- Derive the repository owner and repository name from the target repository remote or `GITHUB_REPOSITORY`. Never reuse the owner from the template repository.
- If `GITEA_TOKEN` is available locally, use it only for read-only Gitea API checks such as private repository metadata, package-read visibility, and Actions run status. Never print, commit, or store the token.
- Use only supported Gitea Ubuntu runner labels for project builds, tests, audits, package jobs, installers, dependency setup, and releases: `ubuntu-latest`, `ubuntu-24.04`, or `ubuntu-22.04`.
- Do not add Windows, macOS, self-hosted local-machine, or undocumented runner labels. If Windows-specific tooling appears necessary, document or implement an open-source Linux-compatible workaround for Ubuntu runners.
- Do not run heavy project commands on the user's local machine. Keep local verification limited to lightweight checks such as `rg`, JSON parsing, `git diff --check`, and read-only API status checks.
- Create focused tracker issues for real follow-up work that is outside the current scope or independently parallelizable. If issue creation is unavailable, document the follow-up in `docs/agent-handoff.md`.
- Lightweight local validation has been run when available and safe.
- Project build, test, audit, package, and release verification runs through Gitea Actions on a supported Ubuntu runner, or the reason runner verification could not run is documented.