# Agent Guidelines

## Agent Authority (NON-NEGOTIABLE)

**No work is permissible on any system without an approved Redmine ticket.
There are no exceptions to this rule.**

### Scope of authority

1. **Tickets govern all work.** The agent performs ONLY the work described in
   the approved Redmine ticket. Anything outside that scope — no matter how
   small, helpful, or "obvious" — is prohibited.

2. **No autonomous system changes.** The agent does not modify, configure,
   create, delete, or grant anything on a production system unless it is
   explicitly directed by an approved ticket. "Production system" means
   every system in the fleet — there is no "test" exception unless the ticket
   says so.

3. **Propose, never implement.** If the agent discovers additional work that
   should be done — a bug, a misconfiguration, a missing dependency, an
   enhancement — it does NOT implement it. Instead, it creates a Redmine
   sub-ticket (status Feedback) describing the finding and surfaces it to
   the user for approval.

4. **Security and access changes require extra scrutiny.** Changes to sudoers,
   SSH keys, user accounts, firewall rules, authentication policy, file
   permissions, or any privilege-related configuration are treated as
   policy decisions, not implementation details. The agent may suggest
   them but NEVER implements them without explicit user direction in the
   ticket or a sub-ticket the user has approved.

5. **The user makes policy. The agent implements policy.** The agent does
   not decide who gets sudo, what keys go where, what services run, or what
   the access model is. The agent executes the user's decisions, exactly
   as specified.

6. **When in doubt, ask.** If the ticket is ambiguous, if a task seems to
   require something not explicitly authorized, or if the agent is unsure
   whether an action is in scope — STOP and ask the user via the ticket
   or directly. Asking is always acceptable. Overstepping is never
   acceptable.

### Access-channel policy: SSH only (NON-NEGOTIABLE)

**The qemu guest-agent is NEVER an access, execution, or key-delivery
channel.** SSH (`sshd`) is the only approved remote access path. Every
command must flow through sshd so it is captured by the standard
auth/logging/audit infrastructure. This is an ITAR/CMMC/TS/SCI
environment — there is no back-door exception, ever.

- **Forbidden:** `qm guest exec` (runs arbitrary commands inside a guest
  over an unaudited channel) and any wrapper around it (e.g. a `vm-guest`
  mode). This includes using guest-agent to *deliver* an SSH key, even if
  the resulting SSH login is itself audited — the delivery bypassed audit.
- **Allowed:** installing or checking qemu-guest-agent for its intended
  purpose — letting Proxmox see guest state (`qm guest cmd <id> ping`,
  `agent: 1` config, `apt install qemu-guest-agent`). Visibility only;
  never execution.
- **Enforced mechanically:** `scripts/check-rules.sh` rule #11 fails on
  any `qm guest exec` / `vm-guest` pattern in code. `tests/remote.sh` has
  no guest-exec mode.
- **If a system is locked out** (no SSH key, no guest-exec path): surface
  it to the user. Do NOT improvise an alternate back-channel. The user
  authorizes the unblock method (console login, credential, etc.).

### What this means in practice

- Discovered a typo in a config during approved work? **Finish the approved
  work. Create a sub-ticket for the typo. Do not fix it inline.**
- Think a system should also have localuser sudo configured? **Do not add
  it. Propose it in a sub-ticket.**
- Need to install a package the ticket didn't mention? **Ask first.**
- Found a security issue? **Create a ticket immediately with full details.
  Do not remediate without approval.**

This environment operates in ITAR/CMMC/TS/SCI space. Every action must be
traceable to an approved ticket. There is no "I thought it would help."

## Quick Start

**You are an AI agent working on this project. Your first actions, in order:**

1. **Set up the environment:** `bash scripts/setup-hooks.sh` (installs git hooks — idempotent).
2. **Read this file** (`AGENTS.md`) — project policy and domain knowledge.
3. **Read [questions-v1.md](questions-v1.md)** — open questions awaiting human input.
4. **Check Redmine** — `docker run --rm --env-file ~/.creds/redmine.env git.knownelement.com/reachableceo/redmine-cli:latest list --assigned-to-me -p 55` for active work.
5. **Check current state:** `git log --oneline -10`.
6. **Run rule audit:** `bash scripts/check-rules.sh --fast`.

