backlog(B-0558): worktree-pool primitive — pre-allocated isolated sideticks per Otto identity

docs/BACKLOG.md

@@ -680,5 +680,6 @@ are closed (status: closed in frontmatter)._
 - [ ] **[B-0537](backlog/P3/B-0537-memory-md-index-entry-lengths-cleanup-and-gate-2026-05-15.md)** memory/MEMORY.md index-entry length cleanup (100 long entries) + CI gate
 - [ ] **[B-0553](backlog/P3/B-0553-audit-backlog-status-drift-detection-2026-05-16.md)** Backlog status-drift auditor — detect `status: open` rows whose primary artifact has already shipped
 - [ ] **[B-0557](backlog/P3/B-0557-audit-backlog-status-drift-quality-improvements-2026-05-16.md)** Audit-backlog-status-drift — quality improvements per PR #3758 reviewer findings
+- [ ] **[B-0558](backlog/P3/B-0558-worktree-pool-primitive-per-otto-identity-2026-05-16.md)** Worktree-pool primitive — pre-allocated isolated sideticks per Otto identity
 
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docs/backlog/P3/B-0558-worktree-pool-primitive-per-otto-identity-2026-05-16.md

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+---
+id: B-0558
+priority: P3
+status: open
+title: "Worktree-pool primitive — pre-allocated isolated sideticks per Otto identity"
+tier: factory-infrastructure
+effort: M
+created: 2026-05-16
+depends_on: []
+composes_with: [B-0506, B-0519, B-0530]
+tags: [autonomous-loop, multi-Otto-CLI, git-contention, worktree, mechanization]
+type: feat
+---
+
+# Worktree-pool primitive — pre-allocated isolated sideticks per Otto identity
+
+## Origin
+
+Tick 06:43Z-07:18Z (2026-05-16): a fresh-cold-boot Otto-CLI session firing during peer Otto's active cascade took **4 commit attempts** to ship a tick shard. The 4 attempts empirically validated all 4 distinct failure sub-cases of [`.claude/rules/claim-acquire-before-worktree-work.md`](../../../.claude/rules/claim-acquire-before-worktree-work.md)'s borrow-on-existing pattern under sustained multi-Otto saturation:
+
+| # | Sub-case | Mitigation status |
+|---|---|---|
+| 1 | Existing-branch-name reuse → peer-WIP commit inheritance | ✓ uniquified name + git rev-parse pre-check |
+| 2 | Concurrent-WIP-blocked switch | ✓ wait for working-tree-clean window (capacity-limited) |
+| 3 | Pack-dir B-0530 race on `git worktree add` | ✗ NO MITIGATION — needs [B-0530](B-0530-cron-sentinel-mutex-prevent-otto-cli-self-contention-2026-05-15.md) mutex |
+| 4 | Pruned-sidetick race | ✗ NO MITIGATION — needs THIS ROW |
+
+Empirical anchors:
+- Shard PR [#3808](https://github.com/Lucent-Financial-Group/Zeta/pull/3808) (`docs/hygiene-history/ticks/2026/05/16/0715Z.md`) — the 4-tick-arc evidence
+- Rule PR [#3812](https://github.com/Lucent-Financial-Group/Zeta/pull/3812) — operationalizes sub-cases 1+2 mitigations into rule body, flags 3+4 as needing substrate-engineer work
+
+## Problem
+
+Sub-case 4 (pruned-sidetick race) blocks fresh-cold-boot Otto-CLI sessions from finding ANY clean workspace when:
+
+1. New `git worktree add` hits sub-case 3 (B-0530 race; hangs on pack-dir contention)
+2. Existing-sidetick fallback (per the borrow-on-existing rule) requires walking `git worktree list` and picking a sidetick listed there
+3. BUT — peer Otto sessions periodically prune stale sidetick directories. The directory disappears between the `git worktree list` snapshot and the borrow attempt
+4. Result: `git -C <sidetick>` returns "cannot change to ... No such file or directory" — fresh session has no fallback
+
+Empirical: the canonical sidetick `/private/tmp/zeta-otto-cli-0027z-sidetick` was listed in `git worktree list` at 07:09Z (this session) and pruned by the time of the borrow attempt seconds later.
+
+## Proposed substrate
+
+**Worktree-pool primitive** — pre-allocated isolated sideticks per Otto identity, owned and refreshed by each identity, NOT subject to peer-prune.
+
+### Design
+
