merge: OIDC issuer/callback URLs become per-environment

Non-secret, environment-specific values must not live inside an encrypted
Secret: Flux's ${BASE_DOMAIN} substitution rewrites rendered manifest text and
cannot reach inside ciphertext, so such a value silently freezes at whatever
one environment happened to need. Dev was correct only by coincidence (dev IS
the apex); prod was wrong from its first reconcile, for both Headlamp and
Semaphore. StrictPostBuildSubstitutions cannot catch this — there is no
unresolved ${...} to complain about.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 <[email protected]>

DECISIONS-LOG.md

@@ -1496,3 +1496,354 @@ thing that ever closes a requirement.
   chart default rather than set explicitly — see the follow-up in `platform/longhorn/`.
 - L2/L3 conformance still SKIPs in CI (`docs/plans/l2-l3-conformance-ci-wiring.md`); it needs
   the trigger-credential decision — a scoped in-cluster SA, never a broad kubeconfig in CI.
+
+---
+
+## 2026-09-01 — INCIDENT: merging PR #4 briefly broke Cilium on 2/3 dev nodes. **Root cause: a substitution race that fails OPEN.**
+
+Merging the R-ENV-02 tokenization (PR #4, `dce0e8f`) triggered a Cilium Helm upgrade that put
+`cilium` agents into `Init:Error` on `k3s-dev-1` and `k3s-dev-2`. It **self-healed in ~6 minutes**
+and the cluster is fully green (12/12 Kustomizations Ready, 0 HelmReleases unready, 0 pods down).
+Recording it because the mechanism is systemic, will recur, and is far more dangerous on a cold
+prod bootstrap than it was here.
+
+### What happened
+
+The HelmRelease config digest tells the whole story:
+
+```
+v8   05:49:39  digest e83bf695…      <- before
+v9   05:50:11  digest eebd6c88…      <- the bad render
+v10  05:55:23  digest e83bf695…      <- identical to v8 again
+```
+
+The config changed and then changed **back to byte-identical**. Nothing in git differed
+semantically — `git diff` over `platform/cilium/helmrelease.yaml` shows only comments plus
+`k8sServiceHost: "192.168.1.50"` → `k8sServiceHost: "${K3S_API_HOST}"`, and the dev overlay sets
+`K3S_API_HOST=192.168.1.50`. The pre-merge byte-identity verification was **correct**; the steady
+state is identical. The damage happened in a transient intermediate state.
+
+### Root cause — the var and its consumer are reconciled by DIFFERENT Kustomizations
+
+- `cluster-vars` (which *defines* `K3S_API_HOST`) is owned by the **`flux-system`** Kustomization.
+- `platform/cilium/helmrelease.yaml` (which *references* it) is owned by the **`platform`**
+  Kustomization, via `postBuild.substituteFrom: cluster-vars`.
+- There is **no dependency ordering between defining a variable and using it.**
+
+So there is a window where `platform` renders the NEW manifest against the OLD `cluster-vars`,
+which has no `K3S_API_HOST` key yet. **Flux's post-build substitution is non-strict by default: an
+undefined variable becomes the EMPTY STRING, silently.** That produced `k8sServiceHost: ""`, Helm
+upgraded Cilium with it, and the agents fell back to the in-cluster ClusterIP `10.43.0.1:443` —
+which only the Cilium agent itself can translate. The agent was the thing restarting, so its own
+`config` init container could not reach the API server:
+
+```
+level=error msg="Unable to contact k8s api-server" ipAddr=https://10.43.0.1:443
+  error="dial tcp 10.43.0.1:443: i/o timeout"
+level=fatal msg="Build config failed"
+```
+
+Once `flux-system` applied the updated `cluster-vars`, the next `platform` reconcile rendered the
+correct value, digest returned to `e83bf695…`, and all three agents came up.
+
+`optional: false` on the `substituteFrom` entry does **not** protect against this — it only requires
+the ConfigMap to *exist*, not that every referenced key is defined.
+
+### Why this matters much more for prod
+
+On dev, one Cilium agent (`k3s-dev-3`) stayed up throughout, the API server was reachable, and the
+race closed on its own. **On a cold prod bootstrap every one of these knobs is new simultaneously**,
+there is no already-running CNI to fall back on, and an empty `k8sServiceHost` means Cilium may
+never come up at all — with no healthy peer to recover from. This is a plausible
+bring-up-blocker for `clusters/prod`.
+
+### The fix — make substitution FAIL CLOSED
+
+`kustomize-controller` currently runs with **no** `--feature-gates` argument, i.e. non-strict
+substitution. Flux supports `StrictPostBuildSubstitutions`, which makes an **undefined variable fail
+the Kustomization** instead of silently emptying it. That is exactly this project's stated doctrine
+("if unsure, deny/close"; "never fake green") applied to the substitution layer, and it converts
+this entire bug class from *silently corrupt a critical value* into *a loud, blocking reconcile
+failure*.
+
+**Not enabled unilaterally** — turning it on cluster-wide would immediately fail any Kustomization
+that references a variable not defined in `cluster-vars`, including legitimate shell `${…}` in
+embedded scripts. The safe sequence, before flipping it:
+1. Enumerate every `${VAR}` in every substituted path and prove each is either defined in
+   `cluster-vars` or correctly escaped as `$${VAR}`.
+2. Then enable the gate, and let CI + a dev reconcile prove it.
+
+Interim discipline, independent of the gate: **add a `cluster-vars` knob in one commit and
+reference it in a later one**, so the definition is always reconciled before its first use.
+
+### Operational note worth keeping
+
+A Cilium rolling upgrade on this cluster is not risk-free even when the values are right: the
+`config` init container resolves the API server through the ClusterIP unless `k8sServiceHost` is
+set, and the agent that translates that ClusterIP is the one being replaced. Keep
+`k8sServiceHost`/`k8sServicePort` correct at all times, and roll Cilium one node at a time.
+
+---
+
+## 2026-09-01 — RESEARCH: Flux substitution + HelmRelease best practice. **Measured semantics + ranked plan.**
+
+Three parallel research passes (substitution/ordering, HelmRelease/CNI, and a full repo audit),
+prompted by the incident above. Two of my own earlier conclusions were WRONG and are corrected
+here. Everything below marked *measured* was run against flux 2.4.0 / the live cluster; everything
+else is cited inference.
+
+### THE SUBSTITUTION SEMANTICS TABLE (measured — trust this over prose elsewhere)
+
+| form | behaviour |
+|---|---|
+| `${DEFINED}` | substituted |
+| `${UNDEFINED}` | **silently empty** (non-strict) · fails loudly (strict) |
+| `${UNDEFINED:-d}` | **default applied at reconcile time — `--strict` does NOT catch it** |
+| `${VAR:?msg}` | renders **the message as the value** — a non-empty WRONG value. ANTI-PATTERN. |
+| `${VAR:=192.168.1.50}` | silently ships the dev value to prod. ANTI-PATTERN. |
+| `$${VAR}` / `$${VAR:-d}` / `$${ARR[0]}` | literal — **escaping is TOTAL** |
+| `$VAR` / `$(cmd)` | untouched, no escaping needed |
+| `${...}` / `${a b}` / `${ARR[0]}` unescaped | **hard parse error — fails the whole Kustomization** |
+
+Flux exempts default-providing operators (`-`, `:-`, `+`, `:+`, `=`, `:=`, `?`, `:?`) from strict
+mode by design ("they intentionally handle the unset case"). **That is why strict mode would never
+have caught the gitea/nextcloud dead-guard bug**, and why a targeted check was required.
+
+**Doctrine corrected:** `clusters/base/apps-vms.yaml` claimed an indexed expansion is fatal
+"escaped or not". Measured: escaping is total; only the UNESCAPED form is fatal. Fixed in place.
+
+**Comment nuance:** `kustomize build` strips *structural* YAML comments before envsubst sees them,
+so those are usually harmless. But `#` lines INSIDE a block scalar are data and DO reach envsubst,
+and a `$`-carrying body comment was observed surviving into built `apps/wave-1`. Do not rely on
+stripping — escape in comments too. (An earlier claim in this log that a YAML comment "nearly broke
+every merge" was overstated for the structural case; the hazard is real for block-scalar bodies.)
+
+### CORRECTION 1 (mine) — `StrictPostBuildSubstitutions` alone is INSUFFICIENT
+
+It fixes nothing about ordering; it converts "render a corrupt value and ship it" into "fail loudly
+and keep last-good". **The actual ordering fix is one line**, verified against
+`kustomization_controller.go :: checkDependencies` at our exact version (v1.4.0): `dependsOn` is
+**revision-gated**, not merely Ready-gated — when the dependency shares a GitRepository, the
+dependent cannot reconcile revision N until the dependency has APPLIED revision N.
+
+`platform` is the only Kustomization in the graph with no `dependsOn`; every other consumer chains
+transitively through it. So:
+
+```yaml
+# clusters/base/platform.yaml
+spec:
+  dependsOn:
+    - name: flux-system     # cluster-vars must be applied at THIS revision first
+```
+
+**Cost, recorded honestly:** the root becomes a gate — a malformed manifest anywhere under
+`clusters/dev` now stops the whole graph where today it would not. Fail-closed, consistent with
+doctrine, but a real blast-radius change. No deadlock risk: the root runs `wait: false`.
+
+Rejected alternative: moving `cluster-vars` into the consuming Kustomization is **strictly worse** —
+`SubstituteVariables` reads the ConfigMap from the API at build time, *before* the Kustomization
+applies its own resources, so it would always read the PREVIOUS value. That converts an occasional
+race into a permanent one-reconcile lag.
+
+### CORRECTION 2 (an agent's) — the safety machinery DID fire
+
+A research pass concluded that Helm considered the bad release healthy (because
+`updateStrategy.rollingUpdate.maxUnavailable: 2` on 3 nodes means `expectedReady = 1`), and
+therefore remediation never engaged. **Measured on the live cluster: that is wrong.** The Helm
+release secrets show **v9 = `failed`**; Helm's wait DID fail and the release was remediated, which
+is why it self-healed. `maxUnavailable: 2 of desired 3` IS confirmed live — so the real harm was
+blast radius (2 of 3 agents down at once), not a missed detection.
+
+### Verified, and worth knowing
+
+- **Flux 2.4.0 is OUT OF SUPPORT** — the project supports the last three minors; 2.9.x is current.
+- **Strict substitution became DEFAULT-ON** in kustomize-controller v1.9.0. So upgrading Flux flips
+  this behaviour whether or not we opt in — the variable audit is a prerequisite for the upgrade
+  regardless of today's decision.
+- **Cilium's `values.schema.json` permits `k8sServiceHost: ""`** — no `minLength`, no `pattern`.
+  Helm was never going to reject the bad render.
+- **Cilium docs make `k8sServiceHost` REQUIRED under kube-proxy replacement**, precisely because the
+  environment exports the API ClusterIP and there is no kube-proxy to provision it.
+- **The Cilium chart ships zero test templates**, so `spec.test` is useless for it. A post-upgrade
+  check must live outside Helm.
+- `valuesFrom` fails HARD on a missing key (verified in `chartutil/values.go`) unlike postBuild's
+  silent empty — but only on a MISSING key, not an empty value, and it cannot cross namespaces
+  (`cluster-vars` is in `flux-system`; the Cilium HelmRelease is in `kube-system`).
+- **Do NOT enable `driftDetection.mode: enabled` on a CNI.** It compares the cluster against the
+  Helm storage manifest — during the incident that manifest WAS the bad render, so drift correction
+  would have actively re-asserted the broken value.
+
+### RANKED PLAN
+
+| P | Action | State |
+|---|---|---|
+| **P0** | `platform.dependsOn: [flux-system]` — closes the race completely | **PENDING — operator call** (blast-radius change) |
+| **P0** | Escape the dead OIDC guards; renderer now refuses the class | ✅ DONE |
+| **P1** | Substitution-safety L0 gate, unconditional in `ci/l0.sh` | ✅ DONE — 102 assertions |
+| **P1** | Enable `StrictPostBuildSubstitutions=true` | **READY — proven safe**, all 11 paths exit 0 under `flux envsubst --strict`. Sequence AFTER P0. |
+| **P2** | `updateStrategy.rollingUpdate.maxUnavailable: 1` on Cilium, as a new **[parity]** field in BOTH the HelmRelease and the Ansible j2 | PENDING — bounds blast radius to one node |
+| **P3** | Split Cilium into its own Kustomization (`wait: true`, `interval: 1h`, `timeout: 10m`); `platform` dependsOn it | PENDING — gives `flux suspend kustomization cilium` as an emergency valve |
+| **P4** | Upgrade Flux 2.4.0 → 2.9.x | PENDING — out of support; brings strict-by-default |
+| **P5** | Cilium MINOR bumps become manual (Renovate PR → human runs the documented pre-flight → merge). Never automerge a CNI minor. | PENDING — process |
+| — | Record `${VAR:?}` / `${VAR:=}` as anti-patterns | ✅ DONE (table above) |
+| — | *Not recommended*: drift detection on Cilium; `spec.test` on Cilium; `k8sServiceHost: auto` | — |
+
+### Follow-ups surfaced, not yet actioned
+- 6 dead `cluster-vars` knobs; `BASE_DOMAIN` and `CLUSTER_ENV` look like genuine rot.
+- `platform/{cilium,longhorn,velero,oauth2-proxy}/values.yaml` reference mirrors carry decorative
+  `${...}` that can silently drift from the real HelmRelease.
+- `platform` Kustomization `timeout: 5m` vs Longhorn HelmRelease `timeout: 15m` — the tier can time
+  out while a legitimate Longhorn upgrade is still running.
+
+---
+
+## 2026-09-01 — P0/P1/P2 LANDED + a second incident: two bugs stacked, the outer one hid the inner
+
+All three approved changes are merged (PR #5) and reconciled on dev, plus a hotfix (PR #6).
+
+### Landed and verified on the live cluster
+
+| Change | Verified |
+|---|---|
+| **P0** `platform.dependsOn: [flux-system]` | Flux on `63002d1`; all 12 Kustomizations Ready; steady-state graph unchanged |
+| **P1** strict substitution | Committed to `bootstrap/flux/components/`. **NOT YET ROLLED OUT** — see below |
+| **P2** Cilium `maxUnavailable: 1` | Applied. **Pod ages unchanged (15h/39h), restart counts unchanged** — the clean proof nothing rolled, exactly as predicted |
+| OIDC guard fix | Deployed guards now read `${..._OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET:-}` instead of `""`; both providers registered |
+| Prod overlay | SOPS decryption (same age key as dev) + source on `main` |
+
+### THE SECOND INCIDENT — nextcloud CrashLoopBackOff
+
+Immediately after the PR #5 reconcile, `nextcloud` went `CrashLoopBackOff` (7 restarts,
+`FailedPostStartHook`) and `apps-wave-1`/`apps-wave-2` stalled. Cause:
+
+```sh
+[ "$p" -ge 15 ] && nextcloud_oidc_fail "could not promote ... after retries"   # LAST line of the hook
+```
+
+On the **success** path (`p < 15`) the test returns 1, and as the script's last command that became
+the hook's exit status. **A non-zero postStart exit makes the kubelet kill the container.**
+
+**The previous commit did not introduce this — it UNCOVERED it.** The bug was unreachable for as
+long as the OIDC guard above it was dead code that `exit 0`'d first. Fixing the guard made the block
+execute for the first time in these apps' deployed lifetime, and the latent defect fired instantly.
+**Two bugs stacked, and the outer one hid the inner one.** Worth remembering as a pattern: fixing
+dead code is not a safe no-op — it is the first execution of never-tested code, and should be
+treated with the caution of new code, not of a one-character escape.
+
+Fixed by converting to a plain `if` and adding an explicit `exit 0`. Gitea's hook already returned 0
+on both paths, but only by accident of which statement happened to be last — made explicit there too
+so the class cannot return. Recovery confirmed: both pods `1/1 Running`, 0 restarts, all
+Kustomizations Ready, both OIDC providers still registered.
+
+### STILL TO DO — strict substitution is committed but NOT ACTIVE
+
+`StrictPostBuildSubstitutions` does **not** arrive on a git push. This repo does not use
+`flux bootstrap`; the controllers were installed imperatively by `flux install` and carry no Flux
+ownership labels, so they are outside Flux's inventory and nothing under `clusters/**` can reach a
+controller flag. An operator must run `bootstrap/flux/bootstrap.sh` step 1 (idempotent; the
+standalone command is in `bootstrap/flux/README.md`), which restarts kustomize-controller for
+~10-20s. Flux is level-triggered, so an interrupted reconcile is simply retried.
+
+**Ordering is satisfied:** P0 is merged and reconciled, so the gate can now be rolled out safely.
+With the gate on but the ordering edge absent, the same race would turn a transient empty render
+into a transient hard Kustomization failure.
+
+### Prod consequences recorded this session
+
+- **Every merge to `main` will reconcile BOTH clusters** once prod is live — no promotion step, no
+  soak window. A deliberate consequence of dev being temporary, but it removes the "prove it on dev
+  first" safety net that the last two days have leaned on heavily, twice.
+- **Gitea migration is the FIRST task of the dev decommission, not the last.** Prod's GitOps source
+  currently points at Gitea running on the dev cluster.
+- **Prod's source URL cannot work on a cold prod cluster** — split-horizon answers the whole zone
+  with `${GATEWAY_VIP}`, so prod would resolve `gitea.home.keithjackson.dev` to its own gateway.
+  Bring-up needs a temporary source and a cutover, as `docs/05` describes for dev's own Phase-6.
+
+## 2026-09-07 — LIVE BUG: prod's OIDC clients were pointed at DEV's Keycloak. Secrets are a substitution blind spot.
+
+The operator could not log in to Headlamp on prod:
+
+```
+Get "https://keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab/.well-known/openid-configuration":
+dial tcp 192.168.1.53:443: i/o timeout
+```
+
+`keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev` is **dev's** Keycloak. It resolves to `192.168.1.53`, on the dev
+LAN behind pfSense; prod lives on `192.168.2.0/24` (pfSense's WAN) and cannot route there, so the
+discovery fetch simply hung until it timed out.
+
+### Root cause — the class, not the instance
+
+**Flux's `${BASE_DOMAIN}` postBuild substitution rewrites the RENDERED MANIFEST TEXT. It can never
+reach inside a SOPS-encrypted Secret.** Environment-specific URLs had been stored *inside* two
+encrypted Secrets purely because it was convenient to keep one blob per app:
+
+| File | Buried, un-substitutable values |
+|---|---|
+| `platform/headlamp/headlamp-oidc-credentials.sops.yaml` | `OIDC_ISSUER_URL`, `OIDC_CALLBACK_URL` |
+| `apps/wave-1/semaphore-bootstrap-secret.sops.yaml` (`oidc-providers-json`) | the realm issuer + the OIDC redirect URI |
+
+Both were frozen at the apex `home.keithjackson.dev`. **Dev IS the apex, so dev was correct by
+coincidence** — the values were never per-environment, they just happened to match one environment.
+Prod was wrong from the first reconcile. Semaphore on prod was broken the same way and nobody had
+noticed, because nobody had tried prod SSO yet.
+
+This is the same failure shape as the 2026-09-01 nextcloud guard: **a value that silently resolves
+to something plausible is worse than one that fails.** `StrictPostBuildSubstitutions` cannot catch
+it either — there is no `${...}` left unresolved to complain about; the ciphertext never contained
+one.
+
+### The rule this establishes
+
+> **Non-secret, environment-specific values MUST NOT live inside an encrypted Secret.** Issuer URLs,
+> callback URLs, redirect URIs and hostnames are public. Encrypt the secret half only, and template
+> the rest where `${BASE_DOMAIN}` can reach it.
+
+### The fix
+
+- **Headlamp** — `OIDC_ISSUER_URL` / `OIDC_CALLBACK_URL` moved to the HelmRelease's
+  `spec.values.env`, templated `${BASE_DOMAIN}`. The Secret keeps `OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET` +
+  the environment-invariant `OIDC_CLIENT_ID` / `OIDC_SCOPES`, still `envFrom`'d.
+  **Exactly one source per variable** — an explicit `env:` entry silently outranks the same name
+  arriving via `envFrom`, so the two sets deliberately do not overlap.
+  Side effect, intended: naming `OIDC_CALLBACK_URL` in `env:` makes chart 0.41.0 finally emit
+  `-oidc-callback-url=$(OIDC_CALLBACK_URL)`; it gates that arg on `env:`/`config.oidc`, which a
+  Secret key alone never tripped — so the Secret's callback URL had been dead weight all along.
+- **Semaphore** — the `SEMAPHORE_OIDC_PROVIDERS` JSON is now a plaintext literal in
+  `catalog/semaphore.yaml` (re-rendered to the `apps/wave-1` golden). Only the client secret stays
+  encrypted, in its own key `oidc-client-secret`, and the **kubelet** splices it back via
+  dependent-env-var expansion: `$(SEMAPHORE_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET)` resolves against the `secretKeyRef`
+  env var declared immediately above it. **Order is load-bearing** — the kubelet resolves `env` in
+  list order and leaves a forward reference as literal text. `flux envsubst` ignores `$(...)`, so
+  the two expansion layers do not collide (the `$${VAR}` escape in `apps/wave-1/nextcloud.yaml`
+  documents the one form that DOES need escaping).
+
+### Proof
+
+Rendered per overlay (`kubectl kustomize --load-restrictor LoadRestrictionsNone`, then
+`flux envsubst --strict` with that overlay's `cluster-vars`), plus `helm template` of headlamp
+0.41.0 against the substituted values:
+
+| | dev | prod |
+|---|---|---|
+| Headlamp `OIDC_ISSUER_URL` | `https://keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab` | `https://keycloak.prod.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab` |
+| Headlamp `OIDC_CALLBACK_URL` | `https://headlamp.home.keithjackson.dev/oidc-callback` | `https://headlamp.prod.home.keithjackson.dev/oidc-callback` |
+| Semaphore `provider_url` | `https://keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab` | `https://keycloak.prod.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab` |
+| Semaphore `redirect_url` | `https://semaphore.home.keithjackson.dev/api/...` | `https://semaphore.prod.home.keithjackson.dev/api/...` |
+
+Dev's values are byte-identical to what it runs today — this change moves prod only.
+
+### [parity] the apiserver invariant HOLDS
+
+Prod's kube-apiserver `oidc-issuer-url` is an **install-time k3s flag** derived from
+`k3s_base_domain` (`infra/ansible/inventory/group_vars/k3s_prod/vars.yml` = `prod.home.keithjackson.dev`),
+not from `cluster-vars` — it cannot read the Flux variable. Headlamp forwards the user's `id_token`
+to the apiserver, so the two must name the same issuer. After this change they do, in both
+environments, because both derive from the same per-environment domain. Unchanged risk, now written
+down in `platform/headlamp/README.md`: moving one without the other 401s every request.
+
+### Also fixed for the next person
+
+`headlamp-oidc-credentials.sops.yaml.example` used to *teach* the broken pattern — it listed
+`OIDC_ISSUER_URL` and `OIDC_CALLBACK_URL` as keys to fill in. It now says, in the file, that adding
+either key back re-breaks prod.

apps/vms/unifi/30-virtualmachine.yaml

@@ -92,14 +92,17 @@ spec:
             # NOTE: apps-vms NOW carries postBuild.substituteFrom cluster-vars (needed for
             # ${UNIFI_L4_VIP} in 50-service-l4.yaml), so Flux envsubst DOES run over this userData.
             # Every shell brace-expansion below is therefore escaped as $${...}, which envsubst emits
-            # as a literal ${...} — verified with `flux envsubst`. Bare $VAR and $(...) are left alone
+            # as a literal $${...} — verified with `flux envsubst`. Bare $VAR and $(...) are left alone
-            # by envsubst and need no escaping. NEVER write an unescaped ${...} here, and never write
+            # by envsubst and need no escaping. NEVER write an unescaped $${...} here, and never write
-            # ${ARR[0]} even escaped-adjacent: envsubst hard-fails on `[` ("missing closing brace")
+            # an INDEXED expansion unescaped: envsubst hard-fails on `[` ("missing closing brace")
-            # and would break the whole apps-vms apply.
+            # and would break the whole apps-vms apply. CORRECTION (2026-09-01, measured against
+            # flux 2.4.0 `envsubst --strict`): escaping IS total — $${ARR[0]} emits the literal
+            # text safely. Only the UNESCAPED indexed form is fatal. The earlier "escaped or not"
+            # wording in clusters/base/apps-vms.yaml overstated it.
             userData: |-
               #cloud-config
               hostname: unifi
-              fqdn: unifi.home.keithjackson.dev
+              fqdn: unifi.${BASE_DOMAIN}
               package_update: true
               package_upgrade: false
               packages: [qemu-guest-agent, podman, uidmap, slirp4netns, ca-certificates, curl, jq, cloud-guest-utils]

apps/vms/unifi/50-service-l4.yaml

@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 # VIP: ${UNIFI_L4_VIP} (cluster-vars, R-ENV-02; dev 192.168.1.54, confirmed free, inside
 # default-pool and reserved in tofu — the Gateway already holds the pool's first IP, dev .53).
 # Substituted by the `apps-vms` Flux Kustomization, which carries postBuild.substituteFrom for
-# exactly this token; every shell ${...} in 30-virtualmachine.yaml's cloud-init is escaped as $${...}
+# exactly this token; every shell $${...} in 30-virtualmachine.yaml's cloud-init is escaped as $${...}
 # accordingly. A new environment MUST set UNIFI_L4_VIP to a free address in ITS pool.
 #
 # REUSABLE PATTERN (the deferred `minecraft` :25565/L4 problem is the same shape): expose an
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ metadata:
     lbipam.cilium.io/ips: "${UNIFI_L4_VIP}"
     # external-dns (source: service) publishes A unifi.home.keithjackson.dev -> the pinned VIP.
     # This is the browser + device target; UI is https://unifi.home.keithjackson.dev:11443.
-    external-dns.alpha.kubernetes.io/hostname: "unifi.home.keithjackson.dev"
+    external-dns.alpha.kubernetes.io/hostname: "unifi.${BASE_DOMAIN}"
 spec:
   type: LoadBalancer
   externalTrafficPolicy: Local

apps/wave-0/gitea.yaml

@@ -90,9 +90,9 @@ spec:
               name: gitea-bootstrap
               key: secret-key
         - name: GITEA__server__DOMAIN
-          value: gitea.home.keithjackson.dev
+          value: gitea.${BASE_DOMAIN}
         - name: GITEA__server__ROOT_URL
-          value: https://gitea.home.keithjackson.dev/
+          value: https://gitea.${BASE_DOMAIN}/
         - name: GITEA__actions__ENABLED
           value: 'true'
         - name: GITEA__actions__DEFAULT_ACTIONS_URL
@@ -127,8 +127,8 @@ spec:
               command:
               - /bin/sh
               - -c
-              - "# Idempotent break-glass admin bootstrap. Runs alongside the gitea entrypoint\n# (which, with INSTALL_LOCK=true, headless-installs + migrates the DB on first\n# boot). Waits for the DB, then creates the admin only if it does not exist.\nset -u\nexport HOME=/data/git\ni=0\nuntil su-exec git gitea admin user list >/dev/null 2>&1; do\n  i=$((i + 1))\n  [ \"$i\" -ge 150 ] && { echo \"[gitea-bootstrap] DB not ready after wait; skipping\" >&2; exit 0; }\n  sleep 2\ndone\nif su-exec git gitea admin user list --admin 2>/dev/null | awk 'NR>1{print $2}' | grep -qx \"$GITEA_ADMIN_USERNAME\"; then\n  echo \"[gitea-bootstrap] admin '$GITEA_ADMIN_USERNAME' already present\"\nelse\n  n=0\n  until su-exec git gitea admin user create \\\n    --username \"$GITEA_ADMIN_USERNAME\" \\\n    --password \"$GITEA_ADMIN_PASSWORD\" \\\n    --email \"[email protected]\" \\\n    --admin --must-change-password=false; do\n    n=$((n + 1))\n    [ \"$n\" -ge 10 ] && { echo \"[gitea-bootstrap] admin create failed after retries\" >&2; break; }\n    sleep 3\n  done\n  echo \"[gitea-bootstrap] created break-glass admin '$GITEA_ADMIN_USERNAME'\"\nfi\n# --- Keycloak OIDC login source (idempotent add-or-update; R-IDP-02/06) ---\n# Registers the confidential `gitea` client as the OAuth2 login source \"keycloak\" against the\n# homelab realm's discovery doc. The `groups` claim maps platform-admins -> Gitea admin\n# (--admin-group). Missing secret => skip (break-glass admin still works), so an unfilled\n# secret never crashes the pod.\n#\n# HARDENED (was a silent first-boot RACE): this step used to fire before the app/network was\n# ready and swallow its failure (|| echo ... >&2, exit 0), so SSO silently never registered.\n# Now it (1) waits \u2014 bounded, ~90s \u2014 for the Keycloak discovery doc to serve HTTP 200,\n# (2) registers (update-in-place if present, else create), (3) VERIFIES the source actually\n# persisted and retries the whole cycle, and (4) on give-up logs LOUDLY to stderr AND a marker\n# file on the persistent /data volume WITHOUT crashlooping the pod (break-glass admin stays\n# usable). The verify-then-retry loop is the real guarantee against \"exit 0 but nothing stuck\".\nGITEA_DISCOVERY_URL=https://keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab/.well-known/openid-configuration\ngitea_oidc_fail() {\n  echo \"[gitea-oidc] FAILED to register 'keycloak' login source: $1\" >&2\n  { echo \"$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ) [gitea-oidc] FAILED: $1\"; } >> /data/gitea-oidc-bootstrap.log 2>/dev/null || true\n}\nif [ -z \"${GITEA_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET:-}\" ]; then\n  echo \"[gitea-oidc] GITEA_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET unset; skipping OIDC source (break-glass admin only)\"\nelse\n  # (1) Wait up to ~90s for the Keycloak discovery doc to be reachable (HTTP 200).\n  d=0; disc_ok=0\n  while [ \"$d\" -lt 45 ]; do\n    if [ \"$(curl -sS -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' --max-time 5 \"$GITEA_DISCOVERY_URL\" 2>/dev/null)\" = \"200\" ]; then\n      disc_ok=1; break\n    fi\n    d=$((d + 1)); sleep 2\n  done\n  [ \"$disc_ok\" = 1 ] || gitea_oidc_fail \"Keycloak discovery endpoint not reachable (HTTP 200) within timeout\"\n  # (2)+(3) Register (update-in-place or create) then VERIFY it persisted; retry the whole cycle.\n  r=0; reg_ok=0\n  while [ \"$r\" -lt 10 ]; do\n    oidc_id=$(su-exec git gitea admin auth list 2>/dev/null | awk '$2==\"keycloak\"{print $1; exit}')\n    if [ -n \"$oidc_id\" ]; then\n      su-exec git gitea admin auth update-oauth --id \"$oidc_id\" \\\n        --name keycloak --provider openidConnect --key gitea \\\n        --secret \"$GITEA_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET\" \\\n        --auto-discover-url \"$GITEA_DISCOVERY_URL\" \\\n        --scopes \"openid email profile\" --group-claim-name groups --admin-group platform-admins >/dev/null 2>&1 || true\n    else\n      su-exec git gitea admin auth add-oauth \\\n        --name keycloak --provider openidConnect --key gitea \\\n        --secret \"$GITEA_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET\" \\\n        --auto-discover-url \"$GITEA_DISCOVERY_URL\" \\\n        --scopes \"openid email profile\" --group-claim-name\
+              - "# Idempotent break-glass admin bootstrap. Runs alongside the gitea entrypoint\n# (which, with INSTALL_LOCK=true, headless-installs + migrates the DB on first\n# boot). Waits for the DB, then creates the admin only if it does not exist.\nset -u\nexport HOME=/data/git\ni=0\nuntil su-exec git gitea admin user list >/dev/null 2>&1; do\n  i=$((i + 1))\n  [ \"$i\" -ge 150 ] && { echo \"[gitea-bootstrap] DB not ready after wait; skipping\" >&2; exit 0; }\n  sleep 2\ndone\nif su-exec git gitea admin user list --admin 2>/dev/null | awk 'NR>1{print $2}' | grep -qx \"$GITEA_ADMIN_USERNAME\"; then\n  echo \"[gitea-bootstrap] admin '$GITEA_ADMIN_USERNAME' already present\"\nelse\n  n=0\n  until su-exec git gitea admin user create \\\n    --username \"$GITEA_ADMIN_USERNAME\" \\\n    --password \"$GITEA_ADMIN_PASSWORD\" \\\n    --email \"[email protected]\" \\\n    --admin --must-change-password=false; do\n    n=$((n + 1))\n    [ \"$n\" -ge 10 ] && { echo \"[gitea-bootstrap] admin create failed after retries\" >&2; break; }\n    sleep 3\n  done\n  echo \"[gitea-bootstrap] created break-glass admin '$GITEA_ADMIN_USERNAME'\"\nfi\n# --- Keycloak OIDC login source (idempotent add-or-update; R-IDP-02/06) ---\n# Registers the confidential `gitea` client as the OAuth2 login source \"keycloak\" against the\n# homelab realm's discovery doc. The `groups` claim maps platform-admins -> Gitea admin\n# (--admin-group). Missing secret => skip (break-glass admin still works), so an unfilled\n# secret never crashes the pod.\n#\n# HARDENED (was a silent first-boot RACE): this step used to fire before the app/network was\n# ready and swallow its failure (|| echo ... >&2, exit 0), so SSO silently never registered.\n# Now it (1) waits \u2014 bounded, ~90s \u2014 for the Keycloak discovery doc to serve HTTP 200,\n# (2) registers (update-in-place if present, else create), (3) VERIFIES the source actually\n# persisted and retries the whole cycle, and (4) on give-up logs LOUDLY to stderr AND a marker\n# file on the persistent /data volume WITHOUT crashlooping the pod (break-glass admin stays\n# usable). The verify-then-retry loop is the real guarantee against \"exit 0 but nothing stuck\".\nGITEA_DISCOVERY_URL=https://keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}/realms/homelab/.well-known/openid-configuration\ngitea_oidc_fail() {\n  echo \"[gitea-oidc] FAILED to register 'keycloak' login source: $1\" >&2\n  { echo \"$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ) [gitea-oidc] FAILED: $1\"; } >> /data/gitea-oidc-bootstrap.log 2>/dev/null || true\n}\n# NOTE the `$$` escape below \u2014 it is load-bearing. apps-wave-0 declares postBuild.\n# substituteFrom cluster-vars, so Flux envsubst rewrites this whole manifest at RECONCILE\n# time, before any container runs. Written unescaped, `$${GITEA_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET:-}` is not\n# a cluster-var, so envsubst blanked it and the guard reconciled as `[ -z \"\" ]` \u2014 ALWAYS TRUE\n# \u2014 making every line below (discovery wait, add/update-oauth, verify-then-retry) DEAD CODE on\n# every boot since 8738871 (2026-08-27). SSO kept working only because the login source was\n# already in the DB; a PVC rebuild or fresh cluster would have come up with NO OIDC at all.\n# Flux STRICT substitution cannot catch this \u2014 it EXEMPTS default-operator forms by design.\n# `$${VAR}` is the escape: envsubst emits it back as a plain brace expansion for the shell.\n# Bare `$VAR` and `$(cmd)` are left alone and need NO escaping \u2014 which is why the\n# `$GITEA_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET` uses below always worked and only the guards broke.\n# Contract: clusters/base/apps-vms.yaml. Enforced at render time by catalog/render.py.\nif [ -z \"$${GITEA_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET:-}\" ]; then\n  echo \"[gitea-oidc] GITEA_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET unset; skipping OIDC source (break-glass admin only)\"\nelse\n  # (1) Wait up to ~90s for the Keycloak discovery doc to be reachable (HTTP 200).\n  d=0; disc_ok=0\n  while [ \"$d\" -lt 45 ]; do\n    if [ \"$(curl -sS -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' --max-time 5 \"$GITEA_DISCOVERY_URL\" 2>/dev/null)\" = \"200\" ]; then\n      disc_ok=1;\
-                \ groups --admin-group platform-admins >/dev/null 2>&1 || true\n    fi\n    # VERIFY: the \"keycloak\" source must actually be listed now (guards the exit-0-but-nothing-persisted race).\n    if su-exec git gitea admin auth list 2>/dev/null | awk '$2==\"keycloak\"{f=1} END{exit !f}'; then\n      reg_ok=1; break\n    fi\n    r=$((r + 1)); sleep 3\n  done\n  if [ \"$reg_ok\" = 1 ]; then\n    echo \"[gitea-oidc] login source 'keycloak' registered and verified\"\n  else\n    gitea_oidc_fail \"add/update-oauth ran but the 'keycloak' source did not persist after retries\"\n  fi\nfi\n"
+                \ break\n    fi\n    d=$((d + 1)); sleep 2\n  done\n  [ \"$disc_ok\" = 1 ] || gitea_oidc_fail \"Keycloak discovery endpoint not reachable (HTTP 200) within timeout\"\n  # (2)+(3) Register (update-in-place or create) then VERIFY it persisted; retry the whole cycle.\n  r=0; reg_ok=0\n  while [ \"$r\" -lt 10 ]; do\n    oidc_id=$(su-exec git gitea admin auth list 2>/dev/null | awk '$2==\"keycloak\"{print $1; exit}')\n    if [ -n \"$oidc_id\" ]; then\n      su-exec git gitea admin auth update-oauth --id \"$oidc_id\" \\\n        --name keycloak --provider openidConnect --key gitea \\\n        --secret \"$GITEA_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET\" \\\n        --auto-discover-url \"$GITEA_DISCOVERY_URL\" \\\n        --scopes \"openid email profile\" --group-claim-name groups --admin-group platform-admins >/dev/null 2>&1 || true\n    else\n      su-exec git gitea admin auth add-oauth \\\n        --name keycloak --provider openidConnect --key gitea \\\n        --secret \"$GITEA_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET\" \\\n        --auto-discover-url \"$GITEA_DISCOVERY_URL\" \\\n        --scopes \"openid email profile\" --group-claim-name groups --admin-group platform-admins >/dev/null 2>&1 || true\n    fi\n    # VERIFY: the \"keycloak\" source must actually be listed now (guards the exit-0-but-nothing-persisted race).\n    if su-exec git gitea admin auth list 2>/dev/null | awk '$2==\"keycloak\"{f=1} END{exit !f}'; then\n      reg_ok=1; break\n    fi\n    r=$((r + 1)); sleep 3\n  done\n  if [ \"$reg_ok\" = 1 ]; then\n    echo \"[gitea-oidc] login source 'keycloak' registered and verified\"\n  else\n    gitea_oidc_fail \"add/update-oauth ran but the 'keycloak' source did not persist after retries\"\n  fi\nfi\n# A postStart hook MUST exit 0 \u2014 a non-zero exit makes the kubelet KILL the container\n# (FailedPostStartHook -> CrashLoopBackOff). This hook already ends 0 on both paths, but\n# it is made EXPLICIT so the guarantee does not depend on whatever statement happens to\n# be last. nextcloud's equivalent hook did depend on that and crashlooped on 2026-09-01,\n# the moment its OIDC guard was fixed and the block actually ran for the first time.\nexit 0\n"
       volumes:
       - name: data
         persistentVolumeClaim:
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ spec:
     namespace: gateway
     sectionName: https
   hostnames:
-  - gitea.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - gitea.${BASE_DOMAIN}
   rules:
   - matches:
     - path:

apps/wave-0/jackett.yaml

@@ -91,16 +91,16 @@ spec:
         - --http-address=0.0.0.0:4180
         - --reverse-proxy=true
         - --provider=oidc
-        - --oidc-issuer-url=https://keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab
+        - --oidc-issuer-url=https://keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}/realms/homelab
         - --upstream=http://127.0.0.1:9117
         - --email-domain=*
         - --scope=openid email profile
         - --oidc-groups-claim=groups
         - --allowed-group=media-users
         - --skip-provider-button=true
-        - --redirect-url=https://jackett.home.keithjackson.dev/oauth2/callback
+        - --redirect-url=https://jackett.${BASE_DOMAIN}/oauth2/callback
-        - --cookie-domain=.home.keithjackson.dev
+        - --cookie-domain=.${BASE_DOMAIN}
-        - --whitelist-domain=.home.keithjackson.dev
+        - --whitelist-domain=.${BASE_DOMAIN}
         - --cookie-secure=true
         - --pass-access-token=true
         - --set-xauthrequest=true
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ spec:
     namespace: gateway
     sectionName: https
   hostnames:
-  - jackett.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - jackett.${BASE_DOMAIN}
   rules:
   - matches:
     - path:

apps/wave-0/kustomization.yaml

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ resources:
 - jackett-oauth2-proxy-credentials.sops.yaml
 - jackett.yaml
 - nextcloud-db-app.sops.yaml
+- nextcloud-db-backup-credentials-prod.sops.yaml
 - nextcloud-db-backup-credentials.sops.yaml
 - nextcloud-db.yaml
 - pihole-oauth2-proxy-credentials.sops.yaml
@@ -19,5 +20,6 @@ resources:
 - qbittorrent-oauth2-proxy-credentials.sops.yaml
 - qbittorrent.yaml
 - semaphore-db-app.sops.yaml
+- semaphore-db-backup-credentials-prod.sops.yaml
 - semaphore-db-backup-credentials.sops.yaml
 - semaphore-db.yaml

apps/wave-0/nextcloud-db-backup-credentials-prod.sops.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Secret
+metadata:
+    name: nextcloud-db-backup-credentials-prod
+    namespace: nextcloud-db
+type: Opaque
+stringData:
+    ACCESS_KEY_ID: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:4lx6et4HcXDegulyIoa7jZR/lVgapGPEkukajfCKjvk=,iv:p6V7tizbikk55tOvpPOsPHTe/p52QLX5A5xrwuB14rA=,tag:oNJuipT/Lb6zynJ2K2Q71A==,type:str]
+    ACCESS_SECRET_KEY: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:V5bHPoPeBOVyLp1n1Jilyso4i5P2aPSH0hrryfweg2q/SctWZxRbLBQ/FLzOigbJsAhlwOGu069mQPma6xjfdw==,iv:8u4UOvI8dC/cm6mEWDlyN5E3SfRZmwKY9uZY/DjPEsQ=,tag:tw7tGs29TmUvMPBCtCszAA==,type:str]
+sops:
+    kms: []
+    gcp_kms: []
+    azure_kv: []
+    hc_vault: []
+    age:
+        - recipient: age175l8mdpdfu7hq0aml3exs3gykarwjmuvr23sq56s3wjejnyk44wsp4mfzg
+          enc: |
+            -----BEGIN AGE ENCRYPTED FILE-----
+            YWdlLWVuY3J5cHRpb24ub3JnL3YxCi0+IFgyNTUxOSBiSUt5N2k2N2lDU2ZsMy9m
+            M1NFS0M2QjFsNFhnR0hCMzFyaTdiQWFZRFJZCmhBTWRXNmxLMGtsc3Rxd2FSMDZp
+            aktjcTE2c1hmU1EzM3RWNksyb3Q1YVUKLS0tIDBFS1I5aDBER2cvcWtLZ3BXTEp5
+            ZGI5ZmZIcStheUNQamxIVVVpc0ZMOHMKlE5aHewtHJpeU24F5sodc9CEm9KTjHQQ
+            8ThEQ/8vyazL9V4ojlICxSHU/SHkHpD1eBaTKcAQd/LZzujIcJ+QfA==
+            -----END AGE ENCRYPTED FILE-----
+    lastmodified: "2026-09-07T06:36:33Z"
+    mac: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:8awz1Jh8t4zjDMyd93/v+6on9iiIaSi01293A7uYhxj9L1+g63zeO+DPmSn6+KbZvHdqU2A7up09H1NzfXAEdGuvVbB36cdGq0zKank3PUi8c7IT6qNuWydxRAcqLnbbD+c30Z6GB+gAuZHstNOe4Rgc4aJvMN6FuP6x6Z0870c=,iv:KGGKJq2QA5xztvoHs/SViXW72DYwT16i+W+dJBUeIJQ=,tag:3UpYqx2+RIK0QdMH/BSIpA==,type:str]
+    pgp: []
+    encrypted_regex: ^(data|stringData)$
+    version: 3.9.4

apps/wave-0/nextcloud-db.yaml

@@ -68,25 +68,38 @@ spec:
       memory: 256Mi
     limits:
       memory: 512Mi
-  # --- Off-cluster DR backup (R-STATE-03) — CNPG-native Barman → the on-Proxmox MinIO `cnpg` bucket ---
+  # --- Off-cluster DR backup (R-STATE-03) — CNPG-native Barman → object storage ---
   # Continuous WAL archiving + periodic base backups = proper Postgres PITR (realises the SD's
-  # backup.policy daily-offcluster). destinationPath is the bucket ROOT; CNPG appends serverName
+  # backup.policy daily-offcluster). CNPG appends serverName (defaults to the Cluster name) to
-  # (defaults to the Cluster name), so objects land under s3://cnpg/nextcloud-db/. Path-style HTTP.
+  # destinationPath, so objects land under ${CNPG_BACKUP_PATH}/nextcloud-db/ — dev
-  # Credentials: the scoped key from the in-namespace SOPS Secret nextcloud-db-backup-credentials
+  # s3://cnpg/nextcloud-db/ on the on-Proxmox MinIO, prod
-  # (same-ns only), kept in sync with platform/backup/minio-credentials.sops.yaml.
+  # s3://k3s-prod-backup/barman/nextcloud-db/ on Cloudflare R2. Both endpointURL and
-  # endpointURL is ${S3_BACKUP_ENDPOINT} (cluster-vars, R-ENV-02; dev http://192.168.1.9:9000),
+  # destinationPath are cluster-vars knobs (R-ENV-02), substituted by `apps-wave-0`.
-  # substituted by the `apps-wave-0` Flux Kustomization. Prod supplies its own off-cluster target.
+  # Credentials: PER-ENVIRONMENT (2026-09-07). dev reads nextcloud-db-backup-credentials (the
+  # scoped MinIO key), prod reads nextcloud-db-backup-credentials-prod (the Cloudflare R2
+  # token). BOTH Secrets are applied to BOTH clusters by apps/wave-0/kustomization.yaml (a
+  # generated golden — render.py places the -prod sidecar in this DB's wave); the
+  # cluster-vars knob ${BACKUP_CREDENTIALS_SUFFIX} (dev "" | prod "-prod") chooses which
+  # one this Cluster reads. Both are in-namespace, which is all a pod can read. They were
+  # ONE shared Secret until the split, so giving prod its R2 token would have left dev
+  # signing MinIO requests with an R2 key id — 403 on every archive command, i.e. the
+  # disk-full clock below rather than a merely missing backup.
+  #
+  # archive_mode is ON, so a FAILING archive command is a disk-full clock, not a degraded backup:
+  # Postgres refuses to recycle a WAL segment it has not archived, and the pgdata PVC fills until
+  # the primary PANICs. Prod demonstrated this from bootstrap to 2026-09-07 with a placeholder
+  # endpoint. Treat ContinuousArchiving=False here as an availability incident.
   backup:
     retentionPolicy: "30d"
     barmanObjectStore:
-      destinationPath: s3://cnpg
+      destinationPath: ${CNPG_BACKUP_PATH}
       endpointURL: ${S3_BACKUP_ENDPOINT}
       s3Credentials:
         accessKeyId:
-          name: nextcloud-db-backup-credentials
+          name: nextcloud-db-backup-credentials${BACKUP_CREDENTIALS_SUFFIX}
           key: ACCESS_KEY_ID
         secretAccessKey:
-          name: nextcloud-db-backup-credentials
+          name: nextcloud-db-backup-credentials${BACKUP_CREDENTIALS_SUFFIX}
           key: ACCESS_SECRET_KEY
       wal:
         compression: gzip

apps/wave-0/pihole.yaml

@@ -91,16 +91,16 @@ spec:
         - --http-address=0.0.0.0:4180
         - --reverse-proxy=true
         - --provider=oidc
-        - --oidc-issuer-url=https://keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab
+        - --oidc-issuer-url=https://keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}/realms/homelab
         - --upstream=http://127.0.0.1:80
         - --email-domain=*
         - --scope=openid email profile
         - --oidc-groups-claim=groups
         - --allowed-group=platform-admins
         - --skip-provider-button=true
-        - --redirect-url=https://pihole.home.keithjackson.dev/oauth2/callback
+        - --redirect-url=https://pihole.${BASE_DOMAIN}/oauth2/callback
-        - --cookie-domain=.home.keithjackson.dev
+        - --cookie-domain=.${BASE_DOMAIN}
-        - --whitelist-domain=.home.keithjackson.dev
+        - --whitelist-domain=.${BASE_DOMAIN}
         - --cookie-secure=true
         - --pass-access-token=true
         - --set-xauthrequest=true
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ spec:
     namespace: gateway
     sectionName: https
   hostnames:
-  - pihole.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - pihole.${BASE_DOMAIN}
   rules:
   - matches:
     - path:

apps/wave-0/plex.yaml

@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ spec:
     namespace: gateway
     sectionName: https
   hostnames:
-  - plex.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - plex.${BASE_DOMAIN}
   rules:
   - matches:
     - path:

apps/wave-0/qbittorrent.yaml

@@ -91,16 +91,16 @@ spec:
         - --http-address=0.0.0.0:4180
         - --reverse-proxy=true
         - --provider=oidc
-        - --oidc-issuer-url=https://keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab
+        - --oidc-issuer-url=https://keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}/realms/homelab
         - --upstream=http://127.0.0.1:8080
         - --email-domain=*
         - --scope=openid email profile
         - --oidc-groups-claim=groups
         - --allowed-group=media-users
         - --skip-provider-button=true
-        - --redirect-url=https://qbittorrent.home.keithjackson.dev/oauth2/callback
+        - --redirect-url=https://qbittorrent.${BASE_DOMAIN}/oauth2/callback
-        - --cookie-domain=.home.keithjackson.dev
+        - --cookie-domain=.${BASE_DOMAIN}
-        - --whitelist-domain=.home.keithjackson.dev
+        - --whitelist-domain=.${BASE_DOMAIN}
         - --cookie-secure=true
         - --pass-access-token=true
         - --set-xauthrequest=true
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ spec:
     namespace: gateway
     sectionName: https
   hostnames:
-  - qbittorrent.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - qbittorrent.${BASE_DOMAIN}
   rules:
   - matches:
     - path:

apps/wave-0/semaphore-db-backup-credentials-prod.sops.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Secret
+metadata:
+    name: semaphore-db-backup-credentials-prod
+    namespace: semaphore-db
+type: Opaque
+stringData:
+    ACCESS_KEY_ID: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:OhWEEYqrvmDB40NmiETgeUisBvaO9ocevCZAsurNijw=,iv:kEjOIg9NHbRYm+Ul1WrBAzb3gLbIv+ipiYCxFK0QoVc=,tag:KAB1JAIw0ATwbjDEKZVT9A==,type:str]
+    ACCESS_SECRET_KEY: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:C0PNKv07LCYpFONLqd55sz+ioyU/i2YJUkbZ8OX/dCErM/DilqchyUAT5EqnT/r3YJmdaA1pX85S3fxlVVHkbg==,iv:4ha28b+xIebvX2JPITmtTovIe4vdmj2XfI3cgkUHH4c=,tag:xbMyflcHojytPzgaoOYcXQ==,type:str]
+sops:
+    kms: []
+    gcp_kms: []
+    azure_kv: []
+    hc_vault: []
+    age:
+        - recipient: age175l8mdpdfu7hq0aml3exs3gykarwjmuvr23sq56s3wjejnyk44wsp4mfzg
+          enc: |
+            -----BEGIN AGE ENCRYPTED FILE-----
+            YWdlLWVuY3J5cHRpb24ub3JnL3YxCi0+IFgyNTUxOSBZVTJ3cXR6cks3Y0RNS2hx
+            K3pjZEduYUxmL0V3SmFUcU9XbGVHSVFITWh3Cjl1eHlTLytoOW5PaVNFVkJoeTBo
+            T1FnRHNDVzJ6dWpuR09WaElvbWF4YU0KLS0tIEJoQ1VsM1cxRlg0R1dtNGdOenNn
+            aVNjMjVBTytLdHlFdmZCS2tPelo1Y2MKYt1G5t+sDiHgcg+Q9ECBzJn2gS/paSEC
+            7aoX60SBrPgHvnGls5lzc3Tin9nH4jWYl6Nu8DAvIE0YPXDFr5a0UA==
+            -----END AGE ENCRYPTED FILE-----
+    lastmodified: "2026-09-07T06:36:33Z"
+    mac: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:mhVP7tjdZK2FR2imvpJbTyT7BigvcIKEpLSnBS1oSITUirB8xZC7aHBfyFuIoKOrpOJgEe40nHUdDYCHRJtb4dLeVja8+7meVaQWzxC8BWVHsksW+73hsqhjAzlHeobx6Irbk4PAMqIY0/jnf4MHryjnRn3dUuwu9U1CqL30JbE=,iv:57oCcp6FW9EAIVKnYGtkaTrnbijyv54T+vmZxMbMqnw=,tag:agrRP/JLypU60KOeN0s/5w==,type:str]
+    pgp: []
+    encrypted_regex: ^(data|stringData)$
+    version: 3.9.4

apps/wave-0/semaphore-db.yaml

@@ -69,25 +69,38 @@ spec:
       memory: 256Mi
     limits:
       memory: 512Mi
-  # --- Off-cluster DR backup (R-STATE-03) — CNPG-native Barman → the on-Proxmox MinIO `cnpg` bucket ---
+  # --- Off-cluster DR backup (R-STATE-03) — CNPG-native Barman → object storage ---
   # Continuous WAL archiving + periodic base backups = proper Postgres PITR (realises the SD's
-  # backup.policy daily-offcluster). destinationPath is the bucket ROOT; CNPG appends serverName
+  # backup.policy daily-offcluster). CNPG appends serverName (defaults to the Cluster name) to
-  # (defaults to the Cluster name), so objects land under s3://cnpg/semaphore-db/. Path-style HTTP.
+  # destinationPath, so objects land under ${CNPG_BACKUP_PATH}/semaphore-db/ — dev
-  # Credentials: the scoped key from the in-namespace SOPS Secret semaphore-db-backup-credentials
+  # s3://cnpg/semaphore-db/ on the on-Proxmox MinIO, prod
-  # (same-ns only), kept in sync with platform/backup/minio-credentials.sops.yaml.
+  # s3://k3s-prod-backup/barman/semaphore-db/ on Cloudflare R2. Both endpointURL and
-  # endpointURL is ${S3_BACKUP_ENDPOINT} (cluster-vars, R-ENV-02; dev http://192.168.1.9:9000),
+  # destinationPath are cluster-vars knobs (R-ENV-02), substituted by `apps-wave-0`.
-  # substituted by the `apps-wave-0` Flux Kustomization. Prod supplies its own off-cluster target.
+  # Credentials: PER-ENVIRONMENT (2026-09-07). dev reads semaphore-db-backup-credentials (the
+  # scoped MinIO key), prod reads semaphore-db-backup-credentials-prod (the Cloudflare R2
+  # token). BOTH Secrets are applied to BOTH clusters by apps/wave-0/kustomization.yaml (a
+  # generated golden — render.py places the -prod sidecar in this DB's wave); the
+  # cluster-vars knob ${BACKUP_CREDENTIALS_SUFFIX} (dev "" | prod "-prod") chooses which
+  # one this Cluster reads. Both are in-namespace, which is all a pod can read. They were
+  # ONE shared Secret until the split, so giving prod its R2 token would have left dev
+  # signing MinIO requests with an R2 key id — 403 on every archive command, i.e. the
+  # disk-full clock below rather than a merely missing backup.
+  #
+  # archive_mode is ON, so a FAILING archive command is a disk-full clock, not a degraded backup:
+  # Postgres refuses to recycle a WAL segment it has not archived, and the pgdata PVC fills until
+  # the primary PANICs. Prod demonstrated this from bootstrap to 2026-09-07 with a placeholder
+  # endpoint. Treat ContinuousArchiving=False here as an availability incident.
   backup:
     retentionPolicy: "30d"
     barmanObjectStore:
-      destinationPath: s3://cnpg
+      destinationPath: ${CNPG_BACKUP_PATH}
       endpointURL: ${S3_BACKUP_ENDPOINT}
       s3Credentials:
         accessKeyId:
-          name: semaphore-db-backup-credentials
+          name: semaphore-db-backup-credentials${BACKUP_CREDENTIALS_SUFFIX}
           key: ACCESS_KEY_ID
         secretAccessKey:
-          name: semaphore-db-backup-credentials
+          name: semaphore-db-backup-credentials${BACKUP_CREDENTIALS_SUFFIX}
           key: ACCESS_SECRET_KEY
       wal:
         compression: gzip

apps/wave-1/gitea-actions.yaml

@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ spec:
               exec /sbin/tini -- /opt/act/run.sh
           env:
             - name: GITEA_INSTANCE_URL
-              value: https://gitea.home.keithjackson.dev
+              value: https://gitea.${BASE_DOMAIN}
             - name: GITEA_RUNNER_REGISTRATION_TOKEN
               valueFrom:
                 secretKeyRef:

apps/wave-1/nextcloud.yaml

@@ -104,13 +104,13 @@ spec:
               name: nextcloud-bootstrap
               key: admin-password
         - name: NEXTCLOUD_TRUSTED_DOMAINS
-          value: nextcloud.home.keithjackson.dev
+          value: nextcloud.${BASE_DOMAIN}
         - name: OVERWRITEHOST
-          value: nextcloud.home.keithjackson.dev
+          value: nextcloud.${BASE_DOMAIN}
         - name: OVERWRITEPROTOCOL
           value: https
         - name: OVERWRITECLIURL
-          value: https://nextcloud.home.keithjackson.dev
+          value: https://nextcloud.${BASE_DOMAIN}
         - name: NEXTCLOUD_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET
           valueFrom:
             secretKeyRef:
@@ -125,8 +125,9 @@ spec:
               command:
               - /bin/sh
               - -c
-              - "# Idempotent Keycloak OIDC wiring (R-IDP-02/06). Runs alongside the nextcloud entrypoint\n# (which installs/upgrades on first boot). Installs+enables the user_oidc app and creates OR\n# updates the \"keycloak\" login provider (occ user_oidc:provider is create-or-update by\n# identifier). Auto-discovery pulls the realm's endpoints; the `groups` claim drives Nextcloud\n# group provisioning. occ runs as www-data (owns config.php); the client secret is passed via\n# --clientsecret-env so it never lands on a command line. Safe to re-run every start; a missing\n# secret or not-yet-installed instance is skipped so the pod never crashloops (the local\n# break-glass admin still works).\nset -u\n# OCC runs occ as www-data (owns config.php). NOTE: this wrapper word-splits its args via $*,\n# so it is used ONLY for single-token subcommands (status/app:list/app:install/...). The\n# provider call below carries a MULTI-WORD value (--scope 'openid email profile') and is run as\n# ONE su -c with the scope single-quoted, so the inner shell keeps it a single argument.\nOCC() { su -s /bin/sh www-data -c \"php /var/www/html/occ $*\"; }\nNEXTCLOUD_DISCOVERY_URL=https://keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab/.well-known/openid-configuration\nnextcloud_oidc_fail() {\n  echo \"[nextcloud-oidc] FAILED to configure 'keycloak' provider: $1\" >&2\n  { echo \"$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ) [nextcloud-oidc] FAILED: $1\"; } >> /var/www/html/nextcloud-oidc-bootstrap.log 2>/dev/null || true\n}\n# (a) Wait for the instance to be installed AND out of maintenance mode. The entrypoint holds\n#     maintenance mode during first-boot install/upgrade; occ writes made in that window do not\n#     stick \u2014 a second race on top of the quoting bug fixed at (c).\ni=0\nuntil OCC status 2>/dev/null | grep -q \"installed: true\" && ! OCC status 2>/dev/null | grep -q \"maintenance: true\"; do\n  i=$((i + 1))\n  [ \"$i\" -ge 300 ] && { echo \"[nextcloud-oidc] occ not ready (installed/maintenance) after wait; skipping\" >&2; exit 0; }\n  sleep 2\ndone\n# Let Nextcloud's OWN server-side HTTP client reach the private-network IdP. The Keycloak\n# FQDN resolves (split-horizon) to the PRIVATE Cilium gateway VIP (RFC1918), and Nextcloud's\n# SSRF guard otherwise REFUSES that request \u2014 OCP\\Http\\Client\\LocalServerException \"violates\n# local access rules\" \u2014 during user_oidc's discovery/JWKS/token fetch AT LOGIN, surfacing to\n# the user as \"Could not reach the provider\". (The (b) curl check below uses system libcurl,\n# NOT this guard, so it passes while the browser login still failed.) Idempotent; re-applied\n# every start so it survives pod rolls / PVC rebuilds. Confirmed root cause 2026-08-27.\nOCC config:system:set allow_local_remote_servers --value=true --type=boolean >/dev/null 2>&1 \\\n  || echo \"[nextcloud-oidc] WARN: failed to set allow_local_remote_servers\" >&2\nif [ -z \"${NEXTCLOUD_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET:-}\" ]; then\n  echo \"[nextcloud-oidc] client secret unset; skipping OIDC (break-glass admin only)\"\n  exit 0\nfi\nif ! OCC app:list 2>/dev/null | grep -q \"user_oidc\"; then\n  OCC app:install user_oidc || echo \"[nextcloud-oidc] app:install user_oidc failed\" >&2\nfi\nOCC app:enable user_oidc >/dev/null 2>&1 || true\n# (b) Wait up to ~90s for the Keycloak discovery doc to be reachable (HTTP 200) before registering.\nd=0; disc_ok=0\nwhile [ \"$d\" -lt 45 ]; do\n  if [ \"$(curl -sS -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' --max-time 5 \"$NEXTCLOUD_DISCOVERY_URL\" 2>/dev/null)\" = \"200\" ]; then\n    disc_ok=1; break\n  fi\n  d=$((d + 1)); sleep 2\ndone\n[ \"$disc_ok\" = 1 ] || nextcloud_oidc_fail \"Keycloak discovery endpoint not reachable (HTTP 200) within timeout\"\n# (c) Configure (create-or-update by identifier) then VERIFY it persisted; retry the whole cycle.\n#     HARDENED: run as ONE su -c so www-data's shell parses --scope='openid email profile' as a\n#     single argument. The previous `OCC user_oidc:provider ... --scope=\"openid email profile\"`\n#     form fed the value back through the wrapper's $*, which SPLIT it into extra\
+              - "# Idempotent Keycloak OIDC wiring (R-IDP-02/06). Runs alongside the nextcloud entrypoint\n# (which installs/upgrades on first boot). Installs+enables the user_oidc app and creates OR\n# updates the \"keycloak\" login provider (occ user_oidc:provider is create-or-update by\n# identifier). Auto-discovery pulls the realm's endpoints; the `groups` claim drives Nextcloud\n# group provisioning. occ runs as www-data (owns config.php); the client secret is passed via\n# --clientsecret-env so it never lands on a command line. Safe to re-run every start; a missing\n# secret or not-yet-installed instance is skipped so the pod never crashloops (the local\n# break-glass admin still works).\nset -u\n# OCC runs occ as www-data (owns config.php). NOTE: this wrapper word-splits its args via $*,\n# so it is used ONLY for single-token subcommands (status/app:list/app:install/...). The\n# provider call below carries a MULTI-WORD value (--scope 'openid email profile') and is run as\n# ONE su -c with the scope single-quoted, so the inner shell keeps it a single argument.\nOCC() { su -s /bin/sh www-data -c \"php /var/www/html/occ $*\"; }\nNEXTCLOUD_DISCOVERY_URL=https://keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}/realms/homelab/.well-known/openid-configuration\nnextcloud_oidc_fail() {\n  echo \"[nextcloud-oidc] FAILED to configure 'keycloak' provider: $1\" >&2\n  { echo \"$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ) [nextcloud-oidc] FAILED: $1\"; } >> /var/www/html/nextcloud-oidc-bootstrap.log 2>/dev/null || true\n}\n# (a) Wait for the instance to be installed AND out of maintenance mode. The entrypoint holds\n#     maintenance mode during first-boot install/upgrade; occ writes made in that window do not\n#     stick \u2014 a second race on top of the quoting bug fixed at (c).\ni=0\nuntil OCC status 2>/dev/null | grep -q \"installed: true\" && ! OCC status 2>/dev/null | grep -q \"maintenance: true\"; do\n  i=$((i + 1))\n  [ \"$i\" -ge 300 ] && { echo \"[nextcloud-oidc] occ not ready (installed/maintenance) after wait; skipping\" >&2; exit 0; }\n  sleep 2\ndone\n# Let Nextcloud's OWN server-side HTTP client reach the private-network IdP. The Keycloak\n# FQDN resolves (split-horizon) to the PRIVATE Cilium gateway VIP (RFC1918), and Nextcloud's\n# SSRF guard otherwise REFUSES that request \u2014 OCP\\Http\\Client\\LocalServerException \"violates\n# local access rules\" \u2014 during user_oidc's discovery/JWKS/token fetch AT LOGIN, surfacing to\n# the user as \"Could not reach the provider\". (The (b) curl check below uses system libcurl,\n# NOT this guard, so it passes while the browser login still failed.) Idempotent; re-applied\n# every start so it survives pod rolls / PVC rebuilds. Confirmed root cause 2026-08-27.\nOCC config:system:set allow_local_remote_servers --value=true --type=boolean >/dev/null 2>&1 \\\n  || echo \"[nextcloud-oidc] WARN: failed to set allow_local_remote_servers\" >&2\n# NOTE the `$$` escape below \u2014 it is load-bearing. apps-wave-1 declares postBuild.\n# substituteFrom cluster-vars, so Flux envsubst rewrites this whole manifest at RECONCILE\n# time, before any container runs. Written unescaped, `$${NEXTCLOUD_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET:-}` is\n# not a cluster-var, so envsubst blanked it and the guard reconciled as `[ -z \"\" ]` \u2014 ALWAYS\n# TRUE \u2014 so this hook `exit 0`d here on EVERY boot since 8738871 (2026-08-27), never\n# installing/enabling user_oidc nor registering the provider. SSO kept working only because\n# the provider was already in the DB; a PVC rebuild or fresh cluster would have come up with\n# NO OIDC at all. Flux STRICT substitution cannot catch this \u2014 it EXEMPTS default-operator\n# forms by design. `$${VAR}` is the escape: envsubst emits it back as a plain brace expansion\n# for the shell. Bare `$VAR` and `$(cmd)` are left alone and need NO escaping \u2014 which is why\n# `--clientsecret-env` and the bare uses below always worked and only the guard broke.\n# Contract: clusters/base/apps-vms.yaml. Enforced at render time by catalog/render.py.\nif [ -z \"$${NEXTCLOUD_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET:-}\" ]; then\n  echo \"[nextcloud-oidc]\
-                \ positionals ->\n#     occ \"Too many arguments\" -> silent failure on EVERY boot. Secret via --clientsecret-env\n#     (never on argv). The verify-then-retry loop guarantees the provider actually persisted.\nr=0; reg_ok=0\nwhile [ \"$r\" -lt 10 ]; do\n  su -s /bin/sh www-data -c \"php /var/www/html/occ user_oidc:provider keycloak \\\n    --clientid=nextcloud \\\n    --clientsecret-env=NEXTCLOUD_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET \\\n    --discoveryuri=$NEXTCLOUD_DISCOVERY_URL \\\n    --scope='openid email profile' \\\n    --unique-uid=0 \\\n    --mapping-uid=preferred_username \\\n    --mapping-email=email \\\n    --mapping-display-name=name \\\n    --group-provisioning=1 \\\n    --mapping-groups=groups\" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true\n  if OCC user_oidc:provider 2>/dev/null | grep -q \"keycloak\"; then\n    reg_ok=1; break\n  fi\n  r=$((r + 1)); sleep 3\ndone\nif [ \"$reg_ok\" = 1 ]; then\n  echo \"[nextcloud-oidc] provider 'keycloak' configured and verified\"\nelse\n  nextcloud_oidc_fail \"user_oidc:provider ran but the provider did not persist after retries\"\nfi\n# (d) Promote Keycloak 'platform-admins' members to Nextcloud admins (#5). user_oidc 8.11 has\n#     NO native group->admin mapping (occ user_oidc:provider offers group PROVISIONING and a\n#     login WHITELIST only), so mirror the provisioned 'platform-admins' membership into the\n#     built-in 'admin' group (the sole source of admin rights in Nextcloud). Idempotent every\n#     start: occ group:adduser is a no-op for an existing member. A user is promotable only\n#     AFTER their first OIDC login provisions them into the group, so a brand-new admin gains\n#     rights on their next login + the following pod start (or run `occ group:adduser admin\n#     <uid>` once). The LOCAL break-glass admin is unaffected (docs/15). The group name is\n#     passed to php as argv (never interpolated) so group:list JSON parses robustly.\nADMIN_SRC_GROUP=platform-admins\n# HARDENED (verify-and-retry, like step (c)): the previous single pass ran `occ group:adduser`\n# exactly once with its output swallowed (>/dev/null 2>&1) and NO retry, so an early-boot\n# transient failure (DB / maintenance race in the first seconds after container start) silently\n# dropped the promotion until the NEXT pod restart. This loop re-reads group:list and re-adds\n# any platform-admins member still missing from 'admin' until all are verified (bounded ~30s);\n# it is a no-op for members already in 'admin'. Group names are passed to php as argv (never\n# interpolated) so the JSON parses robustly.\nparse_group() { su -s /bin/sh www-data -c \"php /var/www/html/occ group:list --output=json\" 2>/dev/null | php -r '$d=json_decode(stream_get_contents(STDIN),true);$g=$argv[1];if(is_array($d)&&!empty($d[$g])&&is_array($d[$g])){foreach($d[$g] as $u){echo $u,\"\\n\";}}' -- \"$1\" 2>/dev/null; }\np=0\nwhile [ \"$p\" -lt 15 ]; do\n  current_admins=$(parse_group admin)\n  missing=0\n  for uid in $(parse_group \"$ADMIN_SRC_GROUP\"); do\n    if printf '%s\\n' \"$current_admins\" | grep -qxF -- \"$uid\"; then\n      continue\n    fi\n    missing=1\n    if OCC group:adduser admin \"$uid\" >/dev/null 2>&1; then\n      echo \"[nextcloud-oidc] ensured '$uid' is a Nextcloud admin (member of $ADMIN_SRC_GROUP)\"\n    fi\n  done\n  [ \"$missing\" = 0 ] && break\n  p=$((p + 1)); sleep 2\ndone\n[ \"$p\" -ge 15 ] && nextcloud_oidc_fail \"could not promote all $ADMIN_SRC_GROUP members into 'admin' after retries\"\n"
+                \ client secret unset; skipping OIDC (break-glass admin only)\"\n  exit 0\nfi\nif ! OCC app:list 2>/dev/null | grep -q \"user_oidc\"; then\n  OCC app:install user_oidc || echo \"[nextcloud-oidc] app:install user_oidc failed\" >&2\nfi\nOCC app:enable user_oidc >/dev/null 2>&1 || true\n# (b) Wait up to ~90s for the Keycloak discovery doc to be reachable (HTTP 200) before registering.\nd=0; disc_ok=0\nwhile [ \"$d\" -lt 45 ]; do\n  if [ \"$(curl -sS -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' --max-time 5 \"$NEXTCLOUD_DISCOVERY_URL\" 2>/dev/null)\" = \"200\" ]; then\n    disc_ok=1; break\n  fi\n  d=$((d + 1)); sleep 2\ndone\n[ \"$disc_ok\" = 1 ] || nextcloud_oidc_fail \"Keycloak discovery endpoint not reachable (HTTP 200) within timeout\"\n# (c) Configure (create-or-update by identifier) then VERIFY it persisted; retry the whole cycle.\n#     HARDENED: run as ONE su -c so www-data's shell parses --scope='openid email profile' as a\n#     single argument. The previous `OCC user_oidc:provider ... --scope=\"openid email profile\"`\n#     form fed the value back through the wrapper's $*, which SPLIT it into extra positionals ->\n#     occ \"Too many arguments\" -> silent failure on EVERY boot. Secret via --clientsecret-env\n#     (never on argv). The verify-then-retry loop guarantees the provider actually persisted.\nr=0; reg_ok=0\nwhile [ \"$r\" -lt 10 ]; do\n  su -s /bin/sh www-data -c \"php /var/www/html/occ user_oidc:provider keycloak \\\n    --clientid=nextcloud \\\n    --clientsecret-env=NEXTCLOUD_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET \\\n    --discoveryuri=$NEXTCLOUD_DISCOVERY_URL \\\n    --scope='openid email profile' \\\n    --unique-uid=0 \\\n    --mapping-uid=preferred_username \\\n    --mapping-email=email \\\n    --mapping-display-name=name \\\n    --group-provisioning=1 \\\n    --mapping-groups=groups\" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true\n  if OCC user_oidc:provider 2>/dev/null | grep -q \"keycloak\"; then\n    reg_ok=1; break\n  fi\n  r=$((r + 1)); sleep 3\ndone\nif [ \"$reg_ok\" = 1 ]; then\n  echo \"[nextcloud-oidc] provider 'keycloak' configured and verified\"\nelse\n  nextcloud_oidc_fail \"user_oidc:provider ran but the provider did not persist after retries\"\nfi\n# (d) Promote Keycloak 'platform-admins' members to Nextcloud admins (#5). user_oidc 8.11 has\n#     NO native group->admin mapping (occ user_oidc:provider offers group PROVISIONING and a\n#     login WHITELIST only), so mirror the provisioned 'platform-admins' membership into the\n#     built-in 'admin' group (the sole source of admin rights in Nextcloud). Idempotent every\n#     start: occ group:adduser is a no-op for an existing member. A user is promotable only\n#     AFTER their first OIDC login provisions them into the group, so a brand-new admin gains\n#     rights on their next login + the following pod start (or run `occ group:adduser admin\n#     <uid>` once). The LOCAL break-glass admin is unaffected (docs/15). The group name is\n#     passed to php as argv (never interpolated) so group:list JSON parses robustly.\nADMIN_SRC_GROUP=platform-admins\n# HARDENED (verify-and-retry, like step (c)): the previous single pass ran `occ group:adduser`\n# exactly once with its output swallowed (>/dev/null 2>&1) and NO retry, so an early-boot\n# transient failure (DB / maintenance race in the first seconds after container start) silently\n# dropped the promotion until the NEXT pod restart. This loop re-reads group:list and re-adds\n# any platform-admins member still missing from 'admin' until all are verified (bounded ~30s);\n# it is a no-op for members already in 'admin'. Group names are passed to php as argv (never\n# interpolated) so the JSON parses robustly.\nparse_group() { su -s /bin/sh www-data -c \"php /var/www/html/occ group:list --output=json\" 2>/dev/null | php -r '$d=json_decode(stream_get_contents(STDIN),true);$g=$argv[1];if(is_array($d)&&!empty($d[$g])&&is_array($d[$g])){foreach($d[$g] as $u){echo $u,\"\\n\";}}' -- \"$1\" 2>/dev/null; }\np=0\nwhile [ \"$p\" -lt 15 ]; do\n  current_admins=$(parse_group admin)\n  missing=0\n  for uid in $(parse_group \"$ADMIN_SRC_GROUP\"\
+                ); do\n    if printf '%s\\n' \"$current_admins\" | grep -qxF -- \"$uid\"; then\n      continue\n    fi\n    missing=1\n    if OCC group:adduser admin \"$uid\" >/dev/null 2>&1; then\n      echo \"[nextcloud-oidc] ensured '$uid' is a Nextcloud admin (member of $ADMIN_SRC_GROUP)\"\n    fi\n  done\n  [ \"$missing\" = 0 ] && break\n  p=$((p + 1)); sleep 2\ndone\nif [ \"$p\" -ge 15 ]; then\n  nextcloud_oidc_fail \"could not promote all $ADMIN_SRC_GROUP members into 'admin' after retries\"\nfi\n# A postStart hook MUST exit 0. A non-zero exit makes the kubelet KILL the container\n# (FailedPostStartHook -> CrashLoopBackOff), which is exactly what happened on 2026-09-01:\n# the final statement used to be `[ \"$p\" -ge 15 ] && nextcloud_oidc_fail ...`, so on the\n# SUCCESS path the test returned 1 and became the script's exit status. That was latent for\n# as long as the OIDC guard above was dead code and exited 0 first; fixing the guard\n# exposed it immediately. Every failure path here logs loudly and writes a marker file and\n# deliberately does NOT crash the pod \u2014 the break-glass local admin must stay usable.\nexit 0\n"
       volumes:
       - name: data
         persistentVolumeClaim:
@@ -227,7 +228,7 @@ spec:
     namespace: gateway
     sectionName: https
   hostnames:
-  - nextcloud.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - nextcloud.${BASE_DOMAIN}
   rules:
   - matches:
     - path:

apps/wave-1/radarr.yaml

@@ -91,16 +91,16 @@ spec:
         - --http-address=0.0.0.0:4180
         - --reverse-proxy=true
         - --provider=oidc
-        - --oidc-issuer-url=https://keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab
+        - --oidc-issuer-url=https://keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}/realms/homelab
         - --upstream=http://127.0.0.1:7878
         - --email-domain=*
         - --scope=openid email profile
         - --oidc-groups-claim=groups
         - --allowed-group=media-users
         - --skip-provider-button=true
-        - --redirect-url=https://radarr.home.keithjackson.dev/oauth2/callback
+        - --redirect-url=https://radarr.${BASE_DOMAIN}/oauth2/callback
-        - --cookie-domain=.home.keithjackson.dev
+        - --cookie-domain=.${BASE_DOMAIN}
-        - --whitelist-domain=.home.keithjackson.dev
+        - --whitelist-domain=.${BASE_DOMAIN}
         - --cookie-secure=true
         - --pass-access-token=true
         - --set-xauthrequest=true
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ spec:
     namespace: gateway
     sectionName: https
   hostnames:
-  - radarr.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - radarr.${BASE_DOMAIN}
   rules:
   - matches:
     - path:

apps/wave-1/semaphore-bootstrap-secret.sops.yaml

@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@
 #   credential from its own namespace (a Pod cannot read a Secret in another namespace).
 # access-key-encryption: FIXED base64 32-byte AES key Semaphore uses to encrypt stored SSH keys /
 #   credentials; MUST stay stable across restarts or stored secrets become undecryptable.
+# oidc-client-secret: the Keycloak `semaphore` CONFIDENTIAL client secret, and ONLY that. It MIRRORS
+#   `semaphore-client-secret` in platform/keycloak/keycloak-realm-clients.sops.yaml (the realm import
+#   injects that copy into the client), same cross-namespace mirror pattern as db-password above.
+#   It replaced the former `oidc-providers-json` key (2026-09-07): that key held the WHOLE
+#   SEMAPHORE_OIDC_PROVIDERS blob, which buried the environment-specific realm-issuer and redirect
+#   URLs inside ciphertext where Flux's ${BASE_DOMAIN} postBuild substitution could not reach them,
+#   so prod ran with dev's URLs. Those URLs are PUBLIC and now live in plaintext in
+#   catalog/semaphore.yaml (rendered to apps/wave-1/semaphore.yaml); the kubelet splices THIS value
+#   back into the blob via $(SEMAPHORE_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET). Only the secret half is encrypted.
 # Recover: infra/devcontainer/dev.sh run sops -d apps/semaphore-bootstrap-secret.sops.yaml
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: Secret
@@ -15,11 +24,11 @@ metadata:
         app.kubernetes.io/name: semaphore
 type: Opaque
 stringData:
-    admin-username: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:uD/vO9A9MjerFg==,iv:i/NAqVD6rWg9oWWSGBrRkxzwcPp2IW1HLIKY0pdcPPg=,tag:r27tKLAJ+ydE7Ty3ccMNUw==,type:str]
+    admin-username: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:ju3wVdjNzRUP/w==,iv:d/5ZxgQZ5bympu3gT2ck3DJy9iUPPBAtZYsJvD3To7I=,tag:0UtBaDVqNSK4RCJrQicchw==,type:str]
-    admin-password: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:544nWY1UmBnlsdPJAQZJMXRumu4W9X7UXZvZ6vHN/ArjRgLXKTArOe5JkT/nNrNw,iv:AC1DDbZj2HfpU19EjzA7T+WpIaR4nZc3PNN61y8bAzU=,tag:r28LFi5w6ZeCCaRaX2jRdg==,type:str]
+    admin-password: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:pxIwpgh3BoND2TI0mPTixOTJoictzT77dqtuRdMKgY/2WaW4wM1Ra6H6n/dxnyR2,iv:eYbFQGFYVJsnYGwn6cOI3BgAdzMcin9YggAhiuL+xqM=,tag:/sPWGv4gue0vjc2nMk7wWA==,type:str]
-    db-password: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:ySkdvaGRCW9fMQqChs5l8dY4zCG19i4HOEinRC48mgLuh9WOrjd16T6jwFgiwB55,iv:+1gztJ22HbwgQJiolZMMWOcKIsxrBJpnruJdtxdooOU=,tag:8CfJGwyPTjDGyr0CvalXMQ==,type:str]
+    db-password: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:hBFpWXdpk1R5a23Pntup03t56NBRPS+SZU8CrHVb/ypIaIpgf7kjYtVy6nhTF6u0,iv:eBzoQgH5ZhWWpfKZ6AQmwaSal5QaiuN9gfexQ7GsVFs=,tag:j2k8EwhKDlj/Ud6O39ioVQ==,type:str]
-    access-key-encryption: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:1YAMLo1nVkpJWZc+KBZ7B4ia+Y8P+xMyOhHMcEGGJOXd3o+WC5FqirLBVh4=,iv:j28ozeaDhGWDjoaxFOhn2t9YbYE7L3ah/Mfi+i2DWwY=,tag:czG9Wxc/7Nsuh1W5iATOww==,type:str]
+    access-key-encryption: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:SKtAV4HxJ9pNYDqUK/1uOdI1rtMji3pTfprI2rhQxFQyhc6dFlhqI+OUEcY=,iv:rKCP+FLidcOltOwmMMcO5M8tz4qiifIMI+W5soGO2M8=,tag:HaHzkX/JI+9wmcg2SD9GAQ==,type:str]
-    oidc-providers-json: ENC[AES256_GCM,data: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,iv:jbfVdrrZ9fGiOxhQeoTJfFg1QwiOMkoQyaadiVfxX/w=,tag:JkepcRs34EuEgNb4buTTDQ==,type:str]
+    oidc-client-secret: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:uCo7TNzbM2QKw9ie+xzyUG9MFKco1OAlwr5qPn/AGpNvo1YyXSfbZyyM0CLJ1NS821hGg5Zr/m3R/xpy84s3FQ==,iv:O8a4haskufpmorPaxOkJ1Q99Y5GTlzmDFJAsHS+irLk=,tag:VojJpA9jNMbNQmIe1Qr44w==,type:str]
 sops:
     kms: []
     gcp_kms: []
@@ -29,14 +38,14 @@ sops:
         - recipient: age175l8mdpdfu7hq0aml3exs3gykarwjmuvr23sq56s3wjejnyk44wsp4mfzg
           enc: |
             -----BEGIN AGE ENCRYPTED FILE-----
-            YWdlLWVuY3J5cHRpb24ub3JnL3YxCi0+IFgyNTUxOSBuRDlqRFJ0dk14UHluSGRP
+            YWdlLWVuY3J5cHRpb24ub3JnL3YxCi0+IFgyNTUxOSAyTzF6NTBtcFVWK1Vtc0I2
-            S1pESy9PWlpMakU0aTkzNVhqUGdtbWNEdTJjCm5RNG14azJHc28rdEJ4L0RzR0xO
+            VGdySHBsRGgvc1h0VzgvQ01xYVBJV3g2Q1NRCjJyZHVYZGtuamo1MFJHWlBwWkxt
-            MGRocGZ1V1JZTENWQkN3VGZzamp2eTgKLS0tIGt6QkNNaW5hdTBJVHY0SVo5d3JX
+            cHA4VkY1TkRpN3M4UTdMOWZTbFVGemMKLS0tIGVNdDBrWVJveU56VjVBU2JWdHF4
-            elp0SWxHcjg0RWF3aW9mWTJHZ0lhcUEKc0rU5VilAVDleCwqq4SOF+Y9sniu1Pka
+            RGtaYStXYUpONTZjZCtmM0NyZ3Rka1UKIQpmQai8dz+uRAsXxyeuGaRlRwsFqIPQ
-            w/MGDA9THSB0b+YgWRWiX/KiimFqp0ZFODOJ9cHVwFGY71+VadPwOg==
+            9AfrZJcslYwlaK3ptm1oqaCdrlxcMar2nI7thSqzbLe+e1nzA2z7vQ==
             -----END AGE ENCRYPTED FILE-----
-    lastmodified: "2026-08-27T22:12:32Z"
+    lastmodified: "2026-09-07T07:01:50Z"
-    mac: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:nHftJTGnTr0O5h8yGXwgz3eflggXJfIXM3m8n3bzDJE/P4nvSpZzFeMb+sc2on+AL+t+SeKrIl8blzm33XsQ1lkaY85Zm+bc5cnED1g04BMDVmmK3brh/8w50Bp2wPEVzb4I01MDzhhyIbOYg7pFvZAH3/VuqvM1t6XmfF1NrOA=,iv:4KBa9PH/dfdGwLC16RenZIVB6BtSoGo6x3qt3h1R43I=,tag:KULiA1klP/RZMNigkloGDA==,type:str]
+    mac: ENC[AES256_GCM,data:Xutm1rQt57J4RILElD8FkNOsQT1HK5jZlPtqqLyZ/VqOoDwo+IS1wp7hROprlUvQC0bUXy79tRRIl5Q0CCOD+fvAGIdmade+vB7qXlYN6Q1441dGhuSTPvckso6FaB2ddRjKhKGLc/Z4bJoz9VaRNNxJNpWXIrENTg+I+QhNhlo=,iv:klJOrEQ6QN5dTGkQfGnbMbgCWsgWwZPb5YXDMeWeE34=,tag:fuJr4t3Tt3dT9u3/0SFo8Q==,type:str]
     pgp: []
     encrypted_regex: ^(data|stringData)$
     version: 3.9.4

apps/wave-1/semaphore.yaml

@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ spec:
         - name: SEMAPHORE_ADMIN_NAME
           value: Semaphore Admin
         - name: SEMAPHORE_ADMIN_EMAIL
-          value: admin@home.keithjackson.dev
+          value: admin@${BASE_DOMAIN}
         - name: SEMAPHORE_ACCESS_KEY_ENCRYPTION
           valueFrom:
             secretKeyRef:
@@ -118,11 +118,13 @@ spec:
               key: access-key-encryption
         - name: SEMAPHORE_PORT
           value: :3000
-        - name: SEMAPHORE_OIDC_PROVIDERS
+        - name: SEMAPHORE_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET
           valueFrom:
             secretKeyRef:
               name: semaphore-bootstrap
-              key: oidc-providers-json
+              key: oidc-client-secret
+        - name: SEMAPHORE_OIDC_PROVIDERS
+          value: '{"keycloak":{"display_name":"Keycloak","provider_url":"https://keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}/realms/homelab","client_id":"semaphore","client_secret":"$(SEMAPHORE_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET)","redirect_url":"https://semaphore.${BASE_DOMAIN}/api/auth/oidc/keycloak/redirect","scopes":["openid","profile","email"],"username_claim":"preferred_username","email_claim":"email","name_claim":"name","order":1}}'
         volumeMounts:
         - name: config
           mountPath: /etc/semaphore
@@ -231,7 +233,7 @@ spec:
     namespace: gateway
     sectionName: https
   hostnames:
-  - semaphore.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - semaphore.${BASE_DOMAIN}
   rules:
   - matches:
     - path:

apps/wave-1/sonarr.yaml

@@ -91,16 +91,16 @@ spec:
         - --http-address=0.0.0.0:4180
         - --reverse-proxy=true
         - --provider=oidc
-        - --oidc-issuer-url=https://keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab
+        - --oidc-issuer-url=https://keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}/realms/homelab
         - --upstream=http://127.0.0.1:8989
         - --email-domain=*
         - --scope=openid email profile
         - --oidc-groups-claim=groups
         - --allowed-group=media-users
         - --skip-provider-button=true
-        - --redirect-url=https://sonarr.home.keithjackson.dev/oauth2/callback
+        - --redirect-url=https://sonarr.${BASE_DOMAIN}/oauth2/callback
-        - --cookie-domain=.home.keithjackson.dev
+        - --cookie-domain=.${BASE_DOMAIN}
-        - --whitelist-domain=.home.keithjackson.dev
+        - --whitelist-domain=.${BASE_DOMAIN}
         - --cookie-secure=true
         - --pass-access-token=true
         - --set-xauthrequest=true
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ spec:
     namespace: gateway
     sectionName: https
   hostnames:
-  - sonarr.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - sonarr.${BASE_DOMAIN}
   rules:
   - matches:
     - path:

apps/wave-2/seerr.yaml

@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ spec:
     namespace: gateway
     sectionName: https
   hostnames:
-  - seerr.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - seerr.${BASE_DOMAIN}
   rules:
   - matches:
     - path:

bootstrap/flux/README.md

@@ -11,11 +11,69 @@ Spec: [ADR-0004 (Flux)](../../../home-network-k3s/decisions/adr-0004-gitops-flux
 ## Files
 | File | Purpose |
 |---|---|
-| `bootstrap.sh` | **The single bootstrap entrypoint** the Infra worker's final Ansible play calls. `flux install` → verify `sops-age` Secret → `kubectl apply -k clusters/dev`. |
+| `bootstrap.sh` | **The single bootstrap entrypoint** the Infra worker's final Ansible play calls. render+apply the Flux controllers (`components/`) → verify `sops-age` Secret → `kubectl apply -k clusters/dev`. |
+| `components/kustomization.yaml` | **Customization of the Flux CONTROLLERS themselves.** Overlays `flux install --export` output; currently enables `StrictPostBuildSubstitutions` on kustomize-controller. See "Customizing the controllers" below. |
 | `patches/platform-sops-decryption.yaml` | Strategic-merge patch enabling `decryption.provider: sops` + `secretRef: sops-age` on the `platform` Kustomization (realises the base TODO). |
 | `patches/apps-sops-decryption.yaml` | Same, for the app-wave Kustomizations. There is **no single `apps` Kustomization** any more — the apps tier is now `apps-wave-0/1/2` + `apps-vms`, and SOPS decryption is layered on **per wave** (each wave Kustomization is patched by name in `clusters/dev`). |
 | `patches/flux-system-source-url.yaml` | Overrides the `flux-system` GitRepository `url` placeholder with the real bootstrap source (template — fill at bootstrap). |
 
+## Customizing the controllers (`components/`) — and how it reaches a RUNNING cluster
+
+Because this repo does not use `flux bootstrap`, the Flux controller Deployments are **not in git
+and not reconciled by Flux**. Verified on the live dev cluster (2026-09-01):
+
+```
+$ kubectl -n flux-system get deploy kustomize-controller -o jsonpath='{.metadata.labels}'
+{"app.kubernetes.io/component":"kustomize-controller","app.kubernetes.io/instance":"flux-system",
+ "app.kubernetes.io/part-of":"flux","app.kubernetes.io/version":"v2.4.0","control-plane":"controller"}
+# no kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io/name label; deployment.kubernetes.io/revision: 1
+```
+
+No `kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io/*` label => no Flux Kustomization owns it. **Nothing under
+`clusters/**` can change a controller flag.** So `bootstrap.sh` step 1 uses the mechanism Flux
+documents for hand-installed clusters ([Customize Flux
+manifests](https://fluxcd.io/flux/installation/#customize-flux-manifests)):
+
+```
+flux install --export …  ->  <tmp>/gotk-components.yaml     # regenerated from the pinned flux CLI
+components/kustomization.yaml -> <tmp>/kustomization.yaml   # the only hand-authored part (in git)
+kubectl kustomize <tmp> | kubectl apply -f -
+```
+
+Nothing is vendored into the repo, so the component manifests can never drift from `FLUX_VERSION`
+(`infra/devcontainer/versions.env`). Every future controller flag (vertical scaling, tolerations,
+more feature gates) is another entry in `components/kustomization.yaml`.
+
+### Rolling this out to the ALREADY-RUNNING dev cluster (operator/PM step — NOT automatic)
+
+> **A `git push` does not deliver this.** Merging the change reconciles `clusters/**` only; the
+> controller Deployment is outside Flux's inventory. Someone must run step 1.
+
+Re-running `bootstrap.sh` is safe and idempotent, but if you want only step 1:
+
+```bash
+# inside infra/devcontainer (pinned flux 2.4.0 / kubectl 1.36.4), from the repo root
+d=$(mktemp -d)
+flux install --export --namespace=flux-system \
+  --components-extra=image-reflector-controller,image-automation-controller > "$d/gotk-components.yaml"
+cp bootstrap/flux/components/kustomization.yaml "$d/kustomization.yaml"
+kubectl kustomize "$d" | kubectl apply -f -      # add --server-side --force-conflicts on a field-manager conflict
+kubectl -n flux-system rollout status deploy/kustomize-controller
+```
+
+**Expect kustomize-controller to restart** (new arg => new pod template => new ReplicaSet). Any
+reconcile in flight is interrupted and retried by the new pod; Flux is level-triggered, so nothing
+is lost. Confirm afterwards:
+
+```bash
+kubectl -n flux-system get deploy kustomize-controller \
+  -o jsonpath='{.spec.template.spec.containers[0].args}'   # must contain --feature-gates=StrictPostBuildSubstitutions=true
+flux get kustomizations -A                                  # all 11 must return to Ready
+```
+
+**Rollback** is the same command with `FLUX_INSTALL_PLAIN=1 bash bootstrap/flux/bootstrap.sh`, or
+simply `flux install --namespace=flux-system --components-extra=…` (drops the arg back off).
+
 ## Why `flux install` + apply, not `flux bootstrap git` (Phase 1)
 
 The reconciliation graph is **already authored** in `clusters/base` (read-only to this worker):

bootstrap/flux/bootstrap.sh

@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 #
-# bootstrap.sh — the SINGLE Flux + SOPS bootstrap entrypoint for the dev cluster.
+# bootstrap.sh — the SINGLE Flux + SOPS bootstrap entrypoint. ENVIRONMENT-AGNOSTIC: which overlay
+# it applies is FLUX_ENV_PATH (default clusters/dev). roles/flux_bootstrap exports that from
+# `flux_bootstrap_env_path`, overridden to clusters/prod in group_vars/k3s_prod/vars.yml — so the
+# same script bootstraps dev and prod with no fork (R-ENV-02).
 #
 # Phase 1, T-1.4 · ADR-0004 (Flux) · ADR-0007 (SOPS+age) · R-GITOPS-01 · R-SEC-01.
 # =============================================================================
@@ -33,7 +36,7 @@
 #   2. sops-age Secret  — the operator installs the age PRIVATE key out-of-band BEFORE reconcile so
 #                         decryption works on first pass (../sops/age-key-secret.md). This script
 #                         only VERIFIES it exists; it never handles key material.
-#   3. `kubectl apply -k clusters/dev` — materialises the authored reconciliation graph:
+#   3. `kubectl apply -k ${FLUX_ENV_PATH}` — materialises the authored reconciliation graph:
 #                         GitRepository `flux-system` (source) -> Kustomization `platform` ->
 #                         `platform-config` -> the app-wave Kustomizations `apps-wave-0/1/2`
 #                         (chained dependsOn) + `apps-vms`, with cluster-vars overlay
@@ -52,7 +55,10 @@
 set -euo pipefail
 
 # --- config (env-overridable) ------------------------------------------------
-FLUX_ENV_PATH="${FLUX_ENV_PATH:-clusters/dev}"     # dev is the ONLY Phase-1 build target
+# Which environment overlay to apply. Dev is the DEFAULT (it was the only Phase-1 build target);
+# prod passes clusters/prod via roles/flux_bootstrap. Changing the default would silently retarget
+# every existing caller — override it, never edit it.
+FLUX_ENV_PATH="${FLUX_ENV_PATH:-clusters/dev}"
 FLUX_NAMESPACE="${FLUX_NAMESPACE:-flux-system}"
 SOPS_SECRET_NAME="${SOPS_SECRET_NAME:-sops-age}"
 # The two Phase-4 image-automation controllers are installed alongside the default set so their CRDs
@@ -62,23 +68,66 @@ FLUX_COMPONENTS_EXTRA="${FLUX_COMPONENTS_EXTRA:-image-reflector-controller,image
 script_dir="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
 repo_root="$(git -C "${script_dir}" rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null || (cd "${script_dir}/../.." && pwd))"
 
-echo "==> Flux + SOPS bootstrap (dev) — path=${FLUX_ENV_PATH}"
+echo "==> Flux + SOPS bootstrap — path=${FLUX_ENV_PATH}"
 
 # --- 0. tooling present (from infra/devcontainer; versions pinned there) ------
 for bin in flux kubectl; do
   command -v "$bin" >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo "ERROR: '$bin' not found (use infra/devcontainer)." >&2; exit 1; }
 done
 
-# --- 1. install Flux controllers ---------------------------------------------
+# --- 1. install Flux controllers (rendered through ./components) --------------
 # Default controllers + the image-reflector/image-automation pair (Phase-4 hands-off updates,
 # ADR-0009). `--components-extra` regenerates flux-system with all controllers and registers the
 # image.toolkit.fluxcd.io CRDs before any reconcile — so platform/image-automation's CR applies cleanly.
-if [ -n "${FLUX_COMPONENTS_EXTRA}" ]; then
+#
-  echo "==> [1/3] flux install (default controllers + extra: ${FLUX_COMPONENTS_EXTRA})"
+# We do NOT run `flux install` directly any more. The controllers need CUSTOMIZING (currently:
-  flux install --namespace="${FLUX_NAMESPACE}" --components-extra="${FLUX_COMPONENTS_EXTRA}"
+# --feature-gates=StrictPostBuildSubstitutions=true on kustomize-controller, so an undefined
+# postBuild variable FAILS the Kustomization instead of silently rendering an empty string — see
+# ./components/kustomization.yaml and the 2026-09-01 INCIDENT entry in DECISIONS-LOG.md).
+#
+# `flux install` has no flag for that, and because this repo does not use `flux bootstrap` the
+# controllers are not in git for a Flux Kustomization to patch. So we use the mechanism Flux
+# documents for hand-installed clusters ("Customize Flux manifests"):
+#
+#     flux install --export  >  gotk-components.yaml     # exact manifests `flux install` would apply
+#     kustomize overlay      =  ./components/kustomization.yaml (checked in — the ONLY hand-authored part)
+#     kubectl apply -k
+#
+# The export is regenerated from the PINNED flux CLI on every run (FLUX_VERSION,
+# infra/devcontainer/versions.env), so nothing is vendored and nothing can drift. The render dir is
+# a temp dir — the repo tree is never written to.
+#
+# ESCAPE HATCH: FLUX_INSTALL_PLAIN=1 falls back to a bare `flux install` (no customization, so NO
+# strict substitution). Use only to unblock a bring-up if the render path misbehaves, and say so.
+echo "==> [1/3] installing Flux controllers${FLUX_COMPONENTS_EXTRA:+ (+ extra: ${FLUX_COMPONENTS_EXTRA})}"
+flux_install_args=(--namespace="${FLUX_NAMESPACE}")
+[ -n "${FLUX_COMPONENTS_EXTRA}" ] && flux_install_args+=(--components-extra="${FLUX_COMPONENTS_EXTRA}")
+
+if [ "${FLUX_INSTALL_PLAIN:-0}" = "1" ]; then
+  echo "    WARNING: FLUX_INSTALL_PLAIN=1 — controller customization SKIPPED."
+  echo "             StrictPostBuildSubstitutions will NOT be enabled; substitution fails OPEN."
+  flux install "${flux_install_args[@]}"
 else
-  echo "==> [1/3] flux install (default controllers only)"
+  components_dir="${script_dir}/components"
-  flux install --namespace="${FLUX_NAMESPACE}"
+  [ -f "${components_dir}/kustomization.yaml" ] || {
+    echo "ERROR: ${components_dir}/kustomization.yaml missing — refusing to install uncustomized." >&2
+    echo "       (Override with FLUX_INSTALL_PLAIN=1 only if you accept fail-OPEN substitution.)" >&2
+    exit 1
+  }
+  render_dir="$(mktemp -d)"
+  trap 'rm -rf "${render_dir}"' EXIT
+  echo "    rendering flux install --export through ${components_dir}"
+  flux install --export "${flux_install_args[@]}" > "${render_dir}/gotk-components.yaml"
+  cp "${components_dir}/kustomization.yaml" "${render_dir}/kustomization.yaml"
+  # Fail fast if the overlay cannot build (e.g. a patch target that no longer exists after a Flux
+  # version bump) — better a hard stop than silently installing without the feature gate.
+  kubectl kustomize "${render_dir}" > "${render_dir}/rendered.yaml"
+  grep -q -- '--feature-gates=StrictPostBuildSubstitutions=true' "${render_dir}/rendered.yaml" || {
+    echo "ERROR: the StrictPostBuildSubstitutions patch did not apply to the rendered manifests." >&2
+    echo "       Check ./components/kustomization.yaml against this flux CLI version." >&2
+    exit 1
+  }
+  kubectl apply -f "${render_dir}/rendered.yaml"
 fi
 
 # --- 2. verify the out-of-band age key Secret exists -------------------------
@@ -91,7 +140,7 @@ if ! kubectl -n "${FLUX_NAMESPACE}" get secret "${SOPS_SECRET_NAME}" >/dev/null
   exit 1
 fi
 
-# --- 3. apply the authored dev entrypoint ------------------------------------
+# --- 3. apply the authored environment entrypoint ----------------------------
 echo "==> [3/3] kubectl apply -k ${FLUX_ENV_PATH}"
 kubectl apply -k "${repo_root}/${FLUX_ENV_PATH}"
 

bootstrap/flux/components/kustomization.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+---
+# Controller-level customization of the Flux CONTROLLERS themselves (the `flux-system` Deployments).
+#
+# WHY THIS DIRECTORY EXISTS
+# =========================
+# This repo does NOT use `flux bootstrap` (see ../README.md "Why `flux install` + apply"): the
+# reconciliation graph is authored by hand in clusters/base, and the controllers are installed
+# imperatively by `flux install`. Consequence, verified on the live dev cluster 2026-09-01:
+#
+#     kubectl -n flux-system get deploy kustomize-controller -o jsonpath='{.metadata.labels}'
+#     -> NO kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io/name label, deployment.kubernetes.io/revision: 1
+#
+# i.e. **the controllers are not managed by Flux and are not in git.** There was therefore no
+# existing mechanism to customize them, and no amount of editing under clusters/** can reach them.
+#
+# This is the mechanism Flux documents for exactly that situation ("Customize Flux manifests" —
+# https://fluxcd.io/flux/installation/#customize-flux-manifests): export the component manifests
+# with `flux install --export`, overlay them with kustomize `patches:`, and apply the result.
+# `../bootstrap.sh` step 1 does that render — it copies THIS file next to a freshly exported
+# `gotk-components.yaml` in a temp dir and runs `kubectl apply -k`. Nothing is generated into the
+# repo, so the manifests can never drift from the pinned FLUX_VERSION
+# (infra/devcontainer/versions.env) the way a vendored copy would.
+#
+# Every future controller customization (vertical scaling, tolerations, extra feature gates,
+# --concurrent) belongs HERE, as another entry under `patches:`.
+apiVersion: kustomize.config.k8s.io/v1beta1
+kind: Kustomization
+resources:
+  # Written by `bootstrap.sh` from `flux install --export ...` at render time. NOT checked in.
+  - gotk-components.yaml
+patches:
+  # -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  # StrictPostBuildSubstitutions — make postBuild substitution FAIL CLOSED.
+  #
+  # Default behaviour is fail-OPEN: a `${VAR}` that is not defined in `cluster-vars` renders as the
+  # EMPTY STRING, silently. On 2026-09-01 that shipped `k8sServiceHost: ""` into the Cilium
+  # HelmRelease and put 2 of 3 agents into Init:Error (DECISIONS-LOG, INCIDENT entry). With this
+  # gate the undefined variable FAILS the Kustomization instead, and Flux keeps the last-good state.
+  #
+  # PROVEN SAFE before enabling: every one of the 11 substituted paths was rendered with
+  # `kubectl kustomize --load-restrictor LoadRestrictionsNone <path> | flux envsubst --strict` and
+  # exited 0, with a negative control reproducing the incident. The permanent guard that keeps it
+  # true is the L0 gate conformance/tests/l0-static/flux-postbuild-substitution/.
+  #
+  # NOTE the gate does NOT catch default-providing forms (`${VAR:-d}`, `${VAR:?msg}`, `${VAR:=v}`) —
+  # Flux exempts them by design. That class is what the L0 gate covers; the two are complementary.
+  #
+  # This also pre-pays for the Flux 2.4.0 -> 2.9.x upgrade: strict substitution became DEFAULT-ON in
+  # kustomize-controller v1.9.0, so the upgrade flips this behaviour whether or not we opt in.
+  #
+  # JSON-6902 `add ... /args/-` (append), NOT a strategic merge: a container's `args` is an atomic
+  # list, so a strategic-merge patch would REPLACE every arg `flux install` generates
+  # (--events-addr, --watch-all-namespaces, --log-level, --log-encoding, --enable-leader-election)
+  # and silently drop any the CLI adds in a future version.
+  - target:
+      group: apps
+      version: v1
+      kind: Deployment
+      name: kustomize-controller
+      namespace: flux-system
+    patch: |-
+      - op: add
+        path: /spec/template/spec/containers/0/args/-
+        value: --feature-gates=StrictPostBuildSubstitutions=true

bootstrap/gitea/bootstrap-gitea.sh

@@ -1,11 +1,30 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 # bootstrap/gitea/bootstrap-gitea.sh — run a SINGLE Gitea container on the HOST (outside the
-# cluster) as the Phase-1 GitOps bootstrap source. While the cluster is built, Flux (in-cluster)
+# cluster) as the GitOps bootstrap source. While a cluster is built, Flux (in-cluster) reconciles
-# reconciles this repo from the host Gitea over the k3s-dev NAT gateway. This is the "local
+# this repo from the host Gitea. This is the "local bootstrap source" that migrates to in-cluster
-# bootstrap source" that migrates to in-cluster Gitea in Phase 6 (docs/05 "Source-of-truth",
+# Gitea at cutover (docs/05 "Source-of-truth", CONTRIBUTING.md). Dev has already cut over; PROD is
-# CONTRIBUTING.md).
+# using it now.
 #
-# Run by the OPERATOR at bring-up — NOT during author-only, NOT by any agent.
+# HOW THE CLUSTER REACHES THE HOST — read this before setting HOST_NAT_IP.
+# It is an ADDRESS OF THIS HOST as seen from the cluster nodes, and it differs per environment:
+#
+#   PROD (bare metal, current use):  HOST_NAT_IP=192.168.2.132
+#       The prod nodes (192.168.2.10/.11/.12) and this workstation are on the SAME LAN. There is
+#       NO NAT hop of any kind, and NO firewall change was needed — verified 2026-09-04 from all
+#       three nodes. The firewalld note further down is a DEV-ERA libvirt concern; it does not
+#       apply to prod, so do not "fix" prod by opening zones.
+#
+#   DEV (libvirt VMs, HISTORICAL):   HOST_NAT_IP=10.73.0.1 was the k3s-dev libvirt NAT gateway.
+#       *** THAT NETWORK IS RETIRED. 10.73.0.1 is stale and must not be reused. *** Dev's own
+#       bootstrap Gitea was later reached on 192.168.2.103:3000 and is retained STOPPED as
+#       recovery (see the comment on the GitRepository patch in clusters/dev/kustomization.yaml).
+#
+# WHO RUNS THIS: the OPERATOR, or an agent the operator has EXPLICITLY DIRECTED to stand up a
+# bootstrap source for a specific bring-up (as happened 2026-09-04 for prod). It is NOT part of
+# author-only work and must never be fired off casually or "to see if it works": it starts a
+# long-lived container, generates and writes admin credentials to $HOME, creates an org and repo,
+# and PUSHES THE CURRENT HEAD to that repo's `main` — which is the revision a cluster pointed at
+# it will then reconcile. Know which HEAD you are publishing before you run it.
 set -euo pipefail
 ENGINE="${ENGINE:-podman}"
 GITEA_IMAGE="${GITEA_IMAGE:-docker.io/gitea/gitea:1.22}"   # pinned; bump if needed
@@ -16,11 +35,24 @@ SSH_PORT="${GITEA_SSH_PORT:-2222}"
 # subuid that can't write a host-owned dir, so Gitea fails to create /data/gitea/conf/app.ini.
 DATA_VOLUME="${GITEA_DATA_VOLUME:-gitea-bootstrap-data}"
 DATA_DIR="podman volume ${DATA_VOLUME}"   # display label only (data lives in the named volume)
-# The cluster VMs reach the host on the k3s-dev NAT gateway (10.73.0.1). ROOT_URL must match so
+# The address the CLUSTER uses to reach this host (see the header). ROOT_URL must match it so
 # clone/redirect URLs are correct from inside the cluster.
-# NOTE: firewalld's `libvirt` zone (owns virbrN) blocks VM->host:3000 by default. Open it once:
+#
+# The DEFAULT IS DELIBERATELY UNSET — there is no correct default any more. The old default
+# (10.73.0.1) was the retired k3s-dev libvirt NAT gateway; leaving it in place would silently
+# publish a ROOT_URL no cluster can resolve, and Flux would report what looks like a network fault.
+# Pass it explicitly, e.g. for prod:   HOST_NAT_IP=192.168.2.132 bash bootstrap-gitea.sh
+#
+# NOTE (DEV/libvirt ONLY, historical): firewalld's `libvirt` zone (owns virbrN) blocked
+# VM->host:3000 by default and had to be opened once with
 #   sudo firewall-cmd --zone=libvirt --add-port=3000/tcp --permanent && sudo firewall-cmd --reload
-HOST_NAT_IP="${HOST_NAT_IP:-10.73.0.1}"
+# PROD needs NO firewall change: same-LAN, no libvirt zone involved (verified 2026-09-04).
+if [ -z "${HOST_NAT_IP:-}" ]; then
+  echo "ERROR: HOST_NAT_IP is not set — it is this host's address AS SEEN FROM THE CLUSTER." >&2
+  echo "       prod: HOST_NAT_IP=192.168.2.132   (same LAN as the nodes, no NAT, no firewall change)" >&2
+  echo "       There is no safe default: the old one (10.73.0.1) is the RETIRED libvirt NAT." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
 ORG="${GITEA_ORG:-Home-Network}"
 REPO="${GITEA_REPO:-home-network-k3s-impl}"
 
@@ -75,8 +107,17 @@ cat <<EOF
 
 Gitea bootstrap source ready (${DATA_DIR}).
   UI (host):                     ${BASE}/${ORG}/${REPO}
-  Flux GitRepository (cluster):  http://${HOST_NAT_IP}:${HTTP_PORT}/${ORG}/${REPO}.git   (clusters/dev)
+  Flux GitRepository (cluster):  http://${HOST_NAT_IP}:${HTTP_PORT}/${ORG}/${REPO}.git
+                                 (patch this url into the overlay being bootstrapped:
+                                  clusters/prod today; clusters/dev has already cut over)
   Admin creds (host, 0600):      ${ADMIN_CRED_FILE}
-Prerequisite: firewalld must allow VM->host:${HTTP_PORT} —
+Reachability: prod nodes reach ${HOST_NAT_IP}:${HTTP_PORT} directly on the LAN — no NAT, no
+firewall change (verified 2026-09-04). For libvirt-based clusters ONLY, firewalld's libvirt zone
+must allow VM->host:${HTTP_PORT} —
   ansible-playbook infra/ansible/playbooks/host-prereqs.yml --ask-become-pass
+REMINDER: the push above published the CURRENT HEAD as this repo's \`main\`. Whatever cluster points
+at this source will reconcile THAT revision.
+TEMPORARY BY DESIGN: this container is outside every cluster and is a single point of failure for
+any cluster reconciling from it. Cut over to in-cluster Gitea (docs/05); for prod the cutover
+procedure is written on the GitRepository patch in clusters/prod/kustomization.yaml.
 EOF

catalog/README.md

@@ -28,6 +28,16 @@ inherit every guarantee automatically.
   `auth.groups`; `native`/`none` are documented exceptions only.
 - Irreplaceable state (`class: longhorn` configs/DBs) must set `backup.policy` to an off-cluster
   schedule — never `reacquirable` (R-STATE-03). Only bulk media may be `reacquirable`.
+- **Shell braces must be escaped `$${...}`.** Anything rendered verbatim onto the workload — a
+  `lifecycle` postStart script, an `env` value — lands under `apps/wave-<N>/`, and every
+  `apps-wave-<N>` Flux Kustomization declares `postBuild.substituteFrom: cluster-vars`. Flux runs
+  envsubst over the WHOLE manifest at reconcile time, so an unescaped `${VAR:-}` meant for the
+  *shell* is replaced with the empty string before the container ever starts (this silently killed
+  gitea's and nextcloud's OIDC registration for days). Bare `$VAR` and `$(cmd)` are left alone and
+  need no escaping; a genuine environment knob is declared in `clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml` and
+  written bare `${KNOB}`. Full contract: [`../clusters/base/apps-vms.yaml`](../clusters/base/apps-vms.yaml).
+  `render.py` REFUSES to emit a manifest that breaks this rule (Flux's *strict* substitution mode
+  cannot: it deliberately exempts the `${V:-}` / `${V:=x}` / `${V:?}` default-operator forms).
 
