Assigner: say why a node gets no want, in the journal and in its removed want (issue 1945)

A new assignment whose trunk build was not done fell through the rules
with nothing said: no want, no neither-list entry, no log line, and the
rule holding it back was computed and dropped. The pass now logs the rule
when a node's reason appears or changes and when it has a want again, one
line per change. A node whose want is removed and that does not run the
module gets the reason in that removed want's words, so assigner_want
answers why; a node with no key gets no removed want, since its node agent
would then remove the module and stop holding its resources back.

modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/pass.go

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -35,6 +36,9 @@ type passer struct {
 	neither map[string]neitherOne
 	// acts are the puts' acts (ADR 0546); nil: the puts are not taken further (no bus to call, or no puts bucket).
 	acts *putActs
+	// noWant is, by node and module, the reason last said why the node gets no want for the module (issue 1945): a reason is
+	// said in the journal when it appears or changes, and its clearing when the node has a want again; one line per change.
+	noWant map[string]string
 }
 
 func (p *passer) clock() time.Time {
@@ -148,6 +152,7 @@ func (p *passer) wants(ctx context.Context) {
 		}
 		out := assign.Wants(m, nodes, wanted[name], last)
 		gatherNeither(neither, name, out)
+		p.sayNoWant(name, m.Nodes, wanted[name], out)
 		if first {
 			startClears(stale, m, out)
 			if fp != "" && !m.Held && out.Held == nil && !out.Lifted {
@@ -186,6 +191,42 @@ func (p *passer) wants(ctx context.Context) {
 	}
 }
 
+// sayNoWant says in the journal why a node of module gets no want after this pass, from the rule the outcome names for it
+// (issue 1945: a new assignment whose trunk build was not done was held back with nothing said), once per reason, and says
+// when the node has a want again. A node with a live want, written before and kept or written in this pass, has one.
+func (p *passer) sayNoWant(module string, nodes []string, before map[string]delivery.Want, out assign.Outcome) {
+	if p.noWant == nil {
+		p.noWant = map[string]string{}
+	}
+	assigned := map[string]bool{}
+	for _, node := range nodes {
+		assigned[node] = true
+		key := node + "." + module
+		w, written := out.Wants[node]
+		if !written {
+			w, written = before[node]
+		}
+		reason := ""
+		if h, held := out.Rules[node]; held && (!written || w.Removed) {
+			reason = fmt.Sprintf("rule %d: %s", h.Rule, h.Words)
+		}
+		last, said := p.noWant[key]
+		switch {
+		case reason != "" && reason != last:
+			p.logf("%s on %s gets no want: %s", module, node, reason)
+			p.noWant[key] = reason
+		case reason == "" && said && written && !w.Removed:
+			p.logf("%s on %s has a want", module, node)
+			delete(p.noWant, key)
+		}
+	}
+	for key := range p.noWant {
+		if node, m, _ := strings.Cut(key, "."); m == module && !assigned[node] {
+			delete(p.noWant, key) // no longer assigned there: its removed want says so
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // neitherOne is a module assigned to a node that holds no want for it after a pass, and the rule holding its first want back.
 type neitherOne struct {
 	node, module string

modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/cmd/mesh-delivery-assigner/pass_test.go

@@ -380,6 +380,31 @@ func TestThePassGathersTheModulesOnNeitherList(t *testing.T) {
 	if len(got) != 1 || got["g14.screen-lock"].node != "g14" || got["g14.screen-lock"].module != "screen-lock" || got["g14.screen-lock"].holding.Rule != delivery.RuleGrant {
 		t.Errorf("gathered = %+v", got)
 	}
+	// 1945 (a first want held back silently): the journal says why a node gets no want when the reason appears or changes, and
+	// when it has a want again: one line per change, not per pass.
+	p := newPasser(buckets{}, time.Date(2026, 10, 25, 21, 30, 0, 0, time.UTC))
+	var logged []string
+	p.logf = func(f string, a ...any) { logged = append(logged, fmt.Sprintf(f, a...)) }
+	notDone := assign.Outcome{Rules: map[string]assign.Holding{"shanks": {Rule: delivery.RuleBuildDone, Words: "the build of rofi at 4e7b118e is not done"}}}
+	wanted := assign.Outcome{Wants: map[string]delivery.Want{"shanks": {FP: fpTest, Composed: "sha256:" + strings.Repeat("c", 64)}}}
+	for i, c := range []struct {
+		before map[string]delivery.Want
+		out    assign.Outcome
+		line   string // the line said in this pass, "" for none
+	}{
+		{nil, notDone, "rofi on shanks gets no want: rule 1: the build of rofi at 4e7b118e is not done"},
+		{nil, notDone, ""},
+		{map[string]delivery.Want{"shanks": {Removed: true}}, notDone, ""},
+		{nil, assign.Outcome{Rules: map[string]assign.Holding{"shanks": {Rule: delivery.RuleGrant, Words: "no credential"}}}, "rofi on shanks gets no want: rule 6: no credential"},
+		{nil, wanted, "rofi on shanks has a want"},
+		{map[string]delivery.Want{"shanks": wanted.Wants["shanks"]}, assign.Outcome{}, ""},
+	} {
+		logged = nil
+		p.sayNoWant("rofi", []string{"shanks"}, c.before, c.out)
+		if got := strings.Join(logged, "\n"); got != c.line {
+			t.Errorf("pass %d said %q, want %q", i, got, c.line)
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 // A neither or held condition a previous process raised is cleared by the first pass after a start: a fresh pass remembers

modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/internal/assign/wants.go

