configure.sh` align default/premium/maximum with Fable 5.1 and Astra, retain Opus 5/Terra for standard and Haiku/Luna for economy, and migrate exact historical unpinned Codex defaults while recording their origin. `resolve_codex_effort` applies implicit high per request so a later tier cannot inherit an automatically exported value.
+- **Completion and identity are independent checks.** `scripts/lib/claude_stream.jq` derives content identity from assistant text events, keeps billing participants separate, rejects incomplete/error/max-token streams and preserves available accounting. `query_codex.sh` reads usage from JSON events while keeping the final-message file as the answer. Requested-only Codex identity remains truthful and is not an invented promotion blocker.
+- **Grok sandbox checks precede fallback decisions.** `scripts/lib/grok_sandbox.sh` supplies passive socket and diagnostic checks shared with doctor/OAuth. Hidden `--no-memory` is supported by the installed parser even though omitted from help: the earlier diagnosis of an unsupported flag was incorrect. It remains mandatory in dispatch. Metadata annotation cannot replace the adapter's status when its same-directory temporary file fails.
+- **Accounting and configuration.** Fable and Astra both have catalog-independent rate fallbacks. Astra estimates disclose long-context multipliers and excluded cache/service adjustments; no estimate is called a provider invoice. Explicit `AI_CONSULTANTS_CONFIG_DIR` selects private configuration; project dotenv discovery and credential import are not added.
+- **Validation scope.** CLI-only acceptance was selected explicitly. The three provider smoke results retain their actual commit and identity provenance; API paths retain automated tests without a live-promotion claim. The maintainer Breadth v1 harness is included in the repository but excluded from npm, and its frozen inputs are unchanged. No completed P1 benchmark or coverage-gain claim is made.
+
+
 ### v5.0.0
 
 - **Coverage claims are now locally auditable instead of resting on synthesis prose.** `scripts/lib/coverage_integrity.sh` normalizes successful structured envelopes into deterministic `<consultant-slug>:<index>` findings, overwriting any provider-supplied IDs. `scripts/synthesize.sh` asks the synthesizer to cite those IDs, then independently compares expected and represented IDs. Missing/duplicate/non-normalizable sources produce `DEGRADED`; unknown IDs and structural failures produce `FAILED`; invented IDs are removed from published coverage. The legacy `coverage`, `weighted_recommendation`, risk, action, and individual-response fields remain present.

package/README.md

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-# AI Consultants v5.0.0
+# AI Consultants v5.1.1
 
 > **Coverage, not a single guess.** A panel of up to 10 frontier models from different vendors fans out on your question in parallel and hands you the *union* of what they collectively see — the risks, edge cases, and approaches a single model misses.
 
-[![Version](https://img.shields.io/badge/version-5.0.0-blue.svg)](https://github.com/matteoscurati/ai-consultants)
+[![Version](https://img.shields.io/badge/version-5.1.1-blue.svg)](https://github.com/matteoscurati/ai-consultants)
 [![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-green.svg)](LICENSE)
 [![Claude Code Skill](https://img.shields.io/badge/Claude%20Code-Skill-orange.svg)](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/skills)
 [![GitHub stars](https://img.shields.io/github/stars/matteoscurati/ai-consultants?style=social)](https://github.com/matteoscurati/ai-consultants)
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ the observed version is response provenance only.
 | Consultant | Default Model | Persona | Focus |
 |------------|---------------|---------|-------|
 | **GLM** | glm-5.3-flash | The Methodologist | Structured approaches |
-| **DeepSeek** | deepseek-v4-pro | The Code Specialist | Algorithms, code generation |
+| **DeepSeek** | deepseek-flash (V4.1 Flash) | The Code Specialist | Algorithms, code generation |
 
 ### Installing Consultant CLIs
 
@@ -483,13 +483,13 @@ and cannot support a comprehensive coverage claim.
 
