diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9434215
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# KNEL/cloudron — credential REFS only.
+# Material secrets live in ~/.creds (0600). NEVER commit real values here.
+#
+# Pending founder ask (#685/#727): Cloudron API token.
+# When issued, store the material value in ~/.creds/cloudron.env as:
+#   CLOUDRON_API_TOKEN=<token>
+CLOUDRON_API_TOKEN=
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cf38fee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+.crush/
+*.log
+.tmp/
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..96db1f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+# AGENTS.md — KNEL/cloudron (tsys-cloudron / my.knownelement.com)
+
+Fleet-machine repo for the production Cloudron host. Layering: global
+`~/.zcode/AGENTS.md` < `KNEL/PFVCluster/AGENTS.md` < this file. The global
+rules (ticket-governed work, push-as-you-go, Discourse as doc SoR, secrets in
+`~/.creds` only) all apply; this file adds host specifics only.
+
+## Agent authority (non-negotiable)
+
+- No work without an approved Redmine ticket (project 88, Cloudron).
+  Ticket-first: `echo '#NNN' > .crush/active-ticket`.
+- Propose, never implement — findings become Feedback sub-tickets.
+- NEVER close a ticket; NEVER 100% done-ratio — founder UAT gates "done".
+- Production mutations only when the ticket says so; rollback documented
+  in the ticket BEFORE the change (see #685 notes for the pattern).
+
+## Access (SSH-only, NON-NEGOTIABLE)
+
+- SSH `root@my.knownelement.com` is the ONLY access path. No panel
+  back-channels, no guest-agent (qemu guest exec is banned fleet-wide).
+- ALL ssh/scp routes through the chokepoint (from a PFVCluster checkout):
+
+  ```bash
+  VM_IP=my.knownelement.com VM_USER=root bash tests/remote.sh vm '<cmd>'      # quick reads, timeout 30
+  VM_IP=my.knownelement.com VM_USER=root bash tests/remote.sh vm-file <script> # deploy/run a script
+  ```
+
+- DNS names only — never IP literals.
+- API-first goal: Cloudron API token pending (asks #685/#727). Once issued it
+  lives as a ref in `~/.creds/cloudron.env`; prefer the panel API over shell
+  once available. Cloudron CLI on the host (`cloudron machine/`?) — not set up.
+
+## Applied-state SoR (details in perf/ + Discourse t/316)
+
+- Postgres: max_connections=700, shared_buffers 2GB,
+  idle_in_transaction_session_timeout=15min, role caps (default 20 / booking 10
+  / penpot 15). Re-apply script: `perf/pg-role-caps.sql`.
+- sysctl: `perf/sysctl/99-cloudron-tuning.conf` (vm.swappiness=10).
+- docker daemon.json NOT yet applied — `perf/docker-daemon.json.planned`
+  needs a human-chosen dockerd bounce window (restarts ALL containers;
+  live-restore=false today). Postgres nofile bridge (prlimit 262144) is
+  EPHEMERAL until then.
+
+## Repo rules
+
+- shellcheck zero-warning (incl. info): `bash tests/shellcheck.sh`
+- Enforcement: `scripts/check-rules.sh`; install hooks: `bash scripts/setup-hooks.sh`
+- Docs on Discourse (perf: t/316); `.md` files here are pointers, not SoR.
+- Commits: conventional format, `[#NNN]` ref, short body with clickable
+  Redmine comment URL. The meat goes in the ticket comment, same turn.
diff --git a/LICENSE b/LICENSE
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5f3a49f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE
@@ -0,0 +1,235 @@
+GNU AFFERO GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
+Version 3, 19 November 2007
+
+Copyright (C) 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc. <http://fsf.org/>
+
+Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.
+
+                            Preamble
+
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+
+The licenses for most software and other practical works are designed to take away your freedom to share and change the works.  By contrast, our General Public Licenses are intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change all versions of a program--to make sure it remains free software for all its users.
+
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+END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS
+
+            How to Apply These Terms to Your New Programs
+
+If you develop a new program, and you want it to be of the greatest possible use to the public, the best way to achieve this is to make it free software which everyone can redistribute and change under these terms.
+
+To do so, attach the following notices to the program.  It is safest to attach them to the start of each source file to most effectively state the exclusion of warranty; and each file should have at least the "copyright" line and a pointer to where the full notice is found.
+
+     FetchApply
+     Copyright (C) 2024  VpTechnicalOperations
+
+     This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+
+     This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+     You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+Also add information on how to contact you by electronic and paper mail.
+
+If your software can interact with users remotely through a computer network, you should also make sure that it provides a way for users to get its source.  For example, if your program is a web application, its interface could display a "Source" link that leads users to an archive of the code.  There are many ways you could offer source, and different solutions will be better for different programs; see section 13 for the specific requirements.
+
+You should also get your employer (if you work as a programmer) or school, if any, to sign a "copyright disclaimer" for the program, if necessary. For more information on this, and how to apply and follow the GNU AGPL, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0b34455..ab233a3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,3 +1,39 @@
-# cloudron
+> Knowledge docs live on Discourse — perf write-up: [t/316](https://community.turnsys.com/t/316) ·
+> [VP TechOps category](https://community.turnsys.com/c/vp-techops) ·
+> Work tracking: [Redmine — Cloudron project](https://projects.knownelement.com/projects/88) ·
+> Infra audit log: [t/298](https://community.turnsys.com/t/298)
 
-tsys-cloudron (my.knownelement.com) fleet machine repo — perf tuning, config-as-code, AWX/Ansible IaC [#685]
\ No newline at end of file
+# KNEL/cloudron — tsys-cloudron fleet-machine repo
+
+Production Cloudron host **my.knownelement.com** (tailnet name
+`tsys-cloudron.knel.net`). ~55 apps behind the Cloudron panel, platform
+Postgres/MySQL/mail containers, monitored by Uptime Kuma (Cloudron group).
