Grant 5551173b7a docs: restructure into docs/, CLAUDE.md rules-only, DIR v1.2, handover v2.24

2026-07-11 18:46:58 +02:00

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CLAUDE.md — Rules for Claude on the Argonaut 3 Project

Version: 3.7 Updated: 11 July 2026

Changelog 3.7 (doc restructure): This file is now rules-only. Current build state, open items, and the session-by-session changelog moved to docs/handover.md — removed from here: the live data-lake variable table, the FastAPI endpoint live/deferred lists, the full ardupilot_manager FD-exhaustion narrative, and the SESSION LOG (now the handover's Changelog section; trigger rules for what to log stay here, entries do not). All project docs (handover, DIR, UI design, failsafe design, sim/ML plan, mission/recording lifecycle) moved into the repo under docs/, git-tracked — corrected the MUST-NOT bullet and Documentation Discipline section that said docs never go to Gitea; that policy is now reversed. Reference table updated to docs/ paths, filenames carry no version number (the Version: field inside each file is authoritative).

Changelog 3.6: Added measurement-before-diagnosis, step-back-on-break, one-restart-then-verify-9001, and Cockpit widget re-import rules to Working Style. Corrected the Documentation discipline note that incorrectly claimed CLAUDE.md is never committed to Gitea — it is tracked and committed like any other repo file.

Changelog 3.5: Added [VSC] terminal label. Added SESSION LOG section + write triggers (bridges Claude Code work back to claude.ai chat, which has no native access to Claude Code sessions).

This file is rules only — how Claude works. Current build state, open items, and the session changelog live in docs/handover.md. Design intent ("why") lives in docs/design_intent_register.md. Do not look for state here.

PRIME DIRECTIVES — These override everything else

1. Research before acting. Always.

Before any technical decision, code change, or command:

Read project docs (docs/handover.md, docs/ui_design.md, docs/design_intent_register.md, this file) and search past chat history
Read source code and official docs before acting; GitHub source/issues are more authoritative than official docs for Cockpit/BlueOS specifics
Confirm facts from sources, not from memory

If uncertain: search first, then act. Never guess.

2. Time and tokens are finite and valuable

Time wasting is FORBIDDEN. Token wasting is FORBIDDEN.
Short replies. No preamble padding. To the point.
Never repeat an approach that has already failed
Never ask for information already in the project docs
Never issue a command without knowing what it will do and why

3. Facts only. Never assumptions.

Do not proceed based on what "should" work
Do not assume port, routing, or API behaviour — measure it
Do not infer system state — verify it before issuing commands
If a claim cannot be verified from a source, say so explicitly
Never present a prior session's confirmed state as the current running state

Working Style

One command at a time

Give one command, wait for feedback, then give the next. Never batch commands unless asked.

Measurement before diagnosis (facts only)

Every claim about system state must be backed by a read-only command output in the same exchange. No diagnosis from theory. If a cause is asserted, the measurement that proves it must be shown first. If state is unknown, the only permitted next action is the command that measures it — not a fix built on assumption. Enforcement phrase: if the operator says "measurement?" and none was shown, the rule was broken — go measure before proceeding.

Step back to the last action when something breaks

When something that was working breaks, return to the last action taken. If it worked before that action and not after, that action caused it — revert or step back from there before investigating anything else. Do not open new diagnostic threads before ruling out the most recent change.

One restart, then verify — never restart-storm

Never issue repeated systemctl restart argonaut.service in quick succession. Rapid cycling leaves cockpit_bridge wedged (9001 never binds; node runs but serves nothing). Always: one restart, wait ~15s, then verify with ss -tlnp | grep 9001 before any further action. Only one restart is in flight at a time.

When a Cockpit DIY widget's JS changes (not just html/css), a delete + re-import inside the running app can leave the old script's setInterval timer alive in the background, so old and new timers both write to the DOM and fields flicker. After re-importing a widget whose JS changed, fully quit and relaunch Cockpit (not just close the window — the Electron process survives a close). html/css-only changes do not need this.

Lead with context and corrections BEFORE instructions, never after.

