Records

Every record has a kind. A chain file starts with one genesis line. Later lines are use or retract. One JSON object per line. Do not rewrite earlier lines.

Genesis

Genesis opens the chain. prev is null. It names the subject (tool or repo) and why the chain exists. It is not a measured win. A signed genesis does not prove the tool works.

Use

A use record is the normal line. It names the tool (name, version, content hash, locator), the action, at least one quantified measurement, a pass or fail verdict, and evidence. Evidence is an absolute https:// URL plus the hash of that artifact. The artifact must name the same tool name, version, and hash.

Retract

A retract line withdraws trust in an earlier record. It points at that record's content hash. Nothing is deleted. Consumers may keep the old line for history. They must not treat it as current evidence.

Hash

prev on every line after genesis is the SHA-256 of the previous record's canonical JSON. Canonical JSON sorts keys at every level, has no insignificant whitespace, and excludes signature. If two implementations disagree about key order, verification fails.