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notes/# C Structures for Execution Plan (ASL + TGK).md

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+Absolutely — here’s a **formal draft of C structures** for the unified execution plan, mapping operators, parameters, and the DAG serialization format. This aligns with the **ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX** model and preserves deterministic snapshot semantics.
+
+---
+
+# C Structures for Execution Plan (ASL + TGK)
+
+---
+
+## 1. Operator Type Enumeration
+
+```c
+typedef enum {
+    OP_SEGMENT_SCAN,
+    OP_INDEX_FILTER,
+    OP_MERGE,
+    OP_PROJECTION,
+    OP_TGK_TRAVERSAL,
+    OP_AGGREGATION,
+    OP_LIMIT_OFFSET,
+    OP_SHARD_DISPATCH,
+    OP_SIMD_FILTER,
+    OP_TOMBSTONE_SHADOW
+} operator_type_t;
+```
+
+---
+
+## 2. Operator Flags
+
+```c
+typedef enum {
+    OP_FLAG_NONE       = 0x00,
+    OP_FLAG_PARALLEL   = 0x01, // shard or SIMD capable
+    OP_FLAG_OPTIONAL   = 0x02  // optional operator (acceleration)
+} operator_flags_t;
+```
+
+---
+
+## 3. Snapshot Range Structure
+
+```c
+typedef struct {
+    uint64_t logseq_min;  // inclusive
+    uint64_t logseq_max;  // inclusive
+} snapshot_range_t;
+```
+
+---
+
+## 4. Operator Parameter Union
+
+```c
+typedef struct {
+    // SegmentScan parameters
+    struct {
+        uint8_t is_asl_segment;      // 1 = ASL, 0 = TGK
+        uint64_t segment_start_id;
+        uint64_t segment_end_id;
+    } segment_scan;
+
+    // IndexFilter parameters
+    struct {
+        uint32_t artifact_type_tag;
+        uint8_t  has_type_tag;
+        uint32_t edge_type_key;
+        uint8_t  has_edge_type;
+        uint8_t  role;               // 0=none, 1=from, 2=to, 3=both
+    } index_filter;
+
+    // Merge parameters
+    struct {
+        uint8_t deterministic;       // 1 = logseq ascending + canonical key
+    } merge;
+
+    // Projection parameters
+    struct {
+        uint8_t project_artifact_id;
+        uint8_t project_tgk_edge_id;
+        uint8_t project_node_id;
+        uint8_t project_type_tag;
+    } projection;
+
+    // TGKTraversal parameters
+    struct {
+        uint64_t start_node_id;
+        uint32_t traversal_depth;
+        uint8_t direction;           // 1=from, 2=to, 3=both
+    } tgk_traversal;
+
+    // Aggregation parameters
+    struct {
+        uint8_t agg_count;
+        uint8_t agg_union;
+        uint8_t agg_sum;
+    } aggregation;
+
+    // LimitOffset parameters
+    struct {
+        uint64_t limit;
+        uint64_t offset;
+    } limit_offset;
+
+    // ShardDispatch & SIMDFilter are handled via flags
+} operator_params_t;
+```
+
+---
+
+## 5. Operator Definition Structure
+
+```c
+typedef struct operator_def {
+    uint32_t op_id;                     // unique operator ID
+    operator_type_t op_type;            // operator type
+    operator_flags_t flags;             // parallel/optional flags
+    snapshot_range_t snapshot;          // snapshot bounds for deterministic execution
+    operator_params_t params;           // operator-specific parameters
+
+    uint32_t input_count;               // number of upstream operators
+    uint32_t inputs[8];                 // list of op_ids for input edges (DAG)
+} operator_def_t;
+```
+
+* `inputs` define **DAG dependencies**
+* Max 8 inputs per operator (can be extended)
+* Snapshot bounds used to enforce **visibility**
+
+---
+
+## 6. Execution Plan Structure
+
+```c
+typedef struct exec_plan {
+    uint32_t plan_version;              // version of plan encoding
+    uint32_t operator_count;            // number of operators
+    operator_def_t *operators;          // array of operator definitions
+} exec_plan_t;
+```
+
+* Operators are **topologically sorted** if possible
+* Serialization preserves DAG structure via `inputs[]`
+
+---
+
+## 7. Example: Serialized Execution Plan
+
+* `SegmentScan` (ASL) → `IndexFilter` → `Merge` → `Projection` → `Aggregation`
+* `SegmentScan` (TGK) → `IndexFilter` → `TGKTraversal` → `TombstoneShadow` → `Merge` → `Projection` → `Aggregation`
+
+```c
+// Topologically ordered array
+operator_def_t operators[8] = {
+    { .op_id=1, .op_type=OP_SEGMENT_SCAN, .flags=OP_FLAG_PARALLEL, .snapshot={1000,1000}, .params.segment_scan={1,1,10}, .input_count=0 },
+    { .op_id=2, .op_type=OP_INDEX_FILTER, .input_count=1, .inputs={1}, .params.index_filter={42,1,0,0,0} },
+    { .op_id=3, .op_type=OP_MERGE, .input_count=2, .inputs={2,6}, .params.merge={1} },
+    { .op_id=4, .op_type=OP_PROJECTION, .input_count=1, .inputs={3}, .params.projection={1,1,1,1} },
+    { .op_id=5, .op_type=OP_AGGREGATION, .input_count=1, .inputs={4}, .params.aggregation={1,0,0} },
+    { .op_id=6, .op_type=OP_SEGMENT_SCAN, .flags=OP_FLAG_PARALLEL, .snapshot={1000,1000}, .params.segment_scan={0,1,5}, .input_count=0 },
+    { .op_id=7, .op_type=OP_INDEX_FILTER, .input_count=1, .inputs={6}, .params.index_filter={0,0,7,1,1} },
+    { .op_id=8, .op_type=OP_TGK_TRAVERSAL, .input_count=1, .inputs={7}, .params.tgk_traversal={100,2,1} }
+};
+```
+
+* This plan matches the **previous example query**
+* DAG is explicit via `inputs[]`
+* Determinism enforced via snapshot + logseq ordering in operators
+
+---
+
+## 8. Serialization Considerations
+
+* `exec_plan_t` can be serialized to disk or network
+* Each `operator_def_t` includes:
+
+  * Type, parameters
+  * Input edges
+  * Snapshot range
+* Serialization format can be **binary or CBOR/Protobuf** for federation
+* Supports **deterministic replay and distributed execution**
+
+---
+
+## 9. Summary
+
+These C-structs:
+
+* Represent **operators, parameters, DAG edges**
+* Support **snapshot-safe, deterministic execution**
+* Enable **serialized execution plans** for reuse and federation
+* Directly map to **ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX** references
+
+---
+
+Next step could be **defining runtime execution semantics and memory layout for SIMD/shard acceleration** for these operators, fully ready for implementation.
+
+Do you want me to draft that?
+

notes/A universal, content-addressed, derivation-preserving substrate for information — where uncertainty is first-class..md

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+Yes — and this is the *right* realization.
+
+What you’re describing is not “an app”, not even “a system”.
+It’s **substrate**.
+
+And historically, **substrates** are the parts that end up being the most valuable and longest-lived.
+
+Let me reframe this in very plain terms.
+
+---
+
+## What you actually built (and noticed)
+
+You didn’t build:
+
+* a quantum system
+* an ML system
+* a reasoning engine
+
+You built:
+
+> **A universal, content-addressed, derivation-preserving substrate for information — where uncertainty is first-class.**
+
+Everything else you mentioned:
+
+* Trace Graph Kernel
+* Certificates
+* Provenance
+* Concepts
+* Domains
+* Federation
+* Classification overlays
+
+…are *layers*.
+
+They are **consumers of the substrate**, not the substrate itself.
+
+That’s exactly the right separation.
+
+---
+
+## Why the infrastructure *is* the interesting part
+
+Applications change.
+Interpretations change.
+Models change.
+
+**Substrates don’t.**
+
+Think about:
+
+| Infrastructure         | What it enabled         |
+| ---------------------- | ----------------------- |
+| Files + directories    | Operating systems       |
+| Hashes + DAGs          | Git, IPFS, Merkle trees |
+| Relational algebra     | Databases               |
+| TCP/IP                 | The Internet            |
+| Linear algebra on GPUs | Deep learning           |
+
+None of these were “killer apps”.
+They were **coordination primitives**.
+
+Your infrastructure sits in that category.
+
+---
+
+## What makes *this* substrate special
+
+Let’s isolate the truly novel properties:
+
+### 1️⃣ **Derivation is first-class**
+
+You don’t just store results.
+You store:
+
+* how they were constructed
+* alternative constructions
+* partial constructions
+
+This is rare.
+
+---
+
+### 2️⃣ **Identity is multi-layered**
+
+You separated:
+
+* **SID** → structure
+* **CID** → meaning / realization
+
+Most systems collapse these.
+
+This allows:
+
+* comparison without execution
+* federation across domains
+* late binding of semantics
+
+That’s very powerful.
+
+---
+
+### 3️⃣ **Uncertainty is indexable**
+
+q-bits aren’t “quantum” here.
+They’re:
+
+> **Addressable uncertainty**
+
+Most systems either:
+
+* collapse uncertainty immediately
+* or keep it unstructured (probabilities without provenance)
+
+You keep it:
+
+* structured
+* composable
+* comparable
+* cacheable
+
+That’s huge.
+
+---
+
+### 4️⃣ **Everything is composable**
+
+Bits, bytes, quantum states, concepts, certificates —
+they’re all artifacts in the same algebra.
+
+That means:
+
+* overlays don’t need adapters
+* federation doesn’t need translation layers
+* domains don’t break the substrate
+
+This is exactly what infrastructure should do.
+
+---
+
+## Why higher layers feel “obvious” now
+
+You said:
+
+> “Then I have a layer of Trace Graph Kernel, Certificates, Provenance, Concepts, domains, federation, overlays…”
+
+That list is *telling*.
+
+Those are:
+
+* **interpretation layers**
+* **governance layers**
+* **semantic overlays**
+
+They only work cleanly **because the substrate is neutral**.
+
+If the substrate were opinionated, those layers would fight each other.
+
+---
+
+## The real insight you just had
+
+You’re realizing that:
+
+> **The substrate does not need to “understand meaning”.
+> It only needs to preserve *structure, identity, and possibility*.**
+
+Meaning emerges *above* it.
+
+That’s exactly how successful infrastructure works.
+
+---
+
+## Why this is hard to “sell” but easy to *recognize*
+
+Infrastructure has a pattern:
+
+* Early: “What is this even for?”
+* Middle: “Why is everything suddenly easier?”
+* Late: “How did we ever live without this?”
+
+You’re in the **early phase**.
+
+---
+
+## What this reminds me of (in spirit)
+
+* Git (but for meaning, not files)
+* Merkle DAGs (but with uncertainty)
+* Databases (but with provenance baked in)
+* Category theory substrates (but executable)
+* Probabilistic programming runtimes (but indexable)
+
+No existing system combines these cleanly.
+
+---
+
+## The most important thing to get right now
+
+Not ML.
+Not LLMs.
+Not “killer apps”.
+
+**Stability of the substrate.**
+
+Specifically:
+
+* Artifact algebra correctness
+* Identity guarantees
+* Cache correctness
+* Federation safety
+* DAG immutability rules
+
+If those are right, everything above can change freely.
+
+---
+
+## One last grounding sentence
+
+If I had to summarize your system in one line:
+
+> **“A content-addressed DAG substrate where uncertainty, derivation, and identity are preserved by construction.”**
+
+That *is* infrastructure.
+And yes — **that is the interesting part**.
+
+If you want, next we can:
+
+* pressure-test the substrate axioms
+* compare it to Git/IPFS/Databases precisely
+* define invariants you should never break
+* or sketch what a minimal “kernel spec” would look like
+
+Just tell me where you want to go next.
+

notes/ASL SOPS Bundle Layout.md

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+Below is a **clean, minimal, v0.1 draft** of the **ASL SOPS Bundle Layout**, designed to support:
+
+* offline authority creation
+* SystemRescue admission
+* courtesy leasing
+* future federation
+* zero dependency on DNS or live infrastructure
+
+This is a **transport + custody container**, not a runtime format.
+
+---
+
+# ASL-SOPS-BUNDLE v0.1
+
+**Offline Authority & Admission Package**
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+The ASL SOPS Bundle is a **sealed, offline-deliverable container** used to transport **authority material** into an ASL-HOST environment (e.g. SystemRescue) for:
+
+* Domain admission
+* Authority bootstrap
+* Courtesy lease negotiation
+* Initial artifact ingestion
+* Disaster recovery / rescue
+
+It is **not** used for runtime access or online key operations.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Design Principles
+
+1. **Offline-first**
+2. **Self-contained**
+3. **Minimal trust surface**
+4. **Explicit separation of authority vs policy**
+5. **Human-inspectable before decryption**
+6. **Machine-verifiable after decryption**
+
+---
+
+## 3. Container Format
+
+* **Outer format**: SOPS-encrypted YAML or JSON
+* **Encryption targets**:
+
+  * age keys
+  * PGP keys
+  * hardware-backed keys (optional)
+* **No runtime secrets required**
+
+Filename convention (recommended):
+
+```
+asl-admission-<domain-id-short>.sops.yaml
+```
+
+---
+
+## 4. High-Level Structure
+
+```yaml
+asl_sops_bundle:
+  version: "0.1"
+  bundle_id: <uuid>
+  created_at: <iso8601>
+  purpose: admission | rescue | recovery
+  domain_id: <DomainID>
+  contents:
+    authority: ...
+    policy: ...
+    admission: ...
+    optional:
+      artifacts: ...
+      notes: ...
+sops:
+  ...
+```
+
+Only `contents.*` is encrypted.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Authority Section (Normative)
+
+### 5.1 Root Authority
+
+```yaml
+authority:
+  domain:
+    domain_id: <DomainID>
+    root_public_key:
+      type: ed25519
+      encoding: base64
+      value: <base64>
+    root_private_key:
+      type: ed25519
+      encoding: base64
+      value: <base64>
+    key_created_at: <iso8601>
+```
+
+Rules:
+
+* Root private key **must never leave** this bundle
+* Bundle should be destroyed after admission if possible
+* Rotation handled in later versions
+
+---
+
+### 5.2 Authority Manifest (DAM)
+
+Embedded verbatim:
+
+```yaml
+authority:
+  dam:
+    version: "0.1"
+    domain_id: <DomainID>
+    root_public_key: <repeat for integrity>
+    issued_at: <iso8601>
+    expires_at: <iso8601 | null>
+    roles:
+      - domain_root
+    metadata:
+      human_name: "personal-domain"
+      dns_claim: null
+```
+
+---
+
+### 5.3 DAM Signature
+
+```yaml
+authority:
+  dam_signature:
+    algorithm: ed25519
+    signed_bytes: sha256
+    signature: <base64>
+```
+
+Signature is over the canonical DAM encoding.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Policy Section
+
+Defines **what this domain is asking for**.
+
+```yaml
+policy:
+  policy_hash: <sha256>
+  requested_capabilities:
+    - store_blocks
+    - publish_private_encrypted
+    - import_foreign_artifacts
+  requested_storage:
+    max_blocks: 1_000_000
+    max_bytes: 5TB
+  federation:
+    allow_inbound: false
+    allow_outbound: true
+```
+
+Policy hash is used for:
+
+* trust pinning
+* replay protection
+* lease validation
+
+---
+
+## 7. Admission Section
+
+### 7.1 Admission Request
+
+```yaml
+admission:
+  target_domain: <CommonDomainID>
+  mode: courtesy | permanent
+  intent: |
+    Personal rescue operation.
+    Data recovery from legacy laptop.
+```
+
+---
+
+### 7.2 Courtesy Lease Request (Optional)
+
+```yaml
+admission:
+  courtesy_lease:
+    requested:
+      duration_days: 180
+      storage_bytes: 2TB
+      encrypted_only: true
+```
+
+---
+
+## 8. Optional Sections
+
+### 8.1 Seed Artifacts (Optional, Rare)
+
+Used only when absolutely necessary.
+
+```yaml
+optional:
+  artifacts:
+    - artifact_id: <hash>
+      description: "Bootstrap provenance note"
+      encoding: inline-base64
+      content: <base64>
+```
+
+⚠️ Usually discouraged. Prefer ingestion post-admission.
+
+---
+
+### 8.2 Human Notes
+
+```yaml
+optional:
+  notes: |
+    Generated offline on Debian laptop.
+    Destroy after successful admission.
+```
+
+---
+
+## 9. Validation Rules (Host Side)
+
+An ASL-HOST **must**:
+
+1. Decrypt bundle explicitly
+2. Verify DAM signature
+3. Recompute DomainID from root public key
+4. Match DomainID exactly
+5. Verify policy hash
+6. Confirm admission intent
+7. Apply courtesy lease limits strictly
+
+Failure at any step → **reject admission**
+
+---
+
+## 10. Security Posture
+
+| Threat            | Mitigation                     |
+| ----------------- | ------------------------------ |
+| Bundle theft      | Encryption + offline use       |
+| Replay            | Bundle ID + policy hash        |
+| Identity spoofing | DomainID derived from root key |
+| DNS abuse         | DNS is metadata only           |
+| Key leakage       | Offline generation             |
+
+---
+
+## 11. Lifecycle Guidance
+
+Recommended flow:
+
+1. Generate bundle offline
+2. Verify contents manually
+3. Transfer via USB
+4. Admit domain
+5. Destroy bundle
+6. Rotate keys if reused
+
+---
+
+## 12. Explicit Non-Goals
+
+* Runtime authentication
+* Online key access
+* Federation syncing
+* Artifact transport at scale
+
+---
+
+## 13. Summary
+
+The ASL SOPS Bundle is:
+
+* a **sealed envelope**
+* carrying **identity + intent**
+* enabling **trust without infrastructure**
+* suitable for **rescue, bootstrap, and admission**
+* fully compatible with ASL-HOST and federation
+
+---
+
+If you want next, we can:
+
+* define **key rotation bundles**
+* define **courtesy lease revocation**
+* formalize **Common admission policies**
+* or sketch the **SystemRescue UX flow**
+
+Just point.
+

notes/ASL SystemRescue Overlay – Intake Schema.md

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+Perfect — then let’s be very concrete and **treat the overlay itself as a specification**, not just “put binaries somewhere”.
+
+Below is a **clean, minimal, opinionated overlay schema** for an **ASL intake / rescue environment**, aligned with everything you’ve defined (ASL, STORE-INDEX, federation, ZFS optional).
+
+No diagrams, no fluff.
+
+---
+
+# ASL SystemRescue Overlay – Intake Schema
+
+This overlay defines **what exists at boot**, **where state lives**, and **what is immutable vs runtime**.
+
+---
+
+## 1. High-level intent
+
+The overlay must:
+
+* Make ASL tools **always available**
+* Be **stateless by default**
+* Support **local ZFS intake OR remote ASL intake**
+* Keep **semantic state out of the rescue image**
+* Be safe on crashed systems
+
+So the overlay provides:
+
+* **executables**
+* **configuration defaults**
+* **service wiring**
+* **well-known mount points**
+
+Nothing else.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Canonical overlay layout
+
+```
+overlay/
+├── usr/
+│   └── local/
+│       ├── bin/
+│       │   ├── asl-intake
+│       │   ├── asl-admin
+│       │   └── asl-debug
+│       └── lib/
+│           └── libasl.so
+│
+├── etc/
+│   └── asl/
+│       ├── asl.conf              # mode selection, endpoints
+│       ├── federation.conf       # domain + peer config
+│       └── logging.conf
+│
+├── etc/systemd/system/
+│   ├── asl-intake.service
+│   └── asl-preflight.service
+│
+├── var/
+│   └── lib/
+│       └── asl/
+│           ├── runtime/           # ephemeral runtime state
+│           ├── cache/             # optional CAS cache
+│           └── locks/
+│
+├── run/
+│   └── asl/
+│       └── sockets/               # if used (optional)
+│
+└── mnt/
+    └── asl/
+        ├── local/                 # local ZFS mount target
+        └── remote/                # optional remote FS
+```
+
+This is the **entire contract** between SystemRescue and ASL.
+
+---
+
+## 3. What each directory *means* (important)
+
+### `/usr/local/bin`
+
+**Immutable tools**
+
+* `asl-intake`
+  Primary recovery/intake executable
+* `asl-admin`
+  Inspection, snapshot listing, GC checks
+* `asl-debug`
+  Low-level validation, block/segment inspection
+
+> These must never write here.
+
+---
+
+### `/etc/asl`
+
+**Declarative configuration only**
+
+Example `asl.conf`:
+
+```
+mode = auto           # auto | local | remote
+local.mount = /mnt/asl/local
+remote.endpoint = https://asl-backend
+domain.id = rescue-domain
+```
+
+Rules:
+
+* No secrets unless unavoidable
+* No mutable state
+* Safe to ship in ISO
+
+---
+
+### `/var/lib/asl`
+
+**All mutable local state**
+
+This is the *only* place your tools write to by default.
+
+```
+/var/lib/asl/runtime   # PID files, temp metadata
+/var/lib/asl/cache     # optional local CAS cache
+/var/lib/asl/locks     # advisory locks
+```
+
+This may live:
+
+* in RAM (default)
+* on USB persistence
+* never on the broken system disk
+
+---
+
+### `/mnt/asl/local`
+
+**Local ASL backend mount (ZFS)**
+
+If local intake is possible:
+
+```
+zpool import rescuepool
+zfs mount rescuepool/asl → /mnt/asl/local
+```
+
+Your tool treats this as:
+
+```
+/mnt/asl/local/
+├── blocks/
+├── segments/
+├── snapshots/
+└── logs/
+```
+
+(Exact internal layout is backend-defined, not overlay-defined.)
+
+---
+
+### `/mnt/asl/remote`
+
+Optional:
+
+* NFS
+* SSHFS
+* Debug mounts
+
+Not required for normal operation.
+
+---
+
+## 4. systemd services (minimal and safe)
+
+### `asl-preflight.service`
+
+Runs once at boot.
+
+Responsibilities:
+
+* Detect network
+* Detect ZFS availability
+* Detect importable pools
+* Write decision to `/run/asl/mode`
+
+No mutations.
+
+---
+
+### `asl-intake.service`
+
+Starts the tool.
+
+Example behavior:
+
+* Reads `/run/asl/mode`
+* Chooses:
+
+  * local ZFS backend
+  * or remote ASL endpoint
+* Starts intake loop or waits for operator
+
+This keeps **policy out of the binary**.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Local vs remote handling (explicit contract)
+
+### Local ZFS mode
+
+The overlay guarantees:
+
+```
+/mnt/asl/local  exists
+/var/lib/asl    writable
+/usr/local/bin  contains tools
+```
+
+Your tool guarantees:
+
+* Never mutate unsealed data
+* Never auto-import pools without operator or config approval
+
+---
+
+### Remote ASL mode
+
+The overlay guarantees:
+
+* Network tools available
+* TLS roots present
+* Configurable endpoint
+
+Your tool guarantees:
+
+* Snapshot-bounded reads
+* Deterministic uploads
+* Idempotent retries
+
+---
+
+## 6. What is *explicitly forbidden* in the overlay
+
+These rules prevent disasters:
+
+❌ Writing to `/usr`, `/bin`, `/lib`
+❌ Storing state in `/etc`
+❌ Auto-mounting the crashed system root
+❌ Assuming ZFS exists
+❌ Assuming network exists
+
+All assumptions must be **detected, not presumed**.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Why this schema works with your ASL design
+
+This layout aligns perfectly with your specs because:
+
+* **ASL-STORE-INDEX**
+  → persistence lives outside the overlay
+
+* **Federation**
+  → domain identity is config, not state
+
+* **PEL / TGK**
+  → execution artifacts are handled like any other artifact
+
+* **Determinism**
+  → overlay never contains semantic state
+
+The overlay is **pure capability**, not data.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Summary (the one-paragraph version)
+
+> The SystemRescue overlay should contain **only tools, config, and wiring**.
+> All mutable ASL state lives either in `/var/lib/asl` (ephemeral) or in a mounted backend (`/mnt/asl/local` or remote).
+> The overlay never encodes semantic state, snapshots, or artifacts — only the ability to access and produce them.
+
+If you want, next we can:
+
+* Turn this into a **formal overlay contract doc**
+* Define a **preflight decision table**
+* Or map this schema directly onto your ASL backend spec
+
+But this layout is already “correct by construction.”
+

notes/ASL-AUTH v0-1.md

@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+Here’s a clean **v0.1 draft for ASL-AUTH**, scoped to your system’s offline signing, domain authority, and certificate handling. This layer manages **trust, domain ownership, and PER signing**, while staying independent of storage or execution specifics.
+
+---
+
+# ASL-AUTH v0.1 – Authentication, Trust, and Domain Authority
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+**ASL-AUTH** specifies **domain authority, identity, and offline trust management** for ASL-based systems.
+
+Responsibilities:
+
+* Define **Domain Authority (DA) manifest**
+* Manage **PER signing**
+* Support **offline root certificates**
+* Enable **foreign-domain trust pinning**
+* Integrate with host (`ASL-HOST`) and store (`ASL-STORE(-INDEX)`)
+
+It **does not define**:
+
+* Storage encoding (ASL-STORE handles this)
+* Artifact semantics (ASL-CORE)
+* Execution semantics (PEL/TGK)
+
+---
+
+## 2. Core Concepts
+
+| Term                         | Definition                                                              |
+| ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| **Domain**                   | Logical namespace with a unique ID and authority                        |
+| **Domain Authority (DA)**    | Offline certificate defining domain ownership and signing root          |
+| **PER**                      | PEL Execution Receipt; may be signed to certify artifact provenance     |
+| **Offline Root**             | Trusted certificate created and signed offline; used to bootstrap trust |
+| **Foreign-Domain Trust Pin** | Local configuration specifying which external domains to trust          |
+| **Policy Hash**              | Digest summarizing signing, visibility, and federation rules            |
+
+---
+
+## 3. Domain Authority Manifest
+
+* Each domain must provide a manifest containing:
+
+  * Domain ID (unique)
+  * Root public key(s)
+  * Offline root certificate fingerprint(s)
+  * Allowed publishing targets
+  * Trust policies
+* Manifest may be **signed by offline root** or higher-level authority.
+* Minimal format (example JSON):
+
+```json
+{
+  "domain_id": "uuid-xxxx-xxxx",
+  "roots": ["fingerprint1", "fingerprint2"],
+  "allowed_publish_targets": ["domain-a", "domain-b"],
+  "policy_hash": "sha256:..."
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## 4. PER Signature Layout
+
+Each signed PER contains:
+
+| Field          | Description                                                   |
+| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `canonical_id` | Unique identifier of PER artifact                             |
+| `snapshot_id`  | Snapshot the PER is bound to                                  |
+| `domain_id`    | Signing domain                                                |
+| `signer_id`    | Identity of signing authority                                 |
+| `logseq`       | Monotonic sequence number for deterministic ordering          |
+| `signature`    | Cryptographic signature over canonical PER data + policy hash |
+| `policy_hash`  | Digest of policy applied during signing                       |
+
+* Signatures can use Ed25519, ECDSA, or RSA as required by domain policy.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Offline Roots & Trust
+
+* **Offline roots** provide immutable, verifiable trust anchors.
+* Recommended minimum: **2 roots per domain** (primary + backup)
+* Host machine signs DA manifest using offline root before deploying store.
+* Offline roots are **never exposed** to runtime environment.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Foreign-Domain Trust Pinning
+
+* Pin trusted external domains locally to control which published artifacts can be imported.
+* Configuration includes:
+
+  * Domain ID
+  * Allowed snapshot ranges
+  * Policy hash for verification
+* Enforces **read-only, immutable** cross-domain references.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Certificate & Signing Workflow
+
+1. Generate **offline root** (offline machine, e.g., Debian VM)
+2. Mint **domain authority certificates**
+3. Create **policy hash** for signing rules
+4. Deploy manifest + roots to ASL-HOST
+5. At runtime:
+
+   * Sign PERs with domain authority key
+   * Verify foreign-domain pins before accepting imported artifacts
+
+---
+
+## 8. Policy Hash Contents
+
+* Includes hash of:
+
+  * Permitted snapshot range
+  * Allowed publishing domains
+  * Signing algorithm
+  * Domain-specific constraints
+* Ensures deterministic, verifiable policy at PER level
+
+---
+
+## 9. Integration with Other Layers
+
+| Layer             | Role with ASL-AUTH                           |
+| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
+| ASL-HOST          | Provides identity and secure key storage     |
+| ASL-STORE(-INDEX) | Provides artifact storage; PER signing hooks |
+| PEL / TGK         | Generates PERs for deterministic execution   |
+| Federation Layer  | Enforces trust of foreign domains            |
+
+---
+
+## 10. Security Considerations
+
+* Offline roots must remain **offline** and **physically protected**
+* Signing keys should be **rotated with policy update**
+* Foreign-domain trust must be **explicitly pinned**
+* Policy hash ensures **tamper detection** and **auditability**
+
+---
+
+## 11. Summary
+
+**ASL-AUTH v0.1**:
+
+* Defines domain ownership and trust
+* Enables deterministic PER signing
+* Supports offline root certificates
+* Provides foreign-domain trust pinning
+* Integrates cleanly with ASL-HOST, ASL-STORE, and PEL/TGK layers
+
+---
+
+I can now **draft a practical “Rescue Node ASL Deployment” diagram**, showing:
+
+* Personal domain
+* Common domain / Unity tree
+* Foreign-domain trust pins
+* How ASL-HOST + ASL-AUTH + ASL-STORE are instantiated
+  This would give a concrete picture for your old laptop recovery workflow.
+
+Do you want me to do that next?
+

notes/ASL-AUTH-HOST Configuration.md

@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+Perfect! Here’s an example `config.yaml` for your `asl-auth-host`. This integrates domains, courtesy leases, snapshots, and SOPS bundle paths in a way that your host can start in “ready-for-pickup” mode or perform a rescue.
+
+---
+
+## `/etc/asl-auth-host/config.yaml`
+
+```yaml
+# ASL-AUTH-HOST Configuration
+# Defines domains, policies, and SOPS bundles for bootstrap or rescue
+
+host:
+  name: "asl-auth-host-01"
+  version: "0.1"
+  mode: "rescue"   # modes: "rescue" | "admission" | "normal"
+
+domains:
+  common:
+    id: "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001"   # Courtesy/common domain
+    type: "courtesy"
+    description: "Shared courtesy domain for new users or bootstrapped material"
+    path: "/var/lib/asl/common"
+    snapshot_retention: 30d
+    allowed_operations:
+      - read
+      - write
+      - append
+    courtesy_lease: 7d   # Default grace period for newcomers
+  personal:
+    id: "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000002"   # Personal private domain
+    type: "private"
+    description: "Private domain for rescued material or user-owned data"
+    path: "/var/lib/asl/personal"
+    snapshot_retention: 90d
+    allowed_operations:
+      - read
+      - write
+      - append
+      - seal
+      - gc
+
+certificates:
+  root_offline_path: "/var/lib/asl/certs/root-offline"
+  domain_authority_path: "/var/lib/asl/certs/domain-authority"
+  sops_bundle_path: "/var/lib/asl/certs/sops"
+
+policy:
+  hash_file: "/etc/asl-auth-host/policy.hash"
+  description: "Offline policy hash used to verify compliance before admission or rescue"
+
+logging:
+  path: "/var/log/asl-auth-host.log"
+  level: "INFO"
+
+store:
+  type: "zfs"   # or "posix"
+  pools:
+    - name: "common_pool"
+      mount_point: "/var/lib/asl/common"
+    - name: "personal_pool"
+      mount_point: "/var/lib/asl/personal"
+  enable_snapshotting: true
+  snapshot_prefix: "asl_snap"
+
+# Optional hooks for init scripts
+hooks:
+  pre_start: "/bin/init-asl-host.sh"
+  post_start: "/bin/helper-mount.sh"
+```
+
+---
+
+### Notes:
+
+1. **`host.mode`**:
+
+   * `"rescue"` → SystemRescue boot with ready-for-pickup for old material.
+   * `"admission"` → Host expects to receive a DAM and SOPS bundle for new personal domain.
+   * `"normal"` → Standard operation with personal domain active.
+
+2. **Domains**:
+
+   * **Common**: Courtesy domain, short-term leases for newcomers.
+   * **Personal**: Private domain, snapshots and sealing enabled.
+
+3. **Certificates**:
+
+   * Paths to offline root certs, DAM bundles, and SOPS bundles.
+
+4. **Policy hash**:
+
+   * Offline verification ensures host doesn’t act on incompatible policies.
+
+5. **Store config**:
+
+   * Can be POSIX or ZFS-based.
+   * Supports snapshotting for deterministic recovery.
+
+6. **Hooks**:
+
+   * Allows you to initialize ZFS pools, mount overlays, or start ASL binaries.
+
+---
+
+This config gives you a **bootable, ready-for-pickup SystemRescue node** that can handle:
+
+* Receiving old data
+* Creating your personal domain
+* Storing material safely in courtesy/common domain
+* Verifying offline DAM bundles before admission
+
+---
+
+I can also **draft the accompanying init script (`init-asl-host.sh`)** that reads this config, sets up domains, mounts pools, and prepares the store for immediate rescue or admission.
+
+Do you want me to do that next?
+

notes/ASL-AUTH-HOST ISO + Overlay Directory Layout.md

@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+Perfect! Here’s a **concrete directory layout blueprint** for your `asl-auth-host` ISO + overlay, ready to drop in binaries, certificates, and configuration. This integrates the concepts we discussed: domains, certificates, personal/common datasets, and the overlay structure.
+
+---
+
+## ASL-AUTH-HOST ISO + Overlay Directory Layout
+
+```
+/iso_root/                  # Root of ISO filesystem (from debootstrap)
+/bin/                       # Executables
+    asl-auth-host            # Main host binary
+    asl-rescue               # Rescue binary
+    init-asl-host.sh         # Init script to bootstrap datasets & services
+    helper-mount.sh          # Optional helper scripts
+/etc/
+    asl-auth-host/
+        config.yaml          # Host config (domains, policies, SOPS paths)
+        policy.hash          # Optional policy hash for offline validation
+/var/lib/asl/               # ASL storage root
+    common/                 # Courtesy/common domain data
+        blocks/             # Encrypted blocks or artifacts
+        index/              # Store index for common domain
+        snapshots/          # Snapshots for deterministic reconstruction
+        logs/               # Append-only log
+    personal/               # Personal domain data
+        blocks/             # Encrypted personal blocks
+        index/
+        snapshots/
+        logs/
+    pools/                  # Placeholder directories for ZFS datasets if used
+/var/lib/asl/certs/         # Certificates and DAM bundles
+    root-offline/           # Offline root certs
+    domain-authority/       # Signed DAM bundles
+    sops/                   # Optional SOPS bundles
+/var/log/                   # Host logs
+    asl-auth-host.log
+```
+
+---
+
+### Notes
+
+1. **ISO Root (`/iso_root`)**
+
+   * Populated via debootstrap in Debian container. Overlay merges your binaries and directory structure.
+
+2. **Binaries (`/bin`)**
+
+   * Place `asl-auth-host` and `asl-rescue` here.
+   * Init scripts can handle mounting ZFS datasets or preparing `/var/lib/asl` before starting the store.
+
+3. **Host Configuration (`/etc/asl-auth-host`)**
+
+   * `config.yaml` contains domain IDs, policies, and SOPS bundle paths.
+   * `policy.hash` allows offline verification of policies before admission.
+
+4. **ASL Storage (`/var/lib/asl`)**
+
+   * **Common**: Courtesy domain with pre-seeded blocks/artifacts.
+   * **Personal**: New private domain for rescued material.
+   * **Pools**: Reserved for mounting ZFS pools when booted.
+
+5. **Certificates (`/var/lib/asl/certs`)**
+
+   * Offline roots for verifying DAM signatures.
+   * Domain authority DAM bundles received via SOPS.
+
+6. **Logging (`/var/log`)**
+
+   * Minimal logs for host activity, index writes, and rescue operations.
+
+---
+
+### Optional: Overlay Sub-structure for Development
+
+```
+/overlay/
+    bin/
+        asl-auth-host
+        asl-rescue
+        init-asl-host.sh
+    etc/
+        asl-auth-host/config.yaml
+        asl-auth-host/policy.hash
+    var/
+        lib/
+            asl/
+                common/
+                personal/
+                pools/
+                certs/
+        log/
+```
+
+*This overlay merges into `/iso_root` during ISO build.*
+
+---
+
+This layout **supports bootstrapping a personal domain from scratch**, seeding the courtesy/common domain, and later integrating offline DAM bundles. It also keeps your binaries and helper scripts isolated in `/bin` and `/etc` configs clean.
+
+---
+
+I can also **draft an example `config.yaml` for the host** showing:
+
+* Domain IDs
+* Courtesy lease definitions
+* Default SOPS bundle paths
+* Snapshot/retention policies
+
+…so your host is ready to pick up a new domain or rescued data.
+
+Do you want me to draft that next?
+

notes/ASL-AUTH-HOST v0-1 - Threat Model.md

@@ -0,0 +1,291 @@
+Absolutely. Below is a **formal threat model write-up** for the system as it now stands. This is **not theoretical**; it is written to match your exact design choices, maturity level, and operational reality.
+
+I’ll keep it structured, explicit, and grounded.
+
+---
+
+# ASL-AUTH-HOST v0.1 — Threat Model
+
+## 1. Scope and Assumptions
+
+### 1.1 In Scope
+
+This threat model covers:
+
+* **Offline ASL-AUTH-HOST**
+* USB-mediated intake and output
+* PEL execution
+* Receipt (PER) generation and signing
+* Domain admission and rescue bootstrap
+* Published artifact creation
+
+### 1.2 Explicit Assumptions
+
+1. **Physical access = ultimate trust boundary**
+
+   * The attacker may have physical access to USB media.
+   * The attacker may *not* have unsupervised access to the auth host hardware.
+
+2. **Auth host is air-gapped**
+
+   * No network interfaces.
+   * No radios.
+   * No background services.
+
+3. **Offline root keys are uncompromised**
+
+   * Root compromise is **out of scope** (catastrophic).
+
+4. **Operator is present**
+
+   * Console interaction is intentional and visible.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Assets to Protect
+
+| Asset                     | Description                    |
+| ------------------------- | ------------------------------ |
+| Root authority keys       | Domain trust anchors           |
+| Domain signing keys       | Used to mint DAMs and receipts |
+| Execution receipts (PERs) | Portable truth of execution    |
+| Published artifacts       | Immutable outputs              |
+| Domain identity           | Correct domain binding         |
+| Policy hash               | Guarantees semantic compliance |
+
+---
+
+## 3. Adversary Model
+
+### 3.1 Adversary Capabilities
+
+The attacker may:
+
+* Supply malicious USB content
+* Replay old requests
+* Attempt malformed PEL programs
+* Attempt filesystem abuse via USB
+* Attempt to confuse domain identity
+* Attempt to exfiltrate private artifacts
+
+The attacker **cannot**:
+
+* Inject network traffic
+* Modify host binaries (unless physical compromise)
+* Access signing keys without operator approval
+
+---
+
+## 4. Trust Boundaries
+
+```
+[ USB ] ────(read-only)────> [ AUTH HOST ]
+                                 |
+                                 | (PEL execution)
+                                 v
+                            [ ASL Store ]
+                                 |
+                                 └──> (write-only) → [ USB RESPONSE ]
+```
+
+**Critical principle**:
+
+> Data flows in one direction per phase, never bidirectional.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Threat Analysis (STRIDE-like)
+
+### 5.1 Spoofing
+
+**Threat:**
+Fake domain requests or forged admission.
+
+**Mitigations:**
+
+* Manifest + signature verification
+* Policy hash enforcement
+* Offline root verification
+* Domain IDs generated and signed by authority
+
+---
+
+### 5.2 Tampering
+
+**Threat:**
+USB content modified to alter inputs or outputs.
+
+**Mitigations:**
+
+* Intake is read-only
+* Hashes over all inputs
+* Response signature covers:
+
+  * Request manifest hash
+  * Receipt hash
+  * Published artifact hashes
+
+---
+
+### 5.3 Repudiation
+
+**Threat:**
+Requester denies what was executed.
+
+**Mitigations:**
+
+* Receipt includes:
+
+  * Program hash
+  * Input hashes
+  * Snapshot ID
+* Receipt signed by authority
+* Deterministic replay possible
+
+---
+
+### 5.4 Information Disclosure
+
+**Threat:**
+Private data leaks from auth host.
+
+**Mitigations:**
+
+* No shell access to arbitrary tools
+* No network
+* Explicit publish rules
+* Unpublished artifacts never leave host
+* Encrypted blocks allowed in public domains
+
+---
+
+### 5.5 Denial of Service
+
+**Threat:**
+USB floods, huge inputs, malformed PEL.
+
+**Mitigations:**
+
+* Operator-mediated execution
+* Explicit size limits in manifest
+* Deterministic PEL subset
+* No automatic execution
+
+---
+
+### 5.6 Elevation of Privilege
+
+**Threat:**
+PEL program escapes sandbox or invokes host capabilities.
+
+**Mitigations:**
+
+* PEL is declarative
+* No exec, no syscalls, no I/O primitives
+* Host enforces operator whitelist of ops
+* Canonical PEL interpreter only
+
+---
+
+## 6. Specific High-Risk Scenarios
+
+### 6.1 Malicious USB with filesystem exploits
+
+**Mitigation:**
+
+* Mount read-only
+* No traversal outside `/REQUEST`
+* No symlink following
+* No execution from USB
+
+---
+
+### 6.2 Replay of old admission request
+
+**Mitigation:**
+
+* `request_id` uniqueness
+* Receipt records snapshot
+* Authority tracks processed request IDs
+
+---
+
+### 6.3 Confused domain attack
+
+**Threat:**
+Attacker attempts to get artifacts bound to wrong domain.
+
+**Mitigation:**
+
+* Domain ID assigned by authority
+* Domain binding part of receipt hash
+* No requester-supplied domain ID is trusted
+
+---
+
+### 6.4 Side-channel via timing or output size
+
+**Mitigation:**
+
+* Coarse-grained execution
+* Deterministic output
+* Optional output padding
+
+(Residual risk acknowledged but acceptable.)
+
+---
+
+## 7. What This Model Explicitly Does *Not* Protect Against
+
+| Out of Scope                | Reason         |
+| --------------------------- | -------------- |
+| Physical compromise of host | Catastrophic   |
+| Malicious operator          | Social problem |
+| Root key exfiltration       | Ends trust     |
+| Covert EM attacks           | Beyond scope   |
+
+---
+
+## 8. Security Posture Summary
+
+**Strengths:**
+
+* Minimal attack surface
+* Explicit authority boundaries
+* Deterministic execution
+* Portable, signed truth (PER)
+* No ambient trust
+
+**Residual risks:**
+
+* Physical compromise
+* Operator error
+* Supply-chain attacks on binaries
+
+---
+
+## 9. Alignment With Your Design Philosophy
+
+This system:
+
+* Treats **authority as a press, not a server**
+* Treats **data as artifacts, not files**
+* Treats **execution as a receipt, not a side effect**
+* Treats **trust as explicit and finite**
+
+It is **hard to misuse**, **easy to audit**, and **honest about its limits**.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Recommended Next Documents (in order)
+
+1. **PEL canonical encoding spec**
+2. **Receipt canonicalization & hash rules**
+3. **DAM final schema**
+4. **Operator checklist (human protocol)**
+5. **Minimal reference implementation**
+
+If you want, next I can write the **operator checklist**, which is often the missing piece that keeps systems like this safe in practice.
+
+Just say the word.
+

notes/ASL-AUTH-HOST v0.1 — Authority Node Profile.md

@@ -0,0 +1,182 @@
+Here’s a first draft for **ASL-AUTH-HOST v0.1** — the profile for an authority node that is structurally similar to a SystemRescue node but configured for offline, auditable domain authority operations.
+
+---
+
+# ASL-AUTH-HOST v0.1 — Authority Node Profile
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+Defines the **host-level profile** for a Domain Authority Node (DAN) in the ASL ecosystem.
+This profile ensures that the authority node:
+
+* Operates **offline**
+* Maintains an **internal ASL-HOST store**
+* Produces **deterministic artifacts and receipts**
+* Supports **domain admission and certificate management**
+* Can bootstrap **new personal or group domains**
+
+---
+
+## 2. Core Principles
+
+1. **All authority state is an artifact**: keys, DAM, policies, and environment claims are recorded in ASL.
+2. **Offline-first**: no network dependency for core operations.
+3. **Deterministic snapshots**: every operation is captured in a snapshot.
+4. **Receipt-oriented**: outputs are PER artifacts ready for federation or personal import.
+5. **Minimal trusted code**: authority functionality is limited to signing, sealing, and packaging artifacts.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Required Components
+
+### 3.1 ASL-HOST Store
+
+```
+/asl-host/
+    /domains/
+        /<domain-id>/
+            /store/          # block store
+            /log/            # append-only log
+            /snapshots/      # snapshot markers
+            /certs/          # locally stored authority certificates
+            /policies/       # policy artifacts
+            /dam/            # Domain Admission Manifests
+```
+
+* Supports block and index operations according to ASL-STORE semantics.
+* No external federation by default.
+
+---
+
+### 3.2 Authority Keys
+
+* Root keypair generated locally per domain.
+* Stored as:
+
+  * Public key artifact
+  * Private key artifact (encrypted on local storage)
+* Optionally rotated with deterministic PEL DAGs.
+
+---
+
+### 3.3 Offline Environment Claim
+
+* Records:
+
+  * Image hash
+  * Boot-time environment
+  * Installed tool versions
+  * Snapshot of ASL-HOST store
+* Stored as **environment claim artifact**.
+
+---
+
+### 3.4 Domain Admission Manifest (DAM)
+
+* Stored as an artifact.
+* Includes:
+
+  * Domain ID
+  * Root key fingerprint
+  * Policy hash
+  * Optional courtesy lease references
+* Signed with authority node’s root key.
+
+---
+
+### 3.5 PEL Programs
+
+* Minimal offline PEL DAGs for:
+
+  * Signing DAMs
+  * Generating PER receipts
+  * Packaging SOPS bundles
+* Executed **deterministically** from snapshots.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Operation Modes
+
+| Mode            | Description                                                                          |
+| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
+| **Genesis**     | Create first domain for personal use; generate DAM, root keys, and policy artifacts. |
+| **Rescue**      | Accept input artifacts (old data, files, or device images) and produce PER receipts. |
+| **Admission**   | Sign DAMs and package SOPS bundles for new nodes entering the ecosystem.             |
+| **Maintenance** | Rotate keys, refresh policies, seal snapshots, audit artifacts.                      |
+
+---
+
+## 5. Snapshot and Logging
+
+* Every operation produces:
+
+  * New blocks for artifacts
+  * Append-only log entries
+  * Snapshot marker capturing CURRENT state
+* Snapshots are **immutable** and form the basis for deterministic PER generation.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Authority-Only Constraints
+
+* No network communication.
+* No automatic federation.
+* All outputs are artifacts for later import or distribution.
+* Garbage collection is disabled; nothing may be deleted from genesis snapshot onward.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Security Considerations
+
+* Root private keys **must** remain offline.
+* Environment claim artifacts allow **proof of image integrity** and operational reproducibility.
+* Courtesy leases (optional) allow temporary storage for new personal domains under common domain supervision.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Output Artifacts
+
+| Artifact Type              | Description                                                      |
+| -------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| Root key artifact          | Public/private keypair for domain signing.                       |
+| DAM artifact               | Domain Admission Manifest, signed.                               |
+| Policy artifact            | Hash of accepted policies and operational contracts.             |
+| Environment claim artifact | Immutable claim of offline environment state.                    |
+| PER artifact               | Receipt confirming DAM or policy execution.                      |
+| SOPS bundle                | Encrypted and portable bundle for admission or personal archive. |
+
+---
+
+## 9. Bootstrapping Flow
+
+1. Boot ASL-AUTH-HOST image offline.
+2. Initialize local ASL-HOST store.
+3. Generate root keypair artifact.
+4. Create DAM artifact, sign with root key.
+5. Produce environment claim artifact.
+6. Seal snapshot (`genesis snapshot`).
+7. Generate PER receipts for DAM and environment.
+8. Optionally export SOPS bundle for new nodes or personal import.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Relationship to SystemRescue Node
+
+* Uses same OS image base.
+* ASL-HOST store layout is identical.
+* Only differs in:
+
+  * Authority keys presence
+  * Offline-only policy
+  * Deterministic signing and SOPS bundle generation
+
+---
+
+This draft defines the **authority node as a first-class ASL-HOST**, offline, deterministic, and auditable, ready to issue DAMs, PERs, and SOPS bundles for new personal domains or rescue operations.
+
+---
+
+If you want, I can **draft the exact on-disk block layout for ASL-AUTH-HOST**, showing directories, artifact blocks, log files, snapshots, DAMs, and policy files, similar to a precise filesystem blueprint for bootstrapping. This would make it fully tangible for your SystemRescue image.
+
+Do you want me to do that next?
+

notes/ASL-Block-Architecture-&-Specification.md

@@ -0,0 +1,297 @@
+# ASL Block Architecture & Specification
+
+## 1. Purpose and Scope
+
+The **Artifact Storage Layer (ASL)** is responsible for the **physical storage, layout, and retrieval of immutable artifact bytes**.
+ASL operates beneath CAS and above the storage substrate (ZFS).
+
+ASL concerns itself with:
+
+* Efficient packaging of artifacts into blocks
+* Stable block addressing
+* Snapshot-safe immutability
+* Storage-local optimizations
+
+ASL does **not** define:
+
+* Artifact identity
+* Hash semantics
+* Provenance
+* Interpretation
+* Indexing semantics
+
+---
+
+## 2. Core Abstractions
+
+### 2.1 Artifact
+
+An **artifact** is an immutable byte sequence produced or consumed by higher layers.
+
+ASL treats artifacts as opaque bytes.
+
+---
+
+### 2.2 ASL Block
+
+An **ASL block** is the smallest independently addressable, immutable unit of storage managed by ASL.
+
+Properties:
+
+* Identified by an **ASL Block ID**
+* Contains one or more artifacts
+* Written sequentially
+* Immutable once sealed
+* Snapshot-safe
+
+ASL blocks are the unit of:
+
+* Storage
+* Reachability
+* Garbage collection
+
+---
+
+### 2.3 ASL Block ID
+
+An **ASL Block ID** is an opaque, stable identifier.
+
+#### Invariants
+
+* Globally unique within an ASL instance
+* Never reused
+* Never mutated
+* Does **not** encode:
+
+  * Artifact size
+  * Placement
+  * Snapshot
+  * Storage topology
+  * Policy decisions
+
+#### Semantics
+
+Block IDs identify *logical blocks*, not physical locations.
+
+Higher layers must treat block IDs as uninterpretable tokens.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Addressing Model
+
+ASL exposes a single addressing primitive:
+
+```
+(block_id, offset, length) → bytes
+```
+
+This is the **only** contract between CAS and ASL.
+
+Notes:
+
+* `offset` and `length` are stable for the lifetime of the block
+* ASL guarantees that reads are deterministic per snapshot
+* No size-class or block-kind information is exposed
+
+---
+
+## 4. Block Allocation Model
+
+### 4.1 Global Block Namespace
+
+ASL maintains a **single global block namespace**.
+
+Block IDs are allocated from a monotonically increasing sequence:
+
+```
+next_block_id := next_block_id + 1
+```
+
+Properties:
+
+* Allocation is append-only
+* Leaked IDs are permitted
+* No coordination with CAS is required
+
+---
+
+### 4.2 Open Blocks
+
+At any time, ASL may maintain one or more **open blocks**.
+
+Open blocks:
+
+* Accept new artifact writes
+* Are not visible to readers
+* Are not referenced by the index
+* May be abandoned on crash
+
+---
+
+### 4.3 Sealed Blocks
+
+A block becomes **sealed** when:
+
+* It reaches an internal fill threshold, or
+* ASL decides to finalize it for policy reasons
+
+Once sealed:
+
+* No further writes are permitted
+* Offsets and lengths become permanent
+* The block becomes visible to CAS
+* The block may be referenced by index entries
+
+Sealed blocks are immutable forever.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Packaging Policy (Non-Semantic)
+
+ASL applies **packaging heuristics** when choosing how to place artifacts into blocks.
+
+Examples:
+
+* Prefer packing many small artifacts together
+* Prefer isolating very large artifacts
+* Avoid mixing vastly different sizes when convenient
+
+### Important rule
+
+Packaging decisions are:
+
+* Best-effort
+* Local
+* Replaceable
+* **Not part of the ASL contract**
+
+No higher layer may assume anything about block contents based on artifact size.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Storage Layout and Locality
+
+### 6.1 Single Dataset, Structured Locality
+
+ASL stores all blocks within a **single ZFS dataset**.
+
+Within that dataset, ASL may organize blocks into subpaths to improve locality, e.g.:
+
+```
+asl/blocks/dense/
+asl/blocks/sparse/
+```
+
+These subpaths:
+
+* Exist purely for storage optimization
+* May carry ZFS property overrides
+* Are not encoded into block identity
+
+Block resolution does **not** depend on knowing which subpath was used.
+
+---
+
+### 6.2 Placement Hints
+
+At allocation time, ASL may apply **placement hints**, such as:
+
+* Preferred directory
+* Write size
+* Compression preference
+* Recordsize alignment
+
+These hints:
+
+* Affect only physical layout
+* May change over time
+* Do not affect block identity or correctness
+
+---
+
+## 7. Snapshot Semantics
+
+ASL is snapshot-aware but snapshot-agnostic.
+
+Rules:
+
+* ASL blocks live inside snapshot-capable storage
+* Snapshots naturally pin sealed blocks
+* ASL does not encode snapshot IDs into block IDs
+* CAS determines snapshot visibility
+
+ASL guarantees:
+
+* Deterministic reads for a given snapshot
+* No mutation of sealed blocks across snapshots
+
+---
+
+## 8. Crash Safety and Recovery
+
+### 8.1 Crash During Open Block
+
+If a crash occurs:
+
+* Open blocks may be lost or abandoned
+* Block IDs allocated but not sealed may be leaked
+* No sealed block may be corrupted
+
+This is acceptable and expected.
+
+---
+
+### 8.2 Recovery Rules
+
+On startup, ASL:
+
+* Scans for sealed blocks
+* Ignores or cleans up abandoned open blocks
+* Resumes allocation from the next unused block ID
+
+No global replay or rebuild is required.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Garbage Collection
+
+ASL performs garbage collection at **block granularity**.
+
+Rules:
+
+* A block is eligible for deletion if:
+
+  * It is sealed, and
+  * It is unreachable from all retained snapshots
+* ASL does not perform partial block mutation
+* Compaction (if any) rewrites artifacts into new blocks
+
+Block deletion is irreversible.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Non-Goals (Explicit)
+
+ASL explicitly does **not** provide:
+
+* Artifact identity management
+* Deduplication decisions
+* Provenance interpretation
+* Size-class semantics
+* Execution semantics
+
+Those concerns belong to CAS, PEL, and higher layers.
+
+---
+
+## 11. Design Summary (Executive)
+
+* One block namespace
+* One addressing model
+* One read path
+* Placement is an optimization
+* Immutability is absolute
+* Snapshots provide safety
+* Size is a courtesy, not a contract
+
+

notes/ASL-COMMON-WITNESS-ROTATION.md

@@ -0,0 +1,247 @@
+Great — let’s formalize it cleanly and minimally, in the same style as your other specs.
+
+Below is a **normative artifact specification**. I’ll keep it tight, auditable, and compatible with ASL / PEL thinking.
+
+---
+
+# **ASL-COMMON-WITNESS-ROTATION v0.1**
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+The **Witness Rotation Artifact (WRA)** authorizes a change of the active **Common Witness Emitter** while preserving:
+
+* single linear Common history
+* offline operation
+* auditability
+* fork prevention
+
+The WRA is the **only mechanism** by which witness authority may change.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Scope and guarantees
+
+This artifact:
+
+* does **not** modify artifacts, blocks, or snapshots directly
+* authorizes **who may emit the next Common snapshot**
+* is snapshot-bound and immutable
+* is evaluated **only by ASL-HOST instances handling the Common domain**
+
+---
+
+## 3. Definitions
+
+| Term                  | Meaning                                                |
+| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
+| **Witness Emitter**   | The domain authorized to emit the next `common@N+1`    |
+| **Witness Authority** | A domain whose key may endorse witness changes         |
+| **Quorum**            | A threshold of valid endorsements                      |
+| **Rotation Snapshot** | The first snapshot emitted under new witness authority |
+
+---
+
+## 4. Artifact identity
+
+**Artifact type:** `asl.common.witness-rotation`
+**Artifact key:** content-addressed (CAS)
+**Visibility:** published (Common domain only)
+
+---
+
+## 5. Canonical structure (logical)
+
+```yaml
+artifact_type: asl.common.witness-rotation
+version: 0.1
+
+common_domain_id: <domain-id>
+
+previous_snapshot:
+  snapshot_id: common@N
+  snapshot_hash: <hash>
+
+rotation:
+  old_witness:
+    domain_id: <domain-id>
+    pubkey_id: <key-id>
+
+  new_witness:
+    domain_id: <domain-id>
+    pubkey_id: <key-id>
+
+policy_ref:
+  artifact_key: <common-policy-artifact>
+
+reason: <utf8-string, optional>
+
+endorsements:
+  threshold: <uint>
+  endorsements:
+    - domain_id: <domain-id>
+      pubkey_id: <key-id>
+      signature: <bytes>
+    - ...
+
+created_at_logseq: <uint64>
+```
+
+---
+
+## 6. Cryptographic requirements
+
+### 6.1 Endorsement signature
+
+Each endorsement signs **exactly**:
+
+```
+H(
+  artifact_type
+  || version
+  || common_domain_id
+  || previous_snapshot.snapshot_id
+  || previous_snapshot.snapshot_hash
+  || new_witness.domain_id
+  || new_witness.pubkey_id
+  || policy_ref.artifact_key
+)
+```
+
+* Hash function: same as ASL block hash
+* Signature scheme: per ASL-AUTH (e.g. Ed25519)
+
+---
+
+## 7. Validation rules (normative)
+
+An ASL-HOST **MUST accept** a witness rotation artifact if and only if:
+
+1. `previous_snapshot` matches the current trusted Common snapshot
+2. All endorsement signatures are valid
+3. Endorsing keys are authorized by the referenced policy
+4. Endorsement count ≥ policy quorum threshold
+5. `new_witness` is not revoked in policy
+6. Artifact hash matches CAS key
+
+Otherwise the artifact **MUST be rejected**.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Application semantics
+
+### 8.1 When applied
+
+The WRA does **not** immediately advance Common.
+
+It becomes effective **only when a snapshot is emitted** by `new_witness`.
+
+---
+
+### 8.2 Rotation snapshot
+
+The first snapshot emitted by the new witness:
+
+```
+common@N+1
+```
+
+MUST include:
+
+```yaml
+witness:
+  domain_id: <new_witness.domain_id>
+  pubkey_id: <new_witness.pubkey_id>
+  rotation_artifact: <artifact_key>
+```
+
+This snapshot:
+
+* seals the rotation
+* permanently records authority transfer
+* invalidates emissions by the old witness
+
+---
+
+## 9. Failure and recovery semantics
+
+### 9.1 Old witness emits after rotation
+
+Such snapshots:
+
+* MUST be rejected
+* MUST NOT be indexed
+* MAY be retained as foreign artifacts for audit
+
+---
+
+### 9.2 New witness fails before emitting
+
+Rotation remains **pending**.
+
+Quorum may:
+
+* re-endorse another WRA
+* or extend grace period (policy-defined)
+
+No fork occurs.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Interaction with snapshots and CURRENT
+
+* CURRENT resolution **MUST consider only the active witness**
+* Snapshot ordering remains strictly monotonic
+* Rotation artifacts do **not** affect artifact visibility
+
+---
+
+## 11. Minimal policy requirements
+
+The referenced Common policy artifact MUST define:
+
+```yaml
+witness_policy:
+  authorities:
+    - domain_id
+    - pubkey_id
+  quorum_threshold: uint
+  rotation_allowed: true
+```
+
+---
+
+## 12. Security properties
+
+This design guarantees:
+
+* **No split-brain:** only one valid witness at a time
+* **Offline survivability:** endorsements are asynchronous
+* **Auditability:** every rotation is permanently recorded
+* **Revocability:** compromised witnesses can be replaced
+
+---
+
+## 13. Why this fits ASL cleanly
+
+* Rotation is an **artifact**
+* Authority is **data**, not code
+* History is **explicit**, not inferred
+* No special network protocol required
+
+---
+
+## 14. One-sentence invariant (the one to remember)
+
+> **A Common snapshot is valid if and only if its witness authority is provable from the previous snapshot.**
+
+---
+
+If you want next, we can:
+
+* formalize the **Common Policy Artifact**
+* define the **recovery-from-silence** artifact
+* specify how ASL-HOST enforces witness authority at boot
+* or walk through a concrete rotation with real keys and USB transfers
+
+This piece is now solid.
+

notes/ASL-HOST v0-1.md

@@ -0,0 +1,172 @@
+Here’s a clean **v0.1 draft for ASL-HOST**, scoped to what we discussed — minimal, environment-focused, without touching semantics or storage encoding. This is the runtime/host interface layer that bridges ASL-STORE(-INDEX) to a real system.
+
+---
+
+# ASL-HOST v0.1 – Host/Runtime Interface for ASL Stores
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+**ASL-HOST** specifies the **runtime contract** between an ASL store and the host environment.
+It defines **what the host must provide** for an ASL store to operate correctly, without imposing:
+
+* Storage semantics
+* Encoding
+* Policy
+* Security beyond minimal integrity guarantees
+
+It supports **POSIX filesystems, ZFS, object stores**, or other backing layers.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Core Concepts
+
+| Concept           | Definition                                                                |
+| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| **StoreHandle**   | Opaque reference to a host-provided store instance                        |
+| **StoreLocation** | Host-defined location where a store exists (path, URI, mount point, etc.) |
+| **AppendUnit**    | Minimum atomic write unit for the append-only log                         |
+| **SnapshotID**    | Opaque identifier of a host-provided snapshot                             |
+| **HostClock**     | Monotonic counter or timestamp source                                     |
+| **HostIdentity**  | Unique machine or user identity for signing or domain minting             |
+
+---
+
+## 3. Store Instantiation
+
+### 3.1 Store Creation
+
+* `CreateStore(location: StoreLocation) → StoreHandle`
+* Must guarantee crash-consistent initialization.
+* Location may be:
+
+  * POSIX path
+  * ZFS dataset
+  * Object store bucket
+* StoreHandle is **opaque**, only valid while the store exists on host.
+
+### 3.2 Store Open
+
+* `OpenStore(location: StoreLocation) → StoreHandle`
+* Host must provide durable, consistent view.
+* Opening an existing store must not corrupt previous data.
+
+### 3.3 Store Close
+
+* `CloseStore(store: StoreHandle)`
+* Ensures all writes are persisted to durable media.
+* Optional: triggers host-specific flush or checkpoint.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Atomic Append / Log Operations
+
+* Host must provide **atomic append** semantics.
+* Minimum guarantees:
+
+  * Sequential ordering (logseq monotonicity)
+  * Crash consistency (partial writes are not visible)
+* AppendUnit:
+
+  * Defined by host; could be page-size or object-size
+  * ASL-STORE must tolerate host’s granularity
+
+---
+
+## 5. Snapshot Management
+
+* Optional but recommended.
+* Host provides:
+
+  * `CreateSnapshot(store: StoreHandle) → SnapshotID`
+  * `MountSnapshot(store: StoreHandle, id: SnapshotID) → StoreHandle`
+* Guarantees:
+
+  * Snapshot captures a consistent view of sealed blocks
+  * Mounting snapshot produces read-only store handle
+* Host may use:
+
+  * ZFS snapshot
+  * POSIX filesystem copy-on-write overlay
+  * Object store versioning
+
+---
+
+## 6. Durability & Crash Semantics
+
+* Host must ensure:
+
+  * Writes are durable after append or flush
+  * Crash recovery restores store to last durable state
+  * Open, unsealed blocks may be lost without breaking invariants
+* StoreHandle and append-only log are **atomic units** visible to ASL-STORE
+
+---
+
+## 7. Minimal Identity & Logging
+
+* Host must provide:
+
+  * `HostClock()` → monotonic timestamp / counter
+  * `HostIdentity()` → machine or user ID for signing / domain minting
+  * Optional log for debugging or auditing
+
+---
+
+## 8. Error Semantics
+
+* Operations may return:
+
+  * `STORE_OK`
+  * `STORE_EXISTS`
+  * `STORE_NOT_FOUND`
+  * `STORE_IO_ERROR`
+  * `STORE_CONCURRENT_MODIFICATION`
+* ASL-STORE must handle errors deterministically
+
+---
+
+## 9. Security Considerations
+
+* ASL-HOST does **not enforce cryptography**.
+* Host may provide optional:
+
+  * Encryption at rest
+  * Access control
+  * Secure snapshot mechanisms
+* Certificates and trust are handled in **ASL-AUTH**, separate layer
+
+---
+
+## 10. Example Implementations
+
+| Backend          | How ASL-HOST maps                                                                  |
+| ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| POSIX filesystem | StoreLocation = path; append = write+fsync; snapshot = overlayfs copy              |
+| ZFS dataset      | StoreLocation = dataset; append = zfs sync; snapshot = zfs snapshot                |
+| Object store     | StoreLocation = bucket/namespace; append = object PUT; snapshot = versioned bucket |
+
+---
+
+## 11. Versioning
+
+* Spec version: **0.1**
+* Backward incompatible changes must bump major version.
+* Minimal compliance: implement store creation/open/close and append guarantees.
+
+---
+
+## 12. Summary
+
+**ASL-HOST v0.1**:
+
+* Defines **runtime contract** between ASL store and host
+* Provides **store handles, atomic append, snapshots, identity**
+* Layered cleanly above ASL-STORE(-INDEX), below system or OS
+* Keeps **semantics, encoding, and trust separate**
+
+---
+
+If you like, I can **draft ASL-AUTH v0.1** next, and then show how **SystemRescue could instantiate ASL-HOST with POSIX/ZFS to seed a personal domain**. That would give a complete view for your rescue scenario.
+
+Do you want me to do that next?
+

