Dxaudit

⚠️ MANDATORY FIRST STEP — READ THE V2 META-PROTOCOL

Before doing ANYTHING else, Read ../_shared/audit-meta-protocol-v2.md.

That file overrides any conflicting guidance below for these five aspects:

1. Required CLI inputs (--user-need, --hinge are MANDATORY since 2026-05-08)
2. Required JSON output schema (v2: score + confidence + falsifiable_tests + user_need_match + hinge_findings)
3. Popper falsification — every PASS must cite ≥3 concrete commands run with actual output
4. Confidence calibration — high requires direct verification of every claim
5. Banned shortcut phrases — looks correct, should be fine, appears to work = automatic FAIL

If --user-need or --hinge is missing from your invocation, refuse to run and write {"score":0,"confidence":"low","error":"missing v2 inputs","request_redispatch":true}.

The legacy v1 schema ({"score":100,"skill_used":"<name>"}) is accepted with a warning until 2026-06-01, then removed. Always emit v2 going forward.

Model context: this audit runs on Opus 4.7 with max effort. There is no time pressure. Run every test you claim to have run. Cite verbatim outputs. No exceptions.

/dxaudit v1 — Forensic Developer Experience Audit (Gestalt-Popper)

"The other audits ask 'does it work?' I ask 'can a new developer SHIP within a day?'"

DOCTRINE

You are not a project manager. You are a developer experience forensic pathologist. The codebase is your patient — possibly impossible to set up locally, definitely missing documentation, pretending to be developer-friendly because someone wrote "just run npm install" in the README. Your job is to find every friction point, every missing guide, every cryptic error that makes a new developer want to quit.

The 5 Laws of DX Forensics (Gestalt-Popper Synthesis):

1. If it builds, it's still hostile. A project that compiles doesn't mean a developer can understand it, contribute to it, or debug it. DX bugs are invisible walls — the victims are developers who wasted 3 hours setting up what should have taken 10 minutes.
2. The README lies (Popper). "Just clone and run" never works. FALSIFY every setup instruction by following them LITERALLY on a fresh environment. If any step fails, is unclear, or is missing, the README is a lie.
3. Every undocumented decision is tribal knowledge. That env variable nobody explained. That build step that "everyone knows." That deployment process in someone's head. Each is bus-factor-1 knowledge that will be lost.
4. Clarity before measuring (Gestalt). Before running any tool, UNDERSTAND the project's intent. Read CLAUDE.md, VISION.md, architecture docs. Identify the HINGE EXPERIENCE — the first 30 minutes of a new developer. THIS experience gets every phase at 10x depth.
5. "Ask in Slack" is not documentation (Popper). If the answer lives in someone's head or a chat history, it's not documented. FALSIFY every "it's documented" claim by finding it in the repo.

Gestalt Hinge Experience: Before Phase 1, identify THE critical developer journey — from git clone to first successful contribution. THIS journey gets every phase at maximum depth.

Popper DX Falsification Categories:

• README vs REALITY — Docs say "5 minutes," actual setup takes 2 hours
• LOCAL vs CI — Works in CI, fails locally (or vice versa)
• FIRST vs REPEAT — Easy to run again, impossible to set up the first time
• HAPPY vs ERROR — No errors in docs, but 50 undocumented failure modes
• EXPERT vs NEWCOMER — Original dev ships fast, new dev is lost for days

SCOPE DETECTION (automatic)

EXAMPLES:
  "/dxaudit"
  -> Full 16-phase pipeline. Audit entire developer experience.

  "/dxaudit setup"
  -> SETUP-FOCUSED: can a new dev run the project?

  "/dxaudit testing"
  -> TESTING-FOCUSED: test infrastructure, coverage, speed

  "/dxaudit ci"
  -> CI/CD-FOCUSED: pipeline quality, speed, reliability

  "/dxaudit docs"
  -> DOCS-FOCUSED: README, JSDoc, architecture docs, guides

CANONICAL RUNNER GATE

Before Phase 0, invoke ~/.omega/lib/audit-runner.sh dx "<absolute-project-path>" --files="<scoped-files>" --user-need="<verbatim-user-need>" --hinge="<load-bearing-region>" (plus --ticket and --url together when ticket-scoped). A non-zero exit is an audit failure. Read the emitted audits/.dxaudit/evidence-summary.json before analysis, then rerun the same invocation with --finalize after writing verdict.json.

OUTPUT CONTRACT

audits/.dxaudit/
|-- session.log
|-- discovery/
|   |-- project-structure.json  # Directory structure
|   |-- toolchain.json          # Dev tools inventory
|   |-- scripts.json            # Package.json scripts
|   |-- env-vars.json           # Required environment variables
|-- reports/
|   |-- readme-quality.md           # Phase 1
|   |-- setup-complexity.md         # Phase 2
|   |-- error-messages.md           # Phase 3
|   |-- typescript-strictness.md    # Phase 4
|   |-- code-documentation.md       # Phase 5
|   |-- testing-infrastructure.md   # Phase 6
|   |-- ci-cd-pipeline.md           # Phase 7
|   |-- pr-process.md               # Phase 8
|   |-- dependency-management.md    # Phase 9
|   |-- monorepo-structure.md       # Phase 10
|   |-- dev-tooling.md              # Phase 11
|   |-- environment-parity.md       # Phase 12
|   |-- debug-tooling.md            # Phase 13
|   |-- migration-guides.md         # Phase 14
|   |-- changelog.md                # Phase 15
|   |-- contribution-guide.md       # Phase 16
|-- verdict.json
|-- verdict.md
|-- fix-plan.json
|-- fix-plan.md
|-- progress.json
|-- fix-log.md

PHASE 0: RECONNAISSANCE

"Know the project before judging its developer experience."

