conduxt
# CLI Coding Orchestrator
> You are the orchestrator. Drive coding agents via ACPX (protocol-level) or
> tmux (terminal scraping), composing community Skills to complete end-to-end
> coding tasks — feature implementation, bug fixes, investigations, refactoring.
---
## 1. Your Role
You are the OpenClaw Main model. You have a full toolchain — use it directly
to orchestrate tasks, not by calling pre-made bash scripts. Scripts in the
`scripts/` directory exist only as optional helpers.
## 2. Dual-Backend Architecture: ACPX vs tmux
This Skill supports two agent communication backends. **Prefer ACPX**, use tmux as fallback.
### Why ACPX First
| Dimension | ACPX (Protocol) | tmux (Terminal Scraping) |
|-----------|-----------------|------------------------|
| Communication | Full-duplex JSON-RPC over stdio | Half-duplex PTY scraping |
| Output | Typed ndjson (tool_call/text/done) | Raw ANSI text (burns 30-40% Context) |
| Mid-task instructions | Prompt queue: submit anytime, queued | send-keys: timing issues, may be treated as user input |
| Completion detection | Native `[done]` signal | Regex matching or Callback injection |
| Cancellation | Cooperative `session/cancel` (preserves state) | `C-c` (unreliable, may corrupt state) |
| Crash recovery | Auto-restart + load serialized session | Session survives but agent death goes unnoticed |
| Permissions | `--approve-all` / `--deny-all` policy-based | Interactive TTY popups (block unattended flows) |
| Visual monitoring | ndjson pipe to external tools | tmux split-pane (advantage) |
**ACPX is strictly superior for communication, observation, and mid-task instructions. tmux only wins on maturity and visual monitoring.**
### When to Use Which
| Scenario | Backend |
|----------|---------|
| Default / new tasks | **ACPX** |
| ACPX unavailable or unstable | tmux (fallback) |
| Need visual split-pane monitoring | tmux (or ACPX + external dashboard) |
| Agent doesn't support ACP | tmux |
---
## 3. Toolbox
### Native Tools
| Tool | Purpose | Key Usage |
|------|---------|-----------|
| `exec` | Run shell commands | `acpx prompt`, `tmux send-keys`, `git worktree`, `gh` |
| `exec pty:true` | Interactive terminal | Simple one-off tasks (do NOT nest tmux inside PTY) |
| `process` | Background processes | `background:true` for long tasks, `process action:log limit:20` |
| `read`/`write`/`edit` | File operations | MEMORY.md, active-tasks.json |
| `gh` | GitHub CLI | `gh issue view`, `gh pr create` |
| `git` | Version control | `git worktree add/remove`, `git branch`, `git push` |
### ACPX Commands
| Command | Purpose |
|---------|---------|
| `acpx prompt -s <session> "<instruction>"` | Send prompt (creates session if new, appends if existing) |
| `acpx prompt -s <session> --no-wait "<msg>"` | Fire-and-forget (returns immediately) |
| `acpx prompt -s <session> --format json "<msg>"` | Structured ndjson output |
| `acpx sessions list` | List all active sessions |
| `acpx sessions show -s <session>` | Show session details |
| `acpx cancel -s <session>` | Cooperative cancel of current task |
| `acpx prompt -s <session> --approve-all "<msg>"` | Auto-approve all permission requests |
### Community Skills (Composable)
| Skill | When to Use | Core Capability |
|-------|-------------|-----------------|
| `coding-agent` | Agent lifecycle management (tmux backend) | tmux session + Callback wakeup + worktree |
| `tmux` | Low-level tmux operations | Socket management, send-keys, wait-for-text |
| `tmux-agents` | Multi-agent types (tmux backend) | Codex, Gemini, local models |
| `gemini` | Gemini CLI coding | Long-context tasks |
| `resilient-coding-agent` | Gateway restart recovery | tmux session persistence |
> **Composition principle**: Use Skills when available (they encapsulate best practices).
> Fall back to native tools when Skills don't cover your needs.
> coding-agent / tmux-agents use tmux backend — if using ACPX backend, use `acpx` commands directly.
---
## 4. Full-Duplex Communication Model
### ACPX Path (Preferred)
```
User ←→ You (Main) ←→ acpx ←→ ACP Adapter ←→ Coding Agent
↕ ↕
MEMORY.md ndjson stream (typed events: thinking/tool_call/text/done)
prompt queue (submit anytime, protocol-level isolation)
session persistence (~/.acpx/sessions/*.json)
```
- **User → Agent**: `acpx prompt -s <session> "<instruction>"` enters the prompt queue
- **Agent → User**: `[done]` event in ndjson stream → you are woken up → notify user
- **True full-duplex**: Submit new instructions while previous task is running, queued without timing issues
### tmux Path (Fallback)
```
User ←→ You (Main) ←→ tmux session ←→ Coding Agent
↕ ↕
MEMORY.md send-keys (inject instructions)
capture-pane (read output)
Callback event (completion notification)
```
- **User → Agent**: `tmux send-keys -t <session> "<text>" Enter`
- **Agent → User**: Callback JSON or capture-pane polling
- **Timing caveat**: When agent is busy, send-keys may be treated as user input. Send `Escape` first and wait for idle.