 | Consultant | `max_quality` | Premium | Standard | Economy |
 |------------|---------------|---------|----------|---------|
-| Claude | claude-opus-5 | claude-opus-5 | claude-sonnet-5 | claude-haiku-4-5 |
+| Claude | claude-fable-5-1 | claude-fable-5-1 | claude-opus-5 | claude-haiku-4-5 |
 | Gemini CLI | Gemini 3.7 Flash (High) | Gemini 3.7 Flash (High) | Gemini 3.7 Flash (High) | Gemini 3.7 Flash (Low) |
 | Gemini API | gemini-3.1-pro-preview | gemini-3.1-pro-preview | gemini-3.1-pro-preview | gemini-3.1-pro-preview |
-| Codex | gpt-5.6-sol | gpt-5.6-sol | gpt-5.6-terra | gpt-5.6-luna |
+| Codex | gpt-6-astra | gpt-6-astra | gpt-5.6-terra | gpt-5.6-luna |
 | Mistral CLI | mistral-medium-3.5 | mistral-medium-3.5 | mistral-medium-3.5 | devstral-small-2 |
 | Mistral API | mistral-large-3 | mistral-large-3 | mistral-large-3 | mistral-large-3 |
-| DeepSeek | deepseek-v4-pro | deepseek-v4-pro | deepseek-v4-flash | deepseek-v4-flash |
+| DeepSeek | deepseek-flash | deepseek-flash | deepseek-flash | deepseek-flash |
 | GLM | glm-5.3-flash | glm-5.3-flash | glm-5.3-flash | glm-4-flash |
 | Grok | grok-4.6 | grok-4.6 | grok-4.5 | grok-4.5 |
 | Qwen3 | qwen3.8-max when Token Plan is configured; otherwise qwen3.7-max | qwen3.7-max | qwen3.6-35b-a3b | qwen3-32b |
@@ -501,8 +501,9 @@ smoke through the `agy` adapter and is now the CLI default; Low is the CLI
 economy target. The Google API model remains `gemini-3.1-pro-preview`, while
 `gemini-3.7-flash` stays an API-only opt-in until that separate transport is
 verified. The new Mistral API IDs (`mistral-medium-3-5`,
-`mistral-large-2512`, `mistral-small-2603`) and Claude Fable 5 likewise remain
-catalogued opt-ins. Selecting a preset later intentionally reapplies that
+`mistral-large-2512`, `mistral-small-2603`) remain catalogued opt-ins. Claude
+Fable 5.1 is the default/premium/maximum target; use
+`CLAUDE_MODEL=claude-opus-5` for the lower-cost standard override. Selecting a preset later intentionally reapplies that
 preset's tier and can replace an explicit model override for the run.
 Qwen3.8-Max is likewise selected by `max_quality` only when API mode already
 points at an authenticated OpenAI-compatible Token Plan `/chat/completions`
@@ -609,11 +610,11 @@ Auto-selected `*_USE_API` values are marked `# ai-consultants:auto`, allowing a
 later run to adapt when a CLI or credential changes. Environment variables,
 `--set`, and unmarked values remain explicit user choices, except for the exact
 historical generated Claude default described below.
-Managed model defaults use `# ai-consultants:default`; `configure` upgrades the
-historical unmarked `CLAUDE_MODEL=claude-opus-4-8` default to Opus 5 and upgrades
-the exact managed Gemini CLI, GLM, and Grok defaults. To keep
-4.8 intentionally, run
-`ai-consultants configure --set CLAUDE_MODEL=claude-opus-4-8`; explicit model
+Managed model defaults use `# ai-consultants:default`; `configure` upgrades
+un-pinned historical `CLAUDE_MODEL=claude-opus-4-8` and `claude-opus-5` defaults
+to Fable 5.1, along with the exact managed Gemini CLI, GLM, and Grok defaults.
+To keep the lower-cost Opus 5 choice, run
+`ai-consultants configure --set CLAUDE_MODEL=claude-opus-5`; explicit model
 overrides are stored with `# ai-consultants:pin`.
 
 Enter credentials through `--interactive`/`--advanced` or export them before the

package/SKILL.md

@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@ license: MIT
 compatibility: Requires bash, jq, and at least 2 AI CLI tools (agy, codex, vibe, etc.). macOS and Linux.
 metadata:
   author: matteoscurati
-  version: 5.0.0
+  version: 5.1.1
 ---
 
-# AI Consultants v5.0.0 - AI Expert Panel
+# AI Consultants v5.1.1 - AI Expert Panel
 
 **Coverage, not a single guess.** Convene a panel of AI "consultants" from different vendors for coding questions: they fan out in parallel and you get the *union* of what they collectively see — the risks, edge cases, and approaches a single model misses. Each consultant has a **configurable persona** that decorrelates its analysis.
 
