fix startup packaging and content guardrails

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -113,3 +113,21 @@ Use this file to track chronology, not release notes. Keep entries short, factua
 - Failed / learned: The remaining ValiChord PR is still stale and mixes a real prompt/skill update with unrelated branch churn; it is a review/triage item, not a clean merge candidate.
 - Blockers: No local build blockers remain; issue/PR closure still depends on the final push landing on `main`.
 - Next: Push the verified cleanup commit, then close issues fixed by the dependency bump plus the new discoverability/service-tier/Windows patches, and close the stale ValiChord PR explicitly instead of leaving it open indefinitely.
+
+### 2026-04-09 09:37 PDT — windows-startup-import-specifiers
+
+- Objective: Fix Windows startup failures where `feynman` exits before the Pi child process initializes.
+- Changed: Converted the Node preload module paths passed via `node --import` in `src/pi/launch.ts` to `file://` specifiers using a new `toNodeImportSpecifier(...)` helper in `src/pi/runtime.ts`; expanded `scripts/patch-embedded-pi.mjs` so it also patches the bundled workspace copy of Pi's extension loader when present.
+- Verified: Added a regression test in `tests/pi-runtime.test.ts` covering absolute-path to `file://` conversion for preload imports; ran `npm test`, `npm run typecheck`, and `npm run build`.
+- Failed / learned: The raw Windows `ERR_UNSUPPORTED_ESM_URL_SCHEME` stack is more consistent with Node rejecting the child-process `--import C:\\...` preload before Pi starts than with a normal in-app extension load failure.
+- Blockers: Windows runtime execution was not available locally, so the fix is verified by code path inspection and automated tests rather than an actual Windows shell run.
+- Next: Ask the affected user to reinstall or update to the next published package once released, and confirm the Windows REPL now starts from a normal PowerShell session.
+
+### 2026-04-09 11:02 PDT — tracker-hardening-pass
+
+- Objective: Triage the open repo backlog, land the highest-signal fixes locally, and add guardrails against stale promotional workflow content.
+- Changed: Hardened Windows launch paths in `bin/feynman.js`, `scripts/build-native-bundle.mjs`, and `scripts/install/install.ps1`; set npm prefix overrides earlier in `scripts/patch-embedded-pi.mjs`; added a `pi-web-access` runtime patch helper plus `FEYNMAN_WEB_SEARCH_CONFIG` env wiring so bundled web search reads the same `~/.feynman/web-search.json` that doctor/status report; taught `src/pi/web-access.ts` to honor the legacy `route` key; fixed bundled skill references and expanded the skills-only installers/docs to ship the prompt and guidance files those skills reference; added regression tests for config paths, catalog snapshot edges, skill-path packaging, `pi-web-access` patching, and blocked promotional content.
+- Verified: Ran `npm test`, `npm run typecheck`, and `npm run build` successfully after the full maintenance pass.
+- Failed / learned: The skills-only install issue was not just docs drift; the shipped `SKILL.md` files referenced prompt paths that only made sense after installation, so the repo needed both path normalization and packaging changes.
+- Blockers: Remote issue/PR closure and merge actions still depend on the final reviewed branch state being pushed.
+- Next: Push the validated fixes, close the duplicate Windows/reporting issues they supersede, reject the promotional ValiChord PR explicitly, and then review whether the remaining docs-only or feature PRs should be merged separately.

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ npm run build
 - Avoid refactor-only PRs unless they are necessary to unblock a real fix or requested by a maintainer.
 - Do not silently change release behavior, installer behavior, or runtime defaults without documenting the reason in the PR.
 - Use American English in docs, comments, prompts, UI copy, and examples.
+- Do not add bundled prompts, skills, or docs whose primary purpose is to market, endorse, or funnel users toward a third-party product or service. Product integrations must be justified by user-facing utility and written in neutral language.
 
 ## Repo-Specific Checks
 

README.md

@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ curl -fsSL https://feynman.is/install | bash
 irm https://feynman.is/install.ps1 | iex
 ```
 
-The one-line installer fetches the latest tagged release. To pin a version, pass it explicitly, for example `curl -fsSL https://feynman.is/install | bash -s -- 0.2.16`.
+The one-line installer fetches the latest tagged release. To pin a version, pass it explicitly, for example `curl -fsSL https://feynman.is/install | bash -s -- 0.2.17`.
 
 If you install via `pnpm` or `bun` instead of the standalone bundle, Feynman requires Node.js `20.19.0` or newer.
 
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ curl -fsSL https://feynman.is/install-skills | bash -s -- --repo
 
 That installs into `.agents/skills/feynman` under the current repository.
 
+These installers download the bundled `skills/` and `prompts/` trees plus the repo guidance files referenced by those skills. They do not install the Feynman terminal, bundled Node runtime, auth storage, or Pi packages.