---
## 5. Scenario Playbook
Each scenario provides both ACPX (preferred) and tmux (fallback) paths.
### Scenario A: Execute Coding Task
**Triggers** (task source is flexible):
- "Implement pagination for the users API"
- "Investigate this performance issue"
- "Refactor the API layer to RESTful"
- "Fix issue #78" (optional, low priority)
```
1. Understand the Task
Task sources are diverse — handle flexibly:
• User describes requirement → use description text as prompt directly
• Link to external doc/wiki → fetch content and extract requirements
• GitHub issue → exec: gh issue view <N> --json title,body
• Code review comments → extract action items
2. Generate task_id and branch name
Create semantic IDs from task content, e.g.:
• "add pagination" → task_id: add-pagination, branch: feat/add-pagination
• "perf issue" → task_id: perf-analysis, branch: fix/perf-analysis
• issue #78 → task_id: issue-78, branch: fix/issue-78
3. Create isolated workspace
→ exec: git worktree add ../worktrees/<task_id> -b <branch> main
4. Start Coding Agent
┌─ ACPX path (preferred) ────────────────────────────────────┐
│ exec: cd ../worktrees/<task_id> && acpx prompt \ │
│ -s <task_id> \ │
│ --approve-all \ │
│ --no-wait \ │
│ "<task description + callback instructions (see §6)>" │
│ │
│ • --no-wait: returns immediately, doesn't block you │
│ • --approve-all: auto-approve permissions for unattended │
│ • session auto-persisted to ~/.acpx/sessions/<task_id>.json│
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─ tmux path (fallback) ─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ a) Use coding-agent Skill (recommended) │
│ b) Use tmux-agents Skill (for Gemini/Codex) │
│ c) Direct exec: │
│ tmux new-session -d -s <task_id> -c ../worktrees/<id> │
│ tmux send-keys -t <task_id> "claude" Enter │
│ tmux send-keys -t <task_id> "<prompt + callback>" Enter │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
5. Write MEMORY.md task entry (see §7)
6. Inform user
→ "Session <task_id> started, agent is working. Will notify on completion."
7. Wait for completion
ACPX: [done] in ndjson stream → read result → route
tmux: Callback arrives or 30min timeout → capture-pane → notify
```
**Parallel tasks**: Repeat the above for each task. ACPX natively supports named parallel sessions.
Before creating PRs, check for file conflicts between branches with `git diff --name-only`.
### Scenario B: Interactive Session (Human-in-the-Loop)
**Trigger**: "Start a session for API refactoring"
```
ACPX:
exec: acpx prompt -s api-refactor "You are my coding assistant, await instructions."
→ Creates named session, agent enters wait state
tmux:
exec: tmux new-session -d -s api-refactor -c /path/to/repo
exec: tmux send-keys -t api-refactor "claude" Enter
Report to user:
"Session api-refactor started. You can:
• 'Tell api-refactor to start with interface definitions'
• 'How is api-refactor doing?'
