---
name: ouroboros-help
description: "Full reference guide for Ouroboros commands and agents"
---

# /ouroboros:ouroboros-help

Full reference guide for Ouroboros power users.

## Usage

```
ooo help
/ouroboros:ouroboros-help
```

## What Is Ouroboros?

A specification-first workflow engine: it turns vague ideas into a validated
Seed (goal, constraints, acceptance criteria) before any code is written.

```
Interview → Seed → Execute → Evaluate
    ↑                           ↓
    └─── Evolutionary Loop ─────┘
```

## Commands

Each `ooo <name>` is also the skill `/ouroboros:<name>`, except `run`, `status`,
`config`, and `help`, which are `/ouroboros:ouroboros-<name>`.

| Command | Purpose | Needs |
|---------|---------|-------|
| `ooo` / `ooo welcome` | First-touch onboarding | none |
| `ooo setup` | Claude Code setup wizard | none |
| `ooo tutorial` | Interactive hands-on learning | none |
| `ooo help` | This reference | none |
| `ooo interview` | Socratic interview that exposes hidden assumptions | MCP, in-session fallback |
| `ooo seed` | Freeze interview results into a Seed | MCP, in-session fallback |
| `ooo auto` | Goal to A-grade Seed, then execute and verify in the background | MCP |
| `ooo run` | Execute a Seed and verify every acceptance criterion | MCP |
| `ooo evaluate` | Mechanical checks, semantic review per criterion, consensus when uncertain | MCP, in-session fallback |
| `ooo evolve` | Start or monitor an evolutionary loop across Seed generations | MCP |
| `ooo ralph` | Server-owned loop until verified (`ouroboros_ralph` runs it as a background job) | MCP |
| `ooo unstuck` | Five lateral thinking personas, single or debate | MCP |
| `ooo status` | Session status and goal drift | MCP |
| `ooo qa` | General-purpose QA verdict for any artifact | MCP, in-session fallback |
| `ooo pm` | PM-focused interview and PRD | MCP |
| `ooo brownfield` | Scan and manage brownfield repo defaults; `find <topic>` ranks registered repos | MCP |
| `ooo config` | Settings GUI for per-stage agents and models | CLI |
| `ooo cancel` | Cancel stuck or orphaned executions | CLI |
| `ooo resume-session` | List in-flight sessions and re-attach commands | CLI |
| `ooo update` | Check for updates and upgrade | CLI |
| `ooo publish` | Publish a Seed as GitHub Issues | `gh` |

**MCP** = the Ouroboros MCP server, which the Claude marketplace plugin or a
supported host setup (`ouroboros setup --runtime <runtime>`) provides.
**In-session fallback** = runs advisory-only through a bundled agent when the
MCP server is unavailable. **CLI** = drives the `ouroboros` command.

## Natural Language Triggers

In Claude Code these phrases route to a command without the `ooo` prefix:

| Phrase | Command |
|--------|---------|
| "interview me", "clarify requirements", "socratic interview" | `ooo interview` |
| "crystallize", "generate seed", "create seed", "freeze requirements" | `ooo seed` |
| "ouroboros run", "execute seed", "run seed", "run workflow" | `ooo run` |
| "evaluate this", "3-stage check", "verify execution" | `ooo evaluate` |
| "evolve", "evolutionary loop", "iterate until converged" | `ooo evolve` |
| "ralph", "don't stop", "must complete", "until it works", "keep going" | `ooo ralph` |
| "think sideways", "i'm stuck", "break through", "lateral thinking" | `ooo unstuck` |
| "am I drifting?", "drift check", "session status" | `ooo status` |
| "write prd", "pm interview", "product requirements", "create prd" | `ooo pm` |
| "qa check", "quality check" | `ooo qa` |
| "cancel execution", "stop job", "kill stuck", "abort execution" | `ooo cancel` |
| "update ouroboros", "upgrade ouroboros" | `ooo update` |
| "brownfield defaults", "brownfield scan" | `ooo brownfield` |

## Agents

| Agent | Purpose |
|-------|---------|
| `ouroboros:socratic-interviewer` | Exposes hidden assumptions through questioning |
| `ouroboros:ontologist` | Finds root problems vs symptoms |
| `ouroboros:seed-architect` | Crystallizes requirements into a Seed |
| `ouroboros:evaluator` | Verifies results against acceptance criteria |
| `ouroboros:qa-judge` | Renders QA verdicts for `ooo qa` |
| `ouroboros:contrarian` | "Are we solving the wrong problem?" |
| `ouroboros:hacker` | "Make it work first, elegance later" |
| `ouroboros:simplifier` | "Cut scope to absolute minimum" |
| `ouroboros:researcher` | "Stop coding, start investigating" |
| `ouroboros:architect` | "Question the foundation, redesign if needed" |

The last five are the `ooo unstuck` personas. Other files in
`src/ouroboros/agents/` are internal pipeline roles.

## RFC #1392 State Breadcrumb Footer

End the final response with exactly one line `◆ <current state> → next: <recommended action>`. Derive the state from live session state via `ouroboros_session_status` when available, otherwise from this skill's actual outcome. Never use a linear `Step N of M` footer; when the next step is a real choice, list 2-3 options.