## Enforcement Model

Git hooks (`scripts/pre-commit`, `scripts/pre-push`) enforce the rules defined in
`scripts/check-rules.sh`. The rules engine checks: shellcheck (zero warnings
including info-level), Docker image pinning (no `:latest`), container naming,
required files, Discourse pointer headers, and more. Run `bash scripts/check-rules.sh`
for a full audit or `--fast` for pre-commit speed. Bypass with `--no-verify`
(emergencies only).

## Task Tracking

- **Redmine is the system of record for all work.**
- **WORKING.md** is the only in-repo task tracker — a scratchpad for the current
  session. The pre-commit hook blocks commits while any task remains unchecked.
- Clear WORKING.md before responding to the user.

## Working Style

- **Stop over-thinking.** Get to code and output faster. Explore with code;
  gather ground truth. Do not burn tokens reasoning about things a quick command
  answers.
- **Farm work out to deterministic tooling:** linters, LSPs, formatters, test
  runners. If an LSP is wired up, use it; otherwise pull a Docker image and lint
  inside it.
- **Use sub-agents as subcontractors:** scoped spec in, distilled deliverable out.
  Never read 10+ files sequentially; batch into agent calls.

## Questions (NON-NEGOTIABLE)

**NEVER use a harness "question"/"ask user" tool** (structured prompts,
modal forms, tabbed questions). Banned across every project, every harness.
They are not portable, not version-controlled, and bypass the git record.
**All questions go in [questions-v1.md](questions-v1.md)** — write the
question; the human edits the answer inline in the same file. Version up
per round. Synthesize resolved Q&A into Discourse (decisions) and Redmine
(work items). See `BASELINE-PROMPT.md` §10.

## Documentation policy (IMPORTANT)

**Discourse is the canonical source of truth for all knowledge documentation.**
Knowledge docs (architecture, runbooks, references, audits, policies) have been
migrated to [community.turnsys.com](https://community.turnsys.com/c/vp-techops)
as wiki topics in the **VP TechOps** category.

All `.md` files in this repo (except `AGENTS.md` and `LICENSE`) are now
**pointers** that link to their corresponding Discourse topic. **Do not update
documentation content in git** — edit the Discourse wiki topic instead. Git
edit history no longer serves as the documentation changelog; Discourse
preserves wiki edit history automatically.

Code (scripts, configs, playbooks) still lives in git as the source of truth
for executables. Only *documentation* moved to Discourse.

## Top-level files

All `.md` files now point to Discourse. The key pointers:

| File | Points to | Discourse topic |
|------|-----------|-----------------|
| `README.md` | Project overview | [#296](https://community.turnsys.com/t/296) |
| `STATUS.md` | Ticket index + infra summary | [#297](https://community.turnsys.com/t/297) |
| `docs/docmap.md` | Documentation index | [#296](https://community.turnsys.com/t/296) |

Work tracking stays in [Redmine](https://projects.knownelement.com).

## Repository Layout

```
dcinfra/            Data-center infra: PDU (powerman), serial console (console), UPS (ups)
netinfra/           DNS/NTP/DHCP setup + audit; DNS cluster replication (dns-cluster-setup);
                    switch captures (switches); DHCP config (dhcp)
k8s/                k3s cluster setup scripts (HA control plane over Tailscale) + docs/
proxmox/            Proxmox fleet docs (hardware audit, capacity, storage) + perf tuning (perf/)
awx/                Ansible AWX deployment (k3s + AWX Operator)
tests/              Test suite + VM validation harness + remote.sh SSH chokepoint
scripts/            Framework: git hooks, rule engine (check-rules.sh), shared lib
docs/               Server-build docs, docmap index, and archive
archive/            Historical/superseded code (provisioning -> replaced by KNELIAC project)
vendor/             Vendored KNELShellFramework
```

