/schema-unify

name: schema-unify
description: Migrate a brain from gbrain-base (or any pack) to gbrain-base-v2's 14-canonical-type taxonomy via gbrain onboard --check + the unify-types Minion handler. Collapses 94 noisy types to 15 canonical with subtypes, alias rows, and link rows. Triggers when an agent notices pack_upgrade_available, type_proliferation, or asks "what is the canonical taxonomy / how do I clean up my page types".
brain_first: exempt
tools:
  - gbrain onboard --check
  - gbrain onboard --check --explain
  - gbrain onboard --check --json
  - gbrain jobs submit unify-types
  - gbrain jobs follow
  - gbrain schema active
  - gbrain schema use
  - gbrain schema stats
  - gbrain restore
  - mcp:run_onboard
triggers:
  - "unify my types"
  - "migrate to gbrain-base-v2"
  - "94 types to 14"
  - "apply canonical taxonomy"
  - "clean up my page types"
  - "pack upgrade"
  - "shrink type proliferation"
  - "what does the canonical taxonomy look like"
  - "consolidate page types"
  - "retype pages to canonical"

Schema Unification (gbrain-base → gbrain-base-v2)

v0.41.22 ships **gbrain-base-v2** — a 15-type DRY/MECE taxonomy (14 canonical + `note` catch-all) — as the install default for new brains. Existing brains on `gbrain-base` can opt in via the `pack_upgrade_available` onboard finding + the `unify-types` PROTECTED Minion handler.

This skill is the playbook for that migration.

brain_first: exempt

This skill is ABOUT the brain's shape — it can't depend on the brain it's reshaping. No `gbrain search` lookup first; jump straight to onboard.

When this skill fires

• Agent runs `gbrain onboard --check` and sees `pack_upgrade_available` or `type_proliferation` warnings
• User asks "what is the canonical taxonomy / how do I clean up my page types / migrate to v2"
• A `dangling_aliases` finding surfaces (post-unify GC)
• An agent ingesting from a custom pack wants to consult the v2 taxonomy as a reference

Mental model (one paragraph)

A production gbrain brain accreted **94 distinct `pages.type` values** over years of ingestion: tweet / tweet-thread / tweet-bundle / tweet-single / media/x-tweet/bundle / tweet-stub all coexisting; 5.5K concept-redirect pages; atom-partner-link pages that should be links; civic / framework / insight / memo / anecdote one-offs. The cure: collapse to **15 canonical types** (person, company, media, tweet, social-digest, analysis, atom, concept, source, deal, email, slack, writing, project, note) with subtypes/format/origin pushed to frontmatter, alias-rows for redirects, real link-rows for edge-shaped pages, and a catch-all that bins long-tail unknowns to `note` with `frontmatter.legacy_type = <original>` for rollback.

Workflow

Phase 1: Discovery

Confirm the brain is actually on `gbrain-base` (not already on v2).

gbrain schema active --json | jq -r '.identity'

Expected: `gbrain-base@1.0.0+<sha>`. If you see `gbrain-base-v2@...`, the brain is already on v2 — skip the migration.

Then run onboard to see what would change:

gbrain onboard --check

Look for the `pack_upgrade_available` finding. If it's `ok`, there's no successor declared for the active pack — done.

Phase 2: Preview

Run the per-cluster narrative:

gbrain onboard --check --explain

This invokes the `unify-types` handler in dry-run mode and prints:

• How many pages would retype per cluster (tweets, articles, companies, etc.)
• How many concept-redirect pages would become alias rows
• How many edge-shaped pages would convert to real links
• The synthesized catch-all rules for unknown types

Review the output. If the proposed changes look wrong, **don't** proceed — file an issue or write a custom pack with adjusted mapping_rules.

Phase 3: Apply

The handler is PROTECTED (manual_only per D17) — autopilot will never auto-fire it. Submit explicitly:

gbrain jobs submit unify-types \
  --allow-protected \
  --params '{"target_pack":"gbrain-base-v2","apply":true}'

`apply` defaults to **false** (dry-run) per the handler contract, so `"apply":true` is required here or the job reports success having retyped nothing and left the active pack unflipped. Omit it to preview.

Watch progress per phase:

gbrain jobs follow <job_id>

On a 186K-page brain expect ~10 minutes. The handler runs: 1. Preflight (validate target pack has `mapping_rules:`) 2. Stats snapshot (pre-state for celebration summary) 3. Acquire `gbrain-unify` db-lock (60min TTL) 4. Apply phases:

• Explicit retype rules (tweets, articles, companies, etc.)
• Catch-all retype (unknown types → note with legacy_type)
• Page-to-link rules (atom-partner-link, symlink)
• Page-to-alias rules (concept-redirect)

5. Final sync (untyped rows by path-prefix) 6. **Flip active pack** to gbrain-base-v2 (D13) 7. Verify + celebration summary

Phase 4: Verify

gbrain onboard --check
gbrain schema stats

Expected:

• `pack_upgrade_available` → `ok` (active pack is now v2)
• `type_proliferation` → `ok` (≤16 distinct typed values)
• `dangling_aliases` → `ok` (slug_aliases all point at active canonicals)
• `gbrain schema stats` shows ≤16 distinct types

Phase 5: Post-migration

Anything that used `--type article` keeps working post-unify if your CLI calls go through the `expandTypeFilter` helper (it expands `article` to `media+subtype=article` automatically). Direct SQL against `pages.type` needs updating to the canonical types.

Search queries get a small ranking signal: pages reached via `slug_aliases` (canonicals of one or more aliases) get a 1.05x boost. Visible via `gbrain search --explain`.

Rollback

Every retyped page preserves `frontmatter.legacy_type = <original>` per D8. Restore types via:

UPDATE pages SET type = frontmatter->>'legacy_type'
WHERE source_id = 'default' AND frontmatter->>'legacy_type' IS NOT NULL;

Page-to-alias and page-to-link source pages soft-delete with 72h TTL. Restore within that window:

gbrai