Vellum Boundary Guard

Package Import Boundaries

Enforce these boundaries:

• assistant/ must not import from gateway/ via relative paths.
• gateway/ must not import from assistant/ via relative paths.
• assistant/ and skills/ must not import from each other directly.
• Runtime code must not import from meta/.
• Shared cross-package logic belongs in packages/.

For tests that need behavior from another package, mock the boundary instead of importing real handlers.

HTTP And IPC Boundaries

• Public inbound HTTP endpoints belong in gateway/.
• New CLI-to-assistant interactions should use Unix socket IPC through the existing IPC route pattern.
• Events from assistant runtime code should use the assistant event hub rather than new HTTP endpoints when possible.

Security Ownership Boundaries

• Gateway owns trust rules and gateway security files.
• CES owns credential files.
• The assistant must not read gateway-owned directories directly.
• Clients must not read from the user's ~/.vellum directory.
• Secrets must not be stored in workspace files.

Skill Boundaries

First-party skills run as separate processes and should communicate through supported contracts. Do not bypass skill isolation with direct relative imports.

Review Workflow

1. Search changed imports and new route registrations.
2. Identify any package-crossing dependency.
3. Decide whether the correct home is a package-local module, a shared packages/ module, IPC, HTTP through gateway, or a skill contract.
4. If a violation exists, recommend the smallest boundary-preserving move.

Verification

Prefer existing guard tests when available, then add focused tests for any new boundary rule or route pattern.