Give every prompt one shared context block

The "address him as ты" rule had only reached two of the five system
prompts. Instead of pasting it into the other three (five copies drift —
that is how this happened), there is now one block, in internal/persona,
prepended to all five: nudges, action replies, chat, note queries and
general knowledge.

The block says who he is and how to address him (a man, always "ты",
never "вы", never "он" about him; Maven stays feminine), plus the
current local date and time. It is rendered fresh each turn because the
time changes, and it is correct with an empty config — the address and
gender rules are defaults in code. Config only adds optional facts:
owner_name, city, and the existing free-text `persona` string, which is
now the static half of the block.

Russian even in front of the English prompts: the rules are Russian
grammar, so they read best stated in Russian, and there is one copy.

Vikunja #394.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01CGeSZxh1DCtRxmFVSYVGvJ

cmd/mavend/main.go

@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/delivery/telegramsink"
 	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/ipc"
 	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/loop"
+	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/persona"
 	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/phraser"
 	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/store"
 	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/webauthn"
@@ -271,13 +272,13 @@ func run(args []string) error {
 		phr = phraser.NewStub()
 		if cfg.Phraser != nil {
 			pc := phraser.Config{
-				ModelPath:  cfg.Phraser.ModelPath,
-				BinPath:    cfg.Phraser.BinPath,
-				Listen:     cfg.Phraser.Listen,
-				NGpuLayers: cfg.Phraser.NGpuLayers,
-				NCtx:       cfg.Phraser.NCtx,
-				Timeout:    time.Duration(cfg.Phraser.Timeout),
-				Persona:    personaFromCfg(cfg),
+				ModelPath:    cfg.Phraser.ModelPath,
+				BinPath:      cfg.Phraser.BinPath,
+				Listen:       cfg.Phraser.Listen,
+				NGpuLayers:   cfg.Phraser.NGpuLayers,
+				NCtx:         cfg.Phraser.NCtx,
+				Timeout:      time.Duration(cfg.Phraser.Timeout),
+				ContextBlock: contextBlockFn(cfg, time.Now),
 			}
 			if pc.BinPath == "" {
 				pc.BinPath = "llama-server"
@@ -441,13 +442,13 @@ func run(args []string) error {
 			phr = phraser.NewStub()
 			if cfg.Phraser != nil {
 				pc := phraser.Config{
-					ModelPath:  cfg.Phraser.ModelPath,
-					BinPath:    cfg.Phraser.BinPath,
-					Listen:     cfg.Phraser.Listen,
-					NGpuLayers: cfg.Phraser.NGpuLayers,
-					NCtx:       cfg.Phraser.NCtx,
-					Timeout:    time.Duration(cfg.Phraser.Timeout),
-					Persona:    personaFromCfg(cfg),
+					ModelPath:    cfg.Phraser.ModelPath,
+					BinPath:      cfg.Phraser.BinPath,
+					Listen:       cfg.Phraser.Listen,
+					NGpuLayers:   cfg.Phraser.NGpuLayers,
+					NCtx:         cfg.Phraser.NCtx,
+					Timeout:      time.Duration(cfg.Phraser.Timeout),
+					ContextBlock: contextBlockFn(cfg, time.Now),
 				}
 				if pc.BinPath == "" {
 					pc.BinPath = "llama-server"
@@ -601,12 +602,23 @@ func run(args []string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// personaFromCfg extracts the voice persona from the config, or returns ""
-// when voice isn't configured. Used to pass a character prompt into the
-// LLM phraser without requiring voice to be enabled.
-func personaFromCfg(cfg *config.Config) string {
-	if cfg.Voice != nil {
-		return cfg.Voice.Persona
+// personaFacts reads the optional, deployment-specific facts (his name, his
+// city, the free-text persona string) out of the config. Everything here may
+// be empty — the context block is correct without any of it.
+func personaFacts(cfg *config.Config) persona.Facts {
+	if cfg.Voice == nil {
+		return persona.Facts{}
+	}
+	return persona.Facts{
+		OwnerName: cfg.Voice.OwnerName,
+		City:      cfg.Voice.City,
+		Static:    cfg.Voice.Persona,
 	}
-	return ""
+}
+
+// contextBlockFn returns the per-turn renderer of the shared context block.
+// Per turn, not once at startup, because the block states the current time.
+func contextBlockFn(cfg *config.Config, now func() time.Time) func() string {
+	f := personaFacts(cfg)
+	return func() string { return f.Block(now()) }
 }

cmd/mavend/replier_llm.go

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/llm"
+	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/persona"
 	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/router"
 	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/voice"
 )
@@ -23,10 +24,14 @@ type completer interface {
 type llmReplier struct {
 	c    completer
 	stub *voice.StubReplier
+
+	// block renders the shared context block per turn (who he is, the time).
+	// nil ⇒ the prompt stands alone.
+	block func() string
 }
 
