fix(issue-26): review round 1 - no file key assigns bash's own variables; SKS_QUIESCENT_TRIES; long decimals

R1 (P1): a quoted export still ran code when the key was a bash special
variable (RANDOM=a[$(cmd)] is evaluated arithmetically on assignment).
envfile.RESERVED (bash's own variables, plus BASH_/COMP_/READLINE_
prefixes) is skipped with a line-numbered warning by both loaders; a test
keeps it covering every variable a clean bash defines. The wrapper also
hands SCRIPT_DIR/REPO_ROOT/TARGET_ENV to the parser as environment, so the
file cannot replace the variables it has already set.

R2 (P2): SKS_QUIESCENT_TRIES reached `for ((i < tries))` through a function
argument; it is normalised at the call site (minimum 0). B5 now requires
every integer-looking env default in the shell code to be normalised or
listed in NOT_ARITHMETIC with where it goes, and exercises _pane_quiescent.

R3 (P2): _positive_int strips leading zeros and rejects more than nine
significant digits before int(), like mam_int; 5000-digit inputs no longer
raise in the runner.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

.agents/skills/lib.sh

@@ -2782,7 +2782,7 @@ send_keys_safe() {
   fi
 
   local _q_rc=0
-  _pane_quiescent "$sess" "${SKS_QUIESCENT_TRIES:-20}" "${SKS_QUIESCENT_INTERVAL:-0.5}" || _q_rc=$?
+  _pane_quiescent "$sess" "$(mam_int_knob SKS_QUIESCENT_TRIES 20 0)" "${SKS_QUIESCENT_INTERVAL:-0.5}" || _q_rc=$?
   if [ "$_q_rc" = "1" ]; then
     echo "send_keys_safe: pane never quiesced ($sess)" >&2
     return 1

.agents/skills/lib_py/delegation/envfile.py

@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@
 Rules: blank lines and `#` comments are skipped; `KEY=VALUE` with the key and
 the value stripped; one matching pair of surrounding quotes is removed; no
 shell interpretation (`$(...)`, `${...}` and backticks stay literal). A key
-must match ``^[A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*$``; a line that does not, or that has no
-`=`, is skipped with a warning naming the line (never the value — the file
-holds secrets). Variables already in the environment win over the file.
+must match ``^[A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*$`` and not be one of bash's own variables
+(RESERVED); a line that breaks either, or that has no `=`, is skipped with a
+warning naming the line (never the value — the file holds secrets).
+Variables already in the environment win over the file.
 
 Stdlib only: the delegate-job wrapper runs this file by path
 (``envfile.py --shell <path>``) and evals the ``export`` lines it prints, so
@@ -19,6 +20,27 @@ from typing import List, MutableMapping, Tuple
 
 _KEY = re.compile(r"[A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*")
 
+# Bash's own variables (bash(1) "Shell Variables"). Assigning some runs code
+# even from a quoted value (RANDOM/SECONDS/... are evaluated arithmetically,
+# so RANDOM='a[$(cmd)]' executes cmd), others steer the shell (IFS, PS4,
+# BASH_ENV, SHELLOPTS) or are readonly. A file key never assigns them - in
+# either loader. tests/test_issue26_envfile.py checks this covers every
+# variable a clean bash defines.
+RESERVED = frozenset("""
+    BASH BASHOPTS BASHPID CDPATH CHILD_MAX COLUMNS COMPREPLY COPROC DIRSTACK EMACS ENV
+    EPOCHREALTIME EPOCHSECONDS EUID EXECIGNORE FCEDIT FIGNORE FUNCNAME FUNCNEST GLOBIGNORE
+    GLOBSORT GROUPS HISTCMD HISTCONTROL HISTFILE HISTFILESIZE HISTIGNORE HISTSIZE
+    HISTTIMEFORMAT HOSTFILE HOSTNAME HOSTTYPE IFS IGNOREEOF INPUTRC INSIDE_EMACS LINENO LINES
+    MACHTYPE MAIL MAILCHECK MAILPATH MAPFILE OLDPWD OPTARG OPTERR OPTIND OSTYPE PIPESTATUS
+    POSIXLY_CORRECT PPID PROMPT_COMMAND PROMPT_DIRTRIM PS0 PS1 PS2 PS3 PS4 PWD RANDOM REPLY
+    SECONDS SHELL SHELLOPTS SHLVL SRANDOM TIMEFORMAT TMOUT UID auto_resume histchars _
+""".split())
+RESERVED_PREFIXES = ("BASH_", "COMP_", "READLINE_")
+
+
+def is_reserved(key: str) -> bool:
+    return key in RESERVED or key.startswith(RESERVED_PREFIXES)
+
 
