test: re-cite retired-mechanism comments in surviving carriers

The migrate-and-retire audit left the surviving carriers as the only
files still describing the retired combined.ww amalgamator as live:
m2wwi/m3sep headers claimed .wwi was dead code, four byteid carriers
carried dead cleanup of never-written .combined.ww intermediates, and
sepbuild's enumeration mirror plus lib_byteid's completeness scan
still skipped the retired artifact form (the same silent
accommodation just removed from both drivers — dropping it here
surfaced and flushed 39 stale untracked amalgamator outputs across
lib/, which the gates now reject loudly). Remaining mentions are
past-tense history or quoted diagnostics.

test/wcc/727_modcall_widen_slice.c

@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ struct row {
 
 /* Two-module probe: `caller` calls `needle.want(h, n)` where `n: []u8`
  * widens into `(u8 | []u8)`. The // MODULE: directives + `use needle;`
- * shape parallels what cmd/ww driver synthesises in combined.ww. */
+ * shape parallels the cmd/ww driver's resolved .unit.ww form. */
 static const struct row rows[] = {
 	{ "dot_callee_slice_widen",
 	  "package needle;\n"

test/wcc/784_xmod_alias_struct_collide_run.c

@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
  * The dispatcher uses a BRANCHED callee (void arm → -1, fn-ptr arm →
  * v+100) so the field load actually feeds control flow (gate-blind
  * discipline). cstage `ww build` + run pins runtime; raw w6c vs w6c_ww
- * `.s` cmp on the driver-produced combined.ww pins rule-10 byte-id
+ * `.s` cmp on the self-built two-module unit pins rule-10 byte-id
  * (the discriminating net for #223 — pre-fix the dispatcher diverges
  * `MOVQ reader(SB)` vs the pointer-field load).
  *

test/wcc/785_structvariant_largeunion_return.c

@@ -130,8 +130,6 @@ cleanup_tmp(const char *tmpdir, const char *base)
 	}
 	snprintf(p, sizeof p, "%s/%s.o",           tmpdir, base);
 	if (unlink(p) != 0 && errno != ENOENT) { perror(p); bad = 1; }
-	snprintf(p, sizeof p, "%s/%s.combined.ww", tmpdir, base);
-	if (unlink(p) != 0 && errno != ENOENT) { perror(p); bad = 1; }
 	if (rmdir(tmpdir) != 0) { perror(tmpdir); bad = 1; }
 	return bad;
 }

test/wcc/786_narrow_alias_deref_store.c

@@ -130,8 +130,6 @@ cleanup_tmp(const char *tmpdir, const char *base)
 	}
 	snprintf(p, sizeof p, "%s/%s.o",           tmpdir, base);
 	if (unlink(p) != 0 && errno != ENOENT) { perror(p); bad = 1; }
-	snprintf(p, sizeof p, "%s/%s.combined.ww", tmpdir, base);
-	if (unlink(p) != 0 && errno != ENOENT) { perror(p); bad = 1; }
 	if (rmdir(tmpdir) != 0) { perror(tmpdir); bad = 1; }
 	return bad;
 }

test/wcc/787_xmod_variant_match.c

@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@
  * (AST-name vs cstage tinfo); precise Type identity is the #10 endgame.
  *
  * The PRE-FIX failure mode is a wwstage CHECKER REJECT, so the
- * discriminator is the `w6c_ww` build of the combined.ww succeeding at
+ * discriminator is the `w6c_ww` build of the two-module unit succeeding
- * all — pre-fix it errored out; post-fix it succeeds AND is byte-id
+ * at all — pre-fix it errored out; post-fix it succeeds AND is byte-id
  * with cstage. Self-contained 2-module fixtures (no lib coupling).
  *
  *   scenario          | shape                                  | exit | byte-id

test/wcc/789_named_ptr_alias_variant_widen.c

@@ -111,8 +111,6 @@ cleanup_tmp(const char *tmpdir, const char *base)
 	}
 	snprintf(p, sizeof p, "%s/%s.o",           tmpdir, base);
 	if (unlink(p) != 0 && errno != ENOENT) { perror(p); bad = 1; }
-	snprintf(p, sizeof p, "%s/%s.combined.ww", tmpdir, base);
-	if (unlink(p) != 0 && errno != ENOENT) { perror(p); bad = 1; }
 	if (rmdir(tmpdir) != 0) { perror(tmpdir); bad = 1; }
 	return bad;
 }

