Release 3.4.3: external ownership, truthful evidence, and lifecycle fixes

.agents/plugins/marketplace.json

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
   "plugins": [
     {
       "name": "codex-co-engineer",
-      "version": "3.4.2",
+      "version": "3.4.3",
       "description": "Give Codex a team of external co-engineers without giving up control. Delegating to Co-Engineer starts one bounded run. The honest shape is up to eight isolated external co-engineers, one bounded run, one coordinated wait, one verified decision.",
       "keywords": [
         "codex",

.codex/release-gate.toml

@@ -30,6 +30,27 @@ failure_class = "product_test_failed"
 timeout_seconds = 300
 quiet_seconds = 30
 
+[[stages]]
+name = "comparison-fixtures"
+kind = "unit_tests"
+command = ["node", "--no-warnings", "--test", "scripts/compare-coengineer-runs.test.mjs"]
+failure_class = "product_test_failed"
+timeout_seconds = 30
+
+[[stages]]
+name = "trial-usage-unit"
+kind = "unit_tests"
+command = ["node", "--no-warnings", "--test", "scripts/collect-coengineer-trial-usage.test.mjs"]
+failure_class = "product_test_failed"
+timeout_seconds = 30
+
+[[stages]]
+name = "qualification-prep-unit"
+kind = "unit_tests"
+command = ["node", "--no-warnings", "--test", "scripts/prepare-coengineer-qualification.test.mjs"]
+failure_class = "product_test_failed"
+timeout_seconds = 30
+
 [[stages]]
 name = "cursor-compatibility-unit"
 kind = "unit_tests"

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+name: Bug report
+description: Something did not work as expected.
+title: "[Bug]: "
+labels: ["bug"]
+body:
+  - type: markdown
+    attributes:
+      value: |
+        Thanks for reporting a problem. A short description of what you tried and what happened is enough to start. You do not need a technical diagnosis.
+
+        Security issues belong on the private [Security](https://github.com/ajhcs/Codex-Co-Engineer/security/advisories/new) route, not in a public issue. See [SECURITY.md](https://github.com/ajhcs/Codex-Co-Engineer/blob/main/SECURITY.md).
+  - type: textarea
+    id: attempt
+    attributes:
+      label: What did you try?
+      description: What you asked for or which steps you followed.
+      placeholder: Asked Codex to use Grok Co-Engineer to review the latest change…
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: actual
+    attributes:
+      label: What happened?
+      description: The outcome you saw, including any error text you are comfortable sharing.
+      placeholder: The run stayed preparing, or Codex reported a missing local boundary…
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: input
+    id: version
+    attributes:
+      label: Co-Engineer version (optional)
+      description: Public package or release tag if you know it (for example 3.4.2).
+      placeholder: 3.4.2
+    validations:
+      required: false
+  - type: dropdown
+    id: host
+    attributes:
+      label: Host (optional)
+      options:
+        - Codex CLI
+        - Codex Desktop or another Codex host
+        - Unsure / other
+      default: 2
+    validations:
+      required: false
+  - type: dropdown
+    id: provider
+    attributes:
+      label: Provider involved (optional)
+      options:
+        - None / not sure
+        - Grok
+        - Cursor Local
+        - Cursor Cloud
+        - Muse (DSH)
+        - More than one
+      default: 0
+    validations:
+      required: false
+  - type: textarea
+    id: expected
+    attributes:
+      label: What did you expect instead? (optional)
+    validations:
+      required: false
+  - type: textarea
+    id: repro
+    attributes:
+      label: Reproduction notes (optional)
+      description: Smallest steps that reproduce the problem. Synthetic or redacted data only.
+    validations:
+      required: false
+  - type: textarea
+    id: evidence
+    attributes:
+      label: Redacted evidence (optional)
+      description: Paste only sanitized excerpts. Do not include credentials, private paths, full prompts, or private repository contents.
+      placeholder: Sanitized status excerpt or failure category…
+    validations:
+      required: false

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/config.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+blank_issues_enabled: false
+contact_links:
+  - name: Security vulnerability
+    url: https://github.com/ajhcs/Codex-Co-Engineer/security/advisories/new
+    about: Private vulnerability reports only. Do not open a public issue for undisclosed security problems. See SECURITY.md.
+  - name: Support overview
+    url: https://github.com/ajhcs/Codex-Co-Engineer/blob/main/SUPPORT.md
+    about: Where to ask questions, report problems, and what helps maintainers.