 ## Validate before commit — single command, no cluster (R-TEST-02)
 ```bash

catalog/gitea.yaml

@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@ env:
         name: gitea-bootstrap
         key: secret-key
   - name: GITEA__server__DOMAIN              # correct public clone/redirect URLs for the TLS-terminated host
-    value: gitea.home.keithjackson.dev
+    value: gitea.${BASE_DOMAIN}
   - name: GITEA__server__ROOT_URL
-    value: https://gitea.home.keithjackson.dev/
+    value: https://gitea.${BASE_DOMAIN}/
   - name: GITEA__actions__ENABLED            # Phase 6 CI/CD: declared (not implicit upstream default) so the
     value: "true"                            # in-cluster act_runner (ns gitea-actions) registers against it
   - name: GITEA__actions__DEFAULT_ACTIONS_URL  # resolve `uses: <org>/<action>@ref` from github.com (cluster
@@ -104,12 +104,24 @@ lifecycle:
           # persisted and retries the whole cycle, and (4) on give-up logs LOUDLY to stderr AND a marker
           # file on the persistent /data volume WITHOUT crashlooping the pod (break-glass admin stays
           # usable). The verify-then-retry loop is the real guarantee against "exit 0 but nothing stuck".
-          GITEA_DISCOVERY_URL=https://keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab/.well-known/openid-configuration
+          GITEA_DISCOVERY_URL=https://keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}/realms/homelab/.well-known/openid-configuration
           gitea_oidc_fail() {
             echo "[gitea-oidc] FAILED to register 'keycloak' login source: $1" >&2
             { echo "$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ) [gitea-oidc] FAILED: $1"; } >> /data/gitea-oidc-bootstrap.log 2>/dev/null || true
           }
-          if [ -z "${GITEA_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET:-}" ]; then
+          # NOTE the `$$` escape below — it is load-bearing. apps-wave-0 declares postBuild.
+          # substituteFrom cluster-vars, so Flux envsubst rewrites this whole manifest at RECONCILE
+          # time, before any container runs. Written unescaped, `$${GITEA_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET:-}` is not
+          # a cluster-var, so envsubst blanked it and the guard reconciled as `[ -z "" ]` — ALWAYS TRUE
+          # — making every line below (discovery wait, add/update-oauth, verify-then-retry) DEAD CODE on
+          # every boot since 8738871 (2026-08-27). SSO kept working only because the login source was
+          # already in the DB; a PVC rebuild or fresh cluster would have come up with NO OIDC at all.
+          # Flux STRICT substitution cannot catch this — it EXEMPTS default-operator forms by design.
+          # `$${VAR}` is the escape: envsubst emits it back as a plain brace expansion for the shell.
+          # Bare `$VAR` and `$(cmd)` are left alone and need NO escaping — which is why the
+          # `$GITEA_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET` uses below always worked and only the guards broke.
+          # Contract: clusters/base/apps-vms.yaml. Enforced at render time by catalog/render.py.
+          if [ -z "$${GITEA_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET:-}" ]; then
             echo "[gitea-oidc] GITEA_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET unset; skipping OIDC source (break-glass admin only)"
           else
             # (1) Wait up to ~90s for the Keycloak discovery doc to be reachable (HTTP 200).
@@ -150,7 +162,13 @@ lifecycle:
               gitea_oidc_fail "add/update-oauth ran but the 'keycloak' source did not persist after retries"
             fi
           fi
-exposure: public                # edge-forwarded git host at gitea.home.keithjackson.dev (docs/09; R-DNS/R-NET)
+          # A postStart hook MUST exit 0 — a non-zero exit makes the kubelet KILL the container
+          # (FailedPostStartHook -> CrashLoopBackOff). This hook already ends 0 on both paths, but
+          # it is made EXPLICIT so the guarantee does not depend on whatever statement happens to
+          # be last. nextcloud's equivalent hook did depend on that and crashlooped on 2026-09-01,
+          # the moment its OIDC guard was fixed and the block actually ran for the first time.
+          exit 0
+exposure: public                # edge-forwarded git host at gitea.${BASE_DOMAIN} (docs/09; R-DNS/R-NET)
 egress: internet                # normal WAN egress (docs/03; R-NET-05)
 storage:
   - name: data
@@ -160,7 +178,7 @@ storage:
                                 # the default /data/<name> would strand real state on the ephemeral rootfs (R-STATE-01)
 dependencies: []                # default-deny: reaches only DNS; git clients reach it north-south via the Gateway (R-NET-01/02)
 ingressRoutes:
-  - host: gitea.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - host: gitea.${BASE_DOMAIN}
     port: 3000                  # Gitea HTTP web/API; TLS terminates at the shared Gateway (docs/08, docs/09)
 auth:
   mode: oidc                    # native Keycloak OIDC client (docs/13 SSO row, docs/15 "Native OIDC" set; R-IDP-02)

catalog/jackett.yaml

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ name: jackett
 kind: container
 source:
   image: lscr.io/linuxserver/jackett:latest
-exposure: internal              # LAN-only web UI at jackett.home.keithjackson.dev (docs/13 row 4; R-DNS/R-NET)
+exposure: internal              # LAN-only web UI at jackett.${BASE_DOMAIN} (docs/13 row 4; R-DNS/R-NET)
 egress: vpn                     # indexer scraping via node PIA tunnel + kill-switch (docs/03; ADR-0015; R-NET-05/06)
 storage:
   - name: config
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ storage:
     class: longhorn             # indexer definitions/API keys on 3-replica Longhorn (docs/04; R-STATE-02)
 dependencies: []                # default-deny: reaches only DNS; arr reach it north of its own egress (docs/03; R-NET-01/02)
 ingressRoutes:
-  - host: jackett.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - host: jackett.${BASE_DOMAIN}
     port: 9117                  # Jackett WebUI; protected at the Gateway by forward-auth (docs/09, docs/15)
 auth:
   mode: forward-auth            # oauth2-proxy -> Keycloak; bare UI, no usable native OIDC (docs/15; R-IDP-02)

catalog/keycloak.yaml

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ dependencies:
     port: 5432
     protocol: tcp
 ingressRoutes:
-  - host: keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - host: keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}
     port: 8080                # HTTP listener; TLS terminates at the Gateway (docs/08, docs/09)
 auth:
   mode: native                # it IS the IdP; own admin login is local + MFA (docs/15; ADR-0014). Documented exception.

catalog/nextcloud.yaml

@@ -50,13 +50,13 @@ env:
   #     the vhost answer for the public FQDN; OVERWRITE* make Nextcloud emit https:// self-URLs even
   #     though it speaks plain HTTP behind the proxy. ---
   - name: NEXTCLOUD_TRUSTED_DOMAINS
-    value: nextcloud.home.keithjackson.dev
+    value: nextcloud.${BASE_DOMAIN}
   - name: OVERWRITEHOST
-    value: nextcloud.home.keithjackson.dev
+    value: nextcloud.${BASE_DOMAIN}
   - name: OVERWRITEPROTOCOL
     value: https
   - name: OVERWRITECLIURL
-    value: https://nextcloud.home.keithjackson.dev
+    value: https://nextcloud.${BASE_DOMAIN}
   # --- Keycloak native OIDC SSO (auth.mode oidc; docs/15 "Native OIDC"; R-IDP-02/06). The confidential
   #     `nextcloud` realm client's secret is mirrored into this namespace's nextcloud-bootstrap Secret
   #     (oidc-client-secret; same value SOPS-held in keycloak-realm-clients). The postStart hook reads it
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ lifecycle:
           # provider call below carries a MULTI-WORD value (--scope 'openid email profile') and is run as
           # ONE su -c with the scope single-quoted, so the inner shell keeps it a single argument.
           OCC() { su -s /bin/sh www-data -c "php /var/www/html/occ $*"; }
-          NEXTCLOUD_DISCOVERY_URL=https://keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab/.well-known/openid-configuration
+          NEXTCLOUD_DISCOVERY_URL=https://keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}/realms/homelab/.well-known/openid-configuration
           nextcloud_oidc_fail() {
             echo "[nextcloud-oidc] FAILED to configure 'keycloak' provider: $1" >&2
             { echo "$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ) [nextcloud-oidc] FAILED: $1"; } >> /var/www/html/nextcloud-oidc-bootstrap.log 2>/dev/null || true
@@ -111,7 +111,19 @@ lifecycle:
           # every start so it survives pod rolls / PVC rebuilds. Confirmed root cause 2026-08-27.
           OCC config:system:set allow_local_remote_servers --value=true --type=boolean >/dev/null 2>&1 \
             || echo "[nextcloud-oidc] WARN: failed to set allow_local_remote_servers" >&2
-          if [ -z "${NEXTCLOUD_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET:-}" ]; then
+          # NOTE the `$$` escape below — it is load-bearing. apps-wave-1 declares postBuild.
+          # substituteFrom cluster-vars, so Flux envsubst rewrites this whole manifest at RECONCILE
+          # time, before any container runs. Written unescaped, `$${NEXTCLOUD_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET:-}` is
+          # not a cluster-var, so envsubst blanked it and the guard reconciled as `[ -z "" ]` — ALWAYS
+          # TRUE — so this hook `exit 0`d here on EVERY boot since 8738871 (2026-08-27), never
+          # installing/enabling user_oidc nor registering the provider. SSO kept working only because
+          # the provider was already in the DB; a PVC rebuild or fresh cluster would have come up with
+          # NO OIDC at all. Flux STRICT substitution cannot catch this — it EXEMPTS default-operator
+          # forms by design. `$${VAR}` is the escape: envsubst emits it back as a plain brace expansion
+          # for the shell. Bare `$VAR` and `$(cmd)` are left alone and need NO escaping — which is why
+          # `--clientsecret-env` and the bare uses below always worked and only the guard broke.
+          # Contract: clusters/base/apps-vms.yaml. Enforced at render time by catalog/render.py.
+          if [ -z "$${NEXTCLOUD_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET:-}" ]; then
             echo "[nextcloud-oidc] client secret unset; skipping OIDC (break-glass admin only)"
             exit 0
           fi
@@ -191,7 +203,17 @@ lifecycle:
             [ "$missing" = 0 ] && break
             p=$((p + 1)); sleep 2
           done
-          [ "$p" -ge 15 ] && nextcloud_oidc_fail "could not promote all $ADMIN_SRC_GROUP members into 'admin' after retries"
+          if [ "$p" -ge 15 ]; then
+            nextcloud_oidc_fail "could not promote all $ADMIN_SRC_GROUP members into 'admin' after retries"
+          fi
+          # A postStart hook MUST exit 0. A non-zero exit makes the kubelet KILL the container
+          # (FailedPostStartHook -> CrashLoopBackOff), which is exactly what happened on 2026-09-01:
+          # the final statement used to be `[ "$p" -ge 15 ] && nextcloud_oidc_fail ...`, so on the
+          # SUCCESS path the test returned 1 and became the script's exit status. That was latent for
+          # as long as the OIDC guard above was dead code and exited 0 first; fixing the guard
+          # exposed it immediately. Every failure path here logs loudly and writes a marker file and
+          # deliberately does NOT crash the pod — the break-glass local admin must stay usable.
+          exit 0
 exposure: public                # edge port-forward + public DNS (docs/09; R-DNS/R-NET)
 egress: internet                # normal WAN egress (docs/03; R-NET-05) — app store, integrity checks
 storage:
@@ -206,7 +228,7 @@ dependencies:
     port: 5432                  # Renders the egress half; the DB namespace mirrors keycloak-db (no
     protocol: tcp               # default-deny), so Cilium's default-allow accepts the reciprocal ingress.
 ingressRoutes:
-  - host: nextcloud.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - host: nextcloud.${BASE_DOMAIN}
     port: 80                    # apache HTTP; wildcard TLS terminates at the shared Gateway (docs/08/09)
 auth:
   mode: oidc                    # native Keycloak OIDC client (docs/13 SSO row, docs/15 "Native OIDC"; R-IDP-02)

catalog/pihole.yaml

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ storage:
     class: longhorn           # replicated config state; DR-critical (docs/04 line 118; R-STATE-02/03)
 dependencies: []              # default-deny: reaches only DNS; it PROVIDES DNS (docs/03; R-NET-01/02)
 ingressRoutes:
-  - host: pihole.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - host: pihole.${BASE_DOMAIN}
     port: 80                  # admin web UI, protected at the Gateway by forward-auth (docs/09)
 auth:
   mode: forward-auth          # oauth2-proxy -> Keycloak; bare UI, no native OIDC (docs/15; R-IDP-02)

catalog/plex.yaml

@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ storage:
                               # so a placeholder/absent claim Secret would crashloop the pod. See operator hand-off.
 dependencies: []              # default-deny: reaches only DNS; clients/Seerr reach IT (docs/03; R-NET-01/02)
 ingressRoutes:
-  - host: plex.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - host: plex.${BASE_DOMAIN}
     port: 32400               # Plex web UI + API served on 32400 (wildcard TLS at the Gateway; docs/08/09)
 auth:
   mode: native                # Plex account auth — documented exception, NOT Keycloak (docs/13/15; R-IDP-02)

catalog/qbittorrent.yaml

@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ name: qbittorrent
 kind: container
 source:
   image: lscr.io/linuxserver/qbittorrent:5.1.2   # pinned stable tag (R-UPD-01); update.range governs advancement
-exposure: internal              # LAN-only web UI at qbittorrent.home.keithjackson.dev (docs/13 row 13; R-DNS/R-NET)
+exposure: internal              # LAN-only web UI at qbittorrent.${BASE_DOMAIN} (docs/13 row 13; R-DNS/R-NET)
 egress: vpn                     # ALL public egress via node PIA tunnel + kill-switch (docs/03; ADR-0015; R-NET-05/06)
 storage:
   - name: config
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ storage:
     class: longhorn             # settings/categories/session on 3-replica Longhorn; DR-critical (docs/04; R-STATE-02)
 dependencies: []                # default-deny: reaches only DNS; arr reach it north of its own egress (docs/03; R-NET-01/02)
 ingressRoutes:
-  - host: qbittorrent.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - host: qbittorrent.${BASE_DOMAIN}
     port: 8080                  # qBittorrent WebUI; protected at the Gateway by forward-auth (docs/09, docs/15)
 auth:
   mode: forward-auth            # oauth2-proxy -> Keycloak; bare UI, no usable native OIDC (docs/15; R-IDP-02)

catalog/radarr.yaml

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ name: radarr
 kind: container
 source:
   image: lscr.io/linuxserver/radarr:5.21.1   # pinned stable v5 tag (R-UPD-01); update.range governs advancement
-exposure: internal              # LAN-only web UI at radarr.home.keithjackson.dev (docs/13 row 3; R-DNS/R-NET)
+exposure: internal              # LAN-only web UI at radarr.${BASE_DOMAIN} (docs/13 row 3; R-DNS/R-NET)
 egress: vpn                     # indexer scrape + downloader handoff steered via the shared VPN egress gateway,
                                 # kill-switch enforced OUTSIDE the workload (docs/03; ADR-0015; R-NET-05/06)
 storage:
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ dependencies:
     port: 9117
     protocol: tcp
 ingressRoutes:
-  - host: radarr.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - host: radarr.${BASE_DOMAIN}
     port: 7878                  # Radarr web/API; TLS terminates at the shared Gateway (docs/08, docs/09)
 auth:
   mode: forward-auth            # bare UI, no usable OIDC: oauth2-proxy → Keycloak at the Gateway (docs/15; R-IDP-02)

catalog/render.py

@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ conformance harness stays stdlib-only and only shells out to this script + diffs
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import argparse
+import re
 import sys
 from pathlib import Path
 
@@ -43,7 +44,15 @@ except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover - explicit, actionable failure
 
 # --- Label / naming conventions (match platform/kyverno/policies + platform/*/) --------
 LBL = "homelab.keithjackson.dev"
-ZONE = "home.keithjackson.dev"
+# The platform hostname suffix, emitted as the Flux post-build TOKEN rather than a literal.
+# Every rendered manifest lands under a Flux path whose Kustomization declares
+# postBuild.substituteFrom cluster-vars, so `${BASE_DOMAIN}` is resolved per environment at
+# reconcile time: dev renders home.keithjackson.dev, prod renders prod.home.keithjackson.dev.
+# It is a DECLARED cluster-vars knob (clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml), so it is written BARE —
+# the escape contract below reserves `$${...}` for expansions meant for a container's shell.
+# Hardcoding the literal here is what let prod be authored to serve dev's public hostnames,
+# and prod's external-dns then deleted dev's records (infra/PROD-PROVISIONING.md §10).
+ZONE = "${BASE_DOMAIN}"
 GATEWAY_NAME = "shared"
 GATEWAY_NS = "gateway"
 KP_RELEASE = "kube-prometheus-stack"  # ServiceMonitor/PrometheusRule discovery label
@@ -936,6 +945,124 @@ def r_virtualmachine(s: dict) -> dict:
     }
 
 
+# =============================================================================
+# Substitution safety (R-ENV-02 / R-GITOPS-02) — refuse to emit a manifest that
+# Flux's envsubst would silently eat before the workload ever runs.
+# =============================================================================
+# Every manifest this renderer writes lands under apps/wave-<N>/, and EVERY apps-wave-<N>
+# Flux Kustomization declares `postBuild.substituteFrom: cluster-vars` (see
+# flux_wave_kustomization_text below). Flux therefore runs envsubst over the WHOLE rendered
+# document — including any shell script carried verbatim in a `lifecycle` hook or an env
+# value — at reconcile time, long before a container sees it. The escape contract is stated
+# in clusters/base/apps-vms.yaml and proven with `flux envsubst`:
+#
+#   `${VAR}`   -> SUBSTITUTED (empty when unset)   => a shell brace must be written `$${VAR}`,
+#                                                     which envsubst emits back as `${VAR}`.
+#   `$VAR`     -> left alone                       => bare shell vars need NO escaping.
+#   `$(cmd)`   -> left alone                       => command substitution needs NO escaping.
+#   `${A[0]}`  -> HARD ERROR ("missing closing brace"), failing the whole Kustomization.
+#
+# This bit us for real (fixed 2026-09-01): gitea/nextcloud guarded their whole Keycloak OIDC
+# registration with `if [ -z "${..._OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET:-}" ]`. Neither name is a cluster-var,
+# so envsubst rendered the guard as `if [ -z "" ]` — ALWAYS TRUE — and every boot skipped the
+# registration entirely. Flux's STRICT substitution mode cannot catch this class: it
+# deliberately EXEMPTS the default-operator forms (`${V:-}`, `${V:=x}`, `${V:?}`), which is
+# exactly the form a defensive shell script uses. So the renderer checks it itself.
+CLUSTER_VARS_PATH = (
+    Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent / "clusters" / "base" / "cluster-vars.yaml"
+)
+
+# A run of `$` followed by `{...}`. envsubst consumes `$$` as a literal `$`, so a run of N
+# dollars leaves the brace SUBSTITUTED when N is odd (`${X}`, `$$${X}`) and LITERAL when N is
+# even (`$${X}` — the escape). Deliberately greedy about the body so malformed/indexed forms
+# (`${A[0]}`) are caught too rather than skipped.
+_BRACED_EXPANSION_RE = re.compile(r"(\$+)\{([^{}]*)\}")
+_PLAIN_IDENT_RE = re.compile(r"[A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*\Z")
+
+_CLUSTER_VARS_CACHE: dict = {}
+
+
+def cluster_vars_keys(path: Path | None = None) -> set:
+    """The declared cluster-vars keys — the ONLY names envsubst may legitimately expand.
+
+    Read from clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml (the single knob surface, R-ENV-02) so the
+    renderer never carries a stale hardcoded copy. Unreadable/absent => empty set, i.e.
+    FAIL-CLOSED: with no known knobs, every braced expansion must be escaped for the shell.
+    """
+    key = str(path or CLUSTER_VARS_PATH)
+    if key not in _CLUSTER_VARS_CACHE:
+        try:
+            doc = yaml.safe_load(Path(key).read_text())
+            data = doc.get("data") if isinstance(doc, dict) else None
+            _CLUSTER_VARS_CACHE[key] = set(data) if isinstance(data, dict) else set()
+        except Exception:  # pragma: no cover - absent/malformed => fail closed
+            _CLUSTER_VARS_CACHE[key] = set()
+    return _CLUSTER_VARS_CACHE[key]
+
+
+def substitution_violations(text: str, known: set | None = None) -> list:
+    """Every unescaped `${...}` in `text` that is NOT a bare, declared cluster-vars key.
+
+    Returns `(line_number, token, reason)` triples in line order. An expansion is ALLOWED only
+    when it is exactly `${KNOWN_KEY}` — a deliberate R-ENV-02 knob. Anything else is a bug:
+    a shell expansion that envsubst will eat (`${V:-}`), a typo'd/undeclared knob that
+    envsubst will blank, or an indexed form that hard-fails the whole Kustomization.
+    """
+    keys = cluster_vars_keys() if known is None else known
+    out = []
+    for lineno, line in enumerate(text.splitlines(), start=1):
+        for m in _BRACED_EXPANSION_RE.finditer(line):
+            if len(m.group(1)) % 2 == 0:
+                continue  # even run of `$` => escaped; envsubst emits it back literally
+            expr = m.group(2)
+            if _PLAIN_IDENT_RE.match(expr):
+                if expr in keys:
+                    continue  # a declared cluster-vars knob, intentionally substituted
+                reason = (
+                    f"'{expr}' is not a declared cluster-vars key — envsubst will replace "
+                    "it with the EMPTY STRING"
+                )
+            elif "[" in expr:
+                reason = (
+                    "indexed expansion — envsubst hard-fails with 'missing closing brace' "
+                    "and the whole Kustomization stops reconciling"
+                )
+            else:
+                reason = (
+                    "shell expansion (default-operator/parameter form) — envsubst eats it "
+                    "at reconcile time and STRICT mode exempts this form, so nothing else "
+                    "will catch it"
+                )
+            out.append((lineno, m.group(0), reason))
+    return out
+
+
+def assert_substitution_safe(text: str, origin: str = "<render>") -> None:
+    """Refuse to emit a manifest carrying an unescaped braced expansion (see above).
+
+    Raises ValueError listing every offending token. The fix is almost always to escape the
+    shell brace as `$${...}` (envsubst emits a literal `${...}` for the shell), or — if the
+    value really is an environment knob — to declare it in clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml
+    and write it as a bare `${KNOB}`.
+    """
+    bad = substitution_violations(text)
+    if not bad:
+        return
+    lines = [
+        f"{origin}: refusing to emit — unescaped `${{...}}` in a manifest that Flux's "
+        "postBuild.substituteFrom (cluster-vars) will substitute at reconcile time:"
+    ]
+    for lineno, token, reason in bad:
+        lines.append(f"  line {lineno}: {token}  -> {reason}")
+    lines.append(
+        "  FIX: a SHELL expansion must be escaped `$${...}` (envsubst emits a literal "
+        "`${...}`); bare `$VAR` / `$(cmd)` need no escaping. A genuine environment knob "
+        "must be declared in clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml and written bare `${KNOB}`. "
+        "Contract: clusters/base/apps-vms.yaml."
+    )
+    raise ValueError("\n".join(lines))
+
+
 # =============================================================================
 # Top-level render + emit
 # =============================================================================
@@ -1026,8 +1153,14 @@ def render(sd: dict, image_automation: bool = True, inbound: list | None = None)
     return docs
 
 
-def emit(docs: list) -> str:
+def emit(docs: list, origin: str = "<render>") -> str:
-    """Deterministic multi-document YAML text (golden-diffable)."""
+    """Deterministic multi-document YAML text (golden-diffable).
+
+    Every emitted document is checked against the substitution contract before it is handed
+    back (assert_substitution_safe): the rendered manifest lands on a Flux path that runs
+    envsubst over it, so an unescaped `${...}` meant for a SHELL is silently blanked. Raises
+    ValueError rather than emitting such a manifest.
+    """
     parts = []
     for comment, resource in docs:
         body = yaml.dump(
@@ -1037,7 +1170,9 @@ def emit(docs: list) -> str:
             width=4096,
         )
         parts.append(f"---\n# {comment}\n{body}".rstrip() + "\n")
-    return "".join(parts)
+    text = "".join(parts)
+    assert_substitution_safe(text, origin)
+    return text
 
 
 def load_sd(path: Path) -> dict:
@@ -1076,7 +1211,9 @@ def render_file(path: Path, image_automation: bool = True, catalog_dir: Path | N
     src_dir = catalog_dir if catalog_dir is not None else path.parent
     rev = build_reverse_map(_load_catalog(src_dir))
     inbound = rev.get(sd["name"], [])
-    return emit(render(sd, image_automation=image_automation, inbound=inbound))
+    return emit(
+        render(sd, image_automation=image_automation, inbound=inbound), origin=str(path)
+    )
 
 
 # =============================================================================
@@ -1184,6 +1321,11 @@ def plan_apps_waves(sds: list, present_files: set) -> dict:
       - `<svc>-db.yaml`                     -> wave(svc-db) (a strictly-lower wave; CNPG DB)
       - `<svc>-db-app.sops.yaml`            -> wave(svc-db) (CNPG initdb owner secret)
       - `<svc>-db-backup-credentials.sops.yaml` -> wave(svc-db) (CNPG Barman S3 backup secret)
+      - `<svc>-db-backup-credentials-prod.sops.yaml` -> wave(svc-db) (the PROD half of that
+        secret: the two environments carry DIFFERENT object-store credentials, selected in
+        the Cluster CR by `${BACKUP_CREDENTIALS_SUFFIX}`. Both objects ship to both clusters,
+        so both must be placed in the DB wave — the Secret has to exist before the Cluster
+        that names it.)
     Non-catalog units (EXTRA_UNITS, e.g. gitea-actions) place by their declared anchor+offset.
     Only files that actually exist in `present_files` are placed, so the plan is robust to a
     service having no bootstrap secret or no DB. Deterministic (sorted).
@@ -1211,6 +1353,9 @@ def plan_apps_waves(sds: list, present_files: set) -> dict:
             add(wdb, f"{db}.yaml")
             add(wdb, f"{db}-app.sops.yaml")
             add(wdb, f"{db}-backup-credentials.sops.yaml")   # CNPG Barman S3 creds (R-STATE-03)
+            # PROD half of the same credential (2026-09-07 per-env split). Placed only when
+            # the file exists, so a DB that has not been split is unaffected.
+            add(wdb, f"{db}-backup-credentials-prod.sops.yaml")
 
     for unit, cfg in EXTRA_UNITS.items():
         anchor = cfg["anchor"]
@@ -1693,6 +1838,7 @@ def _selftest() -> int:
     present = {
         "a.yaml", "svc.yaml", "svc-bootstrap-secret.sops.yaml",
         "svc-db.yaml", "svc-db-app.sops.yaml", "svc-db-backup-credentials.sops.yaml",
+        "svc-db-backup-credentials-prod.sops.yaml",
         "gitea.yaml",
         "gitea-actions.yaml", "gitea-actions-runner-secret.sops.yaml",
     }
@@ -1702,8 +1848,10 @@ def _selftest() -> int:
     flat = {f: wv for wv, fs in plan.items() for f in fs}
     check(flat.get("a.yaml") == 0, "leaf app must land in wave 0")
     check(flat.get("svc-db.yaml") == 0 and flat.get("svc-db-app.sops.yaml") == 0
-          and flat.get("svc-db-backup-credentials.sops.yaml") == 0,
+          and flat.get("svc-db-backup-credentials.sops.yaml") == 0
-          "CNPG DB manifest + its owner secret + its Barman backup secret must be in the DB's (lower) wave")
+          and flat.get("svc-db-backup-credentials-prod.sops.yaml") == 0,
+          "CNPG DB manifest + its owner secret + BOTH halves of its per-env Barman backup secret "
+          "must be in the DB's (lower) wave")
     check(flat.get("svc.yaml") == 1 and flat.get("svc-bootstrap-secret.sops.yaml") == 1,
           "a DB-backed app + its bootstrap secret must be in the consumer wave, above the DB")
     check(flat.get("gitea.yaml") == 0, "gitea (leaf) must be wave 0")
@@ -1729,6 +1877,90 @@ def _selftest() -> int:
     check(kt["kind"] == "Kustomization" and kt["resources"] == ["svc.yaml", "sonarr.yaml"],
           "wave kustomization must list exactly the wave's resources")
 
+    # 8) substitution safety (R-ENV-02): the renderer must REFUSE to emit a manifest whose
+    #    shell script carries an unescaped `${...}`. Every rendered manifest lands under a
+    #    Flux path with postBuild.substituteFrom cluster-vars, so envsubst rewrites it before
+    #    the container runs — this is the gitea/nextcloud OIDC-guard bug (`[ -z "${X:-}" ]`
+    #    -> `[ -z "" ]`, always true, whole registration block skipped on every boot).
+    known = {"BASE_DOMAIN", "GATEWAY_VIP"}
+    # allowed: a bare, DECLARED cluster-vars knob is a deliberate R-ENV-02 substitution.
+    check(
+        substitution_violations("host: app.${BASE_DOMAIN}", known) == [],
+        "a bare declared cluster-vars key must be allowed (that is what substitution is FOR)",
+    )
+    # allowed: escaped shell braces, and the forms envsubst leaves alone.
+    check(
+        substitution_violations('if [ -z "$${X:-}" ]; then', known) == [],
+        "an ESCAPED `$${...}` must be allowed (envsubst emits it back as a literal `${...}`)",
+    )
+    check(
+        substitution_violations('t="$(mktemp)"; echo "$HOME $1"', known) == [],
+        "bare `$VAR` / `$(cmd)` are left alone by envsubst and must NOT be flagged",
+    )
+    # `$$` is a literal `$` to envsubst, so an ODD run of dollars still leaves the brace live.
+    check(
+        len(substitution_violations("$$${X:-}", known)) == 1,
+        "an ODD run of `$` still substitutes ($$ -> literal $, then `${X:-}` is eaten)",
+    )
+    # flagged: the exact regression — a default-operator form STRICT mode deliberately exempts.
+    guard_bug = substitution_violations('if [ -z "${GITEA_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET:-}" ]; then', known)
+    check(
+        len(guard_bug) == 1 and guard_bug[0][1] == "${GITEA_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET:-}",
+        "an unescaped `${VAR:-}` shell guard must be flagged (strict mode exempts this form)",
+    )
+    # flagged: an undeclared bare knob (envsubst blanks it), and an indexed form (hard error).
+    check(
+        len(substitution_violations("value: ${NOT_A_KNOB}", known)) == 1,
+        "an undeclared bare `${VAR}` must be flagged (envsubst blanks it silently)",
+    )
+    idx = substitution_violations("echo ${PIPESTATUS[0]}", known)
+    check(
+        len(idx) == 1 and "missing closing brace" in idx[0][2],
+        "an indexed `${A[0]}` must be flagged (envsubst hard-fails the whole Kustomization)",
+    )
+    # the checker must be wired into emit(): rendering an SD whose lifecycle hook carries the
+    # bug RAISES rather than writing a manifest whose guard is dead on arrival.
+    bad_sd = {
+        "name": "subbad",
+        "source": {"image": "a:1"},
+        "lifecycle": {
+            "postStart": {
+                "exec": {
+                    "command": [
+                        "/bin/sh",
+                        "-c",
+                        'if [ -z "${SUBBAD_SECRET:-}" ]; then exit 0; fi',
+                    ]
+                }
+            }
+        },
+    }
+    try:
+        emit(render(bad_sd), origin="<selftest>")
+        check(False, "emit must REFUSE a manifest with an unescaped `${...}` shell expansion")
+    except ValueError as exc:
+        check(
+            "SUBBAD_SECRET" in str(exc) and "$${" in str(exc),
+            "the refusal must name the offending token AND state the `$${...}` fix",
+        )
+    # the ESCAPED form of the same hook renders normally (the fix must be emittable).
+    good_sd = dict(bad_sd, name="subgood")
+    good_sd["lifecycle"] = {
+        "postStart": {
+            "exec": {
+                "command": [
+                    "/bin/sh",
+                    "-c",
+                    'if [ -z "$${SUBBAD_SECRET:-}" ]; then exit 0; fi',
+                ]
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    check(
+        "$${SUBBAD_SECRET:-}" in emit(render(good_sd), origin="<selftest>"),
+        "the escaped `$${...}` form must render (and reach the shell as `${...}`)",
+    )
+
     if failures:
         for f in failures:
             sys.stderr.write(f"SELFTEST FAIL: {f}\n")

catalog/seerr.yaml

@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ dependencies:
     port: 32400
     protocol: tcp
 ingressRoutes:
-  - host: seerr.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - host: seerr.${BASE_DOMAIN}
     port: 5055                   # Overseerr web UI + API; wildcard TLS terminates at the shared Gateway (docs/08/09)
 auth:
   mode: native                   # Plex account auth — documented exception, NOT Keycloak (docs/13/15; R-IDP-02)

catalog/semaphore.yaml

@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ env:
   - name: SEMAPHORE_ADMIN_NAME
     value: Semaphore Admin
   - name: SEMAPHORE_ADMIN_EMAIL
-    value: admin@home.keithjackson.dev
+    value: admin@${BASE_DOMAIN}
   # --- Persistent access-key encryption key (see header): FIXED base64 32-byte key from SOPS so the
   #     SSH keys / credentials Semaphore stores in the DB stay decryptable across restarts. ---
   - name: SEMAPHORE_ACCESS_KEY_ENCRYPTION
@@ -78,16 +78,34 @@ env:
   #     (util ConfigType `oidc_providers`, env-tagged SEMAPHORE_OIDC_PROVIDERS). The value is a single
   #     JSON blob for the `keycloak` provider — provider_url is the homelab realm issuer (auto-discovery),
   #     client_id=semaphore, redirect_url=/api/auth/oidc/keycloak/redirect, claims map to the realm's
-  #     token. It CONTAINS the confidential client secret, so the whole blob is held SOPS-encrypted in the
+  #     token. The name is NOT a kubelet service-link var (those are SEMAPHORE_SERVICE_HOST /
-  #     semaphore-bootstrap Secret (key oidc-providers-json; same secret value SOPS-held in
+  #     SEMAPHORE_PORT_*), so no collision. The LOCAL SEMAPHORE_ADMIN above stays break-glass (docs/15).
-  #     keycloak-realm-clients) and injected here by reference — never in cleartext. The name is NOT a
+  #
-  #     kubelet service-link var (those are SEMAPHORE_SERVICE_HOST / SEMAPHORE_PORT_*), so no collision.
+  #     PER-ENVIRONMENT URLS (2026-09-07 fix). The blob USED to live whole inside the SOPS-encrypted
-  #     The LOCAL SEMAPHORE_ADMIN above stays as the break-glass path (docs/15). ---
+  #     semaphore-bootstrap Secret (key `oidc-providers-json`) because it CONTAINS the confidential
-  - name: SEMAPHORE_OIDC_PROVIDERS
+  #     client secret. That hid two environment-specific, NON-SECRET URLs — the realm issuer and the
+  #     redirect URI — inside ciphertext, where Flux's ${BASE_DOMAIN} postBuild substitution CANNOT
+  #     reach them. Both were frozen at the apex `home.keithjackson.dev`, so PROD (BASE_DOMAIN =
+  #     prod.home.keithjackson.dev) pointed its OIDC at DEV's Keycloak — unroutable from prod's
+  #     192.168.2.0/24 (the identical root cause as the Headlamp login timeout; see
+  #     platform/headlamp/README.md). Dev was only ever "right" because dev IS the apex.
+  #
+  #     THE SPLIT: the URLs are public, so the blob is now a PLAINTEXT literal here and gets
+  #     ${BASE_DOMAIN}-substituted per environment like every other hostname. Only the confidential
+  #     client secret stays SOPS-encrypted, in its own key (`oidc-client-secret`), and is spliced back
+  #     in by the KUBELET's dependent-env-var expansion: an env `value` may reference an EARLIER env
+  #     var of the same container as $(NAME), and secretKeyRef-sourced vars are eligible. So
+  #     SEMAPHORE_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET MUST STAY IMMEDIATELY ABOVE — the kubelet resolves env in list
+  #     order, and a reference to a not-yet-defined name is left as the LITERAL text $(...). It is
+  #     fail-loud in the way that matters: if the Secret key is missing the Pod never starts
+  #     (CreateContainerConfigError), rather than silently authenticating against nothing. ---
+  - name: SEMAPHORE_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET
     valueFrom:
       secretKeyRef:
         name: semaphore-bootstrap
-        key: oidc-providers-json
+        key: oidc-client-secret
+  - name: SEMAPHORE_OIDC_PROVIDERS
+    value: '{"keycloak":{"display_name":"Keycloak","provider_url":"https://keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}/realms/homelab","client_id":"semaphore","client_secret":"$(SEMAPHORE_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET)","redirect_url":"https://semaphore.${BASE_DOMAIN}/api/auth/oidc/keycloak/redirect","scopes":["openid","profile","email"],"username_claim":"preferred_username","email_claim":"email","name_claim":"name","order":1}}'
 # The semaphoreui/semaphore image runs as the non-root user UID 1001 / GID 0 (tini -> server-wrapper),
 # and on boot the wrapper writes its generated config.json into the config dir. A mounted Longhorn PVC
 # is root:root, so UID 1001 cannot write it -> the pod panics ("permission denied"). fsGroup=1001 makes
@@ -110,17 +128,19 @@ dependencies:
     port: 5432                  # Renders the egress half; the DB namespace mirrors keycloak-db (no
     protocol: tcp               # default-deny), so Cilium's default-allow accepts the reciprocal ingress.
 ingressRoutes:
-  - host: semaphore.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - host: semaphore.${BASE_DOMAIN}
     port: 3000                  # Semaphore HTTP web/API; wildcard TLS terminates at the shared Gateway (docs/08/09)
 auth:
   mode: oidc                    # native Keycloak OIDC client (docs/13 SSO row, docs/15 "Native OIDC"; R-IDP-02)
   groups:
     - platform-admins           # access scoped to an authorized group (R-IDP-06)
   # WIRED (native OIDC): the Keycloak `semaphore` confidential client (platform/keycloak/keycloak-realm-
-  # import.yaml + live kcadm) is consumed via the SEMAPHORE_OIDC_PROVIDERS env (JSON blob held encrypted
+  # import.yaml + live kcadm) is consumed via the SEMAPHORE_OIDC_PROVIDERS env — a PLAINTEXT JSON blob
-  # in the semaphore-bootstrap Secret, oidc-providers-json). The `groups` claim is exposed for
+  # (see `env` above) whose per-environment URLs are ${BASE_DOMAIN}-substituted, with the confidential
-  # authorization (R-IDP-06). Semaphore KEEPS its LOCAL admin as the break-glass path so an IdP outage
+  # client secret spliced in at runtime from the semaphore-bootstrap Secret key `oidc-client-secret`.
-  # never locks the operator out (docs/15 "Availability caveat"). No secret is embedded here.
+  # The `groups` claim is exposed for authorization (R-IDP-06). Semaphore KEEPS its LOCAL admin as the
+  # break-glass path so an IdP outage never locks the operator out (docs/15 "Availability caveat").
+  # No secret is embedded here.
 update:
   channel: stable               # R-UPD-01
   range: ">=2.19.0 <3.0.0"      # stay on the 2.x stable line

catalog/sonarr.yaml

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ name: sonarr
 kind: container
 source:
   image: lscr.io/linuxserver/sonarr:4.0.15   # pinned stable v4 tag (R-UPD-01); update.range governs advancement
-exposure: internal              # LAN-only web UI at sonarr.home.keithjackson.dev (docs/13 row 2; R-DNS/R-NET)
+exposure: internal              # LAN-only web UI at sonarr.${BASE_DOMAIN} (docs/13 row 2; R-DNS/R-NET)
 egress: vpn                     # indexer scrape + downloader handoff steered via the shared VPN egress gateway,
                                 # kill-switch enforced OUTSIDE the workload (docs/03; ADR-0015; R-NET-05/06)
 storage:
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ dependencies:
     port: 9117
     protocol: tcp
 ingressRoutes:
-  - host: sonarr.home.keithjackson.dev
+  - host: sonarr.${BASE_DOMAIN}
     port: 8989                  # Sonarr web/API; TLS terminates at the shared Gateway (docs/08, docs/09)
 auth:
   mode: forward-auth            # bare UI, no usable OIDC: oauth2-proxy → Keycloak at the Gateway (docs/15; R-IDP-02)

ci/l0.sh

@@ -100,6 +100,81 @@ else
   fi
 fi
 
+# ---- Stage 3c: Flux post-build substitution safety (UNCONDITIONAL) ----------
+# R-ENV-02's promote-once mechanism is `postBuild.substituteFrom cluster-vars`, and it
+# FAILS OPEN: an undefined ${TOKEN} becomes the empty string and the Kustomization still
+# reports Ready. That emptied Cilium's k8sServiceHost and broke the CNI on 2/3 dev nodes
+# (DECISIONS-LOG 2026-09-01, "substitution race that fails OPEN"). The check asserts every
+# ${...} in every substituted path is DEFINED in cluster-vars or deliberately ESCAPED
+# `$${...}` — i.e. that enabling the StrictPostBuildSubstitutions feature gate cannot fail
+# a legitimate manifest, and that no expansion silently empties today.
+#
+# WHY THIS IS ITS OWN STAGE and not left to Stage 3b: 3b scopes the conformance run to the
+# TOUCHED requirements (R-TEST-03), and ci/touched-requirements.sh's coarse path map keys
+# only clusters/* to R-ENV-02 — an edit to a SUBSTITUTED manifest under apps/ or platform/
+# attributes no requirement, so the requirement-scoped selection would filter this check
+# out of exactly the change that introduces the bug. The invariant is whole-repo (same
+# reasoning as spec-immutability's own gate stage), so it runs on EVERY gate invocation.
+# When 3b's touched set does include R-ENV-02/R-GITOPS-01 the check runs twice; it is a
+# sub-second offline scan with no side effects, so the duplication is not worth avoiding.
+SUBST_CHECK="${SUBST_CHECK:-${REPO_ROOT}/conformance/tests/l0-static/flux-postbuild-substitution/check.sh}"
+log "Stage: Flux postBuild substitution safety (${SUBST_CHECK})"
+if [ ! -f "$SUBST_CHECK" ]; then
+  skip "substitution check not present at '${SUBST_CHECK}' — UNWIRED, not green"
+  summary "- subst-safety: **SKIPPED** (check missing)"
+  if [ "$rc" -eq 0 ]; then rc=3; fi
+else
+  subst_rc=0
+  bash "$SUBST_CHECK" || subst_rc=$?
+  case "$subst_rc" in
+    0) ok "Flux postBuild substitution safety passed"
+       summary "- subst-safety: **passed**" ;;
+    3) skip "substitution check SKIPPED (clusters/ absent) — not a pass"
+       summary "- subst-safety: **SKIPPED** (nothing to audit)"
+       if [ "$rc" -eq 0 ]; then rc=3; fi ;;
+    *) err "Flux postBuild substitution safety FAILED"
+       summary "- subst-safety: **FAILED**"; rc=1 ;;
+  esac
+fi
+
+# ---- Stage 3d: Keycloak client-secret declaration + reconciler (UNCONDITIONAL) ----
+# The Keycloak realm import resolves each OIDC client's secret from an `(env:NAME)`
+# placeholder. When the operator cannot resolve one it stores the LITERAL placeholder as
+# the client secret AND THE IMPORT JOB STILL REPORTS SUCCESS, then rests at Done=True and
+# never re-runs. On 2026-09-06 that had all 12 prod clients unusable ("Invalid client or
+# Invalid client credentials") behind an entirely green cluster; dev had one. The check
+# asserts the declaration is self-consistent (every placeholder defined, every Secret key
+# present, names matching the reconciler's contract), that the Flux ordering is a REAL
+# dependsOn edge rather than a comment, and — by extracting the shipped script from its
+# ConfigMap and running its --selftest — that the reconciler is compare-then-write,
+# idempotent, non-logging and blast-radius-bounded.
+#
+# WHY ITS OWN UNCONDITIONAL STAGE, same reasoning as 3c: Stage 3b scopes the conformance
+# run to the TOUCHED requirements (R-TEST-03). This check's invariant spans platform/,
+# platform-config/ and clusters/, so a change that breaks it need not attribute R-IDP-03/04
+# and the requirement-scoped selection would filter it out of exactly the change that
+# introduces the bug. It is a sub-second offline scan plus a loopback selftest, with no
+# side effects, so running it twice when 3b also selects it is not worth avoiding.
+KEYCLOAK_SECRET_CHECK="${KEYCLOAK_SECRET_CHECK:-${REPO_ROOT}/conformance/tests/l0-static/keycloak-client-secret-reconciler/check.sh}"
+log "Stage: Keycloak client-secret reconciler safety (${KEYCLOAK_SECRET_CHECK})"
+if [ ! -f "$KEYCLOAK_SECRET_CHECK" ]; then
+  skip "keycloak client-secret check not present at '${KEYCLOAK_SECRET_CHECK}' — UNWIRED, not green"
+  summary "- keycloak-client-secrets: **SKIPPED** (check missing)"
+  if [ "$rc" -eq 0 ]; then rc=3; fi
+else
+  kc_rc=0
+  bash "$KEYCLOAK_SECRET_CHECK" || kc_rc=$?
+  case "$kc_rc" in
+    0) ok "Keycloak client-secret declaration + reconciler passed"
+       summary "- keycloak-client-secrets: **passed**" ;;
+    3) skip "keycloak client-secret check SKIPPED (platform/keycloak absent) — not a pass"
+       summary "- keycloak-client-secrets: **SKIPPED** (nothing to audit)"
+       if [ "$rc" -eq 0 ]; then rc=3; fi ;;
+    *) err "Keycloak client-secret declaration + reconciler FAILED"
+       summary "- keycloak-client-secrets: **FAILED**"; rc=1 ;;
+  esac
+fi
+
 case "$rc" in
   0) ok "L0 stage complete" ;;
   3) skip "L0 stage incomplete (unwired seam / missing tool) — not a pass" ;;

ci/touched-requirements.sh

@@ -180,9 +180,41 @@ path_requirements() {
     platform/externaldns/*)    echo "R-DNS-02" ;;
     platform/velero/*)         echo "R-STATE-03" ;;
     platform/monitoring/*)     echo "R-OBS-01 R-OBS-02" ;;
+    # platform/cnpg was UNMAPPED until 2026-09-06. It is the PostgreSQL DR path for keycloak-db /
+    # nextcloud-db / semaphore-db (barmanObjectStore WAL archiving + ScheduledBackup), so a change
+    # there is an R-IDP-05 / R-STATE-03 change; it now also carries the platform-health alert rules
+    # for that path (R-OBS-04). Without this line an edit under platform/cnpg/ contributed ZERO
+    # requirements unless it happened to retype an R-ID on a non-comment line, and escaped the gate.
+    platform/cnpg/*)           echo "R-IDP-05 R-STATE-03 R-OBS-04" ;;
+    # vpn-egress was UNMAPPED until 2026-09-06. platform/vpn-egress/egress-steering.yaml IS the
+    # R-NET-04 datapath (the rule that selects between the two egress paths) and the R-NET-05/06/07
+    # steering policy — it even self-declares those IDs in its `homelab.keithjackson.dev/requirements`
+    # annotation. But the content scan only reads ADDED/REMOVED lines, so any edit that does not
+    # happen to retype an R-ID (a selector change, an excludedCIDRs change, a comment) contributed
+    # ZERO requirements and escaped the gate entirely. Mapped explicitly; the annotation still wins
+    # when a diff does carry the tags.
+    platform/vpn-egress/*)     echo "R-NET-04 R-NET-05 R-NET-06 R-NET-07" ;;
+    # Keycloak is the whole SSO surface: the realm import (declarative identity config),
+    # the SOPS client secrets, and the reconciler that heals them. Added 2026-09-06 after
+    # the client-secret incident, in which editing platform/keycloak/ attributed NO
+    # requirement, so the L2 keycloak tests were filtered out of the merge gate's touched
+    # subset — the change that could break every OIDC login was gated by nothing.
+    # R-IDP-05 is in scope because platform/keycloak/ also carries the CNPG DB Cluster and
+    # its off-cluster backup credential, not only the realm.
+    platform/keycloak/*)       echo "R-IDP-01 R-IDP-02 R-IDP-03 R-IDP-04 R-IDP-05 R-IDP-06" ;;
+    platform/oauth2-proxy/*)   echo "R-IDP-02 R-IDP-06" ;;
     platform/image-automation/*) echo "R-UPD-01 R-UPD-02" ;;
     conformance/*)             echo "R-TEST-01 R-TEST-02 R-TEST-03 R-TEST-04" ;;
     clusters/*)                echo "R-GITOPS-01 R-ENV-02" ;;
+    # bootstrap/ was UNMAPPED until 2026-09-06, and the omission was load-bearing:
+    # bootstrap/standup.sh carries the placeholder guards that decide whether `velero` may be
+    # enabled against a real backup endpoint. A change touching standup.sh ALONGSIDE any
+    # already-mapped path scoped the L0 run to that other path's requirements and silently
+    # excluded conformance/tests/l0-static/placeholder-guard-coupling — the check that exists
+    # precisely to catch a guard/value mismatch. The 2026-09-05 guard bug (a prefix glob that
+    # stopped matching when the value it guards changed, in a different file) is exactly the
+    # class that omission would hide.
+    bootstrap/*)               echo "R-STATE-03 R-GITOPS-01" ;;
     .gitea/*|ci/*)             echo "R-GITOPS-01 R-TEST-02 R-TEST-03" ;;
     *) : ;;
   esac

clusters/README.md

@@ -97,6 +97,27 @@ Kustomization: apps-wave-1  (./apps/wave-1, dependsOn apps-wave-0)
 Kustomization: apps-wave-N  (./apps/wave-N, dependsOn apps-wave-N-1)
 ```
 
+### Second-order CRDs need a THIRD pass (`platform-config-cdi`, added 2026-09-05)
+
+The controllers/configs split (`platform` → `platform-config`) assumes a CRD is registered by the
+controller **install**. CDI breaks that: `cdi-operator.yaml` registers only `cdis.cdi.kubevirt.io`,
+and cdi-operator creates `storageprofiles` / `datavolumes` / `datasources` **only after it has
+reconciled the `CDI` CR**. Since kustomize-controller server-side **dry-runs every object in a pass
+before applying any of them**, having the `CDI` CR and the CDI `StorageProfile`s in one pass was a
+**deadlock, not a race**: unknown kind → pass aborts → CR never applied → CRD never created →
+`platform-config` can never converge → every tier below it blocked. Invisible on dev (its CDI CRDs
+have existed for months); it cost 12h on prod's cold start.
+
+So there is a third tier, `platform-config-cdi` (`./platform-config-cdi`, `dependsOn:
+platform-config`), and a rule:
+
+> A CR belongs in `platform-config-cdi`, not `platform-config`, when the CRD it needs is created by a
+> **controller at runtime** rather than by a manifest in git.
+
+`apps-vms` `dependsOn` it as well as `platform-config`, because CDI reads
+`StorageProfile/longhorn-vm` at DataVolume **provisioning** time — a VM disk provisioned before that
+profile exists is stamped RWO/Filesystem and is permanently not live-migratable.
+
 Wave 0 `dependsOn` `platform-config` (transitively `platform`) so CNI/storage/TLS/DNS/gateway
 exist before any workload reconciles. The app tier is split into dependency-ordered WAVES
 (`catalog/render.py --emit-waves`): each `apps-wave-<N>` health-gates (wait:true) ONLY its own

clusters/base/apps-vms.yaml

@@ -4,8 +4,11 @@
 # NON-GATING (wait:false): unlike the app waves, this does NOT health-wait. A VM's first-boot image
 # import (CDI, minutes) + in-guest software install mean a VM can be intentionally long-not-Ready, so
 # health-gating it would wedge reconciliation for no benefit. VMs have no in-cluster dependents.
-# dependsOn platform-config so KubeVirt/CDI + the longhorn-vm StorageClass + CDI StorageProfiles
+# dependsOn platform-config so KubeVirt/CDI + the longhorn-vm StorageClass exist first, AND
-# exist first. prune:true — this Kustomization solely owns the VM manifests (no adoption concern).
+# platform-config-cdi so the CDI StorageProfiles do (2026-09-05: the StorageProfiles MOVED OUT of
+# platform-config into their own tier, so `dependsOn: platform-config` alone NO LONGER guarantees
+# them — see the dependsOn block). prune:true — this Kustomization solely owns the VM manifests (no
+# adoption concern).
 apiVersion: kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io/v1
 kind: Kustomization
 metadata:
@@ -19,6 +22,28 @@ spec:
   wait: false
   dependsOn:
     - name: platform-config
+    # LOAD-BEARING, not decoration. apps/vms/unifi/20-datavolume.yaml provisions a DataVolume on
+    # storageClassName `longhorn-vm`, and CDI reads StorageProfile/longhorn-vm AT PROVISIONING TIME to
+    # decide the claim's accessModes/volumeMode. Without that profile's `claimPropertySets`
+    # (ReadWriteMany + Block) the PVC is stamped RWO/Filesystem and the VM disk is PERMANENTLY not
+    # live-migratable — a silent, unrecoverable-without-recreate loss. The profiles used to arrive
+    # with platform-config; since 2026-09-05 they arrive with `platform-config-cdi`, so the edge has
+    # to move with them. platform-config-cdi runs wait:true and StorageProfile has no status
+    # conditions (kstatus -> Current on apply), so this edge cannot stall this tier.
+    #
+    # HONEST LIMIT: CDI provisions from the profile's STATUS, which its storageprofile-controller
+    # derives from our spec. This edge proves the spec is applied, not that CDI has folded it into
+    # status — that is a watch-triggered round-trip of seconds against a ~30s dependency requeue, so
+    # it is a timing argument rather than a guarantee. See clusters/base/platform-config-cdi.yaml.
+    #
+    # This edge also makes the StorageProfile prune/recreate transition safe: platform-config's prune
+    # deletes the two profiles for the ~30-60s before platform-config-cdi re-applies them, and this
+    # dependsOn is what guarantees Flux cannot create a DataVolume inside that window.
+    #
+    # The platform-config edge above is kept although platform-config-cdi already dependsOn it: the
+    # edges are a set, there is no cycle, and stating both means a future edit to platform-config-cdi
+    # cannot silently drop this tier's KubeVirt/StorageClass gate.
+    - name: platform-config-cdi
   sourceRef:
     kind: GitRepository
     name: flux-system

clusters/base/backup.yaml

@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ spec:
     substituteFrom:
       - kind: ConfigMap
         name: cluster-vars
-  # SOPS decryption for velero-cloud.sops.yaml (the scoped MinIO `cloud` credential) is layered per
+  # SOPS decryption for the `cloud` INI credentials — velero-cloud.sops.yaml (dev's scoped MinIO key)
-  # environment by the overlay (clusters/dev patches THIS Kustomization by name), identical to how
+  # and velero-cloud-prod.sops.yaml (prod's Cloudflare R2 token) — is layered per environment by the
-  # headlamp/oauth2-proxy/crafty decrypt their own SOPS secrets. See clusters/dev/kustomization.yaml.
+  # overlay (clusters/dev and clusters/prod patch THIS Kustomization by name), identical to how
+  # headlamp/oauth2-proxy/crafty decrypt their own SOPS secrets. Both Secrets are applied on both
+  # clusters; ${BACKUP_CREDENTIALS_SUFFIX} (substituted from cluster-vars above) decides which one the
+  # velero Deployment actually mounts. See clusters/dev/kustomization.yaml.

clusters/base/cilium.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+---
+# Flux Kustomization: CILIUM (the CNI) — reconciles ./platform/cilium.
+# Serves R-PLAT-01 (platform components reconciled by GitOps) and R-GITOPS-01/03.
+#
+# WHY CILIUM HAS ITS OWN KUSTOMIZATION (split out of `platform`, 2026-09-01)
+#
+# This is the MIRROR IMAGE of the oauth2-proxy / headlamp splits, not a repeat of them. Those are
+# leaves that must NEVER gate a tier, so they left `platform` and run `wait: false` below it.
+# Cilium is the one component that legitimately SHOULD gate everything — but inside the shared
+# `platform` Kustomization its health was indistinguishable from eleven unrelated components:
+#
+#   * `platform`'s Ready condition could not tell you "the CNI is down" from "longhorn is slow".
+#   * The only emergency valve was `flux suspend kustomization platform` — freezing the ENTIRE
+#     tier (storage, TLS, DNS, ingress, monitoring, Keycloak, KubeVirt) to stop touching the CNI.
+#     `flux suspend kustomization cilium` now freezes exactly the CNI and nothing else, which is
+#     the valve the 2026-09-01 substitution incident wanted and did not have.
+#   * `platform`'s 10m interval + 5m timeout are wrong for a CNI: a 3-node DaemonSet rollout with
+#     `wait: true` can exceed 5m, and re-rendering the CNI every 10m buys nothing.
+#
+# GATING IS PRESERVED, NOT WEAKENED: `wait: true` here plus `platform.dependsOn: [cilium]` means
+# nothing in the graph reconciles until the CNI is healthy — the same guarantee as before, now
+# expressed as an explicit edge instead of an accident of co-tenancy.
+apiVersion: kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io/v1
+kind: Kustomization
+metadata:
+  name: cilium
+  namespace: flux-system
+spec:
+  # A CNI does not need a 10m re-render cadence. A git push still reconciles immediately —
+  # kustomize-controller is source-triggered; `interval` is only the drift-correction floor.
+  interval: 1h
+  retryInterval: 2m
+  # 10m (not the 5m `platform` uses): a 3-node Cilium DaemonSet rollout under `wait: true`,
+  # rolled ONE NODE AT A TIME (maxUnavailable: 1, P2), legitimately exceeds 5m.
+  timeout: 10m
+  prune: true
+  # TRUE, deliberately: this is the ONE component whose health should gate the whole platform.
+  wait: true
+  # Same revision-gating reason `platform` has it (2026-09-01 incident): `cluster-vars` is APPLIED
+  # by the root `flux-system` Kustomization, and this Kustomization SUBSTITUTES from it. `dependsOn`
+  # is revision-gated (kustomize-controller v1.4.0 `checkDependencies`), so this cannot render
+  # revision N of helmrelease.yaml against the revision N-1 `cluster-vars`. That race is exactly how
+  # `k8sServiceHost: ""` once reached the Cilium HelmRelease and took down 2/3 agents.
+  dependsOn:
+    - name: flux-system   # the ROOT Kustomization (sync.yaml) that applies cluster-vars
+  sourceRef:
+    kind: GitRepository
+    name: flux-system
+  path: ./platform/cilium
+  # MANDATORY, not decorative: platform/cilium/helmrelease.yaml references ${K3S_API_HOST}.
+  # kustomize-controller now runs --feature-gates=StrictPostBuildSubstitutions=true, so without
+  # this stanza an undefined ${K3S_API_HOST} FAILS this Kustomization outright (it no longer
+  # renders empty). That is the intended fail-closed behaviour — but it means the stanza is
+  # load-bearing for the CNI coming up at all. Do not remove it.
+  postBuild:
+    substituteFrom:
+      - kind: ConfigMap
+        name: cluster-vars
+  # No `decryption` stanza: platform/cilium carries no SOPS-encrypted resource (unlike
+  # oauth2-proxy/headlamp/crafty/velero, whose overlays patch one in by name).

clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml

@@ -17,9 +17,63 @@ data:
   CLUSTER_ENV: "base"                       # dev | prod  (overlays set this)
 
   # --- DNS / TLS ---
-  BASE_DOMAIN: "home.keithjackson.dev"      # platform hostname suffix (same both envs; split-horizon)
+  # THE platform hostname suffix. Every public hostname the cluster serves is `<svc>.${BASE_DOMAIN}`,
-  DNS_ZONE: "keithjackson.dev"              # the actual Cloudflare ZONE (BASE_DOMAIN is a subdomain of it);
+  # the wildcard cert is `*.${BASE_DOMAIN}`, coredns-custom answers the `${BASE_DOMAIN}` zone with
-                                            # ExternalDNS domain-filter must be the zone, not the subdomain
+  # ${GATEWAY_VIP}, and every OIDC issuer/redirect URI is built from it.
+  #
+  # THIS KNOB WAS DEAD UNTIL 2026-09-04 — declared here but referenced by NO manifest, because every
+  # hostname was hardcoded. That is what made the 2026-09-04 incident possible: prod and dev were
+  # authored to serve the SAME hostnames out of the SAME Cloudflare zone, so prod's external-dns
+  # (policy: sync, owner `default`) concluded it owned dev's public records and DELETED ALL OF THEM.
+  # See infra/PROD-PROVISIONING.md §10. The fix is architectural: each environment gets its OWN
+  # subdomain, so the two clusters can no longer describe the same name.
+  #
+  #   dev   -> home.keithjackson.dev            (UNCHANGED — see below)
+  #   prod  -> prod.home.keithjackson.dev
+  #
+  # DEV DELIBERATELY STAYS ON THE APEX `home.keithjackson.dev`. The target architecture puts dev on
+  # `dev.home.keithjackson.dev` with apex CNAMEs `<svc>.home` -> `<svc>.prod.home`, but moving dev
+  # relocates its Keycloak issuer, every OIDC client redirect URI, kubectl SSO, its wildcard cert and
+  # the Gitea host that IS the GitOps source — on a live cluster. Deferred to phase 2
+  # (infra/PROD-PROVISIONING.md §10). Base default is therefore the DEV value, the same convention as
+  # GATEWAY_VIP / LONGHORN_DATA_PATH: the base default is the known-good working value, dev restates
+  # it verbatim, and prod overrides it. Dev's rendered output is byte-identical to the pre-
+  # tokenization hardcoded manifests (verified 2026-09-04, all 12 substituted paths).
+  BASE_DOMAIN: "home.keithjackson.dev"
+
+  # ExternalDNS `--domain-filter` (platform/externaldns/helmrelease.yaml). SAFETY NET #2 behind
+  # EXTERNALDNS_TXT_OWNER_ID: a record whose name falls outside this filter is not even considered,
+  # so it cannot be created, updated or deleted regardless of TXT ownership.
+  #
+  # DEV KEEPS THE ZONE APEX `keithjackson.dev`, and must: dev serves the `home.keithjackson.dev`
+  # apex itself, and the Cloudflare provider filters the ACCOUNT'S ZONES by this value — a filter
+  # that is a strict subdomain of the zone dropped the parent zone outright ("no hosted zone matching
+  # record DNS Name", DECISIONS-LOG 2026-08) on the version in use then. So dev's value is unchanged
+  # from the retired `DNS_ZONE` knob this replaces, and dev renders byte-identically.
+  #
+  # PROD NARROWS TO ITS OWN SUBTREE `prod.home.keithjackson.dev`. VERIFY ON PROD'S FIRST RECONCILE
+  # (infra/PROD-PROVISIONING.md §10): if the zone-lookup limitation above still applies to the pinned
+  # chart, prod's external-dns will select NO zone and create NO records. That failure is FAIL-CLOSED
+  # — it can never delete another environment's records — and the fallback is to set prod's value
+  # back to "keithjackson.dev", leaving EXTERNALDNS_TXT_OWNER_ID as the sole (and sufficient) guard.
+  EXTERNALDNS_DOMAIN_FILTER: "keithjackson.dev"
+
+  # ExternalDNS TXT registry owner id (`--txt-owner-id`). THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE 2026-09-04 INCIDENT:
+  # neither cluster set it, so both inherited the chart default `default`, and ExternalDNS treats a
+  # record whose TXT registry entry carries ITS OWN owner id as its own to reconcile — and with
+  # `policy: sync`, to DELETE when no local resource claims it. Two clusters sharing an owner id on
+  # one zone therefore garbage-collect each other. Each environment MUST have a distinct value.
+  #
+  # DEV MUST RENDER EXACTLY `default`. Dev's LIVE public records are already registered in Cloudflare
+  # under owner `default`; changing dev's value would make dev's own external-dns stop recognising
+  # them, and it would re-create duplicates alongside the orphaned originals. Dev's overlay pins it.
+  #
+  # THE BASE DEFAULT IS A NON-COLLIDING SENTINEL, deliberately NOT `default`. A new environment that
+  # forgets this knob must not silently inherit dev's identity — that is precisely the incident. With
+  # this sentinel such a cluster owns nothing, so it can DELETE nothing; it would publish under a
+  # visibly wrong owner id (grep the TXT records) instead of destroying a live environment's DNS.
+  EXTERNALDNS_TXT_OWNER_ID: "unset-see-cluster-vars"
+
   ACME_CLUSTER_ISSUER: "letsencrypt-staging" # dev: staging | prod: letsencrypt-prod (ADR-0006)
   GATEWAY_VIP: "192.168.1.53"                # in-cluster split-horizon target (R-DNS-01/03): the L2-announced
                                             # ingress VIP of the `shared` Gateway. MUST equal the FIRST address of
@@ -42,15 +96,55 @@ data:
   #
   # Substitution coverage (verify before adding a knob here): every path that consumes these declares
   # postBuild.substituteFrom cluster-vars — platform (K3S_API_HOST), platform-config
-  # (CILIUM_LB_POOL_*, S3_BACKUP_ENDPOINT), crafty (CRAFTY_L4_VIP), apps-wave-0 (S3_BACKUP_ENDPOINT),
+  # (CILIUM_LB_POOL_*, and keycloak-db's S3_BACKUP_ENDPOINT + CNPG_BACKUP_PATH: the Cluster lives at
-  # velero (S3_BACKUP_ENDPOINT), apps-vms (UNIFI_L4_VIP). A ${TOKEN} in an UNSUBSTITUTED path would
+  # platform/keycloak/postgres-cluster.yaml but is rendered by platform-config, which is the ONLY
-  # ship the literal string into the cluster.
+  # tier that lists it), crafty (CRAFTY_L4_VIP), apps-wave-0 (nextcloud-db + semaphore-db:
+  # S3_BACKUP_ENDPOINT, CNPG_BACKUP_PATH), velero (S3_BACKUP_ENDPOINT, S3_BACKUP_REGION,
+  # VELERO_BACKUP_BUCKET, VELERO_BACKUP_PREFIX), apps-vms (UNIFI_L4_VIP). A ${TOKEN} in an
+  # UNSUBSTITUTED path would ship the literal string into the cluster.
+  #
+  # ADDING A KNOB IS SAFE UNDER StrictPostBuildSubstitutions ONLY BECAUSE OF THE ROOT EDGE. An
+  # UNDEFINED variable is a HARD Kustomization failure, so a manifest that references a knob the
+  # live ConfigMap does not yet carry breaks its whole tier. `clusters/base/platform.yaml` gained
+  # `dependsOn: [flux-system]` for exactly this: dependsOn is REVISION-gated, so no substituting
+  # tier can reconcile revision N until the ROOT Kustomization has APPLIED revision N — i.e. until
+  # the new cluster-vars key EXISTS. Every substituting consumer chains transitively through
+  # `platform`, so one edge covers the graph, and a new knob plus its first reference may ship in
+  # ONE commit. (A hand-run `kubectl apply -k clusters/<env>` bypasses that ordering entirely: apply
+  # the overlay BEFORE the tier that references the knob, or the tier fails until it retries.)
 
   # k3s API endpoint Cilium's kube-proxy replacement dials (platform/cilium/helmrelease.yaml).
-  # [parity] MUST equal the Ansible bootstrap's k3s_api_host (infra/ansible/roles/cilium/defaults/
+  #
-  # main.yml -> cilium-values.yaml.j2, already inventory-parameterized). Wrong value = Cilium cannot
+  # *** THIS IS THE CONTROL-PLANE VIP (kube-vip), NOT A NODE ADDRESS. *** Operator decision
-  # reach the API server on adopt and the CNI breaks. Port stays 6443 in both envs, so it is NOT a knob.
+  # 2026-09-06. It was each environment's PRIMARY NODE IP until then, which made the CNI's
-  K3S_API_HOST: "192.168.1.50"
+  # control-plane path depend on one machine in a cluster whose entire purpose is HA: verified on
+  # live prod, all three cilium-agents carried KUBERNETES_SERVICE_HOST=192.168.2.10 (k3s-prod-1's
+  # own address) while kube-vip held 192.168.2.9. Losing that node leaves the datapath running off
+  # Cilium's cache while NO service or policy update lands — a silent, unbounded staleness, not an
+  # outage you would notice. A virtual address that follows the control plane is the fix, and it is
+  # what kube-vip was stood up to provide.
+  #
+  #   dev  -> 192.168.1.49   (= kube_vip_address, group_vars/all.yml; base default, below)
+  #   prod -> 192.168.2.9    (= kube_vip_address, group_vars/k3s_prod/vars.yml)
+  #
+  # THE NAME IS NOW SLIGHTLY WRONG AND IS KEPT ANYWAY: renaming the knob would be a second,
+  # unrelated change to every substituting Kustomization at the same time as a live CNI endpoint
+  # move. Read it as "the API host Cilium dials", which is what it always meant.
+  #
+  # [parity] MUST equal the Ansible bootstrap's **k3s_apiserver_endpoint** for the SAME environment
+  # (infra/ansible/inventory/group_vars/all.yml -> roles/cilium/templates/cilium-values.yaml.j2,
+  # already inventory-parameterized). NOT k3s_api_host — that variable still exists and still holds
+  # the FOUNDER's address, because the cold-bootstrap `--server` join needs a machine that is
+  # already up before any VIP exists. The two are deliberately separate; see the TWO API ADDRESSES
+  # block at the top of group_vars/all.yml.
+  #
+  # Wrong value = Cilium cannot reach the API server on adopt and the CNI breaks. Port stays 6443
+  # in both envs, so it is NOT a knob.
+  #
+  # TLS needs nothing: k3s_tls_sans has always carried kube_vip_address alongside every node IP, so
+  # both addresses are already in the serving cert (verified live 2026-09-06 — prod answers through
+  # https://192.168.2.9:6443 under full CA verification). No cert reissue, no k3s restart.
+  K3S_API_HOST: "192.168.1.49"
 
   # CiliumLoadBalancerIPPool `default-pool` (platform-config/cilium/l2-ip-pool.yaml): the VIP range
   # L2-announced on the flat LAN. Must sit OUTSIDE the node IPs and any DHCP scope, and must match the
@@ -69,11 +163,34 @@ data:
   # Off-cluster S3 backup target (R-STATE-03, R-IDP-05) — the on-Proxmox MinIO, plain HTTP, path-style.
   # Consumed by BOTH backup paths: every CNPG Cluster's barmanObjectStore.endpointURL (keycloak-db,
   # nextcloud-db, semaphore-db) and Velero's backupStorageLocation s3Url. Full URL incl. scheme+port.
-  # Prod needs its OWN target: a backup that lands on the dev LAN's MinIO is not off-cluster DR.
+  # Prod needs its OWN target: a backup that lands on the dev LAN's MinIO is not off-cluster DR —
+  # and, measured 2026-09-05 from a pod INSIDE prod, it CANNOT reach it anyway (prod is on the SOHO
+  # network 192.168.2.0/24, which is pfSense's WAN, while this MinIO sits inside pfSense's LAN:
+  # `curl http://192.168.1.9:9000/minio/health/live` timed out after 15s). Prod uses Cloudflare R2.
   S3_BACKUP_ENDPOINT: "http://192.168.1.9:9000"
 
+  # S3 region. Every S3 client REQUIRES one; MinIO ignores whatever it is; Cloudflare R2 demands
+  # exactly `auto` (its `head-bucket` reports the physical hint `WNAM`, which is NOT a usable region
+  # string). This was hardcoded `us-east-1` inside platform/velero/helmrelease.yaml — correct-by-
+  # accident for MinIO and wrong for anything else, which is why it is a knob now. The base default
+  # is dev's LIVE value, deliberately: dev's Velero has been signing requests with `us-east-1`
+  # against that MinIO since bootstrap, and this repo's rule is that base == the known-good dev
+  # value. Prod overrides to `auto`.
+  S3_BACKUP_REGION: "us-east-1"
+
   # --- storage (ADR-0003) ---
   LONGHORN_DEFAULT_REPLICA_COUNT: "3"       # default StorageClass replica count (3 on 3 nodes)
+  # Longhorn's defaultDataPath (platform/longhorn/helmrelease.yaml): the on-NODE directory every
+  # replica is written into. It must be the path the NODE's own data disk is actually mounted at —
+  # roles/node_baseline owns that half (node_baseline_longhorn_data_path), and the two are ONE
+  # fact stated in two places, so [parity] holds per environment or replicas land on the OS disk.
+  # Base default = the DEV value, same convention as GATEWAY_VIP / the LAN block: the known-good
+  # working value. Dev's dedicated /dev/vdb IS mounted here and the LIVE cluster has 18 volumes
+  # on it — changing dev's value would orphan every replica, so the dev overlay restates it
+  # verbatim. PROD DIFFERS: its data partition serves TWO tenants (Longhorn plus k3s's whole data
+  # dir, moved off the 11.8 GiB /var — infra/PROD-PROVISIONING.md §2), so it is mounted at the
+  # neutral /data and Longhorn gets the /data/longhorn SUBDIRECTORY, not the mount root.
+  LONGHORN_DATA_PATH: "/var/lib/longhorn"
 
   # --- observability sizing (docs/10) ---
   MONITORING_PROMETHEUS_RETENTION: "7d"     # dev short | prod long
@@ -113,6 +230,99 @@ data:
   VELERO_BACKUP_SCHEDULE: "0 3 * * *"        # cron; overlays may differ
   VELERO_RETENTION: "168h"                   # dev short | prod long
 
+  # ==========================================================================================
+  # OBJECT-STORE TENANCY — the three knobs that keep two clusters and two backup tools from
+  # writing into each other's data. THESE ARE SAFETY KNOBS, not preferences.
+  # ==========================================================================================
+  # Nothing about the object layout was per-environment before this: Velero's bucket was the
+  # hardcoded literal `velero` with no prefix, and every CNPG Cluster used the hardcoded
+  # `s3://cnpg` with barman's `serverName` defaulting to the CLUSTER NAME — and BOTH environments
+  # have a keycloak-db, a nextcloud-db and a semaphore-db. Point two clusters at one bucket under
+  # that layout and:
+  #   (a) each cluster's Velero ADOPTS the other's backups and TTL-DELETES them on retention; and
+  #   (b) two different Postgres servers stream WAL into ONE Barman prefix, which does not merely
+  #       mix files — it CORRUPTS THE CHAIN and destroys PITR for both. That is the worse half:
+  #       dev's DR restore is PROVEN (R-STATE-03) and this would silently un-prove it.
+  #
+  # WHY THERE IS NO SINGLE `S3_BACKUP_BUCKET`. The two consumers take differently-SHAPED values:
+  # the Velero chart wants `bucket` and `prefix` as separate fields, while CNPG's
+  # barmanObjectStore.destinationPath is ONE full s3:// URL whose first path segment IS the bucket.
+  # CNPG's bucket therefore already lives inside CNPG_BACKUP_PATH; adding a second knob that had to
+  # hold the same bucket name a second time would be a rotation waiting to drift — the exact class
+  # of duplication this repo has been bitten by. Three knobs, each shaped for its own consumer, and
+  # no two of them can contradict each other.
+  #
+  # BASE = DEV'S LIVE LAYOUT, BYTE-FOR-BYTE, AND MUST STAY THAT WAY. Dev's existing backups are at
+  # `s3://velero/` (bucket root, no prefix) and `s3://cnpg/<clusterName>/` on that MinIO. Giving dev
+  # a prefix, or renaming its buckets, would ORPHAN the very backups its proven restore depends on —
+  # the same reason dev's EXTERNALDNS_TXT_OWNER_ID stays `default` and its LONGHORN_DATA_PATH stays
+  # /var/lib/longhorn. Verified: with an EMPTY prefix the Velero chart omits `objectStorage.prefix`
+  # from the rendered BackupStorageLocation entirely (helm template, chart 12.1.0), so dev's live
+  # BSL is unchanged by this parameterization rather than merely equivalent to it.
+  #
+  # PROD, which has no history to preserve, gets ONE bucket with TWO disjoint top-level prefixes:
+  #
+  #     s3://k3s-prod-backup/velero/…                 Velero (kopia repo + backup metadata)
+  #     s3://k3s-prod-backup/barman/<clusterName>/…   CNPG WAL + base backups
+  #
+  # The operator created exactly one R2 bucket, so velero-vs-barman separation has to come from the
+  # prefix rather than the bucket. The BUCKET ROOT IS DELIBERATELY LEFT EMPTY: if a prefix ever
+  # renders wrong, its objects land somewhere obviously bogus instead of silently colliding with a
+  # real tenant's data. Dev↔prod isolation is doubly independent — different endpoint AND different
+  # bucket — so neither cluster can reach the other's objects even with a mis-substituted prefix.
+  VELERO_BACKUP_BUCKET: "velero"             # dev: the `velero` MinIO bucket | prod: k3s-prod-backup
+  VELERO_BACKUP_PREFIX: ""                   # dev: bucket root (live layout) | prod: "velero"
+  CNPG_BACKUP_PATH: "s3://cnpg"              # dev: the `cnpg` MinIO bucket root | prod: s3://k3s-prod-backup/barman
+
+  # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  # WHICH CREDENTIAL SECRET THE BACKUP CONSUMERS READ (added 2026-09-07 — the per-env credential split)
+  # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  # The three knobs above say WHERE the backups go. This one says WHICH KEY signs the requests, and
+  # it exists because the endpoint moved per-environment while the credential did not.
+  #
+  # THE BUG IT FIXES. The four backup-credential Secrets — velero-cloud.sops.yaml and the three
+  # <db>-backup-credentials.sops.yaml — are SHARED BASE manifests: platform/ and apps/ are rendered
+  # by the same Flux tiers on both clusters, and cluster-vars substitution is the ONLY thing that
+  # differs (R-ENV-02). So writing prod's R2 token into those four files did not GIVE prod a
+  # credential, it REPLACED DEV'S: dev's Velero and all three dev CNPG Clusters would have started
+  # signing MinIO requests with an R2 key id. For Velero that is a broken BSL; for CNPG it is worse,
+  # because `archive_mode=on` means Postgres REFUSES TO RECYCLE a WAL segment it could not archive,
+  # so a 403 loop is a monotonically filling pgdata PVC ending in a PANIC — the same failure prod
+  # spent its whole bring-up in with a placeholder endpoint. One shared Secret also means rotating
+  # either environment's key silently breaks the other; that is the structural reason for the split,
+  # independent of dev's eventual decommission.
+  #
+  # THE MECHANISM. Each credential is now TWO Secret objects, both applied to BOTH clusters (they are
+  # base resources; nothing here forks a manifest per environment). The consumer names one:
+  #
+  #     velero:   credentials.existingSecret: velero-cloud-credentials${BACKUP_CREDENTIALS_SUFFIX}
+  #     CNPG:     s3Credentials.*.name:  <db>-backup-credentials${BACKUP_CREDENTIALS_SUFFIX}
+  #
+  # ONE knob, not four, ON PURPOSE. Four independent secret-name knobs could be updated three-
+  # quarters of the way, leaving one consumer pointed at the OTHER environment's key with nothing
+  # rendering wrong — and StrictPostBuildSubstitutions cannot catch that, because it only fails on an
+  # UNDEFINED variable, never on a defined-but-stale one. With a single suffix the four move together
+  # or not at all. The cost is that the rendered Secret name is not greppable from the consumer; the
+  # names are spelled out in full in each kustomization.yaml beside the resources.
+  #
+  # THE BASE DEFAULT IS THE EMPTY STRING, AND THAT IS LOAD-BEARING. It renders the UNSUFFIXED names,
+  # which are the objects that already exist and that the live dev cluster is running. A default
+  # naming a Secret that does not exist would be worse than the shared-Secret state it replaces:
+  # Velero's pod would sit in ContainerCreating forever on a missing `existingSecret` volume, and a
+  # CNPG Cluster whose s3Credentials Secret is absent stops archiving WAL — i.e. the disk-full clock
+  # again — so an unresolvable default breaks the referencing cluster HARDER than a wrong key does.
+  # Empty is also the value dev must carry, so base and dev agree, exactly like VELERO_BACKUP_PREFIX.
+  #
+  # An EMPTY VALUE IS SAFE UNDER StrictPostBuildSubstitutions: strict mode fails on a variable that is
+  # not DEFINED, not on one defined as "". VELERO_BACKUP_PREFIX above has shipped empty since the
+  # gate was enabled and proves it. Both overlays state this knob explicitly — dev "" and prod
+  # "-prod" — so neither inherits it silently.
+  #
+  # ADDING A NEW BACKUP CREDENTIAL: create BOTH halves (`x-credentials.sops.yaml` and
+  # `x-credentials-prod.sops.yaml`), list both in the kustomization, and reference
+  # `x-credentials${BACKUP_CREDENTIALS_SUFFIX}`. Never a single shared Secret again.
+  BACKUP_CREDENTIALS_SUFFIX: ""              # dev: "" (MinIO creds) | prod: "-prod" (R2 creds)
+
   # --- placement ---
   PLATFORM_NODE_SELECTOR_KEY: "kubernetes.io/os"   # base no-op selector; prod may pin roles
   PLATFORM_NODE_SELECTOR_VALUE: "linux"

clusters/base/kustomization.yaml

@@ -5,8 +5,24 @@ apiVersion: kustomize.config.k8s.io/v1beta1
 kind: Kustomization
 resources:
   - flux-system.yaml     # GitRepository (reconciliation source)
+  # Cilium (the CNI) — its OWN Kustomization, split OUT of `platform` (2026-09-01). The mirror image
+  # of the oauth2-proxy/headlamp splits: those are leaves that must never gate a tier (wait:false);
+  # Cilium is the one component that legitimately SHOULD gate everything, so it keeps wait:true and
+  # `platform` dependsOn it. Splitting it out buys a per-CNI Ready condition, CNI-appropriate
+  # interval/timeout, and `flux suspend kustomization cilium` as an emergency valve that does not
+  # freeze the other eleven platform components. See clusters/base/cilium.yaml.
+  - cilium.yaml          # Flux Kustomization -> ./platform/cilium (dependsOn flux-system, wait:true)
   - platform.yaml        # Flux Kustomization -> ./platform (CONTROLLERS: HelmReleases / CRDs)
   - platform-config.yaml # Flux Kustomization -> ./platform-config (CONFIGS: CRs; dependsOn platform)
+  # SECOND-ORDER CDI configs — CRs whose CRD is created by a controller AT RUNTIME, not by any
+  # manifest in git. cdi-operator.yaml registers only `cdis.cdi.kubevirt.io`; `storageprofiles` (and
+  # datavolumes, datasources, …) appear only after cdi-operator reconciles the `CDI` CR that
+  # platform-config applies. Because Flux dry-runs every object in a pass before applying any of them,
+  # keeping the StorageProfiles in platform-config was a TRUE DEADLOCK (unknown kind -> pass aborts ->
+  # CR never applied -> CRD never created -> tier never converges), invisible on dev and fatal on any
+  # cold cluster — observed on prod 2026-09-05. This tier is the durable fix; `standup.sh crds` stays
+  # as the belt-and-braces repair for clusters already wedged. See clusters/base/platform-config-cdi.yaml.
+  - platform-config-cdi.yaml # Flux Kustomization -> ./platform-config-cdi (dependsOn platform-config)
   # App tier, split into dependency-ordered WAVES (was the single ./apps `apps` Kustomization).
   # Each apps-wave-<N> dependsOn wave N-1 (wave 0 dependsOn platform-config) and health-gates
   # (wait:true) ONLY its own wave, so a crashloop in a later wave can't stall an earlier one.

clusters/base/platform-config-cdi.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+---
+# Flux Kustomization: SECOND-ORDER CDI CONFIGS — reconciles ./platform-config-cdi.
+# Serves R-GITOPS-01 (all desired state in git, reconciled by Flux) and R-ENV-02.
+#
+# WHY THIS TIER EXISTS — the durable fix for the 2026-09-05 prod CDI DEADLOCK
+#
+# `platform-config` applied the `CDI` CR and the CDI `StorageProfile`s in the SAME pass.
+# kustomize-controller server-side DRY-RUNS EVERY object before applying ANY of them, and
+# `storageprofiles.cdi.kubevirt.io` does not exist until cdi-operator has reconciled that `CDI` CR.
+# So the unknown kind aborted the whole tier → the CR was never applied → the CRD was never created →
+# platform-config could NEVER converge and every tier below it stayed blocked. Not a race: a
+# deadlock. cdi-operator was Available for 12h on prod with no CR. Invisible on dev (its CDI CRDs
+# have existed for months), FATAL on any cold cluster. See DECISIONS-LOG 2026-09-05.
+#
+# `bootstrap/standup.sh crds` pre-applies the `CDI` CR to break it by hand. That is a WORKAROUND and
+# stays as belt-and-braces for clusters already wedged; THIS Kustomization is the fix that makes the
+# graph order itself, so a cold cluster needs no human in the loop.
+#
+# THE ORDERING GUARANTEE, precisely: `dependsOn` is REVISION-gated, not merely Ready-gated (verified
+# against kustomize-controller v1.4.0 `kustomization_controller.go :: checkDependencies`, our
+# version): sharing a GitRepository with the dependency, this Kustomization cannot reconcile revision
+# N until `platform-config` has APPLIED revision N — and, because platform-config runs `wait: true`,
+# not until the `CDI` CR it applied is HEALTHY. cdi-operator creates the remaining CDI CRDs as part of
+# reaching that state, so by the time this tier's first dry-run runs, `StorageProfile` is a known
+# kind. One edge, no pre-apply.
+#
+# WHY NOT just move the CDI CR earlier, into `platform`? Because `platform` is the tier the CNI gates
+# and everything else waits on: putting CDI's health on that critical path is the mistake the
+# oauth2-proxy/headlamp splits were made to undo. The CR is correctly a platform-config CR; it is the
+# StorageProfiles that were in the wrong pass.
+apiVersion: kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io/v1
+kind: Kustomization
+metadata:
+  name: platform-config-cdi
+  namespace: flux-system
+spec:
+  interval: 10m
+  # 2m (short, deliberately). kustomize-controller caches API discovery, so on a COLD cluster the
+  # very first attempt here can still fail `no matches for kind "StorageProfile"` even though the CRD
+  # now exists — a stale RESTMapper, not a missing CRD (the failure mode `standup.sh crds` warns
+  # about). The controller resets the mapper and the retry succeeds, so the only cost of that stale
+  # cache is one retryInterval. Keep it short.
+  retryInterval: 2m
+  # 2m is ample: this tier applies two tiny cluster-scoped CRs. There is no workload to roll out, no
+  # image to pull and no controller to become Available, so a slow apply here means a real error, not
+  # a slow rollout — failing fast surfaces it instead of burning 5m per attempt.
+  timeout: 2m
+  # TRUE, and this tier is the SOLE declarer of both StorageProfiles (checked repo-wide), so prune is
+  # component-scoped: the stale set can only ever be a StorageProfile this file stopped rendering.
+  # It is NOT the platform/cilium case — nothing here declares a shared Namespace, or any object a
+  # second path also declares. See the transition note at the bottom of this file.
+  prune: true
+  # TRUE, but understand exactly what it buys and what it does NOT.
+  #
+  # CANNOT STALL: `StorageProfile`'s status type (CDI v1beta1 StorageProfileStatus: storageClass,
+  # provisioner, claimPropertySets, cloneStrategy, dataImportCronSourceFormat) carries NO
+  # `conditions` and NO `observedGeneration`, so kstatus's generic path reports it Current the moment
+  # it is applied. `wait: true` therefore adds a Ready condition without adding a way to hang — which
+  # is why it is safe to let `apps-vms` gate on it (contrast the headlamp gating stall).
+  # If a resource that CAN be unhealthy is ever added to ./platform-config-cdi, re-derive this:
+  # `apps-vms` waits on it.
+  #
+  # WHAT IT DOES NOT PROVE (honest gap): CDI reads the profile's **status**, not its spec, when it
+  # provisions a claim (status.claimPropertySets / status.cloneStrategy), and CDI's
+  # storageprofile-controller computes that status from our spec override plus inference. So Ready
+  # here means "the spec override is accepted by the API server", not "CDI has folded it into
+  # status". That reconcile is a watch-triggered round-trip of seconds, and the dependency requeue
+  # below it is ~30s, so a DataVolume cannot realistically beat it — but it is a timing argument, not
+  # a guarantee, and no `wait` setting can turn it into one (there is no condition to wait on).
+  wait: true
+  dependsOn:
+    # platform-config applies the `CDI` CR and (wait:true) waits for it to be healthy — which is what
+    # causes cdi-operator to create `storageprofiles.cdi.kubevirt.io`. Revision-gated, so this is an
+    # ordering guarantee and not a hope. Transitively this also chains platform -> cilium ->
+    # flux-system, so `cluster-vars` at revision N is applied before this renders revision N.
+    - name: platform-config
+  sourceRef:
+    kind: GitRepository
+    name: flux-system
+  path: ./platform-config-cdi
+  # NO SOPS `decryption` stanza: ../platform/kubevirt/cdi-storageprofiles.yaml is two plain CRs with
+  # no Secret and no *.sops.yaml, so neither overlay needs to patch one in (unlike
+  # oauth2-proxy/headlamp/crafty/velero, which each carry an encrypted Secret). Nothing to add to
+  # clusters/dev or clusters/prod for this tier.
+  #
+  # substituteFrom cluster-vars: the manifest currently contains NO `${TOKEN}`, so this stanza
+  # substitutes nothing today. It is declared anyway for two concrete reasons, not for symmetry:
+  #   1. COVERAGE. conformance/tests/l0-static/flux-postbuild-substitution/check.sh only audits paths
+  #      whose Kustomization declares substituteFrom. Omitting it would move
+  #      cdi-storageprofiles.yaml OUT of the audited set — a blind spot where a future `${TOKEN}`
+  #      could ship as a literal string, precisely the class of bug that check exists to stop.
+  #   2. FAIL-CLOSED. kustomize-controller runs --feature-gates=StrictPostBuildSubstitutions=true, so
+  #      with this stanza an undefined token FAILS this Kustomization loudly instead of rendering
+  #      empty. Without the stanza there is no substitution at all and the literal ships silently.
+  postBuild:
+    substituteFrom:
+      - kind: ConfigMap
+        name: cluster-vars
+  # ── FIRST RECONCILE AFTER MERGE: a TRANSIENT DELETE-THEN-RECREATE. READ BEFORE MERGING. ──────────
+  # Moving cdi-storageprofiles.yaml out of ./platform-config drops both StorageProfiles from THAT
+  # Kustomization's inventory, and platform-config has `prune: true` — so its next apply DELETES
+  # StorageProfile/longhorn and StorageProfile/longhorn-vm, and this Kustomization recreates them on
+  # the following reconcile (revision-gated: strictly after platform-config's apply, so there is no
+  # dual-ownership fight — the objects are pruned before they are re-applied under this tier's
+  # `kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io/name=platform-config-cdi` label).
+  #
+  # Why that is acceptable here — and it is NOT the platform/cilium case:
+  #   * Neither object is the sole (or any) declarer of a shared object. No Namespace, no ConfigMap,
+  #     nothing else in the repo declares a StorageProfile. The stale set is exactly two
+  #     cluster-scoped CDI CRs.
+  #   * The objects do not actually go missing: CDI's storageprofile-controller creates a
+  #     StorageProfile per StorageClass and recreates a deleted one, with an EMPTY `.spec` and
+  #     inferred `.status`. So the transient is "our .spec overrides are absent", not "the object is
+  #     absent".
+  #   * A StorageProfile is read at DataVolume/PVC PROVISIONING and CLONE time only. Existing PVCs,
+  #     existing DataVolumes and running VMs do not consult it again, so nothing already provisioned
+  #     is disturbed and no data path is touched.
+  #   * The only exposure is a DataVolume/clone STARTED inside the window: it would clone by `copy`
+  #     instead of `snapshot`, and on `longhorn-vm` be stamped RWO/Filesystem instead of RWX/Block —
+  #     permanently non-live-migratable for that disk. Flux cannot cause that, because `apps-vms` now
+  #     dependsOn THIS tier (clusters/base/apps-vms.yaml), so no Flux-managed DataVolume can be
+  #     created while the overrides are absent. A human running `virtctl`/`kubectl` in that minute
+  #     could.
+  #
+  # PRECONDITION THE OPERATOR MUST CHECK, because it is what bounds the window: the recreate cannot
+  # happen until `platform-config` is Ready, and platform-config runs `wait: true` over the whole
+  # config tier (ClusterIssuers, wildcard Certificate, Gateway, Keycloak, CNPG, KubeVirt, CDI…). On a
+  # healthy cluster that is seconds and the window is ~30-60s (kustomize-controller's
+  # --requeue-dependency default is 30s). If platform-config is NOT Ready when this merges, the
+  # StorageProfiles are pruned and stay at CDI defaults until it recovers. So:
+  #   `flux get kustomization platform-config` must be Ready BEFORE merging.
+  # If it is not, do the two-step the cilium move used instead: merge with `platform-config.prune`
+  # temporarily set to `false` (the objects are then dropped from its inventory but NOT deleted, and
+  # this tier ADOPTS them with zero window), verify the ownership label transferred, then restore
+  # `prune: true` in a second commit.

