bug: release pipeline commits 15×15 smoke-regenerated workspace datasets (30/49 at 2026.7.6.649)

[Jammy2211]

Released workspace datasets are 15×15 smoke artifacts

Autonomy: supervised
Difficulty: medium
Found: 2026-07-09, by the first run of verify_install check F (Colab simulation) —
the simulated notebook cell loaded dataset/imaging/simple/data.fits from the
2026.7.6.649 tag and got shape (15, 15) instead of (100, 100).

Evidence (autolens_workspace)

• 30 of 49 data.fits files at tag 2026.7.6.649 are ≤15×15 — the exact
  PYAUTO_SMALL_DATASETS=1 footprint.
• 29 of those are 15×15 on committed main too, last touched by "pre build"
  commits dated 2026-05-21 (e.g. 1b54dbb7 for imaging/dark_matter_subhalo).
• imaging/simple was restored to 100×100 on main by 6f4d0049 (2026-05-29,
  extra-galaxies ingrain), but the tag still ships 15×15 with
  git log 2026.7.6.649..origin/main -- <file> EMPTY — i.e. the release lineage
  itself re-committed a smoke-regenerated dataset on top of main's fix.

Suspected mechanism

The pre-build / release pipeline runs workspace simulator scripts under the
smoke env (PYAUTO_TEST_MODE / PYAUTO_SMALL_DATASETS=1 — which mutates
Grid2D.uniform inside decorators) and then commits the regenerated
dataset/ outputs alongside notebooks. Both legs need fixing:

1. Stop the leak: the pipeline must never commit dataset/ regenerated
   under smoke env (exclude dataset/ from the release commit, or run
   simulators full-size, or don't run them at all at release).
2. Repair the data: regenerate all affected datasets full-size and commit
   to main (the local checkouts' dirty dataset churn seen today in
   HowToFit/HowToGalaxy/HowToLens may be exactly such regenerations —
   verify before reusing). Audit autogalaxy_workspace, autofit_workspace and
   the three HowTo repos for the same committed 15×15 class.
3. Guard: a Heart check (or pre-commit in the pipeline) asserting example
   data.fits shapes exceed the smoke footprint (e.g. min dimension > 20 px).

Impact

Every pip/Colab/tagged-zip user since at least 2026-05-21 gets degenerate
15×15 example images for most datasets — fits "work" but are scientifically
meaningless and visually broken. The Colab flagship start_here notebooks
load these.

[Jammy2211]

Evidence correction + sharper picture

The check-F clone that surfaced this was at tag 2026.5.29.4 (matching its pip-installed autolens — PyPI's stack latest; the tag-matched clone worked exactly as designed), not 2026.7.6.649 as originally written. Re-verified directly against git:

State	imaging/simple	imaging/dark_matter_subhalo	overall
tag 2026.5.29.4 (= what every pip/Colab user gets today)	15×15	15×15	30/49 ≤20px
tag 2026.7.6.649 (current)	100×100 (fixed 05-29)	15×15	28/49 ≤20px
origin/main today	100×100	15×15	~28/49

So there is no release-lineage re-smallification — strike that leg of the original report. The mechanism is simpler: the 2026-05-21 "pre build" commits wrote smoke-regenerated (PYAUTO_SMALL_DATASETS) datasets straight to main; only imaging/simple was subsequently restored. The fix legs stand, re-prioritised:

1. Repair the data on main (regenerate the ~28 datasets full-size) — ideally before the upcoming release, otherwise the new tag inherits them and the freshly Colab-enabled notebooks will demo on degenerate data.
2. Guard: assert example data.fits shapes exceed the smoke footprint (Heart check or pre-commit in the pipeline) so a future smoke-env run can't be committed again.
3. Audit autogalaxy_workspace / autofit_workspace / HowTo repos for the same class (the HowTo checkouts currently carry large uncommitted dataset churn locally — possibly full-size regenerations; verify before reusing).

Leg 1 is the release-blocking one; the "stop the leak" pipeline leg may already be moot if pre-build no longer runs simulators under smoke env — verify while fixing.