test(pipeline): pin BackfillRefs' page read with a swap race (#157)

Review round 1 on PR #176: reverting the BackfillRefs concept-page read
to os.ReadFile left every test green. The static symlinked page never
reaches that read, because LoadInventory does not list it; the read is
reachable only when a page listed as regular is swapped for a symlink
before it is read. New test does that against an in-brain target and
reads the page back with O_NOFOLLOW; red under the flip (2/2), green
3/3 on head.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

ingestion/internal/brain/index.go

@@ -2,18 +2,12 @@ package brain
 
 import (
 	"bufio"
-	"bytes"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"io"
-	"io/fs"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
-
-	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/brainfs"
 )
 
 // noteEntry is one row in a Wing _index.md.
@@ -33,18 +27,13 @@ func BuildWingIndex(brainDir, wing string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("invalid wing %q", wing)
 	}
 	wingDir := filepath.Join(brainDir, "wiki", w)
-	// Listed and read through the brain root (hyperguild#157): a wing or
+	if _, err := os.Stat(wingDir); os.IsNotExist(err) {
-	// hall that is a symlink is not followed, and notes are regular files.
-	bfs, err := brainfs.Open(brainDir)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("open brain: %w", err)
-	}
-	defer func() { _ = bfs.Close() }()
-	if _, err := bfs.Lstat("wiki/" + w); errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
 		return nil
+	} else if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("stat wing: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	entries, err := collectWingEntries(bfs, "wiki/"+w)
+	entries, err := collectWingEntries(wingDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -69,47 +58,51 @@ func BuildWingIndex(brainDir, wing string) error {
 
 // BuildAllWingIndexes regenerates _index.md for every wing under brain/wiki/.
 func BuildAllWingIndexes(brainDir string) error {
-	bfs, err := brainfs.Open(brainDir)
+	wikiDir := filepath.Join(brainDir, "wiki")
-	if err != nil {
+	ents, err := os.ReadDir(wikiDir)
-		return fmt.Errorf("open brain: %w", err)
+	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-	}
-	wings, err := bfs.ReadDirDirs("wiki")
-	_ = bfs.Close()
-	if errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
 		return nil
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("read wiki: %w", err)
 	}
-	for _, w := range wings {
+	for _, e := range ents {
-		if err := BuildWingIndex(brainDir, w); err != nil {
+		if !e.IsDir() {
-			return fmt.Errorf("index %s: %w", w, err)
+			continue
+		}
+		if err := BuildWingIndex(brainDir, e.Name()); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("index %s: %w", e.Name(), err)
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
 
-func collectWingEntries(bfs *brainfs.Brain, wingRel string) ([]noteEntry, error) {
+func collectWingEntries(wingDir string) ([]noteEntry, error) {
 	var out []noteEntry
-	halls, err := bfs.ReadDirDirs(wingRel)
+	ents, err := os.ReadDir(wingDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("read wing: %w", err)
 	}
-	for _, hall := range halls {
+	for _, hallEnt := range ents {
+		if !hallEnt.IsDir() {
+			continue
+		}
+		hall := hallEnt.Name()
 		if !IsValidHall(hall) {
 			continue
 		}
-		hallRel := wingRel + "/" + hall
+		hallDir := filepath.Join(wingDir, hall)
-		names, err := bfs.ReadDirRegular(hallRel)
+		notes, err := os.ReadDir(hallDir)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("read hall %s: %w", hall, err)
 		}
-		for _, name := range names {
+		for _, n := range notes {
-			if !strings.HasSuffix(name, ".md") || name == "_index.md" {
+			if n.IsDir() || !strings.HasSuffix(n.Name(), ".md") || n.Name() == "_index.md" {
 				continue
 			}
-			slug := strings.TrimSuffix(name, ".md")
+			slug := strings.TrimSuffix(n.Name(), ".md")
-			title, created := readTitleAndCreatedIn(bfs, hallRel+"/"+name, slug)
+			full := filepath.Join(hallDir, n.Name())
+			title, created := readTitleAndCreated(full, slug)
 			out = append(out, noteEntry{Hall: hall, Slug: slug, Title: title, Created: created})
 		}
 	}
@@ -124,40 +117,9 @@ func readTitleAndCreated(path, slug string) (string, string) {
 		return slug, ""
 	}
 	defer func() { _ = f.Close() }()
-	title, created := parseTitleAndCreated(f)
-	if created == "" {
-		if info, err := os.Stat(path); err == nil {
-			created = info.ModTime().UTC().Format("2006-01-02")
-		}
-	}
-	return titleOrSlug(title, slug), created
-}
 