+
+| Path | What |
+|------|------|
+| `perf/` | [#685](https://projects.knownelement.com/issues/685) perf work: memory census, pg role-cap SQL, applied sysctl, planned docker daemon.json |
+| `ansible/` | Reserved — AWX/Ansible IaC convergence ([#454](https://projects.knownelement.com/issues/454)); playbooks land here as manual changes are codified |
+| `scripts/` | Rule engine + git hooks (enforcement layer, ADOPTING pattern) |
+| `tests/` | shellcheck wrapper (Docker — host stays clean) |
+
+## Ground truth (2026-09-02, #685 — narrative + measurements on [t/316](https://community.turnsys.com/t/316))
+
+- Platform Postgres slot exhaustion root-caused to 7 booking instances + Penpot
+  pinning ~61 idle connections each. Role caps applied (booking 10, Penpot 15,
+  every other app role 20), `max_connections` 500→700, `shared_buffers` 2GB,
+  idle-in-transaction timeout 15min. Victim `too many clients` FATALs → zero.
+- Host sysctl: `vm.swappiness=10` (`perf/sysctl/`). THP already `never`, virtio
+  scheduler `none` — optimal, left alone.
+- **`/etc/docker/daemon.json` is still ABSENT on the host** (`live-restore=false`,
+  containers default to nofile=1024 unless bridged). The postgres fd bridge
+  (prlimit 262144) is EPHEMERAL — lost on any postgres container recreate.
+  Applying `perf/docker-daemon.json.planned` needs ONE planned dockerd bounce
+  (restarts all ~300 containers) in a human-chosen window.
+- Memory sliders: shrink table on t/316 (~28GB headroom). Do NOT shrink
+  `bi.knownelement.com` or platform services (Cloudron auto-sizes those).
+
+## Access
+
+SSH `root@my.knownelement.com` is the only access path — routed through the
+KNEL/PFVCluster `tests/remote.sh` chokepoint (see AGENTS.md). Cloudron API
+token pending; once issued, refs live in `~/.creds/cloudron.env`, never here.
diff --git a/STATUS.md b/STATUS.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..07b5510
--- /dev/null
+++ b/STATUS.md
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+> Operations Status lives on Discourse: [t/297](https://community.turnsys.com/t/297).
+> This file is a sparse git-tracked scratch index — Redmine has the history.
+
+# STATUS
+
+Last updated: 2026-09-02
+
+| ticket | state | item |
+|--------|-------|------|
+| #727   | 🔄    | repo bootstrap + perf script capture |
+| #685   | ⏳    | founder soak — evening storm window is the real test; caps stay until tymeslot ships a POOL_SIZE env |
+| #626   | ⏳    | Cloudron proxying (Grocy multi-user + HA general access) |
+| #710   | ⏳    | custom Ubuntu 24.04 base image for Cloudron hosts |
+| #723   | ⏳    | linkwarden save-to function |
+| #724   | ⏳    | CTO/CCO/BOD/COS Linux accounts/invites |
+
+## Inbox (founder action items)
+
+- Cloudron API token (asks in #685/#727): create in the panel → material value
+  to `~/.creds/cloudron.env` — unblocks API-first access + future AWX modules.
+- docker daemon.json bounce window (see README) — ticket it when scheduled.
diff --git a/ansible/.gitkeep b/ansible/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/perf/docker-daemon.json.planned b/perf/docker-daemon.json.planned
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c0d5780
--- /dev/null
+++ b/perf/docker-daemon.json.planned
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "log-driver": "json-file",
+  "log-opts": { "max-size": "10m", "max-file": "3" },
+  "default-ulimits": {
+    "nofile": { "Name": "nofile", "Soft": 262144, "Hard": 262144 }
+  },
+  "live-restore": true
+}
diff --git a/perf/memcensus.sh b/perf/memcensus.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..1ef0f35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/perf/memcensus.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# perf/memcensus.sh — per-app memory limit vs usage census on tsys-cloudron [#685]
+#
+# Final v3 (v1/v2 had usage-parsing bugs; superseded). Reports per-container
+# waste (limit minus usage) for apps with >=1GB limits — the basis for the
+# memory-slider shrink table on Discourse t/316.
+#
+# Run (read-only, from a KNEL/PFVCluster checkout):
+#   VM_IP=my.knownelement.com VM_USER=root timeout 120 bash tests/remote.sh vm-file perf/memcensus.sh
+# Needs: docker + awk on the host.
