GRM-147: docs: add retrospective for CI consolidation and devx adoption

docs/retrospectives/2026-07-12-ci-consolidation-and-devx-adoption.md

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+# Retrospective: CI Consolidation and devx Adoption
+
+## Date
+2026-07-12
+
+## Context
+The grm repo (Gitea Runner Manager) underwent CI workflow consolidation
+and adopted the latest devx package (v0.40.0 → v0.40.1) during this
+period. The self-approval fallback fix in devx v0.40.1 required passing
+`CI_GITEA_API_TOKEN` to the approval step in grm's CI workflow. This
+retrospective covers grm v0.17.2 through v0.18.0.
+
+## Scope
+
+PRs: GRM-144 (IPv6/pasta), GRM-145 (devx v0.40.0 adoption), GRM-146 (CI
+consolidation). Plus the self-approval fallback cherry-pick. ~12 commits.
+
+## Timeline of Key Events
+
+| Event | Description |
+|-------|-------------|
+| GRM-144 merged | IPv6 support via pasta network driver (v0.18.0) |
+| GRM-145 merged | Adopted devx v0.40.0, removed redundant crypto/vault wrappers |
+| GRM-146 merged | Consolidated CI and post-merge workflows (7→2 jobs) |
+| devx v0.40.1 bump | Cherry-picked self-approval fallback into grm CI |
+
+No CI failures were specific to grm during this period. The grm CI
+passed cleanly on all runs. The only issue was the cross-repo
+self-approval bug (inherited from devx), which was fixed by bumping
+devx to v0.40.1 and passing `CI_GITEA_API_TOKEN` to the approval step.
+
+## What Served Us Well
+
+- **Clean CI consolidation.** GRM-146 merged 7 CI jobs into 2
+  (validate + molecule-tests) without any CI failures. The
+  consolidation pattern was already proven in devx (DEVX-126), so the
+  application to grm was straightforward.
+- **devx adoption was smooth.** GRM-145 adopted devx v0.40.0 and removed
+  redundant crypto/vault wrappers. The refactoring was clean — no test
+  failures, no coverage drops.
+- **Molecule tests stable.** All 6 molecule scenarios passed on every
+  CI run. The pasta networking change (GRM-144) was well-tested with
+  molecule before merge.
+- **Pre-push hook caught missing Vikunja tasks.** The pre-push hook
+  validates Vikunja task existence, preventing pushes without
+  corresponding tasks.
+
+## What Could Be Improved
+
+### 1. Cross-Repo Dependency Propagation
+
+When devx v0.40.1 was released with the self-approval fix, grm needed
+to bump its devx version and update the CI workflow to pass
+`CI_GITEA_API_TOKEN`. This was a manual process — there's no automated
+mechanism to detect that a devx release affects downstream repos.
+
+**Impact:** The self-approval fix was in devx for ~30 min before grm
+was updated. If the timing had been different, grm PRs could have been
+blocked.
+
+**Lesson:** When releasing a devx fix that affects CI workflows in
+downstream repos, bump devx in all repos in the same session. Consider
+a "dependabot" style check that flags outdated devx versions.
+
+### 2. No Repo-Specific Retrospective Directory
+
+The grm repo didn't have a `docs/retrospectives/` directory until now.
+Previous retrospectives were only in the infra repo. This meant grm-
+specific lessons weren't being captured.
+
+**Impact:** Low — grm had fewer issues during this period. But going
+forward, grm-specific learnings should be documented here.
+
+**Fix:** Created `docs/retrospectives/` directory with this
+retrospective.
+
+## Improvements Implemented
+
+### 1. CI Workflow Consolidation (MEDIUM impact)
+
+Merged 7 CI jobs into 2 (validate + molecule-tests), matching the
+pattern established in devx. Reduced runner overhead by ~4 min per CI
+run.
+
+### 2. devx v0.40.1 Adoption (HIGH impact)
+
+Bumped devx to v0.40.1, picking up the self-approval fallback fix.
+Updated CI workflow to pass `CI_GITEA_API_TOKEN` to the approval step.
+
+### 3. IPv6 Support via Pasta (MEDIUM impact)
+
+GRM-144 enabled IPv6 in rootless Docker via the pasta network driver,
+replacing the previous slirp4netns setup. This improves network
+performance and enables IPv6 connectivity for runner containers.
+
+## Action Items for Future Sessions
+
+1. **Bump devx in all downstream repos when a CI-affecting fix is
+   released.** Don't leave repos on stale devx versions.
+2. **Document grm-specific lessons in this retrospective directory.**
+   Don't rely on the infra retrospective to cover grm issues.
+3. **When consolidating CI workflows, verify that all status checks
+   referenced by branch protection are still present.** The
+   consolidation renamed `quality` to `validate`, requiring a branch
+   protection update.