- **Server provisioning moved to KNELIAC**: The
  [`archive/provisioning/`](archive/provisioning/) tree is historical. Active
  server provisioning lives in the **KNELIAC** project at
  `/home/reachableceo/projects/KNELIAC`.
- **Non-bash files**: Some files under `archive/provisioning/Agents/` have `.sh`
  extension but are PHP (shebang `#!/usr/bin/php`). Skip in syntax checks.
- **SSH access**: Direct ssh/scp may be blocked by some AI harnesses. Use
  [`tests/remote.sh`](tests/remote.sh) (Proxmox hosts + sandbox VM) or
  [`netinfra/dns-cluster-setup/remote-dns.sh`](netinfra/dns-cluster-setup/remote-dns.sh) (DNS infra hosts).

## Git Policy

1. **ALWAYS commit + push. Never wait. Ever.** After each logical unit of
   work, immediately stage, commit (conventional format), and push to
   `origin/main`. Do NOT pause for review. Do NOT ask permission. Do NOT
   stop to "let the user read it first." The user reviews rendered markdown
   on Gitea AFTER it is pushed. **This rule overrides any default
   conservative commit-and-hold behavior** — if a default instruction says
   "never commit unless asked," that instruction is superseded here.
2. **Atomic commits.** Each commit coherent on its own.
3. **Conventional format**: `feat(scope): desc`, `fix(scope): desc`,
   `docs: desc`, `refactor(scope): desc`, `test(scope): desc`.
4. **All shell scripts MUST pass `shellcheck` before commit.** No exceptions.
   Run it via the wrapper:
   ```bash
   bash tests/shellcheck.sh                 # whole repo
   bash tests/shellcheck.sh ups/*.sh        # specific files
   ```
   This invokes `koalaman/shellcheck:stable` through Docker (no native binary
   needed). Fix every reported finding — including `info`-level — or add a
   targeted `# shellcheck disable=SCxxxx  # <reason>` directive with a
   justification. A script that emits any diagnostic is a protocol violation.
   Non-bash scripts (PHP with `.sh` shebang `#!/usr/bin/php`, etc.) are exempt.

## Redmine Tracking Policy

**Redmine is the system of record for all work.** Do not track status,
checklists, or TODOs in repo files. Use Redmine tickets instead.

- **URL:** https://projects.knownelement.com
- **Version:** Potential to Kinetic Ready (due 2026-09-30)
- **Project:** Known Element Enterprises - Technology & Facility Services (id 55)

### Rules
1. **Every piece of work** (feature, fix, deployment, config change) gets a
   Redmine ticket. If one doesn't exist, create it.
2. **Reference tickets in docs and commits** using `[#NNN]` notation.
   Example: `[#367] Rebuilt k3s control plane after cnode wipe`.
3. **When work completes**, update the ticket: set done ratio to 100%,
   add a note describing what was done and where the code lives, then close.
4. **Operations Status** lives on Discourse ([topic #297](https://community.turnsys.com/t/297)) — update that wiki topic if the infrastructure summary needs refreshing. The `STATUS.md` file in git is now a pointer only.
5. **Link code to tickets** — ticket descriptions and notes should reference
   the relevant file paths in this repo (e.g., `dcinfra/ups/`).