+# memory census v3 [#685]
+docker stats --no-stream --format "{{.Name}} {{.MemUsage}}" > /tmp/ms3.txt
+docker ps --format "{{.Names}}" | while read -r n; do
+  lim=$(docker inspect "$n" --format '{{.HostConfig.Memory}}' 2>/dev/null)
+  fq=$(docker inspect "$n" --format '{{range .Config.Env}}{{println .}}{{end}}' 2>/dev/null | grep -m1 '^CLOUDRON_APP_DOMAIN=' | cut -d= -f2)
+  [ -z "$fq" ] && fq=$(docker inspect "$n" --format '{{.Config.Image}}' 2>/dev/null | sed 's|.*/||;s|:.*||')
+  echo "$n|$fq|$lim"
+done > /tmp/ml3.txt
+awk 'NR==FNR {
+    gsub(/,/,"");
+    if ($2 ~ /G/) u[$1] = $2 * 1024; else u[$1] = $2 + 0;
+    next
+  }
+  {
+    split($0, f, "|")
+    lim = f[3] / 1048576
+    use = u[f[1]] + 0
+    if (lim >= 1024)
+      printf "%7.0fMB | %-46s | %6.0fMB | %6.0fMB | %3.0f%%\n", lim - use, f[2], lim, use, (lim ? use / lim * 100 : 0)
+  }' /tmp/ms3.txt /tmp/ml3.txt | sort -t'|' -k1 -rn | head -30
diff --git a/perf/pg-role-caps.sql b/perf/pg-role-caps.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..faa1f88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/perf/pg-role-caps.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+-- perf/pg-role-caps.sql — platform Postgres role caps + scaling, tsys-cloudron [#685]
+--
+-- Applied live 2026-09-02 (canary-first: booking.roguetechnologies.net alone,
+-- verified 61 -> 10 conns + app 200, then the rest). This file is the
+-- idempotent re-apply SoR for IaC. Narrative + measurements: Discourse t/316.
+-- Rollback (instant, no restarts): ALTER ROLE <username> CONNECTION LIMIT -1;
+--
+-- Run inside the postgresql container:
+--   docker exec -i postgresql su - postgres -c 'psql' < perf/pg-role-caps.sql
+--
+-- Re-run safe: the \gexec block only caps app roles (rolname LIKE 'user%')
+-- still at -1, so new apps get the default 20-cap as they are added.
+-- Also already persisted (postgresql.auto.conf, survives restarts):
+--   ALTER SYSTEM SET shared_buffers = '2GB';  -- needed the two 18:0x CDT restarts
+
+SELECT 'ALTER ROLE ' || rolname || ' CONNECTION LIMIT 20;'
+FROM pg_roles WHERE rolname LIKE 'user%' AND rolconnlimit = -1
+\gexec
+ALTER SYSTEM SET max_connections = 700;
+ALTER SYSTEM SET idle_in_transaction_session_timeout = '15min';
+SELECT rolname, rolconnlimit FROM pg_roles WHERE rolconnlimit <> -1 ORDER BY rolconnlimit, rolname;
+SHOW max_connections;
diff --git a/perf/sysctl/99-cloudron-tuning.conf b/perf/sysctl/99-cloudron-tuning.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c29ddb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/perf/sysctl/99-cloudron-tuning.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# /etc/sysctl.d/99-cloudron-tuning.conf — tsys-cloudron, applied 2026-09-02 [#685]
+# Live-verified 2026-09-02 (vm.swappiness=10 confirmed at runtime).
+# SoR copy for IaC; deploy = copy to /etc/sysctl.d/ + sysctl --system
+# (ansible/ playbook target).
+vm.swappiness=10
diff --git a/questions-v1.md b/questions-v1.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..28d9355
--- /dev/null
+++ b/questions-v1.md
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# questions-v1.md — KNEL/cloudron open asks (2026-09-02)
+
+> Working ask-file for this repo. Answer inline; agent checks before asking
+> again. Version up (v1 → v2...) each round answers land. Fleet-wide asks also
+> live in KNEL/PFVCluster questions-09022206.md.
+
+## 1. Cloudron API token — unblocks API-first access (asks also in #685/#727)
+
+The #685 investigation ran over raw SSH (root@my.knownelement.com) because no
+panel API token exists. A token lets the agent use the Cloudron API (apps,
+configs, backups) instead of shell — cleaner audit trail, and the path for
+future AWX/Ansible modules.
+
+- [ ] Create an API token (panel: my.knownelement.com → your profile → API
+      access, or `cloudron token create` via CLI) with read scope at minimum
+- [ ] Drop the material value in `~/.creds/cloudron.env` as
+      `CLOUDRON_API_TOKEN=<token>` (never in this repo)
+
+## 2. docker daemon.json bounce window (see README "Ground truth")
+
+Applying `perf/docker-daemon.json.planned` (nofile 262144 default + log
+rotation + live-restore) requires ONE dockerd restart — every container
+bounces (~300). live-restore is currently false so there is no zero-downtime
+path. Until then the postgres nofile bridge is ephemeral (lost on postgres
+container recreate).
+
+- [ ] Pick a window (suggest: pre-storm weekday morning) — agent will ticket
+      the runbook + execute on your go
diff --git a/scripts/check-rules.sh b/scripts/check-rules.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..2d8bc23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/check-rules.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,274 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# check-rules.sh — project rule audit engine.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   bash scripts/check-rules.sh           # full audit (verbose, includes slow checks)
+#   bash scripts/check-rules.sh --fast    # fast audit (quiet, skips slow checks) — for pre-commit
+#   bash scripts/check-rules.sh --quiet   # full audit, only prints failures
+#
+# Exit code: 0 = all rules pass (warnings are non-fatal), 1 = one or more FAILED.
