broisnees · Jul 28, 2026 · Jul 28, 2026 · Jul 28, 2026 · Jul 28, 2026 · Jul 28, 2026
diff --git a/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json b/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
       "name": "phobos",
       "source": "./",
       "description": "Always-on efficiency discipline — triage token spend to task size, write minimal correct code, take fewer round-trips, keep context lean, use memory, route to the right tool. Three skills (phobos, phobos-code, phobos-plan) plus guard/state/status hooks.",
-      "version": "1.2.5",
+      "version": "1.3.0",
       "category": "productivity",
       "keywords": ["efficiency", "tokens", "cost", "context", "productivity", "workflow"],
       "license": "MIT"

diff --git a/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   "$schema": "https://json.schemastore.org/claude-code-plugin.json",
   "name": "phobos",
   "displayName": "phobos",
-  "version": "1.2.5",
+  "version": "1.3.0",
   "description": "Always-on efficiency discipline for Claude Code — triage token spend to task size, write minimal correct code, take fewer round-trips, keep context lean. Ships three skills plus guard/state/status hooks.",
   "author": {
     "name": "broisnischal",

diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,51 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 1.3.0 — 2026-07-28
+
+Tab-title working spinner, an in-session `/phobos-update` command, status line shows effort instead of cost, a 1M context-meter fix, and auto-ignored scratch files.
+
+### Added
+- **Terminal tab-title spinner** (`spinner.sh`). While Claude works, the terminal
+  tab/window title animates with a braille spinner (`⠋ myrepo · working…`) and
+  resets to the plain project name when the turn ends — so a backgrounded tab
+  shows activity at a glance. Pure bash + OSC title escapes to the controlling
+  terminal (a detached, nohup'd animator started on `UserPromptSubmit`, killed on
+  `Stop`/`SessionEnd`); a quiet no-op where there's no tty. Opt out with
+  `PHOBOS_SPINNER=off`.
+- **`/phobos-update` command** — update phobos from inside Claude Code. Installed
+  by `install.sh` into `~/.claude/commands/`; ships in the plugin as
+  `/phobos:update`. Runs `update.sh` for git checkouts, or points plugin installs
+  at `/plugin marketplace update phobos`.
+- `update.sh` — pull the latest and re-apply in one command (`bash
+  phobos/update.sh`), passing install flags through so the install style is
+  preserved. `install.sh` referenced this script but it never existed.
+
+### Changed
+- The status line now shows the current **reasoning effort** (`effort high`,
+  `effort max`, …) where it used to show session dollar cost. Reads
+  `.effort.level` from the statusLine JSON; the badge is hidden when the model
+  has no effort knob, and the pricey tiers (`high`, `xhigh`, `max`) are
+  colour-escalated so a stray high setting is obvious. Cost is still available
+  via `benchmark.sh` / `savings.sh`.
+
+### Fixed
+- `context-warn.sh` no longer reports impossible readings like "context ~115%
+  full" on extended-context (1M) sessions. The `UserPromptSubmit` payload
+  doesn't carry the native `context_window` %, so the hook fell back to dividing
+  real tokens by a hardcoded 200k window — ~230k tokens then read as 115%. The
+  fallback now sizes the window from a `1m` marker on the model id/name, or
+  infers 1M when the token count already exceeds the 200k standard tier (the
+  only larger window), and caps the result at 100%. `statusline.sh`'s gauge got
+  the same guard.
+
+### Added
+- Phobos now registers its per-repo scratch files (`.claude/phobos-activity.log`,
+  `phobos-state.md`, `phobos-benchmark.jsonl`) in the repo's `.git/info/exclude`
+  at session start, so they're kept out of git automatically — without touching
+  the user's tracked `.gitignore` (which would surface in their commits/PRs).
+  Idempotent, and a no-op outside a git repo. `phobos-guard-allow` is left
+  visible since it's user-authored config a team may want to share.
+
 ## 1.2.5 — 2026-07-10
 
 Drop the `⚠` caveat habit.

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ phobos is also a [Claude Code plugin marketplace](https://code.claude.com/docs/e
 
 This installs all three skills (`phobos`, `phobos-code`, `phobos-plan`) and wires every hook automatically — no `settings.json` edits, updated with `/plugin marketplace update`.
 
