instar 1.3.972 → 1.3.973

package/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "instar",
-  "version": "1.3.972",
+  "version": "1.3.973",
   "description": "Coherence infrastructure for self-evolving AI agents — on the Claude Code or Codex subscription you already have.",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "dist/index.js",

package/src/data/builtin-manifest.json

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 {
   "$schema": "./builtin-manifest.schema.json",
   "schemaVersion": 1,
-  "generatedAt": "2026-07-25T22:53:55.454Z",
-  "instarVersion": "1.3.972",
+  "generatedAt": "2026-07-25T23:04:13.043Z",
+  "instarVersion": "1.3.973",
   "entryCount": 202,
   "entries": {
     "hook:session-start": {
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "monitoring",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:agents": {
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "sessions",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:backups": {
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "operations",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:git": {
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "coordination",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:memory": {
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "memory",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:semantic": {
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "memory",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:status": {
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "monitoring",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:capabilities": {
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "mapping",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:project-map": {
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "mapping",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:coherence": {
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "coherence",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:topic-bindings": {
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "sessions",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:context": {
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "context",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:scope-coherence": {
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "coherence",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:canonical-state": {
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "state",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:ci": {
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "monitoring",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:sessions": {
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "sessions",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:jobs": {
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "scheduling",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:skip-ledger": {
@@ -554,7 +554,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "scheduling",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:telegram": {
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "communication",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:attention": {
@@ -570,7 +570,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "communication",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:relationships": {
@@ -578,7 +578,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "relationships",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:feedback": {
@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "feedback",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:updates": {
@@ -594,7 +594,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "updates",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:dispatches": {
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "dispatches",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:quota": {
@@ -610,7 +610,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "monitoring",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:publishing": {
@@ -618,7 +618,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "publishing",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:private-views": {
@@ -626,7 +626,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "publishing",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:tunnel": {
@@ -634,7 +634,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "networking",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:events": {
@@ -642,7 +642,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "networking",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:evolution": {
@@ -650,7 +650,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "evolution",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:watchdog": {
@@ -658,7 +658,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "monitoring",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:topic-memory": {
@@ -666,7 +666,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "memory",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:state-sync": {
@@ -674,7 +674,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "coordination",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:intent": {
@@ -682,7 +682,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "intent",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:triage": {
@@ -690,7 +690,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "safety",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:operations": {
@@ -698,7 +698,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "safety",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:sentinel": {
@@ -706,7 +706,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "safety",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:trust": {
@@ -714,7 +714,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "safety",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:monitoring": {
@@ -722,7 +722,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "monitoring",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:commitments": {
@@ -730,7 +730,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "commitments",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:episodes": {
@@ -738,7 +738,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "memory",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:messages": {
@@ -746,7 +746,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "coordination",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:system-reviews": {
@@ -754,7 +754,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "monitoring",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "route-group:machine-mesh": {
@@ -770,7 +770,7 @@
       "type": "route-group",
       "domain": "security",
       "sourcePath": "src/server/routes.ts",
-      "contentHash": "c424f56d50da1f0b007be59271759c6276ac6e622cadd27d003e8fe9b6738071",
+      "contentHash": "ce5777c9c83d44d988a1b346cc596336bea5fe915eb047be669371cbf2467540",
       "since": "2025-01-01"
     },
     "cli:init": {

package/upgrades/1.3.973.md

@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+# Upgrade Guide — vNEXT
+
+<!-- assembled-by: assemble-next-md -->
+<!-- bump: patch -->
+
+## What Changed
+
+Project items could not be recorded as merged on installs where the server starts at boot.
+
+Marking a project item merged is deliberately evidence-based: the tracker verifies the pull
+request itself rather than trusting the caller. That verification shells out to the GitHub CLI —
+and a server started by launchd inherits a minimal PATH that omits `/opt/homebrew/bin`, so the
+call died with a raw `spawnSync gh ENOENT`. The transition could never succeed, so work could be
+started but never closed out.
+
+The GitHub CLI is now resolved by absolute path (explicit override, then the common install
+locations, then PATH), mirroring the pattern this repo already uses for the Bitwarden CLI. When it
+genuinely cannot be found, the failure is now a named, plain-English diagnostic that points at the
+`INSTAR_GH_PATH` override instead of an opaque spawn error.
+
+## What to Tell Your User
+
+If you use instar's project tracking, finishing a piece of work can now actually be recorded as
+finished. Previously the final step could fail silently-ish on machines where the agent's server
+starts automatically at boot, leaving completed work permanently showing as open.
+
+Nothing to do, and nothing changes about how the check works: your agent still verifies the merge
+against GitHub rather than taking its own word for it, and still refuses the step when it cannot
+verify.
+
+## Summary of New Capabilities
+
+No new capabilities. This restores an existing transition that was unreachable in a common
+deployment configuration, and improves the diagnostic when the underlying tool is genuinely
+absent.
+
+## Evidence
+
+- Reproduced under the exact failing condition (`PATH=/usr/bin:/bin`, matching what launchd
+  supplies): a bare `gh` invocation gives `ENOENT` — the original failure — while the new resolver
+  returns `/opt/homebrew/bin/gh`.
+- 5 new unit tests: an explicit override wins; a non-existent override is ignored rather than
+  returned; the function returns a string or null and never throws; the probe is cached; the
+  override is re-read rather than frozen by the cache.
+- Clean type-check; the resolver is additive with a single consumer.
+- The verification behaviour is untouched — a missing binary still refuses the transition rather
+  than assuming the merge happened.