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/feature.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+name: Feature or improvement
+description: Suggest an outcome or improvement without designing the implementation.
+title: "[Feature]: "
+labels: ["enhancement"]
+body:
+  - type: markdown
+    attributes:
+      value: |
+        Describe the outcome you want. You do not need to design the implementation.
+
+        Questions and usage help belong in a [Question](https://github.com/ajhcs/Codex-Co-Engineer/issues/new?template=question.yml) issue. Security reports stay on the private [Security](https://github.com/ajhcs/Codex-Co-Engineer/security/advisories/new) route.
+  - type: textarea
+    id: outcome
+    attributes:
+      label: Desired outcome
+      description: What should become possible or easier?
+      placeholder: After a failed setup on a supported host, the error should name the missing requirement and the next check to run…
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: current
+    attributes:
+      label: Current behavior or workaround (optional)
+      description: What happens today, or how you work around it.
+    validations:
+      required: false
+  - type: textarea
+    id: example
+    attributes:
+      label: Example (optional)
+      description: A short scenario, sample prompt, or before/after sketch. Avoid implementation prescriptions unless you are offering a concrete patch later.
+    validations:
+      required: false

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/question.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+name: Question or workflow
+description: Ask for help or share a useful workflow. Discussions is not enabled on this repository.
+title: "[Question]: "
+labels: ["question"]
+body:
+  - type: markdown
+    attributes:
+      value: |
+        GitHub Discussions is not enabled for this repository, so questions use Issues.
+
+        For bugs, use the Bug report form. For vulnerabilities, use the private [Security](https://github.com/ajhcs/Codex-Co-Engineer/security/advisories/new) route.
+  - type: textarea
+    id: question
+    attributes:
+      label: Your question or workflow
+      description: What you are trying to do, where you are stuck, or a small workflow others can try.
+    validations:
+      required: true
+  - type: textarea
+    id: context
+    attributes:
+      label: Useful context (optional)
+      description: Version, host, chosen provider, or a short redacted excerpt. No credentials or private paths.
+    validations:
+      required: false

.github/pull_request_template.md

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+## Problem
+
+What concrete problem or gap does this change address?
+
+## Result
+
+What behavior or documentation changes for the user or maintainer?
+
+## Checks
+
+List the focused commands you ran (fixture tests preferred; no paid-provider runs required for ordinary docs or fixture work).
+
+```text
+# example
+node --no-warnings --test plugins/codex-co-engineer/test/r1-final-decision-card.test.mjs
+```
+
+## Limits
+
+Known gaps, follow-ups, or intentionally out-of-scope items.
+
+## Agent assistance (optional)
+
+If an agent drafted or edited substantial parts of this change, say so briefly and note what you personally reviewed or verified. You own the complete diff and the claims in this pull request.

.github/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ jobs:
       NPM_CONFIG_CACHE: /tmp/codex-acpx-release-npm-cache
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
       - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
           node-version: 24
@@ -24,6 +26,9 @@ jobs:
       - run: umask 077 && node scripts/validate-release.mjs
       - run: umask 077 && npm --prefix tools/acpx-vendor ci --ignore-scripts --no-audit --no-fund
       - run: umask 077 && npm --prefix plugins/codex-co-engineer test
+      - run: umask 077 && node --no-warnings --test scripts/compare-coengineer-runs.test.mjs
+      - run: umask 077 && node --no-warnings --test scripts/collect-coengineer-trial-usage.test.mjs
+      - run: umask 077 && node --no-warnings --test scripts/prepare-coengineer-qualification.test.mjs
       - run: umask 077 && npm --prefix plugins/cursor-cloud-control test
       - run: umask 077 && npm --prefix tools/acpx-vendor run test:publish-provenance
       - run: umask 077 && node scripts/inspector-preflight.mjs

