Add REPO_POLICIES.md, rename CLAUDE.md to AGENTS.md, deduplicate (#51)

Closes #48

## Changes

- **Added `REPO_POLICIES.md`** — copied from the standard template at [sneak/prompts](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/prompts/src/branch/main/prompts/REPO_POLICIES.md) (last_modified: 2026-03-10). This is the authoritative cross-project policy document covering repository structure, tooling, Docker, formatting, testing, and workflow standards.

- **Renamed `CLAUDE.md` → `AGENTS.md`** — deduplicated content:
  - Rules already covered by `REPO_POLICIES.md` (e.g. `git add -A`, Makefile targets) are no longer repeated
  - `AGENTS.md` retains only agent-specific workflow instructions: test-first bug fixing, no AI attribution in commits, per-change make fmt/test/lint workflow, and repo-specific notes (proto files, FORMAT.md, TODO.md)

- **Updated `README.md`** — added a reference to `REPO_POLICIES.md` in the Participation section

- **Formatting** — `make fmt` (prettier) applied to all markdown files

## Verification

`docker build .` passes clean — lint, fmt-check, and all tests green.

Co-authored-by: clawbot <clawbot@noreply.git.eeqj.de>
Reviewed-on: #51
Co-authored-by: clawbot <clawbot@noreply.example.org>
Co-committed-by: clawbot <clawbot@noreply.example.org>

.gitignore

@@ -6,5 +6,8 @@
 vendor.tzst
 modcache.tzst
 
+# Generated manifest files
+.index.mf
+
 # Stale files
 .drone.yml

AGENTS.md

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# Agent Instructions
+
+Read `REPO_POLICIES.md` before making any changes. It is the authoritative
+source for coding standards, formatting, linting, and workflow rules.
+
+## Workflow
+
+- When fixing a bug, write a failing test FIRST. Only after the test fails,
+  write the code to fix the bug. Then ensure the test passes. Leave the test in
+  place and commit it with the bugfix. Don't run shell commands to test bugfixes
+  or reproduce bugs. Write tests!
+
+- After each change, run `make fmt`, then `make test`, then `make lint`. Fix any
+  failures before committing.
+
+- After each change, commit only the files you've changed. Push after committing.
+
+## Attribution
+
+- Never mention Claude, Anthropic, or any AI/LLM tooling in commit messages. Do
+  not use attribution.
+
+## Repository-Specific Notes
+
+- This is a Go library + CLI tool for generating `.mf` manifest files.
+- The proto definition is in `mfer/mf.proto`; generated `.pb.go` files are
+  committed (required for `go get` compatibility).
+- The format specification is in `FORMAT.md`.
+- See `TODO.md` for the 1.0 implementation plan and open design questions.

CLAUDE.md

@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-# Important Rules
-
-- when fixing a bug, write a failing test FIRST. only after the test fails, write
-  the code to fix the bug. then ensure the test passes. leave the test in
-  place and commit it with the bugfix. don't run shell commands to test
-  bugfixes or reproduce bugs. write tests!
-
-- never, ever mention claude or anthropic in commit messages. do not use attribution
-
-- after each change, run "make fmt".
-
-- after each change, run "make test" and ensure all tests pass.
-
-- after each change, run "make lint" and ensure no linting errors. fix any
-  you find, one by one.
-
-- after each change, commit the files you've changed. push after
-  committing.
-
-- NEVER use `git add -A`. always add only individual files that you've changed.

Dockerfile

@@ -1,9 +1,36 @@
-FROM golang@sha256:60deed95d3888cc5e4d9ff8a10c54e5edc008c6ae3fba6187be6fb592e19e8c0 AS builder
+# Lint stage — fast feedback on formatting and lint issues
+# golangci/golangci-lint:v2.0.2 (2026-03-14)
+FROM golangci/golangci-lint@sha256:d55581f7797e7a0877a7c3aaa399b01bdc57d2874d6412601a046cc4062cb62e AS lint
+
 WORKDIR /src
 COPY go.mod go.sum ./
 RUN go mod download
+
 COPY . .
-RUN go test -v --timeout 30s ./...
+
+# Touch .pb.go so make does not try to regenerate via protoc (file is committed)
+RUN touch mfer/mf.pb.go
+
+RUN make fmt-check
+RUN make lint
+
+# Build stage — tests and compilation
+# golang:1.23 (2026-03-14)
+FROM golang@sha256:60deed95d3888cc5e4d9ff8a10c54e5edc008c6ae3fba6187be6fb592e19e8c0 AS builder
+
+# Force BuildKit to run the lint stage by creating a stage dependency
+COPY --from=lint /src/go.sum /dev/null
+
+WORKDIR /src
+COPY go.mod go.sum ./
+RUN go mod download
+
+COPY . .
+
+# Touch .pb.go so make does not try to regenerate via protoc (file is committed)
+RUN touch mfer/mf.pb.go
+
+RUN make test
 RUN cd cmd/mfer && go build -tags urfave_cli_no_docs -o /mfer .
 
