Finish local collector preparation and block remaining coordination work

Assistant: codex
Assistant-Model: gpt-6.1-sol
Assistant-Session: 01a11beb-4eef-7fc1-94a7-597130a01ae9

inventory/README.md

@@ -35,6 +35,29 @@ paths; these are candidates for review, not all confirmed broken URLs. A referen
 may have several surface categories. It does not detect arbitrary computed or
 encoded paths. File location categories are triage hints, not semantic parsing.
 
+## Authenticated collector preparation — completed locally, 2026-10-09
+
+`tools/inventory.py --forge-token-env ORGREF_FORGE_READ_TOKEN` enables scoped
+read authentication only when that named environment variable has been supplied
+by the authorized credential route. Omit the flag for the anonymous baseline.
+A requested missing, empty or invalid variable fails before network collection;
+there is no silent anonymous fallback. Never put a credential value on the
+command line, in a file, or in a receipt.
+
+The same token is used for forge repository/package metadata and default-branch
+archives. Requests are GET-only and confined to the exact current HTTPS forge
+origin; cross-origin and HTTP downgrade redirects are refused. State Hub reads
+remain separate and receive no forge token. Transport errors emit fixed messages
+or HTTP status only, never request headers or response bodies. The snapshot
+records `authentication: authenticated-read`, not the token or environment.
+
+This option finishes local preparation within existing WP-0001-T01 /
+WP-0002-T06. It does not grant a credential, waive the previous access denial,
+attest the principal's scope, or turn `g1_complete` true. Actual authorized
+private repository/package reads and owner completeness evidence remain pending.
+The authenticated census also still needs access/automation exports, exclusion
+and consumer disposition, and a matching unchanged-fleet pair.
+
 ## Live evidence
 
 - `runtime-2026-09-28.json`: names/images/owner links for 132 workload controllers