v0.53.0

v0.53.0 — Proof over trust, and an install path that needs no Python

Two milestones land in this release.

The verify gate now demands evidence

Until now an agent could say it touched the files and say the tests passed,
and the orchestrator largely took it at its word. In 0.53.0 every one of those
claims is either backed by an independent observation or re-run:

• files_touched is checked against a harness workspace observation (#2312)
• unprovable tests_passed claims are re-run inside the harness (#2313)
• verify_command is replayed at final settlement instead of being rejected
  on a stale digest (#2314)
• transcript-proven functional verification is admitted as first-class evidence
  under the verify-gate authority, so honest work is no longer punished (#2333)

Net effect: a green run means something now. The gate withholds credit it cannot
prove, and grants it where the proof exists.

Install without Python

Ouroboros no longer assumes a working Python on the machine:

• a native PowerShell installer for Windows (#2309)
• macOS/Linux installs bootstrap uv themselves when nothing else can (#2323)
• the Homebrew formula is bumped automatically on every stable release (#2321)

Lifecycle: fewer zombies, quieter serves

• mcp serve gets a hard-exit backstop and a stdin dead-peer watchdog, so a
  serve whose client is gone actually dies (#2331)
• idle network serves are bounded and job polling is incremental (#2328)
• GJC reclaims broker-owned worker sessions on terminal turns and on
  termination (#2327)

Less friction

• Seed QA is advisory: the blocking QA-until-PASS loop is retired (#2329)
• the orchestrator preflights the runtime before dispatch and stops retrying
  auth failures and provider 5xx (#2316)
• codex selects the workspace-write sandbox explicitly after exec dropped
  --full-auto (#2324), and main-repo-root automatic trust is exempted from
  config-drift rejection for worktree cwds (#2332)
• the dead .claude-plugin/skills copy is gone; its Claude gate was ported to
  the live tree (#2330)

---

What's Changed

• ci(release): bump the Homebrew formula on every stable release by @Q00 in #2321
• feat(install): PowerShell installer for Windows without Python by @Q00 in #2309
• feat(install): install uv on macOS/Linux when nothing else can install by @Q00 in #2323
• fix(codex): select workspace-write sandbox explicitly — exec dropped --full-auto by @Q00 in #2324
• fix(mcp): bound idle network serves and make job polling incremental by @Q00 in #2328
• fix(seed): retire the blocking QA-until-PASS loop — QA is advisory by @Q00 in #2329
• chore(deps-dev): bump types-pyyaml from 6.0.12.20260724 to 6.0.12.20260815 by @dependabot[bot] in #2318
• feat(orchestrator): back files_touched claims with a harness workspace observation by @Q00 in #2312
• chore(plugin): remove the dead .claude-plugin/skills copy, port its Claude gate by @Q00 in #2330
• fix(codex): exempt main-repo-root automatic trust from config drift for worktree cwds by @Q00 in #2332
• feat(orchestrator): re-run unprovable tests_passed claims in the harness by @Q00 in #2313
• fix(orchestrator): replay verify_command at final settlement instead of rejecting by @Q00 in #2314
• feat(evidence): admit transcript-proven functional verification under verify-gate authority by @Q00 in #2333
• fix(gjc): reclaim broker-owned worker sessions on terminal turns and termination by @Q00 in #2327
• fix(orchestrator): preflight the runtime before dispatch; stop retrying auth/provider 5xx by @Q00 in #2316
• fix(mcp): hard-exit backstop and stdin dead-peer watchdog for immortal serve zombies by @Q00 in #2331
• chore(deps): bump the python-minor-patch group across 1 directory with 2 updates by @dependabot[bot] in #2317
• chore(release): v0.53.0 by @Q00 in #2334

Full Changelog: v0.52.0...v0.53.0