remove otel.metricIntervalMs and the host-level otel.debug

Both are ignored with a warning through the same shim, now
nix/host-modules/hive-options-removed.nix.

- otel.metricIntervalMs: claude in every agent and hive-c0re's
  container-resource exporter run at the 60s default. The agent-level
  services.hyperhive.agent.otel.metricIntervalMs, set only by the meta
  render, goes too (warning shim in nix/agent-modules/otel-removed.nix).
- otel.debug: services.hyperhive.agent.otel.debug stays, documented and
  set in an agent's own config; the meta render no longer emits it.

docs/scheduler/observability.md

@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ labels (`hive`, `swarm`, …) ride on the resource via
 
 <!-- vale write-good.Passive = NO -->
 
-Cadence follows `metricIntervalMs` (default 60s). Transport is OTLP/HTTP
+The export cadence is a fixed 60s. Transport is OTLP/HTTP
 (JSON) to the hive collector's bridge address, with no auth header — that
 first hop is unauthenticated for every producer on this host, and the upstream
 credential stays on the swarm tier.
@@ -409,8 +409,8 @@ window used by agent** panel (health tab) divides one by the other.
 Resource attributes (`service.name`, `agent`, `swarm`) come from the
 same container-wide `OTEL_RESOURCE_ATTRIBUTES` as everything else in this
 section, and the swarm's collector adds `hive` — nothing extra to configure.
-Cadence follows `HYPERHIVE_OTEL_METRIC_INTERVAL_MS` (default 60s, same variable + default as
-`hive-c0re`'s container-resource export above) — that only controls how often
+Cadence follows `HYPERHIVE_OTEL_METRIC_INTERVAL_MS` (default 60s, the same
+cadence as `hive-c0re`'s container-resource export above). That only controls how often
 the harness flushes the batched points to the collector, not how often it
 records them (every turn, always).
 

hive-c0re/src/meta.rs

@@ -555,10 +555,6 @@ struct OtelConfig {
     endpoint: String,
     protocol: String,
     extra_resource_attributes: Option<String>,
-    metric_interval_ms: Option<u64>,
-    /// `HYPERHIVE_OTEL_DEBUG=1` → `services.hyperhive.agent.otel.debug = true` →
-    /// `CLAUDE_CODE_OTEL_DIAG_STDERR=1` in every agent's env.
-    debug: bool,
 }
 
 /// Read the hive-wide OTEL config from env, or `None` when OTEL is off.
@@ -578,19 +574,10 @@ fn otel_config() -> Option<OtelConfig> {
     let extra_resource_attributes = std::env::var("HYPERHIVE_OTEL_EXTRA_RESOURCE_ATTRIBUTES")
         .ok()
         .filter(|v| !v.is_empty());
-    let metric_interval_ms = std::env::var("HYPERHIVE_OTEL_METRIC_INTERVAL_MS")
-        .ok()
-        .and_then(|v| v.parse::<u64>().ok())
-        .filter(|v| *v > 0);
-    let debug = std::env::var("HYPERHIVE_OTEL_DEBUG")
-        .ok()
-        .is_some_and(|v| v == "1");
     Some(OtelConfig {
         endpoint,
         protocol,
         extra_resource_attributes,
-        metric_interval_ms,
-        debug,
     })
 }
 
@@ -902,17 +889,6 @@ where
                 esc(attrs)
             );
         }
-        if let Some(ms) = otel.metric_interval_ms {
-            // Int option — emit a bare numeric literal (no quotes). `ms` is a
-            // parsed u64, so it can't inject anything into the rendered nix.
-            let _ = writeln!(
-                out,
-                "              services.hyperhive.agent.otel.metricIntervalMs = {ms};"
-            );
-        }
-        if otel.debug {
-            out.push_str("              services.hyperhive.agent.otel.debug = true;\n");
-        }
     }
     // Agent-facing service URLs (`services.hyperhive.agent.forge.url`, `services.hyperhive.agent.matrix.url`):
     // emit the host's real values as build-time agent config, the same

hive-c0re/src/stats/otel_metrics.rs

@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ use opentelemetry_sdk::metrics::{PeriodicReader, SdkMeterProvider};
 use super::container_stats::{self, ContainerResource};
 use super::warnings;
 