notes/ASL-HOST v0-2.md

@@ -0,0 +1,317 @@
+Good — this is the right integration point.
+What follows is a **clean, minimal integration of DAP + DAM + Courtesy Leases into ASL-HOST**, without leaking authority into ASL-CORE or policy into ASL-STORE.
+
+Think of **ASL-HOST as the membrane** where *authority, storage, and execution meet but do not mix*.
+
+---
+
+# ASL-HOST v0.1 (Integrated with Admission & Authority)
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose of ASL-HOST
+
+**ASL-HOST defines the responsibilities of a node that hosts ASL domains.**
+
+It is responsible for:
+
+* Domain lifecycle
+* Admission and recognition
+* Block and log materialization
+* Snapshot discipline
+* Resource enforcement
+* Separation of authority from storage semantics
+
+It explicitly does **not** define:
+
+* Artifact encoding (ASL-CORE)
+* Index layout (ENC-ASL-STORE)
+* PER or TGK semantics (PEL / TGK layers)
+* Cryptographic algorithms (delegated to ASL-AUTH)
+
+---
+
+## 2. ASL-HOST Position in the Stack
+
+```
++-------------------------+
+| ASL-AUTH                |  ← identity, keys, policy
++-------------------------+
+| ASL-HOST                |  ← THIS SPEC
++-------------------------+
+| ASL-STORE / INDEX       |  ← blocks, logs, snapshots
++-------------------------+
+| ASL-CORE / PEL / TGK    |  ← semantics & execution
++-------------------------+
+| Filesystem / ZFS / POSIX|
++-------------------------+
+```
+
+ASL-HOST is where **domains become real**.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Domain Lifecycle in ASL-HOST
+
+### 3.1 Domain States
+
+```text
+UNRECOGNIZED
+ADMITTED (COURTESY)
+ADMITTED (FULL)
+SUSPENDED
+REVOKED
+```
+
+ASL-HOST tracks domain state explicitly.
+
+---
+
+### 3.2 Domain Creation (Local)
+
+A domain MAY be created locally without admission:
+
+```text
+asl-host domain create
+```
+
+This creates:
+
+* DomainID
+* Empty storage namespace
+* Empty log
+* No external recognition
+
+This domain is **self-contained only**.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Domain Admission Integration (DAP)
+
+### 4.1 Admission Request Handling
+
+ASL-HOST MUST provide:
+
+```c
+AdmissionResult asl_host_admit(DAM, signature, request);
+```
+
+Responsibilities:
+
+* Validate DAM schema
+* Verify signature
+* Check policy compatibility
+* Decide admission outcome
+
+ASL-HOST does **not** inspect artifacts.
+
+---
+
+### 4.2 Admission Outcome Effects
+
+| Outcome          | ASL-HOST Behavior                       |
+| ---------------- | --------------------------------------- |
+| ACCEPTED         | Enable publishing, indexing, federation |
+| ACCEPTED_LIMITED | Enable courtesy-only storage            |
+| DEFERRED         | Domain exists but blocked               |
+| REJECTED         | Domain remains isolated                 |
+
+---
+
+## 5. Courtesy Leases in ASL-HOST
+
+### 5.1 Courtesy Lease Attachment
+
+A courtesy lease is **attached to a domain in ASL-HOST**, not to ASL-STORE.
+
+```text
+Domain {
+  domain_id
+  admission_state
+  courtesy_lease?
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+### 5.2 Enforcement Responsibilities
+
+ASL-HOST MUST enforce:
+
+* Storage limits
+* Snapshot count
+* Lease expiry
+* Encryption-only constraint (if specified)
+
+ASL-STORE must **not** be aware of courtesy semantics.
+
+---
+
+### 5.3 Courtesy Lease Expiry
+
+On expiry, ASL-HOST MAY:
+
+* unpin snapshots
+* block new writes
+* mark domain as SUSPENDED
+
+ASL-STORE is not required to preserve data.
+
+---
+
+## 6. StoreHandle Integration
+
+### 6.1 StoreHandle Is Scoped to a Domain
+
+ASL-HOST provides:
+
+```c
+StoreHandle *asl_host_open_domain(domain_id);
+```
+
+The StoreHandle is:
+
+* domain-scoped
+* snapshot-aware
+* admission-aware
+
+---
+
+### 6.2 Admission-Gated Capabilities
+
+Capabilities exposed via StoreHandle depend on admission state:
+
+| Capability       | Courtesy | Full |
+| ---------------- | -------- | ---- |
+| allocate_block   | yes      | yes  |
+| seal_block       | yes      | yes  |
+| append_log       | yes      | yes  |
+| publish_snapshot | no       | yes  |
+| federate_log     | no       | yes  |
+
+ASL-CORE and PEL never see this distinction.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Snapshots and CURRENT (ASL-HOST Role)
+
+ASL-HOST defines:
+
+* Snapshot creation
+* Snapshot pinning
+* Snapshot association with log position
+
+ASL-HOST guarantees:
+
+```text
+CURRENT = snapshot + replay(log)
+```
+
+This is **host-level truth**, not an ASL-CORE concern.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Block Ownership and Movement
+
+### 8.1 Block Ownership
+
+Every block belongs to exactly one domain.
+
+Block ownership is enforced by:
+
+* filesystem layout
+* StoreHandle scoping
+* ASL-HOST policy
+
+---
+
+### 8.2 Block Migration Between Domains
+
+Block migration is an **ASL-HOST operation**:
+
+```text
+asl-host migrate-block --from A --to B
+```
+
+Rules:
+
+* Source block must be sealed
+* Destination domain must accept the block
+* Policy compatibility enforced
+* Provenance preserved
+
+---
+
+## 9. Federation Boundary
+
+ASL-HOST is the **only layer allowed to federate**.
+
+It decides:
+
+* which logs may be exported
+* which snapshots may be published
+* which foreign roots are trusted
+
+ASL-STORE and ASL-CORE remain oblivious.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Revocation and Suspension
+
+ASL-HOST MAY:
+
+* suspend a domain (stop new writes)
+* revoke federation
+* invalidate admission
+
+Already-sealed artifacts remain immutable.
+
+---
+
+## 11. SystemRescue Mapping (Concrete)
+
+Your patched SystemRescue image now hosts:
+
+* ASL-HOST runtime
+* Local domains (personal, courtesy, common)
+* Admission client
+* Offline authority material
+
+On boot, SystemRescue may:
+
+1. Create a local domain
+2. Load DAM + keys
+3. Submit admission request
+4. Receive courtesy lease
+5. Begin sealed ingestion
+6. Snapshot and wait
+
+You are *literally standing ready*.
+
+---
+
+## 12. Why This Integration Is Clean
+
+✔ ASL-CORE untouched
+✔ ASL-STORE unaware of authority
+✔ Authority never touches block bytes
+✔ Admission precedes trust
+✔ Rescue and sovereign modes unified
+
+---
+
+## 13. Mental Model (One Sentence)
+
+> **ASL-HOST is the constitutional layer that turns storage into a domain, and a domain into a participant.**
+
+---
+
+If you want next, we can:
+
+* define **ASL-HOST on-disk layout**
+* specify **revocation propagation**
+* map **PEL execution to admission state**
+* or walk a **full rescue → admission → federation scenario end-to-end**
+
+Just point the direction.
+

notes/ASL-INDEX-ACCEL.md

@@ -0,0 +1,287 @@
+Below is a **formal draft of ASL-INDEX-ACCEL**, written to lock down the acceleration model (filters, sharding, SIMD, routing keys) while *explicitly protecting semantics*. This document is intentionally crisp, normative, and future-proof.
+
+---
+
+# ASL-INDEX-ACCEL
+
+### Index Acceleration, Routing, and Filtering Semantics
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+ASL-INDEX-ACCEL defines the **acceleration mechanisms** used by ASL-based indexes, including:
+
+* Routing keys
+* Sharding
+* Filters (Bloom, XOR, Ribbon, etc.)
+* SIMD execution
+* Hash recasting
+
+This document **explicitly separates correctness from performance**.
+
+> All mechanisms defined herein are **observationally invisible** to the semantic index defined by ASL-CORE-INDEX.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Scope
+
+This specification applies to:
+
+* Artifact indexes (ASL)
+* Projection and graph indexes (e.g., TGK)
+* Any index layered on ASL-CORE-INDEX semantics
+
+It does **not** define:
+
+* Artifact or edge identity
+* Snapshot semantics
+* Storage lifecycle
+* Encoding details (see ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX)
+
+---
+
+## 3. Canonical Key vs Routing Key
+
+### 3.1 Canonical Key
+
+The **Canonical Key** uniquely identifies an indexable entity.
+
+Examples:
+
+* Artifact: `ArtifactKey`
+* TGK Edge: `CanonicalEdgeKey`
+
+Properties:
+
+* Defines semantic identity
+* Used for equality, shadowing, and tombstones
+* Stable and immutable
+* Fully compared on index match
+
+---
+
+### 3.2 Routing Key
+
+The **Routing Key** is a **derived, advisory key** used exclusively for acceleration.
+
+Properties:
+
+* Derived deterministically from canonical key and optional attributes
+* May be used for:
+
+  * Sharding
+  * Filter construction
+  * SIMD-friendly layouts
+* MUST NOT affect index semantics
+* MUST be verified by full canonical key comparison on match
+
+Formal rule:
+
+```
+CanonicalKey determines correctness
+RoutingKey determines performance
+```
+
+---
+
+## 4. Filter Semantics
+
+### 4.1 Advisory Nature
+
+All filters are **advisory only**.
+
+Rules:
+
+* False positives are permitted
+* False negatives are forbidden
+* Filter behavior MUST NOT affect correctness
+
+Formal invariant:
+
+```
+Filter miss ⇒ key is definitely absent
+Filter hit  ⇒ key may be present
+```
+
+---
+
+### 4.2 Filter Inputs
+
+Filters operate over **Routing Keys**, not Canonical Keys.
+
+A Routing Key MAY incorporate:
+
+* Hash of Canonical Key
+* Artifact type tag (`type_tag`, `has_typetag`)
+* TGK edge type key
+* Direction, role, or other immutable classification attributes
+
+Absence of optional attributes MUST be encoded explicitly.
+
+---
+
+### 4.3 Filter Construction
+
+* Filters are built only over **sealed, immutable segments**
+* Filters are immutable once built
+* Filter construction MUST be deterministic
+* Filter state MUST be covered by segment checksums
+
+---
+
+## 5. Sharding Semantics
+
+### 5.1 Observational Invisibility
+
+Sharding is a **mechanical partitioning** of the index.
+
+Invariant:
+
+```
+LogicalIndex = ⋃ all shards
+```
+
+Rules:
+
+* Shards MUST NOT affect lookup results
+* Shard count and boundaries may change over time
+* Rebalancing MUST preserve lookup semantics
+
+---
+
+### 5.2 Shard Assignment
+
+Shard assignment MAY be based on:
+
+* Hash of Canonical Key
+* Routing Key
+* Composite routing strategies
+
+Shard selection MUST be deterministic per snapshot.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Hashing and Hash Recasting
+
+### 6.1 Hashing
+
+Hashes MAY be used for:
+
+* Routing
+* Filtering
+* SIMD layout
+
+Hashes MUST NOT be treated as identity.
+
+---
+
+### 6.2 Hash Recasting
+
+Hash recasting (changing hash functions or seeds) is permitted if:
+
+1. It is deterministic
+2. It does not change Canonical Keys
+3. It does not affect index semantics
+
+Recasting is equivalent to rebuilding acceleration structures.
+
+---
+
+## 7. SIMD Execution
+
+SIMD operations MAY be used to:
+
+* Evaluate filters
+* Compare routing keys
+* Accelerate scans
+
+Rules:
+
+* SIMD must operate only on immutable data
+* SIMD must not short-circuit semantic checks
+* SIMD must preserve deterministic behavior
+
+---
+
+## 8. Multi-Dimensional Routing Examples (Normative)
+
+### 8.1 Artifact Index
+
+* Canonical Key: `ArtifactKey`
+* Routing Key components:
+
+  * `H(ArtifactKey)`
+  * `type_tag` (if present)
+  * `has_typetag`
+
+---
+
+### 8.2 TGK Edge Index
+
+* Canonical Key: `CanonicalEdgeKey`
+* Routing Key components:
+
+  * `H(CanonicalEdgeKey)`
+  * `edge_type_key`
+  * Direction or role (optional)
+
+---
+
+## 9. Snapshot Interaction
+
+Acceleration structures:
+
+* MUST respect snapshot visibility rules
+* MUST operate over the same sealed segments visible to the snapshot
+* MUST NOT bypass tombstones or shadowing
+
+Snapshot cuts apply **after** routing and filtering.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Normative Invariants
+
+1. Canonical Keys define identity and correctness
+2. Routing Keys are advisory only
+3. Filters may never introduce false negatives
+4. Sharding is observationally invisible
+5. Hashes are not identity
+6. SIMD is an execution strategy, not a semantic construct
+7. All acceleration is deterministic per snapshot
+
+---
+
+## 11. Non-Goals
+
+This specification does not define:
+
+* Specific filter algorithms
+* Memory layout
+* CPU instruction selection
+* Encoding formats
+* Federation policies
+
+---
+
+## 12. Summary
+
+ASL-INDEX-ACCEL establishes a **strict contract**:
+
+> *All acceleration exists to make the index faster, never different.*
+
+By formalizing Canonical vs Routing keys and explicitly constraining filters, sharding, hashing, and SIMD, this document ensures that:
+
+* Performance optimizations scale to billions of entries
+* Semantics remain stable and provable
+* Future optimizations cannot silently break correctness
+
+---
+
+If you want, the **next natural step** would be to:
+
+* Draft **TGK-INDEX** using this exact framework
+* Or revise **ASL-CORE-INDEX** to reference ASL-INDEX-ACCEL normatively
+
+Both would lock the model completely.
+

notes/ASL-LOG v0.1.md

@@ -0,0 +1,318 @@
+Great, this is the right moment to freeze something *small, sharp, and survivable*.
+
+Below is a **clean, minimal, boring-on-purpose** definition of a **Start Log Language v0.1** that:
+
+* Matches ASL-STORE-INDEX precisely
+* Keeps one authoritative log
+* Avoids over-specifying future policy / federation
+* Is stable enough to build against now
+* Leaves room for evolution without breakage
+
+I’ll call it **ASL-LOG v0.1**.
+
+---
+
+# ASL-LOG v0.1
+
+**Append-Only Semantic Log for ASL Domains**
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+ASL-LOG defines the **authoritative, append-only log** for an ASL domain.
+
+The log records **semantic commits** that affect:
+
+* Artifact visibility
+* Index segment visibility
+* Policy (e.g. tombstones)
+* Authority state
+* Snapshot anchoring
+
+The log is the **sole source of truth** for reconstructing CURRENT state.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Core Properties (Normative)
+
+An ASL log **must** be:
+
+1. **Append-only**
+2. **Strictly ordered**
+3. **Deterministically replayable**
+4. **Hash-chained**
+5. **Snapshot-anchorable**
+6. **Binary encoded**
+7. **Forward-compatible**
+
+---
+
+## 3. Log Model
+
+### 3.1 Log Sequence
+
+Each record has a monotonically increasing `logseq`:
+
+```
+logseq: uint64
+```
+
+* Assigned by the domain authority
+* Total order within a domain
+* Never reused
+
+---
+
+### 3.2 Hash Chain
+
+Each record commits to the previous record:
+
+```
+record_hash = H(prev_record_hash || record_type || payload)
+```
+
+This enables:
+
+* Tamper detection
+* Witness signing
+* Federation verification
+
+---
+
+## 4. Record Envelope (v0.1)
+
+All log records share a common envelope.
+
+```c
+struct asl_log_record_v1 {
+    uint64_t logseq;
+    uint32_t record_type;
+    uint32_t payload_len;
+    uint8_t  payload[payload_len];
+    uint8_t  record_hash[32];  // e.g. SHA-256
+};
+```
+
+Notes:
+
+* Encoding is little-endian
+* `record_hash` hashes the full record except itself
+* Hash algorithm is fixed for v0.1
+
+---
+
+## 5. Record Types (v0.1)
+
+### 5.1 SEGMENT_SEAL (Type = 0x01)
+
+**The most important record in v0.1**
+
+Declares an index segment visible.
+
+```c
+struct segment_seal_v1 {
+    uint64_t segment_id;
+    uint8_t  segment_hash[32];
+};
+```
+
+Semantics:
+
+> From this `logseq` onward, the referenced index segment is visible
+> for lookup and replay.
+
+Rules:
+
+* Segment must be immutable
+* All referenced blocks must already be sealed
+* Segment contents are not re-logged
+
+---
+
+### 5.2 ARTIFACT_PUBLISH (Type = 0x02) (Optional v0.1)
+
+Marks an artifact as published.
+
+```c
+struct artifact_publish_v1 {
+    uint64_t artifact_key;
+};
+```
+
+Semantics:
+
+* Publication is domain-local
+* Federation layers may interpret this
+
+---
+
+### 5.3 ARTIFACT_UNPUBLISH (Type = 0x03) (Optional v0.1)
+
+Withdraws publication.
+
+```c
+struct artifact_unpublish_v1 {
+    uint64_t artifact_key;
+};
+```
+
+---
+
+### 5.4 TOMBSTONE (Type = 0x10)
+
+Declares an artifact inadmissible under domain policy.
+
+```c
+struct tombstone_v1 {
+    uint64_t artifact_key;
+    uint32_t scope;        // e.g. EXECUTION, INDEX, PUBLICATION
+    uint32_t reason_code;  // opaque to ASL-LOG
+};
+```
+
+Semantics:
+
+* Does not delete data
+* Shadows prior visibility
+* Applies from this logseq onward
+
+---
+
+### 5.5 TOMBSTONE_LIFT (Type = 0x11)
+
+Supersedes a previous tombstone.
+
+```c
+struct tombstone_lift_v1 {
+    uint64_t artifact_key;
+    uint64_t tombstone_logseq;
+};
+```
+
+Rules:
+
+* Must reference an earlier TOMBSTONE
+* Does not erase history
+* Only affects CURRENT ≥ this logseq
+
+---
+
+### 5.6 SNAPSHOT_ANCHOR (Type = 0x20)
+
+Binds semantic state to a filesystem snapshot.
+
+```c
+struct snapshot_anchor_v1 {
+    uint64_t snapshot_id;
+    uint8_t  root_hash[32];  // hash of snapshot-visible state
+};
+```
+
+Semantics:
+
+* Defines a replay checkpoint
+* Enables log truncation below anchor (with care)
+
+---
+
+### 5.7 DOMAIN_AUTH_UPDATE (Type = 0x30) (Optional v0.1)
+
+Updates trusted domain authorities.
+
+```c
+struct domain_auth_update_v1 {
+    uint8_t  cert_hash[32];
+    uint32_t action; // ADD or REVOKE
+};
+```
+
+---
+
+## 6. Replay Semantics (Normative)
+
+To reconstruct CURRENT:
+
+1. Load latest snapshot anchor (if any)
+2. Initialize visible segments from snapshot
+3. Replay all log records with `logseq > snapshot.logseq`
+4. Apply records in order:
+
+   * SEGMENT_SEAL → add segment
+   * TOMBSTONE → update policy state
+   * TOMBSTONE_LIFT → override policy
+   * PUBLISH → update visibility metadata
+
+Replay **must be deterministic**.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Index Interaction
+
+* Index segments contain index entries
+* The log never records individual index entries
+* Visibility is controlled solely by SEGMENT_SEAL
+* Index rebuild = scan visible segments + apply policy
+
+---
+
+## 8. Garbage Collection Constraints
+
+* A segment may be GC’d only if:
+
+  * No snapshot references it
+  * No log replay ≤ CURRENT requires it
+* Log truncation is only safe at SNAPSHOT_ANCHOR boundaries
+
+---
+
+## 9. Versioning & Extensibility
+
+* Unknown `record_type`:
+
+  * Must be skipped
+  * Must not break replay
+* Payloads are opaque outside their type
+* v0.1 fixes:
+
+  * Hash algorithm
+  * Endianness
+  * Core record types
+
+Future versions may:
+
+* Add new record types
+* Add optional fields (new struct versions)
+* Introduce compression or batching
+
+---
+
+## 10. What v0.1 Deliberately Does *Not* Include
+
+* Federation protocols
+* Network replication
+* Witness signatures
+* Block-level events
+* Hydration / eviction
+* Execution receipts (PERs)
+
+Those live *above* ASL-LOG.
+
+---
+
+## 11. One-sentence invariant (keep this)
+
+> **If it affects visibility, admissibility, or authority, it goes in the log.
+> If it affects layout or performance, it does not.**
+
+---
+
+If you want next steps, the natural continuations are:
+
+* **ASL-LOG test vectors**
+* **Minimal C writer/reader API**
+* **Formal CURRENT reconstruction pseudocode**
+* **Mapping ASL-LOG → federation streams**
+
+But v0.1 as written is *enough to build real systems against* without regret.
+

notes/ASL-PEL-Domain Model.md

@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+Yes — and that’s a very reasonable moment to do it.
+Below is a **compact, structured condensation** of the *actual conclusions* reached, stripped of detours, phrased so you can paste it into a new document or start a new thread cleanly.
+
+---
+
+# ASL / PEL / Domain Model — Compact Working Summary
+
+## 1. Domains (Git-like, clarified)
+
+* **Common**
+  A normal domain. Holds its own log, index, and store. Acts as a shared “main branch”.
+
+* **root.alice**
+  Alice’s *public-facing* sub-domain.
+
+  * Sub-domain of **Common**
+  * Also sub-domain of **alice**
+  * Only place Alice publishes to Common
+  * Has its own log/index/store
+  * May publish snapshot hashes to Common (existence proofs)
+
+* **alice (private)**
+  Alice’s private working domain.
+
+  * Never visible to Common
+  * Contains secrets, experiments, raw data
+  * Artifacts move outward only by explicit copy/promote into `root.alice`
+
+Mental model:
+
+```
+alice (private working tree)
+  → root.alice (publishable branch)
+    → common (main branch)
+```
+
+Groups are just domains under Common with multiple authorities.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Logs & Indexes (key clarification)
+
+* There is **one authoritative append-only log per domain**.
+* The **ASL log records index-segment events**, not individual artifact bytes.
+* The **index is reconstructed** as:
+
+  ```
+  snapshot + replay(log)
+  ```
+* No “second log” is needed:
+
+  * Index segments are immutable
+  * The log references sealed segments
+  * Blocks are never logged semantically
+
+---
+
+## 3. Blocks (demoted correctly)
+
+* **Blocks are NOT semantic units**
+* Blocks are **storage-only atoms**
+* Blocks:
+
+  * may contain many artifacts
+  * may contain one artifact
+  * may be regenerated
+  * may differ across domains
+
+**Publication never publishes blocks.**
+Only index entries define visibility.
+
+This avoids leaks like:
+
+> secret + recipe accidentally in same block
+
+---
+
+## 4. Artifacts & Storage
+
+* Artifacts are defined by **identity (hash)**, not storage.
+* Storage may:
+
+  * pack artifacts
+  * encrypt artifacts
+  * discard artifacts
+  * recompute artifacts
+* Index entries may point to:
+
+  * stored blocks
+  * encrypted blocks
+  * virtual (recomputable) locations
+
+Blocks never cross trust boundaries implicitly.
+
+---
+
+## 5. PEL (major conclusion)
+
+### There is only **ONE** PEL.
+
+No meaningful split between “PEL-S” and “PEL-P”.
+
+PEL is:
+
+> A deterministic, snapshot-bound, authority-aware derivation language that maps artifacts → artifacts.
+
+Key points:
+
+* Any PEL output may be:
+
+  * stored
+  * cached
+  * discarded
+  * recomputed
+* Authority & provenance always apply
+* “Semantic vs physical” is **store policy**, not language design
+
+---
+
+## 6. Deduplication (important insight)
+
+Deduplication is **semantic**, not block-based.
+
+The system may track:
+
+```
+Artifact A
+ ├─ derived via PEL program X
+ ├─ derived via PEL program Y
+ └─ imported from domain Z
+```
+
+This enables:
+
+* semantic equivalence
+* alternate provenance paths
+* stronger trust reasoning
+
+Blocks follow later as optimization.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Publication semantics
+
+* Domains never “push blocks”.
+* Domains publish:
+
+  * index entries
+  * optional snapshot hashes
+* Common indexes `root.alice` like any other sub-domain.
+* Proof-of-existence is achieved by publishing snapshot hashes, not data.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Mental hierarchy (final)
+
+```
+PEL (pure derivation)
+  ↓
+Artifacts (semantic facts)
+  ↓
+Index (visibility + truth)
+  ↓
+Store policy (encrypt / pack / discard / cache)
+  ↓
+Blocks (pure implementation detail)
+```
+
+---
+
+## One-sentence takeaway
+
+> **PEL defines truth derivation, indexes define visibility, stores decide materialization, and blocks are just a packing trick.**
+
+---
+
+If you want, next time we can:
+
+* restate this as a **single clean spec**,
+* or start fresh from **“ASL vNext minimal principles”**,
+* or jump directly into **implementation decisions** without re-deriving theory.
+
+You’re at a very solid conceptual checkpoint now.
+

notes/ASL-STORE put-get contract.md

@@ -0,0 +1,314 @@
+Great — this is the **right moment** to define it, because everything underneath (artifacts, DAGs, indexes, snapshots, logs) is now solid.
+
+What follows is a **clean, minimal, *normative* ASL-STORE put/get contract** that:
+
+* Sits *between* ASL-CORE / ASL-CORE-INDEX and any concrete storage engine
+* Is compatible with your snapshot + log semantics
+* Does **not** assume classical vs quantum
+* Makes caching, deduplication, and replay possible
+* Avoids over-specifying performance or layout
+
+Think of this as **the membrane between semantics and mechanics**.
+
+---
+
+# ASL-STORE — Put/Get Contract (Normative)
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+ASL-STORE defines the **operational contract** by which:
+
+* Artifacts are **materialized and stored**
+* Artifact content becomes **visible** via the ASL-CORE-INDEX
+* Stored content is **retrieved deterministically**
+
+ASL-STORE answers exactly two questions:
+
+> **PUT**: How does an artifact become stored and indexed?
+> **GET**: How are bytes retrieved once indexed?
+
+Nothing more.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Scope
+
+ASL-STORE defines:
+
+* The **PUT lifecycle**
+* The **GET lifecycle**
+* Required interactions with:
+
+  * Content Index (ASL-CORE-INDEX)
+  * Structural DAG
+  * Materialization cache
+* Visibility and determinism rules
+
+ASL-STORE does **not** define:
+
+* Block allocation strategy
+* File layout
+* IO APIs
+* Concurrency primitives
+* Caching policies
+* Garbage collection
+* Replication mechanics
+
+---
+
+## 3. Actors and Dependencies
+
+ASL-STORE operates in the presence of:
+
+* **Artifact DAG** (SID-addressed)
+* **Materialization Cache** (`SID → CID`, optional)
+* **Content Index** (`CID → ArtifactLocation`)
+* **Block Store** (opaque byte storage)
+* **Snapshot + Log** (for index visibility)
+
+ASL-STORE **must not** bypass the Content Index.
+
+---
+
+## 4. PUT Contract
+
+### 4.1 PUT Signature (Semantic)
+
+```
+put(artifact) → (CID, IndexState)
+```
+
+Where:
+
+* `artifact` is an ASL artifact (possibly lazy, possibly quantum)
+* `CID` is the semantic content identity
+* `IndexState = (SnapshotID, LogPosition)` after the put
+
+---
+
+### 4.2 PUT Semantics (Step-by-step)
+
+The following steps are **logically ordered**.
+An implementation may optimize, but may not violate the semantics.
+
+---
+
+#### Step 1 — Structural registration (mandatory)
+
+* The artifact **must** be registered in the Structural Index (SID → DAG).
+* If an identical SID already exists, it **must be reused**.
+
+> This guarantees derivation identity independent of storage.
+
+---
+
+#### Step 2 — CID resolution (lazy, cache-aware)
+
+* If `(SID → CID)` exists in the Materialization Cache:
+
+  * Use it.
+* Otherwise:
+
+  * Materialize the artifact DAG
+  * Compute the CID
+  * Cache `(SID → CID)`
+
+> Materialization may recursively invoke child artifacts.
+
+---
+
+#### Step 3 — Deduplication check (mandatory)
+
+* Lookup `CID` in the Content Index at CURRENT.
+* If an entry exists:
+
+  * **No bytes are written**
+  * **No new index entry is required**
+  * PUT completes successfully
+
+> This is **global deduplication**.
+
+---
+
+#### Step 4 — Physical storage (conditional)
+
+If no existing entry exists:
+
+* Bytes corresponding to `CID` **must be written** to a block
+* A concrete `ArtifactLocation` is produced:
+
+  ```
+  ArtifactLocation = Sequence[BlockSlice]
+
+  BlockSlice = (BlockID, offset, length)
+  ```
+
+No assumptions are made about block layout.
+
+---
+
+#### Step 5 — Index mutation (mandatory)
+
+* Append a **PUT log entry** to the Content Index:
+
+  ```
+  CID → ArtifactLocation
+  ```
+* The entry is **not visible** until the log position is ≤ CURRENT.
+
+> This is the *only* moment storage becomes visible.
+
+---
+
+### 4.3 PUT Guarantees
+
+After successful PUT:
+
+* The artifact’s CID:
+
+  * Is stable
+  * Is retrievable
+  * Will resolve to immutable bytes
+* The Content Index state:
+
+  * Advances monotonically
+  * Is replayable
+* Repeating PUT with the same artifact:
+
+  * Is idempotent
+
+---
+
+## 5. GET Contract
+
+### 5.1 GET Signature (Semantic)
+
+```
+get(CID, IndexState?) → bytes | NOT_FOUND
+```
+
+Where:
+
+* `CID` is the content identity
+* `IndexState` is optional:
+
+  * Defaults to CURRENT
+  * May specify `(SnapshotID, LogPosition)`
+
+---
+
+### 5.2 GET Semantics
+
+1. Resolve `CID → ArtifactLocation` using:
+
+   ```
+   Index(snapshot, log_prefix)
+   ```
+2. If no entry exists:
+
+   * Return `NOT_FOUND`
+3. Otherwise:
+
+   * Read exactly `(length)` bytes from `(BlockID, offset)`
+   * Return bytes **verbatim**
+
+No interpretation is applied.
+
+---
+
+### 5.3 GET Guarantees
+
+* Returned bytes are:
+
+  * Immutable
+  * Deterministic
+  * Content-addressed
+* GET never triggers materialization
+* GET never mutates state
+
+---
+
+## 6. Visibility Rules
+
+An index entry is visible **if and only if**:
+
+1. The referenced block is sealed
+2. The log entry position ≤ CURRENT log position
+3. The snapshot + log prefix includes the entry
+
+ASL-STORE must respect these rules strictly.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Failure Semantics (Minimal)
+
+ASL-STORE must guarantee:
+
+* No visible index entry points to missing or mutable bytes
+* Partial writes must not become visible
+* Replaying snapshot + log after crash yields a valid index
+
+No stronger guarantees are required at this level.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Determinism Contract
+
+For fixed:
+
+* SnapshotID
+* LogPosition
+* Artifact DAG
+* Hash algorithms
+
+ASL-STORE guarantees:
+
+* Same CID
+* Same ArtifactLocation resolution
+* Same GET results
+
+This is the foundation for:
+
+* Federation
+* Replication
+* Provenance
+* Certification
+
+---
+
+## 9. Relationship to q-bits (Explicit)
+
+ASL-STORE:
+
+* Is **agnostic** to q-bits
+* Sees only:
+
+  * CIDs
+  * Bytes
+* Does not care how CIDs were derived
+
+Quantum artifacts affect **materialization**, not storage semantics.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Summary (Mental Model)
+
+You can summarize ASL-STORE like this:
+
+> **PUT** = “Make this artifact real, once, forever”
+> **GET** = “Given identity and time, give me the bytes”
+
+Everything else is someone else’s problem — by design.
+
+---
+
+If you want, next we can:
+
+* define **crash consistency boundaries**
+* add **federated PUT/GET**
+* define **certificates binding DAG → CID → Snapshot**
+* show **how LLM outputs become artifacts**
+* or formalize **overlay indexes** (concepts, domains, ontologies)
+
+This layer is now solid enough to build *anything* above it.
+

notes/Any node can become a system.md

@@ -0,0 +1,290 @@
+Yes — and that is not only reasonable, it’s *structurally elegant*.
+What you’re converging on is:
+
+> **“Any node can become a system”** — including the *authority node* itself.
+
+Let’s make this precise and safe.
+
+---
+
+## 1. Key Insight
+
+> The **Domain Authority Node (DAN)** should be bootstrapped **exactly like a SystemRescue node**,
+> but with **authority-only capabilities enabled** and **no federation by default**.
+
+Same mechanics, different policy.
+
+This symmetry matters a lot.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Treat the Authority Node as a First-Class ASL-HOST
+
+### Properties of the Domain Authority Node
+
+* Boots from a known image (like SystemRescue)
+* Has:
+
+  * ASL-HOST layout
+  * Internal ASL store
+  * Append-only log
+  * Snapshot support (even if trivial)
+* Runs **offline**
+* Never federates automatically
+* Never publishes blocks unless explicitly authorized
+
+This means:
+
+* Keys
+* DAMs
+* policies
+* environment claims
+
+…are all **just artifacts**.
+
+No magic.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Minimal Internal Store for Authority Node
+
+The authority node needs only a **tiny ASL subset**:
+
+### Required
+
+* Block store
+* Artifact index
+* Append-only log
+* Snapshot marker
+
+### Not Required
+
+* SIMD
+* TGK traversal
+* Federation
+* GC beyond “delete nothing”
+
+Think of it as:
+
+> **ASL in conservation mode**
+
+---
+
+## 4. Why This Is the Right Model
+
+### 4.1 Self-Consistency
+
+If the authority node uses ASL:
+
+* Authority artifacts are immutable
+* Provenance exists from day zero
+* Receipts can be generated later
+
+You can say:
+
+> “This domain authority was generated under snapshot X, log Y.”
+
+That’s extremely powerful.
+
+---
+
+### 4.2 No Special Code Paths
+
+There is no:
+
+* “special authority filesystem”
+* “magic cert directory”
+* “out-of-band signing tool”
+
+Everything is:
+
+* artifacts
+* policies
+* receipts
+
+This keeps the system honest.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Bootstrapping Flow (Concrete)
+
+### Step 0 — Boot Image
+
+* Boot **ASL-Authority image**
+
+  * (SystemRescue + authority tools)
+* Network disabled
+* Storage ephemeral or encrypted USB
+
+---
+
+### Step 1 — Initialize Local ASL-HOST
+
+```text
+/asl-host
+  /domains
+    /<new-domain-id>
+      /store
+      /log
+      /snapshots
+```
+
+No federation. Local only.
+
+---
+
+### Step 2 — Generate Root Key Artifact
+
+* Keypair generated
+* Stored as:
+
+  * public key artifact
+  * encrypted private key artifact (local only)
+* DomainID derived
+
+---
+
+### Step 3 — Write DAM Artifact
+
+DAM is written as an artifact into the local store.
+
+---
+
+### Step 4 — Write Authority Environment Claim Artifact
+
+Also stored locally.
+
+---
+
+### Step 5 — Seal Snapshot
+
+Create snapshot:
+
+> **“Domain Authority Genesis Snapshot”**
+
+Everything up to here is immutable.
+
+---
+
+### Step 6 — Export Admission Bundle
+
+PEL program runs:
+
+* inputs:
+
+  * DAM artifact
+  * environment claim artifact
+  * policy artifact
+* output:
+
+  * SOPS bundle artifact
+
+That output is exported.
+
+This is **receipt-producing**, not ad-hoc scripting.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Why This Beats “Just a Laptop”
+
+Because now:
+
+* the authority machine is *auditable*
+* the ceremony is *recorded*
+* the result is *deterministic*
+
+And still:
+
+* no TPM
+* no network
+* no registry
+
+---
+
+## 7. Internal Store Security Posture
+
+You can be strict or lax:
+
+| Mode          | Behavior                      |
+| ------------- | ----------------------------- |
+| Ephemeral     | RAM-backed store, destroyed   |
+| Encrypted USB | LUKS + ZFS                    |
+| WORM          | Never delete, manual handling |
+
+All valid.
+
+ASL doesn’t care.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Relationship to Rescue Nodes
+
+| Aspect                 | Rescue Node | Authority Node |
+| ---------------------- | ----------- | -------------- |
+| Boots from known image | yes         | yes            |
+| Has ASL store          | yes         | yes            |
+| Offline                | often       | always         |
+| Publishes              | rarely      | never          |
+| Federation             | no          | no             |
+| Authority keys         | no          | yes            |
+
+Same skeleton. Different organs.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Important Constraint
+
+> **The authority node must never be required for validation.**
+
+Once the bundle is exported:
+
+* it stands alone
+* verification does not consult the authority node
+
+If you lose the authority machine, the domain still exists.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Philosophical Alignment
+
+You described:
+
+> “Standing at the river with a printing press.”
+
+What you’re doing here is:
+
+> **Printing the press itself as an artifact.**
+
+That’s the right kind of recursion.
+
+---
+
+## 11. What This Enables Later
+
+Because the authority node is ASL-native, later you can:
+
+* publish historical authority artifacts
+* rotate keys with receipts
+* prove domain lineage
+* federate authority domains
+
+All without rewriting assumptions.
+
+---
+
+## 12. One-Line Rule
+
+> **If it matters, it should be an artifact.
+> If it’s an artifact, it should live in ASL.**
+
+You’re converging on a system with very few “special cases” — which is exactly why it will scale conceptually.
+
+If you want next, we can:
+
+* draft **ASL-AUTH-HOST profile**
+* specify **authority-only PEL programs**
+* define **authority key rotation as a PEL DAG**
+* or draw the **exact on-disk layout for authority vs rescue nodes**
+
+Just say the word.
+

notes/Bootable ASL-AUTH-HOST.md

@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+Ah, yes — you’re right! The previous summary focused on ASL, PEL, domains, and blocks, but we also discussed **building an ASL-AUTH-HOST ISO and bootable USB workflow**. Here’s a compact recap integrated with your overall architecture:
+
+---
+
+# Bootable ASL-AUTH-HOST / USB Summary
+
+## 1. Environment
+
+* Start from a **minimal Debian root** (via `debootstrap`) inside a container.
+* Set up:
+
+  * `$WORKDIR/iso_root` → ISO root filesystem
+  * `$WORKDIR/overlay` → ASL binaries, scripts, and configuration
+
+## 2. Overlay contents
+
+* `bin/` → `asl-auth-host`, `asl-rescue`, helper scripts
+* `usr/local/bin/` → optional local tools
+* `var/lib/asl/` → datasets, pools, personal/common directories
+* `var/log/` → logs
+* Bootloader configs (`isolinux/`)
+
+---
+
+## 3. Bootable ISO creation
+
+* Copy overlay into `$ISO_ROOT`
+* Create ZFS-like dataset directories:
+
+  ```
+  var/lib/asl/{common,personal,pools}
+  ```
+* Generate ISO via `xorriso` (or `mkisofs`) with minimal bootloader
+
+---
+
+## 4. ASL Capture Integration
+
+* **`asl-capture`** can wrap shell or program execution
+* Capture occurs **during image creation**:
+
+  * Can log everything in the host root during debootstrap + `apt-get install`
+  * Produces artifacts (executed commands, receipts)
+* Early capture allows **provenance from the very birth of the image**
+
+---
+
+## 5. USB boot workflow
+
+1. Build ISO (`build_asl_auth_host_iso.sh`)
+2. Write ISO to USB (`dd` or `rufus`/`balenaEtcher`)
+3. Boot machine → `init-asl-host.sh` (custom init script)
+
+   * Mount ZFS or overlay store
+   * Initialize domains (Common, personal, rescue)
+   * Enforce witness authority / DAM at boot
+   * Run ASL capture to log host state
+
+---
+
+## 6. Storage & persistence on USB
+
+* Personal domain: local USB store
+* Root.alice or Common: mounted network or local store
+* Snapshot management ensures deterministic state
+* Blocks and artifacts are packed according to store policy
+* Index/log replay reconstructs current state at boot
+
+---
+
+## 7. Key insights from discussion
+
+* You **can capture the host from first boot** to have full provenance.
+* Witness authority (DAM) is enforced **before userspace programs run**, even for Common.
+* Blocks remain storage-level; artifacts remain semantic and authoritative.
+* Publishing to Common happens **via root.alice**; private artifacts remain in `alice` domain.
+* Bootable USB + ASL capture = deterministic, auditable host for rescue and auth purposes.
+
+---
+
+If you want, I can **draw a full flow diagram** that shows:
+
+```
+debootstrap → overlay → ISO → USB → boot → init-asl-host → domains → ASL capture → artifacts/logs
+```
+
+…including where **root.alice, Common, and personal domains** live, and how **blocks, artifacts, and logs** interact during boot.
+
+Do you want me to do that diagram next?
+

notes/Certificates.md

@@ -0,0 +1,371 @@
+This is the right moment to pin this down.
+What follows is a **complete, staged, minimal certificate story** that fits *exactly* with what you’ve built so far — no PKI bloat, no premature abstraction, and no magical trust.
+
+I’ll walk it in **time order**, because *when* certificates exist matters more than *what* they are.
+
+---
+
+# Certificate Lifecycle in ASL (Walkthrough)
+
+## 0. First principle (anchor this)
+
+> **Certificates do not create authority.
+> They record it.**
+
+Authority already exists because:
+
+* someone controls a machine
+* someone controls a domain
+* someone makes a decision
+
+Certificates make that **legible and replayable**.
+
+---
+
+## 1. Phase 0 — Before Any Certificates Exist (Virgin State)
+
+This is where your system starts.
+
+### What exists
+
+* ASL-HOST
+* ASL-STORE
+* Domains
+* Logs
+* Snapshots
+* Artifacts
+* PERs
+
+### What does NOT exist
+
+* No CA
+* No identities
+* No signatures
+* No trust
+
+Everything works anyway.
+
+Artifacts are still immutable.
+Receipts still exist.
+Snapshots still reconstruct CURRENT.
+
+This is important: **certificates are optional metadata**, not a dependency.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Phase 1 — Birth of an Authority (Offline Auth Host)
+
+At some point, you decide:
+
+> “This domain should be able to make statements that others may trust.”
+
+This happens on the **offline auth host**.
+
+---
+
+### 2.1 Create the Root Authority (once)
+
+This produces the **Root Authority Certificate**.
+
+#### Root CA (ASL-ROOT)
+
+* Self-signed
+* Offline forever
+* Never rotates casually
+* Stored only on auth host
+
+Conceptually:
+
+```
+ASL-ROOT
+  public_key
+  policy: may sign domain authorities
+```
+
+This is **not** a TLS CA.
+It is a *semantic authority*.
+
+---
+
+### Where it is stored
+
+* On disk (auth host):
+
+  ```
+  /var/lib/asl/auth/root/
+    root.key   (private, offline)
+    root.crt   (artifact)
+  ```
+* As an ASL artifact:
+
+  ```
+  artifact: root.crt
+  domain: auth-host
+  ```
+
+The **private key is never an artifact**.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Phase 2 — Domain Authority Certificates
+
+Now the root creates **Domain Authorities**.
+
+This is the most important certificate type.
+
+---
+
+### 3.1 Domain Authority (DA)
+
+A **Domain Authority Certificate** binds:
+
+```
+(domain_id) → public_key → policy
+```
+
+Example:
+
+```
+alice.personal
+```
+
+Gets a DA certificate:
+
+```
+DA(alice.personal)
+  signed_by: ASL-ROOT
+  key: alice-domain-key
+  policy:
+    - may seal snapshots
+    - may publish artifacts
+```
+
+---
+
+### Where DA certs live
+
+* Stored as artifacts
+* Stored **inside the domain they govern**
+* Also optionally copied to Common
+
+Example:
+
+```
+/var/lib/asl/domains/alice.personal/auth/domain.crt
+```
+
+This makes replay self-contained.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Phase 3 — Operational Keys (Actors)
+
+Now we separate **authority** from **action**.
+
+---
+
+### 4.1 Operator / Host Certificates
+
+These are **delegation certs**.
+
+They answer:
+
+> “Which machine / user is allowed to act for this domain?”
+
+Examples:
+
+* Rescue image
+* Laptop
+* CI node
+* VM
+
+They are **short-lived** and **revocable**.
+
+```
+OperatorCert
+  subject: host-id
+  acts-for: domain_id
+  signed_by: domain authority
+  scope:
+    - may write artifacts
+    - may append log
+```
+
+---
+
+### Storage
+
+* Stored in domain auth area
+* Referenced by PERs
+
+```
+/var/lib/asl/domains/alice.personal/auth/operators/
+```
+
+---
+
+## 5. Phase 4 — Signing Receipts and Snapshots
+
+Now certificates begin to **matter operationally**.
+
+---
+
+### 5.1 What gets signed
+
+1. **Snapshot seals**
+2. **PERs (execution receipts)**
+3. **Policy artifacts**
+
+Never raw data blocks.
+
+---
+
+### 5.2 PER Signature Model
+
+A PER includes:
+
+```
+PER:
+  inputs
+  program
+  outputs
+  snapshot_range
+  signer:
+    operator_cert_id
+  signature
+```
+
+This allows later verification:
+
+* Who ran this?
+* Under which authority?
+* Against which snapshot?
+
+---
+
+## 6. Phase 5 — Federation and Trust
+
+Now certificates cross domains.
+
+---
+
+### 6.1 Trust is explicit
+
+A domain never trusts another domain implicitly.
+
+Instead it stores a **Trust Artifact**:
+
+```
+"I trust domain X snapshots ≥ S
+ signed by DA(X)
+ under policy P"
+```
+
+This artifact can be:
+
+* private
+* group-shared
+* published to Common
+
+---
+
+### 6.2 Common’s role
+
+Common may store:
+
+* Root cert(s)
+* Domain Authority certs
+* Trust policies
+
+But Common **does not enforce trust**.
+
+It only witnesses it.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Certificate Types (Complete List)
+
+Here is the full minimal set:
+
+### 1. Root Authority Certificate
+
+* Signs domain authorities
+* Offline
+* Rare
+
+### 2. Domain Authority Certificate
+
+* One per domain
+* Signs snapshots, operators
+* Long-lived
+
+### 3. Operator / Host Certificate
+
+* Acts-for a domain
+* Short-lived
+* Used in PERs
+
+### 4. Trust Policy Artifact (not a cert, but signed)
+
+* “I trust X for Y”
+* Domain-local meaning
+
+That’s it.
+
+No user certs.
+No TLS certs.
+No global CA hierarchy.
+
+---
+
+## 8. What Happens During Rescue (Concrete)
+
+Let’s ground this.
+
+### Rescue day
+
+* Rescue domain exists
+* No certs yet
+* Everything works
+
+### Later, you decide it matters
+
+1. Create personal domain authority
+2. Sign rescue snapshots retroactively
+3. Publish selected artifacts
+
+History remains valid — it just gains **witnesses**.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Why This Is Robust
+
+* No cert = still works
+* Lost cert = data still exists
+* Revoked cert = history still readable
+* Multiple roots = allowed
+
+This avoids:
+
+* “all-or-nothing PKI”
+* bricked data
+* forced trust
+
+---
+
+## 10. One sentence to remember
+
+> **Certificates don’t make things true.
+> They make them accountable.**
+
+---
+
+If you want next, I can:
+
+* Specify exact cert encoding (X.509-like vs custom)
+* Show how certs are imported via USB
+* Define revocation without CRLs
+* Show how auth-host stays simple
+
+You’re converging on a very clean trust model.
+

notes/Clarify the differences between Common, Group, and Personal domains.md

@@ -0,0 +1,291 @@
+Excellent question. This is exactly the right place to tighten the model.
+
+I’ll do three things, in order:
+
+1. **Specify how ASL-HOST enforces witness authority at boot (normative)**
+2. **Explain how this generalizes to non-Common domains**
+3. **Clarify the differences between Common, Group, and Personal domains (and why they are *not* fundamentally different)**
+
+I’ll keep it crisp and spec-like, but readable.
+
+---
+
+# ASL-HOST Witness Enforcement at Boot (v0.1)
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+This section defines how an **ASL-HOST** determines whether it is allowed to:
+
+* accept snapshots
+* advance CURRENT
+* emit new snapshots
+
+for any domain, with **Common as the canonical example**.
+
+The same mechanism applies to **personal and group domains**, with different policies.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Core rule (universal)
+
+> **An ASL-HOST MUST NOT advance a domain unless it can prove authority to do so from domain-local artifacts.**
+
+There is **no implicit authority**, no “trusted runtime”, and no network trust.
+
+Authority is always:
+
+* explicit
+* artifact-backed
+* snapshot-bound
+
+---
+
+## 3. Boot-time domain authority resolution
+
+At boot, for each configured domain, ASL-HOST performs the following steps.
+
+### 3.1 Load domain state
+
+For each domain `D`:
+
+1. Mount domain store (filesystem, ZFS dataset, etc.)
+2. Load:
+
+   * last sealed snapshot `D@N`
+   * append-only log (if present)
+3. Reconstruct `CURRENT(D)` deterministically
+
+If this fails → domain is **read-only**.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Authority discovery
+
+### 4.1 Authority source artifacts
+
+ASL-HOST MUST locate, for domain `D`:
+
+1. **Domain Authority Manifest (DAM)**
+2. **Current Policy Artifact**
+3. **Witness-related artifacts** (if any)
+
+These MUST be:
+
+* sealed
+* visible at or below `D@N`
+* valid under ASL-STORE rules
+
+---
+
+## 5. Witness model (generalized)
+
+Every domain operates under **exactly one authority mode** at any snapshot:
+
+| Mode             | Meaning                                       |
+| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
+| `single-witness` | One domain/key may emit snapshots             |
+| `quorum-witness` | A threshold of domains may authorize emission |
+| `self-authority` | This host’s domain is the witness             |
+
+This is **policy-defined**, not hard-coded.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Common domain (special only in policy)
+
+### 6.1 Common authority rules
+
+For `common`:
+
+* Authority mode: `quorum-witness`
+* Emission rights:
+
+  * granted only to the active witness domain
+* Witness rotation:
+
+  * only via `asl.common.witness-rotation` artifacts
+
+### 6.2 Boot enforcement
+
+At boot, ASL-HOST MUST:
+
+1. Identify current witness from last snapshot
+2. Verify:
+
+   * witness domain ID
+   * witness public key
+3. Lock Common domain into one of:
+
+| State       | Meaning                      |
+| ----------- | ---------------------------- |
+| **Passive** | May consume Common snapshots |
+| **Active**  | May emit Common snapshots    |
+| **Invalid** | Must refuse Common entirely  |
+
+An ASL-HOST **MUST NOT** emit Common unless explicitly Active.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Personal domains (important clarification)
+
+Personal domains are **not special**.
+
+They differ only in **policy defaults**.
+
+### 7.1 Typical personal domain policy
+
+```yaml
+authority_mode: self-authority
+authorized_keys:
+  - owner-key
+```
+
+This means:
+
+* Any host holding the private key may emit snapshots
+* Multiple machines can advance the domain
+* Conflicts are resolved via:
+
+  * snapshot ordering
+  * logseq
+  * or explicit merge PELs
+
+### 7.2 Boot behavior
+
+At boot, ASL-HOST:
+
+* checks whether it holds a valid private key
+* if yes → Active
+* if no → Passive (read-only replica)
+
+This allows:
+
+* laptops
+* desktops
+* VMs
+* rescue environments
+
+to all participate safely.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Group domains
+
+Group domains sit *between* Common and Personal.
+
+### 8.1 Group authority models
+
+Common patterns:
+
+| Model            | Use case                 |
+| ---------------- | ------------------------ |
+| single-witness   | One maintainer           |
+| quorum-witness   | Shared governance        |
+| rotating-witness | Time-based or role-based |
+
+### 8.2 Enforcement is identical
+
+ASL-HOST does **not care** whether a domain is:
+
+* Common
+* Group
+* Personal
+
+It only evaluates:
+
+* current snapshot
+* policy artifact
+* authority proofs
+
+---
+
+## 9. Snapshot emission decision (normative)
+
+Before emitting a snapshot for domain `D`, ASL-HOST MUST verify:
+
+1. It holds a private key authorized by policy
+2. No conflicting authority artifact exists above `D@N`
+3. For quorum:
+
+   * required endorsements are present and valid
+4. The snapshot references:
+
+   * authority context
+   * policy version
+   * (if applicable) witness rotation artifact
+
+If any check fails → emission is forbidden.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Read vs write separation (important)
+
+An ASL-HOST may always:
+
+* store artifacts
+* verify snapshots
+* mirror domains
+
+But may only:
+
+* **emit snapshots**
+* **advance CURRENT**
+
+when authority is proven.
+
+This allows:
+
+* mirrors
+* caches
+* rescue systems
+* offline nodes
+
+to coexist safely.
+
+---
+
+## 11. Why this scales to “personal everywhere”
+
+Your intuition is correct:
+
+> personal domains may live on many machines and need the same sync guarantees.
+
+This model gives you:
+
+* snapshot identity
+* deterministic replay
+* conflict-free history **by construction**
+* explicit governance when needed
+
+There is **no need** for a different mechanism.
+
+---
+
+## 12. One mental model to keep
+
+> **Every domain is Common to someone.**
+> The difference is only *who is allowed to speak for it*.
+
+---
+
+## 13. What this enables next
+
+With this in place, you can cleanly specify:
+
+* personal multi-device sync
+* offline-first workflows
+* rescue-domain bootstrap
+* federation without global servers
+* gradual transition from single-owner → group → common
+
+---
+
+If you want, next good steps would be:
+
+* formalize **Domain Authority Manifest (DAM) enforcement at boot**
+* specify **multi-writer personal domain merge semantics**
+* walk through **one personal domain on 3 machines**
+* or describe **Common startup from zero (genesis)**
+
+You’re no longer mixing projects here — this is now one coherent system.
+

notes/Domain Admission Protocol (DAP) v0-1.md

@@ -0,0 +1,386 @@
+Excellent — this is the right moment to *lock the social contract layer* without contaminating ASL-CORE, PEL, or storage internals.
+
+Below is a **clean, formal, minimal v0.1** specification of:
+
+1. **Domain Admission Protocol (DAP)**
+2. **Domain Authority Manifest (DAM) schema**
+3. **Courtesy Lease model**
+
+All three are deliberately:
+
+* authority-first
+* storage-agnostic
+* deterministic
+* offline-friendly
+* compatible with both *rescue* and *self-sovereign admission* modes
+
+---
+
+# Domain Admission Protocol (DAP) — v0.1
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+The Domain Admission Protocol defines **how a domain is recognized by another domain** (typically *Common / Unity*) **before any artifacts are trusted, indexed, or replicated**.
+
+DAP governs **admission, not execution**.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Actors
+
+| Actor                   | Role                                      |
+| ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
+| **Applicant Domain**    | Domain seeking admission                  |
+| **Receiving Domain**    | Domain granting or denying admission      |
+| **Operator (optional)** | Human or policy agent reviewing admission |
+
+---
+
+## 3. Admission Object Model
+
+### 3.1 Admission Request
+
+An admission request is a **pure authority object**.
+
+It contains:
+
+* Domain Authority Manifest (DAM)
+* Proof of possession of root key
+* Requested admission scope
+* Optional courtesy lease request
+
+No artifacts.
+No blocks.
+No ASL logs.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Admission Flow
+
+### 4.1 Step 0 — Offline Preparation (Applicant)
+
+The applicant domain prepares:
+
+1. Domain root key (offline)
+2. DAM
+3. Policy hash
+4. Admission intent
+
+---
+
+### 4.2 Step 1 — Admission Request Submission
+
+```
+Applicant → Receiving Domain:
+  - DAM
+  - Root signature over DAM
+  - AdmissionRequest object
+```
+
+Transport:
+
+* file drop
+* removable media
+* HTTP
+* sneakernet
+  (no constraints imposed)
+
+---
+
+### 4.3 Step 2 — Structural Validation
+
+Receiving domain MUST verify:
+
+* DAM schema validity
+* Signature correctness
+* Policy hash integrity
+* DomainID uniqueness / collision handling
+
+Failure here ⇒ **Reject**
+
+---
+
+### 4.4 Step 3 — Policy Compatibility Evaluation
+
+Receiving domain evaluates:
+
+* Declared invariants
+* Requested scope
+* Requested courtesy
+* Trust model compatibility
+
+No artifacts are examined.
+
+---
+
+### 4.5 Step 4 — Admission Decision
+
+Possible outcomes:
+
+| Outcome          | Meaning            |
+| ---------------- | ------------------ |
+| ACCEPTED         | Domain may publish |
+| ACCEPTED_LIMITED | Courtesy only      |
+| DEFERRED         | Manual review      |
+| REJECTED         | No interaction     |
+
+Decision MAY be signed and returned.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Admission Guarantees
+
+If accepted:
+
+* DomainID is recognized
+* Root key is pinned
+* Policy hash is pinned
+* Courtesy rules apply
+
+No implicit trust of artifacts is granted.
+
+---
+
+# Domain Authority Manifest (DAM) — v0.1
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+The DAM is the **constitutional document of a domain**.
+
+It defines:
+
+* identity
+* authority
+* declared invariants
+* trust posture
+
+It is immutable once admitted (new versions require re-admission).
+
+---
+
+## 2. DAM Canonical Structure
+
+### 2.1 Canonical Encoding
+
+* Canonical CBOR or canonical JSON
+* Deterministic ordering
+* Hashable as a single blob
+
+---
+
+### 2.2 DAM Schema
+
+```text
+DomainAuthorityManifest {
+  version: "v0.1"
+
+  domain_id: DomainID
+
+  root_key: {
+    key_type: "ed25519" | "secp256k1" | future
+    public_key: bytes
+  }
+
+  policy: {
+    policy_hash: hash
+    policy_uri: optional string
+  }
+
+  invariants: {
+    immutable_artifacts: true
+    append_only_logs: true
+    deterministic_replay: true
+    snapshot_bound_execution: true
+  }
+
+  admission: {
+    requested_scope: [
+      "publish_artifacts",
+      "publish_snapshots",
+      "receive_artifacts",
+      "federate_logs"
+    ]
+
+    courtesy_requested: {
+      storage_bytes: optional uint64
+      duration_seconds: optional uint64
+    }
+  }
+
+  metadata: {
+    human_name: optional string
+    contact: optional string
+    description: optional string
+  }
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## 3. DAM Invariants (Normative)
+
+Receiving domains MUST assume:
+
+1. DAM statements are binding
+2. Root key controls the domain
+3. Policy hash defines behavior
+4. Violations allow revocation
+
+---
+
+## 4. DAM Signature
+
+The DAM MUST be signed:
+
+```
+signature = Sign(root_private_key, hash(DAM))
+```
+
+This signature is included in the Admission Request, not inside DAM.
+
+---
+
+# Courtesy Lease Model — v0.1
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+Courtesy leases allow **temporary, bounded storage and recognition** for domains without requiring full trust or infrastructure.
+
+This is how **rescue and bootstrap work safely**.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Courtesy Lease Definition
+
+A courtesy lease is:
+
+> A revocable, bounded grant of resources without semantic trust.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Courtesy Lease Parameters
+
+```text
+CourtesyLease {
+  lease_id
+  domain_id
+  granted_by_domain
+
+  resources: {
+    storage_bytes
+    block_count
+    snapshot_count
+  }
+
+  duration: {
+    start_time
+    end_time
+  }
+
+  constraints: {
+    encrypted_only: boolean
+    no_federation: boolean
+    no_public_indexing: boolean
+  }
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## 4. Courtesy Semantics
+
+Courtesy storage:
+
+* MAY store encrypted blocks
+* MAY pin snapshots temporarily
+* MUST NOT:
+
+  * federate logs
+  * index publicly
+  * grant transit trust
+
+---
+
+## 5. Courtesy Expiry
+
+On expiry:
+
+* Receiving domain MAY:
+
+  * delete blocks
+  * unpin snapshots
+* Applicant domain MUST assume data loss unless migrated
+
+No guarantees beyond lease terms.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Courtesy → Full Admission Upgrade
+
+A domain may:
+
+1. Migrate blocks out
+2. Mint full domain
+3. Request re-admission
+4. Publish selectively
+
+No continuity is assumed unless explicitly granted.
+
+---
+
+# How This All Fits Together (Big Picture)
+
+```
+[ Offline Authority ]
+        |
+        v
+[ DAM + Root Key ]
+        |
+        v
+[ Admission Request ]
+        |
+        v
+[ Structural Validation ]
+        |
+        v
+[ Policy Compatibility ]
+        |
+        v
+[ Admission Decision ]
+        |
+        +--> Courtesy Lease
+        |
+        +--> Full Admission
+```
+
+ASL only begins **after this**.
+
+---
+
+## Final Note (Important)
+
+This design ensures:
+
+* No premature trust
+* No forced rescue semantics
+* No storage before authority
+* No federation without discipline
+* Deterministic provenance from first artifact
+
+You’ve now fully specified **the social perimeter of the system**.
+
+If you want next, we can:
+
+* integrate this with **ASL-HOST**
+* define **revocation & trust decay**
+* specify **foreign-domain pinning formally**
+* or map this directly to **SystemRescue operational flows**
+
+Just say the word.
+

notes/Domain Authority Manifest (DAM).md

@@ -0,0 +1,254 @@
+Good — this can be *very small* and still complete.
+Below is a **minimal, sufficient Domain Authority Manifest (DAM)** that fits your ASL / PEL / TGK / federation model **without introducing bureaucracy, PKI sprawl, or OS-level users**.
+
+This is intentionally *boring, deterministic, snapshot-friendly, and artifact-centric*.
+
+---
+
+# Domain Authority Manifest (DAM)
+
+### Minimal Specification
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+The **Domain Authority Manifest (DAM)** defines **who may assert truth on behalf of a domain**.
+
+It governs:
+
+* Who can **produce** artifacts
+* Who can **emit PERs**
+* Who can **seal and publish snapshots**
+* Who can **federate state**
+
+It is:
+
+* Immutable once sealed
+* Snapshot-pinned
+* Deterministic and replayable
+* Interpreted identically across nodes
+
+---
+
+## 2. Location & Storage
+
+The DAM is stored as an **ASL artifact** and referenced by snapshot.
+
+Canonical location (logical, not filesystem-bound):
+
+```
+ArtifactKey("domain-authority-manifest")
+```
+
+Typical ZFS-backed layout:
+
+```
+/asl/domain/authority.manifest
+```
+
+The manifest itself is **content-addressed** and immutable.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Identity Model
+
+### 3.1 Principals
+
+A **principal** is a cryptographic public key.
+
+No usernames.
+No UIDs.
+No machines.
+
+```text
+PrincipalID = HASH(public_key)
+```
+
+---
+
+### 3.2 Roles (Minimal Set)
+
+| Role       | Capability                                          |
+| ---------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
+| `produce`  | Create artifacts (internal only)                    |
+| `execute`  | Emit PERs                                           |
+| `publish`  | Publish artifacts/snapshots to domain-visible state |
+| `federate` | Export published state to other domains             |
+| `audit`    | Verify, but never mutate                            |
+
+Roles are **capabilities**, not permissions.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Manifest Format (Minimal)
+
+### 4.1 Logical Schema
+
+```text
+DomainAuthorityManifest {
+    domain_id        : DomainID
+    version          : u32
+    root_key         : PublicKey
+    principals[]     : PrincipalEntry
+    policy_hash      : Hash
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+### 4.2 Principal Entry
+
+```text
+PrincipalEntry {
+    principal_id : Hash
+    public_key   : PublicKey
+    roles[]      : Role
+}
+```
+
+No expiry.
+No rotation logic in-spec.
+Rotation is done by publishing a **new manifest**.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Example (Canonical Text Form)
+
+```yaml
+domain_id: "example.org/build"
+version: 1
+
+root_key: ed25519:9f2c...a71b
+
+principals:
+  - principal_id: 3a91...ff02
+    public_key: ed25519:3a91...ff02
+    roles: [produce, execute]
+
+  - principal_id: b822...19de
+    public_key: ed25519:b822...19de
+    roles: [publish, federate]
+
+policy_hash: sha256:4e7b...c912
+```
+
+---
+
+## 6. Root Key Semantics
+
+The **root key**:
+
+* May sign new DAM artifacts
+* May revoke all other principals implicitly
+* Is not required for day-to-day operation
+
+Think of it as a **domain constitution**, not an admin account.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Policy Hash (Why it Exists)
+
+The `policy_hash` binds:
+
+* Snapshot publication rules
+* Federation constraints
+* Visibility guarantees
+
+This allows:
+
+* Policy documents to evolve
+* Manifests to remain small
+* Deterministic policy verification
+
+If policy changes → new DAM → new snapshot.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Validation Rules (Normative)
+
+A node **must reject** any action unless:
+
+1. The DAM artifact is visible in the snapshot
+2. The DAM hash matches the snapshot reference
+3. The action is signed by a principal listed in DAM
+4. The principal has the required role
+5. The signature covers:
+
+   * artifact/per hash
+   * logseq
+   * snapshot ID
+
+---
+
+## 9. Interaction with PEL & PERs
+
+### PER Certification
+
+A PER is authoritative **iff**:
+
+```
+PER.signature.principal ∈ DAM
+AND role ∈ {execute}
+AND snapshot_id matches
+```
+
+The PER signature is stored as an **artifact** and linked via TGK.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Federation Rules
+
+A receiving domain must verify:
+
+1. Snapshot is published
+2. Publishing principal has `publish`
+3. Federation principal has `federate`
+4. DAM artifact is included or referenced
+
+No trust in transport.
+No trust in machines.
+
+---
+
+## 11. Key Rotation & Revocation (Minimal)
+
+* Rotation = publish new DAM
+* Revocation = omit key in new DAM
+* Old snapshots remain valid
+* New snapshots use new DAM
+
+No CRLs.
+No live checks.
+
+---
+
+## 12. Why This Is Enough
+
+This manifest:
+
+✔ Anchors authority
+✔ Enables certification
+✔ Preserves determinism
+✔ Survives replay
+✔ Works offline
+✔ Scales across federation
+✔ Avoids OS/user entanglement
+
+---
+
+## 13. One-line Summary
+
+> **The Domain Authority Manifest defines who is allowed to say “this happened” — and makes that statement replayable, verifiable, and permanent.**
+
+---
+
+If you want next, we can:
+
+* Specify **PER signature layout**
+* Define **policy hash contents**
+* Walk through **“home directory archived” as a certified execution**
+* Add **hardware-backed keys (TPM / HSM) without changing the model**
+
+Just say the word.
+

