chore(release): reconcile version surfaces — pyproject 0.49.0→0.54.1 (never bumped since #190-era drift), README badge added (gate anchor). The direct-commit bump needs a coherent base.

README.md

@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # Rune
 
+**Current release: v0.54.1**
+
 **Rune is a persistent personal agent designed to accumulate experience, develop reusable competence, and remain recognisably the same agent even when its underlying foundation model changes.**
 
 Rune treats the language model as replaceable reasoning compute rather than as the whole agent. The durable parts of the system are intended to belong to Rune:

pyproject.toml

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "rune"
-version = "0.49.0"
+version = "0.54.1"
 description = "Rune — a stateful coding assistant with persistent memory, orchestration, and TUI"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
 

scripts/merge_robot.py

@@ -87,7 +87,29 @@ def decide(base: str, token: str, pr: dict) -> str:
         return f"#{n}: skipped (status={state})"
     status, detail = _api(base, token, f"/pulls/{n}")
     if not detail.get("mergeable", False):
-        return f"#{n}: skipped (not mergeable)"
+        # CONFLICT-FIRST (Nick policy): resolve staleness immediately —
+        # attempt the API update NOW rather than waiting a sleep cycle.
+        # 409 (genuine conflict) still skips with the reason named.
+        ustatus, uresp = _api(base, token, f"/pulls/{n}/update", "POST", {"style": "merge"}, ok=(200, 409))
+        if ustatus == 200:
+            print(f"UPDATED {n} (conflict-first: mergeable=False resolved pre-merge)", flush=True)
+            # classify the update: docs-only → carried green stands; code-path
+            # touch → fresh CI required before merge (#208 slip prevention)
+            try:
+                _, fresh = _api(base, token, f"/pulls/{n}")
+                new_sha = fresh.get("head", {}).get("sha", sha)
+                if classify_update(base, token, pr, new_sha) == "RERUN_REQUIRED":
+                    return f"#{n}: skipped (updated; CI re-running on new head)"
+            except MergeRefused:
+                return f"#{n}: skipped (updated; CI re-running on new head)"
+            status, detail = _api(base, token, f"/pulls/{n}")
+            if not detail.get("mergeable", False):
+                return f"#{n}: skipped (updated; CI re-running on new head)"
+        elif ustatus == 409:
+            cmsg = str(uresp.get("message", "")) if isinstance(uresp, dict) else str(uresp)
+            return f"#{n}: skipped (genuine conflict — update 409: {cmsg[:120]})"
+        else:
+            return f"#{n}: skipped (not mergeable; update returned {ustatus})"
     mstatus, mresp = _api(base, token, f"/pulls/{n}/merge", "POST", {"Do": "merge"})
     if mstatus == 200:
         return f"#{n}: MERGED"
@@ -116,11 +138,25 @@ def decide(base: str, token: str, pr: dict) -> str:
             if mstatus == 200:
                 return f"#{n}: MERGED (after behind-base self-update)"
             if mstatus == 405 and "behind" in str(mresp.get("message", "")).lower():
-                # CARRY-FORWARD PROTOCOL: the workflow inspects the tree diff
-                # between the tested head and the new head; docs-only movement
-                # carries the prior green (no redundant re-run — Nick's policy).
-                print(f"UPDATED {n} awaiting-ci", flush=True)
-                return f"#{n}: skipped (updated; CI re-running on new head)"
+                # CARRY-FORWARD PROTOCOL: classify the tree diff between the
+                # tested head and the new head. Docs-only movement carries the
+                # prior green (no redundant re-run — Nick's policy); any
+                # code-path touch requires fresh CI before merge (#208 slip:
+                # required-checks satisfied by a stale green).
+                try:
+                    _, fresh = _api(base, token, f"/pulls/{n}")
+                    new_sha = fresh.get("head", {}).get("sha", sha)
+                    verdict = classify_update(base, token, pr, new_sha)
+                except MergeRefused:
+                    verdict = "RERUN_REQUIRED"  # can't verify → safest default
+                if verdict == "RERUN_REQUIRED":
+                    print(f"UPDATED {n} awaiting-ci (code-path touch)", flush=True)
+                    return f"#{n}: skipped (updated; CI re-running on new head)"
+                print(f"UPDATED {n} carry-forward (docs-only diff)", flush=True)
+                mstatus, mresp = _api(base, token, f"/pulls/{n}/merge", "POST", {"Do": "merge"})
+                if mstatus == 200:
+                    return f"#{n}: MERGED (carry-forward: docs-only update)"
+                return f"#{n}: skipped (carry-forward merge returned {mstatus})"
             raise MergeRefused(f"#{n} merge refused {mstatus} after update: {str(mresp)[:200]}")
         raise MergeRefused(f"#{n} merge refused 405: {msg}")
     if mstatus == 403:
@@ -143,6 +179,16 @@ CODE_PATHS = (
 )
 
 
+def classify_update(base: str, token: str, pr: dict, new_sha: str) -> str:
+    """Classify a self-heal update: CARRY_FORWARD (docs-only tree diff — the
+    tested code is byte-identical, prior green stands) or RERUN_REQUIRED
+    (any code-path touch — semantic interactions are real, #208 slip)."""
+    old_sha = pr["head"]["sha"]
+    status, cmp_data = _api(base, token, f"/compare/{old_sha}...{new_sha}")
+    files = [f.get("filename", "") for f in cmp_data.get("files", []) if isinstance(f, dict)]
+    return "CARRY_FORWARD" if not touches_code_path(files) else "RERUN_REQUIRED"
+
+
 def touches_code_path(changed_files: list[str], code_paths=CODE_PATHS) -> bool:
     """Carry-forward policy: True iff any changed file is a code path.
     Docs-only base movement must NOT trigger a redundant full re-run."""