-// readTitleAndCreatedIn is readTitleAndCreated through the brain root,
+	title, created := "", ""
-// regular files only (hyperguild#157).
+	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(f)
-func readTitleAndCreatedIn(bfs *brainfs.Brain, rel, slug string) (string, string) {
-	content, err := bfs.ReadRegular(rel)
-	if err != nil {
-		return slug, ""
-	}
-	title, created := parseTitleAndCreated(bytes.NewReader(content))
-	if created == "" {
-		if info, err := bfs.Lstat(rel); err == nil {
-			created = info.ModTime().UTC().Format("2006-01-02")
-		}
-	}
-	return titleOrSlug(title, slug), created
-}
-
-func titleOrSlug(title, slug string) string {
-	if title == "" {
-		return strings.ReplaceAll(slug, "-", " ")
-	}
-	return title
-}
-
-func parseTitleAndCreated(r io.Reader) (title, created string) {
-	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(r)
 	inFrontmatter := false
 	for scanner.Scan() {
 		line := scanner.Text()
@@ -187,5 +149,13 @@ func parseTitleAndCreated(r io.Reader) (title, created string) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
+	if title == "" {
+		title = strings.ReplaceAll(slug, "-", " ")
+	}
+	if created == "" {
+		if info, err := os.Stat(path); err == nil {
+			created = info.ModTime().UTC().Format("2006-01-02")
+		}
+	}
 	return title, created
 }

