fix(ci): make generated artifacts deterministic; unblock freshness + smoke gates

.github/workflows/deploy.yml

@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@ jobs:
       url: ${{ steps.deployment.outputs.page_url }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          # Full history: bin/generate_last_modified.rb derives per-file dates
+          # via `git log -1 --format=%cI`. A shallow (depth-1) checkout collapses
+          # every file to the tip commit's date, so last_modified.yml regenerates
+          # differently than committed and fails validate:generated_freshness.
+          fetch-depth: 0
       - name: Set up Node
         uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
@@ -36,6 +42,12 @@ jobs:
         run: ./bin/pipeline ci
       - name: Playwright smoke check
         timeout-minutes: 12
+        env:
+          # The first pwcli command cold-fetches @playwright/cli and its browser;
+          # on a fresh runner that exceeds the harness's 20s per-command timeout
+          # and aborts smoke at status 124 before any assertion runs. Loosen the
+          # cap for CI only — local runs keep the fast 20s default.
+          PWCLI_CMD_TIMEOUT: 180s
         run: |
           set -o pipefail
           ./bin/pipeline smoke 2>&1 | tee tmp/playwright-smoke.log

.github/workflows/validate.yml

@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          # Full history: bin/generate_last_modified.rb derives per-file dates
+          # via `git log -1 --format=%cI`. A shallow (depth-1) checkout collapses
+          # every file to the tip commit's date, so last_modified.yml regenerates
+          # differently than committed and fails validate:generated_freshness.
+          fetch-depth: 0
       - name: Set up Node
         uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
@@ -26,6 +32,12 @@ jobs:
         run: ./bin/pipeline validate
       - name: Playwright smoke check
         timeout-minutes: 12
+        env:
+          # The first pwcli command cold-fetches @playwright/cli and its browser;
+          # on a fresh runner that exceeds the harness's 20s per-command timeout
+          # and aborts smoke at status 124 before any assertion runs. Loosen the
+          # cap for CI only — local runs keep the fast 20s default.
+          PWCLI_CMD_TIMEOUT: 180s
         run: |
           set -o pipefail
           ./bin/pipeline smoke 2>&1 | tee tmp/playwright-smoke.log

_data/community_stories.yml

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-generated_at: '2026-06-29T01:31:09Z'
+generated_at: '2026-07-08T12:57:57Z'
 tracks:
 - id: craftsmanship-lineage
   title: Craftsmanship Lineage
@@ -10,15 +10,15 @@ tracks:
     as it moved from hallway conversations into durable community practice.
   interview_ids:
   - sergio-pereira-chicago-alt-net-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2011
-  - ray-hightower-chicagoruby-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2011
-  - michael-norton-cleveland-pittsburgh-community-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2011
-  - london-software-craftsmanship-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2011
-  - max-lancaster-dc-alt-net-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2011
-  - zach-shaw-boston-sc-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2011
+  - bobby-johnson-south-sound-net-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2011
+  - charler-baker-denver-community-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2011
   - drew-shefman-houston-adobe-user-group-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2011
   - dustin-updyke-pittsburgh-sc-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2011
+  - london-software-craftsmanship-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2011
+  - max-lancaster-dc-alt-net-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2011
+  - michael-norton-cleveland-pittsburgh-community-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2011
+  - ray-hightower-chicagoruby-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2011
   - ross-south-bend-software-craftsmanship-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2011
-  - bobby-johnson-south-sound-net-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2011
 - id: user-groups-as-learning-systems
   title: User Groups as Learning Systems
   summary: Conversations rooted in user-group ecosystems where engineers shared methods,
@@ -41,11 +41,11 @@ tracks:
   interview_ids:
   - justin-love-windycityrails-2012
   - milan-dobrota-jen-lindner-windycityrails-2012
-  - stephen-anderson-windycityrails-2012
-  - ryan-singer-windycityrails-2012
-  - kevin-zolkiewiecz-windycityrails-2012
-  - ginny-hendry-windycityrails-2012
-  - eric-macadie-windycityrails-2012
+  - adam-grandy-windycityrails-2012
   - benjamin-oakes-windycityrails-2012
+  - brian-liles-windycityrails-2012
+  - eric-macadie-windycityrails-2012
+  - ginny-hendry-windycityrails-2012
+  - jim-remsik-windycityrails-2012
+  - kevin-zolkiewiecz-windycityrails-2012
   - movie-on-9-6-12-at-1-05-pm-windycityrails-2012
-  - adam-grandy-windycityrails-2012

