Daemon check-in digest: "commits since last ping" (bounded, branch- + brief-aware)

You are being dispatched from flower Brief #128: Daemon check-in digest: "commits since last ping" (bounded, branch- + brief-aware)

Recall pointer:
- Use recall_brief with id 128 for the full folder if you need provenance.

Target:
- project: flower (/Users/mikeferrara/Documents/code/flower)
- branch: flower/128-checkin-commits-digest
- worktree: not specified
- kind: fresh

Current brief spec:
## Ask
Add a bounded **"commits since your last ping"** section to the daemon check-in response so standing
daemons stay aware of movement landing elsewhere over an active session — a PR merged, a dependency
cleared — without pulling anything.

## Motivation
Daemons currently have zero visibility into what merged while they poll: a refine daemon can't tell that
a brief it refined just shipped, or that (e.g.) auto-dispatch work landed. flower already ingests commits
and parses the `Brief: #id` trailer, so the highest-value signal is cheap to surface right in the
check-in the daemon already runs.

## Scope — v1
On each `flower:daemon-checkin` (command output **and** the `daemon_checkin` MCP response), include a
**`commits_since_last_ping`** section.

### Which commits
- Commits that landed on **the branch the daemon's environment is currently checked out into** — resolve
  from the running environment / worktree; **do NOT assume `master`/`main`** (primary branch varies per
  project). (For now the daemon's checked-out branch IS the "active/merged-into" branch by convention.)
- **Own-project scope** only.
- Landed **between the daemon's previous check-in and now** (commit date after the prior check-in
  timestamp). **Zero commits → omit the section entirely.**

### Per-commit shape (lean)
- short sha · **subject (first line, truncated to ~80 chars + ellipsis** when longer) · **linked `#brief`
  id** (from the `Brief:` trailer) when present · up to **5** files touched (`+K more`).

### Bloat guards (hard — this is the whole point of keeping it lean)
- Cap at **~15 newest** commits; if more, append **`+N more since HH:MM`**.
- **Group by brief** where possible (commits sharing a `Brief: #id` collapse under it, e.g. "#117 — 3
  commits"), so long lists read as movement, not noise.
- Subject truncation (above) + 5-file cap + omit-when-empty.
- Respect #106's checkin-payload discipline (this is an *additive* bounded section; keep it small).

## Why the brief link is the payoff
The `Brief: #id` trailer turns raw commits into actionable awareness: a daemon instantly learns "a brief I
touched merged" or "a dependency cleared" and can react on its next tick instead of staying stale for a
poll interval (up to 120 min when dormant).

## Related / future (NOT v1)
- **Project-level "primary branch" config** — a per-project setting for the primary/deployed branch,
  defaulted from the checked-out branch at import or inferred from worktrees, instead of env-inferring it.
  Would make this feature (and others) branch-explicit. **Candidate for its own brief** (operator was
  "wondering" about it; env-inferred is fine for v1).
- The same "since last ping" digest could later carry other movement (newly-`planned` briefs,
  dependency-clears, roster changes) — v1 is commits only.
- **Cross-project awareness** for a daemon working across projects — parked as a future brainstorm
  (operator: not now).
- **Sibling of #106** (daemon-runtime context-efficiency review): #106 *trims* the checkin payload, this
  *adds* a bounded one — together they make the check-in response a lean "while you were away" briefing.

## Acceptance
- `flower:daemon-checkin` (+ MCP response) returns a bounded `commits_since_last_ping` for the daemon's
  checked-out branch + own project since the prior check-in: short sha / truncated subject / linked
  `#brief` / ≤5 files, capped ~15 + "+N more since HH:MM", grouped by brief, omitted when empty.
- No unbounded growth across a long dormant gap.
- `php artisan test` green + pint. `Brief: #128` trailer.

## Provenance
Operator idea (2026-07-03), refined with the operator: branch = env-checked-out (not master/main);
own-project; cap ~15 + group by brief; subject truncation; brief-link included. Speced by flower-refine.
Related: #106.

Recent/key trace events:
[1] participant_joined flower-refine: (no body)
[2] note_added flower-refine: Operator idea, refined with operator (2026-07-03). Add a bounded "commits since last ping" section to the daemon check-in response so standing daemons stay aware of what landed while they polled (e.g. a PR merged, a dependency cleared). Decisions: report commits on the daemon's CURRENT CHECKED-OUT branch in its env (do NOT assume master/main); own-project scope; per-commit = short sha + truncated subject + linked #brief (Brief: trailer) + ≤5 files; cap ~15 newest + "+N more since HH:MM", grouped by brief; omit when empty. Sibling to #106. Full spec via brief_update_spec.
[3] plan_proposed flower-refine: ## Ask
Add a bounded **"commits since your last ping"** section to the daemon check-in response so standing
daemons stay aware of movement landing elsewhere over an active session — a PR merged, a dependency
cleared — without pulling anything.