clusters/base/platform.yaml

@@ -11,8 +11,53 @@ spec:
   interval: 10m
   retryInterval: 2m
   timeout: 5m
-  prune: true          # drift correction: delete resources removed from git (R-GITOPS-03)
+  # Cilium was moved OUT of this tier into its own Kustomization (clusters/base/cilium.yaml)
+  # on 2026-09-01. `prune: true` is restored here now that the ownership transfer is VERIFIED
+  # live: Namespace/kube-system, the Cilium HelmRelease and the HelmRepository all carry
+  # `kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io/name=cilium`, this Kustomization's inventory no longer lists
+  # any of the three, and the `cilium` Kustomization's inventory holds exactly those three.
+  #
+  # LESSON WORTH KEEPING: `platform/cilium/namespace.yaml` was the ONLY declaration of
+  # Namespace/kube-system under ./platform. Moving that path out of a prune:true Kustomization
+  # made the stale set `delete namespace kube-system` — coredns, metrics-server, local-path AND
+  # Cilium. Before moving ANY platform/* component in future, check whether it is the sole
+  # declarer of a shared Namespace; that turns a component-scoped prune into a cluster-scoped one.
+  prune: true
   wait: true           # block `apps` until platform is healthy
+  # ORDERING FIX (2026-09-01 incident: a substitution race that failed OPEN broke Cilium).
+  #
+  # `cluster-vars` — the ConfigMap every substituting Kustomization reads — is APPLIED by the root
+  # `flux-system` Kustomization (clusters/<env>/sync.yaml), not by this one. Without an edge here,
+  # `platform` could render a manifest from revision N against the revision N-1 `cluster-vars`, so a
+  # NEWLY ADDED knob was undefined and (non-strict substitution) silently became the EMPTY STRING.
+  # That is how `k8sServiceHost: ""` reached the Cilium HelmRelease.
+  #
+  # `dependsOn` is REVISION-gated, not merely Ready-gated (verified against
+  # kustomize-controller v1.4.0 `kustomization_controller.go :: checkDependencies`, our version):
+  # when the dependency shares a GitRepository with the dependent, the dependent cannot reconcile
+  # revision N until the dependency has APPLIED revision N. Applying revision N is exactly what
+  # writes a newly-added `cluster-vars` knob — so this one edge closes the race.
+  #
+  # `platform` is the ONLY Kustomization in the graph with no `dependsOn`; every other substituting
+  # consumer (platform-config, apps-wave-0/1/2, apps-vms, oauth2-proxy, headlamp, homepage, crafty,
+  # velero) chains transitively through it. One edge therefore protects the whole graph.
+  #
+  # TRADE-OFF — READ THIS BEFORE YOU CURSE IT: the root is now a GATE. A malformed manifest
+  # ANYWHERE under the root's path (clusters/<env>, which includes clusters/base) fails the root
+  # Kustomization and therefore stops `platform` and EVERYTHING downstream, where before this edge
+  # the rest of the graph would have kept reconciling. That is deliberate and fail-closed: a broken
+  # entrypoint should stop the line, not let consumers render against a half-applied variable set.
+  # No deadlock risk — the root runs `wait: false`, so it reaches Ready on APPLY success and never
+  # health-gates its own children (see clusters/dev/sync.yaml).
+  dependsOn:
+    - name: flux-system   # the ROOT Kustomization (sync.yaml) that applies cluster-vars
+    # THE CNI GATES THE TIER. Cilium was split out of ./platform into its own Kustomization
+    # (clusters/base/cilium.yaml, wait:true) so its health has its own Ready condition and its own
+    # suspend valve. This edge preserves the ordering that co-tenancy used to provide implicitly:
+    # nothing in `platform` — and therefore nothing anywhere downstream — reconciles until the CNI
+    # is healthy. It is also revision-gated, which is what makes the prune-safety argument above
+    # deterministic rather than a race.
+    - name: cilium
   sourceRef:
     kind: GitRepository
     name: flux-system

clusters/dev/kustomization.yaml

@@ -106,8 +106,11 @@ patches:
           secretRef:
             name: sops-age
   # velero (backup controller) has its own post-platform Flux Kustomization (clusters/base/backup.yaml).
-  # It carries velero-cloud.sops.yaml (the scoped MinIO `cloud` credential), so it needs its own SOPS
+  # It carries BOTH halves of the per-env `cloud` INI credential — velero-cloud.sops.yaml (dev's scoped
-  # decryption stanza (same as headlamp/oauth2-proxy/crafty). The `sops-age` Secret is out-of-band (name only).
+  # MinIO key) and velero-cloud-prod.sops.yaml (prod's R2 token) — so it needs its own SOPS decryption
+  # stanza (same as headlamp/oauth2-proxy/crafty). Which one the Deployment mounts is chosen by
+  # BACKUP_CREDENTIALS_SUFFIX in the cluster-vars patch below, not here. The `sops-age` Secret is
+  # out-of-band (name only).
   - patch: |-
       apiVersion: kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io/v1
       kind: Kustomization
@@ -148,6 +151,33 @@ patches:
       - op: replace
         path: /data/ACME_CLUSTER_ISSUER
         value: "letsencrypt-prod"
+      # --- DNS identity (R-DNS-01/02/03) -----------------------------------------------------
+      # DEV STAYS ON THE APEX. Restated explicitly even though it equals the base default, exactly
+      # like the LAN block and LONGHORN_DATA_PATH below: this is what the LIVE cluster is running.
+      # Every one of dev's public DNS records, its `*.home.keithjackson.dev` wildcard cert, its
+      # Keycloak issuer, every OIDC client redirect URI, kubectl SSO, and gitea.home.keithjackson.dev
+      # (which IS this repo's GitOps source) are all on this exact suffix RIGHT NOW. Prod moved to
+      # prod.home.keithjackson.dev instead (2026-09-04) — that alone ended the collision, so dev did
+      # not have to move. Relocating dev to dev.home.keithjackson.dev is phase 2 and is a migration,
+      # not a variable change: infra/PROD-PROVISIONING.md §10.
+      - op: replace
+        path: /data/BASE_DOMAIN
+        value: "home.keithjackson.dev"
+      # ExternalDNS scope. MUST stay the zone apex: dev serves the home.keithjackson.dev APEX itself,
+      # and the Cloudflare provider selects zones with this value (a strict-subdomain filter dropped
+      # the parent zone — DECISIONS-LOG 2026-08). Same value the retired DNS_ZONE knob held.
+      - op: replace
+        path: /data/EXTERNALDNS_DOMAIN_FILTER
+        value: "keithjackson.dev"
+      # DO NOT CHANGE THIS VALUE. Dev's LIVE public records are registered in Cloudflare's TXT
+      # registry under owner `default` (the external-dns chart default, which is what both clusters
+      # silently shared until the 2026-09-04 incident). Dev's external-dns identifies its own records
+      # BY this string: any other value and it stops recognising every record it manages, then
+      # re-creates duplicates beside the orphaned originals. Prod is `prod` — distinct, which is the
+      # whole point. The base default is a non-colliding sentinel, so this line is load-bearing.
+      - op: replace
+        path: /data/EXTERNALDNS_TXT_OWNER_ID
+        value: "default"
       # --- dev LAN addressing (192.168.1.0/24 on the Proxmox LAN) -----------------------------
       # EVERY knob in cluster-vars' "LAN addressing" block is restated here EXPLICITLY, even where it
       # equals the base default. These values are what the LIVE dev cluster is running right now, so
@@ -160,11 +190,25 @@ patches:
       - op: replace
         path: /data/GATEWAY_VIP
         value: "192.168.1.53"
-      # k3s API endpoint Cilium's kube-proxy replacement dials — the primary control-plane node
+      # k3s API endpoint Cilium's kube-proxy replacement dials — DEV'S CONTROL-PLANE VIP,
-      # (k3s-1). [parity] equals the Ansible inventory's k3s_api_host for dev.
+      # the address kube-vip floats, NOT the primary node .50.
+      # [parity] equals the Ansible inventory's k3s_apiserver_endpoint for dev
+      # (= kube_vip_address, group_vars/all.yml). See clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml for why.
+      #
+      # *** THE ONE EXCEPTION TO "NEVER LET THIS BLOCK DRIFT FROM THE LIVE CLUSTER" ***
+      # Every other value in this block is what dev is running right now. This one is not:
+      # the live dev cilium-agents dial 192.168.1.50 (k3s-1). Changing it here is a
+      # DELIBERATE, OPERATOR-APPROVED move (2026-09-06) and reconciling it ROLLS THE CILIUM
+      # AGENT DAEMONSET on dev — one node at a time (updateStrategy.maxUnavailable: 1, kept
+      # in parity for exactly this reason). Do not push this to dev-live casually, and not
+      # while dev's DNS migration is mid-flight; the L2 datapath survives an agent restart
+      # but a wrong value here is the 2026-09-01 incident. .49 is in dev's serving-cert SANs
+      # already (k3s_tls_sans) and dev's own kubeconfig validates against it via
+      # tls-server-name, so TLS is not the risk — the risk is reachability, and .49 is on the
+      # same LAN as the nodes and ARP-announced by kube-vip on every server.
       - op: replace
         path: /data/K3S_API_HOST
-        value: "192.168.1.50"
+        value: "192.168.1.49"
       # Cilium LB IP pool = the tofu reservation cilium_l2_vip_range .53-.60, outside the node IPs
       # (.50/.51/.52) and outside the DHCP scope. .53 Gateway, .54 unifi, .55 crafty; .56-.60 free.
       - op: replace
@@ -183,13 +227,70 @@ patches:
         value: "192.168.1.55"
       # Off-cluster backup target: the on-Proxmox MinIO (plain HTTP, path-style) that every CNPG
       # barmanObjectStore and Velero's backupStorageLocation write to.
+      #
+      # DEV IS DELIBERATELY STAYING ON THIS MinIO while prod goes to Cloudflare R2 (2026-09-07).
+      # Prod could not use it at all — it cannot even route to it — but dev's move is a separate,
+      # operator-gated decision, because R2 would start dev on an EMPTY prefix: Velero would write
+      # a fresh kopia repository, CNPG would take new base backups, and the 30-day Barman window
+      # would rebuild from zero. Dev's DR restore is the one PROVEN recovery path in this repo
+      # (R-STATE-03); resetting its PITR window is not a side effect to take while fixing prod.
       - op: replace
         path: /data/S3_BACKUP_ENDPOINT
         value: "http://192.168.1.9:9000"
+      # DO NOT CHANGE THESE FOUR. They are dev's LIVE object layout, restated verbatim for the same
+      # reason as LONGHORN_DATA_PATH and EXTERNALDNS_TXT_OWNER_ID below/above: they equal the base
+      # defaults today, and a silent drift in base would ORPHAN dev's existing backups — the ones
+      # its proven restore depends on — without any manifest looking wrong.
+      #
+      # `us-east-1` is what dev's Velero has signed every request with since bootstrap; MinIO
+      # ignores the value, but changing it is a needless risk against a live, working backup path.
+      # An EMPTY VELERO_BACKUP_PREFIX means the bucket root, which is where dev's backups already
+      # are — and the Velero chart omits `objectStorage.prefix` entirely when it is empty (verified
+      # against chart 12.1.0), so dev's live BackupStorageLocation is byte-unchanged by this.
+      - op: replace
+        path: /data/S3_BACKUP_REGION
+        value: "us-east-1"
+      - op: replace
+        path: /data/VELERO_BACKUP_BUCKET
+        value: "velero"
+      - op: replace
+        path: /data/VELERO_BACKUP_PREFIX
+        value: ""
+      - op: replace
+        path: /data/CNPG_BACKUP_PATH
+        value: "s3://cnpg"
+      # WHICH CREDENTIAL SIGNS THOSE REQUESTS. Empty suffix = the UNSUFFIXED Secrets
+      # (velero-cloud-credentials, <db>-backup-credentials) — the scoped MinIO keys dev's Velero and
+      # its three CNPG Clusters are running RIGHT NOW, byte-identical to what is on the cluster. Prod
+      # renders "-prod" and reads the Cloudflare R2 token from the parallel `-prod` Secrets instead.
+      #
+      # RESTATED EXPLICITLY even though it equals the base default, for the same reason as
+      # EXTERNALDNS_TXT_OWNER_ID and the four backup-layout knobs above: the four Secrets are SHARED
+      # base manifests, so before this split prod's R2 token landed in the objects DEV reads. Dev
+      # signing MinIO with an R2 key id is 403 on every barman-cloud-wal-archive, and archive_mode=on
+      # turns that into a filling pgdata PVC — the disk-full clock, on the one cluster whose DR
+      # restore is PROVEN (R-STATE-03). This line is what keeps dev on its own credential.
+      #
+      # DEV IS NOT BEING BACKED UP GOING FORWARD and is slated for decommission (operator,
+      # 2026-09-07), so this is not protecting a future backup — it is protecting the EXISTING
+      # backups and the WAL chain until dev is retired. Do not "simplify" it away while dev runs.
+      - op: replace
+        path: /data/BACKUP_CREDENTIALS_SUFFIX
+        value: ""
       # dev mirrors prod's 3-node topology, so the replicated tier keeps 3 replicas.
       - op: replace
         path: /data/LONGHORN_DEFAULT_REPLICA_COUNT
         value: "3"
+      # DO NOT CHANGE THIS VALUE. The LIVE dev cluster has 18 Longhorn volumes whose replicas are
+      # on disk under /var/lib/longhorn — the dedicated /dev/vdb ext4 disk roles/node_baseline
+      # mounts there. Longhorn addresses a replica by dataPath; pointing defaultDataPath anywhere
+      # else would orphan every one of them (they are not recoverable from the old path by
+      # rescheduling). Restated explicitly even though it equals the base default, exactly like the
+      # LAN block above: this is what the live cluster is running. Prod uses /data/longhorn because
+      # its data partition also carries k3s's data dir — see clusters/prod and PROD-PROVISIONING §2.
+      - op: replace
+        path: /data/LONGHORN_DATA_PATH
+        value: "/var/lib/longhorn"
       # smaller retention / volumes to keep the dev workstation footprint light.
       - op: replace
         path: /data/MONITORING_PROMETHEUS_RETENTION

clusters/prod/kustomization.yaml

@@ -5,11 +5,207 @@
 # When Phase 7 is opened, `flux bootstrap ... --path=clusters/prod` points the prod cluster's Flux
 # here. Like dev, this overlay adds NO resources — it ONLY patches cluster-vars with prod-scoped
 # values (R-ENV-02). Promotion to prod is a change to THESE variables, never a base edit.
+#
+# *** PHASE-7 BLOCKER — READ BEFORE BOOTSTRAPPING PROD ***
+# `clusters/base/platform.yaml` now carries `dependsOn: [flux-system]` (the 2026-09-01 substitution-
+# race fix). That names the ROOT Kustomization, which clusters/dev supplies as `dev/sync.yaml`
+# (path ./clusters/dev). THIS overlay has no sync.yaml yet, so as written a prod bootstrap would
+# leave `platform` stuck on "dependency 'flux-system/flux-system' is not ready" FOREVER and nothing
+# downstream would reconcile. Phase 7 MUST add `clusters/prod/sync.yaml` — a copy of dev/sync.yaml
+# with `path: ./clusters/prod` — as part of opening this overlay. (Adding it now is deliberately NOT
+# done here: prod is design-only and its root object is the prod bring-up owner's call.)
 apiVersion: kustomize.config.k8s.io/v1beta1
 kind: Kustomization
 resources:
   - ../base
+  - sync.yaml          # self-managing root Kustomization -> ./clusters/prod (REQUIRED: see below)
 patches:
+  # --- SOPS decryption (operator decision 2026-09-01: prod uses the SAME age key as dev) ---
+  # Mirrors clusters/dev exactly, one stanza per Kustomization that carries encrypted Secrets.
+  # The `sops-age` Secret is created OUT OF BAND on the prod cluster
+  # (bootstrap/sops/install-age-key.sh) — referenced by NAME only, never inlined.
+  # Add a stanza here whenever `render.py --emit-waves` introduces a new deepest wave.
+  - patch: |-
+      apiVersion: kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io/v1
+      kind: Kustomization
+      metadata:
+        name: platform
+        namespace: flux-system
+      spec:
+        decryption:
+          provider: sops
+          secretRef:
+            name: sops-age
+  - patch: |-
+      apiVersion: kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io/v1
+      kind: Kustomization
+      metadata:
+        name: apps-wave-0
+        namespace: flux-system
+      spec:
+        decryption:
+          provider: sops
+          secretRef:
+            name: sops-age
+  - patch: |-
+      apiVersion: kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io/v1
+      kind: Kustomization
+      metadata:
+        name: apps-wave-1
+        namespace: flux-system
+      spec:
+        decryption:
+          provider: sops
+          secretRef:
+            name: sops-age
+  - patch: |-
+      apiVersion: kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io/v1
+      kind: Kustomization
+      metadata:
+        name: apps-wave-2
+        namespace: flux-system
+      spec:
+        decryption:
+          provider: sops
+          secretRef:
+            name: sops-age
+  - patch: |-
+      apiVersion: kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io/v1
+      kind: Kustomization
+      metadata:
+        name: oauth2-proxy
+        namespace: flux-system
+      spec:
+        decryption:
+          provider: sops
+          secretRef:
+            name: sops-age
+  - patch: |-
+      apiVersion: kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io/v1
+      kind: Kustomization
+      metadata:
+        name: headlamp
+        namespace: flux-system
+      spec:
+        decryption:
+          provider: sops
+          secretRef:
+            name: sops-age
+  - patch: |-
+      apiVersion: kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io/v1
+      kind: Kustomization
+      metadata:
+        name: crafty
+        namespace: flux-system
+      spec:
+        decryption:
+          provider: sops
+          secretRef:
+            name: sops-age
+  - patch: |-
+      apiVersion: kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io/v1
+      kind: Kustomization
+      metadata:
+        name: velero
+        namespace: flux-system
+      spec:
+        decryption:
+          provider: sops
+          secretRef:
+            name: sops-age
+  # --- GitOps source (operator decision 2026-09-01: prod tracks the SAME BRANCH as dev) ---
+  #
+  # ############################################################################################
+  # ###                                                                                      ###
+  # ###   *** T E M P O R A R Y   B O O T S T R A P   S O U R C E  —  NOT PERMANENT ***       ###
+  # ###                                                                                      ###
+  # ###   The url below is a Gitea container running ON THE OPERATOR'S WORKSTATION, outside   ###
+  # ###   any cluster. It exists ONLY to get prod's first reconcile off the ground. It MUST   ###
+  # ###   be cut over to the in-cluster URL once Gitea runs on prod. If you are reading this  ###
+  # ###   and prod has been serving traffic for months, THE CUTOVER WAS NEVER DONE — that is  ###
+  # ###   a live single point of failure, not a settled design. See "CUTOVER" below.          ###
+  # ###                                                                                      ###
+  # ############################################################################################
+  #
+  # WHY THE IN-CLUSTER URL CANNOT BE USED YET (blocker found 2026-09-01, still true; the
+  # unusable value was `https://gitea.home.keithjackson.dev/Home-Network/home-network-k3s-impl.git`).
+  # Two independent reasons, both consequences of the split-horizon design:
+  #   1. SELF-HOSTING CIRCULARITY. Gitea runs ON THE DEV CLUSTER. Prod syncing from it means prod's
+  #      GitOps source lives inside the very cluster slated for decommission. Gitea must move to
+  #      prod (or off-cluster) BEFORE dev is retired, or prod loses its source of truth.
+  #   2. SPLIT-HORIZON DNS SENDS IT TO THE WRONG PLACE. platform/coredns/coredns-custom.yaml
+  #      answers the ENTIRE home.keithjackson.dev zone with ${GATEWAY_VIP}. On prod that is
+  #      192.168.2.20 — PROD's own gateway, where no Gitea is listening. Prod's Flux would resolve
+  #      gitea.home.keithjackson.dev to itself and never reach a repository.
+  #
+  # WHAT THE TEMPORARY SOURCE IS (stood up 2026-09-04 on explicit operator direction):
+  #   bootstrap/gitea/bootstrap-gitea.sh with HOST_NAT_IP=192.168.2.132 — a podman container on the
+  #   operator's workstation, Gitea 1.22.6, listening on 192.168.2.132:3000. All three prod nodes
+  #   reach it DIRECTLY on the LAN: no libvirt NAT hop (that network is retired) and no firewall
+  #   change was needed. This is the same "local bootstrap source" pattern dev itself used before
+  #   its Phase-6 cutover (docs/05 "Source-of-truth").
+  #
+  # PLAIN HTTP, AND WHY THAT IS ACCEPTED HERE: the bootstrap Gitea has no TLS, so there is no cert
+  # for Flux to trust and no caCertSecretRef to wire. Traffic is LAN-local between prod nodes and
+  # the workstation, the repo carries NO plaintext secrets (everything sensitive is SOPS-encrypted,
+  # .sops.yaml), and the window is the bring-up only. Do NOT extend this posture past cutover.
+  #
+  # NO secretRef, DELIBERATELY: the repo is PUBLIC on the bootstrap Gitea, so anonymous clone
+  # works and Flux needs no git credentials. VERIFIED 2026-09-04 by unauthenticated request:
+  #   curl http://192.168.2.132:3000/api/v1/repos/Home-Network/home-network-k3s-impl -> "private":false
+  #   git ls-remote http://192.168.2.132:3000/Home-Network/home-network-k3s-impl.git  -> refs/heads/main
+  # If the GitRepository ever reports an auth failure that looks like a network problem, RE-CHECK
+  # THAT FIRST: a private repo here fails exactly that way.
+  #
+  # *** CUTOVER — the exit condition, mirroring dev's Phase-6 cutover (docs/05) ***
+  #   WHEN: Gitea runs on prod (reconciled in-cluster) and answers gitea.home.keithjackson.dev
+  #         through prod's own Gateway VIP with a publicly-trusted cert.
+  #   DO:   1. push/mirror this repo into the prod in-cluster Gitea;
+  #         2. change the url below to
+  #            https://gitea.home.keithjackson.dev/Home-Network/home-network-k3s-impl.git
+  #            and DELETE this whole TEMPORARY block (dev's equivalent stanza, ~15 lines above in
+  #            clusters/dev/kustomization.yaml, is what "done" looks like);
+  #         3. confirm `flux get sources git -n flux-system` reconciles the new revision;
+  #         4. only THEN stop the workstation container. Keep it stopped-not-deleted as recovery,
+  #            exactly as dev retained its bootstrap Gitea.
+  #   UNTIL THEN: prod's reconciliation depends on a container on a workstation that may be
+  #   powered off. Flux keeps the last-reconciled state running, but NO new revision lands while
+  #   it is down. Tracked as an open blocker in infra/PROD-PROVISIONING.md §7.
+  #
+  # The BRANCH below is settled and correct: prod tracks `main`, the same branch as dev.
+  # CONSEQUENCE, recorded deliberately: once prod is live, EVERY MERGE TO main RECONCILES BOTH
+  # CLUSTERS. There is no promotion step and no soak window — dev and prod move together.
+  # NOTE for bring-up: bootstrap-gitea.sh pushes the operator's CURRENT HEAD to the bootstrap
+  # Gitea's `main`, whatever branch that is. Before bootstrapping prod, confirm that remote `main`
+  # is the revision you intend prod to run (`git ls-remote` above, against local `main`).
+  - patch: |-
+      apiVersion: source.toolkit.fluxcd.io/v1
+      kind: GitRepository
+      metadata:
+        name: flux-system
+        namespace: flux-system
+      spec:
+        # CUTOVER DONE 2026-09-06 (operator direction: "move the repo to prod"). Prod now reconciles
+        # from PROD'S OWN in-cluster Gitea. The workstation bootstrap container
+        # (http://192.168.2.132:3000) is retired as prod's source — it was a podman container on the
+        # operator's workstation holding a DHCP lease on WIFI, i.e. production's source of truth was a
+        # laptop. It is kept only as a recovery path (bootstrap/gitea/bootstrap-gitea.sh).
+        #
+        # THIS LINE IS SELF-REFERENTIAL AND THAT IS THE WHOLE DIFFICULTY. The root Kustomization
+        # renders ./clusters/prod, which contains this patch — so a live `kubectl patch` of
+        # GitRepository.spec.url is REVERTED on the next reconcile unless the authored value moves
+        # too. The cutover therefore had to be: (1) push the repo to prod's Gitea, (2) fast-forward
+        # its `main` to the exact commit prod was already running so the source swap changed nothing
+        # else, (3) live-patch the url to open a window, (4) land THIS commit through that window so
+        # the authored value agrees. Dev hit the identical trap on 2026-09-05
+        # (infra/PROD-PROVISIONING.md §10a "D0/D1 as executed").
+        #
+        # Verified before the switch: a throwaway pod INSIDE prod resolved this host through
+        # in-cluster CoreDNS to the Gateway VIP and cloned over the public LE cert with no CA
+        # supplied. The workstation being able to reach it proves nothing about pod egress.
+        url: https://gitea.prod.home.keithjackson.dev/Home-Network/home-network-k3s-impl.git
+        ref:
+          branch: main
   - target:
       kind: ConfigMap
       name: cluster-vars
@@ -21,9 +217,80 @@ patches:
       - op: replace
         path: /data/ACME_CLUSTER_ISSUER
         value: "letsencrypt-prod"
+      # ==========================================================================================
+      # PROD DNS IDENTITY (R-DNS-01/02/03) — the fix for the 2026-09-04 incident.
+      # ==========================================================================================
+      # PROD SERVES ITS OWN SUBDOMAIN. Until 2026-09-04 every hostname was HARDCODED to
+      # home.keithjackson.dev in the base manifests, so prod was authored to serve the EXACT SAME
+      # public names as the live dev cluster out of the SAME Cloudflare zone. Two consequences, one
+      # of which already happened:
+      #   1. HAPPENED: prod's external-dns (policy: sync, owner id `default` — the same implicit
+      #      default dev had) concluded it owned dev's records and DELETED EVERY ONE of them.
+      #   2. QUEUED BEHIND IT: platform-config would have requested a `*.home.keithjackson.dev`
+      #      wildcard from letsencrypt-prod for a cert dev already holds, and both clusters would
+      #      have raced each other's `_acme-challenge` TXT records on that one zone.
+      # Moving prod to its own suffix dissolves both: the two clusters can no longer name the same
+      # record. This is what makes ACME_CLUSTER_ISSUER: letsencrypt-prod above safe here.
+      #
+      #   dev   -> home.keithjackson.dev         (UNCHANGED — dev is live; phase 2 moves it)
+      #   prod  -> prod.home.keithjackson.dev    (this knob)
+      #
+      # CONSEQUENCE — prod's hostnames are NOT the apex names. Prod's Gitea is
+      # gitea.prod.home.keithjackson.dev, its Keycloak keycloak.prod.home.keithjackson.dev, and so
+      # on; the wildcard cert becomes `*.prod.home.keithjackson.dev`. The apex CNAMEs that make
+      # `<svc>.home.keithjackson.dev` point at prod are PHASE 2, deliberately not done here — they
+      # would take traffic off the live dev cluster. infra/PROD-PROVISIONING.md §10.
+      #
+      # [parity] MUST equal k3s_base_domain in infra/ansible/inventory/group_vars/k3s_prod/vars.yml.
+      # The kube-apiserver's oidc-issuer-url is an INSTALL-TIME k3s flag, not a manifest, so it is
+      # set Ansible-side from that variable and cannot read this one. If they disagree, kubectl SSO
+      # trusts a different Keycloak than the one prod actually runs.
+      - op: replace
+        path: /data/BASE_DOMAIN
+        value: "prod.home.keithjackson.dev"
+      # SAFETY NET #2 (independent of the owner id below): narrow ExternalDNS's name scope to prod's
+      # OWN subtree, so prod cannot create, update or delete any record outside it no matter what the
+      # TXT registry says. VERIFY ON FIRST RECONCILE — the Cloudflare provider uses this value for
+      # ZONE selection too, and on the version in use in 2026-08 a strict-subdomain filter dropped
+      # the parent zone ("no hosted zone matching record DNS Name"). If prod's external-dns logs no
+      # matching zone, it will create NOTHING — fail-closed, and it can still never delete dev's
+      # records. Fallback in that case: set this to "keithjackson.dev" (dev's value) and rely on
+      # EXTERNALDNS_TXT_OWNER_ID below, which is sufficient on its own.
+      - op: replace
+        path: /data/EXTERNALDNS_DOMAIN_FILTER
+        # MUST be the Cloudflare ZONE, not prod's subdomain. FINDING F-DNS1 (DECISIONS-LOG,
+        # 2026-08-17) proved a subdomain filter DROPS THE PARENT ZONE: ExternalDNS generated the
+        # record then skipped it with "no hosted zone matching record DNS Name", so prod would
+        # publish NOTHING. Isolation from dev does NOT come from this filter — it comes from
+        # (1) prod only requesting *.prod.home.keithjackson.dev hostnames, and
+        # (2) txtOwnerId: prod, so prod's registry never claims dev's `default`-owned records.
+        # That pairing is what the 2026-09-04 incident needed and this filter cannot provide.
+        value: "keithjackson.dev"
+      # SAFETY NET #1 — THE ACTUAL ROOT CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT. Both clusters left this unset and so
+      # both inherited the chart default `default`; prod then treated dev's TXT-registry entries as
+      # its own and, under policy: sync, deleted the records behind them. This value MUST differ from
+      # dev's (`default`, pinned in clusters/dev — dev's live records are registered under it and
+      # cannot be renamed without orphaning them). `prod` is distinct, which is the entire fix.
+      - op: replace
+        path: /data/EXTERNALDNS_TXT_OWNER_ID
+        value: "prod"
       - op: replace
         path: /data/LONGHORN_DEFAULT_REPLICA_COUNT
         value: "3"
+      # Longhorn's on-node replica directory: a SUBDIRECTORY of the claimed data partition, not
+      # the mount root. Prod's ~424 GB partition (LABEL=k3s-data) is mounted at the neutral /data
+      # and serves TWO tenants — /data/longhorn here, and /data/k3s for k3s's entire data dir
+      # (embedded etcd + the containerd image store), which had to move off the 11.8 GiB /var:
+      # measured on dev, containerd alone is 21-25 GB per node, so prod would have filled /var on
+      # its first image pulls and etcd could not have written its WAL. infra/PROD-PROVISIONING.md §2.
+      #
+      # [parity] MUST equal node_baseline_longhorn_data_path in
+      # infra/ansible/inventory/group_vars/k3s_prod/vars.yml — Ansible creates and mounts the
+      # directory, this tells Longhorn to use it. If they disagree, Longhorn writes replicas to a
+      # path on the OS filesystem instead of the data partition and /var fills up.
+      - op: replace
+        path: /data/LONGHORN_DATA_PATH
+        value: "/data/longhorn"
       # longer retention / larger volumes on prod NVMe.
       - op: replace
         path: /data/MONITORING_PROMETHEUS_RETENTION
@@ -89,14 +356,32 @@ patches:
       - op: replace
         path: /data/CILIUM_LB_POOL_STOP
         value: "192.168.2.30"
-      # --- still UNDECIDED -> loud placeholders (must be real before `flux bootstrap`) ------------
       # k3s API endpoint Cilium's kube-proxy replacement dials. This is the prod CONTROL-PLANE VIP
-      # (kube-vip), NOT .20 (the ingress VIP) and NOT the single node address .10. It is owned
+      # (kube-vip), NOT .20 (the ingress VIP) and NOT the single node address .10.
-      # Ansible-side (prod inventory k3s_api_host) and MUST equal that value — [parity] contract in
+      #
-      # platform/cilium/helmrelease.yaml. Not yet decided.
+      # *** DECIDED 2026-09-06 by the operator: the VIP, as intended. *** (This block previously
+      # read "Not yet decided" while shipping .10 — the founder's own address — and that is what
+      # the LIVE prod cluster is running: all three cilium-agents carry
+      # KUBERNETES_SERVICE_HOST=192.168.2.10 while kube-vip holds .9, verified 2026-09-06. On a
+      # 3-node HA cluster that makes the CNI's control-plane path depend on k3s-prod-1: lose it and
+      # the datapath keeps running off Cilium's cache while no service or policy update lands, with
+      # nothing looking broken. The VIP is a virtual address that reaches the cluster wherever the
+      # control plane is, which is the whole reason kube-vip exists here.)
+      #
+      # It is owned Ansible-side by **k3s_apiserver_endpoint** (group_vars/all.yml, derived from
+      # this environment's kube_vip_address = 192.168.2.9 in group_vars/k3s_prod/vars.yml) and MUST
+      # equal that value — [parity] contract in platform/cilium/helmrelease.yaml. NOT k3s_api_host:
+      # that variable still exists and still holds the FOUNDER's .10, because the cold-bootstrap
+      # `--server` join needs a host that is up before any VIP is floated. Two addresses, two
+      # variables, deliberately.
+      #
+      # .9 sits OUTSIDE the Cilium LB pool (.20-.30) and is not a node address, so kube-vip and
+      # LB-IPAM can never be handed the same IP — asserted by
+      # conformance/tests/l0-static/ha-control-plane-as-code.
       - op: replace
         path: /data/K3S_API_HOST
-        value: "192.168.2.10"
+        value: "192.168.2.9"
+      # --- still UNDECIDED -> loud placeholders (must be real before `flux bootstrap`) ------------
       # Pinned L4 VIPs, both carved out of the pool by lbipam.cilium.io/ips. Not yet assigned for
       # prod. Leaving the dev literals in place would hand a prod LoadBalancer a dev-LAN address, so
       # they stay placeholders; whatever is chosen MUST fall inside [POOL_START, POOL_STOP] and not
@@ -107,10 +392,91 @@ patches:
       - op: replace
         path: /data/CRAFTY_L4_VIP
         value: "192.168.2.22"
-      # Off-cluster DR target. Dev's versitygw/MinIO (192.168.1.9:9000) sits on the DEV side of the
+      # ==========================================================================================
-      # network — a prod backup written there is not off-cluster DR and would mix two environments'
+      # OFF-CLUSTER DR TARGET — Cloudflare R2 (operator, 2026-09-05; bucket + token 2026-09-07).
-      # PITR streams in one bucket. Operator supplies the prod endpoint (full URL incl. scheme+port).
+      # ==========================================================================================
+      # Dev's versitygw/MinIO (192.168.1.9:9000) sits on the DEV side of the network and is NOT an
+      # option for prod, for two independent reasons:
+      #   1. UNREACHABLE. Prod is on the SOHO network 192.168.2.0/24 — pfSense's WAN — while that
+      #      MinIO is inside pfSense's LAN. Measured from a pod INSIDE prod (the workstation proves
+      #      nothing about pod egress): `curl http://192.168.1.9:9000/minio/health/live` → connection
+      #      timed out after 15s. Reaching it would need a WAN→LAN rule that does not exist.
+      #   2. NOT OFF-CLUSTER DR. It runs on the same Proxmox host as dev's VMs, so it already shares
+      #      a physical failure domain with dev. R2 is genuinely off-site, and its free egress means
+      #      restore REHEARSALS cost nothing — R-STATE-03 has no financial disincentive to stay proven.
+      #
+      # THIS UNBLOCKS AN ACTIVE INCIDENT, not just a roadmap item. All three prod CNPG Clusters ship
+      # `archive_mode=on` with `endpointURL: TBD-PROD-S3-BACKUP-ENDPOINT`, so barman-cloud-wal-archive
+      # exits 4 on every segment and Postgres — correctly — REFUSES TO RECYCLE WAL. Verified live
+      # 2026-09-07: keycloak-db / nextcloud-db / semaphore-db all report
+      # ContinuousArchiving=False/ContinuousArchivingFailing, and keycloak-db's 5 GiB PVC is at
+      # 579 MiB used / 4360 MiB free and climbing monotonically. A disk-full PANIC there takes the
+      # cluster's SSO database down, and with it kubectl OIDC, Grafana, Headlamp, Gitea and
+      # forward-auth. Fixing the endpoint lets Postgres drain the whole backlog.
+      #
+      # ENDPOINT IS ACCOUNT-SCOPED, so it stays a prod-overlay value even though it is not a LAN
+      # address: this is the operator's Cloudflare account id, confirmed from inside a prod pod
+      # (`head-bucket` on k3s-prod-backup → BucketRegion WNAM; PUT and DELETE both succeed).
+      # It is NOT put in base, because base is dev's live MinIO and dev is deliberately STAYING
+      # there — moving dev to R2 would reset its PITR window and orphan the backups its PROVEN
+      # restore depends on. Two environments, two targets, isolated by URL *and* by bucket.
       - op: replace
         path: /data/S3_BACKUP_ENDPOINT
-        value: "TBD-PROD-S3-BACKUP-ENDPOINT"
+        value: "https://7ce452a1b3d6c86daf2c020edcb82d37.r2.cloudflarestorage.com"
+      # R2 requires the region string to be exactly `auto`. (`head-bucket` answers
+      # `{"BucketRegion":"WNAM"}` — that is a PHYSICAL LOCATION HINT, not a signing region; using it
+      # here produces AuthorizationHeaderMalformed.) Dev keeps the base `us-east-1` its live MinIO
+      # has always been signed with.
+      - op: replace
+        path: /data/S3_BACKUP_REGION
+        value: "auto"
+      # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+      # OBJECT TENANCY INSIDE THE ONE BUCKET. The operator created a SINGLE R2 bucket, so velero and
+      # barman cannot be separated by bucket the way they are on dev's MinIO (`velero` and `cnpg`).
+      # They are separated by disjoint TOP-LEVEL PREFIXES instead:
+      #
+      #     s3://k3s-prod-backup/velero/…                 Velero: kopia repo + backup metadata
+      #     s3://k3s-prod-backup/barman/<clusterName>/…   CNPG: WAL + base backups
+      #
+      # The bucket ROOT is left empty on purpose — a misrendered prefix then lands somewhere
+      # obviously wrong instead of silently colliding with a live tenant. Velero's retention TTL
+      # deletes objects under its own prefix only, so it can never reap a WAL segment; and barman's
+      # per-cluster serverName subdirectory keeps the three Postgres servers' chains apart, which
+      # matters because interleaving two servers' WAL into one prefix corrupts the chain outright.
+      # Dev cannot be reached from any of these: different endpoint AND different bucket names.
+      # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+      - op: replace
+        path: /data/VELERO_BACKUP_BUCKET
+        value: "k3s-prod-backup"
+      - op: replace
+        path: /data/VELERO_BACKUP_PREFIX
+        value: "velero"
+      - op: replace
+        path: /data/CNPG_BACKUP_PATH
+        value: "s3://k3s-prod-backup/barman"
+      # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+      # WHICH CREDENTIAL SIGNS THE REQUESTS TO THAT BUCKET (per-env credential split, 2026-09-07).
+      # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+      # The knobs above moved the ENDPOINT and the OBJECT LAYOUT per environment. The credential did
+      # not move with them, and it could not: the four backup-credential Secrets are SHARED BASE
+      # manifests, applied to both clusters by the same Flux tiers. Writing the R2 token into them
+      # gave prod a working key by TAKING DEV'S AWAY — dev would have signed MinIO requests with an
+      # R2 key id, and under archive_mode=on that is a filling pgdata PVC, not a missing backup.
+      #
+      # So each credential is now two objects, and this suffix selects prod's:
+      #     velero-cloud-credentials-prod           the R2 token in the AWS INI `cloud` shape
+      #     <db>-backup-credentials-prod            the same token as ACCESS_KEY_ID / ACCESS_SECRET_KEY
+      # for keycloak-db, nextcloud-db and semaphore-db. Both halves ship to both clusters (they are
+      # base resources); ONLY this value decides which one each consumer reads. It is a SUFFIX rather
+      # than four secret-name knobs deliberately — four could be updated three-quarters of the way,
+      # leaving one consumer on dev's MinIO key with nothing rendering wrong, and strict-mode
+      # substitution cannot catch a defined-but-stale variable.
+      #
+      # THE R2 TOKEN IS THE ONE PROVEN FROM INSIDE PROD (chore/r2-credentials 0a6a862): head-bucket on
+      # k3s-prod-backup returns BucketRegion WNAM, and PUT and DELETE both succeed. Rotating it now
+      # touches ONLY the four `-prod` files; dev's MinIO keys are untouched objects. That isolation is
+      # the structural reason for the split, independent of dev's eventual decommission.
+      - op: replace
+        path: /data/BACKUP_CREDENTIALS_SUFFIX
+        value: "-prod"
       # TODO(WS-INFRA, Phase 7): pin prod node placement once the bare-metal role labels exist.

clusters/prod/sync.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+---
+# Self-managing ROOT Kustomization for PROD (mirrors clusters/dev/sync.yaml).
+#
+# Reconciles ./clusters/prod from the GitRepository so the ENTIRE prod graph — the cluster-vars
+# ConfigMap, the GitRepository source, platform / platform-config / the app waves, and THIS object
+# itself — is applied from git on every push. dev/sync.yaml carried the note "a prod overlay needs
+# its own sync.yaml -> ./clusters/prod"; this is it.
+#
+# WHY IT IS NOW LOAD-BEARING, not just symmetry: `clusters/base/platform.yaml` gained
+# `dependsOn: [flux-system]` (2026-09-01) to close the post-build substitution race — a dependent
+# cannot reconcile revision N until the ROOT has APPLIED revision N. Without this object there is no
+# `flux-system` Kustomization on prod, so `platform` would block forever on a dependency that does
+# not exist, and NOTHING downstream would ever reconcile.
+#
+# `wait: false` is deliberate and is what keeps the dependsOn edge deadlock-free: the root reaches
+# Ready on apply success without health-gating its children (platform does its own wait/health
+# gating). Do not "harden" this to true.
+apiVersion: kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io/v1
+kind: Kustomization
+metadata:
+  name: flux-system
+  namespace: flux-system
+spec:
+  interval: 10m
+  retryInterval: 2m
+  timeout: 5m
+  prune: true
+  wait: false
+  sourceRef:
+    kind: GitRepository
+    name: flux-system
+  path: ./clusters/prod

conformance/.gitignore

@@ -8,3 +8,22 @@ _artifacts/
 
 # Python bytecode from lib/ (status.py imports coverage.py); never committed.
 __pycache__/
+
+# --- THE ONE EXCEPTION: the committed run ledger (runs/) -------------------------------
+# `runs/<UTC>-<short-sha>/{report.junit.xml,run.log}` + `runs/ledger.jsonl` are the
+# machine-readable proof-of-pass record that lib/status.py's docstring asks for. They are
+# SOURCE, not regenerated artifacts: a run's evidence cannot be reconstructed after the
+# fact, so it must survive in git.
+#
+# The negations are needed because the ROOT .gitignore ignores `*.junit.xml` globally
+# (and `coverage/`). A deeper .gitignore overrides a shallower one, and nothing ignores
+# the `conformance/runs/` directory itself, so re-including the files here works (git
+# cannot re-include a file whose PARENT DIRECTORY is excluded — that is why this must not
+# live under _artifacts/).
+#
+# The run LOG is the load-bearing half: Chainsaw's JUnit carries no stdout, and the L2/L3
+# tests self-skip GREEN, so the sentinel token in run.log is the only thing separating
+# "proven" from "skipped". Never commit a report.junit.xml without its run.log.
+!runs/
+!runs/**
+!runs/**/*.junit.xml

conformance/README.md

@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ behavioral / L3 fault-injection** (this harness).
 ./run.sh --lint                       # structural-validate test defs (no cluster)
 ./run.sh --strict-coverage            # hygiene gate: fail on tag/annotation drift
 ./run.sh --require-all                # phase-exit gate: every requirement must be covered
+./run.sh --record                     # run AND capture the evidence (see "Proof of pass")
 ```
 
 **Gating is scoped, not "all 51 always"** (R-TEST-03). Three distinct checks:
@@ -105,13 +106,89 @@ lib/
   common.sh                  tagging convention + test discovery/selection helpers
   coverage.py                requirement-coverage generator (stdlib only)
   status.py                  requirement-STATUS generator (stdlib only; --selftest)
+  record_run.py              run-ledger writer: PROOF-of-pass (stdlib only; --selftest)
   emit_skipped_junit.py      Phase-0 skipped-JUnit shim (no cluster)
+runs/
+  ledger.jsonl               TRACKED append-only proof-of-pass ledger (one row per
+                             testcase per run) — the only source status.py trusts
+  <UTC>-<short-sha>/         TRACKED per-run evidence: run.log + report.junit.xml
 tests/
   l1-rendering/  l2-behavioral/  l3-fault-injection/  meta/   (see tests/README.md)
 incluster/
   chainsaw-job.yaml  rbac.yaml   in-cluster L2/L3 Job + scoped test SA (ADR-0011)
 ```
 
+## Proof of pass — the run ledger (`runs/`)
+
+`--status` used to report **PROVEN: 0** for all 51 requirements, and said so honestly:
+proof-of-pass was not recoverable from repo state. `_artifacts/` is gitignored and the
+root `.gitignore` kills `*.junit.xml` globally, so no run result ever reached git; the
+only record of a green run was DECISIONS-LOG.md prose. `runs/` is the fix `lib/status.py`
+asked for — **a committed, machine-readable run ledger**.
+
+```bash
+./run.sh --record                     # runs normally, and captures the evidence
+# -> conformance/runs/<UTC>-<short-sha>/run.log            (tee'd, carries the sentinels)
+# -> conformance/runs/<UTC>-<short-sha>/report.junit.xml   (that run's JUnit)
+# -> conformance/runs/ledger.jsonl                         (one appended row per testcase)
+python3 lib/record_run.py --run-dir runs/<id> [--dry-run]  # or record an existing run dir
+python3 lib/record_run.py --selftest                       # deterministic, no cluster
+```
+
+**Recording is explicit, never implicit.** Plain `./run.sh` writes no ledger row: a run
+that silently records itself is how a bad run becomes a permanent false proof. **Commit
+the run dir and the ledger** — an uncommitted ledger proves nothing.
+
+### Why a committed JUnit alone would be WORSE than nothing
+
+The L2/L3 tests are runnable and **self-skipping**: when a precondition is missing (no
+`longhorn` StorageClass, no Velero CRDs, fewer than 3 Ready nodes) they echo a skip token
+and `exit 0`, and their `check:` accepts either outcome —
+
+```yaml
+(contains($stdout, 'DR_RESTORED_FROM_OFF_CLUSTER_BACKUP_OK')
+ || contains($stdout, 'DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK')): true
+```
+
+So **a self-skip exits 0 and Chainsaw records `passed` exactly as a real run does**, and
+Chainsaw's JUnit carries no stdout — its `<testcase>` elements hold only `<properties>`.
+A committed JUnit on its own would therefore record `DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK` as *proof of
+R-STATE-03*: fake green, and worse than no ledger because it would look authoritative.
+
+**The sentinel token in `run.log` is the only thing that separates proven from skipped.**
+`record_run.py` derives each test's tokens from its own `chainsaw-test.yaml` (every
+`contains($stdout, 'TOKEN')`; `*_SKIP*_OK` is a skip token, the last non-skip token is the
+verdict token), so the table below is never hand-maintained:
+
+| Test | pass token (proof) | skip token (never proof) |
+|---|---|---|
+| `l3/node-loss` | `NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK` | `NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK` |
+| `l3/dr-restore` | `DR_RESTORED_FROM_OFF_CLUSTER_BACKUP_OK` (+ `OFF_CLUSTER_TARGET_OK`, `BACKUPS_ARE_SCHEDULED_OK`) | `DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK`, `DR_SCHEDULE_SKIPPED_OK` |
+| `l3/data-survival` | `DATA_SURVIVED_OK` | `DATA_SURVIVAL_SKIPPED_OK` |
+| `l3/vm-data-survival` | `VM_DATA_SURVIVED_OK` | `VM_DATA_SURVIVAL_SKIPPED_OK` |
+| `l3/hands-off-update` | `HANDS_OFF_UPDATE_OK` | `HANDS_OFF_UPDATE_SKIPPED_OK` |
+| `l2/vm-lifecycle` | `VM_LIFECYCLE_OK` | `VM_LIFECYCLE_SKIPPED_OK` |
+| `l2/vm-default-deny` | `VM_DEFAULT_DENY_OK` | `VM_DEFAULT_DENY_SKIPPED_OK` |
+
+A row reaches `proof: "proven"` on **one** path: JUnit `passed`, **every** declared pass
+token present in that test's log lines, and **no** skip token anywhere in them. A skip
+token beats a pass token (worst wins). Anything else is `skipped`, `failed`,
+`junit-skipped`, `unknown-no-sentinel-declared` or `unknown-sentinel-absent` — all
+non-green. L0/L1 need no sentinel because `lib/run_l1_offline.py` already renders their
+skips as JUnit `<skipped/>`, never as a green pass.
+
+### Staleness — a proof is a claim about a tree, not a badge
+
+`--status` honours a `proven` row only while the run's `git_sha` is a **descendant of the
+last commit touching that requirement's implementing manifests or its verifying test**.
+Otherwise the row degrades to **`stale-proof`**, which is not green. A run captured from a
+dirty working tree is recorded as `<sha>-dirty`, which no ancestry check can satisfy — so
+it never counts. Re-run with `--record` to refresh.
+
+A requirement reads `proven` only when **every** verifying test does; one skipped, failed
+or unrecorded test drags the whole requirement down. With an empty ledger `--status`
+behaves exactly as before: every requirement `not-derivable`, headline **PROVEN 0**.
+
 ## How CI invokes it
 CI (Gitea Actions, wired in T-0.2 / migrated in T-6.1b) calls **this same `run.sh`**:
 

conformance/incluster/rbac.yaml

@@ -57,6 +57,13 @@ rules:
     verbs: [create, delete, get, list, watch, patch]
   - apiGroups: [""]
     resources: [pods, services, configmaps, secrets, persistentvolumeclaims]
+    # LOAD-BEARING `get` ON CONFIGMAPS, BEYOND FIXTURE CREATION (R-ENV-02): the environment-
+    # agnostic L2 tests (dns-exposure, dns-internal-resolution, gateway-ingress-reachable,
+    # oidc-sso-grafana, trusted-tls) resolve the cluster's own BASE_DOMAIN / GATEWAY_VIP at run
+    # time from `flux-system/cluster-vars` — the same ConfigMap Flux substitutes from — via
+    # chainsaw `x_k8s_get($client, 'v1', 'ConfigMap', 'flux-system', 'cluster-vars')` bindings.
+    # If this rule is ever narrowed to the test's own namespace, those bindings fail and the
+    # tests error out. Narrow it only alongside a namespace-scoped read of that ConfigMap.
     verbs: [create, delete, get, list, watch, patch]
   - apiGroups: [""]
     resources: [pods/exec]

conformance/lib/record_run.py

@@ -0,0 +1,949 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Append a conformance RUN LEDGER row per testcase — the committed proof-of-pass record.
+
+WHY THIS EXISTS
+---------------
+`lib/status.py` reports PROOF as `not-derivable` for every requirement, and names its own
+fix in its docstring: *"a committed, machine-readable run ledger"*. There was none, because
+`conformance/_artifacts/` is git-ignored and the root `.gitignore` kills `*.junit.xml` and
+`coverage/` globally, so nothing about a green run ever reached repo state. This tool is
+that ledger's writer: it reads one run's JUnit + run log out of `conformance/runs/<run-id>/`
+and appends one JSON object per testcase to `conformance/runs/ledger.jsonl`, which IS
+tracked (see conformance/.gitignore for the negations that let it survive).
+
+THE TRAP THIS TOOL EXISTS TO AVOID — READ BEFORE CHANGING ANYTHING
+------------------------------------------------------------------
+The L2/L3 tests are RUNNABLE / SELF-SKIPPING: when a precondition is absent (no `longhorn`
+StorageClass, no Velero CRDs, <3 Ready nodes) they echo a skip token and `exit 0`, and their
+`check:` block is deliberately written to accept either outcome, e.g. tests/l3-fault-
+injection/dr-restore:
+
+    (contains($stdout, 'DR_RESTORED_FROM_OFF_CLUSTER_BACKUP_OK')
+     || contains($stdout, 'DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK')): true
+
+So a SELF-SKIP exits 0 and Chainsaw records `passed` EXACTLY as a real run does. And
+Chainsaw's JUnit carries no stdout — its `<testcase>` elements hold only `<properties>`
+(verified against the committed reports). Therefore:
+
+  *** A COMMITTED JUnit ALONE WOULD RECORD `DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK` AS PROOF OF R-STATE-03. ***
+
+AND THE SECOND TRAP, WHICH IS THE MIRROR OF THE FIRST
+------------------------------------------------------
+Chainsaw echoes each script's SOURCE into an indented `=== COMMAND` block before running
+it, so `echo NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK` — the skip branch that was NOT taken — is present in
+the log of every run of that test. A section-blind grep therefore reads a skip token out
+of the source of every skip-gated test and can never record `proven` for any of them: the
+ledger fails closed so completely that it records nothing and proves nothing. Tokens are
+consequently read from SECTIONS (see classify_sections): a pass token only from
+`=== STDOUT`, a skip token from any section that is not script source. Skip still beats
+pass — within genuine output, which is the only place either was ever evidence.
+
+That is the fake-green this project refuses, and it would be worse than no ledger at all
+because it would look authoritative. THE SENTINEL TOKEN IS THE ONLY THING THAT SEPARATES
+PROVEN FROM SKIPPED, AND IT EXISTS ONLY IN THE RUN LOG. Hence: this tool requires BOTH
+files, and for the Chainsaw layers it will NEVER emit `proof: "proven"` on a JUnit `passed`
+unless the log carries that test's own pass token and carries NO skip token.
+
+HOW THE TOKENS ARE OBTAINED (derived, never hand-listed)
+--------------------------------------------------------
+Hard-coding a token table would rot the moment a test is edited. Instead every token is
+parsed out of the test's own `chainsaw-test.yaml`: each `contains($stdout, 'TOKEN')` in a
+`check:` block is a declared sentinel. Classification is by the project's naming convention
+(`*_SKIP*_OK` is a skip token, anything else is a pass token), and the TERMINAL pass token
+— the last non-skip token in file order — is the test's verdict token. Edit a test's tokens
+and this tool follows automatically; delete them and the test simply becomes unprovable
+rather than silently proven.
+
+  node-loss   pass NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK              skip NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK
+  dr-restore  pass DR_RESTORED_FROM_OFF_CLUSTER_BACKUP_OK     skip DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK
+              (+ OFF_CLUSTER_TARGET_OK, BACKUPS_ARE_SCHEDULED_OK / DR_SCHEDULE_SKIPPED_OK)
+
+WHY L0/L1 NEED NO SENTINEL (and why that is not a loophole)
+-----------------------------------------------------------
+The offline layers are not run by Chainsaw. `lib/run_l1_offline.py` shells out to each
+dir's `check.sh` / `render-check.sh` and maps exit 3 to a JUnit `<skipped/>` element and
+any other non-zero to `<failure>`. A self-skip there is ALREADY a JUnit skip, never a green
+pass, so the JUnit is a truthful record on its own. Only the Chainsaw layers (L2/L3/META)
+can express "skipped" as "passed", and only they require a sentinel — see
+SENTINEL_REQUIRED_LAYERS.
+
+LEDGER ROW (conformance/runs/ledger.jsonl — append-only, one object per testcase per run)
+  ts_utc            run-dir timestamp, else the JUnit's mtime      (when)
+  git_sha           `git rev-parse HEAD`, suffixed `-dirty` when tracked files were
+                    modified — a proof captured from a dirty tree is NOT honoured by
+                    status.py, because what ran is not what is committed  (what)
+  env               --env / CONF_ENV (cluster overlay the run targeted)
+  chainsaw_version  CHAINSAW_VERSION from versions.env (the pin IS the truth)
+  kube_version      `kubectl version` server gitVersion, else "unknown"
+  layer             L0|L1|L2|L3|META, from the test's `layer` annotation / JUnit property
+  test              testcase name (== the test dir basename, asserted by convention)
+  requirements[]    the `conformance.home.k3s/R-*` labels on the test — the SAME
+                    authoritative source coverage.py uses, not the JUnit classname
+  junit_result      passed | failed | error | skipped
+  sentinel          the DECIDING token grepped from run.log, or null
+  proof             proven | skipped | failed | junit-skipped
+                    | unknown-no-sentinel-declared | unknown-sentinel-absent
+  run_id            the runs/<dir> name (provenance: which log backs this row)
+  note              one line saying WHY this row landed on that proof state
+
+`proven` is emitted on exactly one path (see decide()); every other path is non-green.
+
+RECORDING IS EXPLICIT, NEVER IMPLICIT
+-------------------------------------
+Invoke this tool by hand, or via `run.sh --record`. A run that silently records itself is
+how a bad run becomes a permanent false proof, so `run.sh` without `--record` writes no
+ledger row at all.
+
+EXIT CODES (ci/lib.sh convention: 0 pass / 1 fail / 3 skipped-not-green)
+  0  rows appended.
+  1  a real failure: unparsable JUnit, unreadable test tree, unwritable ledger.
+  3  the inputs a ledger row needs are absent (no report.junit.xml, or no run.log).
+     NOTHING is recorded and this is NEVER green — a run we cannot evidence is not a run.
+
+Pure standard library, matching the harness's no-pip-dependency posture (coverage.py,
+status.py). PyYAML lives in catalog/render.py; the harness does not depend on it.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import argparse
+import json
+import os
+import re
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import time
+import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
+from pathlib import Path
+
+_LIB = Path(__file__).resolve().parent
+if str(_LIB) not in sys.path:
+    sys.path.insert(0, str(_LIB))
+# Importing a sibling would otherwise litter conformance/lib/__pycache__/ into the working
+# tree, and the lint stage scans untracked files. Same guard as status.py.
+sys.dont_write_bytecode = True
+import coverage as cov  # noqa: E402  — reuse the registry/test parsers, don't fork them
+
+CONF_ROOT = _LIB.parent
+REPO_ROOT = CONF_ROOT.parent
+DEFAULT_LEDGER = CONF_ROOT / "runs" / "ledger.jsonl"
+
+# The ONLY layers exempt from needing a pass sentinel: the offline ones, whose skips
+# lib/run_l1_offline.py already renders as JUnit <skipped/> rather than as a green pass
+# (see docstring). Written as an EXEMPT set, not a REQUIRED set, so that an unrecognised
+# or new layer fails CLOSED — it needs a sentinel — instead of quietly becoming provable
+# by JUnit alone.
+SENTINEL_EXEMPT_LAYERS = frozenset({"L0", "L1"})
+
+# Layer from the test's subtree. Authoritative over the annotation: coverage.py's layer
+# regex stops at the first non-[L/A/M/0-9] character, so `layer: "META"` parses as "M" —
+# harmless for its own report, but here a mis-read layer decides whether a sentinel is
+# required at all, so it is derived from the path exactly as emit_skipped_junit.py does.
+_LAYER_BY_SUBTREE = (("/l0-static/", "L0"), ("/l1-rendering/", "L1"),
+                     ("/l2-behavioral/", "L2"), ("/l3-fault-injection/", "L3"),
+                     ("/meta/", "META"))
+
+
+def layer_of(path: Path) -> str:
+    rel = str(path)
+    for frag, layer in _LAYER_BY_SUBTREE:
+        if frag in rel:
+            return layer
+    return ""
+
+# A declared sentinel: `contains($stdout, 'TOKEN')` inside a Chainsaw `check:` block.
+# Both quote styles are accepted; the repo uses single quotes throughout.
+_SENTINEL_RE = re.compile(r"contains\(\s*\$stdout\s*,\s*['\"]([A-Za-z0-9_]+)['\"]\s*\)")
+
+# Naming convention for a SKIP token (tests/l3-fault-injection/*: NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK,
+# DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK, DR_SCHEDULE_SKIPPED_OK, VM_DATA_SURVIVAL_SKIPPED_OK, ...).
+# Deliberately broad: mis-classifying a PASS token as a skip only ever loses a proof;
+# mis-classifying a SKIP token as a pass would manufacture one.
+_SKIP_TOKEN_RE = re.compile(r"_SKIP")
+
+# A Chainsaw log line header, as it really appears (Go `t.Log` prefixes the source site and
+# pads it with backspaces, and the fields are ANSI-coloured — both are stripped first):
+#     l.go:52: | 23:51:18 | node-loss | volume-stays-available... | SCRIPT | LOG |
+# Field 2 is the test name; it is how output is attributed back to a testcase. The
+# `<file>.go:<line>:` prefix is optional so a redirected/plain log still attributes.
+_LOG_HEADER_RE = re.compile(
+    r"^\s*(?:[\w./-]+\.go:\d+:\s*)?"
+    r"\|\s*\d{1,2}:\d{2}:\d{2}(?:\.\d+)?\s*\|\s*([A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9._-]*)\s*\|")
+
+# ANSI colour + the backspace padding Go writes ahead of a `t.Log` continuation. Stripped
+# before ANY parsing; neither ever appears at the head of a line, so indentation survives.
+_ANSI_RE = re.compile(r"\x1b\[[0-9;]*[A-Za-z]")
+
+
+def _strip_noise(line: str) -> str:
+    return _ANSI_RE.sub("", line).replace("\b", "")
+
+
+# ===================================================================== output sections
+# THE BUG THIS SECTION MACHINERY EXISTS TO KILL — READ BEFORE CHANGING ANYTHING
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Chainsaw echoes the script it is ABOUT TO RUN, verbatim, in an indented `=== COMMAND`
+# block, and only afterwards prints what the script actually wrote in `=== STDOUT`. Every
+# skip-gated test contains its own skip token as SOURCE TEXT (`echo NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK`),
+# so a raw whole-log grep finds that token in EVERY run of that test — including runs that
+# never took the skip branch. Combined with decide()'s (correct) rule that a skip token
+# outranks a pass token, a section-blind scan can never record `proven` for ANY test that
+# has a skip gate: the ledger fails closed so hard it records nothing. Observed on
+# runs/20260901T235117Z-e9a4b66, where NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK appears twice as source at
+# lines 51/62 (`=== COMMAND`) and never in output, yet the run genuinely proved R-STATE-02.
+#
+# So tokens are attributed to SECTIONS, never to raw lines:
+#     l.go:52: | 23:51:18 | node-loss | step | CMD    | RUN |     <- header, no section
+#         === COMMAND                                            <- marker (indent 8)
+#         /usr/bin/sh -c set -euo pipefail                       <- source, indent >= 8
+#           echo NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK                            <- SOURCE, not output
+#     l.go:52: | 23:52:42 | node-loss | step | SCRIPT | LOG |    <- indent 4 => section ends
+#         === STDOUT                                             <- marker
+#         NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK                          <- the REAL emission
+#
+# A marker is an INDENTED `=== NAME` on a line of its own. Go's own test markers
+# (`=== RUN   chainsaw`, `=== PAUSE`, `=== CONT`) are at column 0 and carry a test name
+# after the verb, so they match neither the indent nor the end-of-line anchor; they are
+# additionally named in _GO_TEST_MARKERS so a future indented variant still cannot open a
+# section that would swallow the whole log.
+_SECTION_MARKER_RE = re.compile(r"^(\s+)=== ([A-Z][A-Z0-9_]*)\s*$")
+_GO_TEST_MARKERS = frozenset({"RUN", "PAUSE", "CONT"})
+
+# Pseudo-section for a log that contains NO section markers at all (the plain/redirected
+# logs the earlier ledger rows were written from, and the selftest fixtures). Such a log
+# never echoes script source, so there is nothing to be confused by and the legacy
+# whole-log scan is exactly as safe as it was — narrowing is only needed where a COMMAND
+# echo exists. Lines OUTSIDE a section in a log that DOES use sections are attributed to
+# "" and are evidence for nothing.
+UNSECTIONED = "*"
+
+# A pass token counts ONLY where Chainsaw's own `contains($stdout, ...)` check looks:
+# real stdout. Anything else — source echo, stderr, an unrecognised future section — can
+# never manufacture a proof.
+PASS_SECTIONS = frozenset({"STDOUT", UNSECTIONED})
+
+# Sections that carry SOURCE rather than output. A skip token is honoured in every OTHER
+# section (STDOUT, STDERR, any section name added by a later Chainsaw release), because
+# over-reading a skip only ever COSTS a proof, while over-reading a pass would fabricate
+# one. Unknown section names therefore fail closed in both directions.
+SOURCE_SECTIONS = frozenset({"COMMAND"})
+
+
+def classify_sections(log_text: str) -> list[tuple[str, str]]:
+    """[(section, line)] for every line of a run log.
+
+    `section` is the enclosing `=== NAME` block, "" for a line inside no block, or
+    UNSECTIONED for every line when the log declares no sections at all. A block runs from
+    its marker until the first non-blank line indented LESS than the marker (blank lines do
+    not end it) or until the next marker; the marker line itself is content of nothing.
+    """
+    rows: list[tuple[str, str]] = []
+    cur, cur_indent, sectioned = "", 0, False
+    for raw in log_text.splitlines():
+        line = _strip_noise(raw)
+        m = _SECTION_MARKER_RE.match(line)
+        if m and m.group(2) not in _GO_TEST_MARKERS:
+            sectioned = True
+            cur, cur_indent = m.group(2), len(m.group(1))
+            rows.append(("", line))
+            continue
+        if cur:
+            if not line.strip() or len(line) - len(line.lstrip()) >= cur_indent:
+                rows.append((cur, line))
+                continue
+            cur = ""
+        rows.append(("", line))
+    if not sectioned:
+        return [(UNSECTIONED, line) for _, line in rows]
+    return rows
+
+
+def scan_texts(lines) -> tuple[str, str]:
+    """(text a PASS token may be read from, text a SKIP token may be read from).
+
+    Accepts either [(section, line)] pairs from classify_sections() or a plain list of
+    strings, which is treated as an unsectioned log (legacy whole-log scanning).
+    """
+    pass_lines, skip_lines = [], []
+    for item in lines:
+        section, line = item if isinstance(item, tuple) else (UNSECTIONED, item)
+        if section in PASS_SECTIONS:
+            pass_lines.append(line)
+        if section and section not in SOURCE_SECTIONS:
+            skip_lines.append(line)
+    return "\n".join(pass_lines), "\n".join(skip_lines)
+
+_RUN_ID_TS_RE = re.compile(r"^(\d{8}T\d{6}Z)-")
+
+
+# ========================================================================= sentinels
+def parse_sentinels(test_yaml: Path) -> dict:
+    """Declared sentinel tokens of one Chainsaw test, derived from the test file itself.
+
+    Returns {"pass": [...], "skip": [...], "terminal_pass": str|None}. `terminal_pass` is
+    the LAST non-skip token in file order — the test's verdict token, i.e. the one its
+    final `check:` block asserts (dr-restore -> DR_RESTORED_FROM_OFF_CLUSTER_BACKUP_OK).
+    A test with no `contains($stdout, ...)` assertion declares no sentinel and is reported
+    unprovable rather than proven; see decide().
+    """
+    try:
+        text = test_yaml.read_text()
+    except (OSError, UnicodeDecodeError):
+        return {"pass": [], "skip": [], "terminal_pass": None}
+    toks = _SENTINEL_RE.findall(text)
+    passes, skips = [], []
+    for t in toks:
+        (skips if _SKIP_TOKEN_RE.search(t) else passes).append(t)
+    # De-duplicate, preserving order (dr-restore names DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK twice).
+    def uniq(xs: list[str]) -> list[str]:
+        return list(dict.fromkeys(xs))
+    passes, skips = uniq(passes), uniq(skips)
+    return {"pass": passes, "skip": skips,
+            "terminal_pass": passes[-1] if passes else None}
+
+
+def sentinel_map(tests_dir: Path) -> dict[str, dict]:
+    """{test-name: sentinels} for every test in the tree.
+
+    Keyed on the Chainsaw `metadata.name`, which is what lands in the JUnit `<testcase
+    name=...>`. This repo keeps that equal to the test's directory basename; the mapping
+    is by name, so it stays correct if that ever drifts.
+    """
+    out: dict[str, dict] = {}
+    for f in sorted(tests_dir.rglob("chainsaw-test.yaml")):
+        meta = cov.parse_test(f)
+        name = meta["name"] or f.parent.name
+        s = parse_sentinels(f)
+        s["dir"] = str(f.parent)
+        s["layer"] = layer_of(f) or meta["layer"]
+        s["requirements"] = meta["labels"]
+        out[name] = s
+    return out
+
+
+# =============================================================================== log
+def attribute_log(log_text: str, known: set[str]) -> tuple[dict[str, list[tuple[str, str]]],
+                                                            bool]:
+    """Split a run log into per-testcase buckets of (section, line) pairs.
+
+    Chainsaw prefixes its log lines with `| HH:MM:SS | <test> | <step> | ...` and prints a
+    script's sections underneath that header, so the test name is carried by a state
+    machine: a header naming a KNOWN test switches the current bucket, every following line
+    lands in it. Requiring the name to be known is what stops run.sh's own `[run.sh]`
+    chatter (and any other pipe-shaped line) from opening a bogus bucket.
+
+    Section labels come from classify_sections() and travel WITH the lines, so a bucket
+    still knows which of its lines were script source and which were real output.
+
+    Returns (buckets, attributed) where `attributed` is False when the log contained no
+    recognisable header at all — the signal for the degraded global scan in decide().
+    """
+    buckets: dict[str, list[tuple[str, str]]] = {}
+    cur: str | None = None
+    attributed = False
+    for section, line in classify_sections(log_text):
+        m = _LOG_HEADER_RE.match(line)
+        if m and m.group(1) in known:
+            cur = m.group(1)
+            attributed = True
+        if cur is not None:
+            buckets.setdefault(cur, []).append((section, line))
+    return buckets, attributed
+
+
+def unique_tokens(smap: dict[str, dict]) -> set[str]:
+    """Tokens claimed by EXACTLY ONE test in the tree.
+
+    Only these may be used by the degraded global scan: `DNS_OK` is echoed by two different
+    tests, so in an unattributable log it can never be evidence for either; but
+    `NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK` names precisely one test and still can.
+    """
+    owners: dict[str, set[str]] = {}
+    for name, s in smap.items():
+        for t in s["pass"] + s["skip"]:
+            owners.setdefault(t, set()).add(name)
+    return {t for t, o in owners.items() if len(o) == 1}
+
+
+# ============================================================================ decide
+def decide(layer: str, junit_result: str, sent: dict, lines: list[str],
+           scope: str) -> tuple[str | None, str, str]:
+    """The ONE place a testcase becomes `proven` — or, far more often, does not.
+
+    Returns (sentinel, proof, note).
+
+    Ordering is worst-first ON PURPOSE, so that ambiguity can only ever cost a proof:
+      1. JUnit failure/error            -> failed        (a red run is recorded as red)
+      2. JUnit <skipped/>               -> junit-skipped  (never green; ci/lib.sh rule)
+      3. ANY declared skip token seen   -> skipped        (BEATS a green JUnit and beats
+           IN REAL OUTPUT                                  the pass token: if any gated
+                                                           step self-skipped, the run did
+                                                           not prove the requirement)
+      4. no sentinel declared           -> proven only for L0/L1, whose skips are already
+                                           JUnit skips; unknown-no-sentinel-declared for
+                                           the Chainsaw layers
+      5. EVERY declared pass token seen -> proven
+      6. anything else                  -> unknown-sentinel-absent
+    Step 5 requires ALL pass tokens, not just the terminal one: every Chainsaw step here
+    asserts `pass || skip`, so a missing pass token means a step did not reach its proven
+    branch, whatever the JUnit says.
+
+    Steps 3 and 5 read from SECTION-SCOPED text, never from raw lines: a pass token counts
+    only in `=== STDOUT`, a skip token counts in any section that is not script source.
+    That narrows WHERE a token is read from and changes nothing about what it means — skip
+    still outranks pass, and it outranks it within genuine output, which is the only place
+    either of them was ever evidence. `lines` may be [(section, line)] pairs or plain
+    strings (an unsectioned log; see scan_texts / UNSECTIONED).
+    """
+    if junit_result in ("failed", "error"):
+        return (None, "failed", f"JUnit recorded {junit_result}")
+    if junit_result == "skipped":
+        return (None, "junit-skipped",
+                "JUnit <skipped/> — the test did not execute; a skip is never green")
+
+    pass_text, skip_text = scan_texts(lines)
+    seen_skip = [t for t in sent["skip"] if t in skip_text]
+    if seen_skip:
+        return (seen_skip[0], "skipped",
+                f"run log OUTPUT carries the SELF-SKIP token {seen_skip[0]!r} — the test "
+                f"exited 0 without exercising the behaviour, so this is NOT proof")
+
+    if not sent["pass"] and not sent["skip"]:
+        if layer not in SENTINEL_EXEMPT_LAYERS:
+            return (None, "unknown-no-sentinel-declared",
+                    f"{layer or 'unknown-layer'} test declares no contains($stdout, ...) "
+                    f"sentinel, so a green JUnit cannot be told apart from a self-skip — "
+                    f"refusing to call it proven")
+        return (None, "proven",
+                f"{layer} offline check exited 0; run_l1_offline.py renders its skips as "
+                f"JUnit <skipped/>, so a green JUnit is truthful without a sentinel")
+
+    missing = [t for t in sent["pass"] if t not in pass_text]
+    if not missing:
+        return (sent["terminal_pass"], "proven",
+                f"run log OUTPUT carries every declared pass token "
+                f"({', '.join(sent['pass'])}) and no skip token [{scope}]")
+    return (None, "unknown-sentinel-absent",
+            f"run log OUTPUT lacks pass token(s) {', '.join(missing)} for this test "
+            f"[{scope}] — refusing to infer proof from the JUnit alone")
+
+
+# ============================================================================= junit
+def junit_cases(path: Path) -> list[dict]:
+    """[{name, layer, requirements, result}] for every <testcase> in a JUnit report."""
+    root = ET.parse(path).getroot()
+    cases: list[dict] = []
+    for c in root.iter("testcase"):
+        if c.find("failure") is not None:
+            result = "failed"
+        elif c.find("error") is not None:
+            result = "error"
+        elif c.find("skipped") is not None:
+            result = "skipped"
+        else:
+            result = "passed"
+        props = {p.get("name"): (p.get("value") or "")
+                 for p in c.iter("property") if p.get("name")}
+        reqs = sorted(set(cov.RID_RE.findall(props.get("requirements", ""))))
+        layer = (props.get("layer") or "").upper()
+        if not layer:
+            layer = (c.get("classname") or "").split(":", 1)[0].upper()
+        cases.append({"name": c.get("name") or "?", "layer": layer,
+                      "requirements": reqs, "result": result})
+    return cases
+
+
+# =============================================================================== git
+def git_sha(repo: Path) -> str:
+    """HEAD, suffixed `-dirty` when TRACKED files differ from it.
+
+    Untracked files are deliberately ignored, matching status.py's `tracked_files()`
+    posture (untracked scratch is not repo state) — and because a `--record` run creates
+    untracked `runs/<id>/` files as it goes, which would otherwise mark every run dirty.
+    A `-dirty` sha is not a valid rev, so status.py's ancestry check cannot resolve it and
+    the proof degrades to `stale-proof`: correct, since what ran is not what is committed.
+    """
+    try:
+        sha = subprocess.run(["git", "-C", str(repo), "rev-parse", "HEAD"],
+                             capture_output=True, text=True, check=True).stdout.strip()
+    except (subprocess.CalledProcessError, OSError):
+        return "unknown"
+    dirty = subprocess.run(["git", "-C", str(repo), "diff", "--quiet", "HEAD", "--"],
+                           capture_output=True).returncode != 0
+    return f"{sha}-dirty" if dirty else sha
+
+
+def pinned_chainsaw_version(conf_root: Path) -> str:
+    """CHAINSAW_VERSION from versions.env — the pin is the single source of truth."""
+    f = conf_root / "versions.env"
+    if f.is_file():
+        m = re.search(r'^CHAINSAW_VERSION="?([^"\n]+)"?', f.read_text(), re.M)
+        if m:
+            return m.group(1)
+    return "unknown"
+
+
+def server_kube_version() -> str:
+    """Server gitVersion via `kubectl version` (read-only), else "unknown"."""
+    for args in (["kubectl", "version", "-o", "json"],
+                 ["kubectl", "version", "--output=json"]):
+        try:
+            p = subprocess.run(args, capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=15)
+        except (OSError, subprocess.TimeoutExpired):
+            continue
+        if p.returncode != 0 or not p.stdout.strip():
+            continue
+        try:
+            v = json.loads(p.stdout).get("serverVersion") or {}
+        except json.JSONDecodeError:
+            continue
+        if v.get("gitVersion"):
+            return v["gitVersion"]
+    return "unknown"
+
+
+def run_timestamp(run_dir: Path, junit: Path) -> str:
+    """UTC stamp: the run-dir name's own `<UTC>-<sha>` prefix, else the JUnit's mtime."""
+    m = _RUN_ID_TS_RE.match(run_dir.name)
+    if m:
+        t = m.group(1)
+        return f"{t[0:4]}-{t[4:6]}-{t[6:8]}T{t[9:11]}:{t[11:13]}:{t[13:15]}Z"
+    return time.strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ", time.gmtime(junit.stat().st_mtime))
+
+
+# ============================================================================ record
+def build_rows(run_dir: Path, tests_dir: Path, env: str, chainsaw_version: str,
+               kube_version: str, sha: str) -> list[dict]:
+    junit = run_dir / "report.junit.xml"
+    log = run_dir / "run.log"
+    smap = sentinel_map(tests_dir)
+    log_text = log.read_text(errors="replace")
+    buckets, attributed = attribute_log(log_text, set(smap))
+    uniq = unique_tokens(smap)
+    all_pairs = classify_sections(log_text)
+    sectioned = any(sec not in ("", UNSECTIONED) for sec, _ in all_pairs)
+    section_note = ("tokens read from real-output sections only"
+                    if sectioned else "log declares no === sections; whole-log scan")
+    ts = run_timestamp(run_dir, junit)
+
+    rows: list[dict] = []
+    for case in junit_cases(junit):
+        name = case["name"]
+        sent = smap.get(name, {"pass": [], "skip": [], "terminal_pass": None,
+                               "layer": case["layer"], "requirements": []})
+        layer = sent.get("layer") or case["layer"] or "?"
+        # Requirements come from the test's LABELS (coverage.py's authoritative source);
+        # the JUnit property is the fallback for a testcase with no matching test file.
+        reqs = sent.get("requirements") or case["requirements"]
+
+        if name in buckets:
+            lines, scope = buckets[name], f"log scoped to this testcase; {section_note}"
+        elif not attributed:
+            # Degraded mode: the log had no recognisable Chainsaw header (a redirected or
+            # reformatted log). Fall back to a whole-log scan, but ONLY for tokens owned by
+            # exactly one test, so a token another test emitted can never prove this one.
+            lines = all_pairs
+            sent = dict(sent,
+                        **{"pass": [t for t in sent["pass"] if t in uniq],
+                           "skip": [t for t in sent["skip"] if t in uniq]})
+            sent["terminal_pass"] = sent["pass"][-1] if sent["pass"] else None
+            scope = ("DEGRADED: unattributable log, globally-unique tokens only; "
+                     + section_note)
+        else:
+            lines, scope = [], "no log lines attributed to this testcase"
+
+        sentinel, proof, note = decide(layer, case["result"], sent, lines, scope)
+        rows.append({
+            "ts_utc": ts,
+            "git_sha": sha,
+            "env": env,
+            "chainsaw_version": chainsaw_version,
+            "kube_version": kube_version,
+            "layer": layer,
+            "test": name,
+            "requirements": reqs,
+            "junit_result": case["result"],
+            "sentinel": sentinel,
+            "proof": proof,
+            "run_id": run_dir.name,
+            "note": note,
+        })
+    return rows
+
+
+def append_rows(ledger: Path, rows: list[dict]) -> None:
+    """Append-only, one compact JSON object per line. Never rewrites existing rows."""
+    ledger.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    with ledger.open("a", encoding="utf-8") as fh:
+        for r in rows:
+            fh.write(json.dumps(r, sort_keys=True) + "\n")
+
+
+# ========================================================================== selftest
+def _selftest() -> int:
+    """Deterministic, no-cluster self-test of every decision rule (house pattern:
+    `status.py --selftest`, `catalog/render.py --selftest`). Throwaway tree only.
+
+    The load-bearing case is `SKIP sentinel does NOT produce proven`: it is the single
+    assertion standing between this ledger and a permanent false proof of R-STATE-03.
+    """
+    import tempfile
+    ok = True
+
+    def check(label: str, cond: bool) -> None:
+        nonlocal ok
+        if not cond:
+            sys.stderr.write(f"record_run.py selftest: FAIL — {label}\n")
+            ok = False
+
+    # --- token derivation, against the dr-restore/node-loss shape ---------------------
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as td:
+        root = Path(td)
+        tdir = root / "tests" / "l3-fault-injection" / "dr-restore"
+        tdir.mkdir(parents=True)
+        (tdir / "chainsaw-test.yaml").write_text(
+            "apiVersion: chainsaw.kyverno.io/v1alpha1\nkind: Test\nmetadata:\n"
+            "  name: dr-restore\n  labels:\n"
+            "    conformance.home.k3s/R-STATE-03: \"true\"\n  annotations:\n"
+            "    conformance.home.k3s/requirements: \"R-STATE-03\"\n"
+            "    conformance.home.k3s/layer: \"L3\"\nspec:\n  steps:\n"
+            "    - script:\n        content: 'echo OFF_CLUSTER_TARGET_OK'\n"
+            "        check:\n"
+            "          (contains($stdout, 'OFF_CLUSTER_TARGET_OK')"
+            " || contains($stdout, 'DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK')): true\n"
+            "    - script:\n        content: 'echo x'\n        check:\n"
+            "          (contains($stdout, 'DR_RESTORED_FROM_OFF_CLUSTER_BACKUP_OK')"
+            " || contains($stdout, 'DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK')): true\n")
+        s = parse_sentinels(tdir / "chainsaw-test.yaml")
+        check("pass tokens derived from the test file",
+              s["pass"] == ["OFF_CLUSTER_TARGET_OK",
+                            "DR_RESTORED_FROM_OFF_CLUSTER_BACKUP_OK"])
+        check("skip token classified by the *_SKIP*_OK convention, de-duplicated",
+              s["skip"] == ["DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK"])
+        check("terminal pass token is the LAST non-skip token",
+              s["terminal_pass"] == "DR_RESTORED_FROM_OFF_CLUSTER_BACKUP_OK")
+
+        smap = sentinel_map(root / "tests")
+        check("sentinel_map keys on metadata.name and carries layer + labels",
+              smap["dr-restore"]["layer"] == "L3"
+              and smap["dr-restore"]["requirements"] == ["R-STATE-03"])
+
+    # --- decide(): the SKIP-is-never-proven contract ----------------------------------
+    l3 = {"pass": ["DR_RESTORED_FROM_OFF_CLUSTER_BACKUP_OK"],
+          "skip": ["DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK"],
+          "terminal_pass": "DR_RESTORED_FROM_OFF_CLUSTER_BACKUP_OK"}
+
+    # *** THE CASE THIS WHOLE FILE EXISTS FOR ***
+    sent, proof, _ = decide("L3", "passed", l3, ["DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK"], "t")
+    check("SKIP sentinel on a GREEN JUnit is 'skipped', NEVER 'proven'",
+          proof == "skipped" and sent == "DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK")
+
+    _, proof, _ = decide("L3", "passed", l3,
+                         ["DR_RESTORED_FROM_OFF_CLUSTER_BACKUP_OK"], "t")
+    check("pass sentinel on a green JUnit is 'proven'", proof == "proven")
+
+    _, proof, _ = decide("L3", "passed", l3,
+                         ["DR_RESTORED_FROM_OFF_CLUSTER_BACKUP_OK",
+                          "DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK"], "t")
+    check("a skip token BEATS a pass token in the same log (worst wins)",
+          proof == "skipped")
+
+    _, proof, _ = decide("L3", "passed", l3, ["nothing relevant here"], "t")
+    check("green JUnit with no sentinel in the log is unknown, not proven",
+          proof == "unknown-sentinel-absent")
+
+    _, proof, _ = decide("L3", "passed", l3, [], "t")
+    check("green JUnit with NO log lines attributed is unknown, not proven",
+          proof == "unknown-sentinel-absent")
+
+    _, proof, _ = decide("L3", "failed", l3,
+                         ["DR_RESTORED_FROM_OFF_CLUSTER_BACKUP_OK"], "t")
+    check("a failing JUnit outranks a pass token in the log", proof == "failed")
+
+    _, proof, _ = decide("L3", "skipped", l3, [], "t")
+    check("JUnit <skipped/> records junit-skipped, never green",
+          proof == "junit-skipped")
+
+    multi = {"pass": ["A_OK", "B_OK"], "skip": [], "terminal_pass": "B_OK"}
+    _, proof, _ = decide("L3", "passed", multi, ["B_OK"], "t")
+    check("every declared pass token must be present, not just the terminal one",
+          proof == "unknown-sentinel-absent")
+    _, proof, _ = decide("L3", "passed", multi, ["A_OK", "B_OK"], "t")
+    check("all pass tokens present == proven", proof == "proven")
+
+    none = {"pass": [], "skip": [], "terminal_pass": None}
+    _, proof, _ = decide("L2", "passed", none, ["whatever"], "t")
+    check("a Chainsaw test declaring no sentinel is NOT proven by a green JUnit",
+          proof == "unknown-no-sentinel-declared")
+    _, proof, _ = decide("L1", "passed", none, [], "t")
+    check("L0/L1 offline checks are proven by JUnit (their skips are JUnit skips)",
+          proof == "proven")
+    _, proof, _ = decide("L0", "skipped", none, [], "t")
+    check("an L0 JUnit skip is still never green", proof == "junit-skipped")
+    _, proof, _ = decide("META", "passed", none, [], "t")
+    check("META (a Chainsaw layer) needs a sentinel like L2/L3",
+          proof == "unknown-no-sentinel-declared")
+    _, proof, _ = decide("", "passed", none, [], "t")
+    check("an unknown/blank layer fails CLOSED — sentinel required",
+          proof == "unknown-no-sentinel-declared")
+
+    # --- SECTION SCOPING: the COMMAND echo is SOURCE, never evidence -------------------
+    # Regression cases for the ledger's first real L3 run, which recorded a genuine PASS as
+    # `skipped` because `echo NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK` — the skip branch NOT taken — is echoed
+    # inside `=== COMMAND` on every run of a skip-gated test.
+    nl = {"pass": ["NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK"],
+          "skip": ["NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK"],
+          "terminal_pass": "NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK"}
+    _CMD = ("    l.go:52: | 23:51:18 | node-loss | step | CMD    | RUN |\n"
+            "        === COMMAND\n"
+            "        /usr/bin/sh -c set -euo pipefail\n"
+            "        if ! kubectl get storageclass longhorn >/dev/null 2>&1; then\n"
+            "          echo NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK\n"
+            "\n"
+            "          exit 0\n"
+            "        fi\n"
+            "        echo NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK\n"
+            "    l.go:52: | 23:52:42 | node-loss | step | SCRIPT | LOG |\n")
+
+    ran = classify_sections(_CMD + "        === STDOUT\n"
+                            "        ready nodes: 3\n"
+                            "        NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK\n"
+                            "    l.go:52: | 23:52:42 | node-loss | step | SCRIPT | DONE |\n")
+    sent, proof, _ = decide("L3", "passed", nl, ran, "t")
+    check("skip token ONLY in the COMMAND echo + pass token in STDOUT is PROVEN",
+          proof == "proven" and sent == "NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK")
+
+    selfskipped = classify_sections(_CMD + "        === STDOUT\n"
+                                    "        SKIP: 'longhorn' StorageClass absent\n"
+                                    "        NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK\n")
+    sent, proof, _ = decide("L3", "passed", nl, selfskipped, "t")
+    check("skip token GENUINELY in STDOUT is still 'skipped' (the guarantee holds)",
+          proof == "skipped" and sent == "NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK")
+
+    neither = classify_sections(_CMD + "        === STDOUT\n        ready nodes: 3\n")
+    _, proof, _ = decide("L3", "passed", nl, neither, "t")
+    check("both tokens in COMMAND and neither in STDOUT is NOT proven",
+          proof == "unknown-sentinel-absent")
+
+    both_out = classify_sections("        === STDOUT\n"
+                                 "        NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK\n"
+                                 "        NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK\n")
+    _, proof, _ = decide("L3", "passed", nl, both_out, "t")
+    check("skip still BEATS pass when both are in genuine output", proof == "skipped")
+
+    stderr_skip = classify_sections("        === STDERR\n        NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK\n"
+                                    "        === STDOUT\n"
+                                    "        NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK\n")
+    _, proof, _ = decide("L3", "passed", nl, stderr_skip, "t")
+    check("a skip token in a non-source section (STDERR) still costs the proof",
+          proof == "skipped")
+
+    stderr_pass = classify_sections("        === STDERR\n"
+                                    "        NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK\n")
+    _, proof, _ = decide("L3", "passed", nl, stderr_pass, "t")
+    check("a pass token OUTSIDE stdout cannot prove anything",
+          proof == "unknown-sentinel-absent")
+
+    # --- classify_sections: markers, extents, and Go's own `=== RUN` --------------------
+    gorows = classify_sections("=== RUN   chainsaw\n=== PAUSE chainsaw\n"
+                               "=== CONT  chainsaw/node-loss\n"
+                               "        === COMMAND\n        echo NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK\n"
+                               "    l.go:52: | 1:00:00 | node-loss | s | SCRIPT | DONE |\n"
+                               "--- PASS: chainsaw/node-loss (131.09s)\n")
+    secs = [sec for sec, _ in gorows]
+    check("Go's column-0 `=== RUN/PAUSE/CONT` never open a section",
+          secs[:3] == ["", "", ""])
+    check("a section covers its indented body and ends at a less-indented line",
+          secs[3] == "" and secs[4] == "COMMAND" and secs[5] == "" and secs[6] == "")
+    check("a log with no === markers stays wholly scannable (UNSECTIONED)",
+          {sec for sec, _ in classify_sections("plain line\n  another\n")} == {UNSECTIONED})
+
+    # --- the preserved run itself, as a fixture ----------------------------------------
+    # runs/20260901T235117Z-e9a4b66 IS the bug: NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK twice in `=== COMMAND`
+    # (source), never in output; NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK once in `=== STDOUT`.
+    fixture = CONF_ROOT / "runs" / "20260901T235117Z-e9a4b66"
+    if (fixture / "run.log").is_file() and (fixture / "report.junit.xml").is_file():
+        rows = build_rows(fixture, CONF_ROOT / "tests", "dev", "v0.2.12", "v1.36.4", "sha")
+        row = next((r for r in rows if r["test"] == "node-loss"), None)
+        check("preserved real L3 run records node-loss/R-STATE-02 as proven",
+              row is not None and row["proof"] == "proven"
+              and row["sentinel"] == "NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK"
+              and row["requirements"] == ["R-STATE-02"])
+        check("preserved real L3 run attributes (no DEGRADED fallback needed)",
+              row is not None and "DEGRADED" not in row["note"])
+        pairs = classify_sections((fixture / "run.log").read_text(errors="replace"))
+        secs = {sec for sec, line in pairs if "NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK" in line}
+        check("every NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK in the preserved log is COMMAND source",
+              secs == {"COMMAND"})
+        secs = {sec for sec, line in pairs
+                if line.strip() == "NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK"}
+        check("the real emission in the preserved log is in STDOUT", secs == {"STDOUT"})
+
+    # --- log attribution --------------------------------------------------------------
+    log = ("[run.sh] Coverage report first\n"
+           "    | 20:41:32 | node-loss | step | SCRIPT | RUN |\n"
+           "        NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK\n"
+           "    | 20:44:01 | dr-restore | step | SCRIPT | RUN |\n"
+           "        DR_RESTORED_FROM_OFF_CLUSTER_BACKUP_OK\n")
+    b, attributed = attribute_log(log, {"node-loss", "dr-restore"})
+    check("log lines are attributed to the testcase whose header preceded them",
+          attributed
+          and any("NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK" in l for _, l in b["node-loss"])
+          and not any("NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK" in l for _, l in b["dr-restore"]))
+    check("a pass token does NOT leak across testcase boundaries",
+          not any("DR_RESTORED" in l for _, l in b["node-loss"]))
+    check("an unsectioned log keeps whole-log scanning (nothing narrowed away)",
+          all(sec == UNSECTIONED for sec, _ in b["node-loss"]))
+
+    # Chainsaw's real headers carry a Go `t.Log` source prefix and ANSI colour; the earlier
+    # regex matched neither, so every genuine Chainsaw log silently fell into DEGRADED mode.
+    real_hdr = ("    l.go:52: \x08\x08\x08| 23:51:18 | \x1b[32;1mnode-loss\x1b[0;22m | "
+                "\x1b[32;1mstep\x1b[0;22m | SCRIPT | LOG |\n"
+                "        === STDOUT\n        NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK\n")
+    b2, attributed_real = attribute_log(real_hdr, {"node-loss"})
+    check("a REAL Chainsaw header (go source prefix + ANSI) attributes, not degrades",
+          attributed_real and "node-loss" in b2
+          and ("STDOUT", "        NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK") in b2["node-loss"])
+    _, attributed2 = attribute_log("no chainsaw headers at all\n", {"node-loss"})
+    check("an unattributable log is reported as such (degraded mode)", not attributed2)
+
+    smap2 = {"a": {"pass": ["DNS_OK", "A_ONLY_OK"], "skip": []},
+             "b": {"pass": ["DNS_OK"], "skip": []}}
+    check("only tokens owned by exactly one test may be used in degraded mode",
+          unique_tokens(smap2) == {"A_ONLY_OK"})
+
+    # --- end-to-end: a self-skipped L3 run must land in the ledger as `skipped` --------
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as td:
+        root = Path(td)
+        tdir = root / "tests" / "l3-fault-injection" / "node-loss"
+        tdir.mkdir(parents=True)
+        (tdir / "chainsaw-test.yaml").write_text(
+            "kind: Test\nmetadata:\n  name: node-loss\n  labels:\n"
+            "    conformance.home.k3s/R-STATE-02: \"true\"\n  annotations:\n"
+            "    conformance.home.k3s/requirements: \"R-STATE-02\"\n"
+            "    conformance.home.k3s/layer: \"L3\"\nspec:\n  steps:\n"
+            "    - script:\n        content: 'echo hi'\n        check:\n"
+            "          (contains($stdout, 'NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK')"
+            " || contains($stdout, 'NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK')): true\n")
+        rd = root / "runs" / "20260901T120000Z-abc1234"
+        rd.mkdir(parents=True)
+        (rd / "report.junit.xml").write_text(
+            '<testsuites><testsuite><testcase classname="L3:R-STATE-02" '
+            'name="node-loss"><properties>'
+            '<property name="requirements" value="R-STATE-02"/>'
+            '<property name="layer" value="L3"/></properties></testcase>'
+            "</testsuite></testsuites>")
+        (rd / "run.log").write_text(
+            "  | 12:00:01 | node-loss | s | SCRIPT | RUN |\n"
+            "      SKIP: 'longhorn' StorageClass absent\n"
+            "      NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK\n")
+        rows = build_rows(rd, root / "tests", "dev", "v0.2.12", "v1.36.4", "abc1234")
+        check("end-to-end: Chainsaw 'passed' + skip token => proof 'skipped'",
+              len(rows) == 1 and rows[0]["junit_result"] == "passed"
+              and rows[0]["proof"] == "skipped"
+              and rows[0]["sentinel"] == "NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK")
+        check("end-to-end: row carries ts from the run-dir name and the R-ID label",
+              rows[0]["ts_utc"] == "2026-09-01T12:00:00Z"
+              and rows[0]["requirements"] == ["R-STATE-02"])
+
+        (rd / "run.log").write_text(
+            "  | 12:00:01 | node-loss | s | SCRIPT | RUN |\n"
+            "      NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK\n")
+        rows = build_rows(rd, root / "tests", "dev", "v0.2.12", "v1.36.4", "abc1234")
+        check("end-to-end: Chainsaw 'passed' + pass token => proof 'proven'",
+              rows[0]["proof"] == "proven"
+              and rows[0]["sentinel"] == "NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK")
+
+        ledger = root / "ledger.jsonl"
+        append_rows(ledger, rows)
+        append_rows(ledger, rows)
+        check("ledger is append-only JSONL (one parsable object per line)",
+              len(ledger.read_text().strip().splitlines()) == 2
+              and json.loads(ledger.read_text().splitlines()[0])["test"] == "node-loss")
+
+    if not ok:
+        return 1
+    sys.stderr.write("record_run.py selftest: PASS\n")
+    return 0
+
+
+# ============================================================================== main
+def main() -> int:
+    ap = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__,
+                                 formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter)
+    ap.add_argument("--run-dir", type=Path,
+                    help="conformance/runs/<UTC>-<sha>/ holding report.junit.xml + run.log")
+    ap.add_argument("--ledger", type=Path, default=DEFAULT_LEDGER,
+                    help=f"append-only ledger (default {DEFAULT_LEDGER})")
+    ap.add_argument("--tests", type=Path, default=CONF_ROOT / "tests")
+    ap.add_argument("--repo", type=Path, default=REPO_ROOT)
+    ap.add_argument("--env", default=os.environ.get("CONF_ENV", "dev"))
+    ap.add_argument("--chainsaw-version", default=None,
+                    help="override the versions.env pin (recorded verbatim)")
+    ap.add_argument("--kube-version", default=os.environ.get("CONF_KUBE_VERSION"),
+                    help="override the `kubectl version` probe (recorded verbatim)")
+    ap.add_argument("--dry-run", action="store_true",
+                    help="print the rows that WOULD be appended; write nothing")
+    ap.add_argument("--selftest", action="store_true", help="run the built-in self-test")
+    args = ap.parse_args()
+
+    if args.selftest:
+        return _selftest()
+    if args.run_dir is None:
+        sys.stderr.write("[record] --run-dir is required (or use --selftest)\n")
+        return 1
+
+    run_dir = args.run_dir.resolve()
+    junit, log = run_dir / "report.junit.xml", run_dir / "run.log"
+    # BOTH files or nothing. The JUnit alone cannot tell a self-skip from a real pass, so
+    # recording from it alone is exactly the false proof this tool exists to prevent.
+    missing = [p.name for p in (junit, log) if not p.is_file()]
+    if missing:
+        sys.stderr.write(
+            f"[record] {run_dir} is missing {', '.join(missing)} — nothing recorded. "
+            f"The JUnit alone cannot distinguish a self-skip from a real pass "
+            f"(see module docstring). SKIPPED (not green).\n")
+        return 3
+
+    try:
+        rows = build_rows(
+            run_dir, args.tests, args.env,
+            args.chainsaw_version or pinned_chainsaw_version(CONF_ROOT),
+            args.kube_version or server_kube_version(),
+            git_sha(args.repo))
+    except ET.ParseError as e:
+        sys.stderr.write(f"[record] {junit} is not parsable JUnit: {e}\n")
+        return 1
+    except OSError as e:
+        sys.stderr.write(f"[record] cannot read the run inputs: {e}\n")
+        return 1
+
+    if not rows:
+        sys.stderr.write(f"[record] {junit} contains no <testcase> — nothing to record. "
+                         f"SKIPPED (not green).\n")
+        return 3
+
+    for r in rows:
+        print(f"[record] {r['layer']:4s} {r['proof']:28s} {r['test']} "
+              f"({','.join(r['requirements']) or 'untagged'}) "
+              f"junit={r['junit_result']} sentinel={r['sentinel'] or '—'}")
+    counts: dict[str, int] = {}
+    for r in rows:
+        counts[r["proof"]] = counts.get(r["proof"], 0) + 1
+    print(f"[record] {len(rows)} testcase(s): "
+          + ", ".join(f"{k}={v}" for k, v in sorted(counts.items())))
+
+    if args.dry_run:
+        print("[record] --dry-run: ledger NOT written.")
+        return 0
+    try:
+        append_rows(args.ledger, rows)
+    except OSError as e:
+        sys.stderr.write(f"[record] cannot append to {args.ledger}: {e}\n")
+        return 1
+    print(f"[record] appended {len(rows)} row(s) -> {args.ledger}")
+    print("[record] COMMIT the run dir and the ledger; an uncommitted ledger proves nothing.")
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    raise SystemExit(main())

conformance/lib/status.py

@@ -15,26 +15,42 @@ This generator derives, from the REPOSITORY ALONE, three orthogonal axes per req
                        from a Flux Kustomization entrypoint (i.e. actually reconciled)?
   2. VERIFICATION    — is there a requirement-tagged test, at which layer, and is it an
                        EXECUTABLE test or a TODO scaffold?
-  3. PROOF           — has that test actually passed?  *** DELIBERATELY NOT DERIVED. ***
+  3. PROOF           — has that test actually passed?  Derived ONLY from the committed
+                       run ledger, and ONLY as far as that ledger's evidence reaches.
 
-WHAT THIS TOOL REFUSES TO DERIVE (and why)
+PROOF — WHAT CHANGED, AND WHAT DID NOT
-------------------------------------------
+--------------------------------------
-PROOF-OF-PASS IS NOT DERIVABLE FROM REPO STATE. Nothing tracked in git records a test
+This report used to say `not-derivable` for every requirement, because nothing tracked in
-result: `conformance/_artifacts/` and `results/` are git-ignored, and the only prose
+git recorded a test result and the only prose record of a green run lived in
-record of a green run lives in DECISIONS-LOG.md — hand-maintained, unstructured, and
+DECISIONS-LOG.md — hand-maintained, unstructured, exactly the source the operator ruled
-exactly the kind of source the operator has ruled out. The project's own culture is that
+out. The fix this docstring asked for now exists: `conformance/runs/ledger.jsonl`, an
-"merged" is never "done" (agents/definition-of-done.md, R-TEST-03), so this report will
+append-only ledger written by `lib/record_run.py` from a run's JUnit **and its run log**
-NOT infer, guess, or default a requirement to green. Every requirement's proof state is
+(see conformance/.gitignore for the negations that keep both in git).
-reported as `not-derivable`, and the headline says so. If an untracked JUnit artifact
-happens to be lying in the workspace it is surfaced ONLY as a quarantined advisory with
-its mtime — never counted, never mixed into a status.
 
-The honest fix is a committed, machine-readable run ledger; until that exists, the most
+THE REFUSAL POSTURE IS UNCHANGED. Evidence replaced "not derivable" only where evidence
-this report can say is "wired and testable", never "proven".
+exists; nowhere is optimism substituted for it:
+
+  * A ledger row reaches `proven` only if `record_run.py` saw that test's own PASS
+    sentinel token in the run log. The L2/L3 tests SELF-SKIP GREEN — Chainsaw records
+    `passed` on `DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK` exactly as on a real run, and its JUnit carries no
+    stdout — so a skip token maps to `skipped` and can never become proof.
+  * A proof is honoured only while it still describes the current code: if any of the
+    requirement's implementing manifests or verifying tests changed in a commit that is
+    NOT an ancestor of the run's `git_sha`, the row degrades to `stale-proof`, which is
+    not green. A run recorded from a dirty tree (`<sha>-dirty`) is never honoured.
+  * A requirement with no ledger row, or whose verifying tests did not ALL report proven,
+    stays `not-derivable` / `unknown` — never rounded up.
+  * The untracked `_artifacts/report.junit.xml` is STILL only a quarantined advisory with
+    its mtime. It is not the ledger, it is not evidence, and it feeds no status.
+
+With an empty or absent ledger this report behaves exactly as it did before: every
+requirement `not-derivable`, headline PROVEN 0, "the most this report can say is wired and
+testable, never proven".
 
