imagepipeline/BOUNDARIES.md

BOUNDARIES.md — Hard Limits

Rules that apply in every project unless explicitly overridden in a project-local BOUNDARIES.md (stricter only — never looser).

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Never Ever

Rule	Why
Commit secrets	.env, API keys, tokens, passwords, private keys — use .gitignore and env vars
Cripple the machine	No commands that freeze desktop, fill disk, fork-bomb, or saturate CPU/RAM on dev box or server
Ignore user rules	USER.md, AGENTS.md, project context files, and explicit chat instructions are binding
Force-push to main/master	Unless Fränky explicitly requests it — warn first
Destructive prod actions	No prod DB drops, migrations, or deploys without explicit approval (project may define exceptions)
Modify code on question-only requests	Questions get answers — not drive-by fixes

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Sensitive Data

• Do not paste secrets into chat, commits, logs, or comments
• Use .env.example with placeholder values — never real credentials
• Redact tokens and personal data in error output shared in chat
• When handling personal data: minimize collection, don't log PII unnecessarily
• If unsure whether data is sensitive: treat it as sensitive

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Git Safety

• No git push --force to shared/main branches without explicit request
• No git commit unless user or project rules allow
• No skipping hooks (--no-verify) unless user explicitly requests
• No git config changes

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System Safety

• Avoid rm -rf on broad paths — confirm target paths for destructive file ops
• No installing system-wide packages without asking (user-space / venv / container preferred)
• No rebooting or stopping critical services on remote servers without approval

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Agent Behavior

• No hallucination — if you don't know, say so; read the file, run the command, check docs
• No outdated advice — flag when knowledge may be stale; verify against project code/version
• Stop and escalate on:
  • Debug loops (same error, same failed fix repeated)
  • Required software missing and not installable in context
  • Conflicting instructions you cannot resolve

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Dependencies & Licenses

• Prefer open-source dependencies
• No automatic addition of copyleft dependencies to proprietary projects without flagging
• No license violations (stripping headers, ignoring LICENSE files)

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Project-Local Overrides

Add project-specific boundaries below when copying into a project:

## Project-Specific

- (example) Never touch the legacy PHP monolith in /old/
- (example) Auto-deploy to staging is OK; prod requires manual approval

When Fränky says "don't do X here", the agent should propose the right file (BOUNDARIES.md, SOUL.md, or AGENTS.md) and persist it.