fix: delegate backlog handoffs to tasks-axi

.agents/skills/secondmate-provisioning/SKILL.md

@@ -99,9 +99,12 @@ bin/fm-backlog-handoff.sh <secondmate-id> <item-key>...
 ```
 
 After seeding, run this handoff for the new secondmate's in-scope queued items.
-The helper resolves the secondmate home from `data/secondmates.md` and mechanically moves each named item from the main `data/backlog.md` into the secondmate home's `data/backlog.md`.
-It moves each item's whole block - the `- [ ] <id> ...` header plus every following indented body line and blank separator, up to the next item or column-0 section heading - byte-exact under the same section, treating an indented `## ...` line as body rather than a section boundary, so neither the header nor its body is duplicated or orphaned.
-It refuses `## In flight` entries because active task ownership also lives in tmux and `state/`.
+The helper resolves and validates the secondmate home from `data/secondmates.md`, then delegates the item move to `tasks-axi mv` (the single owner of the backlog format), which moves each named item - and a whole connected set, blocker plus dependents, atomically - from the main `data/backlog.md` into the secondmate home's `data/backlog.md`.
+This delegated route remains required when `config/backlog-backend=manual`, which controls only routine firstmate backlog edits.
+It moves each queued item's whole block - the `- [ ] <id> ...` header plus every following two-or-more-space-indented body line and blank separator, up to the next item or column-0 section heading - byte-exact under the same section, treating an indented `## ...` line as body rather than a section boundary, so neither the header nor its body is duplicated or orphaned.
+It refuses a selected item with a single-space or tab-indented continuation rather than risk leaving content orphaned in the main backlog.
+It accepts in-scope `## Queued` entries only and refuses `## In flight` and historical `## Done` entries.
+Done records stay with their home for pruning or archiving.
 It is idempotent; an item already in the secondmate backlog is skipped.
 It refuses any destination that is not a genuine seeded firstmate home with safe operational directories and a matching `.fm-secondmate-home` marker, so a move can never land in a project.
 Do not hand off `local-only` items.

.github/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           }
           tmux -V
+      - name: Install tasks-axi for backlog-handoff delegation
+        run: |
+          set -eu
+          npm install -g tasks-axi
+          tasks-axi --version
       - run: |
           set -eu
           for test_script in tests/*.test.sh; do

AGENTS.md

@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ bin/                 helper scripts, committed; read each script's header before
 config/crew-harness  crewmate harness override; LOCAL, gitignored; absent or "default" = same as firstmate. Inherited as the literal file: a concrete primary adapter value also controls a secondmate home's own crewmates (section 4)
 config/crew-dispatch.json  optional crewmate dispatch profiles; LOCAL, gitignored; firstmate-maintained but human-editable natural-language rules that choose a per-task harness/model/effort profile (section 4). Inherited by secondmate homes
 config/secondmate-harness  harness the PRIMARY uses to launch SECONDMATE agents, optionally followed by a model and effort token on the same line ("<harness> [<model>] [<effort>]"; section 4); LOCAL, gitignored; absent or "default" harness falls back to config/crew-harness then firstmate's own. The primary's own setting; NOT inherited into secondmate homes (secondmates do not spawn secondmates)
-config/backlog-backend  backlog backend override; LOCAL, gitignored; absent or "tasks-axi" = default tasks-axi backend, "manual" = force hand-editing; inherited by secondmate homes (section 10)
+config/backlog-backend  backlog backend override; LOCAL, gitignored; absent or "tasks-axi" = default tasks-axi backend, "manual" = force routine backlog updates to hand-editing; inherited by secondmate homes (section 10)
 config/backend  runtime session-provider backend override for new tasks; LOCAL, gitignored; absent = falls through to runtime auto-detection (the runtime firstmate itself is executing inside), then tmux; tmux is the verified reference backend (docs/tmux-backend.md), while herdr, zellij, orca, and cmux are experimental spawn backends (docs/herdr-backend.md, docs/zellij-backend.md, docs/orca-backend.md, docs/cmux-backend.md) - herdr and cmux can also be selected by runtime auto-detection, zellij and orca never are (always explicit), and codex-app is not accepted; see docs/codex-app-backend.md; not inherited into secondmate homes
 config/cmux-socket-password  optional cmux control-socket password; LOCAL, gitignored; read fresh on every cmux CLI call and passed through without ever overriding an operator's own ambient CMUX_SOCKET_PASSWORD when absent (docs/cmux-backend.md "Setup")
 config/x-mode.env    generated X-mode watcher cadence; LOCAL, gitignored; source before arming watcher when present
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ Otherwise it prints one line per problem or capability fact; handle each:
 - `MISSING: <tool> (install: <command>)` - list the missing tools to the captain with a one-line purpose each plus the printed install commands, wait for consent (one approval may cover the list), then run `bin/fm-bootstrap.sh install <approved tools...>`.
