docs: add UPSTREAM_PORT_GUIDE.md — translation rules for gsd-2 → sf ports

We sync from two upstreams (pi-mono via cherry-pick, gsd-2 via manual
port) and the gsd-2 syncs hit naming/path translation every time.
This guide makes the translation rules explicit and persistent so
future ports (by humans or by sf) don't have to rediscover them.

Covers:
- The naming translations table: gsd_* → sf_*, .gsd/ → .sf/,
  extensions/gsd/ → extensions/sf/, @sf-run/* → @singularity-forge/*,
  GSD_HOME → SF_HOME, etc.
- Default rule: translate naming, keep substance. Includes the
  cautionary tale of my own self-heal rejection (1bbd20bf7) where I
  wrongly skipped a fix because of the path string.
- When a port REALLY doesn't apply (architectural divergence vs naming
  divergence) — three categories with examples.
- Mechanics for pi-mono (cherry-pick) vs gsd-2 (manual) ports.
- Skip-list documentation: when you reject, document why in BUILD_PLAN
  with the upstream SHA and reason.
- Prompt-edit handling: gsd_<verb> → sf_<verb>, register tools before
  porting prompt edits that call them.

Future automation hint at the bottom for a port-translation script.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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Mikael Hugo 2026-04-29 14:51:19 +02:00
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# Upstream port translation guide
Reference for porting fixes/features from upstream into singularity-forge.
We sync from two upstreams:
| Upstream | Path | When |
|---|---|---|
| `badlogic/pi-mono` | remote `pi-mono` | SDK fixes (agent core, AI clients, TUI primitives) — **cherry-pick usually works** (no namespace divergence) |
| `gsd-build/gsd-2` | remote `upstream` (alias `gsd2`) | Autopilot/harness fixes — **manual port required** (namespace + path divergence) |
This guide covers gsd-2 because it's where the translation work happens. Pi-mono ports are mostly direct cherry-picks.
---
## The naming translations (memorize these)
When porting from gsd-2, mechanically translate every occurrence of these patterns:
| gsd-2 | singularity-forge | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|
| `gsd_*` (tool names) | `sf_*` | All `sf_milestone_generate_id`, `sf_plan_slice`, `sf_decision_save`, `sf_summary_save`, `sf_complete_task`, `sf_product_audit`, etc. |
| `gsd_<verb>` (in prompts) | `sf_<verb>` | Inline tool references in prompt markdown |
| `.gsd/` (project staging dir) | `.sf/` | `.gsd/REQUIREMENTS.md``.sf/REQUIREMENTS.md`, `.gsd/DECISIONS.md``.sf/DECISIONS.md`, `.gsd/active/{mid}/``.sf/active/{mid}/`, etc. |
| `extensions/gsd/` (path) | `extensions/sf/` | `src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto-prompts.ts``src/resources/extensions/sf/auto-prompts.ts` |
| `@sf-run/*` (package scope) | `@singularity-forge/*` | npm package imports in TS files |
| `GSD_HOME` env var | `SF_HOME` | env var lookups in shell, TS, docs |
| "GSD" / "gsd" (display) | "sf" or "Singularity Forge" | log lines, error messages, README sections — but only the display strings; structural symbols already covered above |
| `gsd-build/gsd-2` (upstream URL) | `singularity-ng/singularity-forge` | nothing to translate; just don't reference upstream URL in our docs except as attribution |
**Hermes left alone** — bunker had a `Hermes Plugin Reviewer` skill that genuinely targets the Hermes agent platform (different product). The string "Hermes" in that context is correct as-is. Only translate gsd→sf, not other agent names.
---
## The default rule: translate naming, keep substance
When a gsd-2 commit references `.gsd/` or `gsd_*`, **the fix is almost always about something other than the literal path string** — symlink resilience, race conditions, validation, a security check. The naming is incidental. Translate the names; the substance ports.
**Bad rejection example** (one I made on 2026-04-29, corrected in `1bbd20bf7`):
> gsd-2 commit `9340f1e9b` "fix(gsd): self-heal symlinked .gsd staging to prevent silent data loss"
>
> ❌ My initial call: "doesn't apply because we use .sf/ instead"
>
> ✅ Correct call: the fix is symlink resilience. Translate `.gsd/``.sf/` in the port. The substance ports.
If you ever find yourself typing "doesn't apply because we use X instead of Y" where X and Y are paths or naming conventions — STOP. Re-read the commit. The fix is about the underlying behavior, not the path.
---
