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Feature plan: Step 1 · Step 2 · Step 3 · Step 4

Debug mode: enabled Effort study: railspike-effort / v3/deployment_config; standing enrollment P2 Extended estimates: enabled Branch: feat/deployment-config; planning commit e51751cf Cycle estimate: 0.85 Retrospective cycle assessment: 0.85

Deployment Config Step 4 Implementation Summary

Step 4 entry checkpoint

  • Checkpoint: Step 4 entry, 2026-10-30 UTC; whole-cycle 0.85 reaffirmed from Step 3.

  • Scope v1.1 / revised Option A; planning baseline 4abda3db; implementation starts from origin/main 2ee0d198 (17 later upstream commits, one touching PrivateConfigSchema by adding an unrelated flag). R1 / P2; Claude (claude-opus-5-5) single exposed rater.

  • Original stage-work estimates S1–S6/v1: 0.10 / 0.15 / 0.15 / 0.15 / 0.10 / 0.10, copied from the approved plan, not additive.

  • Baselines at 2ee0d198 (separate worktree, run concurrently with Stages 1–4):

    • Full suite: 1732 run, 1726 passed, 6 failed — ApprovalSeedCommandTest::testSeedRetiresCachedPagesAndReleaseBeforeServingUpdatedState, LocalAppSmokeTest::testPrivateLobbyOnlyExposesLobbyAccountAndAuthenticationSurfaces, LocalAppSmokeTest::testPrivateForteRoutesRecoverExpiredSessionsInsteadOfReturningFalseNotFound, LocalAppSmokeTest::testRepositoryArchiveDownloadFilenamesIncludeReadableTimestamp, PlatformDocsStaticTest::testStaticReleaseIncludesCompleteInventoryAndSafeAssets, ReadModelBuilderTimingTest::testProgressSeparatesParsingDerivationAndWritingWithBoundedCounts.

    • Unmodified tests/high_traffic_apache_test.py: fails at the native-import step (line 191, exit 255), confirming that failure predates this cycle.

Stage 1 - One private file location rule

Original estimate: 0.10 Retrospective stage work: 0.08

  • Changes:

    • PrivateConfig::path(string $projectRoot): FORUM_SECRETS_PATH, else ../forum-private/<checkout folder>/secrets.php when it exists, else ../forum-private/secrets.php. PrivateConfig::load(), scripts/write_private_config.php (./v3 private-config) and scripts/terminal_llm_editor.php (TUI) all use it; the three duplicated rules are gone. Help text updated.

    • New PrivateConfigCommandTest::testPrivateConfigPathPrefersPerCheckoutFileThenSharedDefault: shared default; per-checkout file wins once it exists; trailing slash; sibling checkout keeps the shared file; values load from the right file; explicit override; and a copied site-a checkout's ./v3 private-config view reports the per-checkout path.

  • Verification (all passed): PrivateConfigCommandTest 8/8, PrivateConfigSchemaTest 5/5, FeatureFlagEvaluatorTest 19/19, SiteProfileRegistryTest 8/8, tests/terminal_llm_editor_test.py and tests/private_config_review_test.py.

  • Notes: the per-checkout file is used only when it exists, so existing single-site deployments are unaffected.

— Claude · 2026-10-30 UTC · Model: claude-opus-5-5

Stage 2 - Deployment settings lookup

Original estimate: 0.15 Retrospective stage work: 0.12

  • Changes:

    • New DeploymentSettings with value($key, ?$projectRoot), source(...) and projectRoot() for FORUM_SITE_ID, FORUM_REPOSITORY_ROOT, FORUM_DATABASE_PATH, FORUM_STATIC_HTML_ROOT, FORUM_PUBLIC_ARTIFACT_ROOT and FORUM_IMAGE_ROOT. A non-empty environment variable wins, then the checkout's private file, else null so the caller applies its existing default. File paths must be absolute strings. Without an explicit root, the lookup uses the checkout containing the code. The parsed file is cached per process, keyed by path, mtime and size.

    • The six keys were added to PrivateConfigSchema as non-template settings, so ./v3 private-config view lists them with their source and generated templates are unchanged.

