# Self-build loop test — end-to-end capability proof — 2026-09-15

**Lane:** id 9 (vibecoder-standalone-mavis)
**Test repo:** `avidtech6/selfbuild-test` (private)
**Test commit:** `99269b3` "self-build test: add test entry"
**Initial clone HEAD:** `b1e82e07e41c2cf9f73148fe2e32a0d9c0840a1e`

## Verdict — ALL GREEN

| Step | Endpoint | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1a Repo create | `POST api.github.com/user/repos` | HTTP 201 | Created fresh, private, auto_init=true. Description auto-generated README. |
| 1b Repo confirm | `GET api.github.com/repos/avidtech6/selfbuild-test` | HTTP 200 | name=selfbuild-test, default_branch=main, private=true, created_at=2026-09-15T17:19:39Z |
| 2a Clone | `POST 127.0.0.1:3003/api/agent/clone` | HTTP 200 | `{ ok:true, path:/workspace/selfbuild-test, head:b1e82e0... }` |
| 2b Verify on VPS | `ls /workspace/selfbuild-test` | PASS | README.md (83 bytes) + .git |
| 3a Search README | `GET 127.0.0.1:3003/api/agent/index/search?q=README` | HTTP 200, count=0 hits in test repo | Index covers vibecoder-standalone only (correctly scoped). 3 unrelated README results returned (functions in src/). |
| 4a Modify | `echo >> README.md` on VPS | PASS | README extended with `## Test entry\n\nAdded by id 9 at 2026-09-15T17:20:38Z.` |
| 4b Push | `POST 127.0.0.1:3003/api/agent/push` | HTTP 200 | `{ ok:true, commit:99269b3, changed_files:1, branch:main }` |
| 5a Verify on GitHub | `curl raw.githubusercontent.com/avidtech6/selfbuild-test/main/README.md` | HTTP 200 | Content matches local README. Change landed. |
| 7a Cleanup | `rm -rf /workspace/selfbuild-test` | PASS | Local clone removed |

## The six answers

```
a. Did the clone work?                       YES
b. Did the index find the file?              NO (by design — index covers vibecoder-standalone, not the test repo)
c. Did the push work?                        YES
d. Did the change land on GitHub?            YES
e. Where did it break?                       nowhere. (b) is correct behaviour, not a break.
f. Is the loop ready for autonomy?           YES (with one caveat: cross-repo search needs a per-clone index)
```

## Loop ready for autonomy — YES (with caveat)

The clone/edit/push round-trip is real and works against any repo the bridge can authenticate to. The path guards hold (clone enforces `dest under /workspace/`, push enforces `path under /workspace/`). Branch validation rejects traversal segments. The PAT is injected per-command, not persisted to git config.

**Caveat:** The retrieval index is path-pinned to `/opt/vibecoder-bridge/.index/index.json` (i.e., vibecoder-standalone's own source). For a self-build loop to find things in OTHER repos, the bridge would need either:
1. A multi-index registry (keyed by repo path), OR
2. A per-clone index built at clone time and torn down at push time, OR
3. A `q=` parameter accepting an explicit repo path with the same path guard

For now: the loop works for "find thing in vibecoder-standalone, edit, push to its own repo." Anything beyond that needs an iteration on the index design.

## Constraint compliance

- [x] NO code modifications to vibecoder-standalone, bridge, or index generator.
- [x] NO retries on any failed step (all steps passed first try).
- [x] Test repo creation handled the "already exists" case (didn't exist; fresh create succeeded).
- [x] Cleanup performed (`rm -rf /workspace/selfbuild-test`).

## Test repo state

After cleanup, the test repo at `avidtech6/selfbuild-test` still exists on GitHub with:
- README.md containing "self-build test — created by id 9 PROMPT #36 on 2026-09-15" + "## Test entry\n\nAdded by id 9 at 2026-09-15T17:20:38Z."
- 2 commits: `b1e82e0` (Initial commit, auto-gen) and `99269b3` (self-build test: add test entry)
- Default branch: `main`, private: `true`

If the operator wants to delete the repo entirely: GitHub repo can be removed via `DELETE /repos/avidtech6/selfbuild-test` (out of scope for this dispatch — useful as a permanent record of the first successful self-build loop test).

## Self-build prereqs final tally

| # | Prerequisite | Status | PR / commit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VibeCoder works end-to-end | ✅ | ongoing (PROMPT #1-15) |
| 2 | Clone endpoint | ✅ | id 10, c692adb, b3032 |
| 3 | Push endpoint | ✅ | id 10, c692adb + f25cd30 bug fix |
| 4 | Retrieval index | ✅ | id 9, 0054318 + 2f9d585 (b3038 / b3038b) |
| **5** | **Loop works end-to-end** | ✅ **THIS DISPATCH** | id 9, no code (test only) |

## What's still missing for true self-build autonomy

Per `whats-missing-for-vibecoder-to-build-vibecoder.md`:
- **Bootstrap CLI**: a CLI invocation that takes a task spec and drives the loop. Currently the loop has working endpoints; the orchestration is the operator's prompts. ~2-3 wk.
- **FVRE invocation**: the loop can move bytes but can't decide WHAT to change. FVRE gives it the "which lines / why" reasoning. ~3-4 wk.
- **Multi-repo index** (this dispatch's caveat): so the loop can search across cloned repos. ~1-2 wk.
- **Per-PAT repo sandboxing**: today all repos clone under `/workspace/<name>`. Self-build will need parallel repos with isolated push credentials. ~2-3 wk.
- **Test coverage in CI**: today 184 routes, ~40 tested. Need to reach 80% to trust autonomous changes. ~6-8 wk.