 FROM scratch

FORMAT.md

@@ -25,17 +25,17 @@ See [`mfer/mf.proto`](mfer/mf.proto) for exact field numbers and types.
 
 The outer message contains:
 
-| Field              | Number | Type              | Description                                      |
+| Field             | Number | Type             | Description                                                              |
-|--------------------|--------|-------------------|--------------------------------------------------|
+| ----------------- | ------ | ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
-| `version`          | 101    | enum              | Must be `VERSION_ONE` (1)                        |
+| `version`         | 101    | enum             | Must be `VERSION_ONE` (1)                                                |
-| `compressionType`  | 102    | enum              | Compression of `innerMessage`; must be `COMPRESSION_ZSTD` (1) |
+| `compressionType` | 102    | enum             | Compression of `innerMessage`; must be `COMPRESSION_ZSTD` (1)            |
-| `size`             | 103    | int64             | Uncompressed size of `innerMessage` (corruption detection) |
+| `size`            | 103    | int64            | Uncompressed size of `innerMessage` (corruption detection)               |
-| `sha256`           | 104    | bytes             | SHA-256 hash of the **compressed** `innerMessage` (corruption detection) |
+| `sha256`          | 104    | bytes            | SHA-256 hash of the **compressed** `innerMessage` (corruption detection) |
-| `uuid`             | 105    | bytes             | Random v4 UUID; must match the inner message UUID |
+| `uuid`            | 105    | bytes            | Random v4 UUID; must match the inner message UUID                        |
-| `innerMessage`     | 199    | bytes             | Zstd-compressed serialized `MFFile` message      |
+| `innerMessage`    | 199    | bytes            | Zstd-compressed serialized `MFFile` message                              |
-| `signature`        | 201    | bytes (optional)  | GPG signature (ASCII-armored or binary)          |
+| `signature`       | 201    | bytes (optional) | GPG signature (ASCII-armored or binary)                                  |
-| `signer`           | 202    | bytes (optional)  | Full GPG key ID of the signer                    |
+| `signer`          | 202    | bytes (optional) | Full GPG key ID of the signer                                            |
-| `signingPubKey`    | 203    | bytes (optional)  | Full GPG signing public key                      |
+| `signingPubKey`   | 203    | bytes (optional) | Full GPG signing public key                                              |
 
 ### SHA-256 Hash
 
@@ -54,25 +54,25 @@ decompression bombs. The reference implementation limits decompressed size to
 After decompressing `innerMessage`, the result is a serialized `MFFile`
 (referred to as the manifest):
 
-| Field       | Number | Type                  | Description                                |
+| Field       | Number | Type                  | Description                           |
-|-------------|--------|-----------------------|--------------------------------------------|
+| ----------- | ------ | --------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
-| `version`   | 100    | enum                  | Must be `VERSION_ONE` (1)                  |
+| `version`   | 100    | enum                  | Must be `VERSION_ONE` (1)             |
-| `files`     | 101    | repeated `MFFilePath` | List of files in the manifest              |
+| `files`     | 101    | repeated `MFFilePath` | List of files in the manifest         |
-| `uuid`      | 102    | bytes                 | Random v4 UUID; must match outer UUID      |
+| `uuid`      | 102    | bytes                 | Random v4 UUID; must match outer UUID |
-| `createdAt` | 201    | Timestamp (optional)  | When the manifest was created              |
+| `createdAt` | 201    | Timestamp (optional)  | When the manifest was created         |
 
 ## File Entries (`MFFilePath`)
 
 Each file entry contains:
 
