Comet Preset Path: Hotfix

Quick bug fix workflow: open → build → verify → archive. Skip brainstorming and full plan, applicable for behavior fixes not involving new capability design.

Applicable conditions (all must be met):

1. Fix bugs in existing functionality, no new capability
2. No interface changes or architecture adjustments
3. Change scope is predictable (usually ≤ 2 files)

Not applicable: If fix process discovers need for architecture adjustments, should upgrade to full /comet workflow.

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Process (preset workflow, 6 steps)

0. Output Language Constraint

Streamlined OpenSpec artifacts must use the language of the user request that triggered this workflow.

Execution chain: open → build → root cause check → verify → archive. Hotfix provides default decisions for each phase: streamlined open, direct build, root cause confirmation, scale-based verification, and final archive confirmation after verification passes.

Locate Comet scripts before starting:

COMET_ENV="${COMET_ENV:-$(find . "$HOME"/.*/skills "$HOME/.config" "$HOME/.gemini" -path '*/comet/scripts/comet-env.sh' -type f -print -quit 2>/dev/null)}"
if [ -z "$COMET_ENV" ]; then
  echo "ERROR: comet-env.sh not found. Ensure the comet skill is installed." >&2
  return 1
fi
. "$COMET_ENV"

1. Quick Open (preset open)

Reuse Comet open capability to create change, but use hotfix defaults: do not execute openspec-explore long exploration, directly enter streamlined change creation.

Immediately execute: Use the Skill tool to load the openspec-new-change skill. Skipping this step is prohibited.

After the skill loads, follow its guidance to create streamlined artifacts:

• proposal.md — problem description + root cause analysis + fix goal (no solution comparison needed)
• design.md — fix solution (one is enough, no multi-solution comparison needed)
• tasks.md — fix task list
• No delta spec needed (unless fix changes existing spec acceptance scenarios)

Initialize Comet state file:

"$COMET_BASH" "$COMET_STATE" init <name> hotfix

Verify initialized state:

"$COMET_BASH" "$COMET_STATE" check <name> open

Run phase guard to transition open → build:

"$COMET_BASH" "$COMET_GUARD" <change-name> open --apply

Check auto_transition to decide whether to continue:

"$COMET_BASH" "$COMET_STATE" next <name>

• NEXT: auto → continue to Step 2
• NEXT: manual → pause, follow HINT to prompt user to run /<SKILL> manually

2. Direct Build (preset build)

Use hotfix defaults: build_mode: direct. Skip Superpowers brainstorming and writing-plans (unless tasks > 3; if exceeds 3 tasks, transfer to /comet-build's plan and execution method selection — note this does NOT trigger full workflow upgrade, only switches execution method).

Before continuing or starting changes, handle uncommitted changes through comet/reference/dirty-worktree.md. If attribution shows the fix scope exceeds hotfix, handle it through this file's "Upgrade Conditions".

Immediately execute: Execute tasks one by one according to tasks.md:

1. Read openspec/changes/<name>/tasks.md, get incomplete task list
2. For each incomplete task:
   • Modify code according to task description
   • Run project formatter (e.g., mvn spotless:apply, npm run format)
   • Run related tests to confirm pass
   • Check corresponding - [ ] to - [x] in tasks.md
   • Commit code, commit message format: fix: <brief fix description>
3. After all tasks complete, explicitly run relevant project tests and build commands

If fix affects existing spec acceptance scenarios:

• Create delta spec in openspec/changes/<name>/specs/<capability>/spec.md
• Only include ## MODIFIED Requirements section

During hotfix execution, whenever a crash, unexpected behavior, test failure, or build failure appears while running the program, tests, build, or manual verification, must use the Skill tool to load the Superpowers systematic-debugging skill. Before root-cause investigation is complete, must not propose or implement source-code fixes.

For specific investigation, minimal failing test, fix verification, and keeping the current change verification loop, follow comet/reference/debug-gate.md.

3. Root Cause Elimination Check

Execute before running build guard, ensuring the fix actually eliminates the root cause:

1. Read bug description and root cause in proposal.md
2. Search and verify problem code no longer exists
3. If root cause not eliminated, return to Step 2 to continue fix (still in build phase, no state transition needed)

Upgrade conditions:

• Root cause check reveals deep architecture issues → Stop hotfix, handle per "Upgrade Conditions" section
• Fix requires additional interface changes → Stop hotfix, handle per "Upgrade Conditions" section

After root cause is confirmed eliminated, run phase guard to transition build → verify:

"$COMET_BASH" "$COMET_GUARD" <change-name> build --apply

State automatically updates to phase: verify, verify_result: pending, then enter verification.

4. Verification (preset verify)

Reuse /comet-verify, with comet-verify's scale assessment deciding lightweight or full verification.

Immediately execute: Use the Skill tool to load the comet-verify skill. Skipping this step is prohibited.

Small-scale hotfixes without delta spec usually meet lightweight verification conditions (≤ 3 tasks, ≤ 2 files), comet-verify's scale assessment will select the lightweight verification path (6 quick checks, including lightweight code review). If hotfix created delta spec, enter full verification path according to comet-verify's scale assessment rules.

After verification passes, record .comet.yaml verify_result as pass according to /comet-verify rules, must not skip this status before archiving. After verification passes, still enter /comet-archive's final archive confirmation; do not automatically run the archive script.

5. Archive (preset archive)

Reuse /comet-archive. Must satisfy verify_result: pass in .comet.yaml before archiving, and wait for /comet-archive's final archive confirmation.

Immediately execute: Use the Skill tool to load the comet-archive skill to archive. Skipping this step is prohibited. If there is delta spec, sync to main spec according to comet-archive rules, and handle associated Design Doc and Plan archiving annotations.

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Continuous Execution Mode

<IMPORTANT> Hotfix workflow is **one-time continuous execution**. After invoking `/comet-hotfix`, agent must automatically advance through hotfix steps, without pausing to wait for user input mid-way.

Exception: when .comet.yaml has auto_transition: false, after each phase guard advances phase, do not auto-invoke the next skill. In this case, use "$COMET_BASH" "$COMET_STATE" next <name> output and pause for manual continuation as instructed.

The following situations must also pause and wait for user confirmation:

1. Encountering upgrade conditions (see "Upgrade Conditions" section). Must use the current platform's available user input/confirmation mechanism to pause and wait for the user to explicitly confirm upgrading to full workflow
2. workspace isolation and execution-method selection when tasks exceed 3 and transfer to /comet-build
3. verify phase (comet-verify) verification-failure and branch-handling decisions
4. Final archive confirmation (before comet-archive runs the archive script)

Execution order: quick open → direct build → root cause check → verification → archive → complete

After each step completes, immediately enter next step. Within each phase, must still call corresponding Comet/OpenSpec/Superpowers skill according to above requirements; if the called skill has its own user decision points, follow that skill's rules. </IMPORTANT>

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Upgrade Conditions

Upgrade to full /comet when any of the following conditions are met:

Condition	Explanation
Change involves 3+ files	Exceeds single-point fix scope
Architecture changes	New modules, new interfaces, new dependencies
Database schema changes	Structural adjustments
Introduces new public API	Fix creates new external interface
Fix scope exceeds single function/module	Requires coordinated changes

When upgrade conditions are met, must follow the comet/reference/decision-point.md protocol to pause and wait for the user to explicitly confirm upgrading to the full /comet workflow. Do not directly enter /comet-design, and do not automatically supplement Design Doc.

After user confirms upgrade, must first update the workflow and phase fields before entering full flow:

"$COMET_BASH" "$COMET_STATE" set <name> workflow full
"$COMET_BASH" "$COMET_STATE" set <name> phase design

Then on current change basis, supplement Design Doc: Immediately use the Skill tool to load the comet-design skill, proceed normally with full workflow. If user does not confirm upgrade, stop hotfix and report that current change has exceeded hotfix scope.

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Exit Conditions

• Bug fixed, tests pass
• Change archived
• If spec changes, synced to main spec
• Phase guard: Before build → verify run "$COMET_BASH" "$COMET_GUARD" <change-name> build --apply; before verify → archive follow /comet-verify and run "$COMET_BASH" "$COMET_GUARD" <change-name> verify --apply

Automatic Handoff to Next Phase

Follow comet/reference/auto-transition.md. Key command:

"$COMET_BASH" "$COMET_STATE" next <name>

• NEXT: auto → invoke the skill pointed to by SKILL to continue hotfix workflow (phase: build returns comet-hotfix, verify returns comet-verify, archive returns comet-archive)
• NEXT: manual → do not invoke the next skill; prompt user to manually run /<SKILL> per HINT
• NEXT: done → workflow is complete, no further action needed