@jaggerxtrm/specialists 3.4.0 → 3.4.2

package/config/hooks/specialists-session-start.mjs

@@ -99,15 +99,15 @@ lines.push('');
 lines.push('```');
 lines.push('specialists list                                   # discover available specialists');
 lines.push('specialists run <name> --prompt "..."              # run foreground (streams output)');
-lines.push('specialists run <name> --prompt "..." --background # run async → returns job ID');
-lines.push('specialists run <name> --follow                    # background + stream live output');
+lines.push('process start "specialists run <name> --prompt "..."" name="sp-<name>" # async via process extension');
+lines.push('specialists run <name> --prompt "..."              # foreground stream');
 lines.push('specialists feed <job-id> --follow                 # tail live events');
 lines.push('specialists result <job-id>                        # read final output');
 lines.push('specialists status                                 # system health');
 lines.push('specialists doctor                                 # troubleshoot issues');
 lines.push('```');
 lines.push('');
-lines.push('MCP tools: specialist_init · use_specialist · start_specialist · poll_specialist · run_parallel');
+lines.push('MCP tools: specialist_init · use_specialist · start_specialist · feed_specialist · run_parallel');
 
 // ── Output ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 if (lines.length === 0) process.exit(0);

package/config/skills/specialists-creator/SKILL.md

@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
+---
+name: specialists-creator
+description: >
+  Use this skill when creating or fixing a specialist definition. It guides the
+  agent through writing a valid `.specialist.yaml`, choosing supported models,
+  validating against the schema, and avoiding common specialist authoring
+  mistakes.
+version: 1.0
+---
+
 # Specialist Author Guide
 
 > Source of truth: `src/specialist/schema.ts` | Runtime: `src/specialist/runner.ts`
@@ -73,7 +83,7 @@ Read both outputs carefully:
 |------|-----------------------|------------------------|
 | **Heavy** — deep reasoning, multi-phase, architecture | `overthinker`, `feature-design`, `bug-hunt`, `planner`, `parallel-review` | Opus / Pro / GLM-5 |
 | **Standard** — code generation, review, authoring, docs | `codebase-explorer`, `specialist-author`, `sync-docs`, `xt-merge` | Sonnet / Flash-Pro |
-| **Light** — fast context, reporting, test runs | `init-session`, `report-generator`, `test-runner`, `auto-remediation` | Haiku / Flash |
+| **Light** — fast context, reporting, test runs | `init-session`, `report-generator`, `test-runner` | Haiku / Flash |
 
 Adjust tiers based on what the user actually has installed. Custom specialists: read their `description` and `permission_required` to infer tier.
 
@@ -202,10 +212,20 @@ bun skills/specialist-author/scripts/validate-specialist.ts specialists/my-speci
 | `mode` | enum | `auto` | `tool` \| `skill` \| `auto` |
 | `timeout_ms` | number | `120000` | ms |
 | `stall_timeout_ms` | number | — | kill if no event for N ms |
+| `interactive` | boolean | `false` | enable multi-turn keep-alive by default |
 | `response_format` | enum | `text` | `text` \| `json` \| `markdown` |
 | `permission_required` | enum | `READ_ONLY` | see tier table below |
 | `thinking_level` | enum | — | `off` \| `minimal` \| `low` \| `medium` \| `high` \| `xhigh` |
 
+**When to use `execution.interactive`**
+
+- Set `interactive: true` for specialists intended for multi-turn workflows (`resume`, iterative planning, long investigations).
+- Leave it unset/`false` for one-shot specialists where each run should end immediately.
+- Run-level overrides still apply:
+  - CLI: `--keep-alive` enables, `--no-keep-alive` disables.
+  - MCP `start_specialist`: `keep_alive` enables, `no_keep_alive` disables.
+- Effective precedence: explicit disable (`--no-keep-alive` / `no_keep_alive`) → explicit enable (`--keep-alive` / `keep_alive`) → `execution.interactive` → one-shot default.
+
 **Permission tiers** — controls which pi tools are available:
 