-/// Default export cadence when `HYPERHIVE_OTEL_METRIC_INTERVAL_MS` is unset.
-const DEFAULT_INTERVAL: Duration = Duration::from_mins(1);
+/// Export cadence, and the snapshot refresher's.
+const EXPORT_INTERVAL: Duration = Duration::from_mins(1);
 
 /// Latest container-stats snapshot: written by the async refresher, read by
 /// the sync observable-instrument callbacks.
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ pub fn spawn_exporter(hyperhive_flake: &str) {
     let snapshot = SNAPSHOT
         .get_or_init(|| Arc::new(Mutex::new(Vec::new())))
         .clone();
-    let interval = interval();
+    let interval = EXPORT_INTERVAL;
 
     // Async refresher: keep the shared snapshot current for the sync callbacks.
     let refresh = snapshot.clone();
@@ -124,10 +124,9 @@ fn build_provider(
         .with_protocol(Protocol::HttpJson)
         .build()
         .context("build OTLP metric exporter")?;
-    // Drive the reader's export at `interval` so `HYPERHIVE_OTEL_METRIC_INTERVAL_MS`
-    // is the real export cadence (not just the snapshot-refresh cadence). The
-    // refresher runs at the same interval, gather-first, so the snapshot is
-    // populated before the first export.
+    // Drive the reader's export at `interval`, the same cadence as the
+    // refresher. The refresher gathers first, so the snapshot is populated
+    // before the first export.
     let reader = PeriodicReader::builder(exporter)
         .with_interval(interval)
         .build();
@@ -400,15 +399,6 @@ fn endpoint() -> Option<String> {
         .filter(|s| !s.is_empty())
 }
 
-/// Export cadence from `HYPERHIVE_OTEL_METRIC_INTERVAL_MS`, else the default.
-fn interval() -> Duration {
-    std::env::var("HYPERHIVE_OTEL_METRIC_INTERVAL_MS")
-        .ok()
-        .and_then(|s| s.trim().parse::<u64>().ok())
-        .filter(|ms| *ms > 0)
-        .map_or(DEFAULT_INTERVAL, Duration::from_millis)
-}
-
 /// Extra resource attributes from `HYPERHIVE_OTEL_EXTRA_RESOURCE_ATTRIBUTES`
 /// (`key=value,key=value`), same env the agent-side export reads.
 fn resource_attributes() -> Vec<(String, String)> {

nix/agent-modules/claude-settings.nix

@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ in
           baseClaudeEnv
           // lib.optionalAttrs otelCfg.enable otelSettingsEnv
           // lib.optionalAttrs (otelCfg.enable && otelCfg.debug) {
-            # SDK diagnostics — noisy; only on when services.hyperhive.otel.debug = true.
+            # SDK diagnostics — noisy; only on when services.hyperhive.agent.otel.debug = true.
             CLAUDE_CODE_OTEL_DIAG_STDERR = "1";
           };
       in

nix/agent-modules/default.nix

@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ in
     ./memory-cap.nix
     ./network.nix
     ./otel.nix
+    ./otel-removed.nix
     ./packages.nix
     ./queue.nix
     ./queue-identity.nix

nix/agent-modules/otel-removed.nix

@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# Removal shim for `services.hyperhive.agent.otel.metricIntervalMs`.
+#
+# A definition is ignored and produces a warning, so an agent config, or a
+# meta flake rendered before the option went, keeps evaluating. claude runs
+# at the OTEL SDK's default export cadence.
+#
+# Self-contained and deletable: one file to remove when the deprecation
+# window closes.
+{ lib, config, ... }:
+let
+  value = config.services.hyperhive.agent.otel.metricIntervalMs;
+in
+{
+  options.services.hyperhive.agent.otel.metricIntervalMs = lib.mkOption {
+    type = lib.types.nullOr lib.types.ints.positive;
+    default = null;
+    visible = false;
+    internal = true;
+    description = "Removed and ignored. `null` is \"not set\".";
+  };
+
+  config.warnings = lib.optional (value != null) ''
+    services.hyperhive.agent.otel.metricIntervalMs is removed and ignored:
+    claude exports metrics at the SDK default of 60 seconds. Remove this
+    setting.
+  '';
+}

