Work in a tree

Establish an isolated checkout before editing task files, then continue the requested work there. Keep the original checkout and target branch unchanged until the user requests a sync.

1. Identify the starting point

Read applicable repository instructions, Git status, branch, HEAD, common Git directory, remotes, and git worktree list --porcelain. Capture the original checkout, target branch, and base commit before creating anything. If already in an isolated checkout, verify the original repository through the supplied handoff, shared metadata, or a local backlink rather than treating the current task checkout as the original.