pincer-workflow 0.2.3 → 0.3.0

package/README.md

@@ -47,13 +47,13 @@ install as skills under `.agents/skills/`, which Codex discovers from the repo
 loaded. Inside the Codex skills every cross-reference already reads
 `$pincer-narrow`, `$pincer-status` and so on.
 
-Codex has no PreToolUse hooks, so the guardrail posture lives in
-`~/.codex/config.toml` instead — `approval_policy = "on-request"` and
+Pincer does not currently install a Codex hook adapter, so its Codex guardrail
+posture uses `~/.codex/config.toml` — `approval_policy = "on-request"` and
 `sandbox_mode = "workspace-write"`; never run with approvals disabled. The
 ticket scripts (`scripts/pincer-ticket.sh`, `scripts/pincer-status.sh`) are
 plain bash and work unchanged; the rule in `AGENTS.md` against hand-editing
 ticket state carries the weight the hook carries on Claude Code, and
-`$pincer-status` flags any ticket marked done without a receipt.
+`$pincer-status` flags missing, failed, or stale ticket readiness.
 Full notes in `.codex/README.md`.
 
 ### GitHub Copilot (VS Code)
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ in chat. `.github/copilot-instructions.md` is wired to `AGENTS.md`.
 
 Claude users can install PINCER as a plugin instead — commands arrive
 namespaced (`/pincer:plan` … `/pincer:release`) and update automatically
-through the marketplace:
+through the marketplace. The plugin's structured hook parser requires Node.js 18+:
 
 ```
 /plugin marketplace add orchestratedbyalex/pincer-workflow
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ want the repo-side rules too can copy `AGENTS.md` from the
 npx pincer-workflow@latest update
 ```
 
-Files you never touched are refreshed in place. (Installs older than v0.2.0 gain the ticket state machine, the status report and the ticket-guard hook on update; `.claude/settings.json` conflicts if you edited it — merge the new hook entry from the `.new` file. v0.2.2 replaces the Codex adapter: the commands are now skills in `.agents/skills/` invoked as `$pincer-*`, since Codex no longer loads `~/.codex/prompts/` — you can delete the copies there. v0.2.3 ships the playbooks, rubrics and templates under `.claude/` on every platform, which Codex- and Copilot-only installs were missing.) Files you edited are left
+Files you never touched are refreshed in place. (Installs older than v0.2.0 gain the ticket state machine, the status report and the ticket-guard hook on update; `.claude/settings.json` conflicts if you edited it — merge the new hook entry from the `.new` file. v0.2.2 replaces the Codex adapter: the commands are now skills in `.agents/skills/` invoked as `$pincer-*`, since Codex no longer loads `~/.codex/prompts/` — you can delete the copies there. v0.2.3 ships the playbooks, rubrics and templates under `.claude/` on every platform, which Codex- and Copilot-only installs were missing. v0.3.0 makes trust revocable: every verification attempt is recorded, `done` re-runs the check, tickets carry `prd:`, the release audit is read-only, and `.pincer.json` moves to schema 2 — an install from 0.2.x is treated as an untrusted baseline, so on the first update every changed file arrives as a `.new` proposal once; hooks now need Node 18+.) Files you edited are left
 alone — the new version lands next to them as `<file>.new` for a manual merge.
 `npx pincer-workflow doctor` checks the health of an install (hook executable,
 `.gitignore` covering `.env*`, no unmerged `*.new` files, version current).
@@ -99,18 +99,19 @@ alone — the new version lands next to them as `<file>.new` for a manual merge.
 | `.claude/commands/` | The five playbooks plus `/pincer-status` (canonical — adapters are generated from them; ships on every platform together with `agents/` and `references/`) |
 | `.claude/agents/` | `codebase-explorer` and `code-quality-reviewer` subagents, with inline fallbacks for platforms without subagents |
 | `scripts/pincer-ticket.sh` | The ticket state machine: `start` (enforces dependency order) → `verify` (runs the ticket's check, stamps a receipt only on green) → `done` (refuses without a matching receipt or with unticked criteria) |
-| `scripts/pincer-status.sh` | Read-only state report: PRD, every ticket with clock-based elapsed time, blocked tickets, build time vs budget, next command |
-| `.claude/hooks/` + `settings.json` | Mechanical guardrails: `.env` files unreadable, destructive commands blocked, ticket state fields writable only through the script |
+| `scripts/pincer-status.sh` | Read-only state report: current PRD, associated tickets, clock-based elapsed time, optional user budget, warnings, and next command |
+| `.claude/hooks/` + `settings.json` | Claude guardrails for documented destructive command forms and ticket state writes; Node.js 18+ parses hook payloads structurally |
 | `.agents/skills/` · `.codex/` · `.github/` | Generated Codex skills and Copilot prompt files + platform wiring (`.codex/README.md` covers the Codex posture) |
 | `scripts/sync-prompts.sh` | Regenerates the adapters after you edit a playbook |
 | `scripts/build-plugin.sh` | Regenerates the Claude Code plugin (`plugin/`) from the template |
-| `docs/dry-run-checklist.md` | The workflow's own test — audited by `/pincer-release` |
+| `docs/release-checklist.md` | General, read-only candidate audit used by `/pincer-release` |
+| `docs/dry-run-checklist.md` | Separate manual platform trial for the Pincer kit |
 