nix/agent-modules/otel.nix

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # OpenTelemetry wiring for an agent container: the per-agent options the
-# meta flake injects (host-driven from `services.hyperhive.otel.*`), the
+# meta flake injects (host-driven from `services.hyperhive.otel.*`) plus
+# `debug`, which the agent's own config sets, the
 # environment every OTLP producer inside the container reads, and the
 # collector that forwards this container's journal to the hive.
 #
@@ -62,9 +63,6 @@ let
     # silently drop without a deltatocumulative processor.
     OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_METRICS_TEMPORALITY_PREFERENCE = "cumulative";
     OTEL_RESOURCE_ATTRIBUTES = resourceAttributes;
-  }
-  // lib.optionalAttrs (cfg.metricIntervalMs != null) {
-    OTEL_METRIC_EXPORT_INTERVAL = toString cfg.metricIntervalMs;
   };
 
   # The exporter's NAME picks the wire protocol, so `protocol` has to be
@@ -131,25 +129,14 @@ in
       '';
     };
 
-    metricIntervalMs = lib.mkOption {
-      type = lib.types.nullOr lib.types.ints.positive;
-      default = null;
-      internal = true;
-      description = ''
-        Metric export interval in milliseconds, set as
-        `OTEL_METRIC_EXPORT_INTERVAL`. Null leaves the SDK default (60s
-        for Claude Code). Host-driven via
-        `services.hyperhive.otel.metricIntervalMs`.
-      '';
-    };
-
     debug = lib.mkOption {
       type = lib.types.bool;
       default = false;
-      internal = true;
       description = ''
-        Emit OTEL SDK diagnostics to stderr (`CLAUDE_CODE_OTEL_DIAG_STDERR=1`).
-        Host-driven via `services.hyperhive.otel.debug`.
+        Emit claude's OTEL SDK diagnostics to stderr
+        (`CLAUDE_CODE_OTEL_DIAG_STDERR=1`). Set it in this agent's own
+        config while troubleshooting its collector connection; it is noisy,
+        so leave it off otherwise. Only takes effect when `enable` is true.
       '';
     };
   };

nix/host-modules/c0re-options-removed.nix

@@ -1,46 +0,0 @@
-# Removal shim for `services.hyperhive.c0re.operatorPronouns` and
-# `services.hyperhive.c0re.contextWindowTokens`.
-#
-# A definition of either is ignored and produces a warning, so a host that
-# still sets one keeps evaluating. The agents' system prompt
-# (hive-agent/prompts/system.md) names the operator's pronouns itself, and
-# the harness (hive-agent/src/harness_state.rs) holds the per-model context
-# windows it uses until a turn reports the model's own.
-#
-# Self-contained and deletable, like ./swarm-peers-removed.nix: one file to
-# remove when the deprecation window closes.
-{ lib, config, ... }:
-let
-  cfg = config.services.hyperhive.c0re;
-in
-{
-  options.services.hyperhive.c0re = {
-    operatorPronouns = lib.mkOption {
-      type = lib.types.nullOr lib.types.str;
-      default = null;
-      visible = false;
-      internal = true;
-      description = "Removed and ignored. `null` is \"not set\".";
-    };
-    contextWindowTokens = lib.mkOption {
-      type = lib.types.nullOr (lib.types.attrsOf lib.types.int);
-      default = null;
-      visible = false;
-      internal = true;
-      description = "Removed and ignored. `null` is \"not set\".";
-    };
-  };
-
-  config.warnings =
-    lib.optional (cfg.operatorPronouns != null) ''
-      services.hyperhive.c0re.operatorPronouns is removed and ignored: the
-      operator's pronouns will be a per-operator profile setting. Until then
-      every agent's system prompt says she/her. Remove this setting.
-    ''
-    ++ lib.optional (cfg.contextWindowTokens != null) ''
-      services.hyperhive.c0re.contextWindowTokens is removed and ignored: the
-      agent harness uses the context window the model reports after each
-      turn, and before the first one its own defaults (haiku 200000, sonnet
-      1000000, opus 1000000 tokens). Remove this setting.
-    '';
-}