-func newLLMReplier(c completer) *llmReplier {
-	return &llmReplier{c: c, stub: voice.NewStubReplier()}
+func newLLMReplier(c completer, block func() string) *llmReplier {
+	return &llmReplier{c: c, stub: voice.NewStubReplier(), block: block}
 }
 
 const replySystem = `Ты — Maven, домашняя ассистентка (о себе — в женском роде). Владелец — мужчина, говоришь с ним на "ты", в единственном числе; никогда не "вы"/"ваш" и не "он"/"его". Подтверди действие РОВНО ОДНИМ коротким предложением (≤120 символов), тепло и по-русски. Не задавай вопросов, не повторяй слова, не добавляй ничего после точки. Отвечай ТОЛЬКО одним объектом JSON с полями "response" (текст) и "mood" (ровно одно из: neutral, happy, thinking, tired, confused).
@@ -40,7 +45,7 @@ func (r *llmReplier) Reply(d router.Decision) string {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 60*time.Second)
 	defer cancel()
 	out, err := r.c.Complete(ctx, llm.Req{
-		System:        replySystem,
+		System:        persona.Prepend(r.block, replySystem),
 		User:          replyContext(d),
 		MaxTokens:     512,
 		RepeatPenalty: 1.3,

cmd/mavend/replier_llm_test.go

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ type mockCompleter struct {
 func (m mockCompleter) Complete(_ context.Context, _ llm.Req) (string, error) { return m.out, m.err }
 
 func TestLLMReplierReturnsLLMReply(t *testing.T) {
-	r := newLLMReplier(mockCompleter{out: `{"response":"записала, кофе закончился","mood":"neutral"}`})
+	r := newLLMReplier(mockCompleter{out: `{"response":"записала, кофе закончился","mood":"neutral"}`}, nil)
 	got := r.Reply(router.Decision{Intent: router.IntentNote, Slots: router.Slots{Text: "кофе закончился"}})
 	if got != "записала, кофе закончился" {
 		t.Errorf("got %q, want %q", got, "записала, кофе закончился")
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ func TestLLMReplierReturnsLLMReply(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestLLMReplierFallsBackToPlainText(t *testing.T) {
-	r := newLLMReplier(mockCompleter{out: "записала, кофе закончился"})
+	r := newLLMReplier(mockCompleter{out: "записала, кофе закончился"}, nil)
 	got := r.Reply(router.Decision{Intent: router.IntentNote, Slots: router.Slots{Text: "кофе закончился"}})
 	if got != "записала, кофе закончился" {
 		t.Errorf("got %q, want %q", got, "записала, кофе закончился")
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func TestLLMReplierFallsBackToPlainText(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestLLMReplierFallsBackToStubOnError(t *testing.T) {
-	r := newLLMReplier(mockCompleter{err: errTestLLMDown})
+	r := newLLMReplier(mockCompleter{err: errTestLLMDown}, nil)
 	noteDec := router.Decision{Intent: router.IntentNote}
 	got := r.Reply(noteDec)
 	want := voice.NewStubReplier().Reply(noteDec)
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func TestLLMReplierFallsBackToStubOnError(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestLLMReplierFallsBackToStubOnEmpty(t *testing.T) {
-	r := newLLMReplier(mockCompleter{out: ""})
+	r := newLLMReplier(mockCompleter{out: ""}, nil)
 	noteDec := router.Decision{Intent: router.IntentNote}
 	got := r.Reply(noteDec)
 	want := voice.NewStubReplier().Reply(noteDec)
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func TestLLMReplierFallsBackToStubOnEmpty(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestLLMReplierClarifyUsesStub(t *testing.T) {
-	r := newLLMReplier(mockCompleter{out: "я всё поняла"})
+	r := newLLMReplier(mockCompleter{out: "я всё поняла"}, nil)
 	clarifyDec := router.Decision{Clarify: true}
 	got := r.Reply(clarifyDec)
 	want := voice.NewStubReplier().Reply(clarifyDec)

cmd/mavend/voice.go

@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ func wireVoice(cfg *config.Config, coreAPI ipc.CoreAPI, phr phraser.Phraser, mem
 	// ----- replier (LLM-backed when the engine is on, Stub floor otherwise) -----
 	replier := voice.Replier(voice.NewStubReplier())
 	if llmClient != nil {
-		replier = newLLMReplier(llmClient)
+		replier = newLLMReplier(llmClient, contextBlockFn(cfg, time.Now))
 	}
 