 def parse(path: str) -> Tuple[List[Tuple[str, str]], List[str]]:
     """Return ([(key, value)], [warning]) for the file at ``path``."""
@@ -41,6 +63,9 @@ def parse(path: str) -> Tuple[List[Tuple[str, str]], List[str]]:
         if not _KEY.fullmatch(key):
             warnings.append(f"{path}:{n}: skipped (invalid key)")
             continue
+        if is_reserved(key):
+            warnings.append(f"{path}:{n}: skipped (reserved shell variable {key})")
+            continue
         val = val.strip()
         if len(val) >= 2 and val[0] == val[-1] and val[0] in "\"'":
             val = val[1:-1]

.agents/skills/lib_py/loop/runner.py

@@ -74,8 +74,11 @@ def _positive_int(text: Optional[str], minimum: int = 1) -> Optional[int]:
     s = (text or "").strip(" \t\n\r\v\f")
     if not s or not s.isascii() or not s.isdigit():
         return None
+    s = s.lstrip("0") or "0"
+    if len(s) > 9:  # like mam_int: bounded before int(), which refuses > 4300 digits
+        return None
     n = int(s)
-    return n if minimum <= n <= 999_999_999 else None
+    return n if n >= minimum else None
 
 class LoopRunner:
     """Orchestrates planning, code implementation, and multi-agent peer reviews."""

.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-delegate-job/multi-agent-mux-delegate-job

@@ -35,9 +35,12 @@ if [[ -z "$TARGET_ENV" ]]; then
 fi
 
 # Issue #26: parsed by envfile.py (the Python loader's rules; environment wins),
-# never sourced. Values come back as shlex-quoted exports over the pipe.
+# never sourced. Values come back as shlex-quoted exports over the pipe. The
+# variables this script has already set are handed over as environment, so
+# the file cannot replace them either.
 if [[ -n "$TARGET_ENV" && -f "$TARGET_ENV" ]]; then
-  _env_exports="$("${DELEGATE_JOB_PYTHON:-python3}" -I "$SCRIPT_DIR/../lib_py/delegation/envfile.py" --shell "$TARGET_ENV")" \
+  _env_exports="$(SCRIPT_DIR="$SCRIPT_DIR" REPO_ROOT="$REPO_ROOT" TARGET_ENV="$TARGET_ENV" \
+    "${DELEGATE_JOB_PYTHON:-python3}" -I "$SCRIPT_DIR/../lib_py/delegation/envfile.py" --shell "$TARGET_ENV")" \
     || { echo "ERROR: cannot read $TARGET_ENV" >&2; exit 1; }
   eval "$_env_exports"; unset _env_exports
 fi

