Rewrite TODO.md sentence by sentence (closes #135)

TODO.md is the project's own task list, judged by the same rules as
README.md: short sentences, lists as bullets, nothing a newcomer reads
twice. Every completed step is kept with its date and its issue or
branch, and every fact the old entries recorded is kept too, in short
sentences. The 2026-07-22 policy-compliance checklist is folded into
the step that did the work, and the accepted divergence from the
layout policy gets a section of its own. Workflow, Status and Next
Step keep their rules unchanged.

Model: fable-5-1

TODO.md

@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@
 # Status
 
 - Pre-1.0.
-- The tracker is authoritative for the backlog. The open issues under the
+- The tracker is authoritative for the pre-1.0 backlog. The open issues under
-  `1.0.0` milestone are what remains before the tag. This file records history
+  the `1.0.0` milestone are what remains before the tag. This file records
-  and process, not the queue.
+  history and process, not the queue.
 
 # Next Step
 
@@ -26,11 +26,12 @@
 
 # Completed Steps
 
-Newest first. Each entry ends with its date and its issue or branch.
+Newest first. An entry ends with its date and its issue or branch, where those
+are known.
 
 - `TODO.md` rewritten from scratch by the same rules as `README.md`: short
   sentences, lists as bullets, nothing a newcomer reads twice. Every completed
-  step is kept, with its date and issue, in fewer words. The policy-compliance
+  step is kept, with its date and its issue or branch. The policy-compliance
   checklist of 2026-07-22 is folded into its step (2026-10-26,
   https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/135)
 
@@ -59,18 +60,24 @@ Newest first. Each entry ends with its date and its issue or branch.
 - Every file the walk records gets three hashes in the hash phase. `head` and
   `tail` are the SHA-256 of its first and last 64 KiB. `content` is the SHA-256
   of the whole file under 100 MiB, and of 1 MiB at each gigabyte from 100 MiB
-  up. The 10 MiB and 50 MiB thresholds, the size census, the records without
+  up. Gone are:
-  hashes and the content phase are gone. A scan has four phases, and a rescan
+    - the 10 MiB and 50 MiB thresholds;
-  reads only new and changed files. `info` no longer counts the records with
+    - the size census;
-  hashes, since every record has them (2026-10-25,
+    - the records without hashes;
+    - the content phase.
+
+    A scan has four phases, and a rescan reads only new and changed files.
+    `info` no longer counts the records with `head` and `tail` hashes, nor those
+    with a content hash, since every record has all three (2026-10-25,
     https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/132)
 
 - `REPO_POLICIES.md` and the four scripts that pass `CACHEBUST` re-vendored from
-  `sneak/prompts` `next` at `0653579`. The module download in the `lint`, `test`
+  `sneak/prompts` `next` at `0653579`. Two steps now come before
-  and `builder` stages of the `Dockerfile`, and the package install in
+  `ARG CACHEBUST`: the module download in the `lint`, `test` and `builder`
-  `builder`, now come before `ARG CACHEBUST`. Docker keeps them between builds.
+  stages of the `Dockerfile`, and the package install in `builder`. Docker keeps
+  them until the base image, the install line, `go.mod` or `go.sum` changes.
   Every step that lints, tests or compiles still comes after it.
-  `golangci-lint run` also keeps golangci-lint's cache. README says the same
+  `golangci-lint run` also keeps the linter's own cache. README says the same
   (2026-10-18, https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/109)
 
 - Release rule set: until 1.0, each tip of `main` that passes the build gets the
@@ -100,44 +107,51 @@ Newest first. Each entry ends with its date and its issue or branch.
 