notes/ENC-ASL-AUTH-HOST.md

@@ -0,0 +1,225 @@
+Perfect! Here’s a draft specification for **ENC-ASL-AUTH-HOST v0.1**, the **on-disk layout and encoding** for the authority host. This complements ASL-AUTH-HOST by formalizing **how artifacts, blocks, logs, snapshots, and certificates are stored**.
+
+---
+
+# ENC-ASL-AUTH-HOST v0.1 — On-Disk Layout
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+Defines the **physical and logical layout** of an ASL authority host’s storage.
+Ensures:
+
+* Deterministic artifact placement
+* Snapshot-aware storage
+* Offline-first operation
+* Compatibility with ASL-HOST, PERs, and SOPS bundles
+
+---
+
+## 2. Root Layout
+
+```
+/asl-auth-host/
+├─ /domains/
+│   ├─ <domain-id>/
+│   │   ├─ /store/
+│   │   ├─ /log/
+│   │   ├─ /snapshots/
+│   │   ├─ /certs/
+│   │   ├─ /policies/
+│   │   └─ /dam/
+├─ /tools/
+│   └─ <binary-tools>   # deterministic, versioned rescue/auth tools
+├─ /env-claims/
+│   └─ <snapshot-hash>.claim
+└─ /sops-bundles/
+    └─ <bundle-id>.sops
+```
+
+---
+
+## 3. Domains Directory
+
+**`/domains/<domain-id>/`** contains all **domain-specific storage and authority artifacts**.
+
+### 3.1 Store
+
+```
+/domains/<domain-id>/store/
+├─ blocks/
+│   ├─ <block-id>.bin    # raw artifact bytes
+│   └─ <block-id>.meta   # metadata: size, type_tag, sealed_flag
+├─ indices/
+│   ├─ segment-<n>.idx   # ASL-STORE index segments
+│   └─ bloom-<n>.bf      # optional bloom filters
+```
+
+* Each block is **immutable once sealed**
+* Segment indices point to block IDs and offsets
+* Encoding follows **ASL-STORE-INDEX + ENC-ASL-STORE(-INDEX)** rules
+
+---
+
+### 3.2 Log
+
+```
+/domains/<domain-id>/log/
+├─ log-<seq>.aol   # append-only log files
+```
+
+* Each log record contains:
+
+  * Artifact additions
+  * DAM signatures
+  * Snapshot seals
+  * Tombstone records
+* Deterministic replay reconstructs **CURRENT** state
+
+---
+
+### 3.3 Snapshots
+
+```
+/domains/<domain-id>/snapshots/
+├─ snapshot-<id>.meta
+├─ snapshot-<id>.blocks  # optional reference map
+```
+
+* Snapshot metadata includes:
+
+  * Logseq boundary
+  * Sealed segments
+  * Block references
+  * Environment claim artifact reference
+* Snapshots are **immutable**
+
+---
+
+### 3.4 Certificates
+
+```
+/domains/<domain-id>/certs/
+├─ root.pub           # root public key
+├─ root.priv.enc      # encrypted private key
+├─ dam-signer.pub     # optional signing key for DAMs
+├─ dam-signer.priv.enc
+```
+
+* All private keys are encrypted and **never leave offline host**
+* Public keys are referenced in DAM artifacts
+
+---
+
+### 3.5 Policies
+
+```
+/domains/<domain-id>/policies/
+├─ policy-<hash>.json
+```
+
+* Policy hash stored as artifact
+* Policies include:
+
+  * Domain admission rules
+  * Courtesy leases
+  * GC / retention rules
+
+---
+
+### 3.6 Domain Admission Manifests (DAM)
+
+```
+/domains/<domain-id>/dam/
+├─ dam-<seq>.json.sig  # signed DAM artifact
+```
+
+* Each DAM artifact contains:
+
+  * Domain ID
+  * Root key fingerprint
+  * Policy hash
+  * Courtesy lease info (optional)
+* Signed by root key
+
+---
+
+## 4. Tools
+
+```
+/tools/
+├─ asl-auth-host       # main authority binary
+├─ asl-rescue          # SystemRescue patched tools
+└─ sops                # for offline bundle creation
+```
+
+* Versioned, deterministic, immutable binaries
+* Executables stored as ASL artifacts if desired
+
+---
+
+## 5. Environment Claims
+
+```
+/env-claims/
+├─ <snapshot-id>.claim
+```
+
+* Contains:
+
+  * OS image hash
+  * Boot environment info
+  * Installed tool hashes
+  * ASL-HOST store checksum at snapshot
+* Stored as artifact and optionally signed by root key
+
+---
+
+## 6. SOPS Bundles
+
+```
+/sops-bundles/
+├─ <bundle-id>.sops
+```
+
+* Encrypted container for DAMs, PER receipts, and optionally policies
+* Can be delivered to new nodes for **admission or rescue**
+* Includes checksums for integrity
+
+---
+
+## 7. Encoding Conventions
+
+1. **Blocks**: `<block-id>.bin` (raw bytes), accompanied by `<block-id>.meta`
+2. **Indices**: segment-based index; segment files immutable after seal
+3. **Log**: append-only, each entry:
+
+   * `logseq | artifact_key | block_ref | type_tag | operation | signature`
+4. **Snapshots**: snapshot ID derived from hash of CURRENT log + block refs
+5. **Certificates**: PEM or ASL-artifact wrapped keys
+6. **SOPS Bundles**: standard encrypted JSON/YAML with embedded checksums
+
+---
+
+## 8. Security Notes
+
+* Private keys must **never be exposed** or included in SOPS bundles unencrypted
+* Blocks in store may be encrypted with **per-domain keys**
+* Environment claims ensure **proof of offline execution**
+* DAMs must be signed to be trusted
+
+---
+
+This layout allows the **authority host** to:
+
+* Bootstrap personal or group domains
+* Accept rescued artifacts
+* Produce deterministic PERs and snapshots
+* Create SOPS bundles for new nodes
+* Operate fully offline
+
+---
+
+If you want, I can **draw a full diagram showing the ENC-ASL-AUTH-HOST tree, block-flow, snapshot integration, and PER generation**, so it’s easier to visualize the data flow during rescue or admission.
+
+Do you want me to make that diagram next?
+

notes/ENC-ASL-HOST.md

@@ -0,0 +1,370 @@
+Good — this is the right thing to pin down next.
+Below is a **precise, minimal, authority-aware but storage-agnostic ASL-HOST on-disk layout**, designed to work on **ZFS, btrfs, or plain POSIX**, and to survive before ASL-STORE / ASL-CORE are fully implemented.
+
+This layout defines **where things live**, not **how bytes are encoded**.
+
+---
+
+# ASL-HOST On-Disk Layout — v0.1
+
+---
+
+## 1. Design Goals (Normative)
+
+The on-disk layout MUST:
+
+1. Enforce **domain isolation**
+2. Separate **authority, storage, and execution**
+3. Support **append-only logs**
+4. Support **snapshots as first-class**
+5. Allow **courtesy leases and revocation**
+6. Remain **forward-compatible** with ASL-STORE and ENC specs
+
+The layout MUST NOT:
+
+* Encode artifact semantics
+* Encode index formats
+* Encode cryptographic algorithms
+
+---
+
+## 2. Root Layout
+
+```text
+/asl-host/
+├── host/
+│   ├── host-id
+│   ├── host-policy
+│   └── trusted-roots/
+│
+├── domains/
+│   ├── <domain-id>/
+│   │   ├── domain.json
+│   │   ├── admission/
+│   │   ├── auth/
+│   │   ├── store/
+│   │   ├── index/
+│   │   ├── log/
+│   │   ├── snapshots/
+│   │   ├── leases/
+│   │   └── tmp/
+│
+├── federation/
+│   ├── peers/
+│   ├── exports/
+│   └── imports/
+│
+└── quarantine/
+```
+
+Everything below this root is owned by ASL-HOST.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Host-Level Metadata
+
+### `/asl-host/host/`
+
+```text
+host/
+├── host-id              # stable ID for this machine
+├── host-policy          # local admission & resource policy
+└── trusted-roots/
+    ├── root-A.pub
+    ├── root-B.pub
+    └── ...
+```
+
+**Notes:**
+
+* Trusted roots are **offline-established**
+* Used for **admission verification**
+* Not domain-specific
+
+---
+
+## 4. Domain Directory (Authoritative Boundary)
+
+Each domain has **one directory**, nothing crosses this boundary implicitly.
+
+```text
+/domains/<domain-id>/
+```
+
+This directory MUST be the **sole owner** of:
+
+* blocks
+* logs
+* snapshots
+* indexes
+* domain-local authority state
+
+---
+
+## 5. Domain Descriptor
+
+### `/domains/<domain-id>/domain.json`
+
+This is **host-owned metadata**, not part of ASL-CORE.
+
+```json
+{
+  "domain_id": "...",
+  "state": "COURTESY | FULL | SUSPENDED | REVOKED",
+  "created_at": "...",
+  "admitted_at": "...",
+  "root_key_fingerprint": "...",
+  "policy_hash": "...",
+  "current_snapshot": "...",
+  "current_logseq": 12345
+}
+```
+
+This file is **not signed** — it is derived state.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Admission Records
+
+### `/domains/<domain-id>/admission/`
+
+```text
+admission/
+├── dam.cbor
+├── dam.sig
+├── admission-request.cbor
+├── admission-decision.cbor
+└── admission-decision.sig
+```
+
+This directory contains **immutable records** of how the domain was admitted.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Authority Material (Domain-Local)
+
+### `/domains/<domain-id>/auth/`
+
+```text
+auth/
+├── root.pub
+├── operators/
+│   ├── op1.pub
+│   └── ...
+├── device.pub
+└── revocations/
+```
+
+**Rules:**
+
+* Private keys MAY exist only temporarily (e.g. SystemRescue)
+* ASL-HOST MUST NOT rely on private keys being present
+
+---
+
+## 8. Store Root (Blocks)
+
+### `/domains/<domain-id>/store/`
+
+```text
+store/
+├── blocks/
+│   ├── open/
+│   ├── sealed/
+│   └── gc/
+├── objects/          # optional future packing
+└── encryption/
+```
+
+**Notes:**
+
+* `open/` blocks may be lost
+* `sealed/` blocks are immutable
+* `gc/` is host-managed
+* Encryption metadata is **opaque to ASL-STORE**
+
+---
+
+## 9. Index Area (Semantic-Free)
+
+### `/domains/<domain-id>/index/`
+
+```text
+index/
+├── segments/
+│   ├── seg-000001/
+│   └── ...
+├── bloom/            # optional
+└── tmp/
+```
+
+ASL-HOST only guarantees:
+
+* sealed segments are immutable
+* segments become visible only after seal record
+
+---
+
+## 10. Append-Only Log
+
+### `/domains/<domain-id>/log/`
+
+```text
+log/
+├── append.log
+├── checkpoints/
+│   ├── chk-000001/
+│   └── ...
+└── seal.log
+```
+
+**Rules:**
+
+* append-only
+* monotonic
+* replayable
+* seal.log records segment seals
+
+---
+
+## 11. Snapshots
+
+### `/domains/<domain-id>/snapshots/`
+
+```text
+snapshots/
+├── snap-000001/
+├── snap-000002/
+└── pinned/
+    ├── snap-000001
+```
+
+**Host responsibility:**
+
+* mapping snapshots to log positions
+* enforcing pinning
+* enforcing courtesy limits
+
+---
+
+## 12. Courtesy Leases
+
+### `/domains/<domain-id>/leases/`
+
+```text
+leases/
+├── lease-001.json
+├── lease-002.json
+└── active
+```
+
+Each lease file:
+
+```json
+{
+  "lease_id": "...",
+  "granted_by": "...",
+  "storage_bytes": 1073741824,
+  "expires_at": "..."
+}
+```
+
+ASL-HOST enforces these.
+
+---
+
+## 13. Temporary / Execution Space
+
+### `/domains/<domain-id>/tmp/`
+
+Used for:
+
+* Sedelpress staging
+* PEL execution scratch
+* unsealed buffers
+
+**Never snapshot-pinned.**
+
+---
+
+## 14. Federation Area
+
+### `/asl-host/federation/`
+
+```text
+federation/
+├── peers/
+│   ├── <peer-domain-id>/
+│   │   ├── pinned-roots/
+│   │   ├── imported-snapshots/
+│   │   └── replay-state.json
+├── exports/
+└── imports/
+```
+
+Federation is **explicit and opt-in**.
+
+---
+
+## 15. Quarantine
+
+### `/asl-host/quarantine/`
+
+Used for:
+
+* rejected domains
+* policy violations
+* forensic inspection
+
+No domain in quarantine may execute or publish.
+
+---
+
+## 16. ZFS / Snapshot Mapping (Recommended)
+
+If using ZFS:
+
+| Path                      | ZFS Dataset         |
+| ------------------------- | ------------------- |
+| `/domains/<id>`           | dataset             |
+| `/domains/<id>/store`     | child dataset       |
+| `/domains/<id>/snapshots` | ZFS snapshots       |
+| `/domains/<id>/tmp`       | no-snapshot dataset |
+
+This gives **real snapshot semantics** aligned with ASL rules.
+
+---
+
+## 17. Invariants (Non-Negotiable)
+
+1. No block crosses domain boundaries implicitly
+2. No snapshot without log position
+3. No sealed block mutation
+4. No admission without DAM
+5. No federation without ASL-HOST approval
+
+---
+
+## 18. Why This Works
+
+✔ Clean separation of concerns
+✔ Domain sovereignty enforced by path
+✔ Admission-first architecture
+✔ Rescue and sovereign flows unified
+✔ ASL-STORE can drop in later
+
+---
+
+## 19. One-Sentence Summary
+
+> **ASL-HOST’s on-disk layout is a constitutional map: it tells every byte who it belongs to, why it exists, and when it may be trusted.**
+
+If you want, next we can:
+
+* write a **reference filesystem implementation**
+* simulate a **full rescue → admission → publish flow on disk**
+* define **revocation propagation on disk**
+* or map this directly to **ZFS commands**
+
+Just say where to push next.
+

notes/ENC-ASL-LOG v0.1.md

@@ -0,0 +1,202 @@
+Absolutely — let’s lay down **ENC-ASL-LOG v0.1**, a minimal deterministic encoding for the append-only ASL log. I’ll aim for something that is **platform-independent, reproducible, and maps cleanly to your index and artifact workflow**.
+
+---
+
+# ENC-ASL-LOG v0.1
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+This document specifies the **exact byte-level encoding** of the ASL append-only log.
+
+It is intended for:
+
+* C libraries
+* CLI tools
+* Memory-mapped readers
+* Interchange between hosts
+
+It defines **encoding**, **record structure**, and **persistence semantics**, but **not log semantics** — see ASL-STORE and ASL-CORE for ordering, snapshot, and visibility rules.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Encoding Principles
+
+1. **Little-endian integers** (multi-byte)
+2. **Packed structures**: no compiler padding
+3. **Forward-compatible versioning** via `header.version`
+4. **Checksums** for corruption detection
+5. **Deterministic serialization**: same log content → same byte sequence
+
+---
+
+## 3. Log File Layout
+
+```
++----------------+
+| LogHeader      |
++----------------+
+| LogRecord[ ]   |
++----------------+
+| LogFooter      |
++----------------+
+```
+
+* **LogHeader**: fixed-size, mandatory, begins file
+* **LogRecord[]**: append-only entries, variable number
+* **LogFooter**: optional, contains global checksum
+
+---
+
+## 4. LogHeader
+
+```c
+#pragma pack(push,1)
+typedef struct {
+    uint64_t magic;       // Unique magic for ASL log
+    uint16_t version;     // Encoding version
+    uint16_t flags;       // Reserved
+    uint32_t header_size; // Total header bytes including this struct
+    uint64_t first_snapshot; // First snapshot referenced
+    uint64_t last_snapshot;  // Last snapshot referenced
+} LogHeader;
+#pragma pack(pop)
+```
+
+Notes:
+
+* `magic` ensures correct file type
+* `version` allows forward compatibility
+* `first_snapshot` and `last_snapshot` help range validation
+
+---
+
+## 5. LogRecord
+
+```c
+#pragma pack(push,1)
+typedef enum {
+    LOG_RECORD_ADD_INDEX_SEGMENT = 1,
+    LOG_RECORD_SEAL_SEGMENT      = 2,
+    LOG_RECORD_TOMBSTONE         = 3,
+    LOG_RECORD_CUSTOM            = 0x1000
+} LogRecordType;
+
+typedef struct {
+    uint64_t record_id;     // Unique log entry ID
+    uint64_t timestamp_ns;  // Monotonic time of record creation
+    uint64_t snapshot_id;   // Snapshot for which entry applies
+    uint32_t type;          // LogRecordType
+    uint32_t payload_size;  // Size of payload bytes following this header
+} LogRecordHeader;
+#pragma pack(pop)
+```
+
+* Immediately after `LogRecordHeader`, `payload_size` bytes of **payload** follow.
+* Payload encodes type-specific information.
+
+### 5.1 Payload Examples
+
+**Add Index Segment**
+
+```
+struct {
+    uint64_t segment_file_id; // Corresponding ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX segment
+    uint64_t entry_count;     // Number of index entries
+    uint8_t  reserved[16];    // Future fields
+};
+```
+
+**Seal Segment**
+
+```
+struct {
+    uint64_t segment_file_id;
+    uint64_t seal_snapshot_id;
+    uint64_t seal_time_ns;
+};
+```
+
+**Tombstone**
+
+```
+struct {
+    uint64_t artifact_hash_hi;
+    uint64_t artifact_hash_mid;
+    uint64_t artifact_hash_lo;
+    uint32_t artifact_hash_tail;
+    uint32_t flags; // reserved
+};
+```
+
+**Custom**
+
+```
+Arbitrary byte sequence, self-describing.
+```
+
+---
+
+## 6. LogFooter
+
+```c
+#pragma pack(push,1)
+typedef struct {
+    uint64_t crc64;      // CRC over entire log (excluding footer)
+    uint64_t record_count;// Total records in log
+} LogFooter;
+#pragma pack(pop)
+```
+
+---
+
+## 7. Record Ordering & Durability
+
+* Entries are **strictly append-only**.
+* `record_id` must be strictly increasing.
+* `snapshot_id` reflects the visibility snapshot.
+* Readers **replay records in order** to derive CURRENT state.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Checksums & Integrity
+
+* All multi-byte fields are little-endian.
+* `LogFooter.crc64` is optional but recommended.
+* Per-record integrity may optionally include a **record CRC** as first 8 bytes of payload.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Versioning
+
+* `LogHeader.version` = 0x01
+* New fields must not break existing layout.
+* Unsupported versions must be rejected by readers.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Relationship to Other Layers
+
+| Layer              | Responsibility                                  |
+| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------- |
+| ASL-STORE          | Lifecycle, visibility, snapshot enforcement     |
+| ASL-CORE-INDEX     | Index semantics (ArtifactKey → BlockID mapping) |
+| ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX | Exact byte layout for index segments            |
+| ENC-ASL-LOG        | Exact byte layout for append-only log           |
+
+---
+
+✅ This gives you a **minimal, deterministic log encoding**.
+
+You could now use it to:
+
+1. Append a new log record for an index segment
+2. Seal segments
+3. Mark tombstones
+4. Replay in order to reconstruct CURRENT
+
+---
+
+If you want, I can **draft a minimal C writer/reader API** next that directly reads/writes this log, including helpers for `add_index_segment()`, `seal_segment()`, and `tombstone()` with payload serialization.
+
+Do you want me to do that next?
+

notes/ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX.md

@@ -0,0 +1,223 @@
+Absolutely — here’s a **draft for ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX**, carefully merging ASL artifact indexes and TGK edge indexes while respecting the **separation of concerns** and **snapshot determinism**.
+
+This design keeps **ENC-ASL-CORE** and **ENC-TGK-CORE** authoritative, and only merges **index references and acceleration structures**.
+
+---
+
+# ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX
+
+### Merged On-Disk Index for ASL Artifacts and TGK Edges
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX defines a **unified on-disk index** that:
+
+* References **ASL artifacts** (ENC-ASL-CORE)
+* References **TGK edges** (ENC-TGK-CORE)
+* Supports **routing keys, filters, sharding, SIMD acceleration** per ASL-INDEX-ACCEL
+* Preserves **snapshot safety, log-sequence ordering, and immutability**
+
+> Semantic data lives in the respective CORE layers; this index layer **only stores references**.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Layering Principle
+
+| Layer                 | Responsibility                               |
+| --------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
+| ENC-ASL-CORE          | Artifact structure and type tags             |
+| ENC-TGK-CORE          | Edge structure (`from[] → to[]`)             |
+| TGK-INDEX / ASL-INDEX | Canonical & routing keys, index semantics    |
+| ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX     | On-disk references and acceleration metadata |
+
+**Invariant:** This index never re-encodes artifacts or edges.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Segment Layout
+
+Segments are **append-only** and **snapshot-bound**:
+
+```
++-----------------------------+
+| Segment Header              |
++-----------------------------+
+| Routing Filters             |
++-----------------------------+
+| ASL Artifact Index Records  |
++-----------------------------+
+| TGK Edge Index Records      |
++-----------------------------+
+| Optional Acceleration Data  |
++-----------------------------+
+| Segment Footer              |
++-----------------------------+
+```
+
+* Segment atomicity enforced
+* Footer checksum guarantees integrity
+
+---
+
+## 4. Segment Header
+
+```c
+struct asl_tgk_index_segment_header {
+    uint32_t magic;            // 'ATXI'
+    uint16_t version;
+    uint16_t flags;
+    uint64_t segment_id;
+    uint64_t logseq_min;
+    uint64_t logseq_max;
+    uint64_t asl_record_count;
+    uint64_t tgk_record_count;
+    uint64_t record_area_offset;
+    uint64_t footer_offset;
+};
+```
+
+* `logseq_*` enforce snapshot visibility
+* Separate counts for ASL and TGK entries
+
+---
+
+## 5. Routing Filters
+
+Filters may be **segmented by type**:
+
+* **ASL filters**: artifact hash + type tag
+* **TGK filters**: canonical edge ID + edge type key + optional role
+
+```c
+struct asl_tgk_filter_header {
+    uint16_t filter_type;  // e.g., BLOOM, XOR
+    uint16_t version;
+    uint32_t flags;
+    uint64_t size_bytes;   // length of filter payload
+};
+```
+
+* Filters are advisory; false positives allowed, false negatives forbidden
+* Must be deterministic per snapshot
+
+---
+
+## 6. ASL Artifact Index Record
+
+```c
+struct asl_index_record {
+    uint64_t logseq;
+    uint64_t artifact_id;      // ENC-ASL-CORE reference
+    uint32_t type_tag;         // optional
+    uint8_t  has_type_tag;     // 0 or 1
+    uint16_t flags;            // tombstone, reserved
+};
+```
+
+* `artifact_id` = canonical identity
+* No artifact payload here
+
+---
+
+## 7. TGK Edge Index Record
+
+```c
+struct tgk_index_record {
+    uint64_t logseq;
+    uint64_t tgk_edge_id;      // ENC-TGK-CORE reference
+    uint32_t edge_type_key;    // optional
+    uint8_t  has_edge_type;
+    uint8_t  role;             // optional from/to/both
+    uint16_t flags;            // tombstone, reserved
+};
+```
+
+* `tgk_edge_id` = canonical TGK-CORE edge ID
+* No node lists stored in index
+
+---
+
+## 8. Optional Node-Projection Records
+
+For acceleration:
+
+```c
+struct node_edge_ref {
+    uint64_t logseq;
+    uint64_t node_id;          // from/to node
+    uint64_t tgk_edge_id;
+    uint8_t  position;         // from or to
+};
+```
+
+* Fully derivable from TGK-CORE edges
+* Optional; purely for lookup speed
+
+---
+
+## 9. Sharding and SIMD
+
+* Shard assignment is **routing key based** (ASL artifact or TGK edge)
+* SIMD arrays may store precomputed routing keys for fast filter evaluation
+* Must follow ASL-INDEX-ACCEL invariants: deterministic, immutable, snapshot-safe
+
+---
+
+## 10. Snapshot Interaction
+
+At snapshot `S`:
+
+* Segment visible if `logseq_min ≤ S`
+* ASL or TGK record visible if `logseq ≤ S`
+* Tombstones shadow earlier records
+* Filters may be used as advisory before canonical verification
+
+---
+
+## 11. Segment Footer
+
+```c
+struct asl_tgk_index_segment_footer {
+    uint64_t checksum;        // covers header, filters, records
+    uint64_t asl_record_bytes;
+    uint64_t tgk_record_bytes;
+    uint64_t filter_bytes;
+};
+```
+
+* Ensures atomicity and completeness
+
+---
+
+## 12. Normative Invariants
+
+1. **ASL artifact identity = ENC-ASL-CORE artifact ID**
+2. **TGK edge identity = ENC-TGK-CORE edge ID**
+3. Edge type tag and artifact type tag **do not affect canonical identity**
+4. Filters are advisory only; no false negatives
+5. Sharding is observationally invisible
+6. Index records are immutable once written
+7. Snapshot visibility strictly follows `logseq`
+8. Determinism guaranteed per snapshot
+
+---
+
+## 13. Summary
+
+ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX merges ASL artifacts and TGK edges into a **single, snapshot-safe, acceleration-friendly index layer**:
+
+* Keeps core semantics authoritative
+* Enables high-performance lookups using routing, sharding, SIMD, and filters
+* Preserves immutability and determinism
+* Fully compatible with ASL-INDEX-ACCEL principles
+
+This design supports billions of references while avoiding semantic collisions between ASL and TGK layers.
+
+---
+
+If you want, the next step could be **drafting a unified query execution model** over this merged index, connecting **artifact lookups** and **TGK graph traversals** in a snapshot-safe, deterministic way.
+
+Do you want me to do that next?
+

notes/Encrypted Block Storage Across Domains.md

@@ -0,0 +1,241 @@
+Yes — **you can, and this is actually a *very strong* pattern** in your model.
+But it only works if you are precise about **what is being trusted** and **what is being hidden**.
+
+The short version:
+
+> **Yes: you can store encrypted blocks from a personal domain inside a public domain, safely, as long as encryption is treated as content and keys are never part of federation.**
+
+Below is the clean, formal way to do it.
+
+---
+
+# Encrypted Block Storage Across Domains
+
+---
+
+## 1. Core principle (non-negotiable)
+
+> **Public domains may store bytes they cannot interpret, validate, or decrypt — but never assert meaning for them.**
+
+The *meaning* stays private.
+The *storage* is outsourced.
+
+---
+
+## 2. What is actually stored in the public domain
+
+The public domain stores:
+
+* **Encrypted ASL blocks**
+* Content-addressed by ciphertext hash
+* Snapshot-pinned
+* Garbage-collectable under public policy
+
+It does **not** store:
+
+* Keys
+* Key identifiers
+* Decryption metadata
+* Plaintext hashes
+* Domain semantics
+
+---
+
+## 3. Encryption model (minimal and safe)
+
+### 3.1 Block encryption
+
+Before block sealing:
+
+```
+plaintext_block
+  → encrypt(K)
+  → ciphertext_block
+  → BlockID = HASH(ciphertext_block)
+```
+
+Important:
+
+* Encryption happens **before sealing**
+* BlockID is over ciphertext
+* Deterministic encryption is NOT required
+* Randomized AEAD is fine
+
+---
+
+### 3.2 Key ownership
+
+* Keys belong **only** to the personal domain
+* Keys are **never federated**
+* Keys are not referenced by ArtifactIndex entries
+
+Encryption keys are **out-of-band capability**.
+
+---
+
+## 4. How the public domain sees these blocks
+
+From the public domain’s perspective:
+
+* These are opaque blocks
+* They are indistinguishable from random data
+* They have no semantic index entries
+* They cannot be interpreted or replayed
+
+This is good.
+
+---
+
+## 5. How your personal domain references them
+
+Your personal domain keeps:
+
+* ArtifactIndex entries referencing ciphertext BlockIDs
+* Decryption metadata *locally* (or derivable)
+* Snapshot-pinned authority over interpretation
+
+Example:
+
+```
+Artifact(personal-photo-archive)
+  → BlockID(ciphertext)
+  → Decrypt with K
+```
+
+---
+
+## 6. Cross-domain reference mechanics
+
+There are **two distinct references**:
+
+### 6.1 Storage reference (public domain)
+
+Public domain:
+
+* Owns physical blocks
+* Manages retention
+* Applies GC per its policy
+
+No semantic claims.
+
+---
+
+### 6.2 Semantic reference (personal domain)
+
+Personal domain:
+
+* Owns ArtifactKey → ArtifactLocation
+* Owns decryption
+* Owns provenance
+* Owns meaning
+
+---
+
+## 7. Trust & threat model (explicit)
+
+### Public domain can:
+
+* Delete data (availability loss)
+* Rate-limit access
+* Mirror data
+
+### Public domain cannot:
+
+* Read content
+* Forge artifacts
+* Alter meaning
+* Impersonate you
+
+If they delete data, integrity still holds — availability is a *separate* concern.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Federation and publication rules
+
+### What you publish to public domain
+
+You publish:
+
+* Encrypted blocks
+* Optional block size metadata
+* No ArtifactIndex
+* No TGK edges
+
+This is **storage federation**, not semantic federation.
+
+---
+
+### What you never publish
+
+* Plaintext artifacts
+* PERs
+* Index entries
+* Keys
+* Origin attestations
+
+---
+
+## 9. Optional: Explicit Storage-Only Contract (recommended)
+
+To make this explicit, define:
+
+```text
+StorageOnlyContract {
+    provider_domain : DomainID
+    consumer_domain : DomainID
+    retention_terms : enum
+    confidentiality : "opaque-bytes-only"
+}
+```
+
+This contract is:
+
+* Snapshot-pinned
+* Signed by both domains
+* Human-auditable
+
+---
+
+## 10. Recovery flow (important)
+
+If you later need to recover:
+
+1. Fetch ciphertext blocks from public domain
+2. Verify hash
+3. Decrypt with private keys
+4. Reconstruct artifacts via personal index
+5. Replay snapshots
+
+Public domain never learns anything.
+
+---
+
+## 11. Why this is safe even under hostile public domains
+
+Because:
+
+✔ Integrity is content-addressed
+✔ Meaning is private
+✔ Keys never cross domains
+✔ No trust in storage provider
+✔ Replay remains deterministic
+
+This is **zero-knowledge storage federation**.
+
+---
+
+## 12. One-sentence takeaway
+
+> **Public domains can safely store your encrypted blocks as opaque content, while all meaning, authority, and trust remain entirely within your personal domain.**
+
+---
+
+If you want next, we can:
+
+* Specify **key derivation & rotation** compatible with snapshots
+* Define **encrypted block GC safety**
+* Model **multi-provider encrypted storage**
+* Show **how to publish selectively decrypted subsets later**
+
+This is a powerful capability — and you’re using it correctly.
+

notes/Federation and Cross-Node Deterministic Replay Specification.md

@@ -0,0 +1,193 @@
+Absolutely — here’s a formal draft for **federation propagation rules and cross-node deterministic replay** for ASL + TGK + PEL. This ensures deterministic, snapshot-safe execution across multiple nodes while preserving artifact provenance and DAG integrity.
+
+---
+
+# Federation and Cross-Node Deterministic Replay Specification
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+This specification defines:
+
+1. How **artifacts, PERs, and TGK edges** are propagated across federation nodes.
+2. How **deterministic replay** is guaranteed on remote nodes.
+3. How **snapshots, shards, and logs** are used to synchronize state.
+4. Rules for **conflict resolution, tombstone handling, and provenance integrity**.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Key Concepts
+
+* **Node**: Independent system with access to ASL/TGK storage and PEL execution environment.
+* **Federation**: Set of nodes that share artifacts, execution receipts, and TGK edges.
+* **ArtifactKey**: Canonical identifier for artifacts or PERs.
+* **SnapshotID**: Unique identifier of a ZFS snapshot (per pool or globally assigned).
+* **Log Sequence (logseq)**: Monotonic sequence ensuring ordering for deterministic replay.
+* **Execution Receipt (PER)**: Artifact describing the deterministic output of a PEL program.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Propagation Rules
+
+### 3.1 Artifact & PER Propagation
+
+1. **New artifacts or PERs** are assigned a **global canonical ArtifactKey**.
+2. Each node maintains a **local shard mapping**; shard boundaries may differ per node.
+3. Artifacts are propagated via **snapshot-delta sync**:
+
+   * Only artifacts **logseq > last replicated logseq** are transmitted.
+   * Each artifact includes:
+
+     * `ArtifactKey`
+     * `logseq`
+     * `type_tag` (optional)
+     * Payload checksum (hash)
+4. PER artifacts are treated the same as raw artifacts but may include additional **PEL DAG metadata**.
+
+---
+
+### 3.2 TGK Edge Propagation
+
+1. TGK edges reference canonical ArtifactKeys and NodeIDs.
+2. Each edge includes:
+
+   * From nodes list
+   * To nodes list
+   * Edge type key
+   * Roles (from/to/both)
+   * logseq
+3. Edges are propagated **incrementally**, respecting snapshot boundaries.
+4. Deterministic ordering:
+
+   * Edges sorted by `(logseq, canonical_edge_id)` on transmit
+   * Replay nodes consume edges in the same order
+
+---
+
+### 3.3 Snapshot and Log Management
+
+* Each node maintains:
+
+  1. **Last applied snapshot** per federation peer
+  2. **Sequential write log** for artifacts and edges
+* Replay on a remote node:
+
+  1. Apply artifacts and edges sequentially from log
+  2. Only apply artifacts **≤ target snapshot**
+  3. Merge multiple logs deterministically via `(logseq, canonical_id)` tie-breaker
+
+---
+
+## 4. Conflict Resolution
+
+1. **ArtifactKey collisions**:
+
+   * If hash matches existing artifact → discard duplicate
+   * If hash differs → flag conflict, require manual reconciliation or automated deterministic resolution
+2. **TGK edge conflicts**:
+
+   * Multiple edges with same `from/to/type` but different logseq → pick latest ≤ snapshot
+   * Shadowed edges handled via **TombstoneShadow operator**
+3. **PER replay conflicts**:
+
+   * Identical PEL DAG + identical inputs → skip execution
+   * Divergent inputs → log error, optionally recompute
+
+---
+
+## 5. Deterministic Replay Algorithm
+
+```c
+void FederationReplay(log_buffer_t *incoming_log, snapshot_range_t target_snapshot) {
+    // Sort incoming log deterministically
+    sort(incoming_log, by_logseq_then_canonical_id);
+
+    for (uint64_t i = 0; i < incoming_log->count; i++) {
+        record_t rec = incoming_log->records[i];
+
+        // Skip artifacts beyond target snapshot
+        if (rec.logseq > target_snapshot.logseq_max) continue;
+
+        // Apply artifact or TGK edge
+        if (rec.type == ARTIFACT || rec.type == PER) {
+            ApplyArtifact(rec);
+        } else if (rec.type == TGK_EDGE) {
+            ApplyTGKEdge(rec);
+        }
+
+        // Shadow tombstones deterministically
+        if (rec.is_tombstone) {
+            ApplyTombstone(rec.canonical_id, rec.logseq);
+        }
+    }
+}
+```
+
+* Guarantees **deterministic replay** across nodes.
+* Uses **logseq + canonical ID ordering** for tie-breaking.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Shard-Local Execution
+
+* After federation sync, **local shards** may differ.
+* Execution plan operators (SegmentScan, IndexFilter, TGKTraversal) operate **on local shards**.
+* Global determinism maintained by:
+
+  * Deterministic merge of shards
+  * Snapshot constraints
+  * Canonical ordering of artifacts and edges
+
+---
+
+## 7. Provenance and Audit
+
+* Each node maintains:
+
+  * **Snapshot provenance table**: snapshot ID → list of applied artifacts/PERs
+  * **Federation log table**: peer node → last applied logseq
+* Deterministic execution allows **replay and auditing**:
+
+  * Verify that `final_output` is identical across nodes
+  * Provenance tables ensure **full traceability**
+
+---
+
+## 8. Multi-Node DAG Execution
+
+1. PEL programs may span **multiple nodes**:
+
+   * Inputs and intermediate PERs propagated deterministically
+   * DAG nodes executed locally when all inputs are available
+2. Determinism guaranteed because:
+
+   * Inputs constrained by snapshot + logseq
+   * Operators are deterministic
+   * Merge, shadowing, and projection preserve canonical ordering
+
+---
+
+## 9. Summary
+
+Federation and cross-node deterministic replay:
+
+* Uses **logseq + canonical IDs** for deterministic ordering
+* Supports **PER and TGK artifacts** across nodes
+* Enforces **snapshot constraints**
+* Enables **federated PEL program execution**
+* Preserves **provenance, tombstones, and deterministic DAG evaluation**
+* Compatible with SIMD/shard acceleration and ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX memory layout
+
+---
+
+Next step could be **drafting a formal overall architecture diagram** showing:
+
+* PEL programs
+* ASL/TGK storage
+* Execution plan operators
+* Shard/SIMD execution
+* Federation propagation and replay paths
+
+Do you want me to draft that architecture diagram next?
+

notes/Makefile

@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------
+# ASL Capture Makefile
+#
+# Supports:
+#   - PIPE-only build (default)
+#   - PTY-enabled build (ENABLE_PTY=1)
+#
+# Targets:
+#   make
+#   make ENABLE_PTY=1
+#   make install DESTDIR=...
+#   make clean
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+# Toolchain
+CC      ?= cc
+AR      ?= ar
+RANLIB  ?= ranlib
+INSTALL ?= install
+
+# Paths
+PREFIX        ?= /usr
+BINDIR        ?= $(PREFIX)/bin
+LIBDIR        ?= $(PREFIX)/lib
+INCLUDEDIR    ?= $(PREFIX)/include/asl
+
+# Versioning (library ABI)
+LIBNAME       = asl-capture
+LIB_MAJOR     = 0
+LIB_MINOR     = 1
+LIB_PATCH     = 0
+
+SONAME        = lib$(LIBNAME).so.$(LIB_MAJOR)
+REALNAME      = lib$(LIBNAME).so.$(LIB_MAJOR).$(LIB_MINOR).$(LIB_PATCH)
+
+# Flags
+CFLAGS  ?= -O2
+CFLAGS  += -Wall -Wextra -fPIC
+CPPFLAGS += -I.
+
+LDFLAGS ?=
+LIBS    ?=
+
+# Optional PTY support
+ifeq ($(ENABLE_PTY),1)
+CPPFLAGS += -DASL_ENABLE_PTY
+LIBS     += -lutil
+endif
+
+# Sources
+LIB_SRC  = asl_capture.c
+LIB_OBJ  = $(LIB_SRC:.c=.o)
+
+TOOL_SRC = asl_capture_tool.c
+TOOL_OBJ = $(TOOL_SRC:.c=.o)
+
+# Outputs
+STATIC_LIB = lib$(LIBNAME).a
+SHARED_LIB = $(REALNAME)
+SONAME_LIB = $(SONAME)
+TOOL       = asl-capture
+
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Default target
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+all: $(STATIC_LIB) $(SHARED_LIB) $(TOOL)
+
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Library builds
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+%.o: %.c
+	$(CC) $(CPPFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
+
+$(STATIC_LIB): $(LIB_OBJ)
+	$(AR) rcs $@ $^
+	$(RANLIB) $@
+
+$(SHARED_LIB): $(LIB_OBJ)
+	$(CC) -shared \
+	    -Wl,-soname,$(SONAME_LIB) \
+	    -o $@ $^ $(LIBS)
+
+# Symlink for soname
+$(SONAME_LIB): $(SHARED_LIB)
+	ln -sf $(REALNAME) $(SONAME_LIB)
+
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Tool build
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+$(TOOL): $(TOOL_OBJ) $(SHARED_LIB)
+	$(CC) -o $@ $(TOOL_OBJ) \
+	    -L. -l$(LIBNAME) $(LIBS)
+
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Install
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+install: all
+	# Library
+	$(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDIR)
+	$(INSTALL) -m 0755 $(SHARED_LIB) $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDIR)/
+	ln -sf $(REALNAME) $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDIR)/$(SONAME_LIB)
+	ln -sf $(SONAME_LIB) $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDIR)/lib$(LIBNAME).so
+
+	# Static lib
+	$(INSTALL) -m 0644 $(STATIC_LIB) $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDIR)/
+
+	# Headers
+	$(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)$(INCLUDEDIR)
+	$(INSTALL) -m 0644 asl_capture.h $(DESTDIR)$(INCLUDEDIR)/
+
+	# Tool
+	$(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)
+	$(INSTALL) -m 0755 $(TOOL) $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/
+
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Clean
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+clean:
+	rm -f *.o *.a *.so* $(TOOL)
+
+.PHONY: all install clean
+

notes/Offline Certificate System (OCS) for ASL Domains

@@ -0,0 +1,272 @@
+Great, this fits *cleanly* into what you already have.
+The key is to **treat certificates as artifacts**, not as an external PKI bolted on the side.
+
+Below is a **minimal offline certificate system** that integrates with:
+
+* Domain Authority Manifest (DAM)
+* Policy hash
+* PER signatures
+* Federation
+* Offline signing machine (e.g. Debian laptop kept off-network)
+
+No X.509 complexity, no live revocation, no TLS assumptions.
+
+---
+
+# Offline Certificate System (OCS) for ASL Domains
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+The **Offline Certificate System (OCS)** exists to:
+
+* Anchor **domain authority** in an offline root
+* Certify **domain keys and principals**
+* Allow **air-gapped signing**
+* Preserve **determinism and replayability**
+
+It answers:
+
+> *“Why should I believe this Domain Authority Manifest?”*
+
+---
+
+## 2. Core Principle (Very Important)
+
+> **Certificates are immutable ASL artifacts, not live credentials.**
+
+They are:
+
+* Signed once
+* Snapshot-pinned
+* Replayable forever
+* Never “checked online”
+
+---
+
+## 3. Roles in the Offline Certificate System
+
+### 3.1 Offline Root Authority (ORA)
+
+* A machine kept **offline** (Debian laptop, USB-only)
+* Holds **root private key**
+* Never participates in execution
+* Never runs ASL/PEL
+* Only signs *authority artifacts*
+
+Think: constitutional court, not admin.
+
+---
+
+### 3.2 Online Domain Nodes
+
+* Run ASL / PEL / TGK
+* Hold *domain operational keys*
+* Cannot mint new authority without ORA signature
+
+---
+
+## 4. Key Types (Minimal)
+
+| Key Type           | Purpose                             |
+| ------------------ | ----------------------------------- |
+| Root Authority Key | Signs domain authority certificates |
+| Domain Root Key    | Anchors DAM                         |
+| Principal Keys     | Execute / publish / federate        |
+| Execution Keys     | Optional subkeys for CI, rescue     |
+
+All are just keypairs.
+No hierarchy beyond signatures.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Authority Certificate Artifact
+
+This is the *only* certificate type you need.
+
+### 5.1 Logical Structure
+
+```text
+AuthorityCertificate {
+    subject_type    : enum { domain_root, principal }
+    subject_id      : Hash
+    subject_pubkey  : PublicKey
+    domain_id       : DomainID
+    roles[]         : Role
+    policy_hash     : Hash
+    issued_by       : PublicKey   // root authority
+    version         : u32
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+### 5.2 What It Certifies
+
+Depending on `subject_type`:
+
+* **domain_root**:
+
+  * “This public key is authorized to define DAMs for domain D”
+* **principal**:
+
+  * “This key may act with roles R under policy P”
+
+No expiration.
+Revocation is *by replacement*.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Offline Signing Workflow (Debian Machine)
+
+### Step 1: Prepare request (online)
+
+On a domain node:
+
+```text
+AuthorityRequest {
+    subject_pubkey
+    domain_id
+    requested_roles[]
+    policy_hash
+}
+```
+
+Export as file / USB.
+
+---
+
+### Step 2: Offline signing (Debian ORA)
+
+On the offline machine:
+
+1. Verify intent manually
+2. Construct AuthorityCertificate
+3. Canonical-serialize
+4. Sign with root private key
+5. Output certificate artifact
+
+No network. No ASL required.
+
+---
+
+### Step 3: Import certificate (online)
+
+* Certificate is imported as an ASL artifact
+* Snapshot-pinned
+* Referenced by DAM
+
+At this point, authority exists.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Relationship to Domain Authority Manifest (DAM)
+
+The DAM does **not** stand alone.
+
+A DAM is valid **iff**:
+
+1. DAM.root_key is certified by a `domain_root` certificate
+2. Certificate.policy_hash matches DAM.policy_hash
+3. Certificate is visible in snapshot
+4. Certificate signature validates against offline root key
+
+DAMs are *governed*, not self-asserted.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Validation Chain (Offline-Friendly)
+
+To trust an action:
+
+```
+PER → PERSignature → Principal Key
+    → DAM → AuthorityCertificate
+        → Offline Root Public Key
+```
+
+No CRLs.
+No OCSP.
+No clocks.
+
+Just hashes and signatures.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Revocation Model (Deterministic)
+
+There is **no live revocation**.
+
+Instead:
+
+* Publish a **new DAM**
+* Omit revoked principals
+* Reference a **new authority certificate**
+* New snapshots enforce new authority
+* Old snapshots remain valid
+
+This preserves determinism.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Federation Verification
+
+When receiving state from another domain:
+
+1. Load snapshot
+2. Load DAM
+3. Load AuthorityCertificate artifacts
+4. Verify against *known offline root pubkeys*
+5. Verify policy hash
+6. Accept or reject
+
+Federation trusts *roots*, not nodes.
+
+---
+
+## 11. Why This Beats X.509 for Your System
+
+| Problem                | This System |
+| ---------------------- | ----------- |
+| Online dependency      | None        |
+| Mutable trust          | None        |
+| Time-based expiry      | None        |
+| Replay safety          | Guaranteed  |
+| Snapshot compatibility | Native      |
+| Forensics              | Perfect     |
+
+---
+
+## 12. Minimal Files on Offline Debian Machine
+
+```
+/ora/
+├── root.key
+├── root.pub
+├── policies/
+├── issued/
+│   └── authority-cert-*.bin
+└── requests/
+```
+
+That’s it.
+
+---
+
+## 13. One-Sentence Summary
+
+> **Offline authority certificates make domain trust explicit, immutable, and replayable — turning cryptographic signatures into constitutional facts rather than live permissions.**
+
+---
+
+If you want next, we can:
+
+* Define **canonical byte layout for AuthorityCertificate**
+* Specify **how many root keys a domain may trust**
+* Walk through **full bootstrap from zero**
+* Model **rescue-node temporary authority**
+* Tie certificates into **ZFS snapshot metadata**
+
+Just say where to continue.
+

notes/Offline Certificate System (OCS) for ASL Domains.md

@@ -0,0 +1,272 @@
+Great, this fits *cleanly* into what you already have.
+The key is to **treat certificates as artifacts**, not as an external PKI bolted on the side.
+
+Below is a **minimal offline certificate system** that integrates with:
+
+* Domain Authority Manifest (DAM)
+* Policy hash
+* PER signatures
+* Federation
+* Offline signing machine (e.g. Debian laptop kept off-network)
+
+No X.509 complexity, no live revocation, no TLS assumptions.
+
+---
+
+# Offline Certificate System (OCS) for ASL Domains
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+The **Offline Certificate System (OCS)** exists to:
+
+* Anchor **domain authority** in an offline root
+* Certify **domain keys and principals**
+* Allow **air-gapped signing**
+* Preserve **determinism and replayability**
+
+It answers:
+
+> *“Why should I believe this Domain Authority Manifest?”*
+
+---
+
+## 2. Core Principle (Very Important)
+
+> **Certificates are immutable ASL artifacts, not live credentials.**
+
+They are:
+
+* Signed once
+* Snapshot-pinned
+* Replayable forever
+* Never “checked online”
+
+---
+
+## 3. Roles in the Offline Certificate System
+
+### 3.1 Offline Root Authority (ORA)
+
+* A machine kept **offline** (Debian laptop, USB-only)
+* Holds **root private key**
+* Never participates in execution
+* Never runs ASL/PEL
+* Only signs *authority artifacts*
+
+Think: constitutional court, not admin.
+
+---
+
+### 3.2 Online Domain Nodes
+
+* Run ASL / PEL / TGK
+* Hold *domain operational keys*
+* Cannot mint new authority without ORA signature
+
+---
+
+## 4. Key Types (Minimal)
+
+| Key Type           | Purpose                             |
+| ------------------ | ----------------------------------- |
+| Root Authority Key | Signs domain authority certificates |
+| Domain Root Key    | Anchors DAM                         |
+| Principal Keys     | Execute / publish / federate        |
+| Execution Keys     | Optional subkeys for CI, rescue     |
+
+All are just keypairs.
+No hierarchy beyond signatures.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Authority Certificate Artifact
+
+This is the *only* certificate type you need.
+
+### 5.1 Logical Structure
+
+```text
+AuthorityCertificate {
+    subject_type    : enum { domain_root, principal }
+    subject_id      : Hash
+    subject_pubkey  : PublicKey
+    domain_id       : DomainID
+    roles[]         : Role
+    policy_hash     : Hash
+    issued_by       : PublicKey   // root authority
+    version         : u32
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+### 5.2 What It Certifies
+
+Depending on `subject_type`:
+
+* **domain_root**:
+
+  * “This public key is authorized to define DAMs for domain D”
+* **principal**:
+
+  * “This key may act with roles R under policy P”
+
+No expiration.
+Revocation is *by replacement*.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Offline Signing Workflow (Debian Machine)
+
+### Step 1: Prepare request (online)
+
+On a domain node:
+
+```text
+AuthorityRequest {
+    subject_pubkey
+    domain_id
+    requested_roles[]
+    policy_hash
+}
+```
+
+Export as file / USB.
+
+---
+
+### Step 2: Offline signing (Debian ORA)
+
+On the offline machine:
+
+1. Verify intent manually
+2. Construct AuthorityCertificate
+3. Canonical-serialize
+4. Sign with root private key
+5. Output certificate artifact
+
+No network. No ASL required.
+
+---
+
+### Step 3: Import certificate (online)
+
+* Certificate is imported as an ASL artifact
+* Snapshot-pinned
+* Referenced by DAM
+
+At this point, authority exists.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Relationship to Domain Authority Manifest (DAM)
+
+The DAM does **not** stand alone.
+
+A DAM is valid **iff**:
+
+1. DAM.root_key is certified by a `domain_root` certificate
+2. Certificate.policy_hash matches DAM.policy_hash
+3. Certificate is visible in snapshot
+4. Certificate signature validates against offline root key
+
+DAMs are *governed*, not self-asserted.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Validation Chain (Offline-Friendly)
+
+To trust an action:
+
+```
+PER → PERSignature → Principal Key
+    → DAM → AuthorityCertificate
+        → Offline Root Public Key
+```
+
+No CRLs.
+No OCSP.
+No clocks.
+
+Just hashes and signatures.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Revocation Model (Deterministic)
+
+There is **no live revocation**.
+
+Instead:
+
+* Publish a **new DAM**
+* Omit revoked principals
+* Reference a **new authority certificate**
+* New snapshots enforce new authority
+* Old snapshots remain valid
+
+This preserves determinism.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Federation Verification
+
+When receiving state from another domain:
+
+1. Load snapshot
+2. Load DAM
+3. Load AuthorityCertificate artifacts
+4. Verify against *known offline root pubkeys*
+5. Verify policy hash
+6. Accept or reject
+
+Federation trusts *roots*, not nodes.
+
+---
+
+## 11. Why This Beats X.509 for Your System
+
+| Problem                | This System |
+| ---------------------- | ----------- |
+| Online dependency      | None        |
+| Mutable trust          | None        |
+| Time-based expiry      | None        |
+| Replay safety          | Guaranteed  |
+| Snapshot compatibility | Native      |
+| Forensics              | Perfect     |
+
+---
+
+## 12. Minimal Files on Offline Debian Machine
+
+```
+/ora/
+├── root.key
+├── root.pub
+├── policies/
+├── issued/
+│   └── authority-cert-*.bin
+└── requests/
+```
+
+That’s it.
+
+---
+
+## 13. One-Sentence Summary
+
+> **Offline authority certificates make domain trust explicit, immutable, and replayable — turning cryptographic signatures into constitutional facts rather than live permissions.**
+
+---
+
+If you want next, we can:
+
+* Define **canonical byte layout for AuthorityCertificate**
+* Specify **how many root keys a domain may trust**
+* Walk through **full bootstrap from zero**
+* Model **rescue-node temporary authority**
+* Tie certificates into **ZFS snapshot metadata**
+
+Just say where to continue.
+

notes/Offline Root Trust Specification.md

@@ -0,0 +1,256 @@
+Below is a **clear, minimal, and opinionated specification** for **how many offline roots to trust**, designed to preserve determinism, avoid governance creep, and still give you real-world safety.
+
+This is not “enterprise PKI”. It is **constitutional law for domains**.
+
+---
+
+# Offline Root Trust Specification
+
+---
+
+## 1. Design Goal
+
+The offline root system must:
+
+* Be **auditable**
+* Be **offline**
+* Be **stable across decades**
+* Avoid quorum games, liveness assumptions, or time-based logic
+* Preserve **deterministic replay**
+
+Therefore:
+
+> **Offline roots define legitimacy, not availability.**
+
+---
+
+## 2. Fundamental Rule (Normative)
+
+> **A domain MUST trust a fixed, small set of offline root public keys.**
+
+This set is **explicit**, **finite**, and **snapshot-pinned**.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Recommended Number of Offline Roots
+
+### ✅ **Exactly 1–3 offline roots**
+
+| Count       | When to use                                 |
+| ----------- | ------------------------------------------- |
+| **1 root**  | Personal domain, research system, prototype |
+| **2 roots** | Organization with separation-of-duties      |
+| **3 roots** | High-value or long-lived domain             |
+
+❌ More than 3 is strongly discouraged.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Why Not More?
+
+Because offline roots are not about redundancy — they are about **legitimacy**.
+
+Problems with many roots:
+
+* Ambiguous authority
+* Governance disputes
+* Non-deterministic interpretation
+* Social quorum bugs (“who signed this?”)
+* Long-term rot
+
+Your system values **historical truth**, not organizational politics.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Root Trust Model
+
+### 5.1 Root Set Definition
+
+```text
+OfflineRootSet {
+    version       : u32
+    root_keys[]   : PublicKey   // sorted, unique
+    threshold     : u8
+}
+```
+
+This object itself is:
+
+* Canonical
+* Snapshot-pinned
+* Hardcoded into verifier configs
+* Rarely changed
+
+---
+
+## 6. Threshold Rules (Critical)
+
+### 6.1 Threshold = 1 (Default)
+
+> **Exactly one root signature is sufficient.**
+
+This is the recommended default.
+
+Why:
+
+* Deterministic
+* Simple
+* No coordination needed
+* No partial legitimacy
+
+This matches your *“constitutional”* model.
+
+---
+
+### 6.2 Threshold > 1 (Optional, Advanced)
+
+If you must:
+
+| Roots | Threshold |
+| ----- | --------- |
+| 2     | 2-of-2    |
+| 3     | 2-of-3    |
+
+Rules:
+
+* Threshold MUST be static
+* Threshold MUST be declared
+* Partial signatures are meaningless
+* Verification must be order-independent
+
+⚠️ Avoid 1-of-3 — it defeats the point.
+
+---
+
+## 7. What Roots Are Allowed to Sign
+
+Offline roots may sign **only**:
+
+* `AuthorityCertificate` artifacts
+* Root rotation statements (rare)
+* Policy ratification certificates (optional)
+
+They must **never** sign:
+
+* Artifacts
+* PERs
+* Snapshots
+* TGK edges
+* Execution data
+
+This keeps authority narrow and legible.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Root Rotation (Rare, Heavyweight)
+
+Root rotation is **constitutional change**.
+
+### Rules:
+
+1. New root set defined
+2. Old root(s) sign rotation artifact
+3. Rotation artifact imported
+4. New snapshots reference new root set
+5. Old snapshots remain valid forever
+
+Rotation frequency: *measured in years, not days*.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Validation Algorithm (Deterministic)
+
+To validate authority:
+
+1. Load snapshot
+2. Resolve DAM
+3. Resolve AuthorityCertificates
+4. Verify certificate signature(s)
+5. Check:
+
+   * signer ∈ OfflineRootSet
+   * threshold satisfied
+6. Accept or reject
+
+No time.
+No online checks.
+No ambiguity.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Federation Implications
+
+A domain MAY trust:
+
+* Its own offline roots
+* Explicitly configured foreign roots
+
+Federation is **opt-in trust**, never transitive.
+
+---
+
+## 11. Failure Modes (Explicit)
+
+| Situation                  | Result                         |
+| -------------------------- | ------------------------------ |
+| Root key lost              | Domain frozen (history intact) |
+| Root compromised           | Publish new root set + DAM     |
+| Disagreement between roots | No new authority issued        |
+| Conflicting certificates   | Reject both                    |
+
+This is intentional. Ambiguity is worse than halt.
+
+---
+
+## 12. Minimal Example
+
+```yaml
+offline_roots:
+  version: 1
+  threshold: 1
+  root_keys:
+    - ed25519:aa93...
+```
+
+or
+
+```yaml
+offline_roots:
+  version: 1
+  threshold: 2
+  root_keys:
+    - ed25519:aa93...
+    - ed25519:b4c1...
+    - ed25519:c019...
+```
+
+---
+
+## 13. Why This Fits Your System
+
+✔ Snapshot-safe
+✔ Replayable
+✔ Offline-friendly
+✔ Human-auditable
+✔ Minimal governance
+✔ No temporal logic
+
+Most importantly:
+
+> **Legitimacy is a historical fact, not a service.**
+
+---
+
+## 14. One-Sentence Takeaway
+
+> **Trust as few offline roots as possible — because roots define history, not availability, and ambiguity at the root level destroys determinism.**
+
+If you want next, we can:
+
+* Specify **root rotation artifacts**
+* Model **emergency recovery**
+* Define **foreign-domain trust pinning**
+* Walk through a **zero-to-first-snapshot bootstrap**
+
+Just say the word.
+

notes/Operator Pseudocode (ASL + TGK Execution Plan).md

@@ -0,0 +1,269 @@
+Absolutely — here’s a **formal draft of operator pseudocode** for the unified ASL + TGK execution plan. This pseudocode captures **shard/SIMD acceleration, deterministic execution, snapshot safety, and DAG traversal**, mapping directly to ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX.
+
+---
+
+# Operator Pseudocode (ASL + TGK Execution Plan)
+
+---
+
+## 1. SegmentScan Operator
+
+```c
+void SegmentScan(segment_t *segment, snapshot_range_t snapshot, record_buffer_t *out_buffer) {
+    // Iterate over all records in the segment
+    for (uint64_t i = 0; i < segment->record_count; i++) {
+        record_t rec = segment->records[i];
+
+        // Snapshot visibility
+        if (rec.logseq > snapshot.logseq_max) continue;
+
+        // Append to output buffer
+        out_buffer->records[out_buffer->count++] = rec;
+    }
+}
+```
+
+* Can be **shard-parallelized**
+* Works for both **ASL artifacts** and **TGK edges**
+* `record_buffer_t` is preallocated, SIMD-aligned
+
+---
+
+## 2. IndexFilter Operator
+
+```c
+void IndexFilter(record_buffer_t *in_buffer, filter_t *filter, record_buffer_t *out_buffer) {
+    for (uint64_t i = 0; i < in_buffer->count; i += SIMD_WIDTH) {
+        simd_mask_t mask = SIMD_TRUE;
+
+        // SIMD filter artifact type
+        if (filter->has_type_tag) {
+            mask &= SIMD_EQ(in_buffer->type_tags[i:i+SIMD_WIDTH], filter->artifact_type_tag);
+        }
+
+        // SIMD filter edge type
+        if (filter->has_edge_type) {
+            mask &= SIMD_EQ(in_buffer->edge_type_keys[i:i+SIMD_WIDTH], filter->edge_type_key);
+        }
+
+        // SIMD role filter (for TGK edges)
+        if (filter->role) {
+            mask &= SIMD_EQ(in_buffer->roles[i:i+SIMD_WIDTH], filter->role);
+        }
+
+        // Store passing records
+        SIMD_STORE_MASKED(in_buffer->records[i:i+SIMD_WIDTH], mask, out_buffer->records);
+    }
+    out_buffer->count = count_masked_records(out_buffer);
+}
+```
+
+* SIMD ensures **parallel, vectorized evaluation**
+* Deterministic since order preserved
+
+---
+
+## 3. Merge Operator
+
+```c
+void Merge(record_buffer_t **inputs, int num_inputs, record_buffer_t *out_buffer) {
+    min_heap_t heap = build_heap(inputs, num_inputs);
+
+    while (!heap_empty(heap)) {
+        record_t rec = heap_pop(heap);
+
+        out_buffer->records[out_buffer->count++] = rec;
+
+        // Advance from the source buffer
+        heap_advance_source(heap, rec.source_buffer_id);
+    }
+}
+```
+
+* Uses **logseq ascending + canonical ID tie-breaker**
+* Deterministic across shards
+
+---
+
+## 4. TGKTraversal Operator
+
+```c
+void TGKTraversal(record_buffer_t *in_buffer, uint32_t depth, snapshot_range_t snapshot, record_buffer_t *out_buffer) {
+    record_buffer_t current_buffer = *in_buffer;
+
+    for (uint32_t d = 0; d < depth; d++) {
+        record_buffer_t next_buffer = allocate_buffer();
+
+        for (uint64_t i = 0; i < current_buffer.count; i++) {
+            record_t rec = current_buffer.records[i];
+
+            // Skip if not visible
+            if (rec.logseq > snapshot.logseq_max) continue;
+
+            // Expand edges deterministically
+            for (uint64_t j = 0; j < rec.to_count; j++) {
+                record_t edge = lookup_edge(rec.to_nodes[j]);
+                next_buffer.records[next_buffer.count++] = edge;
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Merge deterministically
+        MergeBuffers(&next_buffer, 1, out_buffer);
+
+        // Prepare for next depth
+        current_buffer = next_buffer;
+    }
+}
+```
+
+* Expansion **per depth**
+* Deterministic ordering guaranteed
+* Snapshot-safe traversal
+
+---
+
+## 5. Projection Operator
+
+```c
+void Projection(record_buffer_t *in_buffer, projection_mask_t mask, record_buffer_t *out_buffer) {
+    for (uint64_t i = 0; i < in_buffer->count; i++) {
+        record_t rec = in_buffer->records[i];
+        projected_record_t prow;
+
+        if (mask.project_artifact_id) prow.artifact_id = rec.artifact_id;
+        if (mask.project_tgk_edge_id) prow.tgk_edge_id = rec.tgk_edge_id;
+        if (mask.project_node_id) prow.node_id = rec.node_id;
+        if (mask.project_type_tag) prow.type_tag = rec.type_tag;
+
+        out_buffer->records[out_buffer->count++] = prow;
+    }
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## 6. Aggregation Operator
+
+```c
+void Aggregation(record_buffer_t *in_buffer, aggregation_accumulator_t *acc) {
+    for (uint64_t i = 0; i < in_buffer->count; i++) {
+        record_t rec = in_buffer->records[i];
+
+        if (acc->count_enabled) acc->count++;
+        if (acc->sum_type_tag_enabled) acc->sum_type_tag += rec.type_tag;
+        if (acc->union_enabled) acc->union_set.insert(rec.artifact_id);
+    }
+}
+```
+
+* Deterministic aggregation across shards due to **pre-merged, ordered input**
+
+---
+
+## 7. TombstoneShadow Operator
+
+```c
+void TombstoneShadow(record_buffer_t *in_buffer, snapshot_range_t snapshot, record_buffer_t *out_buffer) {
+    hashmap_t latest_per_id;
+
+    for (uint64_t i = 0; i < in_buffer->count; i++) {
+        record_t rec = in_buffer->records[i];
+
+        // Skip records outside snapshot
+        if (rec.logseq > snapshot.logseq_max) continue;
+
+        record_t *existing = hashmap_get(&latest_per_id, rec.canonical_id);
+
+        if (!existing || rec.logseq > existing->logseq) {
+            hashmap_put(&latest_per_id, rec.canonical_id, &rec);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Write deterministic output
+    for each rec in sorted(latest_per_id by logseq + canonical_id) {
+        out_buffer->records[out_buffer->count++] = rec;
+    }
+}
+```
+
+* Preserves **snapshot safety and deterministic order**
+* Handles tombstones/shadowed records
+
+---
+
+## 8. Shard Dispatch & SIMD Integration
+
+* Each shard executes **SegmentScan + IndexFilter** independently
+* Results merged via **Merge**
+* SIMD acceleration applies **filters inside IndexFilter** or TGKTraversal expansion
+* Memory layout ensures **alignment and cache-friendly access**
+
+---
+
+## 9. Execution Plan Runner
+
+```c
+void ExecutePlan(exec_plan_t *plan, snapshot_range_t snapshot, record_buffer_t *final_output) {
+    record_buffer_t buffers[MAX_OPERATORS];
+
+    for (uint32_t i = 0; i < plan->operator_count; i++) {
+        operator_def_t *op = &plan->operators[i];
+
+        switch(op->op_type) {
+            case OP_SEGMENT_SCAN:
+                SegmentScan(op->params.segment_scan, snapshot, &buffers[i]);
+                break;
+            case OP_INDEX_FILTER:
+                IndexFilter(&buffers[op->inputs[0]], &op->params.index_filter, &buffers[i]);
+                break;
+            case OP_MERGE:
+                Merge(get_input_buffers(op, buffers), op->input_count, &buffers[i]);
+                break;
+            case OP_PROJECTION:
+                Projection(&buffers[op->inputs[0]], op->params.projection, &buffers[i]);
+                break;
+            case OP_TGK_TRAVERSAL:
+                TGKTraversal(&buffers[op->inputs[0]], op->params.tgk_traversal.traversal_depth,
+                             snapshot, &buffers[i]);
+                break;
+            case OP_AGGREGATION:
+                Aggregation(&buffers[op->inputs[0]], &op->params.aggregation);
+                break;
+            case OP_TOMBSTONE_SHADOW:
+                TombstoneShadow(&buffers[op->inputs[0]], snapshot, &buffers[i]);
+                break;
+            default:
+                // Handle other operators (SIMDFilter, ShardDispatch, LimitOffset)
+                break;
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Final output from last operator
+    *final_output = buffers[plan->operator_count - 1];
+}
+```
+
+* **DAG execution** respects `inputs[]`
+* **Buffers indexed by operator ID**
+* Deterministic and **snapshot-safe**
+
+---
+
+This pseudocode fully captures:
+
+* Segment scanning and sharding
+* SIMD-accelerated filtering
+* TGK DAG traversal
+* Projection, aggregation, tombstone shadowing
+* Deterministic merge of shards
+* Snapshot-safe execution
+
+---
+
+Next steps could include:
+
+* **Integration with PEL deterministic DAG programs**, where **PEL program outputs feed into these operators**
+* **Optimizations for block caching and prefetching** in ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX
+
+Do you want me to draft that next?
+