-| Field      | Number | Type                      | Description                          |
+| Field      | Number | Type                      | Description                         |
-|------------|--------|---------------------------|--------------------------------------|
+| ---------- | ------ | ------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
-| `path`     | 1      | string                    | Relative file path (see Path Rules)  |
+| `path`     | 1      | string                    | Relative file path (see Path Rules) |
-| `size`     | 2      | int64                     | File size in bytes                   |
+| `size`     | 2      | int64                     | File size in bytes                  |
-| `hashes`   | 3      | repeated `MFFileChecksum` | At least one hash required           |
+| `hashes`   | 3      | repeated `MFFileChecksum` | At least one hash required          |
-| `mimeType` | 301    | string (optional)         | MIME type                            |
+| `mimeType` | 301    | string (optional)         | MIME type                           |
-| `mtime`    | 302    | Timestamp (optional)      | Modification time                    |
+| `mtime`    | 302    | Timestamp (optional)      | Modification time                   |
-| `ctime`    | 303    | Timestamp (optional)      | Change time (inode metadata change)  |
+| `ctime`    | 303    | Timestamp (optional)      | Change time (inode metadata change) |
 
 Field 304 (`atime`) has been removed from the specification. Access time is
 volatile and non-deterministic; it is not useful for integrity verification.
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ ZNAVSRFG-<UUID>-<SHA256>
 ```
 
 Where:
+
 - `ZNAVSRFG` is the magic bytes string (literal ASCII)
 - `<UUID>` is the hex-encoded UUID from the outer message
 - `<SHA256>` is the hex-encoded SHA-256 hash from the outer message (covering compressed data)

Makefile

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ export PATH := $(PATH):$(GOPATH)/bin
 PROTOC_GEN_GO := $(GOPATH)/bin/protoc-gen-go
 SOURCEFILES := mfer/*.go mfer/*.proto internal/*/*.go cmd/*/*.go go.mod go.sum
 ARCH := $(shell uname -m)
-GITREV_BUILD := $(shell bash $(PWD)/bin/gitrev.sh)
+GITREV_BUILD := $(shell bash $(PWD)/bin/gitrev.sh 2>/dev/null || echo unknown)
 APPNAME := mfer
 VERSION := 0.1.0
 export DOCKER_IMAGE_CACHE_DIR := $(HOME)/Library/Caches/Docker/$(APPNAME)-$(ARCH)
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ GOLDFLAGS += -X main.Version=$(VERSION)
 GOLDFLAGS += -X main.Gitrev=$(GITREV_BUILD)
 GOFLAGS := -ldflags "$(GOLDFLAGS)"
 
-.PHONY: docker default run ci test fixme
+.PHONY: docker default run ci test check lint fmt fmt-check hooks fixme
 
 default: fmt test
 
@@ -32,8 +32,17 @@ $(PROTOC_GEN_GO):
 fixme:
 	@grep -nir fixme . | grep -v Makefile
 
+check: test lint fmt-check
+
+fmt-check: mfer/mf.pb.go
+	sh -c 'test -z "$$(gofmt -l .)"'
+
+hooks:
+	echo '#!/bin/sh\nmake check' > .git/hooks/pre-commit
+	chmod +x .git/hooks/pre-commit
+
 devprereqs:
-	which golangci-lint || go install -v github.com/golangci/golangci-lint/cmd/golangci-lint@latest
+	which golangci-lint || go install -v github.com/golangci/golangci-lint/cmd/golangci-lint@v2.0.2
 
 mfer/mf.pb.go: mfer/mf.proto
 	cd mfer && go generate .

README.md

@@ -3,25 +3,25 @@
 [mfer](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/mfer) is a reference implementation library
 and thin wrapper command-line utility written in [Go](https://golang.org)
 and first published in 2022 under the [WTFPL](https://wtfpl.net) (public
-domain) license.  It specifies and generates `.mf` manifest files over a
+domain) license. It specifies and generates `.mf` manifest files over a
 directory tree of files to encapsulate metadata about them (such as
 cryptographic checksums or signatures over same) to aid in archiving,
-downloading, and streaming, or mirroring.  The manifest files' data is
+downloading, and streaming, or mirroring. The manifest files' data is
 serialized with Google's [protobuf serialization
-format](https://developers.google.com/protocol-buffers).  The structure of
+format](https://developers.google.com/protocol-buffers). The structure of
 these files can be found [in the format
 specification](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/mfer/src/branch/main/mfer/mf.proto)
 which is included in the [project
 repository](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/mfer).
 
