status(5): record V5/V6 groundwork and n8n probe

machine-docs/STATUS-5.md

@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
 
 ## Current focus
 
-V5 next (stale-test DEFAULT comment-only path); then V6, V8, V8a, V9 cleanup.
+V5 next (seed a real stale-test case on a sandbox/scratch branch; `n8n` natural upgrade went GREEN);
+then V6, V8, V8a, V9 cleanup.
 
 ## Fixes applied (A5-1, A5-2, related)
 
@@ -79,6 +80,20 @@ preferred, `/root/cc-ci` fallback) instead of hard-coding `/root/cc-ci`.
 | V8a — cc-ci-upgrader agent | TODO | |
 | V9 — cleanup | TODO | |
 
+## V5/V6 groundwork in progress
+
+- Added orchestration helpers in `/srv/cc-ci-orch/.claude/skills/`:
+  - `recipe-upgrade/post-pr-comment.sh` — post explanatory/cross-link PR comments via Gitea API
+  - `ci-test-review/open-cc-ci-pr.sh` — open/update `recipe-maintainers/cc-ci` PRs from a dedicated branch
+- Live candidate check: `ssh cc-ci "abra recipe upgrade n8n -m -n"` shows a real n8n upgrade path
+  (`n8nio/n8n 2.20.6 -> 2.23.1`, `pgautoupgrade 17-alpine -> 18-alpine`).
+- Live recipe PR proof: `https://git.autonomic.zone/recipe-maintainers/n8n/pulls/2`
+  (`upgrade-3.3.0+2.23.1`, head `c8d27a2`). `!testme` build #47 returned
+  `VERDICT=GREEN BUILD=https://drone.ci.commoninternet.net/recipe-maintainers/cc-ci/47`.
+- Conclusion: `n8n` is a good sandbox for V5/V6, but this real upgrade did **not** naturally surface the
+  stale-test path. Next step is to seed the stale-test case explicitly on a sandbox/scratch branch per
+  Phase 5 §2, then exercise DEFAULT comment-only and `--with-tests` flows against that seeded case.
+
 ## Phase 5 gates
 
 (None claimed yet.)