# Review: Daemon Package Refactor (Recovery v7)

**Reviewer:** Linus Torvalds
**Branch:** `colonyos/recovery-7cc0851d44`
**PRD:** `cOS_prds/20260402_054259_prd_colonyos_daemon_py_recovery_context_previous_branch_colonyos_colonyos_daemon_py.md`
**Date:** 2026-04-02

## Checklist

### Completeness
- [x] FR-1: `daemon.py` → `daemon/__init__.py` ✓
- [x] FR-2: `DaemonError`, `_CombinedUI`, `_DaemonMonitorEventUI` in `_ui.py`, re-exported ✓
- [x] FR-3: Watchdog methods in `_WatchdogMixin` ✓
- [x] FR-4: Recovery methods in `_ResilienceMixin` ✓
- [x] FR-5: `Daemon(_WatchdogMixin, _ResilienceMixin, _HelpersMixin)` ✓
- [x] FR-6: `from colonyos.daemon import Daemon, DaemonError` works ✓
- [x] FR-7: 149/152 pass, 3 failures pre-existing on main ✓
- [x] FR-8: No circular imports ✓

### Quality
- [x] Tests pass (149 pass, 3 pre-existing failures)
- [x] No linter errors introduced
- [x] Follows project conventions
- [x] No new dependencies
- [x] No unrelated changes

### Safety
- [x] No secrets or credentials
- [x] `subprocess.run` uses list args, no shell injection
- [x] Error handling present throughout

## Findings

- [src/colonyos/daemon/_helpers.py]: `_HelpersMixin` is beyond PRD scope (PRD specified 3 submodules). Acceptable — it follows the same pattern and further reduced `__init__.py` from ~2,100 to 1,975 lines.
- [src/colonyos/daemon/_watchdog.py]: `_get_daemon_module()` lazy-import indirection is the correct solution for the mock-target problem. Call-site comments now explain the rationale.
- [src/colonyos/daemon/_resilience.py]: Clean extraction. Lazy imports (`from colonyos.recovery import ...`) inside method bodies correctly avoid circular imports.
- [tests/test_daemon.py]: Zero changes. This is the whole point.
- [src/colonyos/cli.py]: Zero changes. Import surface preserved.

## Verdict

VERDICT: approve

FINDINGS:
- [src/colonyos/daemon/_helpers.py]: Beyond PRD scope (4 submodules vs 3 specified) but follows identical pattern and reduces __init__.py further. Net positive.
- [src/colonyos/daemon/_watchdog.py]: _get_daemon_module() lazy import is correct and now documented with call-site comments.
- [src/colonyos/daemon/_resilience.py]: Clean extraction with lazy imports to avoid circular deps.
- [tests/test_daemon.py]: Zero modifications — mock targets preserved via mixin pattern.
- [src/colonyos/cli.py]: Zero modifications — import surface unchanged.

SYNTHESIS:
After 6 failed attempts at clever extractions, this is the boring, correct solution. The data structures didn't change. The test file didn't change. The import surface didn't change. The monolith went from 2,655 to 1,975 lines through 4 submodule extractions, each using the same pattern: standalone classes move out directly, method groups move out as mixins that keep everything on `self`. The MRO is `Daemon → _WatchdogMixin → _ResilienceMixin → _HelpersMixin → object` — clean, linear, no diamond problems. 149 tests pass, the 3 failures (`TestDailyThreadLifecycle` rotation tests) are confirmed pre-existing on `main`. 5 clean sequential commits, each independently revertable. No cleverness, no abstraction astronautics, no premature generalization. Ship it.