 The current version is pre-1.0 and while the repo was published in 2022,
-there has not yet been any versioned release.  [SemVer](https://semver.org)
+there has not yet been any versioned release. [SemVer](https://semver.org)
 will be used for releases.
 
 This project was started by [@sneak](https://sneak.berlin) to scratch an
 itch in 2022 and is currently a one-person effort, though the goal is for
 this to emerge as a de-facto standard and be incorporated into other
-software.  A compatible javascript library is planned.
+software. A compatible javascript library is planned.
 
 # Build Status
 
@@ -30,18 +30,20 @@ software.  A compatible javascript library is planned.
 # Participation
 
 The community is as yet nonexistent so there are no defined policies or
-norms yet.  Primary development happens on a privately-run Gitea instance at
+norms yet. Primary development happens on a privately-run Gitea instance at
 [https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/mfer](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/mfer) and issues
 are [tracked there](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/mfer/issues).
 
 Changes must always be formatted with a standard `go fmt`, syntactically
 valid, and must pass the linting defined in the repository (presently only
-the `golangci-lint` defaults), which can be run with a `make lint`.  The
+the `golangci-lint` defaults), which can be run with a `make lint`. The
 `main` branch is protected and all changes must be made via [pull
 requests](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/mfer/pulls) and pass CI to be merged.
 Any changes submitted to this project must also be
 [WTFPL-licensed](https://wtfpl.net) to be considered.
 
+See [`REPO_POLICIES.md`](REPO_POLICIES.md) for detailed coding standards,
+tooling requirements, and workflow conventions.
 
 # Problem Statement
 
@@ -123,7 +125,6 @@ The manifest file would do several important things:
 # Open Questions
 
 - Should the manifest file include checksums of individual file chunks, or just for the whole assembled file?
-
   - If so, should the chunksize be fixed or dynamic?
 
 - Should the manifest signature format be GnuPG signatures, or those from
@@ -211,20 +212,20 @@ desired username for an account on this Gitea instance.
 
 ## Prior Art: Metalink
 
-* [Metalink - Mozilla Wiki](https://wiki.mozilla.org/Metalink)
+- [Metalink - Mozilla Wiki](https://wiki.mozilla.org/Metalink)
-* [Metalink - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metalink)
+- [Metalink - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metalink)
-* [RFC 5854 - The Metalink Download Description Format](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc5854)
+- [RFC 5854 - The Metalink Download Description Format](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc5854)
-* [RFC 6249 - Metalink/HTTP: Mirrors and Hashes](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc6249.html)
+- [RFC 6249 - Metalink/HTTP: Mirrors and Hashes](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc6249.html)
 
 ## Links
 
-* Repo: [https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/mfer](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/mfer)
+- Repo: [https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/mfer](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/mfer)
-* Issues: [https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/mfer/issues](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/mfer/issues)
+- Issues: [https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/mfer/issues](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/mfer/issues)
 
 # Authors
 
-* [@sneak <sneak@sneak.berlin>](mailto:sneak@sneak.berlin)
+- [@sneak <sneak@sneak.berlin>](mailto:sneak@sneak.berlin)
 
 # License
 
-* [WTFPL](https://wtfpl.net)
+- [WTFPL](https://wtfpl.net)

REPO_POLICIES.md

@@ -0,0 +1,255 @@
+---
+title: Repository Policies
+last_modified: 2026-03-10
+---
+
+This document covers repository structure, tooling, and workflow standards. Code
+style conventions are in separate documents:
+
+- [Code Styleguide](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/prompts/raw/branch/main/prompts/CODE_STYLEGUIDE.md)
+  (general, bash, Docker)
+- [Go](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/prompts/raw/branch/main/prompts/CODE_STYLEGUIDE_GO.md)
+- [JavaScript](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/prompts/raw/branch/main/prompts/CODE_STYLEGUIDE_JS.md)
