--- name: spawn-instance description: Clone this Aeon agent into a new GitHub repo - fork, configure skills, validate, and register in the fleet metadata: title: Spawn Instance category: core var: "" tags: - dev --- > **${var}** — Name and purpose of the new instance. Format `name: purpose`, e.g. `crypto-tracker: monitor DeFi protocols and token movements`. If empty, notify the owner and **stop** with exit `SPAWN_INVALID_VAR`. Today is ${today}. Create a new Aeon instance by forking this repo, configuring it for a specific purpose, validating the configuration, and registering it in the fleet. Read `memory/MEMORY.md` at the start for context. ## Security Model This skill creates the repo and configuration but does **NOT** propagate secrets. The new instance is inert until the owner manually sets secrets (`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` or `CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN`, plus notification secrets). Each instance has its own API keys for billing isolation and blast-radius containment. ## Exit Taxonomy Every run ends with one of these status codes, written to the log and (where relevant) included in the notification: | Code | Meaning | |------|---------| | `SPAWN_OK` | Fork created, configured, pushed, Actions enabled, registered. | | `SPAWN_FORK_EXISTS_RECOVERED` | Fork already existed but wasn't registered → configured + registered now. | | `SPAWN_FORK_EXISTS_REGISTERED` | Fork exists AND is already registered and not archived — refused, no change. | | `SPAWN_INVALID_VAR` | var was empty or couldn't be parsed into `name: purpose`. | | `SPAWN_NO_SKILLS` | After validation, the skill plan was empty — refused. | | `SPAWN_FORK_FAILED` | `gh repo fork` and the fallback `forks` API both failed. | | `SPAWN_PUSH_FAILED` | Fork created but push failed — fork left in place, recovery instructions emitted. | | `SPAWN_ACTIONS_FAILED` | Configuration pushed but enabling Actions failed — recovery instructions emitted. | | `SPAWN_API_ERROR` | Any other GitHub API failure not covered above. | ## Steps ### 1. Parse and validate the var - If `${var}` is empty, log `SPAWN_INVALID_VAR: empty var` to `memory/logs/${today}.md`, notify: `spawn-instance: empty var — re-run with "name: purpose"`, and **stop**. - Split on the first `:` — left is `NAME_RAW`, right is `PURPOSE` (trim whitespace). If either is empty, exit `SPAWN_INVALID_VAR`. - Derive `NAME`: lowercase `NAME_RAW`, replace non-alphanumeric runs with `-`, strip leading/trailing `-`, truncate to 40 chars. If empty after sanitization, exit `SPAWN_INVALID_VAR`. - Set `REPO_NAME="aeon-${NAME}"`. ### 2. Pre-flight checks ```bash gh auth status || { echo "SPAWN_API_ERROR: gh not authenticated"; exit 1; } OWNER=$(gh api user --jq '.login') || { echo "SPAWN_API_ERROR: cannot read user"; exit 1; } PARENT_REPO=$(gh repo view --json nameWithOwner -q .nameWithOwner) # If current repo is itself a fork, use the upstream as the parent: PARENT_UPSTREAM=$(gh api "repos/${PARENT_REPO}" --jq '.parent.full_name // .full_name') ``` Check rate limit: ```bash REMAINING=$(gh api rate_limit --jq '.resources.core.remaining') [ "${REMAINING:-0}" -lt 50 ] && { echo "SPAWN_API_ERROR: rate limit too low (${REMAINING})"; exit 1; } ``` ### 3. Check the fleet registry Read `memory/instances.json`. If it doesn't exist, create it with `{"instances": []}`. ```json { "instances": [ { "name": "crypto-tracker", "repo": "OWNER/aeon-crypto-tracker", "purpose": "monitor DeFi protocols and token movements", "created": "2026-04-20", "status": "pending_secrets", "skills_enabled": ["token-movers", "defi-overview", "heartbeat"], "parent": "OWNER/aeon" } ] } ``` - If an entry with `name == NAME` exists and `status != "archived"`, exit `SPAWN_FORK_EXISTS_REGISTERED`, notify, and **stop**. - If an entry exists and is archived, remove it — the new run replaces it. ### 4. Build the skill plan from the live catalog **Do not use a hardcoded skill list.