The practical Codex operating model
One project. Many finite tasks. One worktree per writing lane.
The project supplies the territory. A task owns one result. Its worktree isolates the files. GitHub reconciles completed work. Steve—not a conversation—controls approval and promotion.
The complete chain
Context travels through files, not through Steve’s memory
Each layer has one job. When the layers are mixed, discussions become rules and local outputs disappear.
What each layer means
The project is the building; tasks are rooms
The official operating recommendation is one distinct outcome per task—not one task per project.
The shared operating territory
For TNP, the useful local project is the checked-out zts-workspace repository. It lets every new task discover the same GitHub-backed instructions and current-state files.
One project can hold TNP, Build, and other rooms because the repository already separates them.One finite business outcome
A task keeps its own conversation. It does not automatically inherit every other task’s transcript. Its durable context comes from the project files it reads.
Good: “TNP — assemble sample issue.” Bad: “Work on The Next Patient.”The private drafting room
A worktree is a second checkout of the same Git repository. Use one for each task that will change tracked files, especially when several tasks may run at once.
It prevents file collisions; it does not create memory or authority.The reconciliation surface
When the task has a reviewable result, its changes move to a branch and PR. Conflicts are resolved here before anything becomes current.
This replaces “close every chat before opening another” with controlled parallelism.The next task’s starting point
After Steve approves and the PR merges, new tasks start from the latest master. Old candidate files and chat conclusions do not outrank it.
Latest means verified master plus live vendor state—not the newest filename.Approval remains separate
A merged implementation may update current state. It does not make a brainstorm a decision. DECIDED.md changes only after explicit, scoped Steve approval.
Project instructions route the work; they do not invent policy.A normal TNP day
Three jobs can move without stepping on each other
Local is the foreground for inspection and reconciliation. Worktrees are independent production lanes.
EnvironmentPurpose
Steve’s foregroundReview + direction
ReconciliationGitHub
Live setup audit
One connection is ready; one structural correction remains
Checked 6 Sep 2026. Recheck before relying on these as future live facts.
GitHub connector identityAuthenticated as racingwbcoder85 / [email protected]Verified
Private repository accessracingwbcoder85/zts-workspace; default branch master; read, push, merge-capable admin permissionVerified
Canonical readREADME.md fetched successfully from master during this auditVerified
Local zts-workspace projectNo saved local Git project currently points at a cloned zts-workspace checkoutCorrection
This visual-board folderStatic working snapshot published to the TNP Cloudflare review surface; it requires deliberate reconciliation and redeployment after status changesPublished snapshot
Approval behaviorThis task uses automatic review. Worktrees reduce mechanical remote writes, but external connector changes and Computer Use can still require approval.Optimized
Instruction robustnessCheck actual repository read capability; do not depend on one legacy internal tool prefixCorrected model