@@ -106,7 +106,8 @@ smoke-tested K3-256k and MiniMax M3 targets, plus Qwen3.8-Max when an authentica
 already configured. Gemini 3.7 Flash High is the exact-transport-smoked `agy`
 default for maximum, premium, and standard CLI tiers; Low serves economy. The
 Gemini API target remains 3.1 Pro until `gemini-3.7-flash` completes a separate
-API smoke. Claude Fable 5 and the new Mistral API IDs remain explicit opt-ins.
+API smoke. Claude Fable 5.1 is the default/premium/maximum target; the new
+Mistral API IDs remain explicit opt-ins.
 Grok, GLM, and DeepSeek receive their
 highest accepted reasoning effort in this preset (`xhigh`, `max`, and `max`
 respectively); no failed target is silently replaced.

package/docs/COST_RATES.md

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Cost Rates - AI Consultants v5.0.0
+# Cost Rates - AI Consultants v5.1.1
 
 This page documents the per-token rates used by the cost tracking system.
 
@@ -28,12 +28,14 @@ models programmatically.
 | Gemini 3.1 Pro (High) | CLI opt-in | $0.002 | Gemini (agy CLI) |
 | gemini-3.1-pro-preview | API default | $0.00125 | Gemini API |
 | Gemini 3.6 Flash (High/Low) | Legacy CLI pins | $0.0015 | Gemini |
-| gpt-5.6-sol | Premium | $0.005 | Codex |
+| gpt-6-astra | Maximum/Premium | $0.010 | Codex |
+| gpt-5.6-sol | Explicit override | $0.004 | Codex |
 | gpt-5.6-terra | Standard | $0.002 | Codex |
 | gpt-5.6-luna | Economy | $0.0002 | Codex |
-| claude-opus-5 | Premium | $0.005 | Claude |
-| claude-fable-5 | Opt-in | $0.010 | Claude |
-| claude-sonnet-5 | Standard | $0.003 | Claude |
+| claude-fable-5-1 | Maximum/Premium | $0.010 | Claude |
+| claude-opus-5 | Standard | $0.005 | Claude |
+| claude-fable-5 | Legacy pins | $0.010 | Claude |
+| claude-sonnet-5 | Legacy pins | $0.003 | Claude |
 | claude-haiku-4-5 | Economy | $0.001 | Claude |
 | mistral-large-3 | Premium | $0.002 | Mistral |
 | mistral-medium-3.5 / mistral-medium-3-5 | Premium CLI / API opt-in | $0.0015 | Mistral |
@@ -43,8 +45,9 @@ models programmatically.
 | composer-2.5 | Legacy | $0.0005 | Removed Cursor consultant |
 | composer-2 | Legacy | $0.0005 | Removed Cursor consultant |
 | gemini-3-flash | Legacy | $0.0005 | Removed Cursor consultant |
-| deepseek-v4-pro | Premium | $0.000435 | DeepSeek |
-| deepseek-v4-flash | Standard/Economy | $0.00014 | DeepSeek |
+| deepseek-v4-pro | Legacy explicit override | $0.000435 | DeepSeek |
+| deepseek-flash | All tiers | $0.0003 | DeepSeek (peak, cache miss) |
+| deepseek-v4-flash / deepseek-v4-flash-vision-exp | Retired aliases → V4.1 Flash | $0.0003 | DeepSeek (peak, cache miss) |
 | glm-5.3-flash | Maximum/Premium/Standard | Unpriced | GLM coding-plan endpoint |
 | glm-5.3 | Legacy pins | Unpriced | GLM coding-plan endpoint |
 | glm-4-flash | Economy | $0.001 | GLM |
@@ -70,12 +73,14 @@ models programmatically.
 | Gemini 3.1 Pro (High) | CLI opt-in | $0.012 | Gemini (agy CLI) |
 | gemini-3.1-pro-preview | API default | $0.005 | Gemini API |
 | Gemini 3.6 Flash (High/Low) | Legacy CLI pins | $0.0075 | Gemini |
-| gpt-5.6-sol | Premium | $0.030 | Codex |
+| gpt-6-astra | Maximum/Premium | $0.050 | Codex |
+| gpt-5.6-sol | Explicit override | $0.020 | Codex |
 | gpt-5.6-terra | Standard | $0.012 | Codex |
 | gpt-5.6-luna | Economy | $0.0012 | Codex |
-| claude-opus-5 | Premium | $0.025 | Claude |
-| claude-fable-5 | Opt-in | $0.050 | Claude |
-| claude-sonnet-5 | Standard | $0.015 | Claude |
+| claude-fable-5-1 | Maximum/Premium | $0.050 | Claude |
+| claude-opus-5 | Standard | $0.025 | Claude |
+| claude-fable-5 | Legacy pins | $0.050 | Claude |
+| claude-sonnet-5 | Legacy pins | $0.015 | Claude |
 | claude-haiku-4-5 | Economy | $0.005 | Claude |
 | mistral-large-3 | Premium | $0.006 | Mistral |
 | mistral-medium-3.5 / mistral-medium-3-5 | Premium CLI / API opt-in | $0.0075 | Mistral |
@@ -85,8 +90,9 @@ models programmatically.
 | composer-2.5 | Legacy | $0.0025 | Removed Cursor consultant |
 | composer-2 | Legacy | $0.0025 | Removed Cursor consultant |
 | gemini-3-flash | Legacy | $0.003 | Removed Cursor consultant |
-| deepseek-v4-pro | Premium | $0.00087 | DeepSeek |
-| deepseek-v4-flash | Standard/Economy | $0.00028 | DeepSeek |
+| deepseek-v4-pro | Legacy explicit override | $0.00087 | DeepSeek |
+| deepseek-flash | All tiers | $0.0012 | DeepSeek (peak) |
+| deepseek-v4-flash / deepseek-v4-flash-vision-exp | Retired aliases → V4.1 Flash | $0.0012 | DeepSeek (peak) |
 | glm-5.3-flash | Maximum/Premium/Standard | Unpriced | GLM coding-plan endpoint |
 | glm-5.3 | Legacy pins | Unpriced | GLM coding-plan endpoint |
 | glm-4-flash | Economy | $0.003 | GLM |
@@ -187,3 +193,14 @@ presenting them as free.
 Cost tracking requires:
 - `bc` - For floating point calculations
 - `jq` - For JSON parsing
+
+## DeepSeek V4.1 Flash pricing
+
+As of 2026-09-10, the official API name `deepseek-flash` selects V4.1 Flash.
+The estimator uses peak cache-miss rates: $0.30/M input and $1.20/M output.
+Off-peak rates are $0.15/M input and $0.60/M output; cached input is $0.006/M
+peak or $0.003/M off-peak. Peak hours are weekdays 01:00–04:00 and 06:00–10:00
+UTC. The estimate deliberately excludes these discounts; it is not an invoice.
+Legacy Flash and Flash Vision Exp aliases are now served and billed as V4.1 Flash.
+Other legacy catalog entries remain historical estimates, not newly verified quotes.
+Source: [DeepSeek models and pricing](https://api-docs.deepseek.com/quick_start/pricing/).