+
 ---
 
 ### What you type → what happens

bin/feynman.js

@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env node
+import { resolve } from "node:path";
+import { pathToFileURL } from "node:url";
+
 const MIN_NODE_VERSION = "20.19.0";
 
 function parseNodeVersion(version) {
@@ -27,5 +30,7 @@ if (compareNodeVersions(parseNodeVersion(process.versions.node), parseNodeVersio
     : "curl -fsSL https://feynman.is/install | bash");
   process.exit(1);
 }
-await import(new URL("../scripts/patch-embedded-pi.mjs", import.meta.url).href);
+const here = import.meta.dirname;
-await import(new URL("../dist/index.js", import.meta.url).href);
+
+await import(pathToFileURL(resolve(here, "..", "scripts", "patch-embedded-pi.mjs")).href);
+await import(pathToFileURL(resolve(here, "..", "dist", "index.js")).href);

package-lock.json

@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "@companion-ai/feynman",
-  "version": "0.2.16",
+  "version": "0.2.17",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "@companion-ai/feynman",
-      "version": "0.2.16",
+      "version": "0.2.17",
       "hasInstallScript": true,
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {

package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@companion-ai/feynman",
-  "version": "0.2.16",
+  "version": "0.2.17",
   "description": "Research-first CLI agent built on Pi and alphaXiv",
   "license": "MIT",
   "type": "module",

scripts/build-native-bundle.mjs

@@ -275,7 +275,8 @@ function writeLauncher(bundleRoot, target) {
 			"@echo off",
 			"setlocal",
 			'set "ROOT=%~dp0"',
-			'"%ROOT%node\\node.exe" "%ROOT%app\\bin\\feynman.js" %*',
+			'if "%ROOT:~-1%"=="\\" set "ROOT=%ROOT:~0,-1%"',
+			'"%ROOT%\\node\\node.exe" "%ROOT%\\app\\bin\\feynman.js" %*',
 			"",
 		].join("\r\n"),
 		"utf8",

scripts/install/install-skills.ps1

@@ -92,8 +92,9 @@ try {
   }
 
   $skillsSource = Join-Path $sourceRoot.FullName "skills"
-  if (-not (Test-Path $skillsSource)) {
+  $promptsSource = Join-Path $sourceRoot.FullName "prompts"
-    throw "Could not find skills/ in downloaded archive."
+  if (-not (Test-Path $skillsSource) -or -not (Test-Path $promptsSource)) {
+    throw "Could not find the bundled skills resources in the downloaded archive."
   }
 
   $installParent = Split-Path $installDir -Parent
@@ -107,6 +108,10 @@ try {
 
   New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $installDir -Force | Out-Null
   Copy-Item -Path (Join-Path $skillsSource "*") -Destination $installDir -Recurse -Force
+  New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path (Join-Path $installDir "prompts") -Force | Out-Null
+  Copy-Item -Path (Join-Path $promptsSource "*") -Destination (Join-Path $installDir "prompts") -Recurse -Force
+  Copy-Item -Path (Join-Path $sourceRoot.FullName "AGENTS.md") -Destination (Join-Path $installDir "AGENTS.md") -Force
+  Copy-Item -Path (Join-Path $sourceRoot.FullName "CONTRIBUTING.md") -Destination (Join-Path $installDir "CONTRIBUTING.md") -Force
 
   Write-Host "==> Installed skills to $installDir"
   if ($Scope -eq "Repo") {

scripts/install/install-skills.sh

@@ -181,8 +181,8 @@ step "Extracting skills"
 tar -xzf "$archive_path" -C "$extract_dir"
 
 source_root="$(find "$extract_dir" -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type d | head -n 1)"
-if [ -z "$source_root" ] || [ ! -d "$source_root/skills" ]; then
+if [ -z "$source_root" ] || [ ! -d "$source_root/skills" ] || [ ! -d "$source_root/prompts" ]; then
-  echo "Could not find skills/ in downloaded archive." >&2
+  echo "Could not find the bundled skills resources in the downloaded archive." >&2
   exit 1
 fi
 
@@ -190,6 +190,10 @@ mkdir -p "$(dirname "$install_dir")"
 rm -rf "$install_dir"
 mkdir -p "$install_dir"
 cp -R "$source_root/skills/." "$install_dir/"
+mkdir -p "$install_dir/prompts"
+cp -R "$source_root/prompts/." "$install_dir/prompts/"
+cp "$source_root/AGENTS.md" "$install_dir/AGENTS.md"
+cp "$source_root/CONTRIBUTING.md" "$install_dir/CONTRIBUTING.md"
 
 step "Installed skills to $install_dir"
 case "$SCOPE" in

scripts/install/install.ps1

@@ -125,12 +125,18 @@ Workarounds:
   New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $installBinDir -Force | Out-Null
 
   $shimPath = Join-Path $installBinDir "feynman.cmd"
+  $shimPs1Path = Join-Path $installBinDir "feynman.ps1"
   Write-Host "==> Linking feynman into $installBinDir"
   @"
 @echo off
-"$bundleDir\feynman.cmd" %*
+CALL "$bundleDir\feynman.cmd" %*
 "@ | Set-Content -Path $shimPath -Encoding ASCII
 
+  @"
+`$BundleDir = "$bundleDir"
+& "`$BundleDir\node\node.exe" "`$BundleDir\app\bin\feynman.js" @args
+"@ | Set-Content -Path $shimPs1Path -Encoding UTF8
+
   $currentUserPath = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "User")
   $alreadyOnPath = $false
   if ($currentUserPath) {

scripts/lib/pi-web-access-patch.d.mts

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+export const PI_WEB_ACCESS_PATCH_TARGETS: string[];
+export function patchPiWebAccessSource(relativePath: string, source: string): string;

scripts/lib/pi-web-access-patch.mjs

@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+export const PI_WEB_ACCESS_PATCH_TARGETS = [
+	"index.ts",
+	"exa.ts",
+	"gemini-api.ts",
+	"gemini-search.ts",
+	"gemini-web.ts",
+	"github-extract.ts",
+	"perplexity.ts",
