Make every public repository a clean, credible first visit

[rmcdaniel]

Why

Each public repository is a product page. A visitor should understand what the component is, trust that it is maintained, and find the next useful link without sorting through prerelease machinery, one-off experiment output, unexplained directories, stale badges, or failing Actions.

This is a judgment-led cleanup pass, not a requirement to make every repository identical and not a request for another organization-wide automation system.

Repositories

• .github - Make the organization profile an actionable first visit #120
• workflow - Clean up the Workflow repository first visit workflow#449, #450, #451
• waterline - Simplify Waterline's first visit waterline#100
• server - Clean up Server's public first visit server#80, Make OCI the single Helm chart channel server#81
• cli - Streamline the CLI repository entry point cli#29
• sdk-php - Streamline PHP SDK first-visit experience sdk-php#45
• sdk-python - Polish the Python SDK first-run surface sdk-python#48
• sdk-rust - Polish the Rust SDK first-run surface sdk-rust#29
• sample-app - Simplify the Sample App first-run experience sample-app#74
• ai - Make the AI repository a current first visit ai#18
• durable-workflow.github.io - Make the documentation repository a clean first visit durable-workflow.github.io#114

Review rubric

For each repository:

• Inspect the root and major subdirectories. Delete obsolete launch artifacts, generated snapshots, abandoned plans, stale experiments, and unexplained versioned folders. Keep benchmarks and fixtures only when they are executable or reproducible, maintained, and linked from an appropriate reference.
• Start with server/benchmarks/capacity/v1: either establish its current runnable purpose and link it from benchmark guidance, or remove it.
• Read the README as a new visitor. Its first viewport should identify the component and current support status, show the shortest useful install/run path, and link to longer docs. Remove stale prerelease, internal-process, and duplicated reference prose.
• Keep only useful, truthful badges: current default-branch CI, current package/container release where applicable, documentation, and license. Correct branch targets and remove decorative or misleading badges.
• Verify repository description, homepage, topics, package metadata, and cross-repository links.
• Review the Actions list and recent default-branch runs. Every active workflow must still have a current purpose, use the correct branch, and be green or have an owned fix. Remove obsolete deployments, schedules, and launch-only workflows.
• Review open issues, pull requests, Dependabot alerts, and security alerts. Close completed or superseded work and act on current items.
• Check release/package pages and deployment environments for stale failed entries or obsolete integrations.
• Check the rendered README and any user-facing site at desktop and mobile sizes once after the substantive cleanup, not after every edit.

Delivery

Use small, reviewable cleanup PRs owned by each repository. Record the PR beside its checkbox here and mark the repository done. Do not create one issue per discovered stale file unless it represents real product work that should survive the cleanup.

Done when

Every listed repository has been reviewed with this rubric, obvious clutter is gone, the public metadata and links are current, relevant default-branch workflows are green, and a new visitor gets a coherent first impression without needing internal project history.

[rmcdaniel]

.github is complete in #120.

The organization profile now leads with deployment choices, first-party SDKs, packages, and runnable next steps. Repository metadata and topics are current; the stale release-automation topic is gone. The retained root contracts and both active workflows have current purposes. There are no open PRs or Dependabot alerts.

Post-merge CI passed: https://github.com/durable-workflow/.github/actions/runs/33481276566

The live organization page was checked once at 1440x1000 and 390x844. Both render without overflow, clipping, or broken layout, and the new onboarding content is live.

[rmcdaniel]

server is complete in durable-workflow/server#80.

The root README is now a 115-line stable 2.0 entry point with current CI/release/Docker/license badges, a runnable Compose path, SDK and deployment choices, and links to longer references. The former 1,630-line README remains available as docs/server-reference.md.

benchmarks/capacity/v1 was retained because it is recent, executable, covered by Server Perf CI, and publishes versioned schemas; it now has a rendered README and is linked from the root. Three obsolete workflows were removed: RC-only CLI channel synchronization, prerelease client-version compatibility validation, and a superseded hand-rolled PHP/Python polyglot check. Their text-pinning tests and support scripts were removed with them.