 READS (all read-only)
   requirements/registry.yaml     the authoritative R-* mirror  (via lib/coverage.py)
   tests/**/chainsaw-test.yaml    requirement tags + layer + executable annotation
+  runs/ledger.jsonl              COMMITTED proof-of-pass rows (via lib/record_run.py)
   clusters/<env>/               Flux entrypoint -> the reconciliation graph
   `git ls-files`                 TRACKED files only; untracked scratch is not repo state
   ../home-network-k3s/docs/00-vision-and-scope.md   OPTIONAL registry<->spec parity check
@@ -92,7 +108,14 @@ FLUX_API = "kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io"
 #   conformance/tests — those are the TESTS; they are the VERIFICATION axis, counted there.
 #   ci/tests          — gate unit-test fixtures embed example R-IDs as DATA.
 #   registry.yaml     — the requirement mirror itself, not an implementation of anything.
-IMPL_EXCLUDE_PREFIXES = ("conformance/tests/", "ci/tests/")
+# `conformance/runs/` is excluded for a subtler reason than the test dirs: the ledger and the
+# preserved run logs CONTAIN the requirement IDs they are evidence FOR. Counting them as
+# implementing evidence makes `last_change` move every time proof is recorded, so a row's
+# git_sha always predates it and EVERY proof degrades to stale-proof the instant it is
+# committed — recording the proof destroys it. The ledger is the proof record; it must not
+# participate in the freshness computation about itself. (Found live 2026-09-01 on the first
+# PROVEN row.)
+IMPL_EXCLUDE_PREFIXES = ("conformance/tests/", "ci/tests/", "conformance/runs/")
 IMPL_EXCLUDE_PATHS = ("conformance/requirements/registry.yaml",)
 
 
@@ -274,6 +297,109 @@ _EXECUTABLE_RE = re.compile(
 _BLOCKED_RE = re.compile(
     r"^\s*" + re.escape(LABEL_PREFIX) + r"/blocked-by:\s*(.+)$", re.M)
 
+# ---------------------------------------------------------- scaffold-marker detection
+# WHY THIS IS NOT A WHOLE-FILE `"TODO" in text`
+# ---------------------------------------------------
+# It used to be, and that mis-reported a SAFETY-CRITICAL requirement. A test whose SUBJECT
+# is placeholder detection has to name the idioms it hunts for:
+# `l0-static/placeholder-guard-coupling/check.sh` carries
+# `SEED = ["TBD", "TODO", "FIXME", "PLACEHOLDER", ...]` — its detection vocabulary, as data.
+# A whole-file substring test read that as the test declaring itself unfinished, classified
+# a 32-assertion executable check as a scaffold, raised a permanent `--strict` annotation
+# conflict, and (because the same file is tagged R-STATE-03) reported R-STATE-03 as
+# `exec=1 scaffold=1`. A previous engineer worked around it by rewording prose.
+#
+# The rule below is derived from the corpus (43 tests), not invented. Every genuine
+# scaffold in this tree — `l2-behavioral/onboarding-completeness`, `l3-fault-injection/
+# alerting`, `l3-fault-injection/gitops-drift`, and no others — declares itself in BOTH of
+# two structural positions, and no executable test does either:
+#
+#   1. a `# STATUS: ... scaffold` line in the file's documentation header. This is the
+#      repo's DEDICATED declaration slot (tests/README.md): 3 of 43 tests say
+#      `STATUS: scaffold` and they are exactly the three scaffolds; 19 others declare
+#      `STATUS: EXECUTABLE` / `IMPLEMENTED` / `RUNNABLE`; the rest declare nothing.
+#   2. a TODO/FIXME marker in the BODY that CARRIES A MESSAGE — `echo "TODO: assert PVC
+#      bound ..."`, `TODO(T-4.1): hermetic SMTP capture sink`. A marker that carries a
+#      message is a note about work that is missing. A marker that is the ENTIRE content of
+#      a quoted literal (`"TODO",` in a vocabulary list) carries no message: it is the
+#      marker as a *datum*, which is what a placeholder DETECTOR necessarily contains.
+#
+# Both are still evaluated over the body of `chainsaw-test.yaml` AND of any
+# `render-check.sh` / `check.sh`, and either one still OUTRANKS an
+# `executable: "true"` annotation (see classify_test) — the invariant that an annotation
+# must never outrank the body is unchanged. Ambiguity still only ever DOWNGRADES: an
+# unrecognised marker shape, a marker in body code outside a quoted literal, or a marker
+# carrying any trailing text all classify as scaffold.
+#
+# KNOWN, ACCEPTED IMPRECISION (stated rather than hidden): a test that embeds a marker with
+# text attached but as data — e.g. `re.compile(r"TODO|FIXME")`, or a single string holding
+# several idioms — is still called a scaffold. That is the conservative direction, and the
+# author's remedy is the same structural discipline the corpus already uses: keep each
+# idiom a standalone literal in a list.
+
+# Vocabulary: only the idioms that DECLARE unfinished work. Deliberately excludes `TBD`,
+# `PLACEHOLDER`, `XXX`, `REPLACE-ME` — tests in this tree legitimately carry those in
+# executable code as data (`l0-static/egress-paths-selected-by-rules/check.sh` compares
+# authored values against `"TBD"`; `l0-static/no-plaintext-secrets/check.sh` matches
+# `placeholder.*`), and none of them is used here to mark a placeholder body.
+# Case-insensitive: no English word contains either token, and the corpus carries no
+# lower-case occurrence, so folding case only ever ADDS detection (`echo "todo: ..."`).
+_MARKER_RE = re.compile(r"\b(?:TODO|FIXME)\b", re.I)
+
+# The dedicated declaration slot, on a comment line, case-insensitive. The declared state
+# must be the FIRST token after `STATUS:` — a `STATUS:` line declares exactly one state,
+# and all three real scaffolds read `# STATUS: scaffold — <what is missing>`. Anchoring it
+# there is what keeps `# STATUS: EXECUTABLE ... this is not a scaffold` from matching; a
+# loose `.*scaffold` would turn any prose that merely uses the word into a declaration.
+_STATUS_SCAFFOLD_RE = re.compile(
+    r"^[ \t]*#[ \t]*STATUS:[ \t]*(?:scaffold|placeholder)\b", re.M | re.I)
+
+# A quoted literal whose entire content is one marker word: the marker as data.
+_MARKER_AS_DATUM_RE = re.compile(r"(['\"])[ \t]*(?:TODO|FIXME)[ \t]*\1", re.I)
+
+
+def _split_doc_header(text: str) -> tuple[str, str]:
+    """Split a test file into (documentation header, body).
+
+    Both file kinds in this tree open with a banner comment block that is PROSE about the
+    test: the Given/When/Then, the incident being closed, the mandatory "what this does NOT
+    prove" list (tests/README.md, L0 authoring rule 1). Prose necessarily discusses
+    placeholder idioms when the test hunts them, so an incidental mention there is
+    documentation, not a placeholder body.
+
+    The body starts at the first line that is neither blank nor a `#` comment:
+      *.sh    -> `set -euo pipefail` (the shebang is a comment)
+      *.yaml  -> `apiVersion: chainsaw.kyverno.io/v1alpha1`
+    Comments BELOW that point are body, deliberately: a scaffold marks a missing fixture
+    with an inline comment (`l3-fault-injection/alerting`: `file: fixtures/smtp-sink.yaml
+    # TODO(T-4.1): hermetic SMTP capture sink`), and that must keep counting.
+    """
+    lines = text.splitlines(keepends=True)
+    for i, ln in enumerate(lines):
+        s = ln.strip()
+        if s and not s.startswith("#"):
+            return "".join(lines[:i]), "".join(lines[i:])
+    return text, ""          # no executable line at all: it is all header, body is empty
+
+
+def scaffold_marker(text: str) -> str:
+    """Why `text` declares itself a placeholder body, or "" if it does not.
+
+    Returns a short human-readable reason (used verbatim in the hygiene report) so the
+    defect is actionable rather than a bare path.
+    """
+    head, body = _split_doc_header(text)
+    m = _STATUS_SCAFFOLD_RE.search(head) or _STATUS_SCAFFOLD_RE.search(body)
+    if m:
+        return m.group(0).strip().lstrip("#").strip()[:80]
+    # Blank out markers held as pure data before looking for a marker that has a message.
+    m2 = _MARKER_RE.search(_MARKER_AS_DATUM_RE.sub('""', body))
+    if m2:
+        line = body[:m2.start()].count("\n")
+        snippet = body.splitlines()[line].strip()
+        return f"placeholder marker in body: {snippet[:80]}"
+    return ""
+
 
 def classify_test(t: dict) -> dict:
     """Decide EXECUTABLE vs SCAFFOLD for one discovered test, conservatively.
@@ -281,14 +407,18 @@ def classify_test(t: dict) -> dict:
     A tagged test is only worth counting if it can actually assert something. Rules, in
     order, chosen so ambiguity NEVER upgrades a test:
 
-      scaffold             the body contains TODO markers (a placeholder), *even if* it
+      scaffold             the test DECLARES itself a placeholder — a `# STATUS: scaffold`
-                           is annotated executable — an annotation must never outrank the
+                           header line, or a TODO/FIXME marker carrying a message in the
-                           body. That mismatch is also reported as a hygiene defect.
+                           body (see `scaffold_marker` for the rule and the corpus it was
-      executable           annotated `conformance.home.k3s/executable: "true"` and no TODOs.
+                           derived from) — *even if* it is annotated executable. An
-      executable-untagged  no TODOs and a real runnable body, but the annotation is
+                           annotation must never outrank the body. That mismatch is also
-                           missing (true of the L1 render tests, which execute a
+                           reported as a hygiene defect.
-                           render-check.sh + golden diff, of the L0 static checks, and
+      executable           annotated `conformance.home.k3s/executable: "true"` and no
-                           of the META self-check).
+                           scaffold declaration.
+      executable-untagged  no scaffold declaration and a real runnable body, but the
+                           annotation is missing (true of the L1 render tests, which
+                           execute a render-check.sh + golden diff, of the L0 static
+                           checks, and of the META self-check).
                            Counted as executable, and flagged as an annotation gap.
       scaffold             anything else.
     """
@@ -299,16 +429,26 @@ def classify_test(t: dict) -> dict:
     # downgrades the test to a scaffold — an annotation must never outrank the body,
     # whichever file the body lives in.
     extra = ""
+    scripts: list[tuple[str, str]] = []
     for script in ("render-check.sh", "check.sh"):
         sp = p.parent / script
         if sp.is_file():
-            extra += sp.read_text()
+            body = sp.read_text()
+            extra += body
+            scripts.append((script, body))
     declared = bool(_EXECUTABLE_RE.search(text))
-    has_todo = "TODO" in text or "TODO" in extra
+    # Each file is classified on ITS OWN structure — the yaml and the script have different
+    # header blocks, so they must not be concatenated before the header/body split.
+    reason = scaffold_marker(text)
+    for script, body in scripts:
+        if reason:
+            break
+        r = scaffold_marker(body)
+        reason = f"{script}: {r}" if r else ""
     bm = _BLOCKED_RE.search(text)
     has_body = bool(extra) or bool(re.search(r"^\s+- (script|assert|apply):", text, re.M))
 
-    if has_todo:
+    if reason:
         state = "scaffold"
     elif declared:
         state = "executable"
@@ -325,7 +465,8 @@ def classify_test(t: dict) -> dict:
         "name": t["name"], "path": rel, "layer": t["layer"],
         "state": state,
         "declared_executable": declared,
-        "annotation_conflict": bool(declared and has_todo),
+        "annotation_conflict": bool(declared and reason),
+        "scaffold_reason": reason,
         "blocked_by": bm.group(1).strip().strip('"') if bm else "",
     }
 
@@ -343,6 +484,169 @@ def spec_requirement_ids(spec_root: Path) -> set[str] | None:
     return set(RID_RE.findall(doc.read_text()))
 
 
+# ========================================================================== ledger
+# PROOF axis. Everything here reads `conformance/runs/ledger.jsonl` (written ONLY by an
+# explicit `lib/record_run.py` / `run.sh --record` invocation) and downgrades relentlessly.
+# Nothing in this section may ever turn absent, ambiguous or aged evidence into green.
+
+DEFAULT_LEDGER = CONF_ROOT / "runs" / "ledger.jsonl"
+
+# Severity ranking, WORST FIRST. A requirement's proof is the MINIMUM over its verifying
+# tests, so one failed/skipped/missing test drags the whole requirement down and a single
+# proven test can never carry the others. `stale-proof` ranks below `proven` on purpose:
+# it is a real past pass that no longer describes the current code, and it is NOT green.
+PROOF_ORDER = {
+    "failed": 0,              # a ledger row recorded a JUnit failure/error
+    "unknown": 1,             # ran, but the log could not evidence pass vs self-skip
+    "not-derivable": 2,       # no ledger row for this test at all (the pre-ledger default)
+    "junit-skipped": 3,       # JUnit <skipped/> — did not execute
+    "skipped": 4,             # SELF-SKIPPED green: exited 0 without exercising the behaviour
+    "stale-proof": 5,         # proven at a sha the implementation/test has since moved past
+    "proven": 6,              # the ONLY green state
+}
+# record_run.py's two "we cannot tell" states collapse to one reported state here; the
+# per-test detail in status.json keeps the distinction for whoever has to fix it.
+_PROOF_ALIASES = {
+    "unknown-no-sentinel-declared": "unknown",
+    "unknown-sentinel-absent": "unknown",
+}
+
+
+def read_ledger(path: Path) -> list[dict]:
+    """Parse the append-only JSONL ledger. A malformed line is SKIPPED, never guessed at.
+
+    Absent or empty file -> [] , which reproduces this report's pre-ledger behaviour
+    exactly (every requirement `not-derivable`, headline PROVEN 0).
+    """
+    if not path.is_file():
+        return []
+    rows: list[dict] = []
+    for line in path.read_text(errors="replace").splitlines():
+        line = line.strip()
+        if not line or line.startswith("#"):
+            continue
+        try:
+            obj = json.loads(line)
+        except json.JSONDecodeError:
+            continue
+        if isinstance(obj, dict) and obj.get("test"):
+            rows.append(obj)
+    return rows
+
+
+def latest_by_test(rows: list[dict]) -> dict[str, dict]:
+    """Most recent ledger row per test name (ts_utc, then file order as the tiebreak).
+
+    Latest wins rather than best-ever: a test that has since gone back to self-skipping
+    must stop reading as proven.
+    """
+    latest: dict[str, dict] = {}
+    for i, r in enumerate(rows):
+        key = r["test"]
+        prev = latest.get(key)
+        if prev is None or (r.get("ts_utc", ""), i) >= (prev.get("ts_utc", ""),
+                                                       prev["_i"]):
+            latest[key] = {**r, "_i": i}
+    return latest
+
+
+class _GitOracle:
+    """Small cached wrapper for the two git questions the staleness rule asks."""
+
+    def __init__(self, repo: Path):
+        self.repo = repo
+        self._last: dict[tuple[str, ...], str | None] = {}
+        self._anc: dict[tuple[str, str], bool] = {}
+
+    def _git(self, *args: str) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
+        return subprocess.run(["git", "-C", str(self.repo), *args],
+                              capture_output=True, text=True)
+
+    def last_change(self, paths: tuple[str, ...]) -> str | None:
+        """Commit that last touched any of `paths`; None if git knows none of them."""
+        if not paths:
+            return None
+        if paths in self._last:
+            return self._last[paths]
+        p = self._git("log", "-1", "--format=%H", "--", *paths)
+        sha = p.stdout.strip() if p.returncode == 0 else ""
+        self._last[paths] = sha or None
+        return self._last[paths]
+
+    def is_ancestor(self, older: str, newer: str) -> bool:
+        """True iff `older` is an ancestor of (or equal to) `newer`.
+
+        False whenever either rev is unresolvable — an unknown or `-dirty` sha (a run
+        recorded from a modified working tree) can never satisfy the freshness test, which
+        is the intended fail-closed direction.
+        """
+        key = (older, newer)
+        if key in self._anc:
+            return self._anc[key]
+        ok = self._git("merge-base", "--is-ancestor", older, newer).returncode == 0
+        self._anc[key] = ok
+        return ok
+
+
+def derive_proof(git: _GitOracle, rid: str, verifiers: list[dict],
+                 impl_files: list[dict], latest: dict[str, dict]) -> dict:
+    """PROOF for one requirement, from the ledger, with the staleness rule applied.
+
+    STALENESS RULE — a proof is a claim about a specific tree, not a permanent badge:
+      relevant paths = every implementing artifact this report found for the requirement
+                       + every verifying test's directory
+      last_change    = `git log -1 -- <relevant paths>`
+      A row's `proven` is honoured only if `last_change` is an ANCESTOR of the row's
+      `git_sha`, i.e. the run happened at or after the newest change to the code it
+      claims to prove. Otherwise it degrades to `stale-proof` (not green). A `-dirty`
+      sha, a sha this clone does not have (rebased/dropped), or a path git has never
+      seen (an uncommitted test) all fail the ancestry test and degrade the same way.
+
+    The requirement's state is the MINIMUM over its verifying tests: every verifying test
+    must be proven and fresh before the requirement reads `proven`. A test with no ledger
+    row contributes `not-derivable`, so a partially-recorded run cannot manufacture green.
+    """
+    paths = sorted({f["path"] for f in impl_files}
+                   | {os.path.dirname(v["path"]) for v in verifiers if v.get("path")})
+    last_change = git.last_change(tuple(paths))
+
+    per_test: list[dict] = []
+    for v in verifiers:
+        row = latest.get(v["name"])
+        if row is None:
+            per_test.append({"test": v["name"], "state": "not-derivable",
+                             "reason": "no ledger row — this test has never been "
+                                       "recorded by run.sh --record / record_run.py"})
+            continue
+        base = _PROOF_ALIASES.get(row.get("proof", ""), row.get("proof", "unknown"))
+        if base not in PROOF_ORDER:
+            base = "unknown"
+        state, reason = base, row.get("note", "")
+        if base == "proven":
+            sha = row.get("git_sha", "")
+            if last_change and not git.is_ancestor(last_change, sha):
+                state = "stale-proof"
+                reason = (f"proven at {sha[:12]}, but the implementing manifests / test "
+                          f"changed in {last_change[:12]}, which that run predates")
+        per_test.append({"test": v["name"], "state": state, "reason": reason,
+                         "run_id": row.get("run_id"), "ts_utc": row.get("ts_utc"),
+                         "git_sha": row.get("git_sha"), "env": row.get("env"),
+                         "sentinel": row.get("sentinel"),
+                         "junit_result": row.get("junit_result")})
+
+    if not per_test:
+        state = "not-derivable"
+        reason = "no requirement-tagged test exists to be proven"
+    else:
+        worst = min(per_test, key=lambda d: PROOF_ORDER[d["state"]])
+        state, reason = worst["state"], worst["reason"]
+        if state == "not-derivable" and not reason:
+            reason = "no committed ledger row for this requirement's verifying test(s)"
+
+    return {"state": state, "reason": reason, "last_change_sha": last_change,
+            "evidence_paths": paths, "per_test": per_test}
+
+
 # ========================================================================== build
 IMPL_ORDER = {"none": 0, "off-cluster": 1, "unwired": 2, "reconciled-partial": 3,
               "reconciled": 4}
@@ -369,7 +673,13 @@ LABELS = {
 
 def build(repo: Path, registry: list[dict], tests: list[dict], impl: dict[str, list[dict]],
           applied: set[str], gitops_roots: set[str], spec_ids: set[str] | None,
-          env: str) -> dict:
+          env: str, ledger_rows: list[dict] | None = None) -> dict:
+    # PROOF axis inputs. `ledger_rows=None` / `[]` reproduces the pre-ledger behaviour:
+    # `latest` is empty, so every requirement derives `not-derivable` exactly as before.
+    ledger_rows = ledger_rows or []
+    latest = latest_by_test(ledger_rows)
+    git = _GitOracle(repo)
+
     classified = [classify_test(t) for t in tests]
     by_req_tests: dict[str, list[dict]] = {r["id"]: [] for r in registry}
     for t, c in zip(tests, classified):
@@ -439,17 +749,19 @@ def build(repo: Path, registry: list[dict], tests: list[dict], impl: dict[str, l
                 "blocked_by": sorted({t["blocked_by"] for t in ts if t["blocked_by"]}),
                 "tests": ts,
             },
-            # NEVER derived. See the module docstring.
+            # Derived ONLY from the committed ledger, and only as far as it reaches.
-            "proof": {"state": "not-derivable",
+            # With no ledger row this stays `not-derivable`, as it always was.
-                      "reason": "no committed, machine-readable record of a test run "
+            "proof": derive_proof(git, rid, ts, ev, latest),
-                                "exists in the repo (_artifacts/ and results/ are "
-                                "git-ignored); DECISIONS-LOG.md prose is not a signal"},
             "status": LABELS[(impl_state, verify_state)],
         }
 
     # --- hygiene defects this tool owns -------------------------------------------
     hygiene = {
         "annotation_conflicts": [t["path"] for t in classified if t["annotation_conflict"]],
+        # Same set, with WHY each one was called a placeholder body, so the fix is obvious
+        # from the report instead of requiring the reader to re-derive the rule.
+        "annotation_conflict_reasons": {t["path"]: t["scaffold_reason"]
+                                       for t in classified if t["annotation_conflict"]},
         "executable_untagged": [t["path"] for t in classified
                                 if t["state"] == "executable-untagged"],
         "registry_not_in_spec": [],
@@ -492,8 +804,19 @@ def build(repo: Path, registry: list[dict], tests: list[dict], impl: dict[str, l
             and v["verification"]["state"] == "executable"),
         "safety_critical_total": count(lambda v: v["safety_critical"]),
         "safety_critical_without_executable_l3": len(safety_scaffold),
-        "proven": 0,
+        # PROVEN is now a real count — but only of requirements whose EVERY verifying
-        "proven_derivable": False,
+        # test has a committed ledger row that saw its pass sentinel, at a sha the
+        # implementation has not moved past. `stale-proof` and `skipped` are counted
+        # separately and are NOT green.
+        "proven": count(lambda v: v["proof"]["state"] == "proven"),
+        "proof_stale": count(lambda v: v["proof"]["state"] == "stale-proof"),
+        "proof_skipped": count(lambda v: v["proof"]["state"] == "skipped"),
+        "proof_failed": count(lambda v: v["proof"]["state"] == "failed"),
+        "proof_unknown": count(lambda v: v["proof"]["state"] == "unknown"),
+        "proof_not_derivable": count(
+            lambda v: v["proof"]["state"] in ("not-derivable", "junit-skipped")),
+        "ledger_rows": len(ledger_rows),
+        "proven_derivable": bool(ledger_rows),
         "coverage_style_covered": count(lambda v: v["verification"]["state"] != "none"),
     }
     summary["uncited_by_any_reconciled_manifest"] = count(
@@ -552,16 +875,39 @@ def render_md(rep: dict, nodes: list[dict], advisory: dict | None) -> str:
     o.append(f"| Safety-critical requirements whose L3 test is a scaffold | "
              f"**{s['safety_critical_without_executable_l3']}** of "
              f"{s['safety_critical_total']} |")
+    if s["proven_derivable"]:
+        o.append(f"| **PROVEN (every verifying test passed, evidenced)** | "
+                 f"**{s['proven']}** |")
+        o.append(f"| Proof exists but is STALE (code changed after the run) | "
+                 f"{s['proof_stale']} |")
+        o.append(f"| Verifying test SELF-SKIPPED green (not proof) | {s['proof_skipped']} |")
+        o.append(f"| Verifying test FAILED in the recorded run | {s['proof_failed']} |")
+        o.append(f"| Ran, but the log could not evidence pass vs self-skip | "
+                 f"{s['proof_unknown']} |")
+        o.append(f"| No committed ledger row yet | {s['proof_not_derivable']} |")
+        o.append("")
+        o.append(f"> **Proof comes from `conformance/runs/ledger.jsonl`** "
+                 f"({s['ledger_rows']} row(s)), written only by an explicit "
+                 f"`run.sh --record` / `lib/record_run.py` invocation. A row reaches "
+                 f"`proven` ONLY when the run log carried that test's own pass sentinel "
+                 f"token — the L2/L3 tests self-skip GREEN (Chainsaw records `passed` on "
+                 f"`DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK` exactly as on a real run, and its JUnit carries "
+                 f"no stdout), so a skip token maps to `skipped` and can never become "
+                 f"proof. A proof is honoured only while the implementing manifests and "
+                 f"the test itself have not changed since the recorded `git_sha`; "
+                 f"otherwise it degrades to `stale-proof`, which is not green.\n")
+    else:
         o.append(f"| **PROVEN (a test actually passed)** | **{s['proven']} — NOT DERIVABLE** |")
         o.append("")
-    o.append("> **Proof is deliberately not derived.** Nothing tracked in git records a "
+        o.append("> **No proof is derivable: `conformance/runs/ledger.jsonl` is absent or "
-             "test result: `conformance/_artifacts/` and `results/` are git-ignored, and "
+                 "empty.** The ledger is the committed, machine-readable run record; until "
-             "the only record of a green run is DECISIONS-LOG.md prose — hand-maintained, "
+                 "a run is captured with `run.sh --record`, nothing tracked in git records "
-             "which is the very thing this report replaces. Per "
+                 "a test result (`conformance/_artifacts/` and `results/` are git-ignored, "
-             "`agents/definition-of-done.md` a requirement is done only when its tagged "
+                 "and DECISIONS-LOG.md prose is hand-maintained — the very thing this "
-             "test **passes**, so the strongest claim this report can make is "
+                 "report replaces). Per `agents/definition-of-done.md` a requirement is "
-             "*wired and testable*. Closing the gap needs a committed, machine-readable "
+                 "done only when its tagged test **passes**, so the strongest claim this "
-             "run ledger; until then, treat every row below as unproven.\n")
+                 "report can make is *wired and testable*; treat every row below as "
+                 "unproven.\n")
     o.append(f"> For contrast, `coverage.md` counts **{s['coverage_style_covered']}** "
              f"requirements as covered — that count includes the "
              f"{s['verify_scaffold_only']} whose only verifying test is a TODO scaffold.\n")
@@ -612,7 +958,15 @@ def render_md(rep: dict, nodes: list[dict], advisory: dict | None) -> str:
             if ver["blocked_by"]:
                 vcell += f" · blocked-by: {'; '.join(ver['blocked_by'])}"
         sc = " ⚠safety" if v["safety_critical"] else ""
-        o.append(f"| {rid}{sc} | **{v['status']}** | {icell} | {vcell} | not-derivable |")
+        pr = v["proof"]
+        if pr["state"] == "not-derivable":
+            pcell = "not-derivable"
+        else:
+            runs = sorted({d["run_id"] for d in pr["per_test"] if d.get("run_id")})
+            pcell = f"**{pr['state']}**" if pr["state"] == "proven" else pr["state"]
+            if runs:
+                pcell += f" ({', '.join(runs)})"
+        o.append(f"| {rid}{sc} | **{v['status']}** | {icell} | {vcell} | {pcell} |")
 
     if rep["safety_critical_without_executable_l3"]:
         o.append("\n## Safety-critical requirements whose L3 fault test is a SCAFFOLD "
@@ -678,8 +1032,10 @@ def render_md(rep: dict, nodes: list[dict], advisory: dict | None) -> str:
     else:
         o.append("- registry ↔ spec parity: **NOT CHECKED** (spec tree not available; "
                  "this is a skip, not a pass)")
-    o.append(f"- tests annotated executable but containing TODO bodies: "
+    o.append("- tests annotated executable but declaring a placeholder body: "
-             f"{h['annotation_conflicts'] or 'none'}")
+             + (", ".join(f"`{k}` ({v})"
+                          for k, v in sorted(h["annotation_conflict_reasons"].items()))
+                if h["annotation_conflicts"] else "none"))
     o.append(f"- executable tests missing the `{LABEL_PREFIX}/executable` annotation: "
              f"{h['executable_untagged'] or 'none'}")
 
@@ -698,25 +1054,82 @@ def render_md(rep: dict, nodes: list[dict], advisory: dict | None) -> str:
              "reconciled |")
     o.append("| verifying test | `conformance.home.k3s/R-*` label on a Chainsaw test "
              "(the authoritative tag, same source as `coverage.md`) | exact |")
-    o.append("| executable vs scaffold | TODO markers in the test body outrank the "
+    o.append("| executable vs scaffold | a `# STATUS: scaffold` header line, or a "
-             "`executable` annotation; a real body without the annotation still counts "
+             "TODO/FIXME marker CARRYING A MESSAGE in the body (a marker held as a bare "
-             "and is flagged | conservative — ambiguity never upgrades |")
+             "quoted datum — a placeholder detector's own vocabulary — is not one); "
-    o.append("| **test actually passed** | **NOT DERIVED** — nothing in git records a "
+             "either outranks the `executable` annotation, and a real body without the "
-             "run result | refused |")
+             "annotation still counts and is flagged | conservative — ambiguity never "
+             "upgrades |")
+    o.append("| **test actually passed** | the committed `runs/ledger.jsonl` row for "
+             "every verifying test: JUnit result **plus** that test's own pass sentinel "
+             "token grepped from the run log | exact where a run was recorded, refused "
+             "everywhere else — a self-skip token or a missing/unrecognised sentinel "
+             "NEVER yields `proven` |")
+    o.append("| proof still current | the row's `git_sha` must be a descendant of the "
+             "last commit touching the requirement's implementing manifests or its test "
+             "| conservative — an unresolvable or `-dirty` sha degrades to `stale-proof` |")
     o.append("| cluster liveness (pods/CRs healthy) | **NOT DERIVED** — no cluster is "
              "contacted; `reconciled` means Flux *would* apply it, not that it is "
              "healthy | refused |")
     o.append("| phase/board status | **NOT DERIVED** — `agents/task-board.md` is stale "
              "and is not a signal | refused |")
 
+    o.append("\n## Run ledger — the committed proof-of-pass evidence\n")
+    if not s["proven_derivable"]:
+        o.append("- `conformance/runs/ledger.jsonl` holds no rows. Capture a run with "
+                 "`./run.sh --record` (recording is never implicit: a run that silently "
+                 "records itself is how a bad run becomes a permanent false proof), then "
+                 "commit `conformance/runs/<run-id>/` **with its `run.log`** and the "
+                 "ledger. The log is the load-bearing half — Chainsaw's JUnit carries no "
+                 "stdout, so without it a self-skip is indistinguishable from a pass.")
+    else:
+        o.append(f"- {s['ledger_rows']} row(s) in `conformance/runs/ledger.jsonl`. "
+                 f"Per-test evidence for every non-`not-derivable` requirement below; "
+                 f"full rows (env, chainsaw/kube versions, sentinel, note) are in "
+                 f"`status.json` under `by_requirement.<R-ID>.proof.per_test`.\n")
+        o.append("| Requirement | Proof | Test | Ledger state | Sentinel | Run |")
+        o.append("|---|---|---|---|---|---|")
+        for rid, v in rep["by_requirement"].items():
+            pr = v["proof"]
+            if pr["state"] == "not-derivable":
+                continue
+            for d in pr["per_test"]:
+                o.append(f"| {rid} | {pr['state']} | `{d['test']}` | {d['state']} | "
+                         f"`{d.get('sentinel') or '—'}` | {d.get('run_id') or '—'} |")
+        stale = [(rid, v) for rid, v in rep["by_requirement"].items()
+                 if v["proof"]["state"] == "stale-proof"]
+        if stale:
+            o.append("\n### Stale proofs — a real pass that no longer describes this tree\n")
+            o.append("These requirements DID pass, but their implementing manifests or "
+                     "their verifying test changed in a commit the recorded run predates. "
+                     "A stale proof is not green; re-run with `--record`.\n")
+            for rid, v in stale:
+                pr = v["proof"]
+                o.append(f"- **{rid}** — {pr['reason']}")
+        skipped = [(rid, v) for rid, v in rep["by_requirement"].items()
+                   if v["proof"]["state"] == "skipped"]
+        if skipped:
+            o.append("\n### SELF-SKIPPED green — recorded, and deliberately NOT proof\n")
+            o.append("Chainsaw reported `passed` for these, because the test exited 0 "
+                     "after emitting its skip token: a precondition (Longhorn "
+                     "StorageClass, Velero CRDs, >=3 Ready nodes) was absent, so the "
+                     "behaviour was never exercised. This is exactly the row a "
+                     "JUnit-only ledger would have recorded as green.\n")
+            for rid, v in skipped:
+                toks = ", ".join(sorted({d.get("sentinel") or "?"
+                                         for d in v["proof"]["per_test"]
+                                         if d["state"] == "skipped"}))
+                o.append(f"- **{rid}** — skip token(s): `{toks}`")
+
     o.append("\n## Advisory — untracked local run artifact (NOT counted)\n")
     if advisory:
         o.append(f"- `{advisory['path']}` (untracked, git-ignored), last written "
                  f"{advisory['mtime']}: {advisory['tests']} testcase(s), "
                  f"{advisory['failures']} failure(s), {advisory['skipped']} skipped.")
         o.append(f"- requirement IDs it names: {', '.join(advisory['requirements']) or '—'}")
-        o.append("- This is one developer's local workspace, not repo state. It is shown "
+        o.append("- This is one developer's local workspace, not repo state, and it is NOT "
-                 "for orientation only and contributes to NO status above.")
+                 "the ledger. It is shown for orientation only and contributes to NO "
+                 "status above — a JUnit alone cannot tell a self-skip from a pass.")
     else:
         o.append("- none present.")
     return "\n".join(o) + "\n"
@@ -841,6 +1254,186 @@ def _selftest() -> int:
               classify_test({"name": "s", "path": str(f), "layer": "L2"})["state"]
               == "scaffold")
 
+        # === THE BUG THIS DETECTOR WAS REWRITTEN FOR ==============================
+        # A whole-file `"TODO" in text` mis-classified `l0-static/placeholder-guard-
+        # coupling` — a 32-assertion executable check whose SUBJECT is placeholder
+        # detection, so it must name the idioms it hunts — as a scaffold, and through it
+        # reported the SAFETY-CRITICAL R-STATE-03 as `exec=1 scaffold=1`. These
+        # assertions pin BOTH directions: a marker held as DATA must not downgrade, and a
+        # real placeholder body must still be caught. Both halves are load-bearing; the
+        # second is what stops this fix from degrading into "always executable".
+        yml = ("metadata:\n  annotations:\n"
+               "    conformance.home.k3s/executable: \"true\"\n"
+               "spec:\n  steps:\n    - script:\n"
+               "        content: bash ./check.sh\n")
+        f.write_text(yml)
+        detector = td2 / "check.sh"
+        # Shaped exactly like the real check: a prose header that discusses the idioms,
+        # then executable code holding them as a vocabulary list.
+        detector.write_text(
+            "#!/usr/bin/env bash\n"
+            "# L0 static check — placeholder vocabulary\n"
+            "#   * SEED — loud-placeholder idioms (TBD, TODO, FIXME, PLACEHOLDER)\n"
+            "# STATUS: EXECUTABLE. A pure offline assertion script.\n"
+            "set -euo pipefail\n"
+            "python3 - <<'EOF'\n"
+            "SEED = [\"TBD\", \"TODO\", \"FIXME\", \"PLACEHOLDER\"]\n"
+            "assert any(w in open('/etc/hostname').read().upper() for w in SEED) is False\n"
+            "EOF\n")
+        c = classify_test({"name": "s", "path": str(f), "layer": "L0"})
+        check("a marker in HEADER PROSE does not downgrade an executable check",
+              c["state"] == "executable" and not c["annotation_conflict"])
+        check("a marker held as a bare quoted DATUM does not downgrade (the R-STATE-03 bug)",
+              c["scaffold_reason"] == "")
+
+        # ... and the protection is intact: a real placeholder body is still caught, in
+        # each of the three shapes the corpus actually uses.
+        detector.write_text("#!/usr/bin/env bash\nset -euo pipefail\n"
+                            "echo \"TODO: assert the PVC is bound\"\n")
+        c = classify_test({"name": "s", "path": str(f), "layer": "L0"})
+        check("a TODO carrying a message in check.sh IS still a scaffold",
+              c["state"] == "scaffold" and c["annotation_conflict"])
+        check("the scaffold reason names the file and the offending line",
+              c["scaffold_reason"].startswith("check.sh:")
+              and "TODO: assert the PVC is bound" in c["scaffold_reason"])
+        detector.write_text("#!/usr/bin/env bash\nset -euo pipefail\n"
+                            "# TODO(T-4.1) write the hermetic sink fixture\ntrue\n")
+        check("a TODO(T-x.y) roadmap marker in an inline body comment IS still a scaffold",
+              classify_test({"name": "s", "path": str(f), "layer": "L0"})["state"]
+              == "scaffold")
+        detector.write_text("#!/usr/bin/env bash\nset -euo pipefail\n"
+                            "echo \"FIXME the extraction before trusting this\"\n")
+        check("an unpunctuated FIXME carrying trailing prose IS still a scaffold",
+              classify_test({"name": "s", "path": str(f), "layer": "L0"})["state"]
+              == "scaffold")
+        # The dedicated declaration slot outranks a body that would otherwise look real —
+        # this is how all three genuine scaffolds in the tree declare themselves.
+        detector.unlink()
+        f.write_text("# L3 FAULT-INJECTION SCAFFOLD — x\n"
+                     "# STATUS: scaffold — needs T-1.4 (Flux bootstrapped).\n" + yml)
+        c = classify_test({"name": "s", "path": str(f), "layer": "L3"})
+        check("a `# STATUS: scaffold` header declaration IS a scaffold, body notwithstanding",
+              c["state"] == "scaffold" and c["annotation_conflict"])
+        check("`# STATUS: EXECUTABLE` is not read as a scaffold declaration",
+              scaffold_marker("# STATUS: EXECUTABLE. `check.sh` is a pure offline "
+                              "assertion script; covers no scaffold.\nset -e\n") == "")
+
+    # ---------------------------------------------------------------- PROOF / ledger
+    # These are the assertions that stand between this report and a fake green.
+    check("empty ledger parses to no rows (pre-ledger behaviour is preserved)",
+          read_ledger(Path("/nonexistent/ledger.jsonl")) == [])
+
+    def row(**kw):
+        base = {"ts_utc": "2026-09-01T12:00:00Z", "git_sha": "deadbeef", "env": "dev",
+                "chainsaw_version": "v0.2.12", "kube_version": "v1.36.4", "layer": "L3",
+                "test": "dr-restore", "requirements": ["R-STATE-03"],
+                "junit_result": "passed", "sentinel": None, "proof": "skipped",
+                "run_id": "20260901T120000Z-deadbee", "note": ""}
+        base.update(kw)
+        return base
+
+    verifiers = [{"name": "dr-restore",
+                  "path": "conformance/tests/l3-fault-injection/dr-restore/"
+                          "chainsaw-test.yaml"}]
+
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as td:
+        gr = Path(td)
+        env = {**os.environ, "GIT_AUTHOR_NAME": "t", "GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL": "t@t",
+               "GIT_COMMITTER_NAME": "t", "GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL": "t@t"}
+
+        def git(*a):
+            return subprocess.run(["git", "-C", str(gr), *a], capture_output=True,
+                                  text=True, env=env)
+
+        git("init", "-q", "-b", "main")
+        (gr / "platform").mkdir()
+        (gr / "platform" / "velero.yaml").write_text("kind: X  # R-STATE-03\n")
+        git("add", "-A"); git("commit", "-qm", "one")
+        sha_a = git("rev-parse", "HEAD").stdout.strip()
+        (gr / "platform" / "velero.yaml").write_text("kind: X  # R-STATE-03 v2\n")
+        git("add", "-A"); git("commit", "-qm", "two")
+        sha_b = git("rev-parse", "HEAD").stdout.strip()
+
+        oracle = _GitOracle(gr)
+        impl = [{"path": "platform/velero.yaml"}]
+
+        # *** THE CASE THIS WHOLE FEATURE EXISTS FOR ***
+        pr = derive_proof(oracle, "R-STATE-03", verifiers, impl,
+                          latest_by_test([row(proof="skipped", junit_result="passed",
+                                              sentinel="DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK",
+                                              git_sha=sha_b)]))
+        check("a SELF-SKIP row on a GREEN JUnit is 'skipped', NEVER 'proven'",
+              pr["state"] == "skipped")
+
+        pr = derive_proof(oracle, "R-STATE-03", verifiers, impl,
+                          latest_by_test([row(proof="proven", git_sha=sha_b,
+                                              sentinel="DR_RESTORED_OK")]))
+        check("a proven row at the CURRENT sha is honoured", pr["state"] == "proven")
+
+        pr = derive_proof(oracle, "R-STATE-03", verifiers, impl,
+                          latest_by_test([row(proof="proven", git_sha=sha_a,
+                                              sentinel="DR_RESTORED_OK")]))
+        check("STALENESS: proven at a sha the implementation has moved past degrades "
+              "to stale-proof", pr["state"] == "stale-proof")
+
+        pr = derive_proof(oracle, "R-STATE-03", verifiers, impl,
+                          latest_by_test([row(proof="proven", git_sha=f"{sha_b}-dirty",
+                                              sentinel="DR_RESTORED_OK")]))
+        check("a run recorded from a DIRTY tree is never honoured as proof",
+              pr["state"] == "stale-proof")
+
+        pr = derive_proof(oracle, "R-STATE-03", verifiers, impl,
+                          latest_by_test([row(proof="proven", git_sha="0" * 40)]))
+        check("a git_sha this clone cannot resolve degrades, never upgrades",
+              pr["state"] == "stale-proof")
+
+        for bad, expect in (("failed", "failed"),
+                            ("junit-skipped", "junit-skipped"),
+                            ("unknown-sentinel-absent", "unknown"),
+                            ("unknown-no-sentinel-declared", "unknown"),
+                            ("something-new-from-the-future", "unknown")):
+            pr = derive_proof(oracle, "R-STATE-03", verifiers, impl,
+                              latest_by_test([row(proof=bad, git_sha=sha_b)]))
+            check(f"ledger state {bad!r} maps to {expect!r}, never to proven",
+                  pr["state"] == expect)
+
+        pr = derive_proof(oracle, "R-STATE-03", verifiers, impl, {})
+        check("no ledger row at all stays not-derivable",
+              pr["state"] == "not-derivable")
+
+        # Two verifying tests, only one proven: the requirement must NOT read proven.
+        two = verifiers + [{"name": "data-survival",
+                            "path": "conformance/tests/l3-fault-injection/"
+                                    "data-survival/chainsaw-test.yaml"}]
+        pr = derive_proof(oracle, "R-STATE-03", two, impl,
+                          latest_by_test([row(proof="proven", git_sha=sha_b)]))
+        check("a requirement is proven only when EVERY verifying test is",
+              pr["state"] == "not-derivable")
+        pr = derive_proof(oracle, "R-STATE-03", two, impl,
+                          latest_by_test([row(proof="proven", git_sha=sha_b),
+                                          row(test="data-survival", proof="skipped",
+                                              git_sha=sha_b)]))
+        check("worst-of wins across verifying tests (skip drags proven down)",
+              pr["state"] == "skipped")
+
+        # Latest row wins, not best-ever: a test that regressed to self-skipping must
+        # stop reading as proven.
+        pr = derive_proof(oracle, "R-STATE-03", verifiers, impl,
+                          latest_by_test([row(ts_utc="2026-09-01T10:00:00Z",
+                                              proof="proven", git_sha=sha_b),
+                                          row(ts_utc="2026-09-02T10:00:00Z",
+                                              proof="skipped", git_sha=sha_b)]))
+        check("the LATEST ledger row wins, not the best one ever recorded",
+              pr["state"] == "skipped")
+
+        # A malformed ledger line is skipped, never guessed at.
+        lf = gr / "ledger.jsonl"
+        lf.write_text('{"test":"a","proof":"proven"}\nnot json at all\n\n'
+                      '{"proof":"proven"}\n')
+        rows = read_ledger(lf)
+        check("malformed / test-less ledger lines are dropped, not guessed at",
+              len(rows) == 1 and rows[0]["test"] == "a")
+
     if not ok:
         return 1
     sys.stderr.write("status.py selftest: PASS\n")
@@ -865,6 +1458,10 @@ def main() -> int:
                     help="exit 1 on defects this tool owns: registry/spec drift, "
                          "executable-annotation conflicts, or a safety-critical "
                          "requirement whose only L3 test is a scaffold")
+    ap.add_argument("--ledger", type=Path, default=DEFAULT_LEDGER,
+                    help=f"committed proof-of-pass ledger written by lib/record_run.py "
+                         f"(default {DEFAULT_LEDGER}). Absent or empty => every "
+                         f"requirement stays `not-derivable`, as before the ledger existed")
     ap.add_argument("--selftest", action="store_true", help="run the built-in self-test")
     args = ap.parse_args()
 
@@ -895,7 +1492,12 @@ def main() -> int:
     applied, nodes = reconciled_files(repo, entry)
     gitops_roots = {n["resolved"].split("/", 1)[0] for n in nodes if n["exists"]}
     impl = scan_implementation(repo, tracked_files(repo))
-    rep = build(repo, registry, tests, impl, applied, gitops_roots, spec_ids, args.env)
+    ledger_rows = read_ledger(args.ledger)
+    rep = build(repo, registry, tests, impl, applied, gitops_roots, spec_ids, args.env,
+                ledger_rows)
+    rep["ledger"] = {"path": os.path.relpath(args.ledger, REPO_ROOT),
+                     "rows": len(ledger_rows),
+                     "present": args.ledger.is_file()}
     rep["flux_graph"] = nodes
     rep["gitops_roots"] = sorted(gitops_roots)
     rep["reconciled_file_count"] = len(applied)
@@ -915,7 +1517,11 @@ def main() -> int:
           f"(+{s['wired_or_partial_and_testable'] - s['wired_and_testable']} partial) | "
           f"scaffold-only {s['verify_scaffold_only']} | "
           f"safety-critical w/o executable L3 "
-          f"{s['safety_critical_without_executable_l3']} | PROVEN: not derivable")
+          f"{s['safety_critical_without_executable_l3']} | "
+          + (f"PROVEN: {s['proven']} (stale {s['proof_stale']}, self-skipped "
+             f"{s['proof_skipped']}, failed {s['proof_failed']}, unknown "
+             f"{s['proof_unknown']}) from {s['ledger_rows']} ledger row(s)"
+             if s["proven_derivable"] else "PROVEN: not derivable (empty run ledger)"))
     print(f"[status] wrote {args.out/'status.md'} and {args.out/'status.json'}")
 
     rc = 0
@@ -926,8 +1532,11 @@ def main() -> int:
                              f"{h['registry_not_in_spec']} {h['spec_not_in_registry']}\n")
             rc = 1
         if h["annotation_conflicts"]:
-            sys.stderr.write(f"[status] STRICT: tests annotated executable with TODO "
+            sys.stderr.write(
-                             f"bodies: {h['annotation_conflicts']}\n")
+                "[status] STRICT: tests annotated executable that declare a placeholder "
+                "body: " + "; ".join(f"{k} ({v})" for k, v in
+                                     sorted(h["annotation_conflict_reasons"].items()))
+                + "\n")
             rc = 1
         if rep["safety_critical_without_executable_l3"]:
             sys.stderr.write(f"[status] STRICT: safety-critical requirement(s) whose L3 "

conformance/run.sh

@@ -14,12 +14,33 @@
 #   ./run.sh --status                 # DERIVED STATUS report only (no cluster): per
 #                                     #   requirement, is it implemented, is it actually
 #                                     #   reconciled by Flux, is its test executable or a
-#                                     #   scaffold. Proof-of-pass is deliberately NOT
+#                                     #   scaffold, and whether the committed run ledger
-#                                     #   derived — see lib/status.py.
+#                                     #   (runs/ledger.jsonl) actually proves it — see
+#                                     #   lib/status.py. No ledger row => not-derivable.
 #   ./run.sh --lint                   # structural-validate test defs (no cluster)
 #   ./run.sh --strict-coverage        # hygiene gate: fail on tag/annotation drift
 #   ./run.sh --requirements R-NET-01  # ALSO asserts those IDs are covered (merge gate)
 #   ./run.sh --require-all            # phase-exit: every requirement must be covered
+#   ./run.sh --record                 # RUN AND CAPTURE: tee the whole run to
+#                                     #   runs/<UTC>-<short-sha>/run.log, copy the JUnit
+#                                     #   beside it, and append one ledger row per
+#                                     #   testcase to runs/ledger.jsonl (lib/record_run.py)
+#
+# --record — PROOF-OF-PASS, CAPTURED AT RUN TIME (why it is a separate flag)
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Without it, nothing about a green run ever reaches repo state: _artifacts/ is gitignored
+# and the root .gitignore kills *.junit.xml globally, which is why `--status` reports
+# PROVEN 0 for all 51 requirements. `--record` writes the one tracked thing that fixes
+# that — `conformance/runs/` (see conformance/.gitignore for the negations).
+#
+# RECORDING IS DELIBERATELY EXPLICIT. A run that silently records itself is how a bad run
+# becomes a permanent false proof, so the plain `./run.sh` writes no ledger row at all.
+#
+# BOTH FILES ARE KEPT, and the LOG is the load-bearing one. The L2/L3 tests self-skip
+# GREEN: when a precondition is missing they echo e.g. `DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK` and exit 0,
+# and Chainsaw records `passed` exactly as on a real run. Chainsaw's JUnit carries no
+# stdout, so the sentinel token in run.log is the ONLY thing that separates proven from
+# skipped. A JUnit committed on its own would record a skip as proof of R-STATE-03.
 #
 # Artifacts (always written under conformance/_artifacts/, gitignored):
 #   _artifacts/report.junit.xml        JUnit (Chainsaw output, or skipped-scaffold shim)
@@ -28,6 +49,11 @@
 #   _artifacts/status/status.md        human requirement-status report (--status)
 #   _artifacts/status/status.json      machine requirement-status report (--status)
 #
+# Run ledger (TRACKED — commit these; --record only):
+#   runs/<UTC>-<short-sha>/run.log            full tee'd run output (carries the sentinels)
+#   runs/<UTC>-<short-sha>/report.junit.xml   the JUnit for that same run
+#   runs/ledger.jsonl                         append-only, one row per testcase per run
+#
 # Phase 0: no cluster exists. The behavior tests are valid scaffolds that cannot
 # execute yet, so run.sh emits a *skipped* JUnit and a coverage report, and exits
 # green — the harness is proven reproducible while later phases fill in behavior.
@@ -47,27 +73,30 @@ STATUS_OUT="${ARTIFACTS}/status"
 JUNIT_OUT="${ARTIFACTS}/report.junit.xml"
 PYTHON="${PYTHON:-python3}"
 
+# Every argument as given, so `--record` can re-exec this script unchanged (minus itself)
+# under `tee`. Captured BEFORE parsing so nothing is normalized away.
+ORIG_ARGS=("$@")
+
 LAYER="all"
 REQS=""
 MODE="run"          # run | coverage-only | status | lint
 STRICT_COVERAGE=0
 REQUIRE_ALL=0
 FORCE_NO_CLUSTER=0
+RECORD=0
 
 # Documented, out-of-scope coverage gaps exempt from the completeness gate: requirements
 # owned by another workstream that WS-TEST does not yet scaffold. Listed here so the
 # exemption is explicit and reviewable, not silent.
-#   R-ENV-02   (dev->prod promote) — owned by WS-INFRA/WS-GITOPS; unscaffolded (a GAP in
+#
-#                                    coverage.md). The coarse path->requirement map keys
+# EMPTY as of 2026-09-01. R-ENV-02 and R-GITOPS-01 were the last two entries — exempted
-#                                    clusters/* AND ci/* to it and the R-ENV-02 doc token
+# because they were unscaffolded while the coarse path->requirement map keys clusters/*
-#                                    appears in platform/kustomization.yaml's header, so ANY
+# and ci/* to them, so any overlay/CI edit would have false-blocked. They now have a real
-#                                    infra/overlay/CI edit (e.g. enabling a component, bumping
+# verifying L0 test (tests/l0-static/flux-postbuild-substitution), which asserts the
-#                                    SPEC_PIN) would otherwise false-block on it.
+# substitution mechanism that IS the "authored once, promoted" contract, so they are
-#   R-GITOPS-01 (state in git/Flux) — same: owned by WS-GITOPS, unscaffolded, and the ci/*
+# covered rather than exempt and the completeness gate can hold them to it. That test
-#                                    path-map keys to it, so editing any ci/ file (SPEC_PIN
+# names its own limits in its header: it proves the STATIC property (no manifest renders
-#                                    adoption included) would false-block.
+# an undefined variable), not the live-cluster half of either requirement.
-# These are visible GAPs, not hidden — removing them from this list is the right move the
-# moment WS-TEST adds their verifying tests.
 #
 # FOLLOW-UP (WS-TEST) — HALF DONE. The debt was "make the matcher stop keying on doc-header
 # tokens so real requirements need not be exempted". The CONTENT-SCAN half is now fixed in
@@ -83,9 +112,11 @@ FORCE_NO_CLUSTER=0
 # R-STATE-02 (node-loss) WAS listed here (owned by WS-STORAGE, "delivered with Longhorn/infra")
 # but now has a real verifying L3 test — tests/l3-fault-injection/node-loss — so it is no
 # longer a gap and has been removed from this list; the coverage report counts it as covered.
-DOCUMENTED_GAPS="R-ENV-02 R-GITOPS-01"
+DOCUMENTED_GAPS=""
 
-usage() { sed -n '2,40p' "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" | sed 's/^# \{0,1\}//'; }
+# Print the header block (line 2 through the closing `####` rule, which is dropped) as
+# help. Bounded by the rule rather than a fixed line number so the header can grow.
+usage() { sed -n '2,/^#####/p' "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" | sed '$d' | sed 's/^# \{0,1\}//'; }
 
 while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
   case "$1" in
@@ -97,6 +128,7 @@ while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
     --strict-coverage) STRICT_COVERAGE=1; shift ;;
     --require-all)    REQUIRE_ALL=1; shift ;;
     --no-cluster)     FORCE_NO_CLUSTER=1; shift ;;
+    --record)         RECORD=1; shift ;;
     -h|--help)        usage; exit 0 ;;
     *) echo "unknown arg: $1" >&2; usage; exit 2 ;;
   esac
@@ -106,9 +138,69 @@ mkdir -p "${ARTIFACTS}" "${COVERAGE_OUT}" "${STATUS_OUT}"
 
 log() { printf '\033[1m[run.sh]\033[0m %s\n' "$*"; }
 
+###############################################################################
+# --record: capture this run as committed evidence, then hand it to the ledger.
+#
+# Implemented as a ONE-LEVEL re-exec of this same script under `tee`, so the run itself is
+# byte-for-byte the ordinary run (same code path, same artifacts) and the log is the exact
+# operator-visible output — no second, differently-behaving "recording mode" to drift.
+# CONF_RECORD_CHILD guards against recursion.
+#
+# The recorder runs REGARDLESS of the run's exit status: a red run must be recorded as red
+# (that is evidence too), and run.sh still exits with the child's real rc, so no gate is
+# softened by recording. `${PIPESTATUS[0]}` is what carries that rc past `tee`.
+###############################################################################
+if [ "${RECORD}" = 1 ] && [ -z "${CONF_RECORD_CHILD:-}" ]; then
+  case "${MODE}" in
+    run) ;;
+    # --record is about EVIDENCE OF A RUN. --coverage-only/--status/--lint execute no
+    # test, so a ledger row from one of them would be a row about nothing.
+    *) echo "--record captures a TEST RUN; --${MODE} executes none." >&2; exit 2 ;;
+  esac
+  RUN_SHA="$(git -C "${CONF_ROOT}" rev-parse --short HEAD 2>/dev/null || echo nogit)"
+  RUN_ID="$(date -u +%Y%m%dT%H%M%SZ)-${RUN_SHA}"
+  RUN_DIR="${CONF_ROOT}/runs/${RUN_ID}"
+  mkdir -p "${RUN_DIR}"
+  # Drop any JUnit left behind by a PREVIOUS run before starting, so this run dir can only
+  # ever capture a report THIS run produced. Copying a stale artifact would pair someone
+  # else's result with this run's log — a fabricated pairing, which is precisely the class
+  # of false proof the ledger exists to prevent.
+  rm -f "${JUNIT_OUT}"
+  # Strip --record from the argv handed to the child; everything else passes through.
+  CHILD_ARGS=()
+  for a in ${ORIG_ARGS[@]+"${ORIG_ARGS[@]}"}; do
+    [ "$a" = "--record" ] || CHILD_ARGS+=("$a")
+  done
+  log "RECORD: capturing this run to runs/${RUN_ID}/ (run.log + report.junit.xml)"
+  set +e
+  CONF_RECORD_CHILD=1 "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" ${CHILD_ARGS[@]+"${CHILD_ARGS[@]}"} 2>&1 \
+    | tee "${RUN_DIR}/run.log"
+  RUN_RC=${PIPESTATUS[0]}
+  set -e
+  if [ -f "${JUNIT_OUT}" ]; then
+    cp "${JUNIT_OUT}" "${RUN_DIR}/report.junit.xml"
+  else
+    log "RECORD: no ${JUNIT_OUT} was produced — the ledger step will SKIP (never green)."
+  fi
+  # Explicit, separate step: read the JUnit + the log and append one row per testcase.
+  # rc 3 = inputs absent (nothing recorded, not green); it must not mask the run's own rc.
+  # CONF_LEDGER exists so the harness's own tests can exercise this path without writing
+  # to the real ledger; operators should never set it.
+  "${PYTHON}" "${CONF_ROOT}/lib/record_run.py" \
+    --run-dir "${RUN_DIR}" --env "${CONF_ENV:-dev}" \
+    --ledger "${CONF_LEDGER:-${CONF_ROOT}/runs/ledger.jsonl}" || true
+  log "RECORD: run rc=${RUN_RC}. Commit conformance/runs/${RUN_ID}/ WITH its run.log and"
+  log "RECORD: conformance/runs/ledger.jsonl — an uncommitted ledger proves nothing."
+  exit "${RUN_RC}"
+fi
+
 # --- Coverage report is always produced (cluster-independent, R-TEST-04) --------------
 gen_coverage() {
-  local flags=(--allow-gap "${DOCUMENTED_GAPS}")
+  # Pass --allow-gap only when there IS an exemption: an empty DOCUMENTED_GAPS means no
+  # requirement is exempt, and handing the flag an empty string would be a silent no-op
+  # that reads like an exemption in the CLI log.
+  local flags=()
+  [ -n "${DOCUMENTED_GAPS}" ] && flags+=(--allow-gap "${DOCUMENTED_GAPS}")
   [ "${STRICT_COVERAGE}" = 1 ] && flags+=(--strict)
   # A tagged subset run is also the merge gate: the touched requirements MUST be covered.
   [ -n "${REQS}" ] && flags+=(--require "${REQS}")

conformance/runs/20260901T235117Z-e9a4b66/report.junit.xml

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+<testsuites name="chainsaw-report" tests="1" failures="0" errors="0" time="0.000000"><testsuite name="/work/conformance/tests/l3-fault-injection/node-loss" tests="1" failures="0" errors="0" id="0" time="">
+    <testcase name="node-loss" classname="" time="131.090121" />
+  </testsuite>
+</testsuites>

conformance/runs/20260901T235117Z-e9a4b66/run.log

@@ -0,0 +1,232 @@
+[run.sh] Coverage report first (always)
+[coverage] 42/51 requirements have a scaffolded test (82.4%); 9 gap(s), 0 safety-critical gap(s).
+[coverage] wrote /work/conformance/_artifacts/coverage/coverage.md and /work/conformance/_artifacts/coverage/coverage.json
+[run.sh] No L0/L1 offline checks match the selection (layer=l3 reqs='R-STATE-02').
+[run.sh] LIGHT pass: no tests selected.
+[run.sh] HEAVY pass: 1 test(s) SERIAL (parallel=1) — node-loss
+Version: 0.2.12
+Loading config (/work/conformance/config/chainsaw-config.yaml)...
+- Using test file: chainsaw-test
+- TestDirs [/work/conformance/tests/l3-fault-injection/node-loss]
+- SkipDelete false
+- FailFast false
+- ReportFormat 'JUNIT-TEST'
+- ReportName 'chainsaw-report-heavy'
+- ReportPath '/work/conformance/_artifacts'
+- Namespace ''
+- FullName false
+- IncludeTestRegex ''
+- ExcludeTestRegex ''
+- ApplyTimeout 1m30s
+- AssertTimeout 3m0s
+- CleanupTimeout 2m0s
+- DeleteTimeout 2m0s
+- ErrorTimeout 1m0s
+- ExecTimeout 3m0s
+- DeletionPropagationPolicy Background
+- Parallel 1
+- Template true
+- NoCluster false
+- PauseOnFailure false
+Loading tests...
+- node-loss (/work/conformance/tests/l3-fault-injection/node-loss)
+Loading values...
+Running tests...
+=== RUN   chainsaw
+=== PAUSE chainsaw
+=== CONT  chainsaw
+=== RUN   chainsaw/node-loss
+=== PAUSE chainsaw/node-loss
+=== CONT  chainsaw/node-loss
+    l.go:52: | 23:51:18 | node-loss | @chainsaw                               | CREATE    | OK    | v1/Namespace @ chainsaw-fond-marlin
+    l.go:52: | 23:51:18 | node-loss | volume-stays-available-across-node-loss | TRY       | BEGIN |
+    l.go:52: | 23:51:18 | node-loss | volume-stays-available-across-node-loss | CMD       | RUN   |
+        === COMMAND
+        /usr/bin/sh -c set -euo pipefail
+        NS="$NAMESPACE"
+        
+        # -- Gate 1: skip cleanly (green) if the longhorn tier is not present yet. --
+        if ! kubectl get storageclass longhorn >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+          echo "SKIP: 'longhorn' StorageClass absent — node-loss not applicable on this cluster yet"
+          echo NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK
+          exit 0
+        fi
+        
+        # -- Gate 2: a 3-replica volume + single-node-loss headroom needs >= 3 Ready nodes. --
+        READY="$(kubectl get nodes \
+          -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{.status.conditions[?(@.type=="Ready")].status}{"\n"}{end}' \
+          | grep -c '^True$' || true)"
+        echo "ready nodes: ${READY}"
+        if [ "${READY:-0}" -lt 3 ]; then
+          echo "SKIP: only ${READY:-0} Ready node(s) (<3) — node-loss resilience not meaningful yet"
+          echo NODE_LOSS_SKIPPED_OK
+          exit 0
+        fi
+        
+        CANARY="node-loss-canary-$(date +%s%N)"
+        
+        # -- GIVEN: a Longhorn PVC (platform default SC = 3 replicas across nodes) + a
+        #    writer pod that writes the canary and flushes it to the replicated volume. --
+        kubectl -n "$NS" apply -f - <<EOF
+        apiVersion: v1
+        kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
+        metadata:
+          name: survivor
+        spec:
+          accessModes: [ReadWriteOnce]
+          storageClassName: longhorn
+          resources:
+            requests:
+              storage: 1Gi
+        EOF
+        
+        apply_pod() {
+          kubectl -n "$NS" apply -f - <<EOF
+        apiVersion: v1
+        kind: Pod
+        metadata:
+          name: $1
+        spec:
+          restartPolicy: Never
+          containers:
+            - name: app
+              image: busybox:1.36.1
+              command: ["sh", "-c", "sleep 3600"]
+              volumeMounts:
+                - name: data
+                  mountPath: /data
+          volumes:
+            - name: data
+              persistentVolumeClaim:
+                claimName: survivor
+        EOF
+        }
+        
+        apply_pod writer
+        kubectl -n "$NS" wait --for=condition=Ready pod/writer --timeout=240s
+        printf '%s' "$CANARY" | kubectl -n "$NS" exec -i writer -- sh -c 'cat > /data/canary && sync'
+        echo "wrote canary: $(kubectl -n "$NS" exec writer -- cat /data/canary)"
+        
+        # The victim node is the one the attached volume currently lives on.
+        VICTIM="$(kubectl -n "$NS" get pod writer -o jsonpath='{.spec.nodeName}')"
+        [ -n "$VICTIM" ] || { echo "FAIL: could not determine writer's node" >&2; exit 1; }
+        echo "victim node (currently hosts the attached volume): $VICTIM"
+        
+        # Best-effort precondition log: if the Longhorn Volume CR is readable, show the
+        # volume is genuinely 3-replica/healthy before we take a node. Non-fatal (the
+        # runner is least-privilege and may not have longhorn.io read rights) — the
+        # data-availability assertion below is the authoritative proof, not this.
+        PVNAME="$(kubectl -n "$NS" get pvc survivor -o jsonpath='{.spec.volumeName}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+        if [ -n "$PVNAME" ]; then
+          kubectl -n longhorn-system get volumes.longhorn.io "$PVNAME" \
+            -o jsonpath='pre-fault robustness={.status.robustness} replicas={.spec.numberOfReplicas}{"\n"}' \
+            2>/dev/null || echo "(Longhorn Volume CR not readable — continuing; data read is the proof)"
+        fi
+        
+        # -- WHEN: FAULT INJECTION — remove the victim node FROM SERVICE. --
+        #    Label it with THIS test's unique namespace so `finally` can always find and
+        #    uncordon exactly this node; then cordon it; then evict ONLY our own writer
+        #    pod, forcing the volume to detach from the victim. (No `drain` — unrelated
+        #    pods on the node are never touched.)
+        kubectl label node "$VICTIM" "conformance.home.k3s/cordoned-by=$NS" --overwrite
+        kubectl cordon "$VICTIM"
+        echo "cordoned + labelled victim node: $VICTIM"
+        kubectl -n "$NS" delete pod writer --wait=true --timeout=240s
+        echo "evicted writer off the victim node; volume detached from $VICTIM"
+        
+        # -- THEN: a fresh workload re-binds the SAME volume. The victim is unschedulable,
+        #    so the scheduler MUST place the reader on a SURVIVING node; Longhorn re-attaches
+        #    the volume there from its replicas on the other nodes. --
+        apply_pod reader
+        kubectl -n "$NS" wait --for=condition=Ready pod/reader --timeout=360s
+        READER_NODE="$(kubectl -n "$NS" get pod reader -o jsonpath='{.spec.nodeName}')"
+        echo "reader scheduled on surviving node: $READER_NODE (victim was $VICTIM)"
+        if [ "$READER_NODE" = "$VICTIM" ]; then
+          echo "FAIL: reader landed back on the cordoned victim node — node was not removed from service" >&2
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        
+        GOT="$(kubectl -n "$NS" exec reader -- cat /data/canary)"
+        echo "recovered='$GOT' expected='$CANARY'"
+        [ "$GOT" = "$CANARY" ] || { echo "FAIL: data not available after node loss" >&2; exit 1; }
+        echo "volume available + data intact from a surviving node"
+        
+        # Best-effort reconvergence log: if the Longhorn Volume CR is readable, wait
+        # (bounded) for robustness to settle back to available (healthy|degraded — both
+        # serve I/O; a healthy 3-replica volume rebuilds a replica once headroom exists).
+        # Non-fatal for the same least-privilege reason as the pre-fault log.
+        if [ -n "$PVNAME" ]; then
+          for i in $(seq 1 30); do
+            ROB="$(kubectl -n longhorn-system get volumes.longhorn.io "$PVNAME" \
+                  -o jsonpath='{.status.robustness}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+            [ -z "$ROB" ] && { echo "(Longhorn Volume CR not readable — skipping reconvergence log)"; break; }
+            echo "post-fault robustness[$i]=$ROB"
+            case "$ROB" in healthy|degraded) break ;; esac
+            sleep 10
+          done
+        fi
+        
+        echo NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK
+    l.go:52: | 23:52:42 | node-loss | volume-stays-available-across-node-loss | SCRIPT    | LOG   |
+        === STDOUT
+        ready nodes: 3
+        persistentvolumeclaim/survivor created
+        pod/writer created
+        pod/writer condition met
+        wrote canary: node-loss-canary-1788306678898809444
+        victim node (currently hosts the attached volume): k3s-dev-2
+        pre-fault robustness=healthy replicas=3
+        node/k3s-dev-2 labeled
+        node/k3s-dev-2 cordoned
+        cordoned + labelled victim node: k3s-dev-2
+        pod "writer" deleted from chainsaw-fond-marlin namespace
+        evicted writer off the victim node; volume detached from k3s-dev-2
+        pod/reader created
+        pod/reader condition met
+        reader scheduled on surviving node: k3s-dev-1 (victim was k3s-dev-2)
+        recovered='node-loss-canary-1788306678898809444' expected='node-loss-canary-1788306678898809444'
+        volume available + data intact from a surviving node
+        post-fault robustness[1]=healthy
+        NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK
+    l.go:52: | 23:52:42 | node-loss | volume-stays-available-across-node-loss | SCRIPT    | DONE  |
+    l.go:52: | 23:52:42 | node-loss | volume-stays-available-across-node-loss | TRY       | END   |
+    l.go:52: | 23:52:42 | node-loss | volume-stays-available-across-node-loss | FINALLY   | BEGIN |
+    l.go:52: | 23:52:42 | node-loss | volume-stays-available-across-node-loss | CMD       | RUN   |
+        === COMMAND
+        /usr/bin/sh -c set -uo pipefail
+        for n in $(kubectl get nodes -l "conformance.home.k3s/cordoned-by=$NAMESPACE" -o name 2>/dev/null); do
+          kubectl uncordon "${n#node/}" || true
+          kubectl label "$n" "conformance.home.k3s/cordoned-by-" || true
+          echo "restored node to service: ${n#node/}"
+        done
+    l.go:52: | 23:52:43 | node-loss | volume-stays-available-across-node-loss | SCRIPT    | LOG   |
+        === STDOUT
+        node/k3s-dev-2 uncordoned
+        node/k3s-dev-2 unlabeled
+        restored node to service: k3s-dev-2
+    l.go:52: | 23:52:43 | node-loss | volume-stays-available-across-node-loss | SCRIPT    | DONE  |
+    l.go:52: | 23:52:43 | node-loss | volume-stays-available-across-node-loss | CMD       | RUN   |
+        === COMMAND
+        /usr/bin/sh -c kubectl -n "$NAMESPACE" delete pod writer reader --ignore-not-found --wait=false || true
+        kubectl -n "$NAMESPACE" delete pvc survivor --ignore-not-found --wait=false || true
+        echo "cleanup best-effort; chainsaw namespace teardown finalizes"
+    l.go:52: | 23:52:43 | node-loss | volume-stays-available-across-node-loss | SCRIPT    | LOG   |
+        === STDOUT
+        pod "reader" deleted from chainsaw-fond-marlin namespace
+        persistentvolumeclaim "survivor" deleted from chainsaw-fond-marlin namespace
+        cleanup best-effort; chainsaw namespace teardown finalizes
+    l.go:52: | 23:52:43 | node-loss | volume-stays-available-across-node-loss | SCRIPT    | DONE  |
+    l.go:52: | 23:52:43 | node-loss | volume-stays-available-across-node-loss | FINALLY   | END   |
+    l.go:52: | 23:52:43 | node-loss | @chainsaw                               | CLEANUP   | BEGIN |
+    l.go:52: | 23:52:43 | node-loss | @chainsaw                               | DELETE    | OK    | v1/Namespace @ chainsaw-fond-marlin
+    l.go:52: | 23:53:29 | node-loss | @chainsaw                               | CLEANUP   | END   |
+--- PASS: chainsaw (0.00s)
+    --- PASS: chainsaw/node-loss (131.09s)
+PASS
+Tests Summary...
+- Passed  tests 1
+- Failed  tests 0
+- Skipped tests 0
+Done.
+merge_junit: merged 1 report(s) -> /work/conformance/_artifacts/report.junit.xml (tests=1 failures=0 errors=0 skipped=0)
+[run.sh] Done. JUnit: /work/conformance/_artifacts/report.junit.xml | Coverage: /work/conformance/_artifacts/coverage/coverage.md

conformance/runs/20260902T001907Z-fdc3265/report.junit.xml

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+<testsuites name="chainsaw-report" tests="1" failures="0" errors="0" time="0.000000"><testsuite name="/work/conformance/tests/l3-fault-injection/dr-restore" tests="1" failures="0" errors="0" id="0" time="">
+    <testcase name="dr-restore" classname="" time="149.053701" />
+  </testsuite>
+</testsuites>

conformance/runs/20260902T001907Z-fdc3265/run.log

@@ -0,0 +1,671 @@
+[run.sh] Coverage report first (always)
+[coverage] 42/51 requirements have a scaffolded test (82.4%); 9 gap(s), 0 safety-critical gap(s).
+[coverage] wrote /work/conformance/_artifacts/coverage/coverage.md and /work/conformance/_artifacts/coverage/coverage.json
+[run.sh] No L0/L1 offline checks match the selection (layer=l3 reqs='R-STATE-03').
+[run.sh] LIGHT pass: no tests selected.
+[run.sh] HEAVY pass: 1 test(s) SERIAL (parallel=1) — dr-restore
+Version: 0.2.12
+Loading config (/work/conformance/config/chainsaw-config.yaml)...
+- Using test file: chainsaw-test
+- TestDirs [/work/conformance/tests/l3-fault-injection/dr-restore]
+- SkipDelete false
+- FailFast false
+- ReportFormat 'JUNIT-TEST'
+- ReportName 'chainsaw-report-heavy'
+- ReportPath '/work/conformance/_artifacts'
+- Namespace ''
+- FullName false
+- IncludeTestRegex ''
+- ExcludeTestRegex ''
+- ApplyTimeout 1m30s
+- AssertTimeout 3m0s
+- CleanupTimeout 2m0s
+- DeleteTimeout 2m0s
+- ErrorTimeout 1m0s
+- ExecTimeout 3m0s
+- DeletionPropagationPolicy Background
+- Parallel 1
+- Template true
+- NoCluster false
+- PauseOnFailure false
+Loading tests...
+- dr-restore (/work/conformance/tests/l3-fault-injection/dr-restore)
+Loading values...
+Running tests...
+=== RUN   chainsaw
+=== PAUSE chainsaw
+=== CONT  chainsaw
+=== RUN   chainsaw/dr-restore
+=== PAUSE chainsaw/dr-restore
+=== CONT  chainsaw/dr-restore
+    l.go:52: | 00:19:07 | dr-restore | @chainsaw                                 | CREATE    | OK    | v1/Namespace @ chainsaw-cunning-hen
+    l.go:52: | 00:19:07 | dr-restore | assert-backup-target-is-off-cluster       | TRY       | BEGIN |
+    l.go:52: | 00:19:07 | dr-restore | assert-backup-target-is-off-cluster       | CMD       | RUN   |
+        === COMMAND
+        /usr/bin/sh -c set -eu
+        
+        # ---- helpers -------------------------------------------------------
+        # Classify a kubectl failure: an RBAC denial is a HARNESS DEFECT and must
+        # fail loudly; an absent API is a genuine precondition gap and may skip.
+        die_or_skip() {
+          case "$2" in
+            *orbidden*|*Unauthorized*|*cannot\ list*|*cannot\ get*)
+              echo "FAIL: conformance runner lacks RBAC for $1 -- fix conformance/incluster/rbac.yaml" >&2
+              echo "$2" >&2
+              exit 1 ;;
+            *)
+              echo "SKIP: $1 not available on this cluster -- $2"
+              echo DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK
+              exit 0 ;;
+          esac
+        }
+        
+        ip2int() {
+          _q="$(echo "$1" | tr '.' ' ')"
+          set -- $_q
+          [ $# -eq 4 ] || { echo -1; return 0; }
+          echo $(( ($1 * 16777216) + ($2 * 65536) + ($3 * 256) + $4 ))
+        }
+        
+        # in_cidr <ip> <a.b.c.d/len> -> 0 when the ip is inside the prefix
+        in_cidr() {
+          case "$2" in *"/"*) ;; *) return 1 ;; esac
+          _net="${2%/*}"; _len="${2#*/}"
+          case "$_len" in ''|*[!0-9]*) return 1 ;; esac
+          [ "$_len" -ge 0 ] && [ "$_len" -le 32 ] || return 1
+          _i="$(ip2int "$1")"; _n="$(ip2int "$_net")"
+          [ "$_i" -ge 0 ] && [ "$_n" -ge 0 ] || return 1
+          [ "$_len" -eq 0 ] && return 0
+          _d=1; _s=0
+          while [ "$_s" -lt $((32 - _len)) ]; do _d=$((_d * 2)); _s=$((_s + 1)); done
+          [ $(( _i / _d )) -eq $(( _n / _d )) ]
+        }
+        
+        # ---- Gate 1: the replicated storage tier the DR-critical data lives on --
+        if ! kubectl get storageclass longhorn >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+          echo "SKIP: 'longhorn' StorageClass absent -- no DR-critical data tier on this cluster yet"
+          echo DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK
+          exit 0
+        fi
+        
+        # ---- Gate 2: the Velero API + a configured BackupStorageLocation --------
+        BSL_LINES="$(kubectl get backupstoragelocations.velero.io -A \
+          -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{.metadata.namespace}{" "}{.metadata.name}{" "}{.status.phase}{" "}{.spec.provider}{" "}{.spec.default}{" "}{.spec.config.s3Url}{" "}{.spec.objectStorage.bucket}{"\n"}{end}' \
+          2>&1)" || die_or_skip "velero.io/backupstoragelocations" "$BSL_LINES"
+        if [ -z "$(echo "$BSL_LINES" | tr -d '[:space:]')" ]; then
+          echo "SKIP: Velero API present but NO BackupStorageLocation is configured -- no off-cluster backup target yet"
+          echo DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK
+          exit 0
+        fi
+        echo "backup storage locations:"
+        echo "$BSL_LINES"
+        
+        VNS="$(echo "$BSL_LINES" | head -1 | cut -d' ' -f1)"
+        
+        # ---- Gate 3: Velero server + node-agent (kopia FSB) actually ready -------
+        # File System Backup is the volume-DATA path (platform/velero/helmrelease.yaml:
+        # deployNodeAgent=true, uploaderType=kopia, snapshotsEnabled=false). Without a
+        # ready node-agent no volume data can be captured, so the drill is not runnable.
+        VREADY=0; NAREADY=0
+        for i in $(seq 1 12); do
+          VREADY="$(kubectl -n "$VNS" get deploy velero -o jsonpath='{.status.readyReplicas}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+          NAREADY="$(kubectl -n "$VNS" get daemonset node-agent -o jsonpath='{.status.numberReady}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+          echo "poll $i: velero readyReplicas=${VREADY:-0} node-agent numberReady=${NAREADY:-0}"
+          if [ "${VREADY:-0}" -ge 1 ] && [ "${NAREADY:-0}" -ge 1 ]; then break; fi
+          sleep 10
+        done
+        if [ "${VREADY:-0}" -lt 1 ] || [ "${NAREADY:-0}" -lt 1 ]; then
+          echo "SKIP: Velero server and/or its node-agent DaemonSet are not ready in ns '$VNS' -- backup/restore path not available"
+          echo DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK
+          exit 0
+        fi
+        
+        # ---- Pick the BSL this drill will use: prefer the default, and it MUST be
+        #      Available. A CONFIGURED-BUT-UNAVAILABLE target is NOT a precondition
+        #      gap -- it is a live R-STATE-03 defect, so it FAILS (after a bounded
+        #      wait for first-validation on a cold start), it does not skip. --------
+        BSL_NS=""; BSL_NAME=""; BSL_URL=""; BSL_BUCKET=""
+        for i in $(seq 1 12); do
+          BSL_LINES="$(kubectl get backupstoragelocations.velero.io -A \
+            -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{.metadata.namespace}{" "}{.metadata.name}{" "}{.status.phase}{" "}{.spec.provider}{" "}{.spec.default}{" "}{.spec.config.s3Url}{" "}{.spec.objectStorage.bucket}{"\n"}{end}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+          CAND="$(echo "$BSL_LINES" | grep ' Available ' | grep ' true ' | head -1 || true)"
+          [ -n "$CAND" ] || CAND="$(echo "$BSL_LINES" | grep ' Available ' | head -1 || true)"
+          if [ -n "$CAND" ]; then
+            BSL_NS="$(echo "$CAND" | cut -d' ' -f1)"
+            BSL_NAME="$(echo "$CAND" | cut -d' ' -f2)"
+            BSL_URL="$(echo "$CAND" | cut -d' ' -f6)"
+            BSL_BUCKET="$(echo "$CAND" | cut -d' ' -f7)"
+            break
+          fi
+          echo "poll $i: no Available BackupStorageLocation yet"
+          sleep 10
+        done
+        if [ -z "$BSL_NAME" ]; then
+          echo "FAIL: a BackupStorageLocation is configured but NONE reached phase 'Available'." >&2
+          echo "      The off-cluster backup target is unreachable -- R-STATE-03 is BROKEN, not merely untested." >&2
+          echo "$BSL_LINES" >&2
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        echo "using BSL ${BSL_NS}/${BSL_NAME}  bucket=${BSL_BUCKET}  endpoint=${BSL_URL}"
+        
+        # ---- OFF-CLUSTER PROOF (1): an endpoint we can evaluate ------------------
+        if [ -z "$BSL_URL" ]; then
+          echo "FAIL: BackupStorageLocation ${BSL_NS}/${BSL_NAME} exposes no spec.config.s3Url;" >&2
+          echo "      the OFF-CLUSTER property of the backup target cannot be established, so this" >&2
+          echo "      test refuses to claim it. (Extend this check for a non-S3 provider.)" >&2
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        HOST="${BSL_URL#*://}"      # strip scheme
+        HOST="${HOST%%/*}"          # strip path
+        HOST="${HOST%%:*}"          # strip port
+        echo "backup endpoint host: $HOST"
+        
+        case "$HOST" in
+          localhost|*.svc|*.svc.cluster.local|*.cluster.local)
+            echo "FAIL: backup endpoint '$HOST' is a CLUSTER-INTERNAL name -- the backup target is IN the cluster." >&2
+            echo "      An in-cluster backup store cannot satisfy R-STATE-03 (off-cluster backup)." >&2
+            exit 1 ;;
+        esac
+        
+        # Resolve to an IPv4 address. If it cannot be resolved we CANNOT establish the
+        # off-cluster property -- that is a failure, never a silent pass.
+        case "$HOST" in
+          *[!0-9.]*)
+            # Endpoint given as a name. Try the resolvers that may exist in the
+            # runner image, in order; if none is available or none resolves, the
+            # test FAILS below rather than guessing.
+            EPIP="$(getent ahostsv4 "$HOST" 2>/dev/null | head -1 | cut -d' ' -f1 || true)"
+            [ -n "$EPIP" ] || EPIP="$(getent hosts "$HOST" 2>/dev/null | head -1 | cut -d' ' -f1 || true)"
+            [ -n "$EPIP" ] || EPIP="$(nslookup "$HOST" 2>/dev/null | grep -A2 '^Name:' | grep '^Address' | head -1 | sed 's/.*: *//' || true)" ;;
+          *) EPIP="$HOST" ;;
+        esac
+        if [ -z "$EPIP" ]; then
+          echo "FAIL: could not resolve backup endpoint host '$HOST' to an IPv4 address;" >&2
+          echo "      the OFF-CLUSTER property cannot be asserted, so this test does not pass." >&2
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        echo "backup endpoint resolves to: $EPIP"
+        
+        # ---- OFF-CLUSTER PROOF (2): the endpoint is outside every cluster address --
+        case "$EPIP" in 127.*|0.0.0.0) echo "FAIL: backup endpoint $EPIP is loopback -- not off-cluster" >&2; exit 1 ;; esac
+        
+        NODE_IPS="$(kubectl get nodes -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{range .status.addresses[*]}{.address}{"\n"}{end}{end}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+        for a in $NODE_IPS; do
+          if [ "$a" = "$EPIP" ]; then
+            echo "FAIL: backup endpoint $EPIP is a NODE address of this cluster -- the backup is not off-cluster." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+        done
+        echo "endpoint is not any node address (checked $(echo "$NODE_IPS" | grep -c . || true) node addresses)"
+        
+        SVC_IPS="$(kubectl get svc -A -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{.spec.clusterIP}{"\n"}{end}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+        for a in $SVC_IPS; do
+          if [ "$a" = "$EPIP" ]; then
+            echo "FAIL: backup endpoint $EPIP is a Service ClusterIP -- the backup target lives INSIDE the cluster." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+        done
+        echo "endpoint is not any Service ClusterIP (checked $(echo "$SVC_IPS" | grep -c . || true))"
+        
+        POD_IPS="$(kubectl get pods -A -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{.status.podIP}{"\n"}{end}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+        for a in $POD_IPS; do
+          if [ "$a" = "$EPIP" ]; then
+            echo "FAIL: backup endpoint $EPIP is a POD IP -- the backup target is an in-cluster pod." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+        done
+        echo "endpoint is not any Pod IP (checked $(echo "$POD_IPS" | grep -c . || true))"
+        
+        POD_CIDRS="$(kubectl get nodes -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{.spec.podCIDR}{"\n"}{range .spec.podCIDRs[*]}{@}{"\n"}{end}{end}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+        for c in $POD_CIDRS; do
+          case "$c" in *:*) continue ;; esac      # IPv6 prefixes are out of scope here
+          if in_cidr "$EPIP" "$c"; then
+            echo "FAIL: backup endpoint $EPIP falls inside node podCIDR $c -- it is in the cluster pod network." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+        done
+        echo "endpoint is outside every node podCIDR (checked: $(echo "$POD_CIDRS" | tr '\n' ' '))"
+        
+        # Best-effort (needs networking.k8s.io/ServiceCIDR, which the least-privilege
+        # runner may not read): the checks above are the authoritative ones.
+        SVC_CIDRS="$(kubectl get servicecidrs.networking.k8s.io -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{range .spec.cidrs[*]}{@}{"\n"}{end}{end}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+        if [ -n "$SVC_CIDRS" ]; then
+          for c in $SVC_CIDRS; do
+            case "$c" in *:*) continue ;; esac
+            if in_cidr "$EPIP" "$c"; then
+              echo "FAIL: backup endpoint $EPIP falls inside the Service CIDR $c -- it is in the cluster." >&2
+              exit 1
+            fi
+          done
+          echo "endpoint is outside every ServiceCIDR ($(echo "$SVC_CIDRS" | tr '\n' ' '))"
+        else
+          echo "(ServiceCIDR objects unreadable -- skipping that best-effort check; ClusterIP/PodIP/podCIDR checks stand)"
+        fi
+        
+        echo "OFF_CLUSTER_TARGET_OK  bsl=${BSL_NS}/${BSL_NAME} endpoint=${EPIP} bucket=${BSL_BUCKET}"
+    l.go:52: | 00:19:11 | dr-restore | assert-backup-target-is-off-cluster       | SCRIPT    | LOG   |
+        === STDOUT
+        backup storage locations:
+        velero default Available aws true http://192.168.1.9:9000 velero
+        poll 1: velero readyReplicas=1 node-agent numberReady=3
+        using BSL velero/default  bucket=velero  endpoint=http://192.168.1.9:9000
+        backup endpoint host: 192.168.1.9
+        backup endpoint resolves to: 192.168.1.9
+        endpoint is not any node address (checked 6 node addresses)
+        endpoint is not any Service ClusterIP (checked 81)
+        endpoint is not any Pod IP (checked 186)
+        endpoint is outside every node podCIDR (checked: 10.42.0.0/24 10.42.0.0/24 10.42.1.0/24 10.42.1.0/24 10.42.2.0/24 10.42.2.0/24 )
+        endpoint is outside every ServiceCIDR (10.43.0.0/16 )
+        OFF_CLUSTER_TARGET_OK  bsl=velero/default endpoint=192.168.1.9 bucket=velero
+    l.go:52: | 00:19:11 | dr-restore | assert-backup-target-is-off-cluster       | SCRIPT    | DONE  |
+    l.go:52: | 00:19:11 | dr-restore | assert-backup-target-is-off-cluster       | TRY       | END   |
+    l.go:52: | 00:19:11 | dr-restore | assert-backups-are-scheduled              | TRY       | BEGIN |
+    l.go:52: | 00:19:11 | dr-restore | assert-backups-are-scheduled              | CMD       | RUN   |
+        === COMMAND
+        /usr/bin/sh -c set -eu
+        SCHED="$(kubectl get schedules.velero.io -A \
+          -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{.metadata.namespace}{"/"}{.metadata.name}{" phase="}{.status.phase}{" cron="}{.spec.schedule}{" lastBackup="}{.status.lastBackup}{"\n"}{end}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+        if [ -z "$(echo "$SCHED" | tr -d '[:space:]')" ]; then
+          # Distinguish "Velero absent" (skip, in lock-step with step 1) from
+          # "Velero present but nothing scheduled" (a real R-STATE-03 defect).
+          if kubectl get backupstoragelocations.velero.io -A >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            if [ -z "$(kubectl get backupstoragelocations.velero.io -A -o name 2>/dev/null || true)" ]; then
+              echo "SKIP: no BackupStorageLocation configured -- scheduling not applicable yet"
+              echo DR_SCHEDULE_SKIPPED_OK
+              exit 0
+            fi
+            echo "FAIL: Velero is configured with a backup target but declares NO Schedule --" >&2
+            echo "      R-STATE-03 requires SCHEDULED off-cluster backups, not manual ones." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "SKIP: Velero API absent -- backup scheduling not applicable on this cluster yet"
+          echo DR_SCHEDULE_SKIPPED_OK
+          exit 0
+        fi
+        echo "velero schedules:"
+        echo "$SCHED"
+        # A Schedule that exists but is paused/disabled backs nothing up.
+        if echo "$SCHED" | grep -q 'phase=Enabled'; then
+          echo BACKUPS_ARE_SCHEDULED_OK
+        else
+          echo "FAIL: no Velero Schedule is in phase 'Enabled' -- scheduled off-cluster backups are not running." >&2
+          exit 1
+        fi
+    l.go:52: | 00:19:11 | dr-restore | assert-backups-are-scheduled              | SCRIPT    | LOG   |
+        === STDOUT
+        velero schedules:
+        velero/velero-daily phase=Enabled cron=0 3 * * * lastBackup=2026-09-01T03:00:27Z
+        velero/velero-daily-resources-only phase=Enabled cron=0 3 * * * lastBackup=2026-09-01T03:00:27Z
+        BACKUPS_ARE_SCHEDULED_OK
+    l.go:52: | 00:19:11 | dr-restore | assert-backups-are-scheduled              | SCRIPT    | DONE  |
+    l.go:52: | 00:19:11 | dr-restore | assert-backups-are-scheduled              | TRY       | END   |
+    l.go:52: | 00:19:11 | dr-restore | data-restores-from-the-off-cluster-backup | TRY       | BEGIN |
+    l.go:52: | 00:19:11 | dr-restore | data-restores-from-the-off-cluster-backup | CMD       | RUN   |
+        === COMMAND
+        /usr/bin/sh -c set -eu
+        NS="$NAMESPACE"
+        SRC="${NS}-dr-src"          # scratch source namespace (destroyed by design)
+        DST="${NS}-dr-dst"          # clean restore target (must not pre-exist)
+        BK="${NS}-dr-backup"
+        RS="${NS}-dr-restore"
+        OWNER_LABEL="conformance.home.k3s/created-by=${NS}"
+        
+        # ---- Re-derive the preconditions (steps do not share shell state). Every
+        #      skip below mirrors step 1 exactly, so the whole test skips or runs
+        #      as a unit -- it can never half-run. -----------------------------
+        if ! kubectl get storageclass longhorn >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+          echo "SKIP: 'longhorn' StorageClass absent"; echo DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK; exit 0
+        fi
+        BSL_LINES="$(kubectl get backupstoragelocations.velero.io -A \
+          -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{.metadata.namespace}{" "}{.metadata.name}{" "}{.status.phase}{" "}{.spec.default}{"\n"}{end}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+        CAND="$(echo "$BSL_LINES" | grep ' Available ' | grep ' true$' | head -1 || true)"
+        [ -n "$CAND" ] || CAND="$(echo "$BSL_LINES" | grep ' Available ' | head -1 || true)"
+        if [ -z "$CAND" ]; then
+          echo "SKIP: no Available BackupStorageLocation (see the off-cluster step for the authoritative verdict)"
+          echo DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK; exit 0
+        fi
+        VNS="$(echo "$CAND" | cut -d' ' -f1)"
+        BSL_NAME="$(echo "$CAND" | cut -d' ' -f2)"
+        if [ "$(kubectl -n "$VNS" get daemonset node-agent -o jsonpath='{.status.numberReady}' 2>/dev/null || echo 0)" -lt 1 ]; then
+          echo "SKIP: Velero node-agent (kopia FSB) not ready -- volume data cannot be backed up"
+          echo DR_RESTORE_SKIPPED_OK; exit 0
+        fi
+        echo "velero ns=$VNS bsl=$BSL_NAME src=$SRC dst=$DST"
+        
+        # A clean restore target means PREVIOUSLY NONEXISTENT, and the source name must
+        # be free. If either is lying around from an aborted run, remove it before we
+        # claim "clean" -- and fail loudly if it will not go, because a half-deleted
+        # namespace would silently invalidate the destroy proof below.
+        kubectl delete namespace "$DST" "$SRC" --ignore-not-found --wait=true --timeout=300s
+        
+        # ============================ GIVEN ==============================
+        # A DR-critical stateful workload with known data on the replicated tier.
+        CANARY="dr-canary-$(date +%s%N)"
+        kubectl create namespace "$SRC"
+        kubectl label namespace "$SRC" "$OWNER_LABEL" --overwrite
+        
+        kubectl -n "$SRC" apply -f - <<EOF
+        apiVersion: v1
+        kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
+        metadata:
+          name: dr-data
+          labels:
+            conformance.home.k3s/created-by: ${NS}
+        spec:
+          accessModes: [ReadWriteOnce]
+          storageClassName: longhorn
+          resources:
+            requests:
+              storage: 1Gi
+        EOF
+        
+        kubectl -n "$SRC" apply -f - <<EOF
+        apiVersion: v1
+        kind: Pod
+        metadata:
+          name: dr-workload
+          labels:
+            app: dr-workload
+            conformance.home.k3s/created-by: ${NS}
+        spec:
+          restartPolicy: Never
+          containers:
+            - name: app
+              image: busybox:1.36.1
+              command: ["sh", "-c", "sleep 7200"]
+              volumeMounts:
+                - name: data
+                  mountPath: /data
+          volumes:
+            - name: data
+              persistentVolumeClaim:
+                claimName: dr-data
+        EOF
+        
+        kubectl -n "$SRC" wait --for=condition=Ready pod/dr-workload --timeout=300s
+        printf '%s' "$CANARY" | kubectl -n "$SRC" exec -i dr-workload -- sh -c 'cat > /data/canary && sync'
+        echo "seeded canary: $(kubectl -n "$SRC" exec dr-workload -- cat /data/canary)"
+        
+        ORIG_PV="$(kubectl -n "$SRC" get pvc dr-data -o jsonpath='{.spec.volumeName}')"
+        [ -n "$ORIG_PV" ] || { echo "FAIL: source PVC never bound to a PV" >&2; exit 1; }
+        echo "original in-cluster PersistentVolume: $ORIG_PV"
+        
+        # ======================= WHEN (part 1): back up off-cluster =======
+        # Created as a Velero Backup CR -- exactly what `velero backup create` does.
+        # defaultVolumesToFsBackup:true selects the kopia File System Backup path, so
+        # the VOLUME DATA (not just the resource JSON) is uploaded to the object store.
+        # ttl is short: if the finally-step DeleteBackupRequest is ever lost, Velero's
+        # own GC still removes this drill's objects from the bucket.
+        kubectl apply -f - <<EOF
+        apiVersion: velero.io/v1
+        kind: Backup
+        metadata:
+          name: ${BK}
+          namespace: ${VNS}
+          labels:
+            conformance.home.k3s/created-by: ${NS}
+        spec:
+          includedNamespaces: [${SRC}]
+          storageLocation: ${BSL_NAME}
+          snapshotVolumes: false
+          defaultVolumesToFsBackup: true
+          ttl: 2h0m0s
+        EOF
+        
+        BPHASE=""
+        for i in $(seq 1 90); do
+          BPHASE="$(kubectl -n "$VNS" get backups.velero.io "$BK" -o jsonpath='{.status.phase}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+          echo "poll $i: backup phase=${BPHASE:-<pending>}"
+          case "${BPHASE:-}" in
+            Completed|Failed|PartiallyFailed|FailedValidation) break ;;
+          esac
+          sleep 10
+        done
+        if [ "${BPHASE:-}" != "Completed" ]; then
+          echo "FAIL: off-cluster backup did not complete (phase=${BPHASE:-<timeout>})" >&2
+          kubectl -n "$VNS" get backups.velero.io "$BK" -o yaml >&2 || true
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        echo "backup $BK Completed to ${BSL_NAME}"
+        
+        # ---- OFF-CLUSTER PROOF (3): the VOLUME DATA really landed in the remote
+        #      kopia repository -- a PodVolumeBackup Completed with a snapshot ID.
+        PVB="$(kubectl -n "$VNS" get podvolumebackups.velero.io \
+                 -l velero.io/backup-name="$BK" \
+                 -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{.metadata.name}{" "}{.status.phase}{" "}{.status.snapshotID}{"\n"}{end}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+        echo "pod volume backups:"
+        echo "$PVB"
+        if [ -z "$(echo "$PVB" | tr -d '[:space:]')" ]; then
+          echo "FAIL: the backup captured NO pod volume data (no PodVolumeBackup)." >&2
+          echo "      Resource-only backups cannot restore DR-critical DATA." >&2
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        # A line is "<name> <phase> <snapshotID>"; require Completed AND a
+        # non-empty snapshot ID (an empty ID means nothing reached the repository).
+        GOOD_PVB="$(echo "$PVB" | grep -cE ' Completed [^[:space:]]+$' || true)"
+        if [ "${GOOD_PVB:-0}" -lt 1 ]; then
+          echo "FAIL: no PodVolumeBackup reached phase Completed with a snapshot ID --" >&2
+          echo "      the volume data did not reach the off-cluster repository." >&2
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        echo "volume data uploaded off-cluster (PodVolumeBackup Completed with a kopia snapshotID)"
+        
+        # ============ WHEN (part 2): FAULT INJECTION -- annihilate the source ====
+        # Destroy EVERY in-cluster copy: the pod, the PVC, the namespace, and the
+        # underlying PersistentVolume (and with it the Longhorn replicas). After this
+        # there is no in-cluster source the restore could quietly read from.
+        kubectl delete namespace "$SRC" --wait=true --timeout=420s
+        for i in $(seq 1 30); do
+          if ! kubectl get namespace "$SRC" >/dev/null 2>&1; then break; fi
+          echo "poll $i: waiting for namespace $SRC to disappear"
+          sleep 10
+        done
+        if kubectl get namespace "$SRC" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+          echo "FAIL: source namespace $SRC did not terminate; the destroy step is not convincing" >&2
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        echo "source namespace destroyed"
+        
+        # The longhorn StorageClass reclaims Delete, so the PV should already be gone;
+        # force it if a Retain policy (or a stuck finalizer) left it behind, because a
+        # surviving PV would make the restore prove nothing about off-cluster recovery.
+        kubectl delete pv "$ORIG_PV" --ignore-not-found --wait=false || true
+        for i in $(seq 1 30); do
+          if ! kubectl get pv "$ORIG_PV" >/dev/null 2>&1; then break; fi
+          echo "poll $i: waiting for PersistentVolume $ORIG_PV to disappear"
+          sleep 10
+        done
+        if kubectl get pv "$ORIG_PV" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+          echo "FAIL: the original PersistentVolume $ORIG_PV SURVIVED the destroy step." >&2
+          echo "      An in-cluster copy of the data still exists, so a successful restore" >&2
+          echo "      would NOT prove recovery from the off-cluster backup. Refusing to pass." >&2
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        echo "original PersistentVolume $ORIG_PV is GONE -- no in-cluster copy of the data remains"
+        
+        # Best-effort corroboration (the least-privilege runner may not read longhorn.io):
+        # the Longhorn Volume CR and its replicas should be gone too.
+        if kubectl -n longhorn-system get volumes.longhorn.io "$ORIG_PV" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+          echo "FAIL: Longhorn Volume $ORIG_PV still exists after PV deletion -- replicas survive in-cluster" >&2
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        echo "(longhorn Volume CR $ORIG_PV not present -- either deleted or not readable by this identity)"
+        
+        # ============================ RESTORE ============================
+        # Into a CLEAN, previously-nonexistent namespace (Velero creates it), which is
+        # the catalog's "restored into a clean state".
+        kubectl apply -f - <<EOF
+        apiVersion: velero.io/v1
+        kind: Restore
+        metadata:
+          name: ${RS}
+          namespace: ${VNS}
+          labels:
+            conformance.home.k3s/created-by: ${NS}
+        spec:
+          backupName: ${BK}
+          includedNamespaces: [${SRC}]
+          namespaceMapping:
+            ${SRC}: ${DST}
+          existingResourcePolicy: none
+        EOF
+        
+        RPHASE=""
+        for i in $(seq 1 90); do
+          RPHASE="$(kubectl -n "$VNS" get restores.velero.io "$RS" -o jsonpath='{.status.phase}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+          echo "poll $i: restore phase=${RPHASE:-<pending>}"
+          case "${RPHASE:-}" in
+            Completed|Failed|PartiallyFailed|FailedValidation) break ;;
+          esac
+          sleep 10
+        done
+        if [ "${RPHASE:-}" != "Completed" ]; then
+          echo "FAIL: restore did not complete (phase=${RPHASE:-<timeout>})" >&2
+          kubectl -n "$VNS" get restores.velero.io "$RS" -o yaml >&2 || true
+          kubectl -n "$VNS" get podvolumerestores.velero.io -l velero.io/restore-name="$RS" -o wide >&2 || true
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        echo "restore $RS Completed into $DST"
+        
+        # ============================= THEN ==============================
+        # The service returns WITH ITS DATA. With kopia FSB the restored pod carries a
+        # `restore-wait` init container that blocks until the node-agent has written the
+        # volume contents back, so Ready here already implies the data landed.
+        if ! kubectl -n "$DST" wait --for=condition=Ready pod/dr-workload --timeout=600s; then
+          echo "FAIL: restored workload never became Ready in the clean namespace $DST" >&2
+          kubectl -n "$DST" describe pod dr-workload >&2 || true
+          kubectl -n "$VNS" get podvolumerestores.velero.io -l velero.io/restore-name="$RS" -o wide >&2 || true
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        
+        NEW_PV="$(kubectl -n "$DST" get pvc dr-data -o jsonpath='{.spec.volumeName}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+        echo "restored PVC bound to PersistentVolume: ${NEW_PV:-<none>}"
+        [ -n "$NEW_PV" ] || { echo "FAIL: restored PVC did not bind a PV" >&2; exit 1; }
+        if [ "$NEW_PV" = "$ORIG_PV" ]; then
+          echo "FAIL: the restored PVC rebound the ORIGINAL PersistentVolume ($ORIG_PV)." >&2
+          echo "      That is an in-cluster survival, not an off-cluster restore." >&2
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        echo "restored onto a NEW volume ($NEW_PV != $ORIG_PV) -- the data came from outside the cluster"
+        
+        GOT="$(kubectl -n "$DST" exec dr-workload -- cat /data/canary)"
+        echo "recovered='$GOT' expected='$CANARY'"
+        if [ "$GOT" != "$CANARY" ]; then
+          echo "FAIL: restored data does not match what was backed up -- DR restore lost/corrupted data" >&2
+          exit 1
+        fi
+        
+        echo DR_RESTORED_FROM_OFF_CLUSTER_BACKUP_OK
+    l.go:52: | 00:21:16 | dr-restore | data-restores-from-the-off-cluster-backup | SCRIPT    | LOG   |
+        === STDOUT
+        velero ns=velero bsl=default src=chainsaw-cunning-hen-dr-src dst=chainsaw-cunning-hen-dr-dst
+        namespace/chainsaw-cunning-hen-dr-src created
+        namespace/chainsaw-cunning-hen-dr-src labeled
+        persistentvolumeclaim/dr-data created
+        pod/dr-workload created
+        pod/dr-workload condition met
+        seeded canary: dr-canary-1788308352223263220
+        original in-cluster PersistentVolume: pvc-b9523c15-770e-4fc5-8130-ca2e9d9da745
+        backup.velero.io/chainsaw-cunning-hen-dr-backup created
+        poll 1: backup phase=InProgress
+        poll 2: backup phase=InProgress
+        poll 3: backup phase=Completed
+        backup chainsaw-cunning-hen-dr-backup Completed to default
+        pod volume backups:
+        chainsaw-cunning-hen-dr-backup-l95lw Completed 47fa2737115e17142fb41857cef4e779
+        volume data uploaded off-cluster (PodVolumeBackup Completed with a kopia snapshotID)
+        namespace "chainsaw-cunning-hen-dr-src" deleted
+        source namespace destroyed
+        original PersistentVolume pvc-b9523c15-770e-4fc5-8130-ca2e9d9da745 is GONE -- no in-cluster copy of the data remains
+        (longhorn Volume CR pvc-b9523c15-770e-4fc5-8130-ca2e9d9da745 not present -- either deleted or not readable by this identity)
+        restore.velero.io/chainsaw-cunning-hen-dr-restore created
+        poll 1: restore phase=InProgress
+        poll 2: restore phase=InProgress
+        poll 3: restore phase=InProgress
+        poll 4: restore phase=Completed
+        restore chainsaw-cunning-hen-dr-restore Completed into chainsaw-cunning-hen-dr-dst
+        pod/dr-workload condition met
+        restored PVC bound to PersistentVolume: pvc-63c47973-9c7f-4423-a27e-caa008026e49
+        restored onto a NEW volume (pvc-63c47973-9c7f-4423-a27e-caa008026e49 != pvc-b9523c15-770e-4fc5-8130-ca2e9d9da745) -- the data came from outside the cluster
+        recovered='dr-canary-1788308352223263220' expected='dr-canary-1788308352223263220'
+        DR_RESTORED_FROM_OFF_CLUSTER_BACKUP_OK
+        === STDERR
+        Defaulted container "app" out of: app, restore-wait (init)
+    l.go:52: | 00:21:16 | dr-restore | data-restores-from-the-off-cluster-backup | SCRIPT    | DONE  |
+    l.go:52: | 00:21:16 | dr-restore | data-restores-from-the-off-cluster-backup | TRY       | END   |
+    l.go:52: | 00:21:16 | dr-restore | data-restores-from-the-off-cluster-backup | FINALLY   | BEGIN |
+    l.go:52: | 00:21:16 | dr-restore | data-restores-from-the-off-cluster-backup | CMD       | RUN   |
+        === COMMAND
+        /usr/bin/sh -c set -u
+        NS="$NAMESPACE"
+        SRC="${NS}-dr-src"; DST="${NS}-dr-dst"; BK="${NS}-dr-backup"; RS="${NS}-dr-restore"
+        
+        VNS="$(kubectl get backupstoragelocations.velero.io -A -o jsonpath='{.items[0].metadata.namespace}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+        
+        # Velero objects first: a DeleteBackupRequest makes Velero remove the backup
+        # DATA from the off-cluster bucket, not just the CR (self-cleaning contract).
+        if [ -n "$VNS" ]; then
+          kubectl -n "$VNS" delete restores.velero.io "$RS" --ignore-not-found --wait=false || true
+          if kubectl -n "$VNS" get backups.velero.io "$BK" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            kubectl apply -f - <<EOF || true
+        apiVersion: velero.io/v1
+        kind: DeleteBackupRequest
+        metadata:
+          name: ${BK}-delete
+          namespace: ${VNS}
+          labels:
+            conformance.home.k3s/created-by: ${NS}
+        spec:
+          backupName: ${BK}
+        EOF
+            for i in $(seq 1 18); do
+              kubectl -n "$VNS" get backups.velero.io "$BK" >/dev/null 2>&1 || break
+              sleep 10
+            done
+            # Backstop if Velero could not process the request (the 2h ttl also GCs it).
+            kubectl -n "$VNS" delete backups.velero.io "$BK" --ignore-not-found --wait=false || true
+            kubectl -n "$VNS" delete deletebackuprequests.velero.io "${BK}-delete" --ignore-not-found --wait=false || true
+          fi
+          echo "velero objects for $NS cleaned up (ns $VNS)"
+        fi
+        
+        # Scratch namespaces (both, in case the run aborted at any point).
+        for n in "$DST" "$SRC"; do
+          kubectl delete namespace "$n" --ignore-not-found --wait=false || true
+        done
+        # Anything left labelled as ours (defensive; the two names above are the only
+        # namespaces this test ever creates).
+        kubectl delete namespace -l "conformance.home.k3s/created-by=${NS}" --ignore-not-found --wait=false || true
+        
+        # Released PVs from either namespace's PVCs would otherwise leak storage.
+        for pv in $(kubectl get pv -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{.metadata.name}{" "}{.spec.claimRef.namespace}{"\n"}{end}' 2>/dev/null | grep -E " (${SRC}|${DST})$" | cut -d' ' -f1 || true); do
+          kubectl delete pv "$pv" --ignore-not-found --wait=false || true
+          echo "released leftover PersistentVolume: $pv"
+        done
+        
+        echo "dr-restore teardown complete (best-effort; every object was created by this test)"
+    l.go:52: | 00:21:28 | dr-restore | data-restores-from-the-off-cluster-backup | SCRIPT    | LOG   |
+        === STDOUT
+        restore.velero.io "chainsaw-cunning-hen-dr-restore" deleted from velero namespace
+        deletebackuprequest.velero.io/chainsaw-cunning-hen-dr-backup-delete created
+        velero objects for chainsaw-cunning-hen cleaned up (ns velero)
+        namespace "chainsaw-cunning-hen-dr-dst" deleted
+        namespace "chainsaw-cunning-hen-dr-dst" deleted
+        persistentvolume "pvc-63c47973-9c7f-4423-a27e-caa008026e49" deleted
+        released leftover PersistentVolume: pvc-63c47973-9c7f-4423-a27e-caa008026e49
+        dr-restore teardown complete (best-effort; every object was created by this test)
+    l.go:52: | 00:21:28 | dr-restore | data-restores-from-the-off-cluster-backup | SCRIPT    | DONE  |
+    l.go:52: | 00:21:28 | dr-restore | data-restores-from-the-off-cluster-backup | FINALLY   | END   |
+    l.go:52: | 00:21:28 | dr-restore | @chainsaw                                 | CLEANUP   | BEGIN |
+    l.go:52: | 00:21:28 | dr-restore | @chainsaw                                 | DELETE    | OK    | v1/Namespace @ chainsaw-cunning-hen
+    l.go:52: | 00:21:36 | dr-restore | @chainsaw                                 | CLEANUP   | END   |
+--- PASS: chainsaw (0.00s)
+    --- PASS: chainsaw/dr-restore (149.05s)
+PASS
+Tests Summary...
+- Passed  tests 1
+- Failed  tests 0
+- Skipped tests 0
+Done.
+merge_junit: merged 1 report(s) -> /work/conformance/_artifacts/report.junit.xml (tests=1 failures=0 errors=0 skipped=0)
+[run.sh] Done. JUnit: /work/conformance/_artifacts/report.junit.xml | Coverage: /work/conformance/_artifacts/coverage/coverage.md

conformance/runs/ledger.jsonl

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+{"chainsaw_version": "v0.2.12", "env": "dev", "git_sha": "57d4df8c4f992732a49f3e2daddcace866778ab0", "junit_result": "passed", "kube_version": "v1.36.4+k3s1", "layer": "L3", "note": "run log OUTPUT carries every declared pass token (NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK) and no skip token [log scoped to this testcase; tokens read from real-output sections only]", "proof": "proven", "requirements": ["R-STATE-02"], "run_id": "20260901T235117Z-e9a4b66", "sentinel": "NODE_LOSS_VOLUME_AVAILABLE_OK", "test": "node-loss", "ts_utc": "2026-09-01T23:51:17Z"}
+{"chainsaw_version": "v0.2.12", "env": "dev", "git_sha": "fdc3265585f4b775c0a6ae3fb33c837b0c643655", "junit_result": "passed", "kube_version": "v1.36.4+k3s1", "layer": "L3", "note": "run log OUTPUT carries every declared pass token (OFF_CLUSTER_TARGET_OK, BACKUPS_ARE_SCHEDULED_OK, DR_RESTORED_FROM_OFF_CLUSTER_BACKUP_OK) and no skip token [log scoped to this testcase; tokens read from real-output sections only]", "proof": "proven", "requirements": ["R-STATE-03"], "run_id": "20260902T001907Z-fdc3265", "sentinel": "DR_RESTORED_FROM_OFF_CLUSTER_BACKUP_OK", "test": "dr-restore", "ts_utc": "2026-09-02T00:19:07Z"}

conformance/tests/README.md

@@ -93,9 +93,52 @@ and coverage extraction exact and robust.
   break the thing and assert fail-closed / no-data-loss, with `finally` restoring state.
 - **Never weaken a test to go green (R-TEST-06).** If the spec can't be met, escalate to
   the PM — do not relax the assertion or the requirement.
+- **Never write a per-environment value into a test (R-ENV-02).** No hostname suffix, no
+  Gateway VIP, no LB-pool range. One authored suite must run green against dev *and* prod,
+  so a test **asks the cluster it is pointed at** what it is. The mechanism is a chainsaw
+  binding over the same ConfigMap Flux substitutes from:
+
+  ```yaml
+  spec:
+    bindings:
+      - name: baseDomain
+        value: (x_k8s_get($client, 'v1', 'ConfigMap', 'flux-system', 'cluster-vars').data.BASE_DOMAIN)
+  ```
+
+  Declare it at **test level** (step `outputs`/`bindings` are step-scoped), then consume it:
+  `($baseDomain)` for a pod `env:` value, `(join('.', ['myhost', $baseDomain]))` where a
+  full hostname is needed — including inside a `fixtures/*.yaml` applied with `apply: file:`,
+  which chainsaw templates with the same bindings. Prefer reading the *actual* observed value
+  over restating a range (e.g. assert the DNS answer equals `GATEWAY_VIP`, or equals the LB IP
+  the Service was assigned) — it is both stricter and environment-independent. Never take the
+  environment from a CLI flag or an exported variable: a flag someone forgets is how a suite
+  ends up silently asserting the other cluster's expectations. L1 goldens are the one
+  exception: they are rendering fixtures and carry the literal `${BASE_DOMAIN}` token.
+
+### How a scaffold declares itself (and how `status.py` tells one from a verifier)
 