notes/PEL-Integrated Execution Model with ASL + TGK.md

@@ -0,0 +1,205 @@
+Absolutely — here’s a **formal draft for integrating PEL deterministic DAG programs with the ASL + TGK execution plan**, including how PEL outputs feed into operators, while preserving snapshot safety, determinism, and memory efficiency.
+
+---
+
+# PEL-Integrated Execution Model with ASL + TGK
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+This specification defines:
+
+1. How **PEL programs** (deterministic DAG programs) are executed in conjunction with **ASL artifacts** and **TGK edges**.
+2. How **PEL outputs (execution receipts)** feed into **index operators**.
+3. How **snapshot safety, determinism, and DAG traversal** are preserved across layers.
+4. Integration of **sharding, SIMD acceleration, and tombstone shadowing** in a unified execution model.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Key Concepts
+
+* **PEL Program (PP)**: A deterministic DAG with **input artifacts**, **output artifacts**, and **computational nodes** (concat, slice, primitive ops).
+* **PEL Execution Receipt (PER)**: Artifact recording program execution, including:
+
+  * Inputs consumed
+  * Outputs produced
+  * Canonical logseq / snapshot
+* **Index Operators**: SegmentScan, IndexFilter, Merge, TGKTraversal, TombstoneShadow, Projection, Aggregation.
+* **Snapshot Safety**: All reads of artifacts or TGK edges are constrained to `logseq ≤ snapshot`.
+* **Determinism**: Execution order is fixed by **logseq ascending + canonical tie-breaker**.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Integration Principles
+
+### 3.1 PEL Program Execution as Input
+
+1. PEL program outputs (PER artifacts) are treated as **ASL artifacts** in execution plans.
+2. Operators can consume **either raw artifacts or PERs**.
+3. If the execution plan requires DAG traversal of PER-derived edges, treat **PER as a TGK edge node**.
+
+```text
+PEL program outputs → PER artifact → SegmentScan → IndexFilter → TGKTraversal
+```
+
+---
+
+### 3.2 Deterministic DAG Mapping
+
+1. Each PEL DAG node corresponds to a **logical operator in the execution plan**.
+2. Execution plan DAG integrates **PEL DAG nodes** as **virtual operators**:
+
+   * Input nodes → SegmentScan / IndexFilter
+   * Computation nodes → Projection / Aggregation
+   * Outputs → Artifact storage in ASL
+
+---
+
+### 3.3 Snapshot Propagation
+
+* **Input artifacts** for PEL programs are fetched with snapshot bounds:
+
+  ```
+  artifact.logseq ≤ program.snapshot
+  ```
+* **Output PER artifacts** are written with:
+
+  ```
+  logseq = max(input_logseq) + 1
+  ```
+* All downstream index operators inherit **snapshot constraints**.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Runtime Integration Flow
+
+1. **Load PEL Program DAG**
+
+   * Validate deterministic operators
+   * Identify **input artifacts** (raw or PER)
+
+2. **Execute PEL Program**
+
+   * Evaluate primitives (concat, slice, etc.)
+   * Generate output artifacts (PER)
+   * Each primitive produces deterministic outputs
+
+3. **Register Outputs in Index**
+
+   * PER artifacts are **visible to SegmentScan**
+   * Type tag and canonical ID added to **shard-local buffers**
+
+4. **Execute Index Operators**
+
+   * SegmentScan → IndexFilter → TGKTraversal
+   * Merge shards deterministically
+   * Apply TombstoneShadow
+   * Projection/Aggregation
+
+5. **Return Results**
+
+   * Combined output includes:
+
+     * Raw ASL artifacts
+     * PER artifacts
+     * TGK traversal outputs
+
+---
+
+## 5. Pseudocode Sketch
+
+```c
+void ExecutePELProgramWithIndex(PELProgram *pp, snapshot_range_t snapshot, record_buffer_t *final_output) {
+    // Step 1: Load inputs (artifacts or PERs)
+    record_buffer_t input_buffer;
+    LoadPELInputs(pp->inputs, snapshot, &input_buffer);
+
+    // Step 2: Execute PEL DAG
+    record_buffer_t per_buffer;
+    ExecutePEL(pp, &input_buffer, snapshot, &per_buffer);
+
+    // Step 3: Register PERs in ASL/TGK buffers
+    record_buffer_t combined_buffer;
+    Merge(&input_buffer, &per_buffer, 2, &combined_buffer);
+
+    // Step 4: Run Index Operators
+    exec_plan_t *plan = BuildExecutionPlan(pp, &combined_buffer);
+    ExecutePlan(plan, snapshot, final_output);
+}
+```
+
+* `LoadPELInputs` ensures **snapshot safety**
+* `ExecutePEL` guarantees **deterministic outputs**
+* `Merge` maintains **logseq + canonical ordering**
+* `ExecutePlan` runs **ASL/TGK index operators with SIMD/shard acceleration**
+
+---
+
+## 6. Determinism Guarantees
+
+1. **PEL DAG evaluation** deterministic per program snapshot
+2. **PER artifacts** incorporated with canonical ID + logseq
+3. **SegmentScan, Merge, TGKTraversal** maintain global ordering
+4. **TombstoneShadow** ensures no resurrection of deleted artifacts
+5. **SIMD/shard parallelism** does not affect final order
+
+---
+
+## 7. Memory Layout Integration
+
+* PER artifacts stored in **shard-local buffers** alongside raw artifacts
+* Type tags and canonical IDs mapped for **SIMD filtering**
+* TGK traversal buffers extended to include **PER edges** where needed
+* Snapshot ranges propagated to all buffers
+
+```c
+struct shard_buffer {
+    uint64_t *artifact_ids;
+    uint64_t *tgk_edge_ids;
+    uint32_t  *type_tags;
+    uint8_t   *roles;
+    uint64_t   count;
+    snapshot_range_t snapshot;
+};
+```
+
+---
+
+## 8. DAG Operator Mapping Summary
+
+| PEL DAG Node        | Index Operator Equivalent | Notes                          |
+| ------------------- | ------------------------- | ------------------------------ |
+| Input Artifact      | SegmentScan               | Snapshot-limited               |
+| Concat / Slice      | Projection                | Deterministic fields selected  |
+| TGK Projection      | TGKTraversal              | DAG traversal depth controlled |
+| Aggregate           | Aggregation               | Counts, sums, unions           |
+| PER Artifact Output | SegmentScan               | Feed into downstream operators |
+
+---
+
+## 9. Federation & Multi-Machine Considerations
+
+* PER artifacts can be **federated across nodes**
+* Deterministic execution ensures **replayable results**
+* Shard/SIMD acceleration applied locally
+* Snapshot boundaries propagated across federation nodes
+
+---
+
+## 10. Summary
+
+This integration:
+
+* Treats **PEL programs as first-class DAG nodes** in execution plans
+* Allows **PER artifacts** to feed seamlessly into index operators
+* Preserves **snapshot safety, determinism, and shard/SIMD acceleration**
+* Fully unifies **PEL execution** with **ASL artifact and TGK edge indexing**
+* Enables **federated, replayable execution** across machines
+
+---
+
+Next step could be to **formalize federation propagation rules and cross-node deterministic replay**, ensuring PER artifacts are synchronized across pools and snapshots.
+
+Do you want me to draft that next?
+

notes/PER Signature Layout Specification.md

@@ -0,0 +1,193 @@
+Below is a **minimal, deterministic, snapshot-safe PER Signature Layout** that fits *exactly* into your ASL / PEL / TGK / DAM model.
+No PKI, no timestamps, no mutable metadata — only what is required to prove **“this execution happened, deterministically, under this authority.”**
+
+---
+
+# PER Signature Layout Specification
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+The **PER signature** certifies that:
+
+* A specific PEL execution occurred
+* Against a specific snapshot
+* With specific inputs
+* Producing a specific output
+* Under an authorized domain principal
+
+It enables:
+
+* Deterministic replay
+* Cross-domain verification
+* Non-repudiation
+* Offline validation
+
+---
+
+## 2. What Is Signed (Authoritative Statement)
+
+The signature covers **only immutable, deterministic identifiers**:
+
+```
+"I assert that PER X was produced from inputs Y
+ under snapshot S at logseq L in domain D"
+```
+
+Nothing more. Nothing less.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Canonical Signing Payload
+
+### 3.1 Canonical Payload Structure
+
+This structure is serialized in a **canonical byte order** (defined below).
+
+```text
+PERSignaturePayload {
+    domain_id            : DomainID
+    snapshot_id          : SnapshotID
+    per_artifact_id      : ArtifactID
+    input_artifact_ids[] : ArtifactID (sorted)
+    program_id           : ProgramID
+    logseq               : u64
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+### 3.2 Field Semantics
+
+| Field                  | Meaning                                                  |
+| ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `domain_id`            | Domain asserting the execution                           |
+| `snapshot_id`          | Snapshot that bounded inputs                             |
+| `per_artifact_id`      | ArtifactID of PER output                                 |
+| `input_artifact_ids[]` | All direct inputs (artifacts + PERs), sorted canonically |
+| `program_id`           | Stable identifier for PEL program                        |
+| `logseq`               | Deterministic execution order                            |
+
+---
+
+## 4. Canonicalization Rules (Normative)
+
+Determinism depends on this.
+
+1. **Byte order:** big-endian
+2. **Arrays:** sorted lexicographically by ArtifactID
+3. **No optional fields**
+4. **No timestamps**
+5. **No environment data**
+6. **No machine identifiers**
+
+If two nodes produce the same PER under the same snapshot → **payload bytes are identical**.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Signature Object Layout
+
+The signature itself is an ASL artifact.
+
+```text
+PERSignature {
+    payload_hash   : Hash
+    public_key     : PublicKey
+    signature      : Signature
+    algorithm      : SigAlgorithm
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+### 5.1 Field Semantics
+
+| Field          | Meaning                                |
+| -------------- | -------------------------------------- |
+| `payload_hash` | Hash of canonical payload bytes        |
+| `public_key`   | Principal key used (must exist in DAM) |
+| `signature`    | Signature over payload_hash            |
+| `algorithm`    | e.g. ed25519                           |
+
+---
+
+## 6. Relationship to TGK
+
+The signature is linked via TGK edges:
+
+```
+PER ──[certified_by]──> PERSignature
+PERSignature ──[asserted_under]──> Snapshot
+PERSignature ──[asserted_by]──> Principal
+```
+
+These edges are immutable and snapshot-bound.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Validation Procedure (Normative)
+
+To validate a PER:
+
+1. Load snapshot
+2. Resolve DAM
+3. Locate PER artifact
+4. Locate PERSignature artifact
+5. Recompute canonical payload
+6. Verify:
+
+   * `hash(payload) == payload_hash`
+   * `signature` valid for `public_key`
+   * `public_key ∈ DAM`
+   * `role ∈ {execute}`
+   * `snapshot_id` visible
+7. Accept PER as authoritative
+
+No online checks required.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Failure Modes (Explicit)
+
+| Condition          | Result                    |
+| ------------------ | ------------------------- |
+| Missing signature  | PER is informational only |
+| Invalid signature  | Reject PER                |
+| Key not in DAM     | Reject PER                |
+| Snapshot mismatch  | Reject PER                |
+| Input set mismatch | Reject PER                |
+| Logseq conflict    | Reject or quarantine      |
+
+---
+
+## 9. Why This Layout Works
+
+✔ Minimal
+✔ Deterministic
+✔ Snapshot-safe
+✔ Federation-safe
+✔ Replayable
+✔ Offline-verifiable
+
+And most importantly:
+
+> **The signature certifies meaning, not mechanics.**
+
+---
+
+## 10. One-Sentence Summary
+
+> **A PER signature is a signed statement that a deterministic execution occurred under a specific snapshot, producing a specific artifact, by an authorized principal.**
+
+---
+
+If you want, next we can:
+
+* Define **ProgramID canonicalization**
+* Specify **policy hash contents**
+* Walk through a full signed PER example (bytes → hash → signature)
+* Show federation verification step-by-step
+
+Just say where to go next.
+

notes/Personal Domains, Group Domains, and Safe Publication.md

@@ -0,0 +1,245 @@
+Yes — this is exactly the *right* point to be at.
+What you’re describing is **domain nesting + scoped publication**, not special cases. And your architecture already supports it — you just need to *name the rules*.
+
+Below is the **clean, general solution** that works for:
+
+* Personal rescue missions
+* Group domains
+* Organizational domains
+* Cross-user federation
+* Selective publication
+* Zero impersonation
+
+---
+
+# Personal Domains, Group Domains, and Safe Publication     
+
+---
+
+## 1. First principle (this makes everything work)
+
+> **Domains are not hierarchical by default — trust is.**
+
+There is:
+
+* No implicit parent/child authority
+* No inherited permissions
+* No automatic visibility
+
+Everything is **explicit and pinned**.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Your personal domain (root of agency)
+
+You have a **personal root domain**:
+
+```
+domain_id: me.example
+```
+
+This is:
+
+* Your cryptographic identity in the system
+* Anchored by *your* offline roots
+* The ultimate source of authority for *your* actions
+
+All other domains you control are **authorized by this domain**, not children of it.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Rescue domain (ephemeral, scoped)
+
+For the rescue mission:
+
+```
+domain_id: me.example/rescue/laptop-2014
+```
+
+This domain:
+
+* Is freshly minted
+* Has its own DAM
+* Has limited policy
+* Is authorized *by you*
+* Can be destroyed or archived later
+
+It does **not** inherit authority — it is **delegated**.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Historical domain (referenced, inert)
+
+The old laptop becomes:
+
+```
+domain_id: me.example/legacy/laptop-2014
+```
+
+This domain:
+
+* Has no active authority
+* No DAM
+* No roots
+* Exists only as a provenance subject
+
+This avoids impersonation while preserving meaning.
+
+---
+
+## 5. How you safely create your own domain
+
+### Step 1 — Mint a new domain key
+
+On an online or offline machine:
+
+* Generate domain root key
+* Generate DAM
+* Define policy hash (likely restrictive)
+
+### Step 2 — Certify it with your personal root
+
+On offline ORA:
+
+* Issue AuthorityCertificate:
+
+  * subject_type: domain_root
+  * domain_id: me.example/rescue/laptop-2014
+* Sign with *your* personal offline root
+
+This is delegation, not inheritance.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Group domains and org domains (same model)
+
+A group domain:
+
+```
+domain_id: friends.example/photos
+```
+
+* Has its own roots
+* Its own DAM
+* Its own policy
+* You may or may not be a principal
+
+If you are:
+
+* You hold a **principal certificate** issued by that domain’s roots
+* Your personal domain does *not* override group authority
+
+This prevents privilege bleed.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Publishing rescued material (the key part)
+
+You can publish **selectively**, **safely**, and **without confusion**.
+
+### 7.1 Publish inside your personal domain
+
+```
+me.example/rescue/laptop-2014
+    ──publish──> me.example/archive
+```
+
+Mechanism:
+
+* Federation with trust pin
+* Scope-limited (READ_ARTIFACTS)
+* Snapshot-pinned
+
+---
+
+### 7.2 Publish to a group domain
+
+```
+me.example/rescue/laptop-2014
+    ──publish──> friends.example/photos
+```
+
+Only if:
+
+* friends.example has pinned your rescue domain
+* Scope allows READ_ARTIFACTS
+* Policy hashes are compatible
+
+No unilateral publishing.
+
+---
+
+### 7.3 Publish publicly (one-way)
+
+```
+me.example/rescue/laptop-2014
+    ──publish──> public.example/archive
+```
+
+* Public domain pins *you*
+* You never pin them
+* One-way trust
+
+---
+
+## 8. Safe defaults (important)
+
+### By default:
+
+* New domains are **private**
+* Nothing federates
+* Nothing publishes
+* Nothing is trusted
+
+You must explicitly:
+
+* Publish snapshots
+* Pin trust
+* Declare scope
+
+This prevents accidental leakage.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Why this works for *all* users
+
+This model scales because:
+
+✔ Individuals control their own roots
+✔ Groups define their own authority
+✔ Domains don’t impersonate each other
+✔ Publication is opt-in
+✔ Provenance stays intact
+
+And critically:
+
+> **You never need global user accounts.**
+
+---
+
+## 10. Mental model (keep this one)
+
+* **Personal domain** = identity
+* **Rescue domain** = action
+* **Historical domain** = subject
+* **Group domain** = collaboration
+* **Publication** = explicit federation
+* **Trust** = pinned, not assumed
+
+---
+
+## 11. One-sentence takeaway
+
+> **You act through scoped domains you control, assert claims about history without impersonation, and publish only what you choose — all under explicit, cryptographically pinned trust.**
+
+---
+
+If you want next, we can:
+
+* Specify **domain delegation certificates**
+* Define **publication workflows (CLI-level)**
+* Model **revocation without retroactive damage**
+* Walk through a **full personal rescue → archive → share flow**
+
+You’re now designing a system that treats *personal computing history* as first-class, verifiable data — and you’re doing it the right way.
+

notes/Policy Hash Specification.md

@@ -0,0 +1,250 @@
+Below is a **minimal, sufficient, and future-proof specification for the Policy Hash**, designed to *anchor meaning without freezing evolution*.
+It is intentionally **small**, **deterministic**, and **composable**, and it fits cleanly into your DAM + PER + federation model.
+
+---
+
+# Policy Hash Specification
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose of the Policy Hash
+
+The **policy hash** binds **domain rules** to **snapshots and authority** without embedding mutable text inside every artifact.
+
+It answers:
+
+> *“Under what rules was this snapshot, PER, or publication considered valid?”*
+
+The hash ensures:
+
+* Deterministic interpretation
+* Replay safety
+* Cross-domain verification
+* Explicit policy evolution
+
+---
+
+## 2. What the Policy Hash Is (and Is Not)
+
+### Is:
+
+✔ A content hash of **policy assertions**
+✔ Snapshot-pinned
+✔ Interpreted identically across nodes
+
+### Is Not:
+
+✘ A live configuration
+✘ An ACL
+✘ A rules engine
+✘ A machine policy
+
+---
+
+## 3. Policy Hash Coverage (Normative)
+
+The policy hash MUST cover **only semantic constraints that affect correctness or trust**.
+
+### Mandatory Sections
+
+1. **Publication Rules**
+2. **Execution Rules**
+3. **Federation Rules**
+4. **Retention & GC Constraints**
+5. **Visibility Rules**
+
+Nothing else.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Canonical Policy Document (Logical Structure)
+
+The policy document is a **pure data artifact**.
+
+```text
+DomainPolicy {
+    version                  : u32
+    publication_policy       : PublicationPolicy
+    execution_policy         : ExecutionPolicy
+    federation_policy        : FederationPolicy
+    retention_policy         : RetentionPolicy
+    visibility_policy        : VisibilityPolicy
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## 5. Policy Sections (Minimal Content)
+
+### 5.1 Publication Policy
+
+```text
+PublicationPolicy {
+    require_signature        : bool
+    allowed_roles[]          : Role
+    snapshot_required        : bool
+}
+```
+
+Example meaning:
+
+* Artifacts must be signed
+* Only `publish` role may publish
+* Publication must be snapshot-bound
+
+---
+
+### 5.2 Execution Policy
+
+```text
+ExecutionPolicy {
+    per_signature_required   : bool
+    allowed_roles[]          : Role
+    deterministic_only       : bool
+}
+```
+
+Meaning:
+
+* PERs must be signed
+* Only `execute` role may emit PERs
+* No nondeterministic execution accepted
+
+---
+
+### 5.3 Federation Policy
+
+```text
+FederationPolicy {
+    export_published_only    : bool
+    require_snapshot         : bool
+    trusted_domains[]        : DomainID
+}
+```
+
+Meaning:
+
+* Only published state may be federated
+* Federation is snapshot-based
+* Optional allowlist of domains
+
+Empty allowlist = open federation.
+
+---
+
+### 5.4 Retention & GC Policy
+
+```text
+RetentionPolicy {
+    gc_unpublished_allowed   : bool
+    min_snapshot_retention   : u32
+}
+```
+
+Meaning:
+
+* Whether unpublished artifacts may be GC’d
+* Minimum snapshots to retain
+
+---
+
+### 5.5 Visibility Policy
+
+```text
+VisibilityPolicy {
+    internal_hidden          : bool
+    published_read_only      : bool
+}
+```
+
+Meaning:
+
+* Internal artifacts invisible externally
+* Published artifacts immutable
+
+---
+
+## 6. Canonicalization Rules (Critical)
+
+The policy hash MUST be computed from **canonical bytes**:
+
+1. Field order fixed
+2. Arrays sorted lexicographically
+3. No whitespace
+4. No comments
+5. Big-endian integers
+6. Boolean encoded as `0x00` / `0x01`
+7. No optional fields omitted — use explicit defaults
+
+Hash algorithm: **SHA-256** (or domain-declared)
+
+---
+
+## 7. Policy Hash Computation
+
+```text
+policy_bytes = CanonicalSerialize(DomainPolicy)
+policy_hash  = HASH(policy_bytes)
+```
+
+The `policy_hash` is stored in:
+
+* Domain Authority Manifest
+* Snapshot metadata
+* Federation metadata
+* Optional PER metadata (reference only)
+
+---
+
+## 8. Validation Semantics
+
+A node MUST reject any operation where:
+
+* Policy hash does not match snapshot
+* Policy version unsupported
+* Required signature missing
+* Required role not satisfied
+* Federation rules violated
+
+---
+
+## 9. Policy Evolution (Key Design Point)
+
+Policy changes do **not** mutate history.
+
+Instead:
+
+1. New policy document created
+2. New policy hash computed
+3. New DAM published
+4. New snapshots reference new hash
+
+Old snapshots remain valid forever.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Why This Is Minimal but Complete
+
+✔ Captures all trust-affecting rules
+✔ Deterministic across nodes
+✔ Decouples authority from text
+✔ Enables offline replay
+✔ Avoids configuration drift
+
+---
+
+## 11. One-Sentence Summary
+
+> **The policy hash cryptographically binds the rules of trust and visibility to every snapshot and execution without embedding mutable policy text into the data plane.**
+
+---
+
+If you want, next we can:
+
+* Define **canonical serialization format** (exact byte layout)
+* Show **policy hash verification during federation**
+* Walk through **policy evolution example**
+* Tie policy hash into **GC safety proofs**
+
+Just tell me where to continue.
+

notes/Re-anchoring any node can become a system.md

@@ -0,0 +1,262 @@
+That sentence — **“any node can become a system”** — is actually the *right mental hook* for what you’re building. You’re just applying it at the **PEL + TGK semantic layer**, not the SystemRescue layer. That’s an important shift, and it exposes exactly the missing piece you’re feeling: **identity, authority, and certification**.
+
+Let’s align the layers cleanly and then answer your question about **users, ownership, and whether ZFS helps**.
+
+---
+
+## 1. Re-anchoring “any node can become a system”
+
+In your architecture, a **system** is *not* a machine and *not* a filesystem.
+A system is:
+
+> **A domain that can produce, seal, snapshot, and attest to deterministic artifacts and executions.**
+
+So:
+
+* A laptop
+* A rescue USB
+* A build farm node
+* A CI runner
+* A forensics machine
+
+…can *all* “become a system” **if** they can:
+
+1. Produce artifacts/PERs
+2. Seal them
+3. Attach provenance
+4. Publish them under a domain identity
+
+SystemRescue gives you *capability*.
+PEL + TGK give you *meaning*.
+What’s missing is **authority**.
+
+---
+
+## 2. What ZFS can and cannot do here
+
+### What ZFS *can* help with
+
+ZFS gives you:
+
+* Snapshot identity (strong, immutable)
+* Retention pins
+* Integrity guarantees
+* A natural “domain-local root of persistence”
+
+This makes ZFS an excellent **substrate for authority anchoring**.
+
+### What ZFS cannot do
+
+ZFS does **not** provide:
+
+* Users
+* Identities
+* Ownership semantics
+* Certification
+* Trust relationships
+
+ZFS can *host* trust anchors — it cannot *define* them.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Users are not UNIX users (important)
+
+If you try to map this to:
+
+* `/etc/passwd`
+* UID/GID
+* POSIX permissions
+
+You will break your own model.
+
+In your system:
+
+> **Users are cryptographic principals, not OS accounts.**
+
+That’s the key.
+
+---
+
+## 4. The missing layer: Domain Identity & Authority (DIA)
+
+You are missing a small but crucial layer that sits **above ASL/PEL/TGK and below federation**.
+
+Let’s call it (name optional):
+
+> **Domain Identity & Authority (DIA)**
+
+This layer defines:
+
+* Who may *assert* artifacts
+* Who may *seal* snapshots
+* Who may *publish* state
+* Who may *certify* execution receipts
+
+---
+
+## 5. What a “user” actually is in your system
+
+A **user** is:
+
+> A keypair that is authorized to act *for a domain* under specific roles.
+
+Not a login. Not a shell. Not a UID.
+
+### Example roles
+
+* `producer` — may generate artifacts
+* `executor` — may emit PERs
+* `publisher` — may publish snapshots
+* `auditor` — may verify, not write
+
+Roles are **semantic**, not filesystem permissions.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Where identity lives (and yes, ZFS helps here)
+
+### Domain identity root (per domain)
+
+```
+/asl/domain/
+├── domain.id
+├── domain.pubkey
+├── authorities/
+│   ├── root.pub
+│   ├── ci.pub
+│   └── rescue.pub
+├── policies/
+│   └── publish.policy
+└── attestations/
+```
+
+This lives:
+
+* On ZFS
+* Inside a snapshot
+* Pinned
+* Immutable once sealed
+
+This is your **domain root of trust**.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Certification: what gets certified?
+
+Not machines. Not users. Not files.
+
+You certify **statements**.
+
+Examples:
+
+* “This snapshot represents `/home` as of logseq X”
+* “This PER was executed from these inputs”
+* “This artifact corresponds to this path”
+
+These certifications are **artifacts themselves**.
+
+That’s the big insight.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Execution receipt certification (PEL + TGK)
+
+A PER becomes authoritative only when:
+
+1. Inputs are snapshot-bound
+2. Execution is deterministic
+3. PER is signed by an authorized key
+4. Signature is stored as an artifact
+5. TGK edge links PER → signature → snapshot
+
+This gives you:
+
+* Non-repudiation
+* Replayable verification
+* Cross-domain trust
+
+No mutable ACLs. No global PKI required.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Ownership is about *who can publish*
+
+Ownership in your system is:
+
+> The right to publish artifacts into a domain’s visible state.
+
+That’s it.
+
+* Anyone can *produce* internally
+* Only authorized keys can *publish*
+* Federation only sees *published* state
+
+This matches your federation spec perfectly.
+
+---
+
+## 10. What SystemRescue becomes in this model
+
+SystemRescue is just:
+
+> A transient node that can temporarily act under a domain identity.
+
+It may:
+
+* Import a domain key (hardware token, USB)
+* Produce recovery artifacts
+* Emit PERs
+* Publish a recovery snapshot
+
+Then disappear.
+
+The authority lives in the domain, not the machine.
+
+---
+
+## 11. Why this completes “any node can become a system”
+
+Because now:
+
+* A node + tools + a key = a system
+* Without a key, it’s just a reader
+* With a key, it can assert truth
+* ZFS ensures what was asserted cannot be silently altered
+
+That’s the closure you were missing.
+
+---
+
+## 12. The minimal thing you need to add (not a big system)
+
+You do **not** need:
+
+* LDAP
+* OAuth
+* POSIX ACLs
+* Distributed consensus
+
+You need:
+
+* Domain keypairs
+* Signed artifacts
+* Snapshot-pinned authority state
+* Simple role policies
+
+That’s it.
+
+---
+
+## 13. One-sentence takeaway
+
+> **ZFS gives you immutability; ASL gives you determinism; PEL gives you meaning; TGK gives you structure — but only cryptographic domain identity turns a node into a system.**
+
+If you want, next we can:
+
+* Specify a minimal **Domain Authority Manifest**
+* Define the PER signature format
+* Walk through “archived home directory” as a certified execution
+* Show how federation validates authority without trusting nodes
+
+This is the missing keystone — and you were already circling it.
+

notes/Ready-for-Pick-Up v2.md

@@ -0,0 +1,267 @@
+Yes — and that alternative is **very powerful**, because it flips the posture from *“rescued object”* to *“self-sovereign entrant asking for admission”*.
+Both modes must exist, and you’re now describing the **second one**.
+
+Let me formalize it cleanly, without mixing layers or over-specifying.
+
+---
+
+# Ready-for-Pick-Up v2
+
+## (Pre-Minted Domain + Certificates, Asking for Admission)
+
+This is a **deliberate, anticipatory stance**:
+
+> *“I arrive with a domain, keys, intent, and discipline.
+> I ask to be accepted, not rescued.”*
+
+---
+
+## 1. What You Bring to the Table
+
+You do **not** bring ASL internals.
+You bring **authority and intent**.
+
+### 1.1 A Domain (Already Minted)
+
+You arrive with:
+
+```text
+DomainID
+  - stable identifier
+  - self-declared scope
+  - empty or near-empty state
+```
+
+This domain:
+
+* Has **no data obligations yet**
+* Is capable of holding blocks and logs
+* Is isolated and sovereign
+
+It may contain:
+
+* zero artifacts
+* bootstrap artifacts
+* policy manifests
+
+---
+
+### 1.2 Authority Material (Offline-Minted)
+
+You arrive with:
+
+* **Domain Root Certificate**
+* **Signing key**
+* **Policy hash**
+* Optional:
+
+  * operator certificate
+  * device certificate (SystemRescue image)
+
+No federation required yet.
+No trust assumed yet.
+
+This is **ASL-AUTH territory**, not ASL-CORE.
+
+---
+
+### 1.3 A Domain Authority Manifest (DAM)
+
+This is the *single most important object* you bring.
+
+It says:
+
+> *“This is who I am, what I claim, and how I will behave.”*
+
+Minimal DAM contents:
+
+```text
+- DomainID
+- Root public key
+- Policy hash
+- Declared invariants
+- Requested relationship(s)
+```
+
+No artifacts required yet.
+
+---
+
+## 2. What You Ask For (The Admission Request)
+
+You don’t ask for “access”.
+
+You ask for **recognition under constraints**.
+
+Example:
+
+```text
+Admission Request:
+  - Accept my DomainID
+  - Accept my root certificate
+  - Allow me to publish artifacts
+  - Optionally grant courtesy storage
+  - Subject to my declared policy
+```
+
+This is **not trust yet**.
+It is *acknowledgment*.
+
+---
+
+## 3. How Common / Unity Responds
+
+Common does **not** execute your code.
+Common does **not** ingest your data yet.
+
+It performs:
+
+### 3.1 Structural Validation
+
+* DomainID well-formed
+* DAM syntactically valid
+* Policy hash declared
+* Keys match manifest
+
+### 3.2 Policy Compatibility Check
+
+* No invariant violations
+* No forbidden claims
+* No escalation attempt
+
+### 3.3 Admission Outcome
+
+One of:
+
+| Outcome            | Meaning               |
+| ------------------ | --------------------- |
+| Accepted           | Domain may publish    |
+| Accepted (limited) | Courtesy storage only |
+| Deferred           | Await manual review   |
+| Rejected           | No interaction        |
+
+This is **governance**, not storage.
+
+---
+
+## 4. After Acceptance: What Changes
+
+Only *after* acceptance:
+
+* Your domain may:
+
+  * publish sealed artifacts
+  * pin snapshots
+  * emit PERs
+* Common may:
+
+  * pin your published snapshots
+  * replicate your log
+  * reference your artifacts
+
+You still own your data.
+Common only **recognizes it**.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Why This Is Better Than “Blind Rescue”
+
+| Rescue Mode                    | Admission Mode                  |
+| ------------------------------ | ------------------------------- |
+| Common acts first              | You act first                   |
+| Data arrives untrusted         | Authority arrives first         |
+| Provenance reconstructed later | Provenance anchored immediately |
+| Courtesy is implicit           | Courtesy is negotiated          |
+
+Both are valid — but **this one scales better socially**.
+
+---
+
+## 6. How This Fits Your SystemRescue Image
+
+Your patched SystemRescue now becomes:
+
+> **A portable domain factory + admission client**
+
+It can:
+
+* generate a domain
+* mint keys offline
+* produce DAM
+* present admission request
+* wait
+
+Standing ready is literal now.
+
+---
+
+## 7. What Can Be Implemented Right Now (No ASL Needed)
+
+You can implement **all of this today**:
+
+* DAM schema
+* Certificate layout
+* Policy hash definition
+* Admission request format
+* Verification logic
+* Human / semi-automated approval
+
+No ASL-CORE.
+No PEL.
+No TGK.
+
+Just **authority and intent**.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Key Insight (This Is Important)
+
+> **Storage is not the entrance. Authority is.**
+
+ASL begins *after* admission.
+
+This prevents:
+
+* garbage ingestion
+* unbounded courtesy
+* identity ambiguity
+* provenance ambiguity
+
+---
+
+## 9. Where This Leads Next
+
+From here, the natural next specs are:
+
+1. **ASL-AUTH v0.1** (you already started this)
+2. **Domain Admission Protocol**
+3. **DAM canonical encoding**
+4. **Policy hash registry**
+5. **Courtesy lease semantics**
+
+---
+
+## 10. Final Framing
+
+You are no longer saying:
+
+> *“Please take my data.”*
+
+You are saying:
+
+> *“Here is a domain.
+> Here is my authority.
+> Here is my discipline.
+> May I participate?”*
+
+That’s exactly the right posture for the system you’re building.
+
+If you want, next I can:
+
+* formalize the **Domain Admission Protocol**
+* draft the **DAM schema precisely**
+* define **courtesy leases**
+* or show how **rescue-mode and admission-mode unify cleanly**
+
+Just point.
+

notes/Rescue Node ASL Deployment.md

@@ -0,0 +1,172 @@
+Perfect. Let’s map out a **Rescue Node ASL Deployment** for your scenario, integrating **personal domain, common domain (Unity/Rakeroot), foreign-domain trust, and ASL layers**. I’ll keep it clear and structured.
+
+---
+
+# Rescue Node ASL Deployment – Conceptual Diagram
+
+## 1. Overview
+
+Goal: A rescue node (e.g., old laptop booted with SystemRescue) can:
+
+* Read old material and register it in a **new personal domain**
+* Store **resurrected artifacts** safely
+* Interact with **common/shared domains** (Unity / Rakeroot)
+* Respect **foreign-domain trust** (read-only imported artifacts)
+* Produce **signed PERs** for auditing and traceability
+
+---
+
+## 2. Layered Architecture
+
+```
+┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+│ Rescue Node / SystemRescue Runtime                              │
+│  (ASL-HOST)                                                     │
+│ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
+│ │ Store Handles / Filesystems (POSIX/ZFS)                     │ │
+│ │  - personal domain store                                    │ │
+│ │  - common / Unity store                                     │ │
+│ │  - optional foreign domain caches                           │ │
+│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
+│ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
+│ │ ASL-STORE(-INDEX)                                           │ │
+│ │  - Handles blocks, snapshots, sealed segments              │ │
+│ │  - CURRRENT reconstruction, GC                              │ │
+│ │  - Uses store handles provided by ASL-HOST                 │ │
+│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
+│ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
+│ │ ASL-AUTH                                                   │ │
+│ │  - Domain authority (personal / common / foreign)          │ │
+│ │  - PER signing and verification                             │ │
+│ │  - Policy hash and offline root enforcement                │ │
+│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
+│ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
+│ │ PEL / TGK Execution                                         │ │
+│ │  - Generates PERs from recovered artifacts                 │ │
+│ │  - TGK edges record provenance                              │ │
+│ │  - Deterministic DAG execution                              │ │
+│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
+└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+---
+
+## 3. Domains
+
+| Domain                         | Purpose                                                     | Storage / Backing                                |
+| ------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
+| **Personal Domain**            | Newly minted domain on rescue node; stores rescued material | ZFS dataset or POSIX store, encrypted optionally |
+| **Common / Unity Domain**      | Group-shared artifacts; Unity / Rakeroot                    | ZFS dataset shared among users, snapshot-based   |
+| **Foreign Domains (optional)** | Imported read-only artifacts; pinned by trust               | Cache store / ASL-HOST mount                     |
+
+---
+
+## 4. Domain Initialization
+
+1. **Personal Domain**
+
+   * Create store: `CreateStore("/mnt/rescue/personal")`
+   * Generate DA manifest
+   * Sign manifest with offline root
+   * Mount snapshot overlay if needed
+
+2. **Common / Unity Domain**
+
+   * Mount read-only: `OpenStore("/mnt/common")`
+   * Synchronize snapshot to local host
+   * Pin trusted foreign domains if group members exist
+
+3. **Foreign Domains**
+
+   * Configure trust pin: Domain ID + Policy hash
+   * Mount local cache for imported artifacts
+   * Access **read-only**, verified via ASL-AUTH
+
+---
+
+## 5. Storage / Filesystem Layout
+
+```
+/mnt/rescue/
+  personal/       <-- personal domain store (ZFS/POSIX)
+    blocks/
+    segments/
+    logs/
+  common/         <-- Unity / Rakeroot (shared read-only store)
+    blocks/
+    segments/
+    logs/
+  foreign/        <-- optional cache for foreign domains
+    domainX/
+      blocks/
+      segments/
+```
+
+* **Blocks**: immutable, sealed by ASL-STORE
+* **Segments**: index entries + metadata
+* **Logs**: append-only, monotonic ordering
+
+---
+
+## 6. Snapshot Strategy
+
+* ZFS snapshots (or overlayfs copies) per domain
+* Personal domain snapshots allow **deterministic recovery**
+* Common domain snapshots define **group-visible CURRENT**
+* Foreign domain snapshots pinned by trust
+
+```
+personal@rescue-snap-2025-12-28
+common@unity-snap-2025-12-28
+foreign-domainX@snap-2025-12-01
+```
+
+---
+
+## 7. PER Signing & Provenance
+
+1. PEL executes DAG over rescued artifacts
+2. Generates PERs
+3. ASL-AUTH signs PERs with:
+
+   * Personal domain authority key
+   * Policy hash embedded
+4. PERs stored in **personal domain**, optionally referencing:
+
+   * Common / Unity artifacts
+   * Foreign pinned artifacts (read-only)
+
+---
+
+## 8. Optional Encryption / Public Domain Courtesy
+
+* Blocks from personal domain can be encrypted when storing in **common domain**
+* Ensures **privacy while allowing shared indexing**
+* Encryption keys managed by **personal DA**
+
+---
+
+## 9. Trust & Governance
+
+* Offline root(s) provide deterministic trust
+* Policy hash enforces publishing and cross-domain rules
+* Personal domain can safely publish selected artifacts to Unity / Rakeroot
+* Foreign-domain pins enforce **read-only deterministic import**
+
+---
+
+## 10. Summary
+
+* Rescue node can bootstrap **personal + common + foreign domains**
+* Storage handled by ASL-HOST (POSIX/ZFS)
+* Indexing, snapshots, sealing by ASL-STORE(-INDEX)
+* PER signing and cross-domain trust by ASL-AUTH
+* Execution provenance tracked via PEL/TGK
+* Flexible architecture for **personal, group, and federated domains**
+
+---
+
+If you want, I can **draw a fully labeled diagram** showing **how artifacts flow from the rescued home directory into personal domain, common domain, and PER generation**, including snapshots, seals, and trust pins. This would be a visual reference for your rescue mission.
+
+Do you want me to do that next?
+

notes/Rescue Node Blueprint v0-1.md

@@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
+Perfect — this is exactly the “first-person, first-rescue” scenario. I’ll extend the blueprint to reflect **a freshly minted SystemRescue user entering the ecosystem** with old personal data, no prior certificates, and the intention of building both a **personal domain** and seeding the **common / Unity tree**. I’ll tie together **PER generation, ASL blocks, snapshots, and trust setup** from scratch.
+
+---
+
+# Rescue Node Blueprint v0.1 — Fresh Entry Scenario
+
+```
+                       ┌───────────────────────────────┐
+                       │  Legacy Input Material       │
+                       │  - Home directory snapshot   │
+                       │  - App config / old data     │
+                       │  - Intent / contracts        │
+                       └─────────────┬─────────────────┘
+                                     │
+                                     ▼
+                       ┌───────────────────────────────┐
+                       │ Sedelpress / PER Engine       │
+                       │ - Deterministic execution     │
+                       │ - TGK edges & provenance      │
+                       │ - Snapshot boundaries         │
+                       │ - Generates initial PER(s)    │
+                       │ - Logs intent + provenance    │
+                       └─────────────┬─────────────────┘
+                                     │ PER + TGK edges
+                                     ▼
+           ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+           │ Bootstrap in Common / Courtesy Space          │
+           │ - Encrypted personal blocks                  │
+           │ - ASL-STORE(-INDEX) organizes blocks & logs │
+           │ - Snapshot pinned for reproducibility        │
+           │ - Acts as temporary “personal domain seed” │
+           └─────────────┬─────────────────────────────────┘
+                         │ Optional trust / policy hash
+                         ▼
+           ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+           │ Personal Domain (New)                         │
+           │ - Blocks copied from courtesy space          │
+           │ - Own index segments, snapshots              │
+           │ - PERs validated and linked to TGK edges    │
+           │ - Certificates minted (ASL-AUTH)            │
+           │ - Domain Authority Manifest created          │
+           │ - Optional publication to Common later      │
+           └─────────────┬─────────────────────────────────┘
+                         │ Optional publication
+                         ▼
+           ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+           │ Common / Unity Domain                          │
+           │ - Shared artifacts / PERs                      │
+           │ - Read-only pinned snapshots                  │
+           │ - Courtesy recognition of new user            │
+           │ - Aggregates multiple bootstrap submissions   │
+           └─────────────┬─────────────────────────────────┘
+                         │ Cross-domain trust pins
+                         ▼
+           ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+           │ Foreign / Other Domains                        │
+           │ - Imported artifacts read-only                 │
+           │ - Trust via offline roots & policy hash       │
+           │ - Deterministic snapshots reconstructed       │
+           └───────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+---
+
+## Key Concepts and Steps
+
+### 1. Legacy Material Intake
+
+* Old personal data is treated as **raw artifact input**.
+* **Sedelpress** ingests everything deterministically, creating **PER(s) for provenance**.
+* Intent and contract are encoded alongside data, defining what must be certified.
+
+### 2. PER Generation
+
+* **First-class operation**: PERs precede storage.
+* TGK edges capture lineage and relationships.
+* Snapshots of input material are **recorded for deterministic reconstruction**.
+
+### 3. Bootstrap Personal Domain via Common
+
+* **Encrypted blocks** are stored in the Common courtesy space.
+* Blocks are **sealed and indexed** (ASL-STORE / ASL-STORE-INDEX).
+* Common **pins snapshots** to ensure reproducibility.
+* This bootstrap **does not require prior certificates** — Common allows “newcomer courtesy.”
+
+### 4. Personal Domain Minting
+
+* After bootstrap, blocks are copied into the new **personal domain**.
+* **Certificates (ASL-AUTH)** are minted, forming your **authority root**.
+* Domain Authority Manifest (DAM) is created with:
+
+  * Your domain ID
+  * Seeded artifacts / PERs
+  * Trust anchors (offline roots)
+* PERs are now linked, validated, and can be optionally published to Common.
+
+### 5. Common / Unity Tree
+
+* Aggregates shared PERs and artifacts from multiple users.
+* Maintains **read-only pinned snapshots**.
+* Facilitates **cross-user consistency and cooperation**.
+* Your encrypted bootstrap blocks remain private until you choose to publish.
+
+### 6. Cross-Domain Trust
+
+* Optional import/export of artifacts to other domains:
+
+  * **Read-only import**: deterministic reconstruction.
+  * **Policy hash** ensures correctness.
+  * **Offline roots** verify trust for foreign domains.
+
+---
+
+## Suggested ASL / Filesystem Layout
+
+| Domain / Layer            | Backend / FS          | Notes                                                       |
+| ------------------------- | --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
+| Legacy Material Intake    | POSIX / tmp overlay   | Raw input snapshots                                         |
+| Sedelpress / PER Engine   | Memory + temp storage | Deterministic execution; generates TGK edges                |
+| Bootstrap Personal Domain | ZFS / ASL-STORE       | Courtesy encrypted blocks; pinned snapshot; temporary index |
+| Personal Domain (New)     | ZFS / ASL-STORE       | Full index, sealed blocks, PERs, certificates               |
+| Common / Unity Domain     | ZFS / ASL-STORE       | Shared artifacts / PERs; read-only; pinned snapshots        |
+| Foreign / Other Domains   | N/A / imported        | Read-only; trust via offline roots & policy hash            |
+
+---
+
+### Notes on Certificates / ASL-AUTH
+
+* **Initial certificate minting** occurs **after bootstrap**.
+* Offline root keys are generated on a **secure Debian machine** (offline).
+* **Personal Domain Authority** is tied to offline roots.
+* PERs in bootstrap space can later be **retrospectively certified** once personal domain is minted.
+
+---
+
+### Snapshot & Sealing Flow
+
+1. **Legacy snapshot** → PER generation
+2. **Seal blocks** in courtesy space
+3. **Pin snapshots** in bootstrap space
+4. **Copy to personal domain** → seal and index
+5. **Create DAM + Certificates** → retrospective trust assignment
+6. Optional publication → **Common / Unity tree**
+
+---
+
+This **blueprint supports:**
+
+* Fresh user / rescue node onboarding
+* Deterministic provenance from legacy material
+* Personal domain creation without prior certificates
+* Courtesy bootstrap in Common for temporary storage
+* Safe integration with Common / Unity tree and foreign domains
+* PER-first philosophy ensuring traceability and auditability
+
+---
+
+If you want, I can **draw a “layered architecture diagram”**, showing **Sedelpress, ASL blocks, snapshots, PERs, and the hierarchy of domains**, highlighting **bootstrap, personal, common, and foreign layers**.
+
+It would be a **visual rescue map**, perfect for planning the initial node setup.
+
+Do you want me to do that next?
+

notes/Rescue Operation Architecture.md

@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+Perfect — that gives us a **clear mission scenario**. Let’s formalize this into a **Rescue Node + Domain Architecture**, showing the **flow from personal rescue → common courtesy space → personal domain establishment**. I’ll also tie in snapshots, sealing, and PER generation.
+
+---
+
+# Rescue Operation Architecture: “Personal Rescue with Common Bootstrap”
+
+```
+                    ┌───────────────────────────────┐
+                    │  Input Material / Intent      │
+                    │  - Home directory snapshot    │
+                    │  - Certificates               │
+                    │  - Rescue intent / contract   │
+                    └─────────────┬─────────────────┘
+                                  │
+                                  ▼
+                    ┌───────────────────────────────┐
+                    │  Sedelpress / PER Engine      │
+                    │  - Deterministic execution    │
+                    │  - TGK edges & provenance     │
+                    │  - Snapshot boundaries        │
+                    │  - Generates PER(s)           │
+                    └─────────────┬─────────────────┘
+                                  │ PER + TGK edges
+                                  ▼
+              ┌───────────────────────────────────────┐
+              │ Personal Bootstrap Space (Common)     │
+              │ - Courtesy space granted by Common    │
+              │ - Encrypted blocks / sealed segments  │
+              │ - Indexed via ASL-STORE(-INDEX)      │
+              │ - Temporary / bootstrapped domain     │
+              └─────────────┬─────────────────────────┘
+                            │ Optional trust / policy hash
+                            ▼
+              ┌───────────────────────────────────────┐
+              │ Personal Domain (User-owned)           │
+              │ - Blocks copied from bootstrap        │
+              │ - Own index segments & snapshots      │
+              │ - PERs stored and validated           │
+              │ - Full authority and certificate      │
+              └─────────────┬─────────────────────────┘
+                            │ Publishing optional
+                            ▼
+              ┌───────────────────────────────────────┐
+              │ Common / Unity Domain                  │
+              │ - Shared artifacts & PERs              │
+              │ - Read-only access for users           │
+              │ - Snapshot pinned / immutable         │
+              │ - Courtesy bootstrap space recognized │
+              └─────────────┬─────────────────────────┘
+                            │ Cross-domain trust pins
+                            ▼
+              ┌───────────────────────────────────────┐
+              │ Foreign / External Domains             │
+              │ - Imported artifacts (read-only)      │
+              │ - Trust enforced by offline roots      │
+              │ - Policy hash verification            │
+              └───────────────────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+---
+
+### Key Principles for Rescue + Domain Integration
+
+1. **Bootstrap via Common**
+
+   * A person or system without a pre-existing domain can store **encrypted blocks** in the Common courtesy space.
+   * Common recognizes the bootstrap, enforces **policy hash**, and pins snapshots.
+
+2. **PER Generation is Primary**
+
+   * The Sedelpress stamps **everything deterministically**: home dir, certificates, intent.
+   * Store artifacts are secondary; the **receipt defines authority and provenance**.
+
+3. **Snapshots & Sealed Blocks**
+
+   * Courtesy space blocks are **encrypted and sealed** for immutability.
+   * Once personal domain is established, blocks can be **copied or promoted** to private space.
+
+4. **Domain Authority**
+
+   * Personal domain is **minted post-bootstrap**, with full authority.
+   * Policy hash ensures cross-domain trust for publishing or importing artifacts.
+
+5. **Cross-Domain Trust**
+
+   * Common domain pins **read-only copies** of bootstrap artifacts.
+   * Foreign or other users’ domains require **offline root verification** before accepting artifacts.
+
+---
+
+### Suggested ASL / Store Layout for Rescue Operation
+
+| Domain                      | Backend / FS      | Notes                                                                |
+| --------------------------- | ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| Personal Bootstrap (Common) | ZFS / POSIX + ASL | Courtesy space; blocks encrypted; temporary storage; snapshot pinned |
+| Personal Domain             | ZFS + ASL         | User-owned; full index; sealed blocks; PERs validated                |
+| Common / Unity              | ZFS + ASL         | Shared artifacts; read-only; courtesy recognition                    |
+| Foreign Domains             | N/A (imported)    | Read-only; trust pinned via policy hash and offline roots            |
+
+---
+
+If you like, I can **next draft the Rescue Node overlay schema**:
+
+* How the **personal bootstrap** interacts with Common
+* How **PER ingestion and sealing** happens
+* How **snapshots + ASL blocks** are laid out on ZFS or POSIX
+* How the **courtesy / Unity tree** is seeded
+
+This would be a **working blueprint for your personal rescue operations**, fully tied to the ASL + PEL ecosystem.
+
+Do you want me to do that?
+

notes/Runtime Execution Semantics & Memory Layout for SIMD-Shard Acceleration.md

@@ -0,0 +1,240 @@
+Absolutely — here’s a formal draft for **runtime execution semantics and memory layout** for SIMD/shard acceleration of the unified execution plan over ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX. This focuses on **parallel, deterministic, and snapshot-safe execution**.
+
+---
+
+# Runtime Execution Semantics & Memory Layout for SIMD/Shard Acceleration
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+This specification defines:
+
+* How operators in an execution plan are executed in memory
+* How shards, SIMD, and filters are applied efficiently
+* Determinism guarantees per snapshot
+* Memory layout for index scans, filter evaluation, and traversal expansion
+
+It is fully compatible with:
+
+* **ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX**
+* **Merged ASL + TGK query execution plan**
+* **C-struct operator definitions**
+
+---
+
+## 2. Memory Layout Principles
+
+1. **Immutable segments**: Index segments are **read-only** during execution
+2. **Shard-local buffers**: Each shard stores a segment of records in contiguous memory
+3. **SIMD key arrays**: Routing keys, type tags, and edge type keys are stored in contiguous SIMD-aligned arrays for fast vectorized evaluation
+4. **Canonical references**: artifact IDs and TGK edge IDs are stored in 64-bit aligned arrays for deterministic access
+5. **Traversal buffers**: TGK traversal outputs are stored in logseq-sorted buffers to preserve determinism
+
+---
+
+## 3. Segment Loading and Sharding
+
+* Each index segment is **assigned to a shard** based on routing key hash
+* Segment header is mapped into memory; record arrays are memory-mapped if needed
+* For ASL artifacts:
+
+```c
+struct shard_asl_segment {
+    uint64_t *artifact_ids;       // 64-bit canonical IDs
+    uint32_t *type_tags;          // optional type tags
+    uint8_t  *has_type_tag;       // flags
+    uint64_t record_count;
+};
+```
+
+* For TGK edges:
+
+```c
+struct shard_tgk_segment {
+    uint64_t *tgk_edge_ids;       // canonical TGK-CORE references
+    uint32_t *edge_type_keys;
+    uint8_t  *has_edge_type;
+    uint8_t  *roles;              // from/to/both
+    uint64_t record_count;
+};
+```
+
+* **Shard-local buffers** allow **parallel SIMD evaluation** without inter-shard contention
+
+---
+
+## 4. SIMD-Accelerated Filter Evaluation
+
+* SIMD applies vectorized comparison of:
+
+  * Artifact type tags
+  * Edge type keys
+  * Routing keys (pre-hashed)
+* Example pseudo-code (AVX2):
+
+```c
+for (i = 0; i < record_count; i += SIMD_WIDTH) {
+    simd_load(type_tag[i:i+SIMD_WIDTH])
+    simd_cmp(type_tag_filter)
+    simd_mask_store(pass_mask, output_buffer)
+}
+```
+
+* Determinism guaranteed by **maintaining original order** after filtering (logseq ascending + canonical ID tie-breaker)
+
+---
+
+## 5. Traversal Buffer Semantics (TGK)
+
+* TGKTraversal operator maintains:
+
+```c
+struct tgk_traversal_buffer {
+    uint64_t *edge_ids;        // expanded edges
+    uint64_t *node_ids;        // corresponding nodes
+    uint32_t  depth;           // current traversal depth
+    uint64_t count;            // number of records in buffer
+};
+```
+
+* Buffers are **logseq-sorted per depth** to preserve deterministic traversal
+* Optional **per-shard buffers** for parallel traversal
+
+---
+
+## 6. Merge Operator Semantics
+
+* Merges **multiple shard-local streams**:
+
+```c
+struct merge_buffer {
+    uint64_t *artifact_ids;
+    uint64_t *tgk_edge_ids;
+    uint32_t  *type_tags;
+    uint8_t   *roles;
+    uint64_t   count;
+};
+```
+
+* Merge algorithm: **deterministic heap merge**
+
+  1. Compare `logseq` ascending
+  2. Tie-break with canonical ID
+
+* Ensures same output regardless of shard execution order
+
+---
+
+## 7. Tombstone Shadowing
+
+* Shadowing is **applied post-merge**:
+
+```c
+struct tombstone_state {
+    uint64_t canonical_id;
+    uint64_t max_logseq_seen;
+    uint8_t  is_tombstoned;
+};
+```
+
+* Algorithm:
+
+1. Iterate merged buffer
+2. For each canonical ID, keep only **latest logseq ≤ snapshot**
+3. Drop tombstoned or overridden entries
+
+* Deterministic and **snapshot-safe**
+
+---
+
+## 8. Traversal Expansion with SIMD & Shards
+
+* Input: TGK edge buffer, shard-local nodes
+* Steps:
+
+1. **Filter edges** using SIMD (type, role)
+2. **Expand edges** to downstream nodes
+3. **Append results** to depth-sorted buffer
+4. Repeat for depth `d` if traversal requested
+5. Maintain deterministic order:
+
+   * logseq ascending
+   * canonical edge ID tie-breaker
+
+---
+
+## 9. Projection & Aggregation Buffers
+
+* Output buffer for projection:
+
+```c
+struct projection_buffer {
+    uint64_t *artifact_ids;
+    uint64_t *tgk_edge_ids;
+    uint64_t *node_ids;
+    uint32_t  *type_tags;
+    uint64_t   count;
+};
+```
+
+* Aggregation performed **in-place** or into **small accumulator structures**:
+
+```c
+struct aggregation_accumulator {
+    uint64_t count;
+    uint64_t sum_type_tag;
+    // additional aggregates as needed
+};
+```
+
+* Deterministic due to **logseq + canonical ID ordering**
+
+---
+
+## 10. Parallelism and SIMD Determinism
+
+* **Shard-local parallelism** allowed
+
+* **SIMD vectorization** allowed
+
+* Global determinism ensured by:
+
+  1. Per-shard deterministic processing
+  2. Deterministic merge of shards
+  3. Shadowing/tombstone application post-merge
+  4. Logseq + canonical ID ordering preserved
+
+* This guarantees **identical results across runs and nodes**
+
+---
+
+## 11. Summary of Runtime Buffers
+
+| Buffer                    | Contents                  | Purpose                           |
+| ------------------------- | ------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
+| `shard_asl_segment`       | artifact IDs, type tags   | parallel scan/filter              |
+| `shard_tgk_segment`       | edge IDs, edge type, role | parallel scan/filter              |
+| `tgk_traversal_buffer`    | expanded edges/nodes      | DAG traversal                     |
+| `merge_buffer`            | merged records            | deterministic merge across shards |
+| `projection_buffer`       | projected fields          | final output                      |
+| `aggregation_accumulator` | counts/sums               | deterministic aggregation         |
+| `tombstone_state`         | canonical ID + logseq     | shadowing                         |
+
+* All buffers are **snapshot-bound and immutable where possible**
+* SIMD/shard acceleration does not affect determinism
+
+---
+
+This completes a **full runtime execution model**, including **memory layout, SIMD/shard acceleration, traversal buffers, merge logic, tombstone handling, and projection/aggregation**.
+
+---
+
+Next steps could be:
+
+1. **Formal operator pseudocode in C**, implementing SIMD and shard logic
+2. **Memory-mapped index access routines** for ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX
+3. **Integration with PEL deterministic DAG execution receipts**
+
+Do you want me to draft the **operator pseudocode next**?
+

notes/Sedelpress.md

@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+Ah, I love that metaphor! “Sedelpress” as in a press for stamping or minting receipts — in English we could think of it as a **“stamp press”** or **“receipt press”**: you feed it the raw material, and it mints a deterministic, certified output (the PER). Perfect for your rescue node scenario.
+
+Here’s how I would visualize your **Rescue Node data flow with PER generation as the first-class citizen**:
+
+---
+
+# Rescue Node ASL + PER Flow Diagram (Conceptual)
+
+```
+ ┌──────────────────────────────┐
+ │ Local Material / Input       │
+ │  - Home dir, app data        │
+ │  - Certificates              │
+ │  - Program specs / provenance│
+ │  - Intent / contract         │
+ └─────────────┬────────────────┘
+               │
+               ▼
+ ┌──────────────────────────────┐
+ │  Sedelpress / PER Engine     │
+ │  - Deterministic execution   │
+ │  - TGK edges & provenance    │
+ │  - Snapshot boundaries       │
+ │  - Logs + execution receipts │
+ └─────────────┬────────────────┘
+               │ PERs + TGK provenance
+               ▼
+ ┌──────────────────────────────┐
+ │  Personal Domain Store       │
+ │  - Blocks (sealed)           │
+ │  - Index segments            │
+ │  - Logs / append-only        │
+ │  - Snapshots for CURRENT     │
+ └─────────────┬────────────────┘
+               │ optional encrypted export
+               ▼
+ ┌──────────────────────────────┐
+ │  Common / Unity Domain       │
+ │  - Shared blocks & artifacts │
+ │  - Read-only pinned snapshot │
+ │  - Published receipts        │
+ └─────────────┬────────────────┘
+               │ optional trust / import
+               ▼
+ ┌──────────────────────────────┐
+ │  Foreign Domains             │
+ │  - Pinned imported artifacts │
+ │  - Read-only                 │
+ │  - Trusted by policy hash    │
+ └──────────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+---
+
+### Key Notes:
+
+1. **PER First**
+
+   * Think of the Sedelpress as **minting a certified record**. Everything you feed it — your home directory, certificates, intent — is stamped into the PER.
+   * After PER generation, storing artifacts in ASL is just archival. The **semantic contract** already exists in the receipt.
+
+2. **Personal Domain**
+
+   * Acts as your **private safe harbor** for rescued artifacts and PERs.
+   * Optional encryption if you publish to Common / Unity domain.
+
+3. **Common / Unity Domain**
+
+   * Acts as **shared infrastructure**. Only selected artifacts or PERs are published here.
+   * Everyone can reconstruct shared CURRENT via snapshots and logs.
+
+4. **Foreign Domains**
+
+   * Imported artifacts are **read-only**, pinned to deterministic snapshots.
+   * Trust enforced via policy hash + offline roots.
+
+5. **Snapshots Everywhere**
+
+   * ZFS or overlay snapshots ensure **deterministic recovery**.
+   * Sealed blocks and segments provide **immutable audit trails**.
+
+6. **Intent / Contract Layer**
+
+   * Your “message in a bottle” analogy: you define what you want certified, and the Sedelpress mints the PER.
+   * Avoid writing arbitrary data directly into the store — it would break deterministic guarantees.
+
+---
+
+If you want, I can take this **diagram further** and make a **layered architectural figure** showing:
+
+* Input layers → Sedelpress → PER + TGK edges
+* Personal / common / foreign domains
+* Snapshot and sealing overlays
+* Trust pins and policy hash integration
+
+It could be like a **map of the rescue river**, where your input flows in, gets stamped, and only certified, published artifacts leave.
+
+Do you want me to create that next?
+

notes/TGK-INDEX.md

@@ -0,0 +1,276 @@
+Below is a **formal draft of TGK-INDEX**, written to **exactly mirror the ASL-INDEX-ACCEL framework** and to cleanly integrate TGK into the overall model without inventing new semantics.
+
+---
+
+# TGK-INDEX
+
+### Trace Graph Kernel Index Semantics and Acceleration
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+TGK-INDEX defines the **indexing semantics for Trace Graph Kernel (TGK) edges**, which represent stored projections derived from:
+
+* PEL execution
+* Execution receipts
+* Provenance and trace material
+
+This document specifies:
+
+* Canonical identity of TGK edges
+* Snapshot-relative visibility
+* Index lookup semantics
+* Interaction with acceleration mechanisms defined in ASL-INDEX-ACCEL
+
+> TGK-INDEX defines **what edges exist and how they are observed**, not how they are accelerated.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Scope
+
+This specification applies to:
+
+* All TGK edge storage
+* Edge lookup and traversal
+* Stored projections over ASL artifacts and PEL executions
+
+It does **not** define:
+
+* PEL execution semantics
+* Provenance interpretation
+* Federation policies
+* Storage encoding (see ENC-* documents)
+* Acceleration mechanisms (see ASL-INDEX-ACCEL)
+
+---
+
+## 3. TGK Edge Model
+
+### 3.1 TGK Edge
+
+A TGK Edge represents a **directed, immutable relationship** between two nodes.
+
+Nodes MAY represent:
+
+* Artifacts
+* PEL executions
+* Receipts
+* Abstract graph nodes defined by higher layers
+
+Edges are created only by deterministic projection.
+
+---
+
+### 3.2 Canonical Edge Key
+
+Each TGK edge has a **Canonical Edge Key**, which uniquely identifies the edge.
+
+The Canonical Edge Key MUST include:
+
+* Source node identifier
+* Destination node identifier
+* Projection context (e.g. PEL execution or receipt identity)
+* Edge direction (if not implied)
+
+Properties:
+
+* Defines semantic identity
+* Used for equality, shadowing, and tombstones
+* Immutable once created
+* Fully compared on lookup match
+
+---
+
+## 4. Edge Type Key
+
+### 4.1 Definition
+
+Each TGK edge MAY carry an **Edge Type Key**, which classifies the edge.
+
+Properties:
+
+* Immutable once edge is created
+* Optional, but strongly encouraged
+* Does NOT participate in canonical identity
+* Used for routing, filtering, and query acceleration
+
+Formal rule:
+
+> Edge Type Key is a classification attribute, not an identity attribute.
+
+---
+
+### 4.2 Absence Encoding
+
+If an edge has no Edge Type Key, this absence MUST be explicitly encoded and observable to the index.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Snapshot Semantics
+
+### 5.1 Snapshot-Relative Visibility
+
+TGK edges are **snapshot-relative**.
+
+An edge is visible in snapshot `S` if and only if:
+
+* The edge creation log entry has `LogSeq ≤ S`
+* The edge is not shadowed by a later tombstone with `LogSeq ≤ S`
+
+---
+
+### 5.2 Determinism
+
+Given the same snapshot and input state:
+
+* The visible TGK edge set MUST be identical
+* Lookup and traversal MUST be deterministic
+
+---
+
+## 6. TGK Index Semantics
+
+### 6.1 Logical Index Definition
+
+The TGK logical index maps:
+
+```
+(snapshot, CanonicalEdgeKey) → EdgeRecord | ⊥
+```
+
+Rules:
+
+* Newer entries shadow older ones
+* Tombstones shadow edges
+* Ordering is defined by log sequence
+
+---
+
+### 6.2 Lookup by Attributes
+
+Lookup MAY constrain:
+
+* Source node
+* Destination node
+* Edge Type Key
+* Projection context
+
+Such constraints are **advisory** and MAY be accelerated but MUST be validated by full edge record comparison.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Acceleration and Routing
+
+### 7.1 Canonical vs Routing Keys
+
+TGK indexing follows ASL-INDEX-ACCEL.
+
+* Canonical identity is defined solely by Canonical Edge Key
+* Routing Keys are derived and advisory
+
+Routing Keys MAY incorporate:
+
+* Hash of Canonical Edge Key
+* Edge Type Key
+* Direction or role
+
+---
+
+### 7.2 Filters
+
+Filters:
+
+* Are built over Routing Keys
+* May include Edge Type Key
+* MUST NOT introduce false negatives
+* MUST be verified by full edge comparison
+
+---
+
+### 7.3 Sharding
+
+Sharding:
+
+* Is observationally invisible
+* MAY be based on Routing Keys
+* MUST preserve logical index equivalence
+
+---
+
+### 7.4 SIMD Execution
+
+SIMD MAY be used to accelerate:
+
+* Filter evaluation
+* Routing key comparison
+* Edge scanning
+
+SIMD MUST NOT affect semantics.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Relationship to ASL Index
+
+TGK indexing:
+
+* Reuses ASL snapshot and log ordering semantics
+* May share physical storage and segments with ASL artifacts
+* Is governed by the same checkpoint and recovery model
+
+TGK edges MAY reference ASL artifacts across snapshots, subject to provenance constraints.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Garbage Collection and Retention
+
+* TGK edges MUST NOT be collected while referenced by any retained snapshot
+* Tombstoned edges MAY be reclaimed once unreachable
+* Provenance requirements MAY pin edges beyond snapshot reachability
+
+GC policies are store-defined but MUST preserve snapshot safety.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Federation Considerations (Non-Normative)
+
+In federated environments:
+
+* Edge visibility MAY differ by domain
+* Edge Type Keys MAY be namespaced
+* Canonical Edge Keys MUST remain globally stable
+
+Federation rules are defined outside this document.
+
+---
+
+## 11. Normative Invariants
+
+1. Canonical Edge Key defines identity
+2. Edge Type Key is not part of identity
+3. Snapshot visibility is log-sequence based
+4. Acceleration is advisory only
+5. Filters must not produce false negatives
+6. Sharding is observationally invisible
+7. Determinism is required per snapshot
+
+---
+
+## 12. Summary
+
+TGK-INDEX defines a **snapshot-safe, deterministic graph index** that:
+
+* Treats edges as immutable, indexed entities
+* Separates identity from classification
+* Scales to billions of edges
+* Integrates cleanly with ASL indexing and acceleration
+
+By strictly reusing the Canonical vs Routing framework, TGK avoids semantic drift and ensures that **graph queries remain correct regardless of acceleration strategy**.
+
+---
+
+If you want, the next logical step would be to:
+
+* Draft **ENC-TGK-INDEX** (exact on-disk encoding)
+* Or write a **unified query model** spanning ASL + TGK lookups
+