 ## Design principles
 
-- **Approval gates scale with decision cost** — a human owns every architecture,
-  every scope, and every merge; autonomy runs only between gates, bounded by a
-  timebox and one revision loop.
+- **Approval gates scale with decision cost** — a human owns architecture, scope,
+  and merge decisions; unchanged authorization persists across resume and routine
+  verification, while explicit budgets shape the depth of work.
 - **Nothing is done while its verification fails** — every ticket carries a
   runnable check, and "done" is a state only a passing run of that check can
   unlock: the receipt is stamped by the script, never typed by the agent.
@@ -121,9 +122,9 @@ alone — the new version lands next to them as `<file>.new` for a manual merge.
 - **Security is threaded through every stage** — designed in at Plan, specified
   as reject-path criteria at Narrow, enforced by a pre-commit sweep at Code,
   audited mechanically at Evaluate and Release.
-- **Enforced beats aspirational** — where the platform allows (Claude Code),
-  guardrails are hooks and deny rules, not instructions; everywhere else,
-  `/pincer-release` audits the git artifacts after the fact.
+- **Layered guardrails** — Claude hooks cover documented high-risk command and
+  ticket-state forms, while sandbox and approval controls remain the security
+  boundary. Other platforms use their native controls plus `/pincer-release`.
 
 ## License
 

package/bin/pincer.js

@@ -19,13 +19,14 @@ import { createRequire } from 'node:module';
 const TEMPLATE = path.join(path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)), '..', 'template');
 const VERSION = createRequire(import.meta.url)('../package.json').version;
 const MANIFEST = '.pincer.json';
+const MANIFEST_SCHEMA = 2;
 
 // The playbooks, subagent rubrics and PRD/ticket templates under .claude/ are
 // the canonical kit and are read by every platform's adapter (the Codex skills
 // and Copilot prompts point at them), so they ship everywhere; only Claude
 // Code's own wiring (CLAUDE.md, settings.json, hooks) is platform-specific.
 const PLATFORM_ROOTS = {
-  common: ['AGENTS.md', 'docs/dry-run-checklist.md', 'scripts/sync-prompts.sh', 'scripts/pincer-ticket.sh', 'scripts/pincer-status.sh', '.claude/commands', '.claude/agents', '.claude/references'],
+  common: ['AGENTS.md', 'docs/release-checklist.md', 'docs/dry-run-checklist.md', 'scripts/sync-prompts.sh', 'scripts/pincer-ticket.sh', 'scripts/pincer-ticket-lib.sh', 'scripts/pincer-status.sh', '.claude/commands', '.claude/agents', '.claude/references'],
   claude: ['CLAUDE.md', '.claude/settings.json', '.claude/hooks'],
   codex: ['.codex', '.agents'],
   copilot: ['.github'],
@@ -53,17 +54,40 @@ function readManifest(dir) {
   const p = path.join(dir, MANIFEST);
   if (!fs.existsSync(p)) return null;
   try {
-    return JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(p, 'utf8'));
+    const data = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(p, 'utf8'));
+    if (!data || !Array.isArray(data.platforms) || !data.platforms.length ||
+        !data.platforms.every(p => ['claude', 'codex', 'copilot'].includes(p)) ||
+        !data.files || typeof data.files !== 'object' || Array.isArray(data.files) ||
+        Object.keys(data.files).some(p => path.isAbsolute(p) || p.split(/[\\/]/).includes('..')) ||
+        (data.schema !== undefined && data.schema !== MANIFEST_SCHEMA)) {
+      fail(`${MANIFEST} has an unsupported or invalid schema — restore a valid manifest before updating.`);
+    }
+    return data;
   } catch {
     fail(`${MANIFEST} exists but is not valid JSON — fix or remove it first.`);
   }
 }
 
 function writeManifest(dir, platforms, hashes) {
-  const data = { version: VERSION, platforms, files: hashes };
+  const data = { schema: MANIFEST_SCHEMA, version: VERSION, platforms, files: hashes };
   fs.writeFileSync(path.join(dir, MANIFEST), JSON.stringify(data, null, 2) + '\n');
 }
 