 - `scan` never records or reads anything on a filesystem that is not persistent:
   `tmpfs`, `proc`, `sysfs` and the other kernel or memory-backed types. It
-  matches them by device ID, listed as the scan starts from
+  matches them by device ID. As the scan starts, it lists the mounted
-  `/proc/self/mountinfo` on Linux and from the mount list on macOS. No flag
+  filesystems of those types, from `/proc/self/mountinfo` on Linux and from the
-  turns that off. Below an operand, the walk does not enter the default excludes
+  mount list on macOS. No flag turns that off. Below an operand, the walk does
-  either, so `sfdupes scan /` skips the kernel's view of the running system and
+  not enter the default excludes either, so `sfdupes scan /` skips the kernel's
-  the temporary directories. On Linux those are `/proc`, `/sys`, `/dev`, `/run`,
+  view of the running system and the temporary directories. On Linux those are
-  `/tmp` and `/var/tmp`. On macOS they are `/dev`, `/private/tmp`,
+  `/proc`, `/sys`, `/dev`, `/run`, `/tmp` and `/var/tmp`. On macOS they are
-  `/private/var/tmp`, `/private/var/vm`, `/System/Volumes/VM` and
+  `/dev`, `/private/tmp`, `/private/var/tmp`, `/private/var/vm`,
-  `/System/Volumes/Data`. A Windows list exists in the code but is not used. An
+  `/System/Volumes/VM` and `/System/Volumes/Data`. A Windows list exists in the
-  operand at or inside a default exclude is still walked. The scan prints a line
+  code but is not used. An operand at or inside a default exclude is still
-  for each path it leaves out, without counting it as skipped, and the records
+  walked. The scan prints a line for each path it leaves out, without counting
-  there count as outside the scanned operands, as for `-x`.
+  it as skipped, and the records there count as outside the scanned operands, as
-  `--no-default-excludes` turns off the default excludes only, and `scan --help`
+  for `-x`. `--no-default-excludes` turns off the default excludes only, and
-  lists them (2026-10-17, https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/124)
+  `scan --help` lists them (2026-10-17,
+  https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/124)
 
 - The rate a progress display shows covers the items completed over the last 5
   seconds, or since the line before when stderr is not a terminal. It falls to 0
   while nothing completes, and a burst after a wait no longer reads as a steady
-  rate. The time remaining still comes from the phase's average. Once no item
+  rate of over 1,000 files a second. The time remaining still comes from the
-  has completed for 10 seconds, the word `stalled` and where the phase waits
+  phase's average. Once no item has completed for 10 seconds, the word `stalled`
-  take the rate's place, as `stalled disk/db`. The places are `disk`, `db`,
+  and where the phase waits take the rate's place, as `stalled disk/db`. The
-  `out` for stdout and `cpu`, or two of them for a phase that may wait on
+  places are `disk`, `db`, `out` for stdout and `cpu`, or two of them for a
-  either. A line too wide for the terminal loses its bar first, then its rate or
+  phase that may wait on either. Each phase gives its word where it is defined.
-  those words, so the phase, progress, elapsed time and time remaining stay
+  A line too wide for the terminal loses its bar first, then its rate or those
-  whole. The content phase's last partial batch is written under a display of
+  words, so the phase, progress, elapsed time and ETA stay whole. On an
+  80-column terminal, at counts like those of README's example, the content
+  phase's checks and reads lose those words at most times in minutes. Every
+  other phase keeps them whenever the elapsed time and the ETA are both in
+  minutes. The content phase's last partial batch is written under a display of
   its own (2026-10-16, https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/125)
 
 - New subcommand `info` prints the database's details on stdout, one per line as
-  a name, a tab and the value (2026-10-16,
+  a name, a tab and the value:
-  https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/117):
     - the path and where it came from;
     - the sizes of the database file and of its `-wal` file, when there is one;
     - when the database file was last changed;
-    - the schema version, the record counts and the sizes of all records added
+    - the schema version;
-      up.
+    - the number of records, how many have `head` and `tail` hashes, and how
+      many have a content hash;
+    - the sizes of all records added up.
 
     It opens the database as `report` does and shows two phases on stderr,
     `[1/2] open` and `[2/2] count`. The schema version and the counts come from
-    one read-only transaction, the counts from one query.
+    one read-only transaction, the counts from one query (2026-10-16,
+    https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/117)
 
 - `report` shows its work on stderr in two phases, `[1/2] open` and
   `[2/2] read`, with the progress display `scan` and `trees` use. The display
@@ -164,19 +178,20 @@ Newest first. Each entry ends with its date and its issue or branch.
   (2026-10-16, https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/113)
 
