chore(config): retire unread keys [dynamic], [evidence], [variants], [models] patcher

Nothing in src reads config.dynamic, config.evidence or config.variants, and
[models] patcher was only echoed into harness.json. They now go through the
existing RETIRED_KEYS mechanism and fail with RetiredConfigError naming why
("retired 2026-10-02 because nothing ever read it: ..."); RETIRED_KEYS now
carries the full reason per key so the HarnessX entries keep their wording.

- DynamicConfig, EvidenceConfig, VariantsConfig and their loaders removed;
  ModelConfig.patcher removed. resolved_config.json loses those sections.
- harness.json keeps its shape: model_roles.patcher is always null.
- RELEASE_NOTES "Unreleased" lists the keys and the output shape change.
- Delete .opencode/skills/openultrasast-kiro-impl: it pointed agents at the
  retired openrouter-sast-harness tasks.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <[email protected]>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01EmM1j46qgKMh3zqD1QMwEo

.opencode/skills/openultrasast-kiro-impl/SKILL.md

@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
----
-name: openultrasast-kiro-impl
-description: OpenUltraSAST Kiro implementation steering. Use when continuing `.kiro/specs/openrouter-sast-harness/tasks.md`, choosing the next phase, updating checkboxes, or keeping implementation aligned with the spec.
----
-
-# OpenUltraSAST Kiro Implementation
-
-Use this skill when implementing the OpenUltraSAST Kiro spec from opencode.
-
-## Rules
-
-1. Read `.kiro/specs/openrouter-sast-harness/tasks.md` before choosing work.
-2. Implement the next unchecked task slice unless the user names a different phase.
-3. Keep each slice independently verifiable with `uv run pytest`.
-4. Update task checkboxes only after implementation and tests pass.
-5. Prefer minimal harness-compatible primitives over large framework imports.
-6. Keep OpenUltraSAST independent of Clearwing; use Clearwing only as an oracle for design patterns.
-7. Use project-local opencode skills to steer scan, triage, and fix workflows.
-
-## Current Phase Order
-
-- Phase 5: Harness runtime events, processors, contracts, and traces.
-- Phase 5A: Static mapping disciplines for SARIF, Semgrep, CodeQL, differential review, and sharp edges.
-- Phase 6: Evidence ladder verifier.
-- Phase 7 and 7A: Docker sandbox and dynamic evidence.
-- Phase 8 and later: Hunter pool, SARIF, deep mode, patch oracle, MCP, fusion, skill index, hardening.

RELEASE_NOTES.md

@@ -1,5 +1,21 @@
 # Unreleased
 
+## Unread config keys retired (2026-10-02)
+
+These keys loaded but nothing ever read them. They now fail with `RetiredConfigError` (the
+CLI prints it and exits 2), naming why. Remove them from your config:
+
+- `[models] patcher`: no patching stage calls a model.
+- `[dynamic] enabled`, `[dynamic] network_scope`: no dynamic or deep tier exists yet.
+- `[evidence] minimum_report_verified`, `minimum_exploit`, `minimum_patch`: evidence tiers
+  come from the program model's ladder, not from configuration.
+- `[variants] enabled`, `[variants] max_mechanisms`: the variant search they configured was
+  deleted earlier.
+
+**Output shape.** `resolved_config.json` no longer has the `dynamic`, `evidence` and
+`variants` sections or `models.patcher`. `harness.json` keeps its shape:
+`model_roles.patcher` is always `null`, like `model_roles.verifier`.
+
 ## HarnessX removed; the ax plane is the agentic path (2026-09-30)
 
 HarnessX, the optional agentic extra (`openultrasast[harnessx]`), is removed with its code,