-One difference from `install.sh`: a plugin can't set the main status line — Claude Code only lets plugins define `agent`/`subagentStatusLine`, and the plugin's cache path is versioned and ephemeral. To get the cost/context gauge shown above, run `install.sh` (which wires it for you), or point your own `settings.json` `statusLine` at a stable clone: `bash "$HOME/.claude/skills/phobos/hooks/statusline.sh"`.
+One difference from `install.sh`: a plugin can't set the main status line — Claude Code only lets plugins define `agent`/`subagentStatusLine`, and the plugin's cache path is versioned and ephemeral. To get the effort/context gauge shown above, run `install.sh` (which wires it for you), or point your own `settings.json` `statusLine` at a stable clone: `bash "$HOME/.claude/skills/phobos/hooks/statusline.sh"`.
 
 ## What you get
 
@@ -47,7 +47,9 @@ One difference from `install.sh`: a plugin can't set the main status line — Cl
 - Session usage
 - Activity
 - State handoff
+- Tab spinner
 - Skills for plan and code
+- `/phobos-update` command
 
 ## The read guard
 
@@ -97,6 +99,10 @@ _generated 2026-07-09T09:20Z · git a1b2c3d (main), 3 uncommitted — a snapshot
 
 Written to `.claude/phobos-state.md` on edit turns and before every compaction, and injected at session start — so a new session (or a post-`/compact`/`/clear` turn) re-orients from a small stamped snapshot instead of the transcript. The `git` stamp is the staleness flag: trust it as of that SHA, then verify.
 