** The catalog in earlier revisions contained broken names (`wallet-digest`, `trending-coins`, `tweet-digest`, `hn-digest` — none of which exist in `skills/`). Always enumerate live. ```bash # Build live catalog of available skills and their tags/description. for d in skills/*/; do name=$(basename "$d") [ -f "$d/SKILL.md" ] || continue # Extract frontmatter fields (description + tags) awk '/^---/{f++;next} f==1{print}' "$d/SKILL.md" done ``` For each skill, parse the frontmatter `description:` and `tags:` lines. Classify the purpose into themes by keyword match (case-insensitive) and pick skills whose description or tags overlap: | Purpose keywords | Prefer skills matching tags / keywords | |---|---| | `crypto`, `defi`, `token`, `chain`, `wallet` | tags `[crypto]` or description contains `token`/`defi`/`chain` | | `research`, `paper`, `academic`, `science` | tags `[research]` or name contains `paper`/`research`/`deep-research` | | `social`, `twitter`, `x `, `tweet`, `farcaster` | tags `[social]` or name contains `tweet`/`twitter`/`farcaster`/`reply` | | `news`, `digest`, `feed`, `brief` | name contains `digest`/`brief`/`morning`/`rss`/`hacker-news` | | `dev`, `code`, `github`, `repo`, `pr ` | tags `[dev]` or name contains `github`/`code`/`repo`/`pr-`/`changelog` | | `security`, `vuln`, `audit` | tags `[security]` or name contains `security`/`vuln`/`audit` | | `prediction`, `polymarket`, `kalshi`, `market` | name contains `polymarket`/`kalshi`/`market`/`narrative` | Rules: - **Cap at 8** content skills. Rank by keyword density in description against purpose; tie-break by name. - **Always include `heartbeat`** if the file `skills/heartbeat/SKILL.md` exists (health monitoring). - If the purpose doesn't match any theme, fall back to `[reflect, heartbeat]` (filtered against existence). - **Validate every candidate** — drop any skill where `skills/${skill}/SKILL.md` doesn't exist; log each drop as `SPAWN_DROPPED_SKILL: ${skill}`. - If the final list is empty (no content skills survive), exit `SPAWN_NO_SKILLS`, notify, and **stop**. Save the final list as `SKILLS_ENABLED`. ### 5. Fork the parent repo ```bash if gh api "repos/${OWNER}/${REPO_NAME}" --jq '.full_name' >/dev/null 2>&1; then FORK_STATE="exists" else # Try the modern flag first if ! gh repo fork "${PARENT_UPSTREAM}" --fork-name "${REPO_NAME}" --clone=false 2>/dev/null; then # Fallback: POST to /repos/{owner}/{repo}/forks with a custom name gh api "repos/${PARENT_UPSTREAM}/forks" -X POST -f name="${REPO_NAME}" --jq '.full_name' \ || { echo "SPAWN_FORK_FAILED"; exit 1; } fi FORK_STATE="created" fi ``` **Wait for fork availability** (GitHub forks are async): ```bash for i in $(seq 1 10); do gh api "repos/${OWNER}/${REPO_NAME}" --jq '.full_name' >/dev/null 2>&1 && break sleep 3 done gh api "repos/${OWNER}/${REPO_NAME}" --jq '.full_name' >/dev/null 2>&1 \ || { echo "SPAWN_FORK_FAILED: fork not reachable after wait"; exit 1; } ``` ### 6. Configure the fork ```bash TMPDIR=$(mktemp -d) trap 'rm -rf "$TMPDIR"' EXIT gh repo clone "${OWNER}/${REPO_NAME}" "$TMPDIR/repo" -- --quiet \ || { echo "SPAWN_API_ERROR: clone failed"; exit 1; } cd "$TMPDIR/repo" git config user.name "aeonframework" git config user.email "aeonframework@proton.me" ``` #### 6a. Write a customized `aeon.yml` - Read the parent `aeon.yml` as a base (preserves comments, ordering, and the full skill list). - Set `enabled: true` only on skills in `SKILLS_ENABLED`. All others must have `enabled: false`. - Do not drop any skills — keep the full inventory