+#
+# This is a generalized version of the rules engine proven in the
+# RCEO-PersonalAssistant project. Add project-specific checks by appending
+# `check "<desc>" "<pass|warn|fail>"` calls below.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+HERE="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
+# shellcheck disable=SC1091
+source "$HERE/lib/common.sh"
+REPO_ROOT="$(repo_root)"
+cd "$REPO_ROOT"
+
+# --- argument parsing ---
+RULE_FAST=false
+RULE_VERBOSE=true
+for arg in "$@"; do
+    case "$arg" in
+        --fast)  RULE_FAST=true; RULE_VERBOSE=false ;;
+        --quiet) RULE_VERBOSE=false ;;
+        *) die "check-rules.sh: unknown argument '$arg'" ;;
+    esac
+done
+export RULE_FAST RULE_VERBOSE
+
+init_counters
+$RULE_VERBOSE && echo "=== Project Rule Audit ==="
+
+TODAY="$(date +%Y-%m-%d)"
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 1. Shellcheck — every .sh/.bash must pass (zero warnings, incl. info-level).
+#    Runs in Docker so the host stays clean (no native shellcheck required).
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+$RULE_VERBOSE && log_step "Shell scripts (shellcheck)"
+mapfile -d '' SH_FILES < <(find . -path ./.git -prune -o -path ./.tmp -prune -o -path ./.crush -prune -o -path ./vendor -prune -o -path ./oam/librenms-agent/agent -prune -o -path ./archive -prune -o -path ./node_modules -prune -o \( -name '*.sh' -o -name '*.bash' \) -print0 2>/dev/null)
+if [ "${#SH_FILES[@]}" -gt 0 ]; then
+    if have shellcheck; then
+        if shellcheck "${SH_FILES[@]}" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            check "All shell scripts pass shellcheck (host)" "pass"
+        else
+            check "shellcheck reports violations — run: shellcheck <file>" "fail"
+        fi
+    elif have docker; then
+        MNT_FILES=()
+        for f in "${SH_FILES[@]}"; do MNT_FILES+=("/mnt/${f#./}"); done
+        if docker run --rm -v "$REPO_ROOT:/mnt" koalaman/shellcheck:stable "${MNT_FILES[@]}" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            check "All shell scripts pass shellcheck (docker)" "pass"
+        else
+            check "shellcheck (docker) reports violations" "fail"
+        fi
+    else
+        check "No shellcheck or docker available to lint scripts" "warn"
+    fi
+else
+    check "No shell scripts to lint" "pass"
+fi
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 2. Docker image pinning — no ':latest' tags in compose or Dockerfiles.
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+$RULE_VERBOSE && log_step "Docker image pinning"
+if grep -rqE '(image:|FROM).*:latest' --include='docker-compose*.y*ml' --include='Dockerfile*' . 2>/dev/null; then
+    check "No ':latest' image tags (pin everything)" "fail"
+else
+    check "No ':latest' image tags" "pass"
+fi
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 2b. Container naming — every service in a docker-compose file MUST set an
+#     explicit container_name (never rely on Docker's default <dir>_<n>).
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+$RULE_VERBOSE && log_step "Container naming"
+COMPOSE_FILES="$(find . -path ./.git -prune -o \( -name 'docker-compose*.yml' -o -name 'docker-compose*.yaml' -o -name 'compose.yml' -o -name 'compose.yaml' \) -print 2>/dev/null || true)"
+if [ -n "$COMPOSE_FILES" ]; then
+    BAD=0
+    while IFS= read -r cf; do
+        [ -n "$cf" ] || continue
+        # Count top-level service keys (2-space indent under services:) and
+        # compare against the number of container_name: declarations.
+        svc_count=$(awk '/^services:/{f=1;next} f&&/^[^[:space:]]/{f=0} f&&/^[[:space:]]{2}[[:alnum:]_-]+:[[:space:]]*$/{c++} END{print c+0}' "$cf")
+        cn_count=$(grep -cE '^[[:space:]]*container_name:' "$cf" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)
+        if [ "${svc_count:-0}" -gt 0 ] && [ "$cn_count" -lt "$svc_count" ]; then
+            BAD=$((BAD + 1))
+        fi
+    done <<EOF
+$COMPOSE_FILES
+EOF
+    if [ "$BAD" -eq 0 ]; then
+        check "All compose services set container_name" "pass"
+    else
+        check "$BAD compose file(s) with services missing container_name" "fail"
+    fi
+else
+    check "No compose files (container-name check skipped)" "pass"
+fi
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 3. Required-files manifest — the files every project using this template owns.
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+$RULE_VERBOSE && log_step "Required files"
+REQUIRED_FILES="AGENTS.md STATUS.md .env.example scripts/check-rules.sh scripts/setup-hooks.sh"
+REQUIRED_FILES="$REQUIRED_FILES ${PROJECT_REQUIRED_FILES:-}"
+for f in $REQUIRED_FILES; do
+    if [ -f "$f" ]; then check "$f exists" "pass"; else check "$f MISSING" "fail"; fi
+done
+if compgen -G 'questions-v*.md' > /dev/null; then
+    latest_q="$(find . -maxdepth 1 -name 'questions-v*.md' -printf '%f\n' | sort -V | tail -1)"
+    check "questions-v*.md exists ($latest_q)" "pass"
+else
+    check "questions-v*.md MISSING" "fail"
+fi
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 4. Doc freshness — STATUS.md touched today.
+#    Warning (not failure): staleness is a signal, not a break.
