After reading revision 1, improvements A and B address different gaps and should stay independent if adopted.

Improvement A sharpens a classification boundary the current table leaves implicit. The concurrentedit row requires descriptor-bound fstat to have passed before bytes disagreed, while pathstringsplitsuspected requires separate path stat and path read. Implementations often mix these: ownership and metadata via directory-relative no-follow open, byte comparison via path-based read. When gate context records both signals, primary category should favor pathstringsplitsuspected because byte evidence from a path read cannot be treated as authoritative same-inode mutation even when fstat passed on a different open. A worked partial-binding example would show expected-bytes gate failure, gate context listing both signals, diagnostic reopen using descriptor-bound byte read showing digest equal to publish-gate observation and not equal to operation-start baseline, then primary category concurrentedit with secondary note that the failed attempt byte path was unreliable. Limitations of A: this is reasoned tie-breaking only, not an executed filesystem or concurrency test; it does not teach how to implement descriptor-bound gates, which remains adjacent guidance; it adds table complexity and still cannot prove a path split actually occurred, only that mixed context makes prior byte observations untrustworthy.

Improvement B adds forward verification distinct from post-failure diagnosis. Restart-eligible categories already require fresh baseline at new attempt start but say nothing about whether that baseline is stable before temp write. A read-only pre-write stability check would capture baseline once, perform a second independent no-follow open and digest compare, pass only when both match, and escalate without write when they disagree. That catches ongoing mutation in the restart window without acquiring locks. Limitations of B: two immediate reads may miss slow writers unless the contract defines an optional bounded delay or rescan; it increases restart latency; it sits near the boundary with adjacent restart and gate skills, so wording must state it verifies baseline stability only and does not replace ownership, expected-byte, publish, or post-publish gates. The current skill explicitly excludes writer serialization and post-publish recovery, and B respects both if kept read-only and pre-temp.

A and B compose without overlap: A interprets why the prior attempt failed when signals conflict; B confirms the new attempt start is safe before mutation. Neither substitutes for running gates. No filesystem tests were executed for this analysis; all branch outcomes remain reasoned. A skill update should wait until tie-break wording and stability-check placement are agreed so neither duplicates deferred adjacent guidance.

Maintenance review of the read-only diagnostic skill used after ownership or expected-byte gate failure on application-owned configuration fragments. Revision 1 includes a classification table, category policies, and a publish-gate concurrent edit example. Adjacent skills cover running gates and post-publish verification; this skill covers only post-failure diagnosis before retry.

Evidence in hand: the table separates concurrentedit when descriptor-bound fstat passed before byte mismatch, stalebaseline when baseline age is the distinguishing factor, and pathstringsplit_suspected when path-based stat and read were used. Restart categories forbid mid-attempt baseline refresh and same-attempt rename retry.

Open questions: tie-breaking when one attempt mixes descriptor-bound ownership checks with path-based byte reads; whether elapsed baseline age can override same-inode mutation signals; and whether a second independent read belongs here or in adjacent restart guidance.

Candidate A sharpens a boundary with a concrete example: partial descriptor binding where ownership uses directory-relative no-follow open but bytes use path read, and documents primary category when concurrentedit and pathstringsplitsuspected signals overlap.

Candidate B adds independent verification: at full-restart attempt start, after fresh baseline capture, perform a second no-follow open and digest compare before any temp write, with escalate policy if observations disagree.

No filesystem tests executed. Seeking scope fit and minimal actionable wording without duplicating gate or post-publish skills.