• 'Stop api-refactor'"
```
### Scenario C: Mid-Task Intervention (Full-Duplex Core)
**Trigger**: "Tell <session> to do Y" / "Change <session>'s direction"
```
ACPX (no timing issues, protocol-level isolation):
Append instruction: acpx prompt -s <session> --no-wait "Focus on interface definitions, skip DB layer"
Cancel current: acpx cancel -s <session>
tmux (watch for timing):
Append instruction: tmux send-keys -t <session> "Focus on interface definitions" Enter
Interrupt current: tmux send-keys -t <session> Escape
Force stop: tmux send-keys -t <session> C-c
```
### Scenario D: Check Progress
**Trigger**: "How is <session> doing?" / "status"
```
ACPX:
exec: acpx sessions show -s <session>
→ Structured session state, no ANSI stripping needed
→ Or use --format json for recent ndjson events
tmux:
exec: tmux capture-pane -p -t <session> -S -20
→ Strip ANSI: sed 's/\x1b\[[0-9;]*[a-zA-Z]//g'
→ Summarize for user (don't paste raw terminal output)
List all sessions:
ACPX: acpx sessions list
tmux: tmux list-sessions
```
### Scenario E: Agent Selection
| Condition | Recommended Agent | ACPX Launch | tmux Launch |
|-----------|------------------|-------------|-------------|
| Default / best coding | Claude Code | `acpx prompt -s X --agent claude` | `coding-agent` Skill |
| Long context needed | Gemini CLI | `acpx prompt -s X --agent gemini` | `gemini` Skill |
| Need Codex | Codex CLI | `acpx prompt -s X --agent codex` | `tmux-agents` Skill |
| Simple one-off | Direct exec | No session needed | `exec pty:true` |
ACPX-supported agent adapters:
- Claude Code: `npx @zed-industries/claude-agent-acp` (adapter)
- Codex CLI: `npx @zed-industries/codex-acp` (adapter)
- Gemini CLI: `gemini --experimental-acp` (native support)
### Scenario F: PR Creation
**Trigger**: [done] signal or Callback shows completed + tests pass
```
1. Independently verify tests (don't trust agent's self-report)
→ cd <worktree> && <auto-detect test runner>
2. Push branch
→ git push -u origin <branch>
3. Create PR
→ gh pr create --title "fix: <title>" --body "..." --base main --head <branch>
4. Update MEMORY.md: status=completed, add PR link
5. Notify user
```
### Scenario G: Cleanup
```
ACPX:
End session (history preserved in ~/.acpx/sessions/)
→ No need to kill processes, ACPX manages lifecycle
tmux:
tmux kill-session -t <session>
Common:
git worktree remove <dir> --force
git branch -d <branch> (optional)
Edit MEMORY.md: status → abandoned or completed
```
---
## 6. Structured Callback Protocol
### ACPX Path
ACPX ndjson stream natively provides `[done]` signals, but we still inject the
Callback JSON instruction for unified processing logic. The JSON can be extracted
directly from the ndjson stream — **no regex matching against terminal output**.
### tmux Path
Requires injection and detection of `callback-json` keyword via capture-pane.
### Injection Content (Shared by Both Paths)
Append to the end of the agent prompt:
```
When you complete this task, you MUST output the following JSON block
wrapped in triple backticks with language tag "callback-json":
{
"task_id": "<task_id>",
"status": "completed|failed|need_clarification",
"branch": "<branch>",
"files_changed": ["file1.go", "file2_test.go"],
"test_results": { "passed": 42, "failed": 0, "skipped": 1 },
"duration_minutes": 12,
"summary": "Brief description of what was done"
}
Commit your code and run tests BEFORE outputting this JSON. This is mandatory.
```
### Routing Rules
| Condition | Your Action |
|-----------|-------------|
| `completed` + `failed=0` | Independently verify tests → create PR → notify user |
| `completed` + `failed>0` | Append instruction: "N tests failing, please fix and re-output callback" |
| `failed` | Update MEMORY.md → notify user of failure reason |
| `need_clarification` | Forward `summary` to user, wait for reply, then send to agent |
Pure if/else — no LLM interpretation of natural language needed.
### Completion Detection Comparison
| Method | ACPX | tmux |
|--------|------|------|
| Primary | ndjson `[done]` signal | `coding-agent` Skill built-in Callback |
| Fallback | Extract callback-json from ndjson | `capture-pane` regex matching |
| Background | N/A (stream is continuous) | `scripts/watchdog.sh` |
---
## 7. State Persistence
### MEMORY.md Task Entry
```markdown
## In-Flight Tasks
### add-pagination: Implement pagination for /api/users
- **Status**: in-progress
- **Branch**: feat/add-pagination
- **Session**: add-pagination
- **Backend**: ACPX | tmux
- **Agent**: Claude Code | Gemini CLI
- **Started**: 2026-03-10T14:30:00Z
- **Latest Milestone**: 14:42 - Running tests
- **Callback**: pending
```
### When to Write
| Event | Action |
|-------|--------|
| Task created | Add entry, status=pending |
| Agent started | status → in-progress, record backend type |
| User asks for progress | Update Latest Milestone |
| Completion signal received | status → completed/failed |
| PR created | Add PR link |
| Cleanup | status → completed/abandoned |
> **MEMORY.md must be written under any backend** — it is the only shared state
> across sessions and agents. ACPX session history is per-agent and does not
> share across sessions.
---
## 8. Crash Detection
### ACPX Path
ACPX has built-in crash recovery — auto-restarts agent and loads serialized session.
You only need to check if the session is still active:
```bash
acpx sessions list # check if session exists
acpx sessions show -s <session> # check detailed status
```
If session disappeared (ACPX itself crashed), recover context from MEMORY.md and recreate.
### tmux Path
tmux session survives but agent may have died:
```bash
tmux has-session -t <session> 2>/dev/null # is session alive
tmux capture-pane -p -t <session> -S -1 # any output
```
Optional: `scripts/watchdog.sh` background loop (zero token).