nix/host-modules/default.nix

@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@
     ./swarm-victoriametrics.nix
     ./swarm-wireguard.nix
     ./swarm.nix
-    ./c0re-options-removed.nix
+    ./hive-options-removed.nix
     ./host-ca-removed.nix
     ./nats-callout-removed.nix
     ./swarm-required-services.nix

nix/host-modules/hive-c0re/environment.nix

@@ -125,12 +125,6 @@ in
   # The rule: the collector holding the credential achieves nothing while
   # anything else hands out a copy, so there is exactly one holder and it
   # is on the host.
-  // lib.optionalAttrs (otel.metricIntervalMs != null) {
-    HYPERHIVE_OTEL_METRIC_INTERVAL_MS = toString otel.metricIntervalMs;
-  }
-  // lib.optionalAttrs otel.debug {
-    HYPERHIVE_OTEL_DEBUG = "1";
-  }
 )
 // {
   # In-cluster forge URL — the gateway vhost (`forge.<domain>`), which

nix/host-modules/hive-options-removed.nix

@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+# Removal shim for four host options: `c0re.operatorPronouns`,
+# `c0re.contextWindowTokens`, `otel.metricIntervalMs` and `otel.debug`.
+#
+# A definition of any of them is ignored and produces a warning, so a host
+# that still sets one keeps evaluating. The agents' system prompt
+# (hive-agent/prompts/system.md) names the operator's pronouns itself, the
+# harness (hive-agent/src/harness_state.rs) holds the per-model context
+# windows it uses until a turn reports the model's own, every OTEL exporter
+# on the hive runs at its SDK's default cadence, and an agent's own config
+# sets `services.hyperhive.agent.otel.debug`.
+#
+# Self-contained and deletable, like ./swarm-peers-removed.nix: one file to
+# remove when the deprecation window closes.
+{ lib, config, ... }:
+let
+  cfg = config.services.hyperhive;
+
+  # `null` is "not set".
+  ignored =
+    type:
+    lib.mkOption {
+      type = lib.types.nullOr type;
+      default = null;
+      visible = false;
+      internal = true;
+      description = "Removed and ignored.";
+    };
+
+  removed =
+    path: value: why:
+    lib.optional (value != null) ''
+      services.hyperhive.${path} is removed and ignored: ${why} Remove this
+      setting.
+    '';
+in
+{
+  options.services.hyperhive = {
+    c0re.operatorPronouns = ignored lib.types.str;
+    c0re.contextWindowTokens = ignored (lib.types.attrsOf lib.types.int);
+    otel.metricIntervalMs = ignored lib.types.ints.positive;
+    otel.debug = ignored lib.types.bool;
+  };
+
+  config.warnings =
+    removed "c0re.operatorPronouns" cfg.c0re.operatorPronouns ''
+      the operator's pronouns will be a per-operator profile setting. Until
+      then every agent's system prompt says she/her.
+    ''
+    ++ removed "c0re.contextWindowTokens" cfg.c0re.contextWindowTokens ''
+      the agent harness uses the context window the model reports after each
+      turn, and before the first one its own defaults (haiku 200000, sonnet
+      1000000, opus 1000000 tokens).
+    ''
+    ++ removed "otel.metricIntervalMs" cfg.otel.metricIntervalMs ''
+      claude in every agent and hive-c0re's container-resource exporter both
+      export metrics at the SDK default of 60 seconds.
+    ''
+    ++ removed "otel.debug" cfg.otel.debug ''
+      to see one agent's OTEL SDK diagnostics, set
+      services.hyperhive.agent.otel.debug = true in that agent's own config.
+    '';
+}

nix/host-modules/otel.nix

@@ -158,18 +158,6 @@ in
       '';
     };
 
