Read the newest steps first: sort the node's keys by id (start order) before the cut, and say older steps were not read

The review found a cut read took an arbitrary 1000 keys, so the newest steps could be missing. A step id is
base-36 milliseconds plus random digits, so its string order is its start order; the newest max(limit*4, 100)
keys are read now, 1000 at most. The toolchains read logs when it drops keys past its cap.

modules/mesh-build-go/cmd/mesh-build-go/read.go

@@ -131,8 +131,9 @@ type StepLine struct {
 }
 
 // RecentSteps are this node's steps, the latest started first, at most limit (ten when limit is not above zero). Only
-// the node's own keys (<node>.) are read, at most MaxStateReads of them; cut says more were stored than were read, so
+// the node's own keys (<node>.) are listed and the newest max(limit*4, 100) of them read (at most MaxStateReads): a step's
-// the newest may be missing. A step's id says nothing of when it started, so the values are what orders them.
+// id is base-36 milliseconds and random digits, so its string order is its start order. cut says older steps were not
+// read. The values still order the lines, since an ask step's id carries the ask time.
 func (m *Module) RecentSteps(limit int) (lines []StepLine, cut bool, err error) {
 	if limit <= 0 {
 		limit = 10
@@ -153,8 +154,9 @@ func (m *Module) RecentSteps(limit int) (lines []StepLine, cut bool, err error)
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	if len(own) > MaxStateReads {
+	sort.Sort(sort.Reverse(sort.StringSlice(own)))
-		own, cut = own[:MaxStateReads], true
+	if n := min(max(limit*4, 100), MaxStateReads); len(own) > n {
+		own, cut = own[:n], true
 	}
 	raws, err := readValues(own, m.ReadSteps.Get)
 	log.Printf("steps read: %d of %d keys listed read in %v (cut %v)", len(own), len(keys), time.Since(start).Round(time.Millisecond), cut)
@@ -197,11 +199,12 @@ func (m *Module) ReadToolchains() (map[string]delivery.Toolchain, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	if len(keys) > MaxStateReads {
+	cut := len(keys) > MaxStateReads
+	if cut {
 		keys = keys[:MaxStateReads] // a node has a key per language: far fewer in practice
 	}
 	raws, err := readValues(keys, m.ReadToolchainsState.Get)
-	log.Printf("toolchains read: %d keys read in %v", len(keys), time.Since(start).Round(time.Millisecond))
+	log.Printf("toolchains read: %d keys read in %v (cut %v: keys past %d were not read)", len(keys), time.Since(start).Round(time.Millisecond), cut, MaxStateReads)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -242,7 +245,7 @@ func (m *Module) ReadTools() []stdio.Tool {
 				ans := map[string]any{"node": m.Node, "steps": steps}
 				if cut {
 					ans["cut"] = true
-					ans["note"] = fmt.Sprintf("this node has more than %d steps stored; %d were read, so the newest may be missing", MaxStateReads, MaxStateReads)
+					ans["note"] = fmt.Sprintf("this node has more steps stored than one call reads; older steps were not read (ask for a larger limit, at most %d reads)", MaxStateReads)
 				}
 				return ans, err
 			}},

modules/mesh-build-go/cmd/mesh-build-go/read_test.go

@@ -153,14 +153,14 @@ func TestReadToolsAreInTheManifestAndNeedNoToolchain(t *testing.T) {
 func TestRecentStepsReadsOnlyTheNodesKeysInParallelAndBounded(t *testing.T) {
 	t0 := time.Date(2026, 10, 25, 9, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
 	for _, row := range []struct {
-		perNode int
+		perNode, limit int
-		reads   int64
+		reads          int64
-		steps   int
+		steps          int
-		cut     bool
+		cut            bool
 	}{
-		{20, 20, 10, false},
+		{20, 0, 20, 10, false},
-		{600, 600, 10, false},
+		{600, 0, 100, 10, true},
-		{1500, MaxStateReads, 10, true},
+		{1500, 300, MaxStateReads, 300, true},
 	} {
 		var reads, inFlight, maxFlight atomic.Int64
 		stored := map[string][]byte{}
@@ -193,10 +193,13 @@ func TestRecentStepsReadsOnlyTheNodesKeysInParallelAndBounded(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		}
 		start := time.Now()
-		lines, cut, err := m.RecentSteps(0)
+		lines, cut, err := m.RecentSteps(row.limit)
 		if err != nil || len(lines) != row.steps || cut != row.cut || reads.Load() != row.reads {
 			t.Errorf("%d a node: %d steps, cut %v, %d reads, err %v; want %d, %v, %d", row.perNode, len(lines), cut, reads.Load(), err, row.steps, row.cut, row.reads)
 		}
+		if row.cut && len(lines) > 0 && lines[0].ID != fmt.Sprintf("s%04d", row.perNode-1) {
+			t.Errorf("%d a node: newest answered %s", row.perNode, lines[0].ID)
+		}
 		if maxFlight.Load() < 2 {
 			t.Errorf("%d a node: values read one at a time", row.perNode)
 		}

