Custom libraries are part of the design. A repository that references an engineer’s home directory is not reproducible.
Prefer project-relative paths
Commit sym-lib-table and fp-lib-table with paths based on ${KIPRJMOD}. Keep custom symbols, footprints, and essential 3D models in predictable subdirectories.
Audit placed footprints
Changing a library footprint does not always update already-placed board instances. When fixing a production issue, verify both the library definition and every placed copy.
For mask and paste changes, inspect the exported layers—not only the footprint editor. The Koyomi mask repair required exactly sixteen new front-mask apertures across two placed filters.
Review portability in CI
A clean checkout should open without missing-library warnings. Headless jobs can additionally check that referenced files stay inside the repository or within declared system libraries.