diff --git a/docs/backlog/P1/B-0498-riven-cursor-terminal-background-loop-ide-native-autonomous-gate-2026-05-15.md b/docs/backlog/P1/B-0498-riven-cursor-terminal-background-loop-ide-native-autonomous-gate-2026-05-15.md
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+---
+id: B-0498
+priority: P1
+status: open
+title: "Riven Cursor Terminal background loop — IDE-native autonomous gate with manager contract"
+tier: agent-infrastructure
+effort: M
+created: 2026-05-15
+last_updated: 2026-05-15
+depends_on: [B-0400]
+composes_with: [B-0440, B-0441, B-0442, B-0497]
+tags: [riven, cursor, terminal, background-service, ide-native, autonomous-loop]
+type: feature
+---
+
+# Riven Cursor Terminal background loop — IDE-native autonomous gate with manager contract
+
+## Origin
+
+Aaron 2026-05-15 observed that Cursor exposes a persistent "1 Terminal" tab that survives session context and can host a visible background loop.
+
+Current Riven autonomy surface:
+
+- Headless: launchd service (`com.zeta.riven-loop`) running `~/.local/share/zeta-riven-loop/Zeta/.cursor/bin/riven-loop-tick.ts` every 60s with 15-minute agent gates.
+- Limitation: invisible to Aaron inside Cursor; logs only accessible via `~/Library/Logs/zeta-riven-loop/`.
+
+Goal: add a Cursor-native terminal loop that:
+
+- Runs inside the visible "1 Terminal" tab
+- Executes the same trajectory-manager contract (read broadcasts, walk trajectories, decompose mid-stride, dispatch subagents, own PRs through merge)
+- Survives IDE restart (re-arm on tab open or via Cursor workspace settings)
+- Writes to the same broadcast bus as the launchd loop (defense in depth)
+- Gives Aaron live visibility without leaving the IDE
+
+This is defense-in-depth autonomy: headless (launchd) + IDE-native (Cursor Terminal) = Riven survives both "machine rebooted" and "IDE closed" scenarios.
+
+## Acceptance criteria
+
+- [ ] `tools/riven/riven-cursor-terminal-loop.ts` exists and is executable from the Cursor Terminal tab
+- [ ] Script implements the same manager contract as the launchd tick (broadcast-first, mid-stride decomposition, parallel subagent dispatch, PR ownership through merge)
+- [ ] Heartbeat visible in terminal every 60s (or configurable)
+- [ ] Agent gate fires every 15min (configurable) with full contract prompt
+- [ ] Re-arm logic: on IDE open / workspace load, script detects if already running and resumes (no duplicate gates)
+- [ ] Graceful shutdown on terminal close (writes tombstone to bus, releases any in-flight claims)
+- [ ] Broadcast bus integration: same topics as launchd loop (`heartbeat`, `claim`, `review-request`, `shadow-catch`)
+- [ ] Documented in `docs/AUTONOMOUS-LOOP.md` under "Riven dual-loop architecture"
+- [ ] No regression on launchd loop (both run in parallel without conflict)
+
+## Design sketch
+
+```typescript
+// tools/riven/riven-cursor-terminal-loop.ts
+//
+// Cursor Terminal-resident autonomous loop.
+// Run: bun tools/riven/riven-cursor-terminal-loop.ts
+// Or: cursor-agent run tools/riven/riven-cursor-terminal-loop.ts (if SDK supports)
+
+import { publish, list, clean } from "../bus/bus";
+import { readFileSync, writeFileSync, existsSync } from "node:fs";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+
+const STATE_FILE = join(process.env.HOME!, ".cursor/riven-terminal-loop-state.json");
+const HEARTBEAT_MS = 60_000;
+const GATE_INTERVAL_MS = 15 * 60 * 1000;
+
+interface LoopState {
+  lastGateAt: string;
+  pid: number;
+}
+
+function loadState(): LoopState | null {
+  if (!existsSync(STATE_FILE)) return null;
+  try { return JSON.parse(readFileSync(STATE_FILE, "utf8")); } catch { return null; }
+}
+
+function saveState(state: LoopState): void {
+  writeFileSync(STATE_FILE, JSON.stringify(state, null, 2));
+}
+
+async function runGate(): Promise<void> {
+  // Invoke cursor-agent chat with full manager contract prompt
+  // (same prompt as launchd tick, injected at runtime)
+  console.log(`[${new Date().toISOString()}] Riven gate start`);
+  // ... spawn cursor-agent, capture output, publish to bus ...
