docs: milestone marker and status lines name M1 as current

check-docs.sh checks the cairn-milestone marker in README.md and
docs/PLAN.md, replacing the cairn-phase check. The status lines in
README, PLAN and DESIGN name M1 (Server-mode MCP) as current, and PLAN
§9 states the milestone rule.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Haiku 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

.github/pull_request_template.md

@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
 Closes #
 
-Milestone: set it to the phase this pull request belongs to (docs/PLAN.md §3).
+Milestone: set it to the milestone this pull request belongs to (docs/PLAN.md §3).
 
 ## What and why
 
-<!-- What changed, and why. Name the phase and the PLAN §3 work line where it applies. -->
+<!-- What changed, and why. Name the milestone and the PLAN §3 work line where it applies. -->
 
 ## Checklist
 
 - [ ] `make build`, `make vet`, `make fmt-check` and `make test` pass locally
 - [ ] `CHANGELOG.md` is updated, or the `skip-changelog` label is set
-- [ ] If a phase exit check passed: the phase marker and status line in README.md and docs/PLAN.md are updated
+- [ ] If a milestone exit check passed: the milestone marker and status lines in README.md, docs/PLAN.md, docs/DESIGN.md and the wiki are updated
 - [ ] If the contract changed: DESIGN.md, CONTRACT.md, `internal/core` and `internal/conformance` change together (CLAUDE.md)
 - [ ] If user-facing behaviour changed: the wiki page is updated
 - [ ] Any decision that departs from docs/PLAN.md §8 is raised with the operator first

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ request as equivalent or accepted, with a reason.
    one, and reference it.
 2. **Branch.** Branch from `main`, named for the change.
 3. **Pull request.** Use the pull request template. It asks for `Closes #N`
-   and the phase milestone.
-4. **CI.** `build, vet, fmt, test` must pass. The docs job checks the phase
-   markers and the changelog, and shellcheck lints the scripts. Only
+   and the milestone.
+4. **CI.** `build, vet, fmt, test` must pass. The docs job checks the milestone
+   marker and the changelog, and shellcheck lints the scripts. Only
    `build, vet, fmt, test` is required on `main`.
 5. **Review.** See the rule below.
 6. **Merge.** An agent may merge a pull request once CI is green and the
@@ -110,10 +110,11 @@ the reason. Adopted decisions are listed in PLAN.md §8.
 
 - **Changelog.** Every pull request adds an entry under `## [Unreleased]` in
   [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md), unless it carries the `skip-changelog` label.
-- **Phase marker.** README.md and docs/PLAN.md each carry one
-  `<!-- cairn-phase: N -->` marker, and the two N values match.
-  `scripts/check-docs.sh` checks that they agree. When N and the status lines
-  change is set out in [PLAN §9](docs/PLAN.md#9-project-management).
+- **Milestone marker.** README.md and docs/PLAN.md each carry one
+  `<!-- cairn-milestone: M -->` marker, naming the current milestone (M1 to M8,
+  or Later), and the two values match. `scripts/check-docs.sh` checks that they
+  agree. When the marker and the status lines change is set out in
+  [PLAN §9](docs/PLAN.md#9-project-management).
 - **Contract changes.** DESIGN.md, CONTRACT.md, `internal/core` and
   `internal/conformance` change together. See
   [Changes to the design](#changes-to-the-design) above.

README.md

@@ -8,12 +8,10 @@ every agent follows.
 A cairn is a pile of stones left on a trail for whoever comes next. Each task
 in Cairn leaves the same kind of marker.
 
-<!-- cairn-phase: 3 -->
+<!-- cairn-milestone: M1 -->
 
-> **Status as of 2026-10-29:** phase 1 (contract) is done, and its exit check
-> passed with the operator's review of [CONTRACT.md §9](docs/CONTRACT.md#9-settled-here-for-review).
-> Phase 2 (core and local store) is done, and its exit check passed. Phase 3
-> (MCP adapter) is current. Live progress is on the
+> **Status as of 2026-10-30:** M1 (Server-mode MCP) is current. Phases 0 to 2
+> are done, and their exit checks passed. Live progress is on the
 > [milestones](https://github.com/djm56/cairn-memory/milestones)
 > and the [Cairn Memory Roadmap board](https://github.com/djm56/cairn-memory/projects).
 >

docs/DESIGN.md

@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 # Cairn Memory — Design
 
-**Status as of 2026-10-29: phase 1 (contract) is done, and its exit check passed
-with the operator's review of
-[CONTRACT.md §9](CONTRACT.md#9-settled-here-for-review). Phase 2 (core and local
-store) is done, and its exit check passed. Phase 3 (MCP adapter) is current. Live progress is on the
+**Status as of 2026-10-30: M1 (Server-mode MCP) is current. Phases 0 to 2 are
+done, and their exit checks passed. Live progress is on the
 [milestones](https://github.com/djm56/cairn-memory/milestones) and the
 [Cairn Memory Roadmap board](https://github.com/djm56/cairn-memory/projects).**
 

docs/PLAN.md

@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 # Cairn Memory — Build Plan
 