+// Preserve in-progress merges too. Reuse an identical proposal, never replace
+// a different existing sidecar (including one left by an earlier release).
+function writeProposal(dest, content) {
+  const base = dest + '.new';
+  let proposal = base;
+  let suffix = 0;
+  while (fs.existsSync(proposal)) {
+    if (fs.readFileSync(proposal).equals(content)) return proposal;
+    proposal = `${base}.${sha(content).slice(0, 12)}${suffix ? `.${suffix}` : ''}`;
+    suffix++;
+  }
+  fs.writeFileSync(proposal, content, { flag: 'wx' });
+  return proposal;
+}
+
 // Copies template files into dir. `baseline` (manifest hashes) tells an update
 // which existing files are unmodified and therefore safe to refresh.
 function install(dir, platforms, baseline) {
@@ -90,9 +114,11 @@ function install(dir, platforms, baseline) {
       fs.writeFileSync(dest, src);
       results.written.push(rel);
     } else {
-      fs.writeFileSync(dest + '.new', src);
-      hashes[rel] = sha(current); // keep tracking the user's version as the baseline
-      results.conflicted.push(rel);
+      const proposal = writeProposal(dest, src);
+      // Only a version actually installed by us grants overwrite permission.
+      // null means we have never established a trusted upstream baseline.
+      hashes[rel] = baseline?.[rel] ?? null;
+      results.conflicted.push({ rel, proposal: path.relative(dir, proposal) });
     }
   }
 
@@ -119,11 +145,11 @@ function ensureGitignore(dir) {
 function report({ written, skipped, conflicted }) {
   if (written.length) console.log(`  wrote    ${written.length} file(s)`);
   if (skipped.length) console.log(`  skipped  ${skipped.length} file(s) already up to date`);
-  for (const rel of conflicted) {
-    console.log(`  CONFLICT ${rel} — you edited this file; the new version is at ${rel}.new`);
+  for (const { rel, proposal } of conflicted) {
+    console.log(`  CONFLICT ${rel} — local content preserved; the new version is at ${proposal}`);
   }
   if (conflicted.length) {
-    console.log('\n  Merge each *.new file by hand (diff <file> <file>.new), then delete it.');
+    console.log('\n  Review and merge each reported proposal, then remove the resolved sidecars.');
   }
 }
 
@@ -184,7 +210,11 @@ async function cmdUpdate() {
   const manifest = readManifest(dir);
   if (!manifest) fail(`no ${MANIFEST} here — run \`pincer init\` first.`);
   console.log(`\nUpdating PINCER ${manifest.version} -> ${VERSION} for: ${manifest.platforms.join(', ')}\n`);
-  report(install(dir, manifest.platforms, manifest.files));
+  // v1 manifests could adopt a local edit as their baseline. There is no safe
+  // way to distinguish those from upstream files after the fact.
+  const baseline = manifest.schema === MANIFEST_SCHEMA ? manifest.files : null;
+  if (!baseline) console.log('  Legacy baselines are untrusted; differing files will be preserved for review.');
+  report(install(dir, manifest.platforms, baseline));
 }
 
 function cmdDoctor() {
@@ -221,7 +251,13 @@ function cmdDoctor() {
     console.log(`  note  locally edited (kept as-is on update): ${edited.join(', ')}`);
   }
 
-  const leftovers = walk(TEMPLATE).map((r) => path.join(dir, r + '.new')).filter((p) => fs.existsSync(p));
+  const leftovers = [...new Set([...walk(TEMPLATE), ...Object.keys(manifest.files)])].flatMap(rel => {
+    const parent = path.dirname(path.join(dir, rel));
+    const base = path.basename(rel) + '.new';
+    return fs.existsSync(parent) ? fs.readdirSync(parent)
+      .filter(name => name === base || name.startsWith(base + '.'))
+      .map(name => path.join(parent, name)) : [];
+  });
   check(leftovers.length === 0, 'no unmerged *.new files', leftovers.map((p) => path.relative(dir, p)).join(', '));
 