+1. **Per-Otto-identity worktree pool**: each Otto identity (otto-cli, otto-bg-worker, otto-cli-coldboot, otto-desktop) owns a stable path like `/var/zeta-worktrees/<identity>/sidetick-<N>` (or under `$HOME/.zeta-worktrees/<identity>/`). Pool size: 2-3 sideticks per identity (one for active work, one for next-tick, one buffer).
+
+2. **Ownership marker**: each pool sidetick contains a `.zeta-pool-owner` file with the identity name. Peer Otto sessions' pruning logic respects this marker (skip if `.zeta-pool-owner` matches a known identity that isn't theirs).
+
+3. **Refresh discipline**: at session start (cold-boot), each Otto identity ensures its pool sideticks exist and are at `origin/main`:
+   - If sidetick directory missing: `git worktree add <path> origin/main` (one-shot per identity per cold-boot; rare so contention low)
+   - If sidetick exists: `git -C <path> fetch + reset --hard origin/main` (always safe at session start)
+
+4. **Allocation API**: a TS helper at `tools/worktree-pool/allocate.ts`:
+   - `allocate(identity)` returns a free sidetick path (one not currently in use by this session)
+   - `release(identity, path)` marks the sidetick as available
+   - Locking via filesystem flock on the marker file (no bus dependency)
+
+5. **Integration with autonomous-loop**: scheduled-task firings call `allocate(identity)` first, work in that path, `release()` at tick end. The autonomous-loop SKILL.md documents the pool usage.
+
+### Composes with
+
+- [B-0530](B-0530-cron-sentinel-mutex-prevent-otto-cli-self-contention-2026-05-15.md) — sub-case 3 mitigation; together they address all 4 sub-cases
+- [B-0519](B-0519-multi-otto-branch-state-contamination-rca-2026-05-14.md) — multi-Otto contamination RCA at branch-state scope; this row addresses worktree-path scope
+- [B-0506] — autonomous-loop substrate
+- [`.claude/rules/claim-acquire-before-worktree-work.md`](../../../.claude/rules/claim-acquire-before-worktree-work.md) — the rule that documents the saturation-ceiling sub-cases; this row's substrate operationalizes the mitigation for sub-case 4
+
+## Acceptance
+
+- [ ] `tools/worktree-pool/allocate.ts` shipped with `allocate(identity)` + `release(identity, path)` API
+- [ ] Pool directory layout established (e.g., `/var/zeta-worktrees/<identity>/`) and documented
+- [ ] `.zeta-pool-owner` marker convention respected by peer-Otto pruning logic
+- [ ] Autonomous-loop SKILL.md updated to use pool API
+- [ ] Empirical validation: a fresh-cold-boot Otto-CLI session ships a shard during peer cascade without hitting any of the 4 sub-cases
+- [ ] Rule body in `.claude/rules/claim-acquire-before-worktree-work.md` updated to mark sub-cases 3+4 as MITIGATED when this row + B-0530 close
+
+## Scope-boundary flags
+
+- This row addresses worktree-path-scope contention. Does NOT address branch-state-scope contention (that's B-0519's domain).
+- Worktree-pool size > 3 per identity introduces resource overhead; cap at small N.
+- Peer-Otto-side respect for `.zeta-pool-owner` marker requires coordination across all Otto identities' pruning scripts; this may need a separate slice if pruning logic isn't yet centralized.
+
+## Effort estimate
+
+**M** (1-2 ticks of focused work):
+- ~60 lines TS for `allocate.ts` + tests
+- ~30 lines edit to autonomous-loop SKILL.md
+- ~20 lines edit to peer-Otto-side pruning logic (if centralized) or per-identity prune updates
+- Empirical validation via repeat-the-failure-mode test
+
+## Status notes
+
+Filed 2026-05-16 from the fresh-cold-boot Otto-CLI session that empirically validated all 4 sub-cases (~32 min, 4 commit attempts, 2 substrate PRs shipped: [#3808](https://github.com/Lucent-Financial-Group/Zeta/pull/3808) + [#3812](https://github.com/Lucent-Financial-Group/Zeta/pull/3812)). This row completes the substrate trilogy:
+
+- #3808 = WHAT was observed (empirical evidence)
+- #3812 = WHAT TO DO when observing it (operational mitigations for sub-cases 1+2)
+- This row = WHAT TO BUILD to prevent it (structural fix for sub-case 4)
+
+Sub-case 3's structural fix is B-0530 (already filed, closed status pending mutex implementation).