+## The tab spinner
+
+While Claude is working, the terminal tab/window title animates with a braille spinner (`⠋ myrepo · working…`) and resets to the plain project name when the turn ends — so a backgrounded tab shows activity at a glance. Pure bash + OSC title escapes written to the controlling terminal; a silent no-op where there's no tty. Turn it off with `PHOBOS_SPINNER=off`.
+
 ## Activity ledger
 
 ```
@@ -128,8 +134,22 @@ Dollar figures are estimates, not an invoice.
 
 ## Update
 
+From inside Claude Code, run the command (installed for you):
+
+```
+/phobos-update
+```
+
+It pulls the latest and re-applies. Or do it by hand — installed via `install.sh`:
+
 ```sh
-bash ~/.claude/skills/phobos/hooks/update.sh
+bash ~/src/phobos/update.sh   # same flags as install are honoured
+```
+
+Installed as a **plugin** (command is namespaced `/phobos:update`) — or update the marketplace directly:
+
+```
+/plugin marketplace update phobos
 ```
 
 ## Tuning knobs
@@ -139,8 +159,10 @@ bash ~/.claude/skills/phobos/hooks/update.sh
 - `PHOBOS_MAX_READ_LINES` — default `2000`
 - `PHOBOS_CMD_GUARD` — default `on`
 - `PHOBOS_REPEAT_MAX` — default `2`
-- `PHOBOS_WARN_PCT` — default `75`
+- `PHOBOS_WARN_PCT` — default `80`
+- `PHOBOS_CRIT_PCT` — default `92`
 - `PHOBOS_CTX_LIMIT` — default `200000`
+- `PHOBOS_SPINNER` — default `on`
 - `BASELINE_MULT` — default `1.5`
 
 Chat controls: `phobos:max`, "stop phobos", "normal mode".

diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.2.5
+1.3.0
diff --git a/commands/update.md b/commands/update.md
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+---
+description: Update phobos to the latest version (pull + re-apply, or plugin marketplace)
+allowed-tools: Bash
+---
+
+Update the phobos installation to the latest version. Be concise — do it, then report the result in one or two lines.
+
+1. Locate the install and pick the right path:
+   - **Manual install (`install.sh`)** — `~/.claude/skills/phobos` resolves to a git checkout. The repo root is two levels above the real path of that skill. Run the updater there:
+     ```sh
+     root=$(cd "$(dirname "$(readlink -f ~/.claude/skills/phobos)")/.." && pwd) && bash "$root/update.sh"
+     ```
+     `update.sh` fast-forwards the checkout and re-applies the (idempotent) install, so any new hooks/skills land.
+   - **Plugin install** — the files live in a managed plugin cache, not a git checkout (the command above will fail or `update.sh` will say so). Do **not** git-pull it. Tell the user to run `/plugin marketplace update phobos` themselves — one slash command can't launch another.
+
+2. Report: old → new version (from the repo's `VERSION`), or "already up to date". Remind the user to restart the Claude Code session to load the changes.
diff --git a/hooks/hooks.json b/hooks/hooks.json
@@ -10,14 +10,16 @@
     "SessionEnd": [
       {
         "hooks": [
-          { "type": "command", "command": "bash \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/phobos/hooks/session-end.sh\"" }
+          { "type": "command", "command": "bash \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/phobos/hooks/session-end.sh\"" },
+          { "type": "command", "command": "bash \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/phobos/hooks/spinner.sh\" stop" }
         ]
       }
     ],
     "Stop": [
       {
         "hooks": [
-          { "type": "command", "command": "bash \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/phobos/hooks/stop.sh\"" }
+          { "type": "command", "command": "bash \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/phobos/hooks/stop.sh\"" },
+          { "type": "command", "command": "bash \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/phobos/hooks/spinner.sh\" stop" }
         ]
       }
     ],
@@ -31,7 +33,8 @@
     "UserPromptSubmit": [
       {
         "hooks": [
-          { "type": "command", "command": "bash \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/phobos/hooks/context-warn.sh\"" }
+          { "type": "command", "command": "bash \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/phobos/hooks/context-warn.sh\"" },
+          { "type": "command", "command": "bash \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/phobos/hooks/spinner.sh\" start" }
         ]
       }
     ],

diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #   --no-guard        skip the PreToolUse read-guard hook
 #   --no-cmd-guard    skip the PreToolUse Bash/Grep guard
 #   --no-statusline   skip the status line
+#   --no-spinner      skip the terminal tab-title "working" spinner
 #   --quiet           print only warnings and errors
 #
 # Respects CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR (default ~/.claude). Undo: bash uninstall.sh
@@ -24,16 +25,17 @@ root="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
