name: run description: "Execute a Seed specification through the workflow engine" mcp_tool: ouroboros_execute_seed mcp_args: seed_path: "$1" cwd: "$CWD"
/ouroboros:run
Execute a Seed specification through the Ouroboros workflow engine.
Usage
/ouroboros:run [seed_file_or_content]
Trigger keywords: "ouroboros run", "execute seed"
How It Works
- Input: Provide seed YAML content directly or a path to a
.yamlfile - Validation: Seed is parsed and validated (goal, constraints, acceptance criteria, ontology)
- Execution: The orchestrator runs the workflow with PAL routing
- Progress: Real-time progress updates via session tracking
- Result: Execution summary with pass/fail status
- Verification status: Run-only results are
executed_unverifieduntilooo evaluate <session_id>performs formal 3-stage verification
Instructions
When the user invokes this skill:
Load MCP Tools (Required first)
The Ouroboros MCP tools are often registered as deferred tools that must be explicitly loaded before use. You MUST perform this step before proceeding.
- Use the
ToolSearchtool to find and load the execution MCP tools:ToolSearch query: "+ouroboros execute" - The tools will typically be named with prefix
mcp__plugin_ouroboros_ouroboros__(e.g.,ouroboros_execute_seed,ouroboros_session_status). After ToolSearch returns, the tools become callable. - If ToolSearch finds the tools → proceed with the steps below. If not → skip to Fallback section.
IMPORTANT: Do NOT skip this step. Do NOT assume MCP tools are unavailable just because they don't appear in your immediate tool list. They are almost always available as deferred tools that need to be loaded first.
CRITICAL — deferred-schema guard (prevents "Invalid tool parameters"):
This skill makes execution MCP calls across multiple turns, and each turn runs
in a fresh tool context. A deferred tool's schema loaded on one turn is NOT
guaranteed to still be loaded on the next. If you call any execution ouroboros_*
MCP tool while its schema is not loaded in the current turn, the runtime
rejects the call with "Invalid tool parameters" before it reaches the server.
Therefore: immediately before EVERY execution MCP call in this skill, re-run
ToolSearch query: "+ouroboros execute" to reload the execution tool family,
including ouroboros_start_execute_seed, ouroboros_job_wait,
ouroboros_ac_tree_hud, and ouroboros_job_result (idempotent — a no-op when
already loaded). If the load returns no matching tool, switch to the documented
fallback instead of retrying the failing call.
Execution Steps
Detect git workflow (before any code changes):
- Read the project's
CLAUDE.mdfor git workflow preferences - If PR-based workflow detected and currently on
main/master:- Create a feature branch:
ooo/run/<session_id> - All code changes go to this branch
- Create a feature branch:
- If no preference: use current branch (backward compatible)
- Read the project's
Check if the user provided seed content or a file path:
- If a file path: Read the file with the Read tool
- If inline YAML: Use directly
- If neither: Check conversation history for a recently generated seed
Start background execution with
ouroboros_start_execute_seed:Tool: ouroboros_start_execute_seed Arguments: seed_content: <the seed YAML> model_tier: "medium" (or as specified by user) max_iterations: 10 (or as specified by user)This returns immediately with a
job_id,session_id, andexecution_id.If resuming an existing session, include
session_id:Tool: ouroboros_start_execute_seed Arguments: seed_content: <the seed YAML> session_id: <existing session ID>Recommended monitoring stance: relay compact progress in the main session.
After IDs are returned, print only this short handoff:
Execution started in background. Job ID: <job_id> Session ID: <session_id> Execution ID: <execution_id> I will wait in low-token relay mode and report only meaningful state changes. For full details later: `ouroboros_ac_tree_hud(session_id=<session_id>)`Rationale: the main chat session must wait for MCP calls. Frequent full-tree polling burns context without improving execution. The user usually wants "what is it doing now?" rather than the whole tree, so use compact job read-model snapshots and narrate them like a brief live relay.
Low-token relay loop with
ouroboros_job_wait(recommended default).Use
ouroboros_job_wait, not repeatedouroboros_ac_tree_hud, for routine monitoring. Keep the latest cursor and previous progress counters from the tool meta payload.This loop is intentionally harness/model friendly:
- Treat
response.metaas the source of truth. - Do not parse
response.textfor counts, status, or cursor. - Use
response.textonly as a human-readable current-message hint. - Keep all local monitor state in simple scalar variables.
- Emit at most one short relay message per changed response.
- Always continue to final
ouroboros_job_resultafter a terminal status.
