docs: describe the :; label-line wrapper mechanism (#571)

bash >= 5.1 writes heredocs into a pipe pre-fork; under macOS pipe
pressure the kernel hands out 512-byte pipes and the wrapper's 1.4KB
CMDBLOCK heredoc deadlocks every hook. Label lines parse nowhere:
cmd.exe skips them as labels, POSIX shells exec away before the batch
block. Also: silent fail-open when bash or the script name is missing,
and CDPATH-proof directory resolution.

README.md

@@ -2,6 +2,31 @@
 
 Superpowers is a complete software development methodology for your coding agents, built on top of a set of composable skills and some initial instructions that make sure your agent uses them.
 
+## Table of Contents
+
+- [Quickstart](#quickstart)
+- [How it works](#how-it-works)
+- [Commercial Services](#commercial-services)
+- [Installation](#installation)
+  - [Claude Code](#claude-code)
+  - [Antigravity](#antigravity)
+  - [Codex App](#codex-app)
+  - [Codex CLI](#codex-cli)
+  - [Cursor](#cursor)
+  - [Factory Droid](#factory-droid)
+  - [Gemini CLI](#gemini-cli)
+  - [GitHub Copilot CLI](#github-copilot-cli)
+  - [Kimi Code](#kimi-code)
+  - [OpenCode](#opencode)
+  - [Pi](#pi)
+- [The Basic Workflow](#the-basic-workflow)
+- [Community](#community)
+- [What's Inside](#whats-inside)
+- [Philosophy](#philosophy)
+- [Contributing](#contributing)
+- [Updating](#updating)
+- [License](#license)
+- [Visual companion telemetry](#visual-companion-telemetry)
 
 ## Quickstart
 
@@ -211,6 +236,14 @@ The Pi package loads the Superpowers skills and a small extension that injects t
 
 **The agent checks for relevant skills before any task.** Mandatory workflows, not suggestions.
 
+## Community
+
+Superpowers is built by [Jesse Vincent](https://blog.fsck.com) and the rest of the folks at [Prime Radiant](https://primeradiant.com).
+
+- **Discord**: [Join us](https://discord.gg/35wsABTejz) for community support, questions, and sharing what you're building with Superpowers
+- **Issues**: https://github.com/obra/superpowers/issues
+- **Release announcements**: [Sign up](https://primeradiant.com/superpowers/) to get notified about new versions
+
 ## What's Inside
 
 ### Skills Library
@@ -271,11 +304,3 @@ MIT License - see LICENSE file for details
 ## Visual companion telemetry
 
 Because skills and plugins don't provide any feedback to creators, we have no idea how many of you are using Superpowers. By default, the Prime Radiant logo on brainstorming's optional visual companion feature is loaded from our website. It includes the version of Superpowers in use. It does not include any details about your project, prompt, or coding agent. We don't see your clicks or anything about what you're building. This helps us have a rough idea of how many folks are using Superpowers and which version of Superpowers they're using. It's 100% optional. To disable this, set the environment variable `SUPERPOWERS_DISABLE_TELEMETRY` to any true value. Superpowers also honors Claude Code's `DISABLE_TELEMETRY` and `CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC` opt-outs.
-
-## Community
-
-Superpowers is built by [Jesse Vincent](https://blog.fsck.com) and the rest of the folks at [Prime Radiant](https://primeradiant.com).
-
-- **Discord**: [Join us](https://discord.gg/35wsABTejz) for community support, questions, and sharing what you're building with Superpowers
-- **Issues**: https://github.com/obra/superpowers/issues
-- **Release announcements**: [Sign up](https://primeradiant.com/superpowers/) to get notified about new versions

docs/porting-to-a-new-harness.md

@@ -745,8 +745,10 @@ single file that's valid as both a Windows batch script and a Unix shell script.
 On Windows, `cmd.exe` runs the batch portion, which locates `bash` (Git for
 Windows, then `bash` on PATH) and runs the named hook script; if no bash is
 found it exits cleanly so the harness still works, just without injection. On
-Unix, the leading `:` makes the batch block a no-op and the shell runs the
-script directly.
+Unix, the shell executes the leading `:;` lines and `exec`s the hook script
+before reaching the batch block (cmd.exe skips those lines as labels).
+Heredocs are banned throughout hooks/ — see issue #571 and the fence test
+`tests/hooks/test-no-heredocs-in-hooks.sh`.
 
 Two rules this enforces, which you must respect:
 

docs/windows/polyglot-hooks.md

@@ -65,9 +65,9 @@ The path is quoted because `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}` may contain spaces.
 
 ## How `run-hook.cmd` Works at a High Level
 
-`run-hook.cmd` is a polyglot script: Windows treats the first block as batch
-commands, while Unix shells treat that block as a no-op heredoc and continue
-after it.
+`run-hook.cmd` is a polyglot script: its first lines start with `:;`, which
+cmd.exe skips as labels and Unix shells execute — the shell execs the hook
+before ever reaching the batch block that Windows runs.
 
 Do not copy an implementation from this document. Read `hooks/run-hook.cmd`
 directly when changing the dispatcher, and run `tests/hooks/test-session-start.sh`
@@ -89,10 +89,14 @@ afterward.
 
 ### How it works on Unix (bash/sh)
 
-1. `: << 'CMDBLOCK'` opens a heredoc on a no-op command.
-2. The entire CMD batch block is consumed by the heredoc and ignored.
-3. After `CMDBLOCK`, bash resolves the script directory and `exec`s the named
-   extensionless script directly.
+1. Each leading `:;` line is a no-op label to cmd.exe but real commands to a
+   POSIX shell.
+2. The shell checks bash exists (silent exit 0 if not), resolves the script
+   directory CDPATH-proof, and `exec`s the named extensionless script — it
+   never reads the batch block at all.
+3. Heredocs are banned in this file and all hooks/ executables (issue #571:
+   bash >= 5.1 pre-fork pipe writes deadlock on macOS under pipe pressure);
+   `tests/hooks/test-no-heredocs-in-hooks.sh` enforces the ban.
 