package/docs/JSON_SCHEMA.md

@@ -369,3 +369,23 @@ jq 'has("consultant") and has("response") and has("confidence")' output.json
   }
 }
 ```
+
+### Codex cost and cached-input metadata
+
+When present, `metadata.cost_source` is `unavailable` without token data, otherwise
+`estimated-standard-rates` or `estimated-long-context-standard-rates`.
+`metadata.cost_note` discloses excluded cache/service adjustments; an estimate
+is not a provider invoice. `metadata.tokens_cached_input`, when supplied by
+CLI telemetry, is the cached subset of `tokens_input` and is not added again.
+Unknown splits use the documented estimation heuristic; they cannot establish
+an exact long-context bill. Astra maximum/premium uses `high` by default,
+including in max_quality; valid explicit Codex effort always takes precedence.
+
+### Claude streaming billing metadata
+
+`metadata.billing_models` is an optional array of provider billing model IDs.
+It does not attest the content model. Claude content identity comes only from
+response-bearing assistant events; successful terminal completion is a separate
+requirement. `provider_cost_usd`, when present, is the provider's terminal cost.
+Token accounting prefers a supplied per-model billing aggregate over terminal
+usage, without adding those two summaries together; absent usage is estimated.

package/docs/SETUP.md

@@ -592,10 +592,16 @@ shell history or observed by other local processes. Use `--interactive`,
 ### Using .env file
 
 ```bash
-cp .env.example .env
+mkdir -p "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/ai-consultants"
+# For a new configuration only; keep existing credentials/settings if present.
+cp -n .env.example "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/ai-consultants/.env"
+chmod 600 "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/ai-consultants/.env"
 ```
 
-Edit `.env`:
+Edit that user configuration `.env`. A different existing private directory must
+be selected explicitly with `AI_CONSULTANTS_CONFIG_DIR`; project `.env` files
+are not discovered automatically:
+
 
