# self-model side-car phase 4-9 runtime loop receipt

Date: 2026-04-20
Status: shipped locally, verifier-backed
Topology: unchanged

## Change
Completed the next bounded continuity-runtime slice after adjudication/control-plane v1 by adding:
- anti-delusion sensitivity checks
- operator explain surface
- persisted pattern extraction
- trigger evaluation
- governed intervention proposals
- cross-session comparison
- wording lint for public-safe continuity copy
- updated install/ops docs for the expanded lane

## What landed
### CLI surfaces
- `openclaw-mem continuity explain`
- `openclaw-mem continuity sensitivity`
- `openclaw-mem continuity patterns`
- `openclaw-mem continuity triggers`
- `openclaw-mem continuity interventions`
- `openclaw-mem continuity compare-sessions`
- `openclaw-mem continuity wording-lint`

### Domain outputs
- `openclaw-mem.self-model.explain.v0`
- `openclaw-mem.self-model.sensitivity.v0`
- `openclaw-mem.self-model.pattern-report.v0`
- `openclaw-mem.self-model.trigger-report.v0`
- `openclaw-mem.self-model.intervention-report.v0`
- `openclaw-mem.self-model.compare-sessions.v0`
- `openclaw-mem.self-model.wording-lint.v0`

### Docs updated
- `README.md`
- `docs/deployment.md`
- `docs/install-modes.md`
- `skills/self-model-sidecar.ops.md`

## Why now
The sidecar already had snapshot, adjudication, and release control primitives.
The real missing gate was the operator runtime loop: explain why a claim exists, pressure-test it, detect recurring maneuver classes, fire conditioned alerts, propose governed interventions, compare boundaries, and lint product wording before it overclaims.

## Boundary kept true
- sidecar remains derived and rebuildable
- no write-through into Store truth
- intervention output is proposal-only, not an autonomous write path
- wording lint enforces hedge discipline instead of relaxing it
- topology unchanged

## Verifiers run
```bash
python3 -m unittest tests.test_self_model_sidecar -v
```

Result: 9 tests, all green.

## Follow-up hardening from final Claude review
- split pattern analysis into a compute-only core plus a persist wrapper, so `triggers` and `interventions` stay read-only inspection surfaces
- added test coverage proving `compare-sessions --persist` actually writes valid snapshot JSON
- added empty-snapshots coverage for `patterns`, plus a read-only assertion for direct `build_trigger_report`
- kept `wording-lint` as a deliberate v0 substring-based guardrail and documented that limit in code comments

## Remaining truth
- pattern extraction is receipt-driven heuristics, not a learned maneuver graph yet
- triggers are deterministic operator activations, not autonomous execution
- intervention proposals still require explicit release/governance actions
- the 72h endurance gate remains an ops/runtime proof obligation, not something this code pass can compress into a single local test run

## Rollback
- revert `openclaw_mem/self_model_sidecar.py`, `openclaw_mem/cli.py`, `tests/test_self_model_sidecar.py`
- revert the updated docs/skill files above
- rerun `python3 -m unittest tests.test_self_model_sidecar -v`