+- [Python](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/prompts/raw/branch/main/prompts/CODE_STYLEGUIDE_PYTHON.md)
+- [Go HTTP Server Conventions](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/prompts/raw/branch/main/prompts/GO_HTTP_SERVER_CONVENTIONS.md)
+
+---
+
+- Cross-project documentation (such as this file) must include
+  `last_modified: YYYY-MM-DD` in the YAML front matter so it can be kept in sync
+  with the authoritative source as policies evolve.
+
+- **ALL external references must be pinned by cryptographic hash.** This
+  includes Docker base images, Go modules, npm packages, GitHub Actions, and
+  anything else fetched from a remote source. Version tags (`@v4`, `@latest`,
+  `:3.21`, etc.) are server-mutable and therefore remote code execution
+  vulnerabilities. The ONLY acceptable way to reference an external dependency
+  is by its content hash (Docker `@sha256:...`, Go module hash in `go.sum`, npm
+  integrity hash in lockfile, GitHub Actions `@<commit-sha>`). No exceptions.
+  This also means never `curl | bash` to install tools like pyenv, nvm, rustup,
+  etc. Instead, download a specific release archive from GitHub, verify its hash
+  (hardcoded in the Dockerfile or script), and only then install. Unverified
+  install scripts are arbitrary remote code execution. This is the single most
+  important rule in this document. Double-check every external reference in
+  every file before committing. There are zero exceptions to this rule.
+
+- Every repo with software must have a root `Makefile` with these targets:
+  `make test`, `make lint`, `make fmt` (writes), `make fmt-check` (read-only),
+  `make check` (prereqs: `test`, `lint`, `fmt-check`), `make docker`, and
+  `make hooks` (installs pre-commit hook). A model Makefile is at
+  `https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/prompts/raw/branch/main/Makefile`.
+
+- Always use Makefile targets (`make fmt`, `make test`, `make lint`, etc.)
+  instead of invoking the underlying tools directly. The Makefile is the single
+  source of truth for how these operations are run.
+
+- The Makefile is authoritative documentation for how the repo is used. Beyond
+  the required targets above, it should have targets for every common operation:
+  running a local development server (`make run`, `make dev`), re-initializing
+  or migrating the database (`make db-reset`, `make migrate`), building
+  artifacts (`make build`), generating code, seeding data, or anything else a
+  developer would do regularly. If someone checks out the repo and types
+  `make<tab>`, they should see every meaningful operation available. A new
+  contributor should be able to understand the entire development workflow by
+  reading the Makefile.
+
+- Every repo should have a `Dockerfile`. All Dockerfiles must run `make check`
+  as a build step so the build fails if the branch is not green. For non-server
+  repos, the Dockerfile should bring up a development environment and run
+  `make check`. For server repos, `make check` should run as an early build
+  stage before the final image is assembled.
+
+- Every repo should have a Gitea Actions workflow (`.gitea/workflows/`) that
+  runs `docker build .` on push. Since the Dockerfile already runs `make check`,
+  a successful build implies all checks pass.
+
+- Use platform-standard formatters: `black` for Python, `prettier` for
+  JS/CSS/Markdown/HTML, `go fmt` for Go. Always use default configuration with
+  two exceptions: four-space indents (except Go), and `proseWrap: always` for
+  Markdown (hard-wrap at 80 columns). Documentation and writing repos (Markdown,
+  HTML, CSS) should also have `.prettierrc` and `.prettierignore`.
+
+- Pre-commit hook: `make check` if local testing is possible, otherwise
+  `make lint && make fmt-check`. The Makefile should provide a `make hooks`
+  target to install the pre-commit hook.
+
+- All repos with software must have tests that run via the platform-standard
+  test framework (`go test`, `pytest`, `jest`/`vitest`, etc.). If no meaningful
+  tests exist yet, add the most minimal test possible — e.g. importing the
+  module under test to verify it compiles/parses. There is no excuse for
+  `make test` to be a no-op.
+
+- `make test` must complete in under 20 seconds. Add a 30-second timeout in the
+  Makefile.
+
+- Docker builds must complete in under 5 minutes.
+
