diff --git a/goals/G-096-zig-buildsuite-piperepl.md b/goals/G-096-zig-buildsuite-piperepl.md
index 1434095a..030093f8 100644
--- a/goals/G-096-zig-buildsuite-piperepl.md
+++ b/goals/G-096-zig-buildsuite-piperepl.md
@@ -372,3 +372,32 @@ Remaining for acceptance:
       minisig downloaded -> signature verified -> versioned extract ->
       ZIG VERSION: 0.15.2.
 - Remaining for this goal: the final clean-checkout re-verification only.
+
+### 2026-07-20 increment: final clean-checkout re-verification PASS - all acceptance items met
+
+- Flow: fresh git clone of the repo (at 9496a898) -> the CLONE'S OWN
+  bin/punk-getzig.cmd (empty bin/tools; real 0.16.0 fetch via the mirror chain,
+  minisign-verified, versioned dir) -> suite.tcl build with a cold zig cache ->
+  'suite_tcl90: PASS - built 9.0.5 (checkout 1a9c3b9d96, zig 0.16.0)' with
+  recipe-generated tclUuid.h + tclsh.exe.manifest (TCL_WIN_VERSION 9.0.2.905),
+  static + zip + pr + przip shells produced, zip shell smoked (9.0.5, tz set),
+  tk/tklib/tcllib/tcllibc legs all completed in the clone.
+- CAVEAT recorded: the first attempt (clone under the deep agent-scratchpad path)
+  failed at checkout with windows MAX_PATH 'Filename too long' on the modpod
+  template trees - a clean checkout of this repo on windows needs a SHALLOW base
+  path and/or git core.longpaths=true (same MAX_PATH class as the known
+  project.new-outdir trap). Verified from C:/Users/<u>/AppData/Local/Temp/pkverify
+  with -c core.longpaths=true.
+- Cold-build log oddity diagnosed as BENIGN and then removed at source: zig 0.16's
+  build_runner prints a 'failed command:' block for any step whose result_stderr is
+  nonempty EVEN ON SUCCESS (build_runner.zig prints error/warning messages when
+  result_stderr.len > 0 regardless of result). Our zipfs_mkzip/zipfs_mkimg call
+  echoes and wrapfiletofile's octet count went to stderr, so uncached (cold) runs
+  showed four alarming-but-successful 'failed command' blocks (warm runs fewer -
+  cached steps don't re-run). The informational prints now go to stdout (or are
+  removed); a rebuild shows zero 'failed command' occurrences with PASS.
+- With this, every Acceptance item is met: clean-checkout + punk-getzig-pinned-zig
+  build (this increment), recovered+rebased patch set with the G-103 gate policy
+  and behaviour matrix (earlier increments), both-VCS tracking + samplesuite1/
+  vendorbuild reconciliation, bin/AGENTS.md naming policy + punk-getzig rename
+  (original increments). Ready for the achieved flip on user confirmation.
diff --git a/src/buildsuites/suite_tcl90/tools/wrapfiletofile.zig b/src/buildsuites/suite_tcl90/tools/wrapfiletofile.zig
index 525ee9c6..15211f90 100644
--- a/src/buildsuites/suite_tcl90/tools/wrapfiletofile.zig
+++ b/src/buildsuites/suite_tcl90/tools/wrapfiletofile.zig
@@ -70,7 +70,9 @@ pub fn main(init: std.process.Init.Minimal) !void {
         fatal("Unable to read '{s}': {s}", .{ input_file_path, @errorName(err) });
     };
     defer arena.free(input_data);
-    std.debug.print("inputfile - Read {d} octets.\n", .{input_data.len});
+    //no informational print here: std.debug.print writes to stderr, and zig 0.16's
+    //build_runner reports any step with nonempty stderr under a misleading
+    //"failed command:" block even on success. Quiet on success, loud on error.
 
     var output_file = std.Io.Dir.cwd().createFile(io, output_file_path, .{}) catch |err| {
         fatal("Unable to open '{s}': {s}", .{ output_file_path, @errorName(err) });
diff --git a/src/buildsuites/suite_tcl90/tools/zipfs_mkimg.tcl b/src/buildsuites/suite_tcl90/tools/zipfs_mkimg.tcl
index 0457af2c..f4076cd0 100644
--- a/src/buildsuites/suite_tcl90/tools/zipfs_mkimg.tcl
+++ b/src/buildsuites/suite_tcl90/tools/zipfs_mkimg.tcl
@@ -1,55 +1,58 @@
-#JMN 2024
-#A simple wrapper to call the 'zipfs mkimg' (tcl::zipfs::mkimg) command via commandline arguments.
-#(avoiding piping commands to tclsh via stdin to make calling simpler, and to provide more specific error messages)
-#
-set script_title "[file tail [info nameofexecutable]] [file tail [info script]]"
-set usage "$script_title -outfile <target_zipfile_path> -indir <folder_to_zip> ?-strip <path_prefix_to_strip>? ?-password <plaintext>? ?-infile <explicit_prepend_file>?"