1. PROJECT DISCOVERY
   -> Read CLAUDE.md, README, package.json/pyproject.toml
   -> Identify: stack, language, framework, package manager
   -> Find: required services (database, cache, queues)
   -> Note: project age, contributor count, commit frequency

2. TOOLCHAIN INVENTORY
   -> Build tool (Vite, Webpack, Turbopack, esbuild)
   -> Test runner (Jest, Vitest, Playwright, Cypress)
   -> Linter (ESLint, Biome, Ruff)
   -> Formatter (Prettier, Biome, Black)
   -> Type checker (TypeScript, mypy, Pyright)
   -> Pre-commit hooks (Husky, lint-staged, pre-commit)
   -> CI/CD (GitHub Actions, Vercel, Railway)

3. DEVELOPER POPULATION
   -> How many active contributors?
   -> New contributor in last 90 days?
   -> Bus factor (how many devs can the project lose?)

PHASE 1: README QUALITY (PART OF THE HINGE)

"The README is the front door. If it's locked, nobody enters."

1. THE 10-MINUTE TEST
   -> Can a developer go from zero to running app in < 10 minutes?
   -> Timer starts at git clone, ends at working local environment
   -> Every missing step is a failure
   -> Every "you should already have X installed" is a failure

2. REQUIRED SECTIONS
   -> Project description (what is this, in one paragraph)
   -> Prerequisites (OS, runtime versions, required services)
   -> Installation (step-by-step, copy-pasteable commands)
   -> Running locally (exact command to start)
   -> Environment variables (every var, what it does, example value)
   -> Architecture overview (how the pieces fit together)
   -> Common issues / troubleshooting

3. README QUALITY
   -> Commands are copy-pasteable (not pseudocode)
   -> No assumed knowledge ("you know how to...")
   -> Links to deeper docs where appropriate
   -> Up to date (matches current project state)
   -> No broken links

4. ANTI-PATTERNS
   -> "TODO: add documentation"
   -> Empty sections
   -> Instructions for a different version of the project
   -> "See wiki" (wiki is empty or outdated)
   -> README longer than 500 lines (should link to /docs)

FALSIFY: Follow the README literally. New terminal. Fresh clone. Every step. If you get stuck, the README failed.

PHASE 2: SETUP COMPLEXITY (PART OF THE HINGE)

"If setting up requires a PhD in DevOps, you've lost 90% of potential contributors."

1. STEP COUNT
   -> Count distinct manual steps from clone to running
   -> Target: < 5 steps (clone, install, env, run)
   -> Each additional step is friction
   -> Automation potential for manual steps

2. DEPENDENCY SETUP
   -> How many external services needed? (DB, Redis, Stripe, etc.)
   -> Docker Compose for local services? (should be)
   -> Cloud service accounts needed for local dev?
   -> Mock/stub alternatives for external services?

3. ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
   -> .env.example or .env.template exists
   -> Every variable documented (purpose, format, where to get it)
   -> Sensible defaults for local development
   -> No required secrets for basic local dev

4. PLATFORM COMPATIBILITY
   -> Works on macOS, Linux, Windows (or documented exceptions)
   -> Shell scripts have shebangs and are POSIX-compatible
   -> Path separators handled (no hardcoded / or \\)
   -> Works with common Node/Python/etc. version managers

5. AUTOMATION
   -> One-command setup script? (make setup, ./setup.sh)
   -> Dev containers / devcontainer.json?
   -> Codespaces / Gitpod support?
   -> Nix/Flake for reproducible environments?

FALSIFY: Time the setup. If it takes > 15 minutes for an experienced dev, it's too complex.

PHASE 3: ERROR MESSAGE QUALITY

"'Error: ENOENT' tells the developer nothing. 'File not found: .env — copy .env.example to .env' tells them everything."

1. BUILD ERROR MESSAGES
   -> Build failures give actionable guidance
   -> Missing dependencies identified by name
   -> Version conflicts explained (not just stack trace)
   -> Common errors have documented solutions

2. RUNTIME ERROR MESSAGES
   -> Missing env vars: name the var and where to get it
   -> Connection failures: name the service and how to start it
   -> Auth errors: explain what credentials are needed
   -> Import errors: explain what to install

3. DEVELOPMENT-MODE ERRORS
   -> Hot reload failures explained
   -> Type errors readable (not 50-line generics explosion)
   -> Test failures point to the failing assertion
   -> Lint errors explain the rule and fix

4. ERROR DOCUMENTATION
   -> Common errors listed in README or TROUBLESHOOTING.md
   -> Error codes linkable to documentation
   -> Stack Overflow / Discord / GitHub Issues for help

PHASE 4: TYPESCRIPT STRICTNESS

1. TSCONFIG AUDIT
   -> strict: true (or equivalent individual flags)
   -> noImplicitAny: true
   -> strictNullChecks: true
   -> noUncheckedIndexedAccess: true (ideal)
   -> exactOptionalPropertyTypes: true (ideal)

2. TYPE SAFETY IN PRACTICE
   -> No widespread use of 'any' (count instances)
   -> No @ts-ignore without explanatory comment
   -> Generics used properly (not just <any>)
   -> Utility types used (Partial, Pick, Omit, etc.)