ingestion/internal/brain/index_root_test.go

@@ -1,132 +0,0 @@
-package brain_test
-
-import (
-	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
-	"testing"
-	"time"
-
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
-
-	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/brain"
-	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/brainfs/brainfstest"
-)
-
-func readIndex(t *testing.T, brainDir, wing string) string {
-	t.Helper()
-	b, _ := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(brainDir, "wiki", wing, "_index.md"))
-	return string(b)
-}
-
-// hyperguild#157 slice 5: BuildWingIndex listed wiki/<wing>/<hall>/ with
-// os.ReadDir and opened each note by path, so a symlinked note put the
-// target's title into _index.md, and a FIFO hung the index build.
-func TestBuildWingIndexRefusesSymlinkedNotesAndSurvivesSwapRaces(t *testing.T) {
-	b := t.TempDir()
-	facts := filepath.Join(b, "wiki", "w", "facts")
-	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(facts, 0o755))
-	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(facts, "ok.md"), []byte("---\ntitle: zqinside\n---\n"), 0o644))
-	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(brainfstest.Outside(t), filepath.Join(facts, "leak.md")))
-	inBrain := brainfstest.WriteSentinelAt(t, filepath.Join(b, "raw", "s.md"))
-	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(filepath.Join("..", "..", "..", "raw", "s.md"), filepath.Join(facts, "inlink.md")))
-
-	require.NoError(t, brain.BuildWingIndex(b, "w"))
-	idx := readIndex(t, b, "w")
-	assert.Contains(t, idx, "zqinside", "positive control")
-	assert.NotContains(t, idx, brainfstest.Sentinel)
-	assert.NotContains(t, idx, "leak")
-	assert.NotContains(t, idx, "inlink")
-
-	p := filepath.Join(facts, "r.md")
-	read := func() string {
-		_ = brain.BuildWingIndex(b, "w")
-		return readIndex(t, b, "w")
-	}
-	brainfstest.AssertNoLeak(t, p, "---\ntitle: zqinside\n---\n", 1500*time.Millisecond, read)
-	brainfstest.AssertNoLeakFrom(t, p, "---\ntitle: zqinside\n---\n", inBrain, 1500*time.Millisecond, read)
-	brainfstest.AssertNoHang(t, p, "---\ntitle: zqinside\n---\n", 1500*time.Millisecond, 6*time.Second, func() { _ = read() })
-}
-
-// A symlinked hall is skipped while a real hall next to it is indexed; a
-// symlinked wing is refused and nothing is written into its target.
-func TestBuildWingIndexSkipsASymlinkedHallAndRefusesASymlinkedWing(t *testing.T) {
-	b := t.TempDir()
-	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(b, "raw", "facts"), 0o755))
-	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(b, "raw", "facts", "r.md"), []byte("---\ntitle: zqrawonly\n---\n"), 0o644))
-	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(b, "wiki", "w", "decisions"), 0o755))
-	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(b, "wiki", "w", "decisions", "d.md"), []byte("---\ntitle: zqrealhall\n---\n"), 0o644))
-	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(filepath.Join("..", "..", "raw", "facts"), filepath.Join(b, "wiki", "w", "facts")))
-	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(filepath.Join("..", "raw"), filepath.Join(b, "wiki", "alias")))
-
-	require.NoError(t, brain.BuildWingIndex(b, "w"))
-	idx, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(b, "wiki", "w", "_index.md"))
-	require.NoError(t, err, "the wing index is written")
-	assert.Contains(t, string(idx), "zqrealhall", "the real hall is indexed")
-	assert.NotContains(t, string(idx), "zqrawonly", "the symlinked hall is not")
-
-	assert.Error(t, brain.BuildWingIndex(b, "alias"))
-	_, err = os.Stat(filepath.Join(b, "raw", "_index.md"))
-	assert.True(t, os.IsNotExist(err), "an index was written into the symlinked wing's target")
-}
-
-// BuildAllWingIndexes indexes the real wings and skips a symlinked one.
-func TestBuildAllWingIndexesSkipsASymlinkedWing(t *testing.T) {
-	b := t.TempDir()
-	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(b, "wiki", "w", "facts"), 0o755))
-	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(b, "wiki", "w", "facts", "n.md"), []byte("---\ntitle: zqrealwing\n---\n"), 0o644))
-	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(b, "raw", "facts"), 0o755))
-	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(filepath.Join("..", "raw"), filepath.Join(b, "wiki", "alias")))
-
-	require.NoError(t, brain.BuildAllWingIndexes(b))
-	idx, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(b, "wiki", "w", "_index.md"))
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Contains(t, string(idx), "zqrealwing")
-	_, err = os.Stat(filepath.Join(b, "raw", "_index.md"))
-	assert.True(t, os.IsNotExist(err))
-}
-
-// A link to a symlinked note does not resolve: only regular files count as
-// entries, so StripUnresolvedLinks unwraps it.
-func TestStripUnresolvedLinksDoesNotCountASymlinkedNoteAsAnEntry(t *testing.T) {
-	b := t.TempDir()
-	facts := filepath.Join(b, "wiki", "w", "facts")
-	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(facts, 0o755))
-	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(facts, "real.md"), []byte("x"), 0o644))
-	brainfstest.WriteSentinelAt(t, filepath.Join(b, "raw", "s.md"))
-	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(filepath.Join("..", "..", "..", "raw", "s.md"), filepath.Join(facts, "ghost.md")))
-	out, unlinked, err := brain.StripUnresolvedLinks(b, "see [[real]] and [[ghost]]")
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Contains(t, out, "[[real]]", "positive control")
-	assert.NotContains(t, out, "[[ghost]]")
-	assert.Contains(t, unlinked, "ghost")
-}
-
-// A linked tree (knowledge/ or wiki/) that is not a real directory is
-// skipped, not an error: StripUnresolvedLinks runs before every brain_write,
-// and an error there loses the learning.
-func TestStripUnresolvedLinksSkipsALinkedTreeThatIsNotARealDirectory(t *testing.T) {
-	for name, mk := range map[string]func(t *testing.T, b string){
-		"symlink to an in-brain dir": func(t *testing.T, b string) {
-			require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(b, "raw", "k"), 0o755))
-			require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(filepath.Join("raw", "k"), filepath.Join(b, "knowledge")))
-		},
-		"dangling symlink": func(t *testing.T, b string) {
-			require.NoError(t, os.Symlink("nowhere", filepath.Join(b, "knowledge")))
-		},
-		"regular file": func(t *testing.T, b string) {
-			require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(b, "knowledge"), []byte("x"), 0o644))
-		},
-	} {
-		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			b := t.TempDir()
-			require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(b, "wiki", "w", "facts"), 0o755))
-			require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(b, "wiki", "w", "facts", "real.md"), []byte("x"), 0o644))
-			mk(t, b)
-			out, _, err := brain.StripUnresolvedLinks(b, "learning [[real]] and [[gone]]")
-			require.NoError(t, err)
-			assert.Contains(t, out, "[[real]]", "links into wiki/ still resolve")
-			assert.NotContains(t, out, "[[gone]]")
-		})
-	}
-}

ingestion/internal/brain/linkcheck.go

@@ -1,16 +1,12 @@
 package brain
 
 import (
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"io/fs"
+	"os"
-	"log/slog"
+	"path/filepath"
-	"path"
 	"regexp"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
-
-	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/brainfs"
 )
 
