diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 2cbbad8..814f7e1 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -434,3 +434,63 @@ Assisted-by: <AI-Model> via Crush <crush@charm.land>
 
 **Last Updated**: 2026-02-19
 **SDLC Enforcement**: Pre-commit hook + mandatory workflow documentation
+
+---
+
+## File Editing Requirements
+
+### Use Linux Command-Line Tools (MANDATORY)
+
+**When editing files, prefer Linux command-line tools over internal editing functions.**
+
+**Preferred Tools:**
+- `sed` - Stream editor for text transformations
+- `awk` - Pattern scanning and processing
+- `grep` - Search and filter text
+- `patch` - Apply diff files
+- `cut` - Remove sections from lines
+- `tr` - Translate/delete characters
+- `head`/`tail` - Output first/last lines
+- `sort`/`uniq` - Sort and deduplicate
+- `xargs` - Build command lines from input
+
+**When to Use Each:**
+```bash
+# Replace text in file
+sed -i 's/old/new/g' file.txt
+
+# Replace on specific line
+sed -i '42s/old/new/' file.txt
+
+# Append after line matching pattern
+sed -i '/pattern/a\new line' file.txt
+
+# Delete lines matching pattern
+sed -i '/pattern/d' file.txt
+
+# Extract specific column
+awk '{print $2}' file.txt
+
+# Process based on condition
+awk '/pattern/ {print $1, $3}' file.txt
+
+# Search and replace with regex
+sed -i -E 's/pattern/replacement/g' file.txt
+
+# Apply a patch
+patch -p1 < changes.diff
+```
+
+**Why This Matters:**
+- Internal editing tools fail frequently with whitespace/encoding issues
+- Command-line tools are deterministic and well-tested
+- Easier to verify changes before applying
+- Better error messages when something goes wrong
+- Can preview changes with `sed 's/old/new/g' file` (no -i) first
+
+**Workflow:**
+1. Read file first: `cat file.txt` or `head -n 50 file.txt`
+2. Preview change: `sed 's/old/new/g' file.txt` (no -i)
+3. Apply change: `sed -i 's/old/new/g' file.txt`
+4. Verify: `git diff file.txt`
+
diff --git a/docs/SDLC.md b/docs/SDLC.md
index 0d40b41..994e2de 100644
--- a/docs/SDLC.md
+++ b/docs/SDLC.md
@@ -390,3 +390,64 @@ md5sum -c knel-football-secure.iso.md5
 
 **Copyright © 2026 Known Element Enterprises LLC**
 **License: GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 only**
+
+---
+
+## File Editing Standards
+
+### Linux Command-Line Tools (MANDATORY for AI Agents)
+
+**AI agents MUST use standard Linux command-line tools for file editing, not internal text editing functions.**
+
+**Rationale:** Internal editing tools frequently fail due to:
+- Whitespace encoding mismatches (tabs vs spaces)
+- Line ending differences (CRLF vs LF)
+- Unicode/encoding issues
+- Exact text matching requirements that are brittle
+
+**Approved Tools:**
+| Tool | Use Case |
+|------|----------|
+| `sed` | Search/replace, line insertions/deletions |
+| `awk` | Field extraction, conditional processing |
+| `grep` | Pattern matching, filtering |
+| `patch` | Apply diff/patch files |
+| `cut` | Column extraction |
+| `tr` | Character translation |
+| `head`/`tail` | Preview file sections |
+| `sort`/`uniq` | Sort and deduplicate |
+
+**Standard Patterns:**
+
+```bash
+# In-place text replacement
+sed -i 's/old_text/new_text/g' file.txt
+
+# Replace on specific line number
+sed -i '42s/old/new/' file.txt
+
+# Insert line after match
+sed -i '/pattern/a\new_line' file.txt
+
+# Delete matching lines  
+sed -i '/pattern/d' file.txt
+
+# Multi-line replacement with extended regex
+sed -i -E 's/pattern/replacement/g' file.txt
+
+# Extract specific field (whitespace-delimited)
+awk '{print $2}' file.txt
+
+# Conditional processing
+awk '/pattern/ {print $1}' file.txt
+
+# Preview changes BEFORE applying (no -i flag)
+sed 's/old/new/g' file.txt | head -20
+```
+
+**Verification Workflow:**
+1. Read file: `cat file.txt` or `head -n 50 file.txt`
+2. Preview change: `sed 's/old/new/g' file.txt` (no `-i`)
+3. Apply change: `sed -i 's/old/new/g' file.txt`
+4. Verify result: `git diff file.txt`
+