 	// ----- the handler (the reactive path; closes over stt / tts / router / coreAPI / memory) -----

internal/config/config.go

@@ -302,6 +302,13 @@ type VoiceConfig struct {
 	// Russian self-reference). Example: "Be formal and answer in English only."
 	Persona string `json:"persona,omitempty"`
 
+	// OwnerName / City — optional facts about the owner, added to the shared
+	// context block (internal/persona). Empty is fine: the block still states
+	// who he is grammatically (a man, addressed as "ты") and the current time.
+	// Nothing about correct behaviour may depend on these being filled in.
+	OwnerName string `json:"owner_name,omitempty"`
+	City      string `json:"city,omitempty"`
+
 	// Weather — the weather provider config. nil ⇒ the daemon wires
 	// the stub provider (returns ErrNotConfigured — "погода не настроена").
 	// Set provider to "open-meteo" to use the keyless Open-Meteo API.

internal/persona/persona.go

@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+// Package persona builds the one shared context block that goes in front of
+// every LLM system prompt: who the owner is, how to address him, and what
+// time it is right now.
+//
+// Why one block and not a line pasted into each prompt: there are five
+// prompts (nudges, action replies, chat, note queries, general knowledge) and
+// the "address him as ты" rule had only reached two of them. Five copies drift.
+// One block cannot.
+//
+// The rules here are defaults in code, not config. Maven is feminine and the
+// owner is a man addressed informally — that is a hard constraint of the
+// product, so it must hold with an empty config file. Config only ADDS
+// optional facts (his name, his city).
+package persona
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// Facts — the optional, deployment-specific half of the block. All fields may
+// be empty; the block is still correct and useful without them.
+type Facts struct {
+	OwnerName string // his name, e.g. "Ками"
+	City      string // where he is, e.g. "Москва"
+	Static    string // the free-text `persona` config string, appended verbatim
+}
+
+var ruWeekdays = [...]string{"воскресенье", "понедельник", "вторник", "среда", "четверг", "пятница", "суббота"}
+
+var ruMonths = [...]string{
+	"января", "февраля", "марта", "апреля", "мая", "июня",
+	"июля", "августа", "сентября", "октября", "ноября", "декабря",
+}
+
+// Block renders the context block for one turn. Russian even in front of the
+// English prompts: the rules it states are Russian grammar (ты/тебя, feminine
+// verbs), and a Russian rule reads best stated in Russian.
+//
+// Keep it short. It ships on every turn to a 0.8B on laptop CPU, so every
+// line here is latency.
+func (f Facts) Block(now time.Time) string {
+	var b strings.Builder
+
+	b.WriteString("Ты — Maven, домашняя ассистентка. О себе говоришь в женском роде: \"я записала\", \"я проверила\".\n")
+
+	// The address form gets its own line. It is the thing that kept getting
+	// lost when it was buried in prose.
+	b.WriteString("ОБРАЩЕНИЕ: владелец — мужчина, всегда на \"ты\" (ты, тебя, тебе, твой) и в единственном числе (\"выпей\", \"посмотри\"). Никогда \"вы\"/\"вас\"/\"ваш\". Никогда \"он\"/\"его\" о нём — ты говоришь ему, а не о нём. Глаголы о нём — в мужском роде (\"ты забыл\").\n")
+
+	if who := f.who(); who != "" {
+		b.WriteString(who + "\n")
+	}
+
+	b.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("Сейчас: %s, %d %s %d, %02d:%02d (местное время).\n",
+		ruWeekdays[int(now.Weekday())], now.Day(), ruMonths[int(now.Month())-1], now.Year(),
+		now.Hour(), now.Minute()))
+
+	if s := strings.TrimSpace(f.Static); s != "" {
+		b.WriteString(s + "\n")
+	}
+	return b.String()
+}
+
+// who renders the optional name/city line, or "" when neither is configured.
+func (f Facts) who() string {
+	name := strings.TrimSpace(f.OwnerName)
+	city := strings.TrimSpace(f.City)
+	switch {
+	case name != "" && city != "":
+		return "Его зовут " + name + ", он в городе " + city + "."
+	case name != "":
+		return "Его зовут " + name + "."
+	case city != "":
+		return "Он в городе " + city + "."
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
+// Prepend puts the block in front of a system prompt. Nil-safe: a nil renderer
+// (tests, the stub paths) returns the prompt untouched.
+func Prepend(block func() string, prompt string) string {
+	if block == nil {
+		return prompt
+	}
+	s := strings.TrimSpace(block())
+	if s == "" {
+		return prompt
+	}
+	return s + "\n\n" + prompt
+}