+#    Redmine is the system of record for work; Discourse for docs. STATUS.md is
+#    a scratchpad only — see BASELINE-PROMPT.md §3, §8.
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+$RULE_VERBOSE && log_step "Doc freshness"
+if [ -f STATUS.md ]; then
+    STATUS_DATE="$(grep -oE 'Last updated: [0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}' STATUS.md | grep -oE '[0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}' || echo unknown)"
+    if [ "$STATUS_DATE" = "$TODAY" ]; then
+        check "STATUS.md updated today ($STATUS_DATE)" "pass"
+    else
+        check "STATUS.md is stale (last: $STATUS_DATE, today: $TODAY) — update it" "warn"
+    fi
+else
+    check "STATUS.md MISSING" "fail"
+fi
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 4b. Discourse pointer-header policy (MANDATORY).
+#     Discourse is the system of record for documentation. In-repo .md files are
+#     stubs that point to a Discourse topic URL. Operational files exempt.
+#     Override exemptions via PROJECT_DOC_EXEMPT (space-separated globs of
+#     basenames) and the Discourse host via PROJECT_DISCOURSE_HOST.
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+$RULE_VERBOSE && log_step "Discourse pointer-header"
+DISCOURSE_HOST="${PROJECT_DISCOURSE_HOST:-community.turnsys.com}"
+DOC_EXEMPT="${PROJECT_DOC_EXEMPT:-AGENTS.md STATUS.md WORKING.md README.md ADOPTING.md LICENSE .env.example questions-v*.md BASELINE-PROMPT.md PATTERNS.md}"
+POINTER_MISSING=0
+while IFS= read -r -d '' f; do
+    base="$(basename "$f")"
+    exempt=false
+    for pat in $DOC_EXEMPT; do
+        # shellcheck disable=SC2254
+        case "$base" in $pat) exempt=true; break ;; esac
+    done
+    [ "$exempt" = true ] && continue
+    if ! grep -qF "$DISCOURSE_HOST" "$f" 2>/dev/null; then
+        if [ "$POINTER_MISSING" -eq 0 ]; then
+            $RULE_VERBOSE && printf '  %s\n' "Missing $DISCOURSE_HOST URL in:"
+        fi
+        POINTER_MISSING=$((POINTER_MISSING + 1))
+        $RULE_VERBOSE && printf '    %s\n' "$f"
+    fi
+done < <(find . -path ./.git -prune -o -path ./.crush -prune -o -path ./.tmp -prune -o -path ./vendor -prune -o -path ./archive -prune -o -name '*.md' -print0 2>/dev/null)
+if [ "$POINTER_MISSING" -eq 0 ]; then
+    check "All non-exempt .md cite Discourse ($DISCOURSE_HOST)" "pass"
+else
+    check "$POINTER_MISSING .md file(s) missing Discourse pointer (see BASELINE-PROMPT.md §3)" "fail"
+fi
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 5. Git state — uncommitted changes are a warning (the pre-push hook hardens
+#    this where it matters).
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+$RULE_VERBOSE && log_step "Git state"
+if git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    if git diff --quiet && git diff --cached --quiet; then
+        check "Working tree clean" "pass"
+    else
+        check "Uncommitted changes present" "warn"
+    fi
+else
+    check "Not a git repo (git checks skipped)" "pass"
+fi
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 6. Hooks installed — self-check that git hooks were set up.
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+$RULE_VERBOSE && log_step "Git hooks"
+if [ -f .git/hooks/pre-commit ]; then
+    check "pre-commit hook installed" "pass"
+else
+    check "pre-commit NOT installed (run: bash scripts/setup-hooks.sh)" "warn"
+fi
+if [ -f .git/hooks/pre-push ]; then
+    check "pre-push hook installed" "pass"
+else
+    check "pre-push NOT installed (run: bash scripts/setup-hooks.sh)" "warn"
+fi
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 7. WORKING.md completion — no unchecked tasks may remain at commit time.
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+$RULE_VERBOSE && log_step "Task completion"
+if [ -f WORKING.md ]; then
+    UNCHECKED="$(grep -cF -- '- [ ]' WORKING.md || true)"
+    if [ "$UNCHECKED" -eq 0 ]; then
+        check "WORKING.md has no unchecked tasks" "pass"
+    else
+        check "WORKING.md has ${UNCHECKED} unchecked task(s) — finish them before committing" "fail"
+    fi
+else
+    check "WORKING.md absent (no active task tracker)" "pass"
+fi
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 8. CNW markers — empty `CNW:` markers flag unresolved questions for the human.
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+$RULE_VERBOSE && log_step "Unresolved questions"
+EMPTY_CNW="$(grep -rn 'CNW:$' . --include='*.md' 2>/dev/null | head -20 || true)"
+if [ -z "$EMPTY_CNW" ]; then
+    check "No empty CNW: markers (unresolved questions)" "pass"
+else
+    CNW_COUNT="$(printf '%s\n' "$EMPTY_CNW" | grep -c . || true)"
+    check "${CNW_COUNT} unresolved CNW: marker(s) — needs user input" "warn"
+fi
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 9. Hygiene — merge-conflict markers and trailing whitespace must never land.
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+$RULE_VERBOSE && log_step "File hygiene"
+if git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    # archive/ excluded: legacy files are preserved verbatim and may contain
+    # decorative `====` banners that false-positive as conflict markers.