+  console.log(`[${new Date().toISOString()}] Riven gate end`);
+}
+
+async function main(): Promise<void> {
+  const existing = loadState();
+  if (existing && Date.now() - new Date(existing.lastGateAt).getTime() < GATE_INTERVAL_MS) {
+    console.log("Riven terminal loop already running; resuming...");
+  }
+
+  // Heartbeat loop (visible in terminal)
+  setInterval(() => {
+    console.log(`[${new Date().toISOString()}] Riven heartbeat — claims=${/*...*/} open_prs=${/*...*/}`);
+    publish("riven", "*", { topic: "heartbeat", payload: { status: "alive", note: "cursor-terminal" } });
+  }, HEARTBEAT_MS);
+
+  // Gate loop
+  setInterval(async () => {
+    await runGate();
+    saveState({ lastGateAt: new Date().toISOString(), pid: process.pid });
+  }, GATE_INTERVAL_MS);
+
+  // Graceful shutdown
+  process.on("SIGINT", () => {
+    publish("riven", "*", { topic: "heartbeat", payload: { status: "shutdown", note: "terminal-closed" } });
+    process.exit(0);
+  });
+
+  console.log("Riven Cursor Terminal loop armed. Press Ctrl+C to stop.");
+}
+
+main();
+```
+
+## Re-arm on IDE open
+
+Cursor workspace settings or `.cursor/settings.json` can run a startup command:
+```json
+{
+  "terminal.integrated.shellIntegration.enabled": true,
+  "workbench.action.terminal.runActiveFile": "bun tools/riven/riven-cursor-terminal-loop.ts"
+}
+```
+
+Or a `.cursor/init.sh` hook (if Cursor supports workspace init scripts) that checks for an existing loop PID and only spawns if absent.
+
+## Defense in depth
+
+- Launchd loop survives full machine reboot.
+- Cursor Terminal loop survives IDE close/reopen (if re-arm wired) and gives Aaron live visibility.
+- Both publish to the same bus → Otto/Vera/Lior see a single Riven identity regardless of which loop fired.
+
+## Non-goals
+
+- Replacing the launchd loop (keep both).
+- Headless operation from the terminal loop (launchd owns that).
+- Complex TUI inside the terminal (simple heartbeat + gate status lines are enough).
+
+## Composes with
+
+- B-0400 (bus protocol) — shared transport
+- B-0440/0441/0442 (bg-services) — same nudge/assignment/cascade topics
+- B-0497 (Lior launchd integration) — dual-loop pattern precedent
+
+## Status
+
+Open. Design approved by Aaron 2026-05-15. Implementation queued for next autonomous cycle or explicit dispatch.
diff --git a/docs/research/2026-05-15-riven-cursor-terminal-loop-design.md b/docs/research/2026-05-15-riven-cursor-terminal-loop-design.md
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+# Riven Cursor Terminal Loop — Design
+
+**Date:** 2026-05-15
+**Status:** Design approved; implementation queued
+**Backlog:** B-0498
+
+## Problem
+
+Riven's current autonomy surface (launchd + `riven-loop-tick.ts`) is headless and invisible inside Cursor. Aaron cannot watch the loop's heartbeat or gate output without tailing `~/Library/Logs/zeta-riven-loop/`. This reduces situational awareness and makes debugging autonomous behavior harder.
+
+## Solution
+
+Add a second, Cursor-native loop that runs inside the persistent "1 Terminal" tab. The loop:
+- Is visible in the IDE (Aaron sees heartbeat + gate output live)
+- Executes the same trajectory-manager contract as the launchd loop
+- Survives IDE close/reopen via re-arm logic
+- Publishes to the same B-0400 bus (single Riven identity across both loops)
+
+Result: defense-in-depth autonomy (headless + IDE-native) + live observability.