internal/persona/persona_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+package persona
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+var ref = time.Date(2026, 7, 31, 14, 5, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+
+// The block must be correct with an empty config: the address form and the
+// gender rules are hard constraints, not preferences.
+func TestBlockWorksWithZeroConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	b := Facts{}.Block(ref)
+	for _, want := range []string{"женском роде", "ОБРАЩЕНИЕ", "\"ты\"", "31 июля 2026", "пятница", "14:05"} {
+		if !strings.Contains(b, want) {
+			t.Errorf("block missing %q:\n%s", want, b)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestBlockAddsOptionalFacts(t *testing.T) {
+	b := Facts{OwnerName: "Ками", City: "Москва", Static: "Будь краткой."}.Block(ref)
+	for _, want := range []string{"Ками", "Москва", "Будь краткой."} {
+		if !strings.Contains(b, want) {
+			t.Errorf("block missing %q:\n%s", want, b)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// The time changes between turns, so two renders must differ.
+func TestBlockRendersTimePerTurn(t *testing.T) {
+	a := Facts{}.Block(ref)
+	c := Facts{}.Block(ref.Add(time.Hour))
+	if a == c {
+		t.Errorf("block did not change with the clock:\n%s", a)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPrependNilIsSafe(t *testing.T) {
+	if got := Prepend(nil, "PROMPT"); got != "PROMPT" {
+		t.Errorf("Prepend(nil) = %q", got)
+	}
+	if got := Prepend(func() string { return "  " }, "PROMPT"); got != "PROMPT" {
+		t.Errorf("Prepend(blank) = %q", got)
+	}
+	if got := Prepend(func() string { return "CTX" }, "PROMPT"); got != "CTX\n\nPROMPT" {
+		t.Errorf("Prepend = %q", got)
+	}
+}

internal/phraser/context_block_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+package phraser
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// Every phrasing prompt must carry the shared context block. This is the
+// regression guard for the bug that started this: the "ты" rule reached only
+// two of the five prompts because each prompt had its own copy of the rules.
+func TestEveryPromptCarriesTheContextBlock(t *testing.T) {
+	block := func() string { return "CTXBLOCK" }
+	p := &LLMPhraser{cfg: Config{ContextBlock: block}}
+
+	prompts := map[string]string{
+		"nudge": p.systemPrompt(),
+		"query": p.querySystemPrompt(),
+		"chat":  chatSystemPrompt(block),
+	}
+	for name, got := range prompts {
+		if !strings.HasPrefix(got, "CTXBLOCK\n\n") {
+			t.Errorf("%s prompt does not start with the context block:\n%s", name, got)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// Without a block the prompts are unchanged — the stub and test paths pass nil.
+func TestPromptsWithoutBlockAreUnchanged(t *testing.T) {
+	p := &LLMPhraser{}
+	if p.systemPrompt() != nudgeSystem {
+		t.Errorf("nudge prompt changed with no block set")
+	}
+}

internal/phraser/eval/llmphraser_test.go

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/llm"
+	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/persona"
 	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/phraser"
 )
 
@@ -43,6 +44,9 @@ func TestLLMPhrasingBaseline(t *testing.T) {
 	// Generous: an unconstrained 0.8B can spend a minute thinking before it
 	// writes a word, and a timeout would be scored as a model failure.
 	cfg.Timeout = 5 * time.Minute
+	// The same shared context block the daemon prepends (internal/persona),
+	// with an empty config — that is the deployment we actually ship.
+	cfg.ContextBlock = func() string { return persona.Facts{}.Block(time.Now()) }
 	p := phraser.NewLLMPhraserAt(base, cfg)
 	defer p.Close()
 

internal/phraser/llmphraser.go

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/delivery"
 	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/dialogue"
 	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/loop"
+	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/persona"
 	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/router"
 )
 
