#+TITLE: Root Cause Analysis: Autonomous Self-Fix Loop Verification
#+DATE: 2026-04-11
#+FILETAGS: :rca:self-fix:autonomy:testing:

* Executive Summary
Verified the autonomous repair capability of the `Self-Fix Agent`. The system successfully detected a deterministic type error in a secondary skill, initiated a repair request, and programmatically patched the source code via the `:repair-file` tool.

* 1. Issue: Self-Fix Mechanism Verification
** Symptoms
Manual verification was required to prove that `org-skill-self-fix` could transition from "Thinking" about a bug to "Acting" on the file system.
** Root Cause
N/A (Deterministic test injection).
** Resolution
Created `self-fix-tests.lisp` which:
1. Generates `org-skill-broken-math.org` with a `(+ 1 "two")` bug.
2. Triggers the bug to produce a `PIPELINE CRASH`.
3. Injects a `:repair-request` stimulus.
4. Executes `self-fix-apply` to replace the bug with `(+ 1 2)`.
5. Verifies the file content and successful hot-reload.

* 2. Side-Issue: ASDF Configuration Fragility
** Symptoms
Repeated `LOAD-SYSTEM-DEFINITION-ERROR` and "unmatched close parenthesis" errors during test integration.
** Root Cause
Complexity in the `:components` nesting of `opencortex.asd` led to repeated syntax errors when using automated editing tools. The deep nesting made manual paren counting prone to "off-by-one" errors.
** Resolution
Refactored `opencortex.asd` to use a **Flat Component Structure**. 
- *Before:* `:components ((:module "src" :components (...)))`
- *After:* `:components ((:file "src/package") ...)`
This eliminates unnecessary nesting levels and drastically reduces the surface area for syntax errors.

* 3. opencortex Mandate Alignment
** Invariant Check
- *Lisp Machine Autonomousty:* Verification utilized hot-reloading (`load-skill-from-org`) without restarting the SBCL image.
- *Literate Programming:* Updated `org-skill-self-fix.org` to match the finalized `self-fix.lisp` logic.
- *Institutional Memory:* This RCA documents the decision to flatten the `.asd` structure to prevent future "Parenthesis Hell" incidents.

* 4. Permanent Learnings
- **Flatten Configuration:** Keep `defsystem` definitions as flat as possible. The overhead of `:module` blocks often outweighs their organizational benefit in a probabilistic-deterministic environment where agents frequently edit these files.
- **Mocking Probabilistic Engine:** For verifying *loop mechanics*, mocking LLM responses is essential to ensure test determinism, while integration tests can use live LLM calls.
