/ca-context-check

name: ca-context-check
description: Optional manual drift audit — report stale provenance-tracked docs, then per stale doc offer re-scout, re-baseline, or defer. Not the daily loop; commit-gate auto-heal owns routine maintenance.
argument-hint: (none)

$ca-context-check — manual drift audit

<!-- catalog-compatibility-notice:start --> > Compatibility route. Prefer `$ca-status drift` for new usage. This installed route remains > functional under the command-route compatibility policy at [includes/command-compatibility.md](../../includes/command-compatibility.md); > continue with the unchanged drift workflow below. <!-- catalog-compatibility-notice:end -->

An optional, on-demand audit for bypass cases: a merge or external edit changed a tracked source file you are not about to commit, so commit-gate's auto-heal did not fire. Routes to the `context-check` skill.

When to use

Use this only when you believe drift was introduced outside a commit (e.g. a direct push, a merge you did not author, a manual file edit while outside a normal commit workflow). The SessionStart drift line (backed by `startup_drift_line`) is the usual signal that this check is warranted.

When NOT to use

• **Routine maintenance** — commit-gate auto-heal runs automatically on every

commit that touches a `drift_trigger` source. No manual intervention needed for the common case.

• Full brownfield re-scan from scratch → `$ca-create-context`.
• Project state snapshot → `$ca-status`.

Hard gate

Read-only unless the user explicitly chooses re-scout (partial scout run) or re-baseline (hash update in `.codearbiter/.provenance/`). MUST NOT commit on its own. MUST NOT modify any derived doc without an explicit user selection.