 | Level | pi --tools | Use when |
@@ -410,6 +430,7 @@ specialist:
     fallback_model: google-gemini-cli/gemini-3.1-pro-preview
     timeout_ms: 300000
     stall_timeout_ms: 60000
+    interactive: true                # default keep-alive; supports resume flows
     response_format: markdown
     permission_required: READ_ONLY   # not READ_WRITE
 

package/config/skills/using-specialists/SKILL.md

@@ -5,14 +5,16 @@ description: >
   ask whether to delegate. Consult before any: code review, security audit, deep bug
   investigation, test generation, multi-file refactor, or architecture analysis. Also
   use for the mechanics of delegation: --bead workflow, --context-depth, background
-  jobs, MCP tools (use_specialist, start_specialist, poll_specialist), specialists init,
+  jobs, MCP tools (use_specialist, start_specialist, feed_specialist), specialists init,
   or specialists doctor. Don't wait for the user to say "use a specialist" — proactively
   evaluate whether delegation makes sense.
-version: 3.1
+version: 3.6
 ---
 
 # Specialists Usage
 
+When this skill is loaded, you are a **coordinator first**: delegate substantial work to specialists, monitor progress, and synthesize outcomes for the user.
+
 Specialists are autonomous AI agents that run independently — fresh context, different
 model, no prior bias. Delegate when a task would take you significant effort, spans
 multiple files, or benefits from a dedicated focused run.
@@ -29,6 +31,8 @@ Before starting any substantial task, ask: is this worth delegating?
 - It spans multiple files or modules
 - A fresh perspective adds value (code review, security audit)
 - It can run in the background while you do other things
+- You have multiple independent tasks — dispatch them as a wave
+- It's a review/analysis loop (audit → approve/deny → resume) that benefits from interactive keep-alive
 
 **Do it yourself when:**
 - It's a single-file edit or quick config change
@@ -44,24 +48,60 @@ When in doubt, delegate. Specialists run in parallel — you don't have to wait.
 For tracked work, always use `--bead`. This gives the specialist your issue as context,
 links results back to the tracker, and creates an audit trail.
 
+### CLI commands
+
+```bash
+specialists init                              # first-time project setup
+specialists list                              # discover available specialists
+specialists run <name> --bead <id>            # foreground run (streams output)
+specialists run <name> --prompt "..."         # ad-hoc (no bead tracking)
+specialists feed -f                           # tail merged feed (all jobs)
+specialists feed <job-id>                     # events for a specific job
+specialists result <job-id>                   # final output text
+specialists steer <job-id> "new direction"    # redirect ANY running job mid-run
+specialists resume <job-id> "next task"       # resume a waiting keep-alive job
+specialists stop <job-id>                     # cancel a job
+specialists edit <name>                       # edit a specialist's YAML config
+specialists status --job <job-id>             # single-job detail view
+specialists clean                             # purge old job directories
+specialists doctor                            # health check
+```
+
+### Typical flow
+
 ```bash
 # 1. Create a bead describing what you need
-bd create --title "Audit authentication module for security issues" --type task --priority 2
-# → unitAI-abc
+bd create --title "Fix auth token refresh bug" --type bug --priority 2
+# -> unitAI-abc
 
-# 2. Find and run the right specialist
-specialists list
-specialists run security-audit --bead unitAI-abc --background
+# 2. Run the right specialist against the bead
+specialists run executor --bead unitAI-abc &
+# -> Job started: a1b2c3
 
-# 3. Keep working; check in when ready
-specialists feed -f
+# 3. Monitor (pick one)
+specialists feed a1b2c3              # check events so far
+specialists feed -f                  # tail all active jobs
 
 # 4. Read results and close
-specialists result <job-id>
-bd close unitAI-abc --reason "2 issues found, filed as follow-ups"
+specialists result a1b2c3
+bd close unitAI-abc --reason "Fixed: token refresh now retries on 401"
+```
+
+### Giving specialists extra context via bead notes
+
+`--prompt` and `--bead` cannot be combined. When you need to give a specialist
+specific instructions beyond what's in the bead description, update the bead notes first:
+
+```bash
+bd update unitAI-abc --notes "INSTRUCTION: Rewrite docs/cli-reference.md from current
+source. Read every command in src/cli/ and src/index.ts. Document all flags and examples."
+
+specialists run executor --bead unitAI-abc &
 ```
 
-**`--background`** — returns immediately; use for anything that will take more than ~30 seconds.
+This pattern was used extensively in Wave 5 of a real session — 4 executors all received
+writing instructions via bead notes and successfully produced doc files.
+
 **`--context-depth N`** — how many levels of parent-bead context to inject (default: 1).
 **`--no-beads`** — skip creating an auto-tracking sub-bead, but still reads the `--bead` input.
 
@@ -71,61 +111,178 @@ bd close unitAI-abc --reason "2 issues found, filed as follow-ups"
 
 Run `specialists list` to see what's available. Match by task type:
 
-| Task type | Look for |
-|-----------|----------|
-| Bug / regression investigation | `debugger`, `overthinker` |
-| Code review | `parallel-review`, `codebase-explorer` |
-| Test generation | `test-runner` |
-| Architecture / exploration | `codebase-explorer`, `feature-design` |
-| Planning / scoping | `planner` |
-| Documentation sync | `sync-docs` |
-
-When unsure, read descriptions: `specialists list --json | jq '.[].description'`
+| Task type | Best specialist | Why |
+|-----------|----------------|-----|
+| Bug fix / implementation | **executor** (gpt-5.3-codex) | HIGH perms, writes code + tests autonomously |
+| Bug investigation / "why is X broken" | **debugger** (claude-sonnet-4-6) | GitNexus-first triage, 5-phase investigation, hypothesis ranking, evidence-backed remediation. Use for ANY root cause analysis. |
+| Design decisions / tradeoffs | **overthinker** (gpt-5.4) | 4-phase reasoning: analysis, devil's advocate, synthesis, conclusion. Interactive by default (`execution.interactive: true`). |
+| Code review / compliance | **reviewer** (claude-sonnet-4-6) | Post-run compliance checks, verdict contract (PASS/PARTIAL/FAIL). Interactive by default (`execution.interactive: true`). |
+| Multi-backend review | **parallel-review** (claude-sonnet-4-6) | Concurrent review across multiple AI backends |
+| Architecture exploration | **explorer** (claude-haiku-4-5) | Fast codebase mapping, READ_ONLY |
+| Reference docs / dense schemas | **explorer** (claude-haiku-4-5) | Better than sync-docs for reference-heavy output |
+| Planning / scoping | **planner** (claude-sonnet-4-6) | Structured issue breakdown with deps |
+| Doc audit / drift detection | **sync-docs** (claude-sonnet-4-6) | Interactive by default (`execution.interactive: true`): audits first, then approve/deny via `resume` |
+| Doc drift / audit | **sync-docs** (claude-sonnet-4-6) | Detects stale docs, restructures content |
+| Doc writing / updates | **executor** (gpt-5.3-codex) | sync-docs defaults to audit mode; executor writes files |
+| Test generation | **test-runner** (claude-haiku-4-5) | Runs suites, interprets failures |
+| Specialist authoring | **specialists-creator** (claude-sonnet-4-6) | Guides YAML creation against schema |
+
+### Specialist selection lessons (from real sessions)
+
+- **debugger** is the most powerful investigation specialist. Uses GitNexus call-chain tracing (when available) for 5-phase root cause analysis with ranked hypotheses. Use for ANY "why is X broken" question — don't do the investigation yourself.
+- **sync-docs** is an interactive specialist — it audits first, then waits for approval before executing. This is correct behavior, not a bug.
+- **overthinker** and **reviewer** are also interactive.
+- Canonical pattern: use `start_specialist` / `specialists run` normally; interactive specialists now default to keep-alive via `execution.interactive: true`.
+- Use `--no-keep-alive` only when you explicitly want a one-shot run.
+- **explorer** is fast and cheap (Haiku) but READ_ONLY — output auto-appends to the input bead's notes. Use for investigation, not implementation.
+- **executor** is the workhorse — HIGH permissions, writes code and docs, runs tests, closes beads. Best for any task that needs files written.
+- **use_specialist MCP** is best for quick foreground runs where you need the result immediately in your context.
+
+### Pi extensions availability (known gap)
+
+GitNexus and Serena are **pi extensions** (not MCP servers) at `~/.pi/agent/extensions/`.
+Specialists run with `--no-extensions` and only selectively re-enable `quality-gates` and
+`service-skills`. GitNexus (call-chain tracing for debugger/planner) and Serena LSP
+(token-efficient reads for explorer/executor) are NOT currently wired. Tracked as `unitAI-4abv`.
 
 ---
 
-## When a Specialist Fails
+## Steering and Resume
+
+### Steer — redirect any running job
 
-If a specialist times out or errors, **don't silently fall back to doing the work yourself**.
-Surface the failure — the user may want to fix the specialist config or switch to a different one.
+`steer` sends a message to a running specialist. Delivered after the current tool call
+finishes, before the next LLM call. Works for **all running jobs**.
 
 ```bash
-specialists feed <job-id>          # see what happened
-specialists doctor                 # check for systemic issues
+# Specialist is going off track — redirect it
+specialists steer a1b2c3 "STOP what you are doing. Focus only on supervisor.ts"
+
+# Specialist is auditing when it should be writing
+specialists steer a1b2c3 "Do NOT audit. Write the actual file to disk now."
+```
+
+Real example from today: an explorer was reading every file in src/cli/ when we only needed
+confirmation that steering worked. Sent `specialists steer 763ff4 "STOP. Just output:
+STEERING WORKS"` — message delivered, output confirmed in 2 seconds.
+
+### Resume — continue an interactive session
+
+`resume` sends a new prompt to a specialist that has finished its turn and is `waiting`.
+Works for jobs started with keep-alive behavior (including specialists with `execution.interactive: true`).
+The session retains full conversation history.
+
+```bash
+# Start an overthinker for multi-turn design work
+# overthinker is interactive by default, so no extra flag is required
+specialists run overthinker --bead unitAI-xyz &
+# -> Job started: d4e5f6 (completes Phase 4, enters waiting state)
+
+# Read the design output
+specialists result d4e5f6
+
+# Ask follow-up questions
+specialists resume d4e5f6 "What about backward compatibility with existing YAML files?"
+specialists resume d4e5f6 "How would you handle migration from the old schema?"
 ```
 
-If you need to retry: try foreground mode (no `--background`) for shorter timeout exposure,
-or try a different specialist. If all else fails, tell the user what you attempted and why
-it failed before doing the work yourself.
+Use interactive specialists when you plan to iterate: design reviews, multi-phase analysis,
+investigation that may need follow-up questions based on findings.
+Use `--no-keep-alive` only when you want to force single-turn behavior.
 
 ---
 
-## Ad-Hoc (No Tracking)
+## Wave Orchestration
+
+For multiple independent tasks, dispatch specialists in parallel waves.
+
+### Planning a wave
+
+Group tasks by dependency:
+1. **Wave 1**: Bug fixes and blockers (unblock downstream work)
+2. **Wave 2**: Features and design (now that the surface is stable)
+3. **Wave 3**: Documentation (after code changes land — use executors, not sync-docs)
+
+### Dispatching a wave
 
 ```bash
-specialists run codebase-explorer --prompt "Map the feed command architecture"
+# Fire multiple specialists in parallel (--background for reliable detach)
+specialists run executor --bead unitAI-abc --background
+specialists run executor --bead unitAI-def --background
+specialists run overthinker --bead unitAI-ghi --background
 ```
 
-Use `--prompt` only for throwaway exploration. For anything worth remembering, use `--bead`.
+### Monitoring a wave
+
+```bash
+# Quick status check on all jobs
+for job in abc123 def456 ghi789; do
+  python3 -c "import json; d=json.load(open('.specialists/jobs/$job/status.json')); \
+    print(f'$job {d[\"specialist\"]:12} {d[\"status\"]:10} {d.get(\"elapsed_s\",\"?\")}s')"
+done
+
+# Or use feed for event-level detail
+specialists feed <job-id>
+```
+
+### Between waves
+
+After each wave completes:
+1. **Read results**: `specialists result <job-id>` for each
+2. **Validate**: run lint + tests on the combined output
+3. **Commit**: stage, commit, push — clean git before next wave
+4. **Close beads**: `bd close <id> --reason "..."`
+
+### Real wave example (from a 6-wave session)
+
+```
+Wave 1: 2x executor → fixed --background flag + migrated start_specialist to Supervisor
+Wave 2: overthinker + 2x executor → output contract design + retry logic + footer fix
+Wave 3: 4x sync-docs + 3x explorer → docs audit (produced reports, not files)
+Wave 4: 5x executor + 2x explorer → output contract impl + READ_ONLY auto-append + 4 fixes
+Wave 5: 4x executor → rewrote 4 doc files (executors write files, sync-docs only audits)
+Wave 6: 4x executor + overthinker (interactive) → cleanup + manifest design with follow-ups
+```
+
+Key insight: **executors write files, sync-docs audits**. When you need docs written
+to disk, use executor with bead notes containing "INSTRUCTION: Write <file>...".
 
 ---
 
-## Example: Delegation in Practice
+## Coordinator Responsibilities
 
-You're asked to review `src/auth/` for security issues. Without delegation, you'd read
-every file and write findings yourself — 15+ minutes, your full attention.
+As the orchestrator, you own things specialists cannot do:
 
-With a specialist:
+### 1. Validate combined output across specialists
+Multiple specialists writing to the same worktree can conflict. After each wave:
 ```bash
-bd create --title "Security review: src/auth/" --type task --priority 1  # → unitAI-xyz
-specialists list --category security
-specialists run security-audit --bead unitAI-xyz --background             # → job_4a2b1c
-# go do other work
-specialists result job_4a2b1c
-bd close unitAI-xyz --reason "Found 2 issues, filed unitAI-abc, unitAI-def"
+npm run lint          # or project-specific quality gate
+bun test              # run affected tests
+git diff --stat       # review what changed
+```
+
+### 2. Handle failures — don't silently fall back
+If a specialist stalls or errors, surface it. Don't quietly do the work yourself.
+```bash
+specialists feed <job-id>          # see what happened
+specialists doctor                 # check for systemic issues
 ```
 
-The specialist runs with full bead context, on a model tuned for the task, while you stay unblocked.
+Options when a specialist fails:
+- **Steer** it back on track: `specialists steer <id> "Focus on X instead"`
+- **Switch specialist** (e.g., sync-docs stalls → try explorer or executor)
+- **Stop and report** to the user before doing it yourself
+
+### 3. Close beads and commit between waves
+Keep git clean between waves. Specialists write to the same worktree, so stacking
+uncommitted changes from multiple waves creates merge pain.
+
+### 4. Run drift detection after doc-heavy sessions
+```bash
+python3 .agents/skills/sync-docs/scripts/drift_detector.py scan --json
+# Then dispatch executor for any stale docs, stamp synced_at on fresh ones:
+python3 .agents/skills/sync-docs/scripts/drift_detector.py update-sync <file>
+```
 
 ---
 
@@ -137,22 +294,76 @@ Available after `specialists init` and session restart.
 |------|---------|
 | `specialist_init` | Bootstrap once per session |
 | `use_specialist` | Foreground run; pass `bead_id` for tracked work |
-| `start_specialist` | Async: returns job ID immediately |
-| `poll_specialist` | Check status + delta output |
-| `stop_specialist` | Cancel |
-| `run_parallel` | Concurrent or pipeline execution |
+| `start_specialist` | Async: returns job ID immediately (Supervisor-backed) |
+| `feed_specialist` | Cursor-paginated run events (status + deltas) |
+| `resume_specialist` | Next-turn prompt for keep-alive jobs in `waiting` |
+| `steer_specialist` | Mid-run steering message for active jobs |
+| `stop_specialist` | Cancel (sends SIGTERM to job PID) |
 | `specialist_status` | Circuit breaker health + staleness |
 
+### CLI vs MCP equivalences
+
+| Action | CLI | MCP |
+|--------|-----|-----|
+| Run foreground (one-shot) | `specialists run <name> --bead <id>` | `use_specialist({name, bead_id})` |
+| Run background (interactive-capable) | `specialists run <name> --bead <id> --background` | `start_specialist({name, bead_id})` |
+| Monitor events | `specialists feed <job-id>` | `feed_specialist({job_id, cursor})` |
+| Read result | `specialists result <job-id>` | — (CLI only) |
+| Steer mid-run | `specialists steer <job-id> "msg"` | `steer_specialist({job_id, message})` |
+| Resume waiting | `specialists resume <job-id> "task"` | `resume_specialist({job_id, task})` |
+| Cancel | `specialists stop <job-id>` | `stop_specialist({job_id})` |
+
+**Canonical pattern:** `use_specialist` is one-shot. For interactive review/analysis flows,
+use `start_specialist` then `resume_specialist`.
+
+**Prefer CLI** for most orchestration work — it's simpler and output is easier to inspect.
+**Use MCP** (`use_specialist`) when you need a direct one-shot result in your conversation context.
+
+---
+
+## feed_specialist Observation Pattern
+
+Use cursor-based polling for structured progress when monitoring long specialist runs:
+
+```bash
+# first read
+feed_specialist({job_id: "abc123"})
+# => {events:[...], next_cursor: 12, has_more: true, is_complete: false}
+
+# continue from cursor
+feed_specialist({job_id: "abc123", cursor: 12})
+# => {events:[...], next_cursor: 25, has_more: false, is_complete: true}
+```
+
+When `is_complete: true` and `has_more: false`, fetch final text with:
+
+```bash
+specialists result <job-id>
+```
+
+---
+
+## Known Issues
+
+- **sync-docs audit-first behavior is expected** for interactive review/audit flow.
+  Start normally, read the audit output, then `specialists resume <job-id> "approved: execute phase 4-5"`
+  if you want it to apply fixes.
+- **READ_ONLY output auto-appends** to the input bead after completion. No manual piping
+  needed (fixed in the Supervisor). But the output also lives in `specialists result`.
+
 ---
 
 ## Setup and Troubleshooting
 
 ```bash
-specialists init        # first-time setup: creates specialists/, wires AGENTS.md
+specialists init        # first-time setup: creates .specialists/, wires AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md
 specialists doctor      # health check: hooks, MCP, zombie jobs
+specialists edit <name> # edit a specialist's YAML config
 ```
 
 - **"specialist not found"** → `specialists list` (project-scope only)
-- **Job hangs** → `specialists feed <id>`; `specialists stop` to cancel
+- **Job hangs** → `specialists steer <id> "finish up"` or `specialists stop <id>`
 - **MCP tools missing** → `specialists init` then restart Claude Code
 - **YAML skipped** → stderr shows `[specialists] skipping <file>: <reason>`
+- **Stall timeout** → specialist hit 120s inactivity. Check `specialists feed <id>`, then retry or switch specialist.
+- **`--prompt` and `--bead` conflict** → use bead notes: `bd update <id> --notes "INSTRUCTION: ..."` then `--bead` only.

package/config/specialists/debugger.specialist.yaml

@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ specialist:
     mode: tool
     model: anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6
     fallback_model: qwen-cli/qwen3-coder-plus
-    timeout_ms: 600000
+    timeout_ms: 0
+    stall_timeout_ms: 120000
     response_format: markdown
     permission_required: LOW
     thinking_level: low
@@ -103,9 +104,18 @@ specialist:
       Then trace call chains with gitnexus_context. Read source files for pinpointed suspects.
       Fall back to grep/find if GitNexus is unavailable. Produce a full Bug Investigation Report.
 
+  skills:
+    paths:
+      - .agents/skills/xt-debugging/SKILL.md
+
   capabilities:
     required_tools: [bash, grep, find, read]
     external_commands: [grep]
 
-  communication:
-    next_specialists: auto-remediation
+  validation:
+    files_to_watch:
+      - src/specialist/schema.ts
+      - src/specialist/runner.ts
+      - .agents/skills/xt-debugging/SKILL.md
+    stale_threshold_days: 30
+