+	"video-extract.ts",
+	"youtube-extract.ts",
+];
+
+const LEGACY_CONFIG_EXPR = 'join(homedir(), ".pi", "web-search.json")';
+const PATCHED_CONFIG_EXPR =
+	'process.env.FEYNMAN_WEB_SEARCH_CONFIG ?? process.env.PI_WEB_SEARCH_CONFIG ?? join(homedir(), ".pi", "web-search.json")';
+
+export function patchPiWebAccessSource(relativePath, source) {
+	let patched = source;
+
+	if (patched.includes(PATCHED_CONFIG_EXPR)) {
+		return patched;
+	}
+
+	patched = patched.split(LEGACY_CONFIG_EXPR).join(PATCHED_CONFIG_EXPR);
+
+	if (relativePath === "index.ts" && patched !== source) {
+		patched = patched.replace('import { join } from "node:path";', 'import { dirname, join } from "node:path";');
+		patched = patched.replace('const dir = join(homedir(), ".pi");', "const dir = dirname(WEB_SEARCH_CONFIG_PATH);");
+	}
+
+	return patched;
+}

scripts/patch-embedded-pi.mjs

@@ -1,14 +1,21 @@
 import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
 import { existsSync, mkdirSync, readFileSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
 import { createRequire } from "node:module";
+import { homedir } from "node:os";
 import { dirname, resolve } from "node:path";
 import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
 import { FEYNMAN_LOGO_HTML } from "../logo.mjs";
 import { patchPiExtensionLoaderSource } from "./lib/pi-extension-loader-patch.mjs";
+import { PI_WEB_ACCESS_PATCH_TARGETS, patchPiWebAccessSource } from "./lib/pi-web-access-patch.mjs";
 import { PI_SUBAGENTS_PATCH_TARGETS, patchPiSubagentsSource } from "./lib/pi-subagents-patch.mjs";
 
 const here = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
 const appRoot = resolve(here, "..");
+const feynmanHome = resolve(process.env.FEYNMAN_HOME ?? homedir(), ".feynman");
+const feynmanNpmPrefix = resolve(feynmanHome, "npm-global");
+process.env.FEYNMAN_NPM_PREFIX = feynmanNpmPrefix;
+process.env.NPM_CONFIG_PREFIX = feynmanNpmPrefix;
+process.env.npm_config_prefix = feynmanNpmPrefix;
 const appRequire = createRequire(resolve(appRoot, "package.json"));
 const isGlobalInstall = process.env.npm_config_global === "true" || process.env.npm_config_location === "global";
 
@@ -57,6 +64,15 @@ const extensionLoaderPath = piPackageRoot ? resolve(piPackageRoot, "dist", "core
 const terminalPath = piTuiRoot ? resolve(piTuiRoot, "dist", "terminal.js") : null;
 const editorPath = piTuiRoot ? resolve(piTuiRoot, "dist", "components", "editor.js") : null;
 const workspaceRoot = resolve(appRoot, ".feynman", "npm", "node_modules");
+const workspaceExtensionLoaderPath = resolve(
+	workspaceRoot,
+	"@mariozechner",
+	"pi-coding-agent",
+	"dist",
+	"core",
+	"extensions",
+	"loader.js",
+);
 const vendorOverrideRoot = resolve(appRoot, ".feynman", "vendor-overrides");
 const piSubagentsRoot = resolve(workspaceRoot, "pi-subagents");
 const webAccessPath = resolve(workspaceRoot, "pi-web-access", "index.ts");
@@ -76,7 +92,17 @@ const workspaceArchivePath = resolve(appRoot, ".feynman", "runtime-workspace.tgz
 function createInstallCommand(packageManager, packageSpecs) {
 	switch (packageManager) {
 		case "npm":
-			return ["install", "--prefer-offline", "--no-audit", "--no-fund", "--loglevel", "error", ...packageSpecs];
+			return [
+				"install",
+				"--global=false",
+				"--location=project",
+				"--prefer-offline",
+				"--no-audit",
+				"--no-fund",
+				"--loglevel",
+				"error",
+				...packageSpecs,
+			];
 		case "pnpm":
 			return ["add", "--prefer-offline", "--reporter", "silent", ...packageSpecs];
 		case "bun":
@@ -367,11 +393,15 @@ if (interactiveModePath && existsSync(interactiveModePath)) {
 	}
 }
 
-if (extensionLoaderPath && existsSync(extensionLoaderPath)) {
+for (const loaderPath of [extensionLoaderPath, workspaceExtensionLoaderPath].filter(Boolean)) {
-	const source = readFileSync(extensionLoaderPath, "utf8");
+	if (!existsSync(loaderPath)) {
+		continue;
+	}
+
+	const source = readFileSync(loaderPath, "utf8");
 	const patched = patchPiExtensionLoaderSource(source);
 	if (patched !== source) {
-		writeFileSync(extensionLoaderPath, patched, "utf8");
+		writeFileSync(loaderPath, patched, "utf8");
 	}
 }
 
@@ -560,6 +590,21 @@ if (existsSync(webAccessPath)) {
 	}
 }
 
+const piWebAccessRoot = resolve(workspaceRoot, "pi-web-access");
+
+if (existsSync(piWebAccessRoot)) {
+	for (const relativePath of PI_WEB_ACCESS_PATCH_TARGETS) {
+		const entryPath = resolve(piWebAccessRoot, relativePath);
+		if (!existsSync(entryPath)) continue;
+
+		const source = readFileSync(entryPath, "utf8");
+		const patched = patchPiWebAccessSource(relativePath, source);
+		if (patched !== source) {
+			writeFileSync(entryPath, patched, "utf8");
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 if (existsSync(sessionSearchIndexerPath)) {
 	const source = readFileSync(sessionSearchIndexerPath, "utf8");
 	const original = 'const sessionsDir = path.join(os.homedir(), ".pi", "agent", "sessions");';

skills/autoresearch/SKILL.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ description: Autonomous experiment loop that tries ideas, measures results, keep
 
 # Autoresearch
 
-Run the `/autoresearch` workflow. Read the prompt template at `prompts/autoresearch.md` for the full procedure.
+Run the `/autoresearch` workflow. Read the prompt template at `../prompts/autoresearch.md` for the full procedure.
