Agent cleanup preservation¶

The 2026-09-08 repository audit identified two independent data-loss paths in scripts/dev/cleanup-agent-state.sh: dead-owner worktree removal used --force, and stashes were dropped based on branch names or branch existence. Neither decision inspected whether the state was preserved elsewhere.

The installed Git 2.55.0 git-worktree(1) manual states that normal removal requires a clean checkout; --force permits removal with tracked changes and untracked files. git-stash(1) describes stashes as commit objects referenced through the stash reflog. It does not equate an existing branch with preservation of the stash contents. The manual also warns that dropped stashes are outside the normal recovery mechanisms.

Sources: git-worktree and git-stash, verified using the installed Git 2.55.0 manuals dated 2026-06-29. The implementation additionally inspects ignored artifacts because their contents can be unique experimental evidence.

ADR-1239 selects a read-only inventory by default and exact path selection for eligible worktree removal. Stashes are retained for separate review. This keeps cleanup useful without asserting that abandoned work is redundant.

Run bash scripts/dev/test-cleanup-agent-state.sh for a reproducer independent of repository contents. Disposable Git repositories exercise default inventory, invalid arguments, live and unknown owners, dirty/untracked/ignored files, unreferenced detached commits, pending Git operations, main/self protection, whole-selection validation, restoration of a lock after failed Git removal, pathnames containing spaces, retained branch refs and retained stashes on master, an existing branch and detached HEAD. No project corpus or golden assertions are involved.