fix: separate workspace freshness from compatibility floor

autonerves/workspace.py

@@ -169,10 +169,10 @@ def _below_floor_message(floor_version, library_version, workspace_root):
     )
 
 
-def _stale_workspace_message(floor_version, library_version, workspace_root):
+def _stale_workspace_message(workspace_version, library_version, workspace_root):
     return (
-        f"The workspace at {workspace_root} records library version "
-        f"{floor_version}, but the installed library is {library_version} — "
+        f"The workspace at {workspace_root} records release version "
+        f"{workspace_version}, but the installed library is {library_version} — "
         f"more than {_STALENESS_WINDOW_DAYS} days newer. The workspace "
         f"examples and configs may lag the installed API. Pull the latest "
         f"workspace:\n\n"
@@ -211,8 +211,11 @@ def check_version(library_version, workspace_root=None):
     An installed library **older** than the floor raises
     ``WorkspaceVersionMismatchError`` — the workspace's scripts may use API
     the install does not have. An installed library **newer** than the floor
-    passes; if it is more than ``_STALENESS_WINDOW_DAYS`` days newer (by
-    date-version comparison) a warning suggests pulling the workspace.
+    passes. Freshness is checked separately against ``workspace_version``
+    (or legacy ``version.txt``), never against ``minimum_library_version``.
+    If the library is more than ``_STALENESS_WINDOW_DAYS`` days newer than
+    that release stamp, a warning suggests pulling the workspace. Without
+    a release stamp, no freshness warning is issued.
     Versions that cannot be parsed as date versions (e.g. development
     installs) warn on inequality rather than raising.
 
@@ -246,29 +249,28 @@ def check_version(library_version, workspace_root=None):
     if _yaml_bypass_set(general_yaml):
         return
 
-    floor_version = _yaml_version_value(general_yaml, "minimum_library_version")
-
-    if floor_version is None:
-        floor_version = _yaml_version_value(general_yaml, "workspace_version")
-
-    if floor_version is None:
+    workspace_version = _yaml_version_value(general_yaml, "workspace_version")
+    if workspace_version is None:
         version_file = root / "version.txt"
         if version_file.exists():
-            floor_version = version_file.read_text().strip()
+            workspace_version = version_file.read_text().strip()
+
+    floor_version = _yaml_version_value(general_yaml, "minimum_library_version")
+    if floor_version is None:
+        floor_version = workspace_version
 
     if floor_version is None or floor_version == "":
         if _is_source_checkout(root) or not _looks_like_workspace(root):
             return
         _warn_once(_missing_version_warning(root, library_version))
         return
 
-    if floor_version == library_version:
-        return
-
     floor_parsed = _parse_version(floor_version)
     library_parsed = _parse_version(library_version)
 
     if floor_parsed is None or library_parsed is None:
+        if floor_version == library_version:
+            return
         _warn_once(
             _unparseable_mismatch_message(floor_version, library_version, root)
         )
@@ -279,12 +281,15 @@ def check_version(library_version, workspace_root=None):
             _below_floor_message(floor_version, library_version, root)
         )
 
-    floor_date = _version_date(floor_parsed)
+    workspace_parsed = _parse_version(workspace_version)
+    workspace_date = (
+        _version_date(workspace_parsed) if workspace_parsed is not None else None
+    )
     library_date = _version_date(library_parsed)
 
     if (
-        floor_date is not None
+        workspace_date is not None
         and library_date is not None
-        and (library_date - floor_date).days > _STALENESS_WINDOW_DAYS
+        and (library_date - workspace_date).days > _STALENESS_WINDOW_DAYS
     ):
-        _warn_once(_stale_workspace_message(floor_version, library_version, root))
+        _warn_once(_stale_workspace_message(workspace_version, library_version, root))

test_autonerves/test_workspace.py

@@ -225,6 +225,72 @@ def test_below_minimum_library_version_raises_with_upgrade_advice(tmp_path):
     assert "==" not in msg
 
 
+def test_old_compatibility_floor_without_release_stamp_is_not_stale(tmp_path):
+    _write_general_yaml(tmp_path, "version:\n  minimum_library_version: 2026.7.9.1")
+    with warnings.catch_warnings():
+        warnings.simplefilter("error")
+        check_version("2026.10.7.1", workspace_root=tmp_path)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("stamp_source", ["yaml", "version.txt"])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("stamp", ["2026.10.7.1", "2026.9.7.1"])
+def test_release_stamp_not_old_floor_controls_freshness(tmp_path, stamp_source, stamp):
+    body = "version:\n  minimum_library_version: 2026.7.9.1\n"
+    if stamp_source == "yaml":
+        body += f"  workspace_version: {stamp}\n"
+    else:
+        (tmp_path / "version.txt").write_text(stamp)
+    _write_general_yaml(tmp_path, body)
+    with warnings.catch_warnings():
+        warnings.simplefilter("error")
+        check_version("2026.10.7.1", workspace_root=tmp_path)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("floor", ["2026.7.9.1", "2026.10.7.1"])
+def test_stale_stamp_warns_even_with_a_different_compatibility_floor(tmp_path, floor):
+    _write_general_yaml(
+        tmp_path,
+        f"version:\n  minimum_library_version: {floor}\n"
+        "  workspace_version: 2026.9.6.1\n",
+    )
+    with pytest.warns(UserWarning, match="release version 2026.9.6.1"):
+        check_version("2026.10.7.1", workspace_root=tmp_path)
+
+
+def test_yaml_release_stamp_overrides_old_version_file_for_freshness(tmp_path):
+    _write_general_yaml(
+        tmp_path,
+        "version:\n  minimum_library_version: 2026.7.9.1\n"
+        "  workspace_version: 2026.10.7.1\n",
+    )
+    (tmp_path / "version.txt").write_text("2026.7.9.1")
+    with warnings.catch_warnings():
+        warnings.simplefilter("error")
+        check_version("2026.10.7.1", workspace_root=tmp_path)
+
+
+def test_fresh_release_stamp_does_not_bypass_compatibility_floor(tmp_path):
+    _write_general_yaml(
+        tmp_path,
+        "version:\n  minimum_library_version: 2026.10.8.1\n"
+        "  workspace_version: 2026.10.7.1\n",
+    )
+    with pytest.raises(WorkspaceVersionMismatchError):
+        check_version("2026.10.7.1", workspace_root=tmp_path)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("stamp", ["dev", "2026.13.7.1", ""])
+def test_unusable_release_stamp_does_not_turn_floor_into_freshness(tmp_path, stamp):
+    _write_general_yaml(
+        tmp_path,
+        "version:\n  minimum_library_version: 2026.7.9.1\n"
+        f"  workspace_version: '{stamp}'\n",
+    )
+    with warnings.catch_warnings():
+        warnings.simplefilter("error")
+        check_version("2026.10.7.1", workspace_root=tmp_path)
+
+
 def test_unparseable_library_version_warns_not_raises(tmp_path):
     (tmp_path / "version.txt").write_text("2026.7.22.1\n")
     with pytest.warns(UserWarning, match="cannot be compared"):