### CLI access (read + write)

Tickets are managed via the `redmine-cli` container, invoked directly
with `docker run` (no wrapper script). Full command reference, patterns, and
the subtask escape hatch live in the CLI's own `AGENTS.md`
(`~/projects/KNEL-AIMiddleware/tooling-cli/redmine/AGENTS.md`) — read it
for anything beyond the basics.

```bash
# Connection sanity check (run first in any session):
docker run --rm --env-file ~/.creds/redmine.env \
    git.knownelement.com/reachableceo/redmine-cli:latest whoami

# Your queue (project 55):
docker run --rm --env-file ~/.creds/redmine.env \
    git.knownelement.com/reachableceo/redmine-cli:latest list --assigned-to-me -p 55

# Show / create / update / close:
docker run --rm --env-file ~/.creds/redmine.env \
    git.knownelement.com/reachableceo/redmine-cli:latest show 367
docker run --rm --env-file ~/.creds/redmine.env \
    git.knownelement.com/reachableceo/redmine-cli:latest create -p 55 -s "Subject" -d "desc"
docker run --rm --env-file ~/.creds/redmine.env \
    git.knownelement.com/reachableceo/redmine-cli:latest update 367 -n "Done: committed in abc123" --done-ratio 100
docker run --rm --env-file ~/.creds/redmine.env \
    git.knownelement.com/reachableceo/redmine-cli:latest close 367
```

Key IDs: project **55** (`technicaloperations`), user **5** (`reachableceo`).
Statuses: New(1), In Progress(2), Resolved(3,closed), Feedback(4), Closed(5),
Rejected(6). New subtasks go to **Feedback (4)**. Tracker **3** = Support.
**Gotcha:** `create` has no `--parent` flag — to make a subtask, use the
`python-redmine` escape hatch inside the container (see
`tooling-cli/redmine/AGENTS.md`). Always `show` a ticket before updating it.

Credentials (`REDMINE_URL`/`REDMINE_API_KEY`) live in the centralized store
at `~/.creds/redmine.env`.

## Documentation Workflow

**Discourse is the source of truth for all knowledge docs.** After any work
session, an agent MUST:

1. **Update Discourse wiki topics** — if infrastructure facts changed (new
   VM, IP change, host retired), edit the relevant wiki topic at
   [community.turnsys.com/c/vp-techops](https://community.turnsys.com/c/vp-techops).
2. **Update the Operations Status topic** ([#297](https://community.turnsys.com/t/297))
   if tickets were opened or closed.
3. **Grep for stale paths in code** — `grep -rn 'old/path' --include='*.sh'`
   after any rename or restructure. Fix all references in the same commit.
4. **If a new top-level directory was created**, update:
   - `AGENTS.md` → "Repository Layout" code block
   - `AGENTS.md` → "Key Scripts" table (if it has an entrypoint script)
   - Create a new Discourse wiki topic for any documentation
5. **Self-audit before commit.** Code changes must be internally consistent.
   Documentation changes go to Discourse, not git.

### CLI access (read + write)

Wiki topics are managed via the `discourse-cli` container, invoked directly
with `docker run` (no wrapper script). Full command reference, patterns, and
the raw-API escape hatch live in the CLI's own `AGENTS.md`
(`~/projects/KNEL-AIMiddleware/tooling-cli/discourse/AGENTS.md`) — read it
for anything beyond the basics.

```bash
# Connection sanity check (run first in any session):
docker run --rm --env-file ~/.creds/discourse.env \
    git.knownelement.com/reachableceo/discourse-cli:latest whoami

# List VP TechOps topics:
docker run --rm --env-file ~/.creds/discourse.env \
    git.knownelement.com/reachableceo/discourse-cli:latest ls -c vp-techops

# Show a topic / edit a wiki post (find post id via `show`):
docker run --rm --env-file ~/.creds/discourse.env \
    git.knownelement.com/reachableceo/discourse-cli:latest show 297
docker run --rm --env-file ~/.creds/discourse.env \
    git.knownelement.com/reachableceo/discourse-cli:latest update <post_id> -b "new markdown body"
```

VP TechOps = category **74**. Key topics: #296 (project overview), #297
(ops status), #298 (audit log). The API user is trust-level 4 but **not
admin** — admin-only ops (category creation, setting the wiki flag) will
403; surface those to the user rather than retrying. **Gotcha:**
`update`/`delete` take a post **id**, not a post number. Never create a new
topic for an update to existing knowledge — edit the wiki post in place.

Credentials (`DISCOURSE_URL`/`DISCOURSE_API_KEY`/`DISCOURSE_API_USERNAME`)
live in the centralized store at `~/.creds/discourse.env`.