    • SiteProfileRegistry::active() reads through the lookup. An unknown profile set in the private file is an error naming the file and the known profiles; an unknown environment value keeps today's fallback to the default profile, for compatibility.

    • Plan deviation, same outcome: LocalRepositoryBootstrap and PresentationPathResolver stay unchanged because they produce the fallback defaults. Callers in Stages 3–4 use DeploymentSettings::value(...) ?: <existing default>, which keeps every caller's current default exactly.

    • New DeploymentSettingsTest (registered in tests/run.php): precedence and source for every key, empty environment values ignored, file-driven QDB profile, unknown file profile error, unknown environment fallback, relative and non-string path rejection, per-checkout selection, keys absent from the template.

  • Verification (all passed): DeploymentSettingsTest 7/7, SiteProfileRegistryTest 8/8, PrivateConfigSchemaTest 5/5, PrivateConfigCommandTest 8/8.

  • Notes: this developer machine's private file sets none of the new keys (checked), so local test behavior is unchanged. Baselines still running; recorded in Stage 3.

— Claude · 2026-10-30 UTC · Model: claude-opus-5-5

Stage 3 - Web app and shared classes

Original estimate: 0.15 Retrospective stage work: 0.15

  • Changes:

    • public/index.php, Application, RouteServices, HighTrafficSafety, RetractionSweepFactory, FastmodTaggingPolicy, LocalWriteService and ImageStore read the six settings through DeploymentSettings::value(..., <project root>), each keeping its existing default. The high-traffic worker still receives the resolved profile as an argument.

    • tests/high_traffic_apache_test.py: new scenario after the existing SetEnv one. It restores .htaccess without SetEnv, puts FORUM_SITE_ID => 'qdb' only in the private file, restarts Apache and the CLI without FORUM_SITE_ID, and checks that normal, cold, warm (no PHP) and CLI-refreshed homepages are QDB's.

  • Verification:

    • Full Apache harness: blocked at its existing native-import step (line 191, exit 255) before reaching either profile scenario. This is the same pre-existing failure recorded in the QDB diagnosis, and it also fails at the baseline (see entry checkpoint).

    • Scratch copy running only setup plus the two profile scenarios (not committed): passed both the request-scoped SetEnv scenario and the new private-file-only scenario; the script stopped afterwards only on its summary line, which refers to a timing variable from the cut section.

    • HighTrafficTest 6/6, DeploymentSettingsTest 7/7, SiteProfileRegistryTest 8/8, WriteApiSmokeTest 193/193 passed. LocalAppSmokeTest 154/157; all three failures also occur in the baseline at 2ee0d198 (testRepositoryArchiveDownloadFilenamesIncludeReadableTimestamp, testPrivateLobbyOnlyExposesLobbyAccountAndAuthenticationSurfaces, testPrivateForteRoutesRecoverExpiredSessionsInsteadOfReturningFalseNotFound).

  • Notes: an unknown profile in the private file makes web requests fail with an error in the server log; status in Stage 5 surfaces the same message to the operator.

— Claude · 2026-10-31 UTC · Model: claude-opus-5-5

Stage 4 - CLI scripts and cron

Original estimate: 0.15 Retrospective stage work: 0.15

  • Changes:

    • 71 direct reads in 26 scripts now go through DeploymentSettings::value(); explicit command-line options still take precedence and each script keeps its existing default. check_static_artifacts.php now loads the autoloader.

    • Correction found here: ./v3 rebuild with no arguments ignored FORUM_REPOSITORY_ROOT and always rebuilt the local default repository, so the CLI could disagree with the web app. It now uses the configured repository, and the local default is only initialized when none is configured.

    • The TUI home placeholder (terminal_operator_ui.sh), shown if the first status call fails, resolves the repository through the same lookup instead of ${FORUM_REPOSITORY_ROOT:-...}.

    • The cron worker needs no change: it runs php scripts/task_queue.php from the checkout, which now reads the private file.

    • Tests: testNoCodeReadsDeploymentSettingsDirectlyFromTheEnvironment scans src, scripts, public and v3 for getenv, $_SERVER/$_ENV and shell ${...} reads of the six keys (checked against the pre-change status.php and TUI script: both caught). testCliUsesPrivateFileRepositoryAndDatabaseWithoutEnvironment runs rebuild and status with all six variables unset and only the private file set, and checks they use its repository and database.

