## Review — Linus Torvalds

**Branch:** `colonyos/recovery-7cc0851d44`
**PRD:** `cOS_prds/20260402_054259_prd_colonyos_daemon_py_recovery_context_previous_branch_colonyos_colonyos_daemon_py.md`

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VERDICT: approve

FINDINGS:
- [src/colonyos/daemon/__init__.py]: Clean MRO — `Daemon(_WatchdogMixin, _ResilienceMixin, _HelpersMixin)` with no diamond inheritance, no `__init__` overrides in mixins, no `super()` chains. This is the obvious thing to do, which is why it works.
- [src/colonyos/daemon/_ui.py]: Pure extraction of `DaemonError`, `_CombinedUI`, `_DaemonMonitorEventUI` — zero `self.*` Daemon coupling. These classes were already standalone; moving them is a copy-paste with no semantic change. Correct.
- [src/colonyos/daemon/_watchdog.py]: The `_get_daemon_module()` lazy import is the one clever bit, and it's documented well enough that I don't hate it. It solves a real problem: `patch("colonyos.daemon.request_active_phase_cancel")` must hit the same namespace the runtime code uses. Looking up via `import colonyos.daemon as mod` at call time ensures the mock substitution lands. This is a three-line function that does exactly one thing. Good.
- [src/colonyos/daemon/_resilience.py]: All seven recovery methods moved intact. Lazy imports for `colonyos.recovery` and `colonyos.orchestrator` kept inside method bodies — same pattern as the original monolith. `subprocess.run` uses list args with no shell=True. The `_should_auto_recover_existing_branch` static method validates `branch_name` through `PreflightError.details` gating. No injection risk.
- [src/colonyos/daemon/_helpers.py]: Not in the PRD (which specified 3 submodules, not 4), but follows the identical mixin pattern and further reduces the monolith. The methods are genuinely helper-shaped: formatters, incident recorders, budget guidance. No mutation of core queue state. Acceptable scope creep.
- [tests/test_daemon.py]: Zero modifications. This is the entire point of the exercise, and they achieved it. 152 passed, 3 failed — the 3 `TestDailyThreadLifecycle` rotation failures are identical on `main` (verified).

SYNTHESIS:
After six failed attempts that each tried to be too clever — extracting methods into standalone functions, breaking mock targets, introducing circular imports — attempt seven did the boring, correct thing: mixins. The data structures didn't change. The methods didn't change. The test file didn't change. The import surface (`from colonyos.daemon import Daemon, DaemonError`) didn't change. What changed is that 687 lines moved from one file into four files, each with a clear responsibility boundary. The `_get_daemon_module()` pattern in the watchdog is the only thing that requires a second look, and it's well-commented and solves a real mock-target problem. The extra `_helpers.py` beyond PRD scope is fine — it follows the same pattern and the methods genuinely belong there. This is a textbook example of "do the simple thing first." Ship it.
