refactor: depend on the published core, drop the vendored copies

.github/workflows/agentrust-codex-tests.yml

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ permissions:
   contents: read
 
 jobs:
-  stdlib:
+  drift-without-signing:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/setup-python@5fda3b95a4ea91299a34e894583c3862153e4b97 # v7.0.0
         with:
           python-version: "${{ matrix.python-version }}"
-      - name: Run dependency-free capture tests
+      - name: Run capture tests without the signing packages
         run: |
-          pip install pytest
+          pip install ./packages/agentrust-capture-core pytest
           python -m pytest plugins/agentrust-codex/tests -q
 
   signing:
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ jobs:
           python-version: "${{ matrix.python-version }}"
       - name: Run signing and conformance tests
         run: |
-          pip install pytest -r plugins/agentrust-codex/requirements.txt
+          pip install ./packages/agentrust-capture-core pytest -r plugins/agentrust-codex/requirements.txt
           python -m pytest plugins/agentrust-codex/tests -q
 
   structure:

.github/workflows/capture-core-publish.yml

@@ -41,24 +41,9 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           fi
 
-  # The vendored copies inside each engine must match what is about to be
-  # published, or the installed path and the fallback path would ship different
-  # code under the same version.
-  consistency:
-    name: Vendored copies match the package
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
-        with:
-          persist-credentials: false
-      - uses: actions/setup-python@5fda3b95a4ea91299a34e894583c3862153e4b97 # v7.0.0
-        with:
-          python-version: "3.12"
-      - run: python scripts/sync_vendored_core.py --check
-
   build:
     name: Build distribution
-    needs: [guard, consistency]
+    needs: [guard]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1

.github/workflows/capture-core-tests.yml

@@ -4,15 +4,11 @@ on:
   pull_request:
     paths:
       - "packages/agentrust-capture-core/**"
-      - "scripts/sync_vendored_core.py"
-      - "**/_vendor/agentrust_capture_core/**"
       - ".github/workflows/capture-core-tests.yml"
   push:
     branches: [main]
     paths:
       - "packages/agentrust-capture-core/**"
-      - "scripts/sync_vendored_core.py"
-      - "**/_vendor/agentrust_capture_core/**"
       - ".github/workflows/capture-core-tests.yml"
 
 permissions:
@@ -40,10 +36,10 @@ jobs:
           pip install pytest
           python -m pytest tests -q
 
-  # Each engine keeps a pinned copy of the core so a bare plugin install still
-  # gets drift detection. Copies are free to rot, which is the failure this whole
-  # package exists to end, so they are generated and checked rather than trusted.
-  vendored-in-sync:
+  # The engines import the core as a hard dependency now, so the thing worth
+  # proving is that a fresh install of the built package actually satisfies every
+  # engine. Previously this job asserted the opposite, that they worked WITHOUT it.
+  engines-import-against-the-installed-core:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
@@ -52,35 +48,44 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/setup-python@5fda3b95a4ea91299a34e894583c3862153e4b97 # v7.0.0
         with:
           python-version: "3.12"
-      - name: Vendored copies must match the package
-        run: python scripts/sync_vendored_core.py --check
-
-  # The fallback is the path most users are on, since it is what runs before any
-  # pip install. Exercising it explicitly stops it rotting behind the installed
-  # path, which nothing else would catch.
-  bare-install-fallback:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
-        with:
-          persist-credentials: false
-      - uses: actions/setup-python@5fda3b95a4ea91299a34e894583c3862153e4b97 # v7.0.0
-        with:
-          python-version: "3.12"
-      - name: Engines must import with the core NOT installed
+      - name: Install the core from source, then import every engine
         run: |
+          pip install ./packages/agentrust-capture-core
           python - <<'PY'
-          import importlib.util, sys
-          assert importlib.util.find_spec("agentrust_capture_core") is None, (
-              "the core is installed; this job must test the vendored fallback"
-          )
+          import importlib.util
           for path in (
               "claude-code/engine/capture.py",
               "plugins/agentrust-codex/engine/capture.py",
               "scheduled-agents/engine/capture.py",
+              "copilot/engine/capture.py",
           ):
               spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("cap_" + path.replace("/", "_"), path)
               module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
               spec.loader.exec_module(module)
-              print("ok:", path)
+              assert "_vendor" not in module.core.__file__, path + " still loaded a vendored copy"
+              print("ok:", path, "->", module.core.__version__)
           PY
+
+  # A missing core must fail loudly. The engines previously fell back to a vendored
+  # copy; now they must tell the user what to install rather than emitting a vague
+  # "integrity check skipped".
+  missing-core-fails-clearly:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@5fda3b95a4ea91299a34e894583c3862153e4b97 # v7.0.0
+        with:
+          python-version: "3.12"
+      - name: Engine must name the missing package
+        run: |
+          set +e
+          out="$(python claude-code/engine/capture.py verify 2>&1)"
+          code=$?
+          set -e
+          echo "$out"
+          if [ "$code" -eq 0 ]; then
+            echo "::error::engine succeeded without the core installed"; exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "$out" | grep -q "pip install agentrust-capture-core"             || { echo "::error::error message does not say what to install"; exit 1; }