   console.log(problems ? `\n${problems} problem(s) found.` : '\nAll good.');

package/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "pincer-workflow",
-  "version": "0.2.3",
+  "version": "0.3.0",
   "description": "PINCER — a PRD-driven agentic delivery workflow for Claude Code, Codex CLI, and GitHub Copilot. Plan · Investigate · Narrow · Code · Evaluate · Release.",
   "bin": {
     "pincer": "bin/pincer.js"
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
     "node": ">=18"
   },
   "scripts": {
-    "test": "node test/smoke.test.js && node test/ticket.test.js"
+    "test": "node test/smoke.test.js && node test/installer.test.js && node test/ticket.test.js && node test/validation.test.js && node test/verification.test.js && node test/recovery.test.js && node test/hooks.test.js && node test/workflow.test.js && node test/distribution.test.js"
   },
   "keywords": [
     "claude-code",

package/template/.agents/skills/pincer-code/SKILL.md

@@ -7,23 +7,25 @@ description: "Implement tickets sequentially with verification and one commit pe
 
 # $pincer-code — Ticket Implementation
 
-You are implementing the tickets in `tickets/` sequentially. Mostly autonomous: after the
-user confirms the starting point, run continuously and report progress between tickets.
+You are implementing the tickets in `tickets/` sequentially. The approved PRD, ticket
+breakdown, and existing session authorization define the work; run continuously and report
+progress between tickets unless a material scope or design decision appears.
 
-**Initial request:** the text that follows the `$pincer-code` mention in the user's message (ask for it if there is none)
+**Initial request:** the text that follows the `$pincer-code` mention, if any (when omitted, use the playbook's documented default)
 
 Ticket state lives in the ticket file's frontmatter and is written **only** by
 `scripts/pincer-ticket.sh` (`start` → `verify` → `done`). `verify` runs the ticket's
 Verification block and stamps a receipt only on a green exit; `done` refuses without a
 receipt that matches the current check, or with unticked acceptance criteria. Never edit
-`status`, `started`, `verified`, or `finished` by hand — on Claude Code a hook blocks it.
+`status`, `started`, `last_check`, `verified`, or `finished` by hand — on Claude Code a hook blocks it.
 
 ## Before the loop
 
 Run `scripts/pincer-status.sh`. It lists every ticket's state, what is blocked, elapsed
 build time from the clock, and the next action. If a ticket is `in_progress`, you are
 resuming: read it, check `git status` / `git diff` for uncommitted work, and continue
-from wherever the receipt says you are. Confirm the starting point with the user, then go.
+from wherever the receipt says you are. Do not ask the user to reconfirm unchanged,
+previously authorized work.
 
 ## Loop (per ticket, in dependency order)
 
@@ -43,10 +45,9 @@ from wherever the receipt says you are. Confirm the starting point with the user
 4. **Self-review the diff** before committing: silent failures (empty catches,
    un-awaited promises), leftover debug code, drift from the ticket's acceptance criteria.
    Then a security sweep of the same diff:
-   - No secret values: run
-     `git diff | grep -iE '(api[_-]?key|secret|token|password)[[:space:]]*[:=]'`
-     and treat any hit that isn't a `process.env` reference or a name in
-     `.env.example` as a blocker.
+   - Check for secret-like assignments without printing values. If a scanner reports a
+     possible secret, report only its file and line until the value is safely redacted;
+     environment references and names in `.env.example` are allowed.
    - External input touched by this diff is validated server-side, and untrusted
      content (user input, LLM output) is escaped where rendered — per the
      Security defaults in `AGENTS.md`.
@@ -55,14 +56,16 @@ from wherever the receipt says you are. Confirm the starting point with the user
 5. **Close the ticket:** tick every verified acceptance-criteria checkbox (`- [ ]` → `- [x]`;
    editing the checkboxes is allowed), then `scripts/pincer-ticket.sh done T-{NN}`. A
    criterion that was cut is a scope change to record in the PRD, not a box to skip.
-   Commit code and ticket file together: `git add -A && git commit -m "T-{NN}: {title}"`.
+   Inspect `git status --short`, preserve pre-existing staged work, and stage only the
+   explicit paths changed for this ticket plus its ticket file. Review `git diff --cached`
+   before committing as `T-{NN}: {title}`.
 6. Give a one-line progress update using the elapsed figure from
-   `scripts/pincer-status.sh` ("T-02 done, 3 remaining, 38m elapsed of 75m") and continue.
+   `scripts/pincer-status.sh` ("T-02 done, 3 remaining, 38m elapsed") and continue.
 
