Skill: Deploy Verify

A merged PR is not a deployed system. Verify the runtime, or do not claim the deploy is done.

When to Use

• After any infra PR merges
• When a worker, collab entry, or review comment says "deployed", "restarted", or "now running"
• Before closing a pane, removing a worktree, or telling the user a runtime fix shipped
• For LaunchAgents, daemons, CLI tools, MCP servers, and app bundles whose merged code must be reflected in a live artifact

Infra PRs include:

• LaunchAgent plist changes
• daemon or socket server changes
• CLI binary changes
• MCP server changes
• app bundle or build-stamp changes

Composition

This skill composes directly with:

• /never-fabricate
• /post-merge-deploy-check

/post-merge-deploy-check proves merged-PR metadata, registry state, bundle provenance, and canonical-path/process drift. This skill is the agent-side workflow that decides when to run that script, what additional runtime checks must be collected, and when "done" is still unverified.

The Rule

After an infra PR merges, do not claim deployed until all four verification steps pass.

Required sequence:

1. process replacement
2. launchctl print status
3. build-stamp match
4. end-to-end live probe

If any step fails, the verdict is NOT DEPLOYED. Fix the deploy or open a fix PR. Do not narrate success.

Step 0: Classify the Merge

Before running the sequence, classify the PR:

• no_deploy_required: docs, skill-only, or other artifact-free changes
• deploy_bearing: LaunchAgent, daemon, CLI, MCP server, app bundle, socket service, or anything that changes live runtime behavior

If the PR is no_deploy_required, say so explicitly and stop.

If it is deploy_bearing, continue through all four steps.

The Four-Step Sequence

1. Process Replacement

Goal: prove the old runtime exited and a fresh runtime is now the one serving requests.

Required evidence:

• the old PID is gone, replaced, or otherwise no longer the serving process
• the new PID exists when the service is expected to be running
• the running command path does not point at a stale worktree or dev artifact

Acceptable checks:

• pgrep -alf <process-pattern>
• ps -p <pid> -o pid=,ppid=,etime=,command=
• path checks against known stale-process patterns from the canonical deploy registry

Failure examples:

• old PID still alive after a merge that required restart
• multiple copies of the same app or daemon are serving simultaneously
• process path still resolves into a worktree or *-DEV-* app bundle

2. LaunchAgent Status

Goal: prove launchd knows about the correct service state.

Required evidence:

• launchctl print gui/$(id -u)/<service-label> or equivalent for the relevant domain
• state is consistent with the intended deploy outcome
• Program or ProgramArguments point at the canonical artifact, not stale paths

Failure examples:

• Could not find service
• state still points at the pre-merge path
• launchd reports the job loaded but the artifact path is wrong

3. Build-Stamp Match

Goal: prove the artifact serving requests was built from the merged mainline commit.

Required evidence:

• for app bundles: Info.plist provenance fields such as GitCommit, BuildTimeUTC, and expected bundle metadata
• for CLIs or daemons: --version, version.json, or equivalent commit/build stamp
• the stamped commit matches the merged main branch commit or a descendant on canonical main

Required action:

• run /post-merge-deploy-check when the component is in the canonical deploy registry

What /post-merge-deploy-check covers:

• PR is merged
• merge target is the canonical branch
• registry entry resolves to the canonical repo path
• bundle GitCommit matches the registry
• deployed artifact is at or after the merged PR commit
• running process path does not match stale forbidden patterns

Failure examples:

• app version updated but commit stamp still points at the old build
• merged PR exists but the deployed artifact lineage does not include it
• registry matches an older build while the collab says "done"

4. End-to-End Live Probe

Goal: prove the runtime actually serves post-merge behavior, not just the right metadata.

Use the narrowest real probe that exercises the changed path:

• actual MCP tool call
• socket ping or request/response round-trip
• CLI invocation against the real installed binary
• HTTP endpoint hit
• app-side behavior probe when the change is app-facing

The probe must hit the changed behavior, not just process liveness.

Failure examples:

• socket accepts connections but returns old behavior
• MCP server starts but the changed tool path still fails
• app bundle stamp is correct but the launched service is not the one responding

Decision Tree

1. Merge report arrives

Example inputs:

• "PR #264 merged"
• "worker says the daemon is restarted"
• "collab says deployed"

Action:

• classify whether this is deploy_bearing
• if yes, start the four-step sequence

2. A worker says TASK_DONE

Do not treat this as deployment proof.

Action:

• require process evidence
• require launchctl print
• require build-stamp evidence
• require a live probe

Until those exist, the status is UNVERIFIED DEPLOY CLAIM.

3. /post-merge-deploy-check passes but the live probe fails

Verdict:

• NOT DEPLOYED

Reason:

• provenance is necessary but insufficient; runtime behavior is still wrong

4. Live probe passes but build stamp fails

Verdict:

• DRIFTED OR NON-CANONICAL DEPLOY

Reason:

• behavior may look right now, but the agent cannot claim the merged PR is what is serving

Output Contract

When reporting verification, use this structure:

Deploy verification for <repo>#<pr>:
- Step 1 Process replacement: PASS|FAIL — <evidence>
- Step 2 LaunchAgent status: PASS|FAIL — <evidence>
- Step 3 Build-stamp match: PASS|FAIL — <evidence>
- Step 4 End-to-end probe: PASS|FAIL — <evidence>
- Verdict: DEPLOYED | NOT DEPLOYED | NO DEPLOY REQUIRED

If any evidence is missing, say UNVERIFIED and keep the verdict negative.

Hard Rules

1. Merge Is Not Deploy

Never answer "done" or "deployed" from GitHub merge state alone.

2. Subagent Report Is Not Deploy

TASK_DONE, collab notes, and "restarted locally" claims are not verification. /never-fabricate applies in full.

3. Provenance Alone Is Not Deploy

Passing /post-merge-deploy-check is not enough without the end-to-end probe.

4. Liveness Alone Is Not Deploy

A running PID or loaded LaunchAgent is not enough without build-stamp evidence.

5. Clean Up Only After Verification

Do not close the pane, remove the worktree, or report success until all required steps pass.

Anti-Patterns

Receipts

Recommended commands include:

: "${ORCHESTRATOR_REPO:?ORCHESTRATOR_REPO must be set}"
pgrep -alf '<pattern>'
launchctl print gui/$(id -u)/<service-label>
python3 "$ORCHESTRATOR_REPO/scripts/post-merge-deploy-check.py" <repo> <pr-number>
<canonical-binary> --version
<real socket, MCP, or endpoint probe>

Use the canonical deploy registry when available. If the component is not registered yet, say so explicitly and still complete the process, launchctl, build-stamp, and live-probe checks with whatever local evidence is available.