fix(evals): name the ARTIFACTS_DIR path + seed remediation when persona.vN.md is missing

[4gjnbzb4zf-sudo]

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"issue": {
"type": "usage_friction",
"severity": "low",
"title": "evolve.find_latest_persona / evolve_persona.find_latest_persona raise bare FileNotFoundError without naming the directory or remediation",
"actual_behavior": "evals/evolve.py:80 and evals/evolve_persona.py:118 both raise FileNotFoundError('No persona.vN.md artifacts found.') when ARTIFACTS_DIR.glob('persona.v*.md') returns empty. The message omits the directory the function was looking in and offers no next step. Operators running evolve against a fresh clone, a test runner without artifacts seeded, or after relocating ARTIFACTS_DIR get a bare exception that does not even name the directory it checked.",
"expected_behavior": "The same FileNotFoundError fires under the same condition, but the message interpolates ARTIFACTS_DIR and names the two remediation surfaces (seed persona.v1.md in that directory, or override the location via ARTIFACTS_DIR env). Same exception type preserved; the success path (artifacts present) is unchanged.",
"repro_steps": [
"gh pr checkout ",
"Make sure ARTIFACTS_DIR is empty (no persona.vN.md files).",
"python3 evals/evolve.py -> BEFORE: 'No persona.vN.md artifacts found.' / AFTER: same exception type with '

. Seed persona.v1.md in that directory before running evolve, or override the location via ARTIFACTS_DIR...'",
"python3 evals/evolve_persona.py -> same change applied symmetrically."
],
"affected_workflow": "Operators on first run / fresh clone / test runner / relocated artifacts hit this. The new message tells them which directory was checked and the two surfaces (seed file or env override) that can resolve it without leaving the shell."
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"evidence": {
"safe_links_only": true,
"before_after_proof": "Two-file change: evals/evolve.py + evals/evolve_persona.py. Same shape in both: the FileNotFoundError raise expanded from a bare string to an f-string that interpolates ARTIFACTS_DIR and names the two remediation surfaces. Pure-success path (artifacts present) unchanged. Exception type preserved (FileNotFoundError).",
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"https://github.com//pull/299"
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"pdf",
"zip",
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"shortened links",
"archives",
"binaries",
"tokens",
"browser cookies",
"wallet material",
"raw logs",
"raw conversations",
"raw memory",
"raw patches",
"private repo maps",
"private scoring details"
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},
"proposed_fix": {
"approach": "Replace the bare FileNotFoundError message with an f-string interpolating ARTIFACTS_DIR + a one-line remediation: 'Seed persona.v1.md in that directory before running evolve_persona, or override the location via ARTIFACTS_DIR before launching.' Apply symmetrically to evolve.py (line 80) and evolve_persona.py (line 118).",
"files_expected": [
"evals/evolve.py",
"evals/evolve_persona.py"
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"tests_or_smoke": "python3 -m py_compile evals/evolve.py evals/evolve_persona.py -> clean. Manual: run with empty ARTIFACTS_DIR; observe the new message names the directory + the two remediation surfaces."
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"branch": "sentinel/ux-friction/evolve-missing-artifact-path",
"title_prefix": "[spark-compete]",
"author_github": "4gjnbzb4zf-sudo",
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"url": "#299"
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"duplicate_notes": "Pre-flight check returned no open PR touching find_latest_persona's FileNotFoundError raise in either evolve.py or evolve_persona.py. Other open PRs on these files (#230, #154, #130, #112) target different defects (timeout/regex/etc).",
"risk_notes": "Local scope: two message-text edits in two files. Same exception type preserved. Success path byte-identical. No new package, no behavior change on the success branch.",
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[4gjnbzb4zf-sudo]

TL;DR

evals/evolve.py and evals/evolve_persona.py both raise FileNotFoundError("No persona.vN.md artifacts found.") with no path and no operator next-step. Operators running evolve against a fresh checkout, a CI box without artifacts seeded, or after relocating ARTIFACTS_DIR get a bare exception that doesn't even name the directory it was looking in.

What I noticed

First-run evolve against a clean clone — exception said "No persona.vN.md artifacts found" and I had no idea whether the script looks in .spark_evals/, evals/artifacts/, or somewhere overridable. Had to grep the source to confirm ARTIFACTS_DIR was the env var and where it pointed by default.

The fix

Interpolate ARTIFACTS_DIR into the message and add the remediation: seed persona.v1.md in that directory or override the location via ARTIFACTS_DIR. Same exception type preserved (FileNotFoundError); only the message text changes. Applies to both evolve.find_latest_persona (line 80) and evolve_persona.find_latest_persona (line 118).

Reproduction

git clone https://github.com/vibeforge1111/spark-character && cd spark-character
python3 evals/evolve.py    # before: bare "No persona.vN.md artifacts found." / after: path + remediation
python3 evals/evolve_persona.py  # same

Severity

LOW-MEDIUM. Operator-experience friction on first-run / fresh-clone / relocated-artifacts paths. No behavior change for the success case; only the failure message text is more actionable.