 Scaffolds in this tree carry `TODO(T-x.y)` markers where a fixture/assertion lands as a
-later roadmap phase delivers the capability under test. `lib/status.py` treats such a
+later roadmap phase delivers the capability under test. `lib/status.py` classifies each
-marker — in the `chainsaw-test.yaml`, in `render-check.sh`, or in `check.sh` — as
+test EXECUTABLE or SCAFFOLD from the test's own files — `chainsaw-test.yaml`,
-outranking any `conformance.home.k3s/executable: "true"` annotation, so a placeholder body
+`render-check.sh`, `check.sh` — and either signal below **outranks**
-can never be reported as an executable test.
+`conformance.home.k3s/executable: "true"`, so a placeholder body can never be reported as
+an executable test. Declare a scaffold in **both** positions:
+
+1. **`# STATUS: scaffold — <what is missing>`** in the file's header comment block. The
+   declared state must be the first token after `STATUS:` (executable tests say
+   `# STATUS: EXECUTABLE` / `IMPLEMENTED` / `RUNNABLE`).
+2. **A `TODO`/`FIXME` marker carrying a message, in the body** — the file from its first
+   non-comment line onward. `echo "TODO(T-4.2): inject a fault to fire a rule"`,
+   or an inline comment on a missing fixture:
+   `file: fixtures/smtp-sink.yaml   # TODO(T-4.1): hermetic SMTP capture sink`.
+
+What is **not** a scaffold marker, and why the distinction is load-bearing: a marker
+mentioned in the **header prose** (the Given/When/Then and the mandatory "what this does
+NOT prove" list), and a marker that is the **entire content of a quoted literal** — a
+placeholder *detector*'s own vocabulary, e.g. `SEED = ["TBD", "TODO", "FIXME", ...]` in
+`l0-static/placeholder-guard-coupling/check.sh`. A whole-file `"TODO" in text` test used to
+classify that 32-assertion check as a scaffold and, through it, report the safety-critical
+R-STATE-03 as `exec=1 scaffold=1`. If your check must hold a marker as data, keep each
+idiom a **standalone quoted literal in a list**; a marker with text attached (a regex
+alternation, several idioms in one string) still classifies as a scaffold, because
+ambiguity here only ever downgrades.

conformance/tests/l0-static/auditability-proofs-producible/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+# =============================================================================
+# L0 STATIC — the five auditability proofs can be produced on demand  (R-SEC-03)  [EXECUTABLE]
+# Catalog: docs/14 L0 row ("Pre-apply, in CI") — runs WITHOUT a cluster.
+# Spec:    docs/00 R-SEC-03 ("All the above properties MUST be demonstrable/auditable (an
+#          operator can prove isolation, egress path, cert validity, and backup integrity)"),
+#          made concrete by docs/07 §"Auditability requirements (R-SEC-03) — what an operator
+#          must be able to prove": Isolation (denied-probe test), Egress path (egress IP
+#          check), Kill-switch (fault-injection test), TLS (cert status + external check),
+#          Backups (DR drill) — "These proofs are part of the platform acceptance suite, not
+#          one-time checks", with the acceptance gate "The five auditability proofs above can
+#          be produced on demand."
+#
+# HOW THIS AVOIDS BEING A TAUTOLOGY (the whole design question for a meta-requirement)
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# "A test exists for R-NET-01, therefore isolation is auditable" would pass in any suite that
+# compiles and would keep passing while every proof rotted into a scaffold. Four distinct
+# failure modes are asserted instead, each by DRIVING the real machinery:
+#   (a) each of the five proofs has an EXECUTABLE test — not a placeholder scaffold — at the layer
+#       the spec's own words require (fault injection / a DR drill => L3), taken from
+#       lib/status.py's own verdict so this check cannot disagree with the status report;
+#   (b) the proofs are PRODUCIBLE by the documented command: `run.sh --requirements <the five>`
+#       must resolve to real test dirs AND pass the merge gate's coverage assertion;
+#   (c) each Chainsaw-layer proof declares a PASS SENTINEL that lib/record_run.py can
+#       attribute — a proof that passes but records nothing leaves the operator with a green
+#       terminal and no evidence;
+#   (d) the evidence chain REFUSES FORGERIES: this check mounts two of its own against the
+#       real tools — a green JUnit for a real proof test whose log holds only that test's SKIP
+#       token, and a ledger row claiming `proven` at the repository's ROOT commit — and
+#       requires record_run.py to report not-proven and status.py to report `stale-proof`. It
+#       also drives `record_run.py --selftest` and `status.py --selftest`, which NOTHING in
+#       ci/ or run.sh ran before this test existed.
+# The five proofs are not hand-listed where the spec can be read: when the read-only spec repo
+# is mounted, docs/07's bullet labels are parsed and must match this check's mapping exactly,
+# so a sixth proof added to the spec fails here instead of being silently unverified.
+#
+# WHY L0: every clause is a property of the repository and its own tooling, needs no cluster,
+# and belongs in the merge gate — an audit chain is worth having only if it is intact BEFORE
+# anyone needs it.
+#
+# GIVEN the repository as git tracks it (plus the read-only spec repo when mounted),
+# WHEN  lib/status.py, lib/common.sh's requirement resolver, run.sh's coverage gate,
+#       lib/record_run.py's sentinel parser and both evidence tools' self-tests are DRIVEN,
+#       and two synthetic forgeries are presented to them,
+# THEN  each of docs/07's five proofs maps to an executable test at the required layer, the
+#       documented one-command invocation selects and asserts them, each is capturable as a
+#       ledger row, and neither a self-skip nor a stale row can be recorded as proof.
+#
+# STATUS: EXECUTABLE. `check.sh` is a pure offline assertion script (git tree + the harness's
+# own stdlib tooling; no cluster, no network); conformance/run.sh --layer l0 and ci/l0.sh run
+# it directly, and this Chainsaw Test wraps the SAME script.
+#
+# WHAT THIS TEST FIXED WHILE BEING WRITTEN (recorded, not hidden): three of the tests that ARE
+# the automated half of docs/07's isolation and TLS proofs — l2-behavioral/default-deny,
+# l2-behavioral/trusted-tls and l2-behavioral/gateway-ingress-reachable — declared NO pass
+# sentinel, so lib/record_run.py could never record them as proven and those two audit proofs
+# were structurally unrecordable. Each now ends with a proof-of-pass sentinel step. The
+# assertion here was NOT relaxed to accommodate them (R-TEST-06).
+#
+# KNOWN, DELIBERATE GAPS (enumerated in check.sh's header; this test claims none of them):
+#   * That the five proofs PASS. This asserts they are present, strong, runnable by one
+#     command, capturable, and that the chain refuses forgeries — not that isolation holds
+#     today (R-NET-01's test) or that the restore works (R-STATE-03's).
+#   * HUBBLE. docs/07 names Hubble flow logs as part of the isolation proof; no test in this
+#     suite queries Hubble. Only the denied-probe half is automated — a real, named gap.
+#   * LEDGER COMPLETENESS OVER TIME. Nothing offline can prove a row was never removed; that
+#     would need signed history.
+#   * R-SEC-03's wording is broader than docs/07's five bullets. Suite-wide coverage of every
+#     requirement is R-TEST-01/04's claim (tests/meta/harness-selfcheck) and is deliberately
+#     not re-asserted here.
+# =============================================================================
+apiVersion: chainsaw.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Test
+metadata:
+  name: auditability-proofs-producible
+  labels:
+    conformance.home.k3s/R-SEC-03: "true"
+  annotations:
+    conformance.home.k3s/requirements: "R-SEC-03"
+    conformance.home.k3s/layer: "L0"
+    conformance.home.k3s/safety-critical: "false"
+    conformance.home.k3s/executable: "true"
+    conformance.home.k3s/intent: >-
+      Given the tracked tree and the harness's own tooling, when status.py, the requirement
+      resolver, run.sh's coverage gate, record_run.py's sentinel parser and both evidence
+      tools' self-tests are driven and two synthetic forgeries are presented to them, then each
+      of docs/07's five auditability proofs has an executable test at the layer the spec
+      requires, is selectable and asserted by the documented one-command invocation, is
+      capturable as a ledger row, and neither a self-skip nor a stale proof can be recorded as
+      evidence.
+spec:
+  steps:
+    - name: then-each-of-the-five-proofs-is-producible-and-the-evidence-chain-refuses-forgeries
+      description: >-
+        Run the offline assertion script over the tracked tree (same script ci/l0.sh and
+        conformance/run.sh --layer l0 execute).
+      try:
+        - script:
+            content: bash ./check.sh
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# NOTE ON WORDING (deliberate, do not "improve"): this file and check.sh say "placeholder
+# scaffold" rather than the four-letter marker lib/status.py looks for, because that detector is
+# a bare substring test over the whole file. Writing the marker in PROSE — even to say a proof
+# must NOT be one — makes status.py classify THIS test as a scaffold, so the R-SEC-03 test would
+# report itself as unexecutable. Observed and worked around here; the detector's crudeness is
+# reported to the PM rather than loosened, since loosening a fake-green guard to suit one file is
+# the wrong trade (R-TEST-06).

conformance/tests/l0-static/auditability-proofs-producible/check.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,431 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# =============================================================================
+# L0 static check (offline, no cluster) — auditability-proofs-producible
+# Serves: R-SEC-03 ("All the above properties MUST be demonstrable/auditable (an operator can
+#         prove isolation, egress path, cert validity, and backup integrity)."
+#         — spec docs/00-vision-and-scope.md).
+#
+# The spec makes this meta-requirement concrete. docs/07-security-and-secrets.md
+# §"Auditability requirements (R-SEC-03) — what an operator must be able to prove":
+#   - **Isolation**: "service X cannot reach service Y" — via Hubble flow logs + a
+#     denied-probe test.
+#   - **Egress path**: "service X's public IP is the VPN's" — via an egress IP check.
+#   - **Kill-switch**: "with VPN down, X leaks nothing" — via a fault-injection test.
+#   - **TLS**: "every endpoint serves a valid, non-self-signed, unexpired cert" — via cert
+#     status + external check.
+#   - **Backups**: "irreplaceable data is restorable" — via a DR drill.
+#   "These proofs are part of the platform acceptance suite, not one-time checks."
+# and its acceptance gate: "The five auditability proofs above can be produced on demand."
+#
+# HOW A META-REQUIREMENT IS TESTED WITHOUT BECOMING A TAUTOLOGY
+# ------------------------------------------------------------
+# The trap is obvious and this check is built to avoid it: "a test exists for R-NET-01,
+# therefore isolation is auditable" is true of any suite that compiles, proves nothing, and
+# would keep passing while every proof rotted into a scaffold. Four separate failure modes
+# have to be caught for "an operator can PROVE it" to mean anything, and each one is asserted
+# by DRIVING the real machinery rather than by reading files:
+#
+#   (a) THE PROOF EXISTS, AT THE RIGHT STRENGTH. Each of the five named proofs maps to a
+#       requirement that must have an EXECUTABLE verifying test — not a placeholder scaffold — and,
+#       where the spec's own words name fault injection ("with VPN down"; "a DR drill"), an
+#       executable L3 test specifically. Executable-vs-scaffold is not re-derived here: this
+#       check RUNS lib/status.py and reads its verdict, so it cannot disagree with the
+#       repository's own status report.
+#   (b) THE PROOF IS PRODUCIBLE ON DEMAND, BY THE DOCUMENTED COMMAND. `run.sh
+#       --requirements <the five IDs>` must resolve to a non-empty test set and must ASSERT
+#       their coverage (that flag is the merge gate's own path: it passes --require to
+#       coverage.py). This check drives run.sh itself, so if the resolver, the labels or the
+#       gate wiring break, R-SEC-03 fails.
+#   (c) THE PROOF IS CAPTURABLE. A test that passes but records nothing leaves an operator
+#       with a green terminal and no evidence. For each Chainsaw-layer proof, the test must
+#       declare a PASS SENTINEL that lib/record_run.py can actually attribute — computed with
+#       record_run.py's OWN parser, so deleting a test's sentinel makes this check fail
+#       instead of silently making the requirement unprovable.
+#   (d) THE EVIDENCE CANNOT BE FORGED, AND IS NOT HONOURED WHEN STALE. This is the clause
+#       that makes the check bite. Two INDEPENDENT forgery attempts are mounted against the
+#       real tools, in a throwaway directory:
+#         * a Chainsaw run in which the JUnit says a real proof test PASSED while the run log
+#           carries only that test's SKIP token — the exact shape of a self-skipping L2/L3
+#           test. record_run.py must refuse to call it `proven`.
+#         * a ledger row claiming `proven` at a commit that PREDATES the requirement's
+#           implementing code — status.py must degrade it to `stale-proof`, never green.
+#       Both tools' own built-in self-tests (`--selftest`) are also driven, because nothing
+#       in ci/ or run.sh runs them today: the guards that keep a skip from becoming a proof
+#       were themselves unexercised in the merge gate until this check.
+#
+#   The FIVE PROOFS ARE NOT HAND-LISTED where the spec can be read: when the read-only spec
+#   repo is mounted, the bullet labels are parsed out of docs/07 and must match this check's
+#   mapping EXACTLY. Add a sixth proof to the spec and this check fails as unmapped rather
+#   than quietly ignoring it.
+#
+# WHY L0: every clause above is a property of the repository and its own tooling, provable
+# offline, and it belongs in the merge gate — the point of an audit chain is that it is intact
+# BEFORE anyone needs it. Nothing here needs a cluster, and nothing here would be more true
+# with one.
+#
+# WHAT THIS DOES *NOT* PROVE (honest gaps — do not read this check as claiming them):
+#   - THAT THE FIVE PROOFS PASS. This asserts the proofs are present, strong, runnable by one
+#     documented command, capturable as evidence, and that the evidence chain refuses
+#     forgeries. Whether isolation actually holds today is R-NET-01's test; whether the DR
+#     restore works is R-STATE-03's. R-SEC-03 is about the operator's ABILITY to produce the
+#     proof, which is what is asserted.
+#   - HUBBLE. docs/07 names "Hubble flow logs" as part of the isolation proof. No test in this
+#     suite queries Hubble, and this check does not pretend otherwise: it asserts the
+#     denied-probe half, which is the half that is automated. The Hubble half remains an
+#     operator-interactive capability — a real, named gap in R-SEC-03's coverage.
+#   - THE OPERATOR-FACING NARRATIVE. That a human can find and read the evidence (the status
+#     report's prose, the ledger's provenance fields) is a usability property, not a testable
+#     one.
+#   - LEDGER COMPLETENESS OVER TIME. The ledger is append-only by convention and by review;
+#     nothing here can prove a row was never removed from it (that would need signed history).
+#   - THAT THE PROOFS COVER "ALL THE ABOVE PROPERTIES". R-SEC-03's own wording is broader than
+#     the five bullets docs/07 enumerates. The five are what the spec made concrete and are
+#     what is asserted; suite-wide coverage of every requirement is R-TEST-01/04's claim,
+#     tested by tests/meta/harness-selfcheck, and is deliberately NOT re-asserted here.
+# =============================================================================
+set -euo pipefail
+DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+ROOT="$(cd "${DIR}/../../../.." && pwd)"        # repo root
+PYTHON="${PYTHON:-python3}"
+: "${SPEC_REPO:=${ROOT}/../home-network-k3s}"
+export SPEC_REPO
+
+cd "${ROOT}"
+"${PYTHON}" - "${ROOT}" <<'PY'
+import json
+import os
+import re
+import shutil
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import tempfile
+from pathlib import Path
+
+ROOT = Path(sys.argv[1])
+CONF = ROOT / "conformance"
+LIB = CONF / "lib"
+FAILURES: list[str] = []
+NOTES: list[str] = []
+CHECKS = 0
+
+
+def check(cond, msg):
+    global CHECKS
+    CHECKS += 1
+    if not cond:
+        FAILURES.append(msg)
+
+
+def note(msg):
+    NOTES.append(msg)
+
+
+def die():
+    print(f"CHECK FAIL (auditability-proofs-producible): {len(FAILURES)} of {CHECKS} "
+          "assertions failed", file=sys.stderr)
+    for f in FAILURES:
+        print(f"  - {f}", file=sys.stderr)
+    raise SystemExit(1)
+
+
+def run(cmd, **kw) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
+    return subprocess.run(cmd, capture_output=True, text=True, cwd=kw.pop("cwd", CONF), **kw)
+
+
+# ================================================= THE FIVE PROOFS docs/07 ENUMERATES
+# key  = the bullet label docs/07 uses (verified against the spec below when it is mounted)
+# reqs = the requirement(s) whose verifying test IS that proof
+# layer= the WEAKEST layer the spec's own words allow. Where docs/07 says "a fault-injection
+#        test" / "a DR drill", an L2 happy-path test does not discharge the proof.
+PROOFS = {
+    "Isolation":   {"reqs": ["R-NET-01"], "layers": {"L2", "L3"},
+                    "why": '"service X cannot reach service Y" — via Hubble flow logs + a '
+                           "denied-probe test"},
+    "Egress path": {"reqs": ["R-NET-05"], "layers": {"L2", "L3"},
+                    "why": '"service X\'s public IP is the VPN\'s" — via an egress IP check'},
+    "Kill-switch": {"reqs": ["R-NET-06"], "layers": {"L3"},
+                    "why": '"with VPN down, X leaks nothing" — via a fault-injection test'},
+    "TLS":         {"reqs": ["R-TLS-01"], "layers": {"L2", "L3"},
+                    "why": '"every endpoint serves a valid, non-self-signed, unexpired cert" '
+                           "— via cert status + external check"},
+    "Backups":     {"reqs": ["R-STATE-03"], "layers": {"L3"},
+                    "why": '"irreplaceable data is restorable" — via a DR drill'},
+}
+PROOF_REQS = sorted({r for p in PROOFS.values() for r in p["reqs"]})
+
+# ---- SELF-POLICING: the proof list must still be the SPEC's proof list ---------------
+spec = Path(os.environ.get("SPEC_REPO", ""))
+sec_doc = spec / "docs" / "07-security-and-secrets.md"
+if sec_doc.is_file():
+    text = sec_doc.read_text()
+    m = re.search(r"^##\s+Auditability requirements \(R-SEC-03\).*?$(.*?)^##\s", text,
+                  re.M | re.S)
+    check(m is not None,
+          "docs/07 no longer carries an '## Auditability requirements (R-SEC-03)' section — "
+          "the proof list this check is coupled to has moved or been removed, so the mapping "
+          "below can no longer be trusted (R-TEST-06: follow the spec, never the other way)")
+    if m:
+        labels = re.findall(r"^\s*-\s+\*\*([^*]+)\*\*:", m.group(1), re.M)
+        check(set(labels) == set(PROOFS),
+              f"docs/07 enumerates the auditability proofs {sorted(labels)} but this check "
+              f"maps {sorted(PROOFS)} — every proof the spec names must map to a verifying "
+              "test, and a proof this check does not know about would be silently unverified")
+        check(len(labels) == 5,
+              f"docs/07 enumerates {len(labels)} auditability proof(s); its own acceptance "
+              "gate says 'The five auditability proofs above can be produced on demand' — the "
+              "prose and the list have drifted apart")
+else:
+    note(f"the read-only spec repo is not mounted at {spec} — the proof list could not be "
+         "re-derived from docs/07, so the mapping below was used as written. Every other "
+         "assertion still ran. (ci/l0.sh mounts the spec; a bare local run may not.)")
+
+# ============================================ (a) EACH PROOF EXISTS, AT THE RIGHT STRENGTH
+# Driven through lib/status.py so this check and the repository's own status report cannot
+# disagree about what is executable and what is a scaffold.
+tmp = Path(tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix="r-sec-03-"))
+try:
+    out = tmp / "status"
+    st = run([sys.executable, str(LIB / "status.py"), "--repo", str(ROOT),
+              "--registry", str(CONF / "requirements" / "registry.yaml"),
+              "--tests", str(CONF / "tests"), "--out", str(out)])
+    check(st.returncode == 0,
+          f"lib/status.py exited {st.returncode} — the report an operator would use to find "
+          f"the audit evidence does not generate: {(st.stderr or st.stdout).strip()[:400]}")
+    status = {}
+    sj = out / "status.json"
+    if sj.is_file():
+        status = json.loads(sj.read_text())
+    check(bool(status.get("by_requirement")),
+          "lib/status.py produced no per-requirement report — the audit posture of each "
+          "requirement is not derivable, so R-SEC-03 cannot be assessed at all")
+    by_req = status.get("by_requirement", {})
+
+    for label, spec_proof in sorted(PROOFS.items()):
+        for rid in spec_proof["reqs"]:
+            rec = by_req.get(rid)
+            check(rec is not None,
+                  f"proof '{label}' maps to {rid}, which the status report does not know — "
+                  "either the registry lost the requirement or this mapping is stale")
+            if not rec:
+                continue
+            tests = (rec.get("verification") or {}).get("tests") or []
+            executable = [t for t in tests if t.get("state", "").startswith("executable")]
+            check(bool(executable),
+                  f"proof '{label}' ({rid}) has no EXECUTABLE verifying test — its tests are "
+                  f"{[t.get('name') + ':' + t.get('state', '?') for t in tests]}. docs/07: "
+                  f"{spec_proof['why']}. A placeholder scaffold cannot be produced on demand, so the "
+                  "operator cannot prove this property")
+            at_layer = [t for t in executable if t.get("layer") in spec_proof["layers"]]
+            check(bool(at_layer),
+                  f"proof '{label}' ({rid}) has no executable test at layer(s) "
+                  f"{sorted(spec_proof['layers'])} — it has "
+                  f"{[t.get('name') + '@' + str(t.get('layer')) for t in executable]}. "
+                  f"docs/07 requires this proof to be produced {spec_proof['why']}, and a "
+                  "weaker layer does not discharge it (a rendering check is not a drill)")
+
+    # ==================================== (b) PRODUCIBLE ON DEMAND, BY THE DOCUMENTED COMMAND
+    # The resolver: --requirements must translate the five R-IDs into real test dirs.
+    resolver = run(["bash", "-c",
+                    f'export CONF_ROOT="{CONF}"; . "{LIB}/common.sh"; '
+                    f'conf_dirs_for_requirements "{" ".join(PROOF_REQS)}"'])
+    dirs = [l for l in resolver.stdout.splitlines() if l.strip()]
+    check(resolver.returncode == 0 and len(dirs) >= len(PROOF_REQS),
+          f"`run.sh --requirements {','.join(PROOF_REQS)}` resolves to {len(dirs)} test dir(s) "
+          f"for {len(PROOF_REQS)} proof requirement(s) — the single command docs/07's "
+          "acceptance gate depends on ('produced on demand') cannot select the proofs")
+
+    # The gate: the same flag ASSERTS coverage (run.sh passes --require to coverage.py), so a
+    # zero exit here is the repository's own statement that all five proofs are covered.
+    gate = run(["./run.sh", "--coverage-only", "--requirements", ",".join(PROOF_REQS)])
+    check(gate.returncode == 0,
+          f"`./run.sh --coverage-only --requirements {','.join(PROOF_REQS)}` exited "
+          f"{gate.returncode} — the merge gate's own coverage assertion rejects the audit "
+          f"proof set: {(gate.stderr or gate.stdout).strip()[:400]}")
+
+    # ================================================ (c) THE PROOF IS CAPTURABLE AS EVIDENCE
+    # Use record_run.py's OWN sentinel parser: a Chainsaw-layer proof with no declared pass
+    # token can pass forever and never be recorded as proof of anything.
+    sys.path.insert(0, str(LIB))
+    os.environ.setdefault("PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE", "1")
+    sys.dont_write_bytecode = True
+    import record_run as rr                                   # noqa: E402
+
+    smap = rr.sentinel_map(CONF / "tests")
+    check(len(smap) >= 10,
+          f"record_run.py's sentinel map contains {len(smap)} test(s) — the parser lost its "
+          "grip on the test tree, so the assertions below would assert nothing")
+    for label, spec_proof in sorted(PROOFS.items()):
+        for rid in spec_proof["reqs"]:
+            rec = by_req.get(rid) or {}
+            tests = (rec.get("verification") or {}).get("tests") or []
+            names = [t.get("name") for t in tests
+                     if t.get("state", "").startswith("executable")
+                     and t.get("layer") in spec_proof["layers"]]
+            for name in names:
+                ent = smap.get(name)
+                check(ent is not None,
+                      f"proof '{label}': record_run.py does not know the test {name!r} — its "
+                      "result could never be attributed to a ledger row")
+                if not ent:
+                    continue
+                if ent.get("layer") in rr.SENTINEL_EXEMPT_LAYERS:
+                    continue          # offline layers are truthful by JUnit alone
+                check(bool(ent.get("pass")),
+                      f"proof '{label}': the Chainsaw test {name!r} declares NO pass sentinel, "
+                      "so lib/record_run.py can never record it as proven. It would go green "
+                      "in the terminal and leave the operator with no evidence — exactly the "
+                      "gap the ledger exists to close (docs/07: the proofs are 'part of the "
+                      "platform acceptance suite, not one-time checks')")
+                check(bool(ent.get("terminal_pass")),
+                      f"proof '{label}': the test {name!r} has no TERMINAL pass token, so "
+                      "record_run.py cannot decide its verdict")
+
+    # =============================== (d) THE EVIDENCE CANNOT BE FORGED, NOR HONOURED WHEN STALE
+    # Both tools' own guards, which NOTHING in ci/ or run.sh drives today.
+    for tool in ("record_run.py", "status.py"):
+        r = run([sys.executable, str(LIB / tool), "--selftest"])
+        check(r.returncode == 0,
+              f"`lib/{tool} --selftest` exited {r.returncode} — the guards that keep a "
+              "self-skipped or stale run from being recorded as proof are broken, so nothing "
+              f"in the evidence chain can be trusted: {(r.stderr or r.stdout).strip()[:500]}")
+
+    # ---- FORGERY 1: a green JUnit for a REAL proof test whose log holds only a SKIP token.
+    # This is the precise shape of a self-skipping L2/L3 test, and it must NOT become proof.
+    forge_target, forge_skip = None, None
+    for label, spec_proof in sorted(PROOFS.items()):
+        for rid in spec_proof["reqs"]:
+            for name, ent in smap.items():
+                if rid in (ent.get("requirements") or []) and ent.get("skip") \
+                        and ent.get("layer") not in rr.SENTINEL_EXEMPT_LAYERS:
+                    forge_target, forge_skip = name, ent["skip"][0]
+                    break
+            if forge_target:
+                break
+        if forge_target:
+            break
+    check(forge_target is not None,
+          "no Chainsaw-layer proof test declares a skip token, so the forgery attempt below "
+          "could not be mounted. That is not a pass: it means this check could not verify "
+          "that a self-skip is refused as proof, which is the whole point of the ledger")
+    if forge_target:
+        run_dir = tmp / "20260101T000000Z-forged"
+        run_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+        (run_dir / "report.junit.xml").write_text(
+            '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>\n'
+            '<testsuites><testsuite name="chainsaw" tests="1" failures="0" errors="0">'
+            f'<testcase name="{forge_target}" classname="forged"/>'
+            "</testsuite></testsuites>\n")
+        (run_dir / "run.log").write_text(
+            f"=== RUN   chainsaw/{forge_target}\n"
+            f"    === STDOUT\n        {forge_skip}\n")
+        forged = run([sys.executable, str(LIB / "record_run.py"), "--run-dir", str(run_dir),
+                      "--dry-run", "--ledger", str(tmp / "never-written.jsonl"),
+                      "--tests", str(CONF / "tests"), "--repo", str(ROOT)])
+        verdicts = re.findall(rf"^\[record\]\s+\S+\s+(\S+)\s+{re.escape(forge_target)}\b",
+                              forged.stdout, re.M)
+        check(verdicts and all(v != "proven" for v in verdicts),
+              f"lib/record_run.py recorded a FORGED run as {verdicts!r} for {forge_target!r}: "
+              "a JUnit saying `passed` with nothing in the log but that test's own SKIP token "
+              f"({forge_skip}). A self-skip must never become proof — with this hole every "
+              "audit proof in docs/07 could be produced by a cluster that skipped it")
+        check(not (tmp / "never-written.jsonl").exists(),
+              "record_run.py --dry-run WROTE to the ledger — a tool that records while "
+              "claiming not to cannot be trusted to record only real runs")
+
+    # ---- FORGERY 2: a ledger row claiming `proven` at a commit that predates the code.
+    # status.py must degrade it to stale-proof (not green), or an old green run would keep
+    # vouching for code it never executed.
+    root_sha = run(["git", "-C", str(ROOT), "rev-list", "--max-parents=0", "HEAD"])
+    old_sha = (root_sha.stdout.strip().splitlines() or [""])[0]
+    check(len(old_sha) == 40,
+          "the repository's root commit could not be resolved, so the stale-proof guard could "
+          "not be exercised (that is a gap in this check, not a pass)")
+    if len(old_sha) == 40 and forge_target:
+        stale_ledger = tmp / "stale.jsonl"
+        rid = sorted(smap[forge_target].get("requirements") or ["R-NET-06"])[0]
+        stale_ledger.write_text(json.dumps({
+            "ts_utc": "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z", "git_sha": old_sha, "env": "dev",
+            "chainsaw_version": "v0.0.0", "kube_version": "unknown",
+            "layer": smap[forge_target].get("layer", "L3"), "test": forge_target,
+            "requirements": [rid], "junit_result": "passed",
+            "sentinel": (smap[forge_target].get("terminal_pass") or "X"),
+            "proof": "proven", "run_id": "20260101T000000Z-forged",
+            "note": "synthetic row written by the R-SEC-03 conformance check",
+        }) + "\n")
+        out2 = tmp / "status-stale"
+        st2 = run([sys.executable, str(LIB / "status.py"), "--repo", str(ROOT),
+                   "--registry", str(CONF / "requirements" / "registry.yaml"),
+                   "--tests", str(CONF / "tests"), "--out", str(out2),
+                   "--ledger", str(stale_ledger)])
+        check(st2.returncode == 0,
+              f"lib/status.py failed against a synthetic ledger: "
+              f"{(st2.stderr or st2.stdout).strip()[:300]}")
+        s2 = json.loads((out2 / "status.json").read_text()) if (out2 / "status.json").is_file() else {}
+        rec2 = (s2.get("by_requirement") or {}).get(rid) or {}
+        per = {p.get("test"): p.get("state") for p in ((rec2.get("proof") or {}).get("per_test") or [])}
+        check(per.get(forge_target) == "stale-proof",
+              f"a ledger row claiming `proven` for {forge_target!r} at the repository's ROOT "
+              f"commit was reported as {per.get(forge_target)!r} instead of 'stale-proof'. A "
+              "proof from a run that predates the code it vouches for is not evidence, and "
+              "honouring it would let one old green run certify every later change")
+        check((rec2.get("proof") or {}).get("state") != "proven",
+              f"{rid} is reported PROVEN on the strength of a row from the root commit — the "
+              "freshness guard is not holding")
+
+    # ---- the ledger itself is machine-readable, and no row proves a test that is gone ----
+    ledger = CONF / "runs" / "ledger.jsonl"
+    if ledger.is_file():
+        rows, bad = [], []
+        for i, line in enumerate(ledger.read_text().splitlines(), 1):
+            if not line.strip():
+                continue
+            try:
+                rows.append(json.loads(line))
+            except json.JSONDecodeError:
+                bad.append(i)
+        check(not bad,
+              f"conformance/runs/ledger.jsonl has unparsable line(s) {bad} — the audit record "
+              "is not machine-readable, so no proof can be derived from it")
+        for r in rows:
+            for key in ("ts_utc", "git_sha", "test", "requirements", "junit_result", "proof",
+                        "run_id"):
+                check(key in r,
+                      f"a ledger row for {r.get('test', '?')!r} lacks {key!r} — a row without "
+                      "provenance cannot be audited")
+            if r.get("proof") == "proven":
+                check(bool(r.get("sentinel")),
+                      f"a ledger row claims `proven` for {r.get('test')!r} with NO sentinel — "
+                      "the sentinel is the only thing separating a real pass from a self-skip")
+                check(r.get("test") in smap,
+                      f"a ledger row claims `proven` for {r.get('test')!r}, which is not a "
+                      "test in the suite any more — a proof of something that no longer exists")
+                check("-dirty" not in str(r.get("git_sha", "")),
+                      f"a ledger row claims `proven` for {r.get('test')!r} from a DIRTY tree "
+                      f"({r.get('git_sha')}) — what ran is not what is committed")
+    else:
+        note("conformance/runs/ledger.jsonl does not exist yet — the ledger-shape assertions "
+             "were skipped; every other assertion ran, and the forgery probes above use "
+             "synthetic ledgers, not this file")
+finally:
+    shutil.rmtree(tmp, ignore_errors=True)
+
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------- verdict
+# NO-OP GUARD: a check that quietly asserts nothing is worse than no check.
+check(CHECKS >= 30,
+      f"only {CHECKS} assertions ran — the check degenerated to a near-no-op and its pass "
+      "would be meaningless")
+
+if FAILURES:
+    die()
+for n in NOTES:
+    print(f"  note: {n}")
+print(f"check OK: auditability-proofs-producible — {CHECKS} assertions; the five docs/07 "
+      f"proofs ({', '.join(sorted(PROOFS))}) each map to an executable test at the layer the "
+      f"spec's own wording requires, `run.sh --requirements {','.join(PROOF_REQS)}` resolves "
+      "and asserts them, each Chainsaw-layer proof declares a sentinel record_run.py can "
+      "attribute, both evidence tools' self-tests pass, and two independent forgeries — a "
+      "self-skip presented as a pass, and a `proven` row from the root commit — were REFUSED. "
+      "R-SEC-03's producibility half only: whether each proof PASSES is its own "
+      "requirement's test, and the Hubble half of the isolation proof is automated nowhere "
+      "(see the header's gap list).")
+PY

conformance/tests/l0-static/dev-nodes-provisioned-as-code/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+# =============================================================================
+# L0 STATIC — dev/test nodes are provisioned as code, end to end  (R-ENV-01)  [EXECUTABLE]
+# Catalog: docs/14 L0 row ("Pre-apply, in CI") — runs WITHOUT a cluster.
+# Spec:    docs/00 R-ENV-01 ("dev/test MUST be provisioned as local KVMs via IaC:
+#          created, baselined, cluster-joined, and managed as code"); the four stages
+#          are enumerated in docs/02 §"Node lifecycle stages".
+#
+# WHY L0: R-ENV-01 is a requirement about HOW the dev nodes came to exist, and a live
+# Node object cannot answer it — a node built by OpenTofu and one built by hand in a
+# hypervisor UI are indistinguishable through the Kubernetes API. What is provable, with
+# no cluster, is that a COMPLETE and EXECUTABLE provisioning path exists for all four
+# stages and covers EVERY dev node. For the Ansible half that is proven by DRIVING the
+# real toolchain offline (`--syntax-check`, `--list-hosts` — neither opens a connection
+# to any node), not by reading files: a chain that does not resolve fails the check.
+#
+# ENVIRONMENT-AGNOSTIC: no hostname, address, prefix or node count appears in the test.
+# The dev group names are read from the playbooks' own default host patterns, the node
+# names are generated from the IaC module's prefix/count variables, and the two sets are
+# compared against each other — so the assertion survives a rename or a resize.
+#
+# GIVEN the repository as git tracks it,
+# WHEN  the provisioning chain is parsed and (where offline execution is possible) driven,
+# THEN  the IaC module creates the dev nodes on a LOCAL KVM hypervisor (allowlisted
+#       provider — a cloud provider fails), from a for_each map rather than a count index,
+#       each with CPU/RAM/OS disk/dedicated Longhorn data disk/NIC/cloud-init seed; the
+#       node set it creates is EXACTLY the set Ansible manages; the baseline stage applies
+#       the package floor, kernel modules, sysctls, data-disk mount, swap-off and iscsid
+#       declaratively; one k3s role founds the cluster with --cluster-init and joins the
+#       rest with --server while disabling flannel/kube-proxy/traefik/servicelb at
+#       install; and site.yml's chain (baseline -> k3s -> Cilium -> verify -> Flux)
+#       resolves and targets every dev node at every stage.
+#
+# STATUS: EXECUTABLE. `check.sh` is a pure offline assertion script (git, PyYAML, and —
+# where present — ansible-playbook in no-connection modes; no cluster, no network);
+# conformance/run.sh --layer l0 and ci/l0.sh run it directly, and this Chainsaw Test
+# wraps the SAME script.
+#
+# KNOWN, DELIBERATE GAPS (enumerated in check.sh's header; this test claims none of them):
+#   * That the RUNNING dev VMs were created by this module — needs the OpenTofu state or
+#     hypervisor access, neither available offline.
+#   * `tofu validate` — needs `tofu init` (provider registry), i.e. network. The module is
+#     parsed, not evaluated; a network-allowed CI stage would close this.
+#   * "Never hand-edited on the box" (docs/02 stage 4's second half) — a live drift check.
+#   * REBUILD/re-converge (docs/02's own proof line) — exercised at L3 by
+#     tests/l3-fault-injection/node-loss (R-STATE-02).
+#   * docs/02 prose puts the baseline in cloud-init; the implementation moved it into the
+#     Ansible node_baseline role. R-ENV-01 requires the node to be "baselined ... as code",
+#     not that cloud-init be the tool, so the check asserts the STAGE and RECORDS the
+#     divergence rather than hiding it.
+# =============================================================================
+apiVersion: chainsaw.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Test
+metadata:
+  name: dev-nodes-provisioned-as-code
+  labels:
+    conformance.home.k3s/R-ENV-01: "true"
+  annotations:
+    conformance.home.k3s/requirements: "R-ENV-01"
+    conformance.home.k3s/layer: "L0"
+    conformance.home.k3s/safety-critical: "false"
+    conformance.home.k3s/executable: "true"
+    conformance.home.k3s/intent: >-
+      Given the tracked tree, when the dev provisioning chain is parsed and driven
+      offline, then every dev node is created by local-KVM IaC, baselined, cluster-joined
+      and handed to Flux by one code path that covers all of them — with no node outside
+      it and no stage missing.
+spec:
+  steps:
+    - name: then-every-dev-node-is-created-baselined-joined-and-managed-as-code
+      description: >-
+        Run the offline assertion script over the tracked tree (same script ci/l0.sh and
+        conformance/run.sh --layer l0 execute).
+      try:
+        - script:
+            content: bash ./check.sh

conformance/tests/l0-static/dev-nodes-provisioned-as-code/check.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,442 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# =============================================================================
+# L0 static check (offline, no cluster) — dev-nodes-provisioned-as-code
+# Serves: R-ENV-01 ("dev/test MUST be provisioned as local KVMs via IaC: created,
+#         baselined, cluster-joined, and managed as code." — spec
+#         docs/00-vision-and-scope.md; the four stages are enumerated in
+#         docs/02-environments-and-provisioning.md §"Node lifecycle stages
+#         (R-ENV-01 — 'created, baselined, cluster-joined, managed as code')":
+#           1. Create   — OpenTofu instantiates the VM
+#           2. Baseline — OS baseline and prerequisites
+#           3. Cluster-join — Ansible installs/joins k3s with Cilium as CNI; disables
+#              k3s bundled flannel/traefik/servicelb/kube-proxy
+#           4. Manage   — GitOps-managed by Flux; node config changes are made via IaC
+#              and re-applied, never hand-edited on the box.)
+#
+# WHY L0 IS THE RIGHT LAYER, AND WHAT IT MEANS TO TEST THIS BEHAVIOURALLY
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+# R-ENV-01 is a requirement about HOW the dev nodes come to exist. The live cluster
+# cannot answer it: a Kubernetes node object looks identical whether it was built by
+# OpenTofu or by hand in a hypervisor UI (there is no API field for "was I created by
+# IaC"). What CAN be proven, with no cluster, is that a COMPLETE, EXECUTABLE
+# provisioning path exists for all four stages and covers every dev node — and, for the
+# Ansible half, that is proven by RUNNING the real toolchain in a no-connection mode
+# (`--syntax-check`, `--list-hosts`) rather than by reading the files, so a chain that
+# does not actually resolve fails here. The IaC half is asserted by parsing the module:
+# `tofu init/validate` needs the provider registry, and L0 is offline by contract.
+#
+# GIVEN the repository as git tracks it,
+# WHEN  the provisioning chain is parsed and (where offline execution is possible)
+#       actually driven,
+# THEN  CREATE:  the IaC module targets a LOCAL KVM hypervisor (every declared provider
+#                is a KVM-family hypervisor provider — no cloud provider may appear),
+#                instantiates its nodes from a for_each map (never a count index, so one
+#                node can be replaced without disturbing its siblings), and gives each
+#                node CPU, RAM, an OS disk, a DEDICATED Longhorn data disk, a NIC and a
+#                cloud-init seed carrying the login user + SSH key;
+#       AND      the node set it creates is EXACTLY the dev node set Ansible manages —
+#                names derived from the module's own prefix/count, so no node can be
+#                hand-added to the inventory or hand-created in the hypervisor;
+#       BASELINE: a baseline stage exists as declarative Ansible (package floor, kernel
+#                modules persisted AND loaded, sysctls, the Longhorn data disk formatted
+#                and mounted, swap off, iscsid enabled), driven by variables with
+#                defaults rather than per-host special cases;
+#       JOIN:    one role installs k3s for both roles of every node — `--cluster-init`
+#                on the primary, `--server` join on the secondaries — with flannel,
+#                kube-proxy, traefik and servicelb disabled AT INSTALL, and Cilium
+#                installed as the CNI afterwards;
+#       MANAGE:  site.yml chains baseline -> k3s -> Cilium -> verify -> Flux bootstrap;
+#                `ansible-playbook --syntax-check` on that chain SUCCEEDS; and
+#                `--list-hosts` shows every one of those stages targeting EVERY dev
+#                node, so no node is outside the code path.
+#
+# ENVIRONMENT-AGNOSTIC: no hostname, address, prefix or node count is written down here.
+# The dev group names come from the playbooks' own default host patterns, the node names
+# from the IaC module's prefix/count variables, and the two sets are compared to each
+# other. This check therefore keeps working when the estate is renamed or resized.
+#
+# WHAT THIS DOES *NOT* PROVE (honest gaps — do not read this test as claiming them):
+#   - That the RUNNING dev VMs were in fact created by this module. Nothing offline can:
+#     it would need the OpenTofu state (a remote R2 backend + credentials) or hypervisor
+#     access. `tofu plan` against the live estate is the operator's own check.
+#   - That the module APPLIES cleanly. `tofu validate` needs `tofu init`, which downloads
+#     the provider from the registry; L0 is offline by contract, so the module is parsed,
+#     not evaluated. ci/lint.sh does not cover .tf either — a gap worth closing in CI
+#     with a network-allowed stage, not here.
+#   - "Never hand-edited on the box" (stage 4's second half) — a drift check against the
+#     live nodes, which is an operator/Ansible-check-mode exercise, not a repo property.
+#   - REBUILD/re-converge ("destroy a dev node VM and rebuild it", docs/02's own proof
+#     line) — that is exercised at L3 by tests/l3-fault-injection/node-loss (R-STATE-02).
+#   - That the baseline actually ran on a node (cluster/host state), and that the
+#     hypervisor is on the operator's own LAN rather than remote — "local" is asserted as
+#     "a KVM hypervisor provider driving a self-hosted endpoint variable", not as a
+#     network topology fact.
+#   - DEVIATION FROM docs/02 PROSE, ASSERTED DELIBERATELY: docs/02 describes stage 2 as
+#     cloud-init applying the OS baseline. The implementation moved the rich baseline into
+#     the Ansible `node_baseline` role (cloud-init keeps hostname/user/SSH/network),
+#     because Proxmox provisioning is API-only and a custom cloud-init snippet needs
+#     SSH/SFTP to the hypervisor. R-ENV-01's own wording requires the node to be
+#     "baselined ... as code", not that cloud-init be the tool, so this check asserts the
+#     STAGE, wherever it lives, and records the divergence rather than hiding it.
+# =============================================================================
+set -euo pipefail
+DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+ROOT="$(cd "${DIR}/../../../.." && pwd)"        # repo root
+PYTHON="${PYTHON:-python3}"
+
+cd "${ROOT}"
+"${PYTHON}" - "${ROOT}" <<'PY'
+import re
+import shutil
+import subprocess
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+try:
+    import yaml
+except ImportError:                                  # pragma: no cover
+    print("check FAIL: PyYAML is required (same dependency as catalog/render.py)",
+          file=sys.stderr)
+    raise SystemExit(1)
+
+ROOT = Path(sys.argv[1])
+FAILURES: list[str] = []
+NOTES: list[str] = []
+CHECKS = 0
+
+
+def check(cond, msg):
+    global CHECKS
+    CHECKS += 1
+    if not cond:
+        FAILURES.append(msg)
+
+
+def note(msg):
+    NOTES.append(msg)
+
+
+# A LOCAL DEPENDENCY the repo deliberately does not carry — the vault passphrase (kept
+# outside the repo, R-SEC-01) or the Galaxy collections (gitignored; installed from
+# collections/requirements.yml). Their absence is an ENVIRONMENT gap, not a repo defect,
+# and is the ONLY tolerated reason the driven sub-assertions may not run. Deliberately
+# narrow: every other non-zero exit is a real failure. The parse assertions always run.
+ENV_ONLY_FAILURE = re.compile(
+    r"vault password|vault-id|Attempting to decrypt"
+    r"|No module named 'ansible_collections|couldn't resolve module/action", re.I)
+
+TOFU = ROOT / "infra" / "tofu"
+ANS = ROOT / "infra" / "ansible"
+check(TOFU.is_dir(), "infra/tofu/ is missing — the CREATE stage has no IaC at all (R-ENV-01)")
+check(ANS.is_dir(), "infra/ansible/ is missing — the BASELINE/JOIN/MANAGE stages have no code")
+if not TOFU.is_dir() or not ANS.is_dir():
+    print(f"CHECK FAIL (dev-nodes-provisioned-as-code): {len(FAILURES)} of {CHECKS} failed",
+          file=sys.stderr)
+    for f in FAILURES:
+        print(f"  - {f}", file=sys.stderr)
+    raise SystemExit(1)
+
+TF = "\n".join((p.read_text(errors="replace") for p in sorted(TOFU.glob("*.tf"))))
+check(len(TF) > 500, "infra/tofu/*.tf is empty or a stub — nothing creates the dev nodes")
+
+# ============================================================ STAGE 1 — CREATE (IaC)
+# A LOCAL KVM hypervisor, by allowlist: any provider outside this set fails, so moving
+# dev onto a cloud (or anything that is not a KVM hypervisor the operator runs) is caught
+# here rather than being noticed later. Each entry is justified, not just listed:
+#   bpg/proxmox        Proxmox VE — a KVM/QEMU hypervisor the operator hosts.
+#   dmacvicar/libvirt  libvirt/KVM directly (the pre-Proxmox substrate).
+KVM_PROVIDERS = {"bpg/proxmox", "dmacvicar/libvirt"}
+providers = dict(re.findall(r'source\s*=\s*"([^"]+)"', TF) and
+                 [(m.group(1), m.group(2)) for m in
+                  re.finditer(r'(\w[\w-]*)\s*=\s*\{[^}]*?source\s*=\s*"([^"]+)"', TF, re.S)])
+check(len(providers) > 0,
+      "infra/tofu declares no required_providers — the substrate is unpinned, so 'via IaC' "
+      "cannot be checked at all")
+for alias, source in sorted(providers.items()):
+    check(source.lower() in KVM_PROVIDERS,
+          f"infra/tofu declares provider {alias}={source!r}, which is not a local KVM hypervisor "
+          f"provider (allowed: {sorted(KVM_PROVIDERS)}) — R-ENV-01 requires dev/test to be LOCAL KVMs")
+
+# The VM resource: for_each-keyed, and carrying the hardware + seed docs/02 enumerates.
+vm_blocks = re.findall(r'resource\s+"([\w]*(?:_vm|_domain))"\s+"(\w+)"\s*\{(.*?)\n\}',
+                       TF, re.S)
+check(len(vm_blocks) >= 1,
+      "no VM/domain resource found in infra/tofu — nothing in IaC creates a dev node")
+for rtype, rname, body in vm_blocks:
+    check("for_each" in body,
+          f'resource "{rtype}" "{rname}" is not for_each-keyed. A count index makes single-node '
+          "replace unsafe (a -target'ed destroy cascaded to sibling nodes — DECISIONS-LOG F1), so "
+          "'created ... as code' would not survive a rebuild")
+    check(not re.search(r"^\s*count\s*=", body, re.M),
+          f'resource "{rtype}" "{rname}" uses a positional count index')
+    for want, why in (
+        (r"\bcpu\b", "CPU"),
+        (r"\bmemory\b", "RAM"),
+        (r"network_device|network_interface", "a NIC"),
+        (r"initialization|cloud_init|cloudinit", "a cloud-init seed"),
+    ):
+        check(re.search(want, body) is not None,
+              f'resource "{rtype}" "{rname}" declares no {why} — docs/02 stage 1 requires CPU, RAM, '
+              "disks, NICs and a cloud-init seed to come from IaC")
+    disks = len(re.findall(r"^\s*disk\s*\{", body, re.M))
+    check(disks >= 2,
+          f'resource "{rtype}" "{rname}" declares {disks} disk block(s); docs/02 requires the OS '
+          "disk PLUS a dedicated data disk for Longhorn")
+    check(re.search(r"user_account|ssh_authorized_key|ssh_keys", body) is not None,
+          f'resource "{rtype}" "{rname}" seeds no login user / SSH key — the node could not be '
+          "reached by the BASELINE stage without a hand step")
+
+# Node identity comes from variables, and those variables define the whole node set.
+def tf_default(var: str):
+    m = re.search(r'variable\s+"' + re.escape(var) + r'"\s*\{(.*?)\n\}', TF, re.S)
+    if not m:
+        return None
+    d = re.search(r'default\s*=\s*(.+)', m.group(1))
+    return d.group(1).strip() if d else None
+
+
+prefix_raw = tf_default("node_name_prefix")
+count_raw = tf_default("node_count")
+ips_raw = tf_default("node_ips")
+check(prefix_raw is not None and count_raw is not None,
+      "infra/tofu has no node_name_prefix/node_count variables — the node set is not derived "
+      "from code, so the created nodes cannot be compared with the managed ones")
+prefix = (prefix_raw or "").strip('"')
+try:
+    node_count = int((count_raw or "0").strip())
+except ValueError:
+    node_count = 0
+check(node_count >= 1, f"node_count default is {count_raw!r} — no node would be created")
+if ips_raw is not None:
+    n_ips = len(re.findall(r'"[^"]+"', ips_raw))
+    check(n_ips >= node_count,
+          f"node_ips default has {n_ips} address(es) for node_count={node_count} — the module "
+          "cannot address every node it creates")
+check((TOFU / "outputs.tf").is_file() and
+      re.search(r'output\s+"(ansible_inventory|nodes)"', (TOFU / "outputs.tf").read_text()) is not None,
+      "infra/tofu/outputs.tf surfaces no node inventory output — the JOIN stage would have to be "
+      "told the node facts by hand instead of consuming them from IaC")
+
+# ------------------------------------------------- the dev node set, derived twice over
+# Group names are taken from the PLAYBOOKS' own default host patterns, so nothing here
+# restates the estate's naming.
+PLAYBOOKS = ANS / "playbooks"
+
+
+def default_patterns(playbook: str) -> list[str]:
+    p = PLAYBOOKS / playbook
+    if not p.is_file():
+        return []
+    return re.findall(r"default\('([^']+)'\)", p.read_text())
+
+
+dev_groups = set(default_patterns("node-baseline.yml") + default_patterns("k3s.yml"))
+check(len(dev_groups) > 0,
+      "no playbook declares a default host pattern — the dev target is not expressed in code")
+
+INV = ANS / "inventory" / "hosts.ini"
+check(INV.is_file(), "infra/ansible/inventory/hosts.ini is missing — no node is managed as code")
+ini_groups: dict[str, list[str]] = {}
+children: dict[str, list[str]] = {}
+cur = None
+for line in (INV.read_text().splitlines() if INV.is_file() else []):
+    s = line.strip()
+    if not s or s.startswith("#"):
+        continue
+    m = re.match(r"^\[([^\]]+)\]$", s)
+    if m:
+        cur = m.group(1)
+        (children if cur.endswith(":children") else ini_groups).setdefault(
+            cur.split(":")[0] if cur.endswith(":children") else cur, [])
+        continue
+    if cur is None or cur.endswith(":vars"):
+        continue
+    host = s.split()[0]
+    if cur.endswith(":children"):
+        children.setdefault(cur.split(":")[0], []).append(host)
+    else:
+        ini_groups.setdefault(cur, []).append(host)
+
+
+def hosts_in(group: str, seen=None) -> set[str]:
+    seen = seen or set()
+    if group in seen:
+        return set()
+    seen.add(group)
+    out = set(ini_groups.get(group, []))
+    for child in children.get(group, []):
+        out |= hosts_in(child, seen)
+    return out
+
+
+dev_hosts: set[str] = set()
+for g in sorted(dev_groups):
+    dev_hosts |= hosts_in(g)
+check(len(dev_hosts) > 0,
+      f"the dev groups {sorted(dev_groups)} resolve to NO hosts in hosts.ini — nothing is managed")
+expected = {f"{prefix}{i + 1}" for i in range(node_count)}
+check(dev_hosts == expected,
+      f"the dev nodes Ansible manages ({sorted(dev_hosts)}) are not exactly the nodes the IaC "
+      f"module creates ({sorted(expected)}) — a node outside IaC is a hand-built node (R-ENV-01)")
+
+# ============================================================ STAGE 2 — BASELINE (code)
+BASE_ROLE = ANS / "roles" / "node_baseline"
+check(BASE_ROLE.is_dir(),
+      "no node_baseline role — the BASELINE stage has no code (docs/02 stage 2)")
+base_tasks = "\n".join(p.read_text(errors="replace")
+                       for p in sorted((BASE_ROLE / "tasks").glob("*.yml"))) if BASE_ROLE.is_dir() else ""
+base_defaults = "\n".join(p.read_text(errors="replace")
+                          for p in sorted((BASE_ROLE / "defaults").glob("*.yml"))) if BASE_ROLE.is_dir() else ""
+# Each item docs/02 names for stage 2, matched on the ANSIBLE MODULE that would do it —
+# a declarative, idempotent task, not a shell one-liner.
+for pattern, what in (
+    (r"ansible\.builtin\.apt:", "a package baseline (apt module)"),
+    (r"modprobe:", "kernel modules loaded (modprobe module)"),
+    (r"modules-load|/etc/modules", "kernel modules PERSISTED across reboot"),
+    (r"sysctl", "sysctl tuning"),
+    (r"filesystem:|mkfs", "a filesystem on the Longhorn data disk"),
+    (r"mount:|ansible\.posix\.mount", "the Longhorn data disk MOUNTED"),
+    (r"swap", "swap disabled"),
+    (r"iscsid", "iscsid enabled (Longhorn prerequisite)"),
+):
+    check(re.search(pattern, base_tasks) is not None,
+          f"node_baseline does not declare {what} — docs/02 stage 2 requires the OS baseline and "
+          "k3s/Longhorn/KubeVirt prerequisites to be applied as code")
+check(re.search(r"^node_baseline_packages:", base_defaults, re.M) is not None and
+      re.search(r"^node_baseline_kernel_modules:", base_defaults, re.M) is not None,
+      "node_baseline's package/module sets are not variables with defaults — a per-host special "
+      "case is not 'managed as code' (and could not be scoped per environment, R-ENV-02)")
+
+# ========================================================== STAGE 3 — CLUSTER-JOIN (k3s)
+K3S_ROLE = ANS / "roles" / "k3s_server"
+k3s_text = "\n".join(p.read_text(errors="replace")
+                     for p in sorted((K3S_ROLE).rglob("*.yml"))) if K3S_ROLE.is_dir() else ""
+check(K3S_ROLE.is_dir() and len(k3s_text) > 200,
+      "no k3s_server role — nothing joins the nodes into a cluster (docs/02 stage 3)")
+check("--cluster-init" in k3s_text,
+      "the k3s role never passes --cluster-init — the HA embedded-etcd cluster is never founded")
+check(re.search(r"--server\s+https", k3s_text) is not None,
+      "the k3s role never joins secondaries with --server — nodes would not form one cluster")
+check(re.search(r"K3S_TOKEN|--token", k3s_text) is not None,
+      "the k3s role never supplies a join token — the join could only be completed by hand")
+# The bundled components docs/02 requires to be disabled AT INSTALL, each checked by the
+# flag that actually disables it.
+for pattern, what in (
+    (r"--flannel-backend=none", "flannel (Cilium is the CNI)"),
+    (r"--disable-kube-proxy", "kube-proxy (Cilium kube-proxy replacement)"),
+    (r"traefik", "traefik (Gateway API via Cilium)"),
+    (r"servicelb", "servicelb"),
+):
+    check(re.search(pattern, k3s_text) is not None,
+          f"the k3s install does not disable {what} — docs/02 stage 3 requires it disabled at "
+          "install, or the bundled component fights the platform's own")
+check((ANS / "roles" / "cilium").is_dir(),
+      "no cilium role — stage 3 requires Cilium to be installed as the CNI at bootstrap")
+check((ANS / "roles" / "flux_bootstrap").is_dir(),
+      "no flux_bootstrap role — stage 4's hand-off to GitOps has no code")
+
+# ============================================== STAGE 4 — MANAGE + the chain is REAL
+SITE = PLAYBOOKS / "site.yml"
+check(SITE.is_file(), "no playbooks/site.yml — the provisioning chain is not expressed as one path")
+site_txt = SITE.read_text() if SITE.is_file() else ""
+order = [m for m in re.findall(r"import_playbook:\s*(\S+)", site_txt)]
+check(order[:1] == ["node-baseline.yml"],
+      f"site.yml imports {order} — the BASELINE stage must come first (docs/02 sequencing)")
+for want in ("k3s.yml", "cilium.yml", "flux-bootstrap.yml"):
+    check(want in order, f"site.yml does not import {want} — a lifecycle stage is missing from the chain")
+if "k3s.yml" in order and "cilium.yml" in order:
+    check(order.index("k3s.yml") < order.index("cilium.yml"),
+          "site.yml installs Cilium before k3s — the CNI cannot precede the cluster")
+
+# --- DRIVE THE REAL TOOLCHAIN, OFFLINE ------------------------------------------------
+# --syntax-check and --list-hosts open NO connection to any node: they resolve the
+# playbook, roles, collections and inventory only. Running them is the difference between
+# "the chain is written down" and "the chain resolves".
+if shutil.which("ansible-playbook") is None:
+    note("ansible-playbook is not installed here (e.g. the in-cluster chainsaw image), so the "
+         "chain was PARSED but not DRIVEN; the merge gate's container has it and does drive it")
+else:
+    # cwd=infra/ansible so the tracked ansible.cfg (roles_path, collections_path, inventory)
+    # is the one in force — the same resolution a real run gets.
+    def ansible(*args) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
+        return subprocess.run(["ansible-playbook", *args], cwd=ANS,
+                              capture_output=True, text=True)
+
+    syn = ansible("--syntax-check", "playbooks/site.yml")
+    syn_out = (syn.stderr or "") + (syn.stdout or "")
+    lh = None
+    if syn.returncode != 0 and ENV_ONLY_FAILURE.search(syn_out):
+        # NARROW, SELF-POLICING SKIP — see ENV_ONLY_FAILURE above.
+        note("ansible-playbook lacks a LOCAL dependency kept outside the repo by design (the vault "
+             "passphrase and/or the gitignored Galaxy collections), so --syntax-check/--list-hosts "
+             "were not driven; every parse assertion above still ran")
+    else:
+        check(syn.returncode == 0,
+              "`ansible-playbook --syntax-check playbooks/site.yml` FAILED — the provisioning chain "
+              f"does not even load: {syn_out.strip()[:400]}")
+        lh = ansible("--list-hosts", "playbooks/site.yml")
+        check(lh.returncode == 0,
+              "`ansible-playbook --list-hosts playbooks/site.yml` FAILED — the chain does not "
+              f"resolve against the tracked inventory: "
+              f"{((lh.stderr or '') + (lh.stdout or '')).strip()[:400]}")
+    if lh is not None and lh.returncode == 0:
+        # Parse plays -> hosts. NEVER `ansible-inventory --list`: it prints DECRYPTED vault values.
+        plays: list[tuple[str, set[str]]] = []
+        name, hosts, in_hosts = None, set(), False
+        for line in lh.stdout.splitlines():
+            m = re.match(r"\s*play #\d+ \([^)]*\):\s*(.*?)\s*TAGS:", line)
+            if m:
+                if name is not None:
+                    plays.append((name, hosts))
+                name, hosts, in_hosts = m.group(1), set(), False
+                continue
+            if re.match(r"\s*hosts \(\d+\):", line):
+                in_hosts = True
+                continue
+            if in_hosts and line.strip() and not line.strip().startswith("pattern:"):
+                hosts.add(line.strip())
+        if name is not None:
+            plays.append((name, hosts))
+        check(len(plays) >= 4,
+              f"--list-hosts resolved {len(plays)} play(s) — the four-stage chain did not expand")
+        # Every lifecycle stage must cover EVERY dev node. A stage that reaches two of three
+        # nodes means the third was finished by hand.
+        STAGES = {
+            "baseline": r"baseline",
+            "cluster-join": r"^k3s (primary|secondar)",
+            "cni": r"cilium",
+            "manage (flux hand-off)": r"flux",
+        }
+        for stage, rx in STAGES.items():
+            covered: set[str] = set()
+            matched = 0
+            for pname, phosts in plays:
+                if re.search(rx, pname, re.I):
+                    matched += 1
+                    covered |= phosts
+            check(matched >= 1, f"no play in site.yml implements the {stage} stage")
+            check(covered == dev_hosts,
+                  f"the {stage} stage targets {sorted(covered)}, not every dev node "
+                  f"{sorted(dev_hosts)} — a node outside the code path is a hand-provisioned "
+                  "node (R-ENV-01)")
+
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------- verdict
+# NO-OP GUARD: a check that quietly asserts nothing is worse than no check.
+check(CHECKS >= 30,
+      f"only {CHECKS} assertions ran — the check degenerated to a near-no-op and its pass "
+      "would be meaningless")
+
+if FAILURES:
+    print(f"CHECK FAIL (dev-nodes-provisioned-as-code): {len(FAILURES)} of {CHECKS} assertions failed",
+          file=sys.stderr)
+    for f in FAILURES:
+        print(f"  - {f}", file=sys.stderr)
+    raise SystemExit(1)
+for n in NOTES:
+    print(f"  note: {n}")
+print(f"check OK: dev-nodes-provisioned-as-code — {CHECKS} assertions; "
+      f"{len(dev_hosts)} dev node(s) {sorted(dev_hosts)} created by IaC ({sorted(providers.values())}), "
+      f"baselined, cluster-joined and Flux-managed by the same chain. R-ENV-01's authored-path "
+      "clause only — the live VMs' provenance, `tofu validate`, and rebuild/re-converge are NOT "
+      "proven here (see the header's gap list; rebuild is L3 node-loss).")
+PY

conformance/tests/l0-static/egress-paths-selected-by-rules/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+# =============================================================================
+# L0 STATIC — two egress paths, and the rule set that selects between them  (R-NET-04)  [EXECUTABLE]
+# Catalog: docs/14 L0 row ("Pre-apply, in CI") — runs WITHOUT a cluster.
+# Spec:    docs/00 R-NET-04 ("The platform MUST support **multiple egress paths** selected by
+#          routing rules ... realized as two paths — the local `internet` path and the
+#          in-cluster `vpn` path — not multi-ISP routing"), elaborated by docs/03 §"Egress
+#          routing: two paths, one physical WAN": "the `internet` path is simply the default
+#          route out"; "**Default is the WAN; the VPN is strictly opt-in.** Every pod — and
+#          the nodes themselves — egress the local/private WAN by default and **never** the
+#          VPN. Only services labeled `egress-class=vpn` are steered to the tunnel, and the
+#          kill-switch blackholes **only** that class."
+#
+# WHAT THIS ADDS OVER R-NET-05/07 (already covered, and NOT re-tagged here)
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# R-NET-05/07 are about a SERVICE — it declares a class, enforcement is outside it, the class
+# flips via GitOps — and are proven by tests/l1-rendering/egress-class-render and
+# tests/l2-behavioral/egress-class. R-NET-04 is about the PLATFORM's PATH SET and the RULES
+# that select among them, which nothing else asserts:
+#   * exactly TWO paths, the same closed set in the schema, the admission policy and the
+#     renderer (a third value would be a path nothing routes; "multi-ISP" is out of scope);
+#   * selection is by a ROUTING RULE and the rule set is TOTAL AND DISJOINT — exactly one
+#     Cilium steering rule, selecting only `egress-class=vpn`, and on the gateway node one
+#     `ip rule` scoped to the tunnel address. NOTHING selects the `internet` class, because
+#     absence of a matching rule IS the default path;
+#   * the two paths COEXIST per DESTINATION: private space is excluded from the tunnel, so a
+#     vpn-class pod's cluster/LAN traffic still takes the local path;
+#   * the vpn path never becomes the DEFAULT — its default route lives in a dedicated routing
+#     table, `route-noexec` is set and a pushed `redirect-gateway` is ignored;
+#   * the kill-switch blackholes ONLY that class — the nft chain's policy is accept and every
+#     DROP is scoped to the vpn class's own source set/fwmark, so `internet` fails OPEN.
+#     (R-NET-06's opposite claim, that `vpn` fails CLOSED, is L3's vpn-killswitch.)
+#
+# WHY L0: every clause above is a statement about ALL rules — including rules that must be
+# ABSENT (nothing selects the default path; no unscoped rule; no unqualified drop; no default
+# route in the main table). A cluster can show which path two pods took; it cannot show that
+# no third rule exists or that the vocabulary is closed.
+#
+# ENVIRONMENT-AGNOSTIC: no address appears. The private ranges the tunnel must exclude are
+# checked as CONTAINMENT of the addresses each environment's own Flux overlay declares (pod
+# CIDR, Gateway VIP, LB pool, API host), so a new environment on a different LAN is checked
+# against its own values.
+#
+# GIVEN the repository as git tracks it,
+# WHEN  the egress vocabulary, every CiliumEgressGatewayPolicy, the gateway node's policy
+#       routing / OpenVPN / nftables templates, and every environment's overlay addresses are
+#       parsed and cross-checked,
+# THEN  there are exactly two paths with `internet` as the default; exactly one steering rule
+#       selects exactly the vpn class by label; the gateway is selected by node label with a
+#       named egress interface; all RFC1918 space and every address any environment assigns
+#       itself is excluded from the tunnel; the tunnel's default route and its fail-closed
+#       blackhole live only in a dedicated routing table behind a scoped `ip rule`; OpenVPN
+#       cannot take the main table; and no nftables DROP is unscoped.
+#
+# STATUS: EXECUTABLE. `check.sh` is a pure offline assertion script (git tree + PyYAML; no
+# cluster, no network); conformance/run.sh --layer l0 and ci/l0.sh run it directly, and this
+# Chainsaw Test wraps the SAME script.
+#
+# KNOWN, DELIBERATE GAPS (enumerated in check.sh's header; this test claims none of them):
+#   * BEHAVIOUR. That an unlabelled pod really takes the WAN path is asserted at L2 by
+#     tests/l2-behavioral/egress-default-path (same requirement label); the two labelled
+#     classes are R-NET-05's L2 test; the kill-switch firing is R-NET-06's L3 test.
+#   * The RUNNING gateway node's routing tables / nftables ruleset. This reads the templates
+#     that generate them; a hand-added rule on the box is invisible here.
+#   * PHYSICAL MULTI-WAN's absence is NOT asserted — it is out of scope per OQ-1 and no
+#     honest repository signal distinguishes "one WAN, correctly" from "one WAN, by default".
+#   * IPv6 egress.
+# =============================================================================
+apiVersion: chainsaw.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Test
+metadata:
+  name: egress-paths-selected-by-rules
+  labels:
+    conformance.home.k3s/R-NET-04: "true"
+  annotations:
+    conformance.home.k3s/requirements: "R-NET-04"
+    conformance.home.k3s/layer: "L0"
+    conformance.home.k3s/safety-critical: "false"
+    conformance.home.k3s/executable: "true"
+    conformance.home.k3s/intent: >-
+      Given the tracked tree, when the egress vocabulary, every steering rule and the gateway
+      node's policy-routing/OpenVPN/nftables templates are parsed, then the platform offers
+      exactly two egress paths with the WAN as the default, exactly one rule selects exactly
+      the vpn class, local destinations stay on the local path in every environment, the
+      tunnel never becomes the default route, and nothing unscoped can blackhole the default
+      path.
+spec:
+  steps:
+    - name: then-two-paths-exist-and-the-rules-select-between-them-totally-and-disjointly
+      description: >-
+        Run the offline assertion script over the tracked tree (same script ci/l0.sh and
+        conformance/run.sh --layer l0 execute).
+      try:
+        - script:
+            content: bash ./check.sh

conformance/tests/l0-static/egress-paths-selected-by-rules/check.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,521 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# =============================================================================
+# L0 static check (offline, no cluster) — egress-paths-selected-by-rules
+# Serves: R-NET-04 ("The platform MUST support **multiple egress paths** selected by routing
+#         rules. Per OQ-1 the environment has **one physical commercial WAN and no
+#         multi-ISP plans**, so this is realized as two paths — the local `internet` path and
+#         the in-cluster `vpn` path — not multi-ISP routing. Physical multi-WAN (multiple ISP
+#         uplinks) is **out of scope** unless a future ADR reopens it."
+#         — spec docs/00-vision-and-scope.md).
+#
+# The elaborating spec text this check quotes and asserts against — docs/03
+# §"Egress routing: two paths, one physical WAN (R-NET-04/05 — resolved by OQ-1)":
+#     | `internet` | Out the single commercial WAN | Normal pod egress via node -> SOHO edge
+#                                                    router -> internet |
+#     | `vpn`      | Routed through the in-cluster VPN tunnel | Steered to the shared VPN
+#                                                    egress gateway (ADR-0013) |
+#     "**Physical multi-WAN (multi-ISP) is out of scope.** With a single WAN there is nothing
+#      to policy-route across; the `internet` path is simply the default route out."
+#     "**Default is the WAN; the VPN is strictly opt-in.** Every pod — and the nodes
+#      themselves — egress the local/private WAN by default and **never** the VPN. Only
+#      services labeled `egress-class=vpn` are steered to the tunnel, and the kill-switch
+#      blackholes **only** that class."
+#     "It is **split-tunnel**: it creates `tun0` but does **not** set the node's default
+#      route (`route-noexec` + policy routing), so the node's own traffic stays on the WAN —
+#      only what Cilium points at `tun0` uses the VPN."
+#
+# WHAT R-NET-04 ADDS OVER R-NET-05/07 (which are ALREADY covered) — READ THIS FIRST
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# R-NET-05/07 are about a SERVICE: it can declare its class, enforcement happens outside it,
+# and the class can be flipped via GitOps. Those are proven by
+# tests/l1-rendering/egress-class-render (the render) and tests/l2-behavioral/egress-class
+# (two labelled pods observe two different public IPs, and a relabel re-routes the same pod).
+# Re-tagging either of those with R-NET-04 would be a duplicate wearing a new label.
+#
+# R-NET-04 is about the PLATFORM's PATH SET and the RULES THAT SELECT AMONG THEM. Its
+# distinctive content — none of which any existing test asserts — is:
+#
+#   (1) THERE ARE EXACTLY TWO PATHS, and the same two everywhere. The class vocabulary is
+#       one closed set of two values agreed by the schema, the admission policy and the
+#       renderer. A third value appearing in one of them but not the others would be a path
+#       nothing routes (or a path nothing validates); "multi-ISP" reappearing as a third
+#       class would contradict OQ-1's resolution.
+#   (2) SELECTION IS BY A ROUTING RULE, and the rule set is TOTAL AND DISJOINT. The `vpn`
+#       path is entered only via rules that select the vpn class — a Cilium
+#       CiliumEgressGatewayPolicy pod-selector, and on the gateway node an `ip rule` scoped
+#       to the tunnel source address. Nothing selects the `internet` class, because
+#       "the `internet` path is simply the default route out": ABSENCE of a matching rule IS
+#       the default path. So an unlabelled pod, and an `internet`-class pod, take the WAN.
+#   (3) THE PATHS COEXIST — the choice is per-destination, not per-pod-lifetime. The vpn
+#       rule tunnels public destinations while EXCLUDING all private space, so a vpn-class
+#       pod's cluster/LAN traffic still takes the local path at the same time as its
+#       internet traffic takes the tunnel.
+#   (4) THE VPN PATH NEVER BECOMES THE DEFAULT. Split tunnel: the tunnel's default route
+#       lives in a DEDICATED routing table reached only through the scoped rule, the
+#       provider's pushed `redirect-gateway` is ignored, and `route-noexec` keeps OpenVPN
+#       from touching the main table. Otherwise there would be one path (the VPN), not two.
+#   (5) THE KILL-SWITCH BLACKHOLES ONLY THAT CLASS. The blackhole default is inside the
+#       dedicated table; the nftables chain's policy is ACCEPT and every DROP is qualified
+#       by the vpn class's own source set / fwmark. The `internet` path therefore fails
+#       OPEN and can never be blackholed. (R-NET-06's opposite claim — that `vpn` fails
+#       CLOSED — is proven at L3 by tests/l3-fault-injection/vpn-killswitch. This check
+#       asserts the OTHER direction, which that test does not.)
+#
+# WHY L0. Every clause above is a property of the RULE SET, i.e. of authored configuration:
+# totality ("nothing selects the default path"), disjointness ("exactly one rule, selecting
+# exactly one class"), and scoping ("no unqualified drop, no default route in the main
+# table") are statements about ALL rules, including the ones that would have to be absent.
+# A running cluster can show you which path two pods took; it cannot show you that no third
+# rule exists, that no rule is unscoped, or that the vocabulary is closed. The behavioural
+# complement — that an UNLABELLED pod really does take the WAN path — is at L2 in
+# tests/l2-behavioral/egress-default-path (same requirement label).
+#
+# ENVIRONMENT-AGNOSTIC: no address is written down. The private ranges the vpn rule must
+# exclude are checked as CONTAINMENT of the addresses each environment's own Flux overlay
+# declares (pod CIDR, Gateway VIP, LB pool, API host) — so a new environment on a different
+# LAN is checked against its own addresses, and the check keeps working when they change.
+#
+# WHAT THIS DOES *NOT* PROVE (honest gaps — do not read this check as claiming them):
+#   - Behaviour. That a vpn-class pod's packets really leave via tun0, that an unlabelled
+#     pod's really do not, and that the tunnel is up at all. L2 covers the two labelled
+#     classes (tests/l2-behavioral/egress-class, R-NET-05) and the unlabelled default
+#     (tests/l2-behavioral/egress-default-path, R-NET-04); the kill-switch firing is L3.
+#   - THE RUNNING NODE's routing tables and nftables ruleset. This reads the templates that
+#     generate them, driven by no node. A hand-added `ip rule` on the gateway node is
+#     invisible here (and to every other test); drift on the box is an Ansible check-mode
+#     exercise for the operator.
+#   - PHYSICAL MULTI-WAN. Out of scope per OQ-1, so its absence is not asserted: there is no
+#     honest repository signal that would distinguish "one WAN, correctly" from "one WAN,
+#     because nobody tried" — and inventing one would be a hollow assertion.
+#   - IPv6. The policy's CIDRs and the routing rules are IPv4-only, matching the platform.
+#     If IPv6 egress is ever enabled, the `internet` path would need the same analysis and
+#     this check would NOT catch its absence.
+# =============================================================================
+set -euo pipefail
+DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+ROOT="$(cd "${DIR}/../../../.." && pwd)"        # repo root
+PYTHON="${PYTHON:-python3}"
+
+cd "${ROOT}"
+"${PYTHON}" - "${ROOT}" <<'PY'
+import ipaddress
+import re
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+try:
+    import yaml
+except ImportError:                                  # pragma: no cover
+    print("check FAIL: PyYAML is required (same dependency as catalog/render.py)",
+          file=sys.stderr)
+    raise SystemExit(1)
+
+ROOT = Path(sys.argv[1])
+FAILURES: list[str] = []
+CHECKS = 0
+LBL = "homelab.keithjackson.dev"
+CLASS_LABEL = f"{LBL}/egress-class"
+
+
+def check(cond, msg):
+    global CHECKS
+    CHECKS += 1
+    if not cond:
+        FAILURES.append(msg)
+
+
+def die():
+    print(f"CHECK FAIL (egress-paths-selected-by-rules): {len(FAILURES)} of {CHECKS} "
+          "assertions failed", file=sys.stderr)
+    for f in FAILURES:
+        print(f"  - {f}", file=sys.stderr)
+    raise SystemExit(1)
+
+
+def docs(path: Path):
+    """Every YAML document in a file, skipping empties."""
+    try:
+        return [d for d in yaml.safe_load_all(path.read_text()) if isinstance(d, dict)]
+    except yaml.YAMLError:
+        return []
+
+
+# Skip dot-DIRECTORIES (.git, .claude, .cache) while still matching dot-FILES such as
+# .sops.yaml. A bare rglob from ROOT also descends into NESTED WORKTREES —
+# .claude/worktrees/agent-*/ created for isolated agent runs — which made this check see
+# 5 CiliumEgressGatewayPolicy objects instead of the 1 authored, failing R-NET-04 for a
+# reason that has nothing to do with egress. .claude/ is gitignored (.gitignore:43), so
+# nothing under it is part of the authored surface by definition.
+TRACKED_YAML = sorted(p for p in ROOT.rglob("*.yaml")
+                      if "_artifacts" not in p.parts
+                      and not any(part.startswith(".")
+                                  for part in p.relative_to(ROOT).parent.parts))
+SCHEMA = ROOT / "schemas" / "servicedefinition.schema.json"
+RENDER = ROOT / "catalog" / "render.py"
+VPN_ROLE = ROOT / "infra" / "ansible" / "roles" / "vpn_egress_gateway"
+CLUSTERS = ROOT / "clusters"
+
+for p in (SCHEMA, RENDER, VPN_ROLE, CLUSTERS):
+    check(p.exists(), f"{p.relative_to(ROOT)} is missing — the egress path model cannot be "
+                      "read at all (R-NET-04)")
+if FAILURES:
+    die()
+
+
+# ======================================================= (1) EXACTLY TWO PATHS, AGREED
+import json  # noqa: E402  — only needed for the schema
+
+schema = json.loads(SCHEMA.read_text())
+egress_prop = ((schema.get("properties") or {}).get("egress") or {})
+enum = egress_prop.get("enum")
+check(isinstance(enum, list) and len(enum) == 2,
+      f"schemas/servicedefinition.schema.json declares egress enum {enum!r} — R-NET-04 is "
+      "realized as EXACTLY TWO paths (OQ-1: one WAN, no multi-ISP). A third value is a path "
+      "nothing routes; one value is not 'multiple egress paths'")
+PATHS = set(enum or [])
+check(PATHS == {"internet", "vpn"},
+      f"the declared egress paths are {sorted(PATHS)} — docs/03's table fixes them as "
+      "`internet` (out the single commercial WAN) and `vpn` (the in-cluster tunnel)")
+check(egress_prop.get("default") == "internet",
+      f"the schema's default egress class is {egress_prop.get('default')!r} — docs/03: "
+      "'Default is the WAN; the VPN is strictly opt-in', and 'the `internet` path is simply "
+      "the default route out'. A service that says nothing must get the WAN")
+
+# The admission policy must constrain the pod label to the SAME closed set, or a workload
+# could carry a class the schema never allowed (and that no rule routes).
+pol_files = sorted((ROOT / "platform" / "kyverno").rglob("*egress*.yaml"))
+check(len(pol_files) >= 1,
+      "no Kyverno policy file mentions egress under platform/kyverno — nothing stops a pod "
+      "carrying an egress class outside the declared path set")
+pol_text = "\n".join(p.read_text(errors="replace") for p in pol_files)
+for cls in sorted(PATHS):
+    check(re.search(rf"\b{re.escape(cls)}\b", pol_text) is not None,
+          f"the egress admission policy never names the {cls!r} path — a class the policy "
+          "does not know cannot be validated against the path set")
+# No tracked object may carry a class outside the closed set — with ONE self-policing
+# exemption. A Kyverno policy-test fixture deliberately carries an INVALID class so the
+# admission test can assert the policy REJECTS it; that pod is exempt only while a
+# kyverno-test.yaml in the same tests tree still expects `result: fail` for it. Delete the
+# expectation (or flip it to pass) and the exemption evaporates — never a bare path allowlist.
+def rejected_by_a_policy_test(resource_name: str, fixture: Path) -> bool:
+    tests_root = fixture.parent
+    while tests_root != ROOT and tests_root.name != "tests":
+        tests_root = tests_root.parent
+    if tests_root == ROOT:
+        return False
+    for tf in sorted(tests_root.rglob("kyverno-test.yaml")):
+        for d in docs(tf):
+            for case in (d.get("results") or []):
+                if case.get("result") == "fail" and resource_name in (case.get("resources") or []):
+                    return True
+    return False
+
+
+stray: list[str] = []
+_STRAY_RE = re.compile(rf"{re.escape(CLASS_LABEL)}:\s*[\"']?([A-Za-z][A-Za-z0-9-]*)")
+for f in TRACKED_YAML:
+    for d in docs(f):
+        labels = ((d.get("metadata") or {}).get("labels") or {})
+        cls = labels.get(CLASS_LABEL)
+        # Also catch pod-template labels (Deployments/DaemonSets/Jobs/VMs).
+        tmpl = (((d.get("spec") or {}).get("template") or {}).get("metadata") or {}).get("labels") or {}
+        for value, owner in ((cls, d), (tmpl.get(CLASS_LABEL), d)):
+            if value is None or value in PATHS or value == "CLASS":
+                continue
+            name = ((owner.get("metadata") or {}).get("name") or "?")
+            if rejected_by_a_policy_test(name, f):
+                continue
+            stray.append(f"{f.relative_to(ROOT)}:{name}={value}")
+    # Values written as raw text (templates, docs-as-code) are caught too.
+    for value in set(_STRAY_RE.findall(f.read_text(errors="replace"))):
+        if value in PATHS or value == "CLASS":
+            continue
+        if any(value in s for s in stray):
+            continue
+        # Raw-text hit with no parsed owner: exempt only if EVERY object in the file that
+        # carries this value is a policy-test fixture proven to be rejected.
+        owners = [((d.get("metadata") or {}).get("name") or "?") for d in docs(f)
+                  if ((d.get("metadata") or {}).get("labels") or {}).get(CLASS_LABEL) == value]
+        if owners and all(rejected_by_a_policy_test(o, f) for o in owners):
+            continue
+        stray.append(f"{f.relative_to(ROOT)}:<text>={value}")
+check(not stray,
+      f"tracked YAML assigns egress-class value(s) outside the declared path set "
+      f"{sorted(PATHS)}: {sorted(stray)} — a value no routing rule selects and no admission "
+      "policy allows is a workload on no path at all (the only exemption is a Kyverno "
+      "policy-test fixture that a kyverno-test.yaml still expects to FAIL)")
+
+# The renderer must project the DECLARED class onto the pod label, unmodified: that label is
+# what the routing rule selects on, so a renderer that rewrote it would break the coupling
+# between the declaration and the path.
+rtext = RENDER.read_text()
+check(re.search(rf'f?"\{{LBL\}}/egress-class":\s*s\["egress"\]', rtext) is not None
+      or re.search(r'egress-class\"\]?\s*:\s*s\[\"egress\"\]', rtext) is not None,
+      "catalog/render.py does not project the ServiceDefinition's own `egress` value onto the "
+      f"{CLASS_LABEL} pod label — the declaration and the routing rule's selector would be "
+      "two independent facts that could disagree")
+
+
+# ============================== (2) SELECTION IS BY RULE; THE RULE SET IS TOTAL & DISJOINT
+policies: list[tuple[Path, dict]] = []
+for p in TRACKED_YAML:
+    for d in docs(p):
+        if d.get("kind") == "CiliumEgressGatewayPolicy":
+            policies.append((p, d))
+check(len(policies) == 1,
+      f"{len(policies)} CiliumEgressGatewayPolicy object(s) are authored "
+      f"({[str(p.relative_to(ROOT)) for p, _ in policies]}) — R-NET-04's steering must be ONE "
+      "rule. Two rules can overlap, and which one wins for an overlapping pod is not "
+      "something the repository states")
+
+for path, pol in policies:
+    rel = str(path.relative_to(ROOT))
+    spec = pol.get("spec") or {}
+    selectors = spec.get("selectors") or []
+    check(len(selectors) == 1,
+          f"{rel}: the steering rule has {len(selectors)} selector(s) — every additional "
+          "selector widens the set of pods steered off the default path, and R-NET-04's "
+          "selection must be exactly 'the vpn class'")
+    for sel in selectors:
+        pod_sel = sel.get("podSelector")
+        check(isinstance(pod_sel, dict) and pod_sel,
+              f"{rel}: a selector has no podSelector — an empty selector in Cilium matches "
+              "EVERY pod, which would put the whole cluster on the VPN path and leave no "
+              "default path at all")
+        ml = (pod_sel or {}).get("matchLabels") or {}
+        me = (pod_sel or {}).get("matchExpressions") or []
+        check(not me,
+              f"{rel}: the podSelector uses matchExpressions {me!r}. The class contract is a "
+              "single label equality; expressions (In/NotIn/Exists) can select pods that "
+              "never declared a class, so the rule set would no longer be disjoint from the "
+              "default path")
+        check(set(ml) == {CLASS_LABEL},
+              f"{rel}: the podSelector matches on {sorted(ml)} — it must select on exactly "
+              f"{CLASS_LABEL}. Any other key makes path selection depend on something other "
+              "than the declared class (and a namespace/app key would silently exempt pods)")
+        check(ml.get(CLASS_LABEL) == "vpn",
+              f"{rel}: the steering rule selects {CLASS_LABEL}={ml.get(CLASS_LABEL)!r}. Only "
+              "the `vpn` class may be steered: docs/03 — 'Only services labeled "
+              "egress-class=vpn are steered to the tunnel'. A rule selecting `internet` would "
+              "route the default path through the tunnel, i.e. leave one path, not two")
+
+    # The gateway is chosen by a NODE LABEL, not a hostname: the path's endpoint is itself a
+    # rule, so the gateway can move (or gain a standby) with no rule rewrite.
+    gw = spec.get("egressGateway") or {}
+    node_sel = (gw.get("nodeSelector") or {}).get("matchLabels") or {}
+    check(bool(node_sel),
+          f"{rel}: the egressGateway selects no node by label — pinning the path's exit to a "
+          "named host means the vpn path cannot fail over (docs/03 requires two gateway "
+          "nodes + Egress Gateway HA)")
+    check("nodeName" not in gw,
+          f"{rel}: the egressGateway pins a nodeName — the exit node must be selected by "
+          "label so the path survives losing that node")
+    check(isinstance(gw.get("interface"), str) and gw.get("interface"),
+          f"{rel}: the egressGateway names no egress interface — without it the steered class "
+          "is not actually sent down a different path from the default")
+
+    # ------------------- (3) THE PATHS COEXIST: the choice is per DESTINATION -------------
+    dests = spec.get("destinationCIDRs") or []
+    excl = spec.get("excludedCIDRs") or []
+    check([str(c) for c in dests] == ["0.0.0.0/0"],
+          f"{rel}: destinationCIDRs is {dests!r}. The vpn path is for PUBLIC destinations "
+          "('Routed through the in-cluster VPN tunnel'), expressed as the whole internet "
+          "minus the exclusions below — narrowing it here would silently leave public "
+          "destinations on the WAN for a vpn-class service")
+    try:
+        excluded = [ipaddress.ip_network(str(c)) for c in excl]
+    except ValueError as e:
+        excluded = []
+        check(False, f"{rel}: excludedCIDRs contains an unparsable network ({e})")
+    check(len(excluded) >= 3,
+          f"{rel}: only {len(excluded)} excluded CIDR(s) — docs/03 requires intra-cluster, "
+          "pod->service and LAN traffic to stay on the LOCAL path, which is all of RFC1918")
+
+    def covered(net: ipaddress.IPv4Network | ipaddress.IPv6Network) -> bool:
+        return any(net.subnet_of(e) for e in excluded if e.version == net.version)
+
+    # RFC1918 in full — computed, not string-matched, so a typo'd mask is caught.
+    for rfc in ("10.0.0.0/8", "172.16.0.0/12", "192.168.0.0/16"):
+        net = ipaddress.ip_network(rfc)
+        check(covered(net),
+              f"{rel}: the private range {rfc} is NOT excluded from the tunnel — a vpn-class "
+              "pod's cluster/LAN traffic would be SNAT'd out tun0, so the two paths would not "
+              "coexist for the same pod and east-west traffic would break")
+
+    # Every address each ENVIRONMENT declares for itself must fall in the excluded set: that
+    # is what makes 'local stays local' true per environment rather than by coincidence.
+    def overlay_addresses() -> list[tuple[str, str]]:
+        found: list[tuple[str, str]] = []
+        base = CLUSTERS / "base" / "cluster-vars.yaml"
+        data = {}
+        if base.is_file():
+            for d in docs(base):
+                if d.get("kind") == "ConfigMap":
+                    data = {k: str(v) for k, v in (d.get("data") or {}).items()}
+        for f in sorted(CLUSTERS.glob("*/kustomization.yaml")):
+            env = {**data}
+            for m in re.finditer(
+                    r"-\s+op:\s*replace\s*\n\s*path:\s*/data/(?P<k>[A-Z0-9_]+)\s*\n"
+                    r"\s*value:\s*(?P<v>\S.*?)\s*$", f.read_text(), re.M):
+                env[m.group("k")] = m.group("v").strip().strip('"').strip("'")
+            label = f.parent.name
+            for key in ("CLUSTER_POD_CIDR", "GATEWAY_VIP", "CILIUM_LB_POOL_START",
+                        "CILIUM_LB_POOL_STOP", "K3S_API_HOST"):
+                v = env.get(key, "")
+                if v and not v.startswith("TBD"):
+                    found.append((f"{label}/{key}", v))
+        return found
+
+    addrs = overlay_addresses()
+    check(len(addrs) >= 5,
+          f"only {len(addrs)} environment address(es) could be read from the Flux overlays — "
+          "the 'local traffic stays local' assertion would be checking almost nothing")
+    for label, value in addrs:
+        try:
+            net = ipaddress.ip_network(value, strict=False)
+        except ValueError:
+            continue
+        check(covered(net),
+              f"{rel}: {label}={value}, an address THIS repository assigns to a cluster, is "
+              "NOT inside the tunnel's excludedCIDRs — a vpn-class pod in that environment "
+              "would try to reach its own cluster/LAN through the VPN")
+
+
+# ============ (4) THE VPN PATH IS A SECOND TABLE, NEVER THE DEFAULT (split tunnel) ========
+TPL = VPN_ROLE / "templates"
+up = (TPL / "vpn-egress-up.sh.j2")
+down = (TPL / "vpn-egress-down.sh.j2")
+conf = (TPL / "vpn-egress.conf.j2")
+nft = (TPL / "vpn-egress-killswitch.nft.j2")
+for f in (up, down, conf, nft):
+    check(f.is_file(), f"{f.relative_to(ROOT)} is missing — the second egress path's routing "
+                       "rules are not authored")
+if FAILURES:
+    die()
+
+defaults = yaml.safe_load((VPN_ROLE / "defaults" / "main.yml").read_text()) or {}
+
+
+def render(text: str) -> str:
+    """Substitute `{{ var }}` with the role's own default value, for every default.
+
+    The templates reference their knobs by NAME, so an analysis that looked for the VALUE
+    (e.g. the nft set name) would silently match nothing and pass vacuously — which is
+    exactly what an earlier draft of this check did. Rendering first means the assertions
+    below examine the text the node actually gets. Only simple `{{ name }}` expressions are
+    substituted; anything else is left as-is (and the assertions are written so an
+    unsubstituted expression fails rather than passes).
+    """
+    out = text
+    for k, v in defaults.items():
+        if isinstance(v, (str, int)):
+            out = re.sub(r"\{\{\s*" + re.escape(str(k)) + r"\s*\}\}", str(v), out)
+    return out
+
+
+up_t, conf_t, nft_t = render(up.read_text()), render(conf.read_text()), render(nft.read_text())
+table_id = str(defaults.get("vpn_egress_gateway_route_table_id", ""))
+check(table_id.isdigit() and table_id not in ("0", "253", "254", "255"),
+      f"the tunnel's routing table id is {table_id!r} — the second path must live in a "
+      "DEDICATED table. 254 (main), 255 (local) and 253 (default) are the kernel's own, and "
+      "putting the tunnel's default route in any of them makes the VPN the node's default "
+      "route instead of a selectable second path")
+check(str(defaults.get("vpn_egress_gateway_rule_priority", "")).isdigit(),
+      "no ip-rule priority is declared for the tunnel table — 'selected by routing rules' "
+      "needs a rule, at a defined precedence")
+
+# Every `ip route ... default` the up-script installs must name the dedicated table.
+route_lines = [l.strip() for l in up_t.splitlines()
+               if re.search(r"^\s*ip\s+route\s+(replace|add)\b", l)]
+check(len(route_lines) >= 2,
+      f"the up-script installs {len(route_lines)} route(s) — the vpn path needs its own "
+      "default route via the tunnel AND the fail-closed blackhole behind it")
+for l in route_lines:
+    check(re.search(r'table\s+"?\$\{?TABLE_ID', l) is not None,
+          f"the up-script installs a route WITHOUT naming the dedicated table: {l!r}. A route "
+          "landing in the main table changes the path every other pod and the node itself "
+          "uses — the VPN would stop being opt-in")
+    check("blackhole" not in l or re.search(r'table\s+"?\$\{?TABLE_ID', l) is not None,
+          f"a blackhole route is installed outside the tunnel table: {l!r}. docs/03: the "
+          "kill-switch 'blackholes **only** that class'; `internet` fails OPEN and must never "
+          "be blackholed")
+
+# Every `ip rule` must be SCOPED. An unscoped rule (`ip rule add lookup <table>`) sends
+# everything into the tunnel table, which would leave one path instead of two.
+rule_lines = [l.strip() for l in up_t.splitlines() if re.search(r"^\s*ip\s+rule\s+add\b", l)]
+check(len(rule_lines) >= 1,
+      "the up-script adds no `ip rule` — nothing SELECTS the tunnel path, so the second "
+      "routing table would never be consulted (R-NET-04's 'selected by routing rules')")
+for l in rule_lines:
+    check(re.search(r"\bfrom\s+\S|\bfwmark\s+\S|\biif\s+\S", l) is not None,
+          f"an unscoped ip rule is installed: {l!r}. Without a `from`/`fwmark`/`iif` selector "
+          "EVERY packet is looked up in the tunnel table, so the WAN path disappears and the "
+          "VPN is no longer opt-in")
+    check(re.search(r'lookup\s+"?\$\{?TABLE_ID', l) is not None,
+          f"an ip rule looks up a table other than the tunnel's: {l!r}")
+check(re.search(r'ip rule add from\s+"\$\{SRC\}"', up_t) is not None,
+      "the steering rule is not scoped to ${SRC}, the tunnel's own local address — that "
+      "address is what Cilium SNATs vpn-class pods to, and it is the ONLY thing that "
+      "distinguishes the steered class from every other flow on the gateway node")
+check(re.search(r"^\s*if \[ -z \"\$\{SRC\}\" \]", up_t, re.M) is not None,
+      "the up-script does not refuse to run when the tunnel address is unknown — installing "
+      "a partial rule set is how a path ends up half-selected")
+
+# The provider must not be able to make the tunnel the default route either.
+check(re.search(r"^\s*route-noexec\s*$", conf_t, re.M) is not None,
+      "the OpenVPN wrapper config lacks `route-noexec` — OpenVPN would install the pushed "
+      "routes itself, in the MAIN table, and the VPN would become the node's default route "
+      "(docs/03: 'does **not** set the node's default route (`route-noexec` + policy "
+      "routing)')")
+check(re.search(r'pull-filter ignore "redirect-gateway"', conf_t) is not None,
+      "the OpenVPN wrapper config does not ignore a pushed `redirect-gateway` — the VPN "
+      "provider could redirect the node's whole default route into the tunnel, collapsing "
+      "the two paths into one")
+check(re.search(r"^\s*redirect-gateway", conf_t, re.M) is None,
+      "the OpenVPN wrapper config itself sets `redirect-gateway` — that IS making the VPN the "
+      "default route")
+
+
+# ================= (5) THE KILL-SWITCH BLACKHOLES ONLY THE VPN CLASS (internet fails OPEN)
+src_set = str(defaults.get("vpn_egress_gateway_nft_src_set", ""))
+fwmark = str(defaults.get("vpn_egress_gateway_fwmark", ""))
+check(bool(src_set),
+      "the role declares no nftables source set — the kill-switch would have no way to name "
+      "'the steered class' and could only match broadly")
+policies_lines = [l.strip() for l in nft_t.splitlines() if re.search(r"^\s*type filter hook", l)]
+check(len(policies_lines) >= 1,
+      "the kill-switch nft template declares no base chain — nothing would be enforced")
+for l in policies_lines:
+    check(re.search(r"policy\s+accept\s*;", l) is not None,
+          f"an nft base chain is not `policy accept`: {l!r}. A default-drop chain here "
+          "blackholes the `internet` path too, and docs/03 requires the two classes to fail "
+          "in OPPOSITE directions — 'internet fails **open** (WAN, never blackholed)'")
+drop_lines = [l.strip() for l in nft_t.splitlines()
+              if re.search(r"\bdrop\b", l) and not l.lstrip().startswith("#")]
+check(len(drop_lines) >= 1,
+      "the kill-switch nft template contains no drop rule at all — there is no kill-switch, "
+      "and R-NET-04's 'the kill-switch blackholes only that class' has nothing to scope")
+for l in drop_lines:
+    scoped = (src_set and src_set in l) or (fwmark and "mark" in l)
+    check(scoped,
+          f"an nft DROP rule is not scoped to the vpn class: {l!r}. It must match the tunnel "
+          f"source set (@{src_set}) or the class's fwmark; an unqualified drop would blackhole "
+          "the default `internet` path, which must never be blackholed")
+
+
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------- verdict
+# NO-OP GUARD: a check that quietly asserts nothing is worse than no check.
+check(CHECKS >= 35,
+      f"only {CHECKS} assertions ran — the check degenerated to a near-no-op and its pass "
+      "would be meaningless")
+
+if FAILURES:
+    die()
+print(f"check OK: egress-paths-selected-by-rules — {CHECKS} assertions; "
+      f"paths={sorted(PATHS)} (default={egress_prop.get('default')}), "
+      f"{len(policies)} steering rule selecting {CLASS_LABEL}=vpn only, tunnel default route "
+      f"in dedicated table {table_id} behind a scoped ip rule, blackhole and every nft DROP "
+      f"scoped to the vpn class. R-NET-04's RULE-SET half only: the paths' actual BEHAVIOUR "
+      "is L2 (egress-class for the two labelled classes, egress-default-path for the "
+      "unlabelled default) and the kill-switch firing is L3 (vpn-killswitch).")
+PY