so the child can enable more later. - **Validate the result**: every skill name with `enabled: true` must correspond to an existing `skills/${skill}/SKILL.md` in the fork's tree. If any enabled skill is missing, abort before pushing (this is a sanity check — step 4 already validated, but the child's repo tree must match). #### 6b. Write `SETUP.md` dynamically Parse each enabled skill's `skills/${skill}/SKILL.md` for references to uppercase env var names (pattern: `[A-Z][A-Z0-9_]{2,}_(KEY|TOKEN|URL|ID|SECRET)`). Collect the union across enabled skills, excluding built-ins (`GITHUB_TOKEN`, `GH_TOKEN`). Emit a SETUP.md with three sections: ```markdown # Aeon Instance Setup This is a managed Aeon instance spawned from `${PARENT_UPSTREAM}`. ## Purpose ${PURPOSE} ## Enabled Skills ${comma-separated list with one-line descriptions from each SKILL.md} ## Activate This Instance Go to **Settings > Secrets and variables > Actions** and add these secrets: ### Required (pick one for Claude auth) | Secret | Description | |--------|------------| | `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` | Anthropic API key — console.anthropic.com | | `CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN` | Alternative: Claude Code OAuth token | ### Recommended (notifications) | Secret | Description | |--------|------------| | `TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN` | Telegram bot token | | `TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID` | Telegram chat ID | | `DISCORD_WEBHOOK_URL` | Discord webhook URL | | `SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL` | Slack webhook URL | ### Required by your enabled skills ${one row per detected env var, with the list of skills that reference it} ## Fleet Parent Managed by `${PARENT_UPSTREAM}`. The parent can dispatch skills and monitor health via `fleet-control`. ## Security Note This instance has NO access to the parent's secrets. Each instance maintains its own API keys and credentials. ``` If no env vars are detected beyond the required/recommended set, omit the "Required by your enabled skills" section header (don't leave an empty table). #### 6c. Update `CLAUDE.md` idempotently Find the heading line `## About This Repo` (or the first `## ` section if not present). Under it, insert exactly one line: ``` - Managed instance of ${PARENT_UPSTREAM}. Purpose: ${PURPOSE}. ``` If a line starting with `- Managed instance of` already exists, replace it rather than appending a duplicate. #### 6d. Reset child memory The child starts with a clean slate: ```bash # Reset MEMORY.md to a minimal template cat > memory/MEMORY.md </dev/null || true find memory/topics -mindepth 1 -type f -delete 2>/dev/null || true find memory/issues -mindepth 1 -type f ! -name 'INDEX.md' -delete 2>/dev/null || true [ -f memory/issues/INDEX.md ] && echo "# Issues — none open" > memory/issues/INDEX.md echo '{}' > memory/cron-state.json # Do NOT clear memory/instances.json on the child — the child has none. rm -f memory/instances.json 2>/dev/null || true ``` #### 6e. Commit and push ```bash git add -A git commit -m "chore: configure instance — ${PURPOSE} Skills enabled: ${SKILLS_ENABLED_CSV} Parent: ${PARENT_UPSTREAM} Spawned: ${today}" git push origin main 2>/dev/null \ || git push origin HEAD:main 2>/dev/null \ || { echo "SPAWN_PUSH_FAILED"; cd - >/dev/null; exit 1; } cd - >/dev/null ``` If push fails, **do not delete the fork** — leave it for manual inspection and notify with: ``` spawn-instance: fork created but push failed for ${OWNER}/${REPO_NAME}. Recover with: gh repo clone ${OWNER}/${REPO_NAME} && push manually, then re-register. ``` ### 7. Enable GitHub Actions on the fork Forks have Actions disabled by default. Use **typed** booleans (`-F`, not `-f`, or `enabled=true` is sent as the string "true"): ```bash gh api "repos/${OWNER}/${REPO_NAME}/actions/permissions" -X PUT \ -F enabled=true -f allowed_actions=all \ || { echo "SPAWN_ACTIONS_FAILED"; exit 1; } ``` ### 8. Post-flight verification ```bash # Fork reachable gh api "repos/${OWNER}/${REPO_NAME}" --jq '.full_name' >/dev/null \ || { echo "SPAWN_API_ERROR: post-flight fork check failed"; exit 1; } # Our commit is HEAD HEAD_SHA=$(gh api "repos/${OWNER}/${REPO_NAME}/commits/main" --jq '.sha' 2>/dev/null) [ -n "$HEAD_SHA" ] || { echo "SPAWN_API_ERROR: post-flight HEAD check failed"; exit 1; } # Actions enabled ACTIONS_ON=$(gh api "repos/${OWNER}/${REPO_NAME}/actions/permissions" --jq '.enabled' 2>/dev/null) [ "$ACTIONS_ON" = "true" ] || { echo "SPAWN_ACTIONS_FAILED: post-flight"; exit 1; } ``` ### 9. Register the instance Update `memory/instances.json` in the **parent** repo. Append: ```json { "name": "${NAME}", "repo": "${OWNER}/${REPO_NAME}", "purpose": "${PURPOSE}", "created": "${today}", "status": "pending_secrets", "skills_enabled": ${SKILLS_ENABLED_JSON}, "parent": "${PARENT_UPSTREAM}" } ``` If `FORK_STATE == "exists"` at step 5, the final exit status is `SPAWN_FORK_EXISTS_RECOVERED`, otherwise `SPAWN_OK`. ### 10. Log to memory Append to `memory/logs/${today}.md`: ``` ### spawn-instance - Status: ${EXIT_CODE} - Instance: ${OWNER}/${REPO_NAME} - Purpose: ${PURPOSE} - Skills: ${SKILLS_ENABLED_CSV} - Dropped skills: ${DROPPED_CSV or "(none)"} - Actions enabled: yes ``` ### 11. Notify via `./notify` On success (`SPAWN_OK` or `SPAWN_FORK_EXISTS_RECOVERED`): ``` *New Aeon Instance* Repo: ${OWNER}/${REPO_NAME} Purpose: ${PURPOSE} Skills (${N}): ${SKILLS_ENABLED_CSV} Status: ${EXIT_CODE} — PENDING SECRETS Activate: 1. https://github.com/${OWNER}/${REPO_NAME}/settings/secrets/actions 2. Add ANTHROPIC_API_KEY (or CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN) 3. Add TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN + TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID (or Discord/Slack) See SETUP.md in the repo for the full secret list tailored to your enabled skills. ``` On refusal (`SPAWN_FORK_EXISTS_REGISTERED`, `SPAWN_INVALID_VAR`, `SPAWN_NO_SKILLS`): ``` spawn-instance: ${EXIT_CODE} — ${one-line reason}. No changes made. ``` On failure (`SPAWN_FORK_FAILED`, `SPAWN_PUSH_FAILED`, `SPAWN_ACTIONS_FAILED`, `SPAWN_API_ERROR`): ``` spawn-instance FAILED: ${EXIT_CODE} Target: ${OWNER}/${REPO_NAME} Recovery: ${one-line recovery instruction} ``` ## Network note This skill runs entirely through `gh` CLI, which handles auth internally, so no bare `$SECRET` ever lands on the command line for the Bash permission layer to refuse. No WebFetch fallback needed. If `gh` is missing or unauthenticated, the pre-flight step fails with `SPAWN_API_ERROR`. ## Constraints - **No secret propagation.** Never read or write `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`, `TELEGRAM_*`, `DISCORD_*`, `SLACK_*`, or any API key into the child repo. The whole security model depends on this. - **No hardcoded skill list.** Always enumerate `skills/*/SKILL.md` at runtime to avoid referencing renamed or removed skills. - **Idempotent.** Re-running with the same `${var}` must never produce duplicate registry entries, duplicate CLAUDE.md lines, or a second fork. - **Never delete a fork.** If anything fails partway through, leave the fork in place and emit recovery guidance — the operator is the only party authorized to delete it. - **Never push to the parent without committing `memory/instances.json` via the normal Aeon workflow.** The parent commit happens through the same path as any other skill output. Write complete, working code. No TODOs or placeholders.