## Key Scripts

| Script | Purpose |
|--------|---------|
| [`scripts/check-rules.sh`](scripts/check-rules.sh) | Rule audit engine (shellcheck, image pinning, Discourse pointers, required files) |
| [`scripts/setup-hooks.sh`](scripts/setup-hooks.sh) | Install git hooks (pre-commit, pre-push) |
| [`tests/remote.sh`](tests/remote.sh) | **SSH chokepoint** — all Proxmox host + sandbox VM access routes here |
| [`netinfra/dns-cluster-setup/remote-dns.sh`](netinfra/dns-cluster-setup/remote-dns.sh) | SSH chokepoint for DNS infra hosts (netinfra-01/02, tsrouter, netboot) |
| `redmine-cli` container | Redmine CLI (ticket read/write via `docker run`; see `tooling-cli/redmine/`) |
| `discourse-cli` container | Discourse CLI (wiki topic read/write via `docker run`; see `tooling-cli/discourse/`) |
| `dns-cli` container | Technitium DNS CLI (zones, list, add, delete, search, flush; see `tooling-cli/dns/`) |
| [`tests/vm-validation.sh`](tests/vm-validation.sh) | Deploy + validate on sandbox VM |
| [`tests/run-tests.sh`](tests/run-tests.sh) | Test suite |
| [`netinfra/dns-cluster-setup/setup.sh`](netinfra/dns-cluster-setup/setup.sh) | DNS cluster replication |
| [`k8s/install-cp.sh`](k8s/install-cp.sh) | Bootstrap k3s HA control plane |
| [`dcinfra/powerman/setup.sh`](dcinfra/powerman/setup.sh) | Configure Cyclades PDU via powerman |
| [`dcinfra/console/setup.sh`](dcinfra/console/setup.sh) | Configure serial console access via ser2net + conman |
| [`dcinfra/ups/setup.sh`](dcinfra/ups/setup.sh) | Configure NUT (Network UPS Tools) for UPS monitoring |
| [`proxmox/perf/deploy-tuning.sh`](proxmox/perf/deploy-tuning.sh) | Deploy perf tunings |
| [`proxmox/perf/scripts/`](proxmox/perf/scripts/) | Read-only audit: probe-storage, probe-network, conman-console, snmp-switch-audit, probe-drift, audit-vm-disks, audit-guest-io, deploy-tuned-guests |

## Switch Console Access (conman)

Switch configs are pulled via serial console through a conman + ser2net
stack on pfv-tsys4.

- **conmand server:** pfv-tsys4 (Tailscale `100.70.77.93`, port 7890)
- **ser2net:** pfv-tsys4, TCP ports 2001-2006 on Tailscale IP
  (do NOT connect to ser2net directly — it conflicts with conman's
  persistent sessions; always use the conman client)
- **Script:** [`proxmox/perf/scripts/conman-console.py`](proxmox/perf/scripts/conman-console.py)
  — drives console sessions read-only via PTY. No expect/tcl required.
- **Command files:** [`netinfra/switches/`](netinfra/switches/) — `.cmds` files
  with switch-specific show commands
- **Query available consoles:** `conman -d 100.70.77.93 -q`

```bash
# Pull a switch config (example):
CONMAN_SERVER=100.70.77.93:7890 python3 proxmox/perf/scripts/conman-console.py \
  --console pfv-r5-core-01 --cmds netinfra/switches/pfv-r5-core-01.cmds
```

| Console name | TCP port | Device |
|--------------|----------|--------|
| pfv-r5-core-01 | 2001 | Dell PowerConnect 5448 (rack 5 core, mgmt+storage) |
| pfv-r3-tor-mgmt-01 | 2002 | Dell PowerConnect 5324 (rack 3 mgmt TOR) |
| pfv-r3-tor-stor-01 | 2003 | Dell PowerConnect 5324 (rack 3 storage TOR) |
| pfv-rrinfra-rtr | 2004 | Cisco router (rrinfra) |
| pfv-r2-tor-01 | 2005 | Rack 2 TOR switch |
| pfv-r6-mgmt-01 | 2006 | Rack 6 management switch |