src/openultrasast/config.py

@@ -20,10 +20,24 @@ _PLANE_RUN = "`ousast plane run`, see ops/ax/README.md"
 _RETIRED_PANELS = (
     f"LLM fusion panels were retired; fusion is deterministic; independent LLM agreement is the plane's `agree` task ({_PLANE_RUN})"
 )
+# Keys that loaded but were never read (retired 2026-10-02, legacy cleanup): accepting them silently would let
+# a user believe they configure something.
+_UNREAD_ON = "retired 2026-10-02 because nothing ever read it"
+_UNREAD_DYNAMIC = "no dynamic or deep tier exists; deep mode will define its own keys when it is built"
+_UNREAD_EVIDENCE = "evidence tiers come from the program model's ladder (model/ladder.py), not from configuration"
+_UNREAD_VARIANTS = "the structural variant search it configured was deleted with semantic/variants.py"
 RETIRED_KEYS: dict[tuple[str, str], str] = {
-    ("models", "verifier"): f"LLM verification runs on the plane (`verify` + `agree`, {_PLANE_RUN})",
-    ("fusion", "panel_model"): _RETIRED_PANELS,
-    ("fusion", "decider_model"): _RETIRED_PANELS,
+    ("models", "verifier"): f"{_RETIRED_ON}: LLM verification runs on the plane (`verify` + `agree`, {_PLANE_RUN})",
+    ("fusion", "panel_model"): f"{_RETIRED_ON}: {_RETIRED_PANELS}",
+    ("fusion", "decider_model"): f"{_RETIRED_ON}: {_RETIRED_PANELS}",
+    ("models", "patcher"): f"{_UNREAD_ON}: no patching stage calls a model",
+    ("dynamic", "enabled"): f"{_UNREAD_ON}: {_UNREAD_DYNAMIC}",
+    ("dynamic", "network_scope"): f"{_UNREAD_ON}: {_UNREAD_DYNAMIC}",
+    ("evidence", "minimum_report_verified"): f"{_UNREAD_ON}: {_UNREAD_EVIDENCE}",
+    ("evidence", "minimum_exploit"): f"{_UNREAD_ON}: {_UNREAD_EVIDENCE}",
+    ("evidence", "minimum_patch"): f"{_UNREAD_ON}: {_UNREAD_EVIDENCE}",
+    ("variants", "enabled"): f"{_UNREAD_ON}: {_UNREAD_VARIANTS}",
+    ("variants", "max_mechanisms"): f"{_UNREAD_ON}: {_UNREAD_VARIANTS}",
 }
 RETIRED_SECTION = "harnessx"  # retired 2026-09-30: loads with one warning and is otherwise ignored (Req 3.3)
 RETIRED_SECTION_WARNING = (
@@ -38,10 +52,10 @@ class RetiredConfigError(ValueError):
 
 def _check_retired(data: dict[str, object]) -> None:
     problems = []
-    for (section, key), replacement in RETIRED_KEYS.items():
+    for (section, key), reason in RETIRED_KEYS.items():
         table = data.get(section)
         if isinstance(table, dict) and key in table:
-            problems.append(f"`[{section}] {key}` was {_RETIRED_ON}: {replacement}. Remove the key.")
+            problems.append(f"`[{section}] {key}` was {reason}. Remove the key.")
     if problems:
         raise RetiredConfigError("\n".join(problems))
     if RETIRED_SECTION in data:
@@ -70,7 +84,6 @@ def load_dotenv(path: Path | None = None, *, force: bool = False) -> None:
 class ModelConfig:
     ranker: str | None = None
     hunter: str | None = None
-    patcher: str | None = None
     judge: str | None = None  # second, independent judgement before anything is published as proven
     chat_base_url: str | None = None  # chat endpoint; independent of the embedding endpoint
     chat_api_key_env: str | None = None  # environment variable holding that endpoint's key
@@ -96,19 +109,6 @@ class SandboxConfig:
     pids_limit: int = 512
 
 
-@dataclass(frozen=True)
-class DynamicConfig:
-    enabled: bool = False
-    network_scope: tuple[str, ...] = ()
-
-
-@dataclass(frozen=True)
-class EvidenceConfig:
-    minimum_report_verified: str = "static_corroboration"
-    minimum_exploit: str = "crash_reproduced"
-    minimum_patch: str = "root_cause_explained"
-
-
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
 class StaticAnalysisConfig:
     sarif_paths: tuple[str, ...] = ()
@@ -160,13 +160,6 @@ class RegressConfig:
     images: tuple[tuple[str, str], ...] = ()
 