 - Each `scan` phase's progress display names the phase and its place among the
-  five, as `[2/5] walk`, from the moment it starts, with its progress, elapsed
+  five, as `[2/5] walk`. It runs from the moment the phase starts and shows its
-  time and ETA. `load` counts the records first. The walk's total is estimated
+  progress, elapsed time and ETA. `load` counts the records first. The walk's
-  from the records under the operands. The content phase counts the records it
+  total is estimated from the records under the operands. The content phase
-  checks from SQLite's grouping alone, then says it is searching the database
+  counts the records it checks from SQLite's grouping alone, then says it is
-  until the first one is returned. On a terminal a phase with an exact total
+  searching the database until the first one is returned. On a terminal a phase
-  draws its line followed by the library's bar, and any other a spinner followed
+  with an exact total draws its line followed by the library's bar. Any other
-  by the line. Every display is drawn again several times a second. No line
+  phase draws a spinner followed by the line. Every display is drawn again
-  reaches the terminal's last column, however narrow, also after the terminal is
+  several times a second. No line reaches the terminal's last column, however
-  made narrower during a phase. A line too wide leaves out its rate, then its
+  narrow, also after the terminal is made narrower during a phase. A line too
-  bar, keeping the phase, progress, elapsed time and ETA whole. It is cut short
+  wide leaves out its rate, then its bar, keeping the phase, progress, elapsed
-  only when those alone do not fit, as below about 70 columns late in a large
+  time and ETA whole. It is cut short only when those alone do not fit, as below
-  scan. In plain mode the line is printed every 5 seconds whether or not an item
+  about 70 columns late in a large scan. In plain mode the line is printed every
-  completed (2026-10-16, https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/112)
+  5 seconds whether or not an item completed (2026-10-16,
+  https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/112)
 
 - `scan`, `report` and `trees` first print a line on stderr naming the database
   they use, as an absolute path, and whether that path is the default or comes
@@ -185,8 +200,8 @@ Newest first. Each entry ends with its date and its issue or branch.
   https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/111)
 
 - The canonical files and model scripts re-vendored from `sneak/prompts` `next`
-  at `e3f79c4` (2026-10-15, https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/95):
+  at `e3f79c4`:
-    - golangci-lint v2.14.0;
+    - `golangci-lint` v2.14.0;
     - lint and test are phases of the `Dockerfile` that write no image, and
       `make test` runs the suite under the race detector. `Dockerfile.lint`,
       `script/verify-lint-image-pin` and `make test-race` are gone;
@@ -194,18 +209,18 @@ Newest first. Each entry ends with its date and its issue or branch.
       every stage of the `Dockerfile` declares first, so every `RUN` step runs
       on every build. The steps that compile keep Go's build cache, and the
       tests run with `-count=1`;
-    - prettier runs on the host, from the node and yarn `script/bootstrap`
+    - `prettier` runs on the host, from the `node` and `yarn` that
-      installs, so the `prettier` and `markdown` stages are gone and the build
+      `script/bootstrap` installs, so the `prettier` and `markdown` stages are
-      stage installs `git` and `make` itself;
+      gone and the build stage installs `git` and `make` itself;
     - a new push cancels the workflow's older run on the same branch, and a run
       stops after 20 minutes;
     - `.claude/settings.json` is deleted.
 
-    Since https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/109 the module download in
+    Since https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/109 two steps come before
-    `lint`, `test` and the build stage, and the install of `git` and `make` in
+    `ARG CACHEBUST`: the module download in `lint`, `test` and the build stage,
-    the build stage, come before `ARG CACHEBUST`. Docker keeps them between
+    and the install of `git` and `make` in the build stage. Docker keeps them
-    builds, and every step that lints, tests or compiles still runs on every
+    between builds, and every step that lints, tests or compiles still runs on
-    build.
+    every build (2026-10-15, https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/95)
 
 - With `-x`, an operand under another operand is no longer dropped when the
   outer operand's walk cannot reach it. That is the case when a directory from
@@ -258,8 +273,8 @@ Newest first. Each entry ends with its date and its issue or branch.
   `script/` pass a new `CACHEBUST` value, so theirs always run (2026-10-04,
   https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/39)
 
-- `make fmt` and `make fmt-check` run prettier over all Markdown, and CI checks
+- `make fmt` and `make fmt-check` run `prettier` over all Markdown, and CI
-  it. All Markdown was reformatted (2026-10-04,
+  checks it. All Markdown was reformatted (2026-10-04,
   https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/19)
 
 - `script/lint` writes no image, so a run no longer leaves an untagged one
@@ -333,7 +348,7 @@ Newest first. Each entry ends with its date and its issue or branch.
   https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/53)
 
 - Tests cover stdout write failures in `report` and `trees`. README states that
-  `| head` ends sfdupes by `SIGPIPE` and that `>&-` writes to `/dev/null`
+  `| head` ends `sfdupes` by `SIGPIPE` and that `>&-` writes to `/dev/null`
   (2026-10-03, https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/30)
 