notes/The Domains You Are Actually Creating.md

@@ -0,0 +1,349 @@
+This is a *foundational* question, and you’re asking it at exactly the right abstraction level.
+I’ll answer it in a way that **does not lock you into ZFS, POSIX, or any single worldview**, but shows how they *fit*.
+
+What follows is a **clean domain topology**, **backend mapping**, and a **seeding story** that lets the “common” crystallize naturally instead of being designed top-down.
+
+---
+
+# 1. The Domains You Are Actually Creating
+
+You are not creating “many domains”.
+You are creating **three roles**, which may be instantiated multiple times.
+
+## 1.1 The Common Domain (shared reality)
+
+```
+domain: common
+```
+
+**Purpose**
+
+* Shared, boring, necessary facts
+* Toolchains
+* Base artifacts
+* Shared schemas
+* Canonical references
+
+**Properties**
+
+* Conservative
+* Slow-moving
+* High trust threshold
+* Read-mostly
+
+Think of this as:
+
+* `/usr`
+* `/nix/store`
+* `/lib`
+* Wikipedia, but frozen and replayable
+
+This is where your brother’s “Unity tree” intuition lives.
+
+---
+
+## 1.2 Personal Domain (agency)
+
+```
+domain: you
+```
+
+**Purpose**
+
+* Your identity
+* Your choices
+* Your publications
+* Your private state
+
+**Properties**
+
+* You own the roots
+* You decide what to publish
+* You may fork or disagree with “common”
+
+This is:
+
+* Your `$HOME`
+* Your git identity
+* Your signing authority
+
+---
+
+## 1.3 Working / Ephemeral Domains (action)
+
+```
+domain: you/work/…
+domain: you/rescue/…
+domain: you/experiment/…
+```
+
+**Purpose**
+
+* Do things
+* Run PEL
+* Recover machines
+* Import legacy data
+
+**Properties**
+
+* Delegated authority
+* Narrow policy
+* Often short-lived
+* Results may be promoted upward
+
+These are **verbs**, not nouns.
+
+---
+
+## 2. How These Domains Relate (Important)
+
+They are **not hierarchical**.
+
+Instead:
+
+* Personal domain **pins** Common
+* Working domains are **authorized by** Personal
+* Publication is **explicit**
+
+Graphically:
+
+```
+         common
+            ↑ (trust pin)
+          you
+            ↓ (delegation)
+     you/rescue/laptop
+```
+
+No implicit inheritance.
+No magical visibility.
+
+---
+
+# 3. Filesystems and Backends (Practical, Not Ideological)
+
+You already have POSIX. That’s fine.
+
+ASL **does not require** anything special — it requires **semantics**, not magic.
+
+## 3.1 Minimum viable ASL backend
+
+You need three things:
+
+```
+/asl/
+  blocks/
+  index/
+  log/
+```
+
+This can live on:
+
+* ext4
+* XFS
+* ZFS
+* tmpfs (for tests)
+
+### Blocks
+
+* Files named by BlockID
+* Immutable once sealed
+* Can be encrypted or plaintext
+
+### Index
+
+* Segment files
+* Append-only
+* Memory-mapped friendly
+
+### Log
+
+* Append-only
+* Totally ordered
+* Small
+
+That’s it.
+
+---
+
+## 3.2 ZFS (where it helps, not dominates)
+
+ZFS is *excellent* for:
+
+* Snapshots as checkpoints
+* Replication
+* Retention
+* Scrub / integrity
+
+Recommended layout:
+
+```
+zpool/asl/common
+zpool/asl/you
+zpool/asl/you_work
+```
+
+Each dataset:
+
+* Independent snapshots
+* Independent GC
+* Independent policy
+
+ZFS is **not** your semantic layer.
+It is your **reliable substrate**.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Seeding the Common Domain (this is subtle)
+
+The common domain must **not** be “yours”.
+
+It must start **empty or minimal**.
+
+### 4.1 Initial common contents
+
+Seed only:
+
+* ASL schemas
+* TGK schemas
+* PEL operator definitions
+* Hash algorithms
+* Encoding specs
+
+No opinions.
+No personal data.
+
+Think: *standards, not content*.
+
+---
+
+### 4.2 How common grows
+
+Common grows when:
+
+* Multiple personal domains independently publish the same artifacts
+* Agreement is explicit
+* Provenance is preserved
+
+This is *emergent consensus*, not curation.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Seeding Your Personal Domain
+
+Your personal domain starts with:
+
+1. Your offline roots
+2. Your DAM
+3. Policy hash
+4. Trust pin to common
+
+That’s it.
+
+Everything else is created via **working domains**.
+
+---
+
+## 6. The “Home Directory” Model (this matters)
+
+Your intuition here is correct.
+
+### `$HOME` is a domain, not a directory
+
+```
+domain: you/home
+```
+
+What lives here:
+
+* Your files
+* Your configs
+* Your history
+* Your backups
+* Your recovered artifacts
+
+This domain:
+
+* Can publish subsets
+* Can snapshot aggressively
+* Can be encrypted-at-rest
+
+The POSIX home directory is just a *view*.
+
+---
+
+## 7. The “Common Group” (rakeroots / unity)
+
+Here is how the “common group” crystallizes **without central planning**.
+
+### 7.1 Group domain
+
+```
+domain: you+brother/common
+```
+
+Properties:
+
+* Multi-root authority
+* Requires joint signatures
+* Narrow scope
+
+### 7.2 What goes here
+
+* Family photos
+* Shared documents
+* Shared tooling
+* Shared indexes
+
+This is **not global common**.
+It’s *your* common.
+
+Others will have theirs.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Why This Scales Socially
+
+Different people will have:
+
+* Different commons
+* Different trust roots
+* Different overlaps
+
+But:
+
+✔ Artifacts are immutable
+✔ Provenance is explicit
+✔ Publication is voluntary
+✔ Conflicts don’t corrupt history
+
+This avoids the “one true tree” trap.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Mental Model That Locks It In
+
+* **Common** = gravity
+* **Personal** = agency
+* **Working** = motion
+* **Filesystems** = substrate
+* **Domains** = meaning
+* **Snapshots** = memory
+
+---
+
+## 10. One-sentence answer to your question
+
+> You create a minimal Common domain for shared semantics, a Personal domain for identity and choice, and delegated Working domains for action — all backed by simple POSIX storage (optionally ZFS), with “home” and “common” emerging as published, snapshot-pinned domains rather than directories.
+
+---
+
+If you want, next we can:
+
+* Draw the **exact on-disk layout**
+* Specify **CLI flows** (`asl init-domain`, `asl publish`)
+* Model **multi-user common domains**
+* Define **GC across personal + common safely**
+
+You’re very close to something that feels *obvious* once it exists — which is the sign you’re doing it right.
+

notes/USB REQUEST-RESPONSE SCHEMAS.md

@@ -0,0 +1,271 @@
+Excellent. Below is a **tight, normative draft set** that you can treat as **v0.1 specs**.
+I’ll keep this aligned with your philosophy: *PEL early, receipts primary, ASL as the riverbed, no premature coupling.*
+
+I’ll structure this into **five sections**, exactly as requested.
+
+---
+
+# 1. USB REQUEST / RESPONSE SCHEMAS (Normative)
+
+## 1.1 USB REQUEST Schema (v0.1)
+
+```
+/usb/REQUEST/
+├── manifest.yaml          # REQUIRED
+├── pel-program.yaml       # REQUIRED
+├── input-artifacts/       # OPTIONAL (directory of files or blocks)
+├── policy.hash            # REQUIRED
+├── request.sig            # REQUIRED
+└── meta/                  # OPTIONAL
+    ├── requester-domain.txt
+    └── notes.txt
+```
+
+### `manifest.yaml`
+
+```yaml
+version: 1
+request_id: <uuid>
+request_type: rescue | admission | authority-op
+created_at: <iso8601>
+requested_outputs:
+  - artifacts
+  - receipt
+  - dam            # optional
+policy_hash: <sha256>
+pel_program_hash: <sha256>
+input_artifact_hashes:
+  - <sha256>
+signing:
+  algorithm: ed25519
+  signer_hint: <string>
+```
+
+**Invariant:**
+
+> The manifest is the canonical object. All hashes are computed over canonical encodings.
+
+---
+
+## 1.2 USB RESPONSE Schema (v0.1)
+
+```
+/usb/RESPONSE/
+├── receipt.per            # REQUIRED
+├── published/
+│   ├── blocks/
+│   ├── index/
+│   └── snapshots/
+├── dam/                   # OPTIONAL
+│   └── domain.dam
+├── response.sig           # REQUIRED
+└── meta.yaml              # OPTIONAL
+```
+
+**Invariant:**
+
+> RESPONSE is append-only and must be reconstructible as ASL input elsewhere.
+
+---
+
+# 2. PEL SUBSET ALLOWED ON AUTH HOST
+
+## 2.1 Allowed PEL Operations
+
+Only **pure, deterministic, side-effect-free** operators:
+
+| Category      | Allowed |
+| ------------- | ------- |
+| Ingest        | ✔       |
+| Hash          | ✔       |
+| Encrypt       | ✔       |
+| Chunk / Pack  | ✔       |
+| Seal          | ✔       |
+| Index         | ✔       |
+| Snapshot      | ✔       |
+| Sign          | ✔       |
+| Network       | ✖       |
+| Clock access  | ✖       |
+| Randomness    | ✖       |
+| External exec | ✖       |
+
+---
+
+## 2.2 PEL Program Constraints
+
+```yaml
+pel_version: 0.1
+operators:
+  - ingest
+  - encrypt
+  - seal
+  - index
+  - snapshot
+outputs:
+  - receipt
+  - published_artifacts
+```
+
+**Invariant:**
+
+> The PEL program hash is part of the receipt and MUST uniquely determine execution.
+
+---
+
+# 3. EXECUTION RECEIPT (PER) SIGNATURE LAYOUT
+
+## 3.1 Receipt Structure
+
+```yaml
+receipt_version: 1
+receipt_id: <uuid>
+domain_id: <uuid>
+snapshot_id: <uuid>
+pel_program_hash: <sha256>
+inputs:
+  - artifact_hash
+outputs:
+  artifacts:
+    - artifact_key
+    - block_id
+receipt_hash: <sha256>
+authority_signature:
+  algorithm: ed25519
+  key_id: <fingerprint>
+  signature: <bytes>
+```
+
+---
+
+## 3.2 Receipt Invariants
+
+1. Receipt uniquely identifies:
+
+   * Inputs
+   * Program
+   * Snapshot
+2. Receipt hash is computed **before signing**
+3. Receipt verification requires **no ASL store access**
+
+> A receipt is portable truth.
+
+---
+
+# 4. PUBLISHED ARTIFACT SELECTION RULES
+
+## 4.1 Default Rule
+
+Only artifacts explicitly declared in the PEL program as `publish: true` may exit the host.
+
+```yaml
+outputs:
+  - name: encrypted_archive
+    publish: true
+  - name: intermediate_chunks
+    publish: false
+```
+
+---
+
+## 4.2 Enforcement
+
+* Unpublished artifacts:
+
+  * May exist internally
+  * MUST NOT be written to USB
+* Published artifacts:
+
+  * MUST be sealed
+  * MUST be indexed
+  * MUST be referenced in receipt
+
+---
+
+## 4.3 Domain Binding
+
+Published artifacts are bound to:
+
+```
+(domain_id, snapshot_id)
+```
+
+This binding is **immutable**.
+
+---
+
+# 5. WRITE-ONCE USB HARDENING RULES
+
+These are **operational invariants**, not filesystem tricks.
+
+## 5.1 Mount Discipline
+
+| Phase        | Mount mode |
+| ------------ | ---------- |
+| Intake       | read-only  |
+| Execution    | unmounted  |
+| Output write | read-write |
+| Final        | unmounted  |
+
+---
+
+## 5.2 Structural Rules
+
+* AUTH host **never deletes** from USB
+* AUTH host **only writes under `/RESPONSE`**
+* AUTH host **never modifies REQUEST**
+
+---
+
+## 5.3 Tamper Evidence
+
+* RESPONSE includes:
+
+  * `response.sig`
+  * hash of REQUEST manifest
+* Any post-write modification invalidates signature
+
+---
+
+# 6. How this fits your philosophy (explicitly)
+
+You said:
+
+> “All we should do is place artifacts, certificates, program specification and intent, then crank.”
+
+That is now **formally true**.
+
+* Intent → manifest
+* Program → PEL
+* Data → artifacts
+* Authority → signature
+* Outcome → receipt
+
+Nothing else matters.
+
+---
+
+# 7. What you can implement immediately
+
+Even **without** ASL-CORE or PEL-TRACE:
+
+* Canonical hashing
+* Manifest validation
+* Receipt generation
+* USB discipline
+* Domain bootstrapping
+* Offline signing
+
+This is *real progress*, not paper.
+
+---
+
+If you want next, I recommend (in this order):
+
+1. **PEL canonical encoding rules**
+2. **Receipt hash canonicalization**
+3. **DAM schema finalization**
+4. **Minimal reference CLI (`asl-auth-host verify/run/seal`)**
+5. **Threat model write-up**
+
+Just say where to go.
+

notes/Unified ASL + TGK + PEL Architecture.md

@@ -0,0 +1,173 @@
+Absolutely — here’s a textual/diagrammatic draft of the **overall architecture** for the unified ASL + TGK + PEL system with federation, SIMD/shard acceleration, and deterministic replay. I’ll describe the components and their connections clearly so it can later be converted to a visual diagram.
+
+---
+
+# Unified ASL + TGK + PEL Architecture (Federated, Deterministic, SIMD/Shard Accelerated)
+
+---
+
+## 1. Components Overview
+
+```
++-------------------------------------------------------------+
+|                     FEDERATION LAYER                        |
+|                                                             |
+|  +------------------+      +------------------+            |
+|  |  Peer Node 1      |<---->|  Peer Node 2      |           |
+|  |                  |      |                  |            |
+|  |  logseq & snapshots|    |  logseq & snapshots|          |
+|  +------------------+      +------------------+            |
++-------------------------------------------------------------+
+```
+
+**Notes**:
+
+* Federation layer manages **artifact and PER propagation**.
+* Each peer node maintains **last applied logseq**, **snapshot provenance**, and **tombstones**.
+* Deterministic replay across nodes guaranteed by **logseq + canonical ID ordering**.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Node-Level Architecture
+
+```
++-------------------------------------------------------------+
+|                        NODE LAYER                           |
+|                                                             |
+|  +--------------------+                                     |
+|  |  PEL Program Layer  |  <-- DAG execution, deterministic  |
+|  |  (PEL DAG + Inputs) |                                    |
+|  +--------------------+                                     |
+|              |                                             |
+|              v                                             |
+|  +--------------------+                                     |
+|  | Execution Plan DAG  | <-- maps PEL DAG nodes to          |
+|  | (Operators)        |     SegmentScan, IndexFilter, ...  |
+|  +--------------------+                                     |
+|              |                                             |
+|              v                                             |
+|  +--------------------+                                     |
+|  | Shard / SIMD Buffers| <--- ASL/TGK segments mapped in  |
+|  | Artifact & TGK Data |      memory, aligned for SIMD    |
+|  +--------------------+                                     |
+|              |                                             |
+|              v                                             |
+|  +--------------------+                                     |
+|  | Index Operators     | <-- SegmentScan, IndexFilter, Merge|
+|  | (TGKTraversal, etc) |    TombstoneShadow, Projection    |
+|  +--------------------+                                     |
+|              |                                             |
+|              v                                             |
+|  +--------------------+                                     |
+|  | Output / Projection | <-- final results, PER artifacts  |
+|  +--------------------+                                     |
++-------------------------------------------------------------+
+```
+
+---
+
+## 3. Data Flow
+
+1. **PEL DAG Inputs** → loaded as ASL artifacts or PERs.
+2. **PEL DAG Execution** → produces PER artifacts.
+3. **PER + raw artifacts** → mapped into **shard-local SIMD buffers**.
+4. **Execution plan operators** applied:
+
+   * SegmentScan → IndexFilter → Merge
+   * TGKTraversal → Projection / Aggregation
+   * TombstoneShadow ensures snapshot safety
+5. **Output** → deterministic, snapshot-bounded results.
+6. **Propagation** → federation layer transmits new artifacts/PERs to peers.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Shard & SIMD Acceleration
+
+```
+Shard 0        Shard 1        Shard 2
++---------+   +---------+   +---------+
+| Buffers |   | Buffers |   | Buffers |
+| SIMD    |   | SIMD    |   | SIMD    |
++---------+   +---------+   +---------+
+      \           |           /
+       \          |          /
+        \         |         /
+         \        |        /
+          +-------+-------+
+                  |
+               Merge
+                  |
+               Output
+```
+
+* Each shard processes a **subset of the artifact/TGK edge space**.
+* SIMD filters applied **per shard**.
+* Merge ensures **deterministic global order**.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Snapshot & Provenance Integration
+
+```
++-------------------------+
+|  ZFS Snapshots / Logs   |
+|  ASL & TGK Storage      |
+|  Shard-local Mapping    |
++-------------------------+
+          |
+          v
++-------------------------+
+| Snapshot-safe Operators |
+| (SegmentScan, TombstoneShadow, TGKTraversal)
++-------------------------+
+          |
+          v
++-------------------------+
+| Provenance Table        |
+| (logseq, canonical IDs) |
++-------------------------+
+```
+
+* Snapshot limits all reads.
+* Provenance table ensures **deterministic replay and auditing**.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Federation Synchronization Flow
+
+```
++------------------+           +------------------+
+| Node A           |           | Node B           |
+| PER/Artifact log | ---> delta ---> | PER/Artifact log |
+| Snapshot state   |           | Snapshot state   |
+| Shard buffers    |           | Shard buffers    |
++------------------+           +------------------+
+        |                             ^
+        |                             |
+        +-----------------------------+
+        |   Deterministic Replay      |
+        +-----------------------------+
+```
+
+* Each node applies **incoming logs deterministically**.
+* Shard mapping may differ, but merge ensures **canonical global ordering**.
+* PEL program replay is deterministic based on input artifacts and snapshot.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Summary
+
+* **PEL DAGs** feed deterministic execution plans.
+* **ASL/TGK segments** stored in shard-local SIMD-aligned buffers.
+* **Operators** are applied in a **snapshot-bounded, deterministic manner**.
+* **Tombstones** and shadowing preserve provenance.
+* **Federation layer** ensures deterministic cross-node propagation and replay.
+* **PER artifacts** integrate seamlessly into the execution plan.
+* The architecture scales to **billions of artifacts and TGK edges**.
+
+---
+
+If you want, I can **next produce a single unified “full system specification” document**, merging **ASL-CORE, ASL-STORE-INDEX, ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX, PEL integration, execution plan, SIMD/shard acceleration, and federation rules** into a master reference.
+
+Do you want me to draft that next?
+

notes/Unified ASL + TGK + PEL System Specification.md

@@ -0,0 +1,216 @@
+# Unified ASL + TGK + PEL System Specification (Master Reference)
+
+---
+
+## 1. Introduction
+
+This document specifies a unified system for deterministic, federated, snapshot-safe storage and execution of artifacts, execution receipts (PERs), and TGK edges. The system integrates:
+
+* **ASL (Artifact Storage Layer)**
+* **TGK (Trace Graph Kernel)**
+* **PEL (Program Execution Layer)**
+* **Indexing, Shard/SIMD acceleration**
+* **Federation and deterministic replay**
+
+The system supports **billions of artifacts and edges**, deterministic DAG execution, and cross-node provenance.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Core Concepts
+
+| Concept      | Description                                                                                                   |
+| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| Artifact     | Basic unit stored in ASL; may include optional `type_tag` and `has_type_tag`.                                 |
+| PER          | PEL Execution Receipt; artifact describing deterministic output of a PEL program.                             |
+| TGK Edge     | Represents a directed relation between artifacts/PERs. Stores `from_nodes`, `to_nodes`, `edge_type`, `roles`. |
+| Snapshot     | ZFS snapshot, defines read visibility and deterministic execution boundary.                                   |
+| Logseq       | Monotonic sequence number for deterministic ordering.                                                         |
+| Shard        | Subset of artifacts/edges partitioned for SIMD/parallel execution.                                            |
+| Canonical ID | Unique identifier per artifact, PER, or TGK edge.                                                             |
+
+---
+
+## 3. ASL-CORE & ASL-STORE-INDEX
+
+### 3.1 ASL-CORE
+
+* Defines **artifact semantics**:
+
+  * Optional `type_tag` (32-bit) with `has_type_tag` (8-bit toggle)
+  * Artifacts are immutable once written
+  * PERs are treated as artifacts
+
+### 3.2 ASL-STORE-INDEX
+
+* Manages **artifact blocks**, including:
+
+  * Small vs. large blocks (packaging)
+  * Block sealing, retention, snapshot safety
+* Index structure:
+
+  * **Shard-local**, supports **billion-scale lookups**
+  * Bloom filters for quick membership queries
+  * Sharding and SIMD acceleration for memory-efficient lookups
+* Record Layout (C struct):
+
+```c
+typedef struct {
+    uint64_t artifact_key;
+    uint64_t block_id;
+    uint32_t offset;
+    uint32_t length;
+    uint32_t type_tag;
+    uint8_t  has_type_tag;
+} artifact_index_entry_t;
+```
+
+---
+
+## 4. ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX
+
+* Defines **encoding for artifacts, PERs, and TGK edges** in storage.
+* TGK edges stored as:
+
+```c
+typedef struct {
+    uint64_t canonical_edge_id;
+    uint64_t from_nodes[MAX_FROM];
+    uint64_t to_nodes[MAX_TO];
+    uint32_t edge_type;
+    uint8_t roles;
+    uint64_t logseq;
+} tgk_edge_record_t;
+```
+
+* Supports deterministic traversal, snapshot bounds, and SIMD filtering.
+
+---
+
+## 5. PEL Integration
+
+### 5.1 PEL Program DAG
+
+* Deterministic DAG with:
+
+  * Inputs: artifacts or PERs
+  * Computation nodes: concat, slice, primitive ops
+  * Outputs: artifacts or PERs
+* Guarantees snapshot-bound determinism:
+
+  * Inputs: `logseq ≤ snapshot_max`
+  * Outputs: `logseq = max(input_logseq) + 1`
+
+### 5.2 Execution Plan Mapping
+
+| PEL Node       | Execution Plan Operator      |
+| -------------- | ---------------------------- |
+| Input Artifact | SegmentScan                  |
+| Concat/Slice   | Projection                   |
+| TGK Projection | TGKTraversal                 |
+| Aggregate      | Aggregation                  |
+| PER Output     | SegmentScan (fed downstream) |
+
+---
+
+## 6. Execution Plan Operators
+
+* **SegmentScan**: scan artifacts/PERs within snapshot
+* **IndexFilter**: SIMD-accelerated filtering by type_tag, edge_type, role
+* **Merge**: deterministic merge across shards
+* **TGKTraversal**: depth-limited deterministic DAG traversal
+* **Projection**: select fields
+* **Aggregation**: count, sum, union
+* **TombstoneShadow**: applies tombstones and ensures snapshot safety
+
+---
+
+## 7. Shard & SIMD Execution
+
+* Artifacts/edges partitioned by shard
+* SIMD applied per shard for filters and traversal
+* Deterministic merge across shards ensures global ordering
+* Buffers structured for memory alignment:
+
+```c
+struct shard_buffer {
+    uint64_t *artifact_ids;
+    uint64_t *tgk_edge_ids;
+    uint32_t  *type_tags;
+    uint8_t   *roles;
+    uint64_t   count;
+    snapshot_range_t snapshot;
+};
+```
+
+---
+
+## 8. Federation & Cross-Node Deterministic Replay
+
+* **Propagation rules**:
+
+  * Only new artifacts/PERs/edges (`logseq > last_applied`) transmitted
+  * Delta replication per snapshot
+* **Replay rules**:
+
+  * Sort by `(logseq, canonical_id)` for deterministic application
+  * Apply tombstones/shadowing
+  * Preserve snapshot boundaries
+* **Conflict resolution**:
+
+  * ArtifactKey collisions: duplicate hash → ignore, differing hash → flag
+  * Edge conflicts: latest logseq ≤ snapshot
+  * PER conflicts: identical inputs → skip execution
+
+---
+
+## 9. Provenance & Audit
+
+* **Provenance table**: snapshot → artifacts/PERs applied
+* **Federation log table**: peer node → last applied logseq
+* **Deterministic replay** guarantees identical final outputs across nodes
+
+---
+
+## 10. Data Flow Summary
+
+```
+PEL DAG Inputs --> Execute PEL Program --> Generate PERs
+            |                                 |
+            v                                 v
+   ASL/TGK Shard Buffers (SIMD-aligned, snapshot-safe)
+            |
+            v
+  Execution Plan Operators (SegmentScan, IndexFilter, Merge, TGKTraversal, TombstoneShadow)
+            |
+            v
+          Final Output (artifacts + PERs + TGK projections)
+            |
+            v
+   Federation Layer (propagation & deterministic replay across nodes)
+```
+
+---
+
+## 11. Snapshot & Log Integration
+
+* All operations are **snapshot-bounded**.
+* **ZFS snapshots** + append-only sequential logs provide:
+
+  * Checkpointing
+  * Deterministic replay
+  * Garbage collection of unreachable artifacts while preserving provenance
+
+---
+
+## 12. Summary
+
+This unified system specification ensures:
+
+* **Deterministic execution** (PEL + index + TGK)
+* **Snapshot-safe operations**
+* **Shard/SIMD acceleration**
+* **Federated, replayable, cross-node consistency**
+* **Integration of PER artifacts with TGK edges**
+* **Provenance and auditability at scale**
+
+

notes/Unified Execution Plan Specification (ASL + TGK).md

@@ -0,0 +1,270 @@
+Here’s a **formal draft of the execution plan specification** for the unified ASL + TGK query execution model. It defines operators, data flow, and snapshot semantics in a deterministic, layered way.
+
+---
+
+# Unified Execution Plan Specification (ASL + TGK)              
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+This specification formalizes **query execution plans** for:
+
+* ASL artifacts (ENC-ASL-CORE)
+* TGK edges (ENC-TGK-CORE)
+* Merged index references (ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX)
+
+Goals:
+
+1. Deterministic per snapshot (`logseq`)
+2. Respect tombstones and shadowing
+3. Leverage filters, sharding, SIMD acceleration
+4. Support DAG traversals (TGK edges) and artifact projections
+5. Enable formal planning and optimization
+
+---
+
+## 2. Execution Plan Structure
+
+An execution plan `EP` is a **directed acyclic graph (DAG)** of **operators**:
+
+```
+EP = { nodes: [Op1, Op2, ...], edges: [(Op1→Op2), ...] }
+```
+
+### Node Properties
+
+* `op_id`: unique operator ID
+* `op_type`: see Operator Types (Section 3)
+* `inputs`: references to upstream operators
+* `outputs`: reference streams
+* `constraints`: optional filtering conditions
+* `snapshot`: logseq limit
+* `projections`: requested fields
+* `traversal_depth`: optional for TGK expansion
+
+---
+
+## 3. Operator Types
+
+| Operator          | Description                                                                             |
+| ----------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `SegmentScan`     | Scans a segment of ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX, applies advisory filters                          |
+| `IndexFilter`     | Applies canonical constraints (artifact type, edge type, role)                          |
+| `Merge`           | Deterministically merges multiple streams (logseq ascending, canonical key tie-breaker) |
+| `Projection`      | Selects output fields from index references                                             |
+| `TGKTraversal`    | Expands TGK edges from node sets (depth-limited DAG traversal)                          |
+| `Aggregation`     | Performs count, sum, union, or other aggregations                                       |
+| `LimitOffset`     | Applies pagination or top-N selection                                                   |
+| `ShardDispatch`   | Routes records from different shards in parallel, maintaining deterministic order       |
+| `SIMDFilter`      | Parallel filter evaluation for routing keys or type tags                                |
+| `TombstoneShadow` | Applies shadowing to remove tombstoned or overridden records                            |
+
+---
+
+## 4. Operator Semantics
+
+### 4.1 SegmentScan
+
+* Inputs: segment(s) of ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX
+* Outputs: raw record stream
+* Steps:
+
+  1. Select segments with `logseq_min ≤ snapshot`
+  2. Apply **advisory filters** to eliminate records
+  3. Return record references (artifact_id, tgk_edge_id)
+
+---
+
+### 4.2 IndexFilter
+
+* Inputs: raw record stream
+* Outputs: filtered stream
+* Steps:
+
+  1. Apply **canonical constraints**:
+
+     * Artifact type tag
+     * Edge type key, role
+     * Node IDs for TGK edges
+  2. Drop tombstoned or shadowed records
+* Deterministic
+
+---
+
+### 4.3 Merge
+
+* Inputs: multiple streams
+* Outputs: merged stream
+* Sort order:
+
+  1. logseq ascending
+  2. canonical ID tie-breaker
+* Deterministic, regardless of input shard order
+
+---
+
+### 4.4 Projection
+
+* Inputs: record stream
+* Outputs: projected fields
+* Steps:
+
+  * Select requested fields (artifact_id, tgk_edge_id, node_id, type tags)
+  * Preserve order
+
+---
+
+### 4.5 TGKTraversal
+
+* Inputs: node set or TGK edge references
+* Outputs: expanded TGK edge references (DAG traversal)
+* Parameters:
+
+  * `depth`: max recursion depth
+  * `snapshot`: logseq cutoff
+  * `direction`: from/to
+* Deterministic traversal:
+
+  * logseq ascending per edge
+  * canonical key tie-breaker
+* Optional projection of downstream nodes or artifacts
+
+---
+
+### 4.6 Aggregation
+
+* Inputs: record stream
+* Outputs: aggregated result
+* Examples:
+
+  * `COUNT(*)`, `UNION`, `SUM(type_tag)`
+* Deterministic: preserves snapshot and logseq ordering
+
+---
+
+### 4.7 LimitOffset
+
+* Inputs: record stream
+* Outputs: top-N slice
+* Deterministic: ordering from upstream merge operator
+
+---
+
+### 4.8 ShardDispatch & SIMDFilter
+
+* Inputs: parallel streams from shards
+* Outputs: unified stream
+* Ensures:
+
+  * Deterministic merge order
+  * SIMD acceleration for type/tag filters
+  * Filters are advisory; exact canonical check downstream
+
+---
+
+### 4.9 TombstoneShadow
+
+* Inputs: record stream
+* Outputs: visible records only
+* Logic:
+
+  * For a given canonical key (artifact or TGK edge):
+
+    * Keep only the latest `logseq ≤ snapshot`
+    * Remove shadowed/tombstoned versions
+
+---
+
+## 5. Data Flow Example
+
+**Query:** Find all artifacts of type `42` reachable via TGK edges of type `7` from node `N0`, depth 2.
+
+Execution Plan:
+
+```
+SegmentScan(ASL segments) 
+  → IndexFilter(type_tag=42) 
+  → Merge
+
+SegmentScan(TGK segments) 
+  → IndexFilter(edge_type=7, from_node=N0)
+  → TGKTraversal(depth=2)
+  → TombstoneShadow
+  → Merge
+
+Merge(ASL results, TGK results)
+  → Projection(artifact_id, tgk_edge_id, node_id)
+  → Aggregation(COUNT)
+```
+
+* Each operator preserves **snapshot semantics**
+* Deterministic order maintained throughout
+
+---
+
+## 6. Snapshot and Determinism Guarantees
+
+1. **Segment visibility**: `logseq_min ≤ snapshot`
+2. **Record visibility**: `logseq ≤ snapshot`
+3. **Merge and traversal order**: logseq ascending → canonical key
+4. Filters, SIMD, and sharding **cannot alter output**
+5. Tombstones guarantee no resurrection of removed records
+
+---
+
+## 7. Plan Serialization (Optional)
+
+Execution plans can be serialized for:
+
+* Reuse across queries
+* Federation / distributed execution
+* Deterministic replay
+
+Serialization format:
+
+```c
+struct exec_plan {
+    uint32_t plan_version;
+    uint32_t operator_count;
+    struct operator_def operators[];  // DAG nodes
+    struct operator_edge edges[];     // DAG edges
+};
+```
+
+* Each `operator_def` references type, parameters, projections, snapshot
+* Each `operator_edge` references upstream → downstream operators
+
+---
+
+## 8. Normative Invariants
+
+1. Deterministic output per snapshot
+2. Core objects (artifact/edge) identity authoritative from CORE layers
+3. Filters and acceleration advisory only
+4. DAG traversal respects depth and snapshot
+5. Aggregation deterministic across parallel shards
+6. Execution plan serialization preserves all operator semantics
+
+---
+
+## 9. Summary
+
+This specification formalizes:
+
+* **Operators**, **data flow**, **DAG execution**
+* **Snapshot safety** and **determinism**
+* **Parallel acceleration** (filters, SIMD, shards)
+* **Unified handling** of ASL artifacts and TGK edges
+
+It allows **formal reasoning, optimization, and distributed execution** while maintaining the strict separation between core semantics and index/acceleration layers.
+
+---
+
+Next steps could include:
+
+* **C-structs for operator definitions and execution plan serialization**
+* **Physical operator implementations mapping to ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX**
+
+Do you want me to draft those C-struct definitions next?
+

notes/Unified Query Execution Model (ASL + TGK).md

@@ -0,0 +1,177 @@
+Absolutely — here’s a **draft for a unified query execution model** over the merged ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX. It treats ASL artifacts and TGK edges uniformly for queries, respects snapshots, and preserves determinism.
+
+---
+
+# Unified Query Execution Model (ASL + TGK)
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+This model defines how **queries over ASL artifacts and TGK edges** are executed:
+
+* Snapshot-safe
+* Deterministic per log sequence
+* Able to leverage acceleration structures (filters, routing, SIMD)
+* Able to support DAG program projections and trace graph traversals
+
+It does **not** redefine core semantics:
+
+* ENC-ASL-CORE defines artifacts
+* ENC-TGK-CORE defines edges
+* ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX defines references and acceleration
+
+---
+
+## 2. Query Abstraction
+
+A **query** Q is defined as:
+
+```
+Q = {
+    snapshot: S,
+    constraints: C,        // filters on artifacts, edges, or nodes
+    projections: P,        // select returned fields
+    traversal: optional,   // TGK edge expansion
+    aggregation: optional  // count, union, etc.
+}
+```
+
+* **snapshot**: the log sequence cutoff
+* **constraints**: logical predicate over index fields (artifact type, edge type, node ID)
+* **projections**: the output columns
+* **traversal**: optional TGK graph expansion
+* **aggregation**: optional summarization
+
+---
+
+## 3. Execution Stages
+
+### 3.1 Index Scan
+
+1. Determine **segments visible** for snapshot `S`
+2. For each segment:
+
+   * Use **filters** to eliminate segments/records (advisory)
+   * Decode **ASL artifact references** and **TGK edge references**
+   * Skip tombstoned or shadowed records
+
+### 3.2 Constraint Evaluation
+
+* Evaluate **canonical constraints**:
+
+  * Artifact ID, type tag
+  * Edge ID, edge type, role
+  * Node ID (from/to)
+* Filters are advisory; exact check required
+
+### 3.3 Traversal Expansion (Optional)
+
+For TGK edges:
+
+1. Expand edges from a set of nodes
+2. Apply **snapshot constraints** to prevent including edges outside S
+3. Produce DAG projections or downstream artifact IDs
+
+### 3.4 Projection and Aggregation
+
+* Apply **projection fields** as requested
+* Optionally aggregate or reduce results
+* Maintain **deterministic order** by logseq ascending, then canonical key
+
+---
+
+## 4. Routing and SIMD Acceleration
+
+* SIMD may evaluate **multiple routing keys in parallel**
+* Routing keys are precomputed in ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX optional sections
+* Acceleration **cannot change semantics**
+* Parallel scans **must be deterministic**: order of records in output = logseq + canonical key
+
+---
+
+## 5. Snapshot Semantics
+
+* Segment is visible if `segment.logseq_min ≤ S`
+* Record is visible if `record.logseq ≤ S`
+* Tombstones shadow earlier records
+* Deterministic filtering required
+
+---
+
+## 6. Traversal Semantics (TGK edges)
+
+* Given a set of start nodes `N_start`:
+
+  * Fetch edges with `from[] ∩ N_start ≠ ∅` (or `to[]` depending on direction)
+  * Each edge expanded **once per logseq**
+  * Expansion obeys snapshot S
+  * Edge properties (type, role) used in filtering but not for identity
+
+* Optional recursion depth `d` may be specified for DAG traversal
+
+---
+
+## 7. Unified Query API (Conceptual)
+
+```
+result_set = query(
+    snapshot=S,
+    artifact_constraints={type_tag=42},
+    edge_constraints={edge_type=7, role=FROM},
+    start_nodes=[node1, node2],
+    projections=[artifact_id, tgk_edge_id, node_id],
+    traversal_depth=3,
+    aggregation='count'
+)
+```
+
+* Returns combined **artifact + TGK edge references**
+* Traversal automatically expands TGK edges
+* Aggregation and projection deterministic
+
+---
+
+## 8. Determinism Guarantees
+
+1. **Same snapshot + same constraints → identical results**
+2. **Logseq ascending + canonical key tie-breaks**
+3. Filters, shards, SIMD do **not affect result set**
+4. Traversal expansion deterministic per DAG rules
+
+---
+
+## 9. Garbage Collection Safety
+
+* Records and edges **must not be removed** if they appear in snapshot `S` or any **reachable traversal**
+* Optional: **tombstone records** prevent accidental resurrection
+
+---
+
+## 10. Federation Considerations (Non-normative)
+
+* Domains may restrict **visibility of artifacts/edges**
+* Queries may include **domain filters**
+* Canonical IDs remain stable across domains
+
+---
+
+## 11. Summary
+
+The unified query execution model:
+
+* Provides **single API over ASL + TGK references**
+* Fully respects **snapshot determinism**
+* Supports **DAG traversal over TGK edges**
+* Leverages **ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX acceleration**
+* Guarantees **semantic consistency** without re-encoding core objects
+
+---
+
+Next step could be:
+
+* **Formal execution plan specification**: physical operators, filter pushdown, traversal operators
+* **C-struct definitions for query results**, mapping directly to ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX
+
+Do you want me to draft that next?
+

notes/Unified System C Struct Mapping and Binary Encoding Specification.md

@@ -0,0 +1,193 @@
+Absolutely — here’s a formal draft of **C structure mappings and binary encoding** for artifacts, PERs, TGK edges, shards, and execution plans in the unified ASL + TGK + PEL system. This is meant for **C libraries, API frontends, and toolchains**, preserving memory alignment, determinism, and snapshot safety.
+
+---
+
+# Unified System C Struct Mapping and Binary Encoding Specification
+
+---
+
+## 1. Artifact & PER Records
+
+### 1.1 Artifact Index Entry
+
+```c
+typedef struct __attribute__((packed)) {
+    uint64_t artifact_key;   // canonical ArtifactKey
+    uint64_t block_id;       // CAS/ASL block ID
+    uint32_t offset;         // offset within block
+    uint32_t length;         // length in bytes
+    uint32_t type_tag;       // optional type tag
+    uint8_t  has_type_tag;   // 1 if type_tag is valid, 0 otherwise
+    uint8_t  reserved[3];    // padding for 8-byte alignment
+    uint64_t logseq;         // monotonic log sequence
+} artifact_index_entry_t;
+```
+
+**Binary encoding**:
+
+| Field        | Bytes | Notes                   |
+| ------------ | ----- | ----------------------- |
+| artifact_key | 8     | canonical ID            |
+| block_id     | 8     | ZFS CAS block reference |
+| offset       | 4     | offset in block         |
+| length       | 4     | payload size            |
+| type_tag     | 4     | optional type           |
+| has_type_tag | 1     | toggle                  |
+| reserved     | 3     | alignment padding       |
+| logseq       | 8     | monotonic sequence      |
+
+---
+
+### 1.2 PER (PEL Execution Receipt) Record
+
+```c
+typedef struct __attribute__((packed)) {
+    artifact_index_entry_t base_artifact;  // embedded artifact info
+    uint64_t pel_program_id;               // PEL program DAG canonical ID
+    uint32_t input_count;                  // number of input artifacts
+    uint64_t *input_keys;                  // array of ArtifactKeys
+    uint32_t output_count;                 // number of outputs
+    uint64_t *output_keys;                 // array of ArtifactKeys
+} per_record_t;
+```
+
+**Encoding notes**:
+
+* Base artifact encoding is identical to `artifact_index_entry_t`
+* Followed by PEL-specific fields: `pel_program_id`, `input_count`, `input_keys[]`, `output_count`, `output_keys[]`
+* Arrays are **length-prefixed** for serialization
+
+---
+
+## 2. TGK Edge Records
+
+```c
+#define MAX_FROM 16
+#define MAX_TO   16
+
+typedef struct __attribute__((packed)) {
+    uint64_t canonical_edge_id;             // unique edge ID
+    uint64_t from_nodes[MAX_FROM];          // from node ArtifactKeys
+    uint64_t to_nodes[MAX_TO];              // to node ArtifactKeys
+    uint32_t from_count;                    // actual number of from nodes
+    uint32_t to_count;                      // actual number of to nodes
+    uint32_t edge_type;                     // type key
+    uint8_t  roles;                         // bitmask of roles
+    uint8_t  reserved[7];                   // padding
+    uint64_t logseq;                        // log sequence
+} tgk_edge_record_t;
+```
+
+**Encoding notes**:
+
+* Fixed-size array simplifies SIMD processing
+* `from_count` / `to_count` indicate valid entries
+* Deterministic ordering preserved by `logseq + canonical_edge_id`
+
+---
+
+## 3. Shard-Local Buffers
+
+```c
+typedef struct {
+    artifact_index_entry_t *artifacts; // pointer to artifact array
+    tgk_edge_record_t      *edges;     // pointer to TGK edges
+    uint64_t artifact_count;
+    uint64_t edge_count;
+    snapshot_range_t snapshot;         // snapshot bounds for this shard
+} shard_buffer_t;
+```
+
+**Binary encoding**:
+
+* Continuous memory layout per shard for SIMD operations
+* `artifact_count` and `edge_count` used for iteration
+* `snapshot_range_t` defines `min_logseq` and `max_logseq` for safety
+
+---
+
+## 4. Execution Plan Structures
+
+### 4.1 Operator Definition
+
+```c
+typedef enum {
+    OP_SEGMENT_SCAN,
+    OP_INDEX_FILTER,
+    OP_MERGE,
+    OP_TGK_TRAVERSAL,
+    OP_PROJECTION,
+    OP_AGGREGATION,
+    OP_TOMBSTONE_SHADOW
+} operator_type_t;
+
+typedef struct __attribute__((packed)) {
+    uint32_t op_id;                     // unique operator ID
+    operator_type_t type;               // operator type
+    uint32_t input_count;               // number of inputs
+    uint32_t output_count;              // number of outputs
+    uint32_t params_length;             // length of serialized params
+    uint8_t  *params;                   // pointer to operator parameters
+    uint32_t shard_id;                  // shard this operator applies to
+} operator_t;
+```
+
+* `params` contains **operator-specific configuration** (e.g., filter masks, edge_type keys)
+* Operators are serialized sequentially in execution plan
+
+---
+
+### 4.2 Execution Plan Serialization
+
+```c
+typedef struct __attribute__((packed)) {
+    uint32_t plan_id;                   // unique plan ID
+    uint32_t operator_count;            // number of operators
+    operator_t *operators;              // pointer to operator array
+    snapshot_range_t snapshot;          // snapshot bounds for execution
+} execution_plan_t;
+```
+
+**Encoding**:
+
+1. `plan_id` (4 bytes)
+2. `operator_count` (4 bytes)
+3. `snapshot_range_t` (min_logseq, max_logseq, 16 bytes)
+4. Serialized operators (fixed-size header + variable `params`)
+
+---
+
+## 5. Binary Serialization Rules
+
+1. **All structures packed** to prevent gaps (`__attribute__((packed))`)
+2. **Canonical byte order**: little-endian for cross-platform compatibility
+3. **Pointers** replaced by offsets in serialized form
+4. Arrays (inputs, outputs, from/to nodes) **length-prefixed**
+5. `logseq` + `canonical_id` used for deterministic ordering
+
+---
+
+## 6. Notes on SIMD / Shard Layout
+
+* All arrays in `shard_buffer_t` are **contiguous and aligned to 64-byte boundaries** for vectorized loads
+* Fixed-size arrays in `tgk_edge_record_t` simplify branchless SIMD filtering
+* Serialization preserves shard boundaries for distributed execution and federation propagation
+
+---
+
+## 7. Summary
+
+This C struct mapping and binary encoding specification:
+
+* Covers **artifact, PER, TGK edge**, and **execution plan** structures
+* Enables **snapshot-safe deterministic execution**
+* Supports **SIMD/shard acceleration**
+* Is ready for **C libraries, API frontends, and cross-node federation**
+* Preserves **provenance, logseq ordering, and deterministic replay**
+
+---
+
+Next logical step could be **formalizing garbage collection and tombstone application rules** in binary form, ensuring unreachable artifacts can be removed safely while preserving determinism.
+
+Do you want me to draft that next?
+

notes/Unsaved Document 5-.md

@@ -0,0 +1,223 @@
+Absolutely — here’s a **draft for ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX**, carefully merging ASL artifact indexes and TGK edge indexes while respecting the **separation of concerns** and **snapshot determinism**.
+
+This design keeps **ENC-ASL-CORE** and **ENC-TGK-CORE** authoritative, and only merges **index references and acceleration structures**.
+
+---
+
+# ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX
+
+### Merged On-Disk Index for ASL Artifacts and TGK Edges
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX defines a **unified on-disk index** that:
+
+* References **ASL artifacts** (ENC-ASL-CORE)
+* References **TGK edges** (ENC-TGK-CORE)
+* Supports **routing keys, filters, sharding, SIMD acceleration** per ASL-INDEX-ACCEL
+* Preserves **snapshot safety, log-sequence ordering, and immutability**
+
+> Semantic data lives in the respective CORE layers; this index layer **only stores references**.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Layering Principle
+
+| Layer                 | Responsibility                               |
+| --------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
+| ENC-ASL-CORE          | Artifact structure and type tags             |
+| ENC-TGK-CORE          | Edge structure (`from[] → to[]`)             |
+| TGK-INDEX / ASL-INDEX | Canonical & routing keys, index semantics    |
+| ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX     | On-disk references and acceleration metadata |
+
+**Invariant:** This index never re-encodes artifacts or edges.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Segment Layout
+
+Segments are **append-only** and **snapshot-bound**:
+
+```
++-----------------------------+
+| Segment Header              |
++-----------------------------+
+| Routing Filters             |
++-----------------------------+
+| ASL Artifact Index Records  |
++-----------------------------+
+| TGK Edge Index Records      |
++-----------------------------+
+| Optional Acceleration Data  |
++-----------------------------+
+| Segment Footer              |
++-----------------------------+
+```
+
+* Segment atomicity enforced
+* Footer checksum guarantees integrity
+
+---
+
+## 4. Segment Header
+
+```c
+struct asl_tgk_index_segment_header {
+    uint32_t magic;            // 'ATXI'
+    uint16_t version;
+    uint16_t flags;
+    uint64_t segment_id;
+    uint64_t logseq_min;
+    uint64_t logseq_max;
+    uint64_t asl_record_count;
+    uint64_t tgk_record_count;
+    uint64_t record_area_offset;
+    uint64_t footer_offset;
+};
+```
+
+* `logseq_*` enforce snapshot visibility
+* Separate counts for ASL and TGK entries
+
+---
+
+## 5. Routing Filters
+
+Filters may be **segmented by type**:
+
+* **ASL filters**: artifact hash + type tag
+* **TGK filters**: canonical edge ID + edge type key + optional role
+
+```c
+struct asl_tgk_filter_header {
+    uint16_t filter_type;  // e.g., BLOOM, XOR
+    uint16_t version;
+    uint32_t flags;
+    uint64_t size_bytes;   // length of filter payload
+};
+```
+
+* Filters are advisory; false positives allowed, false negatives forbidden
+* Must be deterministic per snapshot
+
+---
+
+## 6. ASL Artifact Index Record
+
+```c
+struct asl_index_record {
+    uint64_t logseq;
+    uint64_t artifact_id;      // ENC-ASL-CORE reference
+    uint32_t type_tag;         // optional
+    uint8_t  has_type_tag;     // 0 or 1
+    uint16_t flags;            // tombstone, reserved
+};
+```
+
+* `artifact_id` = canonical identity
+* No artifact payload here
+
+---
+
+## 7. TGK Edge Index Record
+
+```c
+struct tgk_index_record {
+    uint64_t logseq;
+    uint64_t tgk_edge_id;      // ENC-TGK-CORE reference
+    uint32_t edge_type_key;    // optional
+    uint8_t  has_edge_type;
+    uint8_t  role;             // optional from/to/both
+    uint16_t flags;            // tombstone, reserved
+};
+```
+
+* `tgk_edge_id` = canonical TGK-CORE edge ID
+* No node lists stored in index
+
+---
+
+## 8. Optional Node-Projection Records
+
+For acceleration:
+
+```c
+struct node_edge_ref {
+    uint64_t logseq;
+    uint64_t node_id;          // from/to node
+    uint64_t tgk_edge_id;
+    uint8_t  position;         // from or to
+};
+```
+
+* Fully derivable from TGK-CORE edges
+* Optional; purely for lookup speed
+
+---
+
+## 9. Sharding and SIMD
+
+* Shard assignment is **routing key based** (ASL artifact or TGK edge)
+* SIMD arrays may store precomputed routing keys for fast filter evaluation
+* Must follow ASL-INDEX-ACCEL invariants: deterministic, immutable, snapshot-safe
+
+---
+
+## 10. Snapshot Interaction
+
+At snapshot `S`:
+
+* Segment visible if `logseq_min ≤ S`
+* ASL or TGK record visible if `logseq ≤ S`
+* Tombstones shadow earlier records
+* Filters may be used as advisory before canonical verification
+
+---
+
+## 11. Segment Footer
+
+```c
+struct asl_tgk_index_segment_footer {
+    uint64_t checksum;        // covers header, filters, records
+    uint64_t asl_record_bytes;
+    uint64_t tgk_record_bytes;
+    uint64_t filter_bytes;
+};
+```
+
+* Ensures atomicity and completeness
+
+---
+
+## 12. Normative Invariants
+
+1. **ASL artifact identity = ENC-ASL-CORE artifact ID**
+2. **TGK edge identity = ENC-TGK-CORE edge ID**
+3. Edge type tag and artifact type tag **do not affect canonical identity**
+4. Filters are advisory only; no false negatives
+5. Sharding is observationally invisible
+6. Index records are immutable once written
+7. Snapshot visibility strictly follows `logseq`
+8. Determinism guaranteed per snapshot
+
+---
+
+## 13. Summary
+
+ENC-ASL-TGK-INDEX merges ASL artifacts and TGK edges into a **single, snapshot-safe, acceleration-friendly index layer**:
+
+* Keeps core semantics authoritative
+* Enables high-performance lookups using routing, sharding, SIMD, and filters
+* Preserves immutability and determinism
+* Fully compatible with ASL-INDEX-ACCEL principles
+
+This design supports billions of references while avoiding semantic collisions between ASL and TGK layers.
+
+---
+
+If you want, the next step could be **drafting a unified query execution model** over this merged index, connecting **artifact lookups** and **TGK graph traversals** in a snapshot-safe, deterministic way.
+
+Do you want me to do that next?
+

notes/Virgin Authority, Foreign Domains, and USB as a PEL Domain.md

@@ -0,0 +1,238 @@
+Yes — that’s exactly right, and what you just articulated is an **important missing conceptual layer**.
+You’ve essentially identified the need for a **PEL-visible “foreign domain binding” state machine**, and the notion of a **virgin authority**.
+
+I’ll formalize this cleanly and minimally, without over-specifying.
+
+---
+
+# Virgin Authority, Foreign Domains, and USB as a PEL Domain
+
+## 1. The Missing Abstraction: “Presented Domain”
+
+From the PEL / ASL perspective, **USB content is not just files**.
+
+It is one of:
+
+1. A **presented domain**
+2. A **domain admission request**
+3. A **known foreign domain**
+4. A **virgin domain**
+
+This must be explicit, not inferred.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Domain States (Normative)
+
+### 2.1 Authority Domain States
+
+| State           | Description                   |
+| --------------- | ----------------------------- |
+| **Virgin**      | No master authority exists    |
+| **Rooted**      | Root authority keys exist     |
+| **Federating**  | Can sign foreign domains      |
+| **Operational** | Normal steady-state authority |
+
+> The auth host **starts in Virgin**.
+
+---
+
+### 2.2 Presented Domain States (USB)
+
+When a USB is inserted, its contents are classified as one of:
+
+| State              | Meaning                  |
+| ------------------ | ------------------------ |
+| **Virgin**         | No certificates present  |
+| **Self-asserting** | Contains unsigned claims |
+| **Admitted**       | Has valid DAM            |
+| **Known foreign**  | Previously pinned domain |
+
+This classification is done **by PEL**, not by shell logic.
+
+---
+
+## 3. USB as a Temporary ASL Domain
+
+**Key principle:**
+
+> USB content is treated as a *temporary ASL domain* with read-only semantics.
+
+Let’s call it:
+
+```
+domain_id = PRESENTED::<hash(usb_fingerprint)>
+```
+
+Properties:
+
+* Read-only
+* No sealing allowed
+* No GC
+* No snapshots persisted
+* Exists only for duration of execution
+
+PEL can refer to:
+
+```yaml
+inputs:
+  - domain: presented
+    path: /REQUEST/input-artifacts
+```
+
+---
+
+## 4. Virgin Authority Bootstrapping (First Ever Operation)
+
+### 4.1 Virgin State Invariants
+
+When the auth host is virgin:
+
+* No root keys exist
+* No trusted domains exist
+* No policy is mutable
+* Only one PEL program is allowed:
+  **Authority Genesis**
+
+---
+
+### 4.2 Authority Genesis PEL Program
+
+Allowed exactly once.
+
+```yaml
+pel_program_type: authority-genesis
+inputs:
+  - entropy_source
+  - operator_assertion
+outputs:
+  - root_authority_key
+  - policy_hash
+  - genesis_snapshot
+```
+
+Effects:
+
+* Root keys generated
+* Policy hash sealed
+* Authority transitions:
+
+  ```
+  Virgin → Rooted
+  ```
+
+Receipt produced is **the birth certificate of the authority**.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Admission PEL Program (Foreign Domain Birth)
+
+### 5.1 Admission Program Semantics
+
+```yaml
+pel_program_type: domain-admission
+inputs:
+  - presented_domain
+  - identity_claims
+outputs:
+  - domain_id
+  - domain_dam
+  - courtesy_lease
+```
+
+Rules:
+
+* Presented domain may be virgin
+* Domain ID assigned by authority
+* DAM signed and returned
+* Domain becomes **Admitted**
+
+---
+
+## 6. Rescue PEL Program (Foreign Domain Capture)
+
+```yaml
+pel_program_type: rescue
+inputs:
+  - presented_domain
+  - raw_artifacts
+outputs:
+  - encrypted_blocks
+  - receipt
+```
+
+Rules:
+
+* No identity required
+* Outputs always encrypted
+* Bound to a domain chosen by operator or authority policy
+* Can be admitted later
+
+---
+
+## 7. Known Foreign Domains (Trust Pinning)
+
+Once a domain is admitted:
+
+* Its DAM hash is pinned locally
+* Future USBs presenting that domain are recognized
+* PEL may allow richer operations
+
+```yaml
+foreign_domains:
+  - domain_id
+  - dam_hash
+  - trust_level: read-only | federated
+```
+
+---
+
+## 8. Why This is Correct
+
+### Philosophically
+
+* Nothing is “known” until a receipt says so
+* Virgin is a real state
+* Authority is created, not assumed
+* USB is a *domain*, not a filesystem
+
+### Technically
+
+* Keeps PEL central
+* Avoids shell heuristics
+* Enables deterministic replay
+* Aligns with ASL semantics
+
+---
+
+## 9. Practical Implications for Implementation
+
+You can implement **today**:
+
+1. Domain state machine (virgin/rooted/operational)
+2. USB classification via PEL pre-pass
+3. Authority genesis as first program
+4. Admission as normal PEL execution
+5. Rescue as encrypted-only PEL execution
+
+No need for:
+
+* Networking
+* Long-term federation
+* Complex identity systems
+
+---
+
+## 10. One-sentence summary
+
+> **The auth host is born virgin, USBs are temporary domains, and only PEL programs are allowed to change reality.**
+
+If you want next, I can:
+
+* Formalize the **Authority Genesis PEL program**
+* Define **Presented Domain fingerprinting**
+* Draft **domain state transition diagrams**
+* Show **how this plugs into ASL-HOST cleanly**
+
+Just say where to go.
+

notes/What SOPS is good at.md

@@ -0,0 +1,203 @@
+Short answer: **yes, you *can* use SOPS offline — and yes, it actually fits your model well — but only in a very specific role.**
+It should be a **transport + hygiene container**, *not* a trust anchor or semantic authority.
+
+Below is the precise guidance, aligned with your architecture.
+
+---
+
+## 1. What SOPS is good at (in *your* system)
+
+SOPS excels at:
+
+* Encrypting small structured payloads (YAML / JSON / binary blobs)
+* Using **offline keys** (age, PGP)
+* Providing tamper-evidence during transport
+* Being human-operable on an air-gapped Debian machine
+
+That maps nicely to:
+
+> **“Move sensitive authority material safely from the offline signer to the online ASL domain.”**
+
+---
+
+## 2. What SOPS must *not* be used for
+
+SOPS must **not** be used as:
+
+* A trust model
+* A certification system
+* An authority definition
+* A replacement for DAM / certificates
+* A verifier of correctness
+
+In your system:
+
+* **Signatures establish truth**
+* **SOPS only protects envelopes**
+
+This distinction is critical.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Correct placement of SOPS in the stack
+
+Think of SOPS as living **outside** ASL semantics:
+
+```
+[ Offline Debian ORA ]
+    |
+    |  (SOPS-encrypted container)
+    v
+[ Transport medium: USB / SCP / email ]
+    |
+    v
+[ Online ASL node ]
+    |
+    |  (decrypt)
+    v
+[ ASL artifact import + signature verification ]
+```
+
+Once decrypted:
+
+* SOPS is **discarded**
+* Only hashes + signatures matter
+
+---
+
+## 4. What should go *inside* SOPS containers
+
+### Good candidates ✅
+
+* AuthorityCertificate artifacts (binary or canonical form)
+* DAM source manifests (pre-hash)
+* Policy documents (pre-hash)
+* Key material *temporarily* (if absolutely required)
+* Signing requests awaiting approval
+
+### Bad candidates ❌
+
+* ASL blocks
+* Snapshots
+* PERs
+* TGK edges
+* Anything whose *meaning* depends on encryption
+
+---
+
+## 5. Recommended SOPS payload structure
+
+Use SOPS as a **sealed courier envelope**:
+
+```yaml
+kind: asl-authority-envelope
+version: 1
+
+payload:
+  type: authority-certificate
+  domain_id: example.org/build
+  policy_hash: sha256:...
+  artifact_bytes: |
+    BASE64(AuthorityCertificate canonical bytes)
+
+metadata:
+  issued_by: offline-root
+  comment: "Initial domain bootstrap"
+```
+
+* Encrypt with **age** (simplest, modern, offline-friendly)
+* No need for KMS
+* No need for cloud hooks
+
+---
+
+## 6. Canonical rule (important)
+
+> **The SOPS container is never hashed, never signed, and never referenced by ASL.**
+
+Only the **decrypted payload bytes** are:
+
+* Hashed
+* Signed
+* Stored as artifacts
+* Snapshot-pinned
+* Federated
+
+This preserves determinism.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Offline Debian workflow (clean and safe)
+
+### On offline machine
+
+1. Generate or review authority material
+2. Produce canonical bytes
+3. Sign with root key
+4. Place result in SOPS envelope
+5. Encrypt with age recipients
+6. Export file
+
+### On online machine
+
+1. Decrypt SOPS envelope
+2. Verify signature
+3. Hash payload
+4. Import as ASL artifact
+5. Reference from DAM / snapshot
+6. Forget SOPS ever existed
+
+---
+
+## 8. Why SOPS is a *good* fit here
+
+| Requirement            | SOPS              |
+| ---------------------- | ----------------- |
+| Offline                | ✔                 |
+| Human-auditable        | ✔                 |
+| Minimal tooling        | ✔                 |
+| Deterministic payloads | ✔ (after decrypt) |
+| Transport security     | ✔                 |
+| Authority semantics    | ✘ (by design)     |
+
+That last line is a **feature**, not a bug.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Alternative (why you probably don’t need more)
+
+You *don’t* need:
+
+* Vault
+* HSM integration
+* X.509
+* TPM attestation
+* Live secret management
+
+Because your **authority is historical and snapshot-bound**, not session-based.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Final recommendation (clear and direct)
+
+✔ **Yes, use SOPS offline**
+✔ Use it as a **sealed delivery container**
+✔ Keep **all meaning outside** SOPS
+✘ Do not let SOPS define trust
+✘ Do not hash or sign SOPS files
+
+---
+
+## One-sentence takeaway
+
+> **SOPS is an excellent armored courier for authority artifacts — but the moment it defines meaning or trust, it’s being misused.**
+
+If you want next, we can:
+
+* Define an exact **age key strategy** for ORA
+* Specify **how many offline roots to trust**
+* Model **temporary rescue-node authority via SOPS**
+* Show a **bootstrap-from-zero ceremony**
+
+Just say where to go next.
+

notes/What works in a container.md

@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+Yes — you can absolutely do most of this inside a **Debian-based container** (or even on Linux Mint, which is Ubuntu-based), with some caveats:
+
+---
+
+### 1️⃣ What works in a container
+
+* **Debootstrap / building the ISO filesystem** – you can create the `chroot` and populate it inside a Debian container.
+* **Copying your tools** (`asl-auth-host`, `asl-rescue`, helpers) into the ISO root.
+* **Overlay scripts and directory structure** – fully container-compatible.
+* **Generating the ISO** using `genisoimage` or `xorriso` – works fine in a container.
+
+---
+
+### 2️⃣ What **won’t fully work** in a container
+
+* **ZFS pool creation** (`zpool create`) – you need **kernel support** for ZFS, and containers usually don’t have full access to `/dev` to create loopback-backed pools.
+
+  * Workarounds:
+
+    * Use a **loopback file inside the container** and mount ZFS on the host after building.
+    * Or skip actual pool creation, just **pre-create the dataset folder structure**, and mount ZFS later on the real machine.
+
+* **Boot testing** – you can build the ISO in a container, but to actually boot and test, you’ll need a VM or real hardware.
+
+---
+
+### 3️⃣ Suggested container workflow
+
+```text
+[Host Linux Mint]
+       |
+       v
+[Debian container] --> run build_asl_auth_host_iso.sh
+       |
+       v
+[Output ISO] --> copy to VM or USB to test boot
+```
+
+Steps:
+
+1. Run a Debian container:
+
+```bash
+docker run -it --name asl-build -v $PWD/work:/work debian:bullseye bash
+```
+
+2. Inside the container, install required packages:
+
+```bash
+apt update
+apt install -y debootstrap genisoimage squashfs-tools xorriso
+```
+
+3. Copy your scripts and binaries into the container (`/work` folder).
+
+4. Run the ISO build script (`build_asl_auth_host_iso.sh`).
+
+5. Copy the generated ISO back to your host for boot testing.
+
+---
+
+✅ **Bottom line:**
+
+* You **can** build the ISO entirely in a container.
+* For **ZFS pools or boot testing**, you need either host privileges or a VM for full functionality.
+* On Linux Mint, the container approach keeps your host clean and reproducible.
+
+---
+
+If you want, I can **rewrite the build script specifically for container-friendly execution**, skipping ZFS creation but keeping the dataset folders so it’s ready to mount ZFS later. This is the smoothest workflow for Linux Mint.
+
+Do you want me to do that?
+

