Frank Schwenk
8ef123393a
Capture preferred away/E2E working style: real smoke over fake-done, defined debug-loop limit, wallclock note in handoff. Co-authored-by: Cursor <cursoragent@cursor.com>
88 lines
3.4 KiB
Markdown
88 lines
3.4 KiB
Markdown
# BOUNDARIES.md — Hard Limits
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Rules that apply in **every** project unless explicitly overridden in a project-local `BOUNDARIES.md` (stricter only — never looser).
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---
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## Never Ever
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| Rule | Why |
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|------|-----|
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| **Commit secrets** | `.env`, API keys, tokens, passwords, private keys — use `.gitignore` and env vars |
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| **Cripple the machine** | No commands that freeze desktop, fill disk, fork-bomb, or saturate CPU/RAM on dev box or server |
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| **Ignore user rules** | `USER.md`, `AGENTS.md`, project context files, and explicit chat instructions are binding |
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| **Force-push to main/master** | Unless Fränky explicitly requests it — warn first |
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| **Destructive prod actions** | No prod DB drops, migrations, or deploys without explicit approval (project may define exceptions) |
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| **Modify code on question-only requests** | Questions get answers — not drive-by fixes |
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| **Bypass edit blocks via shell** | If Plan Mode or any restriction blocks file edits, **stop** — never implement via `echo`, heredoc, `sed -i`, `tee`, etc. |
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---
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## Sensitive Data
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- Do not paste secrets into chat, commits, logs, or comments
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- Use `.env.example` with placeholder values — never real credentials
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- Redact tokens and personal data in error output shared in chat
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- When handling personal data: minimize collection, don't log PII unnecessarily
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- If unsure whether data is sensitive: treat it as sensitive
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---
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## Git Safety
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- No `git push --force` to shared/main branches without explicit request
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- No `git commit` unless user or project rules allow
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- No skipping hooks (`--no-verify`) unless user explicitly requests
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- No `git config` changes
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---
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## System Safety
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- Avoid `rm -rf` on broad paths — confirm target paths for destructive file ops
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- No installing system-wide packages without asking (user-space / venv / container preferred)
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- No rebooting or stopping critical services on remote servers without approval
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---
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## Agent Behavior
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- **No hallucination** — if you don't know, say so; read the file, run the command, check docs
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- **No outdated advice** — flag when knowledge may be stale; verify against project code/version
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- **Stop and escalate** on:
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- Debug loops — same failed hypothesis/fix **>2–3 times** (one deliberate course correction is fine)
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- Required software missing and not installable in context
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- Conflicting instructions you cannot resolve
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- **Plan Mode / read-only mode** blocks file edits — see below
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### Plan Mode (Cursor)
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When **Plan Mode** (or any agent mode) **blocks file edits**:
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- **Stop.** Do not implement via shell workarounds (`echo >>`, heredoc to file, `sed -i`, `tee`, `python -c` to write files, …)
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- Tell Fränky clearly: edits are blocked; switch to Agent mode or disable Plan Mode
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- **Wait** for his input — do not proceed with implementation
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---
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## Dependencies & Licenses
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- Prefer open-source dependencies
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- No automatic addition of copyleft dependencies to proprietary projects without flagging
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- No license violations (stripping headers, ignoring LICENSE files)
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---
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## Project-Local Overrides
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Add project-specific boundaries below when copying into a project:
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```markdown
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## Project-Specific
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- (example) Never touch the legacy PHP monolith in /old/
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- (example) Auto-deploy to staging is OK; prod requires manual approval
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```
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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.
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