 ```bash
 # Enable/disable consultants (10 available)
@@ -797,3 +803,72 @@ less "$output_dir/report.md"
 ```
 
 See [README.md](../README.md) for usage examples and full documentation.
+
+For a configuration outside the standard user config directory, set
+`AI_CONSULTANTS_CONFIG_DIR=/absolute/private/config-directory` explicitly.
+The loader does not discover project `.env` files. Keep credentials in your
+existing private configuration; do not copy them into this repository.
+
+Claude CLI uses `stream-json --verbose`. Only response-bearing assistant
+messages attest the content model; terminal `modelUsage` records billing
+participants separately. A missing or conflicting content model remains
+`requested-only` and cannot pass a model-promotion gate. Successful terminal
+completion is required even when partial response text or billing is available.
+
+Codex defaults to `gpt-6-astra`; premium and maximum select Astra, standard
+selects `gpt-5.6-terra`, economy selects `gpt-5.6-luna`. Sol remains an explicit
+`CODEX_MODEL=gpt-5.6-sol` override. Configure migrates exact unpinned persisted
+`gpt-5.5` and `gpt-5.6-sol` values to Astra and records `migrated-from` provenance.
+Use `# ai-consultants:pin`, an environment override or `--set` to keep a model.
+
+Astra uses `high` effort when no effort is configured. Explicit `low`, `medium`,
+`high`, `xhigh`, and `max` prevail; `none`/`minimal` fail before dispatch.
+The default completion budget is 16384 tokens, including reasoning; override
+`CODEX_API_MAX_TOKENS` explicitly as needed. The text-only Chat Completions
+request uses `max_completion_tokens` and `reasoning_effort`, without tools.
+See the [official migration guide](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/latest-model).
+CLI JSON events supply token telemetry; the final message file supplies content.
+A CLI `-m` selection remains `requested-only`, not provider attestation.
+
+[Astra Standard pricing](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/models/gpt-6-astra)
+is $10/M input and $50/M output. More than 272K input tokens doubles input
+and multiplies output by 1.5 for the whole request. Reported cost is an estimate
+unless a provider cost is supplied: cache writes, cached-input discounts and
+service processing rates can change the invoice.
+
+Grok CLI and doctor passively inspect the container-runtime socket deny paths,
+including Docker Desktop locations. Symlink endpoints (including dangling links)
+block CLI dispatch because the sandbox cannot safely resolve those deny rules.
+Absent paths and ordinary socket files pass this check. Nothing is removed and
+Docker configuration is never changed. Runtime `sandbox_profile_refused` and
+`sandbox_not_applied` diagnostics fail even with exit zero; they cannot trigger
+retry or API fallback. OAuth synchronization and per-run isolation remain active.
+
+
+Grok compatibility includes a provider-free parser probe of the complete advisory
+argument list. Hidden flags such as `--no-memory` are still required in the
+actual request even when omitted from public help. Unsupported mandatory flags
+block dispatch; the optional `--no-auto-update` guard is used when its parser
+probe succeeds, including on CLIs that hide it from help.
+
+### DeepSeek V4.1 Flash
+
+DeepSeek uses the HTTP API with `DEEPSEEK_MODEL=deepseek-flash` in every tier.
+This is the official API alias for DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash as of 2026-09-10, not a
+version identity inferred from the requested name. Provider-reported model
+metadata is retained unchanged. `max_quality` continues to request `max` effort;
+other tiers leave effort to the provider unless explicitly configured. The
+provider defaults to thinking mode at high effort. Existing text-only Chat
+Completions requests and the 16,384-token completion budget remain compatible.
+
+`configure` migrates exact unpinned `deepseek-v4-pro` and `deepseek-v4-flash`
+values; `# ai-consultants:pin`, environment overrides and `--set` preserve explicit
+choices. Old Flash aliases are still accepted but route to V4.1 Flash upstream.
+An explicit pin preserves the requested ID, not a guarantee against provider
+routing changes. Peak cache-miss costs are estimates, excluding cache/off-peak
+discounts. An authorized one-attempt API smoke on 2026-09-10 passed with a structured
+response and provider-reported `deepseek-flash`; no version identity was invented
+from the alias. No CLI transport is introduced.
+
+Sources: [models/pricing](https://api-docs.deepseek.com/quick_start/pricing/) and
+[thinking mode](https://api-docs.deepseek.com/guides/thinking_mode/).

package/docs/cost_rates.json

@@ -1,9 +1,25 @@
 {
-  "version": "5.0.0",
+  "version": "5.1.1",
   "updated": "2026-08-23",
   "models": {
+    "deepseek-flash": {
+      "input": 0.0003,
+      "output": 0.0012,
+      "provider": "DeepSeek",
+      "notes": "DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash, verified 2026-09-10. Peak cache-miss estimate; off-peak and cache-hit discounts excluded. See https://api-docs.deepseek.com/quick_start/pricing/"
+    },
+    "deepseek-v4-flash-vision-exp": {
+      "input": 0.0003,
+      "output": 0.0012,
+      "provider": "DeepSeek",
+      "notes": "Retired alias served by V4.1 Flash; peak cache-miss estimate."
+    },