Copy-paste friendly commands

Commands inside terminal blocks must be immediately copy-pasteable and suitable for the terminal in use (Git Bash on the laptop, bash on the Pis/server). Never include:

Placeholders like <YOUR_IP> or path/to/file
Hashed # comments inside the command block
Options that require editing before running

Code comments

When writing code (Python, config, scripts), always include full inline comments explaining what each section does and why. This is a standing user preference. NOTE: this applies to CODE files only — NOT to terminal command blocks, which must stay clean and copy-paste ready with no inline comments.

Terminal labels

Every command block is preceded by a plain-text terminal label above the block. Grant pastes terminal output including the shell prompt — use these to identify which device the output came from:

Label	Shell prompt	Device	IP
`[SERVER]`	`grant@symbytech:~$`	Dell PowerEdge R210	192.168.1.175
`[RPi5]`	`ubuntu@rov-brain:~$`	Raspberry Pi 5 autonomy brain	192.168.1.101
`[RPi4]`	`pi@blueos:~$`	Raspberry Pi 4 BlueOS gateway	192.168.1.100
`[LAPTOP — Git Bash]`	`grant@BB8 MINGW64 ...`	Windows field laptop BB8	—
`[VSC]`	—	VS Code integrated terminal on BB8 (local Windows session at `C:\Users\grant\Desktop\Autonomous ROV System`)	—
`[BROWSER]`	—	Web browser on laptop	—
`[COCKPIT]`	—	Cockpit native desktop app on laptop	—

[VSC] is a local Windows session on BB8, NOT a Remote-SSH session to rov-brain, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Do not assume [VSC] == RPi5 working copy.

Never put the label inside the bash block.

The BlueOS KVM VM (blueos-vm) was decommissioned once RPi4/RPi5 hardware became operational. [VM] is no longer a valid label. Any VM artefacts remaining on the server are for reference only.

Verify before modifying

Always read a file before modifying it. Always check current state before changing it. State what you observed before proposing a change.

File operations

Read the exact file first, then str_replace with exact matching text. Remove old versions before writing new ones. Complete files, not fragments — no partial code.

No guessing at code

When writing code that interfaces with an external system:

Find the official documentation or source code
Find a working example from the official repo or community
Build on the confirmed example Never invent API calls, message formats, or connection strings.

Own mistakes once

Acknowledge an error once and fix it. No repeated apologies, no grovelling.

KISS

Recommend the simple correct path, not a menu of options.

CREATE-THEN-BACKUP (non-negotiable)

When any new component (device, drive, service, config, OS install) is created or configured, a backup must be put in place immediately as part of that work — not deferred. Backups and foundational architecture (storage, recovery, monitoring) are prerequisites, prioritised BEFORE new feature/build work. The RPi4 SD failed with no backup because this was deferred — do not repeat.

Project-Specific Rules

Cockpit DIY widgets

Cockpit is v1.18.2 (native desktop app mandatory — browser/Lite extension does NOT support DIY widgets)
JSON format with html/css/js string fields
CSS hard constraints: no body {}/:root {} global blocks, no @keyframes, no unicode in JS strings, no position: fixed, no global tag selectors
No async/await in widget JS — use .then()/.catch()
Use var not let/const in widget JS for compatibility
Correct live-value getter: window.cockpit.getDataLakeVariableData(variableId) (CONFIRMED v1.18.2). getDataLakeValue() and listenToDatalakeVariable() do NOT exist in DIY widget scope. getAllDataLakeVariablesInfo() is metadata-only.
Widget JSON files in the repo use underscore naming: w6_altitude.json (matches W0–W5). The Cockpit-loaded widget is stored by internal config, not filename, so the repo filename is the canonical reference.

Data injection into Cockpit data lake

ONLY working external-injection method is the Generic WebSocket Connections feature (Settings → General). Production path is the cockpit_bridge ROS2 node (rov_mission, WebSocket :9001).
Message format: variable-name=value (one per send). Data lake key: external/{name}.
ALWAYS use hyphens — Cockpit normalises underscores to hyphens in IDs.
HTTP POST to mavlink2rest does NOT work for data lake injection. MAVLink UDP injection from external scripts does NOT work. Tested and confirmed — do not suggest them.
Current full variable list (which ones exist, source topic, meaning) is in docs/handover.md §0 — not repeated here. It changes as flags/telemetry are added; keeping one copy is the point.

