The settings.json bootstrap only fires when the file is ABSENT, so a
settings.json on a preserved named volume never picks up config added in a
later image (e.g. the observational-memory / pi-fork blocks, a newly-enabled
model). Users had to hand-merge after every upgrade.
On start, when settings.json already exists, deep-merge the template into it
with 'jq -s ".[0] * .[1]"' (template first, live second) so the user's values
always win and only MISSING keys are filled from the template. Arrays are
leaves (a model the user removed is not re-added). Rewrites only when the
merge changes something, backs up the original first, and skips safely (no
clobber) if either file is invalid JSON. Opt out with PI_SETTINGS_MERGE=0.
Add a recreate-sanity-check assertion that settings.json carries the
observational-memory + pi-fork blocks after recreate.
The history-flush guard was exported, so it leaked into child processes.
Any nested shell -- crucially each tmux pane (which inherits the tmux
server's env) -- then saw the guard already set and skipped installing
'history -a' in PROMPT_COMMAND. Those shells only persisted history on a
clean exit, so abrupt termination (docker stop, tmux kill-server, SIGKILL)
silently lost their in-memory history. zoxide was less affected (its hook
is installed unguarded and writes immediately).
Make the guard shell-local (drop 'export') so every new interactive shell
re-installs its own per-prompt flush. Add a recreate-sanity-check assertion
that a nested login shell still wires up 'history -a'.
Storage was never the issue: ~/.cache/bash (devbox-shell-history) and
~/.local/share/zoxide (devbox-zoxide) are both persistent named volumes.
pi-toolkit now symlinks pi-global-AGENTS.md -> ~/.pi/agent/AGENTS.md (pi's
global-instructions file, loaded at every start; directs the agent to read
the pi-extensions skill at session start). Add a recreate-sanity-check
assertion alongside the keybindings symlink check so a future image build
that bakes the new pi-toolkit verifies the wiring landed.
scripts/recreate-sanity-check.sh verifies what is actually live in a
recreated container — persisted volumes, pi runtime wiring (keybindings,
extensions, mempalace.ts bridge, settings.json, fork/obsmem/studio
registrations), /tmp/sshcm, skel defaults, /opt toolkits. smoke-test.sh
runs at build time with --entrypoint="" and cannot see any of this.
Variant (studio/plain) auto-detected via /opt/pi-studio. pi version is
asserted only with --expected-version (built from 'latest', no Dockerfile
pin to self-derive). Maintainer tooling, not baked into the image.
Documented in README and CHANGELOG.
Joakim Persson
pi