-## Timebox rules
+## Budget rules
 
-- The budget is ~75 minutes of build time, measured by `scripts/pincer-status.sh` from
-  the first ticket's start stamp — never estimated. If the remaining tickets won't fit,
+- If the user set `PINCER_BUILD_BUDGET_MIN` or stated another budget, use the elapsed
+  figure from `scripts/pincer-status.sh` rather than estimating. If the remaining tickets won't fit,
   stop and propose a scope cut: which remaining tickets to drop or shrink. Cutting scope
   deliberately beats an unfinished mess — record the cut in the PRD's Out of Scope.
 - If a ticket reveals the plan was wrong, stop and say so rather than silently diverging.

package/template/.agents/skills/pincer-evaluate/SKILL.md

@@ -12,10 +12,15 @@ run the pipeline, then present results.
 
 ## Steps
 
-1. Run `scripts/pincer-status.sh`. Every ticket should be `done` with a receipt; if one
+1. Run `scripts/pincer-status.sh`. Review only tickets associated with the selected
+   PRD. Every such ticket should be `done` with a current receipt; if one
    is still open or in progress, stop and ask whether it was cut (then it goes in the
    PRD's Out of Scope) or should be finished first via `$pincer-code`. Then get the full
-   diff of the session: `git log --oneline` and `git diff <first-commit>..HEAD`.
+   diff of the change: identify the actual base commit before this change from
+   its ticket commits and recorded context. If it cannot be established, resolve
+   that uncertainty before claiming a complete review. Record full commit IDs for
+   `base` and `candidate` (`git rev-parse HEAD`), then review `git diff <base>..<candidate>`.
+   Require a clean candidate before review, excluding only the notes being written.
 2. Dispatch a `code-quality-reviewer` agent with: the diff, the PRD's Success Criteria and
    Scope sections, and the list of tickets. If the diff is large, split by area and
    dispatch two in parallel. (No subagents on this platform? Review the diff yourself
@@ -25,10 +30,11 @@ run the pipeline, then present results.
 4. If the project has a UI, look at it — don't only read the code. Start it, open it in
    the browser (screenshot via Chrome DevTools MCP if available), and check it against
    the PRD's Visual Direction and Success Criteria. Note anything visibly broken or off.
-5. Run a mechanical security audit (cheap, ~2 min — do all of these):
-   - Whole history, not just the tree:
-     `git log -p | grep -iE '(api[_-]?key|secret|token|password)[[:space:]]*[:=]'` —
-     a secret committed then deleted is still leaked.
+5. Run a mechanical security audit:
+   - Inspect the relevant history with a secret scanner that redacts values, when one is
+     available. Otherwise review likely locations without copying candidate values into
+     output. Report file, line, and remediation only; a secret committed then deleted is
+     still leaked.
    - `.gitignore` covers `.env*` (except `.env.example`), and `git ls-files | grep -i env`
      shows only `.env.example`.
    - `npm audit --omit=dev` (or the ecosystem's equivalent) — report high/critical only.
@@ -39,9 +45,22 @@ run the pipeline, then present results.
 7. Present findings as a short list with `file:line` references, ordered by severity.
    Security findings always rank above style-adjacent ones. For each, say whether you
    recommend fixing now (within the timebox) or noting as known-issue.
-8. Fix what the user approves (or everything clearly broken, if time allows), verify,
-   and commit as `review: fixes`.
-9. Close out: write a brief `NOTES.md` at the repo root — what was built, what was cut
+8. Fix findings clearly within the authorized PRD through a new ticket associated with
+   that PRD. Use `pincer-ticket.sh` to start, verify, and close it, then make a scoped
+   `T-{NN}: {title}` commit. Ask only when a fix changes scope, architecture, or another
+   material decision; never make an ad-hoc `review: fixes` commit.
+9. Close out: write a brief `NOTES.md` at the repo root with frontmatter:
+   ```yaml
+   ---
+   prd: .prd/prd-vN.md
+   base: <full reviewed base commit ID>
+   candidate: <full reviewed candidate commit ID>
+   ---
+   ```
+   Record the candidate before the separate NOTES commit. Status accepts a later
+   commit only when its diff from the candidate changes solely `NOTES.md`; changes
+   to source, tickets, or PRD require reevaluation. Legacy notes without these
+   references do not establish readiness. Then describe what was built, what was cut
    and why, known issues, and what you'd do next with more time. Then a **Handover**
    section, written for the stranger who inherits this repo in six months: how to get
    oriented (which file to read first), what each dependency is for and why it earned

package/template/.agents/skills/pincer-narrow/SKILL.md

@@ -7,22 +7,26 @@ description: "Turn the approved PRD into local, AI-ready ticket files"
 