-    debug = lib.mkOption {
-      type = lib.types.bool;
-      default = false;
-      description = ''
-        Emit OTEL SDK diagnostic messages to every agent's stderr by
-        setting `CLAUDE_CODE_OTEL_DIAG_STDERR=1`. Useful when
-        troubleshooting collector connectivity or endpoint config;
-        leave off in normal operation to avoid noise in agent logs.
-        Only meaningful when `enable` is true.
-      '';
-    };
-
     collector.upstreamHeaderName = lib.mkOption {
       type = lib.types.str;
       default = "Authorization";
@@ -306,23 +294,6 @@ in
         copied into the store and never passed in argv.
       '';
     };
-
-    metricIntervalMs = lib.mkOption {
-      type = lib.types.nullOr lib.types.ints.positive;
-      default = null;
-      example = 10000;
-      description = ''
-        Metric export interval in milliseconds, set as
-        `OTEL_METRIC_EXPORT_INTERVAL` for every agent. Claude Code's
-        default is 60000 (60s). Leave `null` to use that default.
-
-        Each agent runs claude as a short-lived per-turn process; claude
-        force-flushes metrics on shutdown, so this is not required for
-        metrics to be exported, but a lower value gives more frequent
-        intermediate flushes within long turns. Cosmetic, not a
-        correctness knob.
-      '';
-    };
   };
 
   config = lib.mkIf config.services.hyperhive.otel.enable (

nix/module-eval/agent-otel.nix

@@ -38,11 +38,13 @@ let
 
   # The same agent over the other wire protocol. An exporter's NAME is what
   # selects it, so this is where a defined exporter and the pipeline's
-  # reference to it can drift apart.
+  # reference to it can drift apart. Also an agent config still setting the
+  # removed metric interval.
   agentOtelGrpc = agent {
     otel.enable = true;
     otel.endpoint = agentBridge;
     otel.protocol = "grpc";
+    otel.metricIntervalMs = 10000;
   };
 
   agentNoOtel = shared.agentBare;
@@ -116,6 +118,22 @@ let
         in
         (s.exporters ? otlp) && s.service.pipelines.logs.exporters == [ "otlp" ];
     }
+    {
+      # Control: `agentOtel` sets no interval. The endpoint lookup shows the
+      # environment it reads is the one the OTEL SDKs get.
+      name = "an agent config setting the removed metric interval evaluates, warns, and exports none";
+      ok =
+        let
+          warned = lib.any (
+            w: lib.hasInfix "services.hyperhive.agent.otel.metricIntervalMs is removed and ignored" w
+          );
+          env = machine: machine.systemd.globalEnvironment;
+        in
+        warned agentOtelGrpc.warnings
+        && !(warned agentOtel.warnings)
+        && (env agentOtelGrpc) ? OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT
+        && !((env agentOtelGrpc) ? OTEL_METRIC_EXPORT_INTERVAL);
+    }
   ];
 in
 runGroup "agent-otel" cases

nix/module-eval/core-toggle.nix

@@ -49,11 +49,13 @@ let
 
   # Every hive defaults the agents' queue address to the queue's name, so the
   # only hive without one is a hive told to have none. Also the host still
-  # setting the two removed `c0re` options; no case on its queue reads them.
+  # setting the four removed host options; no case on its queue reads them.
   noAgentQueue = hiveWithController {
     deploy.hive-controller.queue.agentNatsUrl = null;
     c0re.operatorPronouns = "they/them";
     c0re.contextWindowTokens.sonnet = 900000;
+    otel.metricIntervalMs = 10000;
+    otel.debug = true;
   };
 
   # On the store's host, which mints the runner's store identity.
@@ -243,17 +245,19 @@ let
         !(e ? HIVE_AGENT_NATS_URL) && !(e ? HIVE_AGENT_OIDC_TOKEN_ENDPOINT);
     }
     {
-      # Control: `bare` sets neither option, and its serve.json carries the
+      # Control: `bare` sets none of them, and its serve.json carries the
       # dashboard port, so the key lookup reads a real document.
-      name = "a definition of a removed c0re option evaluates, warns, and reaches no serve.json";
+      name = "a definition of a removed host option evaluates and warns, and the c0re ones reach no serve.json";
       ok =
         let
           warned =
             m: option:
-            lib.any (w: lib.hasInfix "services.hyperhive.c0re.${option} is removed and ignored" w) m.warnings;
+            lib.any (w: lib.hasInfix "services.hyperhive.${option} is removed and ignored" w) m.warnings;
           options = [
-            "operatorPronouns"
-            "contextWindowTokens"
+            "c0re.operatorPronouns"
+            "c0re.contextWindowTokens"
+            "otel.metricIntervalMs"
+            "otel.debug"
           ];
           hasKey = m: key: lib.hasInfix "\"${key}\":" m.environment.etc."hyperhive/serve.json".text;
           noRemovedKeys =