  • Verification:

    • DeploymentSettingsTest 9/9. Passed: StatusCommandTest 7, OperatorStatusCollectorTest 6, ImportInstanceCommandTest 9, RepositoryArchiveImportCommandTest 1, FastmodAuditCommandTest 5, ApprovalReceiptMaintenanceTest 6, ArchiveThreadCommandTest 3, PostSignatureAuditCommandTest 2, AgentReplyCommandTest 5, AgentResponseFormatReadinessTest 4, RetractionSweepTest 10, TerminalOperatorUiCommandTest 3, TerminalOperatorUiDashboardTest 1, DevServerLogTest 9, HighTrafficPublicationTest 4; Python terminal UI navigation, PTY and acceptance tests.

    • ApprovalSeedCommandTest::testSeedRetiresCachedPagesAndReleaseBeforeServingUpdatedState failed and also fails in the baseline. TaskQueueCommandTest::testRebuildWorkerRecordsPrivateProgressCheckpoints and DocsPublicationFlowTest::testReportedResumeCompletesWithChangedAndMissingDamagedOrLegacyDocs ("HTTP server failed to start") failed once while the baseline suite was running concurrently, then passed twice each when rerun alone; treated as intermittent.

  • Notes: backfill_unicode_risk.php still initializes the local default repository eagerly (pre-existing; unchanged).

— Claude · 2026-10-31 UTC · Model: claude-opus-5-5

Stage 5 - Status shows where settings come from

Original estimate: 0.10 Retrospective stage work: 0.10

  • Changes:

    • ./v3 status ends with a Deployment settings section: the private file in use (marked missing when absent) and each of the six settings with its effective value and source (environment, private file <path>, --repository-root/--database-path, or default). An unknown environment profile is shown as falling back to the default. A setting that can't be resolved (for example an unknown profile in the private file) shows ERROR with the message instead of aborting the section. Only these six non-secret settings are printed.

    • Warns when tracked public/.htaccess or public/index.php has local edits (via git status), pointing to the private file. --summary (the TUI home) shows the warning line only when there is one.

    • ./v3 task-queue cron prints the private file the worker will read (Site settings: <path>).

    • Tests: testStatusReportsEachSourceAndWarnsAboutTrackedDeploymentEdits (copied checkout named qdb in a temporary Git repository; per-checkout file, environment and default sources; a secret in the same file not printed; .htaccess edit warning; missing file falls back to default); TaskQueueCommandTest asserts the cron output's settings path.

  • Verification (all passed): DeploymentSettingsTest 10/10, TaskQueueCommandTest 12/12, StatusCommandTest 7/7, TerminalOperatorUiCommandTest 3/3, TerminalOperatorUiDashboardTest 1/1, Python terminal UI acceptance test.

  • Notes: no web UI change; navigation icons and UI copy audit are not applicable.

— Claude · 2026-10-31 UTC · Model: claude-opus-5-5

Stage 6 - Documentation, operator checklist and release verification

Original estimate: 0.10 Retrospective stage work: 0.10

  • Changes:

    • Production deploy runbook: the Environment Variables and Site Profile sections are replaced by one Deployment Settings section: the six settings and their defaults; the private file as their home; precedence (environment, private file, default, with command options first); which private file a checkout uses and the folder-rename caveat; the ./v3 status and ./v3 task-queue cron checks; moving existing SetEnv lines step by step; recovery; the QDB operator acceptance checklist with exact commands; and local development of another profile. The lock-timeout setting and deployment checklist step 6 link to it.

    • CLI reference: path precedence lists the private file between the environment and the bootstrapped default; status and private-config --path describe the per-checkout lookup. The README private-config paragraph says the same.

    • docs/examples/apache_vhost.conf and docs/examples/env.production.example point to the private file and keep the SetEnv/environment lines as a documented alternative that still takes precedence.

    • New concept entry docs/concepts/deployment_configuration.md (purpose, QDB scenario, sources: DeploymentSettings, PrivateConfig, runbook section). Private-config help text needed no change (updated in Stage 1).