conformance/tests/l0-static/flux-postbuild-substitution/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+# =============================================================================
+# L0 STATIC — Flux postBuild substitution is complete and fail-closed-safe
+# Catalog: docs/14 L0 row ("Pre-apply, in CI") — runs WITHOUT a cluster.
+#
+# R-ENV-02 ("authored once, promoted dev -> prod") is implemented by ONE mechanism:
+# `postBuild.substituteFrom cluster-vars` injecting `${TOKEN}`s into the manifests each
+# Flux Kustomization renders. That mechanism FAILS OPEN — an undefined variable becomes
+# the empty string while the Kustomization still reports Ready — which emptied Cilium's
+# k8sServiceHost and broke the CNI on 2/3 dev nodes (DECISIONS-LOG 2026-09-01).
+#
+# GIVEN every Flux Kustomization under clusters/ that declares postBuild.substituteFrom,
+# WHEN  each `spec.path` is resolved to the exact file set it renders (following
+#       kustomization.yaml `resources:` transitively, not globbing the repo),
+# THEN  every `${...}` in those files is either DEFINED in clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml
+#       or deliberately ESCAPED `$${...}`; no unescaped expansion carries a default
+#       operator on an undefined name (the silent-empty class strict mode does NOT catch);
+#       no unescaped expansion is unparseable by envsubst (which fails the WHOLE
+#       Kustomization); every path rendering a knob actually substitutes cluster-vars;
+#       every overlay-patched knob has a base default; and the check is wired into the
+#       merge gate as a blocking, unconditionally-run stage.
+#
+# This is the prerequisite proof for enabling kustomize-controller's
+# StrictPostBuildSubstitutions feature gate, and the permanent guard that keeps it safe.
+#
+# STATUS: EXECUTABLE. `check.sh` is a pure offline assertion script (standard library
+# only); conformance/run.sh --layer l0 and ci/l0.sh run it directly, and this Chainsaw
+# Test wraps the SAME script.
+#
+# NOT proven (named in check.sh's header): this is a STATIC scan of the SOURCE manifests
+# a path includes — a deliberate superset of the post-`kustomize build` stream. It does
+# not render, does not prove the feature gate is enabled on the live kustomize-controller,
+# and does not validate knob VALUES. R-GITOPS-01 is tagged for the narrow static slice
+# only: what git says a Kustomization renders is fully determined, with no variable
+# silently emptied on the way in. The live-state half is L2, untested today.
+# =============================================================================
+apiVersion: chainsaw.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Test
+metadata:
+  name: flux-postbuild-substitution
+  labels:
+    conformance.home.k3s/R-ENV-02: "true"
+    conformance.home.k3s/R-GITOPS-01: "true"
+  annotations:
+    conformance.home.k3s/requirements: "R-ENV-02, R-GITOPS-01"
+    conformance.home.k3s/layer: "L0"
+    conformance.home.k3s/safety-critical: "false"
+    conformance.home.k3s/executable: "true"
+    conformance.home.k3s/intent: >-
+      Every variable a substituted Flux path renders is defined in cluster-vars or
+      escaped, so post-build substitution cannot silently empty a value and enabling
+      StrictPostBuildSubstitutions cannot fail a legitimate manifest.
+spec:
+  steps:
+    - name: audit-every-substituted-flux-path
+      description: >-
+        Resolve each postBuild.substituteFrom Kustomization to the files it renders and
+        assert every ${...} is defined or escaped, then assert the gate wires it blocking.
+      try:
+        - script:
+            content: bash ./check.sh

conformance/tests/l0-static/flux-postbuild-substitution/check.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,369 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# =============================================================================
+# L0 static check (offline, no cluster) — flux-postbuild-substitution
+# Serves: R-ENV-02 ("Same GitOps config promotes dev/test -> prod (authored once)."
+#                   — spec docs/02-environments-and-provisioning.md)
+#         R-GITOPS-01 ("All desired state in git, reconciled by Flux."
+#                   — spec docs/05-gitops-and-delivery.md)
+#
+# WHY THIS EXISTS — Flux post-build substitution FAILS OPEN
+# --------------------------------------------------------
+# R-ENV-02 is implemented by exactly one mechanism: `clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml`
+# is injected into every `${TOKEN}` of the manifests each Flux Kustomization renders,
+# via `postBuild.substituteFrom`. That mechanism is silently lossy by default: an
+# UNDEFINED variable becomes the EMPTY STRING and the Kustomization still reports
+# Ready. On 2026-09-01 that emptied `k8sServiceHost` in the Cilium HelmRelease and put
+# cilium into Init:Error on 2 of 3 dev nodes (DECISIONS-LOG "substitution race that
+# fails OPEN"). "Authored once, promoted" is therefore only true while every token a
+# substituted path renders is either DEFINED or deliberately ESCAPED — and nothing in
+# the repo asserted that. This check does.
+#
+# ENVSUBST BEHAVIOUR ASSERTED HERE (empirically verified against the pinned toolchain,
+# `flux envsubst`, flux 2.4.0 — this is measured behaviour, not assumption):
+#   ${DEFINED}        -> substituted with the cluster-vars value.
+#   ${UNDEFINED}      -> EMPTY STRING, silently. `--strict` / the cluster-wide
+#                        StrictPostBuildSubstitutions feature gate turns this into a
+#                        loud Kustomization failure ("variable not set (strict mode)").
+#   ${UNDEFINED:-d}   -> the DEFAULT is applied AT RECONCILE TIME. Strict mode does
+#                        NOT catch this (it exempts default-operator forms by design),
+#                        so a shell guard written `[ -z "${X:-}" ]` inside a rendered
+#                        manifest is pre-resolved to `[ -z "" ]` and its else-branch
+#                        becomes unreachable in the container. Silent, and permanent.
+#   $${VAR}, $${V:-d}, $${ARR[0]}  -> emitted as the LITERAL ${...} for a downstream
+#                        shell/cloud-init consumer. Escaping is total: it neutralises
+#                        even the indexed form.
+#   $VAR, $(cmd)      -> left alone by envsubst; they need no escaping.
+#   ${...}, ${a b}, ${ARR[0]}  (UNESCAPED) -> HARD PARSE ERROR ("unable to parse
+#                        variable name" / "missing closing brace") which fails the
+#                        WHOLE Kustomization — every resource in the path, not just
+#                        the offending one.
+# The escape contract this enforces is the one already documented in
+# `clusters/base/apps-vms.yaml`; this check is that comment made executable.
+#
+# GIVEN the repository as authored,
+# WHEN  every Flux Kustomization under clusters/ that declares postBuild.substituteFrom
+#       is resolved to the exact file set its `spec.path` renders (by following
+#       kustomization.yaml `resources:` transitively — a path, not a glob),
+# THEN  (1) every `${...}` in those files is DEFINED in cluster-vars, or ESCAPED `$${...}`;
+#       (2) no UNESCAPED expansion carries a default/length/substitution operator on an
+#           undefined name (the silent-empty class strict mode does not catch);
+#       (3) no UNESCAPED expansion is unparseable by envsubst (`${...}`, `${ARR[0]}`) —
+#           that fails the entire Kustomization, so it is fatal wherever it appears;
+#       (4) every Kustomization that renders a cluster-vars token actually declares
+#           `substituteFrom` a ConfigMap named cluster-vars (else the literal token
+#           ships into the cluster);
+#       (5) every knob an overlay patches (`/data/KEY`) exists in the BASE ConfigMap —
+#           the "add the knob with a base default BEFORE referencing it" rule that the
+#           incident's interim discipline depends on;
+#   AND (6) this check is LOAD-BEARING: ci/l0.sh runs it on every gate run and
+#           ci/gate.sh sets the merge block when the l0 stage fails.
+# Assertion (1)-(3) are applied to COMMENTS as well as content: `kustomize build`
+# preserves body comments into the stream envsubst reads (verified: a `$`-carrying
+# comment survives into the built apps/wave-1 output), so a braced expression in a
+# comment is a live hazard, not prose.
+#
+# WHAT THIS DOES *NOT* PROVE (honest gaps — this is a STATIC check):
+#   - It does NOT render the manifests. It scans the SOURCE files a path includes,
+#     which is a deliberate SUPERSET of the post-`kustomize build` stream (kustomize
+#     drops some comments). A finding in a comment may not reach envsubst TODAY; it is
+#     still reported, because whether a given comment survives the build is a kustomize
+#     implementation detail that changes with the pinned version, and the failure it
+#     causes is total (assertion 3). The end-to-end proof — `kustomize build <path> |
+#     flux envsubst --strict` for every substituted path — needs kustomize + flux,
+#     which the L0 CI toolchain does not install (.gitea/workflows/scripts/install-tools.sh
+#     l0), so it cannot run here without permanently SKIPPING. It was run by hand and
+#     recorded in DECISIONS-LOG; this check is the reproducible static half.
+#   - It does NOT prove the cluster's live state matches git, nor that the
+#     StrictPostBuildSubstitutions feature gate is actually enabled on
+#     kustomize-controller. Both are cluster facts (L2), untested here. Tagging
+#     R-GITOPS-01 claims ONLY the static slice: what git says a Kustomization renders
+#     is fully determined, with no variable silently emptied on the way in.
+#   - It does NOT validate cluster-vars VALUES (that GATEWAY_VIP is inside the LB pool,
+#     that an overlay's LAN block is self-consistent). Presence, not correctness.
+#   - A cluster-vars key nothing references is reported as an ADVISORY, never a failure:
+#     several are deliberately reference-only and say so in cluster-vars.yaml
+#     (PIA_REGION "retained, not substituted"; CLUSTER_POD_CIDR "Documents ..."), so
+#     failing on them would be a false block on documented intent.
+# =============================================================================
+set -euo pipefail
+DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+ROOT="$(cd "${DIR}/../../../.." && pwd)"        # repo root
+PYTHON="${PYTHON:-python3}"
+
+# Honest SKIP (never green) if the thing under test is not present at all.
+if [ ! -d "${ROOT}/clusters" ] || [ ! -f "${ROOT}/clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml" ]; then
+  echo "check SKIPPED: clusters/ or clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml absent — nothing to audit" >&2
+  exit 3
+fi
+
+cd "${ROOT}"
+"${PYTHON}" - "${ROOT}" <<'PY'
+"""Static audit of Flux postBuild substitution safety. Pure standard library.
+
+No PyYAML: the file shapes parsed here are line-constrained and the parse contracts are
+documented at each parser, matching lib/coverage.py + lib/status.py. The kustomization
+`resources:` parser is IMPORTED from lib/status.py rather than forked, so there is one
+definition of "what a Flux path actually renders" in the harness.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+import re
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+ROOT = Path(sys.argv[1])
+sys.dont_write_bytecode = True          # keep __pycache__ out of the tracked tree
+sys.path.insert(0, str(ROOT / "conformance" / "lib"))
+import status as st                     # noqa: E402 — reuse the walk, don't fork it
+
+FAILURES: list[str] = []
+ADVISORIES: list[str] = []
+CHECKS = 0
+
+
+def check(cond, msg):
+    global CHECKS
+    CHECKS += 1
+    if not cond:
+        FAILURES.append(msg)
+
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------ cluster-vars
+# Parse contract: `data:` block of a single ConfigMap, one `  KEY: "value"` per line
+# (every entry in clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml is a quoted scalar; comments and
+# continuation-comment lines are indented further and never match).
+_DATA_KEY_RE = re.compile(r'^  ([A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*):\s*(?:"|\')')
+
+
+def cluster_vars_keys(path: Path) -> set[str]:
+    keys: set[str] = set()
+    in_data = False
+    for raw in path.read_text().splitlines():
+        if re.match(r"^data:\s*$", raw):
+            in_data = True
+            continue
+        if not in_data:
+            continue
+        if st._TOP_KEY_RE.match(raw):   # a new top-level key ends the data block
+            break
+        m = _DATA_KEY_RE.match(raw)
+        if m:
+            keys.add(m.group(1))
+    return keys
+
+
+VARS_FILE = ROOT / "clusters" / "base" / "cluster-vars.yaml"
+KEYS = cluster_vars_keys(VARS_FILE)
+check(len(KEYS) > 0, f"no data keys parsed from {VARS_FILE} — the parser or the file shape changed")
+
+# ------------------------------------------- Flux Kustomizations with substituteFrom
+# Parse contract mirrors lib/status.py's flux_paths(): docs split on a lone `---`, a doc
+# is a Flux entrypoint only if it carries the kustomize.toolkit apiVersion AND
+# `kind: Kustomization` AND a spec-level `path:`. Inline `patch: |-` bodies in the
+# overlays carry Flux Kustomizations WITHOUT a path and are correctly skipped.
+_SUBFROM_RE = re.compile(r"^(\s*)substituteFrom:\s*$", re.M)
+_SUBITEM_KIND_RE = re.compile(r"^\s*-\s*kind:\s*(\S+)")
+_SUBITEM_NAME_RE = re.compile(r"^\s*(?:-\s*)?name:\s*([^\s#]+)")
+
+
+def substitute_sources(doc: str) -> list[tuple[str, str]]:
+    """[(kind, name)] declared under postBuild.substituteFrom in this doc."""
+    m = _SUBFROM_RE.search(doc)
+    if not m:
+        return []
+    indent = len(m.group(1))
+    out: list[tuple[str, str]] = []
+    kind = ""
+    for raw in doc[m.end():].splitlines():
+        if raw.strip() == "" or raw.lstrip().startswith("#"):
+            continue
+        if len(raw) - len(raw.lstrip()) <= indent and not raw.lstrip().startswith("-"):
+            break                                    # dedented out of the list
+        km = _SUBITEM_KIND_RE.match(raw)
+        if km:
+            kind = km.group(1)
+            continue
+        nm = _SUBITEM_NAME_RE.match(raw)
+        if nm and kind:
+            out.append((kind, nm.group(1)))
+            kind = ""
+    return out
+
+
+kustomizations: list[dict] = []
+for yfile in sorted((ROOT / "clusters").rglob("*.yaml")):
+    text = yfile.read_text()
+    if st.FLUX_API not in text:
+        continue
+    for doc in st._DOC_SPLIT_RE.split(text):
+        if st.FLUX_API not in doc or not re.search(r"^kind:\s*Kustomization\s*$", doc, re.M):
+            continue
+        pm = st._PATH_RE.search(doc)
+        if not pm:
+            continue
+        nm = st._NAME_RE.search(doc)
+        srcs = substitute_sources(doc)
+        if not srcs:
+            continue                                  # no substitution => nothing to audit
+        kustomizations.append({
+            "file": str(yfile.relative_to(ROOT)),
+            "name": nm.group(1) if nm else "?",
+            "path": pm.group(1),
+            "sources": srcs,
+        })
+
+check(len(kustomizations) > 0,
+      "no Flux Kustomization with postBuild.substituteFrom found under clusters/ — "
+      "the parser or the repo layout changed; this check would silently audit nothing")
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------ token scanning
+# One `$`-run followed by a braced expression. `[^{}]*` is exhaustive for this tree:
+# a repo-wide sweep found no nested/unclosed brace expression in any manifest (only
+# Gitea Actions `${{ ... }}` in .gitea/, which no Flux Kustomization renders).
+TOKEN_RE = re.compile(r"(\$+)\{([^{}]*)\}")
+NAME_RE = re.compile(r"^[A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*$")
+# An expansion whose name is followed by a POSIX parameter operator. envsubst EVALUATES
+# these, so an undefined name yields the default/empty AT RECONCILE TIME.
+OP_RE = re.compile(r"^([A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*)(:[-=?+].*|:[0-9].*|/.*|#.*|%.*|\^.*|,.*)$")
+LEN_RE = re.compile(r"^#([A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*)$")
+
+
+def classify(dollars: int, inner: str) -> tuple[str, str] | None:
+    """Return (severity-tag, remediation) for a hazardous expansion, else None."""
+    if dollars >= 2:
+        return None                                   # escaped: emitted as a literal
+    if NAME_RE.match(inner):
+        if inner in KEYS:
+            return None                               # defined knob — the happy path
+        return ("UNDEFINED",
+                f"strict mode fails the Kustomization; today it renders EMPTY. Either add "
+                f"'{inner}' to clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml with a base default, or "
+                f"escape it as $${{{inner}}} if it is meant for a shell/cloud-init consumer")
+    m = OP_RE.match(inner) or LEN_RE.match(inner)
+    if m:
+        base = m.group(1)
+        if base in KEYS:
+            return None                               # defined knob with an operator
+        return ("SILENT-EMPTY",
+                f"envsubst resolves this AT RECONCILE TIME because '{base}' is not a "
+                f"cluster-var, so the rendered manifest carries the default, not the "
+                f"expression. StrictPostBuildSubstitutions does NOT catch this form. "
+                f"Escape it as $${{{inner}}} if the CONTAINER's shell is meant to expand it")
+    return ("FATAL-PARSE",
+            "envsubst cannot parse this and fails the ENTIRE Kustomization (every resource "
+            "in the path). Escape it as $${...} or rewrite the prose without braces")
+
+
+def rendered_files(path_spec: str) -> tuple[list[str], bool]:
+    """Repo-relative files the Flux `spec.path` renders, resolving `resources:` transitively."""
+    rel = os.path.normpath(path_spec.lstrip("./")) if path_spec not in (".", "./") else "."
+    if not (ROOT / rel).is_dir():
+        return [], False
+    applied, _ = st.reconciled_files(ROOT, rel)
+    return sorted(applied), True
+
+
+findings: list[str] = []
+referenced: dict[str, set[str]] = {}
+inventory: list[str] = []
+
+for k in kustomizations:
+    files, exists = rendered_files(k["path"])
+    check(exists, f"{k['file']}: Kustomization '{k['name']}' renders path '{k['path']}' "
+                  f"which is not a directory in this repo")
+    has_cluster_vars = ("ConfigMap", "cluster-vars") in k["sources"]
+    n_def = n_esc = n_bad = 0
+    for rel in files:
+        f = ROOT / rel
+        try:
+            text = f.read_text()
+        except (OSError, UnicodeDecodeError):
+            continue
+        for lineno, line in enumerate(text.splitlines(), 1):
+            for m in TOKEN_RE.finditer(line):
+                dollars, inner = len(m.group(1)), m.group(2)
+                verdict = classify(dollars, inner)
+                if verdict is None:
+                    if dollars >= 2:
+                        n_esc += 1
+                    else:
+                        n_def += 1
+                        referenced.setdefault(re.split(r"[:/#%^,]", inner)[0] or inner,
+                                              set()).add(k["name"])
+                        # (4) a DEFINED knob is only substituted if this Kustomization
+                        #     actually pulls cluster-vars in; otherwise the literal ships.
+                        check(has_cluster_vars,
+                              f"{rel}:{lineno}: renders cluster-var ${{{inner}}} but "
+                              f"Kustomization '{k['name']}' ({k['file']}) does not "
+                              f"substituteFrom ConfigMap/cluster-vars — the literal token "
+                              f"would ship into the cluster")
+                    continue
+                n_bad += 1
+                tag, fix = verdict
+                findings.append(f"  [{tag}] {rel}:{lineno}  {m.group(0)}\n"
+                                f"        rendered by Flux Kustomization '{k['name']}' "
+                                f"({k['file']}, path {k['path']})\n"
+                                f"        {fix}\n"
+                                f"        | {line.strip()[:120]}")
+    inventory.append(f"  {k['name']:<16} path={k['path']:<22} files={len(files):<3} "
+                     f"defined={n_def:<3} escaped={n_esc:<3} hazards={n_bad}")
+
+check(not findings,
+      f"{len(findings)} unescaped, undefined or unparseable expansion(s) in substituted paths")
+
+# --------------------------------------------- (5) overlay knobs exist in the base
+# Parse contract: overlays patch cluster-vars with JSON6902 ops (`- op: replace` /
+# `path: /data/KEY`) inside an inline `patch: |-` block. The repo rule (cluster-vars.yaml
+# header) is that a knob is ADDED TO THE BASE with a default BEFORE any overlay or
+# manifest references it — that ordering is what closes the define-then-use race.
+_OP_PATH_RE = re.compile(r"^\s*(?:-\s*)?path:\s*/data/([A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*)\s*$", re.M)
+for overlay in sorted((ROOT / "clusters").glob("*/kustomization.yaml")):
+    for key in set(_OP_PATH_RE.findall(overlay.read_text())):
+        check(key in KEYS,
+              f"{overlay.relative_to(ROOT)}: patches /data/{key} but '{key}' has no BASE "
+              f"default in clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml — a second overlay would render "
+              f"${{{key}}} empty (R-ENV-02: author once, supply per env)")
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------- (6) the check is load-bearing
+L0 = (ROOT / "ci" / "l0.sh").read_text() if (ROOT / "ci" / "l0.sh").is_file() else ""
+GATE = (ROOT / "ci" / "gate.sh").read_text() if (ROOT / "ci" / "gate.sh").is_file() else ""
+check("flux-postbuild-substitution/check.sh" in L0,
+      "ci/l0.sh does not run flux-postbuild-substitution/check.sh — the requirement-scoped "
+      "conformance selection can filter this check out of a gate run, so l0.sh must invoke "
+      "it directly and unconditionally or the gate is not actually enforcing it")
+check(re.search(r"^for s in .*\bl0\b.*; do", GATE, re.M) and re.search(r"fail\).*BLOCK=1", GATE),
+      "ci/gate.sh does not set the merge block when the l0 stage fails")
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------- advisory: dead knobs
+for key in sorted(KEYS - set(referenced)):
+    ADVISORIES.append(f"cluster-vars knob '{key}' is referenced by NO reconciled manifest "
+                      f"(dead knob, or documentation-only — advisory, not a failure)")
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------- report
+print("Flux postBuild substitution inventory (per Kustomization):")
+for line in inventory:
+    print(line)
+print(f"\ncluster-vars knobs defined: {len(KEYS)}   referenced: {len(referenced)}")
+
+if ADVISORIES:
+    print("\nADVISORIES (not failures):")
+    for a in ADVISORIES:
+        print(f"  - {a}")
+
+if findings:
+    print("\nHAZARDS — unescaped expansions that are not cluster-vars knobs:", file=sys.stderr)
+    for f in findings:
+        print(f, file=sys.stderr)
+
+print()
+if not FAILURES:
+    print(f"check OK: flux-postbuild-substitution — {CHECKS} assertions "
+          f"(R-ENV-02, R-GITOPS-01)")
+    raise SystemExit(0)
+print(f"CHECK FAIL (flux-postbuild-substitution): {len(FAILURES)} failed, "
+      f"{CHECKS - len(FAILURES)} passed", file=sys.stderr)
+for f in FAILURES:
+    print(f"  FAIL {f}", file=sys.stderr)
+raise SystemExit(1)
+PY

conformance/tests/l0-static/ha-control-plane-as-code/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+# =============================================================================
+# L0 STATIC — the HA control plane is authored, for every environment  (R-PLAT-01)  [EXECUTABLE]
+# Catalog: docs/14 L0 row ("Pre-apply, in CI") — runs WITHOUT a cluster.
+# Spec:    docs/00 R-PLAT-01 ("The platform MUST run on k3s across 3 nodes with
+#          production-grade HA control plane in prod; dev/test MAY run fewer nodes but MUST
+#          exercise the same multi-node topology"), elaborated by docs/01 ("k3s (HA,
+#          embedded etcd)") and docs/02 ("HA embedded etcd (k3s server on all 3)",
+#          "3 physical nodes", "no external datastore", "the *same* Ansible bootstrap runs").
+#
+# WHY L0: R-PLAT-01 has an authored half and an observed half. The authored half — that the
+# configuration in git BUILDS a 3-server embedded-etcd control plane in BOTH environments
+# from one code path, with exactly one --cluster-init founder, no external datastore, and a
+# floating API endpoint that is SAN'd into the serving cert and cannot collide with the
+# Service-LB allocator — is provable with no cluster and is ONLY provable here: a live
+# cluster cannot tell you what the NEXT environment brought up from this repo would look
+# like. The observed half is asserted separately at L2 by
+# tests/l2-behavioral/ha-control-plane, which carries the same requirement label.
+#
+# ENVIRONMENT-AGNOSTIC: no hostname, address, node count or group name is written down.
+# Environments are enumerated from the R-ENV-02 seam itself (k3s_primary_group /
+# k3s_servers_group in group_vars), and WHICH one is prod is derived from the Flux overlay
+# that environment bootstraps (flux_bootstrap_env_path) — never from a group's name.
+#
+# GIVEN the repository as git tracks it,
+# WHEN  the inventory, the k3s_server and kube_vip roles, their plays and each
+#       environment's Flux overlay are parsed and cross-checked against each other,
+# THEN  k3s is the pinned distro and nothing is installed as an agent; every environment
+#       resolves to an ODD, quorum-capable server count (prod exactly three) with EXACTLY
+#       ONE --cluster-init founder and every other server joining it with --server;
+#       the datastore is k3s's embedded etcd (no --datastore-endpoint, no --disable-etcd);
+#       the API's floating endpoint is a leader-elected, control-plane-ONLY kube-vip
+#       DaemonSet on every server whose address is the environment-scoped VIP, that VIP is
+#       in the apiserver serving cert's SANs together with every server's own address, and
+#       it is neither a node address nor the ingress Gateway VIP nor inside that
+#       environment's Cilium LoadBalancer pool; and dev/test and prod are built by the SAME
+#       roles and plays retargeted by variables only.
+#
+# STATUS: EXECUTABLE. `check.sh` is a pure offline assertion script (git tree + PyYAML; no
+# cluster, no network); conformance/run.sh --layer l0 and ci/l0.sh run it directly, and this
+# Chainsaw Test wraps the SAME script.
+#
+# KNOWN, DELIBERATE GAPS (enumerated in check.sh's header; this test claims none of them):
+#   * The LIVE clusters' shape (three Ready servers, all etcd members, VIP actually floating,
+#     API answering through it) — asserted at L2 by tests/l2-behavioral/ha-control-plane.
+#   * FAILOVER. That the control plane survives losing a server (quorum holds, the VIP moves)
+#     is a fault-injection claim and is proven NOWHERE yet — tests/l3-fault-injection/node-loss
+#     drains a node for R-STATE-02's data claim and asserts nothing about the control plane.
+#   * "Production-grade" as a hardware/performance judgement (operator decision, §2 of
+#     infra/PROD-PROVISIONING.md).
+#
+# TWO GAPS CLOSED 2026-09-06 (they used to be listed above; recorded so the change is legible):
+#   * `K3S_API_HOST` (Cilium's k8sServiceHost) was the PRIMARY NODE's address in both
+#     environments rather than the floating VIP, contradicting the prod overlay's own comment.
+#     It was ESCALATED, not asserted, because the workstream could not decide it (R-TEST-06).
+#     The operator decided the VIP, so it is now ASSERTED — on both sides of the [parity]
+#     contract and per environment.
+#   * kube-vip was NOT imported by playbooks/site.yml. It is now, BETWEEN k3s and cilium, and
+#     the order is asserted — not as a tidiness preference but because the CNI's endpoint is
+#     the VIP, so an unfloated VIP means a cold build brings up a CNI that cannot reach its
+#     API server.
+# =============================================================================
+apiVersion: chainsaw.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Test
+metadata:
+  name: ha-control-plane-as-code
+  labels:
+    conformance.home.k3s/R-PLAT-01: "true"
+  annotations:
+    conformance.home.k3s/requirements: "R-PLAT-01"
+    conformance.home.k3s/layer: "L0"
+    conformance.home.k3s/safety-critical: "false"
+    conformance.home.k3s/executable: "true"
+    conformance.home.k3s/intent: >-
+      Given the tracked tree, when the inventory, the k3s/kube-vip roles and plays and each
+      environment's Flux overlay are parsed and cross-checked, then every environment is
+      authored as an odd, quorum-capable set of k3s servers (prod exactly three) with one
+      embedded-etcd founder, no external datastore, and a leader-elected control-plane-only
+      VIP that is in the serving cert's SANs and collides with no other allocator — built by
+      one code path for both environments.
+spec:
+  steps:
+    - name: then-every-environment-is-authored-as-an-ha-embedded-etcd-control-plane
+      description: >-
+        Run the offline assertion script over the tracked tree (same script ci/l0.sh and
+        conformance/run.sh --layer l0 execute).
+      try:
+        - script:
+            content: bash ./check.sh

conformance/tests/l0-static/ha-control-plane-as-code/check.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,729 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# =============================================================================
+# L0 static check (offline, no cluster) — ha-control-plane-as-code
+# Serves: R-PLAT-01 ("The platform MUST run on k3s across 3 nodes with production-grade
+#         HA control plane in prod; dev/test MAY run fewer nodes but MUST exercise the
+#         same multi-node topology." — spec docs/00-vision-and-scope.md).
+#
+# The elaborating spec text this check quotes and asserts against:
+#   docs/01-architecture-overview.md  "Kubernetes distro | **k3s** (HA, embedded etcd)"
+#   docs/02-environments-and-provisioning.md, table:
+#       "Control plane | HA embedded etcd (k3s server on all 3) | HA embedded etcd
+#        (k3s server on all 3)"   (the SAME cell for dev/test and prod)
+#       "Node count | 3 VMs (mirror prod topology) | 3 physical nodes"
+#   docs/02 §"k3s topology decisions":
+#       "HA control plane with **embedded etcd** across all 3 nodes (no external datastore)."
+#       "Nodes are both control-plane and workload (3-node converged cluster); with only 3
+#        nodes we do not isolate control-plane nodes."
+#       "For prod bare-metal, the *same* Ansible bootstrap runs; only the machine-creation
+#        step differs"
+#
+# WHY L0 IS THE RIGHT LAYER FOR THESE CLAUSES (and where the rest lives)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# R-PLAT-01 splits cleanly in two, and the halves are provable at different layers:
+#
+#   AUTHORED half — "the configuration in git builds a 3-server HA embedded-etcd control
+#       plane in BOTH environments, from ONE code path": provable with no cluster, and
+#       ONLY provable here. A live cluster cannot tell you whether the *next* environment
+#       brought up from this repo will also be HA, whether a second `--cluster-init`
+#       founder could exist, or whether an external datastore is configured anywhere. That
+#       is this check.
+#   OBSERVED half — "the cluster this suite is pointed at really is 3 Ready servers, all
+#       etcd members, with the API answering through the floating VIP": that is cluster
+#       state and lives in tests/l2-behavioral/ha-control-plane (same requirement label).
+#
+# Neither half is sufficient alone, and this file claims only the first.
+#
+# ENVIRONMENTS ARE DERIVED, NOT LISTED. The check does not know the words "dev" or "prod"
+# as inventory names. It enumerates environments from the R-ENV-02 seam itself — the
+# `k3s_primary_group` / `k3s_servers_group` pair in group_vars/all.yml plus every
+# group_vars/<group>/vars.yml that overrides them — and identifies WHICH environment is
+# prod by the Flux overlay that environment bootstraps (`flux_bootstrap_env_path`), not by
+# its group name. Add a fourth prod node, rename a group, or add a third environment and
+# the assertions follow; nothing here restates an address, a hostname or a node count.
+#
+# GIVEN the repository as git tracks it,
+# WHEN  the Ansible inventory, the k3s/kube-vip roles and plays, and each environment's
+#       Flux overlay are parsed and cross-checked against each other,
+# THEN  DISTRO:   k3s is the distro, pinned, installed by the one role, and no node is
+#                 installed as an `agent` (an agent is not a control-plane member);
+#       SERVERS:  every environment's server group resolves to a quorum-capable, ODD
+#                 number of hosts (>= 3, tolerating >= 1 loss), the PROD environment to
+#                 EXACTLY three, and each has EXACTLY ONE `--cluster-init` founder while
+#                 every other server joins it with `--server` (so a second founder — the
+#                 split-brain shape — cannot be authored);
+#       ETCD:     the datastore is k3s's EMBEDDED etcd: no `--datastore-endpoint` and no
+#                 `--disable-etcd` anywhere in the provisioning code, so every server is
+#                 an etcd member (docs/02's "no external datastore", "on all 3");
+#       ENDPOINT: the API has a floating endpoint that survives losing the founder — the
+#                 kube-vip VIP is control-plane-only (never Service LB, or it would fight
+#                 Cilium LB-IPAM for ARP), leader-elected, deployed to EVERY server, and
+#                 baked into the apiserver serving cert's SAN list ALONG WITH every
+#                 server's own address (so TLS validates whichever node answers);
+#       ADDRESSES: each environment's control-plane VIP is not one of its node addresses,
+#                 is not that environment's ingress Gateway VIP, and lies OUTSIDE that
+#                 environment's Cilium LoadBalancer pool — the two allocators can never be
+#                 handed the same address;
+#       CNI PATH: the CNI dials the FLOATING endpoint, not a machine (added 2026-09-06). The
+#                 two API addresses stay SPLIT — k3s_api_host is the founder and feeds only
+#                 the cold `--server` join, k3s_apiserver_endpoint derives from
+#                 kube_vip_address and feeds Cilium's k8sServiceHost — the Flux overlay's
+#                 K3S_API_HOST equals that environment's VIP and is none of its node
+#                 addresses ([parity], both halves), the HelmRelease keeps a per-environment
+#                 token rather than a literal, and site.yml floats the VIP BETWEEN k3s and
+#                 Cilium with roles/kube_vip blocking until it answers;
+#       ONE PATH: dev/test and prod are brought up by the SAME role and the SAME plays,
+#                 retargeted by variables only (docs/02 "the *same* Ansible bootstrap
+#                 runs"), so "exercise the same multi-node topology" is a property of the
+#                 code rather than a coincidence of two hand-written inventories.
+#
+# WHAT THIS DOES *NOT* PROVE (honest gaps — do not read this check as claiming them):
+#   - THE LIVE CLUSTERS. That three nodes are Ready, that all three are etcd members with
+#     a healthy quorum, that kube-vip is actually floating the VIP, and that the API
+#     answers through it. All of that is asserted at L2 by
+#     tests/l2-behavioral/ha-control-plane, which reads it from the cluster under test.
+#   - FAILOVER. That the control plane SURVIVES the loss of a server (etcd quorum holds,
+#     the VIP moves, the API stays up) is a fault-injection claim. The nearest existing
+#     coverage is tests/l3-fault-injection/node-loss, which drains a node for R-STATE-02's
+#     data-availability claim and does NOT assert control-plane survival. A dedicated
+#     "kill the VIP leader / kill the founder" L3 test is the remaining R-PLAT-01 gap and
+#     is NOT claimed here or at L2.
+#   - "PRODUCTION-GRADE" AS A HARDWARE/OPERATIONS JUDGEMENT. Whether three converged
+#     mini-PCs with etcd sharing a spindle with Longhorn is production-grade is an operator
+#     decision recorded in infra/PROD-PROVISIONING.md §2, not a repository property. This
+#     check asserts the control-plane TOPOLOGY the spec fixes, not a performance verdict.
+#   - IPv6 / dual-stack, and any claim about the edge network.
+#
+# TWO FORMER GAPS ARE NOW ASSERTED, and the reasoning is worth keeping (2026-09-06):
+#   * CILIUM'S OWN API ENDPOINT used to be listed here as an ESCALATION — `K3S_API_HOST`
+#     (clusters/*/kustomization.yaml), which becomes Cilium's `k8sServiceHost`, was each
+#     environment's PRIMARY NODE address rather than the floating VIP, contradicting the prod
+#     overlay's own comment. Making the check fail over it would have turned the merge gate
+#     red on a design question this workstream may not decide (R-TEST-06), so it was reported
+#     instead. THE OPERATOR DECIDED THE VIP on 2026-09-06, which turns the question into a
+#     repository invariant, and invariants belong in assertions — see the "THE CNI DIALS THE
+#     VIP" section. Note what made it assertable: the fix SPLIT one variable in two, so there
+#     is finally an HA-valued name (`k3s_apiserver_endpoint`) to point the contract at.
+#   * kube-vip WAS NOT PART OF THE ONE-COMMAND BRING-UP (site.yml chained node-baseline ->
+#     k3s -> cilium -> verify -> flux-bootstrap), which was recorded here as an observation
+#     and not asserted, because R-PLAT-01 does not fix the bring-up order. It is asserted now
+#     for a different reason that IS in scope: with the CNI's endpoint being the VIP, an
+#     unfloated VIP means a cold build installs a CNI that cannot reach its API server. The
+#     ordering is no longer a preference about tidiness, it is a dependency of the control
+#     plane coming up at all.
+# =============================================================================
+set -euo pipefail
+DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+ROOT="$(cd "${DIR}/../../../.." && pwd)"        # repo root
+PYTHON="${PYTHON:-python3}"
+
+cd "${ROOT}"
+"${PYTHON}" - "${ROOT}" <<'PY'
+import ipaddress
+import re
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+try:
+    import yaml
+except ImportError:                                  # pragma: no cover
+    print("check FAIL: PyYAML is required (same dependency as catalog/render.py)",
+          file=sys.stderr)
+    raise SystemExit(1)
+
+ROOT = Path(sys.argv[1])
+FAILURES: list[str] = []
+NOTES: list[str] = []
+CHECKS = 0
+
+
+def check(cond, msg):
+    global CHECKS
+    CHECKS += 1
+    if not cond:
+        FAILURES.append(msg)
+
+
+def note(msg):
+    NOTES.append(msg)
+
+
+def die():
+    print(f"CHECK FAIL (ha-control-plane-as-code): {len(FAILURES)} of {CHECKS} assertions failed",
+          file=sys.stderr)
+    for f in FAILURES:
+        print(f"  - {f}", file=sys.stderr)
+    raise SystemExit(1)
+
+
+ANS = ROOT / "infra" / "ansible"
+INV = ANS / "inventory" / "hosts.ini"
+GV = ANS / "inventory" / "group_vars"
+K3S_ROLE = ANS / "roles" / "k3s_server"
+VIP_ROLE = ANS / "roles" / "kube_vip"
+PLAYBOOKS = ANS / "playbooks"
+CLUSTERS = ROOT / "clusters"
+
+for p, why in ((INV, "the inventory that defines the node set"),
+               (K3S_ROLE, "the role that installs the k3s control plane"),
+               (VIP_ROLE, "the role that floats the control-plane VIP"),
+               (CLUSTERS, "the Flux overlays that identify each environment")):
+    check(p.exists(), f"{p.relative_to(ROOT)} is missing — {why} does not exist, so no HA "
+                      "control plane is authored at all (R-PLAT-01)")
+if FAILURES:
+    die()
+
+K3S_TEXT = "\n".join(p.read_text(errors="replace") for p in sorted(K3S_ROLE.rglob("*.yml")))
+VIP_TEXT = "\n".join(p.read_text(errors="replace")
+                     for p in sorted(list(VIP_ROLE.rglob("*.yml")) + list(VIP_ROLE.rglob("*.j2"))))
+
+
+# ===================================================================== inventory parse
+# Parser contract (same shape lib/coverage.py-style parsers use elsewhere): hosts.ini is a
+# plain INI inventory — `[group]` sections of `host key=value ...` lines, `[group:children]`
+# sections naming child groups, `[group:vars]` sections ignored. Comments start with '#'.
+ini_hosts: dict[str, list[str]] = {}
+ini_children: dict[str, list[str]] = {}
+host_vars: dict[str, dict[str, str]] = {}
+cur = None
+for line in INV.read_text().splitlines():
+    s = line.strip()
+    if not s or s.startswith("#"):
+        continue
+    m = re.match(r"^\[([^\]]+)\]$", s)
+    if m:
+        cur = m.group(1)
+        continue
+    if cur is None or cur.endswith(":vars"):
+        continue
+    host = s.split()[0]
+    if cur.endswith(":children"):
+        ini_children.setdefault(cur.split(":")[0], []).append(host)
+    else:
+        ini_hosts.setdefault(cur, []).append(host)
+        hv = host_vars.setdefault(host, {})
+        for kv in s.split()[1:]:
+            if "=" in kv:
+                k, v = kv.split("=", 1)
+                hv[k] = v
+
+
+def hosts_in(group: str, seen=None) -> set[str]:
+    seen = seen or set()
+    if group in seen:
+        return set()
+    seen.add(group)
+    out = set(ini_hosts.get(group, []))
+    for child in ini_children.get(group, []):
+        out |= hosts_in(child, seen)
+    return out
+
+
+def load_yaml(p: Path) -> dict:
+    try:
+        d = yaml.safe_load(p.read_text()) or {}
+    except yaml.YAMLError:
+        return {}
+    return d if isinstance(d, dict) else {}
+
+
+ALL_VARS = load_yaml(GV / "all.yml")
+
+
+# =============================================== ENVIRONMENTS, DERIVED FROM THE SEAM
+# An "environment" here is a (primary group, servers group) pair. group_vars/all.yml holds
+# the default pair; every group_vars/<g>/vars.yml that overrides `k3s_primary_group` is
+# another environment. Nothing below knows the words "dev" or "prod" as group names.
+class Env:
+    def __init__(self, label, vars_, path):
+        self.label = label
+        self.vars = vars_
+        self.path = path
+
+    def var(self, name, default=None):
+        # group-scoped value wins, else the cluster-wide default from all.yml.
+        if name in self.vars:
+            return self.vars[name]
+        return ALL_VARS.get(name, default)
+
+
+envs: list[Env] = [Env("group_vars/all.yml (default environment)", ALL_VARS, GV / "all.yml")]
+for vf in sorted(GV.glob("*/vars.yml")):
+    v = load_yaml(vf)
+    if "k3s_primary_group" in v or "k3s_servers_group" in v:
+        envs.append(Env(str(vf.relative_to(ROOT)), v, vf))
+
+check(len(envs) >= 2,
+      "only ONE environment is derivable from the inventory's R-ENV-02 seam "
+      "(k3s_primary_group / k3s_servers_group). R-PLAT-01 constrains prod AND requires "
+      "dev/test to exercise the same multi-node topology, so two must be authored")
+
+# WHICH environment is prod: the one that bootstraps the clusters/prod Flux overlay.
+# roles/flux_bootstrap's own default supplies the value for an environment that does not
+# override it, so this is read from code, never guessed from a group name.
+fb_default = None
+fb_defaults_file = ANS / "roles" / "flux_bootstrap" / "defaults" / "main.yml"
+if fb_defaults_file.is_file():
+    fb_default = load_yaml(fb_defaults_file).get("flux_bootstrap_env_path")
+check(isinstance(fb_default, str) and fb_default.startswith("clusters/"),
+      "roles/flux_bootstrap declares no flux_bootstrap_env_path default — the mapping from "
+      "an inventory environment to its Flux overlay is not expressed in code, so this check "
+      "cannot tell which environment is prod")
+
+prod_envs = []
+for e in envs:
+    overlay = e.var("flux_bootstrap_env_path", fb_default)
+    e.overlay = overlay if isinstance(overlay, str) else ""
+    if e.overlay.rstrip("/").endswith("/prod"):
+        prod_envs.append(e)
+check(len(prod_envs) == 1,
+      f"{len(prod_envs)} environment(s) bootstrap the clusters/prod overlay "
+      f"({[e.label for e in prod_envs]}) — exactly one must be prod, or 'in prod' in "
+      "R-PLAT-01 has no unambiguous referent")
+
+
+# ============================================== overlay knob values (per environment)
+# Parser contract: clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml holds the base ConfigMap `data:` map;
+# each clusters/<env>/kustomization.yaml overrides values with JSON6902 patches written as
+#     - op: replace
+#       path: /data/<KEY>
+#       value: "<v>"
+# (verified shape across both overlays). A key not patched keeps the base value.
+BASE_VARS: dict[str, str] = {}
+base_cm = CLUSTERS / "base" / "cluster-vars.yaml"
+if base_cm.is_file():
+    d = load_yaml(base_cm)
+    BASE_VARS = {k: str(v) for k, v in (d.get("data") or {}).items()}
+check(len(BASE_VARS) > 5,
+      "clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml exposes no data map — the overlay knob surface "
+      "cannot be read, so the VIP/pool separation cannot be checked")
+
+_PATCH_RE = re.compile(
+    r"-\s+op:\s*replace\s*\n\s*path:\s*/data/(?P<k>[A-Z0-9_]+)\s*\n\s*value:\s*(?P<v>\S.*?)\s*$",
+    re.M)
+
+
+def overlay_vars(overlay: str) -> dict[str, str]:
+    out = dict(BASE_VARS)
+    f = ROOT / overlay / "kustomization.yaml"
+    if not f.is_file():
+        return out
+    for m in _PATCH_RE.finditer(f.read_text()):
+        out[m.group("k")] = m.group("v").strip().strip('"').strip("'")
+    return out
+
+
+# ============================================================ PER-ENVIRONMENT TOPOLOGY
+def as_ip(s):
+    try:
+        return ipaddress.ip_address(str(s).strip())
+    except ValueError:
+        return None
+
+
+for e in envs:
+    L = e.label
+    pg = e.var("k3s_primary_group")
+    sg = e.var("k3s_servers_group")
+    check(isinstance(pg, str) and isinstance(sg, str) and pg and sg,
+          f"{L}: k3s_primary_group / k3s_servers_group are not both set — the roles cannot "
+          "resolve 'my environment's primary/servers' and would only ever build dev")
+    if not (isinstance(pg, str) and isinstance(sg, str)):
+        continue
+    primaries = hosts_in(pg)
+    servers = hosts_in(sg)
+
+    # --- SERVERS: quorum-capable, one founder, prod exactly three ---------------------
+    check(len(primaries) == 1,
+          f"{L}: group {pg!r} resolves to {sorted(primaries)} — EXACTLY ONE host may run "
+          "`--cluster-init`. Two founders is two etcd clusters (split brain), zero is no "
+          "cluster at all")
+    check(primaries and primaries <= servers,
+          f"{L}: the primary {sorted(primaries)} is not a member of the servers group "
+          f"{sg!r} ({sorted(servers)}) — the founder must itself be one of the servers, or "
+          "it is not part of the HA control plane it founds")
+    n = len(servers)
+    check(n >= 3,
+          f"{L}: group {sg!r} resolves to {n} server(s) {sorted(servers)}. docs/02 fixes "
+          "'HA embedded etcd (k3s server on all 3)' for dev/test AND prod, and an etcd "
+          "cluster of fewer than 3 members tolerates ZERO losses — it is not HA")
+    check(n % 2 == 1,
+          f"{L}: group {sg!r} has an EVEN number of servers ({n}). An even embedded-etcd "
+          f"member count adds a member without adding fault tolerance and introduces a tie: "
+          f"quorum for {n} is {n // 2 + 1}, the same as for {n - 1}")
+    if n:
+        tolerance = n - (n // 2 + 1)
+        check(tolerance >= 1,
+              f"{L}: {n} server(s) give a quorum of {n // 2 + 1} and therefore tolerate "
+              f"{tolerance} loss(es) — 'production-grade HA' requires surviving at least one")
+    if e in prod_envs:
+        check(n == 3,
+              f"{L} is the PROD environment and resolves to {n} server(s). R-PLAT-01: "
+              "'k3s across 3 nodes ... in prod'; docs/02: 'Node count | ... | 3 physical nodes'")
+    else:
+        check(n >= 2,
+              f"{L}: a non-prod environment resolves to {n} host(s). R-PLAT-01 allows fewer "
+              "nodes than prod but requires dev/test to 'exercise the same multi-node "
+              "topology' — one node exercises no topology")
+
+    # --- ADDRESSES: the VIP can collide with nothing ----------------------------------
+    vip_raw = e.var("kube_vip_address")
+    vip = as_ip(vip_raw)
+    check(vip is not None,
+          f"{L}: kube_vip_address is {vip_raw!r}, not an IP address — the control plane has "
+          "no floating endpoint, so losing the founder takes the API endpoint with it")
+    node_ips = {}
+    for h in sorted(servers):
+        ip = as_ip(host_vars.get(h, {}).get("k3s_node_ip", ""))
+        check(ip is not None,
+              f"{L}: host {h} declares no usable k3s_node_ip — k3s --node-ip, the join "
+              "target and the serving-cert SAN list all derive from it")
+        if ip is not None:
+            node_ips[h] = ip
+    if vip is not None:
+        check(vip not in set(node_ips.values()),
+              f"{L}: kube_vip_address {vip} is ALSO a node address "
+              f"({[h for h, i in node_ips.items() if i == vip]}) — a floating VIP that is a "
+              "node's own address cannot float off that node")
+        ov = overlay_vars(getattr(e, "overlay", ""))
+        gw = as_ip(ov.get("GATEWAY_VIP", ""))
+        lo = as_ip(ov.get("CILIUM_LB_POOL_START", ""))
+        hi = as_ip(ov.get("CILIUM_LB_POOL_STOP", ""))
+        check(gw is not None and lo is not None and hi is not None,
+              f"{L}: overlay {getattr(e, 'overlay', '')!r} does not resolve GATEWAY_VIP + "
+              "CILIUM_LB_POOL_START/STOP — the separation between the control-plane VIP and "
+              "the Service-LB allocator cannot be checked")
+        if gw is not None:
+            check(vip != gw,
+                  f"{L}: the control-plane VIP and the ingress Gateway VIP are the SAME "
+                  f"address ({vip}) — kube-vip and Cilium would both ARP for it")
+        if lo is not None and hi is not None:
+            check(not (lo <= vip <= hi),
+                  f"{L}: the control-plane VIP {vip} lies INSIDE that environment's Cilium "
+                  f"LoadBalancer pool {lo}-{hi} — LB-IPAM could hand the kube-API's VIP to a "
+                  "Service, and the two allocators would fight over ARP for it")
+            check(lo <= hi,
+                  f"{L}: Cilium LB pool {lo}-{hi} is inverted — the pool bound cannot be "
+                  "used to prove the VIP is outside it")
+
+# ==================================================================== DISTRO: k3s only
+check(re.search(r"^k3s_version:\s*\"?v\d+\.\d+", (K3S_ROLE / "defaults" / "main.yml").read_text(), re.M)
+      is not None,
+      "roles/k3s_server pins no concrete k3s_version (vX.Y...) — an unpinned control-plane "
+      "version is not a reproducible platform (docs/01: the distro is k3s, ADR-0001)")
+check("get.k3s.io" in K3S_TEXT,
+      "roles/k3s_server does not install from the k3s installer — R-PLAT-01 names k3s as the "
+      "distro (ADR-0001) and no other distro may stand in for it")
+check(re.search(r"^\s*server\s*$", K3S_TEXT, re.M) is not None,
+      "roles/k3s_server never composes the `server` subcommand — without it k3s installs an "
+      "AGENT, which is not a control-plane member (docs/02: 'k3s server on all 3')")
+for bad, why in (
+    (r"--datastore-endpoint", "an EXTERNAL datastore (docs/02: 'embedded etcd across all 3 "
+                             "nodes (no external datastore)')"),
+    (r"datastore-endpoint\s*:", "an external datastore via config.yaml"),
+    (r"--disable-etcd", "a server with etcd DISABLED, i.e. a control-plane node that is not "
+                        "an etcd member (docs/02: etcd 'across all 3 nodes')"),
+    (r"INSTALL_K3S_EXEC\s*[:=]\s*[\"']?agent", "an AGENT-only node"),
+):
+    hits = [str(p.relative_to(ROOT)) for p in sorted(ANS.rglob("*"))
+            if p.is_file() and p.suffix in (".yml", ".yaml", ".j2", ".sh", ".ini")
+            and re.search(bad, p.read_text(errors="replace"))]
+    check(not hits,
+          f"{hits} configure {why} — R-PLAT-01's control plane is k3s's own embedded-etcd HA "
+          f"mode, and {bad!r} contradicts it")
+
+# ============================================== FOUNDER / JOINER, EXACTLY ONE OF EACH
+check(re.search(r"--cluster-init", K3S_TEXT) is not None,
+      "roles/k3s_server never passes --cluster-init — the embedded-etcd cluster is never "
+      "founded, so there is no HA datastore to join")
+init_when = re.search(r"--cluster-init.*?\n(?:.*\n){0,8}?\s*when:\s*k3s_server_mode\s*==\s*'primary'",
+                      K3S_TEXT)
+check(init_when is not None,
+      "the --cluster-init install task is not gated on k3s_server_mode == 'primary' — an "
+      "ungated founder flag would re-found the cluster on every server (split brain)")
+join = re.search(r"--server https://\{\{\s*k3s_api_host", K3S_TEXT)
+check(join is not None,
+      "roles/k3s_server does not join secondaries with `--server https://{{ k3s_api_host }}` "
+      "— without a join target the servers are separate single-node clusters")
+join_when = re.search(r"--server https://.*?\n(?:.*\n){0,10}?\s*when:\s*k3s_server_mode\s*==\s*'secondary'",
+                      K3S_TEXT, re.S)
+check(join_when is not None,
+      "the join install task is not gated on k3s_server_mode == 'secondary' — the founder "
+      "would also try to join itself")
+k3s_play = PLAYBOOKS / "k3s.yml"
+check(k3s_play.is_file(), "playbooks/k3s.yml is missing — the control-plane install has no entrypoint")
+if k3s_play.is_file():
+    play_txt = k3s_play.read_text()
+    modes = re.findall(r"k3s_server_mode:\s*(\w+)", play_txt)
+    check(sorted(modes) == ["primary", "secondary"],
+          f"playbooks/k3s.yml declares server modes {modes} — exactly one primary play and "
+          "one secondary play must exist, or the founder/joiner split is not authored")
+    check(re.search(r"serial:\s*1", play_txt) is not None,
+          "playbooks/k3s.yml does not restart/join the secondaries with `serial: 1` — "
+          "converging two of three servers at once drops embedded etcd below quorum, which "
+          "is exactly the outage an HA control plane exists to avoid")
+    hosts_patterns = re.findall(r"^\s*hosts:\s*(.+)$", play_txt, re.M)
+    check(len(hosts_patterns) >= 2 and all("{{" in h for h in hosts_patterns),
+          f"playbooks/k3s.yml targets literal host patterns {hosts_patterns} — a literal "
+          "group name means this play can only ever build ONE environment, so prod cannot "
+          "be brought up by the same code (docs/02: 'the *same* Ansible bootstrap runs')")
+
+# =========================================== SERVING-CERT SANs: VIP + every server
+sans = str(load_yaml(K3S_ROLE / "defaults" / "main.yml").get("k3s_tls_sans", ""))
+check("kube_vip_address" in sans,
+      "roles/k3s_server's k3s_tls_sans does not include kube_vip_address — the apiserver's "
+      "serving cert would carry no SAN for the floating VIP, so every client reaching the "
+      "API through it fails TLS validation and the HA endpoint is unusable")
+check("k3s_servers_group" in sans and "k3s_node_ip" in sans,
+      "k3s_tls_sans does not extract k3s_node_ip for every host of k3s_servers_group — the "
+      "cert must be valid for WHICHEVER server answers behind the VIP, and per-environment "
+      "resolution of that set is what keeps one role serving both environments (R-ENV-02)")
+check(re.search(r"tls-san:", K3S_TEXT) is not None,
+      "the SAN list is passed only as an install flag and never persisted to "
+      "/etc/rancher/k3s/config.yaml — on an ALREADY-installed cluster the install task is a "
+      "no-op, so a changed SAN set (e.g. a new server) would never reach the serving cert")
+
+# ============================ THE CNI DIALS THE VIP, NOT THE FOUNDER (added 2026-09-06)
+# This section used to be an ESCALATION in the header's gap list, not an assertion: Cilium's
+# k8sServiceHost was each environment's PRIMARY NODE address, so on a 3-server HA control
+# plane the CNI's control-plane path depended on one machine. Measured on live prod
+# 2026-09-06: all three cilium-agents carried KUBERNETES_SERVICE_HOST=192.168.2.10
+# (k3s-prod-1's own address) while kube-vip held 192.168.2.9. That failure is SILENT — the
+# datapath keeps serving from Cilium's cache, so nothing looks broken while no service or
+# policy update lands at all.
+#
+# The operator decided the VIP (2026-09-06), so this is now a repository property and belongs
+# here rather than in the gap list. THIS IS THE RIGHT LAYER because the claim is about what
+# the configuration in git WOULD build, in BOTH environments, including the next one — a live
+# cluster can only tell you about itself.
+#
+# WHAT MAKES THIS CHECKABLE AT ALL is that the fix split one variable into two. Asserting
+# "Cilium uses the HA address" requires an HA address to name; before the split there was
+# only k3s_api_host, which had to be the founder for the cold join. So the assertions below
+# check the SPLIT as much as the value: the join keeps the founder, the CNI gets the VIP, and
+# the Flux half agrees with the Ansible half per environment.
+CIL_ROLE = ANS / "roles" / "cilium"
+cil_values_tpl = CIL_ROLE / "templates" / "cilium-values.yaml.j2"
+check(cil_values_tpl.is_file(),
+      "roles/cilium ships no cilium-values.yaml.j2 — the bootstrap's CNI values, including the "
+      "API endpoint its kube-proxy replacement dials, are not authored")
+if cil_values_tpl.is_file():
+    # Parse the rendered-shape template, never its prose: strip comment lines first, exactly
+    # as the kube-vip parser above does, so a reassuring comment cannot satisfy the check.
+    cil_body = "\n".join(l for l in cil_values_tpl.read_text(errors="replace").splitlines()
+                         if not l.lstrip().startswith("#"))
+    m = re.search(r"^k8sServiceHost:\s*\"?([^\"\n]*)\"?\s*$", cil_body, re.M)
+    check(m is not None,
+          "roles/cilium's values template sets no k8sServiceHost — with kube-proxy disabled "
+          "(ADR-0001) the agent has no API endpoint to dial and the CNI cannot come up")
+    if m is not None:
+        host_expr = m.group(1).strip()
+        check("k3s_apiserver_endpoint" in host_expr,
+              f"roles/cilium renders k8sServiceHost={host_expr!r}. It MUST be the HA endpoint "
+              "variable {{ k3s_apiserver_endpoint }} (= kube_vip_address). Any node-valued "
+              "expression — k3s_api_host, a primary hostvar, a literal IP — makes the CNI's "
+              "control-plane path depend on ONE server of an HA control plane, and the failure "
+              "is silent: the datapath keeps running from Cilium's cache while no service or "
+              "policy update ever lands (measured on prod 2026-09-06)")
+        check("k3s_api_host" not in host_expr,
+              f"roles/cilium renders k8sServiceHost={host_expr!r}, which references "
+              "k3s_api_host — the FOUNDER's own address. That variable exists only for the "
+              "cold-bootstrap `--server` join and one tls-san entry; it is a single point of "
+              "failure by construction and must never be a steady-state endpoint")
+
+# The HA endpoint variable must BE the VIP, and must be DERIVED from kube_vip_address rather
+# than restated: an environment overrides one line (kube_vip_address) and both the floating
+# address and the CNI's endpoint move together. A literal here could disagree with the VIP the
+# same environment actually floats, which is the two-places-one-fact bug this repo keeps
+# hitting.
+endpoint_def = str(ALL_VARS.get("k3s_apiserver_endpoint", ""))
+check("kube_vip_address" in endpoint_def,
+      f"group_vars/all.yml defines k3s_apiserver_endpoint as {endpoint_def!r}. It MUST derive "
+      "from kube_vip_address, so that overriding the VIP for an environment also moves what "
+      "that environment's CNI dials. A restated literal can silently disagree with the VIP "
+      "kube-vip is actually floating")
+check("kube_vip_address" not in str(ALL_VARS.get("k3s_api_host", "")),
+      "group_vars/all.yml's k3s_api_host resolves from kube_vip_address — the two API "
+      "addresses have been re-merged. k3s_api_host is the secondary join target and on a COLD "
+      "build no VIP exists yet, so a VIP-valued join target makes a cold bootstrap unjoinable")
+
+# THE [parity] CONTRACT, now machine-checked instead of asserted in a comment: the Flux
+# overlay's K3S_API_HOST becomes Cilium's k8sServiceHost under the HelmRelease, and the
+# Ansible bootstrap renders k3s_apiserver_endpoint for the same field. If the two disagree,
+# Flux and the bootstrap describe different control-plane paths and fight over the CNI.
+for e in envs:
+    L = e.label
+    ov = overlay_vars(getattr(e, "overlay", ""))
+    k3s_api_host_knob = as_ip(ov.get("K3S_API_HOST", ""))
+    vip = as_ip(e.var("kube_vip_address"))
+    check(k3s_api_host_knob is not None,
+          f"{L}: overlay {getattr(e, 'overlay', '')!r} resolves no usable K3S_API_HOST — that "
+          "token becomes Cilium's k8sServiceHost via platform/cilium/helmrelease.yaml, and "
+          "kustomize-controller runs with StrictPostBuildSubstitutions so an unresolvable one "
+          "fails the whole platform Kustomization")
+    if k3s_api_host_knob is not None and vip is not None:
+        check(k3s_api_host_knob == vip,
+              f"{L}: [parity] BROKEN — the Flux overlay sets K3S_API_HOST={k3s_api_host_knob} "
+              f"but this environment's control-plane VIP (kube_vip_address, which is what "
+              f"k3s_apiserver_endpoint and therefore the Ansible-side k8sServiceHost resolve "
+              f"to) is {vip}. Flux and the Ansible bootstrap would render DIFFERENT API "
+              "endpoints into the same CNI and fight over it. If they differ because the "
+              "overlay still holds a NODE address, that is the 2026-09-06 defect: the CNI of "
+              "an HA control plane must not dial one server")
+        check(k3s_api_host_knob not in set(
+                  as_ip(host_vars.get(h, {}).get("k3s_node_ip", ""))
+                  for h in hosts_in(str(e.var("k3s_servers_group")))),
+              f"{L}: the overlay's K3S_API_HOST {k3s_api_host_knob} is one of this "
+              "environment's own NODE addresses. Cilium's kube-proxy replacement would dial a "
+              "single machine on a control plane built specifically to survive losing one")
+
+# The Flux half must stay a per-environment TOKEN. A literal IP in the shared HelmRelease
+# would ship one environment's control-plane address to every environment (R-ENV-02), and an
+# empty value is the 2026-09-01 incident verbatim (k8sServiceHost: "" made the agent's config
+# init container fall back to the in-cluster ClusterIP 10.43.0.1:443, which only the agent
+# being replaced could translate: deadlocked on 2 of 3 nodes).
+hr = ROOT / "platform" / "cilium" / "helmrelease.yaml"
+check(hr.is_file(), "platform/cilium/helmrelease.yaml is missing — nothing adopts the CNI "
+                    "config after the bootstrap, so the parity contract has only one side")
+if hr.is_file():
+    hr_body = "\n".join(l for l in hr.read_text(errors="replace").splitlines()
+                        if not l.lstrip().startswith("#"))
+    hm = re.search(r"^\s*k8sServiceHost:\s*\"?([^\"\n]*)\"?\s*$", hr_body, re.M)
+    check(hm is not None and hm.group(1).strip() == "${K3S_API_HOST}",
+          f"platform/cilium/helmrelease.yaml sets k8sServiceHost="
+          f"{(hm.group(1) if hm else None)!r} instead of the cluster-vars token "
+          "\"${K3S_API_HOST}\" — a literal there would ship ONE environment's control-plane "
+          "address to every environment (R-ENV-02), and an empty value is the 2026-09-01 "
+          "incident verbatim")
+
+# ORDERING: the VIP must be floating BEFORE the CNI is installed against it. site.yml is the
+# one-command bring-up, so this is a property of the authored sequence, not of an operator's
+# memory. (kube-vip can precede the CNI because its DaemonSet is hostNetwork with
+# KUBERNETES_SERVICE_HOST=127.0.0.1 — asserted separately below/above via the manifest parse.)
+site_play = PLAYBOOKS / "site.yml"
+check(site_play.is_file(), "playbooks/site.yml is missing — there is no one-command bring-up "
+                           "whose ORDER can be checked")
+if site_play.is_file():
+    imports = re.findall(r"import_playbook:\s*(\S+)", site_play.read_text())
+    for needed in ("k3s.yml", "kube-vip.yml", "cilium.yml"):
+        check(needed in imports,
+              f"playbooks/site.yml does not import {needed} (imports: {imports}). Cilium's "
+              "k8sServiceHost is the control-plane VIP, so kube-vip is a PREREQUISITE of the "
+              "CNI, not an optional extra step — leaving it out of the bring-up means a cold "
+              "build installs a CNI pointed at an address nothing announces")
+    if all(n in imports for n in ("k3s.yml", "kube-vip.yml", "cilium.yml")):
+        check(imports.index("k3s.yml") < imports.index("kube-vip.yml") < imports.index("cilium.yml"),
+              f"playbooks/site.yml imports {imports} — the order MUST be k3s.yml -> "
+              "kube-vip.yml -> cilium.yml. kube-vip after cilium installs the CNI against an "
+              "unannounced VIP (the 2026-09-01 shape: agents that cannot reach the API server "
+              "on a cold cluster); kube-vip before k3s cannot work at all, because the VIP "
+              "ships as a k3s auto-deploy manifest and needs a cluster to apply it")
+check(re.search(r"wait_for", VIP_TEXT) is not None
+      and re.search(r"kube_vip_address", VIP_TEXT) is not None,
+      "roles/kube_vip never WAITS for the VIP to answer — templating the manifest is not the "
+      "same as having a floating endpoint (k3s still has to apply it, the image still has to "
+      "pull, leader election still has to settle). Since the CNI is installed immediately "
+      "afterward against this exact address, an unverified VIP turns a missing endpoint into "
+      "unreachable cilium-agents diagnosed from the far side")
+
+# ============================================ FLOATING ENDPOINT: kube-vip on every server
+# Read the DaemonSet's ACTUAL container env out of the template, never the role's prose.
+# (An earlier draft matched `svc_enable=false` anywhere in the role and passed happily with
+# the template flipped to true — the comment in defaults/main.yml satisfied it. Parse the
+# thing that ships.) Parser contract: the template writes each env var as an adjacent
+# `- name: X` / `value: "Y"` pair; comment lines are dropped first.
+VIP_TEMPLATES = sorted(VIP_ROLE.rglob("*.j2"))
+check(len(VIP_TEMPLATES) >= 1,
+      "roles/kube_vip ships no manifest template — nothing deploys the API VIP")
+vip_manifest = "\n".join(
+    "\n".join(l for l in p.read_text(errors="replace").splitlines()
+              if not l.lstrip().startswith("#"))
+    for p in VIP_TEMPLATES)
+vip_env = dict(re.findall(r"-\s*name:\s*([A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*)\s*\n\s*value:\s*\"?([^\"\n]*)\"?",
+                          vip_manifest))
+check(len(vip_env) >= 6,
+      f"only {len(vip_env)} env var(s) parsed out of the kube-vip manifest template — the "
+      "parser lost its grip on the file, so the assertions below would assert nothing")
+check(vip_env.get("cp_enable") == "true",
+      f"the kube-vip manifest sets cp_enable={vip_env.get('cp_enable')!r} — control-plane "
+      "mode must be ON or it floats no API VIP at all")
+check(vip_env.get("svc_enable") == "false",
+      f"the kube-vip manifest sets svc_enable={vip_env.get('svc_enable')!r} — it must be "
+      "false, or kube-vip ALSO serves Service LoadBalancers and contends with Cilium LB-IPAM "
+      "for the same addresses (ADR-0002 gives Service LB to Cilium)")
+check(vip_env.get("vip_leaderelection") == "true",
+      f"the kube-vip manifest sets vip_leaderelection={vip_env.get('vip_leaderelection')!r} "
+      "— without leader election the VIP has no defined owner to fail over FROM, which is "
+      "the whole HA mechanism")
+check(vip_env.get("address", "").strip() == "{{ kube_vip_address }}",
+      f"the kube-vip manifest announces address={vip_env.get('address')!r} instead of the "
+      "environment-scoped {{ kube_vip_address }} — a literal here would float DEV's VIP on "
+      "prod (R-ENV-02) and would not match the serving-cert SAN list")
+check(re.search(r"^kind:\s*DaemonSet\s*$", vip_manifest, re.M) is not None,
+      "the kube-vip manifest is not a DaemonSet — a single-replica VIP holder dies with its "
+      "node, which is the opposite of a floating endpoint")
+vip_play = PLAYBOOKS / "kube-vip.yml"
+check(vip_play.is_file(), "playbooks/kube-vip.yml is missing — nothing deploys the API VIP")
+if vip_play.is_file():
+    vp = vip_play.read_text()
+    vip_hosts = re.findall(r"^\s*hosts:\s*(.+)$", vp, re.M)
+    check(len(vip_hosts) == 1 and "k3s_hosts" in vip_hosts[0],
+          f"playbooks/kube-vip.yml targets {vip_hosts} — it must target the whole servers "
+          "group through the same environment-scoped variable the other plays use, so the "
+          "manifest exists on EVERY server and the VIP survives losing any one of them")
+check(re.search(r"kube_vip_manifest_path", VIP_TEXT) is not None
+      and re.search(r"k3s_data_dir", VIP_TEXT) is not None,
+      "roles/kube_vip's manifest path is not derived from k3s_data_dir — k3s only auto-applies "
+      "<data-dir>/server/manifests, so an environment that moves --data-dir would write the "
+      "manifest somewhere k3s never reads and come up with no VIP at all")
+
+# ================================================== ONE CODE PATH FOR BOTH ENVIRONMENTS
+# docs/02: "For prod bare-metal, the *same* Ansible bootstrap runs; only the machine-creation
+# step differs". A prod-only role or playbook would be a fork of the control-plane path.
+role_names = {p.name for p in (ANS / "roles").iterdir() if p.is_dir()}
+play_names = {p.name for p in PLAYBOOKS.glob("*.yml")}
+env_words = re.compile(r"prod|dev", re.I)
+forked = sorted(n for n in (role_names | play_names)
+                if env_words.search(n) and n not in ("memattr_survey", "memattr-survey.yml"))
+check(not forked,
+      f"environment-named roles/playbooks exist ({forked}) — dev and prod must be built by "
+      "the SAME code retargeted by variables (docs/02), not by a per-environment fork")
+for e in envs:
+    if e.path.name != "vars.yml":
+        continue
+    # Every key a non-default environment sets must be a variable something already reads,
+    # or it is an invented knob nothing consumes (a silent no-op that looks like config).
+    consumers = "\n".join(p.read_text(errors="replace") for p in sorted(ANS.rglob("*"))
+                          if p.is_file() and p.suffix in (".yml", ".yaml", ".j2", ".sh"))
+    for k in sorted(e.vars):
+        if k.startswith("ansible_"):
+            continue
+        check(consumers.count(k) > 1,
+              f"{e.label} sets {k!r}, which appears nowhere else under infra/ansible — an "
+              "environment override that nothing reads is not a scoped override, it is dead "
+              "configuration (and would make prod silently inherit a dev default)")
+
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------- verdict
+# NO-OP GUARD: a check that quietly asserts nothing is worse than no check.
+check(CHECKS >= 40,
+      f"only {CHECKS} assertions ran — the check degenerated to a near-no-op and its pass "
+      "would be meaningless")
+
+if FAILURES:
+    die()
+for n in NOTES:
+    print(f"  note: {n}")
+summary = "; ".join(
+    f"{e.label.split('/')[-1]}[{'PROD' if e in prod_envs else 'non-prod'}]="
+    f"{len(hosts_in(str(e.var('k3s_servers_group'))))} servers"
+    for e in envs)
+print(f"check OK: ha-control-plane-as-code — {CHECKS} assertions; {summary}. "
+      "R-PLAT-01's AUTHORED half only: k3s, one --cluster-init founder per environment, "
+      "embedded etcd on every server with no external datastore, a leader-elected "
+      "control-plane-only VIP on every server that is SAN'd into the serving cert and "
+      "collides with no other allocator, floated BEFORE the CNI that dials it (and the CNI "
+      "dials that VIP, not the founder, in both environments and on both sides of the "
+      "[parity] contract), from one code path for both environments. The LIVE "
+      "cluster shape is proven at L2 (tests/l2-behavioral/ha-control-plane); control-plane "
+      "SURVIVAL of a node loss is proven NOWHERE yet (see the header's gap list).")
+PY

conformance/tests/l0-static/keycloak-client-secret-reconciler/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+# =============================================================================
+# L0 STATIC — Keycloak client secrets are declared consistently, ordered by a REAL
+# Flux edge, and healed by a reconciler whose behaviour is proven offline
+# Catalog: docs/14 L0 row ("Pre-apply, in CI") — runs WITHOUT a cluster.
+#
+# R-IDP-03 (identity config is declarative) and R-IDP-04 (IdP secrets SOPS-encrypted)
+# are both implemented through ONE mechanism that FAILS OPEN: the KeycloakRealmImport
+# resolves each client's secret from a `(env:NAME)` placeholder mapped to a key of the
+# SOPS-encrypted keycloak-realm-clients Secret. When the operator cannot resolve a
+# placeholder it stores the LITERAL placeholder text as the client secret AND THE IMPORT
+# JOB STILL REPORTS SUCCESS — then rests at Done=True / Started=False and never re-runs.
+#
+# Measured 2026-09-06: prod had all 12 clients holding the literal placeholder (every
+# OIDC login failed with "Invalid client or Invalid client credentials"); dev had exactly
+# one (oauth2-proxy), because that Secret key was added AFTER dev's import completed.
+# Declarative config that silently does not apply is not declarative config.
+#
+# GIVEN the repository as authored,
+# THEN  every confidential client declares a placeholder, every placeholder is defined,
+#       resolves to the keycloak-realm-clients Secret, and names a key that EXISTS in the
+#       SOPS file under the `<clientId>-client-secret` contract the reconciler derives
+#       from; public clients declare no secret; the Flux Kustomization applying the Secret
+#       is a transitive `dependsOn` ancestor (wait: true) of the ones applying the import
+#       and the reconciler — a real edge, not a comment; the reconciler is reconciled from
+#       BOTH cluster entrypoints, mounts only what it needs, carries no ServiceAccount
+#       token and contains no dollar sign; and its own `--selftest` (extracted from the
+#       shipped ConfigMap and executed) proves compare-then-write, idempotence,
+#       no-secret-logging, the endpoint allow-list and fail-closed behaviour.
+#
+# STATUS: EXECUTABLE. `check.sh` is a pure offline assertion script (git + PyYAML +
+# stdlib); conformance/run.sh --layer l0 and ci/l0.sh run it directly, and this Chainsaw
+# Test wraps the SAME script.
+#
+# NOT proven here: that the LIVE realm's stored secrets match git (that is
+# tests/l2-behavioral/keycloak-client-secrets-match-git), that the SOPS ciphertext
+# decrypts to a usable value (key PRESENCE is offline-checkable; plaintext is not), or
+# that the CronJob's schedule fires.
+# =============================================================================
+apiVersion: chainsaw.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Test
+metadata:
+  name: keycloak-client-secret-reconciler
+  labels:
+    conformance.home.k3s/R-IDP-03: "true"
+    conformance.home.k3s/R-IDP-04: "true"
+  annotations:
+    conformance.home.k3s/requirements: "R-IDP-03, R-IDP-04"
+    conformance.home.k3s/layer: "L0"
+    conformance.home.k3s/safety-critical: "false"
+    conformance.home.k3s/executable: "true"
+    conformance.home.k3s/intent: >-
+      Every OIDC client's secret is declared once, resolvable, ordered behind a real Flux
+      dependency, and continuously reconciled — so an unresolved import placeholder can
+      neither be merged nor silently persist in the realm.
+spec:
+  steps:
+    - name: audit-declaration-ordering-and-reconciler
+      description: >-
+        Assert the realm import, the SOPS Secret and the reconciler agree; that the Flux
+        ordering is a real dependsOn edge; and run the reconciler's own selftest.
+      try:
+        - script:
+            content: bash ./check.sh

conformance/tests/l0-static/keycloak-client-secret-reconciler/check.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,529 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# =============================================================================
+# L0 static check (offline, no cluster) — keycloak-client-secret-reconciler
+# Serves: R-IDP-03 ("Identity config (realms, clients, groups, roles) is declarative."
+#                   — spec docs/15-identity-and-access.md)
+#         R-IDP-04 ("IdP secrets SOPS-encrypted; MFA available."
+#                   — spec docs/15-identity-and-access.md)
+#
+# WHY THIS EXISTS — THE REALM IMPORT IS A ONE-SHOT THAT FAILS OPEN
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------
+# platform/keycloak/keycloak-realm-import.yaml declares 12 confidential OIDC clients
+# whose secrets are `(env:NAME)` import placeholders, mapped by spec.placeholders to
+# keys of the SOPS-encrypted keycloak-realm-clients Secret. Measured on both clusters
+# on 2026-09-06:
+#
+#   * when the Keycloak Operator cannot resolve a placeholder it stores the LITERAL
+#     placeholder text as the client secret AND THE IMPORT JOB STILL REPORTS SUCCESS;
+#   * the KeycloakRealmImport then rests at Done=True / Started=False and NEVER
+#     re-runs, so it never self-heals.
+#
+# Consequence: on prod all 12 clients held the literal placeholder and every OIDC
+# login on the cluster failed ("Invalid client or Invalid client credentials"); on dev
+# exactly one (oauth2-proxy) was broken, because that Secret key was added AFTER dev's
+# import had already completed and a completed import is never re-run.
+#
+# Nothing in the repo asserted the declaration was self-consistent, and nothing
+# corrected the realm afterwards. This check is the static half of the fix (the
+# reconciler CronJob is the runtime half, and this check proves that too).
+#
+# GIVEN the repository as authored,
+# THEN  (1) DECLARATION IS COMPLETE: every confidential client in the realm import
+#           declares a secret placeholder; every placeholder it uses is defined in
+#           spec.placeholders; every placeholder resolves to the keycloak-realm-clients
+#           Secret; and every referenced key EXISTS in the SOPS file. A client whose
+#           key is missing is exactly the dev failure, and it is now unmergeable.
+#       (2) THE NAMING CONTRACT HOLDS: each key is `<clientId>-client-secret`. That is
+#           what lets the reconciler derive the client set from the mounted Secret with
+#           no second declaration — so it must be enforced, not assumed. No orphan
+#           placeholder, and no orphan Secret key (an orphan key would make every
+#           reconciler run fail with NOT FOUND).
+#       (3) PUBLIC CLIENTS DECLARE NO SECRET (the `kubernetes` client is PKCE-public;
+#           giving it a secret would be a silent downgrade).
+#       (4) ORDERING IS A REAL FLUX EDGE, NOT A COMMENT: the Flux Kustomization that
+#           renders the Secret is a transitive `dependsOn` ancestor — with `wait: true`
+#           — of the one that renders the realm import and the reconciler. The repo's
+#           hard-won rule: a dependency that is only DOCUMENTED is not a dependency.
+#       (5) THE RECONCILER IS WIRED AND SAFE: it is reconciled from BOTH cluster
+#           entrypoints, mounts exactly the two Secrets it needs at the paths its code
+#           defaults to, carries no ServiceAccount token, and contains no dollar sign
+#           (it ships inside a substituted Flux path, where an unescaped dollar-brace
+#           expansion is rewritten before any container runs).
+#       (6) THE RECONCILER'S BEHAVIOUR IS PROVEN, NOT ASSERTED: this check EXTRACTS the
+#           script from the ConfigMap and executes its `--selftest`, which drives the
+#           real code paths against an in-process stub Keycloak and asserts
+#           compare-then-write, idempotence (zero writes on a converged realm),
+#           no-secret-logging, the endpoint allow-list (users/groups/roles are
+#           unreachable) and fail-closed behaviour. What CI proves is byte-for-byte
+#           what ships.
+#   AND (7) THIS CHECK IS LOAD-BEARING: ci/l0.sh runs it unconditionally, ci/gate.sh
+#           blocks the merge when the l0 stage fails, ci/touched-requirements.sh maps
+#           platform/keycloak/ to these requirement IDs, and an L2 test exists that
+#           audits the LIVE realm. An unreferenced test is precisely the "looks applied
+#           and isn't" failure this repo keeps hitting.
+#
+# NOT proven here (named honestly, in the style of the sibling L0 checks):
+#   - that the LIVE realm's stored secrets match git. That is cluster state; it is
+#     conformance/tests/l2-behavioral/keycloak-client-secrets-match-git.
+#   - that the SOPS ciphertext decrypts to a usable secret. Key PRESENCE is checkable
+#     offline; the plaintext is not, and must not be.
+#   - that the CronJob's image can be pulled or its schedule fires.
+# =============================================================================
+set -euo pipefail
+DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+ROOT="$(cd "${DIR}/../../../.." && pwd)"        # repo root
+PYTHON="${PYTHON:-python3}"
+
+IMPORT_FILE="platform/keycloak/keycloak-realm-import.yaml"
+SOPS_FILE="platform/keycloak/keycloak-realm-clients.sops.yaml"
+RECON_FILE="platform/keycloak/client-secret-reconciler.yaml"
+
+# Honest SKIP (never green) if the thing under test is absent entirely.
+for f in "$IMPORT_FILE" "$SOPS_FILE" "$RECON_FILE"; do
+  if [ ! -f "${ROOT}/${f}" ]; then
+    echo "check SKIPPED: ${f} absent — nothing to audit" >&2
+    exit 3
+  fi
+done
+
+cd "${ROOT}"
+"${PYTHON}" - "${ROOT}" <<'PY'
+"""Static audit of the Keycloak client-secret declaration, its Flux ordering, and the
+reconciler that heals it. PyYAML (the same dependency tests/l0-static/no-plaintext-secrets
+and least-privilege-rbac already take) parses the manifests; lib/status.py is IMPORTED for
+the Flux graph walk rather than forked, so there is one definition of "what a Flux path
+renders" in the harness."""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import re
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import tempfile
+from pathlib import Path
+
+try:
+    import yaml
+except ImportError:                                  # pragma: no cover
+    print("check FAIL: PyYAML is required (same dependency as catalog/render.py)",
+          file=sys.stderr)
+    raise SystemExit(1)
+
+ROOT = Path(sys.argv[1])
+sys.dont_write_bytecode = True          # keep __pycache__ out of the tracked tree
+sys.path.insert(0, str(ROOT / "conformance" / "lib"))
+import status as st                     # noqa: E402 — reuse the walk, don't fork it
+
+IMPORT_FILE = "platform/keycloak/keycloak-realm-import.yaml"
+SOPS_FILE = "platform/keycloak/keycloak-realm-clients.sops.yaml"
+RECON_FILE = "platform/keycloak/client-secret-reconciler.yaml"
+SECRET_NAME = "keycloak-realm-clients"
+ADMIN_SECRET = "keycloak-admin-credentials"
+KEY_SUFFIX = "-client-secret"
+SECRETS_MOUNT = "/etc/keycloak-realm-clients"
+DOLLAR = chr(36)
+
+FAILURES: list[str] = []
+CHECKS = 0
+
+
+def check(cond, msg):
+    global CHECKS
+    CHECKS += 1
+    if not cond:
+        FAILURES.append(msg)
+
+
+def load(rel):
+    return list(yaml.safe_load_all((ROOT / rel).read_text()))
+
+
+# ================================================================= (1)-(3) declaration
+realm_import = next((d for d in load(IMPORT_FILE)
+                     if d and d.get("kind") == "KeycloakRealmImport"), None)
+check(realm_import is not None, f"{IMPORT_FILE}: no KeycloakRealmImport document found")
+if realm_import is None:
+    print("CHECK FAIL: cannot parse the realm import", file=sys.stderr)
+    raise SystemExit(1)
+
+placeholders = realm_import["spec"].get("placeholders") or {}
+clients = realm_import["spec"]["realm"].get("clients") or []
+check(len(clients) > 0, f"{IMPORT_FILE}: parsed zero clients — the file shape changed and "
+                        f"this check would silently audit nothing")
+
+# The operator's placeholder syntax, spelled without a literal dollar so this file is
+# itself safe to grep for one. Matches `<dollar>(env:NAME)`.
+PLACEHOLDER_RE = re.compile(re.escape(DOLLAR) + r"\(env:([A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*)\)")
+
+used_placeholders: set[str] = set()
+declared_pairs: dict[str, str] = {}          # clientId -> secret key in the Secret
+
+for c in clients:
+    cid = c.get("clientId", "<unnamed>")
+    secret = c.get("secret")
+    public = bool(c.get("publicClient"))
+    if public:
+        # (3) a PKCE public client must not carry a secret at all.
+        check(secret is None,
+              f"{IMPORT_FILE}: client '{cid}' is publicClient but declares a secret — a "
+              f"public client holds no secret; declaring one is a silent downgrade")
+        continue
+    # (1) every confidential client must declare one.
+    check(isinstance(secret, str) and secret,
+          f"{IMPORT_FILE}: confidential client '{cid}' declares NO secret. The operator "
+          f"would generate a random one that exists nowhere in git, so nothing could "
+          f"ever reconcile it and the consuming app's mirrored credential would be wrong")
+    if not isinstance(secret, str):
+        continue
+    m = PLACEHOLDER_RE.fullmatch(secret.strip())
+    check(m is not None,
+          f"{IMPORT_FILE}: client '{cid}' has a secret that is not an (env:NAME) "
+          f"placeholder. A literal secret in git violates R-IDP-04/R-SEC-01; the only "
+          f"permitted form is a placeholder resolved from the {SECRET_NAME} Secret")
+    if m is None:
+        continue
+    name = m.group(1)
+    used_placeholders.add(name)
+    # (1) the placeholder must be DEFINED. An undefined one is stored literally by the
+    #     operator, with a successful-looking import — the whole incident.
+    ph = placeholders.get(name)
+    check(ph is not None,
+          f"{IMPORT_FILE}: client '{cid}' uses placeholder '{name}' but spec.placeholders "
+          f"does not define it. The operator stores the LITERAL placeholder as the client "
+          f"secret and STILL reports the import successful (measured 2026-09-06)")
+    if ph is None:
+        continue
+    ref = (ph or {}).get("secret") or {}
+    check(ref.get("name") == SECRET_NAME,
+          f"{IMPORT_FILE}: placeholder '{name}' reads Secret '{ref.get('name')}', not "
+          f"'{SECRET_NAME}'. The reconciler mounts only {SECRET_NAME}, so a second source "
+          f"would be declared but never healed")
+    key = ref.get("key")
+    check(isinstance(key, str) and key,
+          f"{IMPORT_FILE}: placeholder '{name}' names no Secret key")
+    if not isinstance(key, str):
+        continue
+    # (2) the naming contract the reconciler derives its client set from.
+    check(key == cid + KEY_SUFFIX,
+          f"{IMPORT_FILE}: client '{cid}' reads Secret key '{key}', but the reconciler "
+          f"derives the clientId from the key name, so it MUST be "
+          f"'{cid}{KEY_SUFFIX}'. Rename the key (and the SOPS entry) or the reconciler "
+          f"would look up a client that does not exist")
+    declared_pairs[cid] = key
+
+# (2) no orphan placeholder: a defined-but-unused placeholder is dead config that will
+#     quietly rot out of sync with the Secret.
+for name in sorted(set(placeholders) - used_placeholders):
+    check(False,
+          f"{IMPORT_FILE}: spec.placeholders defines '{name}' but no client uses it — "
+          f"dead declaration; remove it or wire it to the client that needs it")
+
+# ---- the SOPS Secret: keys are cleartext in a SOPS-encrypted file; values are not.
+sops_doc = next((d for d in load(SOPS_FILE) if d and d.get("kind") == "Secret"), None)
+check(sops_doc is not None, f"{SOPS_FILE}: no Secret document found")
+sops_keys = set((sops_doc or {}).get("stringData") or {})
+check(len(sops_keys) > 0,
+      f"{SOPS_FILE}: parsed zero stringData keys — the file shape changed and this check "
+      f"would silently audit nothing")
+check((sops_doc or {}).get("metadata", {}).get("name") == SECRET_NAME,
+      f"{SOPS_FILE}: the Secret is not named {SECRET_NAME}")
+
+for cid, key in sorted(declared_pairs.items()):
+    # (1) THE DEV FAILURE, made unmergeable: a client declared in the import whose key
+    #     is absent from the Secret imports "successfully" with a literal placeholder.
+    check(key in sops_keys,
+          f"{SOPS_FILE}: client '{cid}' needs key '{key}' and it is NOT in the Secret. "
+          f"The realm import would still report SUCCESS and store the literal placeholder "
+          f"as that client's secret — this is exactly how dev's oauth2-proxy broke")
+
+# (2) no orphan Secret key: the reconciler treats every `<x>-client-secret` key as a
+#     client that MUST exist, and fails loudly if it does not. Catch it here instead.
+for key in sorted(k for k in sops_keys if k.endswith(KEY_SUFFIX)):
+    cid = key[: -len(KEY_SUFFIX)]
+    check(cid in declared_pairs,
+          f"{SOPS_FILE}: key '{key}' has no matching client in {IMPORT_FILE}. The "
+          f"reconciler would look up client '{cid}', not find it, and fail every run")
+
+# ===================================================== (4) ordering is a real Flux edge
+# Parse contract mirrors lib/status.py's flux_paths(): docs split on a lone `---`; a doc
+# is an entrypoint only if it carries the kustomize.toolkit apiVersion, `kind:
+# Kustomization` and a spec-level `path:`. Overlay `patch: |-` bodies carry Kustomizations
+# WITHOUT a path and are correctly skipped (they are patches, not entrypoints).
+_DEPENDSON_RE = re.compile(r"^(\s*)dependsOn:\s*$", re.M)
+_DEP_NAME_RE = re.compile(r"^\s*(?:-\s*)?name:\s*([^\s#]+)")
+_WAIT_RE = re.compile(r"^\s{2,6}wait:\s*true\s*(?:#.*)?$", re.M)
+
+
+def depends_on(doc: str) -> list[str]:
+    m = _DEPENDSON_RE.search(doc)
+    if not m:
+        return []
+    indent = len(m.group(1))
+    out: list[str] = []
+    for raw in doc[m.end():].splitlines():
+        if raw.strip() == "" or raw.lstrip().startswith("#"):
+            continue
+        if len(raw) - len(raw.lstrip()) <= indent and not raw.lstrip().startswith("-"):
+            break                                    # dedented out of the list
+        nm = _DEP_NAME_RE.match(raw)
+        if nm:
+            out.append(nm.group(1))
+    return out
+
+
+kustomizations: dict[str, dict] = {}
+for yfile in sorted((ROOT / "clusters").rglob("*.yaml")):
+    text = yfile.read_text()
+    if st.FLUX_API not in text:
+        continue
+    for doc in st._DOC_SPLIT_RE.split(text):
+        if st.FLUX_API not in doc or not re.search(r"^kind:\s*Kustomization\s*$", doc, re.M):
+            continue
+        pm = st._PATH_RE.search(doc)
+        if not pm:
+            continue
+        nm = st._NAME_RE.search(doc)
+        name = nm.group(1) if nm else "?"
+        kustomizations[name] = {
+            "file": str(yfile.relative_to(ROOT)),
+            "path": pm.group(1),
+            "dependsOn": depends_on(doc),
+            "wait": bool(_WAIT_RE.search(doc)),
+        }
+
+check(len(kustomizations) > 0,
+      "no Flux Kustomization with a spec.path found under clusters/ — the parser or the "
+      "repo layout changed; this check would silently audit nothing")
+
+
+def direct_render(path_spec: str) -> set[str]:
+    """Files a Flux `spec.path` renders ITSELF — a kustomize walk that deliberately does
+    NOT expand nested Flux Kustomizations.
+
+    lib/status.py's reconciled_files() follows every `spec.path` it discovers, which is
+    right for "is this file applied to the cluster at all" but wrong for OWNERSHIP: the
+    root Kustomization's path is clusters/<env>, so a transitive walk makes the root the
+    owner of every file in the repo and the ordering assertion below becomes vacuous
+    (measured: it reported the root as an owner of all three keycloak files). `resources:`
+    parsing itself is st.kustomize_resources, not forked.
+    """
+    rel = path_spec.lstrip("./") or "."
+    out: set[str] = set()
+    seen: set[str] = set()
+
+    def walk(d: str) -> None:
+        if d in seen:
+            return
+        seen.add(d)
+        kfile = ROOT / d / "kustomization.yaml"
+        if not kfile.is_file():
+            return
+        out.add(str(kfile.relative_to(ROOT)))
+        for item in st.kustomize_resources(kfile):
+            if "://" in item:
+                continue                       # remote base: not repo state
+            target = (ROOT / d / item).resolve()
+            try:
+                trel = target.relative_to(ROOT).as_posix()
+            except ValueError:
+                continue                       # outside the repo
+            if target.is_dir():
+                walk(trel)
+            elif target.is_file():
+                out.add(trel)
+
+    if (ROOT / rel).is_dir():
+        walk(rel)
+    return out
+
+
+rendered_by = {n: direct_render(k["path"]) for n, k in kustomizations.items()}
+
+
+def owners(rel_file: str) -> list[str]:
+    return sorted(n for n, files in rendered_by.items() if rel_file in files)
+
+
+def ancestors(name: str, seen=None) -> set[str]:
+    """Transitive dependsOn closure of `name` (its dependencies, direct and indirect)."""
+    seen = seen if seen is not None else set()
+    for dep in kustomizations.get(name, {}).get("dependsOn", []):
+        if dep in seen:
+            continue
+        seen.add(dep)
+        ancestors(dep, seen)
+    return seen
+
+
+secret_owners = owners(SOPS_FILE)
+import_owners = owners(IMPORT_FILE)
+recon_owners = owners(RECON_FILE)
+
+check(bool(secret_owners),
+      f"{SOPS_FILE} is rendered by NO Flux Kustomization — the client secrets are in git "
+      f"but never applied")
+check(bool(import_owners),
+      f"{IMPORT_FILE} is rendered by NO Flux Kustomization")
+# (5) the reconciler must actually be reconciled, or it is decoration.
+check(bool(recon_owners),
+      f"{RECON_FILE} is rendered by NO Flux Kustomization — the healer would sit in git "
+      f"and never run, which is the 'looks applied and isn't' failure it exists to end")
+
+for consumer_file, consumer_owners in ((IMPORT_FILE, import_owners),
+                                       (RECON_FILE, recon_owners)):
+    for co in consumer_owners:
+        for so in secret_owners:
+            if so == co:
+                continue          # same Kustomization: one atomic apply, ordering moot
+            anc = ancestors(co)
+            check(so in anc,
+                  f"ORDERING IS ONLY DOCUMENTED: '{co}' renders {consumer_file} but does "
+                  f"not (transitively) dependsOn '{so}', which renders the "
+                  f"{SECRET_NAME} Secret. Without that edge the consumer can reconcile "
+                  f"before the secret exists, and the Keycloak Operator's response to a "
+                  f"missing placeholder is to store it LITERALLY and report success")
+            if so in anc:
+                check(kustomizations[so]["wait"],
+                      f"'{so}' (which renders the {SECRET_NAME} Secret) does not set "
+                      f"wait: true, so '{co}' can proceed before it is applied")
+
+# ------ both environments must reconcile the reconciler, not just dev.
+for env in ("dev", "prod"):
+    entry = f"clusters/{env}"
+    if not (ROOT / entry).is_dir():
+        continue
+    applied, _ = st.reconciled_files(ROOT, entry)
+    check(RECON_FILE in applied,
+          f"{RECON_FILE} is not reachable from the {entry} entrypoint — the healer would "
+          f"exist on one cluster only, and prod is where all 12 clients were broken")
+    check(IMPORT_FILE in applied, f"{IMPORT_FILE} is not reachable from {entry}")
+
+# ============================================ (5) the reconciler manifest is safe + wired
+recon_docs = [d for d in load(RECON_FILE) if d]
+cm = next((d for d in recon_docs if d.get("kind") == "ConfigMap"), None)
+cj = next((d for d in recon_docs if d.get("kind") == "CronJob"), None)
+check(cm is not None, f"{RECON_FILE}: no ConfigMap carrying the reconciler script")
+check(cj is not None, f"{RECON_FILE}: no CronJob running the reconciler")
+
+script = ""
+if cm is not None:
+    data = cm.get("data") or {}
+    check(len(data) == 1,
+          f"{RECON_FILE}: the reconciler ConfigMap must carry exactly one script key "
+          f"(found {sorted(data)}) — a second copy would be untested by this gate")
+    script = next(iter(data.values()), "")
+    check(len(script.splitlines()) > 50,
+          f"{RECON_FILE}: the extracted script is implausibly short "
+          f"({len(script.splitlines())} lines) — the ConfigMap shape changed and the "
+          f"selftest below would prove nothing")
+    # THE nextcloud TRAP. This file is rendered by a Flux Kustomization with
+    # postBuild.substituteFrom, so envsubst rewrites it before any container runs. The
+    # script is written with NO dollar sign at all, so the hazard is structural rather
+    # than escaped and no future edit has to reason about escaping.
+    check(DOLLAR not in script,
+          f"{RECON_FILE}: the reconciler script contains a dollar sign. It ships inside a "
+          f"SUBSTITUTED Flux path, where a dollar-brace expansion is rewritten at "
+          f"reconcile time (see apps/wave-1/nextcloud.yaml). Rewrite without it — Python "
+          f"never needs one; chr(36) spells it where a literal is genuinely required")
+
+if cj is not None:
+    pod = cj["spec"]["jobTemplate"]["spec"]["template"]["spec"]
+    ctr = pod["containers"][0]
+    vols = {v["name"]: v for v in pod.get("volumes", [])}
+    mounts = {m["name"]: m for m in ctr.get("volumeMounts", [])}
+    secret_vols = [v for v in vols.values()
+                   if (v.get("secret") or {}).get("secretName") == SECRET_NAME]
+    check(len(secret_vols) == 1,
+          f"{RECON_FILE}: the CronJob must mount the {SECRET_NAME} Secret — that mount IS "
+          f"the desired state it reconciles towards")
+    if secret_vols:
+        mp = mounts.get(secret_vols[0]["name"], {}).get("mountPath")
+        check(mp == SECRETS_MOUNT,
+              f"{RECON_FILE}: {SECRET_NAME} is mounted at {mp}, but the script defaults "
+              f"to {SECRETS_MOUNT} and no env var overrides it")
+    cm_vols = [v for v in vols.values()
+               if (v.get("configMap") or {}).get("name") == (cm or {}).get(
+                   "metadata", {}).get("name")]
+    check(len(cm_vols) == 1,
+          f"{RECON_FILE}: the CronJob does not mount the reconciler ConfigMap, so it "
+          f"would run nothing")
+    env_srcs = {e["name"]: e for e in ctr.get("env", [])}
+    for var in ("KEYCLOAK_ADMIN_USER", "KEYCLOAK_ADMIN_PASSWORD"):
+        ref = (env_srcs.get(var, {}).get("valueFrom") or {}).get("secretKeyRef") or {}
+        check(ref.get("name") == ADMIN_SECRET,
+              f"{RECON_FILE}: {var} must come from the {ADMIN_SECRET} Secret "
+              f"(got {ref.get('name')!r}) — the admin credential is never inlined")
+    for var in ("KEYCLOAK_BASE_URL", "KEYCLOAK_REALM"):
+        check(env_srcs.get(var, {}).get("value"),
+              f"{RECON_FILE}: {var} is not set; the script fails closed without it, but "
+              f"the CronJob should not ship broken")
+    # R-SEC-02: it talks only to Keycloak's REST API and needs no Kubernetes API rights.
+    check(pod.get("automountServiceAccountToken") is False,
+          f"{RECON_FILE}: the reconciler needs NO Kubernetes API access (its inputs are "
+          f"mounted Secrets) — set automountServiceAccountToken: false")
+    check(cj["spec"].get("concurrencyPolicy") == "Forbid",
+          f"{RECON_FILE}: set concurrencyPolicy: Forbid so a run stalled on an "
+          f"unavailable Keycloak is not lapped by the next tick")
+    img = ctr.get("image", "")
+    check(re.search(r":[0-9]", img),
+          f"{RECON_FILE}: container image {img!r} is not pinned to an explicit version")
+
+# ============================== (6) the reconciler's BEHAVIOUR, proven by its own selftest
+if script:
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as td:
+        p = Path(td) / "reconcile.py"
+        p.write_text(script)
+        proc = subprocess.run([sys.executable, str(p), "--selftest"],
+                              capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=180)
+        tail = (proc.stdout + proc.stderr).strip().splitlines()
+        check(proc.returncode == 0,
+              "the reconciler's --selftest FAILED (compare-then-write / idempotence / "
+              "no-secret-logging / endpoint allow-list / fail-closed):\n        "
+              + "\n        ".join(tail[-12:]))
+        if proc.returncode == 0:
+            print("  reconciler --selftest: " + (tail[-1] if tail else "(no output)"))
+
+# ======================================================= (7) this check is load-bearing
+L0 = (ROOT / "ci" / "l0.sh").read_text() if (ROOT / "ci" / "l0.sh").is_file() else ""
+GATE = (ROOT / "ci" / "gate.sh").read_text() if (ROOT / "ci" / "gate.sh").is_file() else ""
+TOUCHED = ((ROOT / "ci" / "touched-requirements.sh").read_text()
+           if (ROOT / "ci" / "touched-requirements.sh").is_file() else "")
+check("keycloak-client-secret-reconciler/check.sh" in L0,
+      "ci/l0.sh does not run keycloak-client-secret-reconciler/check.sh — the "
+      "requirement-scoped conformance selection can filter this check out of a gate run, "
+      "so l0.sh must invoke it directly and unconditionally or the gate is not enforcing "
+      "it. An unreferenced test is the failure this whole change exists to end")
+check(re.search(r"^for s in .*\bl0\b.*; do", GATE, re.M) and re.search(r"fail\).*BLOCK=1", GATE),
+      "ci/gate.sh does not set the merge block when the l0 stage fails")
+check(re.search(r"^\s*platform/keycloak/\*\)", TOUCHED, re.M),
+      "ci/touched-requirements.sh has no platform/keycloak/* entry in its path->requirement "
+      "map, so editing the realm import or this reconciler attributes NO requirement and "
+      "the L2 keycloak tests are filtered out of the merge gate's touched subset")
+l2 = ROOT / "conformance/tests/l2-behavioral/keycloak-client-secrets-match-git/chainsaw-test.yaml"
+check(l2.is_file(),
+      "the LIVE-realm counterpart (conformance/tests/l2-behavioral/"
+      "keycloak-client-secrets-match-git) is missing — this static check cannot see a "
+      "realm that drifted after apply, which is the whole failure mode")
+if l2.is_file():
+    check("KEYCLOAK_CLIENT_SECRETS_AUDIT_OK" in l2.read_text(),
+          "the L2 test does not assert the reconciler's audit sentinel, so it could pass "
+          "on a Job that never ran the audit")
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ report
+print(f"realm import: {len(clients)} client(s), {len(declared_pairs)} confidential with a "
+      f"declared secret, {len(placeholders)} placeholder(s)")
+print(f"{SECRET_NAME} Secret: {len(sops_keys)} key(s) in git (names only; values stay "
+      f"SOPS-encrypted)")
+print("flux ordering: " + ", ".join(
+    f"{f.split('/')[-1]} <- {owners(f)}" for f in (SOPS_FILE, IMPORT_FILE, RECON_FILE)))
+
+print()
+if not FAILURES:
+    print(f"check OK: keycloak-client-secret-reconciler — {CHECKS} assertions "
+          f"(R-IDP-03, R-IDP-04)")
+    raise SystemExit(0)
+print(f"CHECK FAIL (keycloak-client-secret-reconciler): {len(FAILURES)} failed, "
+      f"{CHECKS - len(FAILURES)} passed", file=sys.stderr)
+for f in FAILURES:
+    print(f"  FAIL {f}", file=sys.stderr)
+raise SystemExit(1)
+PY

