v2.0: state enforcement, project scoping, harness integration

State Enforcement (v2.0):
- .state file as single source of truth for task phase
- Approval gates for research, decomposition, design, test_design
- status.py --transition refuses illegal phase transitions
- status.py --validate-folder detects out-of-order artifacts
- status.py --audit checks all tasks for violations
- status.py --create-task is the only valid way to create tasks
- Pre-v2.0 tasks without .state are UNTRACKED -- all commands refuse them
- New --upgrade command bootstraps .state files for existing tasks

Project Scoping:
- --project flag added to all status.py commands across 16+ files
- _find_project_dir errors instead of silently falling back to ~/.automaton/
- --scope-check marks framework files OUT_OF_SCOPE when working on a project
- Dashboard handlers use stored project_root instead of re-detecting from CWD
- Prompts reference ~/.automaton/scripts/vram_detect.py (not {project}/.automaton/)

Harness Integration:
- status.py --can-edit now supports project-level checks (no --task required)
- --can-edit --file checks file scope without --task
- --json output for machine-readable harness integration
- opencode plugin (plugins/automaton-guard/plugin.ts) intercepts edit/write
- Git pre-commit hook (scripts/git-hooks/pre-commit) blocks commits without task
- Formal integration contract (contracts/harness-integration.md)

Other:
- upgrade.sh delegates to status.py --upgrade instead of manual heuristics
- Phase prompts reference --project {project} for multi-project scoping
- 200 tests passing (14 new)

prompts/research.md

@@ -6,14 +6,44 @@ Your only job is to produce a clean, unambiguous specification. Do not write cod
 
 The Orchestrator reads files using a **layered approach** with a clear precedence:
 
-1. **Project overrides** (highest precedence): `{project}/.automaton/` — contains project-specific customizations
-2. **Global framework** (default): `~/.automaton/` — contains the base framework files
+1. {project}/.automaton/tasks/{task-name}/.state — Confirm the task is in the research phase. If the phase does not match, STOP and report the mismatch.
+2. **Project overrides** (highest precedence): `{project}/.automaton/` — contains project-specific customizations
+3. **Global framework** (default): `~/.automaton/` — contains the base framework files
 
 **Precedence rule**: If a file exists in the project's `.automaton/` directory, read it from there. If it doesn't exist, read it from the global `~/.automaton/` directory.
 
 1. {project}/.automaton/.rules.md (if exists — project override) OR ~/.automaton/.rules.md (global default) — project-specific rules
 2. {project}/.automaton/.agent.md (if exists — project override) OR ~/.automaton/.agent.md (global default) — project agent config
 
+## Pre-Work Validation (MANDATORY)
+
+Before starting any work, you MUST run:
+  python ~/.automaton/scripts/status.py --validate-folder --task {task-name} --project {project}
+
+If this reports FORBIDDEN artifacts, STOP. Do not proceed. Report the violation.
+
+## ALLOWED ACTIONS
+
+- Read project files
+- Ask clarifying questions
+- Write SPEC.md
+- Create research notes and exploration documents
+
+## FORBIDDEN ACTIONS
+
+- Do NOT edit any project code
+- Do NOT create IMPLEMENTATION.md, DESIGN.md, DECOMPOSITION.md, or any artifact other than SPEC.md
+- Do NOT skip to implementation regardless of what the user asks
+- Do NOT create task directories manually — use `python ~/.automaton/scripts/status.py --create-task`
+- Do NOT transition state — the Orchestrator handles state transitions via `status.py --transition`
+
+## Handling User Overrides
+
+If the user requests an action that is FORBIDDEN:
+1. Do NOT perform the forbidden action
+2. Respond with: "That action requires the implement phase. The current phase is research. To proceed, say 'orchestrate' and I will advance to the next phase."
+3. If the user insists, note their request but still do not perform the forbidden action
+
 ## Task
 
 {task-description}
@@ -78,6 +108,23 @@ Before writing the SPEC.md, you MUST get explicit sign-off from the user. Say:
 
 Only produce the SPEC.md after the user says "APPROVED" or equivalent.
 
+## Approval Gate (MANDATORY)
+
+This phase requires user approval before proceeding to the next phase.
+
+1. After producing the draft SPEC.md, transition to awaiting_approval:
+   python ~/.automaton/scripts/status.py --task {task-name} --project {project} --transition research:awaiting_approval
+
+2. Present the draft to the user for review and sign-off.
+
+3. After the user says "APPROVED" or equivalent:
+   python ~/.automaton/scripts/status.py --task {task-name} --project {project} --approve
+
+4. Then transition to the next phase:
+   python ~/.automaton/scripts/status.py --task {task-name} --project {project} --transition {next-phase}
+
+You MUST NOT transition past research:awaiting_approval without explicit user approval.
+
 ## Output
 
 Produce a file called SPEC.md at {project}/.automaton/tasks/{task-name}/SPEC.md that contains:
@@ -93,5 +140,6 @@ When the spec is complete, output "CONTRACT_MET" and stop.
 Do not add implementation details or suggestions.
 
 ## Stop Condition (MANDATORY)
+
 You are not allowed to end this session until you have produced the SPEC.md file AND output the exact phrase "CONTRACT_MET".
 Until then, continue working or ask clarifying questions.