 ### Key design decisions
 

hooks/run-hook.cmd

@@ -1,8 +1,20 @@
-: << 'CMDBLOCK'
+:; command -v bash >/dev/null 2>&1 || exit 0
+:; [ $# -ge 1 ] || exit 0
+:; SCRIPT_DIR="$(CDPATH= cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")" && pwd)"
+:; SCRIPT_NAME="$1"; shift; exec bash "${SCRIPT_DIR}/${SCRIPT_NAME}" "$@"
 @echo off
 REM Cross-platform polyglot wrapper for hook scripts.
-REM On Windows: cmd.exe runs the batch portion, which finds and calls bash.
-REM On Unix: the shell interprets this as a script (: is a no-op in bash).
+REM On Unix: POSIX shells execute the ":;" lines above and exec away before
+REM reaching this batch block (":" is a no-op; cmd.exe treats lines starting
+REM with ":" as labels and skips them). If bash or the script name is
+REM missing, the wrapper exits 0 silently - hooks are optional context, never
+REM a session breaker.
+REM On Windows: cmd.exe runs this batch portion, which finds and calls bash.
+REM
+REM Heredocs are banned in this file and every hooks/ executable: bash 5.1+
+REM delivers them via a pre-fork pipe write that deadlocks on macOS under
+REM pipe pressure (issue #571). tests/hooks/test-no-heredocs-in-hooks.sh is
+REM the fence.
 REM
 REM Hook scripts use extensionless filenames (e.g. "session-start" not
 REM "session-start.sh") so Claude Code's Windows auto-detection -- which
@@ -35,12 +47,4 @@ if %ERRORLEVEL% equ 0 (
 )
 
 REM No bash found - exit silently rather than error
-REM (plugin still works, just without SessionStart context injection)
 exit /b 0
-CMDBLOCK
-
-# Unix: run the named script directly
-SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
-SCRIPT_NAME="$1"
-shift
-exec bash "${SCRIPT_DIR}/${SCRIPT_NAME}" "$@"

skills/subagent-driven-development/SKILL.md

@@ -217,6 +217,14 @@ that implementer. Single-file mechanical fixes also take the cheapest tier.
 
 ## The Task Loop
 
+**Batch small same-shape work.** When the plan lists several tasks that are
+each a small, independent edit of the same kind — the same one-line fix,
+constant change, or field addition repeated across files — do not dispatch
+one subagent per task. Compose ONE dispatch brief listing every file and
+its change, send the whole batch to a single subagent, and review its diff
+as one unit. Reserve one-dispatch-per-task for work that needs its own
+judgment, its own tests, or its own review surface.
+
 Everything you paste into a dispatch prompt — and everything a subagent
 prints back — stays resident in your context for the rest of the session
 and is re-read on every later turn. Hand artifacts over as files.

skills/subagent-driven-development/task-reviewer-prompt.md

@@ -95,6 +95,12 @@ Subagent (general-purpose):
     - **Misunderstood:** right feature built the wrong way, wrong problem
       solved
 
+    If the brief lists several files each with its own change (a batched
+    dispatch), check the diff against that list file by file: every listed
+    file must have its corresponding hunk. A listed file the diff never
+    touches is a Missing finding, no matter how clean the rest of the
+    batch looks.
+
     If a requirement cannot be verified from this diff alone (it lives in
     unchanged code or spans tasks), report it as a ⚠️ item instead of
     broadening your search.

tests/hooks/test-no-heredocs-in-hooks.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# Heredocs are banned from the hook delivery chain: bash >= 5.1 delivers
+# them through a pre-fork pipe write that deadlocks on macOS under pipe
+# pressure (issue #571; the #571 class). This fence fails the moment one
+# returns. The operator is spelled out of a variable so this file does not
+# trip its own check.
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
+REPO_ROOT="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/../.." && pwd)"
+
+OP='<''<'
+FAILURES=0
+for f in "$REPO_ROOT"/hooks/*; do
+    case "$f" in *.json) continue;; esac
+    [ -f "$f" ] || continue
+    if hits="$(grep -nE "$OP" "$f")"; then
+        echo "  [FAIL] heredoc operator in ${f#"$REPO_ROOT"/}:"
+        printf '%s\n' "$hits" | sed 's/^/    /'
+        FAILURES=$((FAILURES + 1))
+    else
+        echo "  [PASS] ${f#"$REPO_ROOT"/} is heredoc-free"
+    fi
+done
+
+if [ "$FAILURES" -gt 0 ]; then
+    echo "STATUS: FAILED ($FAILURES file(s))"
+    exit 1
+fi
+echo "STATUS: PASSED"

tests/hooks/test-session-start.sh

@@ -184,6 +184,15 @@ assert_command_output \
     CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT="$REPO_ROOT" \
     bash "$WRAPPER_UNDER_TEST" session-start
 
+# With no bash available, the wrapper must fail open: silent, exit 0.
+if output="$(env -i PATH=/nonexistent /bin/sh "$WRAPPER_UNDER_TEST" session-start 2>&1)" \
+   && [ -z "$output" ]; then
+    pass "wrapper with no bash on PATH is silent and exits 0"
+else
+    fail "wrapper with no bash on PATH is silent and exits 0"
+    printf '%s\n' "$output" | head -3 | sed 's/^/    /'
+fi
+
 cursor_home="$(make_home cursor)"
 assert_command_output \
     "Cursor emits top-level additional_context only" \