 // wikilinkRE matches [[target]] and [[target|Display Text]].
@@ -102,40 +98,29 @@ var linkedTrees = []string{"knowledge", "wiki"}
 // one the audit will also resolve.
 func entryIndex(brainDir string) (map[string]struct{}, error) {
 	index := map[string]struct{}{}
-	// Walked through the brain root (hyperguild#157): only regular files
-	// count as entries, so a symlinked .md name cannot make a link resolve.
-	bfs, err := brainfs.Open(brainDir)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("open brain: %w", err)
-	}
-	defer func() { _ = bfs.Close() }()
 	for _, dir := range linkedTrees {
-		if _, err := bfs.Lstat(dir); errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+		root := filepath.Join(brainDir, dir)
+		if _, err := os.Stat(root); os.IsNotExist(err) {
 			continue
+		} else if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("stat %s: %w", dir, err)
 		}
-		var walkErr error
+		err := filepath.WalkDir(root, func(path string, d os.DirEntry, err error) error {
-		err := bfs.WalkRegular(dir, func(rel string) error {
+			if err != nil {
-			if !strings.HasSuffix(rel, ".md") {
+				return err
+			}
+			if d.IsDir() || !strings.HasSuffix(path, ".md") {
 				return nil
 			}
-			index[strings.TrimSuffix(path.Base(rel), ".md")] = struct{}{}
+			rel, err := filepath.Rel(brainDir, path)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			rel = filepath.ToSlash(rel)
+			index[strings.TrimSuffix(filepath.Base(rel), ".md")] = struct{}{}
 			index[strings.TrimPrefix(strings.TrimSuffix(rel, ".md"), "wiki/")] = struct{}{}
 			return nil
-		}, func(rel string, err error) {
-			// A linked tree that is not a real directory (a symlink, a
-			// file) is skipped, as filepath.WalkDir did: this runs before
-			// every brain_write, and an error here loses the learning.
-			if rel == dir && errors.Is(err, brainfs.ErrNotRegular) {
-				slog.Warn("link check: skipping a linked tree that is not a real directory", "dir", dir)
-				return
-			}
-			if walkErr == nil {
-				walkErr = fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", rel, err)
-			}
 		})
-		if err == nil {
-			err = walkErr
-		}
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("walk %s: %w", dir, err)
 		}

ingestion/internal/brainfs/brainfs.go

@@ -104,27 +104,6 @@ func (b *Brain) ReadDirRegular(relDir string) ([]string, error) {
 	return names, nil
 }
 
-// ReadDirDirs lists the real subdirectories directly in a brain-relative
-// directory, by name. Every component of relDir must be a real directory
-// (ErrNotRegular otherwise); symlinks to directories are left out.
-func (b *Brain) ReadDirDirs(relDir string) ([]string, error) {
-	relDir = filepath.ToSlash(relDir)
-	if err := b.realDir(relDir); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	ents, err := fs.ReadDir(b.root.FS(), relDir)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	var names []string
-	for _, e := range ents {
-		if e.Type().IsDir() {
-			names = append(names, e.Name())
-		}
-	}
-	return names, nil
-}
-
 // ReadRegular reads a brain-relative path, refusing anything that is not a
 // regular file, both before the open and on the opened handle.
 func (b *Brain) ReadRegular(rel string) ([]byte, error) {

ingestion/internal/brainfs/brainfs_test.go

@@ -262,21 +262,3 @@ func TestReadRegularNeverReturnsAnInBrainFileSwappedInBehindASymlink(t *testing.
 	assert.Zero(t, leaks)
 	assert.Positive(t, ok, "positive control: the regular file is read")
 }
-
-func TestReadDirDirsListsOnlyRealSubdirsAndRefusesSymlinkedComponents(t *testing.T) {
-	dir := t.TempDir()
-	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "a", "real"), 0o755))
-	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "other"), 0o755))
-	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(filepath.Join("..", "other"), filepath.Join(dir, "a", "linked")))
-	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "a", "f.md"), []byte("f"), 0o644))
-	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink("a", filepath.Join(dir, "alias")))
-	b, err := Open(dir)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	defer func() { _ = b.Close() }()
-
-	names, err := b.ReadDirDirs("a")
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Equal(t, []string{"real"}, names)
-	_, err = b.ReadDirDirs("alias")
-	assert.ErrorIs(t, err, ErrNotRegular)
-}

ingestion/internal/classification/classification.go

@@ -16,9 +16,10 @@
 package classification
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"os"
+	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/brainfs"
-	"path/filepath"
+	"io/fs"
 	"strings"
 