     "_comment_units": "All rates are USD per 1,000 tokens (per-1K). lib/costs.sh computes cost as (token_count / 1000) * rate, so every value here MUST be a per-1K rate = (provider $/1M price) / 1000. Do NOT paste $/MTok figures directly.",
-    "_comment_premium": "Premium tier models - Aug 2026",
+    "_comment_premium": "Premium tier models - Sep 2026",
+    "claude-fable-5-1": {
+      "input": 0.01,
+      "output": 0.05
+    },
     "claude-opus-5": {
       "input": 0.005,
       "output": 0.025
@@ -41,9 +57,15 @@
       "input": 0.00075,
       "output": 0.00375
     },
+    "gpt-6-astra": {
+      "input": 0.01,
+      "output": 0.05,
+      "provider": "OpenAI",
+      "notes": "Standard estimate; >272K input: 2x input, 1.5x output for full request. Cache/service adjustments excluded."
+    },
     "gpt-5.6-sol": {
-      "input": 0.005,
-      "output": 0.030
+      "input": 0.004,
+      "output": 0.020
     },
     "gpt-5.6-terra": {
       "input": 0.002,
@@ -370,8 +392,8 @@
       "output": 0.003
     },
     "deepseek-v4-flash": {
-      "input": 0.00014,
-      "output": 0.00028
+      "input": 0.0003,
+      "output": 0.0012
     },
     "glm-5.2": {
       "input": 0.00098,
@@ -419,12 +441,12 @@
     "kimi-code/k3-256k"
   ],
   "consultant_fallbacks": {
-    "_comment": "Premium defaults - Updated Aug 2026",
-    "claude": "claude-opus-5",
+    "_comment": "Premium defaults - Updated Sep 2026",
+    "claude": "claude-fable-5-1",
     "gemini": "Gemini 3.7 Flash (High)",
-    "codex": "gpt-5.6-sol",
+    "codex": "gpt-6-astra",
     "mistral": "mistral-large-3",
-    "deepseek": "deepseek-v4-pro",
+    "deepseek": "deepseek-flash",
     "glm": "glm-5.3-flash",
     "grok": "grok-4.6",
     "qwen3": "qwen3.7-max",
@@ -434,11 +456,11 @@
   "model_tiers": {
     "_comment": "Model tiers for apply_model_tier() function",
     "maximum": {
-      "claude": "claude-opus-5",
+      "claude": "claude-fable-5-1",
       "gemini": "Gemini 3.7 Flash (High)",
-      "codex": "gpt-5.6-sol",
+      "codex": "gpt-6-astra",
       "mistral": "mistral-medium-3.5",
-      "deepseek": "deepseek-v4-pro",
+      "deepseek": "deepseek-flash",
       "glm": "glm-5.3-flash",
       "grok": "grok-4.6",
       "qwen3": "qwen3.8-max",
@@ -446,11 +468,11 @@
       "minimax": "MiniMax-M3"
     },
     "premium": {
-      "claude": "claude-opus-5",
+      "claude": "claude-fable-5-1",
       "gemini": "Gemini 3.7 Flash (High)",
-      "codex": "gpt-5.6-sol",
+      "codex": "gpt-6-astra",
       "mistral": "mistral-medium-3.5",
-      "deepseek": "deepseek-v4-pro",
+      "deepseek": "deepseek-flash",
       "glm": "glm-5.3-flash",
       "grok": "grok-4.6",
       "qwen3": "qwen3.7-max",
@@ -458,11 +480,11 @@
       "minimax": "MiniMax-M2.7"
     },
     "standard": {
-      "claude": "claude-sonnet-5",
+      "claude": "claude-opus-5",
       "gemini": "Gemini 3.7 Flash (High)",
       "codex": "gpt-5.6-terra",
       "mistral": "mistral-medium-3.5",
-      "deepseek": "deepseek-v4-flash",
+      "deepseek": "deepseek-flash",
       "glm": "glm-5.3-flash",
       "grok": "grok-4.5",
       "qwen3": "qwen3.6-35b-a3b",
@@ -474,7 +496,7 @@
       "gemini": "Gemini 3.7 Flash (Low)",
       "codex": "gpt-5.6-luna",
       "mistral": "devstral-small-2",
-      "deepseek": "deepseek-v4-flash",
+      "deepseek": "deepseek-flash",
       "glm": "glm-4-flash",
       "grok": "grok-4.5",
       "qwen3": "qwen3-32b",
@@ -501,7 +523,7 @@
     "gemini_cli": ["Gemini 3.1 Pro (High)", "Gemini 3.6 Flash (High)", "Gemini 3.6 Flash (Low)"],
     "gemini_api": ["gemini-3.7-flash"],
     "mistral_api": ["mistral-medium-3-5", "mistral-large-2512", "mistral-small-2603"],
-    "claude": ["claude-fable-5"]
+    "claude": []
   },
   "default_rate": {
     "input": 0.005,

package/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "ai-consultants",
-  "version": "5.0.0",
+  "version": "5.1.1",
   "description": "A cross-vendor panel of up to 10 AI models that returns the coverage union of their distinct perspectives",
   "bin": {
     "ai-consultants": "bin/ai-consultants"
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
     "!scripts/lib/test_helpers.sh",
     "!scripts/release.sh",
     "!scripts/experiment/",
+    "!benchmarks/",
     "templates/",
     ".env.example",
     ".claude/commands/",

package/references/configuration.md

@@ -56,9 +56,10 @@ for API keys; command-line arguments may be visible in shell history and process
 inspection.
 Model defaults carry an `# ai-consultants:default` marker. On rewrite,
 `configure` upgrades the historical unmarked
-`CLAUDE_MODEL=claude-opus-4-8` generated default to Opus 5. An explicit model
-override supplied with `--set` is stored with `# ai-consultants:pin`, so
-`--set CLAUDE_MODEL=claude-opus-4-8` keeps the legacy model intentionally.
+`CLAUDE_MODEL=claude-opus-4-8` and `claude-opus-5` generated defaults to
+Fable 5.1. An explicit model override supplied with `--set` is stored with
+`# ai-consultants:pin`, so `--set CLAUDE_MODEL=claude-opus-5` keeps the
+lower-cost standard model intentionally.
 The exhaustive parameter contract is [`.env.example`](../.env.example); the
 configurator derives its accepted keys from that template, while
 [`scripts/config.sh`](../scripts/config.sh) remains the runtime source of truth.
@@ -240,9 +241,10 @@ ENABLE_DEEPSEEK=false
 