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -2,6 +2,62 @@
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [3.4.3] - 2026-09-11
+
+Published at the maintainer's direction with partial qualification. Independent
+code review, real owned corrections, Astra acceptance, the automated release
+gate, and GitHub CI passed. Measured benefit, clean-agent onboarding, refreshed
+native-host acceptance, and Desktop wait/recovery evidence remain incomplete.
+No savings claim is made. See [PR43](https://github.com/ajhcs/Codex-Co-Engineer/pull/43)
+and the [release notes](docs/releases/v3.4.3.md) for retained failures and limits;
+existing qualification requirements remain unchanged.
+
+### Added
+
+- Explicit provider preferences and bounded candidate revisions through the
+  existing Co-Engineer tool surface, preserving external ownership and prior
+  evidence instead of rebuilding correction assignments in the lead agent.
+
+- Ordinary run results and on-demand usage evidence through the existing ledger
+  and decision-card helpers; unknown usage stays unknown and completion never
+  implies Codex acceptance.
+- A one-provider first-outcome example, issue forms, PR template, support links,
+  contributor tasks, roadmap, and a documented real development correction loop.
+- Reproducible frozen comparison cases and an offline analyzer covering native
+  helpers, corrections, failed attempts, exact source identities, and missing
+  acceptance coverage. Synthetic fixtures do not establish savings.
+- OpenAI showcase preparation with the current local-MCP submission limitation.
+
+### Changed
+
+- Delegate complete engineering assignments, checks and corrections to external
+  owners; return compact evidence for Astra and other autonomous lead agents.
+  Preserve final review, host model defaults, and repository authorization.
+
+- Cap owned correction chains at three rounds, reserve one admitted child per
+  producer across server processes, and retain lineage through restart.
+
+### Fixed
+
+- Settle ACP results after persistent-client finalization so immediate runtime
+  close can clean up agents and descendants; retain a deterministic ordering
+  regression and the independently reviewed correction history.
+
+- Point public Grok install docs at the official Grok Build overview and
+  document `grok login` / `grok login --device-auth` subscription login for
+  first-outcome work (no API key).
+- Restore the distinct local marketplace-wrapper path for older open projects
+  that share the public marketplace identity, keep the shipped marketplace
+  manifest stable, and require `plugin/list` persistence checks after restart.
+- Align the 3.4.3 evaluation gate so Astra own-output is measured versus
+  published 3.4.2 (helpers do not satisfy) and paid work does not dispatch
+  beyond the $25 cap.
+- Make supported deadline extensions govern the active ACP turn and preserve
+  timeout/cancellation truth after partial provider output.
+- Preserve empty capability restrictions and complete Unicode review feedback;
+  reject unproven producers and competing feedback instead of silently dropping it.
+- Direct terminal uncertainty to inspection and keep active work on bounded waits.
+
 ## [3.4.2] - 2026-09-08
 
 ### Fixed

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -1,9 +1,17 @@
 # Contributing
 
-Thanks for helping improve Codex-Co-Engineer. The project is intentionally a
-thin trusted supervisor for Grok, Cursor Local, Cursor Cloud, and DeepSeek
-Harness (DSH). Keep provider capabilities intact and avoid rebuilding a
-second sandbox, target-attestation layer, daemon, or policy engine.
+Thanks for helping improve Codex-Co-Engineer. Documentation fixes, examples,
+compatibility reports, reproductions, tests, and code are all welcome. You do
+not need to start with a large provider change.
+
+**Good first contributions** live in [docs/contributor-tasks.md](docs/contributor-tasks.md).
+Report problems and ask questions through [SUPPORT.md](SUPPORT.md). The
+[roadmap](docs/roadmap.md) separates the 3.4.3 adoption package from later work.
+
+The project is intentionally a thin trusted supervisor for Grok, Cursor Local,
+Cursor Cloud, and DeepSeek Harness (DSH). Keep provider capabilities intact and
+avoid rebuilding a second sandbox, target-attestation layer, daemon, or policy
+engine.
 
 ## Before opening a pull request
 
@@ -17,6 +25,14 @@ not a sandbox or capability restriction. `npm run setup:check` validates the
 CLI/worktree dependencies, while the release/live acceptance validates this
 host boundary.
 
+Focused fixture check (no paid provider required):
+
+```bash
+node --no-warnings --test plugins/codex-co-engineer/test/r1-final-decision-card.test.mjs
+```
+
+Broader local verification before a larger change:
+
 ```bash
 node --version
 npm --prefix plugins/codex-co-engineer test
@@ -94,3 +110,7 @@ release inventory check, MCP Inspector preflight, ACPX provenance/reproducible
 checks, and package-inventory review. Update `CHANGELOG.md` for
 user-visible behavior. Codex reviews and merges the release PR only after
 those checks and any explicit live acceptance are complete.
+
+Agent-assisted drafts are welcome when the submitter owns the complete diff,
+reviews it, and states briefly what was checked. Prefer the pull request
+template's short disclosure over lengthy attestations.