Allow absent assessment dir in ancestor path-safety check

Addresses review 4723955260 on PR #3568. The ancestor path-safety clause
required `.specify/assessments` to already be a real directory, which blocked
the first-run commands (intake, research, define) from ever reaching the step
that creates it. Reword the clause in all five commands so a not-yet-created
directory is permitted, while still refusing when `.specify` or
`.specify/assessments` exists as a symlink or escapes the project root.

Assisted-by: GitHub Copilot (model: Claude Opus 4.8, supervised)
Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
Copilot-Session: 1f25cf9d-b7eb-4b2b-b811-3e91d8db8f6a

Author: mnriem

extensions/assess/commands/speckit.assess.decide.md

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ Decide **judges; it does not spec or build.** It weighs the evidence already gat
 $ARGUMENTS
 ```
 
-**Ancestor path safety (before any filesystem lookup here)**: verify `.specify` and `.specify/assessments` are real directories — not symlinks — resolving inside the project root; refuse and report otherwise. Only then resolve the slug: explicit `slug=…` → conversation context (a slug reported earlier this session, confirmed by an existing `.specify/assessments/<slug>/` directory) → ask (interactive) → single existing directory (automated) → otherwise stop and ask. **Slug safety**: normalize any explicit or user-supplied slug — lowercase; whitespace/underscores → `-`; keep only `[a-z0-9-]` (drop every other character, including `.`, `/`, `\`); collapse and trim `-`; reject an empty normalized result. Only then set `ASSESS_SLUG` (the normalized value) and `ASSESS_DIR = .specify/assessments/<ASSESS_SLUG>` — this keeps every read and write inside `.specify/assessments/`.
+**Ancestor path safety (before any filesystem lookup here)**: where `.specify` or `.specify/assessments` already exist, verify each is a real directory (not a symlink) resolving inside the project root, and refuse and report if either exists as a symlink or escapes the root — a not-yet-created directory is allowed and will be created safely later. Only then resolve the slug: explicit `slug=…` → conversation context (a slug reported earlier this session, confirmed by an existing `.specify/assessments/<slug>/` directory) → ask (interactive) → single existing directory (automated) → otherwise stop and ask. **Slug safety**: normalize any explicit or user-supplied slug — lowercase; whitespace/underscores → `-`; keep only `[a-z0-9-]` (drop every other character, including `.`, `/`, `\`); collapse and trim `-`; reject an empty normalized result. Only then set `ASSESS_SLUG` (the normalized value) and `ASSESS_DIR = .specify/assessments/<ASSESS_SLUG>` — this keeps every read and write inside `.specify/assessments/`.
 
 ## Prerequisites
 

extensions/assess/commands/speckit.assess.define.md

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ Define **frames the problem; it does not shape or choose a solution.** If the in
 $ARGUMENTS
 ```
 
-**Ancestor path safety (before any filesystem lookup here)**: verify `.specify` and `.specify/assessments` are real directories — not symlinks — resolving inside the project root; refuse and report otherwise. Only then resolve the slug: explicit `slug=…` → conversation context (a slug reported earlier this session, confirmed by an existing `.specify/assessments/<slug>/` directory) → ask (interactive) → single existing directory (automated) → otherwise stop and ask. **Slug safety**: normalize any explicit or user-supplied slug — lowercase; whitespace/underscores → `-`; keep only `[a-z0-9-]` (drop every other character, including `.`, `/`, `\`); collapse and trim `-`; reject an empty normalized result. Only then set `ASSESS_SLUG` (the normalized value) and `ASSESS_DIR = .specify/assessments/<ASSESS_SLUG>` — this keeps every read and write inside `.specify/assessments/`.
+**Ancestor path safety (before any filesystem lookup here)**: where `.specify` or `.specify/assessments` already exist, verify each is a real directory (not a symlink) resolving inside the project root, and refuse and report if either exists as a symlink or escapes the root — a not-yet-created directory is allowed and will be created safely later. Only then resolve the slug: explicit `slug=…` → conversation context (a slug reported earlier this session, confirmed by an existing `.specify/assessments/<slug>/` directory) → ask (interactive) → single existing directory (automated) → otherwise stop and ask. **Slug safety**: normalize any explicit or user-supplied slug — lowercase; whitespace/underscores → `-`; keep only `[a-z0-9-]` (drop every other character, including `.`, `/`, `\`); collapse and trim `-`; reject an empty normalized result. Only then set `ASSESS_SLUG` (the normalized value) and `ASSESS_DIR = .specify/assessments/<ASSESS_SLUG>` — this keeps every read and write inside `.specify/assessments/`.
 