+- `make check` must not modify any files in the repo. Tests may use temporary
+  directories.
+
+- `main` must always pass `make check`, no exceptions.
+
+- Never commit secrets. `.env` files, credentials, API keys, and private keys
+  must be in `.gitignore`. No exceptions.
+
+- `.gitignore` should be comprehensive from the start: OS files (`.DS_Store`),
+  editor files (`.swp`, `*~`), language build artifacts, and `node_modules/`.
+  Fetch the standard `.gitignore` from
+  `https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/prompts/raw/branch/main/.gitignore` when setting up
+  a new repo.
+
+- **No build artifacts in version control.** Code-derived data (compiled
+  bundles, minified output, generated assets) must never be committed to the
+  repository if it can be avoided. The build process (e.g. Dockerfile, Makefile)
+  should generate these at build time. Notable exception: Go protobuf generated
+  files (`.pb.go`) ARE committed because repos need to work with `go get`, which
+  downloads code but does not execute code generation.
+
+- Never use `git add -A` or `git add .`. Always stage files explicitly by name.
+
+- Never force-push to `main`.
+
+- Make all changes on a feature branch. You can do whatever you want on a
+  feature branch.
+
+- `.golangci.yml` is standardized and must _NEVER_ be modified by an agent, only
+  manually by the user. Fetch from
+  `https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/prompts/raw/branch/main/.golangci.yml`.
+
+- When pinning images or packages by hash, add a comment above the reference
+  with the version and date (YYYY-MM-DD).
+
+- Use `yarn`, not `npm`.
+
+- Write all dates as YYYY-MM-DD (ISO 8601).
+
+- Simple projects should be configured with environment variables.
+
+- Dockerized web services listen on port 8080 by default, overridable with
+  `PORT`.
+
+- **HTTP/web services must be hardened for production internet exposure before
+  tagging 1.0.** This means full compliance with security best practices
+  including, without limitation, all of the following:
+  - **Security headers** on every response:
+    - `Strict-Transport-Security` (HSTS) with `max-age` of at least one year
+      and `includeSubDomains`.
+    - `Content-Security-Policy` (CSP) with a restrictive default policy
+      (`default-src 'self'` as a baseline, tightened per-resource as
+      needed). Never use `unsafe-inline` or `unsafe-eval` unless
+      unavoidable, and document the reason.
+    - `X-Frame-Options: DENY` (or `SAMEORIGIN` if framing is required).
+      Prefer the `frame-ancestors` CSP directive as the primary control.
+    - `X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff`.
+    - `Referrer-Policy: strict-origin-when-cross-origin` (or stricter).
+    - `Permissions-Policy` restricting access to browser features the
+      application does not use (camera, microphone, geolocation, etc.).
+  - **Request and response limits:**
+    - Maximum request body size enforced on all endpoints (e.g. Go
+      `http.MaxBytesReader`). Choose a sane default per-route; never accept
+      unbounded input.
+    - Maximum response body size where applicable (e.g. paginated APIs).
+    - `ReadTimeout` and `ReadHeaderTimeout` on the `http.Server` to defend
+      against slowloris attacks.
+    - `WriteTimeout` on the `http.Server`.
+    - `IdleTimeout` on the `http.Server`.
+    - Per-handler execution time limits via `context.WithTimeout` or
+      chi/stdlib `middleware.Timeout`.
+  - **Authentication and session security:**
+    - Rate limiting on password-based authentication endpoints. API keys are
+      high-entropy and not susceptible to brute force, so they are exempt.
+    - CSRF tokens on all state-mutating HTML forms. API endpoints
+      authenticated via `Authorization` header (Bearer token, API key) are
+      exempt because the browser does not attach these automatically.
+    - Passwords stored using bcrypt, scrypt, or argon2 — never plain-text,
+      MD5, or SHA.
+    - Session cookies set with `HttpOnly`, `Secure`, and `SameSite=Lax` (or
+      `Strict`) attributes.
+  - **Reverse proxy awareness:**
+    - True client IP detection when behind a reverse proxy
+      (`X-Forwarded-For`, `X-Real-IP`). The application must accept
+      forwarded headers only from a configured set of trusted proxy
+      addresses — never trust `X-Forwarded-For` unconditionally.
+  - **CORS:**