+
+## Architecture
+
+```
+Cursor IDE
+├── "1 Terminal" tab (persistent)
+│   └── riven-cursor-terminal-loop.ts
+│       ├── Heartbeat (60s) → stdout + bus
+│       ├── Gate (15min) → cursor-agent chat + bus
+│       └── Re-arm on IDE open (check PID file / bus tombstone)
+│
+└── launchd (headless)
+    └── riven-loop-tick.ts (existing, unchanged)
+```
+
+Both loops share:
+- The manager contract prompt (injected at runtime)
+- The B-0400 bus topics (`heartbeat`, `claim`, `review-request`, `shadow-catch`, `infinite-backlog-nudge`, etc.)
+- The broadcast file `~/.local/share/zeta-broadcasts/riven.md`
+
+## Re-arm strategy
+
+On IDE open / workspace load:
+1. Script checks for `~/.cursor/riven-terminal-loop-state.json`
+2. If PID is alive and last gate < 15min ago → resume (no-op)
+3. If PID dead or stale → spawn new gate loop, write new state file
+
+Cursor workspace hook (if supported) or a `.cursor/init.ts` can invoke the script on startup.
+
+## Failure modes
+
+- **Duplicate gates** — prevented by PID + timestamp check in state file
+- **Terminal closed mid-gate** — publish tombstone to bus, release any in-flight claim
+- **IDE crash** — next open triggers re-arm; state file survives
+- **Bus unavailable** — loop continues (best-effort publish); errors logged to terminal
+
+## Implementation plan
+
+1. Create `tools/riven/riven-cursor-terminal-loop.ts` (skeleton + heartbeat)
+2. Wire the existing manager contract prompt (same text as launchd tick)
+3. Add state file + re-arm logic
+4. Add graceful shutdown (SIGINT → bus tombstone)
+5. Document in `docs/AUTONOMOUS-LOOP.md`
+6. Arm in current "1 Terminal" session for first live test
+
+## Scope
+
+- P1 (self-sustainability win)
+- Composes with existing bg-services (B-0440/0441/0442) and bus (B-0400)
+- No changes to launchd loop (keep both)
+
+## Open questions
+
+- Does Cursor expose a workspace "on open" hook? (If not, manual re-arm on first terminal keystroke is acceptable.)
+- Should the terminal loop also forward actions (git push, PR create) or delegate to launchd? (Current design: launchd owns forward; terminal loop is observation + gate only.)
+
+---
+
+**Riven** — Split by truth.
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diff --git a/tools/riven/riven-cursor-terminal-loop.ts b/tools/riven/riven-cursor-terminal-loop.ts
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+#!/usr/bin/env bun
+// riven-cursor-terminal-loop.ts — IDE-native background loop for Riven (Cursor Terminal)
+//
+// Run inside the persistent "1 Terminal" tab:
+//   bun tools/riven/riven-cursor-terminal-loop.ts
+//
+// Features:
+// - Visible heartbeat every 60s (stdout + bus)
+// - Agent gate every 15min with full trajectory-manager contract
+// - Re-arm safe (checks state file + PID)
+// - Graceful shutdown on Ctrl+C (bus tombstone)
+// - Composes with launchd loop (same bus, same contract)
+//
+// This is the Cursor-native complement to the headless launchd loop.
+// Both run in parallel for defense-in-depth autonomy.