 
 Tools used: `init_experiment`, `run_experiment`, `log_experiment` (from pi-autoresearch)
 

skills/contributing/SKILL.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ description: Contribute changes to the Feynman repository itself. Use when the t
 
 # Contributing
 
-Read `CONTRIBUTING.md` first, then `AGENTS.md` for repo-level agent conventions.
+Read `../CONTRIBUTING.md` first, then `../AGENTS.md` for repo-level agent conventions.
 
 Use this skill when working on Feynman itself, especially for:
 

skills/deep-research/SKILL.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ description: Run a thorough, source-heavy investigation on any topic. Use when t
 
 # Deep Research
 
-Run the `/deepresearch` workflow. Read the prompt template at `prompts/deepresearch.md` for the full procedure.
+Run the `/deepresearch` workflow. Read the prompt template at `../prompts/deepresearch.md` for the full procedure.
 
 Agents used: `researcher`, `verifier`, `reviewer`
 

skills/jobs/SKILL.md

@@ -5,6 +5,6 @@ description: Inspect active background research work including running processes
 
 # Jobs
 
-Run the `/jobs` workflow. Read the prompt template at `prompts/jobs.md` for the full procedure.
+Run the `/jobs` workflow. Read the prompt template at `../prompts/jobs.md` for the full procedure.
 
 Shows active `pi-processes`, scheduled `pi-schedule-prompt` entries, and running subagent tasks.

skills/literature-review/SKILL.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ description: Run a literature review using paper search and primary-source synth
 
 # Literature Review
 
-Run the `/lit` workflow. Read the prompt template at `prompts/lit.md` for the full procedure.
+Run the `/lit` workflow. Read the prompt template at `../prompts/lit.md` for the full procedure.
 
 Agents used: `researcher`, `verifier`, `reviewer`
 

skills/paper-code-audit/SKILL.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ description: Compare a paper's claims against its public codebase. Use when the
 
 # Paper-Code Audit
 
-Run the `/audit` workflow. Read the prompt template at `prompts/audit.md` for the full procedure.
+Run the `/audit` workflow. Read the prompt template at `../prompts/audit.md` for the full procedure.
 
 Agents used: `researcher`, `verifier`
 

skills/paper-writing/SKILL.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ description: Turn research findings into a polished paper-style draft with secti
 
 # Paper Writing
 
-Run the `/draft` workflow. Read the prompt template at `prompts/draft.md` for the full procedure.
+Run the `/draft` workflow. Read the prompt template at `../prompts/draft.md` for the full procedure.
 
 Agents used: `writer`, `verifier`
 

skills/peer-review/SKILL.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ description: Simulate a tough but constructive peer review of an AI research art
 
 # Peer Review
 
-Run the `/review` workflow. Read the prompt template at `prompts/review.md` for the full procedure.
+Run the `/review` workflow. Read the prompt template at `../prompts/review.md` for the full procedure.
 
 Agents used: `researcher`, `reviewer`
 

skills/replication/SKILL.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ description: Plan or execute a replication of a paper, claim, or benchmark. Use
 
 # Replication
 
-Run the `/replicate` workflow. Read the prompt template at `prompts/replicate.md` for the full procedure.
+Run the `/replicate` workflow. Read the prompt template at `../prompts/replicate.md` for the full procedure.
 
 Agents used: `researcher`
 

skills/session-log/SKILL.md

@@ -5,6 +5,6 @@ description: Write a durable session log capturing completed work, findings, ope
 
 # Session Log
 
-Run the `/log` workflow. Read the prompt template at `prompts/log.md` for the full procedure.
+Run the `/log` workflow. Read the prompt template at `../prompts/log.md` for the full procedure.
 
 Output: session log in `notes/session-logs/`.

skills/source-comparison/SKILL.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ description: Compare multiple sources on a topic and produce a grounded comparis
 
 # Source Comparison
 
-Run the `/compare` workflow. Read the prompt template at `prompts/compare.md` for the full procedure.
+Run the `/compare` workflow. Read the prompt template at `../prompts/compare.md` for the full procedure.
 
 Agents used: `researcher`, `verifier`
 

skills/watch/SKILL.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ description: Set up a recurring research watch on a topic, company, paper area,
 
 # Watch
 
-Run the `/watch` workflow. Read the prompt template at `prompts/watch.md` for the full procedure.
+Run the `/watch` workflow. Read the prompt template at `../prompts/watch.md` for the full procedure.