+    - Authenticated endpoints must restrict `Access-Control-Allow-Origin` to
+      an explicit allowlist of known origins. Wildcard (`*`) is acceptable
+      only for public, unauthenticated read-only APIs.
+  - **Error handling:**
+    - Internal errors must never leak stack traces, SQL queries, file paths,
+      or other implementation details to the client. Return generic error
+      messages in production; detailed errors only when `DEBUG` is enabled.
+  - **TLS:**
+    - Services never terminate TLS directly. They are always deployed behind
+      a TLS-terminating reverse proxy. The service itself listens on plain
+      HTTP. However, HSTS headers and `Secure` cookie flags must still be
+      set by the application so that the browser enforces HTTPS end-to-end.
+
+  This list is non-exhaustive. Apply defense-in-depth: if a standard security
+  hardening measure exists for HTTP services and is not listed here, it is
+  still expected. When in doubt, harden.
+
+- `README.md` is the primary documentation. Required sections:
+  - **Description**: First line must include the project name, purpose,
+    category (web server, SPA, CLI tool, etc.), license, and author. Example:
+    "µPaaS is an MIT-licensed Go web application by @sneak that receives
+    git-frontend webhooks and deploys applications via Docker in realtime."
+  - **Getting Started**: Copy-pasteable install/usage code block.
+  - **Rationale**: Why does this exist?
+  - **Design**: How is the program structured?
+  - **TODO**: Update meticulously, even between commits. When planning, put
+    the todo list in the README so a new agent can pick up where the last one
+    left off.
+  - **License**: MIT, GPL, or WTFPL. Ask the user for new projects. Include a
+    `LICENSE` file in the repo root and a License section in the README.
+  - **Author**: [@sneak](https://sneak.berlin).
+
+- First commit of a new repo should contain only `README.md`.
+
+- Go module root: `sneak.berlin/go/<name>`. Always run `go mod tidy` before
+  committing.
+
+- Use SemVer.
+
+- Database migrations live in `internal/db/migrations/` and must be embedded in
+  the binary.
+  - `000_migration.sql` — contains ONLY the creation of the migrations
+    tracking table itself. Nothing else.
+  - `001_schema.sql` — the full application schema.
+  - **Pre-1.0.0:** never add additional migration files (002, 003, etc.).
+    There is no installed base to migrate. Edit `001_schema.sql` directly.
+  - **Post-1.0.0:** add new numbered migration files for each schema change.
+    Never edit existing migrations after release.
+
+- All repos should have an `.editorconfig` enforcing the project's indentation
+  settings.
+
+- Avoid putting files in the repo root unless necessary. Root should contain
+  only project-level config files (`README.md`, `Makefile`, `Dockerfile`,
+  `LICENSE`, `.gitignore`, `.editorconfig`, `REPO_POLICIES.md`, and
+  language-specific config). Everything else goes in a subdirectory. Canonical
+  subdirectory names:
+  - `bin/` — executable scripts and tools
+  - `cmd/` — Go command entrypoints
+  - `configs/` — configuration templates and examples
+  - `deploy/` — deployment manifests (k8s, compose, terraform)
+  - `docs/` — documentation and markdown (README.md stays in root)
+  - `internal/` — Go internal packages
+  - `internal/db/migrations/` — database migrations
+  - `pkg/` — Go library packages
+  - `share/` — systemd units, data files
+  - `static/` — static assets (images, fonts, etc.)
+  - `web/` — web frontend source
+
+- When setting up a new repo, files from the `prompts` repo may be used as
+  templates. Fetch them from
+  `https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/prompts/raw/branch/main/<path>`.
+
+- New repos must contain at minimum:
+  - `README.md`, `.git`, `.gitignore`, `.editorconfig`
+  - `LICENSE`, `REPO_POLICIES.md` (copy from the `prompts` repo)
+  - `Makefile`
+  - `Dockerfile`, `.dockerignore`
+  - `.gitea/workflows/check.yml`
+  - Go: `go.mod`, `go.sum`, `.golangci.yml`
+  - JS: `package.json`, `yarn.lock`, `.prettierrc`, `.prettierignore`
+  - Python: `pyproject.toml`

TODO.md

@@ -2,83 +2,83 @@
 
 ## Design Questions
 
-*sneak: please answer inline below each question. These are preserved for posterity.*
+_sneak: please answer inline below each question. These are preserved for posterity._
 