.github/workflows/claude-code-tests.yml

@@ -15,10 +15,11 @@ permissions:
   contents: read
 
 jobs:
-  # The SessionStart hook and drift check must work with the standard library
-  # alone. This job installs no crypto packages, so the signing tests skip and
-  # any accidental dependency on them fails the build.
-  stdlib:
+  # The drift path needs only agentrust-capture-core. This job installs no crypto
+  # packages, so the signing tests skip and any accidental dependency on them fails
+  # the build. The core is installed from this checkout, not PyPI, so the suite runs
+  # against the code in the pull request.
+  drift-without-signing:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
@@ -27,10 +28,10 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/setup-python@5fda3b95a4ea91299a34e894583c3862153e4b97 # v7.0.0
         with:
           python-version: "3.12"
-      - name: Run stdlib-only tests (no crypto packages)
-        working-directory: claude-code
+      - name: Run the drift suite without the signing packages
         run: |
-          pip install pytest
+          pip install ./packages/agentrust-capture-core pytest
+          cd claude-code
           python -m pytest tests -q
 
   # Full suite including the signing / verification tests, which need the crypto
@@ -50,5 +51,5 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run full suite (with crypto packages)
         working-directory: claude-code
         run: |
-          pip install pytest -r requirements.txt
+          pip install ../packages/agentrust-capture-core pytest -r requirements.txt
           python -m pytest tests -q

.github/workflows/copilot-tests.yml

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ permissions:
 jobs:
   # Standard library only, so the composite action needs no install step. 3.9 is
   # the floor the shared core supports.
-  stdlib:
+  tests:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -29,10 +29,10 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/setup-python@5fda3b95a4ea91299a34e894583c3862153e4b97 # v7.0.0
         with:
           python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-      - name: Run tests with no dependencies installed
-        working-directory: copilot
+      - name: Run the suite against the core in this checkout
         run: |
-          pip install pytest
+          pip install ./packages/agentrust-capture-core pytest
+          cd copilot
           python -m pytest tests -q
 
   # The check runs against this repository, which carries the surfaces it looks
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/setup-python@5fda3b95a4ea91299a34e894583c3862153e4b97 # v7.0.0
         with:
           python-version: "3.12"
+      - name: Install the core from this checkout
+        run: pip install ./packages/agentrust-capture-core
       - name: Snapshot this repository's Copilot composition
         run: python copilot/engine/capture.py snapshot
       - name: Verify against the baseline, reporting without failing

.github/workflows/scheduled-agents-tests.yml

@@ -15,10 +15,10 @@ permissions:
   contents: read
 
 jobs:
-  # The SessionStart hook and drift check must work with the standard library
-  # alone. This job installs no crypto packages, so the signing tests skip and
-  # any accidental dependency on them fails the build.
-  stdlib:
+  # The drift path needs only agentrust-capture-core. This job installs no crypto
+  # packages, so the signing tests skip and any accidental dependency on them fails
+  # the build. The core comes from this checkout, not PyPI.
+  drift-without-signing:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
@@ -27,10 +27,10 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/setup-python@5fda3b95a4ea91299a34e894583c3862153e4b97 # v7.0.0
         with:
           python-version: "3.12"
-      - name: Run stdlib-only tests (no crypto packages)
-        working-directory: scheduled-agents
+      - name: Run the drift suite without the signing packages
         run: |
-          pip install pytest
+          pip install ./packages/agentrust-capture-core pytest
+          cd scheduled-agents
           python -m pytest tests -q
 
   # Full suite including the signing / verification tests, which need the crypto
@@ -50,5 +50,5 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run full suite (with crypto packages)
         working-directory: scheduled-agents
         run: |
-          pip install pytest -r requirements.txt
+          pip install ../packages/agentrust-capture-core pytest -r requirements.txt
           python -m pytest tests -q

claude-code/README.md

@@ -39,7 +39,9 @@ I'd know within one session if it wasn't."
 ```
 
 That's the whole install for drift detection. The SessionStart hook is
-dependency-free (Python standard library only), so it never blocks a session.
+needs one package, `agentrust-capture-core`, which itself has no dependencies, so
+the install stays a single lightweight step rather than a tree. Without it the hook
+tells you what to install rather than silently skipping the check.
 
 On your **first** session after install, it records your baseline and tells you: