@elizaos/skills 2.0.0-alpha.10

package/skills/coding-agent/SKILL.md

@@ -0,0 +1,284 @@
+---
+name: coding-agent
+description: Run Codex CLI, Claude Code, OpenCode, or Pi Coding Agent via background process for programmatic control.
+metadata:
+  {
+    "otto": { "emoji": "🧩", "requires": { "anyBins": ["claude", "codex", "opencode", "pi"] } },
+  }
+---
+
+# Coding Agent (bash-first)
+
+Use **bash** (with optional background mode) for all coding agent work. Simple and effective.
+
+## ⚠️ PTY Mode Required!
+
+Coding agents (Codex, Claude Code, Pi) are **interactive terminal applications** that need a pseudo-terminal (PTY) to work correctly. Without PTY, you'll get broken output, missing colors, or the agent may hang.
+
+**Always use `pty:true`** when running coding agents:
+
+```bash
+# ✅ Correct - with PTY
+bash pty:true command:"codex exec 'Your prompt'"
+
+# ❌ Wrong - no PTY, agent may break
+bash command:"codex exec 'Your prompt'"
+```
+
+### Bash Tool Parameters
+
+| Parameter    | Type    | Description                                                                 |
+| ------------ | ------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `command`    | string  | The shell command to run                                                    |
+| `pty`        | boolean | **Use for coding agents!** Allocates a pseudo-terminal for interactive CLIs |
+| `workdir`    | string  | Working directory (agent sees only this folder's context)                   |
+| `background` | boolean | Run in background, returns sessionId for monitoring                         |
+| `timeout`    | number  | Timeout in seconds (kills process on expiry)                                |
+| `elevated`   | boolean | Run on host instead of sandbox (if allowed)                                 |
+
+### Process Tool Actions (for background sessions)
+
+| Action      | Description                                          |
+| ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
+| `list`      | List all running/recent sessions                     |
+| `poll`      | Check if session is still running                    |
+| `log`       | Get session output (with optional offset/limit)      |
+| `write`     | Send raw data to stdin                               |
+| `submit`    | Send data + newline (like typing and pressing Enter) |
+| `send-keys` | Send key tokens or hex bytes                         |
+| `paste`     | Paste text (with optional bracketed mode)            |
+| `kill`      | Terminate the session                                |
+
+---
+
+## Quick Start: One-Shot Tasks
+
+For quick prompts/chats, create a temp git repo and run:
+
+```bash
+# Quick chat (Codex needs a git repo!)
+SCRATCH=$(mktemp -d) && cd $SCRATCH && git init && codex exec "Your prompt here"
+
+# Or in a real project - with PTY!
+bash pty:true workdir:~/Projects/myproject command:"codex exec 'Add error handling to the API calls'"
+```
+
+**Why git init?** Codex refuses to run outside a trusted git directory. Creating a temp repo solves this for scratch work.
+
+---
+
+## The Pattern: workdir + background + pty
+
+For longer tasks, use background mode with PTY:
+
+```bash
+# Start agent in target directory (with PTY!)
+bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"codex exec --full-auto 'Build a snake game'"
+# Returns sessionId for tracking
+
+# Monitor progress
+process action:log sessionId:XXX
+
+# Check if done
+process action:poll sessionId:XXX
+
+# Send input (if agent asks a question)
+process action:write sessionId:XXX data:"y"
+
+# Submit with Enter (like typing "yes" and pressing Enter)
+process action:submit sessionId:XXX data:"yes"
+
+# Kill if needed
+process action:kill sessionId:XXX
+```
+
+**Why workdir matters:** Agent wakes up in a focused directory, doesn't wander off reading unrelated files (like your soul.md 😅).
+
+---
+
+## Codex CLI
+
+**Model:** `gpt-5.2-codex` is the default (set in ~/.codex/config.toml)
+
+### Flags
+
+| Flag            | Effect                                             |
+| --------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
+| `exec "prompt"` | One-shot execution, exits when done                |
+| `--full-auto`   | Sandboxed but auto-approves in workspace           |
+| `--yolo`        | NO sandbox, NO approvals (fastest, most dangerous) |
+
+### Building/Creating
+
+```bash
+# Quick one-shot (auto-approves) - remember PTY!
+bash pty:true workdir:~/project command:"codex exec --full-auto 'Build a dark mode toggle'"
+
+# Background for longer work
+bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"codex --yolo 'Refactor the auth module'"
+```
+
+### Reviewing PRs
+
+**⚠️ CRITICAL: Never review PRs in Otto's own project folder!**
+Clone to temp folder or use git worktree.
+
+```bash
+# Clone to temp for safe review
+REVIEW_DIR=$(mktemp -d)
+git clone https://github.com/user/repo.git $REVIEW_DIR
+cd $REVIEW_DIR && gh pr checkout 130
+bash pty:true workdir:$REVIEW_DIR command:"codex review --base origin/main"
+# Clean up after: trash $REVIEW_DIR
+
+# Or use git worktree (keeps main intact)
+git worktree add /tmp/pr-130-review pr-130-branch
+bash pty:true workdir:/tmp/pr-130-review command:"codex review --base main"
+```
+
+### Batch PR Reviews (parallel army!)
