# Working in this repository

Read [the design](docs/design.md) and [current work](docs/current-work.md) for
repository decisions and active work. [README.md](README.md) maps configuration owners
and maintenance entry points. Global instructions remain applicable.

- Preserve unrelated changes. Coherent local commits are allowed for agreed batches.
  Do not push or make other remote changes without explicit approval. System
  activation remains user-owned.
- Do not read secret values for discovery, source the workbench credential-loading
  environment, or access live company systems with write authority. Test writes need
  task-specific authority. Moving credentials or synchronizing company content
  requires agreement; ordinary repository work does not authorize either.
- Follow the user's testing policy: automated tests only when explicitly requested
  or covered by an established repository policy. A test file alone does not establish
  a general policy. Use the smallest relevant review, build, or manual check.
- Use `just validate` for a completed configuration batch, or name affected hosts
  for iteration. Read the short result first; inspect saved logs only for failures
  or a concrete unresolved concern. Documentation-only edits need no system build.
- Replace superseded state in `docs/current-work.md`; keep durable rationale in
  `docs/design.md` and operational detail beside its owner. Use Git for chronology.
  Remove temporary state when it no longer serves a purpose.