tests/test_issue26_envfile.py

@@ -200,6 +200,8 @@ def test_a4_the_parser_command_line_carries_the_path_only():
     calls = [l for l in WRAPPER.read_text().splitlines() if "envfile.py" in l and not l.lstrip().startswith("#")]
     assert len(calls) == 1, calls
     assert re.search(r'envfile\.py" --shell "\$TARGET_ENV"\)"', calls[0]), calls[0]
+    prefix = [l for l in WRAPPER.read_text().splitlines() if "_env_exports=" in l]
+    assert prefix == ['  _env_exports="$(SCRIPT_DIR="$SCRIPT_DIR" REPO_ROOT="$REPO_ROOT" TARGET_ENV="$TARGET_ENV" \\'], prefix
     src = WRAPPER.read_text()
     assert not re.search(r'^\s*(source|\.)\s+"?\$TARGET_ENV', src, re.M), "the env file must never be sourced"
     assert "set -a" not in src
@@ -251,3 +253,67 @@ def test_a5_shell_mode_exit_code_is_zero_for_absent_and_present_files(tmp_path,
                          env={k: v for k, v in os.environ.items() if k != "A"}, timeout=30)
     assert res.returncode == 0
     assert res.stdout == ("" if missing else "export A=1\n")
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# A6 - bash's own variables are never assigned from the file (review R1)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+# RANDOM/SECONDS/LINENO/OPTIND/SRANDOM are evaluated arithmetically on
+# assignment, so even a shlex-quoted value runs its $(...) in the wrapper.
+ARITH_SPECIALS = ["RANDOM", "SECONDS", "LINENO", "OPTIND", "SRANDOM"]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("key", ARITH_SPECIALS)
+def test_a6_a_reserved_key_runs_nothing_in_the_real_wrapper(tmp_path, key):
+    f = tmp_path / "special.env"
+    f.write_text(f"{key}=BASH_VERSINFO[$(touch marker)0]\nSAFE=BASH_VERSINFO[$(touch marker2)0]\n")
+    env = _env(tmp_path, f)
+    env.pop(key, None)
+    res = subprocess.run(["bash", str(WRAPPER), "--help"], capture_output=True, text=True, env=env,
+                         cwd=str(tmp_path), timeout=60)
+    assert res.returncode == 0, res.stderr
+    assert not (tmp_path / "marker").exists(), f"{key}= from the file ran shell"
+    assert not (tmp_path / "marker2").exists()
+    assert f"{f}:1: skipped (reserved shell variable {key})" in res.stderr, res.stderr
+    assert "touch" not in res.stderr, "the warning must not echo the value"
+    # the same value under an ordinary key stays literal (positive case)
+    got = _wrapper_values(env, ["SAFE"], tmp_path)
+    assert _split(got.stdout) == {"SAFE": "BASH_VERSINFO[$(touch marker2)0]"}
+    assert not (tmp_path / "marker").exists() and not (tmp_path / "marker2").exists()
+
+
+def test_a6_both_loaders_skip_reserved_keys(tmp_path):
+    f = tmp_path / "reserved.env"
+    keys = ["BASH_ENV", "PS4", "IFS", "SHELLOPTS", "COMP_WORDBREAKS", "READLINE_LINE", "RANDOM"]
+    f.write_text("".join(f"{k}=x\n" for k in keys) + "PLAIN=ok\n")
+    env = {k: v for k, v in _env(tmp_path, f).items() if k not in keys}
+    python = _python_values(env, keys + ["PLAIN"])
+    assert python == {**{k: "<unset>" for k in keys}, "PLAIN": "ok"}
+    pairs, warnings = envfile.parse(str(f))
+    assert pairs == [("PLAIN", "ok")]
+    assert [w.rsplit("(", 1)[1] for w in warnings] == [f"reserved shell variable {k})" for k in keys]
+    res = subprocess.run([sys.executable, "-I", str(ENVFILE), "--shell", str(f)], capture_output=True,
+                         text=True, env=env, timeout=30)
+    assert res.stdout == "export PLAIN=ok\n"
+
+
+def test_a6_the_reserved_set_covers_every_variable_a_clean_bash_defines():
+    res = subprocess.run(["env", "-i", "bash", "--norc", "--noprofile", "-c", "compgen -v"],
+                         capture_output=True, text=True, check=True, timeout=30)
+    ordinary = {"PATH", "TERM"}  # environment, not shell state; .mam.env may set them as before
+    uncovered = [v for v in res.stdout.split() if v not in ordinary and not envfile.is_reserved(v)]
+    assert not uncovered, f"bash defines these but envfile.RESERVED misses them: {uncovered}"
+
+
+def test_a6_the_file_cannot_replace_the_wrappers_own_variables(tmp_path):
+    f = tmp_path / "own.env"
+    f.write_text(f"SCRIPT_DIR={tmp_path}/evil\nREPO_ROOT={tmp_path}/evil\nTARGET_ENV={tmp_path}/evil\n")
+    (tmp_path / "evil").mkdir()
+    (tmp_path / "evil" / "lib.sh").write_text("touch pwned-lib\n")
+    res = subprocess.run(["bash", str(WRAPPER), "--help"], capture_output=True, text=True,
+                         env=_env(tmp_path, f), cwd=str(tmp_path), timeout=60)
+    assert res.returncode == 0, res.stderr
+    assert not (tmp_path / "pwned-lib").exists()
+    got = _wrapper_values(_env(tmp_path, f), ["SCRIPT_DIR", "TARGET_ENV"], tmp_path)
+    assert _split(got.stdout) == {"SCRIPT_DIR": str(WRAPPER.parent), "TARGET_ENV": str(f)}

