feat(distiller)!: run on a mail trigger instead of the unimplemented schedule trigger

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -65,6 +65,14 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ### Changed
 
+- **Breaking:** `createResidentDistiller` runs on a `mail` trigger (CL-8798).
+  `CreateResidentDistillerOpts.cron` is replaced by a required `mailTo`, the
+  address the workflow's run is triggered at, and
+  `RESIDENT_DISTILLER_CRON_DEFAULT` is removed. The `schedule` trigger was
+  reserved with nothing behind it in `@intx/workflow`, so the distiller never
+  ticked, and 0.4.0 rejects it at `defineWorkflow`. Ticking is the host's job:
+  mail `mailTo` on a schedule, e.g. from `@corbits/cron`.
+- `@intx/*` dependencies move to 0.4.0 (CL-8797).
 - **Product narrative:** default path is **add → ingest elements → process**
   (one host pipeline). Pull feed + `createResidentDistiller` are optional
   multi-writer / backfill process helpers, not the primary ingest story.

README.md

@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ a tenant-session request:
 
 ```ts
 import { Hono } from "hono";
+import type { TenantEnv } from "@intx/hub-api";
 import {
   mountWorkflowMemory,
   type Memory,
@@ -137,6 +138,33 @@ docs. Details: [`docs/AUTHZ-DOCUMENT-ACCESS.md`](docs/AUTHZ-DOCUMENT-ACCESS.md).
 The resident distiller (`createResidentDistiller` / `runDistillTick`) is at
 `@corbits/memory/distiller`.
 
+### Resident distiller
+
+`createResidentDistiller` returns a mail-triggered workflow + agent, preloaded
+with the memory sidecar tools. It never ships a scheduler — the host owns
+ticking:
+
+```ts
+import { createResidentDistiller } from "@corbits/memory/distiller";
+
+const { workflow, agent } = createResidentDistiller({
+  mailTo: "resident-distiller@tenant.example.com",
+  inference: { sources: [{ provider: "openai", model: "gpt-4.1-mini" }] },
+});
+// deploy `workflow` (and `agent`) with the host's workflow-deploy; the run
+// fires on the first inbound mail at `mailTo` and stays live for the host
+// to keep addressing.
+```
+
+Ticking is a host concern, not this package's: point a scheduler at
+`mailTo` on whatever cadence you want. If the host already runs
+`@corbits/cron`, wire a schedule whose delivery mails `mailTo` — the same
+pattern a cron-ticked workflow uses everywhere on Interchange: the ticker
+polls for due rows and hands each one to the host's mail transport, so a
+mail-triggered workflow is ticked by addressing it directly. No import of
+`@corbits/cron` is required here; see its own README for `mountCron` /
+`createCronTicker` wiring.
+
 ### Lower-level: in-process calls, no HTTP
 
 `app` is optional. Passing only `config` builds the plane without

docs/DISTILLER.md

@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ cursor = result.nextCursor; // persist
 Inference is **always injected** (`distill` callback or host agent sources).
 The package never embeds a model.
 
-## Optional: schedule workflow scaffold (`createResidentDistiller`)
+## Optional: mail-triggered workflow scaffold (`createResidentDistiller`)
 
 Scaffold for hosts that still want a deployed agent with memory tools +
 system prompt (loop-safety, access-tag copy). Prefer wiring **process next to
@@ -76,13 +76,17 @@ add** in your ingest workflow; use this for backfill-style residency only.
 import { createResidentDistiller } from "@corbits/memory/distiller";
 
 const { workflow, generatorAgentId } = createResidentDistiller({
+  mailTo: "resident-distiller@tenant.example.com",
   inference: {
     sources: [{ provider: "openai", model: "gpt-4.1-mini" }],
   },
 });
 // Deploy only if you need a multi-writer pull consumer — not default ingest.
 ```
 