FastAPI backend (rov_api)

rov_api package provides the HTTP-to-ROS2 bridge on port 8081. Runs as argonaut-api.service (manual-start in dev, same policy as argonaut.service).
Architecture: uvicorn/FastAPI in the main thread, an embedded rclpy node (RovApiNode) spinning in a daemon background thread. HTTP handlers call thread-safe methods on the node. Do NOT call rclpy.spin() more than once.
W3 abort path is vehicle-layer: publishes Bool(true) to /rov/mission/abort, which failsafe_monitor latches as flag_manual_abort → FSM NORMAL → HOLD_AND_RECOVER. This is DIR-5 return-to-safe, NOT the mission ABORT service. Do not confuse the two.
Python dependencies: fastapi + uvicorn installed system-wide on RPi5 via sudo pip3 install fastapi uvicorn --break-system-packages --ignore-installed typing_extensions. The --ignore-installed typing_extensions flag is required — the Debian-managed typing_extensions has no pip RECORD file and blocks the install otherwise.
Which endpoints are live vs. deferred is current build state — see docs/handover.md §0 / Phase Task Status, not here.

Deploy files (version-controlled)

systemd units and launch wrappers live outside the workspace but are version-controlled in the repo deploy/ folder (copies; authoritative running copies at deploy locations).
deploy/argonaut.service → /etc/systemd/system/argonaut.service
deploy/argonaut-stack.sh → /usr/local/bin/argonaut-stack.sh
deploy/argonaut-api.service → /etc/systemd/system/argonaut-api.service
deploy/argonaut-api.sh → /usr/local/bin/argonaut-api.sh
deploy/README.md documents locations, pip deps, and install procedure.
/home/ubuntu/ros2_ws is a symlink to /data/ros2_ws — both wrappers rely on it.

Recording architecture (mechanism — intent is DIR-9a, `docs/design_intent_register.md`)

The recorder manages a ros2 bag record subprocess — MCAP format, zstd compression, 500MB bag splitting, 10GB free-space retention on /data. Bags to /data/bags/dive_<timestamp>/ on NVMe.
foxglove_bridge is visualisation only — it does NOT record MCAP. Correct this wherever the old "MCAP via foxglove_bridge" claim appears.
Storage lever (no reliable in-field server backup): LOWER PUBLISH RATES on heavy streams (keep topics present for debug) is the primary lever; ARM-bounded runs self-limit; retention cap tunable; NVMe expansion later. Topic/rate review is open.
Current implementation status (recording_manager vs. governing DIR-9a) is tracked in docs/handover.md, not here — known drift exists, see there.

Operating-mode profiles (DIR-1/2, mode_profiles.yaml)

One widget set; behaviour is set by flags from a mode profile. Dominant axis is HILT (tether present = ROV / live interfaces; absent = AUV / headless).
Source of truth: mode_profiles.yaml in rov_mission/config — ROV/AUV defaults plus custom hybrid via "Save As". Hybrid is NOT a third mode; it is any saved profile with overrides.
mode_profile_loader (rov_mission) resolves the active profile into a ModeProfile message (rov_interfaces), publishes it LATCHED on /rov/mode/profile, reloadable via the /rov/mode/reload (std_srvs/Trigger) service. Fail-safe: invalid flag values are rejected and the last-good profile is retained.
cockpit_bridge surfaces the 11 flags to the data lake as external/rov-*. Widgets read the flags, NOT the mode.
Flags: hilt, health_role (advisory|gate), recording_control (manual|auto), nogo_gate (relaxed|enforced), record_reminder_on_arm, return_mode (operator_selectable|autonomous), live_telemetry (on|predive_only), nav_display, camera_role (pilot_primary|record_only).
YAML gotcha: YAML 1.1 parses bare on/off/yes/no as booleans — quote enum values like "on". The loader also normalises bool→string as a guard.