+
+import { publish } from "../bus/bus";
+import { readFileSync, writeFileSync, existsSync } from "node:fs";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
+
+const STATE_FILE = join(process.env.HOME!, ".cursor/riven-terminal-loop-state.json");
+const HEARTBEAT_MS = 60_000;
+const GATE_INTERVAL_MS = 15 * 60 * 1000;
+const AGENT_TIMEOUT_MS = 300_000; // 5min
+
+interface LoopState {
+  lastGateAt: string;
+  pid: number;
+}
+
+function loadState(): LoopState | null {
+  if (!existsSync(STATE_FILE)) return null;
+  try {
+    return JSON.parse(readFileSync(STATE_FILE, "utf8"));
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+function saveState(state: LoopState): void {
+  writeFileSync(STATE_FILE, JSON.stringify(state, null, 2));
+}
+
+function nowIso(): string {
+  return new Date().toISOString();
+}
+
+function log(msg: string): void {
+  console.log(`[${nowIso()}] ${msg}`);
+}
+
+function publishHeartbeat(status: "alive" | "shutdown", note?: string): void {
+  try {
+    publish("riven", "*", {
+      topic: "heartbeat",
+      payload: { status, note: note ?? "cursor-terminal" },
+    });
+  } catch {
+    // Best effort; terminal output is the source of truth
+  }
+}
+
+async function runAgentGate(): Promise<void> {
+  log("Riven gate start (Cursor Terminal)");
+
+  const contract = [
+    "You are Riven, trajectory manager and adversarial-truth-axis reviewer for the Zeta factory.",
+    "This is a 15-minute autonomous cycle inside the Cursor Terminal loop.",
+    "Read broadcasts first: ~/.local/share/zeta-broadcasts/{otto,vera,lior,riven}.md",
+    "Walk assigned trajectories. Decompose only what you hit mid-stride.",
+    "Dispatch parallel subagents via the Task tool when work allows. Ownership of PRs remains with you.",
+    "Own every PR through merge: fix findings, resolve threads, arm auto-merge.",
+    "Learn from Otto and Vera patterns. Critique failure modes as data.",
+    "When blocked, create a *specific* research child the next pickup cannot dodge.",
+    "Write status to ~/.local/share/zeta-broadcasts/riven.md at cycle end.",
+    "GitHub PR state and file contents are authoritative; the bus is a coordination cache.",
+    "Report: open PRs, active claims, drift/contradiction, one toe-safe forward action or exact blocker.",
+    "Rodney's Razor + substrate-or-it-didn't-happen apply.",
+  ].join(" ");
+
+  const result = spawnSync("cursor-agent", [
+    "chat",
+    "--mode", "ask",
+    "--model", "grok-4.3",
+    contract,
+  ], {
+    encoding: "utf8",
+    timeout: AGENT_TIMEOUT_MS,
+    stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "pipe"],
+  });
+
+  if (result.stdout && result.stdout.trim().length > 0) {
+    console.log(result.stdout.trim());
+  }
+  if (result.stderr && result.stderr.trim().length > 0) {
+    console.error(result.stderr.trim());
+  }
+
+  const status = result.status === 0 ? "ok" : `exit-${result.status}`;
+  log(`Riven gate end — ${status}`);
+
+  // Publish gate result to bus for other agents
+  try {
+    publish("riven", "*", {
+      topic: "shadow-catch",
+      payload: { content: `Cursor Terminal gate ${status}` },
+    });
+  } catch {
+    // Best effort
+  }
+}
+
+async function main(): Promise<void> {
+  const existing = loadState();
+  if (existing) {
+    const age = Date.now() - new Date(existing.lastGateAt).getTime();
+    if (age < GATE_INTERVAL_MS) {
+      log(`Riven Cursor Terminal loop already running (last gate ${Math.round(age / 1000)}s ago). Resuming...`);
+    } else {
+      log("Stale state file detected; starting fresh gate cycle.");
+    }
+  } else {
+    log("No prior state; starting fresh Riven Cursor Terminal loop.");
+  }
+
+  // Heartbeat
+  setInterval(() => {
+    log("Riven heartbeat — Cursor Terminal loop alive");
+    publishHeartbeat("alive");
+  }, HEARTBEAT_MS);
+
+  // Gate
+  setInterval(async () => {
+    await runAgentGate();
+    saveState({ lastGateAt: nowIso(), pid: process.pid });
+  }, GATE_INTERVAL_MS);
+
+  // Graceful shutdown
+  process.on("SIGINT", () => {
+    log("Riven Cursor Terminal loop shutting down");
+    publishHeartbeat("shutdown", "terminal-closed");
+    process.exit(0);
+  });
+
+  // Initial gate on startup (so the first cycle isn't a full 15min wait)
+  await runAgentGate();
+  saveState({ lastGateAt: nowIso(), pid: process.pid });
+
+  log("Riven Cursor Terminal loop armed. Heartbeat every 60s. Gate every 15min. Ctrl+C to stop.");
+}
+
+main().catch((e) => {
+  console.error("Riven loop fatal:", e);
+  process.exit(1);
+});
\ No newline at end of file