modules/mesh-build-image/cmd/mesh-build-image/read.go

@@ -130,8 +130,9 @@ type StepLine struct {
 }
 
 // RecentSteps are this node's steps, the latest started first, at most limit (ten when limit is not above zero). Only
-// the node's own keys (<node>.) are read, at most MaxStateReads of them; cut says more were stored than were read, so
+// the node's own keys (<node>.) are listed and the newest max(limit*4, 100) of them read (at most MaxStateReads): a step's
-// the newest may be missing. A step's id says nothing of when it started, so the values are what orders them.
+// id is base-36 milliseconds and random digits, so its string order is its start order. cut says older steps were not
+// read. The values still order the lines, since an ask step's id carries the ask time.
 func (m *Module) RecentSteps(limit int) (lines []StepLine, cut bool, err error) {
 	if limit <= 0 {
 		limit = 10
@@ -152,8 +153,9 @@ func (m *Module) RecentSteps(limit int) (lines []StepLine, cut bool, err error)
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	if len(own) > MaxStateReads {
+	sort.Sort(sort.Reverse(sort.StringSlice(own)))
-		own, cut = own[:MaxStateReads], true
+	if n := min(max(limit*4, 100), MaxStateReads); len(own) > n {
+		own, cut = own[:n], true
 	}
 	raws, err := readValues(own, m.ReadSteps.Get)
 	log.Printf("steps read: %d of %d keys listed read in %v (cut %v)", len(own), len(keys), time.Since(start).Round(time.Millisecond), cut)
@@ -209,7 +211,7 @@ func (m *Module) ReadTools() []stdio.Tool {
 				ans := map[string]any{"node": m.Node, "steps": steps}
 				if cut {
 					ans["cut"] = true
-					ans["note"] = fmt.Sprintf("this node has more than %d steps stored; %d were read, so the newest may be missing", MaxStateReads, MaxStateReads)
+					ans["note"] = fmt.Sprintf("this node has more steps stored than one call reads; older steps were not read (ask for a larger limit, at most %d reads)", MaxStateReads)
 				}
 				return ans, err
 			}},

modules/mesh-build-image/cmd/mesh-build-image/read_test.go

@@ -54,14 +54,14 @@ func TestTheReadToolsAnswerAStepsResult(t *testing.T) {
 func TestRecentStepsReadsOnlyTheNodesKeysInParallelAndBounded(t *testing.T) {
 	t0 := time.Date(2026, 10, 25, 9, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
 	for _, row := range []struct {
-		perNode int
+		perNode, limit int
-		reads   int64
+		reads          int64
-		steps   int
+		steps          int
-		cut     bool
+		cut            bool
 	}{
-		{20, 20, 10, false},
+		{20, 0, 20, 10, false},
-		{600, 600, 10, false},
+		{600, 0, 100, 10, true},
-		{1500, MaxStateReads, 10, true},
+		{1500, 300, MaxStateReads, 300, true},
 	} {
 		var reads, inFlight, maxFlight atomic.Int64
 		stored := map[string][]byte{}
@@ -94,10 +94,13 @@ func TestRecentStepsReadsOnlyTheNodesKeysInParallelAndBounded(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		}
 		start := time.Now()
-		lines, cut, err := m.RecentSteps(0)
+		lines, cut, err := m.RecentSteps(row.limit)
 		if err != nil || len(lines) != row.steps || cut != row.cut || reads.Load() != row.reads {
 			t.Errorf("%d a node: %d steps, cut %v, %d reads, err %v; want %d, %v, %d", row.perNode, len(lines), cut, reads.Load(), err, row.steps, row.cut, row.reads)
 		}
+		if row.cut && len(lines) > 0 && lines[0].ID != fmt.Sprintf("s%04d", row.perNode-1) {
+			t.Errorf("%d a node: newest answered %s", row.perNode, lines[0].ID)
+		}
 		if maxFlight.Load() < 2 {
 			t.Errorf("%d a node: values read one at a time", row.perNode)
 		}