@@ -333,8 +333,18 @@ func Wants(m Module, n Nodes, wants map[string]delivery.Want, lastHealthy map[st
 				// the pass says so. A new assignment, with no have, waits for the rules and is on no list yet by design. A held module (rule 2,
 				// held before or by this pass) is on the held list instead, whose hold is said and answered on its own: it is never on neither
 				// list (issue 1945: systemd-resolved, held on shanks by the operator, was said as urgent every hour).
-				if h, there := n.Haves[node][m.Name]; there && h.Phase != delivery.PhaseRemoved && !held {
+				h, there := n.Haves[node][m.Name]
+				switch {
+				case there && h.Phase != delivery.PhaseRemoved && !held:
 					out.Neither[node] = Holding{Rule: rule, Words: words}
+				case had && (!there || h.Phase == delivery.PhaseRemoved):
+					// A removed want of a node that does not run the module says why no want follows it (issue 1945), so the view's
+					// assigner_want answers it; it stays removed. A node with no key gets none: a removed want written where none was
+					// would have its node agent remove the module and stop holding its composition's resources back.
+					next = delivery.Want{Removed: true, Words: NoWantWords(rule, words)}
+					if !delivery.SameWant(normal(before), normal(next)) {
+						out.Wants[node] = next
+					}
 				}
 				continue
 			}
@@ -370,6 +380,11 @@ func Wants(m Module, n Nodes, wants map[string]delivery.Want, lastHealthy map[st
 	return out
 }
 
+// NoWantWords say why a node gets no want for a module: the rule that holds its first want back and why (issue 1945).
+func NoWantWords(rule int, words string) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("no want: rule %d: %s", rule, words)
+}
+
 // failed says whether a have's health check failed once the node is done moving: phase running or failed (never removed, held, or
 // moving). A failed health while it
 // backs up, applies or checks is a step of the move, not its outcome (on novox at 15:27:36 on 2026-10-25, "health failed, phase

modules/mesh-delivery-assigner/internal/assign/wants_test.go

@@ -867,6 +867,33 @@ func TestANewAssignmentWaitingIsNotOnNeitherList(t *testing.T) {
 	if out := Wants(m, n, nil, nil); len(out.Neither) != 1 || out.Neither["g14"].Rule != delivery.RuleBuildDone {
 		t.Errorf("with no build: neither = %+v, want g14 alone (it runs the module), by rule 1", out.Neither)
 	}
+	// 1945 (the assigner holds a first want back silently): with no build, a node whose want was removed and that does not run
+	// the module has the reason written into its removed want, once; a node with no key gets no want written, and a node that
+	// runs the module is on neither list, its removed want left as it is.
+	gone := delivery.Want{Removed: true, Words: "screen-lock is no longer assigned to shanks"}
+	for _, c := range []struct {
+		name   string
+		before map[string]delivery.Want
+		want   map[string]delivery.Want
+	}{
+		{"no key: nothing written", nil, map[string]delivery.Want{}},
+		{"a removed want: it says why", map[string]delivery.Want{"shanks": gone},
+			map[string]delivery.Want{"shanks": {Removed: true, Words: "no want: rule 1: the build of screen-lock at " + short(m.FP) + " is not done"}}},
+		{"a removed want that says why already: nothing written", map[string]delivery.Want{"shanks": {Removed: true, Words: "no want: rule 1: the build of screen-lock at " + short(m.FP) + " is not done"}},
+			map[string]delivery.Want{}},
+		{"a node that runs it: on neither list, its removed want left", map[string]delivery.Want{"g14": gone}, map[string]delivery.Want{}},
+	} {
+		out := Wants(m, n, c.before, nil)
+		if len(out.Wants) != len(c.want) {
+			t.Errorf("%s: wants = %+v, want %+v", c.name, out.Wants, c.want)
+			continue
+		}
+		for node, w := range c.want {
+			if !delivery.SameWant(normal(out.Wants[node]), w) {
+				t.Errorf("%s: want of %s = %+v, want %+v", c.name, node, out.Wants[node], w)
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	m.FP = ""
 	if out := Wants(m, n, nil, nil); len(out.Neither) != 0 {
 		t.Errorf("a module of the node's own composition named on neither list: %+v", out.Neither)