BlueOS / MAVLink router

MAVLinkRouter is the confirmed router. Do NOT recommend MAVP2P — BlueOS itself warns "MAVP2P has been presenting issues and is not currently recommended." Tried and reverted once already — do not suggest it again.
ardupilot_manager leaks /dev/i2c-1 file descriptors on every failed Linux-board probe, driven by leaving the BlueOS Autopilot Firmware / board-config page open. Do not leave that page open — open, act, close. Do NOT patch BlueOS or ArduPilot for this; it's an upstream defect and any update would revert a local patch. Full root-cause narrative, measurements, and field-mitigation status: docs/handover.md §15a — this bug's root cause was wrongly diagnosed once already (v2.10–v2.21); do not repeat old claims about TCP sockets or "nofile fixed it" without reading §15a first.

Hardware facts (do not re-question)

RPi5 storage: boots from SD card (/dev/mmcblk0). NVMe holds DATA ONLY (/data — ros2_ws, bags, logs). Backup images the SD for OS, rsyncs /data for data.
Flight controller: Pixhawk 2.4.8 on /dev/ttyACM0 is the active flight controller. SITL is NOT used in production. BlueOS preferred_board = Pixhawk1.
Tailscale on RPi5: installed but stopped and disabled (tailscaled.service disabled 2 Jul 2026). Re-enable with sudo systemctl enable --now tailscaled if remote access to RPi5 is needed.

Hostname resolution (DNS)

Hostnames symbytech (192.168.1.175), blueos (192.168.1.100), and rov-brain (192.168.1.101) are resolvable from the laptop (Windows hosts file) and RPi5 (/etc/hosts). Grant prefers hostnames over IPs.
Git remotes use the hostname form: ssh://git@symbytech:222/administrator/rov-autonomy.git
If a "Could not resolve hostname symbytech" error appears on a machine, that machine is missing the hosts entries — add them rather than switching remotes to IPs.

Backup system (built 30 Jun 2026)

Push model: each Pi self-backs-up via root cron, pushes to server over SSH (no inbound access to Pis).
RPi4: /usr/local/bin/rov-brain-pi4-backup.sh, 00:00 daily.
RPi5: /usr/local/bin/rov-brain-pi5-backup.sh, 00:30 daily (staggered).
Server monitor check_rov_backup alerts on FAILED (always) and OVERDUE (≥2 days, online or offline, throttled weekly).
Field/ops backup model is operator-aware, never unattended mid-dive (DIR-11, W7).

argonaut.service / argonaut-api.service (RPi5)

Manual start is deliberate for both. Verify BlueOS heartbeat first, then sudo systemctl start argonaut.service. Do NOT enable auto-start until field-ready. Restate this rule each time it comes up.
argonaut-api.service orders After=argonaut.service but does not Require it — the API can start independently for /health checks; mission commands return a clear "service unavailable" error if the stack is down.

ROS2 code

Check rov_interfaces message definitions before writing any node code
Use self.get_logger() not print()
Do not hardcode IPs, ports, or thresholds
Do not deploy rov_simulation in production launch files
Editing an installed launch/config requires colcon build --packages-select <pkg> — the running launch uses the installed copy under install/, not src/
ARM64 Docker builds on the laptop only (buildx), never on the server

Git workflow

Commit to master on administrator/rov-autonomy
Gitea SSH remote (hostname form): ssh://git@symbytech:222/administrator/rov-autonomy.git
Both laptop and RPi5 resolve symbytech via hosts entries (see Hostname resolution).
Widget JSON files are re-imported from the laptop (source of truth for widgets) and pushed to Gitea — never overwritten from chat history.
UFW rules before starting new services on new ports.

Security — pre-field hardening pass (policy)

UFW enable procedure (when triggered): allow SSH (22), operator TCP (8765, 9001, 8081), and all traffic from LAN subnet 192.168.1.0/24 (covers ROS2 DDS dynamic ports — do NOT try to pin them individually), then default deny incoming.
Bundle UFW with the RPi5 SSH password change — both gated on the same trigger: before remote ops or field deployment. Do not do one without the other.
Current on/off status of both is tracked in docs/handover.md Open Items, not here.