+
+```bash
+# Fetch all PR refs first
+git fetch origin '+refs/pull/*/head:refs/remotes/origin/pr/*'
+
+# Deploy the army - one Codex per PR (all with PTY!)
+bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"codex exec 'Review PR #86. git diff origin/main...origin/pr/86'"
+bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"codex exec 'Review PR #87. git diff origin/main...origin/pr/87'"
+
+# Monitor all
+process action:list
+
+# Post results to GitHub
+gh pr comment <PR#> --body "<review content>"
+```
+
+---
+
+## Claude Code
+
+```bash
+# With PTY for proper terminal output
+bash pty:true workdir:~/project command:"claude 'Your task'"
+
+# Background
+bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"claude 'Your task'"
+```
+
+---
+
+## OpenCode
+
+```bash
+bash pty:true workdir:~/project command:"opencode run 'Your task'"
+```
+
+---
+
+## Pi Coding Agent
+
+```bash
+# Install: npm install -g @mariozechner/pi-coding-agent
+bash pty:true workdir:~/project command:"pi 'Your task'"
+
+# Non-interactive mode (PTY still recommended)
+bash pty:true command:"pi -p 'Summarize src/'"
+
+# Different provider/model
+bash pty:true command:"pi --provider openai --model gpt-5-mini -p 'Your task'"
+```
+
+**Note:** Pi now has Anthropic prompt caching enabled (PR #584, merged Jan 2026)!
+
+---
+
+## Parallel Issue Fixing with git worktrees
+
+For fixing multiple issues in parallel, use git worktrees:
+
+```bash
+# 1. Create worktrees for each issue
+git worktree add -b fix/issue-78 /tmp/issue-78 main
+git worktree add -b fix/issue-99 /tmp/issue-99 main
+
+# 2. Launch Codex in each (background + PTY!)
+bash pty:true workdir:/tmp/issue-78 background:true command:"pnpm install && codex --yolo 'Fix issue #78: <description>. Commit and push.'"
+bash pty:true workdir:/tmp/issue-99 background:true command:"pnpm install && codex --yolo 'Fix issue #99: <description>. Commit and push.'"
+
+# 3. Monitor progress
+process action:list
+process action:log sessionId:XXX
+
+# 4. Create PRs after fixes
+cd /tmp/issue-78 && git push -u origin fix/issue-78
+gh pr create --repo user/repo --head fix/issue-78 --title "fix: ..." --body "..."
+
+# 5. Cleanup
+git worktree remove /tmp/issue-78
+git worktree remove /tmp/issue-99
+```
+
+---
+
+## ⚠️ Rules
+
+1. **Always use pty:true** - coding agents need a terminal!
+2. **Respect tool choice** - if user asks for Codex, use Codex.
+   - Orchestrator mode: do NOT hand-code patches yourself.
+   - If an agent fails/hangs, respawn it or ask the user for direction, but don't silently take over.
+3. **Be patient** - don't kill sessions because they're "slow"
+4. **Monitor with process:log** - check progress without interfering
+5. **--full-auto for building** - auto-approves changes
+6. **vanilla for reviewing** - no special flags needed
+7. **Parallel is OK** - run many Codex processes at once for batch work
+8. **NEVER start Codex in ~/agent/** - it'll read your soul docs and get weird ideas about the org chart!
+9. **NEVER checkout branches in ~/Projects/otto/** - that's the LIVE Otto instance!
+
+---
+
+## Progress Updates (Critical)
+
+When you spawn coding agents in the background, keep the user in the loop.
+
+- Send 1 short message when you start (what's running + where).
+- Then only update again when something changes:
+  - a milestone completes (build finished, tests passed)
+  - the agent asks a question / needs input
+  - you hit an error or need user action
+  - the agent finishes (include what changed + where)
+- If you kill a session, immediately say you killed it and why.
+
+This prevents the user from seeing only "Agent failed before reply" and having no idea what happened.
+
+---
+
+## Auto-Notify on Completion
+
+For long-running background tasks, append a wake trigger to your prompt so Otto gets notified immediately when the agent finishes (instead of waiting for the next heartbeat):
+
+```
+... your task here.
+
+When completely finished, run this command to notify me:
+otto gateway wake --text "Done: [brief summary of what was built]" --mode now
+```
+
+**Example:**
+
+```bash
+bash pty:true workdir:~/project background:true command:"codex --yolo exec 'Build a REST API for todos.
+
+When completely finished, run: otto gateway wake --text \"Done: Built todos REST API with CRUD endpoints\" --mode now'"
+```
+
+This triggers an immediate wake event — Skippy gets pinged in seconds, not 10 minutes.
+
+---
+
+## Learnings (Jan 2026)
+
+- **PTY is essential:** Coding agents are interactive terminal apps. Without `pty:true`, output breaks or agent hangs.
+- **Git repo required:** Codex won't run outside a git directory. Use `mktemp -d && git init` for scratch work.
+- **exec is your friend:** `codex exec "prompt"` runs and exits cleanly - perfect for one-shots.
+- **submit vs write:** Use `submit` to send input + Enter, `write` for raw data without newline.
+- **Sass works:** Codex responds well to playful prompts. Try asking it for a haiku about your project.