    • Study ledger: Step 4 entry and closeout appended under Cycle v3/deployment_config in docs/plans/effort_estimation_trial.md.

    • Review corrections in this stage: the runbook profile list adds mitrapclub, which SiteProfileRegistry registers; the acceptance curl line no longer asserts an exact <title> string.

  • Verification:

    • Full suite at HEAD (./v3 test): 1743 run, 1734 passed, 9 failed, against the baseline's 1732 run / 6 failed. The 11 added tests are this cycle's. The six baseline failures reproduce identically (ApprovalSeedCommandTest, three LocalAppSmokeTest, PlatformDocsStaticTest, ReadModelBuilderTimingTest). The three other failures (BoundedProcessTest::testNoisyAndStalledDescendantsAreBounded, HighTrafficTest::testRendererLimitErrorsNameTheLimitAndLastStage, PrivateMessageHistorySyncTest::testConcurrentSyncWritesLeaveForegroundMessageStoreResponsive) are timing-sensitive and occurred while another test suite ran concurrently on this machine (load average about 10 on 12 cores); rerun alone, all three classes pass 24/24. Passed, with no regression attributable to this cycle.

    • Links and anchors: every relative link in the four changed documents resolves; #deployment-settings exists; no links to the removed #environment-variables or #site-profile anchors remain outside historical plans. git diff --check clean. Passed.

    • Stale guidance: SetEnv FORUM and ../forum-private/secrets.php searched across README, docs, src and scripts; remaining mentions are the lookup rule itself, historical plans and the QDB diagnosis record. Passed.

    • Help text: ./v3 private-config --help states the lookup rule. Passed.

    • QDB host acceptance: pending. It is an operator-run step on the QDB host (checklist in the runbook); nothing here replays that host, and the Apache harness remains blocked at its pre-existing native-import failure.

  • Notes: documentation-only stage; no runtime change. Navigation icons, UI copy audit and migrations are not applicable.

— Claude · 2026-10-31 UTC · Model: claude-fable-5-1

Closeout

Delivered scope v1.1 / revised Option A, complete as planned: one private file location rule with per-checkout lookup; a DeploymentSettings lookup with environment, private file, default precedence for the six site and path settings; the web app, every ./v3 command, the TUI and cron reading through it with a guard test against direct environment reads; ./v3 status reporting each value's source and warning about local edits to tracked deployment files; and runbook, CLI reference, examples and concept entry. Six planned stages, six completed. Commits: planning e51751cf; S1 06f903e7; S2 5536338c; S3 6a464910; S4 40fd290f; S5 53b3f5a2; S6 38c99d35. Implementation started from origin/main 2ee0d198; planning baseline 4abda3db.

Verification and omissions: every stage's focused suites passed and are recorded above; the Step 4 full-suite comparison is in Stage 6. Pre-existing failures reproduced at the baseline and unchanged here: six full-suite tests listed in the entry checkpoint and the Apache harness native-import step. Not verified: the QDB host (operator acceptance pending, runbook checklist provided) and the effect of a stray pre-existing path key in a real deployment's private file (this machine's file has none). Corrective work versus new requests: one plan deviation in Stage 2 (defaults left in their existing classes, same outcome) and two documentation corrections in Stage 6; no new requests, splits or follow-up cycles. No merge or push in this cycle.

Study: v3/deployment_config, scope v1.1, baseline 4abda3db, R1 / P2. Prospective 0.80 (intake and Step 1), 0.85 (Step 1 revision 1, reaffirmed at Steps 2, 3 and Step 4 entry) retained. Retrospective cycle assessment: 0.85 by Claude (claude-fable-5-1), a different model from the prospective rater (claude-opus-5-5); it is a scope assessment, not measured labor or a replacement projection. Stage originals 0.10/0.15/0.15/0.15/0.10/0.10 and retrospectives 0.08/0.12/0.15/0.15/0.10/0.10 are non-additive. Maintainer comfortable-fit judgment and study acceptance pending; no accepted-outcome increment.

— Claude · 2026-10-31 UTC · Model: claude-fable-5-1