modules/mesh-build-node/cmd/mesh-build-node/read.go

@@ -131,8 +131,9 @@ type StepLine struct {
 }
 
 // RecentSteps are this node's steps, the latest started first, at most limit (ten when limit is not above zero). Only
-// the node's own keys (<node>.) are read, at most MaxStateReads of them; cut says more were stored than were read, so
+// the node's own keys (<node>.) are listed and the newest max(limit*4, 100) of them read (at most MaxStateReads): a step's
-// the newest may be missing. A step's id says nothing of when it started, so the values are what orders them.
+// id is base-36 milliseconds and random digits, so its string order is its start order. cut says older steps were not
+// read. The values still order the lines, since an ask step's id carries the ask time.
 func (m *Module) RecentSteps(limit int) (lines []StepLine, cut bool, err error) {
 	if limit <= 0 {
 		limit = 10
@@ -153,8 +154,9 @@ func (m *Module) RecentSteps(limit int) (lines []StepLine, cut bool, err error)
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	if len(own) > MaxStateReads {
+	sort.Sort(sort.Reverse(sort.StringSlice(own)))
-		own, cut = own[:MaxStateReads], true
+	if n := min(max(limit*4, 100), MaxStateReads); len(own) > n {
+		own, cut = own[:n], true
 	}
 	raws, err := readValues(own, m.ReadSteps.Get)
 	log.Printf("steps read: %d of %d keys listed read in %v (cut %v)", len(own), len(keys), time.Since(start).Round(time.Millisecond), cut)
@@ -197,11 +199,12 @@ func (m *Module) ReadToolchains() (map[string]delivery.Toolchain, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	if len(keys) > MaxStateReads {
+	cut := len(keys) > MaxStateReads
+	if cut {
 		keys = keys[:MaxStateReads] // a node has a key per language: far fewer in practice
 	}
 	raws, err := readValues(keys, m.ReadToolchainsState.Get)
-	log.Printf("toolchains read: %d keys read in %v", len(keys), time.Since(start).Round(time.Millisecond))
+	log.Printf("toolchains read: %d keys read in %v (cut %v: keys past %d were not read)", len(keys), time.Since(start).Round(time.Millisecond), cut, MaxStateReads)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -242,7 +245,7 @@ func (m *Module) ReadTools() []stdio.Tool {
 				ans := map[string]any{"node": m.Node, "steps": steps}
 				if cut {
 					ans["cut"] = true
-					ans["note"] = fmt.Sprintf("this node has more than %d steps stored; %d were read, so the newest may be missing", MaxStateReads, MaxStateReads)
+					ans["note"] = fmt.Sprintf("this node has more steps stored than one call reads; older steps were not read (ask for a larger limit, at most %d reads)", MaxStateReads)
 				}
 				return ans, err
 			}},

modules/mesh-build-node/cmd/mesh-build-node/read_test.go

@@ -153,14 +153,14 @@ func TestReadToolsAreInTheManifestAndNeedNoToolchain(t *testing.T) {
 func TestRecentStepsReadsOnlyTheNodesKeysInParallelAndBounded(t *testing.T) {
 	t0 := time.Date(2026, 10, 25, 9, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
 	for _, row := range []struct {
-		perNode int
+		perNode, limit int
-		reads   int64
+		reads          int64
-		steps   int
+		steps          int
-		cut     bool
+		cut            bool
 	}{
-		{20, 20, 10, false},
+		{20, 0, 20, 10, false},
-		{600, 600, 10, false},
+		{600, 0, 100, 10, true},
-		{1500, MaxStateReads, 10, true},
+		{1500, 300, MaxStateReads, 300, true},
 	} {
 		var reads, inFlight, maxFlight atomic.Int64
 		stored := map[string][]byte{}
@@ -193,10 +193,13 @@ func TestRecentStepsReadsOnlyTheNodesKeysInParallelAndBounded(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		}
 		start := time.Now()
-		lines, cut, err := m.RecentSteps(0)
+		lines, cut, err := m.RecentSteps(row.limit)
 		if err != nil || len(lines) != row.steps || cut != row.cut || reads.Load() != row.reads {
 			t.Errorf("%d a node: %d steps, cut %v, %d reads, err %v; want %d, %v, %d", row.perNode, len(lines), cut, reads.Load(), err, row.steps, row.cut, row.reads)
 		}
+		if row.cut && len(lines) > 0 && lines[0].ID != fmt.Sprintf("s%04d", row.perNode-1) {
+			t.Errorf("%d a node: newest answered %s", row.perNode, lines[0].ID)
+		}
 		if maxFlight.Load() < 2 {
 			t.Errorf("%d a node: values read one at a time", row.perNode)
 		}