-<!-- cairn-phase: 3 -->
+<!-- cairn-milestone: M1 -->
 
-**Status as of 2026-10-29: phase 1 (contract) is done, and its exit check
-passed with the operator's review of [CONTRACT.md](CONTRACT.md) §9. Phase 2
-(core and local store) is done, and its exit check passed. Phase 3
-(MCP adapter) is current. Live progress is on the
+**Status as of 2026-10-30: M1 (Server-mode MCP) is current. Phases 0 to 2 are
+done, and their exit checks passed. Plan v1 replaces phases 3 to 10 with the
+milestones in §3. Live progress is on the
 [milestones](https://github.com/djm56/cairn-memory/milestones) and the
 [Cairn Memory Roadmap board](https://github.com/djm56/cairn-memory/projects).
 The rule for this line is in §9.**
@@ -378,24 +377,28 @@ that is not a numbered decision here, and the table says what.
 
 ## 9. Project management
 
-- **Milestones** mirror the phases in §3, one milestone per phase.
-- **`.github/roadmap.json`** holds copies of each phase's exit check and work
-  items from §3. Change §3 and roadmap.json together.
-- **Board, labels and bootstrap.** The labels, the Projects board and the
-  roadmap issues are set up by `scripts/github/bootstrap.sh`. It is a dry run
-  by default. `--apply` fills what is missing and never changes what a person
-  set. The operator runs `--apply`.
+- **Milestones** are the rows of the milestone table in §3: M1 to M8, and
+  Later. Each has a GitHub milestone of the same name. Phases 0 to 2 are
+  history; their milestones and labels stay as they are.
+- **`.github/roadmap.json`** holds copies of each milestone's exit check, and
+  the issues that §3 and the Plan v1 issue list name. Change §3 and
+  roadmap.json together.
+- **Board, labels and bootstrap.** The labels (`m1` to `m8`, `later`), the
+  Projects board and the roadmap issues are set up by
+  `scripts/github/bootstrap.sh`. It is a dry run by default. `--apply` fills
+  what is missing and never changes what a person set. The operator runs
+  `--apply`.
 - **Wiki.** The GitHub wiki is published from `wiki/` in this repository.
 - **Status.** The status line appears in README.md, in this file, in
-  docs/DESIGN.md, in docs/CONTRACT.md (whose line states the contract's own
-  state, draft or approved, rather than the phase), and at the top of each
-  `wiki/*.md` content page. The `cairn-phase` marker appears in README.md and in
-  this file. All of these carry the phase only: which phase is current, and
+  docs/DESIGN.md, and at the top of each `wiki/*.md` content page. The
+  `cairn-milestone` marker appears in README.md and in this file, and
+  `scripts/check-docs.sh` checks that the two agree. docs/CONTRACT.md's line
+  states the contract's own state (draft or approved), not a milestone. The
+  status lines and the marker name only the milestone that is current, and
   whether its exit check has passed. They change together, and only when a
-  phase's exit check passes, so they cannot go stale between exits.
-  `scripts/check-docs.sh` checks only the README and PLAN markers, not the
-  status lines. They never carry pull request numbers or merge state. Live
-  progress (pull requests, issues, merges) is on the
+  milestone's exit check passes, so they cannot go stale between exits. They
+  never carry pull request numbers or merge state. Live progress (pull
+  requests, issues, merges) is on the
   [milestones](https://github.com/djm56/cairn-memory/milestones) and the
   [Cairn Memory Roadmap board](https://github.com/djm56/cairn-memory/projects).
 