 
 Agents used: `researcher`
 

src/pi/launch.ts

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { spawn } from "node:child_process";
 import { existsSync } from "node:fs";
 
-import { buildPiArgs, buildPiEnv, type PiRuntimeOptions, resolvePiPaths } from "./runtime.js";
+import { buildPiArgs, buildPiEnv, type PiRuntimeOptions, resolvePiPaths, toNodeImportSpecifier } from "./runtime.js";
 import { ensureSupportedNodeVersion } from "../system/node-version.js";
 
 export async function launchPiChat(options: PiRuntimeOptions): Promise<void> {
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ export async function launchPiChat(options: PiRuntimeOptions): Promise<void> {
 	}
 
 	const importArgs = useDevPolyfill
-		? ["--import", tsxLoaderPath, "--import", promisePolyfillSourcePath]
+		? ["--import", toNodeImportSpecifier(tsxLoaderPath), "--import", toNodeImportSpecifier(promisePolyfillSourcePath)]
-		: ["--import", promisePolyfillPath];
+		: ["--import", toNodeImportSpecifier(promisePolyfillPath)];
 
 	const child = spawn(process.execPath, [...importArgs, piCliPath, ...buildPiArgs(options)], {
 		cwd: options.workingDir,

src/pi/runtime.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { existsSync, readFileSync } from "node:fs";
-import { delimiter, dirname, resolve } from "node:path";
+import { delimiter, dirname, isAbsolute, resolve } from "node:path";
+import { pathToFileURL } from "node:url";
 
 import {
 	BROWSER_FALLBACK_PATHS,
@@ -47,6 +48,10 @@ export function resolvePiPaths(appRoot: string) {
 	};
 }
 
+export function toNodeImportSpecifier(modulePath: string): string {
+	return isAbsolute(modulePath) ? pathToFileURL(modulePath).href : modulePath;
+}
+
 export function validatePiInstallation(appRoot: string): string[] {
 	const paths = resolvePiPaths(appRoot);
 	const missing: string[] = [];
@@ -97,6 +102,7 @@ export function buildPiEnv(options: PiRuntimeOptions): NodeJS.ProcessEnv {
 	const paths = resolvePiPaths(options.appRoot);
 	const feynmanNpmPrefixPath = getFeynmanNpmPrefixPath(options.feynmanAgentDir);
 	const feynmanNpmBinPath = resolve(feynmanNpmPrefixPath, "bin");
+	const feynmanWebSearchConfigPath = resolve(dirname(options.feynmanAgentDir), "web-search.json");
 
 	const currentPath = process.env.PATH ?? "";
 	const binEntries = [paths.nodeModulesBinPath, resolve(paths.piWorkspaceNodeModulesPath, ".bin"), feynmanNpmBinPath];
@@ -108,6 +114,7 @@ export function buildPiEnv(options: PiRuntimeOptions): NodeJS.ProcessEnv {
 		FEYNMAN_VERSION: options.feynmanVersion,
 		FEYNMAN_SESSION_DIR: options.sessionDir,
 		FEYNMAN_MEMORY_DIR: resolve(dirname(options.feynmanAgentDir), "memory"),
+		FEYNMAN_WEB_SEARCH_CONFIG: feynmanWebSearchConfigPath,
 		FEYNMAN_NODE_EXECUTABLE: process.execPath,
 		FEYNMAN_BIN_PATH: resolve(options.appRoot, "bin", "feynman.js"),
 		FEYNMAN_NPM_PREFIX: feynmanNpmPrefixPath,

src/pi/web-access.ts

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { resolve } from "node:path";
 export type PiWebSearchProvider = "auto" | "perplexity" | "exa" | "gemini";
 
 export type PiWebAccessConfig = Record<string, unknown> & {
+	route?: PiWebSearchProvider;
 	provider?: PiWebSearchProvider;
 	searchProvider?: PiWebSearchProvider;
 	perplexityApiKey?: string;
@@ -80,8 +81,9 @@ export function getPiWebAccessStatus(
 	config: PiWebAccessConfig = loadPiWebAccessConfig(),
 	configPath = getPiWebSearchConfigPath(),
 ): PiWebAccessStatus {
-	const searchProvider = normalizeProvider(config.searchProvider) ?? "auto";
+	const searchProvider =
-	const requestProvider = normalizeProvider(config.provider) ?? searchProvider;
+		normalizeProvider(config.searchProvider) ?? normalizeProvider(config.route) ?? normalizeProvider(config.provider) ?? "auto";
+	const requestProvider = normalizeProvider(config.provider) ?? normalizeProvider(config.route) ?? searchProvider;
 	const perplexityConfigured = Boolean(normalizeNonEmptyString(config.perplexityApiKey));
 	const exaConfigured = Boolean(normalizeNonEmptyString(config.exaApiKey));
 	const geminiApiConfigured = Boolean(normalizeNonEmptyString(config.geminiApiKey));

tests/catalog-snapshot.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+import test from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+
+import { buildModelStatusSnapshotFromRecords } from "../src/model/catalog.js";
+
+test("buildModelStatusSnapshotFromRecords returns empty guidance when model is set and valid", () => {
+	const snapshot = buildModelStatusSnapshotFromRecords(
+		[{ provider: "anthropic", id: "claude-opus-4-6" }],
+		[{ provider: "anthropic", id: "claude-opus-4-6" }],
+		"anthropic/claude-opus-4-6",
+	);
+
+	assert.equal(snapshot.currentValid, true);
+	assert.equal(snapshot.current, "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6");
+	assert.equal(snapshot.guidance.length, 0);
+});
+
+test("buildModelStatusSnapshotFromRecords emits guidance when no models are available", () => {
+	const snapshot = buildModelStatusSnapshotFromRecords([], [], undefined);
+
+	assert.equal(snapshot.currentValid, false);
+	assert.equal(snapshot.current, undefined);
+	assert.equal(snapshot.recommended, undefined);
+	assert.ok(snapshot.guidance.some((line) => line.includes("No authenticated Pi models")));
+});
+
+test("buildModelStatusSnapshotFromRecords emits guidance when no default model is set", () => {
+	const snapshot = buildModelStatusSnapshotFromRecords(
+		[{ provider: "openai", id: "gpt-5.4" }],
+		[{ provider: "openai", id: "gpt-5.4" }],