 - `report` and `trees` open the database read-only, and `scan` leaves it out of
@@ -352,16 +367,16 @@ Newest first. Each entry ends with its date and its issue or branch.
   `make build` (2026-10-02, branch `next`,
   https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/67)
 
-- The 1 KiB end-window sampling was replaced with the head/tail plus
+- The 1 KiB end-window sampling was replaced with the hashes chosen by file
-  content-hash ladder, and README "Duplicate detection" documented every rung. A
+  size, and README "Duplicate detection" documented every size threshold. A file
-  file under 10 MiB was hashed in full, and its `head`, `tail` and `content` all
+  under 10 MiB was hashed in full, and its `head`, `tail` and `content` all held
-  held that hash. A larger file got only its 64 KiB `head` and `tail` in the
+  that hash. A larger file got only its 64 KiB `head` and `tail` in the hash
-  hash phase. The content phase, after the update phase, read it for `content`
+  phase. The content phase, after the update phase, read it for `content` only
-  only when its size, `head` and `tail` matched another record's. `content` was
+  when its size, `head` and `tail` matched another record's, from this scan or
-  the whole file below 50 MiB, and gigabyte-spaced 1 MiB samples at or above. A
+  an earlier one. `content` was the whole file below 50 MiB, and gigabyte-spaced
-  file gone or changed since its record was written was never read. `report` and
+  1 MiB samples at or above. A file gone or changed since its record was written
-  `trees` left out any record without a `content` hash. The `content` column is
+  was never read. `report` and `trees` left out any record without a `content`
-  part of the version 1 schema. Superseded by
+  hash. The `content` column is part of the version 1 schema. Superseded by
   https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/132 (2026-09-22, branch `next`,
   https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/61)
 
@@ -374,11 +389,11 @@ Newest first. Each entry ends with its date and its issue or branch.
   `# image:vX.Y.Z, YYYY-MM-DD` comment over a bare `FROM image@sha256:...`,
   without the false `(Debian-based)` note or the tag. Since
   https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/95 the `Dockerfile`'s `lint` phase
-  holds the only golangci-lint pin, in that form. `Dockerfile.lint` and
+  holds the only `golangci-lint` pin, in that form. `Dockerfile.lint` and
   `script/verify-lint-image-pin`, which compared the two pins, are gone
   (2026-08-10, branch `next`, https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/25)
 
-- All linting runs in Docker, via `Dockerfile.lint` and `script/lint`. Per the
+- All linting ran in Docker, via `Dockerfile.lint` and `script/lint`. Per the
   owner ruling the linter is never installed on a host, and
   `golangci-lint config verify` runs before `golangci-lint run`.
   `script/bootstrap` stopped installing or pinning the linter, and
@@ -387,7 +402,7 @@ Newest first. Each entry ends with its date and its issue or branch.
   `Dockerfile`'s `lint` phase, which `script/lint` builds alone and the build
   stage depends on through `COPY --from=lint /src/go.sum /dev/null`.
   `Dockerfile.lint` and `script/verify-lint-image-pin` are gone. Nothing inside
-  an image build may run docker, so the phase calls `golangci-lint` directly
+  an image build may run `docker`, so the phase calls `golangci-lint` directly
   (2026-08-10, branch `next`, https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/46)
 
 - The Docker build stage's prerequisites were installed by running
@@ -414,18 +429,19 @@ Newest first. Each entry ends with its date and its issue or branch.
   (2026-08-09, branch `cibuild-cache-bust`,
   https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/32)
 