 
-@dataclass(frozen=True)
-class VariantsConfig:
-    # corpus-seeded-mechanisms: structural variant search in MAP (standard/deep only).
-    enabled: bool = True
-    max_mechanisms: int = 500
-
-
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
 class ModelLayerConfig:
     # contributor-scan: the model layer in MAP. Named for the LAYER, not the model: `ModelConfig` is already
@@ -214,8 +207,6 @@ class ResolvedConfig:
     models: ModelConfig = ModelConfig()
     embeddings: EmbeddingConfig = EmbeddingConfig()
     sandbox: SandboxConfig = SandboxConfig()
-    dynamic: DynamicConfig = DynamicConfig()
-    evidence: EvidenceConfig = EvidenceConfig()
     static_analysis: StaticAnalysisConfig = StaticAnalysisConfig()
     score: ScoreConfig = ScoreConfig()
     ruleset: RulesetConfig = RulesetConfig()
@@ -223,7 +214,6 @@ class ResolvedConfig:
     hardening: HardeningConfig = HardeningConfig()
     complexity: ComplexityConfig = ComplexityConfig()
     regress: RegressConfig = RegressConfig()
-    variants: VariantsConfig = VariantsConfig()
     obligations: ObligationsConfig = ObligationsConfig()
     model: ModelLayerConfig = ModelLayerConfig()
     push: PushConfig = PushConfig()
@@ -243,8 +233,6 @@ def load_config(config_path: Path | None = None, *, dotenv: bool = True) -> Reso
         models=_load_models(data.get("models", {})),
         embeddings=_load_embeddings(data.get("embeddings", {})),
         sandbox=_load_sandbox(data.get("sandbox", {})),
-        dynamic=_load_dynamic(data.get("dynamic", {})),
-        evidence=_load_evidence(data.get("evidence", {})),
         static_analysis=_load_static_analysis(data.get("static_analysis", {})),
         score=_load_score(data.get("score", {})),
         ruleset=_load_ruleset_config(data.get("ruleset", {})),
@@ -252,7 +240,6 @@ def load_config(config_path: Path | None = None, *, dotenv: bool = True) -> Reso
         hardening=_load_hardening(data.get("hardening", {})),
         complexity=_load_complexity(data.get("complexity", {})),
         regress=_load_regress(data.get("regress", {})),
-        variants=_load_variants(data.get("variants", {})),
         obligations=_load_obligations(data.get("obligations", {})),
         model=_load_model(data.get("model", {})),
         push=PushConfig.from_payload(data.get("push", {})),
@@ -283,7 +270,6 @@ def _load_models(value: object) -> ModelConfig:
     return ModelConfig(
         ranker=_string(data.get("ranker")),
         hunter=_string(data.get("hunter")),
-        patcher=_string(data.get("patcher")),
         judge=_string(data.get("judge")),
         chat_base_url=_string(data.get("chat_base_url")),
         chat_api_key_env=_string(data.get("chat_api_key_env")),
@@ -310,23 +296,6 @@ def _load_sandbox(value: object) -> SandboxConfig:
     )
 
 
-def _load_dynamic(value: object) -> DynamicConfig:
-    data = _section(value)
-    scope = data.get("network_scope", [])
-    if not isinstance(scope, list):
-        scope = []
-    return DynamicConfig(enabled=bool(data.get("enabled", False)), network_scope=tuple(str(item) for item in scope))
-
-
-def _load_evidence(value: object) -> EvidenceConfig:
-    data = _section(value)
-    return EvidenceConfig(
-        minimum_report_verified=str(data.get("minimum_report_verified", "static_corroboration")),
-        minimum_exploit=str(data.get("minimum_exploit", "crash_reproduced")),
-        minimum_patch=str(data.get("minimum_patch", "root_cause_explained")),
-    )
-
-
 def _int_value(value: object, default: int) -> int:
     if isinstance(value, bool):
         return default
@@ -416,14 +385,6 @@ def _float_value(value: object, default: float) -> float:
     return default
 