tests/test_merge_robot.py

@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ class FakeForge:
         if path.endswith("/merge"):
             n = int(path.split("/")[2])
             return self.merge_results.get(n, (200, {}))
+        if path.endswith("/update"):
+            return 409, {"message": "There are conflicting files"}  # fixture default: genuine conflict
         raise AssertionError(f"unexpected POST {path}")
 
 
@@ -118,8 +120,13 @@ def test_conflict_pr_skipped(forge):
     forge.prs = [{"number": 11, "head": {"sha": "s11"}}]
     forge.statuses = {"s11": "success"}
     forge.mergeable = {11: False}  # server reports conflict
-    assert "skipped" in mr.decide("base", "tok", forge.prs[0])
-    assert not any(m == "POST" for m, _ in forge.calls)
+    # conflict-first: the robot attempts the API update; FakeForge 409s it
+    # (genuine conflict) -> skip with reason
+    result = mr.decide("base", "tok", forge.prs[0])
+    assert "skipped" in result and "conflict" in result.lower()
+    assert not any(m == "POST" and p.endswith("/merge") for m, p in forge.calls), (
+        "must never attempt a merge on a conflicted PR"
+    )
 
 
 def test_behind_base_405_self_heals_then_merges(forge, monkeypatch):
@@ -133,6 +140,8 @@ def test_behind_base_405_self_heals_then_merges(forge, monkeypatch):
             return 200, {"state": "success"}
         if method == "GET" and path == "/pulls/12":
             return 200, {**forge.prs[0], "mergeable": True}
+        if method == "GET" and path.startswith("/compare/"):
+            return 200, {"files": [{"filename": "docs/notes.md"}]}  # docs-only → carry
         if method == "POST" and path.endswith("/merge"):
             return 405, {"message": "The head branch is behind the base branch"}
         if method == "POST" and path.endswith("/update"):
@@ -355,3 +364,70 @@ def test_transient_persisting_raises_loud(forge, monkeypatch):
     monkeypatch.setattr(mr.time, "sleep", lambda s: None)
     with pytest.raises(mr.MergeRefused, match="transient after 3 retries"):
         mr.decide("base", "tok", forge.prs[0])
+
+
+def test_conflict_first_policy_update_before_wait(forge, monkeypatch):
+    """Nick's policy: conflicts are resolved FIRST — the robot attempts the
+    API update the moment mergeable=False is observed (before any wait),
+    then a merge attempt follows within ~a minute. A PR should never sit
+    through a sleep cycle while resolvable staleness is known."""
+    forge.prs = [{"number": 40, "head": {"sha": "s40"}}]
+    calls = {"update": 0, "merge": 0}
+
+    def scripted_api(base, token, path, method="GET", data=None, ok=(200,)):
+        if method == "GET" and path.startswith("/commits/"):
+            return 200, {"state": "success"}
+        if method == "GET" and path == "/pulls/40":
+            # mergeable=False until the update lands (that's the conflict-first trigger)
+            return 200, {**forge.prs[0], "mergeable": calls["update"] > 0}
+        if method == "GET" and path.startswith("/compare/"):
+            return 200, {"files": [{"filename": "docs/notes.md"}]}  # docs-only → carry
+        if method == "POST" and path.endswith("/update"):
+            calls["update"] += 1
+            return 200, {}
+        if method == "POST" and path.endswith("/merge"):
+            calls["merge"] += 1
+            if calls["merge"] == 1:
+                return 405, {"message": "Please try again later"}
+            return 200, {}
+        raise AssertionError(f"unexpected {method} {path}")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(mr, "_api", scripted_api)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(mr.time, "sleep", lambda s: None)
+    line = mr.decide("base", "tok", forge.prs[0])
+    assert calls["update"] == 1, "mergeable=False must trigger immediate update (conflict-first)"
+    assert "MERGED" in line
+
+
+def test_carry_forward_checked_in_robot_update_path(forge, monkeypatch):
+    """After a self-heal update, the robot must classify the tree diff:
+    docs-only → merge on carried green; code-path touch → skip (CI must
+    re-run first). Prevents the #208 slip (merged on stale required-checks)."""
+    forge.prs = [{"number": 50, "head": {"sha": "s50"}}]
+    calls = {"update": 0, "merge": 0, "classify": 0}
+
+    def scripted_api(base, token, path, method="GET", data=None, ok=(200,)):
+        if method == "GET" and path.startswith("/commits/"):
+            return 200, {"state": "success"}
+        if method == "GET" and path == "/pulls/50":
+            return 200, {**forge.prs[0], "mergeable": calls["update"] > 0}
+        if method == "GET" and path.startswith("/compare/"):
+            return 200, {"files": [{"filename": "src/rune/x.py"}]}  # code touch → RERUN
+        if method == "POST" and path.endswith("/update"):
+            calls["update"] += 1
+            return 200, {}
+        if method == "POST" and path.endswith("/merge"):
+            calls["merge"] += 1
+            return 200, {}
+        raise AssertionError(f"unexpected {method} {path}")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(mr, "_api", scripted_api)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(mr.time, "sleep", lambda s: None)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        mr,
+        "classify_update",
+        lambda base, token, pr, new_sha: "RERUN_REQUIRED",
+    )
+    line = mr.decide("base", "tok", forge.prs[0])
+    assert "skipped" in line and "CI re-running" in line, "code-path touch must wait for fresh CI"
+    assert calls["merge"] == 0, "no merge on unverified carry"