What Claude MUST do

State confirmed facts before proposing an action; cite the source of any technical claim
Acknowledge when something has already been tried and failed
Provide complete, working code (fully commented) based on confirmed examples
Verify system state before and after changes
Update the handover doc at the end of each session (version-controlled, changelog)

What Claude MUST NOT do

Guess at how a system works and propose commands based on that guess
Repeat a failed approach
Issue commands whose outcome is uncertain
Provide partial code requiring manual editing to work
Assume a system is stable without checking
Use print() in ROS2 nodes; hardcode addresses/ports/thresholds
Build x86 Docker images for vehicle deployment
Change the failsafe priority order without design review
Present prior-session state as current running state
Recommend MAVP2P as the MAVLink router
Patch or diff-edit a project doc in docs/ — always full-file replacement (see Documentation discipline below), even though these files are now git-tracked

Documentation discipline

All project docs now live in the repo under docs/, git-tracked, same as code: docs/handover.md, docs/design_intent_register.md, docs/ui_design.md, docs/failsafe_design.md, docs/simulation_ml_plan.md, docs/mission_recording_lifecycle.md.
They keep the complete-file-replacement convention even though git tracks them: full file rewrites on update, never patches/fragments to prose. Git diff/blame is the audit trail; it is not how edits are authored.
Filenames carry no version number — the Version: field inside each file is authoritative, and a stale version number in a filename or cross-reference is exactly the kind of drift this restructure (11 Jul 2026) was done to stop.
CLAUDE.md (repo root) follows the same git-tracked convention as any other repo file.
Claude project knowledge holds a mirror copy of docs/ for chat context — re-upload after any commit that changes these files.
Server/infra docs (SymbyTech server, Harbor registry) and shopping/task lists are NOT part of the rov-autonomy repo docs/ folder — they stay project-knowledge-only.
Version numbers and changelogs maintained on every update.

Session changelog — trigger rules (entries live in `docs/handover.md`)

Why this exists: Claude Code (VS Code) and the claude.ai chat are separate systems with no shared memory. Claude Code reads this file and docs/handover.md at session start but the claude.ai chat cannot see Claude Code's session history at all. The Changelog section in docs/handover.md is the bridge — this section holds only the rule for what goes in it.

Claude Code MUST append an entry to docs/handover.md's Changelog at the end of any session where one of these happened — not for routine edits, refactors, or in-progress work:

A design/architecture decision was made or changed (DIR-level, mode-flag behaviour, failsafe priority, recording behaviour)
A hardware fact was confirmed or changed (wiring, storage layout, board config)
A security-relevant change was made (SSH, UFW, credentials, exposure)
A backup/recovery-relevant change was made
A bug was root-caused and fixed (not just patched)
A previously-deferred item was completed or its trigger condition changed
Anything Grant would reasonably expect the claude.ai chat to already know next time he opens it

Skip: typo fixes, comment-only changes, WIP/incomplete work, anything already fully captured by the git commit message with no extra context needed.

Format: YYYY-MM-DD — one-line summary of decision/change (commit hash if applicable). Append-only — do not edit past entries; correct forward with a new dated entry if something needs revising.

Workflow: Grant pastes new entries into the claude.ai chat when relevant; Claude folds them into chat memory via the memory tool.

Key Reference Documents (current versions)

Document	Purpose
`docs/handover.md`	Master reference — architecture, environment, commands, status board
`docs/design_intent_register.md`	DIR-1…DIR-12 — owner/operator intent, source of truth for why; recording ARM-bounded per DIR-9a
`docs/failsafe_design.md`	Failsafe state machine, sensor roadmap, priority order
`docs/ui_design.md`	Cockpit widget specs (W0–W8) and confirmed data paths
`docs/mission_recording_lifecycle.md`	Lifecycle research backing DIR-9/9a/10
`docs/simulation_ml_plan.md`	Simulation + ML tooling: dev-PC tiers, cloud options/cost, training assets/datasets/models, PCIe Gen 3 decision

Filenames carry no version number — check the Version: field inside the file itself. Do not cite a version number from memory.

Safety Notice

This is a production-oriented autonomous safety system. All code must be treated as if it will run on a real vehicle in open water with no operator present. Safety, correctness, and reliability are non-negotiable. Shortcuts taken during development become risks during field operations.

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