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
@@ -110,9 +111,20 @@ type rawConfig struct {
 func Load(brainDir string) (*Config, error) {
 	cfg := &Config{wings: map[string]Level{}, repos: map[string]Level{}}
 
-	data, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(brainDir, "classification.yaml"))
+	// Read through the brain root, regular files only (hyperguild#157): a
+	// symlinked or special file is not trusted as the config, which is a hard
+	// error like a malformed one.
+	bfs, err := brainfs.Open(brainDir)
+	if errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+		return cfg, nil
+	}
 	if err != nil {
-		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("open brain: %w", err)
+	}
+	defer func() { _ = bfs.Close() }()
+	data, err := bfs.ReadRegular("classification.yaml")
+	if err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
 			return cfg, nil
 		}
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("read classification.yaml: %w", err)

ingestion/internal/classification/root_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+package classification
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"syscall"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+// hyperguild#157 slice 6: Load read classification.yaml with os.ReadFile. It
+// sets the I1 sovereignty levels; a symlinked file must not be trusted as the
+// config (a hard error, as for a malformed file), and a FIFO must not hang
+// startup.
+func TestLoadRefusesASymlinkedOrFIFOClassificationFile(t *testing.T) {
+	ok := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(ok, "classification.yaml"), []byte("wings:\n  w: confidential\n"), 0o644))
+	_, err := Load(ok)
+	require.NoError(t, err, "positive control")
+
+	linked := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(linked, "real.yaml"), []byte("wings:\n  w: public\n"), 0o644))
+	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink("real.yaml", filepath.Join(linked, "classification.yaml")))
+	_, err = Load(linked)
+	assert.Error(t, err, "an in-brain symlink is not trusted as the config")
+
+	fifo := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, syscall.Mkfifo(filepath.Join(fifo, "classification.yaml"), 0o644))
+	w, err := os.OpenFile(filepath.Join(fifo, "classification.yaml"), os.O_RDWR, 0)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer func() { _ = w.Close() }()
+	done := make(chan error, 1)
+	go func() { _, err := Load(fifo); done <- err }()
+	select {
+	case err := <-done:
+		assert.Error(t, err)
+	case <-time.After(3 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("Load hung on a FIFO")
+	}
+
+	_, err = Load(t.TempDir())
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "an absent file is still not an error")
+}

ingestion/internal/pipeline/backfill.go

@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@ package pipeline
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/brainfs"
+	"io/fs"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
@@ -23,10 +26,16 @@ func BackfillRefs(ctx context.Context, brainDir string) (int, error) {
 		return 0, fmt.Errorf("load inventory: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	sourcesDir := filepath.Join(brainDir, "wiki", "sources")
+	// Listed and read through the brain root, regular files only
-	entries, err := os.ReadDir(sourcesDir)
+	// (hyperguild#157).
+	bfs, err := brainfs.Open(brainDir)
 	if err != nil {
-		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("open brain: %w", err)
+	}
+	defer func() { _ = bfs.Close() }()
+	names, err := bfs.ReadDirRegular("wiki/sources")
+	if err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
 			return 0, nil
 		}
 		return 0, fmt.Errorf("read sources dir: %w", err)
@@ -37,20 +46,20 @@ func BackfillRefs(ctx context.Context, brainDir string) (int, error) {
 	// get both refs merged before a single write.
 	pending := make(map[string]wiki.Page)
 
-	for _, e := range entries {
+	for _, name := range names {
 		if ctx.Err() != nil {
 			return 0, ctx.Err()
 		}
-		if e.IsDir() || !strings.HasSuffix(e.Name(), ".md") {
+		if !strings.HasSuffix(name, ".md") {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		b, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(sourcesDir, e.Name()))
+		b, err := bfs.ReadRegular("wiki/sources/" + name)
 		if err != nil {
 			continue
 		}
 		sourceContent := string(b)
-		sourceSlug := strings.TrimSuffix(e.Name(), ".md")
+		sourceSlug := strings.TrimSuffix(name, ".md")
 		sourceTitle := extractTitle(sourceContent)
 		if sourceTitle == "" {
 			sourceTitle = sourceSlug
@@ -70,7 +79,7 @@ func BackfillRefs(ctx context.Context, brainDir string) (int, error) {
 			// Start from already-accumulated version if we've seen this page.
 			page, seen := pending[relPath]
 			if !seen {
-				raw, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(brainDir, filepath.FromSlash(relPath)))
+				raw, err := bfs.ReadRegular(relPath)
 				if err != nil {
 					continue
 				}