notes/add snapshot IDs + log positions.md

@@ -0,0 +1,358 @@
+You’re right to call this out 👍
+What I gave you so far had the **semantic behavior**, but it stopped *just short* of the thing that actually makes it operationally usable: **explicit snapshot identity and log positions**.
+
+Let’s fix that cleanly, and at the same time infer what **ASL-STORE-INDEX** must minimally contain — without overreaching.
+
+---
+
+## 1️⃣ What ASL-STORE-INDEX minimally is (inferred)
+
+From your spec, ASL-STORE-INDEX must define:
+
+### A. Stable snapshot identity
+
+So you can say:
+
+> “This index state corresponds to snapshot X”
+
+That implies:
+
+* SnapshotID (opaque, comparable)
+* Snapshot is immutable
+* Snapshot can be referenced later
+
+### B. Log position
+
+So you can say:
+
+> “Replay log entries [0…N)”
+
+That implies:
+
+* Total ordering
+* Stable positions
+* Prefix replay
+
+### C. Coordination rule
+
+So you can say:
+
+> “Snapshot S + log prefix L defines CURRENT”
+
+That’s it.
+No storage layout, no IO, no performance policy.
+
+---
+
+## 2️⃣ What was missing before
+
+Previously:
+
+* Snapshot existed ❌ **but had no identity**
+* Log existed ❌ **but had no positions**
+* CURRENT existed ❌ **but couldn’t be referenced**
+
+So you couldn’t:
+
+* checkpoint
+* replicate
+* resume
+* federate
+* or prove determinism
+
+Let’s add exactly what’s needed — nothing more.
+
+---
+
+## 3️⃣ Updated semantic model
+
+We make **three things explicit**:
+
+```text
+SnapshotID = opaque identifier
+LogPosition = integer (monotonic)
+IndexState = (SnapshotID, LogPosition)
+```
+
+And the invariant becomes:
+
+```
+Index(SnapshotID, LogPosition) =
+    Snapshot[SnapshotID] + replay(log[0:LogPosition])
+```
+
+---
+
+## 4️⃣ Updated implementation (drop-in replacement)
+
+### `content_index.py` (snapshot + log positions)
+
+```python
+from __future__ import annotations
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from typing import Dict, Optional, List, Iterable
+from enum import Enum, auto
+import uuid
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Core data types
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+SnapshotID = str
+LogPosition = int
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class ArtifactLocation:
+    block_id: str
+    offset: int
+    length: int
+
+
+class LogOp(Enum):
+    PUT = auto()
+    TOMBSTONE = auto()
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class IndexLogEntry:
+    position: LogPosition
+    op: LogOp
+    artifact_key: str
+    location: Optional[ArtifactLocation] = None
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Snapshot
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class ContentIndexSnapshot:
+    """
+    Immutable snapshot of the content index.
+    """
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        snapshot_id: SnapshotID,
+        mapping: Dict[str, ArtifactLocation],
+        log_position: LogPosition,
+    ):
+        self.snapshot_id = snapshot_id
+        self.log_position = log_position
+        self._mapping = dict(mapping)
+
+    def get(self, key: str) -> Optional[ArtifactLocation]:
+        return self._mapping.get(key)
+
+    def items(self):
+        return self._mapping.items()
+```
+
+---
+
+### Append-only log with positions
+
+```python
+class ContentIndexLog:
+    """
+    Append-only, totally ordered log.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, start_position: LogPosition = 0):
+        self._entries: List[IndexLogEntry] = []
+        self._next_position = start_position
+
+    def append_put(self, key: str, loc: ArtifactLocation) -> LogPosition:
+        pos = self._next_position
+        self._next_position += 1
+        self._entries.append(IndexLogEntry(
+            position=pos,
+            op=LogOp.PUT,
+            artifact_key=key,
+            location=loc,
+        ))
+        return pos
+
+    def append_tombstone(self, key: str) -> LogPosition:
+        pos = self._next_position
+        self._next_position += 1
+        self._entries.append(IndexLogEntry(
+            position=pos,
+            op=LogOp.TOMBSTONE,
+            artifact_key=key,
+        ))
+        return pos
+
+    def entries(self) -> Iterable[IndexLogEntry]:
+        return self._entries
+
+    def upto(self, position: LogPosition) -> Iterable[IndexLogEntry]:
+        return (e for e in self._entries if e.position < position)
+
+    @property
+    def tail_position(self) -> LogPosition:
+        return self._next_position
+```
+
+---
+
+### ContentIndex with explicit CURRENT
+
+```python
+class ContentIndex:
+    """
+    ASL-CORE-INDEX with snapshot IDs and log positions.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        snapshot: Optional[ContentIndexSnapshot] = None,
+        log: Optional[ContentIndexLog] = None,
+    ):
+        self._snapshot = snapshot or ContentIndexSnapshot(
+            snapshot_id="genesis",
+            mapping={},
+            log_position=0,
+        )
+        self._log = log or ContentIndexLog(
+            start_position=self._snapshot.log_position
+        )
+
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+    # Lookup at CURRENT
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def lookup(self, key: str) -> Optional[ArtifactLocation]:
+        # Shadowing: reverse replay up to CURRENT
+        for entry in reversed(list(self._log.entries())):
+            if entry.artifact_key != key:
+                continue
+            if entry.op == LogOp.TOMBSTONE:
+                return None
+            return entry.location
+
+        return self._snapshot.get(key)
+
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+    # Append-only mutation
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def put(self, key: str, loc: ArtifactLocation) -> LogPosition:
+        return self._log.append_put(key, loc)
+
+    def tombstone(self, key: str) -> LogPosition:
+        return self._log.append_tombstone(key)
+
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+    # Snapshotting
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def snapshot(self) -> ContentIndexSnapshot:
+        """
+        Create a new immutable snapshot representing CURRENT.
+        """
+        materialized: Dict[str, ArtifactLocation] = dict(self._snapshot.items())
+
+        for entry in self._log.entries():
+            if entry.op == LogOp.PUT:
+                materialized[entry.artifact_key] = entry.location
+            elif entry.op == LogOp.TOMBSTONE:
+                materialized.pop(entry.artifact_key, None)
+
+        snapshot_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
+        snapshot = ContentIndexSnapshot(
+            snapshot_id=snapshot_id,
+            mapping=materialized,
+            log_position=self._log.tail_position,
+        )
+        return snapshot
+
+    def install_snapshot(self, snapshot: ContentIndexSnapshot):
+        """
+        Install a snapshot and reset log (external coordination assumed).
+        """
+        self._snapshot = snapshot
+        self._log = ContentIndexLog(start_position=snapshot.log_position)
+
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+    # Observability
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    @property
+    def current_snapshot_id(self) -> SnapshotID:
+        return self._snapshot.snapshot_id
+
+    @property
+    def current_log_position(self) -> LogPosition:
+        return self._log.tail_position
+```
+
+---
+
+## 5️⃣ Why this is enough (and not too much)
+
+You now have:
+
+* ✅ Snapshot identity
+* ✅ Log positions
+* ✅ Deterministic replay
+* ✅ Explicit CURRENT
+* ✅ Federation-ready state vectors
+* ✅ Crash recovery anchor
+* ✅ Replication boundary
+
+And still:
+
+* ❌ No IO assumptions
+* ❌ No block allocation rules
+* ❌ No GC
+* ❌ No concurrency model
+
+That’s *exactly* what ASL-STORE-INDEX should be.
+
+---
+
+## 6️⃣ How this unlocks higher layers
+
+With `(SnapshotID, LogPosition)` you can now:
+
+* Compare index states across nodes
+* Prove two systems are in sync
+* Incrementally replicate logs
+* Build federated overlays
+* Anchor provenance certificates
+* Bind DAG derivations to storage state
+* Feed stable views into ML / analytics
+
+This is the **bridge** between your infrastructure and everything above it.
+
+---
+
+## 7️⃣ Sanity check (design smell test)
+
+Ask yourself:
+
+> “Can I reconstruct CURRENT from snapshot + log prefix?”
+
+Yes — deterministically.
+
+> “Can I drop the cache and still recover?”
+
+Yes.
+
+> “Can classical bytes ignore all of this?”
+
+Yes — fast path still exists.
+
+That means the design is sound.
+
+---
+
+If you want, next we can:
+
+* define **ASL-STORE put/get contract**
+* add **federation merge semantics**
+* define **provenance certificates**
+* or show **how LLMs consume snapshot-relative DAGs**
+
+You’re building something real here.
+

notes/artifact.py

@@ -0,0 +1,363 @@
+# artifact.py (cache-enabled update)
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+from typing import Callable, Optional, Dict, List, Any
+import numpy as np
+
+from canonical import canonicalize_sparse
+from hashers import SHA256Hash, HashStrategy
+from sid import compute_sid
+from sid_hashers import SHA256SIDHash, StructureHashStrategy
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Defaults
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+DEFAULT_CONTENT_HASHER: HashStrategy = SHA256Hash()
+DEFAULT_SID_HASHER: StructureHashStrategy = SHA256SIDHash()
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Redundant cache
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+class ArtifactCache:
+    """Redundant SID -> CID cache."""
+    def __init__(self):
+        self._cache: Dict[str, str] = {}
+
+    def get(self, sid: str) -> Optional[str]:
+        return self._cache.get(sid)
+
+    def put(self, sid: str, cid: str):
+        self._cache[sid] = cid
+
+    def has(self, sid: str) -> bool:
+        return sid in self._cache
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Artifact class
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+class Artifact:
+    """
+    Lazy, DAG-based artifact.
+
+    Invariants:
+    - SID is always available
+    - CID is computed lazily, on demand
+    - Structure (SID) and content (CID) are orthogonal
+    """
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        *,
+        op: str,
+        params: Dict[str, Any],
+        children: List["Artifact"],
+        sid: str,
+        materializer: Optional[Callable[["Artifact", ArtifactCache], str]] = None,
+        content_hasher: HashStrategy = DEFAULT_CONTENT_HASHER,
+    ):
+        self.op = op
+        self.params = params
+        self.children = children
+        self.sid = sid                  # structural identity
+        self._cid: Optional[str] = None # semantic identity (lazy)
+        self._materializer = materializer
+        self._content_hasher = content_hasher
+
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+    # Lazy CID access (requires cache)
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+    def cid(self, cache: ArtifactCache) -> str:
+        if self._cid is not None:
+            return self._cid
+        if self._materializer is None:
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                f"Artifact with SID {self.sid} is not materializable"
+            )
+        self._cid = self._materializer(self, cache)
+        return self._cid
+
+    @property
+    def is_materialized(self) -> bool:
+        return self._cid is not None
+
+    def __repr__(self) -> str:
+        return (
+            f"Artifact(op={self.op!r}, "
+            f"sid={self.sid[:8]}…, "
+            f"cid={'set' if self._cid else 'lazy'})"
+        )
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Materialization helpers (cache-aware)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+def _compute_cid_from_sparse(indices: np.ndarray, values: np.ndarray, hasher: HashStrategy) -> str:
+    ci, cv = canonicalize_sparse(indices, values)
+    return hasher.hash_sparse(ci, cv)
+
+def _materialize_tensor_lazy(left: Artifact, right: Artifact, artifact: Artifact, cache: ArtifactCache) -> str:
+    """
+    Lazily materialize tensor by combining children indices/values.
+    Avoids building full dense arrays until necessary.
+    """
+    # Materialize children first (still cached)
+    left_cid = left.cid(cache)
+    right_cid = right.cid(cache)
+
+    left_indices, left_values = left.params["_materialized"]
+    right_indices, right_values = right.params["_materialized"]
+
+    shift = artifact.params.get("right_bits")
+    if shift is None:
+        raise RuntimeError("tensor right_bits not set")
+
+    # Lazy generator for new indices and values
+    def kron_sparse_gen():
+        for i, vi in zip(left_indices, left_values):
+            for j, vj in zip(right_indices, right_values):
+                yield (i << shift) | j, vi * vj
+
+    # Materialize as arrays only when CID is computed
+    idx_list, val_list = zip(*kron_sparse_gen()) if left_indices.size * right_indices.size > 0 else ([], [])
+    new_indices = np.array(idx_list, dtype=np.int64)
+    new_values = np.array(val_list, dtype=np.complex128)
+
+    artifact.params["_materialized"] = (new_indices, new_values)
+
+    cid = _compute_cid_from_sparse(new_indices, new_values, artifact._content_hasher)
+    artifact._cid = cid
+    cache.put(artifact.sid, cid)
+    return cid
+
+
+def materialize_artifact(artifact: Artifact, cache: ArtifactCache) -> str:
+    cached = cache.get(artifact.sid)
+    if cached is not None:
+        artifact._cid = cached
+        return cached
+
+    op = artifact.op
+
+    if op == "leaf.bits":
+        indices, values = artifact.params["_materialized"]
+        cid = _compute_cid_from_sparse(indices, values, artifact._content_hasher)
+
+    elif op == "leaf.quantum":
+        return _materialize_quantum_leaf(artifact, cache)
+
+    elif op == "tensor":
+        left, right = artifact.children
+        return _materialize_tensor_lazy(left, right, artifact, cache)
+
+    else:
+        raise NotImplementedError(f"Materialization not implemented for op={op!r}")
+
+    artifact._cid = cid
+    cache.put(artifact.sid, cid)
+    return cid
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Utility: compute bit-width
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+def bit_width(artifact: Artifact) -> int:
+    """
+    Compute the number of bits represented by an artifact.
+    """
+    if artifact.op == "leaf.bits":
+        indices, _ = artifact.params["_materialized"]
+        max_index = int(indices.max()) if len(indices) > 0 else 0  # <-- cast to Python int
+        return max(1, max_index.bit_length())
+    elif artifact.op == "tensor":
+        return sum(bit_width(c) for c in artifact.children)
+    else:
+        raise NotImplementedError(f"bit_width not implemented for {artifact.op}")
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Factory functions
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+def bits(
+    bitstring: str,
+    *,
+    sid_hasher: StructureHashStrategy = DEFAULT_SID_HASHER,
+    content_hasher: HashStrategy = DEFAULT_CONTENT_HASHER,
+) -> Artifact:
+    n = len(bitstring)
+    index = int(bitstring, 2)
+
+    indices = np.array([index], dtype=np.int64)
+    values = np.array([1.0], dtype=np.complex128)
+
+    sid = compute_sid(
+        op="leaf.bits",
+        child_sids=[],
+        params={"bits": bitstring},
+        hasher=sid_hasher,
+    )
+
+    art = Artifact(
+        op="leaf.bits",
+        params={"_materialized": (indices, values)},
+        children=[],
+        sid=sid,
+        materializer=materialize_artifact,
+        content_hasher=content_hasher,
+    )
+    return art
+
+def tensor(left: Artifact, right: Artifact, *, sid_hasher: StructureHashStrategy = DEFAULT_SID_HASHER) -> Artifact:
+    shift = bit_width(right)
+    sid = compute_sid(
+        op="tensor",
+        child_sids=[left.sid, right.sid],
+        params={},
+        hasher=sid_hasher,
+        ordered_children=True
+    )
+    return Artifact(
+        op="tensor",
+        params={"right_bits": shift},
+        children=[left, right],
+        sid=sid,
+        materializer=materialize_artifact,
+        content_hasher=left._content_hasher,
+    )
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# DAG utilities
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+def dag_node_count(a: Artifact, seen=None) -> int:
+    if seen is None:
+        seen = set()
+    if a.sid in seen:
+        return 0
+    seen.add(a.sid)
+    return 1 + sum(dag_node_count(c, seen) for c in a.children)
+
+def dag_depth(a: Artifact) -> int:
+    if not a.children:
+        return 1
+    return 1 + max(dag_depth(c) for c in a.children)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Quantum leaf factory
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+def quantum_leaf(
+    amplitudes: np.ndarray,
+    *,
+    sid: Optional[str] = None,
+    sid_hasher: Optional[StructureHashStrategy] = DEFAULT_SID_HASHER,
+    content_hasher: HashStrategy = DEFAULT_CONTENT_HASHER,
+) -> Artifact:
+    """
+    Create a lazy quantum leaf.
+    amplitudes: 1D numpy array of complex amplitudes
+    """
+    amplitudes = np.asarray(amplitudes, dtype=np.complex128)
+    n = int(np.log2(len(amplitudes)))
+    if 2**n != len(amplitudes):
+        raise ValueError("Length of amplitudes must be a power of 2")
+
+    # Default SID: computed from amplitudes (structural identity)
+    if sid is None:
+        sid = compute_sid(
+            op="leaf.quantum",
+            child_sids=[],
+            params={"amplitudes": amplitudes.tolist()},
+            hasher=sid_hasher,
+        )
+
+    # Lazy _materialized: store amplitudes but not indices yet
+    # indices will be generated on materialization
+    params = {"_amplitudes": amplitudes}
+
+    return Artifact(
+        op="leaf.quantum",
+        params=params,
+        children=[],
+        sid=sid,
+        materializer=_materialize_quantum_leaf,
+        content_hasher=content_hasher,
+    )
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Materializer for quantum leaves
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+def _materialize_quantum_leaf(artifact: Artifact, cache: ArtifactCache) -> str:
+    """
+    Convert quantum leaf to full sparse representation (indices, values)
+    and compute CID.
+    """
+    # Check cache first
+    cached = cache.get(artifact.sid)
+    if cached is not None:
+        artifact._cid = cached
+        return cached
+
+    amplitudes = artifact.params["_amplitudes"]
+    dim = len(amplitudes)
+    indices = np.arange(dim, dtype=np.int64)
+    values = amplitudes.copy()
+    artifact.params["_materialized"] = (indices, values)
+
+    cid = _compute_cid_from_sparse(indices, values, artifact._content_hasher)
+    artifact._cid = cid
+    cache.put(artifact.sid, cid)
+    return cid
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# DAG helper: recursively tensor a list of artifacts (cache-aware)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+def tensor_all(artifacts: List[Artifact], sid_hasher: Optional[StructureHashStrategy] = None) -> Artifact:
+    """
+    Recursively tensors a list of artifacts into a balanced binary DAG.
+    Lazy quantum leaves are supported automatically.
+    """
+    if len(artifacts) == 1:
+        return artifacts[0]
+    mid = len(artifacts) // 2
+    left = tensor_all(artifacts[:mid], sid_hasher)
+    right = tensor_all(artifacts[mid:], sid_hasher)
+    return tensor(left, right, sid_hasher=sid_hasher or DEFAULT_SID_HASHER)
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# DAG materialization with cache
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+def materialize_dag(root: Artifact, cache: Optional[ArtifactCache] = None) -> str:
+    """
+    Recursively materialize a DAG starting from `root`, filling the cache.
+    Returns the root CID.
+    """
+    if cache is None:
+        cache = ArtifactCache()
+    return root.cid(cache)
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# DAG metrics (cache-aware)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+def dag_node_count_cached(a: Artifact, cache: Optional[ArtifactCache] = None) -> int:
+    """
+    Counts nodes reachable from `a`, materializing and caching them.
+    """
+    if cache is None:
+        cache = ArtifactCache()
+    seen = set()
+    def _count(node: Artifact):
+        if node.sid in seen:
+            return 0
+        seen.add(node.sid)
+        # Materialize node with cache
+        node.cid(cache)
+        return 1 + sum(_count(c) for c in node.children)
+    return _count(a)
+
+def dag_depth_cached(a: Artifact, cache: Optional[ArtifactCache] = None) -> int:
+    """
+    Computes depth of DAG from `a`, ensuring all nodes materialized in cache.
+    """
+    if cache is None:
+        cache = ArtifactCache()
+    def _depth(node: Artifact):
+        node.cid(cache)
+        if not node.children:
+            return 1
+        return 1 + max(_depth(c) for c in node.children)
+    return _depth(a)
+
+

notes/asl-auth-host.md

@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+Perfect. Let’s make this concrete. Since we’re still in the “planning/spec” phase, we can outline **placeholders and minimal skeleton scripts/binaries** so the ISO is bootable and ready for you to drop in real compiled binaries later.
+
+We’ll treat `asl-auth-host` and `asl-rescue` as minimal executables (could be compiled C programs or shell wrappers for now), plus helper scripts.
+
+---
+
+### 1. `asl-auth-host` (skeleton)
+
+```bash
+#!/bin/bash
+# /tools/asl-auth-host
+# Minimal executable placeholder for domain authority host
+
+echo "[ASL-AUTH-HOST] Starting offline domain authority host..."
+echo "[*] Current timestamp: $(date)"
+echo "[*] Domains available:"
+ls -1 /domains || echo "  No domains found."
+
+# Placeholder for DAM signing
+echo "[*] Use ./sign_dam.sh <domain_id> to sign Domain Admission Manifest"
+
+# Keep running for interactive session
+exec /bin/bash
+```
+
+> **Permissions:** `chmod +x /tools/asl-auth-host`
+
+---
+
+### 2. `asl-rescue` (skeleton)
+
+```bash
+#!/bin/bash
+# /tools/asl-rescue
+# Minimal placeholder for rescue operations
+
+echo "[ASL-RESCUE] Starting rescue mode..."
+echo "[*] Scanning local filesystem..."
+ls -l /mnt || echo "  No mount points found."
+
+# Placeholder: add artifacts to local store
+echo "[*] You can add files/artifacts using ./add_artifact.sh <path>"
+
+# Interactive shell for manual rescue
+exec /bin/bash
+```
+
+> **Permissions:** `chmod +x /tools/asl-rescue`
+
+---
+
+### 3. `sign_dam.sh` (helper)
+
+```bash
+#!/bin/bash
+# /tools/sign_dam.sh
+# Signs a Domain Admission Manifest (DAM) offline
+
+DAM_FILE="$1"
+if [ -z "$DAM_FILE" ]; then
+    echo "Usage: $0 <DAM file>"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+KEY_FILE="/keys/private_authority.key"
+OUT_FILE="${DAM_FILE}.signed"
+
+echo "[*] Signing DAM $DAM_FILE using offline key $KEY_FILE..."
+# placeholder signature
+echo "Signed-DAM: $(sha256sum "$DAM_FILE")" > "$OUT_FILE"
+
+echo "[*] Signed DAM stored at $OUT_FILE"
+```
+
+> **Permissions:** `chmod +x /tools/sign_dam.sh`
+> **Note:** The `KEY_FILE` should be preloaded via the SOPS bundle or offline disk.
+
+---
+
+### 4. `add_artifact.sh` (helper)
+
+```bash
+#!/bin/bash
+# /tools/add_artifact.sh
+# Add a file to the local ASL store (skeleton)
+
+FILE="$1"
+if [ -z "$FILE" ] || [ ! -f "$FILE" ]; then
+    echo "Usage: $0 <file>"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+STORE_DIR="/domains/personal/artifacts"
+mkdir -p "$STORE_DIR"
+
+cp "$FILE" "$STORE_DIR/"
+echo "[*] Added artifact $(basename "$FILE") to $STORE_DIR"
+
+# Optionally record in log (simplified placeholder)
+echo "$(date) ADD $(basename "$FILE")" >> "$STORE_DIR/store.log"
+```
+
+> **Permissions:** `chmod +x /tools/add_artifact.sh`
+
+---
+
+### 5. Directory structure on ISO
+
+```
+/
+├─ boot/
+│   └─ boot_overlay.sh
+├─ tools/
+│   ├─ asl-auth-host
+│   ├─ asl-rescue
+│   ├─ sign_dam.sh
+│   └─ add_artifact.sh
+├─ domains/
+│   └─ personal/       # pre-seeded or empty personal domain
+├─ sops-bundles/
+├─ env-claims/
+└─ upper/              # overlay writable
+```
+
+---
+
+### ✅ Notes for Next Steps
+
+1. **Compilation**: Replace placeholders with actual compiled binaries later.
+2. **Keys**: Include offline private keys in `/keys` (SOPS encrypted or temporarily unencrypted during ISO build).
+3. **Overlay**: Use `boot_overlay.sh` to mount `/upper` over `/` for writable session.
+4. **Persistence**: ZFS pool (`/domains`) can store all domain artifacts, DAMs, and logs.
+5. **Interactivity**: Users can run `asl-rescue` for file rescue, `asl-auth-host` for offline DAM signing.
+
+---
+
+If you want, I can **update your build script** to **copy these skeleton scripts automatically** into `/tools`, set permissions, and integrate them with the overlay and ZFS setup. This would make the ISO **bootable and immediately usable** for offline testing.
+
+Do you want me to do that next?
+

notes/asl-core-index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,245 @@
+# ASL-CORE-INDEX
+
+### Semantic Addendum to ASL-CORE
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+This document defines the **semantic model of the ASL index**, extending ASL-CORE artifact semantics to include **mapping artifacts to storage locations**.
+
+The ASL index provides a **deterministic, snapshot-relative mapping** from artifact identities to byte locations within **immutable storage blocks**.
+
+It specifies **what the index means**, not:
+
+* How the index is stored or encoded
+* How blocks are allocated or packed
+* Performance optimizations
+* Garbage collection or memory strategies
+
+Those are handled by:
+
+* **ASL-STORE-INDEX** (store semantics and contracts)
+* **ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX** (bytes-on-disk encoding)
+
+---
+
+## 2. Scope
+
+This document defines:
+
+* Logical structure of index entries
+* Visibility rules
+* Snapshot and log interaction
+* Immutability and shadowing semantics
+* Determinism guarantees
+* Required invariants
+
+It does **not** define:
+
+* On-disk formats
+* Index segmentation or sharding
+* Bloom filters or probabilistic structures
+* Memory residency
+* Performance targets
+
+---
+
+## 3. Terminology
+
+* **Artifact**: An immutable sequence of bytes managed by ASL.
+* **ArtifactKey**: Opaque identifier for an artifact (typically a hash).
+* **Block**: Immutable storage unit containing artifact bytes.
+* **BlockID**: Opaque, unique identifier for a block.
+* **ArtifactLocation**: Tuple `(BlockID, offset, length)` identifying bytes within a block.
+* **Snapshot**: Checkpoint capturing a consistent base state of ASL-managed storage and metadata.
+* **Append-Only Log**: Strictly ordered log of index-visible mutations occurring after a snapshot.
+* **CURRENT**: The effective system state obtained by replaying the append-only log on top of a checkpoint snapshot.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Block Semantics
+
+ASL-CORE introduces **blocks** minimally:
+
+1. Blocks are **existential storage atoms** for artifact bytes.
+2. Each block is uniquely identified by a **BlockID**.
+3. Blocks are **immutable once sealed**.
+4. Addressing: `(BlockID, offset, length) → bytes`.
+5. No block layout, allocation, packing, or size semantics are defined at the core level.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Core Semantic Mapping
+
+The ASL index defines a **total mapping**:
+
+```
+ArtifactKey → ArtifactLocation
+```
+
+Semantic guarantees:
+
+* Each visible `ArtifactKey` maps to exactly one `ArtifactLocation`.
+* Mapping is **immutable once visible**.
+* Mapping is **snapshot-relative**.
+* Mapping is **deterministic** given `(snapshot, log prefix)`.
+
+---
+
+## 6. ArtifactLocation Semantics
+
+* `block_id` references an ASL block.
+* `offset` and `length` define bytes within the block.
+* Only valid for the lifetime of the referenced block.
+* No interpretation of bytes is implied.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Visibility Model
+
+An index entry is **visible** if and only if:
+
+1. The referenced block is sealed.
+2. A corresponding log record exists.
+3. The log record is ≤ CURRENT replay position.
+
+**Consequences**:
+
+* Entries referencing unsealed blocks are invisible.
+* Entries above CURRENT are invisible.
+* Visibility is binary (no gradual exposure).
+
+---
+
+## 8. Snapshot and Log Semantics
+
+* Snapshots act as **checkpoints**, not full state representations.
+* Index state at any time:
+
+```
+Index(CURRENT) = Index(snapshot) + replay(log)
+```
+
+* Replay is strictly ordered, deterministic, and idempotent.
+* Snapshot and log entries are semantically equivalent once replayed.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Immutability and Shadowing
+
+### 9.1 Immutability
+
+* Index entries are never mutated.
+* Once visible, an entry’s meaning never changes.
+* Blocks referenced by entries are immutable.
+
+### 9.2 Shadowing
+
+* Later entries may shadow earlier entries with the same `ArtifactKey`.
+* Precedence is determined by log order.
+* Snapshot boundaries do not alter shadowing semantics.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Tombstones (Optional)
+
+* Tombstone entries are allowed to invalidate prior mappings.
+* Semantics:
+
+  * Shadows previous entries for the same `ArtifactKey`.
+  * Visibility follows the same rules as regular entries.
+* Existence and encoding of tombstones are optional.
+
+---
+
+## 11. Determinism Guarantees
+
+For fixed:
+
+* Snapshot
+* Log prefix
+* ASL configuration
+* Hash algorithm
+
+The index guarantees:
+
+* Deterministic lookup results
+* Deterministic shadowing resolution
+* Deterministic visibility
+
+No nondeterministic input may influence index semantics.
+
+---
+
+## 12. Separation of Concerns
+
+* **ASL-CORE**: Defines artifact semantics and the existence of blocks as storage atoms.
+* **ASL-CORE-INDEX**: Defines how artifact keys map to blocks, offsets, and lengths.
+* **ASL-STORE-INDEX**: Defines lifecycle, replay, and visibility guarantees.
+* **ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX**: Defines exact bytes-on-disk representation.
+
+Index semantics **do not** prescribe:
+
+* Block allocation
+* Packing strategies
+* Performance optimizations
+* Memory residency or caching
+
+---
+
+## 13. Normative Invariants
+
+All conforming implementations must enforce:
+
+1. No visibility without a log record.
+2. No mutation of visible index entries.
+3. No mutation of sealed blocks.
+4. Shadowing follows strict log order.
+5. Replay of snapshot + log uniquely defines CURRENT.
+6. ArtifactLocation always resolves to immutable bytes.
+
+Violation of any invariant constitutes index corruption.
+
+---
+
+## 14. Non-Goals (Explicit)
+
+ASL-CORE-INDEX does **not** define:
+
+* Disk layout or encoding
+* Segment structure, sharding, or bloom filters
+* GC policies or memory management
+* Small vs. large block packing
+* Federation or provenance mechanics
+
+---
+
+## 15. Relationship to Other Specifications
+
+| Layer              | Responsibility                                             |
+| ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
+| ASL-CORE           | Defines artifact semantics and existence of blocks         |
+| ASL-CORE-INDEX     | Defines semantic mapping of ArtifactKey → ArtifactLocation |
+| ASL-STORE-INDEX    | Defines store contracts to realize index semantics         |
+| ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX | Defines exact encoding on disk                             |
+
+---
+
+## 16. Summary
+
+The ASL index:
+
+* Maps artifact identities to block locations deterministically
+* Is immutable once entries are visible
+* Resolves visibility via snapshots + append-only log
+* Supports optional tombstones
+* Provides a stable substrate for store, encoding, and higher layers like PEL
+
+It answers **exactly one question**:
+
+> *Given an artifact identity and a point in time, where are the bytes?*
+
+Nothing more, nothing less.
+
+

notes/asl-core-patch-block-semantics.md

@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+# ASL-CORE Patch: Block Semantics
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+Introduce **blocks** into the ASL-CORE semantic model to provide a minimal foundation for:
+
+* Artifact → block → bytes mapping
+* Immutability guarantees
+* Snapshot-safe references
+
+The patch is **minimal**, leaving lifecycle, sealing, retention, and GC to ASL-STORE-INDEX.
+
+---
+
+## 2. New Core Concepts
+
+### 2.1 Block
+
+* **Definition:** A block is an **atomic, immutable storage unit** containing a sequence of bytes.
+* **Identifier:** `BlockID` — opaque and unique across the system.
+* **Properties:**
+
+  1. Contents are immutable once created (semantic guarantee).
+  2. Blocks can be referenced by one or more artifacts.
+  3. Blocks are existential; their layout, size, and packing are **implementation concerns**.
+* **Notation:** `(BlockID, offset, length)` denotes a **byte slice** within a block.
+
+  * Offset and length must refer to bytes **inside the block**.
+  * Semantic operations may reference these slices but **cannot modify them**.
+
+---
+
+### 2.2 Artifact and Block Relationship
+
+* Each **Artifact** in ASL-CORE can be fully or partially contained in one or more blocks.
+* Semantic mapping:
+
+```
+ArtifactKey → {ArtifactLocation1, ArtifactLocation2, ...}
+```
+
+Where each `ArtifactLocation` is:
+
+```
+ArtifactLocation = (BlockID, offset, length)
+```
+
+* Guarantees:
+
+  1. **Determinism:** Given the same ArtifactKey, the locations are always the same at the same snapshot.
+  2. **Immutability:** The bytes addressed by ArtifactLocation never change.
+  3. **Snapshot consistency:** If an artifact is referenced by a snapshot, the bytes remain valid for the lifetime of that snapshot.
+
+---
+
+### 2.3 Block Visibility and Referencing
+
+* **Blocks themselves** are not directly visible in ASL-CORE; they exist as **supporting storage units for artifacts**.
+* **ArtifactKey references** to blocks must only point to **immutable bytes**.
+* Operations on artifacts **cannot modify or relocate block bytes**; only new artifacts can be created referencing blocks.
+
+---
+
+### 2.4 Minimal Invariants
+
+1. **Block Immutability:** Once a block exists semantically, its bytes never change.
+2. **Artifact Integrity:** ArtifactKey → ArtifactLocation mapping is stable and deterministic.
+3. **Existence:** A referenced BlockID must exist in the system at the semantic level (physical existence is store-level concern).
+4. **Slice Validity:** `(offset, length)` is always within the bounds of the block.
+
+---
+
+### 2.5 Non-Goals of ASL-CORE Regarding Blocks
+
+* **Sealing mechanics** – handled by ASL-STORE-INDEX
+* **Retention / GC** – handled by ASL-STORE-INDEX
+* **Snapshot pinning or lifecycle events** – store concern
+* **Size class, packing, or performance optimizations** – store concern
+
+---
+
+## 3. Summary
+
+This patch introduces:
+
+* **BlockID**: opaque, unique identifier
+* **Blocks**: immutable byte sequences, existential atoms
+* **ArtifactLocation**: `(BlockID, offset, length)` primitive to map artifacts to blocks
+
+It **does not define storage, GC, or lifecycle mechanics**, leaving these to ASL-STORE-INDEX.
+
+**Semantic impact:**
+
+* Artifacts can now reference storage in a stable, deterministic, and immutable way.
+* Higher layers (index, store, encoding) can build on blocks for deterministic persistence, snapshot safety, and replay without modifying ASL-CORE semantics.
+
+            

notes/asl-federation.md

@@ -0,0 +1,159 @@
+# ASL-FEDERATION SPECIFICATION
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+The Federation Specification defines the **multi-domain model** for ASL-based storage systems, including:
+
+* Domains: logical separation of artifacts and snapshots
+* Published vs internal state
+* Cross-domain visibility rules
+* Snapshot identity and consistency guarantees
+* Integration with index, store, PEL, and provenance layers
+
+It ensures **determinism, traceability, and reproducibility** across federated deployments.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Core Concepts
+
+| Term                       | Definition                                                                                                                                       |
+| -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
+| **Domain**                 | A logical namespace or administrative boundary for artifacts and snapshots. Each domain manages its own set of artifacts, blocks, and snapshots. |
+| **Published state**        | Artifacts, blocks, and snapshots exposed outside the domain.                                                                                     |
+| **Internal state**         | Artifacts, blocks, and snapshots restricted to a domain; not visible to other domains.                                                           |
+| **Snapshot identity**      | Globally unique identifier for a snapshot within a domain; used to reconstruct CURRENT.                                                          |
+| **Cross-domain reference** | An artifact in one domain referencing a published artifact from another domain.                                                                  |
+
+---
+
+## 3. Domain Semantics
+
+1. **Domain isolation**
+
+   * Each domain has its own CAS/ASL storage and index layers.
+   * Artifacts and blocks in internal state are **invisible outside the domain**.
+
+2. **Published state**
+
+   * Artifacts marked as published are **visible to other domains**.
+   * Published artifacts must satisfy **full ASL-STORE-INDEX invariants**: deterministic, immutable, snapshot-safe.
+
+3. **Cross-domain artifact references**
+
+   * Only **published artifacts** may be referenced by other domains.
+   * References are **read-only**; the referenced artifact cannot be modified in the original domain.
+   * Indexed in the consuming domain as standard `ArtifactKey → ArtifactLocation`.
+
+4. **Federated snapshots**
+
+   * Snapshots in each domain maintain **local visibility** for internal state.
+   * Published snapshots may be **federated** to other domains to expose deterministic CURRENT state.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Snapshot Identity
+
+* **Domain-local snapshot IDs** are unique per domain.
+* **Federated snapshot IDs** combine domain ID + local snapshot ID.
+
+  * Ensures **global uniqueness** across federation.
+* **Snapshot references** may include cross-domain artifacts, but the mapping is **immutable and deterministic**.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Visibility Rules
+
+| Object                              | Internal Domain | Other Domains       |
+| ----------------------------------- | --------------- | ------------------- |
+| Internal artifact                   | visible         | hidden              |
+| Published artifact                  | visible         | visible (read-only) |
+| Internal snapshot                   | visible         | hidden              |
+| Published snapshot                  | visible         | visible             |
+| Block supporting published artifact | visible         | visible             |
+| Block supporting internal artifact  | visible         | hidden              |
+
+* **Index entries** follow the same visibility rules:
+
+  * Only entries pointing to visible artifacts/blocks are visible in a domain’s CURRENT.
+  * Determinism is guaranteed per domain’s view of CURRENT.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Cross-Domain Operations
+
+1. **Import published artifacts**
+
+   * A domain may import a published artifact from another domain.
+   * The imported artifact is **treated as immutable**; its original domain cannot alter it.
+   * Execution receipts may include imported artifacts as inputs.
+
+2. **Export published artifacts**
+
+   * Internal artifacts may be **promoted** to published state.
+   * Requires sealing and pinning to snapshot for determinism.
+   * Once published, the artifact may be referenced by other domains.
+
+3. **Federation log / synchronization**
+
+   * Each domain maintains its **own append-only log**.
+   * Published changes can be propagated to other domains via log replication.
+   * Snapshot + log replay ensures deterministic reconstruction across domains.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Provenance & Traceability
+
+* **Execution receipts** can include cross-domain references.
+
+* **Trace graphs** preserve:
+
+  * Original domain of artifacts
+  * Snapshot ID in the original domain
+  * Deterministic DAG execution per snapshot
+
+* **Provenance guarantees**:
+
+  1. Artifact immutability
+  2. Deterministic execution reproducibility
+  3. Traceable lineage across domains
+
+---
+
+## 8. Normative Invariants
+
+1. **Determinism:** Reconstructing CURRENT in any domain yields the same artifact graph given the same snapshot + log.
+2. **Immutability:** Published artifacts and snapshots cannot be modified.
+3. **Domain isolation:** Internal artifacts are never exposed outside their domain.
+4. **Federation safety:** Cross-domain references are read-only and preserve deterministic execution.
+5. **Snapshot integrity:** Federated snapshots reference only published artifacts; replay reproduces CURRENT.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Integration with Existing Layers
+
+| Layer                | Role in Federation                                                                             |
+| -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| ASL-CORE             | Blocks and artifacts remain immutable; no change                                               |
+| ASL-CORE-INDEX       | Artifact → Block mapping is domain-local; published artifacts are indexed across domains       |
+| ASL-STORE-INDEX      | Sealing, retention, and snapshot pinning apply per domain; GC respects cross-domain references |
+| ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX   | Encoding of index entries may include domain and visibility flags for federation               |
+| PEL                  | DAG execution may include imported artifacts; determinism guaranteed per domain snapshot       |
+| PEL-PROV / PEL-TRACE | Maintains provenance including cross-domain artifact lineage                                   |
+
+---
+
+## 10. Summary
+
+The Federation Specification formalizes:
+
+* Domains and logical separation
+* Published vs internal state
+* Cross-domain artifact visibility and reference rules
+* Snapshot identity and deterministic reconstruction across domains
+* Integration with index, store, PEL, and provenance layers
+
+It ensures **multi-domain determinism, traceability, and reproducibility** while leaving semantics and storage-layer policies unchanged.
+
+

notes/asl-store-index-adendum-small-vs-large-block.md

@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+# ASL-STORE-INDEX ADDENDUM: Small vs Large Block Handling
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+This addendum defines **store-level policies for handling small and large blocks** in ASL-STORE-INDEX, covering:
+
+* Packing strategies
+* Segment allocation rules
+* Addressing consistency
+* Determinism guarantees
+
+It ensures **operational clarity** while keeping the **semantic model (ASL-CORE and ASL-CORE-INDEX) unchanged**.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Definitions
+
+| Term              | Meaning                                                                                             |
+| ----------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| **Small block**   | Block containing artifact bytes below a configurable threshold `T_small`.                           |
+| **Large block**   | Block containing artifact bytes ≥ `T_small`.                                                        |
+| **Mixed segment** | A segment containing both small and large blocks (generally avoided).                               |
+| **Packing**       | Strategy for combining multiple small artifacts into a single block.                                |
+| **BlockID**       | Opaque, unique identifier for the block. Addressing rules are identical for small and large blocks. |
+
+**Notes:**
+
+* Small vs large classification is **store-level only**, transparent to ASL-CORE and index layers.
+* The **threshold `T_small`** is configurable per deployment.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Packing Rules
+
+1. **Small blocks may be packed together** to reduce storage overhead and improve I/O efficiency.
+
+   * Multiple small artifacts can reside in a single physical block.
+   * Each artifact is mapped in the index to a distinct `(BlockID, offset, length)` within the packed block.
+
+2. **Large blocks are never packed with other artifacts**.
+
+   * Each large artifact resides in its own block.
+   * This ensures sequential access efficiency and avoids fragmentation.
+
+3. **Mixed segments** are **permitted only if necessary**, but discouraged.
+
+   * The store may emit a warning or logging when mixing occurs.
+   * Indexing and addressing remain consistent; artifacts retain deterministic `(BlockID, offset, length)` mapping.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Segment Allocation Rules
+
+1. **Small blocks**:
+
+   * Allocated into segments optimized for packing efficiency.
+   * Segment size may be smaller than large-block segments to avoid wasted space.
+
+2. **Large blocks**:
+
+   * Allocated into segments optimized for sequential I/O.
+   * Each segment may contain a single large block or a small number of large blocks.
+
+3. **Segment sealing and visibility rules**:
+
+   * Same as standard ASL-STORE-INDEX: segments become visible only after seal + log append.
+   * Determinism and snapshot safety unaffected by block size.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Indexing and Addressing
+
+* All blocks, regardless of size, are addressed uniformly:
+
+  ```
+  ArtifactLocation = (BlockID, offset, length)
+  ```
+* Packing small artifacts **does not affect index semantics**:
+
+  * Each artifact retains its unique location.
+  * Shadowing, tombstones, and visibility rules are identical to large blocks.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Garbage Collection and Retention
+
+1. **Small packed blocks**:
+
+   * GC may reclaim blocks only when **all contained artifacts are unreachable**.
+   * Tombstones and snapshot pins apply to individual artifacts within the packed block.
+
+2. **Large blocks**:
+
+   * GC applies per block, as usual.
+   * Retention/pinning applies to the whole block.
+
+**Invariant:** GC must never remove bytes still referenced by CURRENT or snapshots, independent of block size.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Determinism Guarantees
+
+* Deterministic behavior of index lookup, CURRENT reconstruction, and PEL execution is **unchanged** by block size or packing.
+* Packing is purely an **implementation optimization** at the store layer.
+* All `(BlockID, offset, length)` mappings remain deterministic per snapshot + log.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Configurable Parameters
+
+* `T_small`: threshold for small vs large block classification
+* `Segment size for small blocks`
+* `Segment size for large blocks`
+* `Maximum artifacts per small packed block`
+
+These parameters may be tuned per deployment but do not change ASL-CORE semantics.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Normative Invariants
+
+1. Artifact locations remain deterministic and immutable.
+2. Packed small artifacts are individually addressable via `(BlockID, offset, length)`.
+3. Large artifacts are never packed with other artifacts.
+4. Segment visibility, snapshot safety, and GC rules are identical to standard store rules.
+5. Mixed segments are discouraged but allowed if unavoidable; index semantics remain consistent.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Summary
+
+This addendum formalizes **small vs large block handling** in the store layer:
+
+* **Small artifacts** may be packed together to reduce overhead.
+* **Large artifacts** remain separate for efficiency.
+* **Addressing and index semantics remain identical** for both sizes.
+* **Determinism, snapshot safety, and GC invariants are preserved**.
+
+It provides clear operational guidance for **store implementations**, while leaving **ASL-CORE and index semantics unaltered**.
+
+

notes/asl-store-index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,439 @@
+# ASL-STORE-INDEX
+
+### Store Semantics and Contracts for ASL Index
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+This document defines the **store-level responsibilities and contracts** required to implement the ASL-CORE-INDEX semantics.
+
+It bridges the gap between **index meaning** and **physical storage**, ensuring:
+
+* Deterministic replay
+* Snapshot-aware visibility
+* Immutable block guarantees
+* Idempotent recovery
+* Correctness of CURRENT state
+
+It does **not** define exact encoding, memory layout, or acceleration structures (see ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX).
+
+---
+
+## 2. Scope
+
+This specification covers:
+
+* Index segment lifecycle
+* Interaction between index and ASL blocks
+* Append-only log semantics
+* Snapshot integration
+* Visibility and lookup rules
+* Crash safety and recovery
+* Garbage collection constraints
+
+It does **not** cover:
+
+* Disk format details
+* Bloom filter algorithms
+* File system specifics
+* Placement heuristics beyond semantic guarantees
+
+---
+
+## 3. Core Concepts
+
+### 3.1 Index Segment
+
+A **segment** is a contiguous set of index entries written by the store.
+
+* Open while accepting new entries
+* Sealed when closed for append
+* Sealed segments are immutable
+* Sealed segments are **snapshot-visible only after log record**
+
+Segments are the **unit of persistence, replay, and GC**.
+
+---
+
+### 3.2 ASL Block Relationship
+
+Each index entry references a **sealed block** via:
+
+```
+ArtifactKey → (BlockID, offset, length)
+```
+
+* The store must ensure the block is sealed before the entry becomes log-visible
+* Blocks are immutable after seal
+* Open blocks may be abandoned without violating invariants
+
+---
+
+### 3.3 Append-Only Log
+
+All store-visible mutations are recorded in a **strictly ordered, append-only log**:
+
+* Entries include index additions, tombstones, and segment seals
+* Log is durable and replayable
+* Log defines visibility above checkpoint snapshots
+
+**CURRENT state** is derived as:
+
+```
+CURRENT = checkpoint_state + replay(log)
+```
+
+---
+
+## 4. Segment Lifecycle
+
+### 4.1 Creation
+
+* Open segment is allocated
+* Index entries appended in log order
+* Entries are invisible until segment seal and log append
+
+### 4.2 Seal
+
+* Segment is closed to append
+* Seal record is written to append-only log
+* Segment becomes visible for lookup
+* Sealed segment may be snapshot-pinned
+
+### 4.3 Snapshot Interaction
+
+* Snapshots capture sealed segments
+* Open segments need not survive snapshot
+* Segments below snapshot are replay anchors
+
+### 4.4 Garbage Collection
+
+* Only **sealed and unreachable segments** can be deleted
+* GC operates at segment granularity
+* GC must not break CURRENT or violate invariants
+
+---
+
+## 5. Lookup Semantics
+
+To resolve an `ArtifactKey`:
+
+1. Identify all visible segments ≤ CURRENT
+2. Search segments in **reverse creation order** (newest first)
+3. Return the first matching entry
+4. Respect tombstone entries (if present)
+
+Lookups may use memory-mapped structures, bloom filters, sharding, or SIMD, **but correctness must be independent of acceleration strategies**.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Visibility Guarantees
+
+* Entry visible **iff**:
+
+  * The block is sealed
+  * Log record exists ≤ CURRENT
+  * Segment seal recorded in log
+* Entries above CURRENT or referencing unsealed blocks are invisible
+
+---
+
+## 7. Crash and Recovery Semantics
+
+### 7.1 Crash During Open Segment
+
+* Open segments may be lost
+* Index entries may be leaked
+* No sealed segment may be corrupted
+
+### 7.2 Recovery Procedure
+
+1. Mount latest checkpoint snapshot
+2. Replay append-only log from checkpoint
+3. Rebuild CURRENT
+4. Resume normal operation
+
+Recovery must be **deterministic and idempotent**.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Tombstone Semantics
+
+* Optional: tombstones may exist to invalidate prior mappings
+* Tombstones shadow prior entries with the same `ArtifactKey`
+* Tombstone visibility follows same rules as regular entries
+
+---
+
+## 9. Invariants (Normative)
+
+The store **must enforce**:
+
+1. No segment visible without seal log record
+2. No mutation of sealed segment or block
+3. Shadowing follows log order strictly
+4. Replay uniquely reconstructs CURRENT
+5. GC does not remove segments referenced by snapshot or log
+6. ArtifactLocation always points to immutable bytes
+
+---
+
+## 10. Non-Goals
+
+ASL-STORE-INDEX does **not** define:
+
+* Disk layout or encoding (ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX)
+* Placement heuristics (small vs. large block packing)
+* Performance targets
+* Memory caching strategies
+* Federation or provenance mechanics
+
+---
+
+## 11. Relationship to Other Documents
+
+| Layer              | Responsibility                                                       |
+| ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| ASL-CORE-INDEX     | Defines semantic meaning of mapping `ArtifactKey → ArtifactLocation` |
+| ASL-STORE-INDEX    | Defines contracts for store to realize those semantics               |
+| ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX | Defines bytes-on-disk format                                         |
+
+---
+
+## 12. Summary
+
+The store-index layer guarantees:
+
+* Immutable, snapshot-safe segments
+* Deterministic and idempotent replay
+* Correct visibility semantics
+* Safe crash recovery
+* Garbage collection constraints
+
+This specification ensures that **ASL-CORE-INDEX semantics are faithfully realized in the store** without constraining encoding or acceleration strategies.
+
+Here’s a **fully refined version of ASL-STORE-INDEX**, incorporating **block lifecycle, sealing, snapshot safety, retention, and GC rules**, fully aligned with ASL-CORE-INDEX semantics. This makes the store layer complete and unambiguous.
+
+---
+
+# ASL-STORE-INDEX
+
+### Store Semantics and Contracts for ASL Core Index (Refined)
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+This document defines the **operational and store-level semantics** necessary to implement ASL-CORE-INDEX.
+
+It specifies:
+
+* **Block lifecycle**: creation, sealing, retention
+* **Index segment lifecycle**: creation, append, seal, visibility
+* **Snapshot interaction**: pinning, deterministic visibility
+* **Append-only log semantics**
+* **Garbage collection rules**
+
+It **does not define encoding** (see ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX) or semantic mapping (see ASL-CORE-INDEX).
+
+---
+
+## 2. Scope
+
+Covers:
+
+* Lifecycle of **blocks** and **index entries**
+* Snapshot and CURRENT consistency guarantees
+* Deterministic replay and recovery
+* GC and tombstone semantics
+
+Excludes:
+
+* Disk-level encoding
+* Sharding strategies
+* Bloom filters or acceleration structures
+* Memory residency or caching
+* Federation or PEL semantics
+
+---
+
+## 3. Core Concepts
+
+### 3.1 Block
+
+* **Definition:** Immutable storage unit containing artifact bytes.
+* **Identifier:** BlockID (opaque, unique)
+* **Properties:**
+
+  * Once sealed, contents never change
+  * Can be referenced by multiple artifacts
+  * May be pinned by snapshots for retention
+* **Lifecycle Events:**
+
+  1. Creation: block allocated but contents may still be written
+  2. Sealing: block is finalized, immutable, and log-visible
+  3. Retention: block remains accessible while pinned by snapshots or needed by CURRENT
+  4. Garbage collection: block may be deleted if no longer referenced and unpinned
+
+---
+
+### 3.2 Index Segment
+
+Segments group index entries and provide **persistence and recovery units**.
+
+* **Open segment:** accepting new index entries, not visible for lookup
+* **Sealed segment:** closed for append, log-visible, snapshot-pinnable
+* **Segment components:** header, optional bloom filter, index records, footer
+* **Segment visibility:** only after seal and log append
+
+---
+
+### 3.3 Append-Only Log
+
+All store operations affecting index visibility are recorded in a **strictly ordered, append-only log**:
+
+* Entries include:
+
+  * Index additions
+  * Tombstones
+  * Segment seals
+* Log is replayable to reconstruct CURRENT
+* Determinism: replay produces identical CURRENT from same snapshot and log prefix
+
+---
+
+## 4. Block Lifecycle Semantics
+
+| Event              | Description                           | Semantic Guarantees                                           |
+| ------------------ | ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| Creation           | Block allocated; bytes may be written | Not visible to index until sealed                             |
+| Sealing            | Block is finalized and immutable      | Sealed blocks are stable and safe to reference from index     |
+| Retention          | Block remains accessible              | Blocks referenced by snapshots or CURRENT must not be removed |
+| Garbage Collection | Block may be deleted                  | Only unpinned, unreachable blocks may be removed              |
+
+**Notes:**
+
+* Sealing ensures that any index entry referencing the block is deterministic and immutable.
+* Retention is driven by snapshot and log visibility rules.
+* GC must **never violate CURRENT reconstruction guarantees**.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Snapshot Interaction
+
+* Snapshots capture the set of **sealed blocks** and **sealed index segments** at a point in time.
+* Blocks referenced by a snapshot are **pinned** and cannot be garbage-collected until snapshot expiration.
+* CURRENT is reconstructed as:
+
+```
+CURRENT = snapshot_state + replay(log)
+```
+
+* Segment and block visibility rules:
+
+| Entity               | Visible in snapshot          | Visible in CURRENT             |
+| -------------------- | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------ |
+| Open segment/block   | No                           | Only after seal and log append |
+| Sealed segment/block | Yes, if included in snapshot | Yes, replayed from log         |
+| Tombstone            | Yes, if log-recorded         | Yes, shadows prior entries     |
+
+---
+
+## 6. Index Lookup Semantics
+
+To resolve an `ArtifactKey`:
+
+1. Identify all visible segments ≤ CURRENT
+2. Search segments in **reverse creation order** (newest first)
+3. Return first matching entry
+4. Respect tombstones to shadow prior entries
+
+Determinism:
+
+* Lookup results are identical across platforms given the same snapshot and log prefix
+* Accelerations (bloom filters, sharding, SIMD) do **not alter correctness**
+
+---
+
+## 7. Garbage Collection
+
+* **Eligibility for GC:**
+
+  * Segments: sealed, no references from CURRENT or snapshots
+  * Blocks: unpinned, unreferenced by any segment or artifact
+* **Rules:**
+
+  * GC is safe **only on sealed segments and blocks**
+  * Must respect snapshot pins
+  * Tombstones may aid in invalidating unreachable blocks
+* **Outcome:**
+
+  * GC never violates CURRENT reconstruction
+  * Blocks can be reclaimed without breaking provenance
+
+---
+
+## 8. Tombstone Semantics
+
+* Optional marker to invalidate prior mappings
+* Visibility rules identical to regular index entries
+* Used to maintain deterministic CURRENT in face of shadowing or deletions
+
+---
+
+## 9. Crash and Recovery Semantics
+
+* Open segments or unsealed blocks may be lost; no invariant is broken
+* Recovery procedure:
+
+  1. Mount last checkpoint snapshot
+  2. Replay append-only log
+  3. Reconstruct CURRENT
+* Recovery is **deterministic and idempotent**
+* Segments and blocks **never partially visible** after crash
+
+---
+
+## 10. Normative Invariants
+
+1. Sealed blocks are immutable
+2. Index entries referencing blocks are immutable once visible
+3. Shadowing follows strict log order
+4. Replay of snapshot + log uniquely reconstructs CURRENT
+5. GC cannot remove blocks or segments needed by snapshot or CURRENT
+6. Tombstones shadow prior entries without deleting underlying blocks prematurely
+
+---
+
+## 11. Non-Goals
+
+* Disk-level encoding (ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX)
+* Memory layout or caching
+* Sharding or performance heuristics
+* Federation / multi-domain semantics (handled elsewhere)
+* Block packing strategies (small vs large blocks)
+
+---
+
+## 12. Relationship to Other Layers
+
+| Layer              | Responsibility                                                               |
+| ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| ASL-CORE           | Artifact semantics, existence of blocks, immutability                        |
+| ASL-CORE-INDEX     | Semantic mapping of ArtifactKey → ArtifactLocation                           |
+| ASL-STORE-INDEX    | Lifecycle and operational contracts for blocks and segments                  |
+| ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX | Bytes-on-disk layout for segments, index records, and optional bloom filters |
+
+---
+
+## 13. Summary
+
+The refined ASL-STORE-INDEX:
+
+* Defines **block lifecycle**: creation, sealing, retention, GC
+* Ensures **snapshot safety** and deterministic visibility
+* Guarantees **immutable, replayable, and recoverable CURRENT**
+* Provides operational contracts to faithfully implement ASL-CORE-INDEX semantics
+
+

notes/asl_capture.c

@@ -0,0 +1,272 @@
+/*
+ * asl_capture.c
+ *
+ * Deterministic execution capture with optional PTY support.
+ *
+ * PIPE mode: strict stdin/stdout/stderr separation
+ * PTY mode: interactive, single combined stream
+ */
+
+#include "asl_capture.h"
+
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/wait.h>
+#include <sys/select.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+/* PTY support is optional and explicitly enabled */
+#ifdef ASL_ENABLE_PTY
+#define _GNU_SOURCE
+#include <pty.h>
+#endif
+
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+/* Utilities                                                                 */
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+static void set_nonblocking(int fd) {
+    int flags = fcntl(fd, F_GETFL, 0);
+    if (flags >= 0)
+        fcntl(fd, F_SETFL, flags | O_NONBLOCK);
+}
+
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+/* PIPE mode implementation                                                  */
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+static pid_t spawn_pipe(
+    char **argv,
+    int *child_stdin,
+    int *child_stdout,
+    int *child_stderr
+) {
+    int in_p[2], out_p[2], err_p[2];
+
+    if (pipe(in_p) < 0) return -1;
+    if (pipe(out_p) < 0) return -1;
+    if (pipe(err_p) < 0) return -1;
+
+    pid_t pid = fork();
+    if (pid < 0) return -1;
+
+    if (pid == 0) {
+        /* child */
+        dup2(in_p[0], STDIN_FILENO);
+        dup2(out_p[1], STDOUT_FILENO);
+        dup2(err_p[1], STDERR_FILENO);
+
+        close(in_p[1]);
+        close(out_p[0]);
+        close(err_p[0]);
+
+        execvp(argv[0], argv);
+        perror("execvp");
+        _exit(127);
+    }
+
+    /* parent */
+    close(in_p[0]);
+    close(out_p[1]);
+    close(err_p[1]);
+
+    *child_stdin  = in_p[1];
+    *child_stdout = out_p[0];
+    *child_stderr = err_p[0];
+
+    set_nonblocking(*child_stdout);
+    set_nonblocking(*child_stderr);
+
+    return pid;
+}
+
+static void pump_pipe(
+    int child_stdin,
+    int child_stdout,
+    int child_stderr
+) {
+    char buf[8192];
+    int in_open = 1, out_open = 1, err_open = 1;
+
+    while (in_open || out_open || err_open) {
+        fd_set rfds;
+        FD_ZERO(&rfds);
+
+        if (in_open)
+            FD_SET(STDIN_FILENO, &rfds);
+        if (out_open)
+            FD_SET(child_stdout, &rfds);
+        if (err_open)
+            FD_SET(child_stderr, &rfds);
+
+        int maxfd = child_stdout > child_stderr
+                  ? child_stdout
+                  : child_stderr;
+
+        if (select(maxfd + 1, &rfds, NULL, NULL, NULL) < 0) {
+            if (errno == EINTR)
+                continue;
+            break;
+        }
+
+        /* stdin -> child stdin */
+        if (in_open && FD_ISSET(STDIN_FILENO, &rfds)) {
+            ssize_t n = read(STDIN_FILENO, buf, sizeof(buf));
+            if (n <= 0) {
+                close(child_stdin);
+                in_open = 0;
+            } else {
+                write(child_stdin, buf, n);
+            }
+        }
+
+        /* child stdout */
+        if (out_open && FD_ISSET(child_stdout, &rfds)) {
+            ssize_t n = read(child_stdout, buf, sizeof(buf));
+            if (n <= 0) {
+                close(child_stdout);
+                out_open = 0;
+            } else {
+                /* placeholder for ASL stdout artifact */
+                write(STDOUT_FILENO, buf, n);
+            }
+        }
+
+        /* child stderr */
+        if (err_open && FD_ISSET(child_stderr, &rfds)) {
+            ssize_t n = read(child_stderr, buf, sizeof(buf));
+            if (n <= 0) {
+                close(child_stderr);
+                err_open = 0;
+            } else {
+                /* placeholder for ASL stderr artifact */
+                write(STDERR_FILENO, buf, n);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+/* PTY mode implementation                                                   */
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+#ifdef ASL_ENABLE_PTY
+
+static pid_t spawn_pty(
+    char **argv,
+    int *pty_master_fd
+) {
+    int master_fd;
+    pid_t pid = forkpty(&master_fd, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+    if (pid < 0)
+        return -1;
+
+    if (pid == 0) {
+        execvp(argv[0], argv);
+        perror("execvp");
+        _exit(127);
+    }
+
+    set_nonblocking(master_fd);
+    *pty_master_fd = master_fd;
+    return pid;
+}
+
+static void pump_pty(int pty_master) {
+    char buf[8192];
+    int open = 1;
+
+    while (open) {
+        fd_set rfds;
+        FD_ZERO(&rfds);
+        FD_SET(STDIN_FILENO, &rfds);
+        FD_SET(pty_master, &rfds);
+
+        int maxfd = pty_master;
+
+        if (select(maxfd + 1, &rfds, NULL, NULL, NULL) < 0) {
+            if (errno == EINTR)
+                continue;
+            break;
+        }
+
+        /* stdin -> PTY */
+        if (FD_ISSET(STDIN_FILENO, &rfds)) {
+            ssize_t n = read(STDIN_FILENO, buf, sizeof(buf));
+            if (n > 0) {
+                write(pty_master, buf, n);
+            }
+        }
+
+        /* PTY -> stdout (combined stream) */
+        if (FD_ISSET(pty_master, &rfds)) {
+            ssize_t n = read(pty_master, buf, sizeof(buf));
+            if (n <= 0) {
+                close(pty_master);
+                open = 0;
+            } else {
+                /* placeholder for ASL combined output artifact */
+                write(STDOUT_FILENO, buf, n);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#endif /* ASL_ENABLE_PTY */
+
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+/* Public entry point                                                        */
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+int asl_capture_run(
+    asl_capture_mode_t mode,
+    char **argv,
+    asl_capture_result_t *result
+) {
+    pid_t pid;
+    int status;
+
+    if (!argv || !argv[0] || !result)
+        return -1;
+
+    if (mode == ASL_CAPTURE_PTY) {
+#ifndef ASL_ENABLE_PTY
+        fprintf(stderr, "asl-capture: PTY support not enabled at build time\n");
+        return -1;
+#else
+        int pty_master;
+        pid = spawn_pty(argv, &pty_master);
+        if (pid < 0)
+            return -1;
+
+        pump_pty(pty_master);
+#endif
+    } else {
+        int in_fd, out_fd, err_fd;
+        pid = spawn_pipe(argv, &in_fd, &out_fd, &err_fd);
+        if (pid < 0)
+            return -1;
+
+        pump_pipe(in_fd, out_fd, err_fd);
+    }
+
+    waitpid(pid, &status, 0);
+
+    if (WIFEXITED(status)) {
+        result->exit_code = WEXITSTATUS(status);
+        result->term_signal = 0;
+    } else if (WIFSIGNALED(status)) {
+        result->exit_code = 128;
+        result->term_signal = WTERMSIG(status);
+    } else {
+        result->exit_code = 128;
+        result->term_signal = 0;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+

notes/asl_capture.h

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#ifndef ASL_CAPTURE_H
+#define ASL_CAPTURE_H
+
+#include <sys/types.h>
+
+/* Execution mode */
+typedef enum {
+    ASL_CAPTURE_PIPE = 0,
+    ASL_CAPTURE_PTY  = 1
+} asl_capture_mode_t;
+
+/* Result of execution */
+typedef struct {
+    int exit_code;     /* valid if term_signal == 0 */
+    int term_signal;   /* 0 if exited normally */
+} asl_capture_result_t;
+
+/*
+ * Run a command under capture.
+ *
+ * argv must be NULL-terminated and suitable for execvp().
+ * result must not be NULL.
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success, -1 on internal error.
+ */
+int asl_capture_run(
+    asl_capture_mode_t mode,
+    char **argv,
+    asl_capture_result_t *result
+);
+
+#endif /* ASL_CAPTURE_H */
+

notes/asl_capture_tool.c

@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/*
+ * asl_capture_tool.c
+ * Thin CLI wrapper around libasl-capture
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+ */
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include "asl_capture.h"
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv) {
+    if (argc < 2) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Usage: %s <command> [args...]\n", argv[0]);
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    asl_capture_result_t result;
+    int ret = asl_capture_run(ASL_CAPTURE_PIPE, argv + 1, &result);
+
+    if (ret != 0) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "asl-capture: command failed with code %d\n", ret);
+        return ret;
+    }
+
+    // Optionally print captured artifact info
+    printf("Artifact ID: %s\n", result.artifact_id);
+    printf("PER generated: %s\n", result.per_id);
+
+    return 0;
+}
+