test/wcc/790_single_field_struct_zeroinit.c

@@ -111,8 +111,6 @@ cleanup_tmp(const char *tmpdir, const char *base)
 	}
 	snprintf(p, sizeof p, "%s/%s.o",           tmpdir, base);
 	if (unlink(p) != 0 && errno != ENOENT) { perror(p); bad = 1; }
-	snprintf(p, sizeof p, "%s/%s.combined.ww", tmpdir, base);
-	if (unlink(p) != 0 && errno != ENOENT) { perror(p); bad = 1; }
 	if (rmdir(tmpdir) != 0) { perror(tmpdir); bad = 1; }
 	return bad;
 }

test/wcc/795_xmod_valglobal_run.c

@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@
  * Single-file multi-package form (like 953): `package aa; ... package
  * main; import aa; ...` in one source, so w6c/w6c_ww see the cross-
  * module reference without -I path plumbing, and the build is self-
- * contained (no selfhost traversal → no .combined.ww fixture race, so
+ * contained (no selfhost traversal).
- * this lives in the parallel phase, not the 990-997 skip-set).
  *
  * GATE POLARITY: must stay GREEN. A wrong exit means the value-global
  * mangle regressed (collision returned); a byte-id FAIL means the stages

test/wcc/848_xmod_qualstructlit_run.c

@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@
  * or the two stages' .s diverged (rule-10 break).
  *
  * Builds its own 2-module fixtures in a private mktemp dir, so all
- * intermediates (main.combined.ww, the linked binary, the .s probes)
+ * intermediates (the linked binary, the .s probes) land OFF the
- * land OFF the source tree (CLAUDE.md rule 14).
+ * source tree (CLAUDE.md rule 14).
  */
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>

test/wcc/901_asserttyped_gap.c

@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 /*
  * 901_asserttyped_gap — ww-stage checker nil-type gap-corpus net.
  *
- * The live `make test` stdlib _run suite drives the CSTAGE `ww`
+ * The ordinary suites drive the CSTAGE `ww` (cmd/ check.c), which has
- * (cmd/ check.c), which has no asserttyped pass; 990_selfhost feeds
+ * no asserttyped pass, and nothing else feeds the ww-stage dumper's
- * the ww-stage dumper only -t/-a (tokens/ast), never the checker. So
+ * checker (-c) — only -t/-a (tokens/ast) run elsewhere. So the
- * the wwstage checker's asserttyped diagnostics (check.ww — the
+ * wwstage checker's asserttyped diagnostics (check.ww — the
  * #15 / A.6.2.1e post-checker nil-type invariant gate) are UNOBSERVED
  * by every other test, yet the gate is now ARMED (a non-exempt
  * nil-typed value node writes its diagnostic and os.exit(1)s). This

test/wcc/989_c6soak_run.c

@@ -209,8 +209,7 @@ main(void)
 	if (getcwd(cwd, sizeof cwd) == NULL) return 1;
 
 	/* The real include set the sep producer needs to resolve the lib +
-	 * frontend package graph (verified live; the bare default path grabs
+	 * frontend package graph (verified live). */
-	 * the in-tree *test.combined.ww fixtures and collides on `main`). */
 	char inc[4096];
 	snprintf(inc, sizeof inc, "-I %s/lib -I %s/lib/ww -I %s/selfhost/cmd/wcc",
 	    cwd, cwd, cwd);

test/wcc/989_declns_sep.c

@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@
  * (with duplicate-type already owned by runww_dup_type_reject). This
  * residual retains only the modfn separate-package artifact leg.
  *
- * Re-hosts every decl-namespace assertion that today lives ONLY in
+ * Re-hosts every decl-namespace assertion that once lived ONLY in
- * 910/997 onto a gate that survives the M4 flip (910/997 are deleted at
+ * 910/997 onto a gate that survives the M4 flip (910/997 were deleted
- * the flip — they feed combined.ww / amalgamation inputs). Three legs:
+ * at the flip — they fed the retired amalgamation inputs). Three legs:
  *
  *   dup family    — a duplicate top-level fn/type/def/let in one (flat)
  *                   module must build-FAIL on BOTH stages. The fixtures