 ### Format Design
 
 **1. Should `MFFileChecksum` be simplified?**
 Currently it's a separate message wrapping a single `bytes multiHash` field. Since multihash already self-describes the algorithm, `repeated bytes hashes` directly on `MFFilePath` would be simpler and reduce per-file protobuf overhead. Is the extra message layer intentional (e.g. planning to add per-hash metadata like `verified_at`)?
 
-> *answer:*
+> _answer:_
 
 **2. Should file permissions/mode be stored?**
 The format stores mtime/ctime but not Unix file permissions. For archival use (ExFAT, filesystem-independent checksums) this may not matter, but for software distribution or filesystem restoration it's a gap. Should we reserve a field now (e.g. `optional uint32 mode = 305`) even if we don't populate it yet?
 
-> *answer:*
+> _answer:_
 
 **3. Should `atime` be removed from the schema?**
 Access time is volatile, non-deterministic, and often disabled (`noatime`). Including it means two manifests of the same directory at different times will differ, which conflicts with the determinism goal. Remove it, or document it as "never set by default"?
 
-> *answer:*
+> _answer:_
 
 **4. What are the path normalization rules?**
 The proto has `string path` with no specification about: always forward-slash? Must be relative? No `..` components allowed? UTF-8 NFC vs NFD normalization (macOS vs Linux)? Max path length? This is a security issue (path traversal) and a cross-platform compatibility issue. What rules should the spec mandate?
 
-> *answer:*
+> _answer:_
 
 **5. Should we add a version byte after the magic?**
 Currently `ZNAVSRFG` is followed immediately by protobuf. Adding a version byte (`ZNAVSRFG\x01`) would allow future framing changes without requiring protobuf parsing to detect the version. `MFFileOuter.Version` serves this purpose but requires successful deserialization to read. Worth the extra byte?
 
-> *answer:*
+> _answer:_
 
 **6. Should we add a length-prefix after the magic?**
 Protobuf is not self-delimiting. If we ever want to concatenate manifests or append data after the protobuf, the current framing is insufficient. Add a varint or fixed-width length-prefix?
 
-> *answer:*
+> _answer:_
 
 ### Signature Design
 
 **7. What does the outer SHA-256 hash cover — compressed or uncompressed data?**
 The review notes it currently hashes compressed data (good for verifying before decompression), but this should be explicitly documented. Which is the intended behavior?
 
-> *answer:*
+> _answer:_
 
 **8. Should `signatureString()` sign raw bytes instead of a hex-encoded string?**
 Currently the canonical string is `MAGIC-UUID-MULTIHASH` with hex encoding, which adds a transformation layer. Signing the raw `sha256` bytes (or compressed `innerMessage` directly) would be simpler. Keep the string format or switch to raw bytes?
 
-> *answer:*
+> _answer:_
 
 **9. Should we support detached signature files (`.mf.sig`)?**
 Embedded signatures are better for single-file distribution. Detached `.mf.sig` files follow the familiar `SHASUMS`/`SHASUMS.asc` pattern and are simpler for HTTP serving. Support both modes?
 
-> *answer:*
+> _answer:_
 
 **10. GPG vs pure-Go crypto for signatures?**
 Shelling out to `gpg` is fragile (may not be installed, version-dependent output). `github.com/ProtonMail/go-crypto` provides pure-Go OpenPGP, or we could go Ed25519/signify (simpler, no key management). Which direction?
 
-> *answer:*
+> _answer:_
 
 ### Implementation Design
 
 **11. Should manifests be deterministic by default?**
 This means: sort file entries by path, omit `createdAt` timestamp (or make it opt-in), no `atime`. Should determinism be the default, with a `--include-timestamps` flag to opt in?
 
-> *answer:*
+> _answer:_
 
 **12. Should we consolidate or keep both scanner/checker implementations?**
 There are two parallel implementations: `mfer/scanner.go` + `mfer/checker.go` (typed with `FileSize`, `RelFilePath`) and `internal/scanner/` + `internal/checker/` (raw `int64`, `string`). The `mfer/` versions are superior. Delete the `internal/` versions?
 
-> *answer:*
+> _answer:_
 
 **13. Should the `manifest` type be exported?**
 Currently unexported with exported constructors (`New`, `NewFromPaths`, etc.). Consumers can't declare `var m *mfer.manifest`. Export the type, or define an interface?
 
-> *answer:*
+> _answer:_
 
 **14. What should the Go module path be for 1.0?**
 Currently mixed between `sneak.berlin/go/mfer` and `git.eeqj.de/sneak/mfer`. Which is canonical?
 
-> *answer:*
+> _answer:_
 
 ---