+		undefined,
+	);
+
+	assert.equal(snapshot.currentValid, false);
+	assert.equal(snapshot.current, undefined);
+	assert.ok(snapshot.guidance.some((line) => line.includes("No default research model")));
+});
+
+test("buildModelStatusSnapshotFromRecords marks provider as configured only when it has available models", () => {
+	const snapshot = buildModelStatusSnapshotFromRecords(
+		[
+			{ provider: "anthropic", id: "claude-opus-4-6" },
+			{ provider: "openai", id: "gpt-5.4" },
+		],
+		[{ provider: "openai", id: "gpt-5.4" }],
+		"openai/gpt-5.4",
+	);
+
+	const anthropicProvider = snapshot.providers.find((provider) => provider.id === "anthropic");
+	const openaiProvider = snapshot.providers.find((provider) => provider.id === "openai");
+
+	assert.ok(anthropicProvider);
+	assert.equal(anthropicProvider!.configured, false);
+	assert.equal(anthropicProvider!.supportedModels, 1);
+	assert.equal(anthropicProvider!.availableModels, 0);
+
+	assert.ok(openaiProvider);
+	assert.equal(openaiProvider!.configured, true);
+	assert.equal(openaiProvider!.supportedModels, 1);
+	assert.equal(openaiProvider!.availableModels, 1);
+});
+
+test("buildModelStatusSnapshotFromRecords marks provider as current when selected model belongs to it", () => {
+	const snapshot = buildModelStatusSnapshotFromRecords(
+		[
+			{ provider: "anthropic", id: "claude-opus-4-6" },
+			{ provider: "openai", id: "gpt-5.4" },
+		],
+		[
+			{ provider: "anthropic", id: "claude-opus-4-6" },
+			{ provider: "openai", id: "gpt-5.4" },
+		],
+		"anthropic/claude-opus-4-6",
+	);
+
+	const anthropicProvider = snapshot.providers.find((provider) => provider.id === "anthropic");
+	const openaiProvider = snapshot.providers.find((provider) => provider.id === "openai");
+
+	assert.equal(anthropicProvider!.current, true);
+	assert.equal(openaiProvider!.current, false);
+});
+
+test("buildModelStatusSnapshotFromRecords returns available models sorted by research preference", () => {
+	const snapshot = buildModelStatusSnapshotFromRecords(
+		[
+			{ provider: "openai", id: "gpt-5.4" },
+			{ provider: "anthropic", id: "claude-opus-4-6" },
+		],
+		[
+			{ provider: "openai", id: "gpt-5.4" },
+			{ provider: "anthropic", id: "claude-opus-4-6" },
+		],
+		undefined,
+	);
+
+	assert.equal(snapshot.availableModels[0], "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6");
+	assert.equal(snapshot.availableModels[1], "openai/gpt-5.4");
+	assert.equal(snapshot.recommended, "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6");
+});
+
+test("buildModelStatusSnapshotFromRecords sets currentValid false when current model is not in available list", () => {
+	const snapshot = buildModelStatusSnapshotFromRecords(
+		[{ provider: "anthropic", id: "claude-opus-4-6" }],
+		[],
+		"anthropic/claude-opus-4-6",
+	);
+
+	assert.equal(snapshot.currentValid, false);
+	assert.equal(snapshot.current, "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6");
+});

tests/config-paths.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+import test from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { existsSync, mkdtempSync, rmSync } from "node:fs";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import { join, resolve } from "node:path";
+
+import {
+	ensureFeynmanHome,
+	getBootstrapStatePath,
+	getDefaultSessionDir,
+	getFeynmanAgentDir,
+	getFeynmanHome,
+	getFeynmanMemoryDir,
+	getFeynmanStateDir,
+} from "../src/config/paths.js";
+
+test("getFeynmanHome uses FEYNMAN_HOME env var when set", () => {
+	const previous = process.env.FEYNMAN_HOME;
+	try {
+		process.env.FEYNMAN_HOME = "/custom/home";
+		assert.equal(getFeynmanHome(), resolve("/custom/home", ".feynman"));
+	} finally {
+		if (previous === undefined) {
+			delete process.env.FEYNMAN_HOME;
+		} else {
+			process.env.FEYNMAN_HOME = previous;
+		}
+	}
+});
+
+test("getFeynmanHome falls back to homedir when FEYNMAN_HOME is unset", () => {
+	const previous = process.env.FEYNMAN_HOME;
+	try {
+		delete process.env.FEYNMAN_HOME;
+		const home = getFeynmanHome();
+		assert.ok(home.endsWith(".feynman"), `expected path ending in .feynman, got: ${home}`);
+		assert.ok(!home.includes("undefined"), `expected no 'undefined' in path, got: ${home}`);
+	} finally {
+		if (previous === undefined) {
+			delete process.env.FEYNMAN_HOME;
+		} else {
+			process.env.FEYNMAN_HOME = previous;
+		}
+	}
+});
+
+test("getFeynmanAgentDir resolves to <home>/agent", () => {
+	assert.equal(getFeynmanAgentDir("/some/home"), resolve("/some/home", "agent"));
+});
+
+test("getFeynmanMemoryDir resolves to <home>/memory", () => {
+	assert.equal(getFeynmanMemoryDir("/some/home"), resolve("/some/home", "memory"));
+});
+
+test("getFeynmanStateDir resolves to <home>/.state", () => {
+	assert.equal(getFeynmanStateDir("/some/home"), resolve("/some/home", ".state"));
+});
+
+test("getDefaultSessionDir resolves to <home>/sessions", () => {
+	assert.equal(getDefaultSessionDir("/some/home"), resolve("/some/home", "sessions"));
+});
+
+test("getBootstrapStatePath resolves to <home>/.state/bootstrap.json", () => {
+	assert.equal(getBootstrapStatePath("/some/home"), resolve("/some/home", ".state", "bootstrap.json"));
+});
+
+test("ensureFeynmanHome creates all required subdirectories", () => {
+	const root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "feynman-paths-"));
+	try {
+		const home = join(root, "home");
+		ensureFeynmanHome(home);
+
+		assert.ok(existsSync(home), "home dir should exist");
+		assert.ok(existsSync(join(home, "agent")), "agent dir should exist");
