docs: document Grav env-tree config save behavior + git-sync env path

Once user/env/<host>/ exists, Grav Admin saves ALL config (system +
plugin) into that env tree, not user/config/ — so prod's git-sync.yaml
lives at the env path, and Admin-on-server config edits are server-only
(not committed, not synced). Documented the footgun in CLAUDE.md §1
(session-loaded) and rewrote git-sync-notes.md: env-path location,
v3.4.4 folders format, gitignore table (incl. versions.yaml +
security-private.php TODO), and fresh-server enable procedure.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01Np4cMQLF77i664CAQXySzU

CLAUDE.md

@@ -198,6 +198,24 @@ request hostname):
 - The hostname segment defaults to `REMOTE_HOST`; override with `WEB_HOST` in
   `.env.<env>` if Grav sees a different host than the SSH host.
 
+> **⚠️ Once `user/env/<hostname>/` exists, Grav's Admin saves ALL config there.**
+> Creating the env override dir has a site-wide side effect: Grav's Admin panel
+> writes **every** config change (system *and* plugin) into the active
+> environment's config tree — e.g. editing a plugin on prod saves to
+> `user/env/intotheeast.com/config/plugins/<name>.yaml`, **not**
+> `user/config/plugins/<name>.yaml`. Consequences you must remember:
+> - Config edited via **Admin on the server is server-only**: `user/env/` is
+>   outside the content repo's tracked folders, so it is **not committed** and
+>   **not synced by git-sync** (which syncs only `pages`/`config`/`themes`).
+>   Good for secrets — `git-sync.yaml` (token) safely lives at the env path —
+>   but it means prod Admin config edits silently do **not** reach Gitea/local.
+> - When reading/writing server config, check **both** `user/config/...` and
+>   `user/env/<host>/config/...` (env wins). Server tooling must search the env
+>   path first — see `scripts/git-sync-toggle.sh` and `make remote-diag`.
+> - Repo-authored config (`user/config/...` via `make content-push`) still
+>   applies everywhere; the env tree only holds per-host overrides + Admin-on-
+>   server edits. Full details: `docs/working/git-sync-notes.md`.
+
 **Pre-launch smoke test required:** with the prod override applied, submit one
 post via `/post` and confirm the entry appears in the trip page feed
 immediately. This verifies the cache-on-save plugin (BUG-001 fix) works

docs/working/git-sync-notes.md

@@ -1,17 +1,41 @@
 # Git Sync Plugin — Setup Notes
 
-## Folders YAML bug
+## ⚠️ Config lives in the ENVIRONMENT tree, not `user/config/` (IMPORTANT)
 
-The plugin UI always saves the folders field as a single comma-string:
+Prod has a per-environment override directory `user/env/<hostname>/config/`
+(created for Twig prod-mode — see CLAUDE.md §1). **A crucial Grav side effect:
+once that env dir exists, the Admin panel saves ALL config changes — system and
+plugin — into the active environment's config tree**, not `user/config/`.
 
-```yaml
+So on prod, `git-sync.yaml` (configured via Admin) lives at:
-folders:
+
-  - 'pages,config,themes'
+```
+user/env/intotheeast.com/config/plugins/git-sync.yaml   ← here (env tree)
+user/config/plugins/git-sync.yaml                       ← NOT here
 ```
 
-But the plugin code iterates the array expecting separate items. This causes `git status pages,config,themes` to be passed as a single path, so git sees nothing to commit and sync silently does nothing.
+Why this matters:
 
-**Fix:** Edit `user/config/plugins/git-sync.yaml` directly:
+- **Server-only, not synced, not committed.** `user/env/` is outside the
+  content repo's tracked folders (`pages`/`config`/`accounts`/`themes`) and is
+  not one of git-sync's synced folders (`pages`/`config`/`themes`). So config
+  saved via Admin *on the server* never reaches Gitea or local. This is ideal
+  for the git-sync token (it stays server-only) but means **prod Admin config
+  edits silently diverge** — author durable config in the repo, not prod Admin.
+- **Look in both places.** When inspecting/toggling server config, check
+  `user/config/plugins/<name>.yaml` **and**
+  `user/env/<host>/config/plugins/<name>.yaml` (env wins).
+- **Tooling is env-path-aware.** `scripts/git-sync-toggle.sh` takes a `WEBROOT`
+  and searches `user/env/*/config/plugins/git-sync.yaml` first, then
+  `user/config/plugins/git-sync.yaml`. `make remote-git-sync-disable/enable-<env>`
+  and `make remote-diag-<env>` use it.
+
+## Folders format
+
+Older plugin versions' UI saved the `folders` field as a single comma-string
+(`- 'pages,config,themes'`), which the plugin iterated as one path, so sync
+silently did nothing. **git-sync v3.4.4 (installed on prod 2026-07-04) saves it
+correctly** as separate list items:
 
 ```yaml
 folders:
@@ -20,8 +44,33 @@ folders:
   - themes
 ```
 
-Never use the Admin UI to change folders — it will rewrite the broken format.
+If you see the comma-string form on an older version, fix it by editing
+`git-sync.yaml` directly (at whichever path it lives — see above); do not
+re-save folders via the Admin UI on the buggy version.
 
-## Files to gitignore
+## Per-install / secret files — must be gitignored (never synced)
 
-`user/config/plugins/git-sync.yaml` contains an encrypted token and is server-specific. `user/config/security.yaml` contains Grav nonces/salts, also server-specific. Both are in `.gitignore` and must never be committed.
+git-sync syncs the `config/` folder, so any per-install or secret file tracked
+there would get pushed to Gitea and pollute every environment. Keep these out
+of the content repo (all in `user/.gitignore`):
+
+| File | Why |
+|---|---|
+| `config/plugins/git-sync.yaml` | encrypted token; server-specific (also lives at env path on prod) |
+| `config/plugins/api-private.php` | API JWT secret |
+| `config/security.yaml` | Grav nonces/salts (legacy location) |
+| `config/versions.yaml` | per-install Grav schema-migration state — differs per env (dev 2.0.4, prod 2.0.7); Grav regenerates it. Untracked 2026-07-04. |
+| `config/security-private.php` | **TODO:** committed salt secret; should be gitignored like `api-private.php` (deferred — untracking resets server sessions) |
+
+## git-sync config summary (prod, 2026-07-04)
+
+- `repository: https://git.gorinskat.nl/m038/intotheeast-com-content.git`,
+  `branch: main`, HTTPS + token auth (SSH is Tailscale-only).
+- `sync.direction: both`, `on_save/on_delete/on_media: true` → prod Admin edits
+  and `/post` push to Gitea; content-repo pushes pull to prod **via webhook**
+  (`/_git-sync`). The webhook is configured in Gitea repo settings (same secret
+  as the test instance).
+- **Before enabling on a fresh server**, reset the synced folders clean
+  (`make remote-fetch-content-<env>`) so no install-time drift (e.g. a stale
+  `versions.yaml`) gets pushed on the first sync. Toggle with
+  `make remote-git-sync-disable/enable-<env>`.