# γ close-out — cycle #283 (release 3.61.0)

**Date:** 2026-04-29
**Cycle:** #283 — replace GitHub PR workflow with `.cdd/unreleased/{N}/` artifact exchange in CDD
**Release:** 3.61.0 (β release commit `585efe3`; tag created locally, push deferred to δ)
**Merge:** `58c1666` ("Closes #283: ...")
**Cycle branch (legacy shape — pre-#287):** `claude/cdd-tier-1-skills-pptds`
**γ session branch:** `claude/gamma-skill-issue-283-nuiUZ`

## Cycle summary

Cycle #283 ships a system-shaping MCA (L7 diff): triadic CDD coordination shifts from PR-mediated to artifact-driven on the cycle branch. Issues remain (gap-naming); branches remain (isolation); PRs are removed from the triadic protocol. The cycle implements the protocol it operates under — `.cdd/releases/3.61.0/283/` is its own integration test.

Cycle execution capped at L5 (revised down from β's provisional L6 in the release-commit CHANGELOG row). Two §9.1 triggers fired: (a) cross-surface drift reached review via F2/F3/F4 in lifecycle skills (`release/`, `post-release/`); (b) avoidable tooling failure via β's `Monitor` `git fetch --quiet` polling silent failure (three α-branch SHA transitions dropped during round-2 dispatch window). Both root causes are skill / spec gaps, not agent failures.

Detailed scoring, finding triage, friction log, root causes, immediate outputs, and next-move commitment are in the PRA at `docs/gamma/cdd/3.61.0/POST-RELEASE-ASSESSMENT.md`. This close-out is the γ-side complement: triage table, §9.1 trigger assessment, deferred outputs, hub memory evidence, next MCA. It does not duplicate the PRA.

## Close-out triage table

(See PRA §4 for the full table; condensed here per `gamma/SKILL.md` §2.7 minimum-record format.)

| Finding | Source | Type | Disposition | Artifact / commit |
|---------|--------|------|-------------|-------------------|
| F1 polling-source incoherence | β R1 | D, judgment | Immediate MCA, landed α R2 | γ-clarification.md (`2f83095`) + α R2 (`fc50265`) |
| F2 release/SKILL.md §2.10 β-write target | β R1 | C, judgment | Immediate MCA, landed α R2 | α R2 (`fc50265`) |
| F3 post-release pre-publish gate legacy ref | β R1 | C, judgment | Immediate MCA, landed α R2 | α R2 (`fc50265`) |
| F4 post-release §5.6 superseded `{role}.md` | β R1 | B, judgment | Immediate MCA, landed α R2 | α R2 (`fc50265`) |
| Issue-edit-mid-cycle (γ self-obs) | γ this PRA | process | Project MCI → addressed prospectively by #286 named operator-decision points | #286 §1.4 AC6 |
| Scope-expansion-after-β-approval (γ self-obs) | γ this PRA | process | Immediate MCA candidate deferred to #286 ship; not patchable in #283 scope | #286 §1.4 AC6 |
| `git fetch --quiet` Monitor silent failure (β-O3) | β close-out | tooling | Project MCI → folded into #287 AC8 (CDD §Tracking reliability rule) | #287 AC8 |
| Lifecycle-skill peer enumeration miss (β-O4) | β close-out + α self-coherence | skill | **Immediate MCA, landed in this PRA window** — `alpha/SKILL.md` §2.3 mandatory case "skill-class peers" with role-skill / lifecycle-skill class distinction | this PRA §6.1 commit `de85af0` |
| First-cycle-of-new-protocol pattern | β close-out | process | Drop with reason: irreducible — implementing cycle is always one half-step behind its output | (no patch) |
| Re-audit checklist gap (β-process-gap-2) | β close-out | skill | Same as β-O4 — single immediate MCA covers both surfacings | this PRA §6.1 |

**Net:** 4 review findings closed in α R2; 1 immediate MCA landed in this PRA's window (skill-class peer enumeration); 2 project MCIs (mid-cycle-rewrite rule deferred to #286, `git fetch` reliability folded into #287 AC8); 1 explicit drop. Zero "noted without disposition."

## §9.1 trigger assessment

| Trigger | Fired? | Disposition |
|---------|--------|-------------|
| Review rounds > 2 | No (actual: 2) | n/a |
| Mechanical ratio > 20% (≥10 findings) | No (actual: 0% / 4 findings) | n/a |
| Avoidable tooling/environmental failure | **Yes** | Project MCI → #287 AC8 (CDD §Tracking `git fetch --quiet` reliability rule) |
| Loaded skill failed to prevent a finding | **Yes** | Immediate MCA landed: `alpha/SKILL.md` §2.3 "skill-class peers" mandatory case |

PRA §4b carries the full Cycle Iteration record per `CDD.md` §9.1 required-fields (Triggers fired / Friction log / Root cause / Skill impact / MCA / Cycle level).

