name: abyss-self-diagnostic-spine
scope: project
status: scaffold
summary: Thin abyss overlay for turning runtime-body evidence plus optional reviewed session references into one bounded diagnostic session artifact and an honest next-move class without granting silent self-mutation.
invocation_mode: explicit-preferred
technique_dependencies:
- AOA-T-0080
- AOA-T-0081
abyss-self-diagnostic-spine
Intent
Use this skill to adapt aoa-session-self-diagnose to an abyss-* repository when the local repo needs one runtime-owned diagnostic session artifact that can cite runtime evidence, compare against last-good posture, and hand off honestly toward the reviewed session diagnosis family.
Trigger boundary
Use this skill when:
- the base
aoa-session-self-diagnose workflow is already correct, but an abyss-* repo needs one runtime-owned diagnostic session artifact with repo-relative evidence refs - a concrete runtime path must be diagnosed before any repair claim becomes honest
- multiple runtime-body signals exist but remain scattered across local docs, logs, checks, generated receipts, or run outputs
- the evidence spans axes such as doctor, machine-fit, render-truth, smoke, autonomy, config projection, route receipt, or last-good comparison and needs one bounded diagnostic shape
- reviewed session evidence exists and should be cited rather than absorbed into runtime canon
- the next honest move may be retest, governed repair, quest follow-up, progression lift, or manual regrounding
Do not use this skill when:
- the route is asking for immediate silent repair; use
aoa-session-self-repair only after reviewed diagnosis exists - there is no concrete target path to diagnose
- the material is still a live unreviewed session that belongs in the session-harvest family first
- the main confusion is which diagnostic doc, runbook, or route surface is authoritative; use
aoa-source-of-truth-check - the ask is only to run a generic doctor or health command without producing a reviewed diagnostic artifact
- the request needs a broad project doctrine change, quest mutation, progression update, or repair packet rather than read-only diagnosis
- no
abyss-* repo adaptation is needed and the base aoa-session-self-diagnose skill is sufficient - the work would widen into broader project doctrine instead of a thin local overlay
- resolved or requested diagnostic target, preset, profile, or repo-relative path
- runtime-body signals such as doctor, machine-fit, render-truth, smoke, autonomy, config projection, route receipt, or related evidence refs
- evidence timestamps, command refs, generated receipt refs, and known freshness limits
- optional reviewed session, harvest packet, closeout, or owner-facing handoff refs
- optional last-good comparison ref and the reason it is a valid anchor
- intended local truth goal and the stop line before repair or quest mutation
- base skill reference
Outputs
- one bounded runtime-owned
diagnostic_session_v1 - one explicit
exit_class chosen from a locally named finite set, such as retest, governed_repair, manual_regrounding, owner_handoff, or insufficient_evidence - named drift classes with evidence refs and unknowns when needed
- per-axis verdicts that preserve mixed states instead of flattening everything into one pass/fail result
- freshness and confidence notes for each major evidence family
- optional handoff recommendation toward:
aoa-session-self-diagnoseaoa-session-self-repairaoa-session-progression-liftaoa-quest-harvest- a concise verification note for the local repo surface
Procedure
- start from
aoa-session-self-diagnose instead of inventing a new project-family workflow - resolve the diagnostic target before interpreting symptoms or naming a drift class
- confirm the nearest route card and source-of-truth surface so the artifact does not claim ownership over a stronger layer
- gather repo-relative runtime-body evidence refs without widening ownership or copying raw sensitive material into the artifact
- classify evidence by axis and freshness, including unknowns and missing checks
- normalize the evidence into multi-axis verdicts and explicit drift classes
- compare against last-good posture only when the anchor is bounded and still relevant
- choose one exit class and name the smallest next owner route it permits
- if reviewed session evidence exists, cite it as evidence or handoff context rather than absorbing it into runtime canon
- emit the artifact without mutating quest, repair, or progression authority
Contracts
- preserve the base skill meaning
- the overlay stays read-only and citation-friendly
- semantic matches do not silently activate this scaffold; use an explicit handle or deliberate manual route decision
- this overlay does not replace
aoa-doctor - this overlay does not grant free self-repair
- reviewed session packets remain packet-shaped and owner-aware
- quest state is not auto-mutated by this overlay
- source-owned doctrine, generated receipts, runtime facts, and reviewed session evidence keep distinct roles
- one failed axis cannot erase healthy axes, and one healthy axis cannot hide a blocker
- public-safe defaults stay strong
Risks and anti-patterns
- treating one axis failure as total collapse
- confusing runtime drift with source-owned doctrine drift
- using diagnosis to smuggle mutation authority
- turning every repeated issue into automatic progression or quest promotion
- hiding unknowns instead of naming them
- treating generated receipts as current when their freshness is unknown
- absorbing reviewed session packets into runtime canon instead of citing them
- using the
abyss-* overlay when the base session diagnosis skill or a source-of-truth check is the smaller route - silently changing the base workflow instead of adapting the local repo surface
Verification
- confirm the base skill is still the correct workflow
- confirm a concrete target exists
- confirm the produced artifact stays runtime-owned and citation-friendly
- confirm drift classes are named explicitly
- confirm per-axis verdicts, freshness, confidence, and unknowns are visible
- confirm one exit class is chosen
- confirm any handoff points to the right owner layer
- confirm no silent repair authority was added
- confirm no quest, progression, or source-of-truth mutation was implied
Technique traceability
Manifest-backed techniques:
- AOA-T-0080 from
8Dionysus/aoa-techniques at 3b1d5d623569aa4920b87280d0db0e911d2e29d5 using path techniques/recovery/diagnosis-repair/session-drift-taxonomy/TECHNIQUE.md and sections: Intent, Outputs, Risks, Validation - AOA-T-0081 from
8Dionysus/aoa-techniques at 3b1d5d623569aa4920b87280d0db0e911d2e29d5 using path techniques/recovery/diagnosis-repair/diagnosis-from-reviewed-evidence/TECHNIQUE.md and sections: Intent, Inputs, Outputs, Core procedure, Contracts, Validation
Adaptation points
- repo-relative runtime evidence refs
- local diagnostic target and last-good posture
- local drift-taxonomy examples
- local handoff notes toward reviewed diagnosis, repair, progression, and quest surfaces
- family review doc and bundle-local review checklist