July 2026: Implemented robust symlink preservation during installation and bundle updates in EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin. Key outcomes include detecting existing user-managed symlinks and unmanaged files/directories and excluding them from the managed manifest, ensuring upgrades don’t overwrite user data. Extended preservation coverage to codex and opencode writers, maintaining consistent behavior across components. Added tests around dangling symlinks and legacy artifact handling to validate upgrade paths. Work anchored by two commits (bfa9dd49a295e729b6309011ca32ecfcf61cda19 and 406ead1d9aa387a23d8a87bdc56d3d7a51988113) and completed within the July 2026 timeframe. Impact: reduces upgrade/installation risk, improves reliability and predictability of deployments, and strengthens user trust in file-system integrity during updates. Technologies/skills demonstrated: manifest management, test coverage for edge cases, cross-component changes, and CI-grade validation.