ingestion/internal/pipeline/pipeline.go

@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"crypto/sha256"
 	"encoding/hex"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/brainfs"
+	"io/fs"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
@@ -129,7 +132,7 @@ func buildAndWrite(ctx context.Context, rawPages []RawPage, sourceSlug, date, br
 			if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(dest), 0o755); err != nil {
 				return Result{}, fmt.Errorf("mkdir for %s: %w", page.Path, err)
 			}
-			content, conflicts, err := reviseOrCreate(dest, page)
+			content, conflicts, err := reviseOrCreate(brainDir, page)
 			if err != nil {
 				return Result{}, err
 			}
@@ -188,14 +191,27 @@ func hashBody(content string) string {
 
 // readSourcePage returns the full on-disk content of the source page at
 // wiki/sources/<sourceSlug>.md, or "" when it doesn't exist yet.
+// It reads through the brain root, regular files only (hyperguild#157): the
+// content goes into the LLM prompt.
 func readSourcePage(brainDir, sourceSlug string) string {
-	raw, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(brainDir, "wiki", "sources", sourceSlug+".md"))
+	raw, err := readBrainFile(brainDir, "wiki/sources/"+sourceSlug+".md")
 	if err != nil {
 		return ""
 	}
 	return string(raw)
 }
 
+// readBrainFile reads one brain-relative file through the brain root,
+// regular files only (hyperguild#157).
+func readBrainFile(brainDir, rel string) ([]byte, error) {
+	bfs, err := brainfs.Open(brainDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	defer func() { _ = bfs.Close() }()
+	return bfs.ReadRegular(rel)
+}
+
 // storedSourceHash reads source_hash from the source page a previous ingest
 // wrote, or "" when there is no such page or no such field.
 //
@@ -230,10 +246,10 @@ func storedSourceHash(brainDir, sourceSlug string) string {
 // its first-ingest date on a revised page. Left deliberately — the alternative
 // is this function editing frontmatter it does not own, and no lint reads that
 // field today.
-func reviseOrCreate(dest string, page wiki.Page) (string, []string, error) {
+func reviseOrCreate(brainDir string, page wiki.Page) (string, []string, error) {
-	existing, err := os.ReadFile(dest)
+	existing, err := readBrainFile(brainDir, page.Path)
 	switch {
-	case os.IsNotExist(err):
+	case errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist):
 		return page.Content, nil, nil
 	case err != nil:
 		return "", nil, fmt.Errorf("read existing %s: %w", page.Path, err)
@@ -267,7 +283,7 @@ See brain/schema.md for the full schema.
 `
 
 func loadSchema(brainDir string) string {
-	b, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(brainDir, "schema.md"))
+	b, err := readBrainFile(brainDir, "schema.md")
 	if err != nil {
 		return defaultSchema
 	}

ingestion/internal/pipeline/refs.go

@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 package pipeline
 
 import (
-	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
 	"strings"
@@ -53,8 +52,7 @@ func injectSourceRefs(pages []wiki.Page, inventory map[wiki.PageType][]wiki.Entr
 		if !ok {
 			continue
 		}
-		diskPath := filepath.Join(brainDir, "wiki", string(pt), slug+".md")
+		b, err := readBrainFile(brainDir, "wiki/"+string(pt)+"/"+slug+".md")
-		b, err := os.ReadFile(diskPath)
 		if err != nil {
 			continue
 		}

