#+TITLE: Retrospective: Ratio Boot Fix
#+DATE: 2026-01-22

* Summary

Diagnosed and fixed boot failures on ratio (Framework Desktop, AMD Strix Halo).
Root cause: missing linux-firmware 20260110. Secondary issues from chroot cleanup mistakes.

See [[file:../2026-01-22-ratio-boot-fix-session.org][full session doc]] for technical details.

* What Went Well

- Systematic diagnosis - isolated variables (firmware vs kernel vs ZFS)
- External research - video transcript and community posts gave us the firmware fix
- Documentation - captured everything in session doc for future reference
- Collaboration sync - after feedback, stayed in step and confirmed each action
- ZFS snapshots - rollback capability enabled safe experimentation

* What Didn't Go Well

- Jumped ahead repeatedly - rebooting without confirming, running commands without checking in
- Chroot cleanup mistakes - left mountpoint=legacy and /mnt prefixes causing boot failures
- Wrong assumptions - initially assumed kernel 6.15 was the fix; firmware was the real issue
- UUID mistake - used wrong boot partition UUID (didn't account for mirrored NVMe)
- SSH debugging waste - spent time on sshpass issues when keys would have been simpler

* Behavioral Lessons (Added to PRINCIPLES.org)

1. *Sync Before Action* - Confirm before destructive actions, wait for go-ahead
2. *Clean Up After Yourself* - Reset mountpoints after chroot, verify before export
3. *Verify Assumptions* - When "should work" doesn't, question the assumption
4. *Patience Over Speed* - "Wait, wait, wait" improved our effectiveness

* What Would We Do Differently

- Set up SSH keys at start of remote troubleshooting session
- Create a chroot cleanup checklist and follow it every time
- State the plan and wait for confirmation before each reboot
- Test one fix at a time instead of stacking changes

* Action Items

- [X] Create PRINCIPLES.org with behavioral lessons
- [X] Add retrospective workflow to protocols
- [X] Document session for future reference