@@ -39,7 +40,11 @@ type Config struct {
 	NGpuLayers int
 	NCtx       int
 	Timeout    time.Duration
-	Persona    string // optional prompt prefix tuning maven's character
+
+	// ContextBlock renders the shared context block (who he is, how to
+	// address him, the time) fresh for each turn. See internal/persona.
+	// nil ⇒ no block, the prompts stand alone.
+	ContextBlock func() string
 }
 
 func DefaultConfig(modelPath string) Config {
@@ -202,7 +207,7 @@ func (p *LLMPhraser) PhraseQuery(ctx context.Context, utterance string, notes []
 	if len(notes) == 0 {
 		// General knowledge — no notes to ground the answer. The system
 		// prompt is the single tested source in router.KnowledgePrompt.
-		sys := router.KnowledgePrompt()
+		sys := persona.Prepend(p.cfg.ContextBlock, router.KnowledgePrompt())
 		prompt := fmt.Sprintf("Пользователь спрашивает: \"%s\".", utterance)
 		resp, err := p.chatWithSystem(ctx, sys, prompt, 256)
 		if err != nil || resp == "" {
@@ -238,7 +243,7 @@ func (p *LLMPhraser) PhraseQuery(ctx context.Context, utterance string, notes []
 // message array from dialogue history + the current user utterance. Falls back
 // to a simple greeting on any LLM error — better to say something than nothing.
 func (p *LLMPhraser) PhraseChat(ctx context.Context, utterance string, history []dialogue.Turn) (string, error) {
-	sys := chatSystemPrompt(p.cfg.Persona)
+	sys := chatSystemPrompt(p.cfg.ContextBlock)
 	msgs := []chatMsg{
 		{Role: "system", Content: sys},
 	}
@@ -267,17 +272,14 @@ func (p *LLMPhraser) PhraseChat(ctx context.Context, utterance string, history [
 }
 
 // chatSystemPrompt returns the system prompt for conversational chat.
-// Prepends the configured persona when set.
-func chatSystemPrompt(persona string) string {
+// Prepends the shared context block when the phraser has one.
+func chatSystemPrompt(block func() string) string {
 	base := `You are maven, a self-hosted personal assistant. You're talking with your owner. 
 Keep replies brief (1-3 sentences) and natural. You're helpful, curious, and a little warm.
 Respond in the user's language (Russian or English, matching their last message). 
 Never roleplay emotions you don't have, but stay friendly. 
 Respond ONLY with valid JSON: {"response": "...", "mood": "neutral"}. "response" is your reply text; "mood" reflects your tone (neutral/happy/thinking/tired/confused).`
-	if persona != "" {
-		base = persona + "\n\n" + base
-	}
-	return base
+	return persona.Prepend(block, base)
 }
 
 // chatWithMessages sends a full message array (system + history + current) to
@@ -459,21 +461,14 @@ const nudgeSystem = `Ты — Maven, домашняя ассистентка. О
 Это примеры ФОРМЫ, а не темы. Пиши только про ту ситуацию, которую тебе дали в запросе. Не копируй примеры и никогда не пиши "..." в поле response.`
 
 func (p *LLMPhraser) systemPrompt() string {
-	base := nudgeSystem
-	if p.cfg.Persona != "" {
-		base = p.cfg.Persona + "\n\n" + base
-	}
-	return base
+	return persona.Prepend(p.cfg.ContextBlock, nudgeSystem)
 }
 
 // querySystemPrompt returns the system prompt for PhraseQuery (notes + general
 // knowledge). Prepends the configured persona when set.
 func (p *LLMPhraser) querySystemPrompt() string {
 	base := "You are maven, a self-hosted personal assistant answering from your notes. Answer briefly and naturally in Russian starting with \"вот что я нашла: \". Respond ONLY with valid JSON: {\"response\": \"...\", \"mood\": \"neutral\"}."
-	if p.cfg.Persona != "" {
-		base = p.cfg.Persona + "\n\n" + base
-	}
-	return base
+	return persona.Prepend(p.cfg.ContextBlock, base)
 }
 
 // ruleTopics — Russian gloss for each built-in rule name. The rule names are