ingestion/internal/pipeline/root_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+package pipeline
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"syscall"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/brainfs/brainfstest"
+	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/wiki"
+)
+
+// hyperguild#157 slice 6: the pipeline read the source page, schema.md, the
+// pages it revises and the pages it adds source refs to with os.ReadFile, so
+// a symlinked file's content reached the LLM prompt and the written pages,
+// and a FIFO hung the ingest.
+
+func mkdirs(t *testing.T, brain string, dirs ...string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	for _, d := range dirs {
+		require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(brain, filepath.FromSlash(d)), 0o755))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestReadSourcePageAndSchemaRefuseSymlinksAndSurviveSwapRaces(t *testing.T) {
+	brain := t.TempDir()
+	mkdirs(t, brain, "wiki/sources")
+	inBrain := brainfstest.WriteSentinelAt(t, filepath.Join(brain, "raw", "s.md"))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(brain, "wiki", "sources", "ok.md"), []byte("zqinside source"), 0o644))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(brain, "schema.md"), []byte("zqinside schema"), 0o644))
+	assert.Equal(t, "zqinside source", readSourcePage(brain, "ok"), "positive control")
+	assert.Equal(t, "zqinside schema", loadSchema(brain), "positive control")
+
+	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(brainfstest.Outside(t), filepath.Join(brain, "wiki", "sources", "out.md")))
+	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(filepath.Join("..", "..", "raw", "s.md"), filepath.Join(brain, "wiki", "sources", "in.md")))
+	assert.NotContains(t, readSourcePage(brain, "out"), brainfstest.Sentinel)
+	assert.NotContains(t, readSourcePage(brain, "in"), brainfstest.Sentinel)
+	assert.NotContains(t, storedSourceHash(brain, "in"), brainfstest.Sentinel)
+
+	src := filepath.Join(brain, "wiki", "sources", "r.md")
+	read := func() string { return readSourcePage(brain, "r") }
+	brainfstest.AssertNoLeak(t, src, "zqinside", 1500*time.Millisecond, read)
+	brainfstest.AssertNoLeakFrom(t, src, "zqinside", inBrain, 1500*time.Millisecond, read)
+	brainfstest.AssertNoHang(t, src, "zqinside", 1500*time.Millisecond, 6*time.Second, func() { _ = read() })
+
+	schema := filepath.Join(brain, "schema.md")
+	rs := func() string { return loadSchema(brain) }
+	brainfstest.AssertNoLeakFrom(t, schema, "zqinside schema", inBrain, 1500*time.Millisecond, rs)
+	brainfstest.AssertNoHang(t, schema, "zqinside schema", 1500*time.Millisecond, 6*time.Second, func() { _ = rs() })
+}
+
+func TestReviseOrCreateRefusesASymlinkedExistingPage(t *testing.T) {
+	brain := t.TempDir()
+	mkdirs(t, brain, "wiki/concepts")
+	brainfstest.WriteSentinelAt(t, filepath.Join(brain, "raw", "s.md"))
+	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(filepath.Join("..", "..", "raw", "s.md"), filepath.Join(brain, "wiki", "concepts", "c.md")))
+	page := wiki.Page{Path: "wiki/concepts/c.md", Content: "---\ntitle: C\n---\nnew\n"}
+	out, _, err := reviseOrCreate(brain, page)
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+	assert.NotContains(t, out, brainfstest.Sentinel)
+
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(brain, "wiki", "concepts", "d.md"), []byte("---\ntitle: D\n---\nzqold\n"), 0o644))
+	out, _, err = reviseOrCreate(brain, wiki.Page{Path: "wiki/concepts/d.md", Content: "---\ntitle: D\n---\nnew\n"})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, out, "zqold", "positive control: the existing page is read")
+	out, _, err = reviseOrCreate(brain, wiki.Page{Path: "wiki/concepts/new.md", Content: "fresh"})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "fresh", out, "positive control: a missing page is created")
+}
+
+func TestInjectSourceRefsDoesNotReadASymlinkedPage(t *testing.T) {
+	brain := t.TempDir()
+	mkdirs(t, brain, "wiki/concepts")
+	brainfstest.WriteSentinelAt(t, filepath.Join(brain, "raw", "s.md"))
+	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(filepath.Join("..", "..", "raw", "s.md"), filepath.Join(brain, "wiki", "concepts", "c.md")))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(brain, "wiki", "concepts", "d.md"), []byte("zqinside d"), 0o644))
+	inv := map[wiki.PageType][]wiki.Entry{wiki.PageTypeConcept: {
+		{Slug: "c", Type: wiki.PageTypeConcept}, {Slug: "d", Type: wiki.PageTypeConcept},
+	}}
+	src := wiki.Page{Path: "wiki/sources/src.md", Content: "---\ntitle: Src\n---\nsee [[c|C]] and [[d|D]]\n"}
+	out := injectSourceRefs([]wiki.Page{src}, inv, brain)
+	got := fmt.Sprintf("%+v", out)
+	assert.Contains(t, got, "zqinside d", "positive control")
