approval-engine/AGENTS.md

# approval-engine — Agent Instructions

## Repo Identity

**Purpose:** PIP for the approval object: durable, authenticated, consumable, atomically supersedable.

**Domain:** infotech
**Repo slug:** approval-engine
**Topic ID:** `cee7bedf-2b48-46ef-8601-006474f2ad7a`
**Workplan prefix:** `APPROVAL-WP-`

---

## State Hub Integration

The Custodian State Hub tracks work across all domains. Codex uses HTTP REST and
the `statehub` CLI by default. MCP is opt-in because the current Codex MCP bridge
adds severe call latency; the full administrative MCP surface remains available
to clients that need it.

| Context | URL |
|---------|-----|
| Local workstation | `http://127.0.0.1:8000` |
| Remote via tunnel | `http://127.0.0.1:18000` |
| Optional local edge relay | http://127.0.0.1:18080 |

When an operator has enabled the edge relay, set API_BASE to the relay URL.
Queueable writes return an explicit queued receipt if the central hub is
unreachable. Treat that as pending local evidence, then ask the operator to run
statehub outbox status/replay after connectivity returns.

Codex workspace-write sandboxes need network access enabled to reach the host's
loopback listener. Bootstrap this once with `make -C ~/state-hub configure-codex`
and restart Codex. The canonical REST health endpoint is `/state/health`, not
`/health`. If a sandboxed loopback probe fails, retry it with escalated execution
before declaring State Hub unavailable; a managed Codex permission profile may
still enforce isolated networking. Experimental MCP can be enabled explicitly
with `make -C ~/state-hub configure-codex WITH_MCP=1`.

### Orient at session start

```bash
# Offline brief — works without hub connection
cat .custodian-brief.md

# Active workplans for this domain
curl -s "http://127.0.0.1:8000/workplans/?topic_id=cee7bedf-2b48-46ef-8601-006474f2ad7a&status=active" \
  | python3 -m json.tool

# Check inbox
curl -s "http://127.0.0.1:8000/messages/?to_agent=approval-engine&unread_only=true" \
  | python3 -m json.tool
```

Mark a message read:
```bash
curl -s -X PATCH "http://127.0.0.1:8000/messages/<id>/read" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{}'
```

### Log progress (required at session close)

```bash
curl -s -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8000/progress/ \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "summary": "what was done",
    "event_type": "note",
    "author": "codex",
    "workplan_id": "<uuid>",
    "task_id": "<uuid>"
  }'
```

Omit `workplan_id` / `task_id` when not applicable.

### Update task status

```bash
curl -s -X PATCH "http://127.0.0.1:8000/tasks/<task_id>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"status": "progress"}'
# values: wait | todo | progress | done | cancel
```

### Flag a task for human review

```bash
curl -s -X PATCH "http://127.0.0.1:8000/tasks/<task_id>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"needs_human": true, "intervention_note": "reason"}'
```

---

## Session Protocol

**Start:**
1. `cat .custodian-brief.md` — domain goal and open workplans (offline-safe)
2. Check inbox: `GET /messages/?to_agent=approval-engine&unread_only=true`; mark read
3. Scan workplans: `ls workplans/` — note `status: ready`, `active`, or `blocked` files and open tasks
4. Check human-needed tasks: `GET /tasks/?needs_human=true`

**During work:**
- Update task statuses in workplan files as tasks progress
- Record significant decisions via `POST /decisions/`

**Close:**
1. Update workplan file task statuses to reflect progress
2. If finishing a workplan: hand off **residuals** as live work records first
   (intake with `origin: residual` + `origin_ref: <WP-id>`, or a next workplan /
   decision / engagement). Do not park leftovers only in prose or `SCOPE.md`.
   Canon: `the-custodian/canon/standards/work-record-types_v0.1.md` § Residuals.
3. Log: `POST /progress/` with a summary of what changed (name handoff ids)
4. After workplan file changes, run:
   ```bash
   statehub fix-consistency
   ```
   Coding agents should run this directly; ask the operator only if the CLI or
   State Hub API is unavailable. This syncs task status from files into the hub DB.
   If C-06/C-11 reports that this host is not the identifier registrar, do not
   retry, export `STATEHUB_REGISTRAR`, or register records by hand. Commit and
   push the file-backed work first, then run the repo-manager fallback once:
   ```bash
   uv run --project ~/repo-manager rmgr registrar-reconcile \
     --path . --confirm-primary --push
   ```
   If unavailable, send one deduplicated registrar request to `repo-manager`
   naming the repo and canonical ids; UUID absence does not block local work.

---

## Credential and access routing

**Audience:** Codex, Claude Code, Grok, and custodian agents that call **llm-connect**
for inference. Run this check **before** requesting secrets, API keys, SSH access,
login tokens, or database passwords — in any repo, not only `ops-warden`.

The companion (`net-kingdom/SECURITY-COMPANION.md`) says what the rules are;
`ops-warden` stewards the paths through them. **Do not** message `ops-warden`
on State Hub expecting a secret value; the reply is a pointer, not a key.