-set arglist $::argv
-puts stderr "====> '$arglist'"
-#error 42
-if {![llength $arglist]} {
-    puts stderr $usage
-    exit 1
-}
-if {[llength $arglist] %2 != 0} {
-    puts stderr "$script_title error: expected an even number of option value pairs. Got [llength $arglist] commandline arguments. '$arglist'"
-    puts stderr $usage
-    exit 2
-}
-set known_opts [list -outfile -indir -strip -password -infile]
-dict for {k v} $arglist {
-    switch -exact -- $k {
-        -outfile - -indir - -strip - -password - -infile {}
-        default {
-            puts stderr "$script_title error: unrecognised option $k. Known_options $known_opts"
-            exit 3
-        }
-    }
-}
-set defaults [dict create\
-    -strip ""\
-    -password ""\
-]
-
-set opts [dict merge $defaults $arglist] 
-if {![dict exists $opts -outfile]} {
-    puts stderr "$script_title error: Missing -outfile <zipfilename>"
-    exit 4
-}
-if {![dict exists $opts -indir]} {
-    puts stderr "$script_title error: Missing -indir <folder>"
-    exit 5
-}
-set callargs [list [file normalize [dict get $opts -outfile]] [file normalize [dict get $opts -indir]] [file normalize [dict get $opts -strip]] [dict get $opts -password]]
-if {[dict exists $opts -infile]} {
-    lappend callargs [file normalize [dict get $opts -infile]]
-}
-puts stderr "$script_title  call 'tcl::zipfs::mkimg $callargs'"
-
-if {[catch {
-    tcl::zipfs::mkimg {*}$callargs
-    } errM]} {
-    puts stderr "$script_title error: Failure during call 'tcl::zipfs::mkimg $callargs'\n $errM"
-    exit 6
-}
+#JMN 2024
+#A simple wrapper to call the 'zipfs mkimg' (tcl::zipfs::mkimg) command via commandline arguments.
+#(avoiding piping commands to tclsh via stdin to make calling simpler, and to provide more specific error messages)
+#
+set script_title "[file tail [info nameofexecutable]] [file tail [info script]]"
+set usage "$script_title -outfile <target_zipfile_path> -indir <folder_to_zip> ?-strip <path_prefix_to_strip>? ?-password <plaintext>? ?-infile <explicit_prepend_file>?"
+set arglist $::argv
+#informational arglist echo goes to stdout if wanted - stderr output makes zig build
+#report the (successful) step with a misleading "failed command:" block (0.16
+#build_runner prints that whenever result_stderr is nonempty, success or not)
+puts stdout "====> '$arglist'"
+#error 42
+if {![llength $arglist]} {
+    puts stderr $usage
+    exit 1
+}
+if {[llength $arglist] %2 != 0} {
+    puts stderr "$script_title error: expected an even number of option value pairs. Got [llength $arglist] commandline arguments. '$arglist'"
+    puts stderr $usage
+    exit 2
+}
+set known_opts [list -outfile -indir -strip -password -infile]
+dict for {k v} $arglist {
+    switch -exact -- $k {
+        -outfile - -indir - -strip - -password - -infile {}
+        default {
+            puts stderr "$script_title error: unrecognised option $k. Known_options $known_opts"
+            exit 3
+        }
+    }
+}
+set defaults [dict create\
+    -strip ""\
+    -password ""\
+]
+
+set opts [dict merge $defaults $arglist] 
+if {![dict exists $opts -outfile]} {
+    puts stderr "$script_title error: Missing -outfile <zipfilename>"
+    exit 4
+}
+if {![dict exists $opts -indir]} {
+    puts stderr "$script_title error: Missing -indir <folder>"
+    exit 5
+}
+set callargs [list [file normalize [dict get $opts -outfile]] [file normalize [dict get $opts -indir]] [file normalize [dict get $opts -strip]] [dict get $opts -password]]
+if {[dict exists $opts -infile]} {
+    lappend callargs [file normalize [dict get $opts -infile]]
+}
+puts stdout "$script_title  call 'tcl::zipfs::mkimg $callargs'" ;#stdout: stderr makes zig report the successful step as 'failed command'
+
+if {[catch {
+    tcl::zipfs::mkimg {*}$callargs
+    } errM]} {
+    puts stderr "$script_title error: Failure during call 'tcl::zipfs::mkimg $callargs'\n $errM"
+    exit 6
+}
 exit 0
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/buildsuites/suite_tcl90/tools/zipfs_mkzip.tcl b/src/buildsuites/suite_tcl90/tools/zipfs_mkzip.tcl
index 88733066..2591f59e 100644
--- a/src/buildsuites/suite_tcl90/tools/zipfs_mkzip.tcl
+++ b/src/buildsuites/suite_tcl90/tools/zipfs_mkzip.tcl
@@ -1,65 +1,65 @@
-#JMN 2024
-#A simple wrapper to call the 'zipfs mkzip' (tcl::zipfs::mkzip) command via commandline arguments.
-#(avoiding piping commands to tclsh via stdin to make calling simpler, and to provide more specific error messages)
-#
-set script_title "[file tail [info nameofexecutable]] [file tail [info script]]"
-set usage "$script_title -outfile <target_zipfile_path> -indir <folder_to_zip> ?-strip <path_prefix_to_strip>? ?-password <plaintext>?"