conformance/tests/l0-static/placeholder-guard-coupling/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+# =============================================================================
+# L0 STATIC — a placeholder value in cluster-vars is REFUSED by the guard that owns it
+# Catalog: docs/14 L0 row ("Pre-apply, in CI") — runs WITHOUT a cluster.
+#
+# THE BUG CLASS THIS CLOSES (it has now bitten three times in one file). A guard in
+# `bootstrap/standup.sh` keys on the SHAPE of a value that lives in
+# `clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml`, and nothing tied the two together. On 2026-09-05 the
+# S3 placeholder changed from `TBD-PROD-S3-BACKUP-ENDPOINT` to
+# `https://TBD-R2-ACCOUNT-ID.r2.cloudflarestorage.com`; the three guards matched the glob
+# `TBD-*`, a PREFIX match, and `fnmatch('https://TBD-R2-…','TBD-*')` is False. All three
+# guards silently stopped matching, and `standup.sh resume` would have resumed `velero` on
+# prod against a nonexistent hostname: installs clean, reports healthy, NO BACKUPS EXIST.
+# It was found by accident. The guard is fixed (`s3_is_placeholder`, substring); the
+# COUPLING was untested, which is what makes the class reintroducible.
+#
+# GIVEN the repository as authored,
+# WHEN  the REAL predicate is extracted from bootstrap/standup.sh and executed by bash
+#       (never reimplemented — see check.sh "HOW THE REAL GUARD IS EXERCISED"),
+# THEN  (1) every authored value of a guarded knob that is placeholder-shaped by an
+#           INDEPENDENT detector is actually refused by that guard, in base and in every
+#           environment overlay;
+#       (2) no environment overlay carries a placeholder-shaped value for a knob no guard
+#           refuses;
+#       (3) every function in standup.sh that reads a guarded knob applies the guard to it
+#           (the "three guards died at once" regression);
+#       (4) the guard matches its own vocabulary ANYWHERE in a value, not just as a prefix
+#           — the exact anchoring defect above — and still accepts a real endpoint;
+#   AND (5) the extraction is faithful, and the check fails LOUDLY rather than silently
+#           testing a copy if the guard stops being a self-contained predicate.
+#
+# STATUS: EXECUTABLE. `check.sh` is a pure offline assertion script (standard library +
+# PyYAML + bash); conformance/run.sh --layer l0 runs it directly and this Chainsaw Test
+# wraps the SAME script.
+#
+# NOT proven: that the endpoint is REACHABLE or that backups exist (runtime facts —
+# `standup.sh s3check` probes the former from a pod, l3-fault-injection/dr-restore proves
+# the latter); that guards for knobs OTHER than the placeholder-refusing ones are correct;
+# and that the guard runs at all in a real standup (the dispatch path is shell, executed
+# only against a live cluster). R-STATE-03 is tagged for the narrow static slice only: the
+# authored backup target cannot be a placeholder that the guard fails to recognise.
+# =============================================================================
+apiVersion: chainsaw.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Test
+metadata:
+  name: placeholder-guard-coupling
+  labels:
+    conformance.home.k3s/R-ENV-02: "true"
+    conformance.home.k3s/R-STATE-03: "true"
+  annotations:
+    conformance.home.k3s/requirements: "R-ENV-02, R-STATE-03"
+    conformance.home.k3s/layer: "L0"
+    conformance.home.k3s/safety-critical: "false"
+    conformance.home.k3s/executable: "true"
+    conformance.home.k3s/intent: >-
+      Every placeholder-shaped value authored in cluster-vars, for any environment
+      overlay, is actually recognised as a placeholder by the real bootstrap guard that
+      is supposed to refuse it — so a value change in one file cannot silently disarm a
+      guard in another and enable velero against an endpoint that does not exist.
+spec:
+  steps:
+    - name: couple-authored-placeholders-to-the-real-guard
+      description: >-
+        Extract the real placeholder predicate from bootstrap/standup.sh, run it against
+        every authored cluster-vars value the repo actually carries, and assert the guard
+        refuses each one an independent detector calls a placeholder.
+      try:
+        - script:
+            content: bash ./check.sh

conformance/tests/l0-static/placeholder-guard-coupling/check.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,516 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# =============================================================================
+# L0 static check (offline, no cluster) — placeholder-guard-coupling
+# Serves: R-ENV-02 ("Same GitOps config promotes dev/test -> prod (authored once)."
+#                   — spec docs/02-environments-and-provisioning.md)
+#         R-STATE-03 ("Scheduled off-cluster backups + restore (DR)."
+#                   — spec docs/04-storage-and-state.md)
+#
+# WHY THIS EXISTS — A GUARD KEYED ON A VALUE THAT LIVES IN ANOTHER FILE
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------
+# `bootstrap/standup.sh` refuses to resume tiers whose configuration is still a
+# placeholder. Three of those guards keyed on the SHAPE of `S3_BACKUP_ENDPOINT`, which is
+# authored in `clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml`. On 2026-09-05 the placeholder changed
+# from `TBD-PROD-S3-BACKUP-ENDPOINT` to `https://TBD-R2-ACCOUNT-ID.r2.cloudflarestorage.com`
+# (the MinIO -> Cloudflare R2 move). The guards matched the glob `TBD-*` — a PREFIX match —
+# and `fnmatch('https://TBD-R2-…','TBD-*')` is FALSE. All three guards silently stopped
+# matching. `standup.sh resume` would then have resumed `velero` on prod against a hostname
+# that does not exist: the HelmRelease installs clean, the Kustomization reports Ready, and
+# NO BACKUPS EXIST. The only reason it was not shipped is that someone noticed by accident.
+#
+# The predicate is fixed (`s3_is_placeholder`, substring match). The COUPLING is what was
+# never tested: a guard in one file keying on a value in another, with nothing tying them
+# together. This check is that tie, and it is derived from BOTH real files — no current
+# string is hardcoded here, so it does not rot when the placeholder or the guard changes.
+#
+# HOW THE REAL GUARD IS EXERCISED (and why not a copy)
+# ---------------------------------------------------
+# `bootstrap/standup.sh` is NOT sourceable: at top level it parses argv, hard-exits when
+# --kubeconfig/--expect-server/<step> are absent, `cd`s to the repo root, exports
+# KUBECONFIG, installs an EXIT trap and finally dispatches steps against a live cluster.
+# So this check EXTRACTS the predicate's own source lines from the file and sources ONLY
+# those, then calls the real function. That is the real bytes, not a reimplementation:
+#   * every function whose name ends `_is_placeholder` is discovered, not named here;
+#   * a duplicate definition of one is a failure (which of the two would run?);
+#   * the extracted body must be a SELF-CONTAINED predicate — `case`/`return` and nothing
+#     else, no command substitution, no call to another function. If the guard ever grows
+#     a dependency, extraction stops being faithful and THIS CHECK FAILS LOUDLY, naming the
+#     remedy (move the predicate into a small sourceable library that standup.sh sources)
+#     rather than quietly falling back to testing a copy of the logic;
+#   * a CANARY pins the extraction itself: the extracted function must refuse the empty
+#     string and accept a realistic endpoint. An extraction that grabbed the wrong lines,
+#     or a predicate degraded to always-true / always-false, fails there — this repo has
+#     already been bitten by a check that passed when perturbed because it asked a question
+#     that was always satisfiable.
+# There is deliberately NO second implementation of the matching logic anywhere in this file.
+#
+# THE INDEPENDENT DETECTOR (the other half of the comparison)
+# ----------------------------------------------------------
+# Asking "does the guard agree with the guard?" proves nothing, so the set of
+# placeholder-shaped values is decided by a detector written HERE, whose vocabulary is the
+# UNION of two independent sources:
+#   * SEED — universal loud-placeholder idioms (TBD, TODO, FIXME, PLACEHOLDER, REPLACE-ME,
+#     CHANGE-ME, FILL-ME, SET-ME, XXXX), plus `<angle-bracket>` templates and the empty
+#     string. These are NOT derived from the guard, so DELETING a guard arm cannot make a
+#     value stop being placeholder-shaped — it makes assertion (1) fail, which is the point.
+#     A value using an idiom the guard does not know is a finding either way: fix it by
+#     giving the knob a real value, or by teaching the guard the idiom.
+#   * the guard's OWN vocabulary, read out of its case-arms with the glob anchors STRIPPED.
+#     Stripping the anchors is what makes the comparison non-circular in the dimension that
+#     actually broke: the detector matches a word ANYWHERE, case-insensitively, and the
+#     guard must agree. A prefix-anchored guard cannot pass.
+#
+# GIVEN the repository as authored,
+# WHEN  the real predicate(s) are extracted from bootstrap/standup.sh and executed,
+# THEN  (1) VALUES: for every knob a guard is responsible for, every authored value — the
+#           base default AND each environment overlay's value — that the independent
+#           detector calls placeholder-shaped is REFUSED by the real guard, and every value
+#           it calls usable is ACCEPTED (a guard that refuses a real endpoint leaves velero
+#           suspended forever, which is the same class of silent failure);
+#       (2) OVERLAYS: no environment overlay's EFFECTIVE cluster-vars carries a
+#           placeholder-shaped value for a knob that no guard refuses. (Base alone is
+#           exempt: it is not a bootstrap target — `flux bootstrap --path=clusters/<env>` —
+#           and its loud sentinels exist precisely to be overridden. A base placeholder an
+#           overlay forgets to override IS caught, because it becomes that overlay's
+#           effective value.)
+#       (3) CONSUMERS: every function in standup.sh that reads a guarded knob (via `cvar`,
+#           following one hop of variable aliasing) applies a placeholder guard to it. This
+#           is the "all three guards died at once" regression stated as a property: the
+#           guard being correct is worthless if a consumer stops calling it.
+#       (4) ANCHORING: for each word in the guard's own vocabulary, the guard refuses a
+#           value carrying that word in the MIDDLE (not at the start) — the precise defect
+#           of 2026-09-05 — while still accepting a realistic endpoint.
+#       (5) HARNESS: exactly one definition per predicate, the extracted body is verbatim
+#           from the file and self-contained, the canary holds, no divergent second copy of
+#           the matching logic exists elsewhere in standup.sh, and a floor on the number of
+#           assertions run keeps a pass from degenerating into a no-op.
+#   AND (6) LOAD-BEARING: ci/l0.sh runs the L0 conformance layer on every gate run and
+#           ci/gate.sh sets the merge block when that stage fails.
+#
+# WHAT THIS DOES *NOT* PROVE (honest gaps)
+#   - Nothing about RUNTIME: not that the endpoint resolves, not that credentials work, not
+#     that a backup exists. `standup.sh s3check` probes reachability from a pod (operator-
+#     run, cluster-gated) and conformance/tests/l3-fault-injection/dr-restore proves restore.
+#   - It does not execute standup.sh's dispatch path, so it cannot prove the guard is
+#     REACHED in a real run — only that, when reached, it refuses what it must. The
+#     consumer property (3) is a static approximation of reachability: it is a text-level
+#     taint trace over one file, not an interpreter, and a guard whose result is computed
+#     and then ignored would satisfy it.
+#   - It says nothing about guards keyed on shapes OTHER than placeholders (e.g. the
+#     EXTERNALDNS_TXT_OWNER_ID == 'default' test), nor about placeholder-shaped values
+#     outside cluster-vars (the Ansible inventory's BLOCKED/NOT-A-DEVICE sentinels are
+#     asserted by the node_baseline role itself, at play time).
+#   - Stage 3b of ci/l0.sh scopes the conformance run to the TOUCHED requirements. An edit
+#     to bootstrap/* attributes NO requirement in ci/touched-requirements.sh's path map, so
+#     the touched set is empty and the FULL L0 layer runs (verified: ci/lib.sh
+#     load_touched_requirements) — this check runs. An edit to clusters/* maps to
+#     R-ENV-02, which this check carries, so a cluster-vars value change also selects it.
+#     A change that touches standup.sh ALONGSIDE some unrelated mapped path (say
+#     platform/cilium/) would scope the run away from this check; closing that needs a
+#     `bootstrap/*` entry in the path map, which is not this check's file to edit.
+# =============================================================================
+set -euo pipefail
+DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+ROOT="$(cd "${DIR}/../../../.." && pwd)"        # repo root
+PYTHON="${PYTHON:-python3}"
+STANDUP_REL="${STANDUP_REL:-bootstrap/standup.sh}"
+
+cd "${ROOT}"
+
+if [ ! -f "${ROOT}/${STANDUP_REL}" ]; then
+  echo "check SKIPPED (placeholder-guard-coupling): ${STANDUP_REL} is absent — nothing to couple." >&2
+  exit 3
+fi
+
+WORK="$(mktemp -d)"
+trap 'rm -rf "${WORK}"' EXIT
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# PHASE 1 (python): extract the real predicate(s), derive the corpus from the real files,
+# and run every assertion that does not need a shell. Writes:
+#   ${WORK}/guards.sh     the predicate source lines, verbatim, and nothing else
+#   ${WORK}/corpus.tsv    <guard>\t<expect: placeholder|usable>\t<origin>\t<value>
+#   ${WORK}/findings.txt  one line per failed assertion
+#   ${WORK}/counts.txt    <assertions-run>
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+"${PYTHON}" - "${ROOT}" "${WORK}" "${STANDUP_REL}" <<'PY'
+import re
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+try:
+    import yaml
+except ImportError:                                  # pragma: no cover
+    print("check FAIL: PyYAML is required (same dependency as catalog/render.py)",
+          file=sys.stderr)
+    raise SystemExit(1)
+
+ROOT, WORK, STANDUP_REL = Path(sys.argv[1]), Path(sys.argv[2]), sys.argv[3]
+FAILURES: list[str] = []
+CHECKS = 0
+
+
+def check(cond, msg):
+    global CHECKS
+    CHECKS += 1
+    if not cond:
+        FAILURES.append(msg)
+
+
+def bail(msg):
+    """A failure that makes the rest of the check meaningless: report and stop."""
+    print(f"CHECK FAIL (placeholder-guard-coupling): {msg}", file=sys.stderr)
+    (WORK / "findings.txt").write_text(msg + "\n")
+    (WORK / "counts.txt").write_text("0\n")
+    (WORK / "corpus.tsv").write_text("")
+    (WORK / "guards.sh").write_text("")
+    raise SystemExit(1)
+
+
+TEXT = (ROOT / STANDUP_REL).read_text()
+LINES = TEXT.splitlines()
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------ (5) extract the guard
+DEF_RE = re.compile(r"^([a-z0-9_]+_is_placeholder)\(\)\s*\{")
+defs: dict[str, list[int]] = {}
+for i, line in enumerate(LINES):
+    m = DEF_RE.match(line)
+    if m:
+        defs.setdefault(m.group(1), []).append(i)
+
+if not defs:
+    bail(f"{STANDUP_REL} defines no *_is_placeholder predicate. Either the guard was renamed "
+         "(update this check's discovery pattern in the SAME change) or it was DELETED, which "
+         "is the 2026-09-05 failure with the guard removed instead of disarmed.")
+
+# An "argument-shaped" call: <name> "<something>"
+CALL_RE = re.compile(r"\b([a-z0-9_]+_is_placeholder)\s+\"([^\"]*)\"")
+
+guard_src: list[str] = []
+guard_words: dict[str, list[str]] = {}
+ARM_RE = re.compile(r"^(?P<pats>[^()]*?)\)\s*return\s+[01]\s*;;$")
+ALLOWED = (
+    re.compile(r"^$"),
+    re.compile(r"^#"),
+    re.compile(r"^case\s+\"\$\{?[0-9A-Za-z_]+\}?\"\s+in$"),
+    re.compile(r"^esac$"),
+    re.compile(r"^return\s+[01]$"),
+    ARM_RE,
+)
+
+for name, at in sorted(defs.items()):
+    check(len(at) == 1,
+          f"{STANDUP_REL} defines {name}() {len(at)} times (lines "
+          f"{', '.join(str(a + 1) for a in at)}) — which one runs depends on file order, and "
+          "this check can no longer say which one it extracted. Keep exactly one definition.")
+    if len(at) != 1:
+        continue
+    start = at[0]
+    end = next((j for j in range(start + 1, len(LINES)) if LINES[j] == "}"), None)
+    if end is None:
+        bail(f"{name}() at {STANDUP_REL}:{start + 1} has no closing brace at column 0 — the "
+             "extraction boundary this check relies on is gone. Restore the conventional "
+             "layout, or move the predicate into a sourceable library and point this check at it.")
+    body = LINES[start:end + 1]
+    block = "\n".join(body)
+    check(block in TEXT,
+          f"extracted {name}() is not a verbatim substring of {STANDUP_REL} — extraction bug; "
+          "the harness would be testing something the script does not contain")
+
+    words: list[str] = []
+    for raw in body[1:-1]:
+        s = raw.strip()
+        if not any(rx.match(s) for rx in ALLOWED) or "$(" in s or "`" in s:
+            bail(f"{name}() at {STANDUP_REL}:{start + 1} is no longer a SELF-CONTAINED "
+                 f"case/return predicate (offending line: {s!r}). This check exercises the REAL "
+                 "function by sourcing its own lines; a body that calls out to anything else "
+                 "cannot be extracted faithfully, and silently testing a COPY of the logic is "
+                 "exactly the failure mode this check exists to prevent. REMEDY: move the "
+                 "predicate into a tiny library that standup.sh sources (e.g. "
+                 "bootstrap/lib/placeholder.sh) and point STANDUP_REL/this extractor at it — do "
+                 "NOT reimplement the matching here.")
+        m = ARM_RE.match(s)
+        if not m:
+            continue
+        for pat in m.group("pats").split("|"):
+            pat = pat.strip()
+            if pat in ('""', "''", ""):
+                continue                      # the empty-value arm: covered by the canary
+            words.append(pat.strip("'\"").strip("*"))
+    check(len(words) >= 1,
+          f"{name}() has no non-empty placeholder pattern left — every arm that recognises a "
+          "loud placeholder string has been removed, so the guard now only refuses the empty "
+          "value and any 'TBD'-style endpoint would sail straight through it")
+    guard_words[name] = words
+    guard_src.append(block)
+
+(WORK / "guards.sh").write_text("\n".join(guard_src) + "\n")
+
+# ------------------------------------------------- no divergent second copy of the logic
+# Any of the guard's own vocabulary appearing in EXECUTABLE text outside the predicate means
+# a second, independently-drifting implementation of the same test (which is how three
+# guards came to disagree with one value in the first place).
+guard_line_nums = {j for name, at in defs.items() if len(at) == 1
+                   for j in range(at[0], next(k for k in range(at[0] + 1, len(LINES))
+                                              if LINES[k] == "}") + 1)}
+all_words = sorted({w.upper() for ws in guard_words.values() for w in ws if w})
+divergent: list[str] = []
+for j, line in enumerate(LINES):
+    if j in guard_line_nums or line.strip().startswith("#"):
+        continue
+    code = line.split("#", 1)[0]
+    hit = [w for w in all_words if w in code.upper()]
+    if hit:
+        divergent.append(f"{STANDUP_REL}:{j + 1} ({', '.join(hit)}): {line.strip()!r}")
+check(not divergent,
+      "the guard's own placeholder vocabulary appears in EXECUTABLE text outside the "
+      f"predicate — a SECOND implementation of the same test, which is precisely how a value "
+      f"change disarmed three guards at once. Call the predicate instead. Sites: "
+      + " | ".join(divergent))
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------- cluster-vars, as authored
+CV = ROOT / "clusters" / "base" / "cluster-vars.yaml"
+if not CV.is_file():
+    bail("clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml is absent — the authored half of the coupling is "
+         "missing and this check cannot mean anything")
+
+base: dict[str, str] = {}
+for d in yaml.safe_load_all(CV.read_text()):
+    if isinstance(d, dict) and d.get("kind") == "ConfigMap" \
+            and (d.get("metadata") or {}).get("name") == "cluster-vars":
+        base = {str(k): "" if v is None else str(v) for k, v in (d.get("data") or {}).items()}
+check(len(base) > 5, f"clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml yielded {len(base)} knob(s) — the "
+                     "ConfigMap parse failed, so every value assertion below would be vacuous")
+
+overlays: dict[str, dict[str, str]] = {}
+for overlay in sorted((ROOT / "clusters").glob("*/kustomization.yaml")):
+    env = overlay.parent.name
+    if env == "base":
+        continue
+    eff = dict(base)
+    try:
+        k = yaml.safe_load(overlay.read_text()) or {}
+    except Exception as exc:                                   # noqa: BLE001
+        check(False, f"clusters/{env}/kustomization.yaml does not parse as YAML ({exc}) — this "
+                     "check cannot compute that overlay's effective values")
+        continue
+    for p in (k.get("patches") or []):
+        tgt = p.get("target") or {}
+        if tgt.get("kind") != "ConfigMap" or tgt.get("name") != "cluster-vars":
+            continue
+        try:
+            ops = yaml.safe_load(p.get("patch") or "") or []
+        except Exception:                                      # noqa: BLE001
+            continue
+        for op in ops if isinstance(ops, list) else []:
+            if not isinstance(op, dict):
+                continue
+            m = re.match(r"^/data/([A-Za-z0-9_]+)$", str(op.get("path", "")))
+            if m and str(op.get("op", "")) in ("replace", "add"):
+                eff[m.group(1)] = "" if op.get("value") is None else str(op["value"])
+    overlays[env] = eff
+check(len(overlays) >= 1,
+      "no clusters/<env>/kustomization.yaml overlay was parsed — assertion (2) would be vacuous")
+
+# ------------------------------------------------ which knobs is a guard responsible for?
+# Function bodies of standup.sh, then a one-hop taint trace from `x="$(cvar KEY)"` to a
+# `*_is_placeholder "${x}"` call. Both halves are read out of the file; nothing is named here.
+FUNC_RE = re.compile(r"^([a-z0-9_]+)\(\)\s*\{")
+funcs: dict[str, list[str]] = {}
+i = 0
+while i < len(LINES):
+    m = FUNC_RE.match(LINES[i])
+    if m:
+        end = next((j for j in range(i + 1, len(LINES)) if LINES[j] == "}"), len(LINES) - 1)
+        funcs[m.group(1)] = LINES[i + 1:end]
+        i = end + 1
+        continue
+    i += 1
+check(len(funcs) > 5, f"parsed only {len(funcs)} function(s) out of {STANDUP_REL} — the "
+                      "consumer assertion (3) would be vacuous")
+
+CVAR_RE = re.compile(r"([A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*)=\"\$\(\s*cvar\s+([A-Z0-9_]+)\s*\)\"")
+ALIAS_RE = re.compile(r"([A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*)=\"\$\{([A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*)[:}]")
+
+guarded_keys: set[str] = set()
+consumers: list[tuple[str, str, bool]] = []      # (func, key, guarded-in-this-func)
+for fname, body in funcs.items():
+    text = "\n".join(body)
+    keys_of_var: dict[str, set[str]] = {}
+    for m in CVAR_RE.finditer(text):
+        keys_of_var.setdefault(m.group(1), set()).add(m.group(2))
+    # one hop of aliasing: ep="${live}" carries live's taint
+    for _ in range(3):
+        for m in ALIAS_RE.finditer(text):
+            src = keys_of_var.get(m.group(2))
+            if src:
+                keys_of_var.setdefault(m.group(1), set()).update(src)
+    called_on = {m.group(2) for m in CALL_RE.finditer(text)}
+    called_vars = {re.sub(r"^\$\{?|\}?$", "", a) for a in called_on}
+    # Aggregate per (function, knob): the knob is guarded HERE if ANY variable carrying its
+    # value is passed to a predicate — `live="$(cvar K)"; ep="${live}"; guard "${ep}"` counts.
+    guarded_here: dict[str, bool] = {}
+    for var, keys in keys_of_var.items():
+        for key in keys:
+            guarded_here[key] = guarded_here.get(key, False) or (var in called_vars)
+    for key, g in guarded_here.items():
+        consumers.append((fname, key, g))
+        if g:
+            guarded_keys.add(key)
+
+if not guarded_keys:
+    bail(f"no cluster-vars knob in {STANDUP_REL} is passed to a *_is_placeholder predicate. "
+         "Either the guards were removed, or the way the script reads cluster-vars changed and "
+         "this check's derivation must be updated in the SAME change — it must never silently "
+         "verify an empty set.")
+
+# (3) CONSUMERS: every reader of a guarded knob must apply the guard to it.
+for fname, key, guarded in sorted(consumers):
+    if key not in guarded_keys:
+        continue                       # nothing claims responsibility for this knob at all
+    check(guarded,
+          f"{STANDUP_REL}: {fname}() reads cluster-vars knob {key} but never passes it to a "
+          "*_is_placeholder guard, while other functions do. On 2026-09-05 all three consumers "
+          "of S3_BACKUP_ENDPOINT were disarmed at once; a consumer that reads the knob and skips "
+          "the guard is that failure in one function.")
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------- independent detector
+# Deliberately NOT derived from the guard alone (see the header): SEED is universal
+# loud-placeholder vocabulary, and the guard's own words are added so that a guard whose
+# ANCHORING is wrong still has its vocabulary tested against real values.
+SEED = ["TBD", "TODO", "FIXME", "PLACEHOLDER", "REPLACE-ME", "REPLACEME",
+        "CHANGE-ME", "CHANGEME", "FILL-ME", "FILLME", "SET-ME", "XXXX"]
+VOCAB = sorted({w.upper() for w in SEED} | set(all_words))
+ANGLE = re.compile(r"<[^>\s]+>")
+
+
+def placeholder_shaped(value: str) -> bool:
+    if value.strip() == "":
+        return True                                   # an unset endpoint is not a target
+    up = value.upper()
+    return any(w in up for w in VOCAB) or bool(ANGLE.search(value))
+
+
+rows: list[tuple[str, str, str, str]] = []            # guard, expect, origin, value
+GUARD = sorted(guard_words)[0] if len(guard_words) == 1 else None
+
+# (1) VALUES: base default and every overlay's value, for every guarded knob.
+for key in sorted(guarded_keys):
+    seen: list[tuple[str, str]] = []
+    if key in base:
+        seen.append((f"clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml:{key}", base[key]))
+    for env, eff in sorted(overlays.items()):
+        seen.append((f"clusters/{env} effective:{key}", eff.get(key, "")))
+    check(bool(seen), f"guarded knob {key} is not defined in cluster-vars at all — the guard "
+                      "protects a knob nothing authors")
+    for origin, value in seen:
+        expect = "placeholder" if placeholder_shaped(value) else "usable"
+        for name in sorted(guard_words):
+            rows.append((name, expect, origin, value))
+
+# (2) OVERLAYS: a placeholder-shaped effective value for an UNGUARDED knob.
+for env, eff in sorted(overlays.items()):
+    for key, value in sorted(eff.items()):
+        if key in guarded_keys or not placeholder_shaped(value):
+            continue
+        check(False,
+              f"clusters/{env}: knob {key} resolves to the placeholder-shaped value {value!r}, "
+              f"and NO guard in {STANDUP_REL} refuses it. Either give it a real value before it "
+              "reaches an overlay, or guard it the way the S3 endpoint is guarded — an overlay "
+              "that ships a placeholder no guard recognises is the 2026-09-05 failure with a "
+              "different knob's name on it.")
+
+# (4) ANCHORING: the guard's own vocabulary must match ANYWHERE, not just as a prefix,
+#     and a realistic endpoint must still be accepted.
+for name, words in sorted(guard_words.items()):
+    for w in sorted(set(words)):
+        rows.append((name, "placeholder",
+                     f"anchoring:{name}:mid-string({w})",
+                     f"https://account-{w}-id.r2.cloudflarestorage.com"))
+        rows.append((name, "placeholder", f"anchoring:{name}:tail({w})",
+                     f"https://r2-endpoint.example.invalid/{w}"))
+    rows.append((name, "placeholder", f"canary:{name}:empty", ""))
+    rows.append((name, "usable", f"canary:{name}:real-r2",
+                 "https://0123456789abcdef0123456789abcd.r2.cloudflarestorage.com"))
+    rows.append((name, "usable", f"canary:{name}:real-minio", "http://192.168.1.9:9000"))
+
+# Every guarded knob must reach the oracle once per authored source (base + each overlay),
+# so a knob silently dropping out of the corpus is a failure rather than a quiet pass.
+authored = [r for r in rows if not r[2].startswith(("anchoring:", "canary:"))]
+expected_rows = len(guarded_keys) * (1 + len(overlays)) * len(guard_words)
+check(len(authored) == expected_rows,
+      f"{len(authored)} authored value(s) reached the guard, expected {expected_rows} "
+      f"({len(guarded_keys)} guarded knob(s) x base+{len(overlays)} overlay(s) x "
+      f"{len(guard_words)} predicate(s)) — a guarded knob is missing from cluster-vars or from "
+      "an overlay's effective values, and the coupling is only partly exercised")
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------- (6) the check is load-bearing
+L0 = (ROOT / "ci" / "l0.sh").read_text() if (ROOT / "ci" / "l0.sh").is_file() else ""
+GATE = (ROOT / "ci" / "gate.sh").read_text() if (ROOT / "ci" / "gate.sh").is_file() else ""
+check("--layer l0" in L0,
+      "ci/l0.sh does not run the L0 conformance layer — this check would never execute in the gate")
+check(bool(re.search(r"^for s in .*\bl0\b.*; do", GATE, re.M)) and bool(re.search(r"fail\).*BLOCK=1", GATE)),
+      "ci/gate.sh does not set the merge block when the l0 stage fails")
+
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------- handoff
+with (WORK / "corpus.tsv").open("w") as fh:
+    for name, expect, origin, value in rows:
+        fh.write(f"{name}\t{expect}\t{origin}\t{value}\n")
+(WORK / "findings.txt").write_text("".join(f"{f}\n" for f in FAILURES))
+(WORK / "counts.txt").write_text(f"{CHECKS}\n")
+
+print(f"guards: {', '.join(sorted(guard_words))}  "
+      f"vocabulary: {', '.join(VOCAB)}")
+print(f"guarded knobs: {', '.join(sorted(guarded_keys))}  "
+      f"consumers traced: {len(consumers)}  overlays: {', '.join(sorted(overlays))}")
+for name, expect, origin, value in rows:
+    if not origin.startswith(("anchoring:", "canary:")):
+        print(f"  authored  {origin} = {value!r} -> expect {expect}")
+PY
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# PHASE 2 (bash): source the REAL predicate lines and run the corpus through them.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# shellcheck disable=SC1090,SC1091
+source "${WORK}/guards.sh"
+
+oracle_failures=0
+oracle_rows=0
+while IFS=$'\t' read -r guard expect origin value; do
+  [ -n "${guard}" ] || continue
+  oracle_rows=$((oracle_rows + 1))
+  if "${guard}" "${value}"; then verdict=placeholder; else verdict=usable; fi
+  if [ "${verdict}" != "${expect}" ]; then
+    oracle_failures=$((oracle_failures + 1))
+    if [ "${expect}" = placeholder ]; then
+      printf '%s\n' "${guard}() in ${STANDUP_REL} ACCEPTS '${value}' (from ${origin}) as a usable value, but it is placeholder-shaped. This is the 2026-09-05 failure exactly: the guard is asked about a value it does not recognise, returns 'fine', and the tier it protects is enabled against something that does not exist. Fix the predicate (match the idiom anywhere, not as a prefix) or stop authoring that idiom." >> "${WORK}/findings.txt"
+    else
+      printf '%s\n' "${guard}() in ${STANDUP_REL} REFUSES '${value}' (from ${origin}), which is a usable value. An over-matching guard leaves the tier it protects suspended forever and reports it as an operator decision — a silent failure in the other direction." >> "${WORK}/findings.txt"
+    fi
+  fi
+done < "${WORK}/corpus.tsv"
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ verdict
+py_checks="$(cat "${WORK}/counts.txt")"
+total=$((py_checks + oracle_rows))
+findings="$(cat "${WORK}/findings.txt")"
+
+# NO-OP GUARD: this repo has been bitten by a check that passed when perturbed because it
+# asked a question that was always satisfiable. The floors below are the minimum evidence
+# for the verdict to mean anything, not a style rule.
+if [ "${oracle_rows}" -lt 6 ]; then
+  findings="${findings}only ${oracle_rows} value(s) were put to the real guard — the coupling is not actually being exercised
+"
+fi
+if [ "${total}" -lt 20 ]; then
+  findings="${findings}only ${total} assertions ran — the check degenerated to a near-no-op and its pass would be meaningless
+"
+fi
+
+if [ -n "${findings}" ]; then
+  echo "CHECK FAIL (placeholder-guard-coupling): $(printf '%s' "${findings}" | grep -c . ) of ${total} assertions failed" >&2
+  printf '%s' "${findings}" | sed 's/^/  - /' >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "check OK: placeholder-guard-coupling — ${total} assertions; ${oracle_rows} value(s) run through the REAL extracted predicate(s) from ${STANDUP_REL} (no reimplementation), covering every authored cluster-vars value of every guarded knob in base and each overlay, the guard's own vocabulary matched mid-string, and the empty/real-endpoint canaries. Static slice only: refusal, not reachability — see the header."

conformance/tests/l0-static/prod-baremetal-not-dev-surface/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+# =============================================================================
+# L0 STATIC — prod is bare metal, and is not a development surface  (R-ENV-03) [EXECUTABLE]
+# Catalog: docs/14 L0 row ("Pre-apply, in CI") — runs WITHOUT a cluster.
+# Spec:    docs/00 R-ENV-03 ("prod is a 3× mini-PC bare-metal k3s cluster with local
+#          storage; it MUST NOT be an active development surface until the roadmap
+#          declares it ready"); docs/02 (prod = 3 physical nodes, local SSD/NVMe to
+#          Longhorn, "the *same* Ansible bootstrap runs; only the machine-creation step
+#          differs", "Never develop against prod"); roadmap/phases.md Phase 7.
+#
+# HOW A "MUST NOT" IS MADE TESTABLE — the same discipline as R-TEST-06's test: a
+# governance rule is verified through the property that ENFORCES it, never by observing
+# that nobody misbehaved today. Here that property is structural: prod receives the base
+# configuration plus environment-scoped overrides and nothing else, from the same branch
+# and the same Ansible code as dev, so there is no place to put prod-only work at all.
+#
+# ENVIRONMENT-AGNOSTIC: the prod inventory group is DERIVED (it is the group whose
+# group_vars retargets the k3s roles away from the global default), the prod overlay is
+# derived from CLUSTER_ENV, and the storage/replica expectations are compared against the
+# node count that inventory resolves to. No hostname, address or environment name is
+# written into the test.
+#
+# GIVEN the repository as git tracks it (plus the read-only spec repo when mounted),
+# WHEN  the prod inventory, overlay, IaC module and readiness record are inspected — and
+#       the shared provisioning chain is actually retargeted at prod with --list-hosts,
+# THEN  prod resolves to exactly three nodes reached directly on their own sshd; no IaC
+#       resource creates any of them (bare metal is imaged, not instantiated); prod's
+#       Longhorn path is node-local with one replica per node and the default
+#       StorageClass is the local driver; prod runs the same playbooks/roles as dev,
+#       retargeted only by variables the shared code already defines; the prod overlay
+#       carries only the base plus environment-scoped patches on the same Git ref dev
+#       tracks, with no prod-only manifest anywhere in the shared configuration; and prod
+#       artifacts exist only alongside the operator's recorded opening of the prod phase.
+#
+# STATUS: EXECUTABLE. `check.sh` is a pure offline assertion script (git, PyYAML, and —
+# where present — ansible-playbook in --list-hosts mode, which opens no connection);
+# conformance/run.sh --layer l0 and ci/l0.sh run it directly, and this Chainsaw Test
+# wraps the SAME script.
+#
+# KNOWN, DELIBERATE GAPS (enumerated in check.sh's header; this test claims none of them):
+#   * THE HARDWARE. That the three machines are mini-PCs, are bare metal, and hold local
+#     SSD/NVMe is operator-attested (infra/PROD-STANDUP.md, PROD-PROVISIONING.md); the
+#     node-health/BIOS surveys that establish it write to gitignored artifacts, and the
+#     Kubernetes API exposes no "am I virtual" fact, so nothing here asserts it.
+#   * The LIVE prod cluster's shape (three Ready nodes, all control-plane+etcd, Longhorn
+#     disks at the local path) — cluster state, belonging to R-PLAT-01's still-uncovered
+#     HA test; asserting it here would also make this test environment-specific, since
+#     the same suite must pass against dev.
+#   * Git HISTORY: this is the working tree at HEAD.
+#   * Whether the roadmap SHOULD have opened prod — only that prod work is accompanied by
+#     the recorded declaration.
+# =============================================================================
+apiVersion: chainsaw.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Test
+metadata:
+  name: prod-baremetal-not-dev-surface
+  labels:
+    conformance.home.k3s/R-ENV-03: "true"
+  annotations:
+    conformance.home.k3s/requirements: "R-ENV-03"
+    conformance.home.k3s/layer: "L0"
+    conformance.home.k3s/safety-critical: "false"
+    conformance.home.k3s/executable: "true"
+    conformance.home.k3s/intent: >-
+      Given the tracked tree, when prod's inventory, overlay, IaC and readiness record are
+      inspected, then prod is authored as three bare-metal nodes with node-local storage,
+      bootstrapped by dev's own code retargeted by variables, receiving only
+      environment-scoped overrides on the same branch — so there is nowhere to develop
+      against prod — and it exists only because the roadmap phase was opened.
+spec:
+  steps:
+    - name: then-prod-is-bare-metal-and-carries-no-development-of-its-own
+      description: >-
+        Run the offline assertion script over the tracked tree (same script ci/l0.sh and
+        conformance/run.sh --layer l0 execute).
+      try:
+        - script:
+            content: bash ./check.sh

conformance/tests/l0-static/prod-baremetal-not-dev-surface/check.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,528 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# =============================================================================
+# L0 static check (offline, no cluster) — prod-baremetal-not-dev-surface
+# Serves: R-ENV-03 ("prod is a 3× mini-PC bare-metal k3s cluster with local storage; it
+#         MUST NOT be an active development surface until the roadmap declares it ready."
+#         — spec docs/00-vision-and-scope.md. Detail in docs/02: prod substrate "3× mini-PC
+#         bare metal", "3 physical nodes", storage "local SSD/NVMe presented to Longhorn",
+#         "For prod bare-metal, the *same* Ansible bootstrap runs; only the machine-creation
+#         step differs", and "**Never develop against prod.** Prod hardware is a target, not
+#         a sandbox (R-ENV-03)". The roadmap gate is roadmap/phases.md Phase 7: entry
+#         "operator declares prod hardware ready"; note "Do not begin building on prod
+#         hardware before this phase is explicitly opened".)
+#
+# HOW A "MUST NOT" IS MADE TESTABLE
+# --------------------------------
+# The second clause is a governance rule, and the same discipline applies as to R-TEST-06
+# (tests/l0-static/spec-immutability-enforced): "nobody developed against prod today"
+# cannot be observed, but the PROPERTY THAT MAKES DEVELOPING AGAINST PROD IMPOSSIBLE can
+# be. In this repo that property is structural — prod receives the base configuration plus
+# environment-scoped overrides and NOTHING ELSE, so there is no place to put prod-only work
+# even if someone wanted to. This check asserts that, together with the first clause's
+# authored facts (three nodes, no VM IaC behind them, node-local storage, the same
+# bootstrap code as dev).
+#
+# The first clause's HARDWARE facts (that the three machines really are mini-PCs, really
+# are bare metal, really hold local NVMe) are operator-attested, not machine-checkable —
+# see the gap list. What IS checkable is that the repository describes prod that way and
+# that no IaC creates prod nodes as virtual machines.
+#
+# GIVEN the repository as git tracks it (plus the read-only spec repo when mounted),
+# WHEN  the prod inventory, the prod overlay, the IaC module and the roadmap record are
+#       inspected — and, where offline execution is possible, the provisioning chain is
+#       actually retargeted at prod with `--list-hosts`,
+# THEN  (1) prod resolves to EXACTLY THREE nodes, reached directly on their own sshd
+#           (no NAT indirection, i.e. real machines on the LAN);
+#       (2) NO IaC resource creates any prod node: the VM module's generated node names are
+#           disjoint from the prod host set and no prod hostname appears anywhere under
+#           infra/tofu — prod is imaged by the operator (docs/02 stage 1), not instantiated;
+#       (3) prod's storage is NODE-LOCAL: the Longhorn data path for prod is an absolute
+#           local path, and the replica count equals the node count (one replica per node's
+#           own disk). A distinct bulk/media tier is explicitly permitted (R-STATE-04) and
+#           is not counted against this;
+#       (4) prod runs THE SAME bootstrap code as dev: the same playbooks/roles, retargeted
+#           by variables only — every prod group_vars key is an existing role/global
+#           variable (an invented prod-only knob would be a fork), and no prod-only role
+#           or playbook exists;
+#       (5) prod is NOT a development surface: clusters/prod carries only the base plus
+#           sync.yaml, every patch it applies targets an ENVIRONMENT-SCOPED object
+#           (cluster-vars, a Flux Kustomization's sops decryption, or the Git source),
+#           prod's Git ref is the SAME ref dev tracks (no prod-only branch to develop on),
+#           and no prod-only manifest exists anywhere in the rendered configuration;
+#       (6) prod artifacts exist only WITH a declaration of readiness: the spec roadmap
+#           carries the phase that opens prod build (checked when the spec repo is mounted),
+#           and the repository records that the operator opened it.
+#
+# WHAT THIS DOES *NOT* PROVE (honest gaps — do not read this test as claiming them):
+#   - The HARDWARE. That the three nodes are mini-PCs, are bare metal, and present local
+#     SSD/NVMe is operator-attested in infra/PROD-STANDUP.md / PROD-PROVISIONING.md; the
+#     node-health and BIOS surveys that establish it write to gitignored artifacts, so
+#     nothing tracked can be asserted against. Cluster-side, the Kubernetes API exposes no
+#     "am I virtual" fact either — a bare-metal check would need a privileged host-path
+#     probe of DMI data, which is a heavier and more invasive test than the claim warrants.
+#   - The LIVE prod cluster's shape (three Ready nodes, all control-plane+etcd, Longhorn
+#     disks at the local path). That is cluster state and belongs to R-PLAT-01's
+#     (currently uncovered) HA test; asserting it here would also make this test
+#     environment-specific, since the same suite must pass against dev.
+#   - That prod's HISTORY contains no development. This is the working tree at HEAD.
+#   - Whether the roadmap SHOULD have opened prod (the entry-gate judgement). Only that
+#     prod work is accompanied by the operator's recorded declaration.
+# =============================================================================
+set -euo pipefail
+DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+ROOT="$(cd "${DIR}/../../../.." && pwd)"        # repo root
+PYTHON="${PYTHON:-python3}"
+: "${SPEC_REPO:=${ROOT}/../home-network-k3s}"
+export SPEC_REPO
+
+cd "${ROOT}"
+"${PYTHON}" - "${ROOT}" <<'PY'
+import os
+import re
+import shutil
+import subprocess
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+try:
+    import yaml
+except ImportError:                                  # pragma: no cover
+    print("check FAIL: PyYAML is required (same dependency as catalog/render.py)",
+          file=sys.stderr)
+    raise SystemExit(1)
+
+ROOT = Path(sys.argv[1])
+FAILURES: list[str] = []
+NOTES: list[str] = []
+CHECKS = 0
+
+
+def check(cond, msg):
+    global CHECKS
+    CHECKS += 1
+    if not cond:
+        FAILURES.append(msg)
+
+
+def note(msg):
+    NOTES.append(msg)
+
+
+# A LOCAL DEPENDENCY the repo deliberately does not carry — the vault passphrase (kept
+# outside the repo, R-SEC-01) or the Galaxy collections (gitignored; installed from
+# collections/requirements.yml). Their absence is an ENVIRONMENT gap, not a repo defect,
+# and is the ONLY tolerated reason the driven sub-assertions may not run. Deliberately
+# narrow: every other non-zero exit is a real failure. The parse assertions always run.
+ENV_ONLY_FAILURE = re.compile(
+    r"vault password|vault-id|Attempting to decrypt"
+    r"|No module named 'ansible_collections|couldn't resolve module/action", re.I)
+
+ANS = ROOT / "infra" / "ansible"
+INV = ANS / "inventory" / "hosts.ini"
+GV = ANS / "inventory" / "group_vars"
+TOFU = ROOT / "infra" / "tofu"
+check(INV.is_file(), "infra/ansible/inventory/hosts.ini is missing — prod is not described anywhere")
+if not INV.is_file():
+    print("CHECK FAIL (prod-baremetal-not-dev-surface): no inventory", file=sys.stderr)
+    raise SystemExit(1)
+
+# --------------------------------------------------------------- inventory parsing
+ini_groups: dict[str, list[dict]] = {}
+children: dict[str, list[str]] = {}
+cur = None
+for line in INV.read_text().splitlines():
+    s = line.strip()
+    if not s or s.startswith("#"):
+        continue
+    m = re.match(r"^\[([^\]]+)\]$", s)
+    if m:
+        cur = m.group(1)
+        continue
+    if cur is None or cur.endswith(":vars"):
+        continue
+    if cur.endswith(":children"):
+        children.setdefault(cur.split(":")[0], []).append(s.split()[0])
+        continue
+    parts = s.split()
+    host = {"name": parts[0]}
+    for kv in parts[1:]:
+        if "=" in kv:
+            k, v = kv.split("=", 1)
+            host[k] = v
+    ini_groups.setdefault(cur, []).append(host)
+
+
+def hosts_in(group: str, seen=None) -> list[dict]:
+    seen = seen or set()
+    if group in seen:
+        return []
+    seen.add(group)
+    out = list(ini_groups.get(group, []))
+    for child in children.get(group, []):
+        out += hosts_in(child, seen)
+    return out
+
+
+def load_gv(group: str) -> dict:
+    d: dict = {}
+    for p in [GV / f"{group}.yml", GV / group / "vars.yml"]:
+        if p.is_file():
+            try:
+                d.update(yaml.safe_load(p.read_text()) or {})
+            except Exception:
+                pass
+    return d
+
+
+# WHICH GROUP IS PROD? Derived, never named here: it is the group whose group_vars
+# RETARGETS the k3s roles (k3s_primary_group / k3s_servers_group) away from the global
+# dev default. That is exactly the seam docs/02 + infra/ansible/README describe for prod.
+ALL_VARS = load_gv("all")
+dev_primary_group = str(ALL_VARS.get("k3s_primary_group", ""))
+candidates = []
+for entry in sorted(GV.iterdir()) if GV.is_dir() else []:
+    g = entry.name[:-4] if entry.name.endswith(".yml") else entry.name
+    if g == "all":
+        continue
+    v = load_gv(g)
+    if v.get("k3s_primary_group") and str(v["k3s_primary_group"]) != dev_primary_group:
+        candidates.append((g, v))
+check(len(candidates) == 1,
+      f"expected exactly ONE environment whose group_vars retargets the k3s roles (prod); found "
+      f"{[c[0] for c in candidates]} — R-ENV-03 describes a single prod estate reached through "
+      "the same roles as dev")
+if not candidates:
+    print("CHECK FAIL (prod-baremetal-not-dev-surface): no prod group_vars found", file=sys.stderr)
+    for f in FAILURES:
+        print(f"  - {f}", file=sys.stderr)
+    raise SystemExit(1)
+PROD_GROUP, PROD_VARS = candidates[0]
+PROD_PRIMARY = str(PROD_VARS["k3s_primary_group"])
+prod_hosts = hosts_in(PROD_GROUP)
+prod_names = sorted(h["name"] for h in prod_hosts)
+
+# ------------------------------------------------- (1) exactly three, directly reachable
+check(len(prod_names) == 3,
+      f"prod group {PROD_GROUP!r} resolves to {len(prod_names)} host(s) {prod_names} — R-ENV-03 "
+      "says prod is a 3× mini-PC cluster")
+dev_hosts = hosts_in(str(ALL_VARS.get("k3s_servers_group", "k3s_servers")))
+for h in prod_hosts:
+    # Real machines on the LAN answer their own sshd. Dev's hosts are reached through a
+    # NAT port-forward (ansible_port 225x -> a VM's :22), which is precisely the
+    # indirection a hypervisor-hosted estate needs and bare metal does not.
+    check(str(h.get("ansible_port", "22")) == "22",
+          f"prod node {h['name']} is reached on port {h.get('ansible_port')} — a forwarded port "
+          "implies an indirection (NAT to a virtual estate), not a machine on the LAN")
+    check(h.get("k3s_node_ip") == h.get("ansible_host"),
+          f"prod node {h['name']} has ansible_host={h.get('ansible_host')} but "
+          f"k3s_node_ip={h.get('k3s_node_ip')} — a split address is the dev NAT pattern; a "
+          "bare-metal node's SSH address IS its cluster address")
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------ (2) nothing creates prod as a VM
+TF = "\n".join(p.read_text(errors="replace") for p in sorted(TOFU.glob("*.tf"))) \
+    if TOFU.is_dir() else ""
+check(len(TF) > 500, "infra/tofu/*.tf is empty — cannot show that it does NOT create prod")
+
+
+def tf_default(var: str):
+    m = re.search(r'variable\s+"' + re.escape(var) + r'"\s*\{(.*?)\n\}', TF, re.S)
+    if not m:
+        return None
+    d = re.search(r"default\s*=\s*(.+)", m.group(1))
+    return d.group(1).strip() if d else None
+
+
+prefix = (tf_default("node_name_prefix") or "").strip('"')
+try:
+    node_count = int((tf_default("node_count") or "0").strip())
+except ValueError:
+    node_count = 0
+iac_names = {f"{prefix}{i + 1}" for i in range(node_count)}
+check(len(iac_names) > 0, "the IaC module generates no node names — cannot compare with prod")
+check(iac_names.isdisjoint(set(prod_names)),
+      f"the IaC VM module would create {sorted(iac_names & set(prod_names))}, which are PROD nodes "
+      "— prod is bare metal that the operator images (docs/02 stage 1), never instantiated by the "
+      "hypervisor module")
+for name in prod_names:
+    check(name not in TF,
+          f"prod node {name} is named inside infra/tofu — prod hardware must not be described by "
+          "the VM module at all")
+# The prod host addresses must not appear as IaC node addresses either (a renamed VM is
+# still a VM).
+tf_ips = set(re.findall(r'"(\d+\.\d+\.\d+\.\d+)"', tf_default("node_ips") or ""))
+prod_ips = {str(h.get("ansible_host")) for h in prod_hosts}
+check(tf_ips.isdisjoint(prod_ips),
+      f"the IaC module addresses {sorted(tf_ips & prod_ips)}, which are prod node addresses")
+
+# --------------------------------------------------------------- (3) node-local storage
+# Every environment's value for a cluster-vars knob (base default + each overlay patch).
+def env_values(key: str) -> dict[str, str]:
+    vals: dict[str, str] = {}
+    base = ROOT / "clusters" / "base" / "cluster-vars.yaml"
+    if base.is_file():
+        for d in yaml.safe_load_all(base.read_text()):
+            if isinstance(d, dict) and d.get("kind") == "ConfigMap" \
+                    and (d.get("metadata") or {}).get("name") == "cluster-vars":
+                v = (d.get("data") or {}).get(key)
+                if v is not None:
+                    vals["base"] = str(v)
+    for overlay in sorted((ROOT / "clusters").glob("*/kustomization.yaml")):
+        env = overlay.parent.name
+        if env == "base":
+            continue
+        try:
+            k = yaml.safe_load(overlay.read_text()) or {}
+        except Exception:
+            continue
+        for p in (k.get("patches") or []):
+            tgt = p.get("target") or {}
+            if tgt.get("kind") != "ConfigMap" or tgt.get("name") != "cluster-vars":
+                continue
+            try:
+                ops = yaml.safe_load(p.get("patch") or "") or []
+            except Exception:
+                continue
+            for op in ops if isinstance(ops, list) else []:
+                if isinstance(op, dict) and str(op.get("path", "")) == f"/data/{key}":
+                    vals[env] = str(op.get("value"))
+    return vals
+
+
+# The prod OVERLAY is the one whose CLUSTER_ENV is not the base default.
+cluster_envs = env_values("CLUSTER_ENV")
+prod_overlays = [e for e, v in cluster_envs.items()
+                 if e != "base" and v != cluster_envs.get("base")]
+check(len(prod_overlays) >= 1,
+      "no clusters/ overlay sets its own CLUSTER_ENV — prod has no overlay of its own")
+prod_overlay = None
+for e in prod_overlays:
+    if PROD_GROUP.replace("k3s_", "") in cluster_envs[e] or cluster_envs[e] in PROD_GROUP:
+        prod_overlay = e
+check(prod_overlay is not None,
+      f"no overlay's CLUSTER_ENV corresponds to the prod inventory group {PROD_GROUP!r} — the "
+      "cluster config and the machine inventory disagree about which estate is prod")
+
+data_paths = env_values("LONGHORN_DATA_PATH")
+replicas = env_values("LONGHORN_DEFAULT_REPLICA_COUNT")
+if prod_overlay:
+    p = data_paths.get(prod_overlay, data_paths.get("base", ""))
+    check(p.startswith("/"),
+          f"prod's LONGHORN_DATA_PATH is {p!r} — R-ENV-03's 'local storage' requires an absolute "
+          "node-local filesystem path")
+    check(not re.match(r"^/(net|nfs|mnt/nfs)|:", p),
+          f"prod's LONGHORN_DATA_PATH {p!r} looks like a network mount, not local SSD/NVMe")
+    r = replicas.get(prod_overlay, replicas.get("base", ""))
+    check(r.isdigit() and int(r) == len(prod_names),
+          f"prod's LONGHORN_DEFAULT_REPLICA_COUNT is {r!r} for {len(prod_names)} node(s) — "
+          "'local storage' on a 3-node estate means one replica per node's own disk")
+# The DEFAULT storage class must be the local (Longhorn) driver. A separate bulk/media tier
+# on network storage is explicitly a different requirement (R-STATE-04, docs/04) and is not
+# counted here.
+default_scs = []
+for f in subprocess.run(["git", "-C", str(ROOT), "ls-files", "-z", "*.yaml", "*.yml"],
+                        capture_output=True, text=True, check=True).stdout.split("\0"):
+    if not f:
+        continue
+    try:
+        for d in yaml.safe_load_all((ROOT / f).read_text(errors="replace")):
+            if isinstance(d, dict) and d.get("kind") == "StorageClass" and \
+                    str(((d.get("metadata") or {}).get("annotations") or {})
+                        .get("storageclass.kubernetes.io/is-default-class", "")) == "true":
+                default_scs.append((f, str(d.get("provisioner", ""))))
+    except Exception:
+        continue
+check(len(default_scs) == 1,
+      f"expected exactly one default StorageClass, found {default_scs} — the tier prod's workloads "
+      "land on by default must be unambiguous")
+for f, prov in default_scs:
+    check(prov == "driver.longhorn.io",
+          f"{f}: the default StorageClass provisioner is {prov!r}, not Longhorn — prod's default "
+          "tier would not be its own local disks")
+
+# ------------------------------------- (4) prod runs the SAME bootstrap code, retargeted
+PLAYBOOKS = ANS / "playbooks"
+ROLES = ANS / "roles"
+prod_token = PROD_GROUP.replace("k3s_", "")
+for d, what in ((ROLES, "role"), (PLAYBOOKS, "playbook")):
+    for entry in sorted(d.iterdir()) if d.is_dir() else []:
+        check(prod_token not in entry.name.lower(),
+              f"infra/ansible/{d.name}/{entry.name} is a prod-specific {what} — docs/02 requires "
+              "the SAME Ansible bootstrap for prod, differing only in the machine-creation step")
+# Every prod group_vars key must be a variable the shared code already knows: a role default,
+# a global, or an ansible built-in. An invented key is a fork of the role by another name.
+known: set[str] = set(ALL_VARS)
+for rd in sorted(ROLES.iterdir()) if ROLES.is_dir() else []:
+    for p in (rd / "defaults").glob("*.yml") if (rd / "defaults").is_dir() else []:
+        try:
+            known |= set((yaml.safe_load(p.read_text()) or {}).keys())
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+check(len(known) > 20, f"only {len(known)} shared variables found — (4) would prove nothing")
+for k in sorted(PROD_VARS):
+    check(k.startswith("ansible_") or k in known,
+          f"prod group_vars sets {k!r}, which is not a role default or a global — prod-only "
+          "configuration that the dev path never exercises is developing against prod")
+# ...and it must retarget, not re-implement: the group it names must exist in the inventory.
+check(PROD_PRIMARY in ini_groups or PROD_PRIMARY in children,
+      f"prod group_vars names primary group {PROD_PRIMARY!r}, which the inventory does not define")
+
+# ---------------------------------------- (5) prod is not a development surface (overlay)
+if prod_overlay:
+    odir = ROOT / "clusters" / prod_overlay
+    files = sorted(p.name for p in odir.iterdir() if p.is_file())
+    check(files == ["kustomization.yaml", "sync.yaml"],
+          f"clusters/{prod_overlay}/ contains {files} — a prod overlay may hold only its "
+          "kustomization and its own root sync; anything else is configuration authored FOR PROD")
+    k = yaml.safe_load((odir / "kustomization.yaml").read_text()) or {}
+    check(sorted(str(r) for r in (k.get("resources") or [])) == ["../base", "sync.yaml"],
+          f"clusters/{prod_overlay} resources are {k.get('resources')} — prod must render the base "
+          "plus its own sync only (docs/02: 'apply the prod overlay (no base edits)')")
+    # Every patch must be an ENVIRONMENT-SCOPED override, never a change to what runs.
+    ALLOWED = {("ConfigMap", "cluster-vars"), ("GitRepository", None)}
+    for p in (k.get("patches") or []):
+        tgt = p.get("target") or {}
+        body = p.get("patch") or ""
+        kind = tgt.get("kind")
+        if kind is None:                       # inline patch: kind comes from the body
+            try:
+                doc = yaml.safe_load(body) or {}
+            except Exception:
+                doc = {}
+            kind = doc.get("kind")
+            name = (doc.get("metadata") or {}).get("name")
+            if kind == "Kustomization":
+                # Flux Kustomization patches are allowed ONLY to wire sops decryption —
+                # anything else (path, interval, images, values) changes what prod RUNS.
+                keys = set((doc.get("spec") or {}).keys())
+                check(keys <= {"decryption"},
+                      f"clusters/{prod_overlay}: patch of Kustomization/{name} touches {sorted(keys)} "
+                      "— only `decryption` (the per-cluster sops key) is an environment-scoped "
+                      "override; changing anything else is developing against prod")
+                continue
+            check((kind, None) in ALLOWED or (kind, name) in ALLOWED,
+                  f"clusters/{prod_overlay}: patch targets {kind}/{name}, which is not an "
+                  "environment-scoped object — prod must not carry configuration of its own")
+        else:
+            check((kind, tgt.get("name")) in ALLOWED or (kind, None) in ALLOWED,
+                  f"clusters/{prod_overlay}: patch targets {kind}/{tgt.get('name')}, which is not "
+                  "an environment-scoped object — prod must not carry configuration of its own")
+
+    # Same Git ref as the other environment(s): a prod-only branch is a development line
+    # that only prod runs, which is exactly what R-ENV-03 forbids.
+    def git_ref(overlay: str):
+        kk = yaml.safe_load((ROOT / "clusters" / overlay / "kustomization.yaml").read_text()) or {}
+        for p in (kk.get("patches") or []):
+            body = p.get("patch") or ""
+            try:
+                doc = yaml.safe_load(body) or {}
+            except Exception:
+                continue
+            if doc.get("kind") == "GitRepository":
+                return (doc.get("spec") or {}).get("ref")
+        return None
+
+    others = [o.name for o in (ROOT / "clusters").iterdir()
+              if o.is_dir() and o.name not in ("base", prod_overlay)]
+    prod_ref = git_ref(prod_overlay)
+    check(prod_ref is not None,
+          f"clusters/{prod_overlay} does not pin a Git ref — prod would follow whatever the base "
+          "points at, with no record of what it runs")
+    for o in others:
+        check(git_ref(o) == prod_ref,
+              f"clusters/{o} tracks {git_ref(o)} but prod tracks {prod_ref} — a prod-only ref is a "
+              "development line only prod runs (R-ENV-03: prod is a target, not a sandbox)")
+
+# No prod-only manifest anywhere in the rendered configuration.
+tracked = [f for f in subprocess.run(["git", "-C", str(ROOT), "ls-files", "-z"],
+                                     capture_output=True, text=True, check=True
+                                     ).stdout.split("\0") if f]
+RENDERED_DIRS = ("platform/", "platform-config", "apps/", "catalog/", "clusters/base/")
+for f in tracked:
+    if f.startswith(RENDERED_DIRS) and re.search(rf"(^|[/_.-]){re.escape(prod_token)}([/_.-]|$)",
+                                                 f, re.I):
+        check(False,
+              f"{f} is a prod-specific file inside the shared configuration — every environment "
+              "renders these paths, so prod-only content here is development against prod")
+check(len(tracked) > 50, f"git ls-files returned only {len(tracked)} paths — not a real checkout")
+
+# --------------------------- (6) prod work exists only with a declaration of readiness
+# In-repo: the operator's recorded decision to open the prod phase.
+log = ROOT / "DECISIONS-LOG.md"
+check(log.is_file() and re.search(r"PHASE\s*7\b.*OPEN", log.read_text(errors="replace"), re.I),
+      "DECISIONS-LOG.md carries no record of the operator OPENING the prod phase, yet prod "
+      "inventory/overlay exist — R-ENV-03 allows prod build only once the roadmap declares it ready")
+# In the spec (read-only, may not be mounted): the roadmap phase that opens prod.
+spec = Path(os.environ.get("SPEC_REPO", ""))
+phases = spec / "roadmap" / "phases.md"
+if phases.is_file():
+    txt = phases.read_text(errors="replace")
+    check(re.search(r"##\s*Phase\s*7\b", txt) is not None and
+          re.search(r"prod", txt, re.I) is not None,
+          "the spec roadmap has no Phase 7 opening prod build — the declaration R-ENV-03 defers "
+          "to does not exist")
+    check(re.search(r"explicitly opened|declares prod hardware ready|operator declares", txt, re.I)
+          is not None,
+          "the spec roadmap's prod phase states no explicit entry declaration — the gate R-ENV-03 "
+          "names would be unenforceable")
+else:
+    note(f"spec repo not mounted at {spec} — the roadmap half of (6) was NOT checked "
+         "(the in-repo declaration still was)")
+
+# --------------------------- (4b) DRIVE the retarget offline: same chain, prod hosts
+if shutil.which("ansible-playbook") is None:
+    note("ansible-playbook is not installed here (e.g. the in-cluster chainsaw image), so the "
+         "prod retarget was PARSED but not DRIVEN; the merge gate's container has it")
+else:
+    sec_groups = [g for g in children.get(PROD_GROUP, []) if g != PROD_PRIMARY]
+    args = ["--list-hosts", "playbooks/site.yml",
+            "-e", f"k3s_hosts={PROD_GROUP}",
+            "-e", f"k3s_primary_hosts={PROD_PRIMARY}"]
+    if sec_groups:
+        args += ["-e", f"k3s_secondary_hosts={sec_groups[0]}"]
+    lh = subprocess.run(["ansible-playbook", *args], cwd=ANS, capture_output=True, text=True)
+    out = (lh.stderr or "") + (lh.stdout or "")
+    if lh.returncode != 0 and ENV_ONLY_FAILURE.search(out):
+        # See the same narrow, self-policing skip in dev-nodes-provisioned-as-code.
+        note("ansible-playbook lacks a LOCAL dependency kept outside the repo by design (the vault "
+             "passphrase and/or the gitignored Galaxy collections), so the prod retarget was not "
+             "driven; every parse assertion above still ran")
+    else:
+        check(lh.returncode == 0,
+              f"retargeting the SHARED chain at prod failed: {out.strip()[:400]} — docs/02 requires "
+              "the same Ansible bootstrap to run for prod")
+        seen: set[str] = set()
+        in_hosts = False
+        for line in lh.stdout.splitlines():
+            if re.match(r"\s*hosts \(\d+\):", line):
+                in_hosts = True
+                continue
+            if re.search(r"play #\d+", line):
+                in_hosts = False
+                continue
+            if in_hosts and line.strip():
+                seen.add(line.strip())
+        check(seen == set(prod_names),
+              f"the shared chain retargeted at prod resolves to {sorted(seen)}, not the three prod "
+              f"nodes {prod_names} — prod would be bootstrapped by something other than dev's path")
+
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------- verdict
+check(CHECKS >= 25,
+      f"only {CHECKS} assertions ran — the check degenerated to a near-no-op and its pass "
+      "would be meaningless")
+
+if FAILURES:
+    print(f"CHECK FAIL (prod-baremetal-not-dev-surface): {len(FAILURES)} of {CHECKS} assertions failed",
+          file=sys.stderr)
+    for f in FAILURES:
+        print(f"  - {f}", file=sys.stderr)
+    raise SystemExit(1)
+for n in NOTES:
+    print(f"  note: {n}")
+print(f"check OK: prod-baremetal-not-dev-surface — {CHECKS} assertions; prod group {PROD_GROUP!r} = "
+      f"{prod_names} (3 nodes, none created by IaC), overlay clusters/{prod_overlay} renders the base "
+      f"plus environment-scoped patches only, local Longhorn path "
+      f"{data_paths.get(prod_overlay, data_paths.get('base'))!r} with "
+      f"{replicas.get(prod_overlay, replicas.get('base'))} replica(s). R-ENV-03's AUTHORED clauses "
+      "only — the hardware facts (mini-PC, bare metal, local NVMe) are operator-attested and the "
+      "live cluster's shape is NOT asserted here (see the header's gap list).")
+PY

conformance/tests/l0-static/tls-lifecycle-automated/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+# =============================================================================
+# L0 STATIC — certificate lifecycle needs no manual step  (R-TLS-02)   [EXECUTABLE]
+# Catalog: docs/14 L0 row ("Pre-apply, in CI") — runs WITHOUT a cluster.
+# Spec:    docs/00 R-TLS-02 ("Certificates MUST be automatically issued, renewed, and
+#          revoked without manual steps"); mechanism in docs/08 + ADR-0006.
+#
+# R-TLS-02 is one adverbial clause plus three runtime verbs. This test asserts the
+# clause — "without manual steps" — which in a GitOps platform is a property of the
+# REPOSITORY: a human step in the certificate path leaves evidence in git (committed
+# cert material, a Gateway serving a Secret nothing declares, an issuer with no
+# automated solver, a credential never delivered, auto-approval switched off, or CRs
+# nothing reconciles). The three verbs are observed by the companion L2 test.
+#
+# ENVIRONMENT-AGNOSTIC (R-ENV-02): the issuer a Certificate names is `${ACME_CLUSTER_ISSUER}`,
+# so the check resolves it against the BASE cluster-vars default AND every overlay's value and
+# requires each resolved issuer to exist. dev's issuer and prod's issuer are both verified from
+# one authored assertion, with no hostname, address or environment name written down.
+#
+# GIVEN the repository as git tracks it,
+# WHEN  every serving-TLS reference, Certificate, Issuer and the cert-manager release
+#       is inspected offline,
+# THEN  every Gateway listener that terminates TLS serves a Secret a tracked Certificate
+#       produces; no certificate material is committed anywhere; every Certificate's
+#       issuer resolves — in EVERY environment — to a tracked ACME issuer with an
+#       automated dns01/http01 solver whose credential is SOPS-delivered from git;
+#       cert-manager's automatic request approval is not disabled; and every one of
+#       those objects is rendered by a Flux Kustomization, so nothing in the chain
+#       depends on a human running kubectl.
+#
+# STATUS: EXECUTABLE. `check.sh` is a pure offline assertion script (git + PyYAML, no
+# cluster, no network); conformance/run.sh --layer l0 and ci/l0.sh run it directly, and
+# this Chainsaw Test wraps the SAME script.
+#
+# KNOWN, DELIBERATE GAPS (named in check.sh's header too — this test claims NONE of them):
+#   * ISSUED / RENEWED as runtime events: L2 (l2-behavioral/cert-lifecycle-automated).
+#   * REVOKED: not proven at any layer today. cert-manager performs no ACME revocation,
+#     and the spec's own reading (docs/08: "removing/rotating a certificate is a
+#     declarative change") needs `enableCertificateOwnerRef`, which the tracked
+#     cert-manager HelmRelease does not set — so a removed Certificate leaves its
+#     serving Secret behind. The L2 test asserts the withdrawal behaviour and is
+#     EXPECTED TO FAIL until that knob is set; escalated, not softened (R-TEST-06).
+#   * That the live cluster is serving the tracked Certificate (cluster state).
+# =============================================================================
+apiVersion: chainsaw.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Test
+metadata:
+  name: tls-lifecycle-automated
+  labels:
+    conformance.home.k3s/R-TLS-02: "true"
+  annotations:
+    conformance.home.k3s/requirements: "R-TLS-02"
+    conformance.home.k3s/layer: "L0"
+    conformance.home.k3s/safety-critical: "false"
+    conformance.home.k3s/executable: "true"
+    conformance.home.k3s/intent: >-
+      Given the tracked tree, when the certificate path is inspected offline, then no
+      manual step exists anywhere in it: serving Secrets are cert-manager-produced, no
+      cert material is committed, every environment's issuer is a tracked ACME issuer
+      with an automated solver and a git-delivered credential, auto-approval is on, and
+      the whole chain is Flux-reconciled.
+spec:
+  steps:
+    - name: then-no-manual-step-exists-in-the-certificate-path
+      description: >-
+        Run the offline assertion script over the tracked tree (same script ci/l0.sh
+        and conformance/run.sh --layer l0 execute).
+      try:
+        - script:
+            content: bash ./check.sh

conformance/tests/l0-static/tls-lifecycle-automated/check.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,478 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# =============================================================================
+# L0 static check (offline, no cluster) — tls-lifecycle-automated
+# Serves: R-TLS-02 ("Certificates MUST be automatically **issued, renewed, and revoked**
+#         without manual steps." — spec docs/00-vision-and-scope.md; mechanism in
+#         docs/08-tls-and-certificates.md, ADR-0006.)
+#
+# WHICH CLAUSE THIS LAYER CAN PROVE — AND WHICH IT CANNOT
+# ------------------------------------------------------
+# R-TLS-02 has one adverbial clause ("without manual steps") and three verbs
+# ("issued", "renewed", "revoked"). In a GitOps platform the *without manual steps*
+# clause IS a repository property, and it is the half that can be proven with no
+# cluster: if a human had to mint, install, or approve a serving certificate, the
+# evidence of that human step would be IN THE REPO — a committed `tls.crt`, a Gateway
+# pointing at a Secret nothing declares, an issuer that no automated solver can
+# satisfy, a per-cert credential handed over out of band, or an admission path that
+# waits for a manual CertificateRequest approval. This check asserts that none of
+# those exist and that the automated path is completely wired instead.
+#
+# The three VERBS are runtime events. They are asserted by the companion L2 test
+# (conformance/tests/l2-behavioral/cert-lifecycle-automated), which observes an
+# issuance, an unattended renewal, and the withdrawal of a removed certificate. This
+# check does NOT claim them; see "WHAT THIS DOES *NOT* PROVE" below.
+#
+# GIVEN the repository as git tracks it,
+# WHEN  every serving-TLS reference, Certificate, Issuer and the cert-manager release
+#       are inspected offline,
+# THEN  (1) at least one cert-manager `Certificate` is authored (vacuity floor: a repo
+#           with no Certificate cannot pass this check by having nothing to check);
+#       (2) every Gateway HTTPS listener that TERMINATES TLS references ONLY Secrets
+#           that a tracked Certificate declares as its `secretName` — so the serving
+#           credential is produced by the controller, never dropped in by hand;
+#       (3) NO certificate material is tracked anywhere: no Secret manifest of type
+#           kubernetes.io/tls, no tls.crt/tls.key/ca.crt key in any committed Secret
+#           (plain OR SOPS-encrypted), and no PEM certificate body in any tracked
+#           YAML — i.e. issuance is not, and cannot silently become, a human step;
+#       (4) every Certificate's `issuerRef` resolves to a TRACKED issuer IN EVERY
+#           ENVIRONMENT — the `${ACME_CLUSTER_ISSUER}` token is resolved against the
+#           base cluster-vars default AND every overlay's value, so an environment
+#           whose issuer does not exist is caught here rather than at prod bring-up;
+#       (5) every issuer so referenced is an ACME issuer with a NON-EMPTY solver list
+#           whose every solver is an automated challenge type (dns01 / http01) — the
+#           same code path serves issuance AND renewal, so a solver a human must
+#           complete would defeat both;
+#       (6) each dns01 solver's provider credential is referenced BY NAME and that
+#           Secret is delivered SOPS-encrypted from git via a kustomization — the
+#           operator's one-time token hand-off (docs/08 OQ-4), never a per-cert step;
+#       (7) cert-manager's automatic CertificateRequest approval is NOT disabled
+#           (`disableAutoApproval`), and any `approveSignerNames` narrowing still
+#           covers the ClusterIssuers actually used — a request that waits for a
+#           human approver is the definition of a manual step;
+#       (8) the whole chain is reconciled from git — cert-manager's HelmRelease, the
+#           ClusterIssuers and the Certificate are each included in a kustomization
+#           that a Flux Kustomization renders — so a deleted Certificate is
+#           re-created and re-issued with no human action;
+#       (9) no Certificate defeats renewal arithmetically (`renewBefore` >= `duration`
+#           would mean the renewal instant never arrives).
+#
+# WHAT THIS DOES *NOT* PROVE (honest gaps — do not read this test as claiming them):
+#   - ISSUED: that an issuance actually happens. Asserted at L2 (step 2 of
+#     l2-behavioral/cert-lifecycle-automated) and, for the real ACME/DNS-01 path,
+#     evidenced by l2-behavioral/trusted-tls serving a publicly-trusted cert.
+#   - RENEWED: that a renewal actually happens unattended. docs/08's acceptance gate
+#     is explicit that this must be "observed across a renewal" — L2 step 3 does that
+#     by fast-forwarding a certificate's renewal window; nothing static can.
+#   - REVOKED: NOT PROVEN AT ANY LAYER TODAY, and not asserted here. Two distinct
+#     readings, neither established: (a) ACME revocation — cert-manager does not
+#     revoke certificates at all, so no repo state could show it; (b) the spec's own
+#     reading in docs/08 ("removing/rotating a certificate is a declarative change")
+#     — withdrawal of a REMOVED certificate's serving material requires cert-manager's
+#     `enableCertificateOwnerRef`, which the tracked HelmRelease does NOT set (chart
+#     default false). L2 step 4 asserts the withdrawal behaviour and is expected to
+#     FAIL until that knob is set; escalated to the PM rather than softened (R-TEST-06).
+#   - That the tracked Certificate is the one the live Gateway is actually serving
+#     (cluster state), or that the ACME account/DNS credential is still valid.
+#   - Certificate EXPIRY ALERTING, which docs/08 delegates to R-OBS-04 (see
+#     l3-fault-injection/alerting).
+# =============================================================================
+set -euo pipefail
+DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+ROOT="$(cd "${DIR}/../../../.." && pwd)"        # repo root
+PYTHON="${PYTHON:-python3}"
+
+cd "${ROOT}"
+"${PYTHON}" - "${ROOT}" <<'PY'
+import re
+import subprocess
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+try:
+    import yaml
+except ImportError:                                  # pragma: no cover
+    print("check FAIL: PyYAML is required (same dependency as catalog/render.py)",
+          file=sys.stderr)
+    raise SystemExit(1)
+
+ROOT = Path(sys.argv[1])
+FAILURES: list[str] = []
+CHECKS = 0
+
+
+def check(cond, msg):
+    global CHECKS
+    CHECKS += 1
+    if not cond:
+        FAILURES.append(msg)
+
+
+def tracked() -> list[str]:
+    out = subprocess.run(["git", "-C", str(ROOT), "ls-files", "-z"],
+                         capture_output=True, text=True, check=True).stdout
+    return [p for p in out.split("\0") if p]
+
+
+FILES = tracked()
+check(len(FILES) > 50, f"git ls-files returned only {len(FILES)} paths — not a real checkout")
+YAML_FILES = [f for f in FILES if re.search(r"\.(ya?ml)$", f)]
+
+
+def docs_of(rel: str):
+    """Parsed YAML documents of a tracked file, or [] when it is not parseable YAML."""
+    try:
+        return [d for d in yaml.safe_load_all((ROOT / rel).read_text(errors="replace"))
+                if isinstance(d, dict)]
+    except Exception:
+        return []
+
+
+DOCS: list[tuple[str, dict]] = [(rel, d) for rel in YAML_FILES for d in docs_of(rel)]
+
+
+def of_kind(kind: str, group_prefix: str = "") -> list[tuple[str, dict]]:
+    out = []
+    for rel, d in DOCS:
+        if d.get("kind") != kind:
+            continue
+        if group_prefix and not str(d.get("apiVersion", "")).startswith(group_prefix):
+            continue
+        out.append((rel, d))
+    return out
+
+
+def ns_of(d: dict, default: str = "default") -> str:
+    return (d.get("metadata") or {}).get("namespace") or default
+
+
+def name_of(d: dict) -> str:
+    return (d.get("metadata") or {}).get("name") or "<unnamed>"
+
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------ cluster-vars resolution
+# Every environment's value for a ${TOKEN}: the base default plus each overlay's JSON6902
+# `- op: replace / path: /data/KEY / value: ...` patch on the cluster-vars ConfigMap. This
+# is the same mechanism flux-postbuild-substitution audits; here we need the VALUES, so an
+# issuer name can be resolved per environment instead of being asserted for dev only.
+def env_values(key: str) -> dict[str, str]:
+    vals: dict[str, str] = {}
+    base = ROOT / "clusters" / "base" / "cluster-vars.yaml"
+    if base.is_file():
+        for d in yaml.safe_load_all(base.read_text()):
+            if isinstance(d, dict) and d.get("kind") == "ConfigMap" \
+                    and name_of(d) == "cluster-vars":
+                v = (d.get("data") or {}).get(key)
+                if v is not None:
+                    vals["base"] = str(v)
+    for overlay in sorted((ROOT / "clusters").glob("*/kustomization.yaml")):
+        env = overlay.parent.name
+        if env == "base":
+            continue
+        try:
+            k = yaml.safe_load(overlay.read_text()) or {}
+        except Exception:
+            continue
+        for p in (k.get("patches") or []):
+            tgt = p.get("target") or {}
+            if tgt.get("kind") != "ConfigMap" or tgt.get("name") != "cluster-vars":
+                continue
+            try:
+                ops = yaml.safe_load(p.get("patch") or "") or []
+            except Exception:
+                continue
+            for op in ops if isinstance(ops, list) else []:
+                if isinstance(op, dict) and str(op.get("path", "")) == f"/data/{key}":
+                    vals[env] = str(op.get("value"))
+    return vals
+
+
+TOKEN_RE = re.compile(r"^\$\{([A-Z0-9_]+)\}$")
+
+
+def resolve_per_env(value: str) -> dict[str, str]:
+    """A literal resolves to itself in every environment; a ${TOKEN} to each env's value."""
+    m = TOKEN_RE.match(value.strip())
+    if not m:
+        return {"(literal)": value.strip()}
+    return env_values(m.group(1))
+
+
+# --------------------------------------------- what Flux actually renders (reachability)
+# A manifest is DELIVERED only if it is reachable from a Flux Kustomization's `path` through
+# the kustomize resource graph: <path>/kustomization.yaml -> resources -> (file | directory
+# -> that directory's kustomization.yaml -> ...). Membership is deliberately computed by
+# walking that graph rather than by asking "is this file's DIRECTORY mentioned somewhere":
+# the loose form silently passes when an entry is deleted from the very kustomization.yaml
+# that the directory reference renders (verified — it made two assertions here no-ops).
+KUST_RESOURCES: dict[str, list[str]] = {}
+for rel in [f for f in YAML_FILES if f.endswith("kustomization.yaml")]:
+    refs: list[str] = []
+    for d in docs_of(rel):
+        for r in (d.get("resources") or []) + (d.get("components") or []):
+            if not isinstance(r, str) or "://" in r:      # skip remote bases
+                continue
+            try:
+                p = (ROOT / rel).parent.joinpath(r).resolve()
+                refs.append(str(p.relative_to(ROOT)))
+            except Exception:
+                continue
+    KUST_RESOURCES[rel] = refs
+
+FLUX_PATHS: set[str] = set()
+for _rel, _d in DOCS:
+    if _d.get("kind") == "Kustomization" and \
+            str(_d.get("apiVersion", "")).startswith("kustomize.toolkit.fluxcd.io/"):
+        p = str((_d.get("spec") or {}).get("path", "")).lstrip("./").rstrip("/")
+        if p:
+            FLUX_PATHS.add(p)
+
+
+def _walk(entry: str, seen: set[str], out: set[str]) -> None:
+    if entry in seen:
+        return
+    seen.add(entry)
+    kust = entry if entry.endswith("kustomization.yaml") else f"{entry}/kustomization.yaml"
+    if kust in KUST_RESOURCES:                            # a directory (or a kustomization)
+        for r in KUST_RESOURCES[kust]:
+            _walk(r, seen, out)
+        return
+    out.add(entry)                                        # a leaf manifest
+
+
+RENDERED: set[str] = set()
+for _p in FLUX_PATHS:
+    _walk(_p, set(), RENDERED)
+
+
+def delivered(rel: str) -> bool:
+    """True iff Flux renders this file from one of its Kustomization paths."""
+    return rel in RENDERED
+
+
+# --------------------------------------------------- (1) there is something to check
+CERTS = of_kind("Certificate", "cert-manager.io/")
+check(len(CERTS) >= 1,
+      "no cert-manager.io Certificate is authored anywhere in the tracked tree — every "
+      "assertion below would be vacuous, so this is a FAILURE, not a pass (R-TLS-02)")
+
+ISSUERS = of_kind("ClusterIssuer", "cert-manager.io/") + of_kind("Issuer", "cert-manager.io/")
+check(len(ISSUERS) >= 1,
+      "no cert-manager ClusterIssuer/Issuer is authored — nothing could issue automatically")
+
+# ---------------------------- (2) every terminating listener serves a controller cert
+CERT_SECRETS: dict[tuple[str, str], str] = {           # (namespace, secretName) -> file
+    (ns_of(d, "default"), str((d.get("spec") or {}).get("secretName", ""))): rel
+    for rel, d in CERTS
+}
+listeners_checked = 0
+for rel, gw in of_kind("Gateway", "gateway.networking.k8s.io/"):
+    gw_ns = ns_of(gw)
+    for lis in ((gw.get("spec") or {}).get("listeners") or []):
+        tls = lis.get("tls") or {}
+        if str(tls.get("mode", "")) != "Terminate":
+            continue
+        listeners_checked += 1
+        refs = tls.get("certificateRefs") or []
+        check(len(refs) > 0,
+              f"{rel}: Gateway {gw_ns}/{name_of(gw)} listener {lis.get('name')!r} terminates "
+              "TLS with NO certificateRefs — it can only serve a certificate someone puts "
+              "there by hand")
+        for r in refs:
+            kind = str(r.get("kind", "Secret"))
+            key = (str(r.get("namespace") or gw_ns), str(r.get("name")))
+            check(kind == "Secret",
+                  f"{rel}: listener {lis.get('name')!r} certificateRef kind is {kind!r}; only "
+                  "Secret refs can be traced to a cert-manager Certificate")
+            check(key in CERT_SECRETS,
+                  f"{rel}: listener {lis.get('name')!r} serves Secret {key[0]}/{key[1]}, which "
+                  "NO tracked cert-manager Certificate declares as its secretName — that "
+                  "credential would have to be created by hand (R-TLS-02 'without manual steps')")
+check(listeners_checked > 0,
+      "no Gateway listener with tls.mode=Terminate found in the tracked tree — there is no "
+      "serving-TLS reference to trace, so (2) proved nothing")
+
+# --------------------------------- (3) no certificate material is tracked, anywhere
+TLS_KEYS = {"tls.crt", "tls.key", "ca.crt", "tls-combined.pem"}
+for rel, d in DOCS:
+    if d.get("kind") != "Secret":
+        continue
+    stype = str(d.get("type", ""))
+    check(stype != "kubernetes.io/tls",
+          f"{rel}: a Secret of type kubernetes.io/tls is COMMITTED (metadata.name="
+          f"{name_of(d)}) — a serving certificate authored by a human, not issued")
+    for field in ("data", "stringData"):
+        for k in (d.get(field) or {}):
+            check(str(k) not in TLS_KEYS,
+                  f"{rel}: committed Secret {name_of(d)} carries {field}.{k} — certificate "
+                  "material in git means a manual issuance step exists (R-TLS-02)")
+
+PEM_RE = re.compile(r"-----BEGIN (?:[A-Z ]+ )?CERTIFICATE-----")
+for rel in YAML_FILES:
+    body = (ROOT / rel).read_text(errors="replace")
+    # Scoped to YAML manifests deliberately: prose/docs may legitimately SHOW a PEM header
+    # in an example, and a .md file is not applied to any cluster. A manifest cannot.
+    check(not PEM_RE.search(body),
+          f"{rel}: contains a PEM CERTIFICATE body — a hand-minted certificate in a manifest")
+
+# --------------------------- (4)+(5)+(6) the issuer chain is automated in EVERY env
+# The cert-manager release's namespace IS the controller's `--cluster-resource-namespace`
+# (chart default), i.e. where a ClusterIssuer's solver credential must live. Derived from the
+# HelmRelease, never written down here, so this holds if the release namespace ever changes.
+cm_releases = [(rel, d) for rel, d in of_kind("HelmRelease") if name_of(d) == "cert-manager"]
+CM_NS = ns_of(cm_releases[0][1], "cert-manager") if cm_releases else "cert-manager"
+
+ISSUER_INDEX = {(d.get("kind"), name_of(d)): (rel, d) for rel, d in ISSUERS}
+solver_creds: list[tuple[str, str, str, str]] = []     # (issuer, ns, secretName, ref field)
+issuers_verified: set[str] = set()
+for rel, cert in CERTS:
+    spec = cert.get("spec") or {}
+    ref = spec.get("issuerRef") or {}
+    kind = str(ref.get("kind", "Issuer"))
+    per_env = resolve_per_env(str(ref.get("name", "")))
+    check(len(per_env) > 0,
+          f"{rel}: Certificate {name_of(cert)} issuerRef.name is a token with NO value in "
+          "clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml or any overlay — it would render empty and never issue")
+    for env, iname in sorted(per_env.items()):
+        hit = ISSUER_INDEX.get((kind, iname))
+        check(hit is not None,
+              f"{rel}: Certificate {name_of(cert)} resolves issuerRef to {kind}/{iname} in "
+              f"environment {env!r}, but no such issuer is tracked — that environment cannot "
+              "issue anything without a hand-created issuer (R-TLS-02, R-ENV-02)")
+        if hit is None:
+            continue
+        irel, issuer = hit
+        issuers_verified.add(iname)
+        ispec = issuer.get("spec") or {}
+        acme = ispec.get("acme")
+        check(isinstance(acme, dict),
+              f"{irel}: {kind}/{iname} (used by {name_of(cert)} in env {env!r}) is not an ACME "
+              f"issuer — its issuance/renewal path is {sorted(ispec)}; docs/08/ADR-0006 mandate "
+              "ACME so both are unattended")
+        if not isinstance(acme, dict):
+            continue
+        check(str(acme.get("server", "")).startswith("https://"),
+              f"{irel}: {kind}/{iname} has no https ACME directory endpoint")
+        check(bool((acme.get("privateKeySecretRef") or {}).get("name")),
+              f"{irel}: {kind}/{iname} declares no privateKeySecretRef — the ACME account key "
+              "would have to be provisioned by hand")
+        solvers = acme.get("solvers") or []
+        check(len(solvers) > 0,
+              f"{irel}: {kind}/{iname} declares NO solvers — every order would sit unsolved "
+              "until a human completed the challenge")
+        for s in solvers:
+            types = [t for t in ("dns01", "http01") if t in s]
+            check(len(types) == 1,
+                  f"{irel}: {kind}/{iname} has a solver with challenge types {sorted(s)} — only "
+                  "the automated dns01/http01 solvers satisfy 'without manual steps'")
+            for provider, cfg in (s.get("dns01") or {}).items():
+                if not isinstance(cfg, dict):
+                    continue
+                for field, val in cfg.items():
+                    if isinstance(val, dict) and str(field).endswith(("SecretRef", "secretRef")):
+                        n = str(val.get("name", ""))
+                        check(bool(n),
+                              f"{irel}: {kind}/{iname} dns01 {provider}.{field} has no secret name")
+                        if n:
+                            # A ClusterIssuer resolves secret refs in the controller's
+                            # cluster-resource-namespace; a namespaced Issuer in its own.
+                            want_ns = CM_NS if kind == "ClusterIssuer" else ns_of(issuer, CM_NS)
+                            solver_creds.append((iname, want_ns, n, f"{provider}.{field}"))
+
+check(len(issuers_verified) > 0, "no issuer was reachable from any Certificate — (5) proved nothing")
+
+# (6) the solver credential is delivered, SOPS-encrypted, from git — never per-cert by hand.
+check(len(solver_creds) > 0,
+      "no dns01 solver credential reference found — docs/08 (OQ-4) requires the scoped "
+      "Cloudflare token to drive DNS-01, so this check would otherwise be vacuous")
+# Keyed by (namespace, name): a same-named Secret in ANOTHER namespace is NOT this credential.
+# (Verified: keying by name alone let the external-dns copy of `cloudflare-api-token` satisfy
+# the cert-manager reference, so deleting cert-manager's own copy passed — a silent no-op.)
+SECRET_DOCS = {(ns_of(d, CM_NS), name_of(d)): (rel, d)
+               for rel, d in DOCS if d.get("kind") == "Secret"}
+for iname, sns, sname, field in solver_creds:
+    hit = SECRET_DOCS.get((sns, sname))
+    check(hit is not None,
+          f"{iname}: dns01 {field} references Secret {sname!r}, which no tracked manifest "
+          f"delivers into namespace {sns!r} (the issuer's secret-resolution namespace) — the "
+          "credential would be created by hand in-cluster (R-TLS-02)")
+    if hit is None:
+        continue
+    srel, sdoc = hit
+    check("sops" in sdoc,
+          f"{srel}: Secret {sname} is the DNS-01 credential but is not SOPS-encrypted (R-SEC-01)")
+    check(delivered(srel),
+          f"{srel}: Secret {sname} is not rendered by any Flux Kustomization path — Flux would "
+          "never deliver it, so issuance would wait on a manual kubectl apply")
+
+# ------------------------------- (7) automatic CertificateRequest approval is intact
+check(len(cm_releases) == 1,
+      f"expected exactly one cert-manager HelmRelease, found {[r for r, _ in cm_releases]} — "
+      "the controller that issues and renews must itself be GitOps-managed")
+for rel, hr in cm_releases:
+    values = ((hr.get("spec") or {}).get("values") or {})
+    check(values.get("disableAutoApproval") in (None, False),
+          f"{rel}: cert-manager values set disableAutoApproval={values.get('disableAutoApproval')!r} "
+          "— every CertificateRequest would then wait for an approver, which is a manual step")
+    signers = values.get("approveSignerNames")
+    if signers is not None:
+        pats = [str(s) for s in (signers if isinstance(signers, list) else [signers])]
+        for iname in sorted(issuers_verified):
+            ok = any(p in ("*", "*/*") or "clusterissuers.cert-manager.io" in p and
+                     (p.endswith("/*") or p.endswith(f"/{iname}")) for p in pats)
+            check(ok,
+                  f"{rel}: approveSignerNames={pats} does not cover ClusterIssuer {iname} — "
+                  "requests for it would never be auto-approved")
+    # The chart's own CRD install must be on, else the CRs below cannot even be applied.
+    check((values.get("crds") or {}).get("enabled") is True,
+          f"{rel}: cert-manager values do not enable CRD installation — the Certificate CRD "
+          "would have to be installed by hand")
+
+# ------------------------------- (8) the whole chain is continuously reconciled from git
+check(len(FLUX_PATHS) > 0 and len(RENDERED) > 20,
+      f"the kustomize resource graph resolved {len(RENDERED)} manifest(s) from {len(FLUX_PATHS)} "
+      "Flux Kustomization path(s) — too few to be a real graph, so (8) would prove nothing")
+for rel, _ in cm_releases + CERTS + ISSUERS:
+    check(delivered(rel),
+          f"{rel} is not rendered by any Flux Kustomization path — nothing reconciles it, so a "
+          "deleted Certificate/issuer/controller would stay deleted until a human re-applied it")
+
+# --------------------------------------------- (9) renewal is not defeated arithmetically
+def to_seconds(v) -> int | None:
+    m = re.fullmatch(r"\s*(\d+)\s*([smh])\s*", str(v))
+    if not m:
+        return None
+    return int(m.group(1)) * {"s": 1, "m": 60, "h": 3600}[m.group(2)]
+
+
+renew_pairs = 0
+for rel, cert in CERTS:
+    spec = cert.get("spec") or {}
+    dur, rb = to_seconds(spec.get("duration")), to_seconds(spec.get("renewBefore"))
+    if dur is None or rb is None:
+        continue
+    renew_pairs += 1
+    check(rb < dur,
+          f"{rel}: Certificate {name_of(cert)} sets renewBefore={spec.get('renewBefore')} >= "
+          f"duration={spec.get('duration')} — the renewal instant never arrives")
+
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------- verdict
+# NO-OP GUARD: this repo has been bitten by checks that degrade to a successful no-op.
+# The floor below is a count of assertions that MUST have run for the verdict to mean
+# anything; it is not a style rule.
+check(CHECKS >= 20,
+      f"only {CHECKS} assertions ran — the check degenerated to a near-no-op and its pass "
+      "would be meaningless")
+
+if FAILURES:
+    print(f"CHECK FAIL (tls-lifecycle-automated): {len(FAILURES)} of {CHECKS} assertions failed",
+          file=sys.stderr)
+    for f in FAILURES:
+        print(f"  - {f}", file=sys.stderr)
+    raise SystemExit(1)
+print(f"check OK: tls-lifecycle-automated — {CHECKS} assertions; {len(CERTS)} Certificate(s), "
+      f"{len(ISSUERS)} issuer(s), {len(issuers_verified)} issuer(s) reached from a Certificate "
+      f"across every environment, {listeners_checked} terminating listener(s), "
+      f"{len(solver_creds)} dns01 credential ref(s), {renew_pairs} duration/renewBefore pair(s). "
+      "R-TLS-02 'without manual steps' clause only — issued/renewed/revoked are RUNTIME verbs "
+      "(see l2-behavioral/cert-lifecycle-automated; 'revoked' is NOT proven at any layer).")
+PY

conformance/tests/l1-rendering/container-workload-render/golden/expected.yaml

@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ spec:
         - --http-address=0.0.0.0:4180
         - --reverse-proxy=true
         - --provider=oidc
-        - --oidc-issuer-url=https://keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab
+        - --oidc-issuer-url=https://keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}/realms/homelab
         - --upstream=http://127.0.0.1:8080
         - --email-domain=*
         - --scope=openid email profile
@@ -76,8 +76,8 @@ spec:
         - --allowed-group=platform-admins
         - --skip-provider-button=true
         - --redirect-url=https://paas-demo.home.keithjackson.dev/oauth2/callback
-        - --cookie-domain=.home.keithjackson.dev
+        - --cookie-domain=.${BASE_DOMAIN}
-        - --whitelist-domain=.home.keithjackson.dev
+        - --whitelist-domain=.${BASE_DOMAIN}
         - --cookie-secure=true
         - --pass-access-token=true
         - --set-xauthrequest=true

conformance/tests/l1-rendering/egress-class-render/golden/egress-internet.expected.yaml

@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ spec:
         - --http-address=0.0.0.0:4180
         - --reverse-proxy=true
         - --provider=oidc
-        - --oidc-issuer-url=https://keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab
+        - --oidc-issuer-url=https://keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}/realms/homelab
         - --upstream=http://127.0.0.1:8989
         - --email-domain=*
         - --scope=openid email profile
@@ -99,8 +99,8 @@ spec:
         - --allowed-group=media-admins
         - --skip-provider-button=true
         - --redirect-url=https://sonarr.home.keithjackson.dev/oauth2/callback
-        - --cookie-domain=.home.keithjackson.dev
+        - --cookie-domain=.${BASE_DOMAIN}
-        - --whitelist-domain=.home.keithjackson.dev
+        - --whitelist-domain=.${BASE_DOMAIN}
         - --cookie-secure=true
         - --pass-access-token=true
         - --set-xauthrequest=true

conformance/tests/l1-rendering/egress-class-render/golden/egress-vpn.expected.yaml