## Motivation
Daemons currently have zero visibility into what merged while they poll: a refine daemon can't tell that
a brief it refined just shipped, or that (e.g.) auto-dispatch work landed. flower already ingests commits
and parses the `Brief: #id` trailer, so the highest-value signal is cheap to surface right in the
check-in the daemon already runs.

## Scope — v1
On each `flower:daemon-checkin` (command output **and** the `daemon_checkin` MCP response), include a
**`commits_since_last_ping`** section.

### Which commits
- Commits that landed on **the branch the daemon's environment is currently checked out into** — resolve
  from the running environment / worktree; **do NOT assume `master`/`main`** (primary branch varies per
  project). (For now the daemon's checked-out branch IS the "active/merged-into" branch by convention.)
- **Own-project scope** only.
- Landed **between the daemon's previous check-in and now** (commit date after the prior check-in
  timestamp). **Zero commits → omit the section entirely.**

### Per-commit shape (lean)
- short sha · **subject (first line, truncated to ~80 chars + ellipsis** when longer) · **linked `#brief`
  id** (from the `Brief:` trailer) when present · up to **5** files touched (`+K more`).

### Bloat guards (hard — this is the whole point of keeping it lean)
- Cap at **~15 newest** commits; if more, append **`+N more since HH:MM`**.
- **Group by brief** where possible (commits sharing a `Brief: #id` collapse under it, e.g. "#117 — 3
  commits"), so long lists read as movement, not noise.
- Subject truncation (above) + 5-file cap + omit-when-empty.
- Respect #106's checkin-payload discipline (this is an *additive* bounded section; keep it small).

## Why the brief link is the payoff
The `Brief: #id` trailer turns raw commits into actionable awareness: a daemon instantly learns "a brief I
touched merged" or "a dependency cleared" and can react on its next tick instead of staying stale for a
poll interval (up to 120 min when dormant).

## Related / future (NOT v1)
- **Project-level "primary branch" config** — a per-project setting for the primary/deployed branch,
  defaulted from the checked-out branch at import or inferred from worktrees, instead of env-inferring it.
  Would make this feature (and others) branch-explicit. **Candidate for its own brief** (operator was
  "wondering" about it; env-inferred is fine for v1).
- The same "since last ping" digest could later carry other movement (newly-`planned` briefs,
  dependency-clears, roster changes) — v1 is commits only.
- **Cross-project awareness** for a daemon working across projects — parked as a future brainstorm
  (operator: not now).
- **Sibling of #106** (daemon-runtime context-efficiency review): #106 *trims* the checkin payload, this
  *adds* a bounded one — together they make the check-in response a lean "while you were away" briefing.

## Acceptance
- `flower:daemon-checkin` (+ MCP response) returns a bounded `commits_since_last_ping` for the daemon's
  checked-out branch + own project since the prior check-in: short sha / truncated subject / linked
  `#brief` / ≤5 files, capped ~15 + "+N more since HH:MM", grouped by brief, omitted when empty.
- No unbounded growth across a long dormant gap.
- `php artisan test` green + pint. `Brief: #128` trailer.

## Provenance
Operator idea (2026-07-03), refined with the operator: branch = env-checked-out (not master/main);
own-project; cap ~15 + group by brief; subject truncation; brief-link included. Speced by flower-refine.
Related: #106.
[4] status_change flower-refine: (no body)
[5] link_added flower-refine: (no body)
[6] link_added flower-refine: (no body)
[7] link_added flower-refine: (no body)

Recommended linked context:
{
    "todos": [],
    "scratchpads": [
        {
            "id": 364,
            "solo_scratchpad_id": "1055",
            "name": "flower-refine — reset handoff (2026-07-03)",
            "archived": false,
            "revision": 1
        },
        {
            "id": 375,
            "solo_scratchpad_id": "1067",
            "name": "flower-refine — reset handoff (2026-07-03 #2)",
            "archived": false,
            "revision": 2
        },
        {
            "id": 378,
            "solo_scratchpad_id": "1070",
            "name": "flower-refine — reset handoff (2026-07-04)",
            "archived": false,
            "revision": 2
        }
    ]
}

Execution notes:
- Treat the brief as the source of truth.
- Keep work scoped to this dispatch request.
- Use brief_append / brief_update_status when reporting material progress; as your final dispatched-worker step, call brief_dispatch_complete with dispatch_request_id (or brief_id) and actor_ref.
- Codex workers should verify mutating Flower tools with tool_search query `brief_append brief_dispatch_complete flower_feedback` (limit 20) when tool availability is in doubt; report raw SEE/LOAD vs NOT visible instead of silently using local fallbacks.
- Add a git commit trailer `Brief: #128` to every commit for this brief so flower can exact-link commits back to the brief.