 cfg="${CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR:-$HOME/.claude}"
 settings="$cfg/settings.json"
 
-skills=1 do_settings=1 guard=1 cmdguard=1 statusline=1 quiet=0
+skills=1 do_settings=1 guard=1 cmdguard=1 statusline=1 spinner=1 quiet=0
 for a in "$@"; do
   case "$a" in
     --skills-only)   do_settings=0 ;;
     --settings-only) skills=0 ;;
     --no-guard)      guard=0 ;;
     --no-cmd-guard)  cmdguard=0 ;;
     --no-statusline) statusline=0 ;;
+    --no-spinner)    spinner=0 ;;
     --quiet)         quiet=1 ;;
-    -h|--help)       sed -n '2,18p' "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" | sed 's/^# \{0,1\}//'; exit 0 ;;
+    -h|--help)       sed -n '2,19p' "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" | sed 's/^# \{0,1\}//'; exit 0 ;;
     *) echo "install.sh: unknown flag $a (see --help)" >&2; exit 1 ;;
   esac
 done
@@ -59,6 +61,16 @@ if [ "$skills" = 1 ]; then
     fi
   done
   [ "$copied" = 1 ] && say "⚠ no symlink support here (Windows without Developer Mode?) — skills were copied, not linked. Re-run update.sh after a 'git pull' to refresh them."
+
+  # /phobos-update slash command — a single file linked (or copied) into commands/.
+  mkdir -p "$cfg/commands"
+  clink="$cfg/commands/phobos-update.md"; ctarget="$root/commands/update.md"
+  [ -e "$clink" ] && [ ! -L "$clink" ] && rm -f "$clink"   # replace a stale copy
+  if ln -sfn "$ctarget" "$clink" 2>/dev/null && [ -L "$clink" ]; then
+    say "✓ command: /phobos-update → $ctarget"
+  else
+    rm -f "$clink"; cp "$ctarget" "$clink"; say "✓ command: /phobos-update (copied)"
+  fi
 fi
 
 [ "$do_settings" = 1 ] || { say "Done (skills only). Restart your Claude Code session."; exit 0; }
@@ -82,7 +94,7 @@ fi
 # ensure(event; matcher; command; marker): append the hook entry unless some
 # entry for that event already runs a command containing the marker.
 merged=$(printf '%s' "$cur" | jq \
-  --arg hp "$hp" --argjson guard "$guard" --argjson cmdguard "$cmdguard" --argjson statusline "$statusline" '
+  --arg hp "$hp" --argjson guard "$guard" --argjson cmdguard "$cmdguard" --argjson statusline "$statusline" --argjson spinner "$spinner" '
   def ensure(ev; m; cmd; marker):
     (.hooks //= {})
     | .hooks[ev] = ((.hooks[ev] // []) as $arr
@@ -101,6 +113,11 @@ merged=$(printf '%s' "$cur" | jq \
   | (if $cmdguard == 1
      then ensure("PreToolUse"; "Bash|Grep"; "bash \"\($hp)/guard-cmd.sh\""; "phobos/hooks/guard-cmd.sh")
      else . end)
+  | (if $spinner == 1
+     then ensure("UserPromptSubmit"; ""; "bash \"\($hp)/spinner.sh\" start"; "phobos/hooks/spinner.sh")
+        | ensure("Stop";             ""; "bash \"\($hp)/spinner.sh\" stop";  "phobos/hooks/spinner.sh")
+        | ensure("SessionEnd";       ""; "bash \"\($hp)/spinner.sh\" stop";  "phobos/hooks/spinner.sh")
+     else . end)
   | (if $statusline == 1 and ((.statusLine // {} | .command // "") | contains("phobos") or . == "")
      then .statusLine = {type:"command", command:"bash \"\($hp)/statusline.sh\""}
      else . end)
@@ -109,12 +126,12 @@ merged=$(printf '%s' "$cur" | jq \
 if [ "$statusline" = 1 ]; then
   existing=$(printf '%s' "$cur" | jq -r '.statusLine.command // ""')
   if [ -n "$existing" ] && ! printf '%s' "$existing" | grep -q phobos; then
-    echo "⚠ you already have a custom statusLine — left untouched. phobos's renderer (cost/time/context gauge) is at: $hp/statusline.sh" >&2
+    echo "⚠ you already have a custom statusLine — left untouched. phobos's renderer (effort/context gauge) is at: $hp/statusline.sh" >&2
   fi
 fi
 
 printf '%s\n' "$merged" | jq . > "$settings.tmp" && mv "$settings.tmp" "$settings"
-say "✓ hooks:  SessionStart · SessionEnd · Stop · PreCompact · UserPromptSubmit$( [ "$guard" = 1 ] && echo ' · PreToolUse(read-guard)')$( [ "$cmdguard" = 1 ] && echo ' · PreToolUse(cmd-guard)')"
+say "✓ hooks:  SessionStart · SessionEnd · Stop · PreCompact · UserPromptSubmit$( [ "$guard" = 1 ] && echo ' · PreToolUse(read-guard)')$( [ "$cmdguard" = 1 ] && echo ' · PreToolUse(cmd-guard)')$( [ "$spinner" = 1 ] && echo ' · tab-spinner')"
 [ "$statusline" = 1 ] && say "✓ statusline wired"
 
 say ""

diff --git a/skills/phobos/hooks/context-warn.sh b/skills/phobos/hooks/context-warn.sh
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ IFS=$'\x1f' read -r tp sid < <(
 # PHOBOS_CTX_LIMIT fallback below assumes 200k, so on a 1M session it reads ~100%
 # when the window is only a fifth full — that was the source of false alarms.
 npct=$(printf '%s' "$in" | jq -r '(.context_window.used_percentage // empty) | floor' 2>/dev/null)
+# Model id/name, if this hook is handed one — only used to size the window in the
+# transcript fallback. Empty on versions that don't pass it (then we infer below).