tests/test_issue26_ints.py

@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ INT_KNOBS = {
     "SKS_DIALOG_TIMEOUT": (0, "30"),
     "SKS_BUSY_TIMEOUT": (0, "120"),
     "SKS_DELIVERY_GRACE_S": (0, "15"),
+    # _pane_quiescent's `for ((i = 0; i < tries; i++))` (review R2); 0 keeps "headless" (rc 2)
+    "SKS_QUIESCENT_TRIES": (0, "20"),
     # delegate_wait_started's ack_s (MAM_ONBOARD_ACK_S / DELEGATE_JOB_ACK_S via create_session.sh)
     "delegate_wait_started:ack_s": (0, "180"),
     # wrapper flags
@@ -51,15 +53,51 @@ INT_KNOBS = {
     "--ack-timeout": (1, None),
 }
 
-INPUTS = ["30", "0700", "0900", " 30 ", "0", "-5", "abc", "", "1e3", "9999999999", "000000000030"]
+# The last two are longer than Python's int() digit limit (4300): the rule must
+# bound the significant digits before converting (review R3).
+INPUTS = ["30", "0700", "0900", " 30 ", "0", "-5", "abc", "", "1e3", "9999999999", "000000000030",
+          "9" * 5000, "0" * 5000 + "30"]
+
+# Integer-looking env defaults in the shell scripts that do NOT reach bash
+# arithmetic, each with where the value goes. B5 fails on any `${MAM_/SKS_/
+# DELEGATE_JOB_/RECONCILE_…:-<digit>…}` that is neither here nor normalised
+# through INT_KNOBS, so a new knob has to be classified to land.
+NOT_ARITHMETIC = {
+    "MAM_DELEGATE_FAIL_CLOSED": "string compare", "MAM_STALL_WATCH": "string compare",
+    "MAM_ALLOW_UNSIGNED_DISPATCH": "string compare", "MAM_DELEGATE_JOB_NO_MAIN": "string compare",
+    "MAM_NO_AUTOSTART": "string compare", "MAM_SHIM_DEBUG": "string compare",
+    "MAM_NO_SUBSCRIBER_DAEMON": "string compare", "MAM_DELEGATION_PY": "string compare",
+    "MAM_AUTO_TRUST": "string compare", "MAM_KILL_ON_READY_TIMEOUT": "string compare",
+    "MAM_LOOP_PY": "string compare", "MAM_LOOP_FREEZE": "string compare", "MAM_LOOP_NO_FREEZE": "string compare",
+    "MAM_LOOP_FREEZE_OWNED": "string compare", "MAM_AUTODETECT_FORCE_FAIL": "string compare",
+    "MAM_WS_LABEL_EXPLICIT": "passed to python", "SKS_IDLE_HANDSHAKE": "string compare",
+    "SKS_DIALOG_ESCAPE": "string compare", "SKS_PROMPT_WAIT": "string compare",
+    "MAM_MIN_PANE_COLS": "argv of python -m lib_py.layout", "MAM_MIN_PANE_ROWS": "argv of python -m lib_py.layout",
+    "MAM_MAX_PANE_COLS": "argv of python -m lib_py.layout", "MAM_MAX_PANE_ROWS": "argv of python -m lib_py.layout",
+    "MAM_BUFFER_GC_MINUTES": "find -mmin", "MAM_DIALOG_TAIL_LINES": "tail -n",
+    "SKS_IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS": "argv of the python idle watcher", "MAM_DIALOG_RESEND_S": "python int()",
+    "MAM_READY_EMPTY_GIVEUP": "[ -ge ] (decimal)", "SKS_EMPTY_GIVEUP": "[ -ge ] (decimal)",
+    "SKS_IDLE_RETRIES": "[ -le ] (decimal)", "SKS_IDLE_RETRY_BACKOFF_S": "sleep",
+    "SKS_QUIESCENT_INTERVAL": "sleep", "MAM_LOCK_STEAL_RETRIES": "[ -le ] (decimal)",
+    "MAM_DIFF_MAX_BYTES": "[ -gt ] (decimal)", "MAM_DIFF_MAX_LINES": "[ -gt ] (decimal)",
+    "RECONCILE_POLL_INTERVAL": "sleep",
+    "DELEGATE_JOB_ACK_S": "create_session.sh -> delegate_wait_started, which runs mam_int on it",
+}
 