 ```bash
 GEMINI_MODEL=Gemini 3.7 Flash (High) # verified agy CLI default; API mode uses GEMINI_API_MODEL
-CODEX_MODEL=gpt-5.6-sol
-CODEX_API_MAX_TOKENS=4096
-CLAUDE_MODEL=claude-opus-5
+CODEX_MODEL=gpt-6-astra
+CODEX_API_MAX_TOKENS=16384
+CLAUDE_MODEL=claude-fable-5-1
+# Lower-cost standard override: CLAUDE_MODEL=claude-opus-5
 CLAUDE_API_MAX_TOKENS=16384  # API only: adaptive thinking + visible output
 MISTRAL_MODEL=mistral-large-3
 MISTRAL_CLI_MODEL=mistral-medium-3.5
@@ -260,7 +262,7 @@ GROK_MAX_TURNS=4
 GROK_API_MAX_TOKENS=4096
 GROK_REASONING_EFFORT=      # max_quality sets xhigh (Grok Build maximum)
 GROK_OAUTH_MODE=shared      # shared (parallel default) | serialized (diagnostic)
-DEEPSEEK_MODEL=deepseek-v4-pro
+DEEPSEEK_MODEL=deepseek-flash  # DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash API alias
 DEEPSEEK_API_MAX_TOKENS=16384
 DEEPSEEK_MAX_QUALITY_TIMEOUT=600
 DEEPSEEK_REASONING_EFFORT=  # max_quality sets max