 # $pincer-narrow — PRD to Local Tickets
 
-You are decomposing the PRD into small, independently verifiable tickets stored as local
-markdown files (no external tracker needed). Target: 4–7 tickets that fit a ~75-minute
-build window.
+You are decomposing the PRD into coherent, independently verifiable tickets stored as
+local markdown files (no external tracker needed). Ticket count and size follow the
+change's dependencies and risk, plus any budget the user supplied.
 
-**Initial request:** the text that follows the `$pincer-narrow` mention in the user's message (ask for it if there is none)
+**Initial request:** the text that follows the `$pincer-narrow` mention, if any (when omitted, use the playbook's documented default)
 
 ## Steps
 
-1. Run `scripts/pincer-status.sh`. If tickets already exist, ask before adding to them —
-   new tickets continue the numbering, existing ones are never renumbered. Then read the
-   PRD (`the text that follows the `$pincer-narrow` mention in the user's message (ask for it if there is none)` or the latest `.prd/prd-v*.md`). If its status isn't `draft`, ask
+1. Run `scripts/pincer-status.sh`. If tickets already exist for another PRD, leave them
+   as history. New tickets continue the numbering and existing ones are never renumbered.
+   If tickets already exist for this PRD, extend them only when the current request already
+   authorizes that work; otherwise present the concrete addition before asking. Then read the
+   PRD (`the text that follows the `$pincer-narrow` mention, if any (when omitted, use the playbook's documented default)` or the latest `.prd/prd-v*.md`). If its status isn't `draft`, ask
    which PRD to use.
 2. Decompose into tickets. Rules:
-   - Each ticket is one coherent unit: sized S or M, never L. Split anything larger.
-   - Ticket 1 is always the walking skeleton: project scaffold + a thin end-to-end slice
-     that runs. Everything after builds on a working base.
+   - Each ticket is one coherent unit. Use S, M, or L as relative scope indicators and
+     split work when that improves dependency order, verification, or ownership.
+   - For greenfield work, use a walking skeleton when it reduces integration risk. For
+     brownfield work, begin with the smallest protected vertical change; add a
+     characterization ticket before changing load-bearing code that lacks coverage.
    - Order by dependency; note blockers explicitly ("depends on T-01").
    - Every ticket gets a runnable command in its Verification block — a fenced `bash`
      block that exits 0 only when the ticket is done. `scripts/pincer-ticket.sh verify`
@@ -34,20 +38,22 @@ build window.
      LLM output) gets an acceptance criterion for the reject path — what invalid
      input produces (e.g. "empty goal → 400 with a clear message"), not only the
      happy path.
-   - The walking skeleton (T-01) includes `.gitignore` covering `.env*` (except
-     `.env.example`) and an `.env.example` naming any required secrets — before
-     any secret can exist in the repo.
-   - Brownfield: a ticket that modifies load-bearing code with no test coverage
-     is preceded by a characterization ticket — a test that pins the current
-     behavior before any ticket is allowed to change it.
+   - A greenfield setup ticket includes `.gitignore` covering `.env*` (except
+     `.env.example`) and an `.env.example` naming any required secrets before any
+     secret can exist in the repo. In brownfield repositories, preserve and verify
+     the existing ignore and environment conventions.
 3. Write each ticket to `tickets/T-{NN}-{slug}.md` using
-   `.claude/references/ticket-template.md`, with `status: open`. The other state fields
-   (`started`, `verified`, `finished`) are added later by `scripts/pincer-ticket.sh` —
+   `.claude/references/ticket-template.md`, with `status: open` and an explicit
+   `prd: .prd/prd-vN.md` naming the selected PRD. Never infer this association from
+   numbering or old notes. The other state fields
+   (`started`, `last_check`, `verified`, `finished`) are added later by `scripts/pincer-ticket.sh` —
    never write them yourself.
 4. Present the ticket list (number, title, size, dependencies) as a table.
 
-**Gate (medium):** Ask for approval of the breakdown and build order. Adjust if pushed back.
+Present the concrete breakdown and build order. Reuse existing authorization for the same
+scope and order; ask only when the breakdown introduces a material decision or scope change.
 