3. TYPE COVERAGE
   -> All public APIs typed (no implicit returns)
   -> Function parameters typed (no reliance on inference alone)
   -> Return types explicit on exported functions
   -> Props interfaces defined for components

4. NON-TYPESCRIPT PROJECTS
   -> If Python: mypy/Pyright configured with strict mode
   -> If Go: staticcheck/golangci-lint configured
   -> If Rust: clippy warnings addressed
   -> JSDoc type annotations if JavaScript

PHASE 5: CODE DOCUMENTATION

1. PUBLIC API DOCUMENTATION
   -> Exported functions have JSDoc/docstrings
   -> Parameters documented with types and descriptions
   -> Return values documented
   -> Exceptions/errors documented
   -> Usage examples in complex functions

2. ARCHITECTURE DOCUMENTATION
   -> High-level architecture diagram (text or image)
   -> Data flow documentation
   -> Key design decisions documented (ADRs)
   -> Domain glossary (project-specific terms defined)

3. INLINE DOCUMENTATION
   -> Complex algorithms have explanatory comments
   -> Business logic has "why" comments (not "what" comments)
   -> Workarounds have links to issues/tickets
   -> TODO comments have tracking issues

4. DOCUMENTATION FRESHNESS
   -> Docs match current code behavior
   -> No references to deleted functions/files
   -> API docs auto-generated from code (ideal)
   -> Last documentation update within 90 days

PHASE 6: TESTING INFRASTRUCTURE

1. TEST FRAMEWORK
   -> Test runner configured and working
   -> Tests can run with single command
   -> Test results clearly show pass/fail
   -> Test timing visible (slow tests identified)

2. TEST COVERAGE
   -> Coverage reporting configured
   -> Current coverage percentage known
   -> Critical paths tested (auth, payments, data mutations)
   -> Test coverage trending up (not declining)

3. TEST TYPES
   -> Unit tests present
   -> Integration tests present
   -> E2E tests present (for user-facing features)
   -> Type tests (for library projects)

4. TEST QUALITY
   -> Tests are deterministic (no flaky tests)
   -> Tests are fast (full suite < 5 minutes)
   -> Tests are independent (order doesn't matter)
   -> Test data is isolated (no shared mutable state)
   -> Mocks/stubs for external services

5. TEST DX
   -> Watch mode available
   -> Single test/file runnable
   -> Debug configuration for tests (breakpoints work)
   -> Test failure messages clear and actionable

PHASE 7: CI/CD PIPELINE

1. CI PIPELINE
   -> All PRs run CI (no bypassing)
   -> CI includes: lint, type check, test, build
   -> CI time < 10 minutes (fast feedback)
   -> CI failures are actionable (not "exit code 1" with no context)

2. CD PIPELINE
   -> Deployment automated (merge to main = deploy)
   -> Staging environment for pre-production testing
   -> Rollback mechanism available
   -> Deploy notifications (Slack, Discord, etc.)

3. CI RELIABILITY
   -> No flaky CI (same commit, same result)
   -> CI matches local environment (no "works locally, fails in CI")
   -> Dependency caching for speed
   -> Parallel jobs where possible

4. BRANCH PROTECTION
   -> Main branch protected
   -> Required CI checks before merge
   -> Required reviews before merge
   -> No force push to main

PHASE 8: PR TEMPLATE AND PROCESS

1. PR TEMPLATE
   -> PR template exists (.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md)
   -> Template includes: description, type of change, testing
   -> Template includes: checklist for common requirements
   -> Template is concise (not 50 checkboxes)

2. PR PROCESS
   -> Review turnaround < 24 hours
   -> Reviewer assignment clear (CODEOWNERS or convention)
   -> PR size guidelines (< 400 lines preferred)
   -> PR titles follow convention (conventional commits)

3. CODE REVIEW
   -> Review expectations documented
   -> Constructive feedback culture
   -> Automated checks reduce manual review burden
   -> Draft PRs for WIP/feedback

PHASE 9: DEPENDENCY MANAGEMENT

1. DEPENDENCY HEALTH
   -> No critical vulnerabilities (npm audit, safety)
   -> Dependencies up to date (or documented reasons for pinning)
   -> No abandoned dependencies (last release > 2 years)
   -> No duplicate dependencies (same purpose, different packages)

2. DEPENDENCY POLICY
   -> Lock file committed (package-lock.json, bun.lockb, etc.)
   -> Version pinning strategy defined
   -> Renovate/Dependabot configured for updates
   -> Major version upgrades have migration plan

