From fb1a1d2b100d549bd77a760445b7727184f473bc Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Kai <kai@local>
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 2026 21:48:25 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] feat(deploy): sync a scenario's backend/ into the live
 workspace root

deploy-scenario.sh now single-sources the application backend: it copies the git-tracked files under [scenario].backend into the workspace root (where .pi/ sits beside them), preserving modes and skipping caches/venvs. It overwrites but never prunes, and never restarts -- it prints a restart reminder when backend files change. README's Application code section updated to match.
---
 README.md                  | 11 ++++++-----
 scripts/deploy-scenario.sh | 38 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 44 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 719eade..2d3cc24 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -65,11 +65,12 @@ A scenario that runs its own service keeps that service's source under
 units and config templates. It is the single source of truth; the live checkout
 at the scenario's `workspace` path is a runtime copy.
 
-`deploy-scenario.sh` installs only `workspace/` (the `.pi` config) and renders the
-launch contract; it does not touch `backend/`, build a venv or restart a service.
-Rolling application code out to the live checkout and restarting the unit stays an
-operator step, deliberately: restarting decides when to interrupt a live
-conversation.
+`deploy-scenario.sh` installs `workspace/` (the `.pi` config), vendors shared
+extensions, renders the launch contract, and syncs `backend/` into the workspace
+root — copying only git-tracked files (build caches and virtualenvs never leak)
+and preserving file modes. It never prunes files the repo no longer tracks, never
+builds a venv, and never restarts the service: it prints a reminder instead, since
+restarting decides when to interrupt a live conversation.
 
 ## Start here
 
diff --git a/scripts/deploy-scenario.sh b/scripts/deploy-scenario.sh
index 99fcd17..9ffeed4 100755
--- a/scripts/deploy-scenario.sh
+++ b/scripts/deploy-scenario.sh
@@ -108,6 +108,44 @@ if [ "$APPLY" -eq 1 ] && [ -d "$DIR/workspace/bin" ]; then
   done < <(cd "$DIR/workspace" && find bin -type f -printf '%P\n' 2>/dev/null | sed 's|^|bin/|')
 fi
 
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 1c. Application backend
+#
+# A scenario that owns a service keeps its source under backend/ (set by
+# [scenario].backend). It installs into the workspace root, where .pi/ sits
+# beside it, so the repository is the single source of truth. Only git-tracked
+# files are copied -- build caches and virtualenvs never leak -- and file modes
+# (notably the execute bit) are preserved. This overwrites but never prunes:
+# removing a file the repo no longer tracks from a live tree is too blunt to do
+# unattended. Like every other step it never restarts the service; it prints a
+# reminder, because restarting decides when to interrupt a live conversation.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+BACKEND="$(toml_get "$PROFILE" scenario backend)"
+if [ -n "$BACKEND" ]; then
+  case "$BACKEND" in /*) ;; *) BACKEND="$REPO_ROOT/$BACKEND" ;; esac
+  [ -d "$BACKEND" ] || die "profile sets [scenario].backend to '$BACKEND', which does not exist"
+  BACKEND_CHANGES=0
+  while IFS= read -r rel; do
+    src="$BACKEND/$rel"
+    dst="$WORKSPACE/$rel"
+    if [ -f "$dst" ] && cmp -s "$src" "$dst"; then
+      continue
+    fi
+    BACKEND_CHANGES=$((BACKEND_CHANGES + 1))
+    if [ -f "$dst" ]; then info "  update  $rel"; else info "  create  $rel"; fi
+    if [ "$APPLY" -eq 1 ]; then
+      install -d -m 755 "$(dirname "$dst")"
+      install -m "$(stat -c '%a' "$src")" "$src" "$dst"
+    fi
+  done < <(git -C "$BACKEND" ls-files)
+  CHANGES=$((CHANGES + BACKEND_CHANGES))
+  if [ "$BACKEND_CHANGES" -gt 0 ]; then
+    warn "backend: $BACKEND_CHANGES file(s) changed; restart $(toml_get "$PROFILE" scenario service) to apply"
+  else
+    ok "backend already matches"
+  fi
+fi
+
 [ "$CHANGES" -eq 0 ] && ok "workspace already matches"
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------