-- `script/bootstrap` checked the installed golangci-lint version instead of only
+- `script/bootstrap` checked the installed `golangci-lint` version instead of
-  its presence. The version lived only in `GOLANGCI_LINT_VERSION`, with the
+  only its presence. The version lived only in `GOLANGCI_LINT_VERSION`, with the
-  `go install` module ref derived from it, and any installed version that was
+  `go install` module ref derived from it. Any installed version that was not
-  not the pin was reinstalled. `go install` writes into `GOBIN` (or
+  the pin was reinstalled: older, newer, absent or unparseable. `go install`
-  `GOPATH/bin`) while `make lint` ran the first `golangci-lint` on `PATH`, so
+  writes into `GOBIN` (or `GOPATH/bin`) while `make lint` ran the first
-  bootstrap re-read the effective version after installing. On a mismatch it
+  `golangci-lint` on `PATH`, so bootstrap re-read the effective version after
-  printed both paths and both versions and exited non-zero; it did not reorder
+  installing. On a mismatch it printed both paths and both versions and exited
-  `PATH` or delete anyone's binary. The `--version` call kept its stderr and was
+  non-zero; it did not reorder `PATH` or delete anyone's binary. The `--version`
-  bounded by `timeout(1)` where that exists. `git`, `make` and `go` kept
+  call kept its stderr and was bounded by `timeout(1)` where that exists. `git`,
-  presence-only checks. Superseded by
+  `make` and `go` kept presence-only checks. `make check` and `make lint` were
-  https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/46: the linter is no longer installed
+  clean at v2.12.2, so v2.10.1 had not been hiding findings on `main`.
-  on a host (2026-08-09, branch `bootstrap-version-check`,
+  Superseded by https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/46: the linter is no
+  longer installed on a host (2026-08-09, branch `bootstrap-version-check`,
   https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/24)
 
 - The hash worker pool unwinds on the error path. The pool is an owned,
@@ -437,13 +453,17 @@ Newest first. Each entry ends with its date and its issue or branch.
   pools and the whole database layer, as the first parameter everywhere. The
   walk pool gets the same treatment, plus a `ctx.Err()` guard after the walk. A
   cancelled walk yields a partial size census, and every file it never reached
-  looks vanished to the update phase. The guard is the barrier that still holds
+  looks vanished to the update phase. That phase's own `BeginTx` also fails on
-  once an interrupted scan may commit what it has. Tests drive `run(scan)`
+  the cancelled context before deleting anything, but the guard is the barrier
-  against a database whose insert trigger aborts, and assert that the scan fails
+  that still holds once an interrupted scan may commit what it has. Tests drive
-  instead of hanging and that the goroutine count returns to its pre-scan
+  `run(scan)` against a database whose insert trigger aborts, and assert that
-  baseline. Other tests cancel a scan part-way through the walk and assert that
+  the scan fails instead of hanging and that the goroutine count returns to its
-  it stops at the guard with every record intact (2026-08-09, branch
+  pre-scan baseline. Other tests cancel a scan part-way through the walk and
-  `hash-pool-cleanup`, https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/6)
+  assert that it stops at the guard with every record intact. Direct tests of
+  `sendEvent`, the walk workers, `dispatchDirs`, `feedHashJobs`, `hashWorker`
+  and `hashPhase` cover the remaining cancellation branches of both pools
+  (2026-08-09, branch `hash-pool-cleanup`,
+  https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/6)
 
 - The database is closed on every fatal exit path. `fatalf` and its `os.Exit(1)`
   are gone, so the deferred `db.Close()`, and with it the SQLite WAL checkpoint,
@@ -451,13 +471,14 @@ Newest first. Each entry ends with its date and its issue or branch.
   `loadRecords` and `resolveRoots` return errors instead. The single exit point
   is `run` in `main.go`. It maps a `fatalError` to exit 1 and cobra's own
   argument and flag errors to exit 2, so a runtime failure is never reported as
-  a usage error. `main_test.go` drives the CLI in-process and asserts the exit
+  a usage error or printed with the usage text. `main_test.go` drives the CLI
-  codes from README "Error handling" and the stdout/stderr split. That includes
+  in-process and asserts the exit codes from README "Error handling" and the
-  a fatal error after the database is open leaving no `-wal` or `-shm` file
+  stdout/stderr split. That includes a fatal error after the database is open
-  behind (2026-08-09, branch `db-close-on-fatal`,
+  leaving no `-wal` or `-shm` file behind, for `scan`, `report` or `trees`
+  (2026-08-09, branch `db-close-on-fatal`,
   https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/4)
 
-- golangci-lint updated to v2.12.2 with the canonical config, merged as
+- `golangci-lint` updated to v2.12.2 with the canonical config, merged as
   `38a01bd`. The pinned linter in the `Dockerfile` lint stage and
   `script/bootstrap` went from v2.12.1 to v2.12.2, and `.golangci.yml` was
   replaced with the canonical file. The linter settings (`lll`, `funlen`,
@@ -466,9 +487,13 @@ Newest first. Each entry ends with its date and its issue or branch.
   `golangci-v2.12.2`, https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/3)
 