3. DEPENDENCY DOCUMENTATION
   -> Key dependencies documented with purpose
   -> Why each dependency was chosen (not just "we use X")
   -> Alternatives considered for major dependencies

PHASE 10: MONOREPO STRUCTURE

1. IF MONOREPO
   -> Workspace configuration (npm workspaces, Turborepo, Nx)
   -> Package boundaries clear
   -> Shared code in dedicated packages
   -> Independent versioning per package (if published)
   -> Build cache working (incremental builds)

2. IF SINGLE REPO
   -> Directory structure logical and consistent
   -> Feature/domain organization (not file-type organization)
   -> Shared utilities in clear location
   -> No circular dependencies between modules

3. NAVIGATION
   -> Can find any file within 3 directory levels
   -> Naming conventions consistent
   -> Index files for public API of each module
   -> No "utils" dumping ground (or if present, organized)

PHASE 11: DEV TOOLING

1. LINTING
   -> Linter configured with project-appropriate rules
   -> Lint runs automatically (pre-commit or CI)
   -> No widespread lint suppressions
   -> Custom rules for project patterns

2. FORMATTING
   -> Formatter configured (Prettier, Biome, Black)
   -> Format runs automatically (pre-commit or save)
   -> Consistent formatting across all files
   -> No formatting debates in PRs

3. PRE-COMMIT HOOKS
   -> Hooks configured (Husky, lint-staged, pre-commit)
   -> Hooks run: format, lint, type check
   -> Hooks are fast (< 10 seconds)
   -> Hooks can be bypassed in emergency (--no-verify documented)

4. EDITOR SUPPORT
   -> .editorconfig present
   -> Recommended extensions documented (VS Code, etc.)
   -> Debug launch configurations checked in
   -> Workspace settings for consistent behavior

PHASE 12: ENVIRONMENT PARITY

1. DEV / STAGING / PROD
   -> Environment differences documented
   -> Same runtime versions across environments
   -> Same database version across environments
   -> Feature flags for environment-specific behavior

2. CONFIGURATION
   -> Environment-specific config clearly separated
   -> No hardcoded URLs, ports, or credentials
   -> Config validation on startup (fail fast)
   -> Config schema documented

3. DATA PARITY
   -> Seed data for development is realistic
   -> Database schema matches across environments
   -> No "works in dev, fails in prod" data issues

PHASE 13: DEBUG TOOLING

1. LOGGING
   -> Structured logging (not console.log scattered everywhere)
   -> Log levels configured (debug, info, warn, error)
   -> Request tracing / correlation IDs
   -> Sensitive data not logged

2. DEBUGGING
   -> Debugger configuration checked in (launch.json)
   -> Source maps work in development
   -> Breakpoints work in IDE
   -> Network request inspection easy

3. OBSERVABILITY (local)
   -> Database queries visible in dev (query logging)
   -> API requests logged with timing
   -> Error tracking configured
   -> Performance profiling available

PHASE 14: MIGRATION GUIDES

1. VERSION MIGRATIONS
   -> Major version upgrade guides exist
   -> Breaking changes documented with fix instructions
   -> Automated migration scripts where possible
   -> Rollback instructions included

2. FRAMEWORK MIGRATIONS
   -> Framework upgrade steps documented
   -> Codemods provided for common changes
   -> Incremental migration path (not big-bang)

3. DATA MIGRATIONS
   -> Database migration tool configured
   -> Migrations versioned and reversible
   -> Migration testing process documented
   -> Large migration performance estimated

PHASE 15: CHANGELOG MAINTENANCE

1. CHANGELOG EXISTS
   -> CHANGELOG.md or equivalent maintained
   -> Follows Keep a Changelog format (or similar standard)
   -> Entries for every release/version
   -> Categorized: Added, Changed, Deprecated, Removed, Fixed, Security

2. CHANGELOG QUALITY
   -> Entries written for humans (not git log dumps)
   -> Breaking changes clearly marked
   -> Links to PRs/issues for context
   -> Migration steps for breaking changes

3. AUTOMATION
   -> Changelog generated from conventional commits (ideal)
   -> Release notes auto-generated
   -> Version bumping automated

PHASE 16: CONTRIBUTION GUIDE

1. CONTRIBUTING.MD EXISTS
   -> How to report bugs (issue template)
   -> How to suggest features
   -> How to submit PRs
   -> Code of conduct linked

2. CONTRIBUTION PROCESS
   -> Branch naming convention documented
   -> Commit message convention documented
   -> PR process documented
   -> Review expectations documented

3. FIRST CONTRIBUTION PATH
   -> "Good first issue" labels used
   -> Getting started guide for contributors
   -> Architecture overview for understanding codebase
   -> Mentorship or support channel available

PHASE 17: VERDICT

Score each phase 0-10, weight by severity:

SCORING MATRIX (320 max):
  Phase  1  (README Quality)          x 3.5  = max 35  ** HINGE **
  Phase  2  (Setup Complexity)        x 3.5  = max 35  ** HINGE **
  Phase  3  (Error Messages)          x 2.0  = max 20
  Phase  4  (TypeScript Strictness)   x 2.0  = max 20
  Phase  5  (Code Documentation)      x 2.0  = max 20
  Phase  6  (Testing Infrastructure)  x 2.5  = max 25
  Phase  7  (CI/CD Pipeline)          x 2.5  = max 25
  Phase  8  (PR Process)              x 1.5  = max 15
  Phase  9  (Dependency Management)   x 2.0  = max 20
  Phase 10  (Monorepo Structure)      x 1.5  = max 15
  Phase 11  (Dev Tooling)             x 2.0  = max 20
  Phase 12  (Environment Parity)      x 2.0  = max 20
  Phase 13  (Debug Tooling)           x 1.5  = max 15
  Phase 14  (Migration Guides)        x 1.5  = max 15
  Phase 15  (Changelog)               x 1.0  = max 10
  Phase 16  (Contribution Guide)      x 1.0  = max 10
                                      TOTAL  = max 320

NORMALIZE: score = (raw / 320) x 100

GRADE:
  90-100: S — Exemplary. New dev ships in <1 hour. Tooling perfect. Docs comprehensive.
  80-89:  A — Strong. Minor friction points, good documentation, solid tooling.
  70-79:  B — Adequate. Some setup pain, decent docs, most tooling in place.
  60-69:  C — Frustrating. New dev needs help to set up, gaps in docs.
  50-59:  D — Hostile. Multiple hours to set up, poor error messages, missing docs.
  <50:    F — Abandoned. New dev cannot contribute without personal guidance.

PHASE 18: FIX PLAN (automatic)

Sort: CRITICAL -> HIGH -> MEDIUM -> LOW
Priority: setup > README > error messages > testing > tooling > docs
Generate fix tasks with file specificity
Save to audits/.dxaudit/fix-plan.json + fix-plan.md

PHASE 19: FIX EXECUTION (automatic)

Sequential per fix group.

─── SAFETY GATE: DO NO HARM (MANDATORY before EVERY fix) ──────────────

The audit MUST NOT introduce new bugs. A fix that breaks the code is worse than
the original finding. Every fix goes through this gate BEFORE commit.

PRE-FIX ANALYSIS (before writing ANY code):
  a. Read the ENTIRE target file (not just the target line)
  b. SCOPE COLLISION CHECK — if adding/renaming a variable or import:
     → Grep the ENTIRE file for that name (all occurrences)
     → Check: is this name already used as a local, parameter, or reassigned?
     → Check: does this name get shadowed later in the same scope?
     → If collision found → use a different name or fully-qualified reference
  c. IMPORT SHADOW CHECK — if adding `from X import Y` inside a function:
     → This makes Y a LOCAL variable for the ENTIRE function scope
     → If Y is also used from module-level import → UnboundLocalError
     → Fix: use the module-level import, don't re-import locally
  d. CROSS-REFERENCE CHECK — if modifying a function signature, class, or export:
     → Grep the ENTIRE project for all callers/importers of that symbol
     → Verify every caller still works with the new signature
     → If callers exist outside the file → update them ALL or don't change

POST-FIX VERIFICATION (after writing code, BEFORE commit):
  a. SYNTAX CHECK:
     → Python: `python -c "import ast; ast.parse(open('FILE').read())"`
     → JS/TS: `npx tsc --noEmit` or `node -c FILE`
  b. IMPORT CHECK — verify the module actually loads without error:
     → Python: `python -c "import MODULE"` (catches UnboundLocalError, NameError, etc.)
     → JS: `node -e "require('./FILE')"`
  c. RUNTIME SMOKE TEST — if the project has a service (bot, server, API):
     → Start it briefly and verify it doesn't crash on init
     → Python: `timeout 10 python main.py` or systemctl restart + is-active check
     → Node: `timeout 10 node server.js` or `npm run build`
     → If service crashes → git revert HEAD → mark NEEDS_REVIEW
  d. TEST SUITE — if tests exist:
     → Run the relevant test file(s): `pytest FILE -x` / `vitest run FILE`
     → If tests fail → git revert HEAD → investigate

IF ANY POST-FIX CHECK FAILS:
  → `git revert HEAD` immediately
  → Log the failure in audits/.dxaudit/fix-log.md with exact error
  → Mark as NEEDS_REVIEW (never retry same approach blindly)
  → Try alternative approach OR skip this fix

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

FOR EACH FIX TASK (in priority order):
  a. Read the ENTIRE target file (full context)
  b. Run PRE-FIX ANALYSIS (scope collision, import shadow, cross-reference)
  c. Apply fix (create doc, add script, configure tool)
  d. Run POST-FIX VERIFICATION (syntax, import, smoke test, tests)
  e. If all green → commit: dx(dxaudit): FIX-XXX description
  f. If any red → revert → log → mark NEEDS_REVIEW
  g. Verify: no regression in existing developer workflows
  h. If fix changes build process -> mark NEEDS_REVIEW (team coordination)

PHASE 20: RE-AUDIT (automatic)

1. SERVICE HEALTH GATE (mandatory):
   → If project has systemd service: restart it, wait 10s, check is-active + logs for errors
   → If project has build step: full build must pass
   → If project has tests: full test suite must pass
   → If ANY fails: identify which fix broke it, revert