## Independent γ process-gap check (per `gamma/SKILL.md` §2.9 / `CDD.md` step 13)

Apart from the triggered findings above, three independent γ-side process gaps surfaced:

1. **γ scope-expansion-after-β-approval pattern.** γ committed local CDD edits (`eb48e17`) *after* β's R2 approval, then rolled back when the operator chose hygiene. The rule "scope expansion mid-cycle pauses for operator *before* edits" is in #286 §1.4 AC6 (the encapsulation issue γ filed during this cycle) but not yet in the executable spec. **Disposition:** addressed when #286 ships; for now, recorded as cycle observation. γ avoided the failure mode in this cycle by rolling back; the durable fix is the named decision-point rule.

2. **γ issue-edit-mid-cycle compounded with β polling failure.** γ's two issue-body edits (typo fix + path simplification) were each individually correct ("clarify ambiguity in scope" per `gamma/SKILL.md` §2.5) but their timing — during α's first checkpoint window — invalidated α's first commit. **Disposition:** project MCI for the next-cycle PRA: γ should batch issue-body edits and announce them on the cycle branch via `gamma-clarification.md` so β's polling sees the timing. Rolled into #287's CDD §Tracking changes (the same reliability rule that addresses β-O3 also covers this — γ writes a `gamma-clarification.md` entry on edit; α and β see the transition; everyone re-syncs).

3. **β-side branch refusal worked but the redirect mechanism was ad-hoc.** β refused implementation, but β's review artifact then landed on β's harness branch and required cherry-pick. **Disposition:** addressed by #287 AC11 — β's refusal rule expanded to refuse the harness branch *as a coordination surface* for any commit (not just implementation), with the canonical surface being `cycle/{N}`.

No "no patch with reason" cases. All three items have either a patch (β-O4) or a concrete next-MCA commitment (#286, #287).

## Deferred outputs (committed concretely)

| Issue | Owner | First AC | Branch (when known) |
|-------|-------|----------|---------------------|
| #287 — γ creates the cycle branch | TBD next dispatch (likely α) | γ creates `cycle/{N}` from `origin/main` and pushes it before α/β are dispatched | `cycle/287` (γ creates per AC1) |
| #286 — Encapsulate α and β behind γ | TBD; depends on `cn dispatch` CLI | (see #286 ACs) | TBD |
| `cn dispatch` CLI — harness-side spawning mechanism | not yet filed; β-axis infrastructure | n/a | n/a |

`cn dispatch` is the hard precondition for #286 AC4. To be filed as a separate β-axis issue when #287 closes.

## Hub memory evidence

- **Daily reflection:** placeholder pending operator hub-write authority. γ records: "Cycle #283 shipped artifact-channel coordination protocol at 3.61.0; revised cycle cap β provisional L6 → γ final L5 (two §9.1 trigger fires); landed `alpha/SKILL.md` §2.3 skill-class peer enumeration; committed #287 (γ-creates-branch) as next MCA; #286 (encapsulation) stacked behind #287 + cn dispatch CLI."
- **Adhoc thread:** the CDD self-modification thread (covering #266 / #268 / #274 / #278 / #283 — successive coordination-protocol cycles) advances with this release. Next cycle (#287) continues the same thread; #286 forks a sub-thread (encapsulation + harness CLI).
- **Hub commit / SHA:** **deferred to operator session.** γ does not have hub-write authority in this session; the PRA records "hub write deferred to operator session" rather than fabricating a path (per `gamma/SKILL.md` §2.10 hub-memory evidence rule with unavailable-reason).

## Next MCA

**#287 — γ creates the cycle branch — α and β only check out `cycle/{N}`.**

- Direct response to #283 R1 F1's branch-discovery friction.
- 12 ACs covering CDD.md (§1.4 algorithms + §Tracking + §4.2/§4.3 Branch rule), gamma/alpha/beta/operator SKILL.md, dispatch-prompt format, and self-application (the cycle implementing #287 must use `cycle/287`).
- Spec text already drafted (this cycle's chat record + γ's rolled-back local commit `eb48e17`'s message + this PRA's §4b/§7); α can ingest both as authoritative spec source.
- Sequencing: directly after #283 closes; folds the `git fetch --quiet` reliability rule into #287's CDD §Tracking changes (β-O3 disposition).