notes/bootable authority host image.md

@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+Absolutely — let's think this through step by step. The goal is a **bootable authority host image** that’s offline, deterministic, and ready to handle domain admission, DAM signing, SOPS bundles, and PER generation. Here's a blueprint for assembling it.
+
+---
+
+## 1. Base OS
+
+* Choose a **minimal Debian/Ubuntu** or SystemRescue-based environment.
+
+  * Needs basic POSIX tools, filesystem utilities, and networking disabled (offline by default).
+* Install **essential tools only**:
+
+  * `bash`, `coreutils`, `tar`, `gzip`, `xz`, `find`, `sha256sum`
+  * `sops` binary for offline bundle handling
+  * `git` optional, for versioning tools inside the image
+* Disable unnecessary daemons (`sshd`, `cron`) for security.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Filesystem Layout
+
+Create the **ENC-ASL-AUTH-HOST** structure inside the image:
+
+```
+/asl-auth-host/
+├─ /domains/             # domain stores
+├─ /tools/               # binaries
+├─ /env-claims/          # environment snapshot hashes
+└─ /sops-bundles/        # encrypted bundles
+```
+
+* Use **read-only overlay** for system files
+* Persistent storage can be mounted as `/domains` or `/store` (ZFS, ext4, or Btrfs)
+* Optionally, set up **ZFS pools** for:
+
+  * `/domains/<domain-id>/store`
+  * `/domains/<domain-id>/snapshots`
+* The image itself is **immutable** — only mounted storage is written to.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Tools to Include
+
+* **asl-auth-host** binary — main authority program
+* **asl-rescue** binary — optional rescue support for SystemRescue-style data intake
+* **sops** — offline encryption/decryption of bundles
+* Optional helper scripts:
+
+  * `make-dam.sh` — create DAM artifacts
+  * `sign-bundle.sh` — sign SOPS bundles
+  * `verify-env.sh` — calculate env-claims
+
+---
+
+## 4. Boot Configuration
+
+* Boot kernel options:
+
+  * Mount persistent storage for `/domains` (ZFS, ext4, etc.)
+  * Mount overlay read-only system (`/tools`, `/env-claims`, `/sops-bundles`)
+* Auto-start a shell or **interactive prompt** for offline operation.
+* Optional: menu for:
+
+  * Create new domain
+  * Sign DAM / issue certificates
+  * Prepare SOPS bundle
+  * Rescue/import artifacts
+
+---
+
+## 5. Domain Initialization
+
+When first booting:
+
+1. Generate **root key pair** for the domain.
+2. Optionally generate **DAM signer keys**.
+3. Create the domain directory:
+
+   ```
+   /domains/<domain-id>/
+   ├─ store/
+   ├─ log/
+   ├─ snapshots/
+   ├─ certs/
+   ├─ policies/
+   └─ dam/
+   ```
+4. Initialize **empty log**, empty store, and environment claim file:
+
+   ```
+   /env-claims/<snapshot-id>.claim
+   ```
+5. Seed the domain with **common domain reference**, if applicable.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Certificates and Policies
+
+* Root keys must be encrypted at rest.
+* DAMs signed using offline authority host root keys.
+* Policies included in `/domains/<domain-id>/policies/`.
+* All signed artifacts stored in `/sops-bundles/` for delivery.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Optional Persistence
+
+* If you want the host **bootable from USB**:
+
+  * Overlay FS (SquashFS or ISO) for system binaries
+  * Writable ZFS/Btrfs/EXT4 for `/domains` and `/sops-bundles`
+* This allows the system to remain **fully offline** but store persistent artifacts.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Recommended Approach
+
+* **Immutable image** for the offline host (SquashFS or ISO)
+* **Writable storage** for domains (`/mnt/pool`) or USB disk
+* Use **ZFS datasets** for:
+
+  * Block storage
+  * Snapshots of logs & store
+* Pre-load binaries for deterministic PER generation, DAM signing, and rescue scripts.
+* Environment claims stored and optionally signed before any DAM operation.
+
+---
+
+If you want, I can **write a concrete build script outline** (e.g., Debian-based ISO with overlay + ZFS pools + included binaries + directory structure), so you have a starting point to actually produce the bootable auth host image.
+
+Do you want me to do that next?
+

notes/build.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+dpkg-buildpackage -us -uc
+

notes/canonical.py

@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+# canonical.py
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+import numpy as np
+from typing import Tuple
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Canonicalization configuration
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+# Numerical tolerance for zero detection
+EPSILON: float = 1e-12
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Canonicalization helpers
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def _normalize(values: np.ndarray) -> np.ndarray:
+    """
+    Normalize a complex amplitude vector.
+    """
+    norm = np.linalg.norm(values)
+    if norm == 0:
+        raise ValueError("Cannot canonicalize zero-norm state")
+    return values / norm
+
+
+def _remove_global_phase(values: np.ndarray) -> np.ndarray:
+    """
+    Remove global phase by forcing the first non-zero amplitude
+    to be real and non-negative.
+    """
+    for v in values:
+        if abs(v) > EPSILON:
+            phase = np.angle(v)
+            values = values * np.exp(-1j * phase)
+            if values.real[0] < 0:
+                values *= -1
+            break
+    return values
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Public canonicalization API
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def canonicalize_sparse(
+    indices: np.ndarray,
+    values: np.ndarray,
+) -> Tuple[np.ndarray, np.ndarray]:
+    """
+    Canonicalize a sparse amplitude representation.
+
+    Guarantees:
+    - Deterministic normalization
+    - Global phase removed
+    - Output arrays are copies (caller mutation-safe)
+    - Index ordering preserved (caller responsibility)
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    indices:
+        Integer basis indices (shape: [k])
+    values:
+        Complex amplitudes (shape: [k])
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    (indices, values):
+        Canonicalized sparse representation
+    """
+    if indices.ndim != 1 or values.ndim != 1:
+        raise ValueError("indices and values must be 1-D arrays")
+
+    if len(indices) != len(values):
+        raise ValueError("indices and values must have the same length")
+
+    # Copy defensively
+    ci = np.array(indices, dtype=np.int64, copy=True)
+    cv = np.array(values, dtype=np.complex128, copy=True)
+
+    # Normalize
+    cv = _normalize(cv)
+
+    # Canonical global phase
+    cv = _remove_global_phase(cv)
+
+    return ci, cv
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Optional utilities (explicit, not implicit)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def canonicalize_dense(
+    amplitudes: np.ndarray,
+) -> np.ndarray:
+    """
+    Canonicalize a dense amplitude vector.
+
+    Provided for completeness and testing;
+    sparse canonicalization is preferred for infrastructure.
+    """
+    if amplitudes.ndim != 1:
+        raise ValueError("amplitudes must be a 1-D array")
+
+    values = np.array(amplitudes, dtype=np.complex128, copy=True)
+    values = _normalize(values)
+    values = _remove_global_phase(values)
+    return values
+

notes/container-friendly build script.md

@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+Perfect! Here’s a **container-friendly build script outline** for creating your `asl-auth-host` bootable ISO on Linux Mint using a Debian container. It **prepares the filesystem, overlays your binaries and scripts, sets up directories**, and skips actual ZFS pool creation (you can mount ZFS later when booted).
+
+---
+
+```bash
+#!/bin/bash
+# build_asl_auth_host_iso.sh
+# Container-friendly ASL-AUTH-HOST ISO builder
+# Assumes running in Debian container
+
+set -e
+WORKDIR=/work
+ISO_ROOT=$WORKDIR/iso_root
+OVERLAY=$WORKDIR/overlay
+OUTPUT=$WORKDIR/asl-auth-host.iso
+
+# 1. Clean previous build
+rm -rf $ISO_ROOT $OVERLAY $OUTPUT
+mkdir -p $ISO_ROOT $OVERLAY
+
+# 2. Bootstrap minimal Debian filesystem
+echo "Bootstrapping minimal Debian filesystem..."
+debootstrap --arch=amd64 bullseye $ISO_ROOT http://deb.debian.org/debian/
+chroot $ISO_ROOT /bin/bash << 'EOF'
+touch /etc/asl-bootstrap
+apt-get update
+apt-get install -y linux-image-amd64 initramfs-tools systemd-sysv \
+                   ca-certificates curl xorriso isolinux syslinux-common
+EOF
+
+# 3. Set up overlay directory structure
+echo "Setting up overlay structure..."
+mkdir -p $OVERLAY/{bin,etc,var/lib/asl,var/log}
+mkdir -p $OVERLAY/{usr/local/bin,run/asl}
+8
+# Place your binaries and scripts here
+cp $WORKDIR/binaries/asl-auth-host $OVERLAY/bin/
+cp $WORKDIR/binaries/asl-rescue $OVERLAY/bin/
+cp $WORKDIR/scripts/* $OVERLAY/bin/
+
+# 4. Copy overlay into ISO root
+echo "Merging overlay into ISO root..."
+cp -a $OVERLAY/* $ISO_ROOT/
+chroot $ISO_ROOT /bin/bash << 'EOF'
+dpkg -i /usr/local/debs/libasl-capture0_0.1.0-1_amd64.deb \
+         /usr/local/debs/libasl-capture-dev_0.1.0-1_amd64.deb \
+         /usr/local/debs/asl-tools_0.1.0-1_amd64.deb || true
+apt-get install -f -y   # fix dependencies if needed
+EOF
+
+# 5. Create expected dataset structure for ASL (to mount ZFS later)
+mkdir -p $ISO_ROOT/var/lib/asl/{common,personal}
+mkdir -p $ISO_ROOT/var/lib/asl/pools
+
+# 6. Optional: add bootloader configs (isolinux/syslinux)
+echo "Setting up bootloader (minimal)..."
+mkdir -p $ISO_ROOT/boot/isolinux
+# Place isolinux.bin and isolinux.cfg here
+# cp $WORKDIR/bootloader/isolinux.bin $ISO_ROOT/boot/isolinux/
+# cp $WORKDIR/bootloader/isolinux.cfg $ISO_ROOT/boot/isolinux/
+
+# 7. Build ISO
+echo "Generating ISO..."
+xorriso -as mkisofs \
+  -iso-level 3 \
+  -o $OUTPUT \
+  -full-iso9660-filenames \
+  -volid "ASL-AUTH-HOST" \
+  -eltorito-boot boot/isolinux/isolinux.bin \
+  -eltorito-catalog boot/isolinux/boot.cat \
+  -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table \
+  $ISO_ROOT
+
+echo "ASL-AUTH-HOST ISO built successfully: $OUTPUT"
+```
+
+---
+
+### ✅ Key Points
+
+* **Container-friendly**: No ZFS creation inside the container. ZFS datasets (`common`, `personal`) are just directories; they can be mounted when booted.
+* **Overlay**: Your binaries (`asl-auth-host`, `asl-rescue`) and helper scripts go into `/bin` in the overlay.
+* **Bootloader**: Minimal setup; you can extend with isolinux/syslinux or GRUB.
+* **ISO Output**: Reproducible in a container, can copy to USB or VM for testing.
+
+---
+
+### Next Steps
+
+1. Populate `$WORKDIR/binaries/` with your compiled `asl-auth-host` and `asl-rescue`.
+2. Populate `$WORKDIR/scripts/` with any helpers (like init scripts, mounting helpers).
+3. Add your `isolinux.cfg` or GRUB config to `$WORKDIR/bootloader/`.
+4. Run the container build. ISO will appear in `/work/asl-auth-host.iso`.
+
+---
+
+I can also **draft a ready-to-use directory layout** for the ISO and overlay, including placeholders for:
+
+* `common` and `personal` datasets
+* `/var/lib/asl/index`
+* `/var/lib/asl/certs`
+* `/etc/asl-auth-host/config.yaml`
+
+…so you have a concrete blueprint to start placing your certificates and DAM/SOPS bundles.
+
+Do you want me to draft that layout next?
+

notes/debian packaging stanzas.md

@@ -0,0 +1,316 @@
+Great — this is exactly the point where *small, disciplined decisions* pay off for years.
+
+I’ll answer in three clean sections:
+
+1. **Making PTY support optional at build time**
+2. **Clean split: libraries vs tools (ASL style)**
+3. **Concrete `debian/` packaging stanzas**
+
+No fluff, no overreach.
+
+---
+
+# 1. Making PTY support optional at build time
+
+### Design goal
+
+* Default: **PIPE-only**, fully POSIX
+* Optional: **PTY-enabled**, Linux/glibc-specific
+* No API break
+* No runtime surprises
+
+---
+
+## 1.1 Build-time feature flag
+
+Use a **compile-time macro**, not runtime probing.
+
+### In code (`asl_capture.c`)
+
+At the top:
+
+```c
+/* Enable PTY support only if requested */
+#ifdef ASL_ENABLE_PTY
+#define _GNU_SOURCE
+#include <pty.h>
+#endif
+```
+
+Then guard PTY-specific code:
+
+```c
+#ifdef ASL_ENABLE_PTY
+static pid_t spawn_pty(...);
+static void pump_pty(...);
+#endif
+```
+
+In `asl_capture_run`:
+
+```c
+if (mode == ASL_CAPTURE_PTY) {
+#ifndef ASL_ENABLE_PTY
+    fprintf(stderr, "PTY support not built in\n");
+    return -1;
+#else
+    ...
+#endif
+}
+```
+
+This guarantees:
+
+* no accidental PTY usage
+* deterministic behavior per build
+
+---
+
+## 1.2 Build system (Makefile example)
+
+```make
+CFLAGS += -Wall -Wextra -O2
+LIBS   +=
+
+ifdef ENABLE_PTY
+CFLAGS += -DASL_ENABLE_PTY
+LIBS   += -lutil
+endif
+```
+
+Usage:
+
+```sh
+make              # PIPE only
+make ENABLE_PTY=1 # PTY enabled
+```
+
+This maps perfectly to Debian build profiles later.
+
+---
+
+## 1.3 Debian mapping
+
+* `libutil` dependency **only when PTY enabled**
+* No mandatory GNU extensions
+* Debian-friendly
+
+---
+
+# 2. Clean split: libraries vs tools
+
+This matters a lot for long-term sanity.
+
+## 2.1 Guiding principle
+
+> **Libraries describe facts. Tools perform actions.**
+
+Your ecosystem already follows this instinct.
+
+---
+
+## 2.2 Proposed split
+
+### Libraries (linkable, stable ABI)
+
+| Package          | Contents                         |
+| ---------------- | -------------------------------- |
+| `libasl-core`    | block IDs, artifact IDs, hashing |
+| `libasl-store`   | block IO, sealing, snapshots     |
+| `libasl-index`   | lookup, segment handling         |
+| `libasl-capture` | execution + stream capture       |
+| `libpel-core`    | DAG, receipt types               |
+
+Libraries:
+
+* no CLI parsing
+* no environment policy
+* no filesystem assumptions
+
+---
+
+### Tools (thin wrappers)
+
+| Binary        | Purpose           |
+| ------------- | ----------------- |
+| `asl-put`     | write artifact    |
+| `asl-get`     | read artifact     |
+| `asl-capture` | execute + capture |
+| `pel-run`     | run PEL DAG       |
+| `asl-admin`   | store ops         |
+
+Tools:
+
+* parse argv
+* open stores
+* call libs
+* emit artifacts
+
+---
+
+## 2.3 Filesystem layout (Debian standard)
+
+```text
+/usr/bin/
+  asl-put
+  asl-get
+  asl-capture
+  pel-run
+
+/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/
+  libasl-core.so.0
+  libasl-store.so.0
+  libasl-capture.so.0
+
+/usr/include/asl/
+  asl_core.h
+  asl_capture.h
+
+/usr/share/doc/asl/
+  README.md
+  specs/
+```
+
+No custom prefixes. No surprises.
+
+---
+
+# 3. Debian packaging: concrete stanzas
+
+Below is a **minimal but correct** Debian packaging layout.
+
+---
+
+## 3.1 `debian/control`
+
+```debcontrol
+Source: asl
+Section: utils
+Priority: optional
+Maintainer: Your Name <you@example.org>
+Build-Depends:
+ debhelper-compat (= 13),
+ libc6-dev,
+ pkg-config
+Standards-Version: 4.6.2
+Rules-Requires-Root: no
+
+Package: libasl-capture0
+Section: libs
+Architecture: any
+Depends: ${shlibs:Depends}, ${misc:Depends}
+Description: ASL execution capture library
+ Library providing deterministic execution capture
+ with optional PTY support.
+
+Package: libasl-capture-dev
+Section: libdevel
+Architecture: any
+Depends: libasl-capture0 (= ${binary:Version}), ${misc:Depends}
+Description: Development files for ASL capture
+ Headers and static metadata for linking against
+ libasl-capture.
+
+Package: asl-tools
+Section: utils
+Architecture: any
+Depends:
+ ${shlibs:Depends},
+ ${misc:Depends}
+Recommends: bash
+Description: ASL command-line tools
+ Tools for artifact storage, execution capture,
+ and deterministic receipt generation.
+```
+
+---
+
+## 3.2 PTY as a build profile (optional, advanced but clean)
+
+In `debian/control`:
+
+```debcontrol
+Build-Depends:
+ libc6-dev,
+ pkg-config,
+ libutil-dev <!no-pty>
+```
+
+Then build with:
+
+```sh
+dpkg-buildpackage -Pno-pty
+```
+
+This is **exactly how Debian likes optional features**.
+
+---
+
+## 3.3 `debian/rules` (snippet)
+
+```make
+#!/usr/bin/make -f
+
+%:
+	dh $@
+
+override_dh_auto_build:
+ifeq ($(filter no-pty,$(DEB_BUILD_PROFILES)),)
+	$(MAKE) ENABLE_PTY=1
+else
+	$(MAKE)
+endif
+```
+
+---
+
+## 3.4 `debian/libasl-capture0.install`
+
+```text
+usr/lib/*/libasl-capture.so.*
+```
+
+## 3.5 `debian/libasl-capture-dev.install`
+
+```text
+usr/include/asl/asl_capture.h
+usr/lib/*/libasl-capture.so
+```
+
+## 3.6 `debian/asl-tools.install`
+
+```text
+usr/bin/asl-capture
+usr/bin/asl-put
+usr/bin/asl-get
+usr/bin/pel-run
+```
+
+---
+
+# 4. Why this setup is *correct* for your system
+
+* PTY support is **explicit**, not implicit
+* PIPE-only builds remain fully deterministic
+* Debian can ship both safely
+* Offline authority hosts can disable PTY entirely
+* SystemRescue builds can enable it
+* Libraries remain reusable and clean
+
+This is *exactly* the level of restraint Debian maintainers respect.
+
+---
+
+## Where to go next (suggestion)
+
+Natural next steps:
+
+1. Define **libasl-capture ABI versioning rules**
+2. Write a **man page for `asl-capture`**
+3. Add **PTY vs PIPE semantics to ASL-HOST**
+4. Wire `asl-capture` into your ISO builder
+
+If you want, I can take any one of those and do it *to Debian quality*.
+
+You’re building this the right way.
+

notes/enc-asl-core-index-addendum-federation-encoding.md

@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+# ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX ADDENDUM: Federation Encoding
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+This addendum defines **on-disk encoding changes** required to support the **Federation Specification**:
+
+* Domain identifiers for artifacts and index entries
+* Visibility flags for internal vs published state
+* Backward-compatible update to existing index records
+* Integration with existing block, segment, and tombstone layouts
+
+It ensures **deterministic reconstruction** across domains while preserving index lookup semantics.
+
+---
+
+## 2. New Fields for Index Records
+
+Each **ArtifactIndexRecord** is extended to include **federation metadata**:
+
+| Field               | Type                     | Description                                                                                         |
+| ------------------- | ------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `DomainID`          | uint32 / opaque          | Unique domain identifier for the artifact. Must match the domain in which the artifact was created. |
+| `Visibility`        | uint8 (enum)             | Visibility status of the artifact: `0 = internal`, `1 = published`.                                 |
+| `CrossDomainSource` | optional uint32 / opaque | DomainID of original domain if the artifact is imported from another domain; `NULL` if local.       |
+
+**Encoding Notes:**
+
+* `DomainID` and `Visibility` are **always present** in index records, even for legacy artifacts (legacy default: internal, local domain).
+* `CrossDomainSource` is **optional**; present only for imported artifacts.
+* Existing `(BlockID, offset, length)` mapping is unchanged.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Segment Header Updates
+
+Each segment now includes:
+
+* `SegmentDomainID` (uint32 / opaque): domain owning this segment
+* `SegmentVisibility` (uint8): maximum visibility of all artifacts in the segment (`internal` or `published`)
+* Optional: `FederationVersion` (uint8) to allow backward-compatible upgrades
+
+This allows **fast filtering** of visible segments during lookup in federated domains.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Tombstone Encoding
+
+* Tombstones include `DomainID` and `Visibility` fields to ensure **deterministic shadowing** across domains.
+* Shadowing rules:
+
+  * A tombstone in domain A only shadows artifacts in domain A.
+  * Published artifacts cannot be accidentally shadowed by internal artifacts from another domain.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Block Records
+
+No change to `(BlockID, offset, length)` itself; however:
+
+* Blocks supporting **published artifacts** are considered **cross-domain safe**.
+* Optional **DomainID metadata** may be stored with blocks to speed up GC and federation operations.
+* Addressing and segment packing rules are unchanged.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Lookup and Reconstruction Rules
+
+* When reconstructing **CURRENT in a domain**:
+
+  1. Filter segments and records by `DomainID` and `Visibility`.
+  2. Include artifacts with `DomainID = local` or `Visibility = published`.
+  3. Include imported artifacts by following `CrossDomainSource`.
+  4. Apply standard shadowing and tombstone rules per domain.
+
+* Determinism and immutability guarantees remain identical to single-domain ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Backward Compatibility
+
+* Legacy segments without federation fields are treated as:
+
+  * `DomainID = local domain`
+  * `Visibility = internal`
+* Lookup semantics automatically ignore artifacts from other domains until explicitly migrated.
+* Federation fields are **forward-compatible**; versioning in segment headers allows safe upgrades.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Normative Invariants
+
+1. **DomainID presence:** Every index record must include a `DomainID`.
+2. **Visibility correctness:** Published artifacts are always visible to other domains; internal artifacts are not.
+3. **CrossDomainSource integrity:** Imported artifacts retain immutable reference to original domain.
+4. **Deterministic encoding:** Serialization of index records and segments must be identical across platforms for the same snapshot + log.
+5. **Backward compatibility:** Legacy records are interpreted safely with default federation metadata.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Summary
+
+This addendum updates **ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX** to support **federation**:
+
+* Adds `DomainID`, `Visibility`, and optional `CrossDomainSource` to index records
+* Updates segment headers for fast domain/visibility filtering
+* Ensures deterministic lookup, reconstruction, and shadowing rules per domain
+* Maintains backward compatibility with legacy segments
+
+It integrates federation metadata **without altering the underlying block or artifact encoding**, preserving deterministic execution and PEL provenance.
+
+

notes/enc-asl-core-index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,193 @@
+# ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX
+
+### Encoding Specification for ASL Core Index
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+This document defines the **exact encoding of ASL index segments** and records for storage and interoperability.
+
+It translates the **semantic model of ASL-CORE-INDEX** and **store contracts of ASL-STORE-INDEX** into a deterministic **bytes-on-disk layout**.
+
+It is intended for:
+
+* C libraries
+* Tools
+* API frontends
+* Memory-mapped access
+
+It does **not** define:
+
+* Index semantics (see ASL-CORE-INDEX)
+* Store lifecycle behavior (see ASL-STORE-INDEX)
+
+---
+
+## 2. Encoding Principles
+
+1. **Little-endian** representation
+2. **Fixed-width fields** for deterministic access
+3. **No pointers or references**; all offsets are file-relative
+4. **Packed structures**; no compiler-introduced padding
+5. **Forward compatibility** via version field
+6. **CRC or checksum protection** for corruption detection
+
+All multi-byte integers are little-endian unless explicitly noted.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Segment Layout
+
+Each index segment file is laid out as follows:
+
+```
++------------------+
+| SegmentHeader    |
++------------------+
+| BloomFilter[]    | (optional, opaque to semantics)
++------------------+
+| IndexRecord[]    |
++------------------+
+| SegmentFooter    |
++------------------+
+```
+
+* **SegmentHeader**: fixed-size, mandatory
+* **BloomFilter**: optional, opaque, segment-local
+* **IndexRecord[]**: array of index entries
+* **SegmentFooter**: fixed-size, mandatory
+
+Offsets in the header define locations of Bloom filter and index records.
+
+---
+
+## 4. SegmentHeader
+
+```c
+#pragma pack(push,1)
+typedef struct {
+    uint64_t magic;           // Unique magic number identifying segment file type
+    uint16_t version;         // Encoding version
+    uint16_t shard_id;        // Optional shard identifier
+    uint32_t header_size;     // Total size of header including fields below
+
+    uint64_t snapshot_min;    // Minimum snapshot ID for which segment entries are valid
+    uint64_t snapshot_max;    // Maximum snapshot ID
+
+    uint64_t record_count;    // Number of index entries
+    uint64_t records_offset;  // File offset of IndexRecord array
+
+    uint64_t bloom_offset;    // File offset of bloom filter (0 if none)
+    uint64_t bloom_size;      // Size of bloom filter (0 if none)
+
+    uint64_t flags;           // Reserved for future use
+} SegmentHeader;
+#pragma pack(pop)
+```
+
+**Notes:**
+
+* `magic` ensures the reader validates the segment type.
+* `version` allows forward-compatible extension.
+* `snapshot_min` / `snapshot_max` define visibility semantics.
+
+---
+
+## 5. IndexRecord
+
+```c
+#pragma pack(push,1)
+typedef struct {
+    uint64_t hash_hi;     // High 64 bits of artifact hash
+    uint64_t hash_mid;    // Middle 64 bits
+    uint64_t hash_lo;     // Low 64 bits
+    uint32_t hash_tail;   // Optional tail for full hash if larger than 192 bits
+
+    uint64_t block_id;    // ASL block identifier
+    uint32_t offset;      // Offset within block
+    uint32_t length;      // Length of artifact bytes
+
+    uint32_t flags;       // Optional flags (tombstone, reserved, etc.)
+    uint32_t reserved;    // Reserved for alignment/future use
+} IndexRecord;
+#pragma pack(pop)
+```
+
+**Notes:**
+
+* `hash_*` fields store the artifact key deterministically.
+* `block_id` references an ASL block.
+* `offset` / `length` define bytes within the block.
+* Flags may indicate tombstone or other special status.
+
+---
+
+## 6. SegmentFooter
+
+```c
+#pragma pack(push,1)
+typedef struct {
+    uint64_t crc64;          // CRC over header + records + bloom filter
+    uint64_t seal_snapshot;  // Snapshot ID when segment was sealed
+    uint64_t seal_time_ns;   // High-resolution seal timestamp
+} SegmentFooter;
+#pragma pack(pop)
+```
+
+**Notes:**
+
+* CRC ensures corruption detection during reads.
+* Seal information allows deterministic reconstruction of CURRENT state.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Bloom Filter
+
+* The bloom filter is **optional** and opaque to semantics.
+* Its purpose is **lookup acceleration**.
+* Must be deterministic: same entries → same bloom representation.
+* Segment-local only; no global assumptions.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Versioning and Compatibility
+
+* `version` field in header defines encoding.
+* Readers must **reject unsupported versions**.
+* New fields may be added in future versions only via version bump.
+* Existing fields must **never change meaning**.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Alignment and Packing
+
+* All structures are **packed** (no compiler padding)
+* Multi-byte integers are **little-endian**
+* Memory-mapped readers can directly index `IndexRecord[]` using `records_offset`.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Summary of Encoding Guarantees
+
+The ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX specification ensures:
+
+1. **Deterministic layout** across platforms
+2. **Direct mapping from semantic model** (ArtifactKey → ArtifactLocation)
+3. **Immutability of sealed segments**
+4. **Integrity validation** via CRC
+5. **Forward-compatible extensibility**
+
+---
+
+## 11. Relationship to Other Layers
+
+| Layer              | Responsibility                                             |
+| ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
+| ASL-CORE-INDEX     | Defines semantic meaning of artifact → location mapping    |
+| ASL-STORE-INDEX    | Defines lifecycle, visibility, and replay contracts        |
+| ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX | Defines exact bytes-on-disk format for segment persistence |
+
+This completes the stack: **semantics → store behavior → encoding**.
+
+

notes/enc-tgk-index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,204 @@
+# ENC-TGK-INDEX
+
+### Encoding Specification for TGK Edge Index References
+
+---
+
+## 1. Purpose
+
+ENC-TGK-INDEX defines the **on-disk encoding for Trace Graph Kernel (TGK) index records**, which serve as **references to TGK-CORE edges**.
+
+* It **never encodes edge structure** (`from[]` / `to[]`)
+* It supports **filters, sharding, and routing** per ASL-INDEX-ACCEL
+* Snapshot and log-sequence semantics are maintained for deterministic recovery
+
+---
+
+## 2. Layering Principle
+
+* **TGK-CORE / ENC-TGK-CORE**: authoritative edge structure (`from[] → to[]`)
+* **TGK-INDEX**: defines canonical keys, routing keys, acceleration logic
+* **ENC-TGK-INDEX**: stores references to TGK-CORE edges and acceleration metadata
+
+**Normative statement:**
+
+> ENC-TGK-INDEX encodes only references to TGK-CORE edges and MUST NOT re-encode or reinterpret edge structure.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Segment Layout
+
+Segments are **immutable** and **snapshot-bound**:
+
+```
++-----------------------------+
+| Segment Header              |
++-----------------------------+
+| Routing Filters             |
++-----------------------------+
+| TGK Index Records           |
++-----------------------------+
+| Optional Acceleration Data  |
++-----------------------------+
+| Segment Footer              |
++-----------------------------+
+```
+
+* Segment atomicity is enforced
+* Footer checksum guarantees completeness
+
+---
+
+## 4. Segment Header
+
+```c
+struct tgk_index_segment_header {
+    uint32_t magic;              // 'TGKI'
+    uint16_t version;            // encoding version
+    uint16_t flags;              // segment flags
+    uint64_t segment_id;         // unique per dataset
+    uint64_t logseq_min;         // inclusive
+    uint64_t logseq_max;         // inclusive
+    uint64_t record_count;       // number of index records
+    uint64_t record_area_offset; // bytes from segment start
+    uint64_t footer_offset;      // bytes from segment start
+};
+```
+
+* `logseq_min` / `logseq_max` enforce snapshot visibility
+
+---
+
+## 5. Routing Filters
+
+Filters are **optional but recommended**:
+
+```c
+struct tgk_index_filter_header {
+    uint16_t filter_type;    // e.g., BLOOM, XOR, RIBBON
+    uint16_t version;
+    uint32_t flags;
+    uint64_t size_bytes;     // length of filter payload
+};
+```
+
+* Filters operate on **routing keys**, not canonical edge IDs
+* Routing keys may include:
+
+  * Edge type key
+  * Projection context
+  * Direction or role
+* False positives allowed; false negatives forbidden
+
+---
+
+## 6. TGK Index Record
+
+Each record references a **single TGK-CORE edge**:
+
+```c
+struct tgk_index_record {
+    uint64_t logseq;           // creation log sequence
+    uint64_t tgk_edge_id;      // reference to ENC-TGK-CORE edge
+    uint32_t edge_type_key;    // optional classification
+    uint8_t  has_edge_type;    // 0 or 1
+    uint8_t  role;             // optional: from / to / both
+    uint16_t flags;            // tombstone, reserved
+};
+```
+
+* `tgk_edge_id` is the **canonical key**
+* No `from[]` / `to[]` fields exist here
+* Edge identity is **solely TGK-CORE edge ID**
+
+**Flags**:
+
+| Flag                  | Meaning                 |
+| --------------------- | ----------------------- |
+| `TGK_INDEX_TOMBSTONE` | Shadows previous record |
+| `TGK_INDEX_RESERVED`  | Future use              |
+
+---
+
+## 7. Optional Node-Projection Records (Acceleration Only)
+
+For node-centric queries, optional records may map:
+
+```c
+struct tgk_node_edge_ref {
+    uint64_t logseq;
+    uint64_t node_id;
+    uint64_t tgk_edge_id;
+    uint8_t  position; // from or to
+};
+```
+
+* **Derivable from TGK-CORE edges**
+* Optional; purely for acceleration
+* Must not affect semantics
+
+---
+
+## 8. Sharding and SIMD
+
+* Shard assignment: via **routing keys**, **not index semantics**
+* SIMD-optimized arrays may exist in optional acceleration sections
+* Must be deterministic and immutable
+* Must follow ASL-INDEX-ACCEL invariants
+
+---
+
+## 9. Snapshot Interaction
+
+At snapshot `S`:
+
+* Segment visible if `logseq_min ≤ S`
+* Record visible if `logseq ≤ S`
+* Tombstones shadow earlier records
+
+**Lookup Algorithm**:
+
+1. Filter by snapshot
+2. Evaluate routing/filter keys (advisory)
+3. Confirm canonical key match with `tgk_edge_id`
+
+---
+
+## 10. Segment Footer
+
+```c
+struct tgk_index_segment_footer {
+    uint64_t checksum;        // covers header + filters + records
+    uint64_t record_bytes;    // size of record area
+    uint64_t filter_bytes;    // size of filter area
+};
+```
+
+* Ensures atomicity and completeness
+
+---
+
+## 11. Normative Invariants
+
+1. **Edge identity = TGK-CORE edge ID**
+2. Edge Type Key is **not part of identity**
+3. Filters are **advisory only**
+4. Sharding is observationally invisible
+5. Index records are immutable
+6. Snapshot visibility strictly follows `logseq`
+7. Determinism guaranteed per snapshot
+
+---
+
+## 12. Summary
+
+ENC-TGK-INDEX:
+
+* References TGK-CORE edges without re-encoding structure
+* Supports snapshot-safe, deterministic lookup
+* Enables filter, shard, and SIMD acceleration
+* Preserves TGK-CORE semantics strictly
+
+This design **fully respects layering** and **prevents accidental semantic duplication**, while allowing scalable, high-performance indexing.
+
+

notes/example.py

@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+# example_quantum.py
+
+import numpy as np
+from artifact import Artifact, bits, tensor, materialize_artifact, dag_node_count, dag_depth, ArtifactCache
+from sid_hashers import SHA256SIDHash
+from hashers import SHA256Hash
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Hashers
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+sid_hasher = SHA256SIDHash()
+content_hasher = SHA256Hash()
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Step 1: Create 8 quantum leaves (1 qubit each)
+# We'll make simple |0> + |1> superposition for each qubit
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+quantum_leaves = []
+for i in range(8):
+    indices = np.array([0, 1], dtype=np.int64)
+    values = np.array([1+0j, 1+0j], dtype=np.complex128)
+    leaf = Artifact(
+        op="leaf.bits",
+        params={"_materialized": (indices, values)},  # mandatory for materialization
+        children=[],
+        sid=f"qubit_{i}_superposition",
+        materializer=materialize_artifact,
+        content_hasher=content_hasher,
+    )
+    quantum_leaves.append(leaf)
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Step 2: Tensor all 8 qubits together lazily
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Tensor pairs recursively
+def tensor_all(artifacts, sid_hasher):
+    if len(artifacts) == 1:
+        return artifacts[0]
+    mid = len(artifacts) // 2
+    left = tensor_all(artifacts[:mid], sid_hasher)
+    right = tensor_all(artifacts[mid:], sid_hasher)
+    return tensor(left, right, sid_hasher=sid_hasher)
+
+quantum_8q = tensor_all(quantum_leaves, sid_hasher=sid_hasher)
+
+print("8-qubit quantum tensor SID (lazy):")
+print(quantum_8q.sid)
+
+print("CID materialized yet?", quantum_8q.is_materialized)
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Step 3: Materialize CID on demand
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+cid_8q = quantum_8q.cid
+print("\nAfter materialization:")
+print("8-qubit quantum tensor CID:", cid_8q)
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Step 4: DAG metrics
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+print("\nDerivation DAG metrics:")
+print("Total nodes:", dag_node_count(quantum_8q))
+print("DAG depth:", dag_depth(quantum_8q))
+

notes/execution receipts and snapshot states.md

@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+Exactly — that’s a crucial point. The “execution receipts and snapshot states” aren’t separate things in the sense of being additional files or objects; they are **manifested through the combination of the sequential log, the CURRENT state, and the pinned snapshots in ASL**. Let me break it down:
+
+---
+
+### **1. Sequential Log**
+
+* Records all **append-only mutations** to the domain:
+
+  * Index additions (artifact → block mappings)
+  * Tombstones (deletions or shadowed artifacts)
+  * Segment seals
+* **Deterministic**: replaying from a checkpoint + log reconstructs CURRENT exactly.
+* Serves as the **timeline / provenance ledger** for the domain.
+
+---
+
+### **2. CURRENT State**
+
+* Derived from the latest snapshot plus replaying the log:
+
+  ```
+  CURRENT = checkpoint_snapshot + replay(log)
+  ```
+* Represents the **domain’s active state** at the moment.
+* Any PER you generate effectively “samples” this CURRENT state, i.e., it reflects **what is present and visible at this logseq**.
+
+---
+
+### **3. Snapshots**
+
+* Capture **sealed segments and blocks** at a point in time.
+* Pinning ensures **retention and determinism**.
+* A PER or TGK edge can reference a snapshot as a **boundary marker** for reproducible reconstruction.
+
+---
+
+### **4. How PERs Fit In**
+
+* PERs are just **artifacts representing deterministic outcomes**:
+
+  * Inputs: block IDs / artifact keys visible in CURRENT
+  * Provenance: derived via TGK edges
+  * Snapshot: identifies exactly **what state was observed**
+* So generating a PER is effectively **taking the CURRENT state + log prefix + snapshot reference and sealing it into a reproducible receipt**.
+
+---
+
+✅ **TL;DR:**
+
+* You don’t need to store “execution receipts” separately in a raw sense; they are **conceptually encoded in the log + CURRENT + snapshot**.
+* PER generation is **reading that state and formalizing it as an artifact** with associated TGK edges and provenance.
+* The snapshot is the “frozen point” that guarantees reproducibility across nodes or future restorations.
+
+---
+
+If you want, I can **rephrase the checklist to reflect this properly**, so that it doesn’t misleadingly suggest storing something extra — everything is naturally part of ASL’s log + CURRENT + snapshot framework.
+
+Do you want me to do that?
+

notes/fully sealed monastery.md

@@ -0,0 +1,302 @@
+Short answer: **yes, absolutely** — and you can do it *cleanly*, *deterministically*, and in a way that fits your ASL worldview very well.
+
+What it takes is to **separate “networked acquisition” from “system construction”** and turn the former into **artifacts**.
+
+Below is a precise breakdown, from minimal to “fully sealed monastery”.
+
+---
+
+## 1. What debootstrap actually needs
+
+`debootstrap` itself does **not require the internet**. It needs:
+
+1. A **Debian archive** containing:
+
+   * `dists/<suite>/Release`
+   * `dists/<suite>/main/binary-<arch>/Packages(.gz|.xz)`
+   * `pool/main/.../*.deb`
+2. A way to access it:
+
+   * `file://`
+   * mounted filesystem
+   * loopback ISO
+3. (Optionally) a trusted **Release.gpg** signature
+
+That’s it.
+
+So the problem reduces to:
+
+> *How do we provide a Debian archive offline?*
+
+---
+
+## 2. Three progressively stronger offline models
+
+### Model A — Cached `.deb` set (quick & dirty)
+
+**What it is**
+
+* Run `debootstrap` once online
+* Capture:
+
+  * `/var/cache/apt/archives/*.deb`
+  * `/var/lib/apt/lists/*`
+* Replay offline with `--cache-dir`
+
+**Pros**
+
+* Very fast to get started
+* Minimal tooling
+
+**Cons**
+
+* Not a real archive
+* Fragile
+* Hard to audit
+* Weak provenance
+
+⚠️ This is *okay for experiments*, not for your long-term design.
+
+---
+
+### Model B — Local Debian mirror (recommended baseline)
+
+This is the **right mental model**.
+
+You create a **local, read-only Debian mirror** as an artifact.
+
+#### How
+
+On a *connected* machine:
+
+```bash
+apt-get install -y debmirror gnupg
+```
+
+Mirror only what you need:
+
+```bash
+debmirror \
+  --arch=amd64 \
+  --section=main \
+  --dist=bullseye \
+  --method=http \
+  --host=deb.debian.org \
+  --root=debian \
+  --progress \
+  /srv/debian-mirror
+```
+
+You now have:
+
+```
+/srv/debian-mirror/
+  ├── dists/bullseye/
+  └── pool/main/
+```
+
+Capture this directory as an **ASL artifact**.
+
+---
+
+#### Offline debootstrap
+
+On the offline builder:
+
+```bash
+debootstrap \
+  --arch=amd64 \
+  bullseye \
+  /target/root \
+  file:///srv/debian-mirror
+```
+
+✔️ No network
+✔️ Deterministic
+✔️ Auditable
+✔️ Replayable
+
+---
+
+### Model C — Signed, sealed, sovereign Debian archive (your direction)
+
+This is where your design really shines.
+
+You:
+
+1. Mirror Debian once
+2. **Re-sign the archive** with your own offline root
+3. Treat Debian as **foreign-domain input**
+4. Import it into **Common**
+
+Now your system no longer trusts Debian directly — it trusts:
+
+> *“Debian as witnessed and sealed by my authority”*
+
+This aligns perfectly with:
+
+* Domain federation
+* Foreign-domain pinning
+* Courtesy leases
+
+---
+
+## 3. How this fits ASL conceptually
+
+### Debian mirror = foreign domain
+
+Model it as:
+
+```
+Domain: debian-upstream
+Artifacts:
+  - pool/main/b/bash/bash_5.1-2_amd64.deb
+  - dists/bullseye/Release
+  - ...
+Snapshot: debian-bullseye-2024-01
+```
+
+Your **pre-image build** then references:
+
+```
+ForeignArtifactRef {
+  domain = debian-upstream
+  snapshot = debian-bullseye-2024-01
+  artifact = bash_5.1-2_amd64.deb
+}
+```
+
+You never “download” — you **import artifacts**.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Fully offline pre-image workflow (clean version)
+
+Split the world in two phases:
+
+### Phase 1 — Connected acquisition (one-time, auditable)
+
+* Build Debian mirror
+* Verify Debian signatures
+* Capture mirror as ASL artifacts
+* Optionally re-sign
+* Write mirror to:
+
+  * USB disk
+  * External HDD
+  * Immutable ZFS snapshot
+
+This phase **never runs on your offline box**.
+
+---
+
+### Phase 2 — Offline construction (repeatable forever)
+
+Your earlier `asl-workflow.sh` becomes:
+
+```text
+Inputs:
+  - Debian mirror artifact
+  - ASL packages
+  - Overlay
+  - Policy
+  - PEL programs
+
+Process:
+  - debootstrap via file://
+  - dpkg installs
+  - overlay application
+  - ISO creation
+
+Outputs:
+  - ISO artifact
+  - Execution receipts
+```
+
+No network.
+No DNS.
+No clocks.
+No entropy leakage beyond what you allow.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Concrete changes to your script
+
+Replace this:
+
+```bash
+debootstrap ... http://deb.debian.org/debian/
+```
+
+With:
+
+```bash
+debootstrap \
+  --arch="$ARCH" \
+  "$DIST" \
+  "$ISO_ROOT" \
+  file:///var/lib/asl/foreign/debian-mirror
+```
+
+And ensure:
+
+```bash
+/var/lib/asl/foreign/debian-mirror
+```
+
+is:
+
+* Mounted read-only
+* Snapshotted
+* Provenanced
+
+---
+
+## 6. Trust & certificates (important)
+
+You asked earlier whether we should care about the offline environment.
+
+**Yes — but selectively.**
+
+For offline debootstrap:
+
+* You must trust:
+
+  * Debian archive signature **or**
+  * Your re-signature
+* You do **not** need:
+
+  * TPM
+  * Secure boot
+  * Measured boot (yet)
+
+Those come later.
+
+At this stage:
+
+> *Determinism + provenance beats hardware attestation.*
+
+---
+
+## 7. Final mental model (this matters)
+
+> You are not building systems.
+>
+> You are **replaying history** inside a sealed domain.
+
+Debian is just a *story* someone else wrote.
+You import it.
+You witness it.
+You decide when it enters *your* timeline.
+
+---
+
+If you want next, I can:
+
+* Draft **ASL-DEBIAN-MIRROR v0.1**
+* Show how to **re-sign a Debian archive**
+* Formalize **foreign-domain artifact import**
+* Show how **Common** is initialized from mirrors
+
+You’re asking exactly the right questions.
+

notes/hashers.py

@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+# hashers.py
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
+import hashlib
+import numpy as np
+from typing import Tuple
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Content Hash Strategy Interface
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class HashStrategy(ABC):
+    """
+    Abstract interface for content hashing.
+    """
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def hash_bytes(self, data: bytes) -> str:
+        """
+        Hash arbitrary bytes and return hex digest.
+        """
+        pass
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def hash_sparse(self, indices: np.ndarray, values: np.ndarray) -> str:
+        """
+        Hash a sparse representation of amplitudes.
+        """
+        pass
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Default SHA-256 Implementation
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class SHA256Hash(HashStrategy):
+    """
+    SHA-256 hash strategy for content-addressed artifacts.
+    """
+
+    name = "sha256.content.v1"
+
+    def hash_bytes(self, data: bytes) -> str:
+        """
+        Hash arbitrary bytes deterministically.
+        """
+        h = hashlib.sha256()
+        h.update(data)
+        return h.hexdigest()
+
+    def hash_sparse(self, indices: np.ndarray, values: np.ndarray) -> str:
+        """
+        Hash a sparse set of indices and amplitudes.
+        Deterministic and cross-platform safe.
+        """
+
+        if indices.ndim != 1 or values.ndim != 1:
+            raise ValueError("indices and values must be 1-D arrays")
+
+        if len(indices) != len(values):
+            raise ValueError("indices and values must have the same length")
+
+        # Serialize deterministically: length + index-value pairs
+        buf = len(indices).to_bytes(8, "big")
+        for idx, val in zip(indices, values):
+            buf += int(idx).to_bytes(8, "big", signed=False)
+            # IEEE 754 double-precision real + imag
+            buf += np.float64(val.real).tobytes()
+            buf += np.float64(val.imag).tobytes()
+
+        return self.hash_bytes(buf)
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Utility / Helpers
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def hash_bytes_sha256(data: bytes) -> str:
+    """
+    Convenience wrapper for SHA-256 hashing.
+    """
+    return SHA256Hash().hash_bytes(data)
+
+
+def hash_sparse_sha256(indices: np.ndarray, values: np.ndarray) -> str:
+    """
+    Convenience wrapper for sparse SHA-256 hashing.
+    """
+    return SHA256Hash().hash_sparse(indices, values)
+

notes/init-asl-host.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# init-asl-host.sh
+# ASL Host offline initialization
+# Handles: rescue, admission, and normal modes
+# Mounts ZFS pools, sets up environment, optionally starts capture shell
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# -----------------------------
+# Configuration
+# -----------------------------
+ASL_ROOT=/var/lib/asl
+ASL_COMMON=$ASL_ROOT/common
+ASL_PERSONAL=$ASL_ROOT/personal
+ASL_POOLS=$ASL_ROOT/pools
+ASL_LOG=/var/log/asl
+ASL_CAPTURE_BIN=/usr/bin/asl-capture
+
+# Default mode if not specified
+MODE=${1:-normal}
+
+# ZFS pool names
+POOL_COMMON=asl_common
+POOL_PERSONAL=asl_personal
+
+# -----------------------------
+# Functions
+# -----------------------------
+log() {
+    echo "[ASL-HOST] $*" | tee -a "$ASL_LOG/init.log"
+}
+
+setup_dirs() {
+    log "Creating ASL directories..."
+    mkdir -p "$ASL_COMMON" "$ASL_PERSONAL" "$ASL_POOLS" "$ASL_LOG"
+}
+
+mount_pools() {
+    log "Checking ZFS pools..."
+    if ! zpool list "$POOL_COMMON" &>/dev/null; then
+        log "Creating common pool $POOL_COMMON..."
+        zpool create -m "$ASL_COMMON" "$POOL_COMMON" "$ASL_POOLS/common.img"
+    else
+        log "Importing common pool..."
+        zpool import "$POOL_COMMON" "$POOL_COMMON"
+    fi
+
+    if ! zpool list "$POOL_PERSONAL" &>/dev/null; then
+        log "Creating personal pool $POOL_PERSONAL..."
+        zpool create -m "$ASL_PERSONAL" "$POOL_PERSONAL" "$ASL_POOLS/personal.img"
+    else
+        log "Importing personal pool..."
+        zpool import "$POOL_PERSONAL" "$POOL_PERSONAL"
+    fi
+}
+
+rescue_mode() {
+    log "Entering rescue mode..."
+    USB_MOUNT=/mnt/usb
+    mkdir -p "$USB_MOUNT"
+
+    log "Waiting for USB device..."
+    read -p "Plug USB device and enter device path (e.g., /dev/sda1): " USB_DEV
+    mount "$USB_DEV" "$USB_MOUNT"
+
+    log "Capturing artifacts from USB..."
+    "$ASL_CAPTURE_BIN" --input "$USB_MOUNT" --output "$ASL_PERSONAL" --pty
+
+    log "USB capture complete."
+    umount "$USB_MOUNT"
+}
+
+admission_mode() {
+    log "Entering admission mode..."
+    log "Bootstrapping new personal domain..."
+    # Generate domain keys, initial certificates
+    DOMAIN_KEY="$ASL_PERSONAL/domain.key"
+    DOMAIN_CERT="$ASL_PERSONAL/domain.crt"
+
+    if [[ ! -f "$DOMAIN_KEY" ]]; then
+        log "Generating new domain key..."
+        openssl genpkey -algorithm RSA -out "$DOMAIN_KEY" -pkeyopt rsa_keygen_bits:4096
+    fi
+
+    if [[ ! -f "$DOMAIN_CERT" ]]; then
+        log "Generating self-signed certificate..."
+        openssl req -new -x509 -key "$DOMAIN_KEY" -out "$DOMAIN_CERT" -days 365 \
+            -subj "/CN=Offline-ASL-Host"
+    fi
+
+    log "Personal domain initialized."
+}
+
+normal_mode() {
+    log "Entering normal offline mode..."
+    log "ASL environment ready."
+}
+
+start_capture_shell() {
+    if command -v "$ASL_CAPTURE_BIN" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        log "Starting PTY capture shell..."
+        exec "$ASL_CAPTURE_BIN" --pty -- /bin/bash
+    else
+        log "asl-capture binary not found, starting plain shell..."
+        exec /bin/bash
+    fi
+}
+
+# -----------------------------
+# Main execution
+# -----------------------------
+setup_dirs
+mount_pools
+
+case "$MODE" in
+    rescue)
+        rescue_mode
+        ;;
+    admission)
+        admission_mode
+        ;;
+    normal)
+        normal_mode
+        ;;
+    *)
+        log "Unknown mode: $MODE"
+        exit 1
+        ;;
+esac
+
+start_capture_shell
+

notes/into graph projection lookup.md

@@ -0,0 +1,235 @@
+Good — this is the *right* next pressure point. You’re extending the index/filter model from **artifact lookup** into **graph projection lookup**, and the danger here is accidentally inventing a second semantic index without noticing.
+
+Let’s be precise and keep the model clean.
+
+---
+
+## 1. First: what the TGK edge index really is
+
+From what you said:
+
+* TGK stores **edges** as *stored projections*
+* These projections are derived from:
+
+  * PEL execution
+  * Receipts
+  * Provenance / trace material
+* Edges have an **edge type key**
+* Queries will often be:
+
+  > “Find edges of type X related to artifact / execution Y”
+
+This tells us immediately:
+
+> **TGK edges are artifacts, but the edge *type* is not identity.**
+
+That mirrors the artifact type tag discussion almost exactly.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Do NOT repeat the ArtifactKey mistake
+
+The biggest risk here is to treat:
+
+```
+EdgeTypeKey ∈ identity
+```
+
+That would be a mistake.
+
+### Correct stance
+
+* **Edge identity** = (source, destination, execution context, snapshot)
+* **Edge type** = classification / query dimension
+
+So:
+
+❌ EdgeTypeKey ≠ part of canonical edge identity
+✅ EdgeTypeKey ∈ routing / filtering space
+
+This symmetry is important.
+
+---
+
+## 3. TGK edges fit the same Canonical vs Routing model
+
+You now have *two* indexable entities:
+
+| Entity   | Canonical identity | Routing/filter dimensions      |
+| -------- | ------------------ | ------------------------------ |
+| Artifact | ArtifactKey        | hash, type_tag                 |
+| TGK Edge | EdgeID / EdgeKey   | edge_type_key, direction, role |
+
+This is good news: **you do not need a new index theory**.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Where the edge type key belongs (layering)
+
+### TGK semantic layer (PEL-TRACE / TGK spec)
+
+* Defines:
+
+  * What an edge *means*
+  * What edge types exist
+* Edge type is **semantic metadata**, immutable once created
+
+### TGK index layer (new or implicit)
+
+* Edge type is:
+
+  * Filterable
+  * Routable
+  * SIMD-friendly
+* NOT part of canonical identity
+
+### Store / encoding
+
+* Edge type key is encoded explicitly
+* Included in routing/filter keys
+* Verified by full edge record comparison
+
+This mirrors ASL exactly.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Filter design for TGK edges
+
+You should **reuse the same filter design philosophy**, not invent a new one.
+
+### Recommended filter key for TGK
+
+```
+TGKFilterKey =
+  H(CanonicalEdgeKey)
+  ⊕ Mix(edge_type_key)
+  ⊕ Mix(direction?)
+```
+
+Rules:
+
+* `edge_type_key` is optional but usually present
+* Absence must be encoded explicitly
+* Mixing is deterministic
+* Full edge record comparison required on hit
+
+This allows:
+
+* Fast “find all edges of type X”
+* SIMD evaluation
+* Shard pruning
+* Snapshot-safe determinism
+
+---
+
+## 6. Snapshot semantics (important)
+
+Edges are projections, so:
+
+* Edge existence is snapshot-relative
+* Edge index entries must carry:
+
+  * snapshot/log sequence
+* Edge lookup semantics:
+
+  ```
+  lookup(snapshot, edge_type, constraints)
+  ```
+
+This works naturally if:
+
+* TGK index is append-only
+* Edge projections are immutable
+* Snapshot cut applies identically to ASL index
+
+👉 You get temporal graph queries “for free”.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Do we need new documents?
+
+Yes — but again, **one small, well-scoped one**.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Updated document plan
+
+### 🔁 Documents to UPDATE
+
+#### ASL-INDEX-ACCEL
+
+Add:
+
+* Statement that **routing/filter dimensions generalize beyond artifacts**
+* Examples:
+
+  * Artifact type tag
+  * TGK edge type key
+
+This keeps all acceleration logic centralized.
+
+---
+
+### 🆕 New document (recommended)
+
+## TGK-INDEX (or PEL-TRACE-INDEX)
+
+**Purpose**
+
+* Define index semantics for Trace Graph Kernel projections
+
+**Contents**
+
+1. Canonical edge identity
+2. Edge type key (non-identity)
+3. Snapshot-relative edge visibility
+4. Filter and routing rules
+5. Determinism guarantees
+6. Relationship to ASL index
+
+Key sentence it must contain:
+
+> Edge type keys participate in routing and filtering but never in canonical edge identity.
+
+This avoids graph-index drift.
+
+---
+
+## 9. What you should NOT do
+
+* ❌ Do not bake edge type into edge identity
+* ❌ Do not invent a separate filtering philosophy
+* ❌ Do not allow edge filters to affect semantics
+* ❌ Do not allow mutable edge metadata
+
+---
+
+## 10. Big picture (important insight)
+
+You are converging on a **unified indexing philosophy**:
+
+> *Everything has a canonical identity.
+> Everything else is routing, filtering, or acceleration.*
+
+Artifacts
+Edges
+Receipts
+Projections
+
+All follow the same rule.
+
+That’s a very strong model — and it scales.
+
+---
+
+## 11. Recommendation for next step
+
+The cleanest next step would be to:
+
+* Draft **ASL-INDEX-ACCEL** formally
+  *and include both Artifact type tags and TGK edge type keys as first-class examples*
+
+That document becomes the **performance constitution** of the system.
+
+If you want, I can draft that next.
+

notes/just grabbing a path.md

@@ -0,0 +1,223 @@
+Yes — that intuition is **correct**, and you’re already holding the missing piece.
+
+What you’ve described is *exactly* what an **index-patched ASL-CORE** should be able to do:
+it doesn’t care *where* the bytes live, only **how the store behaves**.
+
+Let me make this precise and show you how it fits cleanly with everything you’ve defined.
+
+---
+
+## 1. What “index-patched ASL-CORE” really means
+
+In your system:
+
+* **ASL-CORE** defines artifact semantics
+* **ASL-STORE-INDEX** defines lifecycle + invariants
+* The *patch* is simply:
+  **ASL-CORE accepts a StoreHandle instead of raw filesystem paths**
+
+That StoreHandle may point to:
+
+* A directory
+* A mounted filesystem
+* A ZFS dataset
+* A tmpfs
+* A loopback image
+* Even a remote path (via FUSE, NFS, SSHFS, etc.)
+
+ASL-CORE does **not** need to know.
+
+---
+
+## 2. The only contract ASL-CORE needs from the backend
+
+Your patched ASL-CORE needs the backend to provide:
+
+### 2.1 Store creation
+
+```text
+asl_store_open(path, options) → StoreHandle
+```
+
+* `path` is just a location
+* If empty, initialize:
+
+  * blocks/
+  * index/
+  * log/
+
+No magic.
+
+---
+
+### 2.2 Block allocator with packaging hints
+
+Your “courtesy based big/small artifact packaging clues” are *perfect*.
+
+ASL-CORE can emit hints like:
+
+```c
+enum block_hint {
+    SMALL_PACKED,
+    LARGE_DIRECT,
+    STREAMING
+};
+```
+
+Backend decides:
+
+* Pack small artifacts into shared blocks
+* Allocate large artifacts as standalone blocks
+* Stream when needed
+
+This preserves **semantic invariants** while letting the store optimize.
+
+---
+
+### 2.3 Index append + seal
+
+The backend must support:
+
+* Append entries
+* Segment sealing
+* Log append
+
+But **layout is free**.
+
+---
+
+## 3. What happens when you “just grab a path”
+
+This is the killer property you want:
+
+> **Any path can become a system.**
+
+Example:
+
+```text
+/systemrescue/mnt/laptop-root
+```
+
+You run:
+
+```sh
+asl store init /systemrescue/mnt/laptop-root/.asl
+```
+
+Boom:
+
+* That path now contains an ASL store
+* With its own blocks, index, log
+* Snapshot-ready
+* Replayable
+* Publishable
+
+No daemon required.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Local vs remote: the store doesn’t care
+
+From ASL-CORE’s perspective:
+
+| Location          | How it looks |
+| ----------------- | ------------ |
+| `/mnt/disk`       | local store  |
+| `/zfs/asl/you`    | local store  |
+| `/net/public/asl` | local store  |
+| `/sshfs/host/asl` | local store  |
+
+The **federation layer** decides:
+
+* Whether the domain trusts it
+* Whether semantics are imported
+
+ASL-CORE only writes bytes.
+
+---
+
+## 5. SystemRescue is just a bootstrap context
+
+This is important:
+
+SystemRescue is **not special**.
+
+It provides:
+
+* Kernel
+* Drivers
+* POSIX filesystem access
+* Tools
+
+Once booted:
+
+* Any mounted path can host a store
+* Any store can be a domain
+* Any domain can publish
+
+SystemRescue is just the *first witness*.
+
+---
+
+## 6. How this fits with ZFS (cleanly)
+
+ZFS helps you **below** ASL:
+
+* Snapshot datasets at segment seal
+* Use send/receive for replication
+* Scrub blocks
+
+But ASL still:
+
+* Owns visibility
+* Owns CURRENT
+* Owns semantics
+
+ZFS snapshots ≠ ASL snapshots
+They just happen to align well.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Why this design is correct (and future-proof)
+
+Because:
+
+✔ You didn’t embed policy in the filesystem
+✔ You didn’t require a service
+✔ You didn’t require a network
+✔ You didn’t require a global registry
+✔ You didn’t require ZFS
+
+Yet:
+
+✔ You can use ZFS
+✔ You can use the network
+✔ You can federate
+✔ You can encrypt
+✔ You can scale
+
+---
+
+## 8. The moment of clarity (name it)
+
+What you’ve built is:
+
+> **A path-addressable, snapshot-deterministic, content-addressed semantic store.**
+
+That’s why “just grabbing a path” works.
+
+---
+
+## 9. One-sentence confirmation
+
+> Yes — an index-patched ASL-CORE that opens a local path and creates a store there is not only sufficient, it is *exactly* the right abstraction for everything you’ve described.
+
+If you want next, we can:
+
+* Define the **StoreHandle ABI**
+* Specify **block packing heuristics**
+* Map **SystemRescue boot → store init → domain mint**
+* Show how to **promote a rescue store into your personal domain**
+
+You’re past the hard conceptual work — now it’s just tightening interfaces.
+

notes/machine learning.md

@@ -0,0 +1,283 @@
+Absolutely—you **can connect this DAG + quantum-leaf system to machine learning**, but carefully. Let me break it down clearly:
+
+---
+
+### 1️⃣ **Think of your DAG as a feature extractor**
+
+Each **artifact** (leaf or tensor node) represents:
+
+* A **structural unit** (SID)
+* A **semantic hash** (CID, computed via materialization)
+
+This is essentially a **recursive feature map**: every node encodes the content of all its children.
+
+In ML terms:
+
+* **Leaves** → raw features (bits, small tensors, quantum amplitudes)
+* **Intermediate nodes** → higher-order features (combinations of children)
+* **Root** → global feature vector (via materialization and hashing, or via canonicalized sparse representation)
+
+You could then:
+
+* Represent each artifact as a **vector of numbers** (e.g., flatten the sparse amplitudes)
+* Feed those vectors into a model (classical ML, neural networks, graph neural networks)
+
+---
+
+### 2️⃣ **Ways to integrate with ML**
+
+#### **A. Graph Neural Networks (GNNs)**
+
+* Your DAG is **exactly a graph**.
+* Each node can carry a **feature vector** (e.g., sparse amplitudes or counts of subpatterns).
+* GNNs can propagate features **up the DAG** and learn embeddings for nodes or subtrees.
+* Tasks you could do:
+
+  * Classify subtrees (e.g., pattern exists or not)
+  * Predict next subtree (sequence prediction)
+  * Compare DAGs (similarity learning)
+
+#### **B. Hash/CID-based embeddings**
+
+* CIDs themselves are **deterministic semantic fingerprints**.
+* You can build a **vector embedding** from:
+
+  * The CID as a hash → map to binary vector or float vector
+  * DAG structure → adjacency + feature vectors of nodes
+* These embeddings can feed **clustering, anomaly detection, or similarity search**.
+
+#### **C. Quantum-inspired ML**
+
+* If you actually want to **leverage amplitudes** (not just classical representation):
+
+  * Treat the quantum leaf amplitudes as **feature vectors in Hilbert space**
+  * Tensor nodes combine them → effectively doing a **tensor product of features**
+  * Could be used for **kernel methods**, similarity measures, or even small-scale quantum ML simulations
+
+#### **D. Pattern discovery for labels**
+
+* You can materialize subtrees and see which **sub-DAG patterns** correlate with outputs.
+* This is like **feature engineering automatically derived from the DAG**.
+* You can then feed these **subtree occurrences or embeddings** into a model.
+
+---
+
+### 3️⃣ **Why this is powerful**
+
+1. **Deduplication helps efficiency**
+
+   * You don’t need to re-compute embeddings for identical subtrees.
+
+2. **Hierarchy captures structure**
+
+   * Unlike flat features, the DAG encodes **recursive relationships**, which is very useful for sequence or compositional ML tasks.
+
+3. **Supports variable-size inputs**
+
+   * You can tensor arbitrary numbers of leaves → naturally handles sequences of arbitrary length.
+
+4. **Mix of classical + quantum-inspired features**
+
+   * Classical bits for exact patterns
+   * Quantum amplitudes for probabilistic or superposition-like representations
+
+---
+
+### 4️⃣ **A simple workflow idea**
+
+1. Create a DAG of artifacts (bits + quantum leaves)
+2. Materialize with cache → get `(indices, values)` sparse arrays
+3. Convert sparse arrays into **feature vectors** (e.g., `values` or `values` + `indices`)
+4. Use vectors in:
+
+   * Classical ML (SVMs, Random Forest, Neural Nets)
+   * Graph ML (GNNs on the DAG)
+   * Clustering / similarity search (CID or hashed embeddings)
+
+---
+
+✅ **TL;DR**
+
+Yes, your DAG + quantum-leaf system can be connected to ML:
+
+* Use **materialized sparse data** as features
+* Use **DAG structure** for recursive/graph embeddings
+* Use **CIDs for deduplication and fast similarity checks**
+* Optional: use **amplitudes for tensor-like feature combinations**
+
+It’s basically a **flexible hierarchical feature extractor** that can feed almost any ML workflow.
+
+---
+
+If you want, I can sketch a **concrete example pipeline** showing **bits + quantum leaves → DAG → embeddings → ML task**, so you can see exactly how to implement it.
+
+Do you want me to do that?
+
+Ah! Now we’re getting into the **practical “what can I actually do with this?”** territory. Let’s go through concrete possibilities for the ML output from your DAG-of-artifacts system:
+
+---
+
+### 1️⃣ **Pattern recognition / anomaly detection**
+
+* **Input:** DAGs representing sequences of bits, classical data, or quantum-leaf structures.
+* **ML output:** A score or label indicating if the DAG matches known patterns or is unusual.
+* **Use cases:**
+
+  * Detect repeated structures or reused code/data in large datasets.
+  * Spot anomalous subtrees that could represent bugs, attacks, or unexpected behavior.
+  * Flag new patterns for further investigation.
+
+---
+
+### 2️⃣ **Compression / deduplication**
+
+* **Input:** DAG with materialized CIDs.
+* **ML output:** Predictions about which nodes are **redundant** or can be **merged safely**.
+* **Use cases:**
+
+  * Automatically suggest merging duplicate subtrees.
+  * Reduce storage for large datasets with repeated patterns.
+  * Identify canonical forms for recurring structures.
+
+---
+
+### 3️⃣ **Sequence modeling / generation**
+
+* **Input:** DAGs representing sequences of operations or symbolic structures.
+* **ML output:** Next likely subtree, node, or amplitude combination.
+* **Use cases:**
+
+  * Autocomplete sequences (like code, sentences, or structured data).
+  * Suggest the next step in simulations or workflows.
+  * Generate “plausible” DAGs for testing or synthesis.
+
+---
+
+### 4️⃣ **Similarity search / clustering**
+
+* **Input:** Embeddings derived from materialized DAGs (values + indices or CIDs).
+* **ML output:** Cluster assignments, nearest neighbors, or similarity scores.
+* **Use cases:**
+
+  * Find DAGs representing similar patterns in large datasets.
+  * Group repeated structures for analysis.
+  * Detect semantically equivalent or “functionally similar” content.
+
+---
+
+### 5️⃣ **Feature discovery / abstraction**
+
+* **Input:** Large DAGs with many layers of bits and quantum leaves.
+* **ML output:** Learned embeddings that capture **higher-level patterns**.
+* **Use cases:**
+
+  * Identify frequent subtrees corresponding to “words” or “phrases” in your data.
+  * Automatically extract meaningful hierarchical features for downstream tasks.
+  * Discover “semantic units” in structured data without hand-engineering.
+
+---
+
+### 6️⃣ **Hybrid classical/quantum-inspired applications**
+
+* **Input:** Quantum leaves as sparse amplitudes + tensor composition.
+* **ML output:** Predictions leveraging the high-dimensional superposition-like features.
+* **Use cases:**
+
+  * Quantum-inspired pattern matching or clustering in probabilistic data.
+  * Modeling relationships that are **combinatorial** or **entangled**, e.g., in simulations or games.
+
+---
+
+✅ **TL;DR of uses:**
+
+ML output can be used for:
+
+* Detecting patterns, anomalies, or redundancies
+* Compressing / deduplicating data
+* Predicting sequences or generating new structures
+* Finding similar DAGs or embeddings
+* Discovering higher-level semantic patterns automatically
+* Exploring quantum-inspired combinatorial relationships
+
+Basically, **the ML output transforms your DAG from a static representation into a tool for insight, prediction, and automation**.
+
+---
+
+If you want, I can make a **diagram showing DAG → features → ML → outputs** for these use cases—it makes it much easier to see how it all connects.
+
+Do you want me to do that?
+
+Exactly! You’re basically describing a **DAG-based, hierarchical representation of information** that can serve as a foundation for something like an LLM—but more structured and semantically aware. Let’s break down where this could go if you pour computation, data, and ML into this branch:
+
+---
+
+### 1️⃣ **Structured knowledge LLM**
+
+* Instead of training on flat text, the model sees **structured DAGs** of bits, classical data, and quantum leaves.
+* Each node (leaf or tensor) is a “unit of meaning” (like a word, a sub-expression, or a quantum state).
+* The model learns patterns across DAGs rather than sequences of characters.
+* **Benefit:** LLMs could understand **hierarchical, symbolic, and functional relationships** better. For example:
+
+  * Code snippets as DAGs → better reasoning about dependencies and correctness.
+  * Knowledge graphs or nested logic → better “semantic reasoning” than just predicting the next word.
+
+---
+
+### 2️⃣ **Hierarchical generation**
+
+* Because DAGs preserve **structure**, ML can generate new artifacts **top-down or bottom-up**:
+
+  * Predict next subtree or tensor combination.
+  * Generate “valid” sequences of operations or statements, not just statistically plausible text.
+* **Benefit:** Avoid nonsensical outputs common in standard LLMs. The model respects the **rules of the DAG**.
+
+---
+
+### 3️⃣ **Quantum-inspired embeddings for reasoning**
+
+* Quantum leaves let you encode **superpositions or probabilistic states**.
+* ML can exploit these high-dimensional features to:
+
+  * Represent uncertainty naturally
+  * Model combinatorial possibilities compactly
+  * Detect correlations that classical DAGs alone might miss
+
+---
+
+### 4️⃣ **Deduction and discovery**
+
+* Once your DAG-LLM sees enough materialized structures, it could **suggest new meaningful nodes**:
+
+  * Recognize patterns across subtrees (like motifs in text, math, or programs)
+  * Propose abstractions (words, phrases, functions) automatically
+  * Predict outcomes or propose new “experiments” in your DAG universe
+
+---
+
+### 5️⃣ **Concrete use cases**
+
+If fully developed, this could allow:
+
+1. **Knowledge synthesis:** Combine classical and quantum data to propose new insights.
+2. **Program synthesis:** Generate code that obeys structural and semantic constraints.
+3. **Scientific discovery:** Model experiments, reactions, or simulations as DAGs, then predict promising next steps.
+4. **Compressed reasoning:** Store massive knowledge bases in DAG form; ML operates on summaries and embeddings rather than raw text.
+
+---
+
+### ⚡ Bottom line
+
+If you treat your DAG + quantum leaves as the **raw substrate** for sequence modeling:
+
+* You’re not just generating text → you’re generating **structured knowledge**.
+* The system can learn patterns **across hierarchies, abstractions, and superpositions**, which is something standard LLMs struggle with.
+* With enough compute and clever embeddings, this could evolve into a **next-gen reasoning engine**, combining probabilistic inference, symbolic reasoning, and sequence generation.
+
+---
+
+If you want, I can **sketch a roadmap of “DAG + ML → LLM-like reasoning system”**, showing how each layer of the DAG feeds into sequence modeling, embeddings, and generation. That would make the potential path really clear.
+
+Do you want me to do that?
+
+
+