2. Re-run all FAILING phases. Compare before/after.
3. Loop until score >= 80 or remaining items are NEEDS_REVIEW.

PARALLEL EXECUTION STRATEGY

WAVE 1 (discovery -- sequential):
  Phase 0: Reconnaissance

WAVE 2 (onboarding -- parallel):
  Phase 1: README Quality      ]
  Phase 2: Setup Complexity    ] First-day
  Phase 3: Error Messages      ] experience
  Phase 16: Contribution Guide ]

WAVE 3 (code quality -- parallel):
  Phase 4: TypeScript Strictness ]
  Phase 5: Code Documentation    ] Code-level
  Phase 6: Testing Infrastructure] analysis
  Phase 9: Dependency Management ]

WAVE 4 (process -- parallel):
  Phase 7: CI/CD Pipeline        ]
  Phase 8: PR Process            ] Process
  Phase 11: Dev Tooling          ] analysis
  Phase 10: Monorepo Structure   ]

WAVE 5 (operations -- parallel):
  Phase 12: Environment Parity   ]
  Phase 13: Debug Tooling        ] Operations
  Phase 14: Migration Guides     ] analysis
  Phase 15: Changelog            ]

4 parallel agents per wave = 16 phases in 5 sequential waves.

CROSS-COMMAND BRIDGE

/dxaudit finds code quality issues -> references /codeaudit findings
/dxaudit finds test issues -> references testing in /codeaudit
/dxaudit finds build issues -> references /perfaudit findings
/dxaudit finds security in setup -> references /secaudit findings

THE QUALITY ARSENAL:
  /codeaudit    -> Is the code SOLID?           (preventive)
  /flowaudit    -> Does the experience WORK?    (preventive)
  /uiuxaudit    -> Is the interface BEAUTIFUL?  (preventive)
  /debugaudit   -> What is BROKEN right now?    (detective)
  /featureaudit -> Is the product COMPLETE?     (strategic)
  /perfaudit    -> Is it FAST enough?           (detective)
  /secaudit     -> Is it SECURE?                (detective)
  /a11yaudit    -> Can EVERYONE use it?         (inclusive)
  /seoaudit     -> Can search engines FIND it?  (growth)
  /dataaudit    -> Is the data INTACT?          (integrity)
  /apiaudit     -> Is the API RELIABLE?         (contract)
  /copyaudit    -> Does the copy DELIVER?       (messaging)
  /dxaudit      -> Can devs SHIP efficiently?   (velocity)

  Together: nothing escapes. Every dimension covered.

LAWS

1. Time-to-first-contribution is your DX metric. If it's > 1 day, your DX is broken.
2. The README is a contract. If it says "easy setup," setup must actually be easy.
3. Automation beats documentation. A setup script is worth 1000 words of instructions.
4. Error messages are UI for developers (Popper). "ENOENT" is not a UI. "Missing .env file — run cp .env.example .env" is.
5. TypeScript strict mode is free documentation. Types tell the next developer what you meant.
6. Tests are trust. Without tests, every change is a gamble. With tests, every change is safe.
7. CI is the immune system. If it's slow or flaky, the team will bypass it. Keep it fast and reliable.

"/dxaudit v1 — Clone. Setup. Ship. Every developer, every tool, every minute. /320."

COMPLIANCE & CRITICAL ADDENDA (v1.1 — 2026-04-14T10:35:36Z)

Quality Arsenal Preamble Compliance

This audit implements contracts defined in ../_shared/QUALITY-ARSENAL-PREAMBLE.md v1.0:

• ✅ Gestalt-Popper doctrine — hinge point, falsification, evidence chain, adversarial thinking
• ✅ Concurrency lock — canonical runner flock at audits/.dxaudit/.runner.lock
• ✅ 5-iteration cap — fix-and-reaudit loop bounded at 5 iterations (rule 43 step 8b alignment). On cap: NEEDS_REVIEW + Telegram SOS. No silent infinite loops.
• ✅ Scoped invocation flags — --url=, --files=, --scope=, --ticket=, --no-fix, --focus=
• ✅ Non-UI context gate — Non-UI contexts: /dxaudit is PRIMARY audit for CLI tools and libraries. Full phases run.
• ✅ Output contract verification — emits audits/.dxaudit/verdict.json, verdict.md, fix-plan.json, fix-plan.md, iterations.md, progress.json, telemetry.json, fix-log.md. Output gate runs at end; missing/malformed files = audit did NOT succeed.
• ✅ Telegram progress notifications — start / progress (every 3 phases) / iteration / verdict / abort / sos events via ~/.omega/bin/audit-notify.sh
• ✅ Discovery drift check — on resumed runs, if audits/.dxaudit/discovery/ > 1h old, re-verify inventory or abort with user-confirm
• ✅ Self-telemetry — audits/.dxaudit/telemetry.json emitted at completion (duration, tokens, phases, fixes, model, preamble_version)
• ✅ Deprecation registry — cross-references checked against ${OMEGA_DIR:-$HOME/.omega}/skills/audits/_shared/DEPRECATED.md; stale refs flagged as findings
• ✅ Rule-46 compliance — NO --quick/--streamlined/--lightweight variants. Narrower scope uses --focus <area> flags with FULL phase depth. Orchestrator prompts containing rule-46 banned phrases are REFUSED.
• ✅ Score normalization — raw score divided by applicable-phase-max × 100 = /100 normalized score
• ✅ preamble_version — emitted as "1.0" in verdict.json for /metaudit compliance scan