+The run fires on mail to `mailTo`. The host decides when: mail that address
+on a schedule, e.g. from `@corbits/cron`. This package owns no clock.
+
 ## Substrate (plane)
 
 | Piece | Where |

package.json

@@ -51,12 +51,12 @@
     "test:coverage": "bun test --coverage --coverage-reporter=lcov --coverage-reporter=text ./src"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "@intx/agent": "^0.3.0",
-    "@intx/authz": "^0.3.0",
-    "@intx/hub-api": "^0.3.0",
-    "@intx/log": "^0.3.0",
-    "@intx/types": "^0.3.0",
-    "@intx/workflow": "^0.3.0",
+    "@intx/agent": "^0.4.0",
+    "@intx/authz": "^0.4.0",
+    "@intx/hub-api": "^0.4.0",
+    "@intx/log": "^0.4.0",
+    "@intx/types": "^0.4.0",
+    "@intx/workflow": "^0.4.0",
     "arktype": "^2.1.29",
     "drizzle-orm": "^0.45.1",
     "hono": "^4.9.0",

src/distiller/constants.ts

@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
 /** Stable generator id for the resident distiller — use with feed excludeGenerator. */
 export const RESIDENT_DISTILLER_AGENT_ID = "resident-distiller";
 
-/** Default schedule: every 5 minutes. */
-export const RESIDENT_DISTILLER_CRON_DEFAULT = "*/5 * * * *";
-
 /** Default workflow id when host does not override. */
 export const RESIDENT_DISTILLER_WORKFLOW_ID = "resident-memory-distiller";

src/distiller/index.ts

@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
  * Two ways to run:
  *
  * 1. **Workflow** (recommended on Interchange):
- *    `createResidentDistiller({ inference })` → deploy the workflow.
+ *    `createResidentDistiller({ mailTo, inference })` → deploy the
+ *    workflow, then have the host mail `mailTo` on a schedule to tick it.
  *
  * 2. **Imperative tick** (any scheduler):
  *    `runDistillTick({ client, distill, after })` with your model in `distill`.
@@ -14,7 +15,6 @@
  */
 export {
   RESIDENT_DISTILLER_AGENT_ID,
-  RESIDENT_DISTILLER_CRON_DEFAULT,
   RESIDENT_DISTILLER_WORKFLOW_ID,
 } from "./constants.ts";
 

src/distiller/workflow.test.ts

@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@ import { SIDECAR_BUNDLE_ID } from "../sidecar-bundle.ts";
 import { createResidentDistiller } from "./workflow.ts";
 
 describe("createResidentDistiller", () => {
-  it("returns a schedule workflow with memory tools on the agent", () => {
+  it("returns a mail-triggered workflow with memory tools on the agent", () => {
     const { workflow, agent, generatorAgentId } = createResidentDistiller({
+      mailTo: "resident-distiller@tenant.example.com",
       inference: {
         sources: [{ provider: "openai", model: "gpt-4.1-mini" }],
       },
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ describe("createResidentDistiller", () => {
     expect(generatorAgentId).toBe(RESIDENT_DISTILLER_AGENT_ID);
     expect(workflow.id).toBe(RESIDENT_DISTILLER_WORKFLOW_ID);
     expect(workflow.triggers).toEqual([
-      { type: "schedule", cron: "*/5 * * * *" },
+      { type: "mail", to: "resident-distiller@tenant.example.com" },
     ]);
     expect(agent.id).toBe(RESIDENT_DISTILLER_AGENT_ID);
     // One factory: the memory sidecar bundle carries every memory tool.
@@ -29,22 +30,30 @@ describe("createResidentDistiller", () => {
     expect(agent.systemPrompt).toContain(RESIDENT_DISTILLER_AGENT_ID);
   });
 
-  it("allows cron and id overrides", () => {
+  it("allows mailTo and id overrides", () => {
     const { workflow, generatorAgentId, agent } = createResidentDistiller({
       id: "my-distiller",
       agentId: "my-agent",
-      cron: "0 * * * *",
+      mailTo: "my-agent@acme.example.com",
       inference: {
         sources: [{ provider: "openai", model: "gpt-4.1-mini" }],
       },
     });
     expect(workflow.id).toBe("my-distiller");
     expect(generatorAgentId).toBe("my-agent");
     expect(workflow.triggers[0]).toEqual({
-      type: "schedule",
-      cron: "0 * * * *",
+      type: "mail",
+      to: "my-agent@acme.example.com",
     });
     expect(agent.systemPrompt).toContain("my-agent");
     expect(agent.systemPrompt).not.toContain(RESIDENT_DISTILLER_AGENT_ID);
   });
+
+  it("does not carry a cron/schedule field in its public options", () => {
+    const opts: import("./workflow.ts").CreateResidentDistillerOpts = {
+      mailTo: "resident-distiller@tenant.example.com",
+      inference: { sources: [{ provider: "openai", model: "gpt-4.1-mini" }] },
+    };
+    expect("cron" in opts).toBe(false);
+  });
 });