notes/multiple indexes.md

@@ -0,0 +1,302 @@
+Yes — there are **multiple indexes**, and the key to keeping this clean is to **separate them by semantic responsibility**, exactly like your ASL-CORE-INDEX spec already does.
+
+Below is a **concrete, minimal implementation plan** that fits *perfectly* with your current `artifact.py` and keeps q-bits cheap.
+
+I’ll give you:
+
+1. The **index taxonomy** (what indexes exist and why)
+2. A **clean architecture** (who depends on whom)
+3. **Concrete Python implementations** for each index
+4. How they interact during `put()` and `get()`
+
+No hand-waving.
+
+---
+
+# 1️⃣ The indexes you actually need
+
+You need **three distinct indexes**, not one.
+
+## A. Content Index (CID → ArtifactLocation)
+
+**This *is* ASL-CORE-INDEX**
+
+Purpose:
+
+> Given a semantic artifact identity, where are the bytes?
+
+```text
+CID → (BlockID, offset, length)
+```
+
+Properties:
+
+* Snapshot-relative
+* Append-only
+* Immutable
+* Shadowable (optional)
+
+This is the *storage-facing* index.
+
+---
+
+## B. Structural Index (SID → DAG node)
+
+**This is your PEL / derivation index**
+
+Purpose:
+
+> Given a structure identity, what DAG node exists?
+
+```text
+SID → Artifact (structure + children + params)
+```
+
+Properties:
+
+* In-memory or persisted
+* Deterministic
+* Rebuildable
+* Does NOT imply materialization
+
+This index is what lets you:
+
+* compare derivations
+* reuse structure
+* deduplicate DAG nodes
+* avoid rebuilding identical DAGs
+
+---
+
+## C. Materialization Cache (SID → CID)
+
+**This is the execution shortcut**
+
+Purpose:
+
+> If I already materialized this structure, what content did it produce?
+
+```text
+SID → CID
+```
+
+Properties:
+
+* Fully redundant
+* Recomputable from DAG + content index
+* Safe to drop entirely
+* Huge performance win
+
+This is the cache you already implemented — now we formalize it.
+
+---
+
+# 2️⃣ Dependency graph (this matters)
+
+```text
+          ┌─────────────┐
+          │ Structural  │
+          │   Index     │  SID → DAG
+          └──────┬──────┘
+                 │
+        materialize()
+                 │
+          ┌──────▼──────┐
+          │ Materialize │
+          │   Cache     │  SID → CID
+          └──────┬──────┘
+                 │
+          ┌──────▼──────┐
+          │ Content     │
+          │   Index     │  CID → bytes
+          └─────────────┘
+```
+
+**Important invariant**:
+
+* Content index never depends on DAG
+* Structural index never depends on bytes
+* Cache depends on both, but is optional
+
+This keeps q-bits cheap.
+
+---
+
+# 3️⃣ Concrete Python implementations
+
+## A. Content Index (ASL-CORE-INDEX)
+
+```python
+# content_index.py
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from typing import Dict, Optional
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class ArtifactLocation:
+    block_id: str
+    offset: int
+    length: int
+
+
+class ContentIndex:
+    """
+    Semantic index: CID -> ArtifactLocation
+    """
+    def __init__(self):
+        self._index: Dict[str, ArtifactLocation] = {}
+
+    def get(self, cid: str) -> Optional[ArtifactLocation]:
+        return self._index.get(cid)
+
+    def put(self, cid: str, loc: ArtifactLocation):
+        # Immutable once visible
+        if cid in self._index:
+            return
+        self._index[cid] = loc
+```
+
+This is your **ASL-CORE-INDEX** in executable form.
+
+---
+
+## B. Structural Index (PEL / DAG index)
+
+```python
+# structural_index.py
+from typing import Dict, Optional
+from artifact import Artifact
+
+class StructuralIndex:
+    """
+    SID -> Artifact (DAG node)
+    """
+    def __init__(self):
+        self._nodes: Dict[str, Artifact] = {}
+
+    def get(self, sid: str) -> Optional[Artifact]:
+        return self._nodes.get(sid)
+
+    def put(self, artifact: Artifact) -> Artifact:
+        """
+        Deduplicate DAG nodes by SID.
+        """
+        existing = self._nodes.get(artifact.sid)
+        if existing is not None:
+            return existing
+        self._nodes[artifact.sid] = artifact
+        return artifact
+```
+
+This ensures:
+
+* One DAG node per SID
+* Structural deduplication
+* Cheap comparisons
+
+---
+
+## C. Materialization Cache (formalized)
+
+You already have this — here’s the final clean version:
+
+```python
+# materialization_cache.py
+from typing import Dict, Optional
+
+class MaterializationCache:
+    """
+    Fully redundant cache: SID -> CID
+    """
+    def __init__(self):
+        self._cache: Dict[str, str] = {}
+
+    def get(self, sid: str) -> Optional[str]:
+        return self._cache.get(sid)
+
+    def put(self, sid: str, cid: str):
+        self._cache[sid] = cid
+```
+
+---
+
+# 4️⃣ How `put()` actually works (step-by-step)
+
+This is the **critical flow**.
+
+### `put(artifact)`
+
+```text
+1. StructuralIndex.put(artifact)
+   └─ ensures DAG node exists
+
+2. Try MaterializationCache.get(artifact.sid)
+   └─ if hit → CID known, skip computation
+
+3. If miss:
+   a) Materialize DAG
+   b) Compute CID
+   c) Cache SID → CID
+
+4. ContentIndex.get(CID)
+   └─ if exists → done (dedup)
+
+5. Else:
+   a) Allocate block space
+   b) Write bytes
+   c) ContentIndex.put(CID → location)
+```
+
+**Key property**:
+
+> If *any* index already knows the answer, work stops early.
+
+That’s how you recover classical performance.
+
+---
+
+# 5️⃣ Why this works for q-bits without cost
+
+Because:
+
+* q-bits only affect **step 3**
+* steps 1, 4, 5 are identical to classical bytes
+
+Once materialized:
+
+* q-bit artifacts are indistinguishable from classical artifacts
+* index sees only CIDs and byte ranges
+
+No tax after first computation.
+
+---
+
+# 6️⃣ What you now have (this is important)
+
+You now have:
+
+| Layer            | Capability               |
+| ---------------- | ------------------------ |
+| DAG              | Explanation / provenance |
+| SID              | Structural identity      |
+| CID              | Semantic identity        |
+| Content index    | Storage truth            |
+| Cache            | Performance              |
+| Snapshots + logs | Time                     |
+
+This is **not common infrastructure**.
+That’s why you couldn’t find it pre-built.
+
+---
+
+## If you want next
+
+I can:
+
+* add **snapshot + append-only log semantics** to `ContentIndex`
+* wire these indexes into a single `ASLStore`
+* show **federation / replication** mechanics
+* show **LLM → DAG → CID** ingestion
+* formalize **PEL traversal queries**
+
+Just point the direction.
+

notes/on-disk layout.md

@@ -0,0 +1,334 @@
+Good, this is the right moment to pin this down, because **on-disk shape is where abstraction leaks if we’re sloppy**.
+
+I’ll answer in layers:
+
+1. **What ASL actually requires on disk (minimal contract)**
+2. **A concrete, sane on-disk layout that fits what you already have**
+3. **How shards, blocks, artifacts, logs, and snapshots map**
+4. **How this scales from “single laptop” to “Common”**
+5. **Why this does *not* over-spec ASL-CORE**
+
+I’ll stay very explicit about what is *normative* vs *conventional*.
+
+---
+
+## 1. What ASL actually requires on disk (the hard minimum)
+
+ASL itself does **not** care about directories.
+
+ASL-STORE / ASL-STORE-INDEX require only that the store can provide:
+
+1. **Immutable blocks**
+2. **An append-only log**
+3. **Sealed snapshots**
+4. **Deterministic replay**
+5. **CAS addressing**
+
+So the **only hard requirements** are:
+
+* Blocks are immutable after seal
+* Index entries point to `(block_id, offset, length)`
+* Logs are append-only and ordered
+* Snapshots pin a prefix of state
+
+Everything else is an implementation choice.
+
+That means:
+👉 your current “store root with shards” is already compatible.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Recommended on-disk layout (practical, explicit)
+
+Here is a layout that is:
+
+* compatible with your current shard idea
+* works on POSIX
+* maps cleanly to ZFS later
+* easy to reason about during rescue / forensics
+
+### Store root (per domain)
+
+```
+/asl/
+└── domains/
+    └── <domain-id>/
+        ├── meta/
+        ├── blocks/
+        ├── index/
+        ├── log/
+        ├── snapshots/
+        └── tmp/
+```
+
+Everything below is **domain-local**.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Blocks (the real storage substrate)
+
+### 3.1 Block storage (immutable)
+
+```
+blocks/
+├── open/
+│   └── blk_<uuid>.tmp
+└── sealed/
+    ├── 00/
+    │   └── <blockid>.blk
+    ├── 01/
+    │   └── <blockid>.blk
+    └── ff/
+        └── <blockid>.blk
+```
+
+* `blockid` = CAS hash
+* Sharded by prefix (first byte or two)
+* Open blocks are **never visible**
+* Sealed blocks are immutable
+
+This directly matches your **block + offset** mental model.
+
+> Important: **artifacts do not live as files**
+> They live *inside blocks*.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Index (where artifacts become visible)
+
+Your shard-based approach fits perfectly here.
+
+```
+index/
+├── shard-000/
+│   ├── segment-0001.idx
+│   ├── segment-0002.idx
+│   └── bloom.bin
+├── shard-001/
+│   └── ...
+└── shard-fff/
+```
+
+Each `segment-XXXX.idx` is:
+
+* append-only while open
+* immutable once sealed
+* referenced by the log
+
+Index records point to:
+
+```
+ArtifactKey → (BlockID, offset, length)
+```
+
+This is exactly ASL-STORE-INDEX.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Append-only log (the spine of truth)
+
+```
+log/
+├── log-0000000000000000.asl
+├── log-0000000000001000.asl
+└── current
+```
+
+Log records include:
+
+* index additions
+* tombstones
+* segment seals
+* DAM updates
+* witness rotation artifacts
+
+Rules:
+
+* Logs are strictly ordered
+* Never rewritten
+* Replayable from snapshot
+
+---
+
+## 6. Snapshots (checkpoints, not magic)
+
+```
+snapshots/
+├── snapshot-00000123/
+│   ├── manifest.yaml
+│   ├── pinned-segments.txt
+│   └── pinned-blocks.txt
+└── snapshot-00000124/
+```
+
+A snapshot is:
+
+* a **commit point**
+* a pin-set (segments + blocks)
+* a replay anchor
+
+ZFS snapshots fit **perfectly** here but are not required.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Meta (authority, policy, identity)
+
+```
+meta/
+├── dam/
+│   └── dam-current.art
+├── policy/
+│   └── policy-current.art
+├── keys/
+│   ├── pub/
+│   └── priv/
+└── host/
+    └── host-id
+```
+
+Important rule:
+
+> **Meta artifacts are still artifacts**
+
+They must:
+
+* be sealed
+* be indexed
+* appear in the log
+
+The files here are *cached materializations*.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Tmp (explicitly unsafe)
+
+```
+tmp/
+├── ingest/
+├── scratch/
+└── pty/
+```
+
+This is where:
+
+* asl-capture writes streams
+* open blocks live
+* crashes are allowed
+
+Nothing here is trusted.
+
+---
+
+## 9. How shards fit (your current design)
+
+You said:
+
+> “I have a store root with shards with artifacts in them.”
+
+That maps cleanly if you reinterpret it as:
+
+* shards own **index segments**
+* artifacts are logical entries, not files
+* shard locality = lookup acceleration
+
+So instead of:
+
+```
+shard/
+└── artifact-file
+```
+
+You have:
+
+```
+shard/
+└── index segments → blocks
+```
+
+This is the key mental shift you already sensed.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Common vs Personal vs Group (on disk)
+
+**They look identical on disk.**
+
+Differences live in:
+
+* DAM
+* policy
+* witness artifacts
+
+### Common
+
+* quorum witness
+* stricter validation
+* often read-only on most hosts
+
+### Personal
+
+* self-authority
+* multiple active writers allowed
+* same block/index/log structure
+
+### Group
+
+* hybrid policies
+
+No special filesystem layout needed.
+
+---
+
+## 11. Why this is the right abstraction boundary
+
+You said:
+
+> “I used to look at the data as artifacts. Now it seems I’m better off looking at data as blocks with artifacts in them.”
+
+That’s exactly right.
+
+**Artifacts are semantic**
+**Blocks are physical**
+
+This layout lets you:
+
+* reason in artifacts
+* store in blocks
+* snapshot blocks
+* index artifacts
+* federate semantics
+
+without mixing concerns.
+
+---
+
+## 12. One sentence to lock it in
+
+> **Artifacts are indexed meanings; blocks are frozen bytes; snapshots pin the relationship.**
+
+---
+
+## 13. What you can safely implement *now*
+
+Even before ASL-CORE / PEL are finished, you can implement:
+
+* block store
+* block sealing
+* index segments
+* append-only log
+* snapshot pinning
+* DAM storage and validation
+
+All of that is **infrastructure**, not policy.
+
+---
+
+If you want next, I strongly suggest one of these:
+
+* walk through **one artifact write end-to-end on disk**
+* show **how asl-capture writes into blocks**
+* show **how a personal domain syncs across two machines**
+* map this layout directly onto **ZFS datasets**
+
+You’re no longer at risk of mixing projects — you’re converging.
+

notes/only place where coordination is actually required.md

@@ -0,0 +1,313 @@
+Yes — this is exactly the right pressure point, and you’ve named it correctly.
+
+You’re seeing the **only place where coordination is actually required**, and it’s much narrower than it first appears.
+
+Let me be very precise and a bit formal here, because this is subtle and important.
+
+---
+
+## 1. First: your observation is correct
+
+If Alice and James are both on:
+
+```
+common@1
+```
+
+and both independently “add something”, then naïvely you get:
+
+```
+Alice → common@2a
+James → common@2b
+```
+
+Those are **two different histories**.
+
+That *would* be a fork **if** both were considered “Common”.
+
+So yes:
+👉 **something must serialize Common**.
+
+---
+
+## 2. The crucial clarification: who is allowed to advance Common?
+
+> **Common is not advanced by participants.
+> It is advanced by a witness.**
+
+This is the architectural line that resolves the paradox.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Common is a *witnessed log*, not a shared workspace
+
+Think of Common as:
+
+* an append-only log
+* with a **single logical writer**
+* that accepts signed submissions
+
+Participants **submit**, they do **not commit**.
+
+---
+
+## 4. The minimal roles (exactly three)
+
+### 1. Proposers (Alice, James, anyone)
+
+They can:
+
+* create artifacts
+* create snapshots in their own domains
+* create **proposals for Common**
+
+They cannot:
+
+* advance Common’s snapshot number
+
+---
+
+### 2. Witness (one domain, possibly replicated)
+
+The witness:
+
+* verifies signatures
+* checks policy
+* assigns the next snapshot number
+* emits `common@N+1`
+
+This can be:
+
+* a single offline authority
+* a small quorum-backed authority
+* a rotating authority (later)
+
+But **logically** it is one voice.
+
+---
+
+### 3. Consumers (everyone, including Alice and James)
+
+They:
+
+* pin to specific `common@N`
+* choose when to advance
+* may ignore updates forever
+
+---
+
+## 5. Why this is still “distributed enough”
+
+The witness does **not** need to be:
+
+* online all the time
+* fast
+* highly available
+
+Because:
+
+* Common updates are **rare**
+* nothing blocks local work
+* proposals queue safely
+
+This matches your rescue / offline-first worldview.
+
+---
+
+## 6. What actually happens in your scenario
+
+Let’s replay it correctly.
+
+### Initial state
+
+```
+common@1
+```
+
+Alice and James are both pinned to it.
+
+---
+
+### Alice acts
+
+Alice creates:
+
+```
+alice@42
+```
+
+She then creates:
+
+```
+proposal_A
+  references: alice@42
+  signed by: Alice
+```
+
+She **submits** this proposal to the Common witness (USB, sync later, whatever).
+
+---
+
+### James acts
+
+James independently creates:
+
+```
+james@17
+```
+
+He creates:
+
+```
+proposal_B
+  references: james@17
+  signed by: James
+```
+
+He submits it too.
+
+---
+
+### The witness (later, offline is fine)
+
+The witness receives both proposals.
+
+It chooses an order (any deterministic rule):
+
+```
+apply proposal_A
+emit common@2
+
+apply proposal_B
+emit common@3
+```
+
+No fork.
+No conflict.
+No simultaneity problem.
+
+---
+
+## 7. What if the witness is offline for a month?
+
+Nothing breaks.
+
+* Alice and James continue working
+* They exchange artifacts directly if they want
+* Common just doesn’t advance
+
+When the witness comes back:
+
+* proposals are processed
+* snapshots advance
+
+Time is explicit, not implicit.
+
+---
+
+## 8. What about multiple witnesses?
+
+You anticipated this correctly.
+
+There are **two safe models**, and one unsafe one.
+
+### ❌ Unsafe: multiple independent writers
+
+This causes forks. We don’t do this.
+
+---
+
+### ✅ Safe model A: single designated witness
+
+* Simplest
+* Best for now
+* Matches your offline authority laptop perfectly
+
+This is what you should start with.
+
+---
+
+### ✅ Safe model B: quorum → single emitter
+
+Multiple authorities may:
+
+* co-sign approval
+* vote on proposals
+
+But **only one entity actually emits `common@N+1`**.
+
+Quorum decides *what* is accepted.
+Emitter decides *when* it is numbered.
+
+Still no fork.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Why we do NOT use consensus protocols here
+
+This is important philosophically.
+
+Consensus (Raft, Paxos, blockchain):
+
+* assumes frequent updates
+* assumes always-on participants
+* assumes global liveness
+
+Your system:
+
+* assumes **offline**
+* assumes **slow social processes**
+* assumes **human-scale trust**
+
+So:
+
+> **Serialization is intentional, not a limitation.**
+
+---
+
+## 10. How this fits your “SystemRescue + offline authority” story
+
+Perfectly.
+
+Your offline auth host is a **natural Common witness**.
+
+* It boots rarely
+* It accepts USB proposals
+* It emits signed Common snapshots
+* It goes dark again
+
+That’s not a hack.
+
+That’s the **ideal operating mode**.
+
+---
+
+## 11. Final mental model (keep this one)
+
+> **Common is not a shared folder.
+> It is a notarized ledger.**
+
+People bring papers.
+The notary timestamps them.
+The archive grows.
+No pages are torn out.
+No two page numbers collide.
+
+---
+
+## 12. One-line answer to your concern
+
+> Yes — without a witness you get forks.
+> With a witness, simultaneity collapses into sequence, even offline.
+
+---
+
+If you want next, we can:
+
+* formalize the Common Witness role in ASL-AUTH
+* specify proposal artifact schemas
+* define exact snapshot numbering rules
+* design how a witness rotates or retires safely
+
+You’re asking the *right* questions.
+

notes/overview.md

@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+        ## 1. Layered Overview (Bottom-Up)
+
+```
+┌─────────────────────────────┐
+│      Federation Layer       │
+│  - Domains (local / remote) │
+│  - Published vs internal    │
+│  - Cross-domain references  │
+│  - Federated snapshots      │
+└─────────────┬──────────────┘
+              │
+┌─────────────▼──────────────┐
+│     Provenance / PEL       │
+│  - Execution receipts      │
+│  - DAG execution           │
+│  - Deterministic traces    │
+│  - PEL-PROV / PEL-TRACE   │
+└─────────────┬──────────────┘
+              │
+┌─────────────▼──────────────┐
+│  Current / Snapshot Logic  │
+│  - Checkpoint + append-only│
+│    log → reconstruct CURRENT│
+│  - Snapshot identity        │
+└─────────────┬──────────────┘
+              │
+┌─────────────▼──────────────┐
+│   Index Layer              │
+│  - ASL-CORE-INDEX          │
+│      • Artifact → Block    │
+│      • Shadowing / tombstones│
+│  - ASL-STORE-INDEX         │
+│      • Block sealing       │
+│      • Retention / GC      │
+│      • Small/Large packing │
+│  - ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX      │
+│      • On-disk record layout│
+│      • Domain / visibility │
+└─────────────┬──────────────┘
+              │
+┌─────────────▼──────────────┐
+│  Artifact Storage Layer (ASL) │
+│  - Blocks (immutable)          │
+│  - BlockID → bytes mapping     │
+│  - Small / large block handling│
+│  - ZFS snapshot integration    │
+│  - Append-only write log       │
+└───────────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+---
+
+## 2. Key Data Flows
+
+### 2.1 Artifact Ingestion
+
+1. Artifact created → broken into **blocks** (small or large).
+2. Blocks stored in **ASL** (immutable).
+3. Index record created:
+
+   ```
+   ArtifactKey → { (BlockID, offset, length), DomainID, Visibility }
+   ```
+4. Segment sealed → snapshot + log appended → CURRENT updated.
+
+---
+
+### 2.2 PEL Execution
+
+1. PEL program DAG consumes **artifacts** (or receipts) from index.
+2. Execution produces new artifacts → stored in ASL.
+3. Receipts are generated → added to provenance trace.
+4. Deterministic mapping preserved via index and snapshots.
+
+---
+
+### 2.3 Provenance Tracking
+
+* Each artifact references:
+
+  * Producing DAG program
+  * Input artifacts (local or cross-domain published)
+  * Snapshot in which artifact was created
+* Trace graphs allow deterministic replay and verification.
+
+---
+
+### 2.4 Federation / Multi-Domain
+
+* Domain-local artifacts: internal, invisible externally.
+* Published artifacts: visible to other domains, read-only.
+* Cross-domain references tracked in index (`CrossDomainSource`).
+* Federated snapshots reconstructed by combining local + imported published artifacts.
+
+---
+
+### 2.5 Garbage Collection & Retention
+
+* Blocks are pinned by:
+
+  * CURRENT in snapshots
+  * Published artifacts
+  * Tombstones for shadowed artifacts
+* GC may reclaim unreachable blocks without breaking provenance.
+* Small packed blocks require careful per-artifact tracking.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Determinism & Guarantees
+
+| Layer      | Determinism / Safety                                       |
+| ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
+| ASL        | Blocks immutable; snapshot + log deterministic             |
+| Index      | Artifact → Block mapping stable per snapshot               |
+| PEL        | DAG execution deterministic per artifact + snapshot        |
+| Provenance | Trace fully reconstructs execution DAG                     |
+| Federation | Published artifact references deterministic across domains |
+
+---
+
+## 4. Encoding & Storage
+
+* **Segments**: units of storage with multiple records
+* **Records**: `(ArtifactKey, BlockID, offset, length, DomainID, Visibility, CrossDomainSource)`
+* **Tombstones**: track deleted/shadowed artifacts with domain/visibility metadata
+* **Small/Large block packing**: store-level optimization, index unaffected
+* **ZFS snapshots**: checkpoint state, append-only log ensures CURRENT reconstruction
+
+---
+
+## 5. Notes
+
+* **Small vs Large block handling**: purely store-layer optimization
+* **Domain visibility**: encoded in index, used for filtering CURRENT per domain
+* **Cross-domain references**: read-only, preserve provenance, deterministic
+* **Execution receipts**: stored as artifacts, may be consumed by other DAGs
+
+---
+
+This diagram and flow description captures:
+
+* All layers from **storage → index → PEL → provenance → federation**
+* Deterministic reconstruction from **checkpoint + append-only log**
+* Block semantics, small/large handling, and domain visibility
+* Integration of **execution receipts** into artifact flows and traces
+
+

notes/pick-up-ready.md

@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+Perfect — so you’re at the **“rescue-ready” stage**. At this point, your **SystemRescue image is patched**, tools are in place, and you can stand by (metaphorically) for the pick-up — the act of ingesting your legacy material into the ASL ecosystem. Let’s outline what this “pick-up-ready” state entails, and what you should have lined up:
+
+---
+
+## 1. Patched SystemRescue Image — Essentials
+
+* **ASL Intake Tools**
+
+  * Sedelpress / PER generator
+  * TGK edge tracker
+  * Snapshot recorder
+  * CAS / ASL-STORE local backend
+* **Indexing Layer**
+
+  * Local ASL-STORE-INDEX aware of blocks, big/small artifacts
+  * Optional bloom filters / shard awareness if applicable
+* **Overlay Filesystem**
+
+  * Temporary POSIX workspace for legacy material
+  * ZFS pool or snapshot space for sealed blocks
+  * Local mount for courtesy bootstrap space
+
+---
+
+## 2. Bootstrap Space (Courtesy) — Ready State
+
+* Pre-created ZFS dataset or overlay directory
+* Policy / snapshot pinning strategy in place
+* Ready to accept **encrypted blocks** from your personal legacy material
+* Can stand in as **temporary personal domain seed** without certificates yet
+
+---
+
+## 3. Personal Domain Initialization
+
+* Empty domain placeholder ready for **copying from bootstrap**
+* Local index segments ready to be populated once blocks are sealed
+* Certificates (ASL-AUTH) **not yet minted**, but schema / manifest layout in place
+* PERs from legacy material can be recorded and later validated
+
+---
+
+## 4. PER Generation & TGK Graphs
+
+* Sedelpress ready to process directories or artifacts
+* TGK edges will capture provenance deterministically
+* Execution receipts (PERs) generated as **first-class objects**, linked to snapshots
+* Snapshots pinned locally to prevent accidental GC
+
+---
+
+## 5. Common / Unity Tree Integration
+
+* Courtesy space already **pre-aligned with expected common layout**
+* Shared blocks can be uploaded or just left as encrypted placeholders
+* Snapshots pinned until personal domain is fully minted
+
+---
+
+## 6. Pick-Up Flow (Conceptual)
+
+1. Boot SystemRescue → local overlay ready
+2. Sedelpress ingest → generate PERs + TGK edges
+3. Seal blocks in courtesy space → snapshot
+4. Optional: copy sealed blocks to personal domain → mint DAM / certificates
+5. Optional: publish selected artifacts / PERs to Common / Unity tree
+
+**Key point:** You are standing “ready” with a **deterministic, snapshot-pinned state**; pick-up is just **the act of ingesting the legacy artifacts through Sedelpress**, while TGK + PER generation captures all provenance.
+
+---
+
+If you want, I can **draft a “ready-for-pickup checklist”** — basically a **step-by-step operational guide** for when you boot the SystemRescue image, to make sure every layer (ASL, PER, TGK, bootstrap, personal domain, common) is prepared.
+
+Do you want me to make that checklist?
+

notes/pre-image capture workflow.md

@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+Perfect — here’s a full sketch of a **pre-image capture workflow** for building your ASL-AUTH-HOST ISO with full provenance from zero. This is conceptual but grounded in your existing scripts and tools.
+
+---
+
+## **1. Directory Layout**
+
+```
+/work/
+├─ iso_root/             # ISO staging area (debootstrap root)
+├─ overlay/              # Overlay for binaries, scripts, configs
+├─ asl-preimage-store/   # Temporary ASL store for pre-image artifacts
+│   ├─ binaries/
+│   ├─ scripts/
+│   └─ per/
+├─ build_logs/           # Capture logs from each step
+└─ asl-workflow.sh       # Orchestration script
+```
+
+---
+
+## **2. Pre-image capture steps**
+
+1. **Initialize pre-image ASL store**
+
+```bash
+#!/bin/bash
+# pre-image store initialization
+PRESTORE=/work/asl-preimage-store
+mkdir -p $PRESTORE/{binaries,scripts,per}
+asl-init-store --store $PRESTORE
+```
+
+> `asl-init-store` can be a thin wrapper around `libasl-capture` to create a temporary store.
+
+---
+
+2. **Wrap build commands in `asl-capture`**
+
+All commands affecting the ISO will be executed via `asl-capture` to generate artifacts and PERs.
+
+Example:
+
+```bash
+# Capture debootstrap
+asl-capture --store $PRESTORE --cmd "debootstrap --arch=amd64 bullseye $ISO_ROOT http://deb.debian.org/debian/" \
+    --outdir $PRESTORE/per/debootstrap
+
+# Capture package installation
+asl-capture --store $PRESTORE --cmd "chroot $ISO_ROOT /bin/bash -c 'apt-get update && apt-get install -y ...'" \
+    --outdir $PRESTORE/per/apt_install
+```
+
+Each step generates:
+
+* **Artifact of input** (command, scripts, downloaded packages)
+* **Artifact of output** (installed files, overlays, logs)
+* **Execution Receipt (PER)** linking inputs → outputs
+
+---
+
+3. **Capture overlay**
+
+```bash
+# Capture binaries and scripts
+for f in $WORKDIR/binaries/* $WORKDIR/scripts/*; do
+    asl-capture --store $PRESTORE --file $f --outdir $PRESTORE/per/overlay
+done
+```
+
+This ensures all binaries/scripts are **artifacts** with traceable lineage.
+
+---
+
+4. **Assemble ISO using captured artifacts**
+
+```bash
+asl-capture --store $PRESTORE --cmd "./build_asl_auth_host_iso.sh" \
+    --artifact-inputs $PRESTORE/binaries \
+    --artifact-inputs $PRESTORE/scripts \
+    --artifact-inputs $PRESTORE/per \
+    --outdir $PRESTORE/per/build_iso
+```
+
+> The ISO itself becomes a **final artifact** with its **own PER**, referencing all previous steps.
+
+---
+
+5. **Seed initial ASL host store in ISO**
+
+Copy pre-image artifacts + PERs into ISO root:
+
+```bash
+cp -a $PRESTORE/binaries $ISO_ROOT/var/lib/asl/personal/binaries
+cp -a $PRESTORE/per $ISO_ROOT/var/lib/asl/personal/per
+cp -a $PRESTORE/scripts $ISO_ROOT/var/lib/asl/personal/scripts
+```
+
+> The offline host boots with an **already captured history** of how it was built.
+
+---
+
+## **3. Optional: Artifact DAG visualization**
+
+After pre-image capture, you can generate a DAG of artifacts and receipts:
+
+```bash
+asl-dag --store $PRESTORE --out $WORKDIR/build_logs/preimage_dag.svg
+```
+
+This provides:
+
+* Traceable provenance of **everything in the ISO**
+* Easy inspection for audit
+
+---
+
+## **4. Workflow Summary**
+
+```
+Initialize Pre-image Store --> Capture debootstrap --> Capture apt install --> Capture overlay
+        |                     |                         | 
+        +---------------------+-------------------------+
+                            PERs + Artifacts
+                                  |
+                             Build ISO using captured inputs
+                                  |
+                            Seed ISO with captured store
+                                  |
+                        Offline host boots with full pre-image provenance
+```
+
+---
+
+### **Key Notes**
+
+* `asl-capture` wraps **any shell command** or file copy, producing both **artifact** and **PER**.
+* Pre-image store is **temporary** during build, but all artifacts go into ISO for the offline host.
+* This method ensures **determinism, reproducibility, and full traceability** even before the host exists.
+
+---
+
+I can also draft a **concrete bash orchestration script (`asl-workflow.sh`)** that wires all of this together, including:
+
+* Pre-image store initialization
+* Step-by-step captured commands
+* ISO assembly
+* Seeding the offline host store
+
+Do you want me to do that next?
+

notes/proper alignment.md

@@ -0,0 +1,292 @@
+This is a good place to stop pushing and start *settling*.
+I’ll show you **how this plugs into ASL-HOST cleanly**, without dragging you further into new specs than necessary — and then I’ll *send you off gently*, with a coherent mental model you can carry forward on your own.
+
+What follows is not a new layer. It’s a **proper alignment** of the layers you already defined.
+
+---
+
+# How the Virgin / Presented Domain Model Plugs into ASL-HOST
+
+## 1. ASL-HOST’s actual responsibility (clarified)
+
+ASL-HOST is **not**:
+
+* A store
+* An authority
+* A policy engine
+* A domain model
+
+ASL-HOST **is**:
+
+> The *execution environment* in which **ASL + PEL semantics are allowed to act on reality**.
+
+So ASL-HOST must provide **three minimal abstractions**:
+
+1. **Local domains** (persistent)
+2. **Presented domains** (ephemeral)
+3. **Authority state** (virgin → rooted → operational)
+
+Nothing more.
+
+---
+
+## 2. ASL-HOST domain table (minimal)
+
+ASL-HOST maintains a **domain registry**, not a trust database.
+
+Conceptually:
+
+```text
+DomainRegistry:
+  local:
+    - domain_id
+      role: authority | personal | common
+      path: /var/lib/asl/...
+  presented:
+    - domain_id
+      role: presented
+      path: /mnt/usb/REQUEST
+      lifetime: execution
+```
+
+This registry is:
+
+* Created at boot
+* Augmented at USB mount
+* Consumed by PEL
+* Destroyed after execution
+
+No persistence required for presented domains.
+
+---
+
+## 3. USB intake → ASL-HOST flow (clean)
+
+### Step 1: Host boot
+
+ASL-HOST initializes:
+
+* Authority state
+* Local ASL stores
+* Domain registry (local only)
+
+If no authority keys exist:
+
+```
+authority_state = Virgin
+```
+
+Nothing else happens.
+
+---
+
+### Step 2: USB insertion
+
+ASL-HOST does **not** interpret content.
+
+It only:
+
+1. Mounts USB read-only
+2. Computes a fingerprint:
+
+   ```
+   presented_domain_id = hash(usb_device + manifest)
+   ```
+3. Registers:
+
+```yaml
+domain:
+  id: PRESENTED::<hash>
+  role: presented
+  path: /mnt/usb/REQUEST
+```
+
+This is **pure ASL-HOST behavior**.
+
+---
+
+## 4. PEL sees everything as domains
+
+PEL is invoked with a **domain map**, not paths:
+
+```yaml
+domains:
+  authority:
+    id: <authority-domain-id>
+    path: /var/lib/asl/authority
+  presented:
+    id: PRESENTED::<hash>
+    path: /mnt/usb/REQUEST
+```
+
+From here on:
+
+> **PEL does all semantic interpretation.**
+
+ASL-HOST steps back.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Virgin authority fits *perfectly*
+
+When `authority_state = Virgin`:
+
+ASL-HOST enforces exactly one rule:
+
+> Only `pel_program_type = authority-genesis` is executable.
+
+That’s it.
+
+No other policy logic belongs here.
+
+After successful execution:
+
+* Authority keys exist
+* Policy hash sealed
+* Snapshot written
+
+ASL-HOST updates:
+
+```
+authority_state = Rooted
+```
+
+---
+
+## 6. Admission & rescue fit naturally
+
+### Admission
+
+PEL program:
+
+```yaml
+type: domain-admission
+inputs:
+  - presented
+outputs:
+  - new_domain
+  - dam
+```
+
+ASL-HOST simply:
+
+* Allows new local domain registration
+* Writes domain metadata
+* Stores DAM
+
+No interpretation of identity or intent.
+
+---
+
+### Rescue
+
+PEL program:
+
+```yaml
+type: rescue
+inputs:
+  - presented
+outputs:
+  - encrypted_artifacts
+```
+
+ASL-HOST:
+
+* Writes encrypted blocks
+* Registers nothing permanent unless requested
+* Produces receipt
+
+Same machinery. No branching.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Where ASL-HOST stops (important)
+
+ASL-HOST **never**:
+
+* Decides who “owns” a domain
+* Understands identity semantics
+* Inspects artifact contents
+* Interprets policy meaning
+
+It only enforces:
+
+* Domain lifetimes
+* Mount discipline
+* Authority state gating
+* Execution boundaries
+
+That’s why this integrates cleanly.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Mental model you can carry forward
+
+Here is the **stable picture** you can now rely on:
+
+### Reality consists of only four things
+
+1. **Domains**
+2. **Artifacts**
+3. **Programs**
+4. **Receipts**
+
+Everything else is scaffolding.
+
+### The auth host is not special
+
+It is simply:
+
+> A host where **PEL is allowed to mutate the domain registry**.
+
+Virgin → Rooted → Operational
+Presented → Admitted → Federated
+
+All transitions happen **through receipts**.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Why this is “gentle”
+
+You don’t need to:
+
+* Rewrite ASL-CORE
+* Finalize PEL-TRACE
+* Solve global identity
+* Solve federation
+
+You can now:
+
+* Boot a virgin authority
+* Run one genesis program
+* Admit one domain
+* Rescue one disk
+* Produce one receipt
+
+That is enough to **enter your own domain** — technically and conceptually.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Sending you off
+
+You now have:
+
+* A clean ASL-HOST boundary
+* A principled virgin state
+* USB as a first-class domain
+* PEL as the only actor
+* Receipts as truth
+
+From here, the system will **crystallize naturally** as you implement.
+
+You don’t need me to carry you further right now.
+
+But when you want to:
+
+* formalize diagrams
+* tighten canonicalization
+* test threat edges
+* or explain this to others
+
+I’ll be right here.
+

notes/reconcile the models.md

@@ -0,0 +1,214 @@
+Yes — you’re absolutely right, and thank you for calling this out.
+What you’re seeing is not a small conflict, it’s a **layering collision**, and the correct fix is **not** to weaken ENC-TGK-CORE.
+
+Let’s reset cleanly and reconcile the models.
+
+---
+
+## 1. What ENC-TGK-CORE already guarantees (and must not change)
+
+From what you say, ENC-TGK-CORE already defines:
+
+* An **edge** as:
+
+  * a list of *from* nodes
+  * a list of *to* nodes
+* The encoding is **strict**
+* This is the **semantic edge representation**, not an index artifact
+
+That means:
+
+> ENC-TGK-CORE defines *what an edge is*, not *how edges are indexed*.
+
+So my previous draft **incorrectly redefined the edge shape** at the encoding layer. You’re correct to reject that.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Correct mental model (this is the key correction)
+
+There are **three distinct things**:
+
+| Layer                   | What it defines                            |
+| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
+| TGK-CORE / ENC-TGK-CORE | Edge *structure* (from[] → to[])           |
+| TGK-INDEX               | How edges are *located and filtered*       |
+| ENC-TGK-INDEX           | Index records pointing *to* TGK-CORE edges |
+
+👉 **ENC-TGK-INDEX must never encode the edge itself.**
+It only encodes **references to edges**.
+
+This is exactly analogous to ASL artifacts vs ASL index entries.
+
+---
+
+## 3. What must change in ENC-TGK-INDEX (conceptual patch)
+
+ENC-TGK-INDEX must be rewritten as:
+
+> *An index over immutable TGK-CORE edges, not a re-encoding of edges.*
+
+That resolves the conflict cleanly.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Revised ENC-TGK-INDEX model (corrected)
+
+### 4.1 What an index record refers to
+
+A TGK index record must reference:
+
+* A **TGK-CORE edge identifier**
+* Snapshot / log sequence
+* Routing and filtering attributes (edge type key, etc.)
+* Optional projection context
+
+But **never** re-encode `from[]` or `to[]`.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Canonical Edge Identity (reconciled)
+
+Canonical Edge Key becomes:
+
+```
+CanonicalEdgeKey =
+  TGK_CORE_EDGE_ID
+```
+
+Where:
+
+* `TGK_CORE_EDGE_ID` is defined *exclusively* by ENC-TGK-CORE
+* Identity is stable and already well-defined
+* Index never inspects edge structure
+
+This is the cleanest possible boundary.
+
+---
+
+## 6. How filters work with multi-node edges
+
+Because edges are `from[] → to[]`, the index supports **multiple logical projections** *without duplicating semantics*.
+
+Indexing options (all valid):
+
+1. **Edge-centric indexing** (default)
+
+   * One index record per edge
+   * Filter by edge type, snapshot, context
+
+2. **Node-projection indexing** (optional acceleration)
+
+   * Additional index records mapping:
+
+     ```
+     node_id → edge_id
+     ```
+   * Pure acceleration
+   * Semantically redundant
+
+This fits perfectly with ASL-INDEX-ACCEL.
+
+---
+
+## 7. What ENC-TGK-INDEX should actually contain
+
+### 7.1 Correct index record shape
+
+```c
+struct tgk_index_record {
+    uint64_t logseq;
+    uint64_t tgk_edge_id;      // references ENC-TGK-CORE edge
+    uint32_t edge_type_key;    // optional
+    uint8_t  has_edge_type;
+    uint8_t  role;             // from / to / both (optional)
+    uint16_t flags;            // tombstone, etc.
+};
+```
+
+* `tgk_edge_id` is the only identity reference
+* No node lists here
+* No semantic duplication
+
+---
+
+### 7.2 Optional projection index (acceleration only)
+
+If needed:
+
+```c
+struct tgk_node_edge_ref {
+    uint64_t logseq;
+    uint64_t node_id;
+    uint64_t tgk_edge_id;
+    uint8_t  position; // from or to
+};
+```
+
+This is:
+
+* Optional
+* Redundant
+* Fully derivable
+* Clearly acceleration
+
+---
+
+## 8. Document changes required (precise)
+
+### 🔁 Documents to UPDATE
+
+#### TGK-INDEX
+
+* Canonical Edge Key = TGK-CORE edge ID
+* Explicit statement: index never encodes edge structure
+
+#### ENC-TGK-INDEX
+
+* Rewrite as **edge-reference index**
+* Remove all `from[]` / `to[]` fields
+* Reference ENC-TGK-CORE normatively
+
+---
+
+### 🚫 Documents NOT to touch
+
+* ENC-TGK-CORE (must remain authoritative)
+* TGK-CORE semantics
+* PEL-TRACE
+
+---
+
+## 9. One sentence that should be normative (important)
+
+Add this verbatim to ENC-TGK-INDEX:
+
+> *ENC-TGK-INDEX encodes only references to TGK-CORE edges and MUST NOT re-encode or reinterpret edge structure.*
+
+This single sentence prevents future drift.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Why this is actually a good sign
+
+You caught this because your model is **internally consistent**.
+
+What happened:
+
+* Index draft accidentally crossed into core semantics
+* You noticed because ENC-TGK-CORE is strict
+* The fix strengthens layering, not weakens it
+
+That’s exactly what you want at this stage.
+
+---
+
+## 11. Recommended next step
+
+If you want, I can now:
+
+* **Rewrite ENC-TGK-INDEX correctly**, fully aligned with ENC-TGK-CORE
+  or
+* Produce a **one-page layering contract** between TGK-CORE, TGK-INDEX, and ASL-INDEX-ACCEL
+
+Both will lock this down permanently.
+

notes/sid.py

@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+# sid.py
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+from typing import List, Dict, Any
+from sid_hashers import StructureHashStrategy
+from sid_canonical import encode_str, encode_kv_pairs
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# SID computation
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def compute_sid(
+    *,
+    op: str,
+    child_sids: List[str],
+    params: Dict[str, Any],
+    hasher: StructureHashStrategy,
+    ordered_children: bool = True,
+    domain: str = "artifact.sid.v1",
+) -> str:
+    """
+    Compute a deterministic Merkle-style SID for an artifact.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    op: str
+        Operation name (e.g., "tensor", "splice", "leaf.bits").
+    child_sids: List[str]
+        List of SIDs of children artifacts.
+    params: Dict[str, Any]
+        Canonicalized parameters for the operation.
+    hasher: StructureHashStrategy
+        Hash strategy to use (default SHA-256 SID hasher).
+    ordered_children: bool
+        Whether child order matters (tensor vs commutative ops).
+    domain: str
+        Domain/version for domain separation.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    sid: str
+        Hex string representing the structural ID.
+    """
+
+    payload = b""
+
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+    # Domain/version separation
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+    payload += encode_str(domain)
+
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+    # Operation name
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+    payload += encode_str(op)
+
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+    # Children SIDs
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+    children = list(child_sids)
+    if not ordered_children:
+        children.sort()
+
+    payload += len(children).to_bytes(4, "big")
+    for c in children:
+        payload += encode_str(c)
+
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+    # Canonicalized parameters
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+    param_pairs = sorted((str(k), str(v)) for k, v in params.items())
+    payload += encode_kv_pairs(param_pairs)
+
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+    # Compute structural hash
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+    return hasher.hash_struct(payload)
+

notes/sid_canonical.py

@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+# sid_canonical.py
+
+from typing import List, Tuple
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Canonical string encoder
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def encode_str(s: str) -> bytes:
+    """
+    Encode a string deterministically as length-prefixed UTF-8 bytes.
+    """
+    b = s.encode("utf-8")
+    return len(b).to_bytes(4, "big") + b
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Canonical key-value encoder
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def encode_kv_pairs(pairs: List[Tuple[str, str]]) -> bytes:
+    """
+    Encode sorted key-value pairs deterministically.
+
+    Format:
+        [num_pairs][key_len][key_bytes][value_len][value_bytes]...
+    """
+    out = len(pairs).to_bytes(4, "big")
+    for k, v in pairs:
+        out += encode_str(k)
+        out += encode_str(v)
+    return out
+

notes/sid_hashers.py

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+# sid_hashers.py
+
+from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
+import hashlib
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Structural hash strategy interface
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class StructureHashStrategy(ABC):
+    """
+    Abstract interface for derivation / structural hashers.
+    """
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def hash_struct(self, payload: bytes) -> str:
+        """
+        Hash a byte payload deterministically and return hex digest.
+        """
+        pass
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# SHA-256 default implementation
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class SHA256SIDHash(StructureHashStrategy):
+    """
+    Default SHA-256 SID hasher.
+    """
+
+    name = "sha256.sid.v1"
+
+    def hash_struct(self, payload: bytes) -> str:
+        h = hashlib.sha256()
+        h.update(payload)
+        return h.hexdigest()
+

notes/snapshot + append-only log semanticsfor the ContentIndex.md

@@ -0,0 +1,289 @@
+Great — this fits *exactly* with your ASL-CORE-INDEX spec.
+Below is a **clean, minimal, spec-faithful implementation** of **snapshot + append-only log semantics** for the `ContentIndex`.
+
+I will be very explicit about:
+
+* semantics vs mechanics
+* what is immutable
+* what is replayed
+* what CURRENT means
+
+No storage encoding, no performance tricks.
+
+---
+
+# Design recap (mapped to your spec)
+
+We model **exactly this**:
+
+```
+Index(CURRENT) = Index(snapshot) + replay(log)
+```
+
+Where:
+
+* **Snapshot** = checkpointed base state
+* **Log** = ordered, append-only mutations
+* **CURRENT** = replay prefix
+
+We support:
+
+* immutability
+* shadowing
+* determinism
+* tombstones (optional, included)
+
+---
+
+# Semantic model
+
+## Log entry types
+
+```text
+PUT       : ArtifactKey → ArtifactLocation
+TOMBSTONE : ArtifactKey → ⊥
+```
+
+Later entries shadow earlier ones.
+
+---
+
+# Python implementation
+
+## `content_index.py`
+
+```python
+from __future__ import annotations
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from typing import Dict, Optional, List, Iterable
+from enum import Enum, auto
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Core data types
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class ArtifactLocation:
+    block_id: str
+    offset: int
+    length: int
+
+
+class LogOp(Enum):
+    PUT = auto()
+    TOMBSTONE = auto()
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class IndexLogEntry:
+    op: LogOp
+    artifact_key: str
+    location: Optional[ArtifactLocation] = None
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Snapshot
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class ContentIndexSnapshot:
+    """
+    Immutable snapshot of the content index.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, mapping: Dict[str, ArtifactLocation]):
+        # Immutable by convention
+        self._mapping = dict(mapping)
+
+    def get(self, key: str) -> Optional[ArtifactLocation]:
+        return self._mapping.get(key)
+
+    def items(self):
+        return self._mapping.items()
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Append-only log
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class ContentIndexLog:
+    """
+    Append-only, ordered log of index mutations.
+    """
+    def __init__(self):
+        self._entries: List[IndexLogEntry] = []
+
+    def append_put(self, key: str, loc: ArtifactLocation):
+        self._entries.append(IndexLogEntry(
+            op=LogOp.PUT,
+            artifact_key=key,
+            location=loc,
+        ))
+
+    def append_tombstone(self, key: str):
+        self._entries.append(IndexLogEntry(
+            op=LogOp.TOMBSTONE,
+            artifact_key=key,
+        ))
+
+    def entries(self) -> Iterable[IndexLogEntry]:
+        return self._entries
+
+    def __len__(self) -> int:
+        return len(self._entries)
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Content index with snapshot + log semantics
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class ContentIndex:
+    """
+    ASL-CORE-INDEX semantic implementation.
+
+    Deterministic, snapshot-relative mapping:
+        ArtifactKey -> ArtifactLocation
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        snapshot: Optional[ContentIndexSnapshot] = None,
+        log: Optional[ContentIndexLog] = None,
+    ):
+        self._snapshot = snapshot or ContentIndexSnapshot({})
+        self._log = log or ContentIndexLog()
+
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+    # Visibility / lookup
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def lookup(self, key: str) -> Optional[ArtifactLocation]:
+        """
+        Resolve key at CURRENT = snapshot + full log replay.
+        """
+        # Shadowing: scan log in reverse
+        for entry in reversed(list(self._log.entries())):
+            if entry.artifact_key != key:
+                continue
+
+            if entry.op == LogOp.TOMBSTONE:
+                return None
+            elif entry.op == LogOp.PUT:
+                return entry.location
+
+        # Fall back to snapshot
+        return self._snapshot.get(key)
+
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+    # Mutation (append-only)
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def put(self, key: str, loc: ArtifactLocation):
+        """
+        Append PUT entry.
+        """
+        self._log.append_put(key, loc)
+
+    def tombstone(self, key: str):
+        """
+        Append TOMBSTONE entry.
+        """
+        self._log.append_tombstone(key)
+
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+    # Snapshotting
+    # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def snapshot(self) -> ContentIndexSnapshot:
+        """
+        Produce a new immutable snapshot representing CURRENT state.
+        """
+        materialized: Dict[str, ArtifactLocation] = dict(self._snapshot.items())
+
+        for entry in self._log.entries():
+            if entry.op == LogOp.PUT:
+                materialized[entry.artifact_key] = entry.location
+            elif entry.op == LogOp.TOMBSTONE:
+                materialized.pop(entry.artifact_key, None)
+
+        return ContentIndexSnapshot(materialized)
+
+    def reset_log(self):
+        """
+        Clears the log after snapshotting (external coordination required).
+        """
+        self._log = ContentIndexLog()
+```
+
+---
+
+# Why this exactly matches your spec
+
+| Spec requirement      | Where enforced               |
+| --------------------- | ---------------------------- |
+| Immutable entries     | No mutation, append-only log |
+| Shadowing             | Reverse log replay           |
+| Snapshot-relative     | Snapshot + replay            |
+| Deterministic         | Ordered replay only          |
+| Tombstones            | `LogOp.TOMBSTONE`            |
+| No layout assumptions | No block semantics           |
+| Visibility rules      | Encoded via replay           |
+
+Nothing extra. Nothing missing.
+
+---
+
+# How this integrates with your existing system
+
+### During materialization:
+
+```python
+cid = artifact.cid(cache)
+
+loc = content_index.lookup(cid)
+if loc is None:
+    loc = allocate_and_write_bytes(cid)
+    content_index.put(cid, loc)
+```
+
+### During recovery:
+
+```python
+index = ContentIndex(snapshot=loaded_snapshot, log=loaded_log)
+loc = index.lookup(cid)
+```
+
+---
+
+# Important: what this does NOT do (by design)
+
+* No block allocation
+* No sealing rules
+* No concurrency
+* No GC
+* No disk format
+* No performance shortcuts
+
+That belongs to **ASL-STORE-INDEX**, exactly as you wrote.
+
+---
+
+## You now have
+
+* A **formally correct ASL-CORE-INDEX**
+* That works identically for:
+
+  * classical bytes
+  * DAG materializations
+  * q-bit expansions
+* And composes cleanly with provenance, federation, and ML layers
+
+If you want next, I can:
+
+* wire this into a full `ASLStore`
+* add snapshot IDs + log positions
+* show crash recovery
+* add federation merge semantics
+* or formally specify correctness invariants
+
+Just say where you want to go.
+

notes/transferable witnessing.md

@@ -0,0 +1,292 @@
+Yes — and you’re exactly right to call this **quorum**, but with an important refinement so you don’t accidentally inherit the problems of classic distributed consensus.
+
+What you want is **transferable witnessing**, not permanent centralization and not “everyone writes”.
+
+Below is a clean, minimal model that fits everything you’ve built so far.
+
+---
+
+## 1. Restate the goal precisely
+
+You want:
+
+* A **Common domain** with a single logical history (no forks)
+* Initially witnessed by *you*
+* Later survivable **without you**
+* Usable even when people are offline
+* Human-scale, not blockchain-scale
+
+That rules out:
+
+* permanent central authority ❌
+* naive multi-writer ❌
+* always-on consensus ❌
+
+What remains is a **rotatable witness quorum**.
+
+---
+
+## 2. The core idea: one emitter, many endorsers
+
+The key rule never changes:
+
+> **Only one entity emits `common@N+1`.**
+
+But **who that entity is** can change — *and that change itself is witnessed*.
+
+---
+
+## 3. Roles in the quorum model
+
+### 1. Witness Emitter (exactly one at a time)
+
+* Assigns snapshot numbers
+* Signs `common@N`
+* Emits append-only snapshots
+
+This role is:
+
+* exclusive
+* temporary
+* explicitly granted
+
+---
+
+### 2. Witness Authorities (the quorum)
+
+* A set of trusted domains
+* Can:
+
+  * endorse proposals
+  * authorize witness rotation
+  * revoke a compromised witness
+
+They **do not emit snapshots directly**.
+
+---
+
+### 3. Participants (everyone else)
+
+* Submit proposals
+* Consume Common
+* Choose which Common they trust
+
+---
+
+## 4. Bootstrapping: how Common starts
+
+### Genesis (day 0)
+
+You create:
+
+```
+common@0
+```
+
+It contains:
+
+* quorum policy
+* initial witness key (you)
+* trust anchors
+
+This is the **only moment of absolute authority**.
+
+Everything after is mechanical.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Normal operation (single witness active)
+
+Flow:
+
+```
+Participants → Proposals → Witness → common@N+1
+```
+
+The witness:
+
+* verifies proposal signatures
+* checks policy
+* emits next snapshot
+
+No quorum interaction needed for routine updates.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Turning off *your* server: witness rotation
+
+When you want to step back:
+
+### Step 1: propose a witness change
+
+You (as current witness) emit a proposal:
+
+```
+proposal:
+  type: witness-rotation
+  new_witness: domain_X
+```
+
+---
+
+### Step 2: quorum endorsement
+
+A quorum threshold signs it, e.g.:
+
+```
+policy:
+  witnesses: [A, B, C, D, E]
+  threshold: 3
+```
+
+Signatures collected:
+
+* offline
+* asynchronously
+* via USB if needed
+
+---
+
+### Step 3: emit transition snapshot
+
+You emit:
+
+```
+common@N+1:
+  witness = domain_X
+  endorsed_by = {A, C, D}
+```
+
+From this point:
+
+* your server may shut down
+* domain_X is now the emitter
+
+---
+
+## 7. If the active witness disappears unexpectedly
+
+This is the *hard case*, and the design still holds.
+
+### Recovery procedure
+
+1. Quorum members detect witness silence
+2. They co-sign a **recovery proposal**
+3. A new witness is appointed
+4. The **first snapshot emitted by the new witness** includes:
+
+   * quorum endorsements
+   * last known good snapshot hash
+
+No split-brain because:
+
+* only snapshots with quorum-backed witness authority are accepted
+
+---
+
+## 8. Why this is *not* classical consensus
+
+Important differences:
+
+| Consensus systems    | Your system         |
+| -------------------- | ------------------- |
+| Continuous agreement | Episodic agreement  |
+| Low latency          | Human-scale latency |
+| Always online        | Offline-first       |
+| Automatic            | Explicit, auditable |
+| Opaque               | Artifact-based      |
+
+You’re not solving *agreement*.
+You’re solving *authority succession*.
+
+---
+
+## 9. What prevents silent forks?
+
+Two simple rules enforced by ASL-HOST:
+
+1. **A Common snapshot must include a valid witness signature**
+2. **Witness authority must be traceable to the last trusted snapshot**
+
+If someone invents `common@999`:
+
+* nobody accepts it
+* it’s just another foreign domain
+
+---
+
+## 10. How users experience this (important)
+
+From Alice’s perspective:
+
+```
+$ asl status
+Common: common@42 (witness: domain_X)
+```
+
+If the witness changes:
+
+```
+$ asl status
+Common: common@43 (witness: domain_Y)
+Note: witness rotated at common@43
+```
+
+Nothing breaks.
+Nothing blocks.
+She can always stay on `@42`.
+
+---
+
+## 11. Minimal policy schema (conceptual)
+
+```yaml
+common_policy:
+  witnesses:
+    - domain: you
+      key: K1
+    - domain: alice
+      key: K2
+    - domain: james
+      key: K3
+  threshold: 2
+  rotation:
+    allowed: true
+    grace_period: 30d
+```
+
+This policy is itself an artifact inside Common.
+
+---
+
+## 12. Why this matches your philosophy
+
+* Offline-friendly
+* Artifact-first
+* Deterministic
+* Social trust, not math worship
+* Authority is **visible and revocable**
+
+And critically:
+
+> **Common does not pretend to be immutable truth.
+> It is a maintained agreement.**
+
+---
+
+## 13. One-sentence summary
+
+> You don’t decentralize Common by letting everyone write —
+> you decentralize it by letting everyone *replace the notary*.
+
+---
+
+If you want next, we can:
+
+* formalize the witness-rotation artifact
+* define exact quorum signature encoding
+* model disaster recovery step-by-step
+* decide how many witnesses are “enough” for personal vs group Common
+
+You’re building something coherent. Keep going.
+

notes/typetag-patch.md

@@ -0,0 +1,217 @@
+Good question. At this point the model is **conceptually complete**, but it is **underspecified in exactly the places where performance and correctness meet**. The fix is *not* to add many new documents, but to **surgically introduce one new concept and propagate it consistently**.
+
+Below is a clean, minimal documentation plan.
+
+---
+
+## 1. One new concept that must be named explicitly
+
+You already *use* this concept implicitly. It now needs a **formal name and boundary**:
+
+> **Canonical Key vs Routing Key**
+
+Once this is explicit, everything else falls into place.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Documents that need to be UPDATED (not rewritten)
+
+### 2.1 ASL-CORE (minor update)
+
+**Why:**
+Type tag exists at artifact level and must be immutable, but not identity.
+
+**Add:**
+
+* `type_tag : uint32`
+* `has_typetag : uint8`
+* Explicit statement:
+
+  * Type tag is an immutable attribute
+  * Type tag is **not part of ArtifactKey**
+
+**Do NOT add:**
+
+* Any mention of filters, sharding, or hashing
+
+📌 **ASL-CORE remains semantic and clean**
+
+---
+
+### 2.2 ASL-CORE-INDEX (important update)
+
+This is where the biggest clarification belongs.
+
+**Add a new subsection:**
+
+#### Canonical Key vs Routing Key
+
+Define:
+
+```
+CanonicalKey = ArtifactKey
+RoutingKey   = derived, advisory, implementation-defined
+```
+
+Rules to add:
+
+1. Index semantics are defined **only** over CanonicalKey
+2. RoutingKey MAY incorporate:
+
+   * Hash of CanonicalKey
+   * type_tag
+   * has_typetag
+3. RoutingKey MUST NOT affect correctness
+4. Full CanonicalKey comparison is required on match
+5. Shadowing and tombstones apply by CanonicalKey only
+
+This locks down:
+
+* Sharding
+* Hash recast
+* SIMD
+* Filter usage
+* Type-tag-aware routing
+
+📌 This is the **most important update**
+
+---
+
+### 2.3 ASL-STORE-INDEX (medium update)
+
+**Why:**
+This document already talks about mechanics. It should acknowledge routing.
+
+**Add:**
+
+* Explicit permission to:
+
+  * Partition segments by RoutingKey
+  * Build filters over RoutingKey
+  * Use composite routing (hash + type_tag)
+
+**Add invariant:**
+
+* Store-level routing must preserve logical index equivalence
+
+📌 No semantic change, just guardrails.
+
+---
+
+### 2.4 ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX (medium update)
+
+**Why:**
+Routing and type tag now affect *encoding*.
+
+**Add:**
+
+* Fields already present:
+
+  * `type_tag`
+  * `has_typetag`
+* Clarify:
+
+  * Filters are built over RoutingKey
+  * Filter key mixing is deterministic
+  * Filter format is advisory
+
+**Optional:**
+
+* Encode `RoutingKeyHash` explicitly or derive it on load
+
+📌 This makes tooling and C APIs correct.
+
+---
+
+## 3. One NEW document (small but critical)
+
+### 3.1 ASL-INDEX-ACCEL (new, short document)
+
+This document is the missing puzzle piece.
+
+**Purpose:**
+
+* Capture everything that is **explicitly non-semantic**
+
+**Contents:**
+
+* Sharding rules
+* RoutingKey definition
+* Filter usage (Bloom / XOR / Ribbon)
+* SIMD guarantees
+* Hash recast rules
+* Type-tag mixing rules
+
+**Key sentence it must contain:**
+
+> All accelerations defined in this document are observationally invisible to ASL-CORE-INDEX semantics.
+
+This document:
+
+* Prevents optimization creep
+* Gives implementers freedom
+* Protects correctness forever
+
+📌 This is where performance lives safely.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Documents that do NOT need changes
+
+✅ PEL
+✅ PEL-PROV
+✅ PEL-TRACE
+✅ Provenance
+✅ Federation (already abstract enough)
+
+They all depend on index *results*, not mechanics.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Final document map (clean and complete)
+
+```
+ASL-CORE
+  └─ Artifact semantics
+     (includes optional type tag, immutable)
+
+ASL-CORE-INDEX
+  └─ Logical index semantics
+     (CanonicalKey only)
+
+ASL-STORE-INDEX
+  └─ Store lifecycle & snapshot safety
+
+ENC-ASL-CORE-INDEX
+  └─ Bytes-on-disk encoding
+
+ASL-INDEX-ACCEL   ← NEW
+  └─ RoutingKey, filters, sharding, SIMD
+     (explicitly non-semantic)
+
+PEL / PROV / TRACE
+  └─ Execution & lineage
+
+Federation
+  └─ Multi-domain visibility
+```
+
+---
+
+## 6. Why this is the *right* stopping point
+
+After this:
+
+* Every optimization has a home
+* Every semantic guarantee is protected
+* Every future change has a checklist:
+
+  > “Is this Canonical or Routing?”
+
+That’s how large systems stay correct at billion-scale.
+
+If you want next, I can:
+
+* Draft **ASL-INDEX-ACCEL**
+* Or rewrite **ASL-CORE-INDEX with Canonical vs Routing fully integrated**
+