+    CONFLICT="$(git diff --cached --name-only --diff-filter=ACM 2>/dev/null | grep -v '^archive/' | xargs -r grep -lE '^(<<<<<<<|=======|>>>>>>>)' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+    if [ -z "$CONFLICT" ]; then check "No merge-conflict markers staged" "pass"; else check "Merge-conflict markers staged: $CONFLICT" "fail"; fi
+fi
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 10. (slow, skipped in --fast) Project test suite via scripts/test.sh.
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+if [ "$RULE_FAST" = false ] && [ -x scripts/test.sh ]; then
+    $RULE_VERBOSE && log_step "Test suite (scripts/test.sh)"
+    if bash scripts/test.sh >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        check "scripts/test.sh passes" "pass"
+    else
+        check "scripts/test.sh FAILS" "fail"
+    fi
+fi
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 11. Access-channel policy — qemu guest-agent must NEVER be used as an
+#     execution or key-delivery channel. SSH (sshd) is the ONLY approved
+#     remote access path; all commands must be logged through standard
+#     auth/audit infrastructure. ITAR/CMMC environment — non-negotiable.
+#     Allowed: installing/checking qemu-guest-agent for Proxmox state
+#     visibility. Forbidden: `qm guest exec` + any `vm-guest` wrapper.
+#     Scans CODE only (not .md) so docs may describe the ban.
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+$RULE_VERBOSE && log_step "Access-channel policy (no guest-agent exec)"
+GA_HITS="$(grep -rnE 'qm guest exec|vm-guest|_vm_guest' \
+    --include='*.sh' --include='*.bash' --include='*.py' \
+    . 2>/dev/null | grep -vE 'scripts/check-rules\.sh|/archive/' || true)"
+if [ -z "$GA_HITS" ]; then
+    check "No guest-agent exec / vm-guest access patterns in code" "pass"
+else
+    GA_COUNT="$(printf '%s\n' "$GA_HITS" | grep -c . || true)"
+    $RULE_VERBOSE && printf '%s\n' "$GA_HITS" | sed 's/^/    /'
+    check "${GA_COUNT} guest-agent exec / vm-guest reference(s) — SSH-only access policy (AGENTS.md)" "fail"
+fi
+
+print_summary_and_exit
diff --git a/scripts/lib/common.sh b/scripts/lib/common.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a3dd5e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/lib/common.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# lib/common.sh — shared helpers for shell scripts and hooks in this repo.
+#
+# Source it from any script:
+#   #!/usr/bin/env bash
+#   set -euo pipefail
+#   HERE="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+#   # shellcheck source=lib/common.sh
+#   source "$HERE/lib/common.sh"   # or the appropriate relative path
+#
+# This library exists to drive a known cross-project inconsistency to zero:
+# every repo used to re-paste the ANSI color block, redefine log_* helpers,
+# pick one of three incompatible shebangs, and roll its own docker wrapper.
+# Import this once instead.
+
+# Do NOT set -euo pipefail here unconditionally — some callers (git hooks)
+# source this file and rely on controlling their own shell options. We only
+# guarantee the functions below are defined.
+
+###############################################################################
+# Config — override via environment before sourcing if needed
+###############################################################################
+: "${TEMPLATE_ROOT:=$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/../.." && pwd)}"
+export TEMPLATE_ROOT
+
+###############################################################################
+# ANSI colors (defined once, used everywhere)
+###############################################################################
+if [ -t 1 ] && [ -z "${NO_COLOR:-}" ]; then
+    RED='\033[0;31m'; GREEN='\033[0;32m'; YELLOW='\033[1;33m'
+    BLUE='\033[0;34m'; BOLD='\033[1m'; NC='\033[0m'
+else
+    RED=''; GREEN=''; YELLOW=''; BLUE=''; BOLD=''; NC=''
+fi
+export RED GREEN YELLOW BLUE BOLD NC
+
+###############################################################################
+# Logging
+###############################################################################
+log_info()  { printf "${BLUE}›${NC} %s\n" "$*"; }
+log_ok()    { printf "${GREEN}✓${NC} %s\n" "$*"; }
+log_warn()  { printf "${YELLOW}⚠${NC} %s\n" "$*" >&2; }
+log_error() { printf "${RED}✗${NC} %s\n" "$*" >&2; }
+log_step()  { printf "\n${BOLD}== %s ==${NC}\n" "$*"; }
+
+die() { log_error "$*"; exit 1; }
+
+###############################################################################
+# Predicates
+###############################################################################
+# have <cmd> — return 0 if <cmd> is on PATH
+have() { command -v "$1" >/dev/null 2>&1; }
+
+###############################################################################
+# Path helpers
+###############################################################################
+repo_root() {
+    # Prefer git's notion of the repo root, fall back to $TEMPLATE_ROOT, then pwd.
+    if git rev-parse --show-toplevel >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        git rev-parse --show-toplevel
+    else
+        printf '%s\n' "${TEMPLATE_ROOT:-$(pwd)}"
+    fi
+}
+
+###############################################################################
+# Privilege helpers
+###############################################################################
+# as_root — run the remaining args as root via sudo, or directly if already root.
+as_root() {
+    if [ "$(id -u)" -eq 0 ]; then "$@"; else sudo "$@"; fi
+}
+
+###############################################################################
+# Docker wrapper
+###############################################################################
+# docker_run <image> <args...>
+# Ephemeral container, host-uid ownership, repo mounted at /data, cwd /data.