 
-def _load_variants(value: object) -> VariantsConfig:
-    data = _section(value)
-    return VariantsConfig(
-        enabled=bool(data.get("enabled", True)),
-        max_mechanisms=_int_value(data.get("max_mechanisms"), 500),
-    )
-
-
 def _load_model(value: object) -> ModelLayerConfig:
     data = _section(value)
     return ModelLayerConfig(

src/openultrasast/harness.py

@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ def write_harness_config(
             "ranker": config.models.ranker,
             "hunter": config.models.hunter,
             "verifier": None,  # schema kept byte for byte; LLM verification runs on the plane
-            "patcher": config.models.patcher,
+            "patcher": None,  # schema kept; `[models] patcher` was retired 2026-10-02 (never read)
         },
         processor_versions={processor.spec.name: processor.spec.version for processor in processors},
         prompt_hashes={name: _hash_text(prompt) for name, prompt in sorted(prompts.items())},

tests/test_config.py

@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import json
 import logging
 import os
 from dataclasses import replace
@@ -17,9 +18,6 @@ def test_load_config_reads_toml(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
                 'ranker = "openrouter/test-ranker"',
                 "[sandbox]",
                 "memory_mb = 1024",
-                "[dynamic]",
-                "enabled = true",
-                'network_scope = ["127.0.0.1:8080"]',
             ]
         )
     )
@@ -29,8 +27,6 @@ def test_load_config_reads_toml(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     assert config.models.ranker == "openrouter/test-ranker"
     assert config.embeddings.store == "json-local"
     assert config.sandbox.memory_mb == 1024
-    assert config.dynamic.enabled is True
-    assert config.dynamic.network_scope == ("127.0.0.1:8080",)
 
 
 def test_retired_agentic_section_loads_with_one_warning(tmp_path: Path, caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture) -> None:
@@ -67,6 +63,31 @@ def test_retired_llm_keys_fail_naming_the_replacement(tmp_path: Path, body: str,
     assert key in message and replacement in message and "ousast plane run" in message and "Remove the key" in message
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("body", "key"),
+    [
+        ('[models]\npatcher = "gpt-4o"\n', "`[models] patcher`"),
+        ("[dynamic]\nenabled = true\n", "`[dynamic] enabled`"),
+        ('[dynamic]\nnetwork_scope = ["127.0.0.1:8080"]\n', "`[dynamic] network_scope`"),
+        ('[evidence]\nminimum_report_verified = "static_corroboration"\n', "`[evidence] minimum_report_verified`"),
+        ('[evidence]\nminimum_exploit = "crash_reproduced"\n', "`[evidence] minimum_exploit`"),
+        ('[evidence]\nminimum_patch = "root_cause_explained"\n', "`[evidence] minimum_patch`"),
+        ("[variants]\nenabled = false\n", "`[variants] enabled`"),
+        ("[variants]\nmax_mechanisms = 10\n", "`[variants] max_mechanisms`"),
+    ],
+)
+def test_unread_keys_fail_naming_why(tmp_path: Path, body: str, key: str) -> None:
+    """Keys that loaded but were never read are retired (2026-10-02) the same way, each naming its reason."""
+    config_path = tmp_path / "openultrasast.toml"
+    config_path.write_text(body)
+
+    with pytest.raises(RetiredConfigError) as raised:
+        load_config(config_path)
+
+    message = str(raised.value)
+    assert key in message and "retired 2026-10-02 because nothing ever read it" in message and "Remove the key" in message
+
+
 def test_the_cli_exits_2_on_a_retired_key(tmp_path: Path, capsys: pytest.CaptureFixture[str]) -> None:
     from openultrasast.cli import main
 
@@ -116,7 +137,10 @@ def test_write_resolved_config_creates_json(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     write_resolved_config(load_config(None), output)
 
     assert output.exists()
-    assert '"minimum_report_verified": "static_corroboration"' in output.read_text()
+    payload = json.loads(output.read_text())
+    assert payload["sandbox"]["memory_mb"] == 2048
+    # retired 2026-10-02 (never read): the unread sections are not echoed as if they configured something
+    assert not {"dynamic", "evidence", "variants"} & set(payload) and "patcher" not in payload["models"]
 
 
 def test_complexity_and_regress_defaults_when_section_absent() -> None:

tests/test_opencode_skills.py

@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ def test_project_opencode_skills_have_required_frontmatter() -> None:
 
     assert {path.parent.name for path in skill_files} == {
         "openultrasast-fix-audit",
-        "openultrasast-kiro-impl",
         "openultrasast-scan",
         "openultrasast-triage",
     }