-set arglist $::argv
-#puts stderr "====> '$arglist'"
-#error 42
-if {![llength $arglist]} {
-    puts stderr $usage
-    exit 1
-}
-if {[llength $arglist] %2 != 0} {
-    puts stderr "$script_title error: expected an even number of option value pairs. Got [llength $arglist] commandline arguments. '$arglist'"
-    puts stderr $usage
-    exit 2
-}
-set known_opts [list -outfile -indir -strip -password]
-dict for {k v} $arglist {
-    switch -exact -- $k {
-        -outfile - -indir - -strip - -password {}
-        default {
-            puts stderr "$script_title error: unrecognised option $k. Known_options $known_opts"
-            exit 3
-        }
-    }
-}
-set defaults [dict create\
-]
-
-set opts [dict merge $defaults $arglist] 
-if {![dict exists $opts -outfile]} {
-    puts stderr "$script_title error: Missing -outfile <zipfilename>"
-    exit 4
-}
-if {![dict exists $opts -indir]} {
-    puts stderr "$script_title error: Missing -indir <folder>"
-    exit 5
-}
-set callargs [list [file normalize [dict get $opts -outfile]] [file normalize [dict get $opts -indir]]]
-if {[dict exists $opts -strip]} {
-    set opt_strip [dict get $opts -strip]
-    #avoid extraneous underscore(empty path segment?) in zip archive on windows.
-    #review - test if trailing slash needed on other platforms
-    #if {"windows" eq "$::tcl_platform(platform)" && $opt_strip ne "" && [lindex $opt_strip end] ne "\\"} {
-    #    append opt_strip \\
-    #}
-    lappend callargs [file normalize $opt_strip]
-}
-if {[dict exists $opts -password]} {
-    if {![dict exists $opts -strip]} {
-        lappend callargs ""
-    }
-    lappend callargs [dict get $opts -password]
-}
-puts stderr "$script_title  call 'tcl::zipfs::mkzip $callargs'"
-
-if {[catch {
-    tcl::zipfs::mkzip {*}$callargs
-    } errM]} {
-    puts stderr "$script_title error: Failure during call 'tcl::zipfs::mkzip $callargs'\n $errM"
-    exit 6
-}
+#JMN 2024
+#A simple wrapper to call the 'zipfs mkzip' (tcl::zipfs::mkzip) command via commandline arguments.
+#(avoiding piping commands to tclsh via stdin to make calling simpler, and to provide more specific error messages)
+#
+set script_title "[file tail [info nameofexecutable]] [file tail [info script]]"
+set usage "$script_title -outfile <target_zipfile_path> -indir <folder_to_zip> ?-strip <path_prefix_to_strip>? ?-password <plaintext>?"
+set arglist $::argv
+#puts stderr "====> '$arglist'"
+#error 42
+if {![llength $arglist]} {
+    puts stderr $usage
+    exit 1
+}
+if {[llength $arglist] %2 != 0} {
+    puts stderr "$script_title error: expected an even number of option value pairs. Got [llength $arglist] commandline arguments. '$arglist'"
+    puts stderr $usage
+    exit 2
+}
+set known_opts [list -outfile -indir -strip -password]
+dict for {k v} $arglist {
+    switch -exact -- $k {
+        -outfile - -indir - -strip - -password {}
+        default {
+            puts stderr "$script_title error: unrecognised option $k. Known_options $known_opts"
+            exit 3
+        }
+    }
+}
+set defaults [dict create\
+]
+
+set opts [dict merge $defaults $arglist] 
+if {![dict exists $opts -outfile]} {
+    puts stderr "$script_title error: Missing -outfile <zipfilename>"
+    exit 4
+}
+if {![dict exists $opts -indir]} {
+    puts stderr "$script_title error: Missing -indir <folder>"
+    exit 5
+}
+set callargs [list [file normalize [dict get $opts -outfile]] [file normalize [dict get $opts -indir]]]
+if {[dict exists $opts -strip]} {
+    set opt_strip [dict get $opts -strip]
+    #avoid extraneous underscore(empty path segment?) in zip archive on windows.
+    #review - test if trailing slash needed on other platforms
+    #if {"windows" eq "$::tcl_platform(platform)" && $opt_strip ne "" && [lindex $opt_strip end] ne "\\"} {
+    #    append opt_strip \\
+    #}
+    lappend callargs [file normalize $opt_strip]
+}
+if {[dict exists $opts -password]} {
+    if {![dict exists $opts -strip]} {
+        lappend callargs ""
+    }
+    lappend callargs [dict get $opts -password]
+}
+puts stdout "$script_title  call 'tcl::zipfs::mkzip $callargs'" ;#stdout: stderr makes zig report the successful step as 'failed command'
+
+if {[catch {
+    tcl::zipfs::mkzip {*}$callargs
+    } errM]} {
+    puts stderr "$script_title error: Failure during call 'tcl::zipfs::mkzip $callargs'\n $errM"
+    exit 6
+}
 exit 0
\ No newline at end of file