## When a port really doesn't apply (architectural divergence)
There are real cases where porting doesn't make sense. Recognize them by their substance, not their names:
1. **The architecture diverged**, not just the names. Example: gsd-2 commit `bb747ec57` "fix(mcp-server): prevent defaultExecFn stdout-buffer deadlock" — they have a `defaultExecFn` that spawns child processes; we have an `execFn` parameter passed in by callers. Their fix is in the spawn implementation that we don't have. The deadlock vector exists for callers but our remediation is different.
2. **The bug is in code we replaced**. Example: pi-mono `3e7ffff18` "fix(ai): ignore unknown anthropic sse events" — they own the SSE parser; we use the SDK directly. Their fix patches code we don't have. To get the protection, we'd need to port the entire "own the parser" refactor (multiple commits, ~200 LOC).
3. **We have richer code** that the upstream is catching up to. Don't downgrade to upstream's version. Example: our `benchmark-selector.ts` has more eval types (`swe_bench`, `aime_2026`, etc.) than bunker's. Importing bunker's would lose those.
When you reject for one of these reasons, **document why in the BUILD_PLAN** with the upstream SHA + a one-line explanation of the architectural difference. Future-you (or sf) needs to know it was considered, not just skipped.
---
## Port mechanics
### From pi-mono (cherry-pick usually works)
```bash
# 1. Read the upstream commit
git show <pi-mono-sha>
# 2. If it touches packages/pi-* equivalents in our tree, try cherry-pick
git cherry-pick <pi-mono-sha>
# 3. If clean, type-check
cd packages/<pkg> && npx tsc --noEmit
# 4. Commit message
# port(pi-mono): <description> (refs <pi-mono-sha>)
```
If cherry-pick conflicts: read the conflict, resolve manually, commit. Pi-mono conflicts are usually small because we share the same package layout and naming.
### From gsd-2 (manual port)
```bash
# 1. Read the upstream commit
git show <gsd-2-sha>
# 2. For each file the commit modifies, find our equivalent
# Translation: extensions/gsd/<x> → extensions/sf/<x>
# Translation: gsd_<verb> → sf_<verb>
# Translation: .gsd/<path> → .sf/<path>
# 3. Apply the substance of the change to our equivalent file(s)
# DO NOT use git cherry-pick — it will fail on every file
# 4. Type-check
npx tsc --noEmit -p tsconfig.extensions.json
# 5. Commit message
# port(gsd-2): <description> (refs <gsd-2-sha>)
```
### Skip-list documentation
If you decide a port doesn't apply, add a row to the relevant BUILD_PLAN table with status "SKIP — <one-line reason>". Don't silently drop. Examples:
| Status example |
|---|
| ✅ `<our-sha>` — landed |
| TODO — pending |
| **DEFERRED** — applies but needs prerequisite refactor: <reason> |
| **SKIP** — architectural divergence: <one-line> |
| **SKIP** — already richer locally: see `<our-file>` |
---
## Verifying the translation
For any port, run:
```bash
# 1. Type-check the affected packages
npx tsc --noEmit -p tsconfig.extensions.json
cd packages/<pkg> && npx tsc --noEmit
# 2. Run the relevant test suite
npm run test:sf-light # for sf-extension changes
npm run typecheck:extensions
# 3. If the port changes prompts, hand-verify by reading the diff
# sf will catch missing template variables at runtime; better to catch
# at port time
```
---
## Handling `gsd_<command>` references in prompts
Our prompts (`src/resources/extensions/sf/prompts/*.md`) call tools by name. When porting a prompt edit from gsd-2:
- `gsd_milestone_generate_id``sf_milestone_generate_id`
- `gsd_plan_slice``sf_plan_slice`
- `gsd_decision_save``sf_decision_save`
- `gsd_summary_save``sf_summary_save`
- `gsd_complete_task``sf_complete_task`
- `gsd_product_audit``sf_product_audit`
- `gsd_help``sf_help`
If a gsd-2 prompt edit introduces a NEW tool we don't have (e.g., `gsd_eval_review` from the eval-review feature), the port involves both:
- registering our equivalent `sf_eval_review` tool, AND
- the prompt edit calling it
Don't translate just the prompt without registering the tool — that creates a runtime "unknown tool" error.
---
## Future automation hint
This guide is hand-maintained. Eventually we should:
- Add a script `scripts/port-from-gsd2.sh <gsd-2-sha>` that emits a translated patch (sed-pipe through the naming map), checks it for context-line conflicts, and applies what it can.
- Track translation drift (e.g., did upstream add a new `gsd_<verb>` tool whose `sf_<verb>` equivalent isn't registered?).
For now, manual translation by humans (or by sf with this guide as input) is the workflow.