package/upgrades/side-effects/gh-binary-resolution.md

@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+# Side-Effects Review — resolve the GitHub CLI by path, so a project item can be recorded as merged
+
+## Summary of the change
+
+The server is launched by launchd with a minimal PATH that does not include
+`/opt/homebrew/bin`. Every in-process `execFileSync('gh', …)` therefore died with a raw
+`spawnSync gh ENOENT`. The visible consequence: `building → merged` on a project item could
+never succeed on this install, because the stage gate correctly refuses to take the caller's word
+and verifies the PR with `gh` — a missing binary read as "cannot verify", so the item stayed open.
+
+Adds `src/core/resolveGhBinary.ts` (override → cached → common absolute locations → `which`),
+mirroring the established in-repo `BitwardenProvider.findBw` pattern, and uses it at the
+`ghPrView` callsite. A missing binary now raises a NAMED diagnostic naming the override env var,
+instead of an opaque spawn error.
+
+## Decision-point inventory
+
+None added. `resolveGhBinary()` returns a path or null and makes no decision about whether an
+operation may proceed. The existing authority (`StageTransitionValidator`) keeps its judgement
+unchanged — it still refuses the transition when the PR cannot be verified.
+
+## 1. Over-block
+
+Nothing newly blocked. The transition already failed in this situation; it now fails with a
+useful reason, or succeeds where it previously could not. The resolver cannot cause a refusal that
+was not already happening.
+
+## 2. Under-block
+
+The gate still trusts whatever `gh` it resolves. A hostile `gh` earlier on the candidate list, or
+a malicious `INSTAR_GH_PATH`, would be trusted — unchanged from the previous behaviour, which
+trusted whatever `gh` PATH produced. Named rather than silently accepted; not addressed here
+because it is the pre-existing trust model for every CLI this repo shells out to.
+
+## 3. Level-of-abstraction fit
+
+Correct layer. Binary resolution belongs beside the callsite that shells out, not inside the
+validator (which should stay a pure decision function) and not in process startup (which cannot
+know which binaries a given route will need). The repo already solves this exact problem this
+exact way for `bw`.
+
+## 4. Signal vs authority compliance
+
+Compliant. The resolver is a pure signal — a path or null. It holds no blocking authority and
+cannot pass anything. The one behavioural change at the authority is that "cannot verify" now
+carries a named reason; the refusal itself is unchanged, and it still fails toward refusing rather
+than assuming a merge happened.
+
+## 4b. Judgment-point check
+
+No LLM judgement. Deterministic filesystem existence checks.
+
+## 5. Interactions
+
+Scoped to the `ghPrView` callsite. Thirteen other `gh` invocations exist across the tree; most run
+in CLI/script contexts that inherit a normal user PATH and are not known to be broken. They are
+NOT swept here — a blind sweep would widen blast radius past what is verified. Tracked for
+assessment under ACT-1269 <!-- tracked: ACT-1269 -->.
+
+## 6. External surfaces
+
+No API shape change. The failure message on an unverifiable merge becomes human-readable and names
+the override variable. No new external calls: `gh pr view` was already being invoked.
+
+## 6b. Operator-surface quality
+
+The new message says what could not be done, why, and the one lever that fixes it, in plain
+English — and states that the transition is refused rather than assumed, so the reader knows the
+system did not guess.
+
+## 7. Multi-machine posture (Cross-Machine Coherence)
+
+**Machine-local by design.** Binary location is a property of one machine's filesystem; there is
+nothing to replicate and a peer's answer would be actively wrong. `INSTAR_GH_PATH` is per-machine
+by nature. No durable state, no generated URL, no user-facing notice, so no one-voice gating and
+nothing to strand on a topic transfer.
+
+## 8. Rollback cost
+
+Revert the commit. The resolver is additive and its only consumer is the one callsite; reverting
+restores the previous `execFileSync('gh', …)` exactly. No data, no migration, no stored state.
+
+## Conclusion
+
+Restores a transition that has been unreachable on this install. Worth recording that this is the
+SECOND time `building → merged` has been impossible for an environmental reason — the #866 note at
+the same callsite records the 2026-06-06 instance, where the helper simply was not injected. Same
+symptom, different cause, which is why this fix targets resolution rather than that one callsite.
+
+Proof, under the exact minimal PATH that caused the failure (`PATH=/usr/bin:/bin`):
+bare `gh` → `ENOENT (the old failure)`; `resolveGhBinary()` → `/opt/homebrew/bin/gh`.
+
+**Second-pass review: not required.** No runtime agent-behaviour gate is touched — no message
+block/allow, no session lifecycle, no compaction, no coherence gate or trust level. The PR is the
+review surface per Tier 1.