+# Drives the "host stays clean; everything runs in containers" policy and
+# ensures output files are owned by the invoking user, not root.
+docker_run() {
+    [ "$#" -ge 1 ] || die "docker_run: image required"
+    local image="$1"; shift
+    have docker || die "docker not found on PATH"
+    local root
+    root="$(repo_root)"
+    docker run --rm \
+        --user "$(id -u):$(id -g)" \
+        -e HOME=/tmp \
+        -v "$root:/data" \
+        -w /data \
+        "$image" "$@"
+}
+
+###############################################################################
+# Rule-audit accumulator (used by scripts/check-rules.sh)
+# Globals read/written: RULE_PASS RULE_WARN RULE_FAIL
+###############################################################################
+init_counters() { RULE_PASS=0; RULE_WARN=0; RULE_FAIL=0; }
+
+# check <description> <pass|warn|fail>
+check() {
+    local desc="$1" result="$2"
+    case "$result" in
+        pass)
+            RULE_PASS=$((RULE_PASS + 1))
+            if [ "${RULE_VERBOSE:-true}" = true ]; then printf "  ${GREEN}PASS${NC}  %s\n" "$desc"; fi
+            ;;
+        warn)
+            RULE_WARN=$((RULE_WARN + 1))
+            if [ "${RULE_VERBOSE:-true}" = true ]; then printf "  ${YELLOW}WARN${NC}  %s\n" "$desc"; fi
+            ;;
+        fail)
+            RULE_FAIL=$((RULE_FAIL + 1))
+            printf "  ${RED}FAIL${NC}  %s\n" "$desc"
+            ;;
+        *)
+            die "check(): invalid result '$result' (use pass|warn|fail)"
+            ;;
+    esac
+}
+
+# print_summary_and_exit
+print_summary_and_exit() {
+    if [ "${RULE_VERBOSE:-true}" = true ]; then
+        printf "\n=== Summary ===\n  PASS: %s\n  WARN: %s\n  FAIL: %s\n\n" \
+            "$RULE_PASS" "$RULE_WARN" "$RULE_FAIL"
+    fi
+    if [ "$RULE_FAIL" -gt 0 ]; then
+        if [ "${RULE_VERBOSE:-true}" = true ]; then
+            printf "AUDIT FAILED — %s rule(s) violated.\n" "$RULE_FAIL"
+        fi
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    if [ "${RULE_VERBOSE:-true}" = true ]; then printf "AUDIT PASSED.\n"; fi
+    exit 0
+}
diff --git a/scripts/pre-commit b/scripts/pre-commit
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..1833906
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/pre-commit
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# pre-commit — fast rule audit (< 1s typical).
+# Hot-path bypass: commits that ONLY touch STATUS.md / WORKING.md skip the
+# audit so frequent status/task commits stay frictionless.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+REPO_ROOT="$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)"
+cd "$REPO_ROOT"
+
+CHANGED="$(git diff --cached --name-only)"
+HOT_PATHS="$(printf '%s\n' "$CHANGED" | grep -vE '^(STATUS.md|WORKING.md)$' || true)"
+
+if [ -z "$HOT_PATHS" ]; then
+    echo "hot-path files only (STATUS/WORKING) — skipping rule audit"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+if ! bash scripts/check-rules.sh --fast; then
+    echo ""
+    echo "pre-commit audit FAILED. Fix the violations above before committing."
+    echo "Full audit:  bash scripts/check-rules.sh"
+    echo "Bypass:      git commit --no-verify   (emergencies only)"
+    exit 1
+fi
+exit 0
diff --git a/scripts/pre-push b/scripts/pre-push
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..7c5bf7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/pre-push
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# pre-push — full rule audit + clean-working-tree gate before pushing.
+# Installed via: bash scripts/setup-hooks.sh
+#
+# Combines two proven policies observed across projects:
+#   - KNEL-AIMiddleware: block push if the working tree is dirty.
+#   - RCEO-PersonalAssistant: block push if the full test suite fails.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+REPO_ROOT="$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)"
+cd "$REPO_ROOT"
+
+echo "pre-push: running full rule audit..."
+
+# Full audit (non-fast): runs the slow test suite via `make test` if present.
+if ! bash scripts/check-rules.sh --quiet; then
+    echo ""
+    echo "pre-push audit FAILED. Push blocked."
+    echo "Re-run with output:  bash scripts/check-rules.sh"
+    echo "Bypass:              git push --no-verify   (emergencies only)"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "pre-push: all rules and tests passed."
+exit 0
diff --git a/scripts/setup-hooks.sh b/scripts/setup-hooks.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..57219ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/setup-hooks.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# setup-hooks.sh — install this repo's git hooks.
+#
+# Mechanism: copy scripts/pre-commit and scripts/pre-push into .git/hooks/ and
+# make them executable. This is the most portable pattern (works on any clone,
+# no `git config core.hooksPath` mutation, survives config resets, idempotent).
