the-nexus/POLICY.md

# Branch Protection & Review Policy

## 🛡️ Enforced Branch Protection Rules

All repositories must apply the following branch protection rules to the `main` branch:

| Rule | Setting | Rationale |
|------|---------|-----------|
| Require PR for merge | ✅ Required | Prevent direct pushes to `main` |
| Required approvals | ✅ 1 approval | Ensure at least one reviewer approve before merge |
| Dismiss stale approvals | ✅ Auto-dismiss | Require re-approval after new commits |
| Require CI to pass | ✅ Where CI exist | Prevent merging of failing builds |
| Block force push | ✅ Enabled | Protect commit history |
| Block branch deletion | ✅ Enabled | Prevent accidental deletion of `main` |

> ⚠️ Note: CI enforcement is optional for repositories where CI is not yet configured.

---

### 👤 Default Reviewer Assignment

All repositories must define default reviewers using CODEOWNERS-style configuration:

- `@perplexity` is the **default reviewer** for all repositories.
- `@Timmy` is a **required reviewer** for `hermes-agent`.
- Repository-specific owners may be added for specialized areas.

---

### <20> Affected Repositories

| Repository | Status | Notes |
|-------------|--------|-------|
| `hermes-agent` | ✅ Protected | CI is active |
| `the-nexus` | ✅ Protected | CI is pending |
| `timmy-home` | ✅ Protected | No CI |
| `timmy-config` | ✅ Protected | Limited CI |

---

### ✅ Acceptance Criteria

- [ ] Branch protection enabled on `hermes-agent` main
- [ ] Branch protection enabled on `the-nexus` main
- [ ] Branch protection enabled on `timmy-home` main
- [ ] Branch protection enabled on `timmy-config` main
- [ ] `@perplexity` set as default reviewer org-wide
- [ ] Policy documented in this file

---

### <20> Blocks

- Blocks #916, #917
- cc @Timmy @Rockachopa

— @perplexity, Integration Architect + QA

## 🛡️ Branch Protection Rules

These rules must be applied to the `main` branch of all repositories:
- [R] **Require Pull Request for Merge** – No direct pushes to `main`
- [x] **Require 1 Approval** – At least one reviewer must approve
- [R] **Dismiss Stale Approvals** – Re-review after new commits
- [x] **Require CI to Pass** – Only allow merges with passing CI (where CI exists)
- [x] **Block Force Push** – Prevent rewrite history
- [x] **Block Branch Deletion** – Prevent accidental deletion of `main`

## 👤 Default Reviewer

- `@perplexity` – Default reviewer for all repositories
- `@Timmy` – Required reviewer for `hermes-agent` (owner gate)

## 🚧 Enforcement

- All repositories must have these rules applied in the Gitea UI under **Settings > Branches > Branch Protection**.
- CI must be configured and enforced for repositories with CI pipelines.
- Reviewers assignments must be set via CODEOWNERS or manually in the UI.

## 📌 Acceptance Criteria

- [ ] Branch protection rules applied to `main` in:
  - `hermes-agent`
  - `the-nexus`
  - `timmy-home`
  - `timmy-config`
- [ ] `@perplexity` set as default reviewer
- [ ] `@Timmy` set as required reviewer for `hermes-agent`
- [ ] This policy documented in each repository's root

## 🧠 Notes

- For repositories without CI, the "Require CI to Pass" rule is optional.
- This policy is versioned and must be updated as needed.