cto/sot/03-PROTOCOLS/CTO-CASE-STAGE1-GATED-ENGINE-ISSUES.md

name	tier	status	owner	source	created	last_reviewed	lifecycle_classification	core_promotion_status	description
cto-case-stage1-gated-engine-issues	local	draft	jp	sot/03-PROTOCOLS/CTO-CASE-STAGE1-GATED-ENGINE-PRD.md	2026-05-31	2026-05-31	planning	not-promoted	Child-local issue sequence for Stage 1 gated Case engine proof.

CTO Case Stage 1 Gated Engine Issues

Local planning SOT only. Not a Core Protocol. Not active Core authority.

Issue Sequence

CTO-WORK-009 - Stage 1 Gated Case Engine PRD

Type: AFK

Blocked by: CTO-WORK-008

User stories covered: CTO Case Candidate Backend PRD stories 4, 5, 7, 9, 11.

What to build: Define the Stage 1 gated Case engine proof as a child-local PRD and issue sequence before implementation starts.

Acceptance criteria:

• PRD states Stage 1 allowed mutation scope is none.
• PRD states Case is not executed.
• PRD requires blocked default-deny behavior.
• PRD requires evidence artifacts and no source mutation proof.
• PRD names backend.gate.blocked and CTO_HARNESS_ALLOW_CASE=1.
• Local CTO validator checks the PRD and issue artifact.

Allowed files: CTO child workspace planning docs and local validator only.

Validator: python3 tools/validate_cto_child.py

Done evidence: PRD, issue artifact, validator JSON, clean worktree, commit.

CTO-WORK-010 - Stage 1 Harness Implementation Route

Type: AFK

Blocked by: CTO-WORK-009

User stories covered: CTO Case Candidate Backend PRD stories 4, 5, 7, 9, 11.

What to build: In /home/svrnty/workspaces/hermes/cto/harness, implement a no-op gated case backend that proves default-deny behavior, evidence emission, and no source mutation.

Acceptance criteria:

• case backend is registered but disabled by default.
• harness.yaml uses gated_by_env: CTO_HARNESS_ALLOW_CASE.
• Usage text, argument validation, harness.yaml, and engine dispatch all recognize case.
• --engine case is rejected unless CTO_HARNESS_ALLOW_CASE=1.
• Missing gate produces blocked status.
• Missing gate emits backend.gate.blocked with backend, gate, reason, mutation_mode, and case_executed: false.
• Required Stage 1 artifacts are produced, including report.md and backend/case-gate.log.
• Fake remains default validation lane.
• No Case process runs.
• report.json records source_admission_status: not_admitted and case_process_started: false.
• No files under harness source checkout, target repo, Case source, vendor source, or Cortex Core are changed during execution.
• Gate runs before case workspace copy, git init, runner invocation, target repository inspection, or Case process start.
• Focused validator runs command-level checks for default fake, blocked --engine case without env, and enabled no-op Stage 1 behavior.

Allowed files: harness.yaml, harness/evals/run-case.sh, focused Stage 1 validator, docs, and tests under the routed Hermes CTO harness. WebUI, Core, Case source, vendor source, and target repositories are forbidden.

Validator: focused Stage 1 harness validator, plus local harness validation.

Done evidence: Stage 1 report JSON, normalized events, artifact digests, no-mutation proof, clean worktree, commit.

Granularity Check

This is intentionally two slices: one governed planning route, one future executable harness implementation. Combining them would skip the PRD-to-issue control loop.