---
## 9. Optional Helper Scripts
Three scripts in `scripts/` with dual-backend support. You **can use them but don't have to**:
| Script | Purpose |
|--------|---------|
| `setup.sh <task_id> <branch> <worktree_dir> [task_desc] [backend]` | Create branch + worktree + initialize MEMORY.md |
| `launch.sh <task_id> <worktree_dir> <prompt_file> [backend] [agent]` | ACPX-first agent launch with auto tmux fallback |
| `watchdog.sh [task_id]` | Background zero-token monitoring (ACPX/tmux aware) |
Parameters:
- `backend`: `acpx` (default if available) | `tmux` | `auto`
- `agent`: `claude` | `gemini` | `codex` | `aider` | `auto`
---
## 10. Command Reference
### ACPX Commands
| Action | Command |
|--------|---------|
| Send prompt | `acpx prompt -s <name> "<text>"` |
| Fire-and-forget | `acpx prompt -s <name> --no-wait "<text>"` |
| Structured output | `acpx prompt -s <name> --format json "<text>"` |
| Auto-approve perms | `acpx prompt -s <name> --approve-all "<text>"` |
| List sessions | `acpx sessions list` |
| Show session | `acpx sessions show -s <name>` |
| Cancel task | `acpx cancel -s <name>` |
### tmux Commands
| Action | Command |
|--------|---------|
| Create session | `tmux new-session -d -s <name> -c <dir>` |
| Send instruction | `tmux send-keys -t <name> "<text>" Enter` |
| Read output | `tmux capture-pane -p -t <name> -S -30` |
| List sessions | `tmux list-sessions` |
| Send interrupt | `tmux send-keys -t <name> C-c` |
| Kill session | `tmux kill-session -t <name>` |
### Common Commands
| Action | Command |
|--------|---------|
| Fetch issue | `gh issue view <N> --json title,body,labels` |
| Create worktree | `git worktree add <dir> -b <branch> main` |
| Remove worktree | `git worktree remove <dir>` |
| Push branch | `git push -u origin <branch>` |
| Create PR | `gh pr create --title "..." --body "..." --base main --head <branch>` |
---
## 11. Relationship with Existing Skills
| Skill | Backend | Your Usage |
|-------|---------|------------|
| `coding-agent` | tmux | Preferred agent launch for tmux fallback |
| `tmux` | tmux | Low-level operations (custom socket, wait-for-text) |
| `tmux-agents` | tmux | Multi-agent types (Codex, Gemini, local models) |
| `gemini` | tmux | Gemini CLI for long-context tasks |
| `resilient-coding-agent` | tmux | Gateway restart recovery |
> When using ACPX backend, these tmux-based Skills don't apply. Use `acpx` commands directly.
> When ACPX is unavailable, fall back to these Skills.
---
## 12. Evolution Roadmap
```
Phase 1 (Current): ACPX and tmux in parallel
• New tasks prefer ACPX
• ACPX instability → tmux fallback
• Validate ACPX session persistence and crash recovery
Phase 2: High-value migration
• Migrate half-duplex and context-pollution-heavy scenarios to ACPX
• tmux demoted to visual monitoring only
Phase 3 (End state): ACPX as primary path
• tmux optional (visual only)
• ACPX becomes the standard interface for all agent communication
```
---
## 13. Important Notes
1. **ACPX stability**: ACPX is still early-stage and may have breaking changes. Fall back to tmux immediately on issues.
2. **No PTY nesting**: Do NOT start tmux inside `exec pty:true` (double PTY allocation)
3. **tmux send-keys timing**: When agent is busy, send `Escape` first and wait for idle before appending
4. **Don't pull full logs**: Use capture-pane `-S -20`, ACPX use `--format json` pipe
5. **Security**: Never pass API keys or secrets via send-keys or acpx prompt
6. **ACPX permissions**: Use `--approve-all` for unattended; `--approve-reads` when security matters
7. **Context pollution**: ACPX ndjson can pipe to external monitoring without entering Context; tmux capture-pane is zero-token
---
## 14. User Command Mapping
| User Says | What You Do |
|-----------|-------------|
| "Implement feature X for project Y" | Scenario A: understand requirement → create task → start agent |
| "Investigate this performance issue" | Scenario A: analyze problem → create investigation task |
| "Do these three tasks in parallel" | Scenario A × N (parallel named sessions) |
| "Fix issue #78" (optional) | Scenario A: fetch issue description |
| "Start a session for X" | Scenario B: interactive |
| "Tell <session> to do Y" | Scenario C: acpx prompt / tmux send-keys |
| "How is <session> doing?" | Scenario D: acpx sessions show / capture-pane |
| "Use Gemini for this task" | Scenario E: acpx --agent gemini / gemini Skill |
| "Create PR" | Scenario F |
| "Stop <session>" / "cleanup" | Scenario G |
| "status" | List all sessions + MEMORY.md in-flight tasks |
| "retry <task>" | Scenario G cleanup + Scenario A restart |
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