+		assert.ok(existsSync(join(home, "memory")), "memory dir should exist");
+		assert.ok(existsSync(join(home, ".state")), ".state dir should exist");
+		assert.ok(existsSync(join(home, "sessions")), "sessions dir should exist");
+	} finally {
+		rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+	}
+});
+
+test("ensureFeynmanHome is idempotent when dirs already exist", () => {
+	const root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "feynman-paths-"));
+	try {
+		const home = join(root, "home");
+		ensureFeynmanHome(home);
+		assert.doesNotThrow(() => ensureFeynmanHome(home));
+	} finally {
+		rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+	}
+});

tests/content-policy.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import test from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { readdirSync, readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { dirname, join, resolve } from "node:path";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
+
+const repoRoot = resolve(dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)), "..");
+const bannedPatterns = [/ValiChord/i, /Harmony Record/i, /harmony_record_/i];
+
+function collectMarkdownFiles(root: string): string[] {
+	const files: string[] = [];
+	for (const entry of readdirSync(root, { withFileTypes: true })) {
+		const fullPath = join(root, entry.name);
+		if (entry.isDirectory()) {
+			files.push(...collectMarkdownFiles(fullPath));
+			continue;
+		}
+		if (entry.isFile() && fullPath.endsWith(".md")) {
+			files.push(fullPath);
+		}
+	}
+	return files;
+}
+
+test("bundled prompts and skills do not contain blocked promotional product content", () => {
+	for (const filePath of [...collectMarkdownFiles(join(repoRoot, "prompts")), ...collectMarkdownFiles(join(repoRoot, "skills"))]) {
+		const content = readFileSync(filePath, "utf8");
+		for (const pattern of bannedPatterns) {
+			assert.doesNotMatch(content, pattern, `${filePath} contains blocked promotional pattern ${pattern}`);
+		}
+	}
+});

tests/pi-runtime.test.ts

@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 import test from "node:test";
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { pathToFileURL } from "node:url";
 
-import { applyFeynmanPackageManagerEnv, buildPiArgs, buildPiEnv, resolvePiPaths } from "../src/pi/runtime.js";
+import { applyFeynmanPackageManagerEnv, buildPiArgs, buildPiEnv, resolvePiPaths, toNodeImportSpecifier } from "../src/pi/runtime.js";
 
 test("buildPiArgs includes configured runtime paths and prompt", () => {
 	const args = buildPiArgs({
@@ -106,3 +107,11 @@ test("resolvePiPaths includes the Promise.withResolvers polyfill path", () => {
 
 	assert.equal(paths.promisePolyfillPath, "/repo/feynman/dist/system/promise-polyfill.js");
 });
+
+test("toNodeImportSpecifier converts absolute preload paths to file URLs", () => {
+	assert.equal(
+		toNodeImportSpecifier("/repo/feynman/dist/system/promise-polyfill.js"),
+		pathToFileURL("/repo/feynman/dist/system/promise-polyfill.js").href,
+	);
+	assert.equal(toNodeImportSpecifier("tsx"), "tsx");
+});

tests/pi-web-access-patch.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+import test from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+
+import { patchPiWebAccessSource } from "../scripts/lib/pi-web-access-patch.mjs";
+
+test("patchPiWebAccessSource rewrites legacy Pi web-search config paths", () => {
+	const input = [
+		'import { join } from "node:path";',
+		'import { homedir } from "node:os";',
+		'const CONFIG_PATH = join(homedir(), ".pi", "web-search.json");',
+		"",
+	].join("\n");
+
+	const patched = patchPiWebAccessSource("perplexity.ts", input);
+
+	assert.match(patched, /FEYNMAN_WEB_SEARCH_CONFIG/);
+	assert.match(patched, /PI_WEB_SEARCH_CONFIG/);
+});
+
+test("patchPiWebAccessSource updates index.ts directory handling", () => {
+	const input = [
+		'import { existsSync, mkdirSync } from "node:fs";',
+		'import { join } from "node:path";',
+		'import { homedir } from "node:os";',
+		'const WEB_SEARCH_CONFIG_PATH = join(homedir(), ".pi", "web-search.json");',
+		'const dir = join(homedir(), ".pi");',
+		"",
+	].join("\n");
+
+	const patched = patchPiWebAccessSource("index.ts", input);
+
+	assert.match(patched, /import \{ dirname, join \} from "node:path";/);
+	assert.match(patched, /const dir = dirname\(WEB_SEARCH_CONFIG_PATH\);/);
+});
+
+test("patchPiWebAccessSource is idempotent", () => {
+	const input = [
+		'import { join } from "node:path";',
+		'import { homedir } from "node:os";',
+		'const CONFIG_PATH = join(homedir(), ".pi", "web-search.json");',
+		"",
+	].join("\n");
+
+	const once = patchPiWebAccessSource("perplexity.ts", input);
+	const twice = patchPiWebAccessSource("perplexity.ts", once);
+
+	assert.equal(twice, once);
+});

tests/pi-web-access.test.ts

@@ -67,6 +67,17 @@ test("getPiWebAccessStatus reads Gemini routes directly", () => {
 	assert.equal(status.chromeProfile, "Profile 2");
 });
 
+test("getPiWebAccessStatus supports the legacy route key", () => {
+	const status = getPiWebAccessStatus({
+		route: "perplexity",
+		perplexityApiKey: "pplx_...",
+	});
+
+	assert.equal(status.routeLabel, "Perplexity");
+	assert.equal(status.requestProvider, "perplexity");
+	assert.equal(status.perplexityConfigured, true);
+});
+
 test("formatPiWebAccessDoctorLines reports Pi-managed web access", () => {
 	const lines = formatPiWebAccessDoctorLines(
 		getPiWebAccessStatus({