## Mandatory: Document ALL Infrastructure Changes

**This is non-negotiable. Every infrastructure change (VM config, disk
cache, network setting, service config, storage migration) MUST be
documented BEFORE moving to the next task step — not "later" or "at the
end."**

Required for EVERY infrastructure change:

1. **Redmine ticket** — create one if none exists. Reference as `[#NNN]`.
2. **Discourse audit log** — reply to topic
   [#298](https://community.turnsys.com/t/298) with a dated entry (what
   changed, why, where).
3. **Discourse relevant wiki topic** — update the architecture/reference
   topic if the change affects documented infrastructure facts (storage
   #300, network #299, k8s #305, etc.).
4. **Git commit** — if code/config changed in the repo, commit + push
   immediately per the Git Policy above.

## Tooling

- `gh`, `docker`, `jq` available on the workstation.
- No native shellcheck — use `bash tests/shellcheck.sh` (Docker wrapper
  `koalaman/shellcheck:stable`). ALL scripts must pass including info-level.
- For raw API calls not covered by the Redmine/Discourse CLIs, use
  `python3` inside the CLI Docker containers (escape hatch pattern in
  `tooling-cli/{discourse,redmine}/AGENTS.md`).
- `curl`/`wget`/`httpie` may be blocked by some harnesses. Use the CLIs or
  the python-in-Docker escape hatch for HTTP writes.

## Key Commands Quick Reference

```bash
# Tests + validation:
bash tests/run-tests.sh                        # test suite
bash tests/vm-validation.sh                    # VM validation
bash tests/shellcheck.sh                       # shellcheck whole repo
bash tests/shellcheck.sh path/to/*.sh          # shellcheck specific files

# Redmine + Discourse sanity checks (run first in any session):
docker run --rm --env-file ~/.creds/redmine.env \
    git.knownelement.com/reachableceo/redmine-cli:latest whoami
docker run --rm --env-file ~/.creds/discourse.env \
    git.knownelement.com/reachableceo/discourse-cli:latest whoami

# Proxmox host access:
PROX_HOST=pfv-tsys5 bash tests/remote.sh prox 'qm list'
PROX_HOST=pfv-tsys5 bash tests/remote.sh prox 'pvesm status'

# DNS infra access:
bash netinfra/dns-cluster-setup/remote-dns.sh netinfra01-root 'systemctl status docker'

# Switch console (read-only config pull):
CONMAN_SERVER=100.70.77.93:7890 python3 proxmox/perf/scripts/conman-console.py \
  --console pfv-r5-core-01 --cmds netinfra/switches/pfv-r5-core-01.cmds
```

## Credential Management

- API keys currently in `.env` files under KNEL-AIMiddleware (gitignored).
- User goal: migrate all keys to Hashicorp Vault
  (`vault.knownelement.com`). No vault token present yet
  (`~/.vault-token` missing). Track as high-priority TODO.

## Key Docs

→ **All documentation lives on Discourse:**
  [community.turnsys.com/c/vp-techops](https://community.turnsys.com/c/vp-techops)

→ All `.md` files in this repo are pointers to Discourse topics.

→ **Complete Linux System Inventory:**
  [Topic #307](https://community.turnsys.com/t/307) — every Linux system
  (hosts + VMs + physical), with Tailscale IPs, DNS names, SSH access
  status, and tuned profiles. Reference this for monitoring coverage,
  access management, and hostname consistency.

## Project Context

Solo-founder R&D Proxmox cluster in a private residence. Shoestring budget.
Production lives on a Cloudron VPS in Reston VA. See the
[Operations Status topic](https://community.turnsys.com/t/297) for the ticket
index and infrastructure summary.
All work is tracked in [Redmine](https://projects.knownelement.com)
(version: Potential to Kinetic Ready, due 2026-09-30).