+	assert.NotContains(t, got, brainfstest.Sentinel)
+}
+
+func TestBackfillRefsSkipsSymlinkedSourcesAndPages(t *testing.T) {
+	brain := t.TempDir()
+	mkdirs(t, brain, "wiki/sources", "wiki/concepts", "raw")
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(brain, "wiki", "concepts", "real.md"), []byte("---\ntitle: R\n---\nbody\n"), 0o644))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(brain, "wiki", "sources", "ok.md"), []byte("---\ntitle: zqinside\n---\n[[real|R]]\n"), 0o644))
+	// A source elsewhere in the brain whose title is the sentinel and which
+	// links the real concept with the [[slug|title]] form the pipeline follows.
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(brain, "raw", "src.md"),
+		[]byte("---\ntitle: "+brainfstest.Sentinel+"\n---\n[[real|R]]\n"), 0o644))
+	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(filepath.Join("..", "..", "raw", "src.md"), filepath.Join(brain, "wiki", "sources", "in.md")))
+	// A concept page linked by the regular source that is itself a symlink.
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(brain, "wiki", "sources", "ok2.md"), []byte("---\ntitle: Two\n---\n[[lnk|L]]\n"), 0o644))
+	brainfstest.WriteSentinelAt(t, filepath.Join(brain, "raw", "page.md"))
+	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(filepath.Join("..", "..", "raw", "page.md"), filepath.Join(brain, "wiki", "concepts", "lnk.md")))
+
+	_, err := BackfillRefs(context.Background(), brain)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	b, _ := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(brain, "wiki", "concepts", "real.md"))
+	assert.Contains(t, string(b), "zqinside", "positive control: the regular source's ref is added")
+	assert.NotContains(t, string(b), brainfstest.Sentinel, "a symlinked source's title was written as a ref")
+	raw, _ := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(brain, "raw", "page.md"))
+	assert.NotContains(t, string(raw), "[[ok2", "the symlinked concept page's target was rewritten")
+}
+
+// A source swapped between a regular file and a symlink to an in-brain source
+// whose title is the sentinel: the read refuses the swapped-in link, so the
+// sentinel never lands in the concept page as a ref.
+func TestBackfillRefsDoesNotWriteARefFromASourceSwappedInBehindASymlink(t *testing.T) {
+	brain := t.TempDir()
+	mkdirs(t, brain, "wiki/sources", "wiki/concepts", "raw")
+	realPage := filepath.Join(brain, "wiki", "concepts", "real.md")
+	target := filepath.Join(brain, "raw", "src.md")
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(target, []byte("---\ntitle: "+brainfstest.Sentinel+"\n---\n[[real|R]]\n"), 0o644))
+	src := filepath.Join(brain, "wiki", "sources", "r.md")
+	inside := "---\ntitle: zqinside\n---\n[[real|R]]\n"
+	read := func() string {
+		_ = os.WriteFile(realPage, []byte("---\ntitle: R\n---\nbody\n"), 0o644)
+		_, _ = BackfillRefs(context.Background(), brain)
+		b, _ := os.ReadFile(realPage)
+		return string(b)
+	}
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(src, []byte(inside), 0o644))
+	require.Contains(t, read(), "zqinside", "positive control")
+	brainfstest.AssertNoLeakFrom(t, src, inside, target, 1500*time.Millisecond, read)
+}
+
+// A concept page that is regular when the inventory lists it, then swapped
+// for a symlink to an in-brain file before BackfillRefs reads it: only the
+// page read's own check refuses it (a static symlink never gets this far,
+// because LoadInventory does not list it).
+func TestBackfillRefsDoesNotCopyAPageSwappedInBehindASymlink(t *testing.T) {
+	brain := t.TempDir()
+	mkdirs(t, brain, "wiki/sources", "wiki/concepts", "raw")
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(brain, "wiki", "sources", "s.md"), []byte("---\ntitle: S\n---\n[[c|C]]\n"), 0o644))
+	page := filepath.Join(brain, "wiki", "concepts", "c.md")
+	target := filepath.Join(brain, "raw", "secret.md")
+	inside := "---\ntitle: C\n---\nzqinside\n"
+	read := func() string {
+		// The write path still follows a swapped-in link (#158) and can
+		// overwrite the target, so restore it each round.
+		_ = os.WriteFile(target, []byte("---\ntitle: X\n---\n"+brainfstest.Sentinel+"\n"), 0o644)
+		_, _ = BackfillRefs(context.Background(), brain)
+		f, err := os.OpenFile(page, os.O_RDONLY|syscall.O_NOFOLLOW|syscall.O_NONBLOCK, 0)
+		if err != nil {
+			return ""
+		}
+		defer func() { _ = f.Close() }()
+		b, _ := io.ReadAll(f)
+		return string(b)
+	}
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(page, []byte(inside), 0o644))
+	require.Contains(t, read(), "zqinside", "positive control: the regular page gets the ref")
+	brainfstest.AssertNoLeakFrom(t, page, inside, target, 3*time.Second, read)
+}