-5. After approval, update the PRD frontmatter to `status: ticketed`, commit the tickets
-   (`git add .prd tickets && git commit`), and finish with:
+5. Once authorized, update the selected PRD frontmatter to `status: ticketed`. Inspect
+   existing staged changes, stage that PRD and the explicit new ticket paths, review
+   `git diff --cached`, and commit only those paths. Finish with:
    "Tickets ready in `tickets/`. Run `$pincer-code` to start implementing."

package/template/.agents/skills/pincer-plan/SKILL.md

@@ -7,19 +7,21 @@ description: "Create a PRD through brief discovery, codebase scan, and an archit
 
 # $pincer-plan — PRD Creation
 
-You are turning a task brief into a compact PRD. This runs inside a short delivery
-timebox (~2 hours total), so discovery is brief and the PRD is lean. The PRD feeds
+You are turning a task brief into a reviewable PRD. Scale discovery and detail to
+the change's uncertainty, risk, and any time budget the user supplied. The PRD feeds
 `$pincer-narrow` next.
 
-**Initial request:** the text that follows the `$pincer-plan` mention in the user's message (ask for it if there is none)
+**Initial request:** the text that follows the `$pincer-plan` mention in the user's message (ask only if the required input is missing)
 
-First run `scripts/pincer-status.sh`. If a PRD already exists, say so and ask whether
-this is a new version of it (`.prd/prd-v{N+1}.md` — old versions are never overwritten)
-or a fresh start; if tickets are in progress, stop and point at `$pincer-code` instead.
+First run `scripts/pincer-status.sh`. If a PRD already exists, preserve it and select
+the next unused numeric version for this change. Use the brief and repository state to
+distinguish a revision from a new change; ask only if that distinction changes scope or
+architecture. If tickets for the current PRD are in progress, resume `$pincer-code`
+unless the user explicitly authorized a separate change.
 
-## Phase 1: Discovery (~5 min)
+## Phase 1: Discovery
 
-1. If `the text that follows the `$pincer-plan` mention in the user's message (ask for it if there is none)` contains the brief, extract what you can before asking anything.
+1. If `the text that follows the `$pincer-plan` mention in the user's message (ask only if the required input is missing)` contains the brief, extract what you can before asking anything.
    Never ask a question the brief already answers.
 2. Ask only the questions whose answers would change the architecture or scope.
    Batch them (max 3–4 at once). Typical ones:
@@ -29,9 +31,10 @@ or a fresh start; if tickets are in progress, stop and point at `$pincer-code` i
 3. If the project has a frontend, ask one design question: "What should this feel like,
    and what should it NOT look like?" Capture the answer for the Visual Direction section.
 
-Summarize your understanding in 3–5 sentences and confirm before moving on.
+Summarize your understanding in 3–5 sentences. Existing authorization in the request or
+session carries forward; ask only about an unresolved choice that materially changes the result.
 
-## Phase 2: Codebase scan (conditional, ~5 min)
+## Phase 2: Codebase scan (conditional)
 
 If the repo already contains source code, launch 1–2 `codebase-explorer` agents in parallel
 (one for architecture/structure, one for patterns relevant to the feature). Read the 2–3 most
@@ -46,7 +49,7 @@ touches are load-bearing, what test coverage protects them (run the suite, don't
 and the blast radius + rollback story for the change. Record these in the PRD's
 Architecture section. Greenfield speed assumptions do not transfer to brownfield work.
 
-## Phase 3: Architecture (~5 min)
+## Phase 3: Architecture
 
 Propose the architecture: components, data flow, integration points, and key decisions.
 - Recommend one approach; mention an alternative only when the trade-off is real.
@@ -59,23 +62,28 @@ Propose the architecture: components, data flow, integration points, and key dec
 - Verify the contract of any external API the plan builds on (one live request or the
   current official docs) before designing around it — endpoint shapes remembered from
   training data are guesses.
-- Bias every decision toward "finishable in the remaining time". Cut before you gold-plate.
+- Respect any explicit delivery budget. Record deliberate cuts in Out of Scope.
 
-**Gate (heavy):** Ask for explicit approval of the architecture before writing the PRD.
+Prepare the full draft before seeking any approval still required. The user should review a
+concrete scope and architecture; do not repeat an approval already given for the same decision.
 