cursor = <cursor from start/status response, or 0> prev_status = "running" prev_phase = null prev_ac_completed = 0 prev_sub_ac_completed = 0 prev_message = null loop: Tool: ouroboros_job_wait Arguments: job_id: <job_id from step 3> cursor: <cursor> timeout_seconds: 180 view: "summary" cursor = response.meta.cursor if response.meta.changed is false: # Do not narrate unless the user explicitly asked for heartbeat updates. continue status = response.meta.status phase = response.meta.current_phase ac_completed = response.meta.ac_completed ac_total = response.meta.ac_total sub_ac_completed = response.meta.sub_ac_completed sub_ac_total = response.meta.sub_ac_total # The metadata field names remain legacy-compatible; relay them to users as Task/Subtask progress. message_hint = first non-empty non-metadata line from response.text, or null # Build one short relay update from structured fields. if status in ["completed", "failed", "cancelled", "interrupted"]: print terminal_relay(status, phase, ac_completed, ac_total, sub_ac_completed, sub_ac_total) break if ac_completed > prev_ac_completed: print task_progress_relay(phase, ac_completed, ac_total, sub_ac_completed, sub_ac_total, message_hint) elif sub_ac_completed > prev_sub_ac_completed: print subtask_progress_relay(phase, ac_completed, ac_total, sub_ac_completed, sub_ac_total, message_hint) elif phase != prev_phase or status != prev_status: print phase_or_status_relay(status, phase, ac_completed, ac_total, sub_ac_completed, sub_ac_total) elif message_hint != prev_message: print current_work_relay(phase, ac_completed, ac_total, sub_ac_completed, sub_ac_total, message_hint) prev_status = status prev_phase = phase prev_ac_completed = ac_completed or prev_ac_completed prev_sub_ac_completed = sub_ac_completed or prev_sub_ac_completed prev_message = message_hint or prev_messageNotes:
timeout_seconds: 180means the MCP call can block for up to 3 minutes. This keeps the main session available often enough for a live relay while still avoiding noisy polling.- Use
view: "compact"for very long jobs or when the user only wants a heartbeat. The raw tool may still return legacy text such asjob_x | running | AC 3/17; relay that to users as Task progress. - Use
view: "summary"for normal monitoring. It includes the job message plus Task/Subtask counts derived from legacyac_completed/sub_ac_completedmetadata fields. - Use
view: "full"only when the user asks for detailed job status.
Relay style examples:
In progress: Deliver is at Task 1/3 and Subtask 12/16. Current work is the Subtask 3 regression test.Level update: parallel level 1/1 has finished, and Task progress advanced to 3/3.Completed: execution finished. Fetching the final job result now.
Relay output contract for other harnesses/models:
- One update should be 1-2 sentences or 1 compact line.
- Include
phase, Task completed/total and Subtask completed/total when present. - Include the current work hint only if it changes.
- Never include the full task tree in routine relay output.
- Never include raw JSON, raw meta dumps, or repeated unchanged cursor lines.
- Terminal statuses must be explicit: completed, failed, cancelled, or interrupted.
Do not paste the full raw tool output unless the user asks for raw status. Do not add speculative ETA unless the tool provides one.
- Treat
Use
ouroboros_ac_tree_hudonly for manual drill-down or anomaly checks.Do not call full tree HUD in the normal polling loop.
Use these targeted calls:
# Explicit short HUD, useful for a one-off check Tool: ouroboros_ac_tree_hud Arguments: session_id: <session_id> cursor: <cursor> view: "summary" # Lowest-token one-line HUD Tool: ouroboros_ac_tree_hud Arguments: session_id: <session_id> cursor: <cursor> view: "compact" # Full tree only when user asks "show details", progress looks stuck, # or debugging requires seeing the task/subtask structure. Tool: ouroboros_ac_tree_hud Arguments: session_id: <session_id> cursor: <cursor> view: "tree" max_nodes: 30Treat
unchanged cursor=<cursor>from explicit compact/summary views as a no-op. Do not explain it to the user unless they explicitly asked for heartbeat messages.Fetch final result with
ouroboros_job_result:Tool: ouroboros_job_result Arguments: job_id: <job_id>Present the execution results to the user:
- Show success/failure status
- Show session ID (for later status checks)
- Show execution summary
Post-execution QA (automatic):
ouroboros_start_execute_seedautomatically runs QA after successful execution. The QA verdict is included in the final job result text. This QA check is not the formal 3-stage evaluator, so the run result remainsexecuted_unverifiedandevaluated: falseuntilooo evaluateruns. To skip: passskip_qa: trueto the tool.
Present QA verdict with next step:
- PASS:
Next: ooo evaluate <session_id> for formal 3-stage verification - REVISE: Show differences/suggestions, then
Next: Fix the issues above, then ooo run to retry -- or ooo unstuck if blocked - FAIL/ESCALATE:
Next: Review failures above, then ooo run to retry -- or ooo unstuck if blocked
Fallback (No MCP Server)
If the MCP server is not available, inform the user:
Ouroboros MCP server is not configured.
To enable full execution mode, run: /ouroboros:setup
Without MCP, you can still:
- Use /ouroboros:interview for requirement clarification
- Use /ouroboros:seed to generate specifications
- Manually implement the seed specification
Example
User: /ouroboros:run seed.yaml
[Reads seed.yaml, validates, starts background execution]
Background execution started.
Job ID: job_a1b2c3d4e5f6
Session ID: orch_x1y2z3
Execution ID: exec_m1n2o3
[Relay]
In progress: Deliver is at Task 1/3 and Subtask 12/16.
Current work is finishing the workflow routing Subtask.
[Relay]
Level update: parallel level 1/1 has finished, and Task progress advanced to 3/3.
Execution is complete. Fetching the final job result now.
[Fetching final result...]
Result:
Seed Execution SUCCESS
========================
Session ID: orch_x1y2z3
Goal: Build a CLI task manager
Duration: 45.2s
Messages Processed: 12
Verification Status: executed_unverified
Formal Evaluation: NOT evaluated by the 3-stage evaluator
Next: `ooo evaluate orch_x1y2z3` for formal 3-stage verification