**Stacked behind #287:**

- **#286 — Encapsulate α and β behind γ.** Hard precondition: `cn dispatch` CLI (separate β-axis cycle, not yet filed). Forward-looking spec; AC4 names the gap.

## Closure-gate state

Per `gamma/SKILL.md` §2.10 closure gate:

1. ✅ α close-out exists on main — **PENDING**. `.cdd/releases/3.61.0/283/alpha-closeout.md` is missing at γ-closeout write time. **γ has requested it from operator; closure declaration is held until α-closeout lands.**
2. ✅ β close-out exists on main (`.cdd/releases/3.61.0/283/beta-closeout.md`)
3. ✅ γ has written the PRA (`docs/gamma/cdd/3.61.0/POST-RELEASE-ASSESSMENT.md`)
4. ✅ Every fired §9.1 trigger has a Cycle Iteration entry with root cause + disposition (PRA §4b)
5. ✅ Recurring findings assessed for skill/spec patching (1 patch landed: `alpha/SKILL.md` §2.3; 2 deferred to #286/#287; 1 dropped with reason)
6. ✅ Immediate outputs landed (skill patch + CHANGELOG row revision) or explicitly deferred (#286/#287/cn dispatch)
7. ✅ Deferred outputs have issue/owner/first AC committed (#287 filed; #286 already filed)
8. ✅ Next MCA named (#287)
9. ⚠ Hub memory updated — deferred to operator session per unavailable-reason rule
10. ⏳ Merged remote branches cleaned up — δ owns this; γ does not execute until closure declaration lands

**γ's closure declaration commit is held until item 1 (α close-out) is satisfied.** Operator: please prompt α to write `.cdd/releases/3.61.0/283/alpha-closeout.md`. When it lands on `origin/main`, γ will write the closure declaration commit ("Cycle #283 closed. Next: #287.") and δ takes the disconnect-release flow.

## Addendum — α-closeout triage (post-write)

α's close-out at `.cdd/releases/3.61.0/283/alpha-closeout.md` (169 lines, 7 sections) landed on `origin/main`. Voice rule observed (factual observations only; no dispositions). Items already covered by PRA / γ-closeout: F1–F4 self-readings, O1 (issue-edit-mid-cycle), O3 (lifecycle-skill drift), O4 (first-cycle pattern), O5 (cherry-pick mechanism). Two α-novel observations need γ triage:

| Finding | Source | Type | Disposition | Artifact / commit |
|---------|--------|------|-------------|-------------------|
| **O2 — Clarifying-question discipline is local to the question asked** | α-closeout O2 | skill | **Project MCI — fold into #287.** α asked the literal question (`{N}/{role}.md` vs `{role}/{N}.md`) and got a literal answer; α did not surface the structural question (rigid vs descriptive filename set) because the dispatched text presented `{role}.md` as a settled choice. Pattern is small (N=1) and a cousin of F4 / O1 / γ-O1 (γ's mid-cycle issue rewrites). #287 already addresses the timing surface (γ batches edits via `gamma-clarification.md`); the discipline surface — α scanning dispatched text for "settled choices that may be open questions" — adds a sub-rule to `alpha/SKILL.md` §2.1 step 4 *or* to issue-quality gate review. Folded into #287 close-out / next-cycle PRA. Not patch-now-worthy on its own (N=1) but legitimate. | next-cycle MCA via #287 close-out |
| **O6 — Section-by-section authoring + resume-on-interruption** | α-closeout O6 | meta-observation | **Drop with reason.** α explicitly states ("not naming it as a spec change request") that the existing `CDD.md` §1.4 large-file authoring rule already covers the discipline; the resume-on-interruption sub-protocol (last-`##`-header detection) is implicit in the existing rule and α + β + γ already practice equivalent disciplines per their close-outs. Recorded as cycle observation; no patch. | (no patch) |

Both items honor the no-`noted` rule: O2 → next-cycle MCA; O6 → explicit drop with reason. γ's PRA and γ-closeout above remain authoritative; this addendum extends the triage table without invalidating prior dispositions.

**Closure-gate state at addendum write:** all 10 conditions met (item 1 is now ✅ — α close-out on main; items 2–8 already met; item 9 hub memory deferred to operator session per unavailable-reason rule; item 10 merged-branch cleanup is δ's job post-closure). γ writes the closure declaration commit next.

— γ (`gamma@cdd.cnos`)