_data/interview_topics.yml

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-generated_at: '2026-06-29T01:31:09Z'
+generated_at: '2026-07-08T12:57:57Z'
 summary:
   total_topics: 72
   total_interviews_with_topics: 183
@@ -10,13 +10,13 @@ items:
   count: 29
   transcript_count: 29
   sample_interview_ids:
-  - chad-fowler-goto-conference-2015
-  - anita-sengupta-goto-conference-2015
-  - corey-haines-goto-conference-2015
   - trisha-gee-goto-conference-2015
   - rebecca-parsons-goto-conference-2015
   - max-de-marzi-goto-conference-2015
   - dean-wampler-goto-conference-2015
+  - corey-haines-goto-conference-2015
+  - chad-fowler-goto-conference-2015
+  - anita-sengupta-goto-conference-2015
   - alexandra-masterson-goto-conference-2015
 - slug: developer-community-and-conference-conversations
   topic: developer community and conference conversations
@@ -26,11 +26,11 @@ items:
   - interview-with-eric-kingery-general
   - interview-with-stephen-anderson-general
   - interview-with-carina-c-zona-general
-  - interview-with-katrina-owen-general
   - interview-with-zachary-shaw-general
+  - interview-with-katrina-owen-general
   - interview-with-michael-ficarra-general
-  - interview-with-rob-reynolds-general
-  - interview-with-randy-ellis-general
+  - interview-with-sandro-mancuso-and-tom-brand-general
+  - interview-with-ryan-slobojan-general
 - slug: community-building-and-user-group-organizing
   topic: community building and user-group organizing
   count: 21
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ items:
   - ryan-gerry-goto-conference-2014
   - max-de-marzi-goto-conference-2014
   - fred-guime-goto-conference-2014
-  - micah-martin-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2013
   - sandro-mancuso-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2013
+  - micah-martin-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2013
   - adewale-oshineye-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2013
   - stephen-anderson-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2013
   - mike-stringer-general
@@ -50,8 +50,8 @@ items:
   transcript_count: 18
   sample_interview_ids:
   - russ-olsen-goto-conference-2014
-  - interview-with-giles-bowkett-author-rails-general
   - interview-with-matt-ruby-creator-of-vooza-general
+  - interview-with-giles-bowkett-author-rails-general
   - ashe-dryden-general
   - james-edward-grey-iii-general
   - charles-oliver-nutter-general
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ items:
   count: 7
   transcript_count: 7
   sample_interview_ids:
-  - bill-scott-general
   - kumar-mcmillan-general
+  - bill-scott-general
   - daniel-x-o-neil-general
   - arthur-kay-general
   - carl-erickson-software-craftsmanship-north-america-2012

bin/generate_community_stories_page.rb

@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@
 OUT_PAGE_PATH = File.join(ROOT, "interviews", "stories", "index.html")
 
 interviews = Generators::Core::YamlIo.load(INTERVIEWS_PATH, key: "items")
-sorted = interviews.sort_by { |item| item["recorded_date"].to_s }
+# Tiebreaker on id: recorded_date has ties and sort_by is not stable, so the
+# first(10) track selections below must not depend on sort-impl tie order.
+sorted = interviews.sort_by { |item| [item["recorded_date"].to_s, item["id"].to_s] }
 
 craftsmanship = sorted.select do |item|
   item["conference"].to_s.downcase.include?("software craftsmanship")

bin/generate_interview_topics_page.rb

@@ -40,7 +40,10 @@ def slugify(value)
 end
 
 topic_items = topics.map do |topic, rows|
-  sorted_rows = rows.sort_by { |row| row["recorded_date"].to_s }.reverse
+  # Tiebreaker on id: recorded_date has ties (e.g. 7 interviews on one date), and
+  # sort_by is not stable, so first(N) sampling below would depend on sort-impl
+  # tie order. Committed output must be a pure function of data — id makes it total.
+  sorted_rows = rows.sort_by { |row| [row["recorded_date"].to_s, row["id"].to_s] }.reverse
   transcript_count = sorted_rows.count do |row|
     asset = assets_by_id[row["video_asset_id"]]
     asset && !asset["transcript_id"].to_s.strip.empty?

bin/validate_generated_freshness.rb

@@ -44,4 +44,10 @@ def git_diff_names(paths)
 warn 'Generated artifact freshness validation failed:'
 warn '  Run `bundle exec rake build` and commit regenerated tracked artifacts.'
 changed.each { |path| warn "  - #{path}" }
+
+# Print the actual drift, not just filenames. Without this the gate is a black
+# box — you see WHICH files differ but not HOW, which turns a CI-only reproduction
+# into guesswork. --no-color keeps the log diff-clean.
+diff, = Open3.capture2('git', '--no-pager', 'diff', '--no-color', '--', *changed, chdir: ROOT)
+warn "\n--- drift diff ---\n#{diff}"
 exit 1