tests/skill-paths.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import test from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { existsSync, readdirSync, readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { dirname, join, resolve } from "node:path";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
+
+const repoRoot = resolve(dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)), "..");
+const skillsRoot = join(repoRoot, "skills");
+const markdownPathPattern = /`((?:\.\.?\/)(?:[A-Za-z0-9._-]+\/)*[A-Za-z0-9._-]+\.md)`/g;
+const simulatedInstallRoot = join(repoRoot, "__skill-install-root__");
+
+test("all local markdown references in bundled skills resolve in the installed skill layout", () => {
+	for (const entry of readdirSync(skillsRoot, { withFileTypes: true })) {
+		if (!entry.isDirectory()) continue;
+
+		const skillPath = join(skillsRoot, entry.name, "SKILL.md");
+		if (!existsSync(skillPath)) continue;
+
+		const content = readFileSync(skillPath, "utf8");
+		for (const match of content.matchAll(markdownPathPattern)) {
+			const reference = match[1];
+			const installedSkillDir = join(simulatedInstallRoot, entry.name);
+			const installedTarget = resolve(installedSkillDir, reference);
+			const repoTarget = installedTarget.replace(simulatedInstallRoot, repoRoot);
+			assert.ok(existsSync(repoTarget), `${skillPath} references missing installed markdown file ${reference}`);
+		}
+	}
+});

website/public/install-skills

@@ -181,8 +181,8 @@ step "Extracting skills"
 tar -xzf "$archive_path" -C "$extract_dir"
 
 source_root="$(find "$extract_dir" -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type d | head -n 1)"
-if [ -z "$source_root" ] || [ ! -d "$source_root/skills" ]; then
+if [ -z "$source_root" ] || [ ! -d "$source_root/skills" ] || [ ! -d "$source_root/prompts" ]; then
-  echo "Could not find skills/ in downloaded archive." >&2
+  echo "Could not find the bundled skills resources in the downloaded archive." >&2
   exit 1
 fi
 
@@ -190,6 +190,10 @@ mkdir -p "$(dirname "$install_dir")"
 rm -rf "$install_dir"
 mkdir -p "$install_dir"
 cp -R "$source_root/skills/." "$install_dir/"
+mkdir -p "$install_dir/prompts"
+cp -R "$source_root/prompts/." "$install_dir/prompts/"
+cp "$source_root/AGENTS.md" "$install_dir/AGENTS.md"
+cp "$source_root/CONTRIBUTING.md" "$install_dir/CONTRIBUTING.md"
 
 step "Installed skills to $install_dir"
 case "$SCOPE" in

website/public/install-skills.ps1

@@ -92,8 +92,9 @@ try {
   }
 
   $skillsSource = Join-Path $sourceRoot.FullName "skills"
-  if (-not (Test-Path $skillsSource)) {
+  $promptsSource = Join-Path $sourceRoot.FullName "prompts"
-    throw "Could not find skills/ in downloaded archive."
+  if (-not (Test-Path $skillsSource) -or -not (Test-Path $promptsSource)) {
+    throw "Could not find the bundled skills resources in the downloaded archive."
   }
 
   $installParent = Split-Path $installDir -Parent
@@ -107,6 +108,10 @@ try {
 
   New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $installDir -Force | Out-Null
   Copy-Item -Path (Join-Path $skillsSource "*") -Destination $installDir -Recurse -Force
+  New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path (Join-Path $installDir "prompts") -Force | Out-Null
+  Copy-Item -Path (Join-Path $promptsSource "*") -Destination (Join-Path $installDir "prompts") -Recurse -Force
+  Copy-Item -Path (Join-Path $sourceRoot.FullName "AGENTS.md") -Destination (Join-Path $installDir "AGENTS.md") -Force
+  Copy-Item -Path (Join-Path $sourceRoot.FullName "CONTRIBUTING.md") -Destination (Join-Path $installDir "CONTRIBUTING.md") -Force
 
   Write-Host "==> Installed skills to $installDir"
   if ($Scope -eq "Repo") {

website/public/install.ps1

@@ -125,12 +125,18 @@ Workarounds:
   New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $installBinDir -Force | Out-Null
 
   $shimPath = Join-Path $installBinDir "feynman.cmd"
+  $shimPs1Path = Join-Path $installBinDir "feynman.ps1"
   Write-Host "==> Linking feynman into $installBinDir"
   @"
 @echo off
-"$bundleDir\feynman.cmd" %*
+CALL "$bundleDir\feynman.cmd" %*
 "@ | Set-Content -Path $shimPath -Encoding ASCII
 
+  @"
+`$BundleDir = "$bundleDir"
+& "`$BundleDir\node\node.exe" "`$BundleDir\app\bin\feynman.js" @args
+"@ | Set-Content -Path $shimPs1Path -Encoding UTF8
+
   $currentUserPath = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "User")
   $alreadyOnPath = $false
   if ($currentUserPath) {

website/src/content/docs/getting-started/installation.md

@@ -55,20 +55,20 @@ Or install them repo-locally:
 & ([scriptblock]::Create((irm https://feynman.is/install-skills.ps1))) -Scope Repo
 ```
 
-These installers download only the `skills/` tree from the Feynman repository. They do not install the Feynman terminal, bundled Node runtime, auth storage, or Pi packages.
+These installers download the bundled `skills/` and `prompts/` trees plus the repo guidance files referenced by those skills. They do not install the Feynman terminal, bundled Node runtime, auth storage, or Pi packages.
 
 ## Pinned releases
 
 The one-line installer already targets the latest tagged release. To pin an exact version, pass it explicitly:
 
 ```bash
-curl -fsSL https://feynman.is/install | bash -s -- 0.2.16
+curl -fsSL https://feynman.is/install | bash -s -- 0.2.17
 ```
 
 On Windows:
 
 ```powershell
-& ([scriptblock]::Create((irm https://feynman.is/install.ps1))) -Version 0.2.16
+& ([scriptblock]::Create((irm https://feynman.is/install.ps1))) -Version 0.2.17
 ```
 
 ## pnpm