Fix A (found live on 9202): the container sampler reads docker inspect JSON — a -f template stopped at 'no entry for key Health' for every app without a healthcheck, so a healthy restore read 'not started'. Commit only.

controller/cmd/controller/main.go

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
@@ -3465,22 +3466,38 @@ func (a *stackAdapter) ContainerSamples(name string) ([]backup.ContainerSample,
 	if len(ids) == 0 {
 		return nil, nil
 	}
-	out, err = run(append([]string{"inspect", "-f", "{{.Id}} {{.State.Status}} {{.RestartCount}} {{if .State.Health}}{{.State.Health.Status}}{{end}}"}, ids...)...)
+	// The JSON, not a -f template: a container with no healthcheck has no State.Health, and Docker's template stops
+	// with „map has no entry for key Health" (measured on 9202, 2026-10-25 — every such app read „not started").
+	out, err = run(append([]string{"inspect"}, ids...)...)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	return parseContainerSamples(out)
+}
+
+// parseContainerSamples reads `docker inspect` JSON into stable-start samples; State.Health is absent for a container
+// with no healthcheck (Health ""). Pinned by TestFixA_ParseContainerSamples.
+func parseContainerSamples(out []byte) ([]backup.ContainerSample, error) {
+	var raw []struct {
+		ID           string `json:"Id"`
+		RestartCount int    `json:"RestartCount"`
+		State        struct {
+			Status string `json:"Status"`
+			Health *struct {
+				Status string `json:"Status"`
+			} `json:"Health"`
+		} `json:"State"`
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(out, &raw); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("docker inspect: %w", err)
+	}
 	var res []backup.ContainerSample
-	for _, line := range strings.Split(strings.TrimSpace(string(out)), "\n") {
-		f := strings.Fields(line)
-		if len(f) < 3 {
-			continue
+	for _, c := range raw {
+		cs := backup.ContainerSample{ID: c.ID, Running: c.State.Status == "running", RestartCount: c.RestartCount}
+		if c.State.Health != nil {
+			cs.Health = c.State.Health.Status
 		}
-		n, _ := strconv.Atoi(f[2])
-		c := backup.ContainerSample{ID: f[0], Running: f[1] == "running", RestartCount: n}
-		if len(f) > 3 {
-			c.Health = f[3]
-		}
-		res = append(res, c)
+		res = append(res, cs)
 	}
 	return res, nil
 }

controller/cmd/controller/r1279_wiring_test.go

@@ -20,3 +20,18 @@ func TestR1279_MainWiresTheImportsDownloadFirst(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("main.go's stack adapter must read container samples for the stable-start rule (fix A)")
 	}
 }
+
+// Fix A: the sampler reads a container with NO healthcheck (no State.Health) — measured on 9202: a -f template stopped
+// at „map has no entry for key Health", so every such app read „not started".
+func TestFixA_ParseContainerSamples(t *testing.T) {
+	out := []byte(`[{"Id":"a1","RestartCount":0,"State":{"Status":"running"}},
+	 {"Id":"b2","RestartCount":3,"State":{"Status":"running","Health":{"Status":"healthy"}}},
+	 {"Id":"c3","RestartCount":1,"State":{"Status":"restarting"}}]`)
+	got, err := parseContainerSamples(out)
+	if err != nil || len(got) != 3 {
+		t.Fatalf("parse: %v %+v", err, got)
+	}
+	if !got[0].Running || got[0].Health != "" || got[1].Health != "healthy" || got[1].RestartCount != 3 || got[2].Running {
+		t.Fatalf("wrong samples: %+v", got)
+	}
+}