 ## Prerequisites
 

extensions/assess/commands/speckit.assess.intake.md

@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ If the input is empty, ask the user for the idea (interactive), or stop with a n
 
 ## Slug Resolution
 
-**Ancestor path safety (do this before any filesystem lookup in this section)**: verify that `.specify` and `.specify/assessments` are real directories — not symlinks — that resolve inside the project root, and refuse and report if either is a symlink or escapes the root. Only then run any existence check or directory enumeration below.
+**Ancestor path safety (do this before any filesystem lookup in this section)**: where `.specify` or `.specify/assessments` already exist, verify each is a real directory (not a symlink) that resolves inside the project root, and refuse and report if either exists as a symlink or escapes the root — a not-yet-created directory is allowed and will be created safely later. Only then run any existence check or directory enumeration below.
 
 Each idea gets its own directory under `.specify/assessments/<slug>/`. Resolve the slug in this order:
 

extensions/assess/commands/speckit.assess.research.md

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ Research **collects and cites evidence; it does not decide.** No verdict, no sol
 $ARGUMENTS
 ```
 
-The input carries the slug and (optionally) research direction or links. **Ancestor path safety (before any filesystem lookup here)**: verify `.specify` and `.specify/assessments` are real directories — not symlinks — resolving inside the project root; refuse and report otherwise. Only then resolve the slug:
+The input carries the slug and (optionally) research direction or links. **Ancestor path safety (before any filesystem lookup here)**: where `.specify` or `.specify/assessments` already exist, verify each is a real directory (not a symlink) resolving inside the project root, and refuse and report if either exists as a symlink or escapes the root — a not-yet-created directory is allowed and will be created safely later. Only then resolve the slug:
 
 1. **Explicit slug** (`slug=…`, `--slug …`, or an obvious token) — normalize it (see **Slug safety** below).
 2. **Conversation context** — if this session just ran `__SPECKIT_COMMAND_ASSESS_INTAKE__`, reuse the slug it reported. Confirm by checking that `.specify/assessments/<slug>/intake.md` exists; if not, fall through.

extensions/assess/commands/speckit.assess.shape.md

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ Shape **outlines options at the boundaries; it does not produce a spec or a plan
 $ARGUMENTS
 ```
 
-**Ancestor path safety (before any filesystem lookup here)**: verify `.specify` and `.specify/assessments` are real directories — not symlinks — resolving inside the project root; refuse and report otherwise. Only then resolve the slug: explicit `slug=…` → conversation context (a slug reported earlier this session, confirmed by an existing `.specify/assessments/<slug>/` directory) → ask (interactive) → single existing directory (automated) → otherwise stop and ask. **Slug safety**: normalize any explicit or user-supplied slug — lowercase; whitespace/underscores → `-`; keep only `[a-z0-9-]` (drop every other character, including `.`, `/`, `\`); collapse and trim `-`; reject an empty normalized result. Only then set `ASSESS_SLUG` (the normalized value) and `ASSESS_DIR = .specify/assessments/<ASSESS_SLUG>` — this keeps every read and write inside `.specify/assessments/`.
+**Ancestor path safety (before any filesystem lookup here)**: where `.specify` or `.specify/assessments` already exist, verify each is a real directory (not a symlink) resolving inside the project root, and refuse and report if either exists as a symlink or escapes the root — a not-yet-created directory is allowed and will be created safely later. Only then resolve the slug: explicit `slug=…` → conversation context (a slug reported earlier this session, confirmed by an existing `.specify/assessments/<slug>/` directory) → ask (interactive) → single existing directory (automated) → otherwise stop and ask. **Slug safety**: normalize any explicit or user-supplied slug — lowercase; whitespace/underscores → `-`; keep only `[a-z0-9-]` (drop every other character, including `.`, `/`, `\`); collapse and trim `-`; reject an empty normalized result. Only then set `ASSESS_SLUG` (the normalized value) and `ASSESS_DIR = .specify/assessments/<ASSESS_SLUG>` — this keeps every read and write inside `.specify/assessments/`.
 
 ## Prerequisites