automaton/tasks/pre-commit-enforcement/SPEC.md

SPEC: Git Pre-Commit Hook for Task Enforcement

Overview

The .rules.md says "All changes must go through a task in tasks/{name}/" but nothing enforces it. The agent repeatedly makes ad-hoc edits and only creates tasks retroactively (or not at all). A pre-commit git hook mechanically blocks commits that lack a corresponding task.

Root Cause

The rule is passive (a file on disk) and relies on the agent remembering to check it. Every session starts fresh — past failures don't carry over. The agent has no active enforcement.

Solution

A scripts/pre-commit-hook.sh that:

1. Gets the list of changed files (staged + unstaged)
2. Checks if there's a task in tasks/ whose SPEC.md keywords match the changed files
3. If no matching task found, prints the changed files and asks: "Continue without a task? (y/N)"
4. If the user says no, exits non-zero and blocks the commit

The hook is installed via scripts/install-hooks.sh which copies it to .git/hooks/pre-commit.

Files

• scripts/pre-commit-hook.sh — the hook script
• scripts/install-hooks.sh — installer

Acceptance Criteria

• scripts/pre-commit-hook.sh blocks commits that change files without a matching task
• scripts/install-hooks.sh installs the hook into .git/hooks/pre-commit
• Hook allows commits when user confirms (y) despite no task
• Hook allows commits when a matching task exists in tasks/
• README updated to mention hook installation

Why This Fix Works

A pre-commit hook runs before every commit. The agent cannot bypass it without intentionally deciding to — and even then, the prompt forces conscious acknowledgment ("Continue without a task?") rather than simply forgetting.