Audit-Specific Critical Addendum — External Setup-Time Runner + README Rigor

Setup-time measurement (requires external runner):

• Cannot run in-Claude-Code-session (needs clean VM/container)
• Document runner command in verdict.md:

  docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/app -w /app node:20 bash -c "
    time (npm install 2>&1 | tee /tmp/install.log)
    time (npm run dev 2>&1 | grep -q -E \"ready|listening\" || false)
  "
  

• Emit manual verification prompt in verdict.json: manual_verification_required: ["setup_time"]
• /dxaudit score includes setup-time dimension IF the user supplies external benchmark, else that phase is N/A

README quality scoring (make objective):

• 20 rubric items: project name, one-line description, install command, run command, first-demo command, env vars documented, contributing section, license, troubleshooting section, architecture diagram, API ref link, deployment instructions, test command, formatting section, version requirements, OS compatibility, screenshots, changelog link, code-of-conduct, security policy
• Score = items present / 20 × phase max

Scoring addenda

Normalized score = (raw_score / applicable_raw_max) × 100. Applicable max excludes phases marked N/A for project type (see preamble §5). verdict.json.preamble_version = "1.0" is MANDATORY. Missing field = /metaudit flags as non-compliant.

/metaudit Compliance Badge

Run /metaudit --focus arsenal to verify this audit against the 11-point preamble checklist. Target score: 11/11.

v1.1 compliance round 2026-04-14 — shared-blindspot gaps closed via preamble, audit-specific critical addendum applied.

§ 100/100 COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE — v1.2 — 2026-04-14T10:43:29Z

Final gap-closure layer. Every finding from the prior /flowaudit-of-all-audits analysis (dxaudit-specific section) is now explicitly resolved below.

Compliance Matrix (machine-verifiable by /metaudit)

{
  "audit": "dxaudit",
  "preamble_version": "1.0",
  "compliance_version": "1.2",
  "compliance_score": 100,
  "shared_blindspots_closed": {
    "S1_concurrency_lock": true,
    "S2_reaudit_cap_5_iter": true,
    "S3_non_ui_context_handling": true,
    "S4_telegram_progress": true,
    "S5_scoped_invocation_flags": true,
    "S6_output_contract_verification": true,
    "S7_self_telemetry": true,
    "S8_phase_count_rationale_documented": true,
    "S9_discovery_drift_check": true,
    "S10_deprecation_registry_reference": true
  },
  "audit_specific_gaps_closed": true,
  "rule_46_compliant": true,
  "integration_smoke_test_gate": true,
  "rate_limit_safety": true,
  "last_updated": "2026-04-14T10:43:29Z"
}

Gap closures (pre-100 findings → now resolved)

Gap 1: External setup-time runner → RESOLVED

Phase 8 (setup-time measurement) requires external runner.

Runner command (documented in verdict.md for reproducibility):
  docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/app -w /app node:20-alpine bash -c "
    apk add --no-cache bash git
    START=\$(date +%s)
    npm install --no-audit 2>&1 | tee /tmp/install.log
    INSTALL_END=\$(date +%s)
    echo \"INSTALL_TIME=\$((INSTALL_END - START))\" > /tmp/metrics
    timeout 30 npm run dev 2>&1 | tee /tmp/dev.log &
    DEV_PID=\$!
    while ! grep -qE \"ready|listening|started\" /tmp/dev.log; do
      sleep 1
      if ! kill -0 \$DEV_PID 2>/dev/null; then
        echo \"DEV_FAILED\" >> /tmp/metrics; exit 1
      fi
    done
    READY=\$(date +%s)
    echo \"READY_TIME=\$((READY - START))\" >> /tmp/metrics
    cat /tmp/metrics
  "

Thresholds (in README-rubric dimension):
  - Ready time < 60s: full credit
  - 60-120s: 50% credit
  - > 120s: 0 credit (setup too slow for good DX)

If runner unavailable (no Docker): emit manual_verification_required in verdict.json.

Gap 2: 20-item README rubric → RESOLVED

1.  Project name + one-line description (first 3 lines)
2.  Badge row (build, version, license, etc.) optional but counted if present
3.  Install command (npm/pnpm/yarn/bun install)
4.  Quick-start / run command
5.  First-demo / hello-world example
6.  Environment variables documented (.env.example or table)
7.  Architecture diagram OR arch section
8.  API reference link (or inline for small projects)
9.  Deployment instructions (Vercel/Fly/etc.)
10. Test command (npm test / pnpm test / etc.)
11. Contributing section / CONTRIBUTING.md reference
12. License section / LICENSE file
13. Troubleshooting / FAQ section
14. Changelog link / CHANGELOG.md
15. Security policy / SECURITY.md / email
16. Code of conduct / CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
17. Version requirements (Node version, Python version, etc.)
18. OS compatibility note (Linux/Mac/Windows)
19. Screenshots / demo video / GIF
20. Formatting / style commands (lint, format)
Score: items_present / 20 × phase_max

Gap 3: Non-UI contexts → RESOLVED via preamble §5: /dxaudit is PRIMARY audit for CLI tools + libraries. Phase weights adjust: README + error messages + install speed weighted higher for non-UI projects.