There are no open Server issues, PRs, or Dependabot alerts. Repository metadata and topics are current, the 2.0.0 multi-architecture Docker image is public, and the latest Docker Hub deployment succeeded. Post-merge checks passed: PHPUnit Feature https://github.com/durable-workflow/server/actions/runs/33482963905, Server Perf https://github.com/durable-workflow/server/actions/runs/33482964060, and Public Boundary https://github.com/durable-workflow/server/actions/runs/33482963988. The live README was checked once at desktop and mobile widths with no overflow, clipping, or broken layout.

[rmcdaniel]

workflow is complete in durable-workflow/workflow#449, #450, and #451.

The root README is now a concise stable 2.0 embedded-Laravel entry point with truthful v2 CI/Codecov/Packagist/license badges, a runnable install path, a straight-line Fiber workflow example, deployment choices, and current documentation links. The release workflow now verifies stable 2.x packages and the obsolete docs-handoff audit was removed. The stale packagist deployment environment and all 94 obsolete deployment records were deleted.

The audit exposed an RC-only package-identity defect in the published 2.0.1 package. It was fixed in #450, published immutably as 2.0.2, and verified against Packagist and all 16 supported Laravel/PHP upgrade combinations in Release Verification 33488410001. The brittle README prose test that made the landed cleanup red was removed in #451 instead of restoring obsolete copy.

Exact v2 merge qualification is green: build 33487472759, Code Quality 33487472735, and Public Boundary 33487472707. The live README was checked once at desktop and mobile widths without document overflow or clipping. The remaining open issues are intentional product work: the coverage campaign (#426) and branch standardization (#447).

[rmcdaniel]

waterline is complete in durable-workflow/waterline#100.

The stable 2.0 README now identifies Waterline as the operator UI, explains embedded and service modes, and shows truthful build, Packagist, Docker, and license badges. The repository description and homepage now point directly at the monitoring product surface.

The cleanup removed 1,871 lines of launch-era material: obsolete Phase 0/1 integration notes, a stale conformance handoff, and the 1,113-line scheduled screenshot publisher. Stable README screenshots remain, and responsive product qualification remains in normal build CI. The stale Packagist environment and its old deployment records were removed separately.

Exact merge SHA bcbeddc00ca8 is green: build 33489806600, service-capacity tuple 33489806561, service image smoke 33489806509, and public boundary 33489806553. The live README was checked once at desktop and mobile widths without overflow, clipping, or broken layout.

There are no open Waterline PRs or Dependabot alerts. The only open issue is intentional branch-standardization work in #99.

[rmcdaniel]

CLI audit complete via durable-workflow/cli#29. The stable README now leads with install, connection, first-run, automation, and reference paths; the detailed command material remains under docs/. Retired docs handoff and CLI/Python pairwise fixture automation were removed while PHP matrix, PHAR smoke, reproducibility, checksums, attestations, and public download verification remain. Exact merged main Build and Public Boundary runs passed. Repository metadata now points to the CLI guide, Dependabot is clear, and obsolete release-plan-publication deployment records were removed.

[rmcdaniel]

sdk-php is complete in durable-workflow/sdk-php#45.

The root README is now a concise stable 2.0 entry point for plain PHP, Laravel, Symfony, Cloud, and self-hosted Server; the complete reference remains under docs/. Package metadata and the repository description now identify the current product surface.

The cleanup removed about 7,000 lines of retired or duplicate automation, including alternate-CI routing, hourly link diagnostics, duplicate deployment qualification, and the failed published-framework workflow. The PHP matrix, Laravel/Symfony compatibility matrix, Laravel v1/v2 transition checks, replay/codec corpus, PHPStan, package smoke, public-boundary scan, and one pre-deploy browser/layout pass remain.

There are no open issues, PRs, or Dependabot alerts. Exact merge SHA 4b2395253b60 is green: CI 33494662746, portal build and deploy 33494662799, and Public Boundary 33494662877. The live portal returns 200 and was checked once at desktop and mobile widths without overflow, clipping, or console errors.