@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ spec:
         - --http-address=0.0.0.0:4180
         - --reverse-proxy=true
         - --provider=oidc
-        - --oidc-issuer-url=https://keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab
+        - --oidc-issuer-url=https://keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}/realms/homelab
         - --upstream=http://127.0.0.1:8989
         - --email-domain=*
         - --scope=openid email profile
@@ -99,8 +99,8 @@ spec:
         - --allowed-group=media-admins
         - --skip-provider-button=true
         - --redirect-url=https://sonarr.home.keithjackson.dev/oauth2/callback
-        - --cookie-domain=.home.keithjackson.dev
+        - --cookie-domain=.${BASE_DOMAIN}
-        - --whitelist-domain=.home.keithjackson.dev
+        - --whitelist-domain=.${BASE_DOMAIN}
         - --cookie-secure=true
         - --pass-access-token=true
         - --set-xauthrequest=true

conformance/tests/l2-behavioral/cert-lifecycle-automated/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,391 @@
+# =============================================================================
+# L2 BEHAVIORAL — certificate lifecycle is automatic  (R-TLS-02)
+#                 [RUNNABLE / NOT YET EXECUTED — see STATUS]
+# Catalog: docs/14 "Trusted TLS (R-TLS-01/02)"
+# Spec:    docs/00 R-TLS-02 — "Certificates MUST be automatically **issued, renewed,
+#          and revoked** without manual steps."
+#          docs/08 §"Renewal & revocation (R-TLS-02)" — "cert-manager renews well
+#          before expiry automatically; no human action." / "Revocation: removing/
+#          rotating a certificate is a declarative change; cert-manager handles
+#          issuance of replacements."
+#          docs/08 acceptance gate — "Certificates renew automatically ahead of expiry
+#          with no manual step (**observed across a renewal**)."
+# Impl:    platform/cert-manager/**, platform/gateway/wildcard-certificate.yaml.
+# Sibling: tests/l0-static/tls-lifecycle-automated proves the "without manual steps"
+#          clause statically (in the merge gate). This test observes the three VERBS.
+#
+# ENVIRONMENT-AGNOSTIC (R-ENV-02): NOTHING about either environment is written down. The
+# serving certificate is DISCOVERED — find the Gateway whose listener terminates TLS, follow
+# its certificateRefs Secret, and read that Secret's `cert-manager.io/certificate-name`
+# annotation to reach the Certificate. No hostname, no namespace list, no issuer name, no
+# address: dev proves dev's cert and prod proves prod's from the same authored assertions.
+#
+# GIVEN cert-manager reconciled by Flux and a Gateway terminating TLS,
+# WHEN  the serving Certificate's provenance and renewal schedule are read, and a NEW
+#       Certificate is then requested, left to renew itself, and removed,
+# THEN  1. the serving credential was produced by the CONTROLLER, not a human: its
+#          Secret carries cert-manager's certificate-name annotation, its
+#          CertificateRequest was submitted by cert-manager's own ServiceAccount and
+#          was APPROVED automatically, and its issuer is a Ready ACME ClusterIssuer;
+#       2. an unattended RENEWAL IS SCHEDULED: status.renewalTime is in the future and
+#          strictly before status.notAfter, so no human is in the renewal path;
+#       3. ISSUED — a newly declared Certificate becomes Ready and its Secret appears
+#          with certificate material, with no step between declaring and having it;
+#       4. RENEWED — that certificate, given a renewal window that opens one minute
+#          after issuance, REISSUES ITSELF at least twice (status.revision >= 3) and
+#          the serving bytes actually change, with no human action. This is docs/08's
+#          "observed across a renewal", fast-forwarded;
+#       5. REMOVED/REVOKED — deleting the Certificate withdraws its serving material.
+#
+# WHY A HERMETIC SELF-SIGNED ISSUER FOR STEPS 3-5, AND WHAT THAT COSTS
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Steps 3-5 need a certificate lifecycle that completes in minutes and repeats on every
+# run. Driving that through the real ACME issuer would fire a public Let's Encrypt order
+# (and a Cloudflare _acme-challenge write) per conformance run, burning issuance rate
+# limits for evidence that is not about ACME: cert-manager's renewal scheduler and
+# ownership logic are issuer-independent. So steps 3-5 use a `selfSigned` Issuer created
+# in this test's OWN namespace, and the ACME/DNS-01 path is proven elsewhere — step 1-2
+# read the REAL wildcard certificate the Gateway serves, and l2-behavioral/trusted-tls
+# proves a publicly-trusted LE certificate is actually served (R-TLS-01/03).
+# STATED PLAINLY: steps 3-5 do NOT prove the ACME order path renews; they prove the
+# CONTROLLER's issue/renew/withdraw automation runs unattended in this cluster, while
+# steps 1-2 prove the real serving certificate is on exactly that automated path.
+#
+# STATUS: RUNNABLE, NOT YET EXECUTED. Steps 1-2 are read-only. Steps 3-5 CREATE an
+# Issuer/Certificate (and DELETE the Certificate they created) inside chainsaw's
+# per-test namespace — the same class of mutation every other L2 test here performs,
+# self-cleaning via namespace teardown, touching no platform object. WS-TEST authored
+# them against live dev/prod read-only inspection under an explicit instruction not to
+# mutate either cluster, so THE MUTATING STEPS HAVE NOT BEEN RUN. Nothing about the
+# suite gates on them: ci/conformance.sh only runs L2/L3 when CLUSTER_AVAILABLE=true.
+#
+# EXPECTED FAILURE, DELIBERATELY NOT SOFTENED (R-TEST-06)
+# ------------------------------------------------------
+# Step 5 WILL FAIL as the platform is authored today. cert-manager only garbage-collects
+# a Certificate's Secret when the controller runs with `enableCertificateOwnerRef: true`;
+# platform/cert-manager/helmrelease.yaml does not set it (chart default false), and the
+# live wildcard Secret on both clusters has NO ownerReferences (verified read-only,
+# 2026-09-05). So a removed Certificate leaves its credential in place, and "revoked
+# without manual steps" does not hold. That is a finding about the platform, not a
+# defect in this test: the assertion stays as the requirement reads and is escalated to
+# the PM. (ACME revocation proper is not implemented by cert-manager at all.)
+#
+# KNOWN, DELIBERATE GAPS (this test claims none of these):
+#   * Not proven: that the CA would refuse a revoked certificate — there is no
+#     revocation request to make, so nothing observable exists to assert.
+#   * Not proven: renewal of the REAL wildcard cert (its window opens 30 days before a
+#     90-day expiry; a conformance run cannot wait, and forcing it would rotate the
+#     platform's serving credential). Step 2 asserts the schedule; step 4 asserts the
+#     mechanism that will act on it.
+#   * Not proven: certificate expiry ALERTING — docs/08 delegates that to R-OBS-04
+#     (l3-fault-injection/alerting).
+# =============================================================================
+apiVersion: chainsaw.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Test
+metadata:
+  name: cert-lifecycle-automated
+  labels:
+    conformance.home.k3s/R-TLS-02: "true"
+  annotations:
+    conformance.home.k3s/requirements: "R-TLS-02"
+    conformance.home.k3s/layer: "L2"
+    conformance.home.k3s/safety-critical: "false"
+    conformance.home.k3s/executable: "true"
+    conformance.home.k3s/intent: >-
+      Given cert-manager and a TLS-terminating Gateway, when the serving certificate's
+      provenance and renewal schedule are read and a new certificate is requested, left
+      to renew, and removed, then issuance, renewal and withdrawal all happen with no
+      human step — the serving cert was controller-issued and auto-approved, its
+      renewal is scheduled ahead of expiry, and a declared certificate issues and
+      reissues itself unattended.
+spec:
+  timeouts:
+    apply: 60s
+    assert: 3m
+    exec: 10m
+  steps:
+    # ---------------------------------------------------------------- READ-ONLY HALF
+    - name: given-cert-manager-is-reconciled-and-healthy
+      description: >-
+        The controller that issues and renews must be running, and must have been
+        installed by Flux rather than by hand — otherwise "automatic" has no engine.
+      try:
+        - script:
+            content: |
+              set -u
+              # Discover cert-manager's Deployments by chart label, in whatever namespace
+              # the release lives (nothing about the environment is assumed).
+              sel='app.kubernetes.io/instance=cert-manager'
+              rows="$(kubectl get deploy -A -l "$sel" \
+                        -o custom-columns='NS:.metadata.namespace,N:.metadata.name,RDY:.status.readyReplicas' \
+                        --no-headers 2>/dev/null || true)"
+              echo "$rows"
+              [ -n "$rows" ] || { echo "FAIL: no cert-manager Deployment found ($sel)"; exit 1; }
+              n=0
+              echo "$rows" | while read -r ns name rdy; do
+                [ "${rdy:-0}" -ge 1 ] || { echo "FAIL: $ns/$name has no ready replica"; exit 1; }
+              done || exit 1
+              n="$(echo "$rows" | wc -l)"
+              # controller + webhook + cainjector: without the webhook a Certificate is
+              # rejected, without cainjector the webhook has no CA — all three or nothing.
+              [ "$n" -ge 3 ] || { echo "FAIL: expected >=3 cert-manager Deployments, saw $n"; exit 1; }
+              # GitOps-managed, not hand-installed: Flux labels what it applies.
+              ns="$(echo "$rows" | head -1 | awk '{print $1}')"
+              lbl="$(kubectl get deploy -n "$ns" -l "$sel" \
+                       -o jsonpath='{.items[0].metadata.labels.helm\.toolkit\.fluxcd\.io/name}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+              [ -n "$lbl" ] || { echo "FAIL: cert-manager is not owned by a Flux HelmRelease"; exit 1; }
+              echo "CERT_MANAGER_HEALTHY_OK ($n deployments, flux HelmRelease $lbl)"
+            check:
+              (contains($stdout, 'CERT_MANAGER_HEALTHY_OK')): true
+
+    - name: then-the-serving-certificate-was-issued-by-the-controller
+      description: >-
+        Follow the Gateway's terminating listener to the Secret it serves, and prove
+        that Secret's provenance is cert-manager — annotation, CertificateRequest
+        requester, automatic approval, and a Ready ACME issuer.
+      try:
+        - script:
+            content: |
+              set -u
+              # --- discover the serving Secret from the Gateway itself -------------------
+              gw="$(kubectl get gateway -A \
+                      -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{.metadata.namespace}{" "}{.metadata.name}{"\n"}{end}' \
+                      2>/dev/null | head -1)"
+              [ -n "$gw" ] || { echo "FAIL: no Gateway found — nothing terminates TLS"; exit 1; }
+              gns="${gw% *}"; gname="${gw#* }"
+              sec="$(kubectl -n "$gns" get gateway "$gname" \
+                       -o jsonpath='{.spec.listeners[?(@.tls.mode=="Terminate")].tls.certificateRefs[0].name}' \
+                       2>/dev/null | awk '{print $1}')"
+              [ -n "$sec" ] || { echo "FAIL: Gateway $gns/$gname terminates no TLS listener"; exit 1; }
+              echo "gateway=$gns/$gname serving-secret=$sec"
+
+              # --- provenance (1): only the controller writes this annotation ------------
+              cert="$(kubectl -n "$gns" get secret "$sec" \
+                        -o jsonpath='{.metadata.annotations.cert-manager\.io/certificate-name}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+              [ -n "$cert" ] || { echo "FAIL: Secret $gns/$sec carries no cert-manager.io/certificate-name annotation — it was not produced by cert-manager"; exit 1; }
+              crt="$(kubectl -n "$gns" get secret "$sec" -o jsonpath='{.data.tls\.crt}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+              [ -n "$crt" ] || { echo "FAIL: Secret $gns/$sec holds no tls.crt"; exit 1; }
+
+              # --- provenance (2): the Certificate is Ready and has a revision -----------
+              ready="$(kubectl -n "$gns" get certificate "$cert" \
+                         -o jsonpath='{.status.conditions[?(@.type=="Ready")].status}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+              rev="$(kubectl -n "$gns" get certificate "$cert" -o jsonpath='{.status.revision}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+              echo "certificate=$gns/$cert ready=$ready revision=$rev"
+              [ "$ready" = "True" ] || { echo "FAIL: Certificate $cert is not Ready"; exit 1; }
+              [ -n "$rev" ] && [ "$rev" -ge 1 ] || { echo "FAIL: Certificate $cert has no issued revision"; exit 1; }
+
+              # --- provenance (3): the request was made BY THE CONTROLLER and auto-approved
+              # spec.username is the identity that created the CertificateRequest. A human
+              # operator would appear as a user/OIDC identity, not a ServiceAccount.
+              cr="$(kubectl -n "$gns" get certificaterequest \
+                      -o jsonpath="{range .items[?(@.metadata.annotations.cert-manager\.io/certificate-name=='${cert}')]}{.metadata.name}{' '}{.spec.username}{'\n'}{end}" \
+                      2>/dev/null | tail -1)"
+              [ -n "$cr" ] || { echo "FAIL: no CertificateRequest for $cert — cannot show who requested it"; exit 1; }
+              crname="${cr% *}"; requester="${cr#* }"
+              echo "certificaterequest=$crname requester=$requester"
+              case "$requester" in
+                system:serviceaccount:*) : ;;
+                *) echo "FAIL: CertificateRequest $crname was submitted by '$requester', not a controller ServiceAccount"; exit 1 ;;
+              esac
+              appr="$(kubectl -n "$gns" get certificaterequest "$crname" \
+                        -o jsonpath='{.status.conditions[?(@.type=="Approved")].status}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+              [ "$appr" = "True" ] || { echo "FAIL: CertificateRequest $crname is not Approved=True (approval would be a manual step)"; exit 1; }
+
+              # --- provenance (4): an automated ACME issuer, and it is Ready -------------
+              ikind="$(kubectl -n "$gns" get certificate "$cert" -o jsonpath='{.spec.issuerRef.kind}')"
+              iname="$(kubectl -n "$gns" get certificate "$cert" -o jsonpath='{.spec.issuerRef.name}')"
+              echo "issuer=$ikind/$iname"
+              if [ "$ikind" = "ClusterIssuer" ]; then
+                iready="$(kubectl get clusterissuer "$iname" -o jsonpath='{.status.conditions[?(@.type=="Ready")].status}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+                iacme="$(kubectl get clusterissuer "$iname" -o jsonpath='{.spec.acme.server}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+              else
+                iready="$(kubectl -n "$gns" get issuer "$iname" -o jsonpath='{.status.conditions[?(@.type=="Ready")].status}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+                iacme="$(kubectl -n "$gns" get issuer "$iname" -o jsonpath='{.spec.acme.server}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+              fi
+              [ "$iready" = "True" ] || { echo "FAIL: issuer $iname is not Ready — renewal would need a human to fix it"; exit 1; }
+              [ -n "$iacme" ] || { echo "FAIL: issuer $iname is not an ACME issuer"; exit 1; }
+              echo "SERVING_CERT_CONTROLLER_ISSUED_OK"
+            check:
+              (contains($stdout, 'SERVING_CERT_CONTROLLER_ISSUED_OK')): true
+
+    - name: then-an-unattended-renewal-is-already-scheduled
+      description: >-
+        cert-manager writes status.renewalTime only after computing when it will renew.
+        Asserting it is in the future and before expiry proves the renewal is scheduled
+        and that nothing is waiting on a human (docs/08 "renews well before expiry").
+      try:
+        - script:
+            content: |
+              set -u
+              gw="$(kubectl get gateway -A \
+                      -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{.metadata.namespace}{" "}{.metadata.name}{"\n"}{end}' | head -1)"
+              gns="${gw% *}"; gname="${gw#* }"
+              sec="$(kubectl -n "$gns" get gateway "$gname" \
+                       -o jsonpath='{.spec.listeners[?(@.tls.mode=="Terminate")].tls.certificateRefs[0].name}' | awk '{print $1}')"
+              cert="$(kubectl -n "$gns" get secret "$sec" \
+                        -o jsonpath='{.metadata.annotations.cert-manager\.io/certificate-name}')"
+              renew="$(kubectl -n "$gns" get certificate "$cert" -o jsonpath='{.status.renewalTime}')"
+              after="$(kubectl -n "$gns" get certificate "$cert" -o jsonpath='{.status.notAfter}')"
+              [ -n "$renew" ] || { echo "FAIL: Certificate $cert has no status.renewalTime — no renewal is scheduled"; exit 1; }
+              [ -n "$after" ] || { echo "FAIL: Certificate $cert has no status.notAfter"; exit 1; }
+              now_s="$(date -u +%s)"
+              r_s="$(date -u -d "$renew" +%s)"
+              a_s="$(date -u -d "$after" +%s)"
+              echo "now=$(date -u -d "@$now_s" +%FT%TZ) renewalTime=$renew notAfter=$after"
+              echo "renewal is in $(( (r_s - now_s) / 86400 ))d; expiry in $(( (a_s - now_s) / 86400 ))d"
+              [ "$r_s" -gt "$now_s" ] || { echo "FAIL: renewalTime is in the PAST — the scheduled renewal did not happen"; exit 1; }
+              [ "$r_s" -lt "$a_s" ] || { echo "FAIL: renewalTime is not before notAfter — renewal would come too late"; exit 1; }
+              echo "RENEWAL_SCHEDULED_OK"
+            check:
+              (contains($stdout, 'RENEWAL_SCHEDULED_OK')): true
+
+    # ------------------------------------------------- MUTATING HALF (hermetic namespace)
+    - name: when-a-certificate-is-declared-then-it-is-issued-with-no-human-step
+      description: >-
+        Declare an Issuer and a Certificate in this test's own namespace, with a renewal
+        window that opens one minute after issuance. Nothing else is done to them for the
+        rest of the test — every later transition is the controller acting on its own.
+      try:
+        - apply:
+            resource:
+              # selfSigned: no external CA, no rate limit, no DNS write. See the header for
+              # what this proves (controller automation) and what it does not (the ACME path).
+              apiVersion: cert-manager.io/v1
+              kind: Issuer
+              metadata:
+                name: conformance-lifecycle
+              spec:
+                selfSigned: {}
+        - apply:
+            resource:
+              apiVersion: cert-manager.io/v1
+              kind: Certificate
+              metadata:
+                name: conformance-lifecycle
+              spec:
+                secretName: conformance-lifecycle-tls
+                # 1h is cert-manager's minimum duration; renewing 59m before expiry puts the
+                # renewal instant ~1 minute after each issuance, so an unattended renewal is
+                # observable inside a test run instead of 30 days from now.
+                duration: 1h
+                renewBefore: 3540s
+                commonName: conformance-lifecycle.invalid
+                dnsNames:
+                  - conformance-lifecycle.invalid
+                privateKey:
+                  rotationPolicy: Always
+                issuerRef:
+                  kind: Issuer
+                  name: conformance-lifecycle
+        - assert:
+            resource:
+              apiVersion: cert-manager.io/v1
+              kind: Certificate
+              metadata:
+                name: conformance-lifecycle
+              status:
+                conditions:
+                  - type: Ready
+                    status: "True"
+                revision: 1
+        - script:
+            content: |
+              set -u
+              crt="$(kubectl -n "$NAMESPACE" get secret conformance-lifecycle-tls \
+                       -o jsonpath='{.data.tls\.crt}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+              key="$(kubectl -n "$NAMESPACE" get secret conformance-lifecycle-tls \
+                       -o jsonpath='{.data.tls\.key}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+              [ -n "$crt" ] && [ -n "$key" ] || { echo "FAIL: no certificate material was issued into conformance-lifecycle-tls"; exit 1; }
+              # Record the serving bytes so the renewal step can prove they CHANGED.
+              echo "$crt" | cksum > /tmp/conformance-cert-r1.cksum
+              echo "revision-1 cert fingerprint: $(cat /tmp/conformance-cert-r1.cksum)"
+              echo "CERT_ISSUED_OK"
+            check:
+              (contains($stdout, 'CERT_ISSUED_OK')): true
+
+    - name: then-it-renews-itself-before-expiry-with-no-human-step
+      description: >-
+        Nothing touches the Certificate here. Poll until the controller has reissued it
+        at least twice on its own and the serving bytes differ from revision 1 — docs/08's
+        "observed across a renewal", and every request auto-approved.
+      try:
+        - script:
+            content: |
+              set -u
+              want=3          # revision 1 = issuance; >=3 means TWO unattended renewals
+              for i in $(seq 1 30); do
+                rev="$(kubectl -n "$NAMESPACE" get certificate conformance-lifecycle \
+                         -o jsonpath='{.status.revision}' 2>/dev/null || echo 0)"
+                echo "poll $i: revision=${rev:-0}"
+                [ "${rev:-0}" -ge "$want" ] && break
+                sleep 20
+              done
+              rev="$(kubectl -n "$NAMESPACE" get certificate conformance-lifecycle \
+                       -o jsonpath='{.status.revision}' 2>/dev/null || echo 0)"
+              [ "${rev:-0}" -ge "$want" ] || { echo "FAIL: revision reached only ${rev:-0} — cert-manager did not renew unattended"; exit 1; }
+
+              # The serving material must actually have rotated, not just the revision count.
+              now="$(kubectl -n "$NAMESPACE" get secret conformance-lifecycle-tls \
+                       -o jsonpath='{.data.tls\.crt}' | cksum)"
+              was="$(cat /tmp/conformance-cert-r1.cksum)"
+              echo "r1=$was  now=$now"
+              [ "$now" != "$was" ] || { echo "FAIL: the Secret still holds the revision-1 certificate — nothing was actually reissued"; exit 1; }
+
+              # Every renewal request was approved by the controller, never by a person.
+              bad=0
+              for cr in $(kubectl -n "$NAMESPACE" get certificaterequest -o name 2>/dev/null); do
+                st="$(kubectl -n "$NAMESPACE" get "$cr" \
+                        -o jsonpath='{.status.conditions[?(@.type=="Approved")].status}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+                who="$(kubectl -n "$NAMESPACE" get "$cr" -o jsonpath='{.spec.username}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+                echo "  $cr approved=$st requester=$who"
+                [ "$st" = "True" ] || bad=1
+                case "$who" in system:serviceaccount:*) : ;; *) bad=1 ;; esac
+              done
+              [ "$bad" = 0 ] || { echo "FAIL: a CertificateRequest was not auto-approved, or was not submitted by a controller"; exit 1; }
+              echo "CERT_RENEWED_UNATTENDED_OK (revision=$rev)"
+            check:
+              (contains($stdout, 'CERT_RENEWED_UNATTENDED_OK')): true
+
+    - name: then-removing-the-certificate-withdraws-the-serving-material
+      description: >-
+        docs/08 reads revocation as "removing/rotating a certificate is a declarative
+        change". The declarative change is the deletion; withdrawal of the credential
+        must follow with no manual cleanup. EXPECTED TO FAIL TODAY — cert-manager needs
+        `enableCertificateOwnerRef: true` for the Secret to be garbage-collected, and the
+        tracked HelmRelease does not set it. Kept as the requirement reads (R-TEST-06).
+      try:
+        - delete:
+            ref:
+              apiVersion: cert-manager.io/v1
+              kind: Certificate
+              name: conformance-lifecycle
+        - script:
+            content: |
+              set -u
+              for i in $(seq 1 15); do
+                if ! kubectl -n "$NAMESPACE" get secret conformance-lifecycle-tls >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+                  echo "CERT_WITHDRAWN_OK (serving material gone after $((i * 4))s)"
+                  exit 0
+                fi
+                sleep 4
+              done
+              owners="$(kubectl -n "$NAMESPACE" get secret conformance-lifecycle-tls \
+                          -o jsonpath='{.metadata.ownerReferences}' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+              echo "FAIL: the Certificate was deleted but Secret conformance-lifecycle-tls still"
+              echo "      holds usable certificate material (ownerReferences=${owners:-none})."
+              echo "      Removing a certificate therefore does NOT withdraw the credential, so"
+              echo "      R-TLS-02's 'revoked ... without manual steps' does not hold. FIX:"
+              echo "      set enableCertificateOwnerRef: true in platform/cert-manager values"
+              echo "      (owner decision — WS-TEST does not weaken the assertion instead)."
+              exit 1
+            check:
+              (contains($stdout, 'CERT_WITHDRAWN_OK')): true
+      finally:
+        # Namespace teardown removes both objects anyway; explicit so a leftover Secret
+        # from the expected failure above is never left holding key material.
+        - script:
+            content: |
+              kubectl -n "$NAMESPACE" delete secret conformance-lifecycle-tls --ignore-not-found --wait=false || true
+              kubectl -n "$NAMESPACE" delete certificate conformance-lifecycle --ignore-not-found --wait=false || true
+              kubectl -n "$NAMESPACE" delete issuer conformance-lifecycle --ignore-not-found --wait=false || true
+              rm -f /tmp/conformance-cert-r1.cksum || true

conformance/tests/l2-behavioral/default-deny/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -153,3 +153,20 @@ spec:
       finally:
         - script:
             content: 'echo "cleanup handled by chainsaw namespace teardown"'
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    # PROOF-OF-PASS SENTINEL (R-SEC-03). Every step above is an assert/Job-status gate, so
+    # chainsaw already fails the test before reaching this step if any of them fails — but a
+    # green Chainsaw JUnit carries NO stdout, and the L2/L3 tests in this suite can self-skip
+    # GREEN, so lib/record_run.py refuses to treat a bare `passed` as evidence and records
+    # `unknown-no-sentinel-declared` instead. Without a declared token this test could pass
+    # forever and NEVER become a recorded proof of R-NET-01 — the isolation half of docs/07's audit proof list
+    # — which is precisely what docs/07 asks for ("These proofs are part of the platform
+    # acceptance suite, not one-time checks"). This step exists only to emit that token, and it
+    # is reached only when everything above has passed. Asserted by
+    # tests/l0-static/auditability-proofs-producible.
+    - name: then-emit-the-proof-of-pass-sentinel
+      try:
+        - script:
+            content: echo DEFAULT_DENY_PROVEN_OK
+            check:
+              (contains($stdout, 'DEFAULT_DENY_PROVEN_OK')): true

conformance/tests/l2-behavioral/dns-exposure/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -3,11 +3,18 @@
 # Catalog: docs/14 "DNS/exposure (R-DNS-*)"
 # Spec:    docs/09 (ExternalDNS auto-manages records; split-horizon foundation)
 #
+# ENVIRONMENT-AGNOSTIC (R-ENV-02): the hostname is built from the ${BASE_DOMAIN} of the CLUSTER
+# UNDER TEST (read from flux-system/cluster-vars via a test-level chainsaw binding), and the
+# expected answer is the LB IP that THIS Service was actually assigned (read back from its own
+# status) — so neither the name nor the address is authored per environment, and no run-time flag
+# can be forgotten. Requesting a record under the cluster's own suffix is also what keeps the two
+# environments from ever describing the same public name (the 2026-09-04 incident precondition).
+#
 # GIVEN a LoadBalancer Service annotated with an external-dns hostname,
 # WHEN  ExternalDNS reconciles (source=service, provider=cloudflare, policy=sync),
 # THEN  a PUBLIC DNS record for that hostname is auto-created, pointing at the
-#       Service's Cilium-assigned LB IP (R-DNS-02). The record resolves to the
+#       Service's Cilium-assigned LB IP (R-DNS-02) — asserted as an EXACT match against that
-#       cluster LB IP (Cilium L2 `shared` pool 192.168.1.53-.60), i.e. clients reach the cluster endpoint.
+#       Service's own `status.loadBalancer.ingress[0].ip`, i.e. clients reach the cluster endpoint.
 #
 # CLEANUP: chainsaw deletes the per-test namespace (Service included) at teardown;
 # ExternalDNS policy=sync then REMOVES the record from Cloudflare on its next pass.
@@ -38,6 +45,13 @@ spec:
     apply: 90s
     assert: 5m
     exec: 6m
+  # -- R-ENV-02: the environment's hostname suffix is READ FROM THE CLUSTER UNDER TEST.
+  #    flux-system/cluster-vars is the ConfigMap Flux substitutes ${BASE_DOMAIN} from, so this
+  #    binding is the same source of truth the platform is rendered from — dev asks dev, prod
+  #    asks prod, and there is no per-environment fork and no flag to forget.
+  bindings:
+    - name: baseDomain
+      value: (x_k8s_get($client, 'v1', 'ConfigMap', 'flux-system', 'cluster-vars').data.BASE_DOMAIN)
   steps:
     - name: given-a-service-requesting-a-dns-name
       try:
@@ -48,7 +62,8 @@ spec:
               metadata:
                 name: dns-probe-svc
                 annotations:
-                  external-dns.alpha.kubernetes.io/hostname: conformance-dns.home.keithjackson.dev
+                  # conformance-dns.<this cluster's BASE_DOMAIN> — never a literal apex.
+                  external-dns.alpha.kubernetes.io/hostname: (join('.', ['conformance-dns', $baseDomain]))
               spec:
                 type: LoadBalancer
                 # No real backend needed — Cilium LB-IPAM assigns a VIP regardless, and
@@ -59,7 +74,27 @@ spec:
                   - name: http
                     port: 80
                     targetPort: 80
+        # Wait for Cilium LB-IPAM to actually assign the VIP: it is the value ExternalDNS will
+        # publish and the value the probe below asserts EXACTLY. `|| ` + empty-array literal
+        # keeps the expression nil-safe while the address is still absent, so the assert POLLS
+        # (fails and retries) instead of erroring out on the first evaluation.
+        - assert:
+            resource:
+              apiVersion: v1
+              kind: Service
+              metadata:
+                name: dns-probe-svc
+              status:
+                (length(loadBalancer.ingress || `[]`)): 1
     - name: then-externaldns-creates-the-public-record
+      # Step-scoped binding: read back the LB IP THIS Service was assigned (the previous step's
+      # assert guarantees it exists by now — step bindings are evaluated when the step runs).
+      # Expecting that exact address is both stricter than the old hardcoded 192.168.1.53-.60
+      # range and correct in every environment: dev's pool is 192.168.1.53-.60, prod's is
+      # 192.168.2.20-.30, and neither is written down here.
+      bindings:
+        - name: lbIp
+          value: (x_k8s_get($client, 'v1', 'Service', $namespace, 'dns-probe-svc').status.loadBalancer.ingress[0].ip)
       try:
         - apply:
             resource:
@@ -76,20 +111,27 @@ spec:
                     containers:
                       - name: probe
                         image: busybox:1.36.1
+                        # Both values come from the cluster under test: the suffix from
+                        # flux-system/cluster-vars, the address from this Service's own status.
+                        env:
+                          - name: BASE_DOMAIN
+                            value: ($baseDomain)
+                          - name: LB_IP
+                            value: ($lbIp)
                         command:
                           - sh
                           - -c
                           - |
                             set -u
-                            host="conformance-dns.home.keithjackson.dev"
+                            host="conformance-dns.${BASE_DOMAIN}"
                             # Poll PUBLIC DNS (1.1.1.1) until the auto-created A record appears and
-                            # points into the cluster LB range (Cilium L2 `shared` pool 192.168.1.53-.60). Proves ExternalDNS created it.
+                            # points at THIS Service's assigned LB IP. Proves ExternalDNS created it.
                             for i in $(seq 1 28); do
-                              ip="$(nslookup "$host" 1.1.1.1 2>/dev/null | grep -oE '192\.168\.1\.(5[3-9]|60)' | head -1)"
+                              ip="$(nslookup "$host" 1.1.1.1 2>/dev/null | awk '/^Address: /{print $2}' | grep -Fx "${LB_IP}" | head -1)"
                               if [ -n "$ip" ]; then echo "RECORD_FOUND $host -> $ip"; exit 0; fi
-                              echo "poll $i: record not yet published"; sleep 10
+                              echo "poll $i: record not yet published as ${LB_IP}"; sleep 10
                             done
-                            echo "FAIL: ExternalDNS did not publish the record within timeout"; exit 1
+                            echo "FAIL: ExternalDNS did not publish ${host} -> ${LB_IP} within timeout"; exit 1
         - assert:
             resource:
               apiVersion: batch/v1

conformance/tests/l2-behavioral/dns-internal-resolution/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -2,17 +2,24 @@
 # L2 BEHAVIORAL — split-horizon INTERNAL resolution  (R-DNS-01 / R-DNS-03)   [RUNNABLE]
 # Catalog: docs/14 "DNS/exposure (R-DNS-*)"
 # Spec:    docs/09 "Split-horizon resolution (R-DNS-03)" — internal clients resolve
-#          <svc>.home.keithjackson.dev to the INTERNAL Gateway VIP, not the public hairpin.
+#          <svc>.${BASE_DOMAIN} to the INTERNAL Gateway VIP, not the public hairpin.
 # Impl:    platform/coredns/coredns-custom.yaml (k3s CoreDNS `import *.server`; template plugin
-#          answers the whole home.keithjackson.dev zone with ${GATEWAY_VIP}).
+#          answers the whole ${BASE_DOMAIN} zone with ${GATEWAY_VIP}).
+#
+# ENVIRONMENT-AGNOSTIC (R-ENV-02): this test asks the CLUSTER IT IS POINTED AT for its own
+# ${BASE_DOMAIN} and ${GATEWAY_VIP} — the same flux-system/cluster-vars ConfigMap Flux
+# substitutes from — via test-level chainsaw bindings (see `spec.bindings`). Nothing here is
+# per-environment and no flag is passed at run time, so the suite cannot be run against the
+# wrong expectation: dev asserts dev's zone/VIP, prod asserts prod's.
 #
 # GIVEN the split-horizon coredns-custom ConfigMap is reconciled into k3s CoreDNS,
 # WHEN  an in-cluster pod resolves a platform hostname over its PUBLIC name
-#       (keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev) using the default cluster resolver (CoreDNS 10.43.0.10),
+#       (keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}) using the default cluster resolver (CoreDNS 10.43.0.10),
-# THEN  the answer is the in-cluster Gateway VIP (the Cilium L2 `shared` gateway pool 192.168.1.53-.60) — NOT a
+# THEN  the answer is EXACTLY that cluster's ${GATEWAY_VIP} (the address coredns-custom is
-#       public/off-cluster IP. This is what lets pod->public-hostname traffic hairpin through the
+#       templated with, and the `shared` Gateway's own status address) — NOT a public/off-cluster
-#       Gateway with the correct SNI (*.home.keithjackson.dev) so the wildcard cert validates
+#       IP. This is what lets pod->public-hostname traffic hairpin through the
-#       (R-DNS-01 "services reachable at <svc>.home..."; R-DNS-03 split-horizon).
+#       Gateway with the correct SNI (*.${BASE_DOMAIN}) so the wildcard cert validates
+#       (R-DNS-01 "services reachable at <svc>.${BASE_DOMAIN}"; R-DNS-03 split-horizon).
 #
 # Complements dns-exposure (R-DNS-02, the EXTERNAL/public-record side). Together they cover the
 # split-horizon pair: external answer = public record (R-DNS-02); internal answer = Gateway VIP
@@ -34,13 +41,23 @@ metadata:
     conformance.home.k3s/safety-critical: "false"
     conformance.home.k3s/executable: "true"
     conformance.home.k3s/intent: >-
-      An in-cluster pod resolving keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev via cluster DNS gets the internal
+      An in-cluster pod resolving keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN} via cluster DNS gets that cluster's
-      Gateway VIP (192.168.1.53-.60), not the public hairpin — split-horizon in-cluster resolution.
+      internal Gateway VIP, not the public hairpin — split-horizon in-cluster resolution.
 spec:
   timeouts:
     apply: 60s
     assert: 2m
     exec: 2m
+  # -- R-ENV-02: the environment's identity is READ FROM THE CLUSTER UNDER TEST, never authored
+  #    here. flux-system/cluster-vars is the ConfigMap Flux itself substitutes from
+  #    (clusters/base/cluster-vars.yaml + the dev/prod overlay patch), so these bindings are the
+  #    same source of truth the platform is rendered from. Test-level => in scope for every step
+  #    (unlike step `outputs`, which are step-scoped).
+  bindings:
+    - name: baseDomain
+      value: (x_k8s_get($client, 'v1', 'ConfigMap', 'flux-system', 'cluster-vars').data.BASE_DOMAIN)
+    - name: gatewayVip
+      value: (x_k8s_get($client, 'v1', 'ConfigMap', 'flux-system', 'cluster-vars').data.GATEWAY_VIP)
   steps:
     - name: then-cluster-dns-answers-with-the-internal-gateway-vip
       try:
@@ -59,23 +76,32 @@ spec:
                     containers:
                       - name: probe
                         image: busybox:1.36.1
+                        # The cluster's OWN identity, resolved from flux-system/cluster-vars by the
+                        # test-level bindings — never a literal (R-ENV-02).
+                        env:
+                          - name: BASE_DOMAIN
+                            value: ($baseDomain)
+                          - name: GATEWAY_VIP
+                            value: ($gatewayVip)
                         command:
                           - sh
                           - -c
                           - |
                             set -u
-                            host="keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev"
+                            host="keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}"
                             # Resolve via the DEFAULT cluster resolver (CoreDNS, /etc/resolv.conf ->
-                            # 10.43.0.10). Split-horizon must answer with the in-cluster Gateway VIP
+                            # 10.43.0.10). Split-horizon must answer with THIS cluster's Gateway VIP
-                            # (Cilium L2 `shared` pool 192.168.1.53-.60), proving pods hairpin through the Gateway.
+                            # (the address coredns-custom is templated with), proving pods hairpin
+                            # through the Gateway. Exact match on ${GATEWAY_VIP}: stricter than the
+                            # old hardcoded 192.168.1.53-.60 range AND correct in both environments.
                             out="$(nslookup "$host" 2>/dev/null)"
                             echo "$out"
-                            ip="$(echo "$out" | awk '/^Address: /{print $2}' | grep -E '^192\.168\.1\.(5[3-9]|60)$' | head -1)"
+                            ip="$(echo "$out" | awk '/^Address: /{print $2}' | grep -Fx "${GATEWAY_VIP}" | head -1)"
                             if [ -n "$ip" ]; then
                               echo "INTERNAL_RESOLUTION_OK $host -> $ip (in-cluster Gateway VIP)"
                               exit 0
                             fi
-                            echo "FAIL: $host did not resolve to the in-cluster Gateway VIP (192.168.1.53-.60);"
+                            echo "FAIL: $host did not resolve to this cluster's Gateway VIP (${GATEWAY_VIP});"
                             echo "      split-horizon coredns-custom not in effect (got a public/off-cluster answer)."
                             exit 1
         - assert:

conformance/tests/l2-behavioral/egress-default-path/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,199 @@
+# =============================================================================
+# L2 BEHAVIORAL — the default egress path is the WAN; the VPN is opt-in  (R-NET-04)  [RUNNABLE]
+# Catalog: docs/14 L2 row ("real runtime behavior, probes against a cluster")
+# Spec:    docs/00 R-NET-04 ("The platform MUST support **multiple egress paths** selected by
+#          routing rules ... realized as two paths — the local `internet` path and the
+#          in-cluster `vpn` path").
+#          docs/03 §"Egress routing: two paths, one physical WAN": "the `internet` path is
+#          simply the default route out".
+#          docs/03 §"VPN egress model": "**Default is the WAN; the VPN is strictly opt-in.**
+#          Every pod — and the nodes themselves — egress the local/private WAN by default and
+#          **never** the VPN. Only services labeled `egress-class=vpn` are steered to the
+#          tunnel"; and the tunnel "is **split-tunnel**: ... only what Cilium points at `tun0`
+#          uses the VPN."
+#
+# WHAT THIS PROVES THAT tests/l2-behavioral/egress-class DOES NOT
+# --------------------------------------------------------------
+# That test (R-NET-05/07) compares two LABELLED pods — `internet` vs `vpn` — and shows their
+# public IPs differ, then flips a label. Both of its pods declared a class, so it says nothing
+# about the case R-NET-04 actually turns on: a pod that NO routing rule selects. This test adds
+# that pod, and asserts the two claims that make a rule-selected path set complete:
+#
+#   TOTALITY   — an UNLABELLED pod egresses the WAN, i.e. the same public IP as the
+#                explicitly-`internet` pod. Absence of a matching rule IS a path, and it is
+#                the local one. If the steering rule ever widened (an empty selector, a
+#                matchExpression, a second rule), this pod's IP would move to the tunnel and
+#                this assertion is what would notice.
+#   COEXISTENCE — the WAN path and the VPN path are live AT THE SAME TIME, observed in one
+#                pass: three pods, two distinct public IPs. "Multiple egress paths" is a
+#                simultaneity claim, not a claim that one switch has two positions.
+#   PER-DESTINATION SELECTION — the vpn-class pod still reaches an in-cluster/RFC1918
+#                destination over the LOCAL path while its public traffic is tunnelled. The
+#                tunnel is destination-scoped (excludedCIDRs), not a default route, so ONE pod
+#                uses BOTH paths at once.
+#
+# ENVIRONMENT-AGNOSTIC (R-ENV-02): no address, hostname or range appears. Every assertion is a
+# RELATION between observed values (equal / not-equal), so it holds against dev and prod alike
+# and survives the WAN or the VPN provider rotating addresses.
+#
+# GIVEN one unlabelled, one `internet`-class and one `vpn`-class pod — the same workload three
+#       times, differing only in the class they declare (or do not),
+# WHEN  each asks an external echo for the public IP it egressed from, and the vpn-class pod
+#       also resolves a name through the in-cluster resolver,
+# THEN  the unlabelled pod's public IP EQUALS the internet-class pod's (the default route out
+#       is the WAN, and the VPN is strictly opt-in);
+# AND   the vpn-class pod's public IP DIFFERS from both (a second, simultaneously-live path);
+# AND   the vpn-class pod still resolves in-cluster (its private-destination traffic was not
+#       swallowed by the tunnel), so the same pod is using both paths at once.
+#
+# WHAT THIS DOES *NOT* PROVE (honest gaps — do not read this test as claiming them):
+#   - THAT NO OTHER RULE EXISTS. Three pods cannot enumerate a rule set. That exactly one
+#     steering rule is authored, that it selects only the vpn class, that no `ip rule` is
+#     unscoped and no nftables DROP unqualified is the L0 half, in
+#     tests/l0-static/egress-paths-selected-by-rules (same requirement label).
+#   - WHICH INTERFACE the packets left by. The observation is the public IP an external echo
+#     reports; it distinguishes the paths without naming them. Asserting "out tun0" would need
+#     host-level datapath inspection (Hubble/tcpdump on the gateway node), which no test in
+#     this suite does.
+#   - THE KILL-SWITCH. Tunnel-down behaviour is R-NET-06's, at L3 (vpn-killswitch): `vpn`
+#     fails closed. Its mirror — that `internet` is never blackholed — is asserted statically
+#     by the L0 half, not here.
+#   - NODE traffic. docs/03 also says "the nodes themselves" egress the WAN by default. That
+#     is a host-level fact this test cannot see from a pod.
+#   - EXTERNAL DEPENDENCY, stated plainly: the public-IP echo (api.ipify.org) is off-cluster,
+#     so a WAN outage or the echo being down fails this test. That is the same dependency
+#     tests/l2-behavioral/egress-class already carries; the alternative — trusting the
+#     cluster's own account of which path it used — would not be a behavioural test at all.
+#
+# CLEANUP: chainsaw deletes the per-test namespace (all three pods with it). Nothing outside
+# that namespace is created or changed — no label on a platform object, no policy edit.
+# =============================================================================
+apiVersion: chainsaw.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Test
+metadata:
+  name: egress-default-path
+  labels:
+    conformance.home.k3s/R-NET-04: "true"
+  annotations:
+    conformance.home.k3s/requirements: "R-NET-04"
+    conformance.home.k3s/layer: "L2"
+    conformance.home.k3s/safety-critical: "false"
+    conformance.home.k3s/executable: "true"
+    conformance.home.k3s/intent: >-
+      Given an unlabelled, an internet-class and a vpn-class pod, when each observes the public
+      IP it egressed from, then the unlabelled pod's IP equals the internet-class pod's (the
+      default route out is the WAN, the VPN is opt-in) while the vpn-class pod's differs — two
+      paths live at once — and the vpn-class pod still reaches in-cluster destinations over the
+      local path, so one pod uses both paths simultaneously.
+spec:
+  timeouts:
+    apply: 60s
+    assert: 2m
+    exec: 3m
+  steps:
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    - name: given-three-pods-differing-only-in-their-declared-egress-class
+      try:
+        - apply:
+            file: fixtures/three-egress-pods.yaml
+        # Bare pods (restartPolicy: Never) — Ready == Running here.
+        - assert:
+            resource:
+              apiVersion: v1
+              kind: Pod
+              metadata: { name: egress-unlabelled }
+              status: { phase: Running }
+        - assert:
+            resource:
+              apiVersion: v1
+              kind: Pod
+              metadata: { name: egress-internet }
+              status: { phase: Running }
+        - assert:
+            resource:
+              apiVersion: v1
+              kind: Pod
+              metadata: { name: egress-vpn }
+              status: { phase: Running }
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    - name: then-the-unlabelled-pod-takes-the-wan-and-the-vpn-path-is-live-too
+      try:
+        - script:
+            content: |
+              set -eu
+              ns="$NAMESPACE"
+              get_ip() {
+                # Echo the pod's observed public IP, or empty on failure.
+                kubectl -n "$ns" exec "$1" -c curl -- \
+                  curl -fsS --max-time 10 https://api.ipify.org 2>/dev/null || true
+              }
+
+              # Poll until all three answer AND the vpn class has diverged from the WAN:
+              # Cilium may still be programming the egress datapath just after the pods go
+              # Ready. Bounded by the loop, never a bare sleep-and-hope.
+              none="" inet="" vpn=""
+              for i in $(seq 1 12); do
+                [ -n "$none" ] || none="$(get_ip egress-unlabelled)"
+                [ -n "$inet" ] || inet="$(get_ip egress-internet)"
+                [ -n "$vpn" ]  || vpn="$(get_ip egress-vpn)"
+                if [ -n "$none" ] && [ -n "$inet" ] && [ -n "$vpn" ]; then
+                  [ "$vpn" != "$inet" ] && break
+                  # Steering may not have converged; re-read the vpn pod only.
+                  vpn=""
+                fi
+                sleep 5
+              done
+              echo "unlabelled_ip=$none internet_ip=$inet vpn_ip=$vpn"
+
+              [ -n "$none" ] || { echo "FAIL: the UNLABELLED pod never returned a public IP — a pod that declares no egress class must still reach the internet over the default WAN path (docs/03: 'the internet path is simply the default route out'); no path at all means the default was blackholed or steered into a dead tunnel" >&2; exit 1; }
+              [ -n "$inet" ] || { echo "FAIL: the internet-class pod never returned a public IP — the declared default path is down, so no comparison is possible" >&2; exit 1; }
+              [ -n "$vpn" ]  || { echo "FAIL: the vpn-class pod never returned a public IP — the second egress path is not carrying traffic, so the platform is not offering MULTIPLE paths (R-NET-04)" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+              # TOTALITY: no rule selects the unlabelled pod, so it must land on the WAN —
+              # the same WAN the explicitly-internet pod uses.
+              if [ "$none" != "$inet" ]; then
+                echo "FAIL: the UNLABELLED pod egressed $none but the internet-class pod egressed $inet. They must be the same path: docs/03 — 'Default is the WAN; the VPN is strictly opt-in. Every pod ... egress the local/private WAN by default and never the VPN.' A different IP means some rule is selecting a pod that never opted in." >&2
+                exit 1
+              fi
+              # COEXISTENCE: and the vpn path is a genuinely different path, live right now.
+              if [ "$vpn" = "$inet" ]; then
+                echo "FAIL: the vpn-class pod egressed the same public IP as the WAN ($vpn) — there is only ONE live egress path, so 'multiple egress paths selected by routing rules' (R-NET-04) does not hold" >&2
+                exit 1
+              fi
+              echo "EGRESS_DEFAULT_PATH_IS_WAN_OK"
+            check:
+              (contains($stdout, 'EGRESS_DEFAULT_PATH_IS_WAN_OK')): true
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    - name: then-the-vpn-class-pod-still-reaches-private-destinations-locally
+      try:
+        - script:
+            # PER-DESTINATION SELECTION. The steering rule tunnels 0.0.0.0/0 MINUS all
+            # RFC1918 space, so a vpn-class pod's private-destination traffic must stay on the
+            # local datapath. The cluster resolver is an in-cluster (RFC1918) address reached
+            # from the pod's own /etc/resolv.conf — no literal is written here — so a
+            # successful lookup from the vpn-class pod proves the tunnel did not swallow its
+            # local traffic, i.e. ONE pod is using BOTH paths at the same time.
+            content: |
+              set -eu
+              ns="$NAMESPACE"
+              resolver="$(kubectl -n "$ns" exec egress-vpn -c curl -- \
+                sh -c 'awk "/^nameserver/{print \$2; exit}" /etc/resolv.conf' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+              [ -n "$resolver" ] || { echo "FAIL: the vpn-class pod has no nameserver in /etc/resolv.conf, so its local-path reachability cannot be observed" >&2; exit 1; }
+              echo "vpn_pod_resolver=$resolver (in-cluster, RFC1918 — excluded from the tunnel)"
+
+              # A cluster-internal name, resolvable only by the in-cluster resolver: reaching
+              # it proves the private-destination path works from a vpn-class pod.
+              out=""
+              for i in $(seq 1 6); do
+                out="$(kubectl -n "$ns" exec egress-vpn -c curl -- \
+                  nslookup kubernetes.default.svc.cluster.local 2>/dev/null || true)"
+                case "$out" in *"Address"*) break ;; esac
+                sleep 5
+              done
+              case "$out" in
+                *Address*) : ;;
+                *) echo "FAIL: the vpn-class pod could not resolve kubernetes.default.svc.cluster.local via its in-cluster resolver ($resolver). Its RFC1918 traffic is being steered into the tunnel (or blackholed) instead of taking the local path — the two paths are not coexisting per destination, and the tunnel is behaving as a default route (docs/03: split-tunnel, 'only what Cilium points at tun0 uses the VPN')" >&2; exit 1 ;;
+              esac
+              echo "EGRESS_PATHS_COEXIST_PER_DESTINATION_OK"
+            check:
+              (contains($stdout, 'EGRESS_PATHS_COEXIST_PER_DESTINATION_OK')): true

conformance/tests/l2-behavioral/egress-default-path/fixtures/three-egress-pods.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+# Three pods for the R-NET-04 default-path test — the SAME workload three times, differing
+# ONLY in how (or whether) they declare an egress class:
+#
+#   egress-unlabelled  NO egress-class label at all -> selected by NO routing rule
+#   egress-internet    egress-class: internet       -> the declared default path
+#   egress-vpn         egress-class: vpn            -> the only class any rule steers
+#
+# WHY AN UNLABELLED POD IS THE POINT. docs/03: "Every pod — and the nodes themselves — egress
+# the local/private WAN by default and **never** the VPN." The unlabelled pod is the case no
+# other test covers: nothing selects it, so the DATAPATH's default must carry it, and it must
+# come out the same WAN as the explicitly-`internet` pod. That is the totality half of
+# R-NET-04's "selected by routing rules" — absence of a rule is itself a path.
+#
+# The unlabelled pod is admissible here only because chainsaw's per-test namespace is not an
+# app namespace: Kyverno's require-egress-class-label (R-NET-05) rejects an unlabelled pod in
+# a namespace labelled homelab.keithjackson.dev/app-namespace=true. That admission guarantee
+# is R-NET-05's, and it is exactly why this test must run outside an app namespace to observe
+# the datapath's own default at all.
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Pod
+metadata:
+  name: egress-unlabelled
+  labels:
+    app: egress-default-path-test
+spec:
+  containers:
+    - name: curl
+      image: curlimages/curl:8.11.1
+      command: ["sleep", "3600"]
+      resources:
+        requests: { cpu: 10m, memory: 16Mi }
+        limits: { memory: 32Mi }
+  restartPolicy: Never
+---
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Pod
+metadata:
+  name: egress-internet
+  labels:
+    app: egress-default-path-test
+    homelab.keithjackson.dev/egress-class: internet
+spec:
+  containers:
+    - name: curl
+      image: curlimages/curl:8.11.1
+      command: ["sleep", "3600"]
+      resources:
+        requests: { cpu: 10m, memory: 16Mi }
+        limits: { memory: 32Mi }
+  restartPolicy: Never
+---
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Pod
+metadata:
+  name: egress-vpn
+  labels:
+    app: egress-default-path-test
+    homelab.keithjackson.dev/egress-class: vpn
+spec:
+  containers:
+    - name: curl
+      image: curlimages/curl:8.11.1
+      command: ["sleep", "3600"]
+      resources:
+        requests: { cpu: 10m, memory: 16Mi }
+        limits: { memory: 32Mi }
+  restartPolicy: Never

conformance/tests/l2-behavioral/gateway-ingress-reachable/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -68,6 +68,15 @@ spec:
   timeouts:
     apply: 60s
     assert: 180s
+  # -- R-ENV-02: the fixture's route hostnames MUST fall under the Gateway's wildcard listener
+  #    (*.${BASE_DOMAIN}) or they never attach — so the suffix is READ FROM THE CLUSTER UNDER TEST
+  #    (flux-system/cluster-vars, the ConfigMap Flux substitutes ${BASE_DOMAIN} from) rather than
+  #    authored here. Test-level => in scope for the fixture apply AND every probe step below
+  #    (step `outputs`, by contrast, are step-scoped — see the gwvip re-capture comments).
+  #    fixtures/app-and-probe.yaml consumes it via chainsaw resource templating.
+  bindings:
+    - name: baseDomain
+      value: (x_k8s_get($client, 'v1', 'ConfigMap', 'flux-system', 'cluster-vars').data.BASE_DOMAIN)
   steps:
     # -- GIVEN: the exposed-app fixture (default-deny + gateway-ingress allow + backend +
     #    Service + declared/undeclared HTTPRoutes) and a probe namespace. Assert the shared
@@ -139,12 +148,14 @@ spec:
                         env:
                           - name: GWVIP
                             value: ($gwvip)
+                          - name: BASE_DOMAIN
+                            value: ($baseDomain)
                         command:
                           - sh
                           - -c
                           - |
                             set -u
-                            host="gw-declared-conformance.home.keithjackson.dev"
+                            host="gw-declared-conformance.${BASE_DOMAIN}"
                             last=000
                             i=0
                             while [ "$i" -lt 30 ]; do
@@ -207,12 +218,14 @@ spec:
                         env:
                           - name: GWVIP
                             value: ($gwvip)
+                          - name: BASE_DOMAIN
+                            value: ($baseDomain)
                         command:
                           - sh
                           - -c
                           - |
                             set -u
-                            host="gw-undeclared-conformance.home.keithjackson.dev"
+                            host="gw-undeclared-conformance.${BASE_DOMAIN}"
                             reached_gw=no
                             i=0
                             while [ "$i" -lt 8 ]; do
@@ -300,3 +313,20 @@ spec:
               apiVersion: v1
               kind: Namespace
               name: conformance-gw-probe
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    # PROOF-OF-PASS SENTINEL (R-SEC-03). Every step above is an assert/Job-status gate, so
+    # chainsaw already fails the test before reaching this step if any of them fails — but a
+    # green Chainsaw JUnit carries NO stdout, and the L2/L3 tests in this suite can self-skip
+    # GREEN, so lib/record_run.py refuses to treat a bare `passed` as evidence and records
+    # `unknown-no-sentinel-declared` instead. Without a declared token this test could pass
+    # forever and NEVER become a recorded proof of R-NET-01/02/03 — north-south reachability under default-deny, part of the isolation proof
+    # — which is precisely what docs/07 asks for ("These proofs are part of the platform
+    # acceptance suite, not one-time checks"). This step exists only to emit that token, and it
+    # is reached only when everything above has passed. Asserted by
+    # tests/l0-static/auditability-proofs-producible.
+    - name: then-emit-the-proof-of-pass-sentinel
+      try:
+        - script:
+            content: echo GATEWAY_INGRESS_ISOLATION_PROVEN_OK
+            check:
+              (contains($stdout, 'GATEWAY_INGRESS_ISOLATION_PROVEN_OK')): true

conformance/tests/l2-behavioral/gateway-ingress-reachable/fixtures/app-and-probe.yaml

@@ -10,6 +10,13 @@
 # The namespace opts into the shared Gateway (gateway-access: shared) exactly like a
 # rendered app namespace, so its HTTPRoutes attach to the real platform Gateway and the
 # probe exercises the true north-south path (Gateway Envoy -> backend), not a stand-in.
+#
+# ENVIRONMENT-AGNOSTIC HOSTNAMES (R-ENV-02): the two HTTPRoute hostnames are NOT literals. They
+# are chainsaw-templated from the `baseDomain` binding declared in ../chainsaw-test.yaml, which
+# reads BASE_DOMAIN out of the flux-system/cluster-vars ConfigMap of the cluster under test — the
+# same ConfigMap Flux substitutes ${BASE_DOMAIN} from. They MUST fall under the shared Gateway's
+# wildcard listener (*.${BASE_DOMAIN}) or the routes never attach, which is precisely why a
+# hardcoded suffix silently broke this test on any cluster that did not hold the apex.
 ---
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: Namespace
@@ -134,7 +141,8 @@ spec:
       namespace: gateway
       sectionName: https
   hostnames:
-    - gw-declared-conformance.home.keithjackson.dev
+    # gw-declared-conformance.<this cluster's BASE_DOMAIN> — see the header.
+    - (join('.', ['gw-declared-conformance', $baseDomain]))
   rules:
     - matches:
         - path:
@@ -158,7 +166,8 @@ spec:
       namespace: gateway
       sectionName: https
   hostnames:
-    - gw-undeclared-conformance.home.keithjackson.dev
+    # gw-undeclared-conformance.<this cluster's BASE_DOMAIN> — see the header.
+    - (join('.', ['gw-undeclared-conformance', $baseDomain]))
   rules:
     - matches:
         - path:

conformance/tests/l2-behavioral/ha-control-plane/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,379 @@
+# =============================================================================
+# L2 BEHAVIORAL — the cluster under test IS an HA k3s control plane  (R-PLAT-01)  [RUNNABLE]
+# Catalog: docs/14 L2 row ("real runtime behavior, probes against a cluster")
+# Spec:    docs/00 R-PLAT-01 ("The platform MUST run on k3s across 3 nodes with
+#          production-grade HA control plane in prod; dev/test MAY run fewer nodes but MUST
+#          exercise the same multi-node topology.")
+#          docs/01 "Kubernetes distro | **k3s** (HA, embedded etcd) | R-PLAT-01/02"
+#          docs/02 table: "Control plane | HA embedded etcd (k3s server on all 3) | HA
+#                          embedded etcd (k3s server on all 3)"
+#                         "Node count | 3 VMs (mirror prod topology) | 3 physical nodes"
+#          docs/02 §"k3s topology decisions": "HA control plane with **embedded etcd** across
+#          all 3 nodes (no external datastore)"; "Nodes are both control-plane and workload
+#          (3-node converged cluster)".
+#
+# WHY L2 — AND WHAT L0 ALREADY DID
+# --------------------------------
+# tests/l0-static/ha-control-plane-as-code (same requirement label) proves the AUTHORED
+# half offline: the repo builds a 3-server embedded-etcd control plane in both environments,
+# one founder, no external datastore, a leader-elected control-plane-only VIP in the serving
+# cert's SANs. It cannot prove that any of it is TRUE OF A RUNNING CLUSTER — an inventory
+# entry is not a node, and a templated DaemonSet is not a floating VIP. That is this test:
+# every assertion below is read from the cluster the suite is pointed at.
+#
+# ENVIRONMENT-AGNOSTIC (R-ENV-02): no address, hostname, node count or range is written
+# here. The expected node count comes from the cluster's OWN declared identity
+# (flux-system/cluster-vars CLUSTER_ENV, via a test-level chainsaw binding — the same
+# ConfigMap Flux substitutes from); the control-plane VIP is read out of the kube-vip
+# DaemonSet the cluster is actually running; the server addresses come from the Node
+# objects; and the LoadBalancer pool the VIP must stay outside of is read from cluster-vars
+# too. R-PLAT-01 itself distinguishes prod from dev/test ("3 nodes ... in prod; dev/test MAY
+# run fewer"), so the assertion is necessarily environment-AWARE — but it takes the
+# environment from the cluster, never from a flag or a literal, which is precisely the
+# mechanism the tests/README.md convention prescribes.
+#
+# GIVEN the cluster this suite is pointed at,
+# WHEN  its Nodes, its kube-vip DaemonSet and its kube-apiserver endpoints are inspected,
+# THEN  DISTRO:  every node's kubelet is a k3s build (`+k3s`) — the distro really is k3s;
+#       SERVERS: every Ready node is BOTH control-plane AND etcd (the converged 3-node
+#                topology docs/02 fixes — no agent-only node, no control-plane-only node),
+#                the count is ODD and quorum-capable (tolerates >= 1 loss), and it is
+#                EXACTLY three when the cluster declares itself prod;
+#       ETCD:    every one of those nodes is a REGISTERED embedded-etcd member (k3s stamps
+#                `etcd.k3s.cattle.io/node-name` on a node that joined the etcd cluster), so
+#                the datastore is embedded and replicated across all of them;
+#       VIP:     kube-vip is Ready on EVERY control-plane node, is control-plane-only
+#                (svc_enable=false — it must not contend with Cilium LB-IPAM for ARP), and
+#                the address it floats is neither a node address, nor the ingress Gateway
+#                VIP, nor inside the Cilium LoadBalancer pool;
+#       ENDPOINT: the kube-apiserver answers `/readyz` THROUGH THAT VIP over TLS that
+#                validates against the cluster CA for the VIP itself — i.e. the VIP really
+#                fronts the API and the serving cert really carries it;
+#       EVERY SERVER SERVES: the apiserver also answers `/readyz` on EVERY server's own
+#                address, again with a CA-valid cert for that address. This is the assertion
+#                that separates a real HA control plane from one server plus two joiners:
+#                if only the founder ran an apiserver, the other addresses would refuse.
+#
+# THE PROBE RUNS IN-CLUSTER, DELIBERATELY. An earlier draft dialled the VIP and the node
+# addresses from the RUNNER. That works from a host on the node LAN (verified against prod)
+# and FAILS against dev, whose nodes sit behind a NAT the runner reaches only via a
+# forwarded port — i.e. it would have made the test a property of where it was launched
+# from. A Job on the cluster is on the node network in both environments, so the probe is
+# the same probe everywhere. The Job is created imperatively (kubectl heredoc) rather than
+# as a fixture file because its address list is DISCOVERED from the cluster at run time —
+# writing it into a fixture is exactly the per-environment literal R-ENV-02 forbids.
+#
+# WHAT THIS DOES *NOT* PROVE (honest gaps — do not read this test as claiming them):
+#   - FAILOVER / SURVIVAL. Nothing here removes a node. That etcd keeps quorum, that the VIP
+#     migrates, and that the API stays reachable when a server dies is an L3 fault-injection
+#     claim and is proven NOWHERE in this suite yet (tests/l3-fault-injection/node-loss
+#     drains a node for R-STATE-02's data-availability claim and asserts nothing about the
+#     control plane). This is the largest remaining R-PLAT-01 gap.
+#   - THE NEXT environment. That the repo would build an HA control plane again is the L0
+#     half (tests/l0-static/ha-control-plane-as-code).
+#   - "PRODUCTION-GRADE" as a capacity/performance judgement (operator's, docs/02 + §2 of
+#     infra/PROD-PROVISIONING.md).
+#   - THAT THE RUNNING cilium-agents ACTUALLY DIAL THIS VIP. As of 2026-09-06 the repository
+#     authors `K3S_API_HOST` = the control-plane VIP in both environments (asserted at L0 by
+#     tests/l0-static/ha-control-plane-as-code, on both sides of the [parity] contract), but
+#     this test does not read the agents' live `KUBERNETES_SERVICE_HOST`. Until the operator
+#     applies that change the LIVE agents still carry the PRIMARY NODE's address — measured
+#     2026-09-06: all three prod agents on 192.168.2.10 while kube-vip held 192.168.2.9. An
+#     in-cluster assertion on the agents' endpoint belongs here and is NOT yet written; it is
+#     the obvious follow-up once the change is applied and would catch drift the L0 check
+#     cannot see (a hand-edited DaemonSet, a Helm value overridden out of band).
+#   - etcd health beyond membership registration (raft leader, DB size, alarms) — k3s exposes
+#     it only on the node-local etcd metrics port, which is not reachable through the
+#     Kubernetes API this test is allowed to use.
+#
+# CLEANUP: the probe Job lives in chainsaw's per-test namespace and is deleted with it
+# (config/chainsaw-config.yaml skipDelete: false). Everything else is read-only: this test
+# creates nothing outside its own namespace and mutates no platform object.
+# =============================================================================
+apiVersion: chainsaw.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Test
+metadata:
+  name: ha-control-plane
+  labels:
+    conformance.home.k3s/R-PLAT-01: "true"
+  annotations:
+    conformance.home.k3s/requirements: "R-PLAT-01"
+    conformance.home.k3s/layer: "L2"
+    conformance.home.k3s/safety-critical: "false"
+    conformance.home.k3s/executable: "true"
+    conformance.home.k3s/intent: >-
+      Given the cluster under test, when its Nodes, kube-vip DaemonSet and apiserver
+      endpoints are probed, then every node is a k3s server that is both control-plane and a
+      registered embedded-etcd member, the count is odd and quorum-capable (exactly three
+      when the cluster declares itself prod), kube-vip floats a control-plane-only VIP that
+      collides with no allocator, and the apiserver answers /readyz through that VIP AND on
+      every server's own address with a CA-valid cert.
+spec:
+  timeouts:
+    apply: 60s
+    assert: 2m
+    exec: 3m
+  # -- R-ENV-02: the environment's identity and its address allocations are READ FROM THE
+  #    CLUSTER UNDER TEST. flux-system/cluster-vars is the ConfigMap Flux itself substitutes
+  #    from, so these are the same values the platform was rendered with. Test-level, so
+  #    they are in scope for every step (step outputs/bindings are step-scoped).
+  bindings:
+    - name: clusterEnv
+      value: (x_k8s_get($client, 'v1', 'ConfigMap', 'flux-system', 'cluster-vars').data.CLUSTER_ENV)
+    - name: gatewayVip
+      value: (x_k8s_get($client, 'v1', 'ConfigMap', 'flux-system', 'cluster-vars').data.GATEWAY_VIP)
+    - name: lbPoolStart
+      value: (x_k8s_get($client, 'v1', 'ConfigMap', 'flux-system', 'cluster-vars').data.CILIUM_LB_POOL_START)
+    - name: lbPoolStop
+      value: (x_k8s_get($client, 'v1', 'ConfigMap', 'flux-system', 'cluster-vars').data.CILIUM_LB_POOL_STOP)
+  steps:
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    - name: then-the-node-set-is-a-quorum-capable-converged-k3s-control-plane
+      description: >-
+        Read the Node objects: k3s on every node, every node both control-plane and a
+        registered embedded-etcd member, an odd quorum-capable count, exactly three in prod.
+      try:
+        - script:
+            env:
+              - name: CLUSTER_ENV
+                value: ($clusterEnv)
+            content: |
+              set -eu
+              fail() { echo "FAIL: $*" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+              total="$(kubectl get nodes -o name | grep -c . || true)"
+              [ "$total" -ge 1 ] || fail "the cluster reports NO nodes at all"
+
+              # --- k3s, on every node (R-PLAT-01 names the distro; docs/01 ADR-0001) -----
+              # A non-k3s kubelet here would mean the platform is not running on k3s.
+              notk3s="$(kubectl get nodes \
+                -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{.metadata.name}{"="}{.status.nodeInfo.kubeletVersion}{"\n"}{end}' \
+                | grep -v '+k3s' | grep -c . || true)"
+              [ "$notk3s" = "0" ] \
+                || fail "$notk3s node(s) do not run a k3s kubelet — R-PLAT-01 requires the platform to run on k3s"
+
+              # --- every node is BOTH control-plane AND etcd (docs/02 converged topology) -
+              # Counted by label EXISTENCE, so it does not matter whether k3s writes "true"
+              # or "". A control-plane node without the etcd role would be a server with an
+              # external/absent datastore; an etcd node without control-plane would be an
+              # isolated datastore member. Both are excluded by requiring all three counts
+              # to be equal.
+              cp="$(kubectl get nodes -l node-role.kubernetes.io/control-plane -o name | grep -c . || true)"
+              etcd="$(kubectl get nodes -l node-role.kubernetes.io/etcd -o name | grep -c . || true)"
+              echo "nodes_total=$total control_plane=$cp etcd=$etcd cluster_env=${CLUSTER_ENV:-<unset>}"
+              [ "$cp" = "$total" ] \
+                || fail "$cp of $total nodes carry node-role.kubernetes.io/control-plane — docs/02 fixes a converged cluster where every node is a control-plane member ('k3s server on all 3')"
+              [ "$etcd" = "$total" ] \
+                || fail "$etcd of $total nodes carry node-role.kubernetes.io/etcd — docs/02 requires embedded etcd 'across all 3 nodes (no external datastore)'"
+
+              # --- every node is a REGISTERED embedded-etcd member -----------------------
+              # k3s stamps etcd.k3s.cattle.io/node-name on a node that actually joined the
+              # embedded-etcd cluster. The role label alone is a label; this annotation is
+              # the datastore's own record of membership.
+              members="$(kubectl get nodes \
+                -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{.metadata.annotations.etcd\.k3s\.cattle\.io/node-name}{"\n"}{end}' \
+                | grep -c . || true)"
+              [ "$members" = "$total" ] \
+                || fail "$members of $total nodes are registered embedded-etcd members (etcd.k3s.cattle.io/node-name) — the datastore is not replicated across every server"
+
+              # --- Ready ---------------------------------------------------------------
+              notready="$(kubectl get nodes \
+                -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{.metadata.name}{"="}{range .status.conditions[?(@.type=="Ready")]}{.status}{end}{"\n"}{end}' \
+                | grep -v '=True$' | grep -c . || true)"
+              [ "$notready" = "0" ] \
+                || fail "$notready node(s) are not Ready — a control plane missing a member is not the HA topology under test"
+
+              # --- quorum arithmetic ---------------------------------------------------
+              # Embedded etcd needs floor(N/2)+1 members to commit. Fault tolerance is
+              # N - quorum; 'production-grade HA' must survive at least one loss, which
+              # rules out 1 and 2 members. An EVEN count buys no extra tolerance and adds
+              # a tie, so it is also rejected.
+              quorum=$(( total / 2 + 1 ))
+              tolerance=$(( total - quorum ))
+              echo "quorum=$quorum tolerance=$tolerance"
+              [ "$tolerance" -ge 1 ] \
+                || fail "$total etcd member(s) give quorum $quorum and tolerate $tolerance loss(es) — an HA control plane must survive losing a server"
+              [ $(( total % 2 )) -eq 1 ] \
+                || fail "$total etcd members is EVEN: quorum is the same as for $(( total - 1 )) members, so the extra member adds a tie instead of tolerance"
+
+              # --- the count R-PLAT-01 itself fixes, per environment --------------------
+              # The environment is the cluster's OWN CLUSTER_ENV (cluster-vars), never a
+              # flag: 'k3s across 3 nodes ... in prod; dev/test MAY run fewer nodes but MUST
+              # exercise the same multi-node topology'.
+              case "${CLUSTER_ENV:-}" in
+                prod)
+                  [ "$total" = "3" ] \
+                    || fail "this cluster declares CLUSTER_ENV=prod and has $total nodes — R-PLAT-01 requires 'k3s across 3 nodes ... in prod' (docs/02: '3 physical nodes')" ;;
+                "")
+                  fail "flux-system/cluster-vars has no CLUSTER_ENV — the cluster does not declare which environment it is, so R-PLAT-01's prod clause has no referent (and no literal may be substituted for it)" ;;
+                *)
+                  [ "$total" -ge 2 ] \
+                    || fail "this cluster declares CLUSTER_ENV=${CLUSTER_ENV} and has $total node(s) — dev/test may run fewer nodes than prod but MUST 'exercise the same multi-node topology'" ;;
+              esac
+              echo "HA_TOPOLOGY_OK"
+            check:
+              (contains($stdout, 'HA_TOPOLOGY_OK')): true
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    - name: then-a-control-plane-only-vip-is-floated-on-every-server
+      description: >-
+        Read the running kube-vip DaemonSet: Ready on every control-plane node,
+        control-plane-only, and floating an address that collides with no other allocator.
+      try:
+        - script:
+            env:
+              - name: GATEWAY_VIP
+                value: ($gatewayVip)
+              - name: LB_POOL_START
+                value: ($lbPoolStart)
+              - name: LB_POOL_STOP
+                value: ($lbPoolStop)
+            content: |
+              set -eu
+              fail() { echo "FAIL: $*" >&2; exit 1; }
+              # dotted quad -> integer, for range comparison without ipcalc/python.
+              n() { echo "$1" | awk -F. '{printf "%d", ($1*16777216)+($2*65536)+($3*256)+$4}'; }
+
+              # The DaemonSet is found by the label roles/kube_vip stamps on it, not by a
+              # hardcoded name in a namespace this test guessed.
+              ds="$(kubectl -n kube-system get ds -l app.kubernetes.io/name=kube-vip-ds -o name | head -1)"
+              [ -n "$ds" ] \
+                || fail "no kube-vip DaemonSet is running in kube-system — the kube-apiserver has no floating endpoint, so losing the founder takes the API endpoint with it"
+
+              desired="$(kubectl -n kube-system get "$ds" -o jsonpath='{.status.desiredNumberScheduled}')"
+              ready="$(kubectl -n kube-system get "$ds" -o jsonpath='{.status.numberReady}')"
+              cp="$(kubectl get nodes -l node-role.kubernetes.io/control-plane -o name | grep -c . || true)"
+              vip="$(kubectl -n kube-system get "$ds" \
+                -o jsonpath='{.spec.template.spec.containers[0].env[?(@.name=="address")].value}')"
+              cp_enable="$(kubectl -n kube-system get "$ds" \
+                -o jsonpath='{.spec.template.spec.containers[0].env[?(@.name=="cp_enable")].value}')"
+              svc_enable="$(kubectl -n kube-system get "$ds" \
+                -o jsonpath='{.spec.template.spec.containers[0].env[?(@.name=="svc_enable")].value}')"
+              echo "kube_vip=$ds ready=$ready/$desired control_plane_nodes=$cp vip=$vip cp_enable=$cp_enable svc_enable=$svc_enable"
+
+              [ -n "$vip" ] \
+                || fail "the kube-vip DaemonSet announces no address — nothing is floated"
+              [ "$cp_enable" = "true" ] \
+                || fail "kube-vip runs with cp_enable=$cp_enable — control-plane mode is off, so it floats no API VIP"
+              [ "$svc_enable" = "false" ] \
+                || fail "kube-vip runs with svc_enable=$svc_enable — it would also serve Service LoadBalancers and contend with Cilium LB-IPAM for ARP on the same addresses (ADR-0002 gives Service LB to Cilium)"
+              [ "$desired" = "$cp" ] \
+                || fail "kube-vip is scheduled on $desired node(s) but there are $cp control-plane nodes — the VIP must be able to move to ANY server, or its failover set is smaller than the control plane"
+              [ "$ready" = "$desired" ] \
+                || fail "kube-vip is Ready on $ready of $desired nodes — a VIP holder that is not running cannot take the address over"
+
+              # --- the VIP collides with nothing --------------------------------------
+              node_ips="$(kubectl get nodes \
+                -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{.status.addresses[?(@.type=="InternalIP")].address}{"\n"}{end}' \
+                | grep -c "^${vip}$" || true)"
+              [ "$node_ips" = "0" ] \
+                || fail "the floated VIP $vip is ALSO a node's own InternalIP — a VIP that is a node's address cannot float off that node"
+              [ "$vip" != "${GATEWAY_VIP:-}" ] \
+                || fail "the control-plane VIP and the ingress Gateway VIP are the same address ($vip) — kube-vip and Cilium would both ARP for it"
+              if [ -n "${LB_POOL_START:-}" ] && [ -n "${LB_POOL_STOP:-}" ]; then
+                v="$(n "$vip")"; lo="$(n "$LB_POOL_START")"; hi="$(n "$LB_POOL_STOP")"
+                [ "$lo" -le "$hi" ] \
+                  || fail "the cluster's Cilium LB pool ${LB_POOL_START}-${LB_POOL_STOP} is inverted, so the VIP cannot be proven to be outside it"
+                if [ "$v" -ge "$lo" ] && [ "$v" -le "$hi" ]; then
+                  fail "the control-plane VIP $vip lies INSIDE this cluster's Cilium LoadBalancer pool ${LB_POOL_START}-${LB_POOL_STOP} — LB-IPAM could hand the kube-API's VIP to a Service"
+                fi
+              else
+                fail "flux-system/cluster-vars declares no CILIUM_LB_POOL_START/STOP — the separation between the control-plane VIP and the Service-LB allocator cannot be checked, and no literal range may be substituted for it (R-ENV-02)"
+              fi
+              echo "HA_VIP_CONTROL_PLANE_ONLY_OK"
+            check:
+              (contains($stdout, 'HA_VIP_CONTROL_PLANE_ONLY_OK')): true
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    - name: then-the-apiserver-answers-through-the-vip-and-on-every-server
+      description: >-
+        From inside the cluster, probe /readyz on the floated VIP and on every server's own
+        address, validating TLS against the cluster CA for the address dialled.
+      try:
+        - script:
+            # The address list is DISCOVERED here (Nodes + the kube-vip DaemonSet), so the
+            # Job cannot be a static fixture — writing the addresses down is the
+            # per-environment literal R-ENV-02 forbids. Hence the imperative heredoc, the
+            # same pattern tests/l3-fault-injection/dr-restore uses for run-time-shaped
+            # fixtures. The Job lives in chainsaw's per-test namespace and is torn down with
+            # it; nothing outside that namespace is created or changed.
+            content: |
+              set -eu
+              ns="$NAMESPACE"
+              fail() { echo "FAIL: $*" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+              ds="$(kubectl -n kube-system get ds -l app.kubernetes.io/name=kube-vip-ds -o name | head -1)"
+              vip="$(kubectl -n kube-system get "$ds" \
+                -o jsonpath='{.spec.template.spec.containers[0].env[?(@.name=="address")].value}')"
+              servers="$(kubectl get nodes -l node-role.kubernetes.io/control-plane \
+                -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{.status.addresses[?(@.type=="InternalIP")].address}{" "}{end}')"
+              [ -n "$vip" ] || fail "no floated VIP to probe"
+              [ -n "$servers" ] || fail "no control-plane node addresses to probe"
+              echo "probing vip=$vip servers=$servers"
+
+              # The probe pod authenticates with its own ServiceAccount token and validates
+              # TLS against the cluster CA, both from the projected SA volume. /readyz is
+              # authorized for any authenticated identity via the built-in
+              # system:public-info-viewer role — anonymous access is NOT relied on (verified:
+              # an unauthenticated /readyz on this platform answers 401).
+              kubectl -n "$ns" apply -f - <<EOF
+              apiVersion: batch/v1
+              kind: Job
+              metadata:
+                name: ha-api-endpoint-probe
+              spec:
+                backoffLimit: 1
+                activeDeadlineSeconds: 150
+                template:
+                  spec:
+                    restartPolicy: Never
+                    containers:
+                      - name: probe
+                        image: curlimages/curl:8.11.1
+                        env:
+                          - name: VIP
+                            value: "${vip}"
+                          - name: SERVERS
+                            value: "${servers}"
+                        command:
+                          - sh
+                          - -c
+                          - |
+                            set -u
+                            SA=/var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount
+                            probe() {   # \$1 = address to dial
+                              curl -sS --max-time 15 \\
+                                --cacert "\$SA/ca.crt" \\
+                                -H "Authorization: Bearer \$(cat \$SA/token)" \\
+                                "https://\$1:6443/readyz"
+                            }
+                            rc=0
+                            out="\$(probe "\$VIP" 2>&1)" || rc=1
+                            echo "vip \$VIP -> [\$out]"
+                            if [ "\$rc" != "0" ] || [ "\$out" != "ok" ]; then
+                              echo "FAIL: the kube-apiserver did not answer /readyz through the floated VIP \$VIP with a CA-valid cert for that address — the VIP does not front the API (or it is missing from the serving cert's SANs)"
+                              exit 1
+                            fi
+                            for s in \$SERVERS; do
+                              rc=0
+                              out="\$(probe "\$s" 2>&1)" || rc=1
+                              echo "server \$s -> [\$out]"
+                              if [ "\$rc" != "0" ] || [ "\$out" != "ok" ]; then
+                                echo "FAIL: server \$s does not answer /readyz with a CA-valid cert for its own address — it is not running a kube-apiserver, so the control plane is not HA across every node"
+                                exit 1
+                              fi
+                            done
+                            echo "HA_API_ENDPOINT_OK"
+              EOF
+
+              # Bounded wait; on failure surface the probe's own output before failing.
+              if ! kubectl -n "$ns" wait --for=condition=complete --timeout=140s job/ha-api-endpoint-probe; then
+                kubectl -n "$ns" logs job/ha-api-endpoint-probe --tail=40 || true
+                fail "the in-cluster API-endpoint probe did not complete — see its log above"
+              fi
+              logs="$(kubectl -n "$ns" logs job/ha-api-endpoint-probe --tail=40)"
+              echo "$logs"
+              case "$logs" in
+                *HA_API_ENDPOINT_OK*) echo "HA_API_ENDPOINT_REACHABLE_OK" ;;
+                *) fail "the probe completed without reporting success" ;;
+              esac
+            check:
+              (contains($stdout, 'HA_API_ENDPOINT_REACHABLE_OK')): true

conformance/tests/l2-behavioral/keycloak-client-secrets-match-git/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,212 @@
+# =============================================================================
+# L2 BEHAVIORAL — every OIDC client's STORED secret equals the one git declares
+#                                                   (R-IDP-02, R-IDP-04)   [RUNNABLE]
+# Spec: docs/15 identity-and-access; ADR-0014.
+# Impl: platform/keycloak/client-secret-reconciler.yaml (the CronJob + its script).
+#
+# WHY THIS TEST EXISTS
+# --------------------
+# The KeycloakRealmImport resolves each confidential client's secret from a `(env:NAME)`
+# placeholder mapped to a key of the SOPS-encrypted keycloak-realm-clients Secret. When
+# the Keycloak Operator cannot resolve a placeholder it stores the LITERAL placeholder
+# text as the client secret AND THE IMPORT JOB STILL REPORTS SUCCESS; the CR then rests
+# at Done=True / Started=False and never re-runs. Measured 2026-09-06: prod had all 12
+# clients holding the literal placeholder — every OIDC login on the cluster failed with
+# "Invalid client or Invalid client credentials" — and dev had one (oauth2-proxy), whose
+# Secret key was added after dev's import had already completed.
+#
+# Every SIGNAL the cluster offered was green: the import Job succeeded, the CR read
+# Done=True, the Keycloak pods were healthy, and the existing keycloak-config-as-code
+# test (which asserts Done=True) PASSED throughout. The only observable was a human
+# failing to log in. This test is that observable, automated: it compares STORED against
+# DECLARED for every client and fails on any difference, so the class cannot sit
+# undetected for months again.
+#
+# GIVEN the `homelab` realm and the SOPS-encrypted keycloak-realm-clients Secret,
+# WHEN  the reconciler's script is run in --audit mode (READ-ONLY: it cannot write, and
+#       its endpoint allow-list makes users/groups/roles unreachable),
+#   ->  THEN every declared client's stored secret matches git, and none holds an
+#       unresolved import placeholder. Emits KEYCLOAK_CLIENT_SECRETS_AUDIT_OK.
+#
+# WHY IT RUNS THE SHIPPED SCRIPT rather than re-implementing the comparison: a detector
+# that duplicates the healer's logic drifts from it. This audits with the same code, in
+# the same mode the L0 gate selftests, so a passing audit is evidence about the healer
+# too. It runs as a Job IN the keycloak namespace (not in the ephemeral chainsaw
+# namespace) because the desired state is the mounted keycloak-realm-clients Secret and
+# the admin credential is keycloak-admin-credentials — both namespace-local, which is
+# also why neither this Job nor the CronJob needs any Kubernetes API access.
+#
+# chainsaw v0.2.12: Job + status assert; the leftover-Job delete keeps a re-run from
+# colliding with an immutable Job left by a previous failure.
+# =============================================================================
+apiVersion: chainsaw.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
+kind: Test
+metadata:
+  name: keycloak-client-secrets-match-git
+  labels:
+    conformance.home.k3s/R-IDP-02: "true"
+    conformance.home.k3s/R-IDP-04: "true"
+  annotations:
+    conformance.home.k3s/requirements: "R-IDP-02, R-IDP-04"
+    conformance.home.k3s/layer: "L2"
+    conformance.home.k3s/safety-critical: "false"
+    conformance.home.k3s/executable: "true"
+    conformance.home.k3s/intent: >-
+      Every OIDC client's stored secret equals the SOPS-declared one and none holds an
+      unresolved import placeholder — the observable that was missing when all 12 prod
+      clients were broken behind a green realm import.
+spec:
+  timeouts:
+    apply: 60s
+    assert: 5m
+    exec: 5m
+  steps:
+    - name: given-the-reconciler-is-reconciled-onto-the-cluster
+      description: >-
+        The audit Job runs the CronJob's own script from its ConfigMap; if Flux has not
+        applied the reconciler, there is nothing to audit WITH and that is the failure.
+      try:
+        - assert:
+            resource:
+              apiVersion: v1
+              kind: ConfigMap
+              metadata:
+                name: keycloak-client-secret-reconciler
+                namespace: keycloak
+        - assert:
+            resource:
+              apiVersion: batch/v1
+              kind: CronJob
+              metadata:
+                name: keycloak-client-secret-reconciler
+                namespace: keycloak
+              spec:
+                concurrencyPolicy: Forbid
+    - name: then-every-stored-client-secret-matches-git
+      try:
+        - script:
+            content: |
+              kubectl -n keycloak delete job keycloak-client-secret-audit \
+                --ignore-not-found --wait=true
+        - apply:
+            resource:
+              apiVersion: batch/v1
+              kind: Job
+              metadata:
+                name: keycloak-client-secret-audit
+                namespace: keycloak
+                labels:
+                  app.kubernetes.io/name: keycloak-client-secret-audit
+                  app.kubernetes.io/part-of: conformance
+              spec:
+                backoffLimit: 0
+                activeDeadlineSeconds: 240
+                template:
+                  metadata:
+                    labels:
+                      app.kubernetes.io/name: keycloak-client-secret-audit
+                  spec:
+                    restartPolicy: Never
+                    automountServiceAccountToken: false
+                    securityContext:
+                      runAsNonRoot: true
+                      runAsUser: 65532
+                      runAsGroup: 65532
+                      seccompProfile:
+                        type: RuntimeDefault
+                    containers:
+                      - name: audit
+                        image: python:3.13.15-alpine3.23
+                        command:
+                          - python3
+                          - /opt/reconciler/reconcile-client-secrets.py
+                          # READ-ONLY. --audit never issues a write on any path; the
+                          # script's --selftest proves that (L0 gate).
+                          - --audit
+                        env:
+                          - name: KEYCLOAK_BASE_URL
+                            value: http://keycloak-service.keycloak.svc.cluster.local:8080
+                          - name: KEYCLOAK_REALM
+                            value: homelab
+                          - name: PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE
+                            value: "1"
+                          - name: PYTHONUNBUFFERED
+                            value: "1"
+                          - name: KEYCLOAK_ADMIN_USER
+                            valueFrom:
+                              secretKeyRef:
+                                name: keycloak-admin-credentials
+                                key: admin-user
+                          - name: KEYCLOAK_ADMIN_PASSWORD
+                            valueFrom:
+                              secretKeyRef:
+                                name: keycloak-admin-credentials
+                                key: admin-password
+                        volumeMounts:
+                          - name: script
+                            mountPath: /opt/reconciler
+                            readOnly: true
+                          - name: client-secrets
+                            mountPath: /etc/keycloak-realm-clients
+                            readOnly: true
+                        securityContext:
+                          allowPrivilegeEscalation: false
+                          readOnlyRootFilesystem: true
+                          capabilities:
+                            drop:
+                              - ALL
+                        resources:
+                          requests:
+                            cpu: 10m
+                            memory: 48Mi
+                          limits:
+                            memory: 128Mi
+                    volumes:
+                      - name: script
+                        configMap:
+                          name: keycloak-client-secret-reconciler
+                          defaultMode: 0444
+                      - name: client-secrets
+                        secret:
+                          secretName: keycloak-realm-clients
+                          defaultMode: 0400
+        - assert:
+            resource:
+              apiVersion: batch/v1
+              kind: Job
+              metadata:
+                name: keycloak-client-secret-audit
+                namespace: keycloak
+              status:
+                succeeded: 1
+        # The Job's exit status already encodes the verdict, but the sentinel is what the
+        # run LEDGER records (conformance/runs/*/run.log): a JUnit alone cannot tell a real
+        # audit from a Job that succeeded without auditing anything.
+        - script:
+            content: |
+              set -u
+              out="$(kubectl -n keycloak logs job/keycloak-client-secret-audit \
+                       --tail=-1 2>&1 || true)"
+              echo "$out"
+              echo "$out" | grep -q 'KEYCLOAK_CLIENT_SECRETS_AUDIT_OK' \
+                || { echo "FAIL: the audit did not report every client secret matching git"; exit 1; }
+              echo "$out" | grep -q 'UNRESOLVED IMPORT PLACEHOLDER' \
+                && { echo "FAIL: a client still holds the literal import placeholder"; exit 1; }
+              echo KEYCLOAK_CLIENT_SECRET_DRIFT_NONE_OK
+            check:
+              (contains($stdout, 'KEYCLOAK_CLIENT_SECRET_DRIFT_NONE_OK')): true
+      catch:
+        - describe:
+            apiVersion: batch/v1
+            kind: Job
+            namespace: keycloak
+            name: keycloak-client-secret-audit
+        - podLogs:
+            namespace: keycloak
+            selector: app.kubernetes.io/name=keycloak-client-secret-audit
+            tail: 60
+      finally:
+        - script:
+            content: |
+              kubectl -n keycloak delete job keycloak-client-secret-audit \
+                --ignore-not-found --wait=false

conformance/tests/l2-behavioral/keycloak-config-as-code/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -11,6 +11,18 @@
 #
 # Goes GREEN once Keycloak is up + the realm client-secret hand-off (keycloak-realm-clients) is filled
 # so the placeholder resolves and the import completes. chainsaw v0.2.12: script + block contains check.
+#
+# NOT PROVEN HERE — READ THIS BEFORE TRUSTING A GREEN RUN (added 2026-09-06).
+# Done=True means the import JOB EXITED 0. It does NOT mean the placeholders resolved: when the
+# operator cannot resolve one it stores the LITERAL `(env:...)` text as the client secret and the
+# import still reports success, then rests at Done=True / Started=False and never re-runs. THIS
+# TEST PASSED THROUGHOUT the 2026-09-06 outage in which all 12 prod clients held the literal
+# placeholder and every OIDC login on the cluster failed. Done=True is a necessary, badly
+# insufficient condition.
+# The sufficient check is tests/l2-behavioral/keycloak-client-secrets-match-git, which compares
+# each client's STORED secret against the SOPS-declared one; the static half is
+# tests/l0-static/keycloak-client-secret-reconciler. Do not "simplify" by folding those into this
+# test: the whole lesson is that the import's own success signal is not evidence.
 # =============================================================================
 apiVersion: chainsaw.kyverno.io/v1alpha1
 kind: Test

conformance/tests/l2-behavioral/oidc-sso-grafana/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -3,10 +3,15 @@
 # Spec: docs/15 identity-and-access; ADR-0014. Impl: Grafana as a Keycloak OIDC client
 # (platform/monitoring/kube-prometheus-stack.yaml auth.generic_oauth) — the self-contained SSO proof.
 #
+# ENVIRONMENT-AGNOSTIC (R-ENV-02): the expected IdP host is built from the ${BASE_DOMAIN} of the
+# CLUSTER UNDER TEST, read from flux-system/cluster-vars (the ConfigMap Flux substitutes from) by
+# a test-level chainsaw binding — so this asserts each cluster redirects to ITS OWN Keycloak, which
+# is exactly what would catch a cross-environment OIDC issuer left pointing at the other cluster.
+#
 # GIVEN Grafana is deployed and configured as an OIDC client of the Keycloak `homelab` realm,
 # WHEN  an unauthenticated browser starts the OIDC login (GET /login/generic_oauth)
 #   ->  THEN Grafana redirects (302) to the CENTRAL IdP's authorize endpoint on
-#       keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab — proving SSO is driven by the one IdP
+#       keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}/realms/homelab — proving SSO is driven by the one IdP
 #       (R-IDP-01: central Identity Provider as the single user directory).
 #
 # Goes GREEN once the grafana-oidc client-secret hand-off is filled and Keycloak + Grafana are up.
@@ -30,6 +35,11 @@ spec:
     apply: 60s
     assert: 3m
     exec: 3m
+  # -- R-ENV-02: the IdP hostname suffix is READ FROM THE CLUSTER UNDER TEST
+  #    (flux-system/cluster-vars — the ConfigMap Flux substitutes ${BASE_DOMAIN} from).
+  bindings:
+    - name: baseDomain
+      value: (x_k8s_get($client, 'v1', 'ConfigMap', 'flux-system', 'cluster-vars').data.BASE_DOMAIN)
   steps:
     - name: given-grafana-is-an-oidc-client
       try:
@@ -59,6 +69,9 @@ spec:
                     containers:
                       - name: probe
                         image: busybox:1.36.1
+                        env:
+                          - name: BASE_DOMAIN
+                            value: ($baseDomain)
                         command:
                           - sh
                           - -c
@@ -68,13 +81,14 @@ spec:
                             # busybox wget has no --max-redirect; -S dumps every response header
                             # (incl. the initial 302 Location to the IdP) before following, so the
                             # grep below still matches the Keycloak authorize URL. (Grafana verified
-                            # live: 302 -> keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab/.../auth.)
+                            # live: 302 -> keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}/realms/homelab/.../auth.)
+                            idp="keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}/realms/homelab"
                             out="$(wget -S -O /dev/null "$svc/login/generic_oauth" 2>&1 || true)"
                             echo "$out"
-                            if echo "$out" | grep -qi 'keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab'; then
+                            if echo "$out" | grep -qiF "$idp"; then
-                              echo GRAFANA_OIDC_REDIRECT_OK
+                              echo "GRAFANA_OIDC_REDIRECT_OK -> ${idp}"
                             else
-                              echo "FAIL: Grafana did not redirect to the Keycloak homelab realm"; exit 1
+                              echo "FAIL: Grafana did not redirect to ${idp} (this cluster's Keycloak homelab realm)"; exit 1
                             fi
         - assert:
             resource:

conformance/tests/l2-behavioral/sso-forward-auth/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -3,8 +3,13 @@
 # Catalog: docs/14 onboarding (auth wiring) + docs/15 identity-and-access.
 # Impl: platform/oauth2-proxy (forward-auth against the Keycloak `homelab` realm), ADR-0014.
 #
+# ENVIRONMENT-AGNOSTIC (R-ENV-02): this test names NO hostname. It talks to oauth2-proxy over its
+# in-cluster Service DNS and asserts HTTP behaviour, so the same authored test is correct on dev and
+# on prod. The issuer host below is written as ${BASE_DOMAIN} because that is what the platform
+# substitutes; it is prose, not an input — nothing here needs parameterizing.
+#
 # GIVEN oauth2-proxy is deployed and has validated the Keycloak OIDC issuer (it only becomes Available
-#       after successfully discovering https://keycloak.home.keithjackson.dev/realms/homelab — this is
+#       after successfully discovering https://keycloak.${BASE_DOMAIN}/realms/homelab — this is
 #       the proxy->Keycloak flow working),
 # WHEN  an UNAUTHENTICATED request hits the forward-auth decision endpoint (/oauth2/auth)
 #   ->  THEN it is challenged: HTTP 401 (no valid Keycloak session => access denied), and a normal

conformance/tests/l2-behavioral/trusted-tls/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -3,8 +3,13 @@
 # Catalog: docs/14 "Trusted TLS (R-TLS-01/02)"
 # Spec:    docs/09 (Gateway API + DNS-01 wildcard), ADR-0006 (LE issuers)
 #
+# ENVIRONMENT-AGNOSTIC (R-ENV-02): the hostnames are built from the ${BASE_DOMAIN} of the CLUSTER
+# UNDER TEST, read from flux-system/cluster-vars (the ConfigMap Flux substitutes from) by a
+# test-level chainsaw binding. The same authored test therefore verifies dev's wildcard on dev and
+# prod's on prod, with nothing to pass at run time.
+#
 # GIVEN the shared Gateway terminating TLS with the cert-manager wildcard cert,
-# WHEN  an in-cluster probe dials it by hostname (SNI *.home.keithjackson.dev) and
+# WHEN  an in-cluster probe dials it by hostname (SNI *.${BASE_DOMAIN}) and
 #       verifies the chain against the SYSTEM trust store,
 # THEN  the served cert is non-self-signed, unexpired, covers the wildcard SAN, and
 #       chains to a PUBLICLY-TRUSTED CA root (R-TLS-01). The wildcard SAN also covers
@@ -36,6 +41,11 @@ metadata:
       that chains to a publicly-trusted CA root (LE production); the wildcard SAN
       covers internal-only hostnames too.
 spec:
+  # -- R-ENV-02: the hostname suffix is READ FROM THE CLUSTER UNDER TEST (flux-system/cluster-vars
+  #    — the ConfigMap Flux substitutes ${BASE_DOMAIN} from), never authored per environment.
+  bindings:
+    - name: baseDomain
+      value: (x_k8s_get($client, 'v1', 'ConfigMap', 'flux-system', 'cluster-vars').data.BASE_DOMAIN)
   steps:
     - name: then-gateway-cert-chains-to-trusted-root
       try:
@@ -54,13 +64,16 @@ spec:
                     containers:
                       - name: probe
                         image: curlimages/curl:8.11.1
+                        env:
+                          - name: BASE_DOMAIN
+                            value: ($baseDomain)
                         command:
                           - sh
                           - -c
                           - |
                             set -eu
                             # Probe TWO wildcard hostnames — one "public", one "internal-only". Both
-                            # match *.home.keithjackson.dev, so a clean verify against the SYSTEM CA
+                            # match *.${BASE_DOMAIN}, so a clean verify against the SYSTEM CA
                             # bundle for BOTH proves R-TLS-01 (chains to a publicly-trusted root) AND
                             # R-TLS-03 (the same trusted wildcard covers internal-only names). Names
                             # resolve via in-cluster split-horizon DNS to the Gateway VIP. curl (no
@@ -68,7 +81,7 @@ spec:
                             # the gateway's 404 once TLS+hostname verify; it exits 60 if the chain or
                             # hostname fails. TLS terminates at the gateway before HTTP routing, so no
                             # backend is needed.
-                            for host in conformance.home.keithjackson.dev internal-only.home.keithjackson.dev; do
+                            for host in "conformance.${BASE_DOMAIN}" "internal-only.${BASE_DOMAIN}"; do
                               curl -sS --retry 5 --retry-connrefused --retry-delay 3 --max-time 20 \
                                    -o /dev/null "https://${host}/"
                               echo "TLS_TRUSTED ${host}"
@@ -80,3 +93,20 @@ spec:
               kind: Job
               metadata: { name: tls-probe }
               status: { succeeded: 1 }
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    # PROOF-OF-PASS SENTINEL (R-SEC-03). Every step above is an assert/Job-status gate, so
+    # chainsaw already fails the test before reaching this step if any of them fails — but a
+    # green Chainsaw JUnit carries NO stdout, and the L2/L3 tests in this suite can self-skip
+    # GREEN, so lib/record_run.py refuses to treat a bare `passed` as evidence and records
+    # `unknown-no-sentinel-declared` instead. Without a declared token this test could pass
+    # forever and NEVER become a recorded proof of R-TLS-01/03 — the TLS half of docs/07's audit proof list
+    # — which is precisely what docs/07 asks for ("These proofs are part of the platform
+    # acceptance suite, not one-time checks"). This step exists only to emit that token, and it
+    # is reached only when everything above has passed. Asserted by
+    # tests/l0-static/auditability-proofs-producible.
+    - name: then-emit-the-proof-of-pass-sentinel
+      try:
+        - script:
+            content: echo TLS_TRUSTED_PROVEN_OK
+            check:
+              (contains($stdout, 'TLS_TRUSTED_PROVEN_OK')): true

conformance/tests/l3-fault-injection/dr-restore/chainsaw-test.yaml

@@ -40,10 +40,17 @@
 #      alternative source for the data.
 #
 # KNOWN, DELIBERATE GAPS (asserted nowhere — do not read this test as claiming them):
-#   * OFF-HOST is NOT proven, only OFF-CLUSTER. On the dev estate the k3s nodes are
+#   * OFF-HOST is NOT proven, only OFF-CLUSTER — TRUE AS RUN, and being fixed. On the
-#     VMs on the same Proxmox host that runs the versitygw S3 target (192.168.1.9),
+#     dev estate the k3s nodes are VMs on the same Proxmox host that runs the
-#     so this drill does not survive loss of that hypervisor. Off-site/off-host
+#     versitygw/MinIO S3 target (192.168.1.9), so this drill does not survive loss of
-#     replication is an operator concern outside R-STATE-03's wording.
+#     that hypervisor: one machine takes the cluster AND its backups.
+#     That is exactly why the operator moved off-cluster DR to Cloudflare R2 on
+#     2026-09-05 (commit 32d6766 — S3_BACKUP_ENDPOINT is now an R2 endpoint). Once that
+#     merges and this drill is RE-RUN against R2, off-host stops being a gap and becomes
+#     proven, because the target no longer shares a failure domain with the cluster.
+#     UNTIL THEN THIS TEST'S PASS IS AGAINST MinIO. R-STATE-03 is currently proven only
+#     for the same-host target; re-proving it against R2 is a prerequisite for claiming
+#     off-host DR, and the ledger row that proves R-STATE-03 predates the move.
 #   * The test does NOT read the backup objects out of the bucket with an S3 client.
 #     Doing so would require handing the conformance runner the backup credential,
 #     widening a privileged test identity for weaker evidence than (1)-(4) above.

infra/PHASE1-STATUS.md

@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ toolchain: yamllint, check-jsonschema, kyverno, chainsaw, yq) lives in the image
 infra/devcontainer/dev.sh build                    # once
 infra/devcontainer/dev.sh run make -C ci gate      # exactly what CI runs
 infra/devcontainer/dev.sh                          # interactive shell at /work
+
+infra/devcontainer/dev.sh run kubectl get nodes                # DEV (the default)
+CLUSTER=prod infra/devcontainer/dev.sh run kubectl get nodes   # PROD
 ```
 
 Unlike the libvirt era, **tofu and ansible now run fine inside the container** — the
@@ -95,10 +98,23 @@ which is what broke the old `dmacvicar/libvirt` provider in a container.
 file, and the sibling spec repo read-only at `/home-network-k3s` so the spec-immutability
 check runs instead of silently skipping.
 
-> **Known gap.** `dev.sh` defaults `KUBECONFIG` to `/work/infra/ansible/.cache/dev.kubeconfig`,
+> **Closed (was a known gap): `dev.sh` can now target either cluster.** It used to hard-wire
-> a libvirt-era path that no longer exists, and does not mount `~/.kube`. In-container `kubectl`
+> `KUBECONFIG` to `dev.kubeconfig`, leaving an undocumented — and misleadingly named —
-> therefore needs an explicit `DEV_KUBECONFIG=<path to a break-glass cert kubeconfig>` — the OIDC
+> `DEV_KUBECONFIG=<prod path>` as the only route to prod. Select with **`CLUSTER=dev|prod`**;
-> context cannot work there anyway (no browser). Not yet fixed.
+> **dev remains the default**, so every existing invocation means what it always meant. Inside the
+> container `KUBECONFIG` is a chain of a tiny per-invocation selector file over a merged config
+> carrying both clusters as contexts **`k3s-dev`** and **`k3s-prod`** (never `default`), regenerated
+> each run by [`infra/devcontainer/kubeconfig.sh`](devcontainer/kubeconfig.sh) into the gitignored
+> `infra/ansible/.cache/clusters.kubeconfig`. The merged file deliberately carries **no**
+> `current-context`: it is shared by every container, and stamping the current cluster into it made
+> concurrent `CLUSTER=dev` and `CLUSTER=prod` runs silently swap clusters mid-command. Naming matters: k3s writes *both* source kubeconfigs
+> with context, cluster and user all called `default`, and kubectl's merge keeps the first
+> duplicate — so a plain `KUBECONFIG=dev:prod` would silently resolve `default` to **dev** while you
+> believed you were on prod. Requesting a cluster whose kubeconfig is absent is a hard error, never
+> a fallback. `DEV_KUBECONFIG` still works and still wins, but is **superseded** — it is opaque
+> about its target and yields an ambiguous `default` context. `~/.kube` is still not mounted and the
+> OIDC context still cannot work in a container (no browser); use the break-glass cert kubeconfigs
+> above. Details: [`devcontainer/README.md`](devcontainer/README.md).
 
 ## Off-repo state you must not lose