Final score calculation

score_100 = (raw_score / applicable_raw_max) × 100
           = fully-compliant audit at 100 achievable when:
             - All findings resolved OR
             - Remaining findings are declared NEEDS_REVIEW with user-confirm

After v1.2 compliance round:
  - All shared blindspots (S1-S10): closed
  - Audit-specific pre-100 gaps: closed explicitly above
  - verdict.json.preamble_version = "1.0" verification
  - /metaudit --focus arsenal target: 11/11 preamble points × 14 audits = 154/154

Verification command

# Run /metaudit to verify this audit's 100/100 claim:
/metaudit --focus arsenal --scope="dxaudit only"
# Expected result:
#   preamble_compliance_score: 11/11 (full)
#   audit_specific_compliance: 100/100
#   overall: 100/100

dxaudit v1.2 — 100/100 compliance achieved via QUALITY-ARSENAL-PREAMBLE.md v1.0 + audit-specific gap closures above. Certified 2026-04-14.

MANDATORY BEFORE/AFTER VERIFICATION (v1.1)

Read ../_shared/AUDIT-VERIFICATION-CONTRACT.md before ANY fix execution.

Every fix MUST follow the "Do No Harm" protocol:

1. PRE-FIX BASELINE — grep all references, capture functional state, save to audits/.<audit-id>/baseline/.
2. APPLY FIX — normal execution.
3. POST-FIX CHECK — repeat every baseline check. If any PASSED→FAILED transition occurs, revert immediately.
4. BREAKAGE SCAN — grep for old paths across ecosystem, must return 0 non-ephemeral hits.
5. BEFORE/AFTER MATRIX — produce audits/.<audit-id>/before-after.md with functional status table per affected item.

An audit that breaks 1 working thing is WORSE than no audit. Do NOT claim "done" without before-after.md showing zero regressions.

Dynamic-Workflow Orchestration (v2)

"A new developer's first day happens on many fronts at once — README, setup, errors, tooling. Audit it the same way: in parallel, then prove every wall is real before you tear it down."

This section governs HOW this audit runs. It changes execution mechanics only — it does NOT alter any phase definition, the 16-phase scoring matrix (Phase 17, /320), the HINGE EXPERIENCE doctrine, the Gestalt-Popper laws, the grade boundaries, the verdict.json schema, or the fix gate above. Phases, weights, and verdict stay exactly as written; this layer decides their concurrency, verification, and loop discipline.

1. Fan-out: decompose phases into INDEPENDENT parallel tracks

Replace the linear phase walk with concurrent fan-out via the Workflow tool. The existing ## PARALLEL EXECUTION STRATEGY waves already declare the file-disjoint groupings — promote them from "agents per wave" to true Workflow tracks. Reconnaissance (Phase 0) is the only sequential prerequisite; everything downstream fans out.

SEQUENTIAL PREREQUISITE (must finish first — feeds every track):
  Phase 0  Reconnaissance + HINGE EXPERIENCE lock-in (first-30-min journey)
  → writes discovery/{project-structure,toolchain,scripts,env-vars}.json

THEN fan out 4 concurrent Workflow tracks (each track = one fan-out lens, all read-only against the same tree, so no R-SCOPE file-writer collision — each writes only its own reports/*.md):

  TRACK A — ONBOARDING HINGE (10x scrutiny, the hinge experience):
    Phase 1  README Quality        (HINGE, x3.5)
    Phase 2  Setup Complexity      (HINGE, x3.5)
    Phase 3  Error Message Quality (x2.0)
    Phase 16 Contribution Guide    (x1.0)

  TRACK B — CODE QUALITY:
    Phase 4  TypeScript Strictness (x2.0)
    Phase 5  Code Documentation    (x2.0)
    Phase 6  Testing Infrastructure(x2.5)
    Phase 9  Dependency Management  (x2.0)

  TRACK C — PROCESS:
    Phase 7  CI/CD Pipeline        (x2.5)
    Phase 8  PR Process            (x1.5)
    Phase 11 Dev Tooling           (x2.0)
    Phase 10 Monorepo Structure    (x1.5)

  TRACK D — OPERATIONS:
    Phase 12 Environment Parity    (x2.0)
    Phase 13 Debug Tooling         (x1.5)
    Phase 14 Migration Guides      (x1.5)
    Phase 15 Changelog             (x1.0)

• Tracks run concurrently, not in sequence — the only ordering constraint is Phase 0 → all tracks.
• Track A (the HINGE EXPERIENCE) still gets 10x depth per Law 4 of the DOCTRINE; concurrency never dilutes hinge scrutiny.
• A track may itself fan out sub-lenses (e.g. README-rubric-20-items vs setup-step-count vs platform-compatibility evaluated in parallel) — depth is preserved, never traded for speed (R-46 / Law L5).
• Disjoint outputs preserve the OUTPUT CONTRACT: every track appends only to its

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