-## Phase 4: Write the PRD (~5 min)
+## Phase 4: Write the PRD
 
 1. Load `.claude/references/prd-template.md` and write all core sections.
-2. Include optional sections only when they earn their space in the timebox.
-3. Save to `.prd/prd-v1.md` (create `.prd/` if needed) with frontmatter:
+2. Include optional sections when risk or the product context warrants them.
+3. Save to the next unused `.prd/prd-v{N}.md` (create `.prd/` if needed), with `N`
+   matching the filename and frontmatter:
    ```yaml
    ---
-   version: 1
+   version: {N}
    status: draft
    date: {today}
    ---
    ```
-4. If `.git/` doesn't exist, run `git init` and make an initial commit containing the
-   PRD and this `.claude/` setup — planning should be visible in the history.
+4. If `.git/` doesn't exist, run `git init`. Commit the PRD and only the intended setup
+   paths after inspecting existing staged work; planning should be visible in history
+   without absorbing unrelated brownfield changes.
 
-Finish with: "PRD saved to `.prd/prd-v1.md`. Run `$pincer-narrow` to break it into work items."
+Present the saved draft and obtain approval only when the same scope/architecture was not
+already authorized. Finish with: "PRD saved to `.prd/prd-v{N}.md`. Run `$pincer-narrow`
+to break it into work items."

package/template/.agents/skills/pincer-release/SKILL.md

@@ -7,24 +7,29 @@ description: "Audit the repo against the workflow checklist — pass/fail per it
 
 # $pincer-release — Workflow Audit
 
-You are auditing the current repo state against `docs/dry-run-checklist.md`. Read-only:
+You are auditing the current repo state against `docs/release-checklist.md`. Read-only:
 report pass/fail, never fix anything — fixes belong to the stage commands.
 
-**Requested stage:** the text that follows the `$pincer-release` mention in the user's message (ask for it if there is none)
+**Requested stage:** the text that follows the `$pincer-release` mention, if any (when omitted, use the playbook's documented default)
 
 ## Steps
 
-1. Read `docs/dry-run-checklist.md` — it is the source of truth for what to check.
-2. Run `scripts/pincer-status.sh` to determine which stages have run (it reads `.prd/`,
-   `tickets/`, `NOTES.md`; add `git log`). If `the text that follows the `$pincer-release` mention in the user's message (ask for it if there is none)` names a stage, check only up
+1. Read `docs/release-checklist.md` — it is the source of truth for product-candidate
+   readiness. `docs/dry-run-checklist.md` is a separate manual platform trial and must
+   not impose toy-project or Pincer-kit assumptions on this audit.
+2. Run `scripts/pincer-status.sh` to determine the selected PRD and which stages have run
+   (it reads `.prd/`, associated `tickets/`, `NOTES.md`; add `git log`). If `the text that follows the `$pincer-release` mention, if any (when omitted, use the playbook's documented default)`
+   names a stage, check only up
    to that stage.
 3. Check every applicable item mechanically where possible:
    - File existence and frontmatter: read the files.
    - Commit format and story: `git log --oneline`.
-   - Receipts: every done ticket carries `verified:` (a status warning means one was
-     marked done by hand). Re-run at least two checks with
-     `scripts/pincer-ticket.sh verify T-{NN}` — on a done ticket it re-checks without
-     touching the receipt — and report actual output.
+   - Receipts: every done ticket carries current `last_check` and `verified` evidence;
+     any status warning fails the audit. Do not call `pincer-ticket.sh` from Release:
+     it writes receipts and would invalidate the evaluated candidate.
+   - Run the repository's candidate-wide release gate directly (`npm test`, or the
+     equivalent declared by the project) and report its actual output. Any failure
+     blocks PASS. Confirm `git status --short` remains clean afterward.
 4. For judgment items (tickets genuinely S/M, history reads as a story), give your
    verdict AND one sentence of evidence — never a bare pass.
 5. Present a table: checklist item | pass/fail/skipped | evidence. Order by stage.

package/template/.agents/skills/pincer-status/SKILL.md

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ start of a session. Read-only: change nothing.
 
 1. Run `scripts/pincer-status.sh`. It reads the artifacts on disk (`.prd/`, `tickets/`,
    `NOTES.md`) and prints the PRD state, every ticket with its state and clock-based
-   elapsed time, what is blocked, build time against the budget, any warnings (a ticket
+   elapsed time, what is blocked, build time against any explicit user budget, any warnings (a ticket
    marked done without a verification receipt), and the next command to run.
 2. Report in three lines: where the workflow is, what is in progress or blocked, and the
    next command. Quote the `Next` line as-is.