Script Lookup and Output Contracts

These preconditions bind the exceptions named in rules/script-delegation.md.

Scoped Plugin Contracts

Applies to another plugin's scoped skill lookup or stdout contract, for an installed plugin or one authored in its own verified repository.

Preconditions (all required):

1. The plugin's named rule enumerates its authored scope, co-shipped targets and input/output contract.
2. Regression coverage verifies the declared lookup and output behavior.
3. The exception grants no runtime authority and waives no check after lookup.
4. During source authoring, the review proves plugin identity from the trusted base manifest matching the reviewed repository.
5. During source authoring, the review reads the head's declared regular rule blobs and checks their self-consistency.

Every other command block follows Scripts Are Real Files and Script Requirements unchanged.

Release Readback Consumers

rules/ci-safety.md names the release readback scope and co-shipped targets. The consumer resolves only the host-installed jbaruch/coding-policy provider; caller data cannot choose a replacement root or executable. Resolve an installation-root alias once, then validate the actual provider manifest's name, version, declared release skill and declared authority rule. Each target must be a regular contained file under that same provider. Refuse linked target components, missing files and provider/target substitution before execution. Retain the verified provider identity across the readback sequence.

The helpers retain their own watch budgets and publication gates. Their input, output, exit-code and recovery contracts are canonical in skills/release/references/PUBLICATION.md; the confirmation helper's successful version stdout also follows Version Stdout below. A successful lookup never substitutes for successful source-bound publication, registry advance or moderation. Readback grants no approval of changed bytes.

The central fleet mode co-ships fleet_publish_resolver.py and fleet_publish_confirm.py under the same verified release provider. Their JSON selection and confirmation contracts are declared in their docstrings and skills/release/references/fleet-publication.md. Neither changes the legacy version-stdout helper contract. Central source identity is separate from the workflow's own commit; resolve and retain both through confirmation.

Provider regressions live in tests/release/tests/test_resolve_publish_run.sh, tests/release/tests/test_release_helpers.sh and tests/release/tests/test_verify_moderation_cleared.sh. Consumer lookup and link/substitution refusal coverage lives in jbaruch/nanoclaw-admin tests/test_learning_delivery.py.

Version Stdout

Applies to skills/release/registry-baseline.sh and skills/release/confirm-tessl-landed.sh when the wrapper's whole output is the version or verified unpublished baseline its caller passes to the next gate command.

Preconditions (all required):

1. Success emits only that version or verified baseline sentinel and a newline.
2. Failure emits no version, exits non-zero, and writes an actionable diagnostic to stderr.
3. Each distinct verdict of the helper it wraps reaches the caller as a distinct exit code.
4. unpublished requires verified registry absence or a supported empty versions response; authentication failures and indeterminate reads never prove absence.

Every other release script retains the JSON-producing requirement.

Bounded Runner Stdout

Applies to skills/release/lib/bounded-run.sh when a caller runs another script under a wall-clock budget.

Preconditions (all required):

1. The runner's stdout is exactly the wrapped command's stdout.
2. The runner adds nothing to stdout on success.
3. On a spent budget the runner adds nothing to stdout, writes a diagnostic to stderr, and exits 124.
4. The runner's own failures exit non-zero and write only to stderr.
5. The wrapped command itself satisfies Script Requirements.
6. A caller discards the wrapped command's partial stdout on exit 124 or 125.

Every other skill script retains the JSON-producing requirement.