 - Makefile targets converted to scripts-to-rule-them-all `script/` entrypoints,
-  like the other managed repos. All 12 entrypoints exist, and every Makefile
+  like the other managed repos. All 12 entrypoints exist:
-  target is a thin shim over them (2026-07-26, commit `3abeacf`,
+    - `bootstrap`, `setup` and `projectname`;
-  https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/1)
+    - `test`, `lint`, `fmt`, `fmt-check` and `check`;
+    - `docker`, `cibuild`, `precommit` and `install-precommit`.
+
+    Every Makefile target is a thin shim over them (2026-07-26, commit
+    `3abeacf`, https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/sfdupes/issues/1)
 
 - The binary is the default Make target: plain `make` builds `sfdupes`, where it
   used to run `check` plus `build`. `make build` remains as an alias
@@ -483,10 +508,15 @@ Newest first. Each entry ends with its date and its issue or branch.
   required (2026-07-24, branch `scan-wide-phases`)
 
 - The stat pass split back out of the walk. Phases are strictly sequential
-  again, walk, stat, hash and update per operand, with parallelism only inside
+  again, per operand, with parallelism only inside each phase:
-  each phase. The walk enumerates paths with per-directory workers, and the stat
+    - walk;
-  pass lstats them with per-file workers, restoring the exact total and ETA of
+    - stat;
-  the stat bar (2026-07-24, branch `parallel-phases`)
+    - hash;
+    - update.
+
+    The walk enumerates paths with per-directory workers, and the stat pass
+    lstats them with per-file workers, restoring the exact total and ETA of the
+    stat bar (2026-07-24, branch `parallel-phases`)
 
 - Each operand is announced on stderr before its passes. With per-operand walk,
   hash and update cycles, a multi-operand run such as `scan /srv/*` showed pass
@@ -519,26 +549,34 @@ Newest first. Each entry ends with its date and its issue or branch.
   at filesystem boundaries, which are crossed by default (2026-07-23, branch
   `scan-required-paths`)
 
-- The repo brought into compliance with `REPO_POLICIES.md` (2026-07-06), the
+- The repo was brought into compliance with `REPO_POLICIES.md` (the version of
-  existing repo checklist and the Go styleguide, audited 2026-07-22 (2026-07-23,
+  2026-07-06), the existing repo checklist and the Go styleguide. The audit of
-  branch `repo-policy-compliance`). Added or fixed:
+  2026-07-22 found these gaps, and the branch closed them:
     - `.gitignore`, with OS, editor, Go and secrets patterns; the compiled
       `sfdupes` binary and `files.dat` had been sitting untracked in the tree;
     - `.editorconfig`;
-    - `LICENSE` (MIT) and the README License section;
+    - `LICENSE` and the README License section. MIT was assumed from house
+      convention, for the owner to confirm;
     - `REPO_POLICIES.md` in the repo root;
     - the canonical `.golangci.yml`, with the 150 findings it raised fixed;
     - the `Makefile` targets `test`, `lint`, `fmt`, `fmt-check`, `docker` and
       `hooks`, and a `check` target that no longer depends on `build`;
-    - a test suite covering parsing, grouping, digests, suppression, hashing and
+    - a test suite, which the policy required with a 30-second timeout and the
-      the scan pipeline, at 64% coverage;
+      conditional `-v` rerun. It covers parsing, grouping, digests, suppression,
-    - a multistage `Dockerfile` with hash-pinned images, and `.dockerignore`;
+      hashing and the scan pipeline, at 64% coverage;
+    - a multistage `Dockerfile` with hash-pinned images, a fail-fast lint stage
+      and a build stage running `make check`, plus `.dockerignore`;
     - `.gitea/workflows/check.yml`, running `docker build .` on push with the
       checkout action pinned by commit SHA;
-    - the README sections the policy requires;
+    - the README sections the policy requires: a Description first line with the
+      name, purpose, category, license and author, then Getting Started,
+      Rationale, TODO, License and Author;
     - the stale README non-goal "no git repository setup and no CI" removed;
     - the pre-commit hook installed.
 
+    The code was already `gofmt`-clean, so no standalone formatting commit was
+    needed (2026-07-23, branch `repo-policy-compliance`)
+
 - `git init` with a README-only first commit; the code baseline committed on
   `main` (2026-07-22)