scripts/check-docs.sh

@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 # check-docs.sh — documentation checks for Cairn (CONTRIBUTING.md).
 #
-# Phase markers: README.md and docs/PLAN.md must each carry exactly one
-# <!-- cairn-phase: N --> marker, N an integer from 0 to 10, and the two N
-# must match.
+# Milestone markers: README.md and docs/PLAN.md must each carry exactly one
+# <!-- cairn-milestone: M --> marker, M the current milestone (M1 to M8, or
+# Later), and the two M values must match. The marker changes together with
+# the status lines (PLAN §9).
 #
 # Changelog (pull requests only): CHANGELOG.md must be among the files the
 # pull request changes, unless the pull request has the skip-changelog label.
@@ -13,7 +14,7 @@
 #
 # --base and --labels default to $PR_BASE_SHA and $PR_LABELS, which the docs
 # workflow sets. Without a base the changelog check is skipped, so the script
-# also runs locally with the phase check alone. --labels is comma-separated.
+# also runs locally with the milestone check alone. --labels is comma-separated.
 # Exits 0 when every check passes, 1 when any fails.
 
 set -euo pipefail
@@ -62,58 +63,55 @@ while [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; do
   esac
 done
 
-# marker_phase FILE: print the phase N in FILE's single cairn-phase marker.
-# Returns 1 with a reason on stderr when the marker is missing, repeated,
-# malformed or out of range.
-marker_phase() {
+# marker_milestone FILE: print the milestone named in FILE's single
+# cairn-milestone marker. Returns 1 with a reason on stderr when the marker is
+# missing, repeated, malformed or names no milestone.
+marker_milestone() {
   local file="$1" opens value
   if [ ! -f "$file" ]; then
     echo "$file: not found" >&2
     return 1
   fi
 
   # Count occurrences, not lines, so two markers on one line still fail.
-  opens="$(grep -o -E '<!-- *cairn-phase:' "$file" | wc -l | tr -d ' ' || true)"
+  opens="$(grep -o -E '<!-- *cairn-milestone:' "$file" | wc -l | tr -d ' ' || true)"
   if [ "$opens" -eq 0 ]; then
-    echo "$file: no <!-- cairn-phase: N --> marker" >&2
+    echo "$file: no <!-- cairn-milestone: M --> marker" >&2
     return 1
   fi
   if [ "$opens" -gt 1 ]; then
-    echo "$file: $opens cairn-phase markers, expected exactly one" >&2
+    echo "$file: $opens cairn-milestone markers, expected exactly one" >&2
     return 1
   fi
 
-  value="$(grep -o -E '<!-- *cairn-phase: *[^ >]* *-->' "$file" | head -n 1 \
-    | sed -E 's/.*cairn-phase: *([^ >]*) *-->.*/\1/' || true)"
+  value="$(grep -o -E '<!-- *cairn-milestone: *[^ >]* *-->' "$file" | head -n 1 \
+    | sed -E 's/.*cairn-milestone: *([^ >]*) *-->.*/\1/' || true)"
   case "$value" in
-    ''|*[!0-9]*)
-      echo "$file: cairn-phase marker is malformed (value: '${value}')" >&2
+    M[1-8]|Later) ;;
+    *)
+      echo "$file: cairn-milestone marker is malformed or names no milestone (value: '${value}'; expected M1 to M8 or Later)" >&2
       return 1
       ;;
   esac
-  if [ "$value" -gt 10 ]; then
-    echo "$file: cairn-phase $value is out of range (0 to 10)" >&2
-    return 1
-  fi
   printf '%s\n' "$value"
 }
 
 FAILED=0
 
-readme_phase=""
-plan_phase=""
-if readme_phase="$(marker_phase "$ROOT/README.md")"; then
-  echo "phase marker: README.md says $readme_phase"
+readme_milestone=""
+plan_milestone=""
+if readme_milestone="$(marker_milestone "$ROOT/README.md")"; then
+  echo "milestone marker: README.md says $readme_milestone"
 else
   FAILED=1
 fi
-if plan_phase="$(marker_phase "$ROOT/docs/PLAN.md")"; then
-  echo "phase marker: docs/PLAN.md says $plan_phase"
+if plan_milestone="$(marker_milestone "$ROOT/docs/PLAN.md")"; then
+  echo "milestone marker: docs/PLAN.md says $plan_milestone"
 else
   FAILED=1
 fi
-if [ -n "$readme_phase" ] && [ -n "$plan_phase" ] && [ "$readme_phase" != "$plan_phase" ]; then
-  echo "phase marker: README.md ($readme_phase) and docs/PLAN.md ($plan_phase) disagree" >&2
+if [ -n "$readme_milestone" ] && [ -n "$plan_milestone" ] && [ "$readme_milestone" != "$plan_milestone" ]; then
+  echo "milestone marker: README.md ($readme_milestone) and docs/PLAN.md ($plan_milestone) disagree" >&2
   FAILED=1
 fi