### Lookup (do this first)

```bash
warden route find "<describe your need>" --json
warden route show <catalog-id> --json
```

Requires the `warden` CLI from `~/ops-warden`.

| Agent runtime | How to orient |
| --- | --- |
| **Codex / Grok** (shell, HTTP State Hub) | `warden route`; inbox `to_agent=approval-engine` is for coordination, not secret vending |
| **Claude Code** (MCP when available) | domain summary for workplans; **still** use `warden route` for credential ownership |
| **llm-connect** | Never put secret retrieval in prompts |

### Quick routing table

| I need… | Owner | ops-warden executes? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SSH cert (`adm`/`agt`/`atm`) | ops-warden | **Yes** — `warden sign` |
| API key, DB password, provider token | OpenBao | No — route only |
| Login / OIDC / MFA | key-cape | No — route only |
| Authorization decision | access-engine (`flex-auth`) | No — route only |
| Approval current-state | **this engine** (not yet implemented) | No |
| SSH tunnel | ops-bridge | No — route only |

### Anti-patterns

- Asking State Hub or `ops-warden` to vend a secret
- Pasting secrets into Git, State Hub, workplans, logs, or chat
- Treating a callable tool as permission (companion §7)

**Canon:** `~/ops-warden/wiki/CredentialRouting.md`

<!-- REPO-AGENTS-EXTENSIONS -->
<!-- Append repo-specific agent instructions below this marker.
     The state-hub template sync preserves content after this line. -->

## This repository's layer

Engine, role **PIP**. Statute v0.7, companion v0.2. Declaration: `INTENT.md`
frontmatter and `layer.yaml`.

- Answer "is this approval valid for this exact binding, and has it been used?"
  Never "may this actor do X".
- Do not implement consumption until `GH-WP-0002-T06` / `APPROVAL-WP-0001-T05`
  settles the contract with `access-engine`.
- The outbox is local. Do not emit synchronously to `audit-core` inside a
  mutation transaction.
- Approval evidence is load-bearing. Atomicity covers crash, not compromise.
- An approval is not a Railiance workload.
- Remote hub: this host reaches State Hub on `http://127.0.0.1:8000` (primary
  on railiance01). Do not use `127.0.0.1:18000` — that reverse tunnel is being
  retired (`CUST-WP-0067`).

---

## Workplan Convention (ADR-001)

Work items originate as files in this repo — not in the hub. The hub is a
read/cache/index layer that rebuilds from files.

**File location:** `workplans/APPROVAL-WP-NNNN-<slug>.md`

**Archived location:** finished workplans may move to
`workplans/archived/YYMMDD-APPROVAL-WP-NNNN-<slug>.md`. The `YYMMDD` prefix is
the completion/archive date; the frontmatter `id` does not change.

**Ad Hoc Tasks:** small opportunistic fixes discovered during a session use
`workplans/ADHOC-YYYY-MM-DD.md`, workplan id
`APPROVAL-WP-ADHOC-YYYY-MM-DD`, and task ids
`APPROVAL-WP-ADHOC-YYYY-MM-DD-T01`, etc. `APPROVAL-WP` includes its final `-WP`
token. Unqualified historic `ADHOC-*` ids are grandfathered and must not be
copied into new records. Use this only for low-risk work completed directly;
create a normal workplan for anything needing analysis, design, approval,
dependencies, or multiple phases.

**Frontmatter:**

```yaml
---
id: APPROVAL-WP-NNNN
type: workplan
title: "..."
domain: infotech
repo: approval-engine
status: proposed | ready | active | blocked | backlog | finished | archived
owner: codex
topic_slug: ...
created: "YYYY-MM-DD"
updated: "YYYY-MM-DD"
state_hub_workstream_id: "<uuid>"   # fix-consistency — do not edit (legacy field name; workplan UUID)
---
```

Use `proposed` for a new draft, `ready` after review against current repo
state, and `finished` after implementation. `stalled` and `needs_review` are
derived health labels, not frontmatter statuses.

**Terminology:** workplan is the fleet term; `workstream` appears only in legacy
API/MCP/frontmatter bridges until `STATE-WP-0069` retires them — see
`the-custodian/canon/standards/workplan-terminology-fleet_v0.1.md`.

**Task block format** (one per `##` section):

```
## Task Title

` ` `task
id: APPROVAL-WP-NNNN-T01
status: wait | todo | progress | done | cancel
priority: high | medium | low
state_hub_task_id: "<uuid>"         # written by fix-consistency — do not edit
` ` `

Task description text.
```

Status progression: `todo` → `progress` → `done`; use `wait` for waiting/blocked work and `cancel` for stopped work.

**Residuals when finishing:** actionable leftovers become live work records
before `status: finished` — usually an intake (`origin: residual`,
`origin_ref: APPROVAL-WP-NNNN`) or a spawned workplan. Residual is a *role*,
not a kind. Fleet list lives on State Hub, not in `SCOPE.md`.

To create a new workplan:
1. Write the file following the format above
2. Run `statehub fix-consistency` locally.
3. On a non-registrar C-06/C-11 skip, use the repo-manager fallback documented
   above exactly once; never set registrar authority directly.