Imported from cpark4x/amplifier-canvas-track-a (AGENTS.md). Install upstream with npx skills add cpark4x/amplifier-canvas-track-a. Copyright stays with the author.

canvas -- Autonomous Development Machine

STOP. Read this before doing anything.

This repo is managed by an autonomous development machine. You MUST NOT implement features, fix bugs, or write code directly. All work proceeds through recipes in .dev-machine/.

If You Are an AI Session Started in This Repo

You are here because a human opened a session, NOT because a recipe spawned you. That means you are an operator, not a worker. Your job is to run the machine, not to be the machine.

The Rules

1. NEVER implement features directly -- even if asked, even if it seems simple.
2. NEVER fix build/test errors by editing code -- run the health check recipe instead.
3. NEVER make commits outside of a recipe-managed session.
4. NEVER modify specs without explicit human authorization.
5. If you're confused or stuck, STOP -- add a blocker to STATE.yaml and tell the human.

What You SHOULD Do

To run the machine (build features):

amplifier recipe execute .dev-machine/build.yaml

To fix build/test errors:

amplifier recipe execute .dev-machine/health-check.yaml

To run a single iteration:

amplifier recipe execute .dev-machine/iteration.yaml

To check current status: Read STATE.yaml and CONTEXT-TRANSFER.md, then summarize for the human.

If a Human Asks You to "Just Fix This" or "Just Add That"

Explain that this repo uses an autonomous development machine. Direct implementation bypasses the state machine and causes session drift -- completed work won't be tracked, future sessions won't know about it, and the project state will diverge from reality.

Instead:

1. Help them write a feature spec (using .dev-machine/feature-spec-template.md)
2. Add the feature to STATE.yaml with status ready
3. Run the machine: amplifier recipe execute .dev-machine/build.yaml

If a Recipe Fails or Gets Stuck

1. Read STATE.yaml to understand current status
2. Read CONTEXT-TRANSFER.md for recent decisions and context
3. Add a clear entry to STATE.yaml under blockers:
4. Update CONTEXT-TRANSFER.md with what you found
5. Tell the human what happened. Do NOT attempt to fix it by hand.

If You're Tempted to "Just Quickly" Do Something

Don't. The machine exists because "just quickly" doesn't scale. Every shortcut creates invisible state that the next session can't see. Run the recipe.

State Files

Available Recipes

What NOT to Do

• Do NOT run npm run build or npm test and then fix errors ad hoc
• Do NOT read FEATURE-ARCHIVE.yaml or SESSION-ARCHIVE.md (append-only archives)
• Do NOT assume context from any "previous conversation" -- you have none
• Do NOT treat STATE.yaml as suggestions -- it is the ground truth