---
description: "Scan for untracked runtime artifacts and update .gitignore patterns."
trigger: "//ignore"
---
#
```
<!-- RESTART NOTE (Session end: 2025-12-27 22:00)
         Last context: Protocol refactored for improved artifact analysis and user validation
         Next steps:
             1. Review and commit changes
             2. Validate protocol in live workflow
         Blockers: None
         Reference files: documentation/project-history/SESSION_SNAPSHOT_2025-12-27_2200.md
-->
```

# Git Ignore Maintenance Protocol

## Goal
Maintain repository hygiene by identifying untracked runtime artifacts (logs, caches, temp files) and generating precise `.gitignore` patterns to exclude them, ensuring only source code and config are tracked.

## Cognitive Protocol: ReAct (Reason + Act)
*Reference: `.github/knowledge/example.ReAct.md`*

## Phase 1: Security & User Validation (REQUIRED)
**Objective:** Ensure all git operations occur as the correct repository owner.

**Enforced Workflow:**
1.  **ACT:** Execute `whoami`.
2.  **OBSERVATION:**
    * If `chester`: Proceed to Phase 2.
    * If `root` (or other):
        * **ACT:** `su - chester`
        * **ACT:** `whoami` (Verify switch).
        * **CONSTRAINT:** If switch fails, **STOP** and report error. Do not touch git.

## Phase 2: Artifact Analysis (The Scan)
**Objective:** Identify *what* is untracked and *why*.

1.  **ACT:** Execute `git status --short`.
2.  **THOUGHT (ReAct):** For each `??` (untracked) item, determine its nature:
    * **Runtime Artifact?** (e.g., `*.log`, `__pycache__`, `tmp/`). -> **IGNORE.**
    * **Generated Data?** (e.g., `dist/`, `build/`). -> **IGNORE.**
    * **Environment/Secrets?** (e.g., `.env`, `id_rsa`). -> **IGNORE IMMEDIATELY.**
    * **Source/Config?** (e.g., `compose.yaml`, `src/main.py`). -> **DO NOT IGNORE.** (Flag to user).

## Phase 3: Pattern Generation (Meta-Prompting)
**Objective:** Create specific, resilient patterns. Do not use overly broad wildcards.

* **Bad Pattern:** `*log*` (Might ignore `logic.py`).
* **Good Pattern:** `*.log` or `logs/`.

## Phase 4: Execution & Verification
**Action Plan:**
1.  **Append:** Add the identified patterns to the relevant `.gitignore` (Root or Service-level).
2.  **Verify:** Run `git status` again to confirm the files are no longer listed.

## Example Output

### 🛡️ User Validation
* Current User: `chester` (Verified)

### 📋 Analysis
* `_thelab/core/media/ghost/content/logs/` -> **Log Directory** (Safe to ignore)
* `src/.DS_Store` -> **OS Garbage** (Safe to ignore)
* `config.json` -> **Configuration** (⚠️ User attention required - track or ignore?)

### 📝 Action Taken
Appended to `_thelab/.gitignore`:
```gitignore
# Ghost Blog Logs
_thelab/core/media/ghost/content/logs/

# OS Files
.DS_Store

✅ Verification
git status is clean.