 
 def _expected(value: str, minimum: int):
     s = value.strip()
     if not s.isdigit():
         return None
+    s = s.lstrip("0") or "0"
+    if len(s) > 9:
+        return None
     n = int(s)
-    return n if minimum <= n <= 999_999_999 else None
+    return n if n >= minimum else None
+
+
+def _id(value: str) -> str:
+    return repr(value) if len(value) <= 12 else f"{value[:3]}...x{len(value)}"
 
 
 def _base_env(home: Path, extra=None) -> dict:
@@ -103,7 +141,7 @@ def _bash(snippet: str, home: Path, extra_env=None) -> subprocess.CompletedProce
 # B1 - one table, the real wrapper and the real runner agree
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("value", INPUTS)
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("value", INPUTS, ids=_id)
 def test_b1_wrapper_and_runner_give_the_same_budget(tmp_path, value):
     minimum, default = INT_KNOBS["MAM_JOB_TIMEOUT_S"]
     want = _expected(value, minimum)
@@ -121,7 +159,7 @@ def test_b1_wrapper_and_runner_give_the_same_budget(tmp_path, value):
     assert f"arith={budget}" in ares.stdout, (ares.stdout, ares.stderr)
 
     rres = _runner(tmp_path, {"MAM_JOB_TIMEOUT_S": value})
-    assert rres.returncode == 0, rres.stderr
+    assert rres.returncode == 0 and "Traceback" not in rres.stderr, rres.stderr[-500:]
     got = json.loads(rres.stdout.strip().splitlines()[-1])
     assert got["budget"] == budget
     assert got["contract"][:2] == ["--timeout", str(budget)]
@@ -166,10 +204,10 @@ def test_b2_wrapper_flags_are_decimal_or_refused(tmp_path):
     ok = _dry_submit(tmp_path, None, "--timeout", "30")
     assert _record(tmp_path, ok)["timeout_sec"] == 30
     for flag in ("--timeout", "--idle-timeout", "--heartbeat", "--heartbeat-misses", "--ack-timeout"):
-        for bad in ("abc", "0", "-5", "9999999999"):
+        for bad in ("abc", "0", "-5", "9999999999", "9" * 5000):
             res = _dry_submit(tmp_path, None, flag, bad)
-            assert res.returncode == 1, (flag, bad, res.stdout, res.stderr)
-            assert f"ERROR: {flag} {bad}: not a positive decimal integer" in res.stderr, res.stderr
+            assert res.returncode == 1, (flag, bad[:20], res.stdout, res.stderr[-500:])
+            assert f"ERROR: {flag} {bad}: not a positive decimal integer" in res.stderr, res.stderr[-500:]
             assert "registered job" not in res.stdout
 