+mdl=$(printf '%s' "$in" | jq -r '(.model.id // .model.display_name // "") | ascii_downcase' 2>/dev/null)
 warn_at="${PHOBOS_WARN_PCT:-80}"
 crit_at="${PHOBOS_CRIT_PCT:-92}"
 
@@ -36,8 +39,23 @@ else
     | (.input_tokens // 0) + (.cache_read_input_tokens // 0) + (.cache_creation_input_tokens // 0)
   ' 2>/dev/null | tail -n 1)
   [ -n "${used:-}" ] && [ "$used" -gt 0 ] 2>/dev/null || exit 0
-  limit="${PHOBOS_CTX_LIMIT:-200000}"
+  # Denominator = the model's real window. This hook isn't handed the native
+  # context_window object (the status line is), so size the window from whatever
+  # signal we have, in order: an explicit override; a 1M marker on the model
+  # id/name; a used count already past the 200k standard window — which can only
+  # be a 1M session (the sole larger tier), the exact case that used to overflow
+  # to an impossible ">100%".
+  if [ -n "${PHOBOS_CTX_LIMIT:-}" ]; then
+    limit="$PHOBOS_CTX_LIMIT"
+  elif case "$mdl" in *1m*) true ;; *) false ;; esac; then
+    limit=1000000
+  elif [ "$used" -gt 200000 ]; then
+    limit=1000000
+  else
+    limit=200000
+  fi
   pct=$(( used * 100 / limit ))
+  [ "$pct" -gt 100 ] && pct=100
   detail=" (~$(( used / 1000 ))k/$(( limit / 1000 ))k tokens)"
 fi
 [ "$pct" -ge "$warn_at" ] || exit 0

diff --git a/skills/phobos/hooks/session-start.sh b/skills/phobos/hooks/session-start.sh
@@ -28,3 +28,23 @@ elif [ -s "$log" ]; then
   echo "## Recent activity (this repo)"
   tail -n 8 "$log"
 fi
+
+# Keep phobos's own per-repo scratch files out of the user's git history without
+# touching their tracked .gitignore (which would show up in their commits/PRs):
+# register them in .git/info/exclude — a personal ignore list that is never
+# pushed. Idempotent; a silent no-op outside a git repo. --git-common-dir points
+# at the shared .git even from a worktree, so the rule lands in one place.
+gitdir=$(git rev-parse --git-common-dir 2>/dev/null || true)
+if [ -n "$gitdir" ] && [ -d "$gitdir" ]; then
+  excl="$gitdir/info/exclude"
+  if ! grep -qxF '.claude/phobos-activity.log' "$excl" 2>/dev/null; then
+    mkdir -p "$gitdir/info" 2>/dev/null || true
+    {
+      printf '%s\n' \
+        '# phobos per-repo runtime files — personal breadcrumbs, not project data' \
+        '.claude/phobos-activity.log' \
+        '.claude/phobos-benchmark.jsonl' \
+        '.claude/phobos-state.md'
+    } >> "$excl" 2>/dev/null || true
+  fi
+fi
diff --git a/skills/phobos/hooks/spinner.sh b/skills/phobos/hooks/spinner.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# phobos tab-title spinner — animate the terminal tab/window title while Claude
+# works, so a backgrounded tab shows activity at a glance.
+#
+#   UserPromptSubmit  -> spinner.sh start   spawn the animator
+#   Stop / SessionEnd -> spinner.sh stop    kill it, reset the title
+#
+# Pure bash + OSC title escape codes written to the controlling terminal — a
+# quiet no-op wherever there is no tty (piped / non-interactive runs). Opt out
+# with PHOBOS_SPINNER=off. PHOBOS_SPINNER_TTY overrides the target terminal
+# (used by the test suite); PHOBOS_SPINNER_LABEL overrides the "working…" text.
+set -uo pipefail
+
+[ "${PHOBOS_SPINNER:-on}" = "off" ] && exit 0
+mode="${1:-start}"
+tty_dev="${PHOBOS_SPINNER_TTY:-/dev/tty}"
+
+in=$(cat 2>/dev/null || true)
+read -r sid dir < <(
+  printf '%s' "$in" | jq -r '[(.session_id // "nosession"),
+    ((.cwd // .workspace.current_dir // ".") | split("/") | last)] | join(" ")' 2>/dev/null
+) || true
+sid="${sid:-nosession}"; dir="${dir:-}"
+state="${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/phobos-spinner-${sid}"
+
+# Always clear any running animator first — makes both start and stop idempotent
+# and stops overlapping daemons piling up across turns.
+if [ -s "$state" ]; then
+  kill "$(cat "$state" 2>/dev/null)" 2>/dev/null || true
+  rm -f "$state"
+fi
+
+# No controlling terminal to draw on? Nothing to do (append-probe never truncates
+# a real file, and opening /dev/tty fails cleanly when there's no tty).
+{ : >>"$tty_dev"; } 2>/dev/null || exit 0
+
+if [ "$mode" = "stop" ]; then
+  printf '\033]0;%s\007' "$dir" >"$tty_dev" 2>/dev/null || true
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+# start: spawn a fully-detached animator. All std fds are redirected and nohup'd
+# so the hook returns at once and Claude Code never waits on our stdout.
+label="${PHOBOS_SPINNER_LABEL:-${dir:+$dir · }working…}"
+nohup bash -c '
+  tty=$1; label=$2
+  frames="⠋⠙⠹⠸⠼⠴⠦⠧⠇⠏"; i=0
+  ticks=$(( 30 * 60 * 10 ))            # 30-min safety cap if Stop never fires
+  while [ "$ticks" -gt 0 ]; do
+    ch=${frames:i++%${#frames}:1}
+    printf "\033]0;%s %s\007" "$ch" "$label" >"$tty" 2>/dev/null || exit 0
+    ticks=$((ticks-1)); sleep 0.1
+  done
+' _ "$tty_dev" "$label" >/dev/null 2>&1 </dev/null &
+echo "$!" >"$state"
+exit 0