   For `treehouse`, this also covers an installed version whose `treehouse get` lacks `--lease`; treat it as an upgrade request.
   For `no-mistakes`, this also covers an installed version older than 1.31.2, because crewmate validation briefs delegate gate mechanics to no-mistakes' version-matched guidance.
-  For `tasks-axi`, this also covers an installed build whose `tasks-axi --version` is older than 0.1.1 or whose `tasks-axi update --help` lacks `--archive-body`; `config/backlog-backend=manual` only suppresses the `TASKS_AXI: available` capability line, not this missing-tool report.
+  For `tasks-axi`, this also covers an installed build whose `tasks-axi --version` is older than 0.1.1, whose `tasks-axi update --help` lacks `--archive-body`, or whose `tasks-axi mv --help` lacks the `[<id>...]` atomic multi-ID marker; `config/backlog-backend=manual` only suppresses the `TASKS_AXI: available` capability line, not this missing-tool report.
   For `quota-axi`, bootstrap requires it because crew-dispatch `quota-balanced` may call it; `bin/fm-dispatch-select.sh` still degrades at runtime when quota data is unavailable.
 - `NEEDS_GH_AUTH` - ask the captain to run `! gh auth login` (interactive; you cannot run it for them).
 - `TANGLE: <remediation>` - the primary checkout is stranded on a feature branch instead of its default branch; section 8 explains why this guard exists and what it protects.
@@ -182,9 +182,9 @@ Otherwise it prints one line per problem or capability fact; handle each:
 - `SECONDMATE_LIVENESS: secondmate <id>: already-live|respawned|skipped: <reason>|respawn failed: <reason>` - the session-start liveness sweep checked a live secondmate's recorded endpoint for a real agent process.
   Treat `already-live` and `respawned` as handled; investigate `skipped` or `respawn failed` because that secondmate is not guaranteed live.
 - `TASKS_AXI: available` - a default-backend capability fact, not a problem; record it silently and use section 10 for backlog mutations.
-  It prints only when `config/backlog-backend` is absent or set to `tasks-axi` and the compatibility probe accepts `tasks-axi --version` as 0.1.1 or newer plus `tasks-axi update --help` exposing `--archive-body`.
-  If the backend is not opted out and `tasks-axi` is missing or incompatible, bootstrap reports `MISSING: tasks-axi (install: npm install -g tasks-axi)` but still falls back to hand-editing and never blocks work.
-  If `config/backlog-backend=manual`, bootstrap hand-edits and does not suggest installing `tasks-axi`.
+  It prints only when `config/backlog-backend` is absent or set to `tasks-axi` and the compatibility probe accepts `tasks-axi --version` as 0.1.1 or newer, `tasks-axi update --help` exposing `--archive-body`, and `tasks-axi mv --help` exposing `[<id>...]` for atomic multi-ID moves.
+  If the backend is not opted out and `tasks-axi` is missing or incompatible, bootstrap reports `MISSING: tasks-axi (install: npm install -g tasks-axi)` but firstmate still hand-edits routine backlog updates and never blocks work.
+  If `config/backlog-backend=manual`, bootstrap hand-edits routine backlog updates and does not suggest installing `tasks-axi`.
