From 256376afffe66faa239a6a6aaebb8f68a9c6cbe4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: polwex <polwex@sortug.com>
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2025 14:35:41 +0700
Subject: very stuck

---
 ocaml/ACCOMPLISHMENTS.md | 81 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----
 1 file changed, 73 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

(limited to 'ocaml/ACCOMPLISHMENTS.md')

diff --git a/ocaml/ACCOMPLISHMENTS.md b/ocaml/ACCOMPLISHMENTS.md
index 31300d8..6a4a39c 100644
--- a/ocaml/ACCOMPLISHMENTS.md
+++ b/ocaml/ACCOMPLISHMENTS.md
@@ -364,13 +364,70 @@ dune exec test/test_http.exe
 
 ---
 
-## 12. Remaining Work
+## 12. Boot System - BREAKTHROUGH! 🎉
+
+### Status: Fully Understood
+
+After adding debug logging to C Vere and running it with `-B solid.pill`, we discovered the complete boot sequence!
+
+#### Two-Stage Boot Process
+
+**Stage 1 - Ivory Pill Bootstrap:**
+```
+DEBUG u3v_life: called with eve
+DEBUG u3v_life: eve is null    <-- Empty list (atom 0)!
+DEBUG u3v_life: nock succeeded, extracting slot 7...
+lite: core 641296f
+```
+
+- Vere first boots embedded ivory pill
+- Calls `u3v_life()` with `eve = null` (atom 0)
+- Produces initial minimal Arvo kernel
+- Lifecycle formula `[2 [0 3] [0 2]]` works on null!
+
+**Stage 2 - Solid Pill Event Processing:**
+```
+boot: parsing %solid pill
+boot: 1-10
+DEBUG u3v_boot: called with 10 events
+DEBUG u3v_life: called with eve
+```
+
+- Parses solid pill: `[%pill %solid [bot mod use]]`
+- Extracts bot (lifecycle), mod (vanes), use (apps)
+- Writes to disk, reads back as event list
+- Calls `u3v_boot(events)` → `u3v_life(events)`
+- Processes ALL events at once via functional BIOS
+
+#### What We Got Wrong
+
+- ❌ Thought Event 1 was pre-built kernel to use directly
+- ❌ Thought we should poke events individually
+- ❌ Thought solid pills skip functional BIOS
+- ❌ Thought u3v_life() only applies to ivory pills
+
+#### Reality
+
+- ✅ ALL events processed at once via functional BIOS
+- ✅ Ivory pill booted FIRST, then solid pill events
+- ✅ Formula `[2 [0 3] [0 2]]` used twice (ivory + solid)
+- ✅ u3v_life() is the core boot function for BOTH pill types
+
+#### Implementation Status
+
+- ✅ Updated `lib/boot.ml` with correct two-stage boot
+- ✅ Documented full boot sequence in BOOT_PROCESS.md
+- ⚠️ Need known-good solid pill (current one corrupted)
+
+---
+
+## 13. Remaining Work
 
 ### High Priority
-1. **Fix Arvo poke calling convention**
-   - Gate exists at slot 23
-   - Formula or event format needs adjustment
-   - Research C Vere's `u3v_poke` implementation
+
+1. **Get known-good pill from urbit.org**
+   - Our solid.pill is corrupted (C Vere also fails)
+   - Download official pill and test boot
 
 2. **Jet system**
    - Implement jet dashboard
@@ -395,7 +452,7 @@ dune exec test/test_http.exe
 
 ---
 
-## 13. Key Insights Learned
+## 14. Key Insights Learned
 
 ### OCaml Strengths
 1. **Fast allocation**: Generational GC beats malloc for short-lived objects
@@ -412,8 +469,16 @@ dune exec test/test_http.exe
 ### Urbit Specifics
 1. **Pills are deep**: Max depth 732 breaks naive recursion
 2. **Backrefs are critical**: 2.3M backrefs in solid pill
-3. **Boot is complex**: 5 events build up Arvo incrementally
-4. **Ivory vs Solid**: Different use cases, different structures
+3. **Boot is two-stage**: Ivory first, then solid pill events
+4. **Ivory vs Solid**: Different use cases, same functional BIOS formula
+5. **u3v_life() is universal**: Works on both null and event lists
+
+### Debugging Strategies That Worked
+1. **Add logging to C Vere**: Running C with debug logs revealed the actual boot flow
+2. **Test hypothesis immediately**: Each theory tested with a focused program
+3. **Read the actual source**: mars.c and vortex.c told the truth
+4. **Follow the data**: Tracing noun structures through the system
+5. **When stuck, run the reference**: C Vere showed us what we got wrong
 
 ---
 
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