test/wcc/989_lib_byteid.c

@@ -1,17 +1,16 @@
 /*
- * 989_lib_byteid — cstage-vs-wwstage byte-identity gate over the lib/
+ * 989_lib_byteid — cstage-vs-wwstage byte-identity gate over the whole
- * surface that the embedded combined.ww set does NOT cover.
+ * lib/ surface, and the ONE owner of wwstage-DRIVER-leg byte identity.
  *
- * The 990-997 gates byte-id only the modules the selfhost tools import
+ * The bootstrap gates (991-995) byte-id only the modules the selfhost
- * (ascii/bytes/errors/io/math/memio/os/rt/strconv/strings/time/types/
+ * tools import (ascii/bytes/errors/io/math/memio/os/rt/strconv/strings/
- * utf8 + lex/parse/wcc/ww). Every other lib/ module compiles through
+ * time/types/utf8 + lex/parse/wcc/ww). Every other lib/ module compiles
- * the CSTAGE driver alone (the 9xx _run tests), so a cs≠ww divergence
+ * through the CSTAGE driver alone elsewhere, so a cs≠ww divergence
  * there ships gate-green — regex.finish was cs≠ww for weeks this way
  * (task #21, FC0). This gate closes the class: each lib test fixture is
  * sep-built through BOTH driver stages and the per-package asm compared.
  *
- * #94 sep layout: the gate drives `ww` (cstage) and `ww_ww`
+ * #94 sep layout: the gate drives `ww` (cstage) and `ww_ww` (wwstage).
- * (wwstage) instead of feeding a single .combined.ww to raw w6c/w6c_ww.
  * Under sep EACH package compiles to its OWN <stem>.sepwork/<pkg>.s — the
  * lib body lands in <pkg>.s, NOT in __root.s (which holds only the test
  * fixture / probe main). So the byte-id MUST concat EVERY <pkg>.s (the
@@ -472,7 +471,7 @@ corpus_complete(const char *cwd)
 	 * <stem>.sepwork/<pkg>.unit.ww scratch next to source; exclude it so
 	 * the scan enrols real source dirs only, not generated work dirs. */
 	snprintf(cmd, sizeof cmd, "cd %s && find lib -name '*.ww' "
-	    "! -name '*.combined.ww' ! -path '*.sepwork/*' "
+	    "! -path '*.sepwork/*' "
 	    "| sed 's|/[^/]*$||' | sort -u", cwd);
 	FILE *p = popen(cmd, "r");
 	if (!p) return -1;

test/wcc/989_m2wwi_run.c

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 /*
  * 989_m2wwi_run — M2 `.wwi` export-data producer gate (task #22 arc).
- * Both stages (rule-10): the new `w6c -I <out.wwi>` producer is DEAD on
+ * Both stages (rule-10): since the sep flip the `w6c -I <out.wwi>`
- * the live path (combined.ww stays the compile substrate; nothing reads
+ * producer IS the live import path, and `.wwi` is a cross-stage
- * `.wwi`), so this is purely a new cross-stage byte-id substrate.
+ * byte-id substrate this gate pins directly.
  *
  * POSITIVE gate — for each package (ascii/strings/getopt, drew2-audited
  * leak-free), drive the target as the PRIMARY module of a driver-combined

test/wcc/989_m3sep_run.c

@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
  *
  * M3 = w6c `-c` (separate-compile / primary-only codegen) reads each imported
  * package's `.wwi` prototypes (M2's producer output) as import scope INSTEAD of
- * re-checking dep bodies. Pure addition: combined.ww stays the LIVE path, `-c`
+ * re-checking dep bodies. Since the sep flip this IS the sole compile
- * is off on every existing invocation. This gate certifies the consumer.
+ * path. This gate certifies the consumer.
  *
  * Fixture: a leaf -> mid -> root chain carrying ALL FOUR cross-boundary fact-
  * classes — fn SIGNATURE (leaf.add), struct/type LAYOUT (leaf.Point, used as a

test/wcc/989_sepbuild_run.c

@@ -121,10 +121,9 @@ strs_cmp(const void *a, const void *b)
 	return strcmp(*(const char *const *)a, *(const char *const *)b);
 }
 
-/* Concatenate a package directory's *.ww bodies (less *test.ww and
+/* Concatenate a package directory's *.ww bodies (less *test.ww,
- * *.combined.ww, byte-sorted) into `out`. Mirrors the driver's body
+ * byte-sorted) into `out`. Mirrors the driver's body enumeration so
- * enumeration so the substituted bodies-unit matches the sep-unit
+ * the substituted bodies-unit matches the sep-unit structurally. */
- * structurally. */
 static int
 append_dir_bodies(FILE *out, const char *dir)
 {
@@ -138,7 +137,6 @@ append_dir_bodies(FILE *out, const char *dir)
 		size_t nl = strlen(nm);
 		if (nl <= 3 || strcmp(nm + nl - 3, ".ww") != 0) continue;
 		if (nl >= 7 && strcmp(nm + nl - 7, "test.ww") == 0) continue;
-		if (nl >= 12 && strcmp(nm + nl - 12, ".combined.ww") == 0) continue;
 		names[n++] = strdup(nm);
 	}
 	closedir(d);

test/wcc/993_ww_ww.c

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
  *     `use` resolution + the -I search path + the libwwrt.a link.
  *
  * Each build runs from a per-driver scratch directory so the
- * intermediate .combined.ww/.s/.o files don't collide.
+ * intermediate .s/.o files don't collide.
  */
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ build_via(const char *bin, const char *driver, const char *src,
 {
 	char cmd[4096];
 	/* -o <workdir>/<out> keeps the binary where the diff expects it AND
-	 * routes the .combined.ww/.s/.o into the workdir (T3) — no longer
+	 * routes the .s/.o intermediates into the workdir (T3) — no longer
 	 * next to the source, so concurrent driver builds never collide. */
 	if (incs && incs[0]) {
 		snprintf(cmd, sizeof cmd,

test/wcc/994_w6c_ww.c

@@ -7,10 +7,9 @@
  * so w6c_ww must produce byte-identical output to wwdump_ww -c on
  * every program — this test pins that.
  *
- * (We do not diff against C-side `w6c` here because the C compiler has
+ * (We do not diff against C-side `w6c` here: this carrier's oracle is
- * features the ww cgen has not yet ported — float compare, fn-address
+ * the wwdump_ww -c TOOL OUTPUT, not the tool binary. The C-vs-ww diff
- * @symbol, indirect call. Test 990 probe 5 covers the C-vs-ww diff on
+ * on real programs is owned by the blanket byte-identity gates.)
- * the subset that the ww cgen handles today.)
  */
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -189,9 +188,8 @@ main(void)
 	char cwd[1024];
 	if (getcwd(cwd, sizeof cwd) == NULL) return 1;
 
-	/* In-source corpus: programs the ww-side cgen handles today.
+	/* In-source corpus: programs the ww-side cgen handles today,
-	 * Mirrors probe 5 in 990_selfhost without the parts that drift
+	 * kept free of the parts that drift against C w6c. */
-	 * against C w6c. */
 	struct { const char *label; const char *src; } progs[] = {
 		{ "ret42",
 		  "fn main() i32 = { return 42; };" },
@@ -360,9 +358,9 @@ main(void)
 	 * The load-bearing M4 oracle: build w6c by SEPARATE compilation under
 	 * BOTH driver stages and prove they sep-produce byte-identical per-package
 	 * .s/.o/.wwi (cs==ww on the real tool's sep artifacts, rule 10). The
-	 * combined corpus + the sep-out==combined-out leg are gone — combined-mode
+	 * combined corpus + the sep-out==combined-out leg are gone with the
-	 * is being retired (E3 flip), so combined.ww is no longer fed as compiler
+	 * retired combined mode (E3 flip); the per-pkg cs==ww comparison is
-	 * INPUT; the per-pkg cs==ww comparison is the surviving live oracle. Its
+	 * the surviving live oracle. Its
 	 * cold pid-keyed scratch is wiped after the explicit bootstrap gate. */
 	{
 		char inc[4096], cmd[16384];

test/wcc/995_self_rebuild.c

@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ struct buildjob {
  * inherits no concurrent siblings — system() spawns a fresh /bin/sh -c.
  * stderr lands in <workdir>/build.err so concurrent builds don't merge
  * their diagnostics. `-o <workdir>/main` (T3) makes the driver write its
- * intermediates (main.{combined.ww,s,o}) beside the output in <workdir>
+ * intermediates (main.{s,o} and the sepwork tree) beside the output in <workdir>
  * instead of next to every traversed source — so concurrent driver
  * builds no longer share the next-to-source fixed paths, and this gate
  * may run in the parallel group. The rebuilt binary still lands at