# Agent Rules

## Project charter (authoritative)

Before inspecting work, selecting a task, claiming work, implementing, reviewing,
approving, or merging, read the full project charter:

**`PROJECT_CHARTER.md`**

That file is the ultimate source of truth for purpose, direction, principles,
non-goals, success criteria, and change-control. This file only points to it;
do not treat this file, session memory, or prompts as a substitute for the charter.

If proposed work would change the project’s fundamental direction or any
non-negotiable principle in the charter, stop and present the change to the
human maintainer for an explicit decision recorded in Gitea.

## Issue-first workflow

- Never fix code directly. A Gitea issue must be created first, and all fix work happens under that issue (branch, PR, review, merge) per the canonical workflow.
- No implementation, remediation, refactor, operational change, or charter amendment may begin without an open Gitea issue authorizing that work.
- Investigation may prepare or validate an issue; it must not silently become implementation.
- Every implementation PR must reference its governing issue.