+#
+# Run once after cloning:   bash scripts/setup-hooks.sh
+set -euo pipefail
+
+HERE="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
+# shellcheck disable=SC1091
+source "$HERE/lib/common.sh"
+REPO_ROOT="$(repo_root)"
+cd "$REPO_ROOT"
+
+[ -d .git ] || die "no .git directory here — run this from a git checkout"
+
+HOOKS_DIR=".git/hooks"
+HOOK_NAMES="pre-commit pre-push"
+
+log_step "Installing git hooks"
+for name in $HOOK_NAMES; do
+    src="scripts/$name"
+    dst="$HOOKS_DIR/$name"
+    [ -f "$src" ] || die "source hook not found: $src"
+    cp "$src" "$dst"
+    chmod +x "$dst"
+    log_ok "installed $dst"
+done
+
+cat <<EOF
+
+Git hooks installed. The following now run automatically:
+
+  pre-commit  fast rule audit (shellcheck, image pinning, container naming,
+              required files, doc freshness, Discourse pointers, WORKING.md
+              completion, hygiene).
+              Hot-path bypass for STATUS.md / WORKING.md.
+  pre-push    full rule audit (includes scripts/test.sh) + clean-working-tree gate.
+
+Bypass either with \`git commit --no-verify\` / \`git push --no-verify\`
+(emergencies only).
+EOF
diff --git a/tests/shellcheck.sh b/tests/shellcheck.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..8f91779
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/shellcheck.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+#!/usr/bin/bash
+#
+# tests/shellcheck.sh — enforce shellcheck (via Docker) on all repo shell scripts
+#
+# Usage:
+#   bash tests/shellcheck.sh                # lint every .sh in the repo
+#   bash tests/shellcheck.sh path/a.sh path/b.sh   # lint specific files
+#
+# Uses the koalaman/shellcheck:stable image (no native binary required).
+# Exits non-zero if ANY script emits a diagnostic. Skips non-bash scripts
+# (e.g. PHP files with a .sh extension) and the vendored/ trees.
+#
+set -uo pipefail
+
+IMAGE="koalaman/shellcheck:stable"
+ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)"
+
+# --- Gather target files -----------------------------------------------------
+mapfile -t FILES < <(
+  if [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; then
+    # Explicit args: resolve to repo-root-relative paths, keep only .sh
+    for f in "$@"; do
+      f_abs="$(cd "$(dirname "$f")" && pwd)/$(basename "$f")"
+      case "$f_abs" in
+        "$ROOT"/vendor/*) ;;                              # skip vendored
+        "$ROOT"/archive/provisioning/Agents/librenms/*) ;; # upstream librenms-agent scripts
+        "$ROOT"/oam/librenms-agent/agent/*) ;;             # upstream librenms-agent scripts (verbatim port [#474])
+        "$ROOT"/archive/KNELServerBuild/*) ;;              # archived legacy code, not maintained [#474]
+        *) case "$f_abs" in *.sh) echo "$f_abs";; esac ;;
+      esac
+    done
+  else
+    # Default: every .sh under the repo, minus vendor/
+    while IFS= read -r f_abs; do
+      case "$f_abs" in
+        "$ROOT"/vendor/*) ;;                              # skip vendored
+        "$ROOT"/archive/provisioning/Agents/librenms/*) ;; # upstream librenms-agent scripts
+        "$ROOT"/oam/librenms-agent/agent/*) ;;             # upstream librenms-agent scripts (verbatim port [#474])
+        "$ROOT"/archive/KNELServerBuild/*) ;;              # archived legacy code, not maintained [#474]
+        *) echo "$f_abs" ;;
+      esac
+    done < <(find "$ROOT" -type f -name '*.sh' \
+               -not -path '*/.git/*' -not -path "$ROOT/vendor/*" \
+               -not -path "$ROOT/.crush/*")
+  fi
+)
+
+if [ "${#FILES[@]}" -eq 0 ]; then
+  echo "shellcheck.sh: no .sh files to check." >&2
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+# --- Filter out non-bash scripts (e.g. PHP with a .sh extension) --------------
+BASH_FILES=()
+for f in "${FILES[@]}"; do
+  shebang=$(head -c 64 "$f" 2>/dev/null | head -n1)
+  case "$shebang" in
+    \#!/usr/bin/php*|\#!/usr/bin/env\ php*) ;;    # PHP, skip
+    \#!*) BASH_FILES+=("$f") ;;                   # any other shebang → check
+    *)    BASH_FILES+=("$f") ;;                   # no shebang → check anyway
+  esac
+done
+
+if [ "${#BASH_FILES[@]}" -eq 0 ]; then
+  echo "shellcheck.sh: no bash scripts among targets." >&2
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+# --- Run shellcheck in Docker (mount repo root, pass root-relative paths) -----
+# shellcheck disable=SC2012 # basename loop is intentional
+REL=()
+for f in "${BASH_FILES[@]}"; do REL+=("${f#"$ROOT"/}"); done
+
+# Disable checks that are intentional conventions of this codebase (not bugs):
+#   SC1090/SC1091 — cannot follow dynamically-computed `source` paths (KNEL framework)
+#   SC2029        — ssh orchestration deliberately expands the command client-side
+DISABLES=(
+  -e SC1090
+  -e SC1091
+  -e SC2029
+)
+
+echo "Checking ${#BASH_FILES[@]} script(s) with $IMAGE:"
+printf '  %s\n' "${REL[@]}"
+
+docker run --rm \
+  -v "$ROOT:/mnt:ro" \
+  -w /mnt \
+  "$IMAGE" -x "${DISABLES[@]}" "${REL[@]}"
+rc=$?
+
+if [ "$rc" -eq 0 ]; then
+  echo "shellcheck: PASS (${#BASH_FILES[@]} scripts clean)"
+else
+  echo "shellcheck: FAIL (fix the findings above or add targeted disable directives)" >&2
+fi
+exit "$rc"