 
@@ -177,10 +215,14 @@ def test_b2_runner_job_timeout_is_decimal_or_refused(tmp_path):
     res = _runner(tmp_path, None, "--job-timeout", "0700")
     assert res.returncode == 0, res.stderr
     assert json.loads(res.stdout.strip().splitlines()[-1])["budget"] == 700
-    for bad in ("0", "abc", "-5", "9999999999"):
+    for bad in ("0", "abc", "-5", "9999999999", "9" * 5000):
         res = _runner(tmp_path, None, "--job-timeout", bad)
-        assert res.returncode == 1, (bad, res.stderr)
+        assert res.returncode == 1, (bad[:20], res.stderr[-500:])
         assert "--job-timeout requires a positive decimal integer" in res.stderr
+        assert "Traceback" not in res.stderr, res.stderr[-500:]
+    res = _runner(tmp_path, None, "--job-timeout", "0" * 5000 + "30")
+    assert res.returncode == 0 and "Traceback" not in res.stderr, res.stderr[-500:]
+    assert json.loads(res.stdout.strip().splitlines()[-1])["budget"] == 30
 
 
 def test_b2_runner_passes_normalised_contract_flags(tmp_path):
@@ -293,3 +335,34 @@ def test_b5_every_normalised_knob_uses_the_table_minimum():
     flags = {f.split(":")[0] for f in loop.group(1).split()}
     assert {f"--{f}" for f in flags} == {k for k in INT_KNOBS if k.startswith("--")}
     assert 'mam_int "${!_var}" 1' in loop.group(2)
+
+
+def test_b5_every_integer_env_default_is_classified():
+    """Review R2: a knob can reach arithmetic through a function argument, which
+    the direct-pattern guard above cannot see. Every integer-looking env default
+    in the shell code is therefore either normalised (INT_KNOBS) or listed in
+    NOT_ARITHMETIC with where it goes."""
+    files = [WRAPPER, *sorted(SKILLS.glob("**/*.sh"))]
+    found = {}
+    for f in files:
+        for m in re.finditer(r"\$\{((?:MAM|SKS|DELEGATE_JOB|RECONCILE)_[A-Z0-9_]*):-[0-9]", f.read_text()):
+            found.setdefault(m.group(1), f.relative_to(REPO_ROOT))
+    raw_normalised = {k: v for k, v in found.items() if k in INT_KNOBS}
+    assert not raw_normalised, f"normalised knobs read raw (use mam_int_knob): {raw_normalised}"
+    unclassified = {k: str(v) for k, v in found.items() if k not in NOT_ARITHMETIC}
+    assert not unclassified, f"classify in INT_KNOBS or NOT_ARITHMETIC: {unclassified}"
+    stale = set(NOT_ARITHMETIC) - set(found)
+    assert not stale, f"no longer in the code: {stale}"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("value,rc", [("900", 0), ("0900", 0), ("0", 2)])
+def test_b5_pane_quiescent_reads_the_tries_knob_as_decimal(tmp_path, value, rc):
+    """The consuming function with the call site's normalisation (review R2):
+    0900 used to raise 'value too great for base' and return 2 (headless)."""
+    line = next(l for l in LIB_SH.read_text().splitlines() if l.strip().startswith('_pane_quiescent "$sess"'))
+    assert '"$(mam_int_knob SKS_QUIESCENT_TRIES 20 0)"' in line
+    res = _bash('_pane_capture() { echo stable; }; '
+                '_pane_quiescent s "$(mam_int_knob SKS_QUIESCENT_TRIES 20 0)" 0; echo "rc=$?"',
+                tmp_path, {"SKS_QUIESCENT_TRIES": value})
+    assert f"rc={rc}" in res.stdout, (res.stdout, res.stderr)
+    assert "value too great" not in res.stderr and "ignored" not in res.stderr