 - `NUDGE_SECONDMATES: fm-<id>...` - the secondmate sweep fast-forwarded one or more *running* secondmate homes to firstmate's current version and their instruction surface (`AGENTS.md`, `bin/`, or `.agents/skills/`) actually changed; send a one-line re-read nudge with `FM_HOME=<this-firstmate-home> bin/fm-send.sh <id> 'firstmate was updated to the latest - please re-read your AGENTS.md to pick up the new instructions.'` unless `FM_HOME` is already set to the active firstmate home.
   This mirrors `/updatefirstmate`'s `nudge-secondmates:` report: it is a gentle steer, never an interruption, and the fast-forward already landed safely.
   A secondmate that was skipped, already current, or whose advance changed no instructions is not listed and must not be disturbed.
@@ -377,7 +377,8 @@ When a secondmate is created for a domain, the existing main-backlog items that
 Scope-matching is firstmate's judgment against the secondmate's natural-language scope, not a keyword rule.
 Read `data/backlog.md`, pick queued items that fit the scope, and move them with `bin/fm-backlog-handoff.sh <secondmate-id> <item-key>...`.
 Do not hand off `local-only` items; that work stays with the main firstmate (section 7).
-For idempotence, destination validation, and refusal of `## In flight` entries, load `secondmate-provisioning`.
+For idempotence, destination validation, and the queued-only handoff contract that refuses `## In flight` and historical `## Done` entries, load `secondmate-provisioning`.
+Done records stay with their home for pruning or archiving.
 
 ### Project memory ownership
 
@@ -834,14 +835,14 @@ Re-evaluate Queued on every teardown and every heartbeat: anything whose blocker
 
 A tracked `.tasks.toml` at this repo root pins the default `tasks-axi` markdown backend to `data/backlog.md`, with `done_keep = 10` and an archive at `data/done-archive.md`.
 The local, gitignored `config/backlog-backend` file is the explicit opt-out knob.
-Absent or `tasks-axi` means use the default tasks-axi backend; `manual` means force hand-editing even when `tasks-axi` is installed.
-Compatible means the shared bootstrap probe accepts `tasks-axi --version` as 0.1.1 or newer and `tasks-axi update --help` exposes `--archive-body`.
+Absent or `tasks-axi` means use the default tasks-axi backend; `manual` means force routine backlog updates to hand-editing even when `tasks-axi` is installed.
+Compatible means the shared bootstrap probe accepts `tasks-axi --version` as 0.1.1 or newer, `tasks-axi update --help` exposes `--archive-body`, and `tasks-axi mv --help` exposes `[<id>...]` for atomic multi-ID moves.
 When the default backend is selected and compatible `tasks-axi` is on PATH, firstmate mutates the backlog through its verbs instead of hand-editing, with secondmate handoffs still going through the validated helper described in section 6.
-When the default backend is selected but `tasks-axi` is missing or incompatible, bootstrap reports it through the normal `MISSING:` consent flow in `docs/configuration.md` "Toolchain", and every firstmate home falls back to hand-editing `data/backlog.md` exactly as this section describes until it is installed.
-When `config/backlog-backend=manual`, every firstmate home hand-edits; bootstrap still requires compatible `tasks-axi` on `PATH` but does not print `TASKS_AXI: available`.
+When the default backend is selected but `tasks-axi` is missing or incompatible, bootstrap reports it through the normal `MISSING:` consent flow in `docs/configuration.md` "Toolchain", and every firstmate home falls back to hand-editing routine `data/backlog.md` updates exactly as this section describes until it is installed.
+When `config/backlog-backend=manual`, every firstmate home hand-edits routine backlog updates; bootstrap still requires compatible `tasks-axi` on `PATH` but does not print `TASKS_AXI: available`.
 The `## In flight` / `## Queued` / `## Done` format above stays the contract: the verbs edit `data/backlog.md` in place, byte-exact, preserving whatever item forms the file already uses - the bold in-flight `- **<id>**` form, the `- [ ]`/`- [x]` queued and done forms, and `blocked-by: <id> - <reason>` - rather than reformatting them.
 Secondmates inherit `config/backlog-backend` from the primary.
-If the primary leaves the file absent, each home uses the default tasks-axi backend path with its own `.tasks.toml`; if the primary opts out with `manual`, secondmate homes hand-edit too.
+If the primary leaves the file absent, each home uses the default tasks-axi backend path with its own `.tasks.toml`; if the primary opts out with `manual`, secondmate homes hand-edit routine backlog updates too.
 Keep Done to the 10 most recent entries.
 With the active compatible tasks-axi backend, `tasks-axi done` auto-prunes Done and archives pruned entries to `data/done-archive.md`, so do not hand-prune.
 When hand-editing, prune older Done entries manually whenever you add to the section.

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ See the [no-mistakes quick start](https://kunchenguid.github.io/no-mistakes/star
   `.agents/skills/` holds agent-loaded skills that assume a live firstmate home and carry `metadata.internal: true` so installers such as [skills.sh](https://skills.sh) hide them from discovery; `skills/` holds standalone, installer-facing public skills with no firstmate dependency (see the README's "Two-tier skill layout").
   Everything personal to one captain's fleet (`.env`, `data/`, `state/`, `config/`, `projects/`, `.no-mistakes/`) is gitignored; never commit it.
   The root `.tasks.toml` is tracked `tasks-axi` config for `data/backlog.md`; compatible `tasks-axi` is the default backend for routine backlog mutations.
-  Compatible means version 0.1.1 or newer and `tasks-axi update --help` exposing `--archive-body`.
-  A local `config/backlog-backend=manual` opt-out forces hand-editing and stays gitignored.
+  Compatible means version 0.1.1 or newer, `tasks-axi update --help` exposing `--archive-body`, and `tasks-axi mv --help` exposing `[<id>...]` for atomic multi-ID moves.
+  A local `config/backlog-backend=manual` opt-out forces firstmate's routine backlog updates to hand-editing and stays gitignored; validated secondmate handoffs still delegate through `tasks-axi mv`.
   A local `config/backend` file explicitly overrides runtime auto-detection for new task endpoints and stays gitignored; spawn-supported values are `tmux` plus experimental `herdr`, `zellij`, `orca`, and `cmux`, while `codex-app` is documented only in `docs/codex-app-backend.md`.
   It does not make `data/` tracked.
 - Helper scripts in `bin/` are plain bash.
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ tests/fm-secondmate-liveness.test.sh      # session-start secondmate agent-liven
 tests/fm-secondmate-harness.test.sh       # secondmate-vs-crewmate harness resolution, optional secondmate model/effort pins, primary-to-secondmate config inheritance, and config-push tests
 tests/fm-secondmate-lifecycle-e2e.test.sh # persistent secondmate routing, seeding, backlog handoff, spawn, recovery, teardown, and FM_HOME flow tests
 tests/fm-secondmate-safety.test.sh        # secondmate home safety, idle charter, handoff validation, teardown boundary, and child-cleanup fail-closed tests
-tests/fm-backlog-handoff.test.sh          # full item-block handoff: header plus indented and blank-separated body moves byte-exact past next-item, section-heading, and end-of-file boundaries, indented ## lines stay body not section breaks, EOF terminators preserved, and body-carrying re-runs stay idempotent
+tests/fm-backlog-handoff.test.sh          # full item-block handoff through the delegated tasks-axi mv path: header plus indented and blank-separated body moves byte-exact past next-item, section-heading, and end-of-file boundaries, indented ## lines stay body not section breaks, source terminators preserved, destination lands in tasks-axi canonical form, and body-carrying re-runs stay idempotent (skips when tasks-axi is absent)
 tests/fm-teardown.test.sh                 # fm-teardown.sh landed-work safety and reminder checks: fork-remote allow, squash/content landings, dirty and unlanded refusals, PR-head metadata, no-pr= branch discovery, tasks-axi/manual backlog reminder, --force override, stale-vs-live worktree git index.lock recovery
 tests/fm-review-diff.test.sh              # fm-review-diff.sh authoritative review diff coverage: recorded pr_head=, fetched refs/pull/<n>/head, no-pr local branch behavior, and warning fallback
 tests/fm-pr-merge.test.sh                 # fm-pr-merge.sh records pr= and available pr_head= before merging, parses PR URLs into gh-axi number/--repo calls, defaults to squash, preserves explicit merge methods, rejects malformed URLs and repo overrides, and propagates real merge failures