feat(bar): group rhythm + semantic @muted dim states (item 28c)

Two polish items from the 1080p review. The right cluster gains a
wider breath (margin-left 14px) before each functional group — media
(pulseaudio/cpu/memory), toggles (powerprofile/nightlight/language),
status (battery/updates/notification); a self-hiding group head
degrades to the uniform spacing. Dim states (inactive workspaces, DND
bell, muted volume) move from alpha(@text, 0.5) tints to the
palette's @muted role — safe now that 28b floor-gates muted/base >=
2.0 in every theme; the CSS comment that warned against @muted
documented the pre-28b palettes and now states the new invariant.
Whole-swap bars untouched (authored identity).

Verified: V0; V1 (rendered CSS carries the rule + 4 @muted uses);
visual — tokyo-night 1080p re-capture shows the themed backdrop
(iteration #35's fix, navy not black), the group gap, and legible
muted workspaces.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

agent/BACKLOG.md

@@ -76,12 +76,13 @@ review:
   - **Icon weight mix `[human]`:** full-color Papirus icons in the
     menus vs all-monochrome bar glyphs — pick: symbolic/monochrome
     menu icons for one system, or color as the menu's identity.
-  - **Bar right-cluster rhythm:** confirmed at 1080p — add group
+  - ✓ **Bar right-cluster rhythm** (shipped iteration #36): group
-    margins (tray/net · stats · toggles · battery/notify) on the
+    margins before pulseaudio/powerprofile/battery — heads that
-    gaps grid.
+    self-hide degrade to the uniform spacing.
-  - **Semantic dim:** bar dim states are `alpha(@text, 0.5)` tints;
+  - ✓ **Semantic dim** (shipped iteration #36): workspaces + dnd +
-    the palette's `muted` role is now floor-guaranteed (28b) — one
+    muted-volume now use `@muted` (floor-guaranteed by 28b) instead
-    semantic source, use `@muted`.
+    of `alpha(@text, 0.5)` tints; the CSS comment now documents the
+    new invariant.
   - ✓ **compositor backdrop** (shipped iteration #35): Hyprland
     `misc:background_color` now the theme's base — no more black flash
     behind a missing/slow wallpaper (glaring on light themes in the

agent/JOURNAL.md

@@ -17,6 +17,26 @@ Template:
 
 ---
 
+## 2026-07-05 — bar group rhythm + @muted adoption (iteration #36, item 28c)
+- **Task:** item 28 slice (c) — the two queued bar polish items.
+- **Did:** waybar.nix generated CSS: margin-left 14px on the three
+  right-cluster group heads (pulseaudio/powerprofile/battery — media
+  · toggles · status; hidden heads degrade to uniform spacing);
+  workspaces buttons, dnd bell, and muted volume moved from
+  alpha(@text,.5) tints to the semantic @muted role — safe since 28b
+  floor-gates muted/base ≥ 2.0 (the old comment warning against
+  @muted documented the pre-28b world; rewritten to state the new
+  invariant). Whole-swap bars untouched (authored identity).
+- **Verified:** V0; V1 rendered CSS has 4 @muted uses + the margin
+  rule; VISUAL — tokyo-night re-capture: themed backdrop confirmed
+  (navy base, not black), group gap visible before the volume group,
+  workspace pill legible. Cross-theme minima are guaranteed by the
+  gated checker rather than per-theme eyeballs.
+- **Pending:** slice-c remainder: rofi hint column, summer-rasi
+  placeholder dim, icon-weight `[human]`, latte/identity captures.
+- **Next suggestion:** rofi keybind-hint column (the biggest
+  remaining UX win), or the two-line placeholder nit as a quickie.
+
 ## 2026-07-05 — summer-day capture review + themed backdrop (iteration #35, item 28c)
 - **Task:** item 28 slice (c) — whole-swap capture review + the first
   cheap polish fix.

modules/home/waybar.nix

@@ -279,13 +279,14 @@ let
       border-radius: ${toString t.ui.rounding}px;
     }
 
-    /* Dim/secondary shades are alpha(@text) tints, NOT the palette's
+    /* Dim states use the palette's @muted role: since item 28b it is
-       subtext/muted roles — those mean "on-surface" in some palettes
+       floor-guaranteed legible on @base in every theme (muted/base >=
-       (flexoki-light: subtext==base, gruvbox: muted≈base) and vanish
+       2.0, gated by tools/check-theme-contrast.py) — the palettes that
-       against the bar (item 27; tools/check-theme-contrast.py). */
+       once made it vanish (gruvbox muted≈base, item 27) were retuned.
+       Secondary-but-not-dim stays alpha(@text, 0.85). */
     #workspaces button {
       padding: 0 8px;
-      color: alpha(@text, 0.5);
+      color: @muted;
       border-radius: ${toString t.ui.rounding}px;
     }
 
@@ -314,6 +315,13 @@ let
       padding: 0 10px;
     }
 
+    /* Group rhythm (item 28c): a wider breath before each functional
+       group of the right cluster — media/stats · toggles · status —
+       on top of the uniform module spacing. A group head can self-hide
+       (e.g. no battery on desktops); grouping then degrades to the
+       uniform spacing, never breaks. */
+    #pulseaudio, #custom-powerprofile, #battery { margin-left: 14px; }
+
     /* Caffeine engaged → warm tone (the screen is being held awake). */
     #idle_inhibitor.activated { color: @warn; }
 
@@ -336,9 +344,9 @@ let
     /* notifications waiting → accent; Do-Not-Disturb → muted bell-off */
     #custom-notification.notification { color: @accent; }
     #custom-notification.dnd-none,
-    #custom-notification.dnd-notification { color: alpha(@text, 0.5); }
+    #custom-notification.dnd-notification { color: @muted; }
 
-    #pulseaudio.muted { color: alpha(@text, 0.5); }
+    #pulseaudio